Story:Star Trek: Infinite Voyages/Greetings and Farewells

In Everything Changes, command of the USS Pioneer changes hands and major personnel changes shake up the crew. Old friends depart for new adventures and unfamiliar faces, soon to make their mark in the history of the Pioneer, arrive.  At the same time, the [[USS Hawthorne (NCC-26647)|USS Hawthorne faces its own round of changes and their shared history collides again.  But change is hard, and making a smooth transition is easier said than done.

Summary
It's early 2376 and the war is over. The Pioneer is en route to the Sol system for repairs at Earth Spacedock. First, however comes a solemn, unexpected task: they must carry out a change of command ceremony. Captain Tobias Quinton, in his twenty-first year of command, has decided he's ready for a change. He's accepted a promotion to rear admiral and a desk job and is looking forward to settling on Earth, though of course he knows he'll miss the Pioneer.

Adriana Watley takes charge of the preparations and tries to distract herself from her deep unhappiness about the myriad departures by throwing herself into the work. Further, she's learned the identity of their new commanding officer: none other than Scott O'Reilly, a man with whom she had a year long romance during their time at Starfleet Academy. They parted ways amicably enough upon O'Reilly's graduation, but Watley is still apprehensive about seeing him again, since they haven't spoken at all in the past sixteen years.

Tolly Gerard, Haria Lyron, and Valok all receive new assignments; Gerard's move even entails a move to command, his years following in Watley's footsteps as second and first officer paying off in a big way. Lyron and Valok name their successors from the current ranks: assistant department heads Sho Sakura and Jedana Verim, respectively. These newly promoted senior officers have their own concerns. Both contemplate the prospect of taking the places of their predecessors and commanding the officers who were their peers not so long ago.

However, Quinton's departure is not the only big news being talked about as the Pioneer approaches Earth. Philomena Kasun has tendered her resignation from Starfleet and is only now admitting this to her two closest friends, Watley and Gerard. Both are hurt and surprised by her decision, but it's Watley's impassioned but meddlesome behavior in the wake of the news that has the biggest effect on Kasun.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Jasper Kingsley is watching the transformation of San Francisco and the heart of the Starfleet as it continues to recover from the Breen attack on the city in late 2375. Starships are flowing into the system for much-needed repairs, refits, and resupplying. Among these is the one that has been home to Garnet Carey, roommate and friend to a student from the first class he taught at the Academy and a close friend to Kingsley. Their relationship was complicated enough as a deep friendship between an instructor and a cadet; it had even drawn criticism from the dean for exhibiting an unhealthy and unproductive familiarity. There were some lines that were just not to be crossed.

Carey and her friend Katerina Althaus, now ensigns, have opted to return to the Academy for supplementary training to make up for their abbreviated Academy tenure. Althaus is as devoted to her studies, but Carey's reasoning is more pragmatic: facing a lack of appealing professional prospects, more experience couldn't hurt her chances against her field promoted peers. What's more, her experience of war has profoundly shaped her personality. Carey has found her inner reserve of self-assurance and is ready to start making proactive decisions for herself. One of her first acts is to resume her relationship with Kingsley, but in a matter more fitting to equals. He's delighted to see her again, and they soon fall into their old, comfortable habits together, but is taken aback when Carey makes a bold move which makes clear her changing feelings for him.

Shortly after the Pioneer's comparatively brief stay, the Hawthorne arrives for a major layover. Major damage suffered in one of the war's final engagements must be repaired and while the rest of the crew takes shore leave or temporary assignments, Captain Franklin Xavier begins the sad task of choosing new crewmembers to replace those killed in battle. In an action that echoes his decision six years ago to select Sara Thales, former fellow shipmate aboard the Pioneer, as his first officer on the Hawthorne, Xavier pays a visit to Kingsley with an attractive proposal.

Chapters

 * Chapter One
 * Chapter Two
 * Chapter Three
 * Chapter Four
 * Chapter Five
 * Chapter Six
 * Chapter Seven
 * Chapter Eight
 * Chapter Nine
 * Chapter Ten