Michael had just gotten off of comms with the fleet command ordering the Neptune on her first mission. He wasn’t quite sure what was going to happen, but he knew this would be a humanitarian mission. He looked out the window seeing the dock around the Neptune. ‘Finally, time to get back to work.’ he thought. His crew hadn’t been on a mission since the demise of the Tesla at the hand of the hirogens. She would be in repairs for a long time and Michael wished her next Captain all the best.

“Ryder to Richards can you come in here for a second, Commander?” he inquired.

Tallie had been working at her desk going through the paperwork that she had been given in response to the new ship. Her time on other ships had been boring and though she was a yeoman, as a Lieutenant Commander she had seen a lot and been called upon for other jobs. She had a history in the intelligence field, which was why Ryder had chosen her from what she had been told. She was just finishing up her work when she heard the call for her to the Captain’s office. She quickly answered the call and entered the Captain’s officer straightening her uniform.

“You called for me, Sir” She said with a smile.

Michael nodded “Yes, can you please find all pertinent information regarding Uneta Prime and have it prepared for a briefing at 09:00?”

She nodded “I will make sure it is done, Captain.” She stood straight before turning on her heels and leaving his office.

Meanwhile, in the XO’s quarters, Tia plopped a bursting-at-the-seams duffle bag down on the floor of her new room. This was her first introduction to her quarters since she had initially taken it upon herself to thoroughly inspect their new ship from top to bottom, before allowing herself to settle into her new digs. She surveyed the area with an approving nod, but then felt a small twinge as she recalled their old Tesla. She was going to miss the old girl and felt she owed the ship some sort of thanks for the role it played in breaking in a green XO with some exciting excursions. But as she recalled the grandeur of their new ship, she knew it had been the right time to move on and say goodbye to the Tesla. She couldn’t wait for what new adventures lay ahead in the Neptune. Taking the time to carefully arrange her belongings in their respective drawers, she then stretched out on the bed for a moment to sink into the soft mattress. This place would certainly do.

She didn’t allow herself to lounge for long, however, anxious to explore the remaining parts of the ship which she had deemed as not primary concerns, and therefore pushed back till she was taking her personal time. Her first stop was going to be the ever-popular Scarlet Fire. 

Amanda had been settling into the new ship trying to get used to the difference in size compared to the Tesla, Though this ship was impressive regarding pure Starfleet ingenuity. She could not wait to try out the weapons systems on such a ship. She was anxious to get orders but had been lazily lounging in her quarters. It had been nice to relax, but she felt it was going to be time to start another mission very soon. As she closed her eyes she could hear the gentle hum of the ship’s warp core and took a deep breath this was what she thought of as peace. She was about to nod off when she heard the chirp of her PADD. She grudgingly got up and looked at the message from the Captain’s Yeoman ordering her to a briefing in 20 minutes. 

Her eyes got wide ‘Why does he seem to always do this?’ she thought as she quickly got into the sonic shower and cleaned off before getting dressed and heading for the Neptune’s conference room. She arrived to find Kra’vaak already present.

“Commander, hope you had a pleasant visit back home?” she asked knowing the Klingon had gone home for a short vacation. 

Kra’vaak nodded and smiled at Amanda “It was adequate for my needs, but it is good to be back though it seems like there was a change since I was here last.” he laughed deeply.

Amanda shook her head it was always Kra’vaak who tried to come back with the jokes “Nice try Commander I know you were well aware.” She said with a smirk “Wonder where everyone else is?”

Xiao had been walking the halls when he got the notification for the meeting. He was looking at the PADD and ran directly into Ruvok who was doing the same. He quickly scurried to his feet. “I apologize, Lieutenant, it seems I was not paying attention to where I was going.” he said a bit embarrassed.

Ruvok’s mind had been wondering after his recent time with Sumiko. He wished he could try and convince her to join the Neptune, but he figured that would never work. He had been walking the halls when he looked at his PADD for the orders from the Captain’s Yeoman before running into Commander Peng. He shook his head “It is ok Commander, though it seems we’re both summoned shall we just go together?” 

Peng nodded and the two quickly made their way to the briefing room with only two others in the room they took their seats and began to have a menial conversation.

At the Scarlet Fire Brew House, John was surprised to find Tia and Riru seated at his and Akeno’s usual table, and with a grin, he realized that perhaps eating meals with the two women would become a regular occasion. As he slid into his customary seat with Akeno close behind, he greeted the women with a nod.

“You eating with us lowlifes again?” He teased them. 

“Got a problem with that?” Riru shot back. 

“I never have a problem with beautiful women keeping me company.” John couldn’t resist turning the little engineer’s cheeks red, but it was more of a fiery red than a blushing one. 

“Well I suppose I can tolerate your company as long as there are other more interesting parties to pose a distraction,” she responded with a not too subtle glance towards Tia. 

John was happy to see a smile invade the usually tight lips of their XO, and without even looking, he could picture the I-told-you-so grin that must be covering Akeno’s face. With a light chuckle he turned back to his meal, but his roving eyes happened to catch a flash of blonde dreadlocks. 

Akeno noticed John’s gaze and saw the Bajoran doctor passing by to her usual seat at a table with multiple other medical professionals. Akeno had noted that although Jovi regularly ate with the other doctors, she rarely conversed with them and instead seemed to finish her meal in silence before departing from the group. The unorthodox medic didn’t seem to fit in well with the other doctors. 

“Hey, Doc! Care to eat with us.”

John looked up as Akeno called out the question, and quickly removed his large boots from an extra chair at the table on which he had been resting his feet. 

The doctor looked over with a wrinkled brow, uncertain what had prompted this invitation, but then with a shrug, she changed her direction and moved to join them. 

“You look like shit,” the doctor threw this observation towards John as she set down her tray. 

He drew back as he pretended to be offended. “Part of my charm,” he defended himself.

“Yea, well next time the doctor tells you to drop by the medical bay for a checkup, maybe you should listen,” she stated with raised brows.

“I don’t have time for that,” he brushed off.

“Like you’ve had anything but free time since we got back from Ryex,” Riru cut in.

Suddenly their conversation was interrupted as Riru and Tia’s wrist PADDs sent out a notification. 

“We have a meeting,” Tia announced, quickly rising to her feet.

“Oh a meeting, is that what you call it now?” Akeno joked, tongue in cheek. “How much does she charge?” 

For a split second Akeno regretted this jab as the XO’s dark gaze fell on him, but without a break in her stolid features she simply answered, “Luckily your mom gives us a discount.”

Tia and Riru left the table amid the appreciative howling laughter of Akeno and John. 

Franklin Dorner entered the meeting room shortly after the XO and the Chief Engineer. Riru’s nose wrinkled as he sat next to her, the unruly engineer not attempting to hide her displeasure at his close proximity. Dorner leaned over to speak softly to her about something concerning the engineering department, and before he was able to fully complete his statement of advice she had cut him short.

“Well you do things your way and I’ll do them the right way.” 

Tia threw their Chief Engineer a disapproving glance but Lieutenant Commander Sareth didn’t notice. Tia wasn’t certain what had caused the obvious animosity between the engineer and the flight officer, but she determined to address it in private at a later time. For the moment, Riru’s response served to shut Dorner’s mouth, and an awkward silence reigned on that side of the table till the Captain entered the conference room. 

Michael entered the room seeing his entire senior staff waiting for him “Good prompt just like I want to see.” he replied as Tallie slid in front of him to her seat. The crew’s eyes snapped to Michael as he began to brief them. “We have been commanded by the fleet command to help with the evacuation of Uneta Prime. Due to the severe storms in the Paulson Nebula, the colony is at risk and we have been tasked to save them. Other than that we have no information on what to expect.”

Amanda shook her head “It seems we have another exciting quest with little to no information regarding the area?” she said shaking her head.

Ruvok stood up “Not exactly.” he said going to the screen inputting the information regarding the planet and turning back to the crew. “If you don’t mind, Captain?”

Michael nodded for Ruvok to proceed. Ruvok looked at the officers “Unete Prime is one of the bigger planets in its system and holds a decent shipyard from all reports. The men and women that inhabit the planet have been contractors and helped many races in their shipbuilding. I am not sure what to expect, but from all indications, it seems the planet should not cause us any issues.”

Kra’vaak shook his head “Captain there has to be more?”

Michael shook his head “I have no other information and given the situation I don’t think we can determine what exactly is going on.”

“Are there any potential steps we can take to ensure we are ready for possible surprises?” Dorner asked.

“If we were ready for it then it wouldn’t be a surprise,” Sareth stated dryly. 

Michael looked over at Sareth with a slight disapproving look. He said nothing though and listened to the words of his XO.

“Then we will just make sure we’re prepared for anything, as always.” Tia’s conviction may have been a little forced to instill confidence in the team, but now that she’d had some time flying with this crew she truly believed that they were capable of handling any issue that arose. 

Michael nodded “I agree we can do anything as we have in the past. Just be prepared for anything and you will never be disappointed. We leave at 13:00 prepare your departments and be ready for departure.” He said standing up with his XO following suite. They dismissed and headed to the bridge for the departure of the Neptune for her first mission.

Secundus had been trying to adapt to the changes his army and himself had to endure. Not a day went by he didn’t wonder how his wife and child were doing and knew he may never see them again. He had been working on the plans to finally get the Legion off the planet they were on. Thanks to Uneta’s civilians being contractors for ships he was able to build ships for his Legions to go and conquer in name of the Imperator. The planet had been quiet with the continuous observation of the equites in the different areas of the planet.

He was standing over a table looking at the plans for the ships that had been built it was difficult to say if his troops were ready due to the changes that had occurred. An adaptation of technology was not easy and Secundus still was trying to understand the universe he was in. He recalled the day this had happened he was on the battlefield marching in greater numbers towards the tattered ranks of a Gaul brigade. When a weird portal opened and swallowed his entire legion bringing them to where they were. The time had flown by, but with no concept of time here Secundus could not guess how long they had been present.

He was interrupted by the clanking of his Sergeants army.

“General.” Cassius’ gruff voice spit out the commander’s title in greeting as he threw up a quick hand in salute before lowering it back to hook his thumb in its customary position at his belt. “The legion is preparing to embark, loading up the ships with supplies. As near as I can tell, we should be ready within the hour.” This unknown world with its advanced technology had set the general’s aid on edge, his discomfort betraying itself even in the awkward way he now stood, ill at ease with the procedures for these new flying ships that he was unaccustomed to.

Aquila shook his head something about this didn’t bode well, but he wasn’t sure what was going on. His thoughts were swirling when Oppius entered the room.

The swift arrival was a normal demeanor of Oppius who came in and slammed his fist down onto the table “This blasted universe does not honor Roman tradition.” He said with a glare in his eye.

Aquila stood up and looked at his Commander “Do you mind telling me what’s going on Commander?”

Oppius scowled “The men are not happy with the orders. They want more of a plan.”

Aquila laughed “If the men have any idea of what to do please let them enlighten us. Wait they aren’t in command! Tell them to do as they’re ordered.” Aquila said looking at his sergeant “Cassius please remind the men I am still in command.”

“That’s an order I can certainly handle.” The sergeant’s ominous promise did not bode well for the insubordinate legionnaires. 

Aquila looked at Oppius “Prepare the scout vessel! Make sure you pick the right men for the job and bring back any intel. We will be prepared.” Aquila said with a glare in his eyes.

(Local Uneta Pub)

Cassius Varo pulled his hood over his head before ducking through the low doorway and making his way down the narrow stairs to enter the pub. The entrance for this establishment was hidden at the end of a dark alley and therefore was not well known among the newly arrived Roman soldiers. It had taken a few broken ribs as well as stabbing his dagger through a man’s hand, but Cassius had been able to extract the location from a soldier who he heard was an associate of the group within the legion that had been questioning the general’s leadership. The more he tugged at this thread the more he realized that this insurrection within the group went far deeper than Secundus and Oppius likely suspected. 

After working his way through the usual suspects, smashing a few noses, and twisting some arms, Cassius had discovered from the low-level miscreants of the legion that a group of disgruntled soldiers had banded together in some sort of misguided attempt to form an insurrection against the general. This group had been working its way through the Roman forces, attempting to sway the majority of the legion into supporting them in a plan to overthrow the general. Cassius knew the morale among the men had been at an unsettling low of late since the realization had begun to slowly sink in that they may never be able to escape this fresh hell and return home to their families. Having no family to return home to, Cassius had remained fairly unperturbed by their change in scenery. The only thing that annoyed him about this new battleground was his own lack of knowledge concerning the natives and their flying ships with the advanced shooting machines. Cassius pushed this unusual world’s innovative weaponry to the back of his mind as he entered the pub. At least this was something he was familiar with. 

Dealing with the soldiers was a task he was intimately familiar with. Perhaps this was the reason Cassius was so loyal to the Roman army. It provided the perfect outlet for him to release his aggression. As an officer in a military force known for their ambition to conquer other nations and expand their territory, there were few moments of boredom. Even when there were no obvious enemies to fight in battle, Cassius could generally find someone in the legion who deserved a good skull cracking. Early on in his military career, he had become known as somewhat of an enforcer. Unphased by a person’s social status or wealth, he proved to be an effective attack hound for his commanding officers. His ability to jump into a fray with the reckless abandon of one who had nothing to lose had enabled him to quickly rise through the ranks despite his low social station. Now he assisted the general in ruling the legion with an iron hand, an iron hand that would not hesitate to cut down any who opposed him. 

Cassius slid behind a group of planet natives and settled himself at a discreet table in a dark corner where he could observe the ruckus group of Romans at the bar. His nose wrinkled as he recognized most of the unruly group. To even question the authority appointed by the rank of the Roman military was a thought that utterly disgusted Cassius, yet so many of these young officers who had been born to wealthy senators or plebians seemed to think they were entitled to a position of power simply due to their social station. Cassius was accustomed to putting them in their place, and in this remote location so far away from their home, he feared little repercussion from their wealthy families. 

He glanced back at the door impatiently. He had sent a messenger before making his way here. He may be notorious for rushing into battle with little thought for his own safety, but he wasn’t entirely reckless. His own safety was something he had little concern for, but one thing Cassius hated was the thought of losing, and therefore every move he made was carefully calculated to ensure he would always enjoy the sweet taste of victory. Uncertain of the size of the group he would be facing, he had planned to have backup, but watching the Roman soldiers at the bar as they laughed and bantered over their beers with little to no concern despite the villainous uprising they were planning, he could barely contain himself. His eyes narrowed as the door to the communal bath opened and a well-known legionnaire who he had dealt with in the past emerged. Caution flew to the wind as Cassius recognized this reoccurring thorn in his side and his anger flashed to a raging fire. This handful of a rogue faction should pose no problem for him. Backup be damned. These cursed dogs would learn their lesson by his hand.

The unsuspecting legionnaire at the bar did not see the wooden chair flying through the air till it struck him a direct blow to the head. The pompous Roman’s cranium made a loud crack as it was driven directly into the ground, and then with a mighty heave, Cassius swung the chair back to fling it down the bar at the remainder of the group. The soldiers fell back with a flash of fear as they recognized their attacker. One of the men in the front lifted both hands in a sign of surrender and opened his mouth to bargain.

“Sergeant, I don’t know what you’ve heard but we’re not a pa-,” but the Senator’s son never completed his sentence.

Cassius, not one to mince words, refused to halt in his charge. Within moments, one soldier lay on the ground clutching a knee that twisted at a strange angle while another howled with pain and tugged at the short blade pinning his forearm to the bar. The native occupants had scattered and cleared out of the pub with a few of the bloodied Roman soldiers beating a hasty retreat in the mad scramble. Five soldiers remained to face Cassius, swords now drawn. Cassius slowly drew his sword and dagger from his belt, shoving his left foot forward to solidify his stance as he prepared for the imminent attack. Like a swarm of bloodthirsty hellhounds, they were upon him. 

Cassius felt a searing pain in his side as one of the glowing spears of light was shot from a native device to pierce his breastplate. A deep growl rumbled up from deep within Cassius’s chest. These cowardly swine were using the pagan relics to fight their battles instead of facing him as a true Roman with naught but blade and skill. The soldier with the phaser was quickly reduced to a sniveling mass, huddling beneath the counter as he attempted to stem the flow of blood streaming from his now stump of an arm. However, the weapon of the infidels was retrieved by another soldier before Cassius could reach it. Cassius dropped his dagger to fling a table at this new threat, but as he advanced towards his enemy, grabbing at a chair along the way, the other soldiers were upon him, hacking at him with their blades. 

Oppius had been working his way through the streets looking for stragglers before entering the Uneta Pub as a chair whizzed by his face. He looked around to see Cassius putting up a fight. He fought through the enemies and saw Cassius coming towards him. “What do you think you’re doing Cassius? By Jupiter’s beard what is going on?”

“By Pluto’s thorny gallus, took you long enough!” Cassius greeted his backup with a curse.

“I didn’t expect this to be going on so that’s why it took so long Sergeant!” he said with a stern voice.

One of the soldiers Oppius had just beaten down released a low groan from his position on the ground, rolling back and forth as he clutched his side. Cassius planted his boot in the traitor’s face and the soldier was silenced. 

“The messenger I sent didn’t reach you?” Cassius swore under his breath. Perhaps the soldier hadn’t been able to find Oppius, or just maybe the soldier had purposely neglected to deliver his request for backup. Cassius would have to deal with that at a later time.

Moments later, Cassius staggered out of the pub, pausing to rest his shoulder against the stone wall of the alleyway as he wiped the blood from his face with an already soiled sleeve. 

Oppius put Cassius’s arm around him and slowly helped him back to the headquarters where Secundus looked up with a questioning look.

“The troops have been reminded who is in command,” Cassius provided this brief update before shoving away Oppius’s helping hand to stumble back towards his quarters. 

Secundus just nodded at the reaffirmation that the crew were reminded not to cross him.

(OOC: The backstory of how the Augustus Legion came to 2400.)

The air whipped over the bridle of Secundus‘s horse as he looked down from the mountain seeing the burning outpost of Roman scouts. The valley was relatively open with trees around the back of the scout camp, which would be good for an ambush, and though it seemed like the Gauls had left he was cautious sending a group of legionary calvary to scout the trees. He readjusted in his saddle as he grimaced at the scene only one thing could have happened. He looked back at the legion as it shone in the mid-day sunlight and knew it was warm for them given the warm summers in this area. He had been tasked with hunting down the Gaul near the Roman borders, but this was a deliberate act of war and he knew it meant trouble for everyone involved. He heard the familiar sound of a horn letting him know the area was clear urging his horse forward and began to head towards the scene knowing it wouldn’t be a pretty sight. He urged the legion forward with the cavalry beside him on the sides and his pikeman on the sides as to watch for any exposed flanks. He was a brilliant leader and was always prepared for a fight regardless of whether he saw one or not.

The line was long even with the many units stacked in two’s and threes. Secundus knew that this would be a formidable force for the Gaul and not like anything they had faced in the past. The outpost was noting but ash upon his arrival with Oppius and Cassius on each side. The Legion stood waiting for orders. Secundus had seen a lot in his time as a Roman soldier, but scenes like this got his blood boiling more and more. He looked over at what was the command tenet seeing a familiar face on a pike. The Gauls had left a message and it was time to respond he looked at Oppius “It’s time.” he said bluntly.

Oppius nodded and walked back towards the First Legionary Cohort preparing to get them into their main position when Oppius heard a huge yell. He looked over and observed men emerge from the woods. “AMBUSH!” he yelled.

Secundus was already back to the Legion when the Gaul ambush fully emerged. They were outnumbered, but they would fight like the devil regardless of how many of them there were. He looked over at Cassius “Sergeant stick close.” He said as he looked at the Cretan Archers getting in position. “Archers prepare to fire!” he relayed the orders watching as the Cretans prepared to loose the arrows towards the enemy. He looked at Cassius “Sergeant could you take a group of heavy calvary and flank the enemy?”

”It’s done,“ Cassius responded in the affirmative with his customary terse manner. Wheeling his horse about sharply, the Sergeant spurred the animal into a gallop, heading to the lead of the cavalry right wing. “Right Alae! With me!“ he called out the strident order to the banner man. Charging down the hill with a horde of mounted soldiers close on his heels, he led them towards the enemy’s right flank which had already begun to break ranks due to the heavy barrage of arrows raining down upon them. The foot soldiers of the Gaul stood no chance against the onslaught of the Roman cavalry, the Roman steeds mowing down their enemy beneath the stomping of their hooves. Steel bit into flesh as Cassius hacked at the Gaul soldiers who fled before his charge. 

It was a moment of utter chaos before the enemy was able to regroup and form something of a front to push back against the flanking maneuver that sought to sweep through their ranks. Cassius’s horse reared as the steed to its right was struck in the chest with a heavy spear, flipping the animal forward and unseating the rider. As the Gauls moved to push them back, Cassius pressed forward with his troops, pushing his mount into the thick of the fray.

His horse stumbled and then fell to its knees, casting Cassius violently to the ground. The Roman Sergeant was back on his feet in an instant, a whizzing arrow deflecting off the right side of his helmet as he slashed his sword across the throat of an enemy combatant. A ribbon of crimson opened up across the Gaul’s neck and the collapsing enemy’s visage grew blank as Cassius reached out to grab his opponent’s now superfluous shield, quickly strapping it to his own arm. Using the shield as a battering ram and his sword to hack down any who stood in his way, Cassius continued to lead his men into the heart of the Gaul army.

Secundus watched as the arrows from the Cretans continued to punch through the Gaul lines with ease. As the banners came closer he saw the mark of Detonix an old enemy, but one who never won. After seeing his Sergeants valiant charge he took over again. “Archers Cease Fire!” He said as he urged his horse back. He looked at his lines the Pikeman in the front ready for any attack of horses. “Legion advance!” He ordered as the legion slowly began marching the rythmic tones of marching could be heard. He made his way towards the enemy behind the lines. 

Oppius urged the line of First Legionary Cohort forward the golden eagle glistening in the sun. The Cohort were the most disciplined group in the ranks and the ones that boosted morale. Oppius looked at the group and ordered “Cohorts tighten the line.” The group quickly made a line of unbreakable force.

Secundus ordered his Seargent back with a certain tone on the horn. He halted the line as the Gauls advanced ready for the attack his line strong and with little to no doubt of victory.

”Look upon the gods this day for they will find favor among all of you. When you woke this morning an eagle circled the camp which is a sign that we will win today! So do not falter stand tall and let’s put these Gaul to sleep!” He said inspiring the legion hearing them cheer and going into an immediate battle stance. He looked over seeing Detonix still advancing even after a battering from the Cretan archers.  

Secundus saw his Sergeant fighting through the ranks and grimaced as he was never one to follow orders.  

Cassius pressed forward, blood streaming down his face and half blinding him from a direct strike he had taken to the back of his head. His helmet had saved him more than once in battle, but at times he found the steel armor to be more of a hindrance than a help. He slashed wildly with his sword and felt the weapon make contact with an opponent, instinctively throwing up his shield in time to stop a heavy thud that bounced off the defensive weapon. A short stab and he heard his enemy fall with a cry. With a growl, he reached up to rip the helmet from his head and wipe the blood from his eyes with an already soiled sleeve.

“Per Jovem!” he swore to himself. “How is anyone supposed to fight with a bloody helmet?” A quick dodge of his head kept a spear from entering his brain, and as it passed harmlessly over his left shoulder, he hurled his sword at the attacker who stood a good twenty paces away. The opposing Gaul flew back through the air as the weapon made contact with his rudimentary breastplate made of animal bone, and before he could regain his footing, Cassius was upon him with his ever-ready dagger. The din of the battle roared around him as Cassius persisted forward into the heart of the enemy ranks, wading through the growing piles of dead bodies that now littered the battlefield. 

A riderless horse galloped past him, heading for the protection of the woods, and Cassius looked about him to assess the situation. Too often he got caught up in the drive of the attack and lost sight of the overall battle, a bad habit he was working to break as he became more accustomed to his position of command. His bannerman was waving at him, signaling that it was time to regroup. Mowing down a few Gaul stragglers, he made his way back towards his bannerman to see what further instructions their General would convey. 

Secundus would reprimand his sergeant after the battle, but for now, he looked to the Gaul who still opposed them or tried too that was. Detonix was still on the field and his heavy cavalrymen began to charge towards Secundus’s line. He was challenging Secundus and his challenge would not be unseen. Secundus urged his group of 210 heavy calvary forward charging straight for Detonix. The dust could be seen as the horses closed the distance Secundus unsheathed his sword and ran straight into the line of Gaul calvary. Detonix was straight ahead and Secundus made a path towards him slicing through his lines blood covering his face not being able to see fully as the blood trickled down one of his eyes. Detonix charged and threw Secundus off his horse.

The grounds were riddled with corpses as Secundus stood wiping the blood from his eyes. Detonix threw down his shield and charged Secundus slashing at his stomach, which was deflected. Secundus fought back with a tenacity he was known for making a quick slash at Detonix’s arm bringing him to his knees. Secundus had dealt with Detonix for many years and now it was time to end it. He quickly ended Detonix’s life and grabbed the banner holding it high as the entire Legion began to cheer, which reverberated in the valley showing Rome was still in full power…

To be continued……

The bridge of the Neptune had that new car smell and Tia drank it in with a sigh of contentment. It was exciting to be out on a mission with a new ship. After having gotten to know some of the crew and growing a little more comfortable with her officers and the captain on their last mission, Tia felt she was settling into her new position well. The bridge with its usual crew was starting to feel like home. 

The Neptune purred smoothly as it warped towards their destination, and Tia took a circle around the bridge, stopping at each station to peer over the operator’s shoulder and inspect the new layout of the bridge consoles. 

Tia dipped her hand into the bag of candy on the edge of Lieutenant Sareth’s station as she passed by and was met with a typical Riru snarky response. 

“There’s no ‘we’ in candy.”

Tia just gave a smooth grin as she moved on to the weapons station to approach Amanda.

“Lieutenant Kennedy,” she greeted her.

Kennedy looked at the XO and smirked she was known for her candy obsession, which was a bit of a joke between the crew. She looked at the XO “Yes, Commander what do you need?

“We primed and ready for anything?” she asked as she took a look at the Neptune’s weapons systems.

Amanda nodded “We are set though I cannot say I know what’s to come the Neptune is ready for whatever surprises await.”

“Good to hear, Lieutenant.” The XO smiled at the Lieutenant’s customary level-headed confidence that fit her western personality so well. 

She made her way back to her chair next to the captain, taking a seat and shoveling the remaining handful of candy into her mouth.

Michael looked over at Tia and reached to his side with a big bag of candy “Just a thank you for all the work you have done, Commander.”

Tia paused for a moment, surprised by the gesture and uncertain how to proceed. Then a thoughtful grin broke across her features as she eyed the bag of candy. Of course her penchant for sweet things would not have gone unnoticed by the captain who saw everything aboard his ship. “Thank you, Sir.” She reached out and caught the bag of treats as he dropped it into her hand, appreciating the personal gesture. “It’s been a pleasure being a part of the crew,” she told him with a smile. 

Michael smirked and looked at the bridge this ship was his dream command and he had it. The ship looked so nice though with his crew’s luck after some time the ship would not look so new. He had an affinity for getting into sticky situations and the end of the Tesla’s last mission was a testament to that. He looked at his crew. They were already battle-hardened and he couldn’t be more proud of them. His thoughts were interrupted by Dorner.“Captain, we are arriving at Uneta Prime.”

Michael stood up and walked to the flight console by Dorner as the planet appeared and scanned the area looking for any indication of what the problem was. “Ruvok are you picking up anything?” he asked the ops officer not quite sure of what to expect.

Ruvok looked at the information on his console and looked back up at Ryder with a look of the undiscernible kind “Sir, I am seeing some readings here that are not making sense. It is showing some very weird readings I just do not understand. The readings are saying we have people from a different time here.”

Michael spun around and walked to Ruvok’s station carefully looking at the readings that were currently displayed. He had never seen anything like this in all his time, but he wasn’t a temporal officer and this seemed to be temporal in nature. He was about to say something when Ruvok spoke up again “Ship on sensors!” 

Michael looked at Tia who had stopped eating and was looking out the viewscreen at the ship trying to discern what it was. “Report XO.”

Tia’s eyes squinted as she attempted to make sense of the readings and translate them. “The ship is from an Uneta manufacturer, but Ruvok is right. The readings we’re receiving of the life signs onboard are certainly not from Uneta, or even from our current time period. The scans are picking up some metals and animal skins that date back to the BC period of earth’s history.”

“I should have paid more attention in history class,” their chief engineer mumbled.

Tia noted that their flight officer seated next to Riru seemed to have something to say as well.

“Anything to add, Lieutenant Dorner?” she gave the JG Lieutenant the permission he was looking for to speak freely. 

“According to my limited knowledge of earth’s ancient history, the information we are gathering seems to indicate we are dealing with a fighting force using primitive armor and weaponry composed of older alloys and animal products. Matching that up with the datings, that would have been the time of the Greeks and Romans, I believe.”

Michael looked out the viewscreen and saw the ship trying to determine what it was. The ship looked to be made of materials he understood but the shape of the ship looked like it was shaped like an eagle and donning many markings that Michael had never seen before. The fact that it was the Roman or Greeks surprised him more than anything else “Looks like there is more to this than we first thought. Let’s stick back before we make contact, but take as to Yellow Alert and stay alert.”

Michael looked at the officers around the bridge “I think it’s time for us to figure out what is going on.”

Meanwhile at an unknown location…

A dark hooded figure sat solemnly in a building with no indication of movement a slight breath was the only indication of their existence. The figure was alone and they preferred it that way “It looks as though the Romans are about to interact with Starfleet for the first time just as I had planned in my little game.” The voice spoke in the tone of a young woman. “This body has done nicely to conceal my comings and goings though most people don’t suspect a thing. Make an excuse here, give a lie there, and Ms. Aston can go where she pleases. It’s easy to act like these idiots all you do is act stupid. Being a powerful person is boring unless you have some fun.” The figure got up and walked over to a table, closing their eyes they than opened a hidden compartment and a holographic image appeared, which was blank. The figure input some commands and a map appeared of Uneta Prime, showing the Roman ships and the lone Federation ship appear. 

A smile appeared on their lips “This should be a delicious bit of fun.” They turned and looked at a person standing near them in a trance a person clad in Roman “The pawn behind it all and no one knows a thing.” The figure laughed and walked up to the Roman putting their hand on them they gave orders “Continue to follow orders and do not make it seem suspicious.” They stopped for a second and uttered the last word “fara” as they did the Roman left and headed back towards the Roman controlled area.” The figure whipped around and laughed maniacally. This was the begging of the end for the pawns of the game.

Roman Headquarters

Secundus had been monitoring things regarding the launch of the ships when his centurion came into the room “Where have you been Decius?” The man looked flustered. “I apologize, Commander.” Secundus looked at him for a moment and turned back to the holo display seeing the ship in the planets vicinity. He stopped and looked to see if they were preparing for an attack. They seemed to be sitting there waiting and he knew he couldn’t attack without knowing more. He could initiate contact, but he figured that the unknown ship would take care of that.

TBC….

The senior officers on the bridge immediately rose to follow the captain into the ready room. There was a tense silence as everyone took a seat around the holographic table, and the XO was the one to speak first.

“So what information do we have concerning this planet and any potential threat?” Tia directed this question to Tallie, who she knew had done the research and prepared a briefing on Uneta Prime before their departure. 

Tallie looked through the information one more time before looking at the group then to Captain Ryder and back to Tia “There is no indication of a threat the inhabitants here have never caused trouble and we have no records of any past conflict. In fact this is probably the most surprising action to come from Uneta Prime in near a Century“ She said as she concluded with no indications of anything further to report.

“And what information do we definitively know from the scans?” This time Tia turned to Ruvok.

Ruvok looked at the XO and shook his head “Definitive is relative in a situation like this, Commander. What I can tell you is the information stated they were Romans from around 57 to 58 B.C. Other than that we have no true information other than what the computer has in its databanks regarding the Romans and their forces of that time.” He said wishing there was more information that could have been gathered by the scans.

“What could be possibly be dealing with here?” Tia questioned under her breath, then her voice rose as she spoke to their Captain. “Do we have enough information to take any sort of action, or should our primary goal be to gather more intel?”

Michael had sat listening carefully to the different Officer’s give their different insights on what was unfolding. He looked around the room at the different members of the room. “I think we need to learn more about why these Romans are here and more important how they got here. I do believe we should gather more Intel. XO I want you to take a team to the surface of the planet to see what you can learn. This is a stealth mission so the whole point is to gather information and not get caught.” he said firmly looking at the XO. 

“Any preferences on the team members?” the XO questioned.

Michael rubbed his chin for a moment before giving two suggestions. “I would recommend Lieutenant Kennedy, due to her tactical training and weapons proficiency. I‘d also recommend Kra’vaak as he is a skilled strategist and knows how to get out of a pinch.” 

Tia opened her mouth to speak, and then hesitated for a moment as she considered whether or not she should make a suggestion, but Ryder’s consistent support of her decisions and his management style of teaching by allowing her to take a lead role in some situations gave her confidence to speak her opinion. “May I suggest medical officer Kula. I worked with her a good bit on Ryex and she proved invaluable to the team, as well as levelheaded in combat situations.”

Michael thought for a minute at the suggestion. Tia had proven herself to him and he was giving her more freedom in making decisions. He gave a nod “Agreed, Commander. Prepare your team.”

“Copy that, Sir,” Tia affirmed the orders and immediately rose to her feet to assemble her team.

                                                                          *******

Cassius had been informed of the arrival of an unexpected ship to the planet by one of those chirping infernal flat tablets that enjoyed speaking to him when he least expected it. The Sergeant had already broken three PADDs by throwing them against the wall in frustration as the key to their intricate dealings continued to allude him, but he was just beginning to understand the strange devices and had been reprimanded for his refusal to learn the ways of this advanced technology. If this is the world they were now stuck in, then he determined to learn to use the tools available to him. So when the tablet dinged out a signal and then read aloud a message to him, he accepted the strange herald with nothing more than a “Tool of Hades!” curse and a punch of his knuckles against the stone wall of his room. Certainly an improvement to his previous reactions to the messenger device. But Cassius scooped the PADD up with not gentle hands and strode out of his room with the device, on his way to the headquarters where he knew Secundus would be waiting. He clenched the annoyance in his hand, cursing to himself with every step but bearing the annoyance of the close proximity of the PADD since he knew Secundus would question his appearance without the wretched machine. 

On his pathway down the winding halls, a forgotten PADD leaning against a bench caught his eye. Who by sweet liberty thought they could get away with leaving their accursed implement laying around while he was forced to carry his own? Cassius questioned. With a sigh exploding from the depths of his chest, he snatched up the gadget to determine its owner. 

The Sergeant’s rough brows furrowed, dipping down low over his eyes as he glared with eyes of fire down at the tablet. Cassius who was uneducated in the new contraptions of these strange people couldn’t be certain about the information he was viewing, but his keen sense of sniffing out potentially treacherous activities held true, and he knew there was something strange afoot. With a growl, he continued on his way to their headquarters, the newly found tablet in hand. 

Upon entering the headquarters, he tossed the PADD to Secundus’s aide who just barely caught it. “What am I looking at?” he bluntly asked. 

Secundus was looking over the little information about this ship in orbit when Cassius burst through the door in his normal rule breaking manner. Secundus sighed and looked at Cassius “Care to explain what’s goin on Sergeant?”

“Maybe my plebeian mind just has trouble understanding things,” Cassius threw out this self-debasing comment knowing full well what the soldiers said of him behind his back, “But lots of things on that contraption aren’t matching up.”

Secundus gave him a questioning look and snatched the PADD from the aide looking over the information he snarled. This PADD contained orders he had given in different areas that had been altered. The information showed that his army had been redirected as to sabotage certain areas not to mention surveillance and notes taken.

He looked at his aide with fire in his eyes “Do you care to explain this?”

The aide’s eyes widened as he realized the seriousness of his situation. Neither Secundus nor Cassius were known for their mercy, and the methods of torture which they could devise to loosen his tongue were certainly unthinkable for any civil human being. “I- I- I don’t know what you mean, Sir,” he stuttered out quickly.

Cassius circled to the right of the aide, eyeing the soldier as a wolf eyes its prey before the pounce. The Sergeant waited for his general’s command, hungry to go in for the kill but aware of the possible information an interrogation my provide and patiently awaiting his master’s orders. 

Secundus looked at the aide with a disapproving and disappointed look in his eyes, but held his hand up to Cassius “Let’s not kill him yet…he could prove to have valuable information. GUARDS!”

The room filled with four soldiers and Secundus looked to them “Take him to the cell and lock him up. Give him just enough bread and water to survive. And do not take your eyes off of him.” He said with an obvious tone not to break the orders given. As the soldiers left with the aide Secundus looked at Cassius “Read these surveillance notes and give me your opinion on them.”

Cassius reached out to take the PADD. “Think his actions are related to the arrival of this new ship?”

Secundus thought for a moment “I can’t say for sure. Do we actually have any idea who that is or where they come from? Any communications from them?”

“I just got here,” Cassius responded bluntly with a short shrug. “But I’d be happy to start questioning the spy now and try to find out if he knows anything.”

Secundus looked at his sergeant “Let him mewl in his cell for now we will let these unknown people make there first move.” He said as he looked at the hologram then swiped to look at the ships distance to the planet. He looked closer and stopped taking a note and looking back at Cassius “I have a feeling the gods are going to test us put someone at the entrance.”

                                                                          *******

Tia reached over her shoulder to the handles of her katanas which rested in the sheaths at her back and then slid the palm of her right hand over the phaser handle at her hip. This final check of her weapons had been a longstanding custom of hers and was now a force of habit which she did without even thinking. 

Medical Officer Kula was bent over her field pack, checking her supplies as well as the team stood in the hangar bay, preparing to board a shuttle for their covert mission to the planet’s surface.

“Everyone clear on the parameters of this mission?” Tia asked the group.

Kra’vaak was prepared as always donning the black stealth outfit like the rest of the crew. He had the Bat’leth strapped to his back and dual phasers on each hip. He looked at the XO and nodded.

Kennedy’s heart was beating fast as she had never done a mission quite like this. He adjusted the pack he had on and double checked her weapons. “Sneaky time.” he said smirking.

“Then let’s board up,” the XO ordered. Moments later the shuttle was speeding on its way to the planet’s surface. They settled down a short distance from the compound which the scans showed had experienced the most activity over a recent period of time. Tia spoke to the team as they gathered at the door of the shuttle to depart the cloaked aircraft. “We stay together unless discovered. If our presence becomes known, getting the intel we gather back to the Neptune is our top priority. Lieutenant Kennedy and Officer Kula will head back to the shuttle as Lieutenant Commander Kra’vaak and I cover their retreat.” Tia turned to their Chief Tactical Officer. “Kennedy, you will only wait for Kra’vaak and I for as long as you deem feasible. The integrity of this mission cannot be compromised. If a member of the team is taken, the remaining team must return to the Neptune. Understood?”

Kennedy looked at the XO and nodded “I understand Commander I will make sure to make the decision if the need arises.”

“Good,” the XO gave a quick nod, glad to have the tough conversation over with. “Then let’s head out and first try to get a good view of the city below and an idea of what we’re dealing with.”

The ground team departed the shuttle to hike a short distance up the hillside obscuring their landing from the city, and as they crested the hill they were shocked by the scene that stretched before them. Despite the fact that the scans had given them somewhat of a heads up on what to expect, Tia’s jaw dropped a little at the sight before her. When looking down upon an ancient Roman encampment sprawling across the fields of a planet in the year 2400, no amount of data from scans can quite prepare you for that surprise. The small white tents of a primitive camp dotted the hillsides surrounding the city, and several soldiers in traditional Roman garb could be seen. 

“It’s actually Romans.” Jovi couldn’t keep from voicing her disbelief. “How in the hell did they end up here?”

 The obvious shock in Jovi’s voice was not unwarranted to see this was like stepping back into the hourglass of history. Amanda surveyed the area trying to determine just how big the encampment was, but it was not successful. The sheer size of the camp was unimaginable for the time. “However they got here it’s impressive to see such a formation especially of this time.” 

“Well regardless of what may have happened, it seems as though they’re intent on remaining here, and it looks as though they’ve successfully taken over this city,” Tia observed. 

Kra’vaak looked at the situation “Let’s see what that full situation is. These Roman’s are well equipped and from what I can see they have access to some equipment from our time. This could be interesting.”

“Then let’s head on down and see what further intel we can gather. I’d like to determine the size of the force we may be facing, and their relationship with the natives.” After a quick glance around the team to determine they were all on the same page, Tia led the way down the hillside, crouching low to remain hidden in the underbrush. 

                                                                          *******

The infiltration of the Roman encampment and nearby city on Uneta Prime had gone smoothly so far. Kennedy had been able to snag a PADD left out by one of the Romans which would provide valuable intel on their movements and numbers. Tia was just about to wrap up the mission and head back to the Neptune when Kennedy made an announcement from what she had discovered on the PADD.

Amanda had seen something on the PADD that showed this was not the headquarters of the Romans. She got Tia’s attention and pointed to a tall structure outside of the encampment “It looks as though that is the base of operations over there, Commander. I feel we need to look and see if that will yield any results. I caution any approach as this area has to be heavily guarded.”

“Well if that’s become the base of their operations then perhaps we should take a quick look there before we leave.” Tia reasoned aloud as she mulled over the thought. “I’d love to actually lay eyes on the commander of this Roman force.”

Kra’vaak smiled “I like you Commander not afraid to have a little risk for a possible reward. I am ready.” He said clenching his phaser. “If we can find out who this Commander is we may have a better chance to gauge the possibility of peaceful negotiations. I also think a team of two would be better than four to make sure the chances of being caught is less of a possibility.” 

“Agreed.” Tia knew the Klingon was correct, and that a team of two would be far less easy to spot than a team of four. “Lieutenants Kennedy and Kula, head on back to the shuttle and we will meet you there shortly. If you run into any issues on the way back, notify us immediately and we will come to assist. If Kra’vaak and I aren’t back at the shuttle by sixteen hundred, then you leave without us and get that PADD back to the Neptune.”

Kula gave a short nod but Tia sensed that the officer wasn’t too thrilled with being sent back to the shuttle. However, the Bajoran turned to depart without complaint. 

Amanda didn’t like the though of the First Officer going into this mission, but she also knew that it was not her place to say anything. She gave a solitary nod and turned to head back to the shuttle with the medical officer.

The XO turned to her Chief Strategic Officer. “You ready for this?”

Kra’vaak cracked his knuckles and grinned.

Tia was amazed at the agility and stealth that such a large figure as Kra’vaak was able to command. The Klingon was able to follow her as she slid from cover to cover, avoiding detection by the numerous Romans that swarmed the facility. The two were drawing close to the headquarters when suddenly their advance was halted. 

Tia stopped in her tracks and dropped low behind a concealing crate inside a large storage room as she heard shouting and the noise of a scuffle approaching them from a hallway. She waved her arm back and motioned for Kra’vaak to take cover, before training the barrel of her weapon on the opening where the hallway entered into the warehouse. The shouting that ensued from the hallway took no straining of the ears to hear. 

“On your feet, scum! Move it along!”

A Roman emerged from the open doorway, followed by five other soldiers and pushing before him a bound man who looked as though he had just received an intense beating. The Roman in the lead held the man by his shirt collar, shoving him to his knees and producing a short blade from his belt to hold it to the prisoner’s throat. 

“I know you’re here!” The Roman leader shouted brusquely. “We found your flying machine and the scanning contraption showed you were in here!”

Tia swore under her breath. If they had found the shuttle, she could only wonder what type of predicament Kennedy and Kula were currently in. 

The Roman pulled the captive to his feet and circled him around to put him on display. “Give yourself up now, or I will drench the floor with the blood of your spy here.”

Tia’s right brow rose and she glanced over at Kra’vaak. “Spy?” she mouthed to him silently. The Neptune certainly hadn’t sent down another team to gather intel. Who was this prisoner of the Romans’?

To Be Continued…

Tia frowned as she glanced over the crate she was crouched behind to get a better glimpse of this prisoner the Romans claimed had been sent by the Neptune. Tia was still fairly new to the crew, yet she was very good with names and faces and she was certain she had never seen that man aboard the Neptune or at any crew meeting in the past. 

“Know him?” she asked Kra’vaak.

Kra’vaak looked closely at the man and shrugged as he shook his head determining he had no idea who the person was, but he had a feeling they were going to cause an issue for the away team. He clenched his fist ready for a fight.

Tia noted the tattered robe of the prisoner, covered in blood and practically ripped to shreds. The man had clearly received a beating, but it was no Starfleet uniform he wore. 

“Not to be callous!” she called out to the group of Romans, “But your prisoner’s fate matters little to me! He’s not one of ours!”

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m bluffing!” The Roman leader’s voice rose and the clench of his jaw as he proceeded to pull his blade more tightly into the throat of his captive let Tia know that this unknown hostage would certainly perish if they did not turn themselves over. “Your man here will pay for your refusal to surrender, and he will not die slowly!”

Tia gritted her teeth. She hated to be the cause of a possibly innocent man’s demise, yet she could not forsake the purpose of their mission and surrender two Starfleet officers for the life of one unknown native. She glanced to Kra’vaak to see if he had any opinion on the matter, but just as she was about to ask for the Klingon’s advice, they both heard the crackling of a voice coming over the Romans’ comms.

“Sergeant Cassius, we have taken two others who were attempting to reach the enemy shuttle. Two women. We’re bringing them to you now.”

Tia’s heart sank. They had captured Kennedy and Kula as well. A dark grin crossed the lips of the Sergeant they had called Cassius, and Tia knew he now held the upper hand. “And I suppose those two don’t belong to you either!” The Sergeant challenged her.

Tia’s head fell for her forehead to pound against the wooden crate with a dull thud.

Kra’vaak could see the look on the XO’s face he inched to her and whispered “I think we need to give ourselves up otherwise something bad could happen to Kennedy and Kula. This is not what we wanted, but there isn’t anything we can do to change the present.”

Tia bit her lower lip but nodded in agreement. She couldn’t leave a member of her team behind.

“We’re going to try one thing,” she spoke softly to Kra’vaak. “If you can make it back to the Neptune, let Ryder know what we learned here.” Sliding her phaser back into the holster at her side, Tia held up both hands and stepped out from behind the packing case. “Looks like you got me and both my companions,” she stated smoothly, making her way towards the group of Romans with her hands held high. “What do intend to do with us now?”

The Roman Sergeant’s only response was a look of disdain and a snort. Shoving the hostage he still held by the shirt collar into the arms of a waiting soldier, whirled about without deigning to answer her. “Tie her up and throw her in a cell with the rest of them,” he ordered his men brusquely, striding away from them to make his way from the storeroom. 

Tia allowed her weapons to be taken from her and her wrists to be bound behind her back. She only hoped that Kra’vaak would be able to find a way back to the Neptune if she could serve as a distraction for him to make a clean getaway.

“Should we search the area?” Tia heard one of the soldiers behind her mumble this question to a superior officer, and she quickly took action. Losing her act of compliance, she placed a well-aimed kick into the knee of the soldier behind her who had just bound her hands, ripping her wrists from his grasp. Then she smashed her shoulder into the nose of the soldier opposite her and she brought up her knee to catch him in the groin. There was a scuffle as the remaining Romans swarmed her and some heavy blows fell upon the XO before they were able to subdue her. They dragged her from the storeroom, struggling and fighting the entire way, but at least Kra’vaak’s presence had gone unnoticed.

Kra’vaak took the chance to slip away from the warehouse as he climbed out of a window he caught a glimpse of the XO being beaten and he got angry. There was no need for such barbaric treatment and he was going to make sure he got back to the Neptune to report the situation to Michael, who he knew would not be thrilled with the whole state of affairs. He escaped the warehouse easier than expected, but saw a huge increase in guards throughout the town and going into the encampment.

He stopped to observe and saw a huge battalion of soldiers preparing to leave the city. ‘Probably to go do something barbaric.’ he thought to himself. It took a grueling few hours to make it through the encampment. The soldiers were talking about the group of Starfleet officers, which they seemed to think were enemies. Kra’vaak wasn’t sure what was going on, but something was not adding up. He climbed up the hill to see the shuttle swarming with Romans. He was a Klingon not an assassin. They obviously had comms, but he didn’t know how good they were. He got on his tricorder to pinpoint the frequency they were using after a solid twenty minutes of attempts he had narrowed the frequency down. He input the frequency and spoke “We have a possible breach in the southeast all guards in the area report.” As he finished he saw all, but two of the guards leave the shuttle.

He smiled those numbers were way more manageable. He made quick work of the two guards tying them up and hiding them in a nearby storage area. He wasted no time to get back to the Neptune. He arrived and quickly made his way to the bridge. He arrived to see Captain with a look of worry on his face.  

                                                                          *******

Cassius strode into the base of operations to report to Secundus. “We have captured the soldiers they sent down to infiltrate the camp, General.”

Secundus looked up at Cassius and nodded “Good, but I feel like there is something we don’t know here, Cassius.” He looked at his Sergeant with a huge sense of confusion. This whole situation didn’t feel right to him.

“Has the unknown ship tried to talk?”

Secundus shook his head as he looked at the ship on the holotable hoping something would happen that he could justify attacking, but there was nothing. No hint of aggression nothing for Secundus to use as an excuse. Even if the group had tried to infiltrate they had done nothing to attack the Legion. He knew Cassius was probably cruel to the prisoners and he wouldn’t change that. He was mean, but in this case there was so much uncertainty. “There has been no communications…have you learned anything from the intruders?”

Cassius crossed the room to unceremoniously lean against the holotable with his arms crossed. “Well, one of the ones we captured seems to be the leader of the group. A green broad.” The sergeant shook his head with up curled lips. This place would never cease to shock him. “You care to speak with her, or would you prefer I do it?”

Secundus looked at the sergeant and shook his head “Bring her here I will talk to her.”

“Understood,” Cassius grunted in compliance, pushing himself from the table to go retrieve the prisoner. 

                                                                          *******

Tia was roughly deposited into a cell and a guard stationed outside. She took a quick moment to familiarize herself with her surroundings and search for any means of escape, and her first glance fell upon a huddled figure in the corner. She quickly recognized the figure of the hostage who the Roman Sergeant had first produced in an effort to bring about her surrender. Approaching slowly with an outstretched hand as a sign of peace, Tia greeted her fellow prisoner. 

“Hello, I’m Commander Savik of Starfleet. Can I ask your name?”

“I was told to- I wouldn’t have- I did only what they said,” the figure mumbled out this jumbled sentence under his breath, refusing to meet Tia’s eyes. “I’m sorry, what’s that?” Tia asked for clarification.

The figure continued to hug his knees close to his chest as he rocked back and forth, then suddenly turned to Tia with crazed eyes and screamed. “I didn’t do it! I swear I’m innocent! They can’t keep here!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Tia attempted to soothe the addled man who was clearly crazed, either from the torture he had received or perhaps he was mad in the head to begin with. “Everything will be okay.” Tia gave him a false promise which seemed to somewhat calm him, and he turned back to his corner and continued to mumble nonsense under his breath. 

Tia turned from him to finish her inspection of the cell, while also keeping a close eye on her fellow prisoner who she did not quite trust. The cell was too sturdy for her to see any obvious means of escape, and she was only given a moment to consider her options before the door was opened and Kennedy and Kula joined her. 

“Well I can’t say I’m happy to see you both,” Tia greeted them.

“Yea, not happy to see you either,” Kula responded. “We’d hoped you and Kra’vaak made it out.”

“Kra’vaak may still stand a chance,” Tia updated them. “I, however, have had the pleasure of meeting our crazed companion who the Romans seem to think is a friend of ours.”

Jovi’s eyes squinted as she studied the figure in the corner.

“What’s wrong with him?” she asked after observing his behavior.

“No clue,” Tia shook her head. “Was hoping maybe you could give us some insight on that front.”

Jovi’s nose scrunched in distaste but she crouched low to slowly approach the figure. 

Tia stepped close to Kennedy as Jovi moved towards their cellmate.

“Think Kra’vaak will make it back ok?” she asked the chief security officer.

Amanda smirked “Well these Romans weren’t super through when they took away my weapons.” She said as she pulled out a small device. “This is a tracker I have on out shuttles with the Captain’s permission. As you can see the shuttle is not in the planets atmosphere.” She said putting the device back in her hidden pocket. “I am sure that the Captain is going to try and get us out of this.” she said reassuringly.

Then Tia’s brow furrowed and they both stood in silence for a moment as they watched Jovi work her magic on the addled prisoner. 

“She wants you to listen to me, she has ordered you to do as I say.” Jovi held up a finger in front of the man’s eyes, and she now seemed to hold his attention. “Your eyes should follow my finger, do not take your eyes from them.” With one hand Jovi kept the man’s gaze on her finger and she moved it around, as with her other hand she reached out to run her fingers along his jawline and then down his forearms. “Make a fist for me, it’s what she commands,” the Starfleet doctor instructed and the man obeyed without question.

Tia approached the couple and crouched down to their level. “What’s wrong with him?” She asked the medical professional for an analysis. 

“Well it’s a little difficult to say for certain without the proper medical tools, but based on what I’m seeing here, I’d say he’s been hypnotized or something of the sort,” Jovi answered with a shrug.

“Green one.” Tia was pulled away from Kula’s medical analysis by the grating voice of the Roman Sergeant.

“You come with me.” He held up a meaty hand with shackles dangling from an outstretched finger. 

                                                                          *******

Tia was roughly shoved into a large room that had been outfitted with a large holotable and various scanners. It wasn’t like any normal base of operations she had seen before, seemingly fashioned by someone with little knowledge of the advanced machinery they were dealing with, but it certainly served its purpose and opened her eyes to how far these primitive Romans had advanced in their understanding of the modern-day universe. 

“This one’s the leader,” Cassius stated as he shoved her forward to present her to Secundus.

Tia found herself standing before a well-built figure of a Roman General. The man looked rather young for his station, but a hardness in his eyes betrayed that he had seen much in the years he had lived. 

Secundus stood straight and looked at the prisoner with a pure look of no nonsense “Who are you? Why did you try to infiltrate the camp?”

“My name is Tia Dalia Savik, Commander of Starfleet, and First Officer of the USS Neptune under Captain Michael Ryder.”

“What are you doing here on this planet?”

Tia heard the Sergeant’s question from where he stood behind her. She swallowed hard but refused to turn and kept her steady gaze on the General. 

“My name is Tia Dalia Savik, Commander of Starfleet, and First Officer of the USS Neptune under Captain Michael Ryder,” she repeated firmly. 

She heard quick footsteps approach her from behind and the impatient voice of the Sergeant rang close to her ear.

“Are you deaf?” Cassius growled. “I asked about your business here on this planet.”

Tia was silent, her gaze firmly locked on the Roman General who stood before her.

Cassius circled to stand next to the general. “How many fighters are in your fleet?” he tried a different question this time, but the strain in his voice was growing and Tia could tell that the Sergeant would not control his rising anger for much longer. 

“My name is Tia Dalia Savik, Commander of Starfleet, and First Officer of the USS Neptune under Captain Michael Ryder.”

The Sergeant was seething with rage by this point. A quick step forward and his hand rose to his shoulder. Tia braced herself but the backhand never came.

Secundus rose a hand at the Sergeant “Enough Sergeant! This is not getting us anywhere and she is obviously very loyal to this Captain Ryder.”

Cassius dug his teeth into his lower lip, but he lowered his hand without question. “Then contact her captain,” he ordered brusquely to the soldier standing at the comms desk. 

The soldier nodded at the orders of the General and scratched his head trying to remember how to contact the enemy ship. He quickly recovered and opened comms looking back at the General. “Comms open, Sir.”

Secundus nodded “This is General Secundus Aquila of the Augustus Legion. We have your first officer Captain Ryder would you care to explain why you’re here?”

                                                                          *******

The unexpected voice interrupted the conversation between Ryder and Kra’vaak and made the two turn in unison after hearing the voice and hearing his title. Ryder looked at the crew and back at Kra’vaak before motioning for Tuvok to open comms “Well, first off I would like to see my officer and know that she is ok. That is non negotiable if you come to talk in an amicable way that is the least you can do.” Ryder said in his normal suave and in control tone.

The screen changed from the view of the planet to a view of a man clad in armor standing tall. Ryder overserved he was young, but he obviously was better than Ryder could currently give him credit. Behind him stood Tia who was bloodied and beat up. His fist clenched tight at the sight. 

Tia stepped forward to address her CO. “The three of us are good, Captain,” she assured him, careful to state the number so Ryder would be informed that the Romans were not aware of a fourth team member. “Kennedy and Kula are being held elsewhere, but we’re all alive and well.” Tia couldn’t see Kra’vaak on screen and decided to subtly ask about the chief strategic officer, certain that Ryder would have caught the omission of Kra’vaak’s name among her update. “And is everyone good aboard the ship?”

“That’s enough!” Cassius reached out to grip her by the elbow and jerk her back. “No delivering intel through hidden messages,” he hissed in her ear. 

Tai grimaced at the rough yank on her arm, but she wisely chose to remain silent. If Kra’vaak had made it through to the Neptune, then Ryder would have all the intel they could provide concerning the situation on the ground.

Michael kept his composure, but these Romans were starting to move to Michael’s bad list. “It would be nice if your man there would loosen up. I am Captain Michael Ryder of the USS Neptune. We are part of the United Federation of Planets and have no part of being an enemy to you General Secundus.” Michael spoke in a professional manner showing his experience.

Secundus was confused he had no idea what was going on, but he knew that something wasn’t right. He looked back at the screen seeing the Captain with no indication of lying in the man Secundus knew something was happening.

“And what of the traitorous actions of one of our own? Are we really supposed to believe you all had nothing to do with that?” Cassius challenged. 

“Actually, our medical professional did an analysis of your prisoner.” Tia moved to speak further but instead jerked her head back and snapped her mouth shut as a thick finger was thrust into her face.

“I told you to be silent,” Cassius growled from between tightly clenched teeth. 

Secundus flipped around and looked at Cassius indicating it was time for him to fall in line. The Sergeant continued to push Secundus and he was about to learn what happened when he overstepped direct command. “That is enough, Sergeant! You are dismissed until further notice.” He said with an authoritative voice.

Cassius slowly lowered his hand but his lips curled back in a snarl that warned Tia of dire consequences should he sense any underhanded intentions in her words.

“Our doctor said your man looks as though he’s been under the influence of some sort of mind control. She can’t tell much more than that without the aid of advanced medical equipment to perform a proper analysis,” Tia informed the Roman leaders and Ryder, hoping this would provide some useful intel for the captain that Kra’vaak would have been unable to give.

Ryder glanced at Kra’vaak before looking back at the General “I think it’s time we meet General.”

Secundus nodded with one word “Agreed!”

TBC