With her knees raised up against the curved glass desk and a mug of raktaijino in one hand, Captain Rio Canção was sitting almost in the dark in her ready room with several candles lit around the sides. Reading the latest updates from Starfleet regarding the Delta Quadrant. Canção was an El-Aurian woman with long frizzy almost fiery red hair. She served in Starfleet for almost a hundred years, and the Triton was her fourth command. A scientist at heart, and an archaeologist by trade, Canção was well respected by many in Starfleet. Though she had been given the opportunity to take a seat with the admiralty, every time a promotion offer had been presented, she had politely declined. Favouring to remain a captain, she had been able to ensure her career was wide as much as it was deep. Commanding the Triton for the past decade, she had admitted to one or two admirals that the Triton’s diverse crew had been one of the best postings she had experienced. Having a mixture of humanoid and non-humanoid crewmembers had proven to Starfleet that their choice to carry on the tradition they had started with the class in the late seventies was the right choice. 

Canção’s ready room was like many other designs, there was a sofa under the slanting bay windows (curved in an S-style), a food replicator, and a huge space with her desk and three armchairs in front of it. Behind her desk, she had small shelves built into the bulkhead with various books and other ornaments that were special to her. Most of them priceless artefacts from various digs she had been involved in.    

Her door chime went off, and instead of looking up towards it, she kept her focus on the holographic imagery before her. “Yes, come in,” She instructed. 

The door to the bridge parted, allowing her visitor to enter. “Good evening ma’am,” He spoke in a deep masculine voice as he squinted his eyes at the change in the level of lights.

Moving her concentration from the reports to her guest, who was standing to her left, she looked over and smiled at the arrival of her first officer. Commander Thaustin. A tall, slender young man who was a Xindi-Primate, he had only served in this position for the past three years after she had promoted him to executive officer. His curly strawberry-blonde hair was mainly slicked back, but he had a sort of quiff that swept across to one side. His sky-like blue eyes complimented the dimples he had on both cheeks, just below his ridges. In recent weeks, he had grown a bit of stubble to avoid others confusing him for some of the junior officers, which flattered his strong jawline. Though she had many first officers in the past, Canção had developed a strong relationship with Thaustin. His youthful charm and dedication to his work made him an excellent officer. His mischievous and cheeky side only helped him in his previous role as a diplomatic officer. Rising through the ranks quickly and successfully, he was extremely capable and knew how to hold the respect of those he led. She knew in a few years, Starfleet would be interested in offering him his own command. Though he was on the fast track of command, she knew that he had expressed his desire to settle down at some point and have a family. When he had that planned, she did not know. 

“Thaustin, I thought you were taking today off and hiking with Ethav and Jayshon on the holodeck?” Canção inquired.

Shaking his head, Thaustin walked across the room with a PADD in his hands. “I was until I received this report while climbing Mount Everest.”

Taking the PADD from him, Canção activated it by entering her security clearance and reading the top few lines in the report’s summary. “You’ve got to be kidding me?” She asked, looking back at him.

“I’m afraid not, ma’am,” Thaustin replied. “Our maintenance overhaul is being moved up ahead of schedule. They want to conduct the baryon sweep sooner.”

Sighing heavily, Canção passed the PADD back to him after giving her approval. “Make it happen, but make sure the crew know sooner rather than later.” 

“Will do, ma’am, also while we are off the ship, Captain Cambil has offered to host us on the Themis,” Thaustin stated. 

“Well, that sounds lovely, especially with Starbase Thirty-Eight being so busy at the moment,” Canção said with a genuine smile. “Tell her we would be grateful for her hospitality.”

“Consider it done,” Thaustin said as he nodded. “Do you need anything else, ma’am?”

She told him no. “Thank you, commander, but I think at some point it would be good for you and me to go over some of these latest reports from the Delta Quadrant together.”

He nodded in agreement, “Being a former diplomatic officer, I’ve already started my research, but knowing where about Starfleet wants to start us off would be helpful.”

She chuckled. “Still doing your homework, Thaustin?”

“I had an excellent teacher at the academy,” He winked before excusing himself from the captain’s presence. 

Canção chuckled as he left. Yes, he did have an excellent teacher. She had taught him over fourteen years ago and saw the promise in him that she saw today.  

Standing and listening to the music played by the house band, Commander Belire Kazlaf sipped on her Risan mai-tai as she focused on the lyrics. Unable to work out where the music was from, she inclined her head to the left. Triton’s Second Officer and Chief Science Officer liked how soft and giddy the song was, especially the lyrics. Noticing the others near her enjoying the music by dancing all in lines and clapping their hands, the Elaysian woman was surprised by the sudden kicks in the air after the floor scuffing. 

“It’s called country,” Captain Canção stated as she moved to stand beside her science officer. “It’s from Earth.”

“I expected it to be Human,” Kazlaf replied before taking another sip. “I believe the drummer is Fleet Captain McCallister’s son?”

Canção nodded. “Yes, that’s Theo. From what JP tells me, he is quite the musician. He can play many instruments and is quite the singer.”

“Interesting,” Kazlaf said before sighing and turning to her captain. “How much longer must we remain at this….” She gestured to the large room the fleet captain was hosting them all in with a long pause, “this gathering of the squadron?”

“Now, now, Bel, you know my rules. We play nice with others.” Canção said with a tutting noise. The two of them had a strong relationship and could be informal when needed to be. 

Kazlaf was a very by-the-book type of officer. She took most things seriously and was efficient like a Borg drone. She didn’t allow anyone under her command to cut corners and had a penchant for reminding people about Starfleet regulations. A mission briefing wouldn’t go past without her reciting at least one, and if she wasn’t doing that, then she was expressing her professional view on the matter with the full might of science behind her. With multiple degrees in various fields of study, she knew her stuff and more. Like all Elaysians that lived beyond their homeworld, she wore a skeleton frame to support her in the Earth-like gravity. Though her time in Starfleet had changed from needing always to be bound in a wheelchair, her determination to show just how strong she was beyond her physical strength had been one that had impressed so many who served with her. 

“I’ve met with my others, and it would appear that our lead, Commander Banfield, is highly experienced and is a formidable science officer,” Kazlaf shared. 

“That’s high praise from you,” Canção countered back swiftly. 

Kazlaf agreed with the comment. “Indeed, though I hope my demonstration of knowledge was not too overbearing for the others.”

“Isn’t one of them Banfield’s former deputy from the Odyssey?” Canção checked.

Nodding, Kazlaf confirmed her captain’s question before sharing what she thought of the Bellerophon’s lead scientist. “That said, I have to say having to work with a child as an almost equal, is quite…” she paused so she could carefully consider the rest of her sentence. She wanted to avoid another sharp reminder from her superior about being nice. “Interesting,” she paused. “A recent Academy graduate, I am surprised he has a senior role even though his qualifications are impressive.”

Canção chuckled before letting out a sigh, “Oh, Bel, when will you ever learn to give people a chance to prove what they can achieve?”

“Unlike you, ma’am, my career does not include several stints at Starfleet Academy, so the teacher within me is not as developed as it is with you!” Kazlaf responded. 

“Let’s see if we can change that for this mission!” Canção suggested before leaving the company of her science officer.

Ensign Andar slithered across the room quietly as they took in the experience that was happening around them. Andar had only been on the Triton for a year now but was starting to become more accustomed to the multi-alien crew. Being the only Phylosian on the ship (and now the only one in the squadron), they were curious to learn more about the others that were his equals. Seeing a moving plant enjoying the music that was being played was quite the sight, Andar had never heard the type of music that the band from the Odyssey was playing but found it quite amusing. Moving their entirely flora-based body, Andar was fascinated by everyone making a noise when they slapped their hands together. Asking someone nearby what they were doing, a young human male informed him it was called clapping. Trying to imitate the sound and movement with their nine vine extensions, Andar discovered the noise he made sounded more like a ruffling sound than a clap. Disappointed with that, they moved their four motive trunks to the music.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Andar?” Lieutenant Lonar asked as she made her way over to her colleague. 

Turning around so his jumbo fuzzy artichoke-shaped head was looking at her, Andar’s scarlet-eye stems moved to show they were responding. “Lieutenant,” They said greeting their Cardassian colleague. “I am sorry, what do you mean?”

Lieutenant (junior grade) Natima Lonar was a young Cardassian woman who had served Starfleet for almost five years now, serving as the Triton’s chief security and tactical officer. Her short bobbed black and dark brown hair sat just under her chin while her distinguished Cardassian neck was almost covered up by her Starfleet uniform. A petit woman, she was only a few centimetres smaller than her Phylosian friend. “You’re dancing,” She expressed. “I didn’t know you liked human music?”

“This version seems very expressive,” Andar answered. 

“Indeed it is,” She replied with a slight giggle and placed her hand in front of her mouth. “Have you met with the other pilots in the squadron?” She asked. 

Nodding their leafy head, Andar responded. “I have, though they have more experience than myself, I am quite intrigued to try out the new starfighters assigned to the Themis,” They looked around the room and back to Lonar. “I believe Lieutenant Commander T’Rani offered us all an opportunity to take them out for a test run. I have been challenged by Lieutenant Jarata to a race. Apparently, he and Captain McCallister have recently won a tournament here in the Delta Quadrant.”

“Which McCallister?” Lonar questioned. 

“The captain of the Bellerophon,” Andar replied. “He is quite the pilot, from what I am told.”

“Well at least you’ll have a new toy to play with,” Lonar stated. 

“How was your meeting with the other security chiefs?” The Phylosian asked. 

“I like them all,” She shared with a confirmation nod. “Lieutenant Commander Lenjir knows his stuff, Lieutenant Keli is sweet, but Lieutenant Commander Jirani was most impressive.”

Andar crossed four vines in front of their body, trying to appear casual. “Which ship does she serve on?”

“The Bellerophon,” She answered. “I was worried about her being a Bajoran that she would have an issue with me, but she was born at the end of the occupation.”

“I am curious to understand why after so much time has passed between your races, there is still some resentment between them,” Andar quizzed as they scratched the top of their fauna head with an uncrossed vine. 

  Lorna shrugged her shoulders. “Though our people have endured a couple of decades of peace since the end of the occupation and the war, there are some that still find it difficult on both sides.”

“I hope you and the commander have a productive relationship with one another,” Andar offered.

“Thank you, Andar, that is sweet.” 

Uncrossing their vines, Andar extended two of them out towards her. “Would you like to dance, lieutenant?”

“I’d love to,” She replied before taking a sip from her kanar and placing it down on a nearby table before taking the leafy extensions in both hands and moving to the centre of the room where a dance floor had been set up. 

Feeling quite proud of himself for being approached by Odyssey’s handsome operations manager, Commander Thaustin had promised to see Lieutenant Commander Lukiz Jen again. Picking up the drinks he got from the bar, the first officer took the tray the holographic waiter had given him and proceeded to the table his colleagues were sitting at.

Talking among themselves now, the smaller group of officers from the Triton were trying their best to mingle with others from the newly assembled squadron, but they had naturally returned to those they knew better. 

“Darmok and Jalad on the ocean or Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel?” Lieutenant Commander Jayshon asked as Thaustin placed the tray on the table.

 Chuckling at the Tamarian’s use of his metaphorical language, Thaustin had come to appreciate the humour that Triton’s chief security and tactical officer had when using words and phrases from his culture. Shaking his head, Thaustin replied. “More like Bazminiti and Kimarnt, their arms and hearts wide open.”

Jayshon laughed in response as he picked up his drink from the tray and took a sip.

Doctor Kamra Uknare, the ship’s Haliian chief medical officer joined in with a snigger. “Oh, Thaustin, I do hope you’re not after a possible heartstopper.”

“Hey, my last romantic interest was a genuine one,” The first officer said in defence as he took his drink and sat down in one of the empty chairs. “It’s not my fault they didn’t tell me they were a hologram.”

“Who was being hunted by a Hirogen!” Uknare quickly added. “She certainly made that point when we rescued her program.”

“Well, I genuinely thought she was nice,” Thaustin replied. 

“And what about the others?” Jayshon inquired, the universal translator working perfectly in translating his original expression from his native tongue. 

“Which one?” Uknare interjected. “The Talaxian pilot, the Romulan spy, or the Annari prince?” 

“Hey, my romantic life is not to become squadron gossip!” Thaustin said in defence, he turned to look towards the Trill man he had just met. “But that said, Commander Jen, is pretty cute.”

“And you do know that our captain, his captain and the captain of the Themis all taught him at the Academy?” Uknare checked. 

Thaustin returned back to the Haliian doctor and shrugged his shoulders. “And?”

“Romeo and Juliet on the balcony in Verona,” Jayshon mentioned to the group with a smirk before drinking. 

“Jayshon may be right, Thaustin,” Uknare stated. “The captain and our squadron captain may not appreciate such relationships across ships.”

“I promise to be a gentleman,” Thaustin added. “Plus, who knows, we may end up getting married and being the first couple of the Odyssey Squadron!”

Both his colleagues chuckled and shared the same expression of giving up at how much Thaustin would fall in love with someone every time they got a new mission or set of orders. 

“We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile!”

Resting her hands in her lap, Captain Rio Canção felt a cold chill go down her spine as she saw the visual of the Borg settlement on the broken planet before her. No sympathy for them entered her thoughts for those drones that had probably died the moment the cube had crashed into the planet. After listening to her chief science officer theorise about what may have happened, Canção couldn’t help but wonder if they had stumbled onto something that would help them know more about the Federation’s deadliest foe or if was there more of a mystery here than they could see. Knowing her squadron commander as well as she did, she knew that James would want to investigate.

In his chair to her right, her first officer sat, looking down at the holographic console he was operating to his right-hand side. Hearing the Borg’s common hail had not made her flinch, instead, she remembered the first time she had heard it. The time when she and her first husband attempted to flee the Collective. The time when the Borg had crushed her people and assimilated them, leaving countless of her people as refugees across the galaxy. Now to see them in this state, a sense of satisfaction filled her. 

“Natima, lock a full spread of quantum torpedoes on the location of that transmission,” Canção ordered. “Prepare to fire on my command, the moment Fleet Captain McCallister tells us to.”

The young Cardassian lieutenant behind the captain appeared concerned at first at hearing that order but dutifully did as she was told. 

Those orders made Commander Thaustin turn in his chair and speak quietly. “Ma’am, I don’t need to remind you that the Borg won’t attack unless they perceive you as a threat.”

Leaning over to her first officer, she spoke quietly but seriously with him. “Thaustin, that opening hail was provocation enough for them to consider us and the rest of the squadron a threat.”

Nervous by what he had just heard, the young first officer just nodded his head. “Understood, captain,” He responded.

On the other side of her, Counsellor Naef-Oron noticed the exchange between the two leaders and cleared his throat to grab their attention. The large Brikar was massive but had a soft side that made him an excellent counsellor. “If I’m not mistaken, captain, the Borg Collective would normally have opened fire by now or taken action to begin assimilating us. This is not usual behaviour.”

“Naef is right,” Canção agreed. “What are they up to? Any ideas, people?”

Commander Belire Kazlaf was sitting in her hover chair, covered by her eco-skeleton framework when she answered the captain while still remaining focused on the sensor readings coming in on the science console before her. “I think they’re scanning us, but doing it in a subtle attempt.”

Turning to the Elyasian woman, Canção was intrigued by that idea. “Explain, commander.”

“Their sensor array, though damaged, is performing low-level scans of us and the other ships in the squadron,” Kazlaf reported. “At this rate, they wouldn’t have completed a proper scan for another hour or so.”

“That doesn’t seem very efficient,” Thaustin said. “I thought they liked to be efficient and straight to the point.”

“The Borg don’t do anything unless it gives them an advantage,” Cançāo stated. “So what are they trying to get the upper hand on with us?” 

“I can’t determine, that shield that is protecting their settlement is powerful.” Kazlaf shared with a shake of her head. 

“What if they can’t perform the scan like normal?” Thaustin suggested. “Is there anything else in the system that is preventing them from doing normal Borg-like behaviour?”

“I’d need to transport to stellar cartography to get a better look at that,” Kazlaf replied.

Believing that was a good idea, Canção nodded and instantly the commander used the ship’s site-to-site transporter to beam herself to stellar cartography. It had been adjusted to allow her to use the zero-g environment she was more comfortable with and the holographic controls gave her the chance to fly among the stars while she scanned. 

Canção turned back to the viewscreen and still felt that chill in her spine. The Borg were up to something. She was certain of it.

“Captain’s personal log, stardate seven-eight-zero-zero-three point seven. Though returning to the Delta Quadrant had always been something I wanted to do during my Starfleet career, I now starting to reconsider that aspiration. The Borg, one of our most lethal enemies who have brutally murdered billions of souls, my species in particular, are now asking for our help. Usually, I’m the first to stand up and offer help to anyone; however, not today. Though I do not disagree with my friend’s actions, I am highly concerned with Fleet Captain McCallister’s decision to bring so many drones on board the ships in our squadron. Triton is playing host to seventeen of them while we attempt to assist them in removing their Borg implants.”

Entering sickbay after a brief hesitation, Captain Canção took a huge breath in as she prepared herself mentally for what awaited her. Security teams were posted across the entire ship, and everyone on her ship was now armed. In addition, Lieutenant Ethav Th’vohless, her ops manager, had locked down the ship’s critical systems. As a result, only those with high-security clearance could access the Luna-class ship’s systems. Canção would destroy the vessel before allowing Borg to take it from them. 

Sickbay was packed with people. Her security chief, Lieutenant Natima Lonar, stood on guard with several others. The young Cardassian woman watched their guests’ every moment as they lay on the biobeds. All five beds were in use. The entire medical staff were hard at work under the careful direction of Doctor Kamra Uknare. The Haliian physician worked on a drone in the central surgical bay while others operated on the other drones. The ship’s EMH was also active and was working on another drone. 

Uknare noticed the captain’s arrival at the corner of her eye as she worked on the drone. “Captain, welcome to sickbay. Are you okay?” 

“Perfectly fine, thank you, Kamra. I’m just checking in on how it is going with our guests,” The captain stated. Her eyes darted across the several biobeds. 

Smirking, Uknare had noticed her captain’s discomfort during yesterday’s briefing when Fleet Captain McCallister had ordered each ship to take a proportion of the drones and begin assisting them. “So far, so good, ma’am.” She replied. “I’ve already completed surgery on three patients.”

“Three? Already?” Canção said, surprised. “Where are they now?”

“In the recovery ward,” Uknare said as she slowly removed what appeared to be an ocular implant of the drone. 

“Under guard, captain,” Lonar remarked. “My teams are working with Counsellor Oron in keeping them…safe.”

 Safe from what? Canção thought to herself. “How are we in identifying these individuals?” She asked next.

Lonar answered on behalf of the doctor. “Most are from the Alpha, Beta, or Delta Quadrants.”

“Any former Starfleet officers?” Canção enquired.

“Two, in fact,” Lonar said after a nod. “Both engineers who served on the USS Excalibur and were assimilated during the late twenty-three-sixties.” 

“We may end up expanding our family,” Uknare commented as she started the next part of the procedure with a dermal regenerator in her hand. 

“I think there will be several more checks first before we integrate them into the crew’s population,” Canção stated firmly. She paused as she realised how harsh her tone was. “Anyone we should be worried about?” She asked Lonar.

“One of the species from the Delta Quadrant is Vidiian,” Lonar replied. “However, they don’t seem hostile in any sense.”

“It may be because their assimilation meant they were cured from the Phage,” Uknare remarked while focussing on her patient.

“The Phage?” Canção questioned. 

“A virus that has inflicted their species for many generations. From what I can tell, the Borg regeneration technology contributed to them being cured,” Uknare stated. “I’m running further tests to ensure the Phage is completely out of their system.”

“Very well,” Canção said and motioned towards Uknare’s patient before her. “What species are they with?”

“He’s a Sikarian, another Delta Quadrant species,” Uknare answered. “We don’t have a name yet, but Commander Thaustin is working with others in the squadron to retrieve the Borg database from the crash site.”

Nodding in satisfaction, Canção glanced around the room before excusing herself and heading towards the exit. She was stopped by someone calling her rank out. Turning on her heels, she saw a drone sitting up while their EMH tried to calm them down.

“It’s okay, doctor,” Canção assured the holographic medical officer. She looked at the drone; it appeared to be a Mazarite man based on the temples on either side of their cheeks near their ears. “Yes, I am the captain of this ship.”

“You are Federation?” The Mazarite man asked.

“We are; this is the U-S-S- Triton. You are safe here.” Canção reassured him.

The Mazarite seemed relieved. “Thank you, you do not know how different it is not to hear the sounds of the Collective anymore.”

“I can imagine,” Canção said. Not sure why she said that, but she did. “My crew will do all they can to help you recover.”

“It is appreciated.” 

She smiled at him before looking at Lonar and Uknare again as she headed for the exit. After escaping sickbay, she walked down the corridor before she found an empty junction and leaned against the bulkhead. She took several deep breaths and couldn’t decide why that encounter affected her. Then, rubbing her temple, she decided to make her way towards her ready room. 

A cup of coffee was needed. 

A very strong cup.

Commander Thaustin pushed his curly strawberry-blonde hair back after rematerialising on the transporter platform and gave a boyish smirk to the transporter operator as a gesture of thanks. Then, he swaggered across the room towards the door and threw his uniform jacket over his shoulder. The doors parted, and he entered the corridor, heading towards the nearest turbolift.

Seconds later, he entered the cart and saw Doctor Uknare resting against the back of the lift. “Kamra, you finally calling it a night?”

The chief medical officer nodded slowly; she was exhausted from her work on the Borg drones. “I really don’t want to see another nanoprobe,” The Haliian doctor shared. She looked at the undressed state of the first officer, and with them being friends, she knew what he had been up to. “Visiting the Odyssey, again?”

Showing the same smirk he used earlier, Thaustin shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe.” 

Uknaure shook her head in disbelief and chuckled a little. “Thaustin, I don’t think I’ve ever known you to be so committed.”

“Calm down, Kamra, it’s only our third date,” He whispered.

“I’m impressed; you rarely get past the second one,” Uknare said as she crossed her arms. “So, does this mean he’s the one?” 

The Xindi-Primate rolled his eyes and shook his head. “We are not having this conversation late at night. I’m tired-”

“I bet you are,” She snapped back, still snickering. 

Thaustin glanced back at her and shook his head again. “I really can’t get anything past you, can I?”

“Absolutely not,” Uknare answered back. She was enjoying this moment. “He is cute, though.”

“He is,” Thuastin agreed. “Though I found out his ex is now married to the first officer of the Odyssey.” 

Shrugging at that comment, Uknare couldn’t see the problem he was trying to state. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Well, it might be a bit awkward,” He said sheepishly.

“How?” Uknare probed.

“I don’t know; I just suppose it might be. Maybe, I should date him. There are plenty of others in the squadron. Odyssey’s chief diplomat is kinda hot, and so is their third officer. That said, Bellerophon’s security chief is pretty gorgeous, and their science officer is cute.” He answered.

“You are hopeless, Thaustin. Don’t spoil what you have right now.” She advised. 

“Sickbay to Doctor Uknare,” spoke Lieutenant Lonar over the intercom.

Uknare suppressed her smile at Thaustin before replying. “Go ahead, Natima.”

“Sorry to disturb you, ma’am, but do you know where our Sikarian guest has gone?” The Cardassian woman asked.

Confused by that question, Uknare had treated the Sikarian man only hours ago, and he should have been in sickbay recovering. “He was resting on bio-bed four before I left. What’s happened, lieutenant?”

“He’s gone missing.”  

Both Thaustin and Uknare looked at one another. Startled to hear that. He pulled his jacket back on and immediately told Lonar to put the ship on red alert, lockdown the rest of their guests, and begin searching for the Sikarian immediately.

Slithering around the controls of the Hark, Ensign Andar was running the final diagnostics on the type-fourteen shuttlecraft. Pleased that the new shuttle didn’t require any maintenance, they were preparing to switch off the main power to the Hark when Andar sensed something near them. 

Twisting their fuzzy artichoke-shaped head towards the noise coming from the ramp aft of the shuttle, Andar’s scarlet-eye stems moved to see a figure standing before them.

“Hello, may I help you?” Andar asked.

Walking into the light, the stranger revealed themselves to the Phylosian pilot. The Sikarian man didn’t move any further.

“Can I help you?” Andar asked inquisitively.

Their visitor said nothing.

The red alert siren went off, followed by Commander Thaustin’s voice over the intercom ordering all crew to look out for their missing guest.

“You seem to be lost,” Andar stated, slowly moving one of their vines towards the phaser that was strapped to their side. “Commander Thaustin is concerned for your wellbeing. Perhaps, I should escort you back to sickbay.”

The Sikarian remained silent.

Raising their phaser towards them, Andar insisted again, and the ex-B ignored the comment. Then, firing their weapon at them, Andar was surprised to see the drone’s shields were active. Tapping their combadge, Andar called for the bridge but was stopped by the ex-B, who had pushed them against the ground, inserted two injection tubules into one of the nearest consoles, and began taking control of the Hark. Unable to move, Andar reached out to their phaser (that was on the deck) with another vine. Noticing the movement, the ex-B picked up the weapon before Andar could and fired it straight at the Phylosian’s chest. 

Andar was out cold. 

The ex-B then piloted the shuttle out of Triton’s shuttle bay after destroying the doors with a volley of phaser fire.