Bring Your Daughter to Work Day
Posted on Wed Apr 29th, 2026 @ 8:49am by Captain Marc Kidd & Commander Mariko Tao & Lieutenant Christopher Blake & Lieutenant Vincent 'Ghost' Zandrell & Lt JG Adalyn O'Rourke Ph.D. & Ensign Nala Rider & Ensign Connor Watts
Edited on on Wed Apr 29th, 2026 @ 11:02am
2,719 words; about a 14 minute read
Mission:
Episode 3 - The One Who Got Away
Location: Main Bridge - Deck 3 - USS Artemis
Timeline: MD003 1100 hrs
Vincent stood in the turbolift as it traveled to the bridge. Along side him was Cassie James, his 8 year old daughter. She seemed nervous as the lift traveled. As if she was unsure it was appropriate. The last time she tried to make it onto a bridge, she was treated like a nuisance to the crew. Even the ones who were willing to speak to her and treated her nice. Cassie was 5 then. The little girl finally looked up to her father.
"Are you sure it's okay?" She asked softly in a hesitant tone.
"Yeah, Cass. I asked the Captain himself. As long as nothing was going on, it was fine by him." Vincent replied with a smile. As he knelt down, he continued, adjusting the blue Betazoid dress her grandmother got her. "Just, try not to get in anyone's way while they are working. Okay?"
Cass raised a brow and looked at her father with an odd look. "Dad, it's the bridge of a big starship. When is anyone up there no working?"
He laughed in response, nodding his head a bit, as he stood back up. "Touché." Vincent looked back to the turbolift doors as they opened. He took a step forward, stopping before hitting the threshold between the lift and the bridge, before turning back to face Cassie who was slowly easing her head forward to look towards the bridge. "You coming or not, Kiddo?"
She finally walked forward, following her father onto the bridge, hearing the turbolift doors close behind her. She immediately began to look around. Her eyes catching every lit screen and office in view, darting from person to person. Butterflies began to fill her stomach before feeling a slight squeeze from her father who felt it coming from her. "And this is a Luna Class... right?" She asked softly.
"Yeah. Luna Class Starship." He replied with a smile, looking down at her briefly, noticing the awe in her eyes. "USS Artemis. Attached to the SFCIS. That's the Starfleet Criminal Investigative Service. We catch and detain bad people who do bad things in Starfleet. Pretty cool huh?" Vincent said as he looked back around the bridge.
Cassie James didn't say anything. Her eyes were fixed on the bridge itself and everyone on it. Moving back and forth. To be honest, she didn't understand what most of what her father said actually meant, but she could feel how much he was proud of saying it.
Nasala Trapers was running a diagnostic at the Science Station when a cute little girl of about eight stepped onto the Bridge behind her Father, her head swiveling like an owlet as she tried to take everything in.
"And whom might you be, little lady?" Nasala asked, kneeling to the girl's level, a big smile on her face.
Cassie looked at Nasala, before looking up towards her father. She raised a brow, sending her father a message telepathically, 'She seems nice.'. She soon looked back to Nasala, giving her a genuine smile, as she extended her hand. "Hello, I am Cassie James Zandrell. My Dad said he got permission for me to come up to the bridge. I've never been on a Luna Class before?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Cassie! My name's Nasala Trapers, and I'm double happy cause it's my first time on a Luna Class as well! I was starting to think they started everyone out on the Luna Class!" Nasala chuckled as she extended her three-fingerrd hand and shook Cassie's.
Mariko looked up as the turbolift doors closed, expecting nothing more than another routine arrival.
Instead, her attention caught on the smaller figure beside Vincent.
She didn’t react immediately — training and habit kept her still — but her eyes lingered for a moment longer than they otherwise would have. A child on the bridge was unexpected, and the flicker of surprise showed briefly before it smoothed away.
Her gaze shifted to the centre chair, meeting the Captain’s eyes for half a second. Not a question, not concern — just a quiet I wasn’t told, paired with the understanding that this was deliberate.
When her attention returned to her console, her expression was composed again, but softer than before.
Some days, even on ships like this one, life found its way onto the bridge anyway.
Nala wandered up onto the Bridge for a breather and caught sight of Nasala Trapers talking to a little girl.
Chris glanced back and smiled a little as he saw Vincent bring the young girl onto the bridge. It was a good reminder of why they did what they did. To make the world safer for children like her to grow up in.
Listening to the traffic on the comms, from Bajor as well as keeping tabs on the power function of the ship. The opening of the turbo lift door caused Connor to look behind him, his eyes widening slightly. What was a kid doing on the bridge? She must be with her dad, he supposed.
He was relatively new, and Connor hadn't really met too many yet. The person who had his daughter, niece-- had the markings of being in security. Who is this guy? Connor pulled up the manifest.
Oh, his name was Zandrell hmmnnn, he mused. Interesting.
He decided to wave at the little girl "Hello" then gave a nod towards her dad in acknowledgement.
Zandrell looked to Connor and have him a smile and nod, giving the officer a quick wave, before giving his daughter a gentle tug to get her attention. As she looked up to him, Vincent motioned over to Connor, before adding softly, "He's saying Hi to you, Cass."
Cassie looked over to Ensign Watts and gave him an enthusiastic wave. So far, this visit, was far better than the last time she came onto the bridge. "Hello!" She shouted slightly.
"Cass." Her father whispered quickly. "You're still on the bridge."
"Sorry." She replied quickly to her father, before looking back to Connor again and waving. This time managing a much quieter "Hi." So as not to draw much attention and keep other from their work.
Nala stifled a soft chuckle as she typed information into the Science Station while Nasala was occupied.
Connor grinned as to the enthusiastic response Cassie gave him, "It was nice to meet you." he softly said to her before he turned back to his station and his monitoring.
With the small amount of chaos that it took to get a ship underway Marc did not notice the turbolift doors open. "Set a course for Starbase 304 warp six." He ordered Blake who immediately set about his task. The Starbase was where the body of the child was being held. Marc stood and turned initially to ask Frost about the station. But seeing Zandrell and his daughter on the Bridge caught his attention. Marc smiled "Welcome to the Bridge."
Cassie immediately felt butterflies in her stomach again. Bigger than before. She stood in front of the Captain, looking up to her, feeling slightly nervous. It was hard for her to say whether it was genuinely coming from her or if she was empathically feeling it from her father. Regardless, she brought her feet together and stood quietly in place with her hands together, waiting for them to finish so as not to interrupt and get on the Captains bad side already.
Zandrell stood at attention for a bit, before replying. "Captain. Hello." He said, some slight hesitation at first, before continuing on. "I brought my daughter up here, if you remember we talked about it. I hope it's not a bad time."
"Not a bad time at all. We were just getting underway. I am sure we could all do with a visit from a fresh-faced soon to be Ensign no doubt." Marc genuinely beamed with a large smile. It felt like the first time he had smiled in a while.
Vincent cleared his throat as he gestured to his daughter. "Captain Kidd... This is my daughter, Cassie James." He looked down to his daughter as he added. "Cass... Captain Marc Kidd. Captain of the Artemis."
Cassie smiled up at the Captain. "Captain... uhh... Sir." She said before putting one foot behind the other, putting her in a position to bow slightly, like her grandmother showed her on Betazed. As she raised her head to look back up at him again, she said softly. "Honored to meet you, Captain." She could hear her grandmothers voice in her mind, reminding her to keep straight and proper, acting like a true Betazed debutante. Something she was far from, but still told to do in order to keep up appearances.
"Greeted as a true daughter of Betazed should. Now tell me what do you wanna see first. There is quite a lot and the Artemis is not like any other ship." Marc did not want to tell the child about the darker things that the Artemis had to deal with. But it was a little exciting the technology and data that they had which was different from other starships.
"Ok, that was so CUTE!" Nasala whispered to Nala, her antenna wiggling excitedly.
"So cute," Nala agreed, beaming as she watched Cassie.
Cassie James looked around, feeling a bit nervous as to several eyes watching her, awaiting an answer. She hadn't thought that far ahead. She figured she would be given a tour and meet people, while her father brought up little bites of information and the occasional joke. Or attempt at one. After a few moments, she looked back to the Captain, placing her hands folded in front of her. "What would the Captain suggest?" Cassie asked with a smile.
Marc was not a father yet, but you didn't have to be one to notice that the young girl was slightly uncomfortable with being the center of attention. "Perhaps your dad can take you around and let you see each station. Start with the helm just down there. Lieutenant Blake I am sure will show a few things." He pointed toward the helm. Then Marc realized that everyone still sort of stared at the girl. He cleared his throat. "Stations..." It was his way of getting the crew to leave the poor girl alone.
Nasala and Nala giggled sheepishly as Nala pushed Nasala back toward her station before heading for the turbolift.
"You can bring Cassie by the 'Lair' sometime if you want, Vincent." Nala offered, dropping a hand to his shoulder briefly before ruffling Cassie's hair with a smile before entering the turbolift and heading back to the Lair, or Lab as it was actually known.
Chris gave a lopsided grin and turned in his seat to focus more on their course and heading while he waited for Vincent to bring Cassie over.
Vincent walked over to Chris at the help. He smiled at him, giving him a nod, before saying. "This is Lieutenant Blake. He's the Chief Flight Control Officer and Second Officer. He flies the ship and is usually the one who gets to go on the away missions if the Captain doesn't need a specific group of people. If the Captain and XO aren't able to command the ship. He takes over.
Adalyn didn’t spend a lot of time on the bridge typically , but today she decided to deliver her reports in person, needing a change of scenery and a reminder that life was more than delving into the darkness of the criminal mind followed by reports.
As she stepped off the lift, she blinked as she noted the young girl moving toward the helm. Her immediate thought was to wonder if the girl needed help, a consequence of not encountering children too often outside a legal context. Approaching Mariko to hand off her reports in person, she offered softly, “Everything ok, ma’am?”
Mariko accepted the reports without looking away from the helm for more than a second, her eyes tracking Cassie’s small figure as she moved toward Blake’s station.
“Yes,” she replied quietly. “Perfectly.”
There was the faintest hint of warmth at the edge of her tone — not indulgent, just softened.
“Lieutenant Zandrell cleared it with the Captain. A brief tour.” Her gaze flicked to Adalyn then, understanding the unspoken question beneath it. “Operational risk is minimal.”
She shifted slightly in her chair, lowering her voice just enough to keep it between them.
“If anything, it’s… well-timed.”
Her eyes returned to the bridge floor — to the way the crew had straightened a fraction, the way the tension that had lingered these past days seemed momentarily diffused by the presence of an eight-year-old in a blue dress.
“After the week we’ve had, I don’t mind being reminded what all of this is for.”
A small pause.
“And I suspect you don’t either.”
Her expression settled back into composure, though the warmth hadn’t entirely disappeared.
“If she begins issuing psychological assessments of the bridge crew, then I may require your assistance,” she added dryly.
Adalyn chuckled. "Actually, I think I'd quite like to hear her assessment." Mariko was correct. Adalyn did not mind at all being reminded why they did what they did, especially given the sobering nature of their current case. She imagined Cassie was going to be the recipient of a lot of extra care and attention, if she didn't mind, as they all sorted their feelings throughout the case, Adalyn included. As she looked in the little girl's direction, she considered walking over and introducing herself, but she didn't want to interrupt. Instead, she made a mental note to make her acquaintance later.
Turning to Mariko, O'Rourke added, "Thanks for showing some flexibility with protocol. We all need to be reminded there's more to life than the worst things we can do to each other."
Mariko inclined her head slightly at that. “Protocol exists to serve people,” she said quietly. “Not the other way around.”
Her gaze drifted briefly toward Cassie again before returning to Adalyn. “And sometimes the most effective reminder of that… is eight years old and standing at the helm.”
Connor had turned his attention back to his console after casting one more look towards the young girl. She reminded him of his sister Ginger when she was much younger. He smiled as he went back to listening to communications and the chatter.
Nasala hummed softly as she puttered around at her station, catching glimpses of where Cassie was from time to time.
Connor got lost in thought while he listened to the communications. His mind started wandering towards the Captain's yeoman, Rhihannon O'Connell. She was a pretty woman, and that there had been rumors that she was already involved with someone, He'd seen her in the messhall, eating but not really with someone. He'll have to ask her, to see if she was seeing anyone. He gave a smile at his thoughts. Yes he will make certain to ask her. Asking Rhihannon O'Connell if she were seeing anyone.
A Joint Post By
Captain Marc Kidd
Commanding Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Ensign Nala Rider
Facial Reconstruction Specialist, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Ensign Connor Watts
Communications Specialist, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Commander Mariko Tao
Executive Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Christopher Blake
Chief Flight Control Officer, USS Artemis
Second Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Vincent Zandrell
Criminal Apprehension Officer, USS Artemis
Commanding Officer, Emergency Services Unit
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Junior Grade Adalyn O'Rourke
Ship's Counselor/Profiler, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
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