Disclaimer
I'm not making a cent from this story.
Kirk, Pike, McCoy, Thelin, Arex, M'Ress, Spock, Uhura, Sulu, Scotty and Chekov all belong to Star Trek.
The name USS Saratoga is from Neferit's story, but everything about the ship's class/design I made up!

Acknowledgment
Those of you who have read Neferit's works may have come across her 'This is the End' trilogy, in which Kirk
leaves the Enterprise and accepts command of another ship, the USS Saratoga. This story takes place in that
verse. I've written all my stories with Neferit's kind permission.

Notes
Other stories in this universe are, in chronological order:
Prologue
Chastise
A New Start
A New Season
Parallels
Unforgiven
Final Flight

Request
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GOD bless
John 3:16

Captain's Log
Stardate 2265. 6.2

The crew has had a lot to celebrate lately, both professionally and personally.

Yesterday I had the honor of marrying Crewmen Dalin and O'Gill. Three months ago, my old friend/rival,
Crewman Thorson and her husband Nordstrom welcomed little Eric in to the world. The sixth child born
under my command.

Among everyone there's a tremendous sense of both pride and accomplishment: we've nearly completed
our historic Five Year Survey, becoming one of the few ships to completely circumnavigate the Federation.
During that voyage we've seen, discovered and learned far more than I ever imagined possible.

Not only that, six months ago, we made additional history by becoming the only Delphis class ship to go into
completely unexplored space. We started out along the general route the USS Aurora took when she set out
on her Five Year Mission last year. Then we veered off in a slightly different direction. We were ordered not
to go far and to turn back at the first hint of trouble. Even though we were only out there for two months
it was still further than any ship has ever gone, aside from the Valiant and the Aurora.

While out in unexplored space we discovered and mapped the Delphis and Votrel sectors, discovered
the unique lifeforms on Miri and made First Contact with the Aulites. The benefits of relations with
the Aulites will be incalculable for the Federation.

I can't help but grin at the thought- Starfleet has now sent out three missions into unexplored space:
The Five Year Missions of the USS Valiant and USS Aurora and the Two Month Mission of the USS Saratoga.
I wonder how that will look in the annals of Federation history!

Even after we returned to Federation territory, we continued to make incredible discoveries: our planetary
studies in the Zori System, the proto-star in the Quani System and charting the incredible Mariss Nebula.

Yes, these past six months have been rewarding, albeit tiring, and everyone's looking forward to heading
to Earth for a well earned break (or in the newlyweds case, to Risa for their honeymoon.) Everyone's tired
but proud and I don't think there's ever been a Captain as proud of his crew as me.

Going back to Earth will be bittersweet though; this will be the final flight of the Saratoga. As stalwart
as she is, she's twenty-five years old and the powers that be have decided to put her out to pasture.
Following our survey she's going to be decommissioned.

But I'll worry about that later. Right now I intend to concentrate on my last mission with the ship that has
been my home for over six years. Tomorrow, we'll be docking at Deep Space Station K-11 to offload our data
and to pick up some passengers. And then the Saratoga will have one last task to perform before heading home.

James T. Kirk.