His time at the academy was a normal one.  After graduating from the Acdemy and excelling in temporial mechinacies.  Ensign Bell was assigned as the Assistant Science Officer on board the USS New York an Oberth Class Starship and took the night shift. He was extremly good at his job and after four years of service on the USS New York and a promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade he was sent to the planet Vulcan for further studies in the sciences.  He enjoyed it, he was there for 6 months and then transffered to Starbase Flander where he assisted in making sure that starships got the repairs needed. 

 

He broke the records for the time that ships were in repair and got them out the quickest even when main power was down he made sure that the ships got the immedate repairs.  He was transfered to the Engeering Divistion and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. 

 

After this transfer Nikoli was sent as the Assistant Chief Engineer onboard the Ambassador Class USS Exeter, the major problem with the USS Exeter was that the warp engines were older and was having a hard time entering and exiting warp speeds.  There was an incident where the ship would not exit warp drive and the Chief Engineer was not able to initate a shut down LT Bell was able to get a transporter lock and able to transport the anti-mater directly from the warp core. The anti-matter exploded the ship dropped out of warp and there was minimual damage to the Exeter.  After four more years he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and made chief engineer after the Chief was assigned to Starfleet Academy.  That assignement was normal and routine, another two years he was re-assigned as a pilot for Starbase 1 in the Terrian system, he also tested the new types of shuttle crafts manueverablity and weapons systems, and three years there he was transferred to the Command Divistion and sent to the War College with the rank of Commander.  He attended that for one year and was assigned as the first officer of the USS Foreginer an older Constellation Class Starship.  They ran routine patrols along Cardiassian Border trying to keep them away from the Bajorian Homeworld and the new Bajorian Colonies around it.  He was assigned to her for four years and then given command of the Miranda Class the USS Majestic where he proved his abilites as a Starship Commander.  After five years of this assignement he was then transffered to Utopia Planitia shipyards with the rank of Captain.  He assisted in constructing new vessels of older classes.  After two years starfleet came up with the Galaxy Class project. Captain Bell was very much involved with the design and construction of the prototype, USS Galaxy. 

 

After consideration Vice-Admiral Harris decided that Captian Bell should be promoted to the rank of Commodore and command the first Galaxy Class starship.