Takin' Care of Business

As Phoenix secures the Vega system against further Romulan aggression, their investigation of a missing freighter suggests new enemies on the horizon.

Takin’ Care of Business – 1

Bridge, Phoenix
September 2156

Black sat back in the command chair as she watched the Vega Militia flight group swoop through its next manoeuvre, her throat tense. ‘Tell Raven Wing to tighten up their formation. They’re about to lose cohesion, or they’ll lose speed as they reform.’

Her second in the Armoury Department, Lieutenant Dynevor, was at Tactical. A faint noise of frustration escaped him. ‘Doesn’t matter. Eagle Wing is a shambles right now forming up to meet them. I could tell them to -’

She sighed. ‘No. Let them play it out.’

Takahashi looked up from his station. He hadn’t yet sent the message to Raven Wing. ‘Hey, they’re doing a helluva lot better than last time. Chill out, this is progress.’

Dynevor scowled. ‘They’re armed civilians expecting to confront an empire’s military. They need to be more than “better.”’

Black rubbed her temples. ‘Tak’s right. This is progress. If we nag, they’ll never learn how to fix their own errors.’

‘Oh, hey, look at that.’ Tak smirked. ‘Raven Wing’s tightened up their flight path without me yammering on at them. It’s like you’re a teacher, or something, Commander.’

There was a pause as Dynevor studied his readings. He arched an eyebrow. ‘Their formation is passable. Eagle Wing will need to do better to face them.’

‘If we cut the apron-strings today and Eagle Wing get hammered,’ mused Black, ‘then they’ll learn better.’

‘I want that engraved above the Tactical station, by the way,’ Takahashi chirped as they watched the war games above one of the Vega System’s more distant worlds play out. ‘Tak’s right.’

‘I’ve had better words of wisdom,’ Black said.

Dynevor’s eyebrow remained raised. ‘You might need to find them before Lieutenant Takahashi opens another system-wide transmission.’

She cast him a glance. Tall, dark-haired and dark-eyed, with sharp features that remained stern until they were sardonic, Dynevor was older than her, one of many who had signed up for Starfleet in the face of the crises befalling Earth these past three years. She knew the Welshman was a former Special Branch detective, which had relieved her when she’d first assumed a military background from his demeanour. But while dutiful and disciplined, he had a subtle, wry sense of humour she hoped would persist in the face of the Phoenix’s general atmosphere.

But before she had to cut the exchange short, he straightened. ‘It’s over. Raven Wing’s painted enough Eagle Wing targets; that’s 40% of their fighting strength down.’

‘Alright. Tak, get me Captain Boushaki.’ The viewscreen shifted for the burly, bearded freighter captain who had taken control of the militia by sheer personal presence and dogged determination. ‘You can stand everyone down, Captain. And let Raven Wing that they’ve won.’

Boushaki’s craggy face split in a grin. ‘They’ve come a long way, huh?’

Black gave a small, indulgent smile. ‘There’ll be feedback for both wings. Raven shouldn’t think they’re untouchable. But they’ve come a long way.’

‘With your guidance. Who knew Starfleet could help, huh?’

The smile fixed. ‘It’s what we’re here to do. Form up on us and we’ll head back to Vega Colony. Phoenix out.’ Black sighed as the image disappeared. ‘Corrigan, set us a course back to orbit. Dynevor, start the analysis so we can debrief them properly once we arrive.’ She stood up. ‘I’ll go tell the captain. Bridge is yours, Tak.’

Takahashi cast the command chair an awkward glance. ‘Sure, but I got actual work to do from here.’ He pointed at his station, then looked about the bridge. ‘You know the drill, everyone: blah blah, my word is law even if I’m not in the big pointy chair, Tak is God.’

‘So long as it’s your responsibility if we blow up while I’m out of the room, I don’t care where you sit,’ said Black, shrugging as she headed for the captain’s ready room.

It looked like it had been hit either by a bomb or a nursery school craft lesson. Black had spent most of the last week with the Vega Militia, training them aboard their ships, working with their flight groups; today’s war games had been the most she’d worked aboard the Phoenix in days, and so she hadn’t visited Lopez in some time. And during that time, the captain had perhaps gone crazy.

‘What… is this?’

Lopez ducked under the small torch dangling from wire in the middle of her ready room. ‘We done? Did you bring coffee?’

‘We’re done. You definitely don’t need caffeine.’ Black’s jaw dropped as she looked about the many objects hanging from the ready room ceiling. ‘Did you decorate? What?’

‘Don’t be obtuse, it’s a model.’ Lopez pointed at the dangling torch. ‘That’s the Vega star.’ Then to an espresso mug hanging nearby. ‘That’s Vega colony.’ Then to a dangling PADD stand. ‘That’s Vega VI.’

‘What’s…’ Black paused and rubbed her forehead. ‘What’s wrong with a display?’

‘Two dimensions.’ Lopez took the offered PADD, but had to duck under Vega again to take her seat. ‘While you’ve been trying to get these freighter captains in a condition to survive more than five seconds against the Rommies, I’ve been running more defence scenarios. What if they pop out of warp here, or here.’ She pointed about what Black could now indeed see was a makeshift mobile of the Vega system. ‘I can’t just hop in a shuttlepod and fly around the system for two days absorbing everything. So I had to build a model.’

Black wrinkled her nose. ‘Did you, though?’

‘It helps -’

‘I was questioning the “build a model” part rather than the “had to” part. Nat, this looks like… okay.’ She’d forgotten how hands-on Lopez needed to be with a problem, how she thought her best through a situation in front of her instead of abstract concepts and detached reports. If Lopez had indeed taken two days to jump about the system in a shuttlepod, she’d probably have returned with a perfect understanding of Vega. ‘It’d be a lot to say the militia’s ready, but the war game’s over and they’re better.’

‘Better is good. By the time we’re back, Hawthorne should be miles ahead with the orbital defences. It’d be great if we could run at least one scenario with those involved?’

Black took the other seat. ‘Don’t ask me, Nat. I don’t know if we’re going to be here another four days or another four weeks.’ She hesitated. ‘Did you hear back from Command?’

‘I’m trying to not think about it.’ Lopez rolled her eyes at Black’s look. ‘Yesterday. We were set on the war games, though, and I’m not going to pull Hawthorne’s project when he’s so close, so…’

‘So? Are they sending help to Vega?’

Lopez turned her eyes to the ceiling. ‘I should have lied to them, Helena. They were pleased with the battle’s outcome. They were pleased we were buoying things up here with the building and the training. In fact, they think we’ve done such a good job that Vega’s secure now.’

‘What?’

‘…so I think I’m gonna tell them today’s war games went horribly and that Hawthorne, I don’t know, shot himself with an orbital platform…’

Black made a face. ‘Any chance you could put that in a way that throws you under the bus?’

She lifted her hands. ‘I’m kidding. What I’m going to do is let Governor Qadir know, so she can start putting pressure through diplomatic channels. Starfleet are pulling the rug on me way too late for me to start screwing with them. If I’d known they’d prefer to hang Vega out to dry than send the Dragonfly or the like out here, I’d have started to play them sooner.’

‘That would have involved making us look worse, though,’ Black sighed. ‘Suggesting Vega was more than we can handle. Trust me, Nat, it’s good for us that Command thinks we swept in and fixed a whole strategic front in a matter of weeks.’

‘It’s not good for the people of Vega, who’ll get chewed up and spat out by the Rommies if we leave right now. And Command don’t believe we’ve done an amazing job, it’s just convenient for them to think we’ve done a good job so they don’t have to spare precious resources to protect their precious core worlds…’ Lopez slumped back, rubbing her temples. Then one beady eye popped open. ‘What do you mean, “trust me?”’

‘Uh. I mean, trust me?’

‘No, no.’ Lopez sat up. ‘You know something.’

Black looked away, lips twisting. ‘I don’t know if it helps for you to know.’

‘What’d he say?’

‘Who?’

‘Your father. I know that look.’ Lopez jabbed a finger at her. ‘Remember how I knew you before Gregory Black got parachuted into Starfleet Command? Before he forcibly transferred Lieutenant Gahm off the Constellation to clear a path to the senior staff for you? Before he started whispering – sorry, yelling, yelling in your ear about what you needed to do to advance your career -’

‘Okay!’ Black’s hand shot up, her jaw now tight. ‘I don’t know if Command is actually unhappy, or if he’s unhappy and is saying they’re unhappy, or if he made them unhappy, but…’

‘What’s crawled up his ass?’ Lopez’s eyebrows reached her hairline.

Black drew a deep breath and looked her in the eye. ‘Tak’s trick – fooling the Romulans by using their own encryptions – exposed more of our knowledge of their secure communication methods than he’s happy with. He’s suggested this was an irresponsible intelligence breach with significant strategic ramifications -’

‘Oh, Christ, he can ram those strategic ramifications right up -’

‘I know,’ Black pressed, fighting to keep her voice level, and planted a hand carefully on Lopez’s desk. ‘But of course, my father has significant influence in Command. You can defend yourself right now because Tak’s tactic freed us up to rescue Vega. If you implied our situation here was – is – anything less than a complete success, then it means we wasted classified information for no real gain.’

Lopez scrubbed her face with her hands. ‘I really don’t need your father gunning for me.’

‘He guns for anything that doesn’t work his own way. It was clever to have Gardner throw his weight behind you for this job, though. Now Gardner has to back you to protect himself from criticism.’

‘I didn’t…’ She slumped back on the chair again. ‘I didn’t plan on doing this with politics, Helena. Not once I was out here.’

There was a pause as Black considered her options. Then, cautious, she said, ‘If you didn’t want politics, why did you push for the Phoenix? We could have made a plan to get you the Pathfinder. With your experience, once you showed up asking for a ship, Starfleet couldn’t possibly say “no.”’

‘Because begging Starfleet for scraps is how they give me some glorified garbage scow with guns strapped on, and send me out to do the least important jobs where nobody cares if I live or die.’ Lopez jabbed a finger at the bridge. ‘But here? I swung a patrol to Vega because this crew needed to find its space-legs and Command considered it a milk-run, but I knew nobody would care about the fringe otherwise. Not enough. And now these people have got one of Earth’s best warships looking out for them, if only for a little while.’

The next pause was longer, Black’s eyes locked on Lopez. It felt provocative to point out Lopez was suggesting only she cared about the people of Vega, but Black knew when she was being manipulated, knew when she was being given the public face. The thought did, at least, kill the lingering sympathy she’d felt at Lopez’s exhaustion. ‘Then you knew we’d be playing politics. Because your agenda was political.’ She sat up. ‘Which is why I’ve given you the heads up about my father. Don’t show weakness to Command right now, or he’ll use it against you. Vega has to be a success. Use that to justify more ships out here.’

Lopez looked away, eyes snapping back and forth as if reading invisible words, and Black knew she’d set her mind on a different, furious course. ‘We have to sound successful enough that the Phoenix isn’t weakened, but not so successful that Vega gets abandoned. We need -’ She snapped her fingers. ‘Damn it, I’m an idiot. Of course that’s what we need.’

Black’s eyebrows raised at Lopez’s sudden twist. And her surprised suspicion didn’t fade as the captain explained.

It meant her heart was heavy when she finished up and headed down to the science labs. West had been polite when he’d asked for an update on the war games, but she wasn’t foolish enough to ignore what this was. It was for the best that Lopez had been, frankly, insincere when she’d said she didn’t plan on managing the politics of the Phoenix’s mission. Politics weren’t just a distant concern of far-off Earth, after all. Not with Sawyer West as the XO.

She found him in the astrophysics lab, which he had transformed into the beating heart of his department – and his influence. These were squat, confined rooms packed full of equipment and displays, though West had transformed many of the less immediately useful labs as Phoenix took part in the Starfleet-wide war footing. Botany had been gutted, as had the cultural sciences wing, and Black had felt a pang when she’d seen the work crew taking apart the anthropology lab to cram it in alongside archaeology.

This was not the Starfleet she’d joined.

She knew it was not the Starfleet that West had joined, either, and she could only imagine the sacrifices the former UESPA analyst had made to turn his scientific mind and resources to support the war effort. But this would not be the only reason she found him, not for the first time, sat before a display of all their sensor readings from the skirmish at Vega.

‘I think I’ve found it,’ West rumbled by way of greeting. ‘The Romulan scout was experiencing fluctuations in their power grid; I suspect their flight route took them near or perhaps through the ion storm we detected two light-years out. For whatever reason, they didn’t correct it, and when your weapons fire hit their deflectors, it looks like a conduit overloaded. You’d pierced the hull before they could compensate.’

Old instincts she’d rather not listen to saw her clasping her hands behind her back and straightening her posture before she spoke in a low, level voice. ‘Sir, I know the destruction of that escort was a fluke.’

West stopped at that, and turned to face her, the big man’s expression folding into a frown. ‘I’m not demeaning your accomplishments, Commander. But I want this ship to be clear on what happened weeks ago. We got lucky. We can’t afford to be complacent.’

‘I didn’t realise we were being complacent, sir.’ She cocked her head. ‘We’re reinforcing Vega’s defences with as much support and resources as we can.’

‘While crowing about what an awesome victory we won, Captain Lopez won.’

There were many problems with Black’s family, but arguments between her parents had never been among them. She wondered if this was what it would have felt like. ‘Captain Lopez is well-aware that the battle should have been more prolonged. She’s taking the strategic situation here very seriously.’ She hesitated. ‘Even if she’s built a model in her ready room which looks like it was put together by your kids.’

West scoffed. ‘Penny and Bruce would be embarrassed to put their names to that monstrosity.’ But he relaxed an iota at last, and nodded. ‘Captain Lopez of course assures me she’s taking this seriously. But I can’t imagine she’d ever claim to not.’

‘Then if I may, Commander: I speak Lopez. Her public speech at the battle, attending the celebratory party, Lieutenant Takahashi spreading word of her warping into the system and killing Romulans just by spitting at them? These are tactics to buoy up morale. Of Vega’s colonists, of the ship.’

‘With the possible risk that everyone will underestimate the enormity of the challenge ahead of us, or overestimate our strength, even if Lopez doesn’t.’ West gestured past the bulkheads. ‘Have you spoken much to the crew? They’re cocky. Saying that if the Romulans come back, we’ll just blow them up again.’

Black looked down, gathering her thoughts. ‘I’ll be truthful, sir. I don’t know this crew well enough to be sure how much of this is sincere, and how much of this is managing.’ She glanced at his display. ‘If you send me your analysis of the fight, then I can see about conducting some simulations and drills of how the battle might have gone without that glitch in the escort’s power systems. That gives everyone some necessary practice, and some concept of how lucky we were.’

West grimaced, the dawning realisation of his own prickliness tugging at his expression. ‘That’s a good idea, Commander. I’ll make sure we have the time, perhaps while Hawthorne finishes off his work on the orbital defences.’ But then he shifted his weight, and she braced for another blow. ‘I see you’re doing a good job of managing the both of us.’

She allowed a smile, because he sounded rather wryly self-aware. ‘I spent a long time at Starfleet Command Headquarter, sir. I know how to balance conflicting needs and interests of senior staff.’

‘You mean you know how to juggle egos.’

‘Your words.’

West gave his own smile, but still he pressed on. ‘If you speak Lopez, then answer me this, Commander: How much of what she’s doing is for morale, and how much is for her ego? Lopez, the Hero of Vega? It’s got a seductive ring to it.’

‘She does like to seduce,’ joked Black, and West’s eyes flickered as he noted her evasion. ‘Sir, if Captain Lopez were the monster you fear she is, I wouldn’t have accepted this assignment.’

West tilted his head in some concession to this, and turned back to his work. ‘I think we’re all at risk of becoming some sort of monster or another, Commander, especially in a war,’ he said, voice low and thoughtful and, she suspected, not necessarily directed at her. ‘What stops us – what keeps us on the straight and narrow – is what the people around us do.’

Takin’ Care of Business – 2

Alpha-1 Station, Vega System
September 2156

Hawthorne heard the hiss of the airlock seal, but waited until the light above the doors lit to confirm matched pressure and sufficient oxygen levels before he reached for the latches on the helmet of his EV suit. It took a little fiddling through the thick gloves, so the hatch back into the corridors of Alpha-1, the main station orbiting Vega Colony, had slid open by the time his helmet was off.

Commander Black, stood by the airlock, cocked her head at him. ‘Need a hand, Lieutenant?’

‘No, I -’ Hawthorne pursed his lips, but had to shift the helmet a bit before he tucked it under one arm. ‘I have it. Thank you, Commander. Help you?’ He felt ungainly as he stepped into the rather dingy corridor and thumped to the storage lockers for his suit. ‘I thought you’d still be far out, trying to convince these interstellar truckers that they can strap a pea-shooter to their hull and defeat an empire.’

But he was off his game because the EV suit was so fiddly as he undid fasteners and tried to stow it, and he’d barely finished his put-down before Black stepped in to help. ‘You’ve not done this a lot,’ she observed.

His jaw tensed. ‘There’s little need to go extra-vehicular when one is developing this technology, no; I’m sorry if I didn’t grow up on a ship, all rugged and hands-on and learning from the school of hard knocks, or whatever it is Starfleet values in their engineers -’

‘It just takes practice,’ she said, voice soothing. ‘And it’s always easier with an extra pair of hands.’ She took the helmet from him and hooked it up in the open storage locker. ‘Phoenix got back a half-hour ago. I shipped over to see how you’re doing with the weapon emplacements.’

Hands free, Hawthorne scrubbed the back of his head, hair slick with sweat even though he felt cold, now. ‘Second Team needed a little assistance with the last installation; they’re finishing up now. I’d like to run some more tests; none of these platforms are designed for the sort of power demands of these additional pulse cannons, and while we’ve set up the system configurations for combat they should do well…’

‘Nothing like seeing it in action,’ she agreed. ‘We’ll have to fit it in between some combat drills the command staff want me to conduct. That’s why I came down to meet you.’

He resisted the urge to harrumph, trying to not be too ungrateful for her assistance as he peeled himself out of the EV suit. ‘You want the power allocation to run that.’

‘Actually, I wanted to know the state of emergency drills for your engineers. As I understand it, more general simulations suffice for making an engine room combat-ready?’

He cocked his head at her. ‘You’ve anointed yourself responsible for everyone’s combat readiness, then?’

She shrugged. ‘I’m the Chief Armoury Officer and Second Officer.’

‘And if this is running smoothly, then Lopez and West aren’t continuing their unending bitching eat each other?’ Hawthorne quirked an eyebrow. ‘Now, now. You’ll never get mummy and daddy to be friends if you’re taking problems off their plate. They’re going to have to learn how to talk some time.’

‘That’s not what this is about.’ She helped him tug his foot out of the trouser leg of the suit. ‘We’re in a rough situation, having to get Vega and ourselves ready for a fight. So I’m doing my job.’

‘By being in approximately thirteen places at once? I would have been back on the Phoenix in another twenty minutes, Black; while I appreciate you assisting in my battle of wits against a space-suit, was this so urgent you had to wait for me to get out an airlock?’

‘I didn’t know you’d gone out there to see the work team.’ But she hesitated. ‘I wanted to talk to you about it before you had another thousand jobs on your plate. Probably from Commander West. That’s all.’

‘I do prefer to talk to you than to West.’ He’d left his uniform in the locker, and was hopping into his jumpsuit when his communicator, sat on a shelf, chirruped.

But so had Black’s, and she pulled it out. ‘Black here.’

Yeah, so, did you find Theo?’ came Takahashi’s voice. ‘Or did he micro-manage his team so much they kicked him into space? What a sad end to such a brilliant -’

‘Yes, very funny, Tak, I’m here; just because I’m not immediately jumping to your every demand for attention like an over-eager Labrador -’

Oh, good. Then pick up, will you?

Black rolled her eyes. ‘What is it, Tak?’

Cap wants everyone in the command centre. Looks like we’re heading out soon.’

‘That is ridiculous,’ Hawthorne sneered. ‘Starfleet can’t possibly expect us to buoy up a colony’s entire defensive infrastructure in a matter of weeks and move on -’

Yeah, yeah, it’s not Starfleet, it’s Qadir. A freighter’s gone missing. I’m just the messenger, remember?

Black gave Hawthorne a silencing look. ‘We’re on our way, Tak. Black out.’

‘An NX-class shooting off to find a freighter is a bit excessive,’ Hawthorne said as he zipped up his uniform.

‘Let’s assume there’s a good reason.’

‘Really? Your experiences of people’s demands on our time are clearly not universal. Not when it comes to Starfleet Command, or civilian directors who have no concept of the practicalities -’

‘Here are your boots, Lieutenant.’ Black shut him up by pressing them into his hands, eyebrows raised. ‘I have a shuttlepod ready.’

They were, unsurprisingly, the last to arrive at Phoenix’s command centre, and Hawthorne raised an eyebrow as he followed Black inside to find even Doctor Kayode and Major Stavros present.

Lopez leaned against the bulkhead beside the briefing display, and gave them a quick nod. ‘Helena, Hawthorne. How’s progress on the emplacements?’

‘It would be going better without interruptions,’ Hawthorne complained before Black could speak. ‘But we’re more-or-less finished with what I can only describe as a hodge-podge job of strapping guns to extant satellites or launching new makeshift platforms into orbit. It is, at best, inelegant.’

Lopez shrugged. ‘Don’t need elegant. I need more guns shooting at Rommies if they show up.’

‘If I can’t better regulate their power output, then all these pulse cannons will do is paint up Romulan deflectors.’

‘That’s a mess for their sensor readings and confusion for their targeting priority,’ said Lopez, ‘and that’s at the very least.’

‘If I had the chance to take a week or so with Vega’s Orbital Control team,’ pressed Hawthorne, ‘I’m confident I could give them the resources and infrastructure to carry on this procedure themselves. All I’ve done is give Vega fish.’

West stared. ‘What?’

‘It’s an idiom, West; I know that takes imagination.’ Hawthorne rolled his eyes. ‘Give a man a fish and he’ll be fed for a day, but teach him…’

‘We don’t have a week for you to go down there and lecture the colonists,’ West said bluntly. ‘It’s time better spent building Vega’s defences, or our own.’

Takahashi blew out his cheeks. ‘This is great; this is a great meeting. I’m glad I’m here.’

‘Okay.’ Lopez lifted her hands. ‘The orbital defences will have to stand as they are. The militia will have to stand as they are. Starfleet wants us moving on to meet up with Tellarite forces and wave the flag at their border a bit, spirit of unity and all that. While I intend to drag our feet a few days to polish things off here, we can’t launch any more projects.’

Hawthorne turned to the door. ‘If that’s all, then I have definitely -’

‘I’m not done, Doc,’ Lopez said somewhat sharply. ‘I didn’t call you back just to tell you that. Governor Qadir has brought up something we should look into: the ECS freighter Cormorant was due here from Sirius a day ago. We’re going looking.’

West’s expression pinched. ‘Delays to these shipments aren’t uncommon. There could be all sorts of reasons.’

‘Sure,’ said Ensign Antar gruffly, ‘but we also thought Vega wasn’t going to be hit by three Romulan scouts. So maybe we should worry more about things going wrong on the fringe?’

‘Exactly,’ said Lopez. ‘We have their flight route. At Warp 5 it shouldn’t take us long to pick them up on long-range sensors, have Tak drop them a line, make sure everything is okay. We don’t have to escort them in. And then we proceed to Tellarite space, okay?’

Doctor Kayode spoke up, voice soft. ‘Are we sincerely expecting trouble, or are we simply demonstrating Starfleet care and support for these shipments?’

Tak sucked his teeth. ‘I know the Cormorant’s skipper; if he was going to be delayed he would have sent word. It’s possible he caught wind of the higher Rommie presence in the region and so went radio silent, but it’s not gonna be incompetence that’s got him late and quiet.’

‘If that’s the case,’ said Major Stavros, who had been stood before the briefing table with her hands clasped behind her back the whole time, ‘I’ll have First Squad on standby.’

Lopez rolled her eyes. ‘For what? I keep telling you, Major: Rommies don’t board.’

West shook his head. ‘If something’s gone wrong, there’s no guarantee it’s Romulans. The Major is right, and Ensign Corrigan should be on standby with a shuttlepod.’

She raised her hands, this time in some defeat. ‘Fine. I guess MACOs gotta pretend to do something anyway. But if we’re fussing about who’s on standby to respond, then Hawthorne, Kayode, Tak: you get ready to join me on a shuttlepod to pop over to the Cormorant and have a chat if they’ve just had a little engine trouble or someone’s cut their hand or something and they need a push.’

Kayode raised a polite hand. ‘What would “get ready” look like? I keep landing party medical gear packed and prepared in Sickbay…’

‘It means, “make sure you can pull your boots on with about five minutes’ notice,”’ drawled Tak.

Hawthorne’s gaze was flat as he stared at Lopez. ‘I’ll prepare, Captain.’ He paused. ‘I’m prepared.’

Stavros’s expression was increasingly bewildered and frustrated. ‘So, on this ship we just crack jokes while the Cormorant’s in danger?’

‘I guarantee you, Major,’ said Hawthorne, ‘people are in danger all over the galaxy every single time Tak quips.’

‘It’s not because I’m hilarious,’ Takahashi protested.

‘You’re all very funny,’ West snapped. ‘But we have a heading, so let’s set a course and go find this freighter.’

‘You’re right,’ said Lopez, and everyone looked suspicious at her lack of sarcasm. ‘We’ll probably swing by Vega once we’re done, but make ready any handover material for the militia or Orbital Control for them to manage the defences on their own. We’ve done about as much for these people as we can.’

‘Which isn’t enough,’ Takahashi protested. ‘We all know that a serious assault from the Rommies – if they come back with more than three scouts – is going to turn the militia and floating guns into smears, right?’

Awkward glances met him, but it was Black who stepped up, speaking for the first time. ‘They don’t have to be well-enough armed to win,’ she said, soft but firm. ‘We can’t expect any of our colony worlds to beat back the full force of the Romulan Empire. What they need is to put up a good fight. With a good fight, they can hold out until reinforcements come. With a good fight, they can turn this world – this strategically and economically insignificant world, that is nevertheless their home – into a tough enough nut that the Romulans would have to pour far more resources into cracking it than they deem worthwhile.’

He looked at her, and Hawthorne thought this might have been the first time he saw serious apprehension in Takahashi’s eyes. ‘I’ll believe they’re tough enough when I see it.’

‘Trust me,’ Black said, and looked up to the rest of the Phoenix’s senior staff. ‘All of you. I mean no disrespect, but none of you are as qualified as me to make a strategic assessment of Vega. We have given them the best chance possible. The only real motivation the Romulans can have for striking here is for a blow to the UEC’s morale. Our work these past weeks has given that minor victory a high price tag.’

Hawthorne winced. ‘Unfortunately, that’s a method of deterrence. If the Romulans decide to try anyway…’ His voice trailed off, and he shook his head, for once finding himself disinclined towards the maudlin argument. ‘But Commander Black is, of course, correct. Her training of the militia and my weapons emplacements means Vega can bloody anyone’s nose.’

‘And the supplies from the Cormorant will help.’ Lopez clapped her hands together. ‘So let’s go be heroes someplace else.’

Takin’ Care of Business – 3

Deck 3, Phoenix
September 2156

‘Commander!’

Black stopped at the voice, turning to see Major Stavros jogging down the corridor towards her. Despite what she assumed of the MACO, her gait and posture as she arrived were much more casual, so Black made sure to keep her expression level. ‘Major. What can I do for you?’

‘A moment of your time. Ma’am.’ Stavros sounded somewhat uncertain, falling into step with that brisk military pace. ‘Obviously, first, you should know me and the MACOs can help out if we have any future missions like Vega.’

Black frowned. ‘We fought at Vega for all of ten minutes.’

‘And then we spent weeks preparing local forces to defend themselves. Me and my guys can offer training for ground-based defence.’ Stavros shrugged as Black opened her mouth. ‘I know, I know – the captain would say the Romulans don’t board. But first: she’s wrong, they’ve done armoured troop drops and that seems way more likely in planetary assaults than ship-to-ship. Second: not all threats are Romulan. Earth’s got other enemies who might go for us while we’re down.’

‘I’d hope we’re not going to get another Vega, where civilians need to fend for ourselves,’ said Black, shaking her head. ‘But you’re right. I knew you were drilling your unit these last weeks, as most of you aren’t familiar with the ins and outs of an NX, so I didn’t want to divert you to what felt like low-priority work. But if we get more time at Vega or, God help us, we need to prepare more civilians for self-defence, I’ll call you in.’

‘Thank you, ma’am.’ But Stavros kept hovering, so Black cocked her head with a curious, questioning gaze. With a sigh, the MACO pressed on. ‘You’ve worked with Captain Lopez before?’

‘We were on the Constellation together.’

‘So… do you know what her problem with MACOs is?’

Black failed to suppress a groan as she rubbed the back of her neck. ‘I don’t…’

‘Because this assignment was a big deal for me. I never met Captain Whittal but I’ve met Starfleet captains before. I met West a few times before. They didn’t seem to so much get the military side of things.’ Stavros hesitated again, before the final veneer of discipline faded and she blurted, scowling, ‘But Lopez acts like she hates the military. And we’re at war.’

Black looked her up and down, then glanced at the nearest door to a storage room. ‘Come on,’ she said, and led her inside.

Stavros followed, frowning. ‘Ma’am?’

There was no answer until Black had checked the rows of shelving in the gloomy room to be sure they were alone, and she shut the door behind her. ‘I know what you’re asking. And the answer is: no.’

‘Really? Because Lopez sure seems like she doesn’t like -’

No, Captain Lopez has no idea who you are. Or rather, who your family are.’ Black folded her arms across her chest. ‘Starfleet types don’t tend to notice these kinds of things or care. They’re all new to space, or from scientist and UESPA families.’

Stavros had a serious sort of face, sharp and measured. But at the dawning realisation it began to crumple, a guarded and apprehensive glimmer creeping in. ‘You’re General Black’s daughter. Admiral Black.’

‘And I don’t care, Major. You think I joined Starfleet because I share my family’s attitude to military tradition, to old grievances? Your grandfather could be Khan Noonien Singh for all I care; I care if you can do the job. Are you going to leave a colony behind to slaughter and enslavement?’

Thunder entered Stavros’s eyes. ‘I could lead my troops to be wiped out, failing to save a colony from slaughter and enslavement while I’m about it, instead.’

Black’s gaze softened. ‘You’ve been sidelined your whole career because of your family. Believe me, I get it. Starfleet would rather tie me to a desk than risk upsetting my father by putting me in the line of fire. Instead we’re both here. It might not feel like it, but I think you belong on Lopez’s Phoenix more than you’d have ever belonged on Whittal’s. Pretty much none of us should be here.’

‘Alright.’ Stavros put her hands on her hips and looked down. ‘Then how the hell do I stop Captain Lopez from constantly trying to bench me? If you’ll help me out there.’

‘I’m pretty used to being the Lopez Whisperer. Or the one who’ll share her secrets, compared to Tak, when I think for that you’d need a Tak Whisperer.’ Black sighed. ‘And you’d face the same problem with him that you’re facing with her: they’re not military.’

Frustration grew in Stavros’s gaze. ‘We’re in a war. A war of extinction, and they’ve fought the Romulans; why are we pretending this is an exploration cruise -’

‘They’re not. Captain Lopez isn’t naive. She commanded a ship at the Battle of Sol, and she’s had a lot of experience of some of Earth’s less friendly neighbours. But you may have picked up that she doesn’t have a lot of time for hierarchy and procedure.’

‘I have eyes, Commander.’

‘Welcome to Starfleet, Major.’ Black shrugged. ‘Most captains who’ve been around a bit are used to being the final word on a situation. Far from Earth, far from anyone who can give them orders, and in situations where there’s no procedure to fall back on because it’s not been written yet. Now that’s changing, not just with technology but with war-time protocol. She doesn’t dislike the military because she thinks we can avoid a war; we’re in one. She dislikes the military because she thinks it opens the door for people who have no better idea than anyone else dictating the way forward with ill-advised protocols and procedures based on decades-old encounters. Why does a general on Earth have a better idea how to fight humanity’s first war in deep space than someone who’s spent half her life out here?’

‘I’m not going to defend the brass,’ said Stavros, ‘but I’m not the brass. And most of MACO protocol out here is based on everything since and including the Delphic Expanse campaign. I get the impression Captain Lopez doesn’t much like orders.’

‘She doesn’t like a chain of command that risks shutting down ideas from below. She’d say that if she ran this ship following military policy and hierarchy, we’d never have results like Tak’s plan at HR-5553. She wants to give her crew a long leash because that gets us results in this unprecedented situation, and she doesn’t think the MACOs do that.’

‘I can’t give my guys a long leash in combat,’ Stavros protested. ‘MACO discipline maintains unit cohesion in the face of the enemy. It provides structure against uncertainty. The military culture creates an esprit de corps which makes every soldier stick by their comrade, and maintain discipline in a crisis.’

‘Textbook answer,’ Black said before she could stop herself. ‘But making people follow orders without hesitation requires breaking them down on a psychological level to place absolute trust in a superior. That’s compounded when those orders are to enact violence without question. That’s the fundamental goal of military discipline: to make soldiers hurt people on command. And you’re shielded from that truth with this constructed identity that you’re warriors, which makes soldiers more likely to cling to personally destructive, macho behaviours, and with a sense of duty that makes you less likely to think critically about the institutions and hierarchies you serve.’

Her words bounced through the storage room more than she’d intended, with more fire than she’d intended; all that aggravation of every lesson her father had tried so hard to drill into her, and every shred of indignation at how she’d fought to build her own path through education and science and Starfleet, only for the military to follow her.

Stavros was silent for a moment. Then she raised an eyebrow. ‘We still talking Captain Lopez’s objections to the military, Commander?’

Black sighed, strength fading from her. ‘Don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about because I never wore a uniform, Christ, that’s condescending -’

‘I’m no stranger to military hierarchy prizing protecting itself and its own. You clearly know enough about me to get that.’ Stavros set her hands on her hips. ‘But we’re at war. With an enemy who wants to wipe us out. I’m not here to force Starfleet into my way of thinking, but constantly benching the MACO unit because you and Lopez don’t like the military is short-sighted. You’re risking the lives of everyone on this ship because you want to show you can fight a war without being whatever you think “military” is.’

Black straightened. ‘I’ve just said I’d accept the MACOs’ help if we train any future militia.’

‘And when I suggest we have a MACO unit on standby when we’ve got a missing ship that could have been attacked by anyone?’ Stavros shook her head. ‘I’m not here to debate the psychological impact of military culture. Captain Lopez hasn’t refused my help in a way I think is irresponsible, unprofessional, or dangerous. But I want to make sure it doesn’t get that far.’

Exhaustion tugged at Black’s insides, and she looked away with a sigh before she met Stavros’s gaze again.  ‘Keep doing what you’re doing,’ she said at last. ‘And I will support and suggest the use of the MACOs when I agree that you’ll add necessary firepower. Push the captain; it may not be what you’re used to, but she wants it from her subordinates. Show her you’ve thought about what you’re saying, that you believe it, that you’re not just a military robot spouting protocol. She wants you to have an opinion. She’ll respect you if you say what you believe.’

‘Until she doesn’t, and then I’m brought up for arguing with a superior.’

‘This is the Phoenix. We can figure out how to work with MACOs, but you’ve got to figure out how to work with us, Major. And Captain Lopez runs a madhouse of brilliant individualists.’ Black looked her over. ‘I don’t get why you joined the military, with all they did to your family.’

Stavros shrugged. ‘I’m the first of my family to become a MACO, Commander. It’s not my fault the same good old boys’ club followed from the GDF and the Hegemony Armed Forces. I believe in humanity.’

Before Black could press that point, there was a chirrup at the com panel on the wall. ‘Commander West, Commander Black: report to the bridge.

Stavros glanced up. ‘We must be approaching the Cormorant.’

‘But that’s not tactical alert.’ Black looked over. ‘Join me, Major. See how decisions go down on the bridge.’

Of course, when they got there, Lopez didn’t look particularly thrilled by the MACO’s presence, but Stavros stood near the briefing section at the back of the bridge, far out of the way. Black crossed the chamber to assume her post at Tactical, surrendered to her by Dynevor.

‘Nice of you to join us,’ said Lopez as if she were late but Black knew was a comment about her bringing Stavros. ‘We’ve picked up the Cormorant on mid-range sensors; they appear to be running on low power and they’re about half a light-year off their expected flight plan.’

Takahashi looked up from Comms. ‘Still about ten minutes out of range for a hail.’

Black’s hands danced across her control panel as they travelled, and she fought desperately to bring herself up to speed on the local area and continue threat assessment at the same time. ‘Absolutely no sign of any Romulan vessels in the vicinity,’ she said at last as they approached comms range on the Cormorant.

‘No,’ West agreed, ‘but there’s a nebula beyond the Cormorant that I only have a limited view of on sensors. Anything could be in there.’

‘Let’s try to hope this one isn’t a trap,’ Lopez mused.

‘Actually…’ Takahashi frowned before he looked up. ‘Taking a look at the Cormorant’s flight path and their current course, I think they’re headed out of that nebula, Cap.’

‘You think something spooked them and they went to ground?’

‘Could be. We should be able to ask them now?’ At her nod, Takahashi opened the Phoenix’s hailing frequencies, and gave her a thumbs up.

Lopez straightened, though they were still on audio-only at this range. ‘Freighter Cormorant, this is the Starfleet ship Phoenix. We noticed your arrival at Vega was delayed and you’ve altered your flight route; do you require any assistance?’

There was a pause, then a deep voice burst back. ‘Boy, Phoenix, are we glad to see you! We met trouble and had to run; we ditched our cargo and hid in that nebula a ways back, and we were trying to sneak to Vega on low power. But we don’t know if they’re still out there.’

Lopez glanced at Black, who shook her head, and the captain pressed on. ‘Don’t worry, Cormorant; we’re not detecting any Romulan ships. You should have a clear run at Vega, but we’ll meet up with you and offer an escort.’

That’s very kind of you, Captain, but… I’m not surprised you’re not detecting any Romulan ships.’ The Cormorant captain’s voice sounded guarded. ‘We weren’t attacked by Romulans.’

Takin’ Care of Business – 4

Sickbay, Phoenix
September 2156

‘I don’t know who they were,’ said Captain Nomuso, eyes shut as he sat on the biobed while Doctor Kayode delicately sutured the laceration across his broad brow. ‘They came at us at about Warp 3, weapons charged, and told us to ditch our cargo or they’d take it by force.’

West folded his arms across his chest, scowling. ‘That’s a bold move for pirates on this trade route.’

‘Might be they’re newcomers,’ said Nomuso. ‘I didn’t recognise the ship, and it was the universal translators on their end doing the work.’

‘Perhaps nobody told them the Sirius-Vega route’s too well-defended for raids,’ Lopez said wryly.

‘We tried to flee, made a run for the nebula,’ Nomuso pressed on. ‘But they were too fast. They got on top of us, opened fire; you saw they breached our hull, overloaded one of our power networks. So I did what I had to, I vented the cargo.’

‘They stopped attacking?’ said Lopez.

He nodded. ‘At least, they slowed for cargo pickup long enough for us to make it into the nebula. I don’t know if they’d have let us be on our way otherwise. I guess we were too much of a pest to find in there. So we waited a while, made what repairs we could, and when we figured they’d be gone, we made this run for Vega. And then you found us. For which we’re grateful, Captain, Doctor.’

‘None of your people are seriously wounded,’ mused Doctor Kayode, snapping their suture kit shut as they finished. ‘But we’ve more capacity here to help with these injuries.’ They glanced up at Lopez and West. ‘And I get you have questions, Captain, Commander, but if that’s all, then I can be finished quicker without interruptions.’

Lopez lifted her hands. ‘That’s all, definitely for now. Thanks, Captain.’

West didn’t say anything until they’d left Sickbay, heading down the corridors for the lift. ‘New pirates on the Vega trade route isn’t exactly what we need.’

‘I don’t know,’ she sighed. ‘Might motivate Starfleet to bolster local protection. We need to figure out who these new faces are and why they’ve come here.’

‘Could be some lone operator trying to take advantage of the chaos. We need to make sure we don’t go on a wild goose chase.’ He hesitated. ‘I’m not saying one pirate ship in the region can’t cause a lot of chaos -’

‘It’s below our pay-grade, I get it.’ She lifted a hand. ‘Don’t worry, I’d rather we don’t get bogged down in a hunt for one ship, too. But I want to know who they are and what brought them here. Because it might not be a one-off. If someone’s marked the Vega-Sirius route as prime pickings, why?’

‘Perhaps the Commonwealth looks weak because of the Romulans.’

‘And that’s a problem if our civilian infrastructure’s up for grabs, now, too.’ Lopez shrugged as they stepped into the lift, then looked up at him as they headed for the bridge. ‘Don’t worry. I won’t make this a new PR pitch, too.’

He gave the sort of scowl she was starting to recognise as indignation when she mocked him. Normally because he knew she’d landed a blow which had some truth to it. ‘I understand you’ve wanted to reassure the people of Vega, and make the case to Starfleet that they need to help our border worlds more…’

‘Is it really any different to when Starfleet puts a recruitment poster out there with some lantern-jawed, all-round hero and tells people that space needs them?’

The scowl deepened, because of course Sawyer West knew he looked like he’d stepped off such a poster. ‘I think the story should be about the people we help. Not… not us.’

‘You mean, not me.’ Lopez smirked. ‘Reality is that people either need to see themselves in the protagonist – and we’re lacking an everyman hero among beleaguered colonists, maybe we can change that if the militia kick some Rommie teeth in – or they need to feel like they’re in safe hands. So that means out here, I’ve got to be everyone’s Captain Starfleet who cares. It’s not about ego.’

West’s expression pinched. ‘I’m not convinced those are the only two options. You’ve got a crew behind you. A crew you could even paint as underdogs people can see themselves in.’

That did make Lopez hesitate, but she shook her head. ‘That story gets more complicated to tell.’

‘Maybe. And maybe you’re right. But yeah, Captain.’ He looked her dead-on as the turbolift began to slow. ‘You have options, and I did notice you picked the one which made you look good.’

Lopez cursed internally as West demonstrated his perfect timing, the doors sliding open to admit them to the bridge before she could deny him the last word. Even as she seethed, he slid past her to resume his post, leaving her to stomp towards the command chair. ‘Updates?’

Takahashi raised an eyebrow at Comms. ‘Theo and his team are almost done aboard the Cormorant; just a quick and dirty repair job on the hull breach, he said, and otherwise he thinks they can get to Vega safely themselves.’

‘I bet “quick and dirty” were his exact words.’

‘He might have told me to get Kayode ready with a tetanus jab. So the word “dirty” was definitely implied. I don’t know about us pushing the frontier, Cap, but we’re definitely taking Doctor Hawthorne to hitherto undiscovered vistas of grime.’

Lopez snorted. ‘Tell him I want full scans done on the hull damage. I want to know what kind of weapons these people were firing.’

‘Actually,’ said Black, ‘that might not be so urgent. I know who they were.’ She raised her eyebrows as Lopez looked up, and shrugged. ‘Tak talked first, I didn’t want to be rude.’

‘And now you’re just being dramatic. Go on.’

Black smothered a smirk. ‘I pulled the sensor records from the Cormorant and ran them against our database. Starfleet have encountered these ships before, and this type of transponder signal, but I’m not surprised it didn’t make it onto civilian records. They’re Enolians.’

West leaned forward, squinting. ‘Enolians?’

Lopez cocked her head. ‘Didn’t Enterprise run into them some years back?’

‘2152, Captain Archer and one of his crew were wrongly arrested by the Enolian Guard as smugglers,’ Black reeled off. ‘Enterprise cleared up the misunderstanding. The Enolians are the biggest power of the Keto Sector, centre of a major local trade network, but they have a reputation for a severe criminal justice system that’s not really worthy of the word “justice.”’

‘I guess Enolian pirates got sick of being thrown onto prison worlds without an actual trial if they so much as sneezed near law enforcement,’ Lopez said, blowing out her cheeks.

‘Enolians aren’t exactly our closest neighbours,’ Takahashi agreed, ‘but they might be the next big coreward power. If they’re tough enough to not be chewed up by Romulans, is it that surprising their bad guys would see us as greener pastures?’

‘You’re misunderstanding me,’ said Black, lips thin. ‘These weren’t pirates. There is an exact match in sensor profile and transponder signal for a ship of the Enolian Guard.’

Lopez stared. Then she looked back at West. ‘Did the Enolians just declare war on us?’

He’d been hammering his controls the moment Black had mentioned the species. ‘They seem a very authoritarian race who responded well to Enterprise appealing through their bureaucratic system when Captain Archer was arrested. We don’t know much about them, but it seems like it would be odd for them suddenly attack a civilian freighter, without any kind of official proclamation, as an overture of… anything, let alone war.’

‘There’s more,’ Black said. ‘Their top speed is Warp 3. They can’t have got far, and I have a sensor trace on them. We can go ask them ourselves.’

Lopez looked around the bridge with a flat expression. ‘New rule: I don’t care how cool you think what you’ve got to say is, unless you’re about to warn me of my imminent demise, Helena’s reports go first. Right?’ She waved a finger in the air. ‘Tak, tell everyone to get back to their own ships ASAP. Helena? Tell Stavros it’s the MACOs’ lucky day, because we’re sure as hell going to board those bastards when we catch up. We’ve got ourselves a hunt.’


‘Enolian vessel now on mid-range sensors,’ Black reported as the Phoenix hummed between the stars at top speed, the bridge controls gleaming under the dim lighting of tactical alert.

‘They accelerated by .2 of a warp factor about thirty seconds ago,’ said Antar. ‘I think they spotted us and are trying to go all-out, but we’re faster.’

Lopez nodded. ‘How long to intercept?’

‘Six minutes.’

She turned to Takahashi. ‘Hit them with the standard speech, who we are, and tell them to power down so we can talk. Don’t make threats yet. Or if you do, keep them implied.’

He rolled his eyes. ‘We’re the biggest, baddest ship Earth has to offer chasing them down at a full sprint while they’re trying to make off with a civilian freighter’s worth of stolen cargo. We’re way past speaking softly.’

‘Sure, but I want them to think they can give up and not get shot in the head, you know?’ She got up and headed for West’s console, her XO giving her a guarded look as she approached without speaking and bent over as if to read his display. Only now did she talk, voice low. ‘Assuming I don’t actually want to start a war, where are we on protocol on this?’

He raised an eyebrow at her. ‘You care about protocol?’

‘I do when you’re sat right there and would use it to shaft me if this goes sideways.’

West gave that scowl again. ‘I think you’re in the clear, Captain. The Enolians started this, and they’re representatives of their government. Give them a fair chance to stand down peacefully, and if not, we have the right to disable them, recover our property, and ask pointed questions.’

She clicked her tongue. ‘I’m used to weird situations being more complex than this.’ But she patted him on the shoulder, just to annoy him, before resuming her seat.

‘You’ll be shocked,’ said Takahashi, ‘that they haven’t responded.’

Lopez rolled her eyes, and hit the comms control on her armrest. ‘Bridge to Shuttlebay. Major, you there?’

A beat. Then, ‘Stavros here. MACO First Squad are on standby with Ensign Corrigan to launch at your command.’

‘I’m going to have Tak keep you patched into our negotiations with the Enolians, Major. Might be best you hear the temperament of who we’re dealing with. I want to be clear that I don’t want us killing these people if we can avoid it.’

We’ll keep our phase rifles to a heavy stun setting,’ came Stavros’s guarded response. ‘Though I can’t recommend that with how little we know of Enolian physiology.’

‘This situation’s screwed enough without us racking up a body-count. You’ll get your marching orders once we’ve disabled their ship. Lopez out.’

Heartbeats sooner than she’d have liked, Black looked up. ‘We’re in weapons range.’

‘Open hailing frequencies again, Tak,’ said Lopez, and sat up, eyes on the viewscreen. ‘Enolian vessel, this is Captain Lopez of the Earth starship Phoenix. You’ve attacked one of our freighters and stolen their cargo. If you do not respond, we will recover it by force.’

For a moment, she thought they wouldn’t answer. Then the viewer shifted to show the features of an alien species she’d only seen in a databank picture, a humanoid male in the black uniform of the Enolian Guard. He was dark-haired and severe of features, his voice a low, deep hum. ‘This is Captain Kovrad of the Enolian ship Starsaber. We have no intention of surrendering to you, Captain Lopez. You will let us depart, or we will defend ourselves.’

Lopez sat forward, squinting. ‘I’ve never met your people before, Kovrad. But you strike me as a military man serving an ordered government. What’s got you travelling across a sector to play pirate in my back yard?’

I don’t have to justify myself to you, Captain.’

She couldn’t tell if he looked uncomfortable with his inability to account for himself, or vexed at how difficult he had to anticipate a fight would be for his ship. ‘I’m a reasonable woman in a strange situation. If you return the cargo and give me an explanation, this doesn’t have to end in violence.’

I have my orders, and doubtless you have yours. My ship will defend itself if you attempt to interfere with our mission. Starsaber out.’ The viewer went dead.

‘Clear as mud,’ Lopez sighed, and scrubbed her face with her hands before she sat back on the chair, heart heavy. ‘Fire when ready, Helena. Force them to impulse. Helm, get ready to drop out of warp on top of them. I want us to disable their engines and bring them to the damn table, not blow them up.’ She shook her head, watching as Black powered up weapons, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling at the rising tension. ‘It’s a damn strange business. Let’s not make it bloody, too.’

Takin’ Care of Business – 5

Bridge, Phoenix
September 2156

Phoenix rocked as weapons fire raked across the hull, and Lopez gripped the armrest tight to keep her seat. ‘Status!’

‘Hull polarisation is holding!’ Black reported. ‘Returning fire!’

‘They’re bigger and slower than us,’ Lopez noted, looking to Antar. ‘Keep us mobile and keep us on their aft.’

‘Yeah, I-’ Antar stopped what sounded likely an accusation she was being told the obvious. ‘On it.’

The deck shifted again, this time from the inertial dampers shifting to compensate as Antar brought the Phoenix around, clinging to the rear of the Starsaber where Lopez had already noted the Enolians had a narrower firing arc. But more pertinently, it left their large impulse engines exposed.

‘That starboard thruster; you see it, Helena?’ She glanced to her right. ‘Get the -’

Yes, Captain,’ Black said with just a hint of the impatience Antar had tempered.

‘Incoming fire,’ West barked. ‘Spatial torpedoes, looks like they have guidance systems.’

Antar gave a short nod. ‘Taking evasive -’

‘Negative; I’ve got them,’ Black called out. ‘They’re slow, I can shoot them down; don’t lose their tail.’

‘Keeping their tail’s no good if they blow a hole in us!’ Antar snapped.

‘Hey,’ butted in Lopez, ‘that wasn’t a suggestion, Ensign.’

‘Photonic torpedoes launched at their aft starboard thruster,’ Black relayed, voice mechanical, clearly paying more attention to what she was doing than what she was saying. ‘Deploying countermeasures for their missiles.’

‘That’ll still mean hull impacts, people; brace!’ Lopez called out.

‘One down,’ West confirmed, voice clipped. ‘Two down, three – negative, the warhead didn’t detonate -’

The one Enolian torpedo to make it past Black’s countermeasures thudded into the hull hard enough to rock the whole ship. The deck rumbled, and Lopez again had to fight to keep her seat, this impact considerably heavier. Overhead lights flickered, and Antar had to shout for her confirmation that she was keeping their course steady to be heard.

‘Okay.’ Black sounded a little bashful as Phoenix righted herself. ‘Maybe I can get most of them down.’

‘Hull plating on deck 4 is buckled, but not breached,’ West reported, hands racing over his controls.

‘Minor casualty reports on adjacent sections,’ added Takahashi.

Black looked up, gaze satisfied. ‘Solid hit on the Enolian ship; their engines are gone and they’re drifting.’

‘Tak, tell the MACOs to launch!’ called Lopez. ‘Helena, Antar, our job is now to protect the shuttle. This goes a lot easier if we don’t have to fight the whole ship to a standstill ourselves.’


‘Hold steady!’ Stavros called out to the MACOs in the rear of the shuttlepod.

‘Hangin’ on won’t make much of a difference,’ Ensign Corrigan muttered loud enough for her to hear as the shuttlepod burst out from the Phoenix and into the firefight. Pulsing cannon blasts lanced between the two ships, and at once he had to dip the pod down to avoid a soaring torpedo from the Starsaber that was seconds later consumed by Phoenix’s countermeasures. ‘Forcing our way into their shuttlebay’s gonna suck.’

‘So let’s not do that,’ said Stavros quickly. ‘We don’t want to fight our way from the shuttlebay, either. Scans say the bridge is near their dorsal hull on the front section. Clamp us on and we can make our own entrance.’

Corrigan gave a low scoff, but nodded. ‘Right on,’ he said, and plunged the shuttlepod down. Even as Phoenix raked the Starsaber with enough blasts to draw her fire and keep her drifting, wounded, the Enolians had clocked the shuttlepod, forcing Corrigan to weave them in and out of shots that felt a lot bigger from inside such a small vessel. Stavros tried to not shut her eyes. Even with Corrigan watching his controls and the rest of her MACOs behind her, it wouldn’t give the right impression. Someone would notice.

‘Hate this part, Boss!’ came the low voice of Staff Sergeant Banda from behind her. ‘Hey, bus driver, don’t get us killed before we get into a fight!’

‘Nah, mate, was gonna crash us until you said that,’ Corrigan called back.

‘Easy!’ Stavros gripped her seat tight. ‘We’ve got this.’ She tried to not listen to Corrigan swearing under his breath as the shuttlepod swooped in low, close up against the Starsaber’s hull, nearly dancing along the surface. ‘Do you need to be this near?’ she hissed.

‘They can piss off trying to target me from this close,’ he said, before reaching to throw another control. ‘There we are; got an emergency airlock we’ll clamp onto. Hope you’re ready to bust the hatch.’

Stavros glanced back. ‘McCabe?’

‘Standing by, Major!’ the young lieutenant called back.

‘Yeah, but now you really should hang on,’ said Corrigan, about a heartbeat before he brought the shuttlepod to a near-halt and slammed Stavros against her chair’s safety webbing. ‘This is the bumpy bit.’

This time Stavros shut her eyes. ‘Oh, because I thought it was all easy so far,’ she managed through gritted teeth, and felt the shuttlepod lurch again – then there was a thunk of contact against the hull that made her heart lunge into her throat as the pod came to what felt like a complete halt.

But Corrigan sounded jubilant. ‘We’re on! Seal is good. Now, go take the buggers out before they try to peel me off.’

Stavros swung out of seat, moving to the rear of the shuttlepod where Lieutenant McCabe already had their hatch open and the hull of the Starsaber exposed. ‘You got this, Lieutenant?’

‘Yes, ma’am.’ McCabe was tapping commands at the shuttlepod’s hatch controls. ‘Charge is set to frag the mechanism; adjusting pressure here and ready on your mark.’

Stavros nodded, looking back at her MACO unit. ‘Captain Lopez wants this bloodless. Keep weapons to stun and stick to non-lethal in melee.’ She made sure her gaze was stern at this, giving no indication of anything other than Lopez’s orders being her orders. Then she nodded at McCabe. ‘Go.’

No matter how good McCabe was, blowing a hatch like this forbade any element of surprise. Nor was it the safest technique. But it was better than using transporters, in Stavros’s book, even if she was the first in the breach, bursting through the hatch onto the Enolian ship with rifle raised, her MACOs behind her.

This had to go like clockwork. Or Captain Lopez would never let her hear the end of it.

Corrigan was correct; they’d boarded at an emergency hatch very near the bridge, and Stavros made a mental note to speak well of the young pilot in her report. But only for a moment, as this revelation came with the black-armoured members of the Enolian Guard rushing down the corridor to meet her and her MACOs.

Her first shot brought down one, while Banda ducked behind the nearby bulkhead as they returned fire, before his snapshot felled the second. Stavros made a quick gesture to urge her unit forwards, towards the heavy double doors at the end of the corridor. ‘Double time; before they seal up or get entrenched. On me.’

They’d trained for this. Lopez wasn’t wrong; MACO deployments against the Romulans were few and far between. But the last three years of MACOs serving aboard Starfleet ships had embedded the organisation with enough experience that she’d drilled protocols like this into her unit for the last few weeks. Boarding actions. Combat actions on starships.

Taking a bridge.

The Enolians were disciplined, she noted as her MACOs ploughed through their defence on the bridge. Officers were armed at their post, ready for personal combat in a way she suspected Starfleet was not. They were still not ready for the MACOs.

The man she suspected was Captain Kovrad stood his ground even as his officers went down under fire, snatching a pistol from his holster. Stavros made sure her stun shot took him in the leg, incapacitating him without rendering him unconscious, and by the time she was stood over him, the weapons fire all around had stopped.

‘The bridge is ours!’ McCabe reported from behind her, and made sure the MACOs went to each downed Enolian and manned the door.

Stavros looked down at the startled, staggered Enolian captain, her rifle still levelled on him. ‘You heard him, Captain. The bridge is ours. Recommend you give us the surrender of you and the whole ship.’

Like clockwork.


Lopez could smell the singed metal from weapons fire as she stepped onto the Enolian bridge, and silently thanked whatever power was responsible for her not smelling blood or death. No Enolians were in sight, only the MACOs, and despite their weary and battle-torn look, Stavros still snapped to attention at her arrival.

‘Boarding action successful, Captain!’

‘Aw, hell.’ Lopez ignored her a moment, and waggled her finger at two of her companions. ‘Tak, Hawthorne, figure out how this ship ticks and how to bust into her systems. I want to know what’s going on.’ But Black caught her eye rather pointedly and she sighed, turning back to the centre of the bridge. ‘Good work, Major. To you and all your MACOs.’

‘Thank you, sir.’

‘Oh… at ease, the lot of you. You’ve had a hell of a day without ramming more sticks up your asses.’ Lopez watched as the MACOs shifted to a relatively more relaxed stance she wasn’t convinced was more comfortable. ‘Where are the crew?’

Stavros advanced with a little more of what Lopez would consider humanity, rather than robotic militarism. ‘Bridge crew have been put in a conference room. Staff Sergeant Banda has Captain Kovrad in his office.’ She gestured accordingly. ‘Lieutenant McCabe is securing the rest of the ship.’

Black nodded and looked to Lopez. ‘Do you want me to head up the Armoury officers on that?’

Lopez shook her head. ‘Nah, I want to talk to Kovrad and I want you there. I need to know why the Enolians are kicking off.’ She gestured to Stavros. ‘Major, take over from your lieutenant, and use the Armoury officers to help.’

Black kept her expression diplomatic as Stavros headed off and the two of them approached the captain’s office. ‘You’re letting a MACO secure the ship you want taken bloodlessly?’

‘Don’t you get territorial -’

‘I’m not. Stavros did a good job. I’m surprised you’re letting her.’

Lopez grunted. ‘Like you said. She did a good job. Let’s worry about the bigger picture here and let the knuckle-draggers do the knuckle-headed stuff, alright?’

‘Alright.’ Black tugged up the zip of her jumpsuit another centimetre and straightened. ‘I expect I’m bad cop?’

‘Can’t help it, I’m afraid, Helena. Everyone loves me,’ Lopez drawled, and stepped into the office.

If her ready room was a small tin can, the office of the Starsaber’s captain was only a medium one. Even in an alien culture, Lopez could feel the sharp-cornered air of militarism in the metal design of everything from the furniture to the fixtures. It went beyond the stark utilitarianism of Starfleet and into something more: a deliberately ordered framework to force minds into a deliberately ordered shape.

The tall dark figure of Staff Sergeant Banda looked tense in a way she could at least appreciate as professional, rather than posturing, and gave her a polite nod as she entered without jumping about in a way that demanded her attention.

Her attention was on the man sat next to his desk, hands on his lap where the MACO could see them, in the black uniform of the Enolian Guard. Dark eyes set into square features under silver-streaked hair were locked on her, cold and tense, but still he stood slowly. ‘Captain Lopez. My ship is yours.’ He glanced from her to Banda and back. ‘I would offer you my sidearm had I been allowed to keep it.’

‘Oh,’ said Lopez, then, ‘I don’t care. Yeah, we got your ship. You don’t get the pomp and circumstance of a surrender with military honours and all that. After all, you’re a pirate.’

Kovrad glared, and Lopez could almost feel Black’s side-eye at this gambit from the supposed ‘good cop.’ He straightened. ‘I am flying under the colours of the Enolian Guard, acting under orders -’

‘To attack a civilian ship, steal its cargo, and then run for the borders? Do those sound like the actions of an honourable soldier?’ She put her hands on her hips. ‘Interstellar law’s still a bit of a broad… guess… but human naval traditions take a real dim view of piracy.’ She cocked her head. ‘So if you want me to treat you like an enemy combatant, maybe you should explain this better. Because last I heard there’d been no declaration of war from your people, no reason for you to target us.’

Kovrad’s jaw was tight, a muscle twitching, nostrils narrowing. At last, he said, ‘The Enolian Hierarchy is at war with the Commonwealth of Earth by the terms of our treaty with the Romulan Star Empire.’

Lopez stared. ‘Come again?’

Despite her surprise, she still noted Kovrad’s discomfort at more than his current predicament. ‘The treaty of 2154 has established the Hierarchy as a vassal-state of the Star Empire, and thus adheres to its interstellar policy. I attacked your cargo ship because I was ordered to by my superiors in the Enolian Guard. The Enolian Guard was directed to open hostilities with your Commonwealth by directives from the Romulan Star Navy.’ His chin tilted up a defiant half-inch. ‘We are enemies at war, Captain Lopez.’

Takin’ Care of Business – 6

Bridge, Starsaber
September 2156

‘I don’t want to nitpick,’ said Black as the five reassembled on the Starsaber’s bridge. ‘But that was good cop?’

Lopez rolled her eyes. ‘I saw the state of him and his office and I reassessed. I’ve met enough proud, uptight military types in my life to know them when I see them; attacking his sense of honour and treating him like a pirate made him want to defend himself, which meant he explained. Don’t look at me like that, it worked.’ She turned to Stavros, trying to not read too much in the MACO’s blank expression. ‘Ship’s secure?’

Stavros stood with hands clasped behind her back, still as a stone. ‘All Enolian crew are accounted for and detained under observation.’

‘Right. Ship and systems?’ She looked to Hawthorne and Takahashi.

Hawthorne shrugged. ‘This ship doesn’t have much by way of technological secrets. The Enolians have clearly been spacefaring longer than us, but not by much, and I wouldn’t deem them more advanced. They have some interesting redundancies in their power grid, and I’m sure they might have given the Enterprise a run for her money if it had come to that four years ago. But as you’ve no doubt figured out from our victory, we’ve since developed an edge over them in military technology.’

‘Good to know,’ said Lopez, ‘but what I really want to know is what they’re up to. Did the Romulans make the Enolians only send one ship to bully our freighters? There’s context here. Go through the nav records, sensor records, find out where they’ve been and how long they’ve been in Commonwealth space.’

Takahashi nodded. ‘Guess I’ll get to cracking their comm records and logs.’

‘Exactly. We’ve heard nothing from these guys in years, and suddenly they’re crossing the border and claiming we’re at war? We’re missing something.’

Black frowned. ‘You’re not going to ask Kovrad about that?’

‘He can stew for a while until I know more. Otherwise, the more we talk, the more he has a chance to learn about us.’ Lopez shrugged. ‘I’m not going to hold the lives of his crew hostage, or anything, but there’s no reason for him to know that unless or until that’s useful.’

Takahashi made a face. ‘Great. So we won’t threaten to murder people to get our way, we’ll just let him think we will?’

She raised a hand. ‘Give me more than five minutes to figure out what the hell is going on first, Tak. All I’m doing right now is keeping my cards close to my chest. He thinks I’m pissed at him, and it can stay that way until we know our next move. So get me information.’ She waved a hand at Hawthorne and Takahashi, who headed for the controls at the rear of the bridge, and turned back to the two women. ‘What is it, Major?’

Stavros barely shifted. ‘I didn’t say anything.’

‘Kind of pointedly.’

Stavros sighed. ‘What are we doing with these people once this is over?’

Lopez shook her head. ‘One step at a time.’

‘I’m not sure we’ll find anything that’ll change the decision before you, Captain. Either the Enolian Guard are a force at war with us, or they’re unlawful combatants – pirates.’

Lopez narrowed her eyes. ‘What’s your point?’

Black’s breath caught. ‘Starfleet protocol -’

‘Doesn’t account for this,’ Lopez said smoothly, gaze still on Stavros. ‘I want to hear the Major’s opinion.’

Stavros tensed. ‘I’m not recommending anything, Captain. As I see it, we have a few options, but we don’t have the room to bring the whole crew as prisoners to Earth, and even if we tow the Starsaber to Vega, the colony doesn’t have the infrastructure to detain enemy combatants. Confining them on this ship and giving it a prize crew to take them back to Earth loses us valuable personnel. And releasing them seems irresponsible.’

‘I notice you didn’t at any point call them prisoners of war.’

‘Right now, Captain, we only have Kovrad’s word to say we are at war. The Enolian Hierarchy hasn’t made a declaration to the Commonwealth, and he wasn’t in a rush to make one before getting hostile at us or the Cormorant. I’m just choosing to not believe him yet.’

‘Okay.’ Lopez shoved her hands in the pockets of her uniform jumpsuit, and rocked on her heels. ‘So, go on, Major. Say it.’

‘Captain?’

‘Say you’re recommending we murder them.’

Stavros’s gaze darkened. ‘Captain, I’m pointing out our options and asking what the plan is. I’m not recommending anything. And if I were -’

Lopez rolled her eyes and muttered, ‘Here we go.’

‘…if I were, I would question if they’re legally entitled to combatant’s privilege. No declaration of war.’

‘So, just because their government didn’t send us the paperwork, I’m in the clear for throwing them out the airlock?’

Black folded her arms across her chest. ‘Our laws and conventions of warfare are based around the nation-states of Earth,’ she said in a low, cautious voice, ‘and I’d question applying them in the unprecedented conditions of warfare against interstellar powers. If we interpreted the law so narrowly, Major, we could justify any treatment of the prisoners on the grounds of their governments not being signatories to treaties they realistically couldn’t be.’

Stavros made a noise of frustration. ‘That’s what I’m trying to say. We’re in unprecedented territory not covered by convention, law, or protocol.’

‘Well, thank you for your concerns,’ said Lopez insincerely. ‘I’ll let you get back to making sure these dead men walking are secure, Major.’

The salute Stavros snapped off before leaving was nothing if not perfect. That didn’t help Lopez figure out if the MACO was being passive-aggressive as she left, which made Lopez’s mood even worse when Black leaned in once Stavros was gone to mutter, ‘She has a point.’

‘I know,’ Lopez hissed. ‘This isn’t a pirate ship of twenty guys; their crew’s bigger than ours, for Christ’s sake. I can’t haul them back to Earth on Phoenix or expect Vega to magic up a detention facility. God, space is about being the first at things, but I didn’t want to be “first POW debacle.”’

‘Vega can likely build a holding facility long enough for the GDF or someone to send a prisoner transport. Then it’s their problem.’

‘I guess.’ She rubbed the back of her neck, then looked up at Black ruefully. ‘Is Stavros right? Was I jumping down her throat?’

Black sighed. ‘If so, you’re not alone. We’re not exactly the biggest fans of the military.’

‘I promise I won’t tell your father you said that.’

‘I consider my opinion an informed one, yes.’ Black shrugged. ‘Which is why I think you should let me talk to Kovrad next, as good cop, and maybe I can get through to him if the Enolian military attitude is anything like ours. That way, you can overrule me if it doesn’t work out.’

‘Fine.’ Lopez rubbed her temples. ‘I’m going to take stock of this ship, see what Hawthorne missed while he was too busy looking at raw numbers. And maybe figure out if we can tow the damn thing.’


Four hours later, Hawthorne pushed back on his seat at the computer systems console on the Starsaber’s bridge, and brought out his communicator. ‘Hawthorne to Carvalho.’

Carvalho here. I’m sending the team, Theo, you don’t have to nag –

‘That’s not the nag. Make sure they bring a flask of coffee? I’m dying over here, Maria.’ Hawthorne glanced to Takahashi. ‘Two flasks.’

You get one flask of engine fuel to share, if you’re lucky. They’ll be over soon. Carvalho out.’

‘This is what you get for treating your staff like people,’ mused Takahashi, not looking away from the computer screen. ‘My Comms team would never backchat me if I told them to bring coffee. Bright-eyed young things, jumping about to impress a superior.’

‘Hmph. Have they realised they’re wasting their time with you?’

‘What? I’m not hard to impress.’

‘Yes, but what’s your good opinion actually worth?’

‘You’ll know it if you ever earn it, Theo.’ But they grinned, the first break in the long hours of beating their heads against the wall of the protected data on the Enolian database. ‘Okay. Assuming coffee doesn’t give us a eureka moment, what do we got?’

Hawthorne chewed on his stylus. ‘Starsaber crossed into Commonwealth territory six days ago, used the nebula to remain hidden from sensors, and accumulated data on Commonwealth traffic in their immediate area. The Cormorant was the biggest freighter to pass along this trade lane in that period, they struck quickly, but sensor telemetry from the battle suggested they didn’t try to stop the Cormorant from running once she’d dumped her cargo.’

‘Then they bolted for the border with all haste,’ Takahashi murmured.

‘What? Definitely not.’ Hawthorne reached out to bring up the navigational records. ‘They trawled the space lanes for a day before turning for the border.’

‘They wanted another sweet target, then gave up?’

‘I don’t know. You’re the one who knows pirates.’

‘The pirates I’ve encountered were ten guys on a ship that was more gun than hull. This is a warship.’ Takahashi prodded more controls. ‘And she’s not giving up her secrets.’

The doors to the bridge slid open to admit Black, who passed the MACOs guarding the corridor beyond. ‘Any progress?’ she asked as she headed over.

‘Nothing really useful,’ sighed Takahashi.

Hawthorne narrowed his eyes at the flask in her hand. ‘Is that coffee?’

‘Yep. Radetzky and his team just arrived with it.’ She took a sip. ‘Your engineers are kind.’

‘That’s mine.’

‘Then I guess I order you to let me keep it.’

‘Black, when have I ever suggested myself a man who cares about regulations that fly in the face of common sense and decency?’

She ignored him, looking to Takahashi. ‘What’s the problem?’

He waved an irritable hand at the screen. ‘We’ve got through some of the recent nav logs. But their comms records, other database entries – they’re all locked up tighter than Fort Knox.’

‘The thing about Fort Knox,’ mused Hawthorne, ‘is that nobody tried to rob Fort Knox, because it was believed to be so secure. I’m not convinced it was ever seriously tested.’

‘Then I guess you’ve fixed it, Theo; my simile was flawed and now the Enolian database is wide open,’ Takahashi complained.

‘My point is that by trying, you’re already getting further than anyone ever did with Fort Knox. Even fictitious thefts from Fort Knox went for secondary targets, like an armoured car taking the gold from the depository…’

Black looked at Hawthorne. ‘Could you do that?’ she said, eyebrows raising. ‘Remove the storage chips from the computer systems and access them from the Phoenix?’

‘That’s it,’ Takahashi muttered.

Hawthorne made a face. ‘No, it’s not. The chips will still be encrypted. Tak’s got some of Starfleet’s finest decryption software at work and there’s no way breaking into the Enolian Guard’s military communiques is going to happen over an afternoon.’

‘You’re right,’ said Takahashi, earning another confused look. ‘I mean – no, we can’t just remove the data chips, that won’t help, the military encryptions are too tight. I meant, we can go for a secondary target.’

‘How is the, I don’t know, cargo inventory going to give us what we want?’ said Hawthorne as Takahashi turned in his chair to a different screen.

‘I’m not after the logistical databases. We can’t get into the systems logs, we can’t get into the communications logs. We can’t get into anything which would record what orders the Starsaber received, or the Enolian Guard database. But give me…’ Takahashi tapped some controls before laughing and clapping his hands. ‘One hour. And I’ve got you Captain Kovrad’s personal logs.’

Black blew out her cheeks. ‘Nice work, Tak.’ She handed the flask over. ‘You get coffee.’

Hawthorne threw his hands in the air. ‘I’m going to tell Lopez, maybe she’ll give me a drink if I get credit.’

‘Not yet, Lieutenant.’ Black pulled up another seat, watching Takahashi’s work. ‘I’d like to see this through, first.’


The flask had been finished, refilled, then surrendered to Takahashi and Hawthorne by the time Black returned to Captain Kovrad’s ready room. Staff Sergeant Banda was still on watch, the burly MACO giving a respectful nod at her entry. That was the kind of militarism she found comforting; he had a job to do from which he wouldn’t be distracted, but she and her rank were worthy of his respect, obligated it. It was a sense of being valued that didn’t demand she justify herself first, fealty paid to a system that included her. They had a job to do. They did it. But after the nod was returned, Banda could not be the centre of her focus. That had to be Kovrad.

The captain had been sat by his desk with his head in his hands, but he straightened at her arrival, a scrabble for his own dignity rather than deferential respect. She gave him his due by sitting across from him, rather than forcing him to crane his neck to watch her, and kept her posture precise, professional. ‘Captain Kovrad. I’m Commander Black, Chief Armoury Officer of the starship Phoenix.’

He gave a slow nod, eyes distant. Were he human, she would have assumed a part of him had gone away inside, locked himself far from the horrors of his predicament, his failure. She didn’t have enough information to know if Enolian psychology was comparable. She just had to hope that it was. ‘Captain Kovrad, officer commanding, HS Starsaber. Former.’ His voice was different, too, more detached.

‘I appreciate you’ve cooperated with Staff Sergeant Banda here. And that you’ve been waiting for us to take the next step. Can I get you anything?’ He shook his head, but she went to the dispenser at the wall anyway and got him some water. Banda watched like a hawk as Kovrad drank, but Black sat back down and let him have a slow, careful sip before she pressed on. ‘I thought we might talk.’

‘Before Captain Lopez has my crew executed as pirates? We’re not pirates.’ That, at least, brought a spark of life back to his eyes.

She tried to not look pleased. Compassion for his crew was a point she could use, certainly, but Black also drew no comfort from the notion that those she fought were monsters. ‘I don’t want it to come to that.’ She hesitated. ‘It won’t come to that. The people of Earth have seen their share of war’s horrors, and we’ve demanded there be rules of it, laws of it. Principles we have to adhere to, even if we’re forced to violence. Both I and the captain are bound to those, by oath and by belief.’ She gestured across the desk to him. ‘As I’m sure you’re similarly bound to the principles of the Enolian Guard.’

‘I am.’ Kovrad hesitated a heartbeat. ‘I take no satisfaction in targeting your supply lines, Commander Black.’

‘These weren’t military supply lines. The Cormorant was a civilian ship, delivering equipment for civilian infrastructure to Vega.’

‘Vega, which has been fortifying these past weeks.’

So, you noticed that. Means the Rommies probably have, too. ‘You must have realised by now their cargo was agricultural equipment.’ Kovrad glanced away at that, and she sat up. ‘I expect you would have preferred to engage the Commonwealth forces directly. A man of honour, an officer, can’t have enjoyed launching an attack from the shelter of a nebula.’ Kovrad had said as much in his personal logs, lamented his circumstances, but she couldn’t let him know how much she knew. And while he had been loose-lipped with his discontent in the logs Takahashi had uncovered, he hadn’t been so foolhardy as to speak of his exact orders or plan.

Kovrad sighed before he looked back at her. ‘This is not how we should wage war, no. And I am sorry for that, Commander. If I’d had it my way, the Hierarchy would have sent a formal missive to your Commonwealth, and our fleets would have gathered.’

‘But the Romulans wouldn’t have it?’

‘So long as we are their vassals, we are not entitled to dictate our own interstellar policy or diplomatic engagements,’ he said with a sneer, before his jaw tightened, as if he’d regretted the outburst.

Black leaned forward. ‘You’ve no love for the Romulans, do you, Captain? They came to your Hierarchy and took over by strength of arms, now force you to compliance with their fleets, and never show their faces or send their envoys directly. They send your people missives and orders, and keep their forces close enough that the Hierarchy has no choice. Right?’

Kovrad swallowed, eyes bitter. ‘They arrived in force three years ago,’ he said, voice sounding like it had been dragged over gravel. ‘Our defences never stood a chance. For a while, all they wanted was for us to pay tribute, but that began to strangle our trade network. So now they want us to fight for them. I assure you, Commander, being dispatched to harry the beleaguered border worlds of the Commonwealth is not the sort of task for which I chose to serve the Enolian Guard.’

‘I understand,’ she said in a low voice. ‘I understand what it means to follow principles and values, even if those issuing the orders don’t share them, won’t uphold them, won’t let you uphold them. I understand the perils of being a man of honour when one’s superiors are a den of thieves.’ She shook her head with the slightest wry smirk. ‘Once upon a time. It’s not so with Starfleet. But it requires a choice: one’s superiors, or the values you ostensibly share with them, that they’ve fallen far from? Which will you stand up for, Captain?’

Kovrad tensed. ‘What do you want from me?’

She wondered if she’d gone too far, but realised this was time to see what price he’d pay to assuage his wounded honour. ‘The Starsaber could have robbed the Cormorant and run. Why didn’t you?’

‘Those…’ Kovrad lifted a hand to his temple, and was silent for a long moment. ‘My oaths are to the Enolian Guard. My oaths are to the Hierarchy. Not the Empire that seeks to expand and expand, and would either destroy your Commonwealth or make you as subservient as us. This uniform stands for honour and protection, you understand, Commander?’

She sensed that he was wavering, deciding, and that if she so much as breathed wrong, he might fall the wrong way. All she did was nod.

Then he sighed, and with it all strength seemed to fade from his shoulders. ‘Get me your captain.’

Takin’ Care of Business – 7

Ready Room, Enolian Guardship Starsaber
September 2156

‘My orders,’ said Kovrad, his shoulders now slumped, his voice now a low rumble, ‘were to enter Commonwealth territory and to first evade detection and observe. The Romulan Navy dispatched a strike force to this sector two months ago, a light attack unit with instructions to destroy or seize your Vega Colony. It was deemed an under-defended weakness, far from the main lines of battle, and knowing the Romulans, they would consider it a significant psychological victory over the Commonwealth, regardless of the strategic insignificance of the region.’ His lip curled. ‘Or the loss of life. But you disrupted that plan, Captain.’

Lopez didn’t bother to hide her smirk. ‘I bet they didn’t expect an NX-class in the region, huh?’

‘Understand that the Romulans send brief instructions they expect us to follow without question. I do not know the expectations, theories, or discussions of the navy. But certainly your ship defeated the initial assault, and then the colony proceeded to be reinforced. This rendered Vega too powerful a target for the Romulan light attack unit, at which point the Enolian Guard was dispatched.’ Kovrad glanced between her and Black, eyes dark and cautious. ‘I will not betray my fellow Guardsmen, or reveal anything of their operations.’

‘Of course,’ said Black, at the exact same time Lopez said, ‘We’ll see.’

Kovrad sighed. ‘I will tell you my orders, Captain. And you’ll want to hear them. But in response, I ask that you let my crew go. If not with the ship, then let them take the shuttles and flee. You can keep me as a prisoner, interrogate me further, do as you wish, I -’

‘Let’s focus on the orders for now,’ said Lopez, ‘and just know I don’t have much interest in hauling about a hundred Enolians around the galaxy, no.’

His eyes flickered to Black, who tried to give him a reassuring nod. She wasn’t sure Lopez’s coldness was helping, but she couldn’t signal that safely. Still, Kovrad continued. ‘My orders were to harass Commonwealth infrastructure in proximity to Vega, but you were the goal, Captain. We were to draw the Phoenix away from the colony’s defences so the Romulan Navy could isolate and hunt you. And…’ He shifted his weight. ‘When we detected you on an intercept course for the Starsaber, I contacted them. I dare say they’re on their way right now.’

Lopez’s hands slammed on the ready room desk. ‘Are you kidding me? You’ve been screwing around trying to negotiate a deal for your people, acting all soul-searchingly agonised, when the Rommies are on their goddamn way?’ Her eyes snapped to Black. ‘He’s been wasting time.’

‘I have not,’ snarled Kovrad. ‘Do you think I want my disabled ship caught in the crossfire between you and the Romulans, who would have no compunctions against destroying my vessel if we were in the way, or if they detected your crew aboard? I don’t know their proximity, I don’t know how long it would take them to get here. They might be waiting for you en route to Vega, for all I know.’ He shook his head. ‘Still, you should run for Vega. They won’t want to engage you there, they don’t have the firepower.’

‘What is this strike force? Three light scouts, like they sent to Vega last time? More?’

‘You destroyed one scout at Vega. They sent reinforcements.’ Kovrad straightened. ‘A bird-of-prey. One of their cruisers, not their heavy warbirds.’

Lopez looked up at Black. ‘Not as big as the Decius. Still not something I’d want to fight if it’s brought its little friends with it.’

Black nodded, heart sinking. ‘We should return to the Phoenix, make a run for Vega.’ She cast a glance at Kovrad, and despite herself, she couldn’t hide her disappointment – that either he’d successfully stalled, or that he’d been weak enough to do the right thing in a way that still played into his masters’ hands. ‘What do we do with the Starsaber?’

Kovrad leaned forward, eyes locked on Lopez. ‘We are soldiers in a time of war,’ he insisted. ‘Not pirates that you can summarily execute. We announced ourselves as a ship of the Enolian Guard; we’ve not come under false pretense or flown under false colours…’

‘Yeah.’ Lopez clicked her tongue, and Black could see she was calmer as her mind had to race to deal with the crisis before them. ‘You’re right. That’s not how you guys roll. Men of honour, fight up-front, never back down, and all that. Probably think running away is weak.’ She looked up at Black, and despite the tension, something was sparking in her eyes. ‘But I’m definitely not a man of honour.’


‘That’s everyone.’ Stavros sealed the hatch of the shuttle behind the last MACO boarding the shuttlepod departing the Starsaber. She swung around to buckle herself into the aft seating, eschewing joining Corrigan in the cockpit on the return journey, and found herself strapped in opposite Black. ‘Armoury officers underway?’ she asked, briskly courteous.

Black nodded, frowning. ‘Accounted for and departed. We’re the last.’

Stavros considered saying more, but felt the eyes of her MACOs and other officers on her. Nothing moved through the gossip network faster than an argument, even when occupying an enemy ship, and after the fight with Lopez on the Starsaber’s bridge, she wouldn’t risk giving loose tongues more to wag about.

So she waited through the bumpy ride back to the Phoenix, waited as Corrigan set down the shuttlepod and began his post-flight check while the crew alighted, and made sure she and Black were last to swing onto the shuttlebay deck before she spoke. ‘Commander. I don’t want to lecture you…’

Black had been checking things off on her PADD, and turned back to Stavros with a guarded expression. ‘Respectfully, Major, that’s what people say before a lecture.’

Stavros gave a small snort. ‘Fair enough. I feel like we keep getting off on the wrong foot. But we’re the two responsible for giving the captain her tactical and strategic operations, so that’s no good.’

‘Is this because you think you can argue with me, but you can’t argue with Lopez?’ But Black sighed and stopped herself. ‘I didn’t think you were suggesting the execution of the Enolians, Major.’

Stavros raised her eyebrows. ‘I think you did. Or you wanted to argue so much against even the idea of it that I made a great punching bag. Without listening to me.’

‘We’re in uncharted territory, Major. The rules of interstellar warfare against an enemy we can barely negotiate with and know nothing about are unwritten. What we say and do here will set precedents for humanity, and how humanity’s viewed by the interstellar community -’

Commander.’ Stavros raised a hand. ‘I know. You keep assuming I’ll only follow orders blindly, or jump to the most brutal option. Hell, yeah, I brought it up because I’m military. But in my line of work, we have to look at each option, however horrific, to make a decision.’

‘I don’t accept that.’ Black put her hands on her hips. ‘Some choices are untenable.’

‘That’s in your line of work. In mine, sometimes we have to look at an objective and decide how many people it’s okay to send to die to achieve it. You bet the MACOs will discuss and hammer out those possibilities, because pretending they don’t exist makes it worse. These possibilities aren’t monsters under the bed who’ll go away if we ignore them. If we want to avoid it, we have to look it in the eye and weigh and measure it, so we know how much strength it takes to say, “No.”’

Black hesitated at that. Then she looked away and sighed. ‘I’ll make sure you get a better chance to say your piece to the captain in future, Major.’

‘That’s all I want,’ said Stavros with a hint of fading frustration. ‘When I say we’re on the same side, Commander, I don’t mean humanity’s. But I think the captain is a fan of the third way, and I think that might hamper her vision sometimes, and I think it’ll be you and me who have to face these bad choices. All respect to the captain.’

Black snorted. ‘If you want to tell her she’s blinded, just skip the “respectfully.” She’ll listen better.’ But she stepped back and jerked a thumb to the walkway out of the shuttlebay. ‘If we’re going to be ready for this latest third way, we should be about it, though, Major. Please pass on my praise to your MACOs; your assault on the Starsaber was outstanding.’

Stavros nodded, letting the armoury officer head off, and granted herself the first breather in hours within the shuttlebay. Crew were leaving, Corrigan’s shuttlepod was refuelling for its return journey, and in the looming situation, there was nothing more to face. Just to sit tight, and stand ready for action that would, for her and her unit, probably never come.

Being a MACO in a war against a faceless foe was more of a nightmare than she’d ever expected.


‘I can see,’ West said when they discussed the plan in Lopez’s ready room, ‘about a dozen different points of failure.’

Around her hung the latest set of mobiles, tiny makeshift models of the ships in-play in this particular stratagem giving her the three-dimensional perspective she needed to think clearly. ‘Don’t do this, West. Don’t be that guy who just pokes holes in the plans with no good suggestions. Do you have any better ideas?’

‘I don’t,’ he allowed. ‘If we run, they’ll just chase us. No, we have to make our stand and use what we have, however limited our resources. That doesn’t make my criticisms irrelevant.’

‘Okay, Sun Tzu. I’m all ears. Because I see the different points of failure, but this plan, of all the ones I’ve figured out, has the fewest. So if you don’t want to swipe at me, be productive.’

He folded his arms across his chest, brow furrowing, and for a moment Lopez assumed she’d sent her XO into a manful sulk. But then he drew a slow breath. ‘If I tell you what I really think, then I definitely won’t be on your bridge for this fight.’

She raised her eyebrows. ‘You’re going to be that audacious, huh?’

‘You haven’t heard what I think, yet.’

Hours later she sat on the bridge with Lieutenant Shepherd at Science, drenched in the dull drudgery of waiting until there came the call from Black at Tactical.

‘Contact! Romulan ships, two scouts and a cruiser, on an intercept course. ETA… fifteen minutes.’

Lopez gritted her teeth and sat back in the command chair on her bridge. ‘Like Kovrad said. Turning tail would make this a running firefight, and I bet those scouts are faster than us anyway.’ She nodded to herself. ‘Okay. Tactical alert; Helm, move to keep the Starsaber between us and them for as long a possible, diminish their chances of pelting us from a distance.’ She reached for the comms controls on her armrest. ‘Bridge to Engineering. Are we ready for another fight?’

Do we have a choice? came Hawthorne’s drawl. ‘Systems are as fighting fit as they can be, but under no circumstances can I recommend two metal boxes trying to punch holes in each other within the vacuum of space.’

‘Sound expert advice, that I wilfully choose to ignore. Stand by.’ She closed the link and sat up, looking about the bridge. ‘Stay sharp, folks. This one’s going to be tough. They’ve got us outnumbered and out-gunned and if we don’t kill those scouts, running isn’t an option.’

Black clicked her tongue. ‘Tak’s not here, so I’ll say it for him: great pep-talk, Cap. Inspiring in the face of death.’

Lopez leaned back in her chair. ‘Just wanted to give us food for thought while we waited.’

And wait they did, the bridge a low hum of activity of double-checking systems and monitoring the Romulans’ approach. Both ships hung in space; the bristling, quivering firepower of the Phoenix and the drifting hulk of the now dead and crippled Starsaber. It came like clockwork when Shepherd piped up from Science. ‘Romulan ships have dropped out of warp. Bird-of-prey on a direct course; looks like they’re also using the wreck of the Starsaber as a shield. The scouts are fanning out, likely to try to encircle us.’

Antar glanced over her shoulder. ‘I’d normally say we should let them split up and hunt down one of those scouts when they’re more isolated…’

‘Not yet,’ said Lopez. ‘Hold position. Helena, pick a scout and fire at-will.’

‘I’ll try,’ said Black, ‘but they’re keeping their distance, they’ll easily evade.’

‘Then we wait, and keep our cool.’

‘Bird-of-prey is passing the Starsaber!’ Shepherd called several thudding heartbeats later.

‘Not in the slightest bit cool, Lieutenant,’ said Lopez.

‘Do I move to intercept?’ Antar asked.

‘Not yet, but get ready to evade. Helena, open fire; do not hit the Starsaber.’

‘Incoming fire,’ Shepherd reported.

Antar’s hands danced over the controls. ‘Taking evasive action!’

‘Then make it a lot of phase cannon fire in return, Helena; let’s soak up all of their attention,’ said Lopez, tilting in her chair as the Phoenix spun away from the bird-of-prey’s first blast. There was a shudder at a glancing blow, but nothing disrupted the smoothness of Antar’s manoeuvre.

‘As you say,’ came Black’s steady confirmation. ‘Returning fire; direct hit, but they’ve taken it on their deflectors.’

‘Scout ships are starting their approach,’ Shepherd reported. ‘They’ve got us pincered.’

‘I guess this is it, then.’ Lopez drew a deep breath through her nostrils, and gave a curt nod to Martel at Comms. ‘Send the signal.’

And on the viewscreen before her the Starsaber burst to life, all weapons bristling and arming to target the bird-of-prey.


‘Glad you volunteered for this mission over Black, yet, Commander?’ came Takahashi’s wry question in the dark.

‘Just shut up,’ said Commander West quietly, ‘and wait.’

On the black bridge of the Starsaber, the only light came from the one console retaining power, the one point to which the limited systems still alive were piping information. All four of them had clustered around it, Dynevor keeping the seat with Corrigan, Takahashi, and West leaning over him.

‘If the Rommies figure we’re in the way,’ breathed Corrigan, ‘then what’s to say they won’t blast us?’

‘They might be merciless,’ said West, ‘but they have to detect the lifesigns aboard and they’ve been press-ganging the Enolians into their war. It would be wasteful to destroy even a crippled and drifting allied ship.’

‘And if you’re wrong,’ said Takahashi, ‘then there’s nothing to do. So, try a little hope, Jack.’

‘We’re fine,’ said Dynevor, voice low and level. ‘The scouts are trying to block the Phoenix’s escape before tightening the net, while the bird-of-prey tangles her up for a slugging match. We’re nothing but space wreckage right now.’

‘Better hope we don’t stay that way,’ grumbled Corrigan. ‘Look, the bird-of-prey’s heading right for us…’

‘And if they were taking a closer look, they’d have been more cautious on the approach as they scanned,’ said West, moving away from the tactical console to take the command chair on the gloomy Starsaber bridge, positioned at the rear in Enolian designs. ‘Their flight pattern suggests they know we’re not a threat. Our power systems are right down. To your posts.’

Corrigan muttered all the way as he moved through darkness to helm. ‘We should get ‘em -’

‘When Phoenix sends the word,’ West admonished. ‘Stay steady, Ensign.’

‘Bird-of-prey is opening fire,’ Dynevor reported. ‘Phoenix is returning fire and manoeuvring.’

‘Steady,’ West reiterated.

‘Scouts are coming in.’

Takahashi’s communicator chirruped in his hand, and he flicked it open for the gleam of the display to light up his broad, toothy grin. ‘That’s curtains up.’

West clenched his fist. ‘Full power! Polarise the hull, arm weapons, and open fire on the rear of that bird-of-prey as soon as you can, Mister Dynevor!’

The lights around them gleamed to life, the Enolians favouring an orange glow to their lighting in a combat. Like it was clearing its throat, the Starsaber groaned around them as systems burst into action, the deck humming underneath with the power now flowing between bulkheads and the polarisation of the hull.

A heartbeat later, Dynevor fired. ‘Direct hit! They’d shunted power to their forward shields; they’re venting plasma and their manoeuvres are sluggish!’

Takahashi bent over the science console he was manning, scowling. ‘Those scouts are shifting course and coming for us, I think.’

‘Yeah, no way am I gonna make this thing dance after the paggering we gave the engines,’ Corrigan reminded them.

‘That’s not our job,’ West said. ‘Keep firing on the bird-of-prey, let the Phoenix protect us.’

‘Bringing us closer to the bird-of-prey, then,’ said Corrigan, rolling his eyes. ‘Reckon the scouts will have a harder time hitting us if we’re rammed right up the arse of the mothership.’

‘Vivid imagery,’ drawled Takahashi. ‘Phoenix is breaking off to focus fire on Scout Alpha, but that’s three torpedoes heading for the bird-of-prey. Who’s coming around to face us.’

‘Toe to toe it is,’ mused West. ‘This is going to be an ugly slugging match; maintain rate of fire, Tactical.’

‘Keeping us on their arse,’ Corrigan said.

‘Try the suppository, boys,’ Takahashi chirped up.

‘I’m -’ Dynevor hesitated. ‘…firing spatial torpedoes at their aft.’

West lifted a finger to Takahashi. ‘Do not make this worse, Lieutenant.’

Ignoring him, Takahashi pressed on. ‘Detecting an overload of their power grid and their deflectors are collapsing – good work, you must have got it right up there -’

Then the ship surged under them, and West was sent flying from his chair. He caught himself on the deck, nothing more than rattled, but the heavy impact of weapons fire on their port side was unmistakable. ‘Lucky interruption,’ he breathed, then yanked himself upright. ‘Report!’

Takahashi had kept his seat. ‘Scout Bravo’s given us a hammering and took offence to how we treated the mothership. Phoenix has got Alpha pinned and the bird-of-prey is drifting, but these guys are pissed at us.’

‘I wonder if they think the Enolians double-crossed them,’ mused Dynevor.

‘Instead, today we’re just pirates or spies.’ West dragged himself back into the seat. ‘Change target to that scout.’

‘Going to try to orbit the bird-of-prey and cut their line of sight,’ reported Corrigan.

West looked up at the drifting cruiser, and his throat tightened. ‘Negative; get some distance between us and the bird-of-prey.’

‘We need them for cover -’

‘Now!’

‘Scout Alpha’s being a nippy little shit,’ complained Takahashi. ‘Phoenix is struggling to clip her wings.’

West hopped to his feet and moved to stand over Dynevor, watching as Scout Bravo approached the drifting bird-of-prey. ‘Lock onto the cruiser’s drive core and open fire.’ He glanced at the distance between the Romulans and the Starsaber. ‘And everyone brace.’

Takahashi clutched his console as Dynevor launched two more torpedoes. ‘Can the hull on this tin can really take an overloading Romulan drive core after the hammering we gave -’

The Enolian torpedoes lanced through space, thudding through the cracked and breaking hull of the Romulan bird-of-prey they’d so effectively pincered, and found their target. Like treasure hunters holding their prize aloft, the cascade of gold erupted first, the blossoming explosion of the ship’s systems overloading.

Starfleet still wasn’t sure of the exact nature of Romulan power and propulsion systems. There was a nuclear element but perhaps something else, and either way, it made their detonations powerful. The Starsaber shuddered, both at the initial explosion and the sudden drag of the faint implosion that followed, and alert klaxons went off all around as the lighting systems flickered and struggled to stay active. But as suddenly as it had started, it stopped, leaving almost nothing behind on the viewscreen of the bird-of-prey.

Dynevor took a raking breath. ‘Hull polarisation is offline, cannons are down; I’ve got torpedoes only…’

‘Helm is unresponsive…’

‘And we’re basically blind,’ Takahashi finished. ‘That scout was coming right for us, and we’re in no condition to defend ourselves.’

‘The Phoenix?’ West asked.

‘I don’t know; I can’t see.’

‘Get me power, Mister Dynevor, if we don’t want to be sitting ducks.’

Corrigan sucked his teeth. ‘We’ve got something on sensors coming right at us.’

‘Hull polarisation,’ West snapped. ‘Now.’

‘It’s the Phoenix.’ Takahashi’s relief was nearly palpable. ‘Looks like they got that scout. They’re hailing us.’

West slumped back in the chair and scrubbed his face with his hands, giving himself a moment before he straightened. ‘On-screen.’ The smirking face of Nat Lopez filled the view, and he couldn’t help but match her energy.  ‘Captain West of the Starsaber here. I hope you had a good view of us taking out an entire bird-of-prey while you took forever with one scout?’

There would be time later to reflect on what had happened. On the Enolian officers still being detained, and their hammered ship whose future was still in question. Of the lives lost, Romulan and potentially human alike. Of what this meant for the Vega System, and the Romulan military’s plans for trying to seize or at least harry it. Of themselves, and what tactics it had taken to counter even this modest assault force.

But for now, he could make a dig at his captain, and get her jubilant grin in return, and enjoy the heady feeling of, for today at least, total victory.

Takin’ Care of Business – 8

Commanding Officer's Quarters, Enolian Guardship Starsaber
September 2156

Captain Kovrad looked up with tired eyes as Black stepped into the rather battered commanding officer’s quarters of the Starsaber. Lopez had allowed him the dignity of being confined here once the fighting was done, though mostly at Black’s urging, which was why the Armoury Officer was the one who’d come now. If this was going to work, it would need the right touch. For all of Lopez’s flaws, she knew when she wasn’t right for a certain kind of job.

‘Commander.’ Kovrad stood from his armchair, hands clasped behind his back. He looked even more worn out by now, harried no doubt by being trapped in this room as his ship shook and battled around him. ‘I presume you were victorious against the Romulans? Your guards aren’t telling me much.’

‘We were. We turned your ship against them, and with that element of surprise we destroyed their vessels. That’s the Romulan Vega task group destroyed.’ She watched him, trying to keep her expression level. The myriad of feelings she had on this situation weren’t fit for this conversation. ‘Assuming you were telling the truth.’

Kovrad grimaced. ‘I was. And for the best. The last thing my people need is any reason to suspect my ship turned on the Romulan Navy under my command.’

‘Or that you fed us intelligence that let us set a trap.’

He sighed. ‘That too. What happens now, Commander? The fact your captain isn’t here does not fill me with confidence. I’m aware our deal was… weak, at best.’

‘Captain Lopez isn’t convinced you were forthcoming out of principle. She suspects you prevaricated with the hope the Romulans would arrive and rescue you.’

Kovrad watched her, stance still taut. ‘And what do you believe? I assume that matters, as you’re the one here. I assume your captain is not the rogue she pretends to be, if she keeps a woman of substance such as yourself beside her.’

She cocked her head. ‘Are you trying to charm me onto your side, Captain?’

‘I expect it’s too late for that. But I am not the schemer your captain thinks. Perhaps I have not made my best decisions in this matter, perhaps my judgement has been… muddied.’ He shifted his weight at last. ‘As you say. It is difficult to see the right path when one’s superiors have abandoned the principles which once bound you to them in loyalty.’

Black’s eyes raked over him. By now there had been more examination of the Enolian’s database, though Takahashi hadn’t broken through all the encryption. He’d studied the personal logs more, at least, and gave her some grounds to think he was sincere. Captain Kovrad was a guarded man even in his personal records, or he was at least aware that they were not perfectly secure. But if his stance here was a mask, it was a mask of discontent he’d worn for some time, and she couldn’t understand what he’d gain.

‘You joined the Enolian Guard to protect your people,’ she began carefully.

‘To maintain order. To serve the Hierarchy. To protect the rights and lives of its citizens,’ he reeled off like a mantra. ‘I am under no illusions that I’m doing any of that by fighting the Romulans’ wars for them.’

‘You can’t be alone in this, in hating the fact your Hierarchy’s fallen under their authority.’

Kovrad hesitated. ‘Their spies are… adept. But no, I am not alone. I suspect I was sent here, far from Enolian territory, to keep me from possible allies. There is a power-struggle within the Hierarchy.’ He sighed. ‘If you honour the agreement for my cooperation – if you let my crew go, and detain me alone – then I will tell you what you need to know.’

‘No.’ Black’s lips thinned as she pulled out a PADD and set it on his desk. ‘You can sit here and record as much as you know of the power struggle in the Enolian Hierarchy, and what you know of Romulan naval operations. Particularly as they relate to the UEC.’

He looked down at the PADD, and his shoulders squared. ‘I believe you’re a woman of honour, Commander. But I’ve already betrayed those my superiors deem my allies. I cannot do more without securing the safety of my crew.’

‘Your crew will be free and unharmed; you have my word.’

Kovrad’s gaze dragged up to meet hers, eyes dark and intent. ‘Forgive me, Commander. But when it comes to my crew, I need more than your word.’

She advanced on the desk, and tapped the surface next to the PADD. ‘Write what you know, in as much detail as you can, so the UEC can better defend itself against the Romulans and so we have some concept of the extent of the Empire’s control over the Hierarchy. I need that before we can let your crew go. Because if you give us that, we’ll let you all go. Your crew. Your ship. You.’

He straightened, chin up an inch, brow furrowing. ‘Why?’

‘Earth is going to have a hell of a time beating the Romulans alone,’ Black pointed out. ‘It’ll be worse if the Romulans bring friends, too. If you’re a man of honour who resents their control of your people, who’ll work with like-minded Enolians to drive them out, that doesn’t just serve human interests. That makes us friends.’

‘Even though your captain thinks I was an opportunist who delayed you ‘til the trap was sprung?’

‘Captain Lopez is smart and decent but she is not, as she’s said, a man of honour,’ Black said wryly. ‘I’m not sure she’s good at recognising them.’

Their eyes met. ‘And you are?’

She drew a slow breath. ‘I promise that if you do this, we’ll let you all go. Go home, Captain Kovrad. Go home and fight for your people’s freedom. And remember that you have more in common with us than you do the Empire.’ Black extended a hand, hoping the gesture would translate, hoping the similarities in psychology, society, and body language would convey her meaning more with her stance than her words. ‘Do we have an accord?’

His gaze lingered on the PADD a moment, thoughtful, troubled. ‘An accord to be decent men and women, at huge risk to ourselves, for the sake of preserving something greater,’ he mused, before his eyes came back to hers. Still dark, they held a more intent gleam, and he reached out to clasp her wrist. ‘We have an accord.’


Captain Lopez had ordered the Phoenix to linger on the trade routes leading to Vega for a couple of days, monitoring the region to be sure that no further threat, Enolian or Romulan, was forthcoming. Only then did they set a course for Vega, and despite his recollection of Starfleet’s instructions for the Phoenix to head for the Tellarite border, West did not argue. Circumstances had changed with the joint Romulan-Enolian assault on the vicinity of Vega.

‘We did good work,’ he said to a fretful Shepherd when they sat together in the lab, analysing their scans of the Romulan ships and systems from the fight. ‘If there’s more danger facing Vega, Starfleet will recognise that.’

‘I suppose,’ she said, eyes on the screen. He stayed silent, watching her in confusion, and she shook her head. ‘You’re right, sir. It’s nothing.’

‘I want my team to speak freely.’

Shepherd shrugged. ‘Obviously our military priorities come first,’ she said, ‘and especially when it comes to protecting somewhere like Vega. But I’d been hopeful for some collaboration with the Tellarites.’

A mission to fly the flag, as Lopez put it, with Coalition members Starfleet was desperate to coax back into lending more support in the war, would have seen very little military activity in practice. It would have made a fine chance for crews to learn from one another, and West realised it made sense for Shepherd, experienced in joint research with the Vulcans, to want that.

He sighed, and leaned forward. ‘You don’t have to apologise for wanting something other than a battle, Lieutenant. I know it’s not why you joined Starfleet.’

‘But I accepted this assignment,’ said Shepherd, turning to him. ‘I didn’t have to.’

‘You’re an intelligent and highly-qualified scientist, with a lot of experience in space, even if it’s on a research station,’ West pointed out. ‘If I hadn’t snapped you up for the Phoenix, you’d have ended up either somewhere like this eventually, or somewhere less important. I didn’t give you much choice.’

Her gaze dropped. ‘You’re right. I didn’t join Starfleet to study the energy output levels of Romulan weapons fire so we can better calculate how to improve our defences against them. But it’s what needs doing. Maybe I’m allowed to be disappointed, but that doesn’t really help, does it?’

His lips twisted. ‘I guess not. But think of it this way: we’re trying to figure out alien technology. They might be trying to kill us, but they’re still a puzzle we don’t know, a people we don’t understand. And we have to.’ Shepherd’s eyes brightened a little at that, and while he didn’t have much sense of wonder in trying to uncover the secrets of the enemy, it got them through the analysis in decent spirits.

The mood did not last. Two days later he woke up earlier than he’d have liked, his alarm notifying him they were an hour out from Vega. A light on his desk screen blinked urgently, but West had staggered into the shower and was halfway into his uniform by instinct before he noticed it. He sat down, brought up the message that had arrived three hours earlier as he’d slept, and swore.

Six minutes later he was bursting into Lopez’s ready room. ‘You went to the press?’

She sat with her boots up on her desk, a steaming cup of coffee in her hand, a PADD before her. ‘Morning, West. And, no comment.’

‘“Unnamed sources spoke about the limited defences sent to the Vega system, which is under threat from more than Romulans. The Sol Herald understands pirate activity has targeted freight ships in the area.’” West stabbed his PADD in the air. ‘Unnamed sources?

Lopez put down her coffee and opened her hands. ‘It’s a good article. It points out that the Phoenix has already been at Vega longer than Starfleet Command wanted, even though there’s been more problems. Doesn’t mention the Enolians specifically, though.’

‘Of course not,’ West snapped. ‘That would be flagrant of you, instead of just audacious.’

‘You think I’m the source?’

‘The article has a surprising amount of insight into the Vega situation and parrots all of your talking points – condemns Starfleet, but bigs up the work Phoenix has done with the battle and the militia, making us sound like a crew who have their hands tied. It would have been real easy to smear us as just as uncaring as Command. And this journalist, Zoe Langdon – you went to college with her, Lopez, you’ve used her before to go to the press!’ he barked. ‘You did it after the Battle of Sol, you did it back on the NX Project…’

Lopez sat up, head tilting. ‘Oh? And how do you know all that, West? Come on, don’t be coy now. Command threw a little tantrum at you about the article because they think it was me, but they can’t confirm it so they’re trying to punish me through you?’

His jaw tightened. ‘Yes. I had a message from Admiral Black waiting for me when I woke up with the article and his belief that you wrote it.’

‘And?’

West blinked. ‘And what? This is ridiculous, Lopez. We can’t go behind Command’s back and speak to the press -‘

‘Why not?’

‘What?’

She stood. ‘I’m not saying I spoke to Zoe. But what’s in that article that’s untrue or sensitive information? It might be news to the people of Earth, but it’s everyday life to the people of Vega. They know their goose was almost cooked because Starfleet sent us too late, they know if we leave, they’re on their own.’

West worked his jaw. ‘What about the bit about piracy? It’s not like what happened to the Cormorant is open knowledge.’

‘I bet it’s known on Vega by now. Cormorant got in days ago,’ Lopez pointed out. ‘But there’s nothing in the article about the Enolians. Nothing sensitive in there. Just news from the frontier that Earth loves to ignore, right onto everyone’s news feeds first thing at the breakfast table. Reminding them that the raggedy edge is getting more raggedy all the time, and needs Earth to sacrifice just one inch of security so the frontier can have a mile of safety.’

‘It makes Starfleet look weak and uncaring.’

‘If I’d bowed to pressure and left Vega two weeks ago like they wanted, the Enolians and their Romulan friends would have been crawling all over the colony in a matter of days with only the militia to stop them. Starfleet was weak and uncaring to try to hang Vega out to dry.’

‘We’re at war!’ West barked. ‘Humanity has to pull together and stand strong, not undermine its main shield of defence!’

‘Way to be pretentious,’ Lopez sneered, ‘but what about fighting to keep the people of Vega safe isn’t pulling together with humanity? Is Starfleet Command embarrassed by an article publicly pointing out their strategic failings? Good.’

His jaw tightened. ‘And you’re painted like the hero, standing strong against out-of-touch military leaders and sticking up for the little guy.’

If I was Zoe’s source,’ Lopez said with maddening transparency, ‘I’d want this to motivate Starfleet to change their strategy. Not destroy morale on Earth and Vega by saying even the ship Starfleet did send wasn’t good enough.’

With a groan of frustration, West scrubbed his face with his hand. ‘How convenient. Did it occur to you before you had this story written -’

‘Allegedly.’

‘Allegedly – whatever – did it occur to you to talk to me?’

Lopez stopped, nose wrinkling. ‘Did you want to be an anonymous source for the Herald about Starfleet nearly screwing the pooch at Vega?’

‘Let’s say your primary goal here – allegedly – was shaming Starfleet into seeing things your way.’ He planted his hands on the desk, glaring. ‘Let’s say you wanted to play political hardball and force them to change their strategy. All for the good of the people of Vega. Why didn’t you talk to me about this?’

‘What were you going to -’

‘Did it occur to you,’ he pressed on, raising his voice over her obvious cluelessness, ‘that I’ve seen what’s going out here as well? That Vega isn’t the overlooked nothing on the war map, but our under-protected back door the Romulans are trying to jimmy? And did it occur to you, even if you want to play outcast martyr nobody will listen to, the Cassandra of this whole damn epic, that my word carries a lot of weight at Starfleet Command? Through open reports and back-channels?’ She was silent at that, and West lifted his hands with a sneer. ‘No. No, you assumed you were alone. Because that suits your narrative better. And that means you can leak a story to the Sol Herald that paints you are the frontier hero – and pisses off Command even more.’

Lopez didn’t answer for a moment. ‘Allegedly,’ she said at last. Then, ‘What did Black tell you to do, get sanctimonious at me? Mission complete.’

‘Yeah, they expect me to keep you in-line. Other things which might have not occurred to you – Gardner got you this command, but there are people above Gardner, and maybe they didn’t overrule him because I’m here. If you want to go off half-cocked, you’re not just making yourself look bad to Command. You’re making me look bad.’

‘How sad -’

‘And I’m not talking about my reputation, I’m saying that right now I’m your goddamn hall pass, Lopez!’ he snapped. ‘Rip me up and you might not get a new one.’

Another silence fell. Lopez wrinkled her nose again. ‘So in this scenario, if I – hypothetically – annoy Command even more, I’m not allowed to go for a piss any more?’

‘Not anywhere you want, any time you like. See, the analogy holds up.’ He folded his arms across his chest.

She blew out her cheeks. ‘For the record, I think you’re being naive. And I don’t mean that as an insult, West, I really don’t. I spent years on these border colonies in the forties, before Warp 5, when it took weeks and months to get any-damn-where. And back then Starfleet cared a whole lot more about sucking up to the Vulcans and showing off its “boldly going” credentials than putting in the time to help these people.’ Her chin tilted up and she met his gaze. ‘You know why Command don’t like me?’

‘You piss everywhere,’ he growled.

‘I spent years telling them things they didn’t want to hear about life on the frontier and our responsibility to all of humanity, not just humanity within four-point-seven light-years. I played by their rules and it got me nowhere. Then I stopped playing by their rules and it got me a little. But it didn’t get me liked. It’s cute that you think your opinion on the strategic reality of Vega will be listened to because you play golf with admirals. But do it in private and they’ll tell you it’s a numbers game, and the Core World numbers matter more.’ She shrugged. ‘The best tool in politics? Shame.’

Again his jaw tightened. ‘So you went crying to your journalist buddy.’

‘Allegedly.’ She waggled a finger. ‘Everything Zoe’s written could have come from anyone on Vega. She got a comment from Governor Qadir, after all.’ But Lopez sat back down and again stuck her boots on her desk. ‘She did make me sound like a swashbuckling hero, though, didn’t she?’

West dropped his hands. ‘This is going to make everything with Command ten times harder.’

‘Maybe. We’ll find out in… about five minutes.’ Lopez glanced at her screen. ‘Got a call scheduled from Gardner’s office. You want in on the big table? Let’s get yelled at together.’

‘Fine.’ He glared at the desk. ‘But I’m getting a coffee first. And I’m not getting you one.’

‘Sounds like a court martial offence,’ Lopez said as he left.

The communication was brought up on the ready room’s big display, Lopez behind her desk, West stood beside her and hating how it made him look like her strong right hand when the morning’s row wanted him as distant as possible. Gardner looked tired, even more than he should have for how early it was in San Francisco right now.

‘Captain, Commander. We’ve had your report of the Enolian encounter. Good work against the Romulan task group, but not everyone agrees with your decision to let the Starsaber go.’

Lopez shrugged. ‘They can hop on a bridge and make those decisions in the field if they really hate my choices. This is better than dragging the ship to Vega and getting a whole crew of aliens thrown in a prison camp.’

‘Their captain could have been an invaluable source of intelligence on the Enolian Guard and the nature of the Hierarchy’s relationship with the Star Empire,’ Gardner pointed out. ‘Instead you’ve sent him back into the field.’

‘Kovrad would never have cooperated if it could have led to Enolian deaths. But he’s a fervent opponent of the Star Empire and its hold over his people. We’re not going to win a slugging match on two fronts; it’s in our best interests for Enolians who hate the Empire to be free to oppose them. And he gave us plenty of intelligence before we released him and his crew.’

Gardner grimaced. ‘So you think.’

‘So Commander Black thinks,’ Lopez said briskly. ‘I tend to trust her judgement in these things. You should, too, Admiral.’

He shook his head. ‘It’s done now,’ he said at length. ‘You’re almost at Vega?’

‘Less than thirty minutes out.’

‘And what do you think your ship’s next move should be, Captain?’

West watched in the silence that stretched out after the question, captain and admiral’s eyes locked on each other. Eventually, Lopez shifted her weight. ‘The Romulans first underestimated our commitment to Vega. They didn’t turn and run when we bloodied their noses last month, they sent more forces and allies. We shouldn’t assume they’ll give up now. Vega needs a permanent defensive presence.’

Gardner nodded. ‘Command agrees,’ he said, and West tried to not let his jaw drop. ‘We’ve redirected the Dragonfly to Vega, they should be there inside the week. The Vostok and the Freedom are being dispatched also, but it’ll be the better part of another month before they can join you. Until they arrive, your orders are to work with Captain Nwadike to further shore up the defences of Vega, and assess what further long-term protection is needed.’

Lopez straightened. ‘I thought the Dragonfly was too essential at Alpha Centauri -’

‘You’re also,’ Gardner cut her off, ‘to see if the Romulans have a foothold in the region. They’ve brought a considerable force to bear on Vega in a relatively short period of time. Is this thanks to the Enolians? Do they have a shipyards, a munitions centre? Intel thinks they’ve burrowed down closer than we know. The Phoenix can root them out while the Dragonfly protects Vega.’ His chin tilted up. ‘Is that glamorous enough for you, Captain?’

‘I don’t know what you mean, sir,’ said Lopez without blinking. ‘My priority has only ever been the safety of citizens of the UEC.’

‘Glad to hear it,’ said Gardner coolly. ‘Commander West has worked with the captains of these ships before. Your job will be easier if you include him in these meetings.’

‘Of course. After all, as the NX on deck, Phoenix – so, me – will be taking the lead, right? I’ll need the extra support from the Commander.’

‘Quite.’ The admiral’s chin tilted up, tension rippling across light-years and through a monitor. ‘Don’t give us reason to question this protocol, Captain.’

‘Why would I -’

‘If that’s all,’ Gardner said, ‘your full orders are being transmitted. We should get to work. Gardner out.’

Lopez was silent as the screen went blank, now showing only the image of the Starfleet insignia. She pushed back on her chair at last, tilting it so she could look up at West, eyebrow raised. ‘Hypothetically,’ she drawled, ‘a stunt like going to the presses just got me exactly what this situation needed. So what do you say, West?’ She extended her hand. ‘Want to help out the winning team?’

West didn’t just clasp her hand. He reached out for the back of her chair, gripping it hard, and tilted it further back to only not topple because he held her in place. Lopez’s eyes widened, but she didn’t break her composure, even as he gave a thin smile. ‘Alright, Captain. Let’s do it your way. For Vega.’ They shook hands. ‘But don’t leave me on the outside again.’

He set her upright. But only after one more moment, one more heartbeat, of leaving her tottering and dangling, in danger of falling, until he pulled her back. Until he chose to pull her back.