Starbase 86 | Docking Bay | Early Morning

The petite Tellarite strolled out of her runabout with a sense of urgency and importance as she looked around at the busy docking ring of Starbase 86.

“Lieutenant Commander!” A young, muscular officer would call out from the side of the Docking Bay. Salda would move swiftly towards the officer. As she got closer to the man she would realize he was several feet taller than herself- and evidently at least part-Denobulans. She had always appreciated the species’ openness, it was not unlike what she experienced on Tellar Prime, though the Denobulans were probably…a bit more cordial about their approach.

“I am Ensign Aiken Roush of Starbase 86, Sir. I was tasked with showing you around the station,” The young man would say before he was cut off abruptly.

“Lieutenant Commander Salda Daarggal…I didn’t expect to be assigned with someone right out of the womb,” Salda blurted out as she slowly examined the Ensign from head to toe.

“I finished third in my class at the Academy, I am more than qualified to attend to your needs,” The Ensign responded swiftly. He knew about Tellarite customs of an…abrupt introduction. But that did not make it easy to witness the first time.

“And I finished second, but go on Ensign,” Salda replied with a sly smirk as she impatiently motioned towards the exit of the Docking Bay. Salda would follow and watch the Ensign closely as they moved into the corridors.

Lieutenant Commander Salda Daarggal’s Quarters | Mid Afternoon

“These will be your quarters during your stay in the station, Lieutenant Commander,” Aiken would announce as he entered the room closely followed by Salda herself.

Salda would enter the room with an exaggerated sigh, “A little quaint but I suppose it’ll do, you’re dismissed Ensign,”

Aiken nodded hesitantly as he looked around and then left the Lieutenant-Commander’s quarters.

Habitat Ring | Quark’s Bar | Evening

The Lieutenant-Commander had switched into more casual clothing compared to what she had on earlier in the day. She wore a simple red blouse and casual black pants alongside her long, orange hair which fell down freely past her shoulders. Typically when she was to meet with an officer about a future assignment she would dress in her duty uniform, but this was not the usual.

As the Tellarite stepped into the establishment she would instantly spot who she planned to talk to- a young, female Bolian. When Salda got closer the Bolian would narrow her eyes.” You’ve gotten more wrinkles,” The Bolian stated as she examined the Lieutenant-Commander

“And you gained a few pounds,” Salda replied as she crossed her arms.

The two woman would simply stare at each other for several more seconds before they both couldn’t hold it back anymore and started to laugh. The Bolian would finally get out of her seat and to give Salda a hug, “It has been almost a year since we met up last,”

“Too long,” Salda commented as she let go of the Bolian and sat on the other side of the table.

“Another Brandy please!” The Bolian would call out to a nearby waitress.

“Loxatia!” Salda gasped, “You still drink that filth? I thought you were ordered it because Yizru did!”

Loxatia shrugged as a smirk grew on her face, “It grew on me… Lieutenant-Commander,”

“You finally gained a few pips as well,” Salda chuckled before she gestured towards her neck which revealed her rank of full Lieutenant.

Loxatia was leaned forward to talk but would be interrupted by the waitress that arrived with two new glasses of Saurian Brandy. With a sigh the Bolian would grab the drink and lean backwards into her chair, “But I suppose we have Starfleet business to discuss, you treating the low rankers decent?”

Salda took in a deep breath and widened her eyes as if in astonishment, “What?! You think I would mess with people who don’t interact with Tellarites a lot? Never…”

“Oh my… And what exactly did you request me for?” Loxatia remarked,  The small Tellarite would readjust herself as she seemingly got serious for a moment, “There was an unauthorized ship in a nearby system, home of a pre-warp civilization. Our satellite in that region went dark too, it is assumed some sort of outlaws may be there. In simple terms, we need to investigate,”

“Easy enough, when do we depart?” Loxatia questioned before she gulped down the last of her brandy.

“First thing in the morning, I have a few more people to round up tonight,” Salda replied as she hopped down off the stool she at on, “And do get out of that uniform for at least an hour,” “Will do, SIR!” Loxatia called out.

“You damn well know I prefer my RANK, Lieutenant,” Salda sarcastically replied as she made her way towards the exit of Quark’s. 

Loxatia would smirk as she shook her head, “Verrrry well, Lieutenant-Commander. Don’t worry! I will get the tab,”

Amik System | Danube-Class Runabout | Cockpit

Salda paced around in what little space she had. For her mission she was given a Danube-Runabout of all classes. The Lieutenant-Commander had hoped for one of the newer classes, she had been eager to take them for a drive throughout the years, though her status as a science officer rarely allowed her to fulfil such curiosities.

For the mission she was given her choice of roughly a dozen officers stationed on Starbase 86, although she was strongly encouraged to take some of the Ensigns- which she ultimately gave in and agreed to. “Ensign Chevve, time until arrival?”

“Arriving in the Amik system imminently, Commander.”

Salda instinctively smirked, though she quickly buried it. “I need more speci-” She began to say before a sudden jolt threw her forward and straight into the back of the pilot’s chair.

“Salda- I mean Commander, are you alright? It looks like we exited warp near some debris!” Loxatia called out as she attempted to get a better scan of the situation

“I’m fine. Chevve, no one gave you permission to wreck this shuttle, even if it is ancient,” Salda balked as she climbed to her feet- mostly in tact, other than her hair now half-out of her once neat bun. “Evasive maneuver beta four, let us see this is without further bumps,”

“Apologies Commander, the debris is everywhere where we entered the system,” The Orion said as she frantically attempted to evade any further pieces of debris.

“Lieutenant, can you discern anything from the debris yet?”

“It is the satellite that the Starbase lost contact with, Commander. I recommend we beam a piece aboard to further examine the cause of destruction,” Loxatia replied as Salda approached the Bolian to read the sensors herself.

“Let’s do it. Ensign Roush, go beam aboard a piece of debris for analysis,” The Lieutenant-Commander ordered as she still leaned over Loxatia, “and keep continuous scans, whoever did this might not be far,”

The runabout would be jostled about once more as another remnant of the satellite scraped the side of the hull. “When I agreed to taking Ensigns on this mission, I didn’t think that meant crashing,” The Commander would spout as she steadied herself on the back of a chair.

“Inform me if anything comes up on scanners, I’m going to see if Roush was able to get a fragment of the satellite,” Salda added before either of the remaining Ensigns could respond to her comment.

Loxatia couldn’t help herself but get a massive grin on her face as Salda left the room, though she luckily was not facing anybody else that could see it.

“We are clear of wreckage,” Chevve commented, a notable concern in her voice, “My first off-base mission and I almost wreck the shuttle,”

“The Commander just likes messing with you Ensigns. She likes acting… overly Tellaritely,” Loxatia said as she finally spun her chair around to look at the two remaining Ensigns in the cockpit. “Don’t take it personally- she even worse a few years ago when I worked in her department on the Raposa,”

Amik System | Danube-Class Runabout | Crew Lounge

“Commander, here is the fragment,” Ensign Roush said as he went to pick it up.

“Good- bring it to the aft,”

“Initial observations Ensign?” The Lieutenant-Commander asked as she entered the small back room typically served as a conference room.

“The burn marks on this metallic fragment would imply simple phaser fire destroyed the satellite,” The half-Denobulan stated as he sat the debris on the table and stood at attention.

“Then for some reason whoever did this did not want the Federation to know what was happening in this solar system,” Salda said with a sigh. While she was eager to start her command and go on her own missions, she had secretly hoped this would be an easy in and out mission, especially with three of four of her crew having minimal field experience.

The two were interrupted by a sudden beep of their comm badges, “Lieutenant Ornilar to Commander Daarggal, a small vessel has appeared on sensors. They were on the fourth planet,”

“Scan them, we need to know their capabilities before we confront them,” Salda replied through her comm badge as she made her way back into the cockpit alongside Ensign Aiken Roush.

“It looks like a Barzan-style cargo freighter, though it seems to have gotten weapon upgrade grafted onto it,” Loxatia commented.

“Roush, hail them,”

“No response, Commander,”

“They readjusted their heading away from us- it seems they are attempting to go to warp,”

“Lay in a pursuit course and go. Ensign….” Salda said before a pause- the name of the tactical ensign escaped her for a few moments, “Ensign CINQEK, be at the ready to power weapons,”