Wow, this is an awesome story. I'm glad I saved it up for reading all in the one go, but sorry that I didn't read it earlier. K and S' write beautifully together, your characterisations are IMHO even better than the Guv's, and a lot better than mine. You introduce really brilliant people that I enjoy reading, and paint fantastic scenes and images. You also use really obscure words like "insouciant" and "caryatid" that I had to look up the meanings of - though does T'Vel really have a stone entablature (
http://www.webster.com/mw/art/caryatid.htm) on her head?
I remember the intro and the beautiful green-eyed, red-headed captain being lost with her ship. I even remember Larry's counter-comment to that. I happen to think it was mean to do that to her.
I have to say that I'm not overly thrilled with the Starfleet Klingon haters, as Gene's Trek people are supposed to be more mentally and socially evolved than that, but in terms of current world viewpoints it rings totally Cold War, Yanks vs. Commies true. It is current human nature to resent, dislike, or hate that which causes us pain, and you've captured that very well indeed.
Your descriptions of ships and procedures warms this detail freak's heart and fires my mind, and you really do include a whole bevy of beautiful people, male and female. My conflicted self says "that's not very realistic!" while demanding "tell me more about Swimsuit Caesar!"
The story is engaging and keeps me "turning the pages", and I'm wondering how Fleet will now deal with an upstart captain who just had his brand new ship wrecked on it's first hurried mission out of dock. Uh-oh!
I love the names you've come up with for the characters, very world-flavour and individual. Characters introduced that deserve special mention:
Dr. Caitlin Denning
Boris Arkadevich Tretiak - LOVE LOVE LOVE the background/family history on him!
Ensign Yukiko Hanagawa
I've noted the last chapter posting date with dismay (10th June) and hope that Kieran returns from the Reserves soon with more story, and Tasky puts more up shortly as well.
This story is definitely a keeper. Please, give me more, I beseech you!