The shuttle thumped into its dock, shaking Cassidy awake.  She pushed herself up and pulled her hair tight and together. The pilot spoke from the cockpit, “Starbase Bravo, last stop.  Lieutenant Commander Cassidy Montgomery.”  She gave him a half wave as the docking door hissed and then rumbled open.  The journey to this massive station had been personal, but she wasn’t convinced she’d ended up in the right place. ~You didn’t want to wander the stars anymore~ she thought to herself.  She’d spent most of her career on starships.  It had recently started to annoy her, and she’d been unable to shake the desire to stand still.

“Welcome to Starbase Bravo.”  She smiled wanly and handed over her PADD to the dock officer.  He checked her assignment and tapped the screen on his PADD, “You are confirmed, Lieutenant Commander.  Congratulations on the posting.”  A half-hearted shrug was her response as she weaved her way through the crowded station.  Frontier Day was weeks away, and she could sense the hustle and bustle was underway.

The Deputy Director of General Medicine position appealed to her because it was a director-level job on a station.  She hadn’t realized how massive Bravo was until she started studying it after sending her application.  She glanced at her chrono – it was nearing midnight.  She wasn’t tired and decided finding her office was the next best thing.

It was a good-sized office and a desk empty outside.  She would have an assistant or a yeoman…or something.  She wasn’t sure how to feel about it.  Her initial reaction was to manage it alone as she had always done.  Cassidy knew that was the perfectionist part of her trying to take over after being shoved back behind a metaphorically locked door.  She’d have to fight the urge to do everything.

“You’re her!”  Montgomery turned to face the voice.  It belonged to a young ensign who looked excited with a broad smile.  “Your our new Deputy Director!”  She inched closer, “I’m Ensign Geraldine Parker…and I’ve been assigned to you.”

Montgomery put up a weary hand, “Ensign Parker…how did you know I would be here?”

Parker’s smile faltered, but she pressed on, “I made sure to check your arrival time and set an alarm.  I wanted to make a good impression.  It’s my first assignment.”

Cassidy looked the young woman over.  She was dressed in a fresh uniform, and at first glance, she was impressed.  The shoes, the pips…it was very polished.  “Well, you get points for impressing me, Ensign Parker.  You ever sleep?”

Parker’s smile widened, “I’m really good at managing my sleep schedule Lieutenant Commander Mont….”

Cassidy raised her hand again, “Just call me Doc Montgomery…or Doc Cas. Or Deputy Chief.  You’ll run out of breath every time you talk to me.”

The young ensign blinked a few times.  Then asked, “Would you like ma’am or sir?”

Cassidy laughed out loud, “You are precise. I’ll give you that.  Let’s go with sir if you need it.  Ma’am sounds serious…let’s wait until things get serious.”  She stepped in front of her office door, and it opened.  She moved to step through but turned to her new assistant, “The next thing you can do is get some coffee, find the luggage with my office stuff, and find me a report on what I’m coming into.”

Parker gave a thumbs up and was off on her mission.  Montgomery threw herself on the couch, “What did I get myself into?”

Luna was midway through her duties for the day when she got the notification.  The poor worker who had to deliver the PADD to her all the way out at docking bay 3 was perspiring and gasping for air from the run.

“Sorry, Lieutenant, this came in this morning but was lost in the shuffle.”

She sent the poor fellow to go get a rest and a drink of water before turning her attention to the PADD.  Lt. Luna “Princess” Stellari to report to Sick Bay for routine medical examination.  ‘routine’, yeah right.  She’d had enough of these ‘routine’ examinations during her time at the academy.  Starfleet still wasn’t sure just what the Calypso had been through and what she‘d been exposed to.

She passed her duties off to the nearest Deck Officer and headed towards Sickbay, already in a bad mood.  Might as well get this over with.  The entire turbolift ride, she thought about how to make this as quick as possible.  She just knew she’d get some newbie for her examination.

Her thoughts turned out to be right on the money, with some newbie blue-adorned officer attempting to run through the examination. He didn’t get far before she stopped him.  “I’d really just rather get someone more experienced for this.”  She tried to break it to him gently, but he somehow looked more hurt by that than the rejection.

Cassidy stood at her holographic board as she shifted around the duty rosters with one hand and a PADD in the other.  Her office was decorated at last with the vestments of her past.  It brought a warm layer of comfort to her.  Starbase 72 was a massive undertaking.  The General Medicine Department covered many physicians, nurses, orderlies, and more.  The buzz from Frontier Day was quickly spreading across the various departments.  They had been charged with getting the refugee and humanitarian patients on their feet in time for the celebrations.  Montgomery grimaced.  It was quite literally all hands and feet on deck for this thing.  She wasn’t sure how she felt about the actual celebration – these kinds of events hadn’t been her thing for a long time.  Maybe she was getting too old for the pomp and circumstance?

“Doctor Montgomery?”  Her assistant had peaked her head in the door, “We’ve got a…situation in main sickbay.”  Cassidy waved her in, accepting a PADD from Ensign Parker, who reported, “Lieutenant Stellari arrived for her routine examination, and it didn’t go well.  She’s demanding to speak to a senior officer to complete the exam.”

The Deputy Director scoffed, “Her nickname has made it to her file.  That’s…something.”  She stood, “I’ll take it from here, Parker.”  She left the office, carrying the PADD and cup of coffee to Parker’s amusement.  Cassidy walked the long way from corridor to corridor to the waiting area to the nurse’s station and ended up at the door to the exam room.  She tapped the door open and stepped in, nodding to Stellari, “Lieutenant, my name is Doctor Cassidy Montgomery, and I am the Deputy Director of General Medicine here on Starbase 72.”  She tapped at her PADD, “I understand you have concerns about the level of care you’re receiving.”

“Hello, Doctor Montgomery.  No offense to Doctor Schmidt, but I’d rather have an experienced professional do this examination.  I know Starfleet has a tendency to call me in for these ‘examinations’ whenever they want more data about what happened to Calypso.  The last three times, it has confused newbie doctors left and right.”

Cassidy raised her eyebrows.  She sat on a hover stool, eyeing the Lieutenant while scrolling through the PADD, “It’s not common practice for a Deputy Director to take on a routine examination.  From what I can tell, Doctor Schmidt was running the standard battery of tests – blood pressure, blood samples, and he was just getting started on the physical overview.”  She held up the PADD, “The Calypso and the events that occurred are well documented from a medical perspective.  Within the scope of what our doctors do here…unless directed by a senior staff member or Starfleet medical – we’re more concerned about your current conditions…not the past.”  The doctor asked, “Have you had adequate time to process the events?”

“You mean, have I had adequate time to realize I’m likely to look like a teenager for the rest of my life?  Yes.  I’d like to apologize as well, you go through enough examinations after something like that, and you start to distrust the medics.  You, however, seem more trustworthy than the Doctor back at the academy.”  She made a small noise. “I swear he’d take forever on the most simple blood test.”

The doctor stood, slipping out her tricorder, “I think you may have more to work to do on you than you think, Luna. Twenty-five years is a long time to be stranded.  That tough outer layer of armor of yours is indicative of a traumatic experience.”  She recorded the scan results, “You weren’t made at Doctor Schmidt.  You were mad at the doctor at The Academy.”  Cassidy slipped out a larger scanning device, “…and that’s just based on my first five minutes with you.”  She tapped her PADD as the results transferred, “Healthwise, you pass the standards.”  She let her words hang in the air for a moment before she continued, “Emotionally and psychologically…we’ve got some work to do.”

Shrugging, Luna accepted this.  “So, when should I expect to be called in again for the psychology stuff?”  If it were anything like the counseling she received from Doctor Lana growing up, she’d actually enjoy it. 

Montgomery chuckled at the ‘psychology stuff’ comment.  I’ll refer you to our Deputy Director of Psychiatry, Lieutenant Elegy Weld.  He should be in contact sometime this week.”  She was startled that the officer was so quick to accept the recommendation for therapy care and made a note to follow up with Elegy later.  She stood and gestured to the door, “You’re free to return to duty, Ensign Stellari.”

Saying her goodbyes to Doctor Cass, she made her way back to find that poor Ensign she’d dumped all her work on.  Starbase Bravo could use every hand at work.

Cassidy picked up her lukewarm coffee and grumbled.  She needed a fresh cup.

“Historical exhibit #195: ‘Early soil and topography analyzer’. Put it with the Category B stuff,” Joshua said, handing off the device to another science officer. He checked the item off on his PADD. His console blipped, indicating an incoming message from the Science Department on Starbase Bravo. “Oh, thank god,” he said, pushing a button.

The screen was replaced by an ensign in a teal uniform, “Hello Dr. Bryant.”

Joshua nodded, “How can I help you?”

“You’ll be receiving orders from the Science Department shortly. You are to travel to Galakail Minor, evaluate their situation post-Dominion attack, and render whatever aid is necessary. Traveling with you will be cadets from medical and engineering.”

“I’m taking cadets with me? Since when am I a Starfleet Academy instructor?”

“Unfortunately, that’s all that can be spared. The other officers are involved with higher level duty assignments.”

“Just know I’m adding ‘instructing’ to my service record after this.”

“Do what you feel is necessary,” the officer replied blankly. “Your runabout will be piloted by-”

“Dawa Vlček,” Joshua said, cutting him off.

The officer looked off-screen, “No, that’s not who I have-”

“That’s who it’s going to be. Either she goes, or I don’t.”

“I can check to see if she’s not currently engaged in another assignment.”

Joshua smiled, “She won’t be. I’ll start packing.”

“Very good doctor, you’ll meet your crew in Hanger 23. Science Department out.” The screen was replaced by the Starfleet Logo.

Joshua excitedly punched the air and smiled, “Sorry Meilo, you’ll have to finish curating the science artifacts for Frontier Day.” He quickly ducked out of the lab before hearing any objections.

“No no no, leave those out,” Dawa instructed the two engineering cadets. “I’m pretty sure Josh’ll want to inspect those first. Load these up instead.”

She tapped another cargo bin with the side of her boot as she added more checkmarks to the list on her PADD.

When she saw Josh enter the hangar, she smiled and waved. She stepped on top of and over the crate directly in front of her as she extricated herself from their mess of supplies and jogged over to his location.

“Ugh, thank you for the pilot requisition. I’ll be happy to get away from this place for a little while. You’d think this would be exactly my scene, what with all the extra activity and people and everything, but something about Frontier Day is just so–” She waved her hand and her PADD in the air as she spoke. “It’s too restrained.”

Joshua nodded, “It’s ironic, isn’t it? It’s supposed to celebrate exploring bold new worlds and civilizations,” he added in a mock Picard voice. “Yet it’s so sterile and organized, down to the finest details.” He sighed, “Originally, I didn’t want to take this assignment. It felt like cleaning up someone else’s mess,” he shrugged. “But it beats curating science and medical equipment from a bygone era. The only people who care about technology that’s hundreds of years old are historians.

He saw the amount of cargo being loaded into the runabout and whistled. “It looks like we’re going to spread a lot of goodwill on Galakail Minor.” He walked over to a cargo bin and checked it against his PADD. Joshua opened the bin and looked inside. “Yeah, this will do nicely. It makes the equipment we had on Ignaus Colony ancient by comparison.” He closed the lid and marked it off his PADD. “All right, take these aboard,” he said to the engineering cadets.

At the top of the runabout ramp, Joshua was met by a medical cadet. “Dr. Bryant!” She snapped to attention. “Medical Cadet Kinos Tolria, sir!” He almost laughed, “As you were, cadet.”

Toria’s body released its tension. “I wanted to say it’ll be a pleasure to work with you, sir. I’ve read your paper on bio-neural gel pack technology. However, you’re wrong about the use of chemical accelerants in the gel packs.”

Joshua was impressed, “Oh? I look forward to discussing it with you.” He looked at the cargo list on his PADD. “Have you checked the medical equipment cargo?”

“Four times,” she said cheerfully.

Joshua pulled up the medical equipment list on his PADD. “Okay, list them off.”

“Hypospray, eight. Dermal regenerators, thirteen. Emergency biobed with optional stasis units, four and two respectively. Mobile emitters for EMH activation, three. Tricorder-”

Joshua put up his hands, “Okay, I believe you. Continue on with… whatever it was you were doing.”

He moved back down the ramp and returned to Dawa. “Where did they find these cadets? Are all cadets this eager and overachieving?”

Dawa laughed. “‘Eager’ and ‘overachieving’ are prerequisites for admission to Starfleet Academy!”

She and Josh continued to chat until the last cargo bin had been secured in the runabout and the only thing left to load up were the passengers. With a wave of her arms, she herded the cadets on board and sealed the cockpit behind her.

“Would you look at all this legroom?” she exclaimed. “This is certainly a step up from our last adventure.”

Dawa took her seat at the helm, pulled out her lucky charm Gillian the Whale and set her down on the console, and then swiveled in her seat to face the nearest cadet.

“You!” she said, pointing to the Trill. “Why don’t you co-pilot for the first leg of the trip? You can start by checking our flight path for ion storms. What’s your name, cadet?”

“I’m cadet Jabir Tior, and it would be an honor to co-pilot with you commander.”

Finding it a surprise to be asked to co-pilot the runabout, even if it was just a short journey, and hoping that nothing was to go wrong on the way. So, the young cadet quickly stored his belongings and made his way to the cockpit.

“Ok flight confirmed we have an ion storm about 1500 meters off our starboard side, but we should be fine, we just have to keep an eye on it as we get closer.”

Taking a breath before asking

“Would you like me to initiate the start-up routine and engage the engines ready for you?” asked Jabir.

Dawa smiled so widely it hurt, partly at the flattery and partly at the cadet’s initiative.

“Have at it, Tior! Heck, we might even be able to log some flight hours for you on this trip. I appreciate how eager you are to learn!” She turned to Josh and winked as she emphasized the word ‘eager’.

“I’ll monitor the ion storm,” she added, “And hopefully it’ll be smooth sailing the rest of the way to Galakail!”

The cabin was mostly silent as the hours ticked by, the only sounds were conversation between Dawa and Jabir. The other two cadets Kinos and a Bolian woman named Xiran Zoff, Joshua discovered, sat bolt upright in their chairs. He wasn’t sure if they were too nervous or too excited to move. He shrugged and looked back at his console. The ion storm was getting close, but Dawa and Jabir were expertly keeping the runabout away from it.

Joshua stretched and yawned loudly, “I’m going to see what refreshments we have onboard. Anyone wants anything?” He scanned the cabin.

“Yes, please I’ll take an old earth soft drink I got stored in the ship’s database, under tropical juice I take a large please,” said Jabir.

“Hmmm, how about a black coffee, hot? No, iced! So, I can nurse it a little longer,” said Dawa. “Please and thank you!”

“I would like some Bolian tonic water,” Xiran piped up.

“If they have root beer, I’d take that,” Tolria said.

As Josh exited the cabin, Dawa turned back to the console and switched to a vertical holographic display so that Jabir could see what she was doing.

“I’m sure they covered this in the first or second year of the academy, but next time you’re in the co-pilot seat, remember to periodically check the navigation system for enroute stations and starships. The computer will locate and plot them automatically, but it’s the protocol to always have a second set of eyes on them.”

The controls flashed their acknowledgment of her approval in green, and she turned away from them to face Jabir.

“And now I gotta hit you with the mandatory question for all cadets,” she said with a smile. “What made you want to join Starfleet?”

Joshua popped his head back in the cabin, “Ooh, storytime? Sorry, there’s no snack service on this flight,” he said with a smile. Joshua handed the crew their requested drinks and returned to his station.

Sitting in the co-pilot chair Jabir thought, where do I start?

“Well, I was born and raised on Trill, till the age of 10 I had a normal life then on a visit to the city capital with my dad there was an attack, and he was killed.”

Taking a minute of silence, as it was a hard time to talk about, he then continued, “That’s when I got hurt.” He showed a scar on his hand, “which at the time according to the Drs was nothing too bad just a minor cut, but I later learned when applying for the symbiont program that, that cut was more than just a cut I had caught a blood virus that the symbiont program won’t allow and my home world had never come across this so they were unable to find a cure.”

Again, he paused while taking a sip of the drink that Joshua had brought from his request a few minutes ago. Then continued his story to the Lt Commander, “From here I then decided to join the Trill Science Ministry to try and work out what my infection is by joining their Medical Unit. A few months into my studies I realized I was not cut out for the medical side of things as I liked to be more hands-on with my work and not let the computer do all the work once I had worked it out on a tablet or at a console. So, after a year, I joined their Engineering department instead and here I worked on, and still do to this day on defensive and offensive systems trying to keep people safe so they don’t have to go through disappointment in life like I have had to. But while I was also there, I took shuttle craft and flight lessons so once all the testing and theory work was complete, I could test my work out first before putting anyone else’s life in danger.”

Taking his final breath and another sip of his drink and said, “When coming to the end of this time at the Ministry I decided that I was to join Starfleet but realized I had missed so much time training for the entrance exam so I entered and passed the Pre 6 Week Academy Preparation Program and the rest is history that you can read in my service record”.

Joshua took a drink of his beverage and nodded to Kinos, “What about you, Cadet Eager Beaver?”

Tolria narrowed her eyes and made a disgusted face, “It’s not quite as involved as Jabir’s, but my father was a medic in the Dominion War. He eventually was integral in the exchange of medical practices between Bajor and the Federation once they joined.” She sighed at the memory, “It just seemed appropriate that I follow him into medicine. Although I’m specializing in surgical services and not emergency/trauma.”

Joshua nodded, “I know how that is. I followed my father in botany. It made my mother immensely proud.” He smiled and took another drink.

A moment of silence passed in the cabin. “I suppose it’s my turn,” Xiran said. “I grew up taking things apart and putting them back together. I was better at the first one than the second. It made my parents furious to live in a house where nothing worked,” she chuckled with embarrassment. “So, they sent me to a specialized engineering school. The school encouraged the students to apply for Starfleet. I figured, what’s the harm?” She shrugged. “And if I get to explore some new frontiers, all the better.”

The hours passed with conversation passing between the five crew members as the Yue Fei moved through space towards Galakail Minor.

As the door slides open, the well-dressed and groomed Arcturus.  He walks with a more relaxed and rested countenance.  “Hello Doctor, it is good to see you.” He sits down, more comfortable with the environment and the acceptance and understanding shown by Doctor Weld.  After a small talk and pleasantries, he glances up at Doctor Weld as he begins the session.  

“–and how would you describe the quantity and quality of your sleep disturbances this week?” was the next question Counselor Elegy Weld asked.  The intensely-focused Trill was sitting back in one of his office’s arm chairs, cupping a mug of tea between both of his hands.  Through it all, Weld’s gaze remained focused on his patient, Arcturus Brujah, even when Weld took a quick sip from the mug.

“Well…” he pauses for a moment, slightly pondering the question before speaking.  “…the nightmares for the most part have become less.  In fact, I haven’t had one this week; the last time I had a nightmare was before the transfer.  I have been able to sleep through the night and enjoy my time getting to know those I work with.”  

Nodding at that, Weld said, “It can be difficult to make any improvement in health without sleeping, hydrating, eating and moving enough.  What I’m hearing from you is that you’ve had more capacity to connect with your colleagues.  Have you made any new friendships now, since you’ve joined Starbase Bravo?”

“Besides some of my co-workers, I met Christi Gezellig in security.  We have started talking and I am thinking about asking her out.  Two days ago, we spent several hours just talking, we were asked by Tog, the Ferengi Owner of Club 11, to leave because they were shutting down.  Things I feel are looking up for me.” he remarks with a wide smile.  “Since the change I feel more self-assured of myself.”

“That’s gratifying to hear.  You’ve made such progress to re-focus yourself and your energy,” Weld said.  “How would you respond if I asked you about the last nightmare you had about the Breen?”

“Well….” he slightly leans back in his chair, running a hand through his hair as he clears his throat. “Nothing something that I think is easily talked about.  I really don’t want to go there but…but…I know I have to.  It scares me to even hear or mention it because I don’t want to be having that experience again.  Don’t want to go back there and allow it to consume me again…I just don’t think about it now…I don’t experience the triggers and…well things are looking up why destroy it, you know?” he lips curl into a courageous smile as he looks at Dr Weld for answers and direction.  

Weld tilted his head from side to side, as if he was balancing a scale the way he was weighing out Arcturus’ options.

“If you don’t think about how you’re feeling,” Weld supposed aloud, “that doesn’t take away its power.  Those feeling will still be there, waiting for you when you’re not feeling as strong.  You said it to me yourself.  You’re feeling better; you’re enjoying your work; you’re making friends.  How could anything consume you when you have a support system around you?”

He glances up to him and smiles softly in response.  “So, what you’re saying is that as long as I continue to build socially, I will be able to have the strength to overcome what is going on?  So, having a strong support system will enable me to go through what I experienced?  That makes sense to me, I just get anxious when I hear the Breen but there is a end to it. So, what is the next step?  I know it will take work; I am willing to do the work doctor.”

Receiving Arcturus’ question, Weld smiled back at him tightly.  The counselor nodded twice, his gaze getting lost in the middle distance, and he paused to consider his next words.  Weld drummed his fingers on his knee right before he spoke.

“I won’t be able to anticipate this entire journey for you,” Weld affirmed.  “The next step will be to talk about it.  We’re going to need to talk about the Breen, about what happened, and you can’t shield you’re eyes, metaphorically speaking.  You’ll have to look right at it.  Now that the Breen have retreated from the Deneb Sector and returned to their own space – now it’s almost Frontier Day – I have to hope that will give the memories less power over you.  They’re not a threat.  We’re perfectly safe here.”

“I know this is going to be very hard for me.  Reliving the experience but if it is the only way that I can move on and have a normal life then let’s rip the band-aid off.” he smiles in thought as he sits back in his chair. “I will be nice to have a change of things, with the war over and Frontier Day’s coming up there is going to be plenty to help keep my mind off things.  So, in a way, it would be a great time to face this trauma.  So, when is the next time we meet Doctor?”

Nodding at Brujah, Weld advised, “My office will set up an appointment in a couple of days.  Enjoy Frontier Day first.  Don’t think about the Breen or the Dominion.  I’ll be looking forward to speaking once again after the synthehol wears off.”

“Of course, Doctor and thank you.  I heard that the celebration here on Bravo Station are going to be epic!  Enjoy yourself doctor and talk to you then.”

This was the swankiest party he’d ever been to. It was wall to wall dress uniforms and the canapés… He’d definitely died and gone to heaven. 

With a charming smile, Ryke snagged a few more from the tray of a circulating waiter,  his little stash in a napkin as he looked for somewhere to stand.  

He ended up propping up a wall, intent on staying out of the way and devouring his little stash. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been to an event this fancy. But then, this was Frontier Day. He’d never seen the promenade on the base set up so fancy, but he’d also never seen so many senior officers gathered in one place at one time. 

The cynical part of his mind said that if anyone was going to pull anything, this was the time and place to do it. If they hit SBB right now, they could take out a good chunk of the fleet’s senior officers in one fell swoop. 

He ignored the little voice and smiled as a familiar face came into view through the crowd. 

The brow of that familiar face was creased with visible consternation.  Captain Jeffrey Holmgren was disguised in a dress uniform as if he too were a guest of the Frontier Day celebration.  The only clue to suggest otherwise was the PADD in each hand and the yeoman scurrying to keep up with his pace through the crowd.  As Chief Operations Officer of Starbase Bravo, Holmgren’s gaze was constantly scanning the promenade, scanning and assessing.

As he moved closer to Ryke, Holmgren could be heard saying, “–thought we ordered thirty-two ice sculptures?  I’m only counting twenty-three.  The maestro, ch’Regda, carved them each by hand.  If we left even one of them to melt in a runabout, we–“

Three steps behind him –and figuratively one step ahead– Yeoman Aneasa replied, “I inspected the promenade before the guests arrived, sir.  All thirty-five sculptures are being displayed in prominent locations.”

“Thank you,” Holmgren said and then his eyes widened as he happened upon eye contact with Ryke.  “Lieutenant Ashfield!  A pleasure to see you.  I– I didn’t know if you’d be coming.”

Ryke smiled, as much for the reaction as seeing the captain. It was often the same when he saw one of his patients. They were usually low-key horrified to see him, but he’d be the same given he knew things about them they wouldn’t even admit to their partners.

“The pleasure is all mine, sir,” he nodded a greeting to include the yeoman as well. She looked considerably less hassled than Holmgen did. “Most people are busy with Frontier Day celebrations so counseling is very quiet today.” 

Nodding at Ryke’s greeting, Holmgren said, “That’s for the best.”  –He quirked a sheepish smile at how that sounded– “What I mean is: Starfleet never could have achieved half of the discoveries we have without Starfleet counselors by our sides.  You deserve to be celebrated by these crowds.”

“I really didn’t expect so many people here.” Ryke looked around at the packed promenade, then up at the big screens that had been assembled to show the Frontier Day parade ships in their formations in Sol sector. “Quite a turn out, isn’t it?”

When Holmgren smile to reply to Ryke, Aneasa tugged at Holmgren’s sleeve.

“Ah, sir,” Aneasa said in sotto voice, “Your wife is still looking for you.  The ten minutes you requested has expired.  Ten minutes ago.”

Silence fell as Admiral Shelby appeared on screen to give her speech. Ryke looked around the assembled crowds, their faces turned up to the screen. Even with such a jaded soul as his, he felt pride at being part of something bigger than himself. It wasn’t about the big speeches from Admirals, even though Shelby was more than impressive, but the people themselves. 

Holmgren looked up too.  Despite all the other distractions and his bickering with Aneasa, Holmgren’s gaze became fixed on the pronouncements from Admiral Shelby.  He looked over at Ryke and then he looked back at the screen.

“Frontier Day hasn’t… felt the same after Mars,” Holmgren wistfully said.  “I didn’t know the Federation still–”

“Oh look, fleet formation… have you ever seen anything like it?” Someone nearby said. 

Ryke had turned with the movement of the crowd, but the sudden gasps and then screams brought his head snapping around to look up at the screen nearest to them.

The fireworks all went out in Sector 001.  Projected on the holographic screen from the sensor feeds in Earth orbit, the fleet of starships gathered into a constellation of shapes.  When the fireworks began anew, it was only the flares from brilliant red phaser beams launching from every starship in the formation.  The shields around Sol Station flared up as the entire fleet turned their weapons upon it.

“What the…” Ryke breathed, eyes widening in shock. Something was wrong, very wrong. The fleet had gone from what looked like a parade formation to something entirely more menacing. “They’re firing on the Excelsior!”

“Something’s wrong with fleet mode!” Someone shouted. “The fleet is attacking the station!”

“We have to… someone do something!”

“…We’re too far from Earth,” Holmgren mused hopelessly.  “We can’t help them, but we can secure Starbase Bravo.”

Starbase Bravo In-Play for Frontier Day

Write your characters attending to Frontier Day-related duties or enjoying the holiday as guests to the celebrations!

They can now receive reports and communiques about the assimilated fleet formation attacking Sol Station and Earth, as depicted in the Picard Season 3 finale.  At this point, your characters have no way to know or understand the underlying causes of the fleet being assimilated at Earth.

The Borg assimilation transmission does not reach Starbase Bravo due to interference from the Paulson Nebula

Starbase Bravo is not near enough to Sector 001 to offer meaningful support to Sol Station or Earth.  Although there are no assimilated starships in the Mellstoxx system, your orders are to protect Starbase Bravo from any other Starfleet starships that may be behaving in a suspicious manner:

• Deck Officers and Cadets:  Starbase Bravo is at red alert!  All crew to duty stations to monitor for further attacks.
• Flight Control officers: recall all auxiliary craft and the Frontier Day parade of starships (USS Exeter, USS Susan B Anthony, USS Hippocrates) to their docks at Starbase Bravo.  Restrict all non-essential / non-emergency flight through the Mellstoxx System until the threat is better understood.
• Tactical officers: prepare SBB to defend itself against potential rogue Starfleet vessels
• Science / Intelligence / Strategic Operations officers: Coordinate and communicate within your networks to investigate why Starfleet vessels have turned against Sol Station.
• Starfighters: Protect Starbase Bravo!
• Operations / Diplomatic / Security officers: Secure the promenade.  Escort diplomats, visitors and civilians to guest quarters and evacuation centres.  Monitor all subspace frequencies for news of events in Sector 001.
• Engineering / Science officers: Inspect docked starships (USS Exeter, USS Susan B Anthony, USS Hippocrates) to determine if there are security breaches in their fleet formation upgrades.
• Medical officers: Given the breadth of casualties in Sector 001, prepare the hospitals for mass casualties incoming from other Starfleet facilities.

Or maybe the existential dread of watching Starfleet’s newest fleet attack Earth and each other is too great to bear, and you simply watch the tragic events play out on the display screens in helpless horror.

Laura’s Family Home

His feet propped atop a small table in front of him, his cold lemonade on a table beside him, and a book he had purchased earlier at a local bookstore. The writer was local, he was a friend of his wife’s family. The premise seemed good, but the storyline took a left turn in chapter 12. It had been almost a month since he had graduated from the Academy, and he was enjoying his downtime. Jacob had made a career of attending school, but Star Fleet Academy was something completely different. His limits were severely tested like never before. He was mentally, and physically exhausted.

His wife Laura was from Nebraska, her father made a career as a ranch hand, and later ranch foreman. His home had been in his family for over a hundred years. Much different back then, it consisted of a small cabin, on a acre of land. Over the past decade, he acquired land around his property boosting his land to just over 30 acres. He built a new home closer to a lake adjacent to his property. Fishing is something Laura was raised on. It was something he could not enjoy for his constant watching out for snakes. The isolation reminded him of his early childhood, and not having a lot of friends. Bad memories aside, it was peaceful. He and his wife had been staying in the original cabin to have privacy from her family. That wasn’t working out too well. Before his graduation, she traveled home to help out at a local clinic. She knew the owner, as a matter of fact, the clinic’s owner is the reason she became a doctor.

Jacob grabbed his glass, and began to drink… “dangit!” he yelled. He was startled by a bird that had nested in a bush beside the porch. Most of his lemonade was on him. “The great outdoors, hmm.” He set his book on the table and began to brush the ice a liquid off of him as best as possible. He looks over at the book and sees the pages are wet. Oh well, he thought, it was time for something else.

Just as he stood up his PADD began to chime, who could this be? He picked the PADD up and accepted the communication. “This is ENS Mandrake.”

“Sorry to bother you sir, on your downtime.” The chief paused, as he looked over his reports.

“Think nothing of it, I needed a change of pace. What do you have for me?” Jacob sat back down and waited for the Chief to finish looking through his PADD. 

“Sir, you were assigned to the U.S.S. Gladiator. With a report date of April 22nd correct?”

Jacob nodded, “Indeed chief.”

“I am contacting you to let you know your orders have changed. You are being assigned to the Fourth Fleet, Star Base Bravo.”

“The Fourth Fleet! Isn’t that close to Klingon space?”

“It’s also close to Romulan space as well, but I wouldn’t worry it’s a pretty powerful base, with a more than capable crew.”

“Just tell me anything, huh? Have you ever been there?” Jacob asked with a puzzled look on his face. This was the worse news he could get. Neither he nor his wife was a space brat like a lot of the other couples they’ve been double dating lately. Listening to their stories Laura had a fear of Klingons. Neither of them had ever met, nor saw a Klingon in person.

The chief chuckled, “I see your point, sir. I have never been, I was just trying to brighten up your sports. Your new report date is April 11th, there will be transportation leaving in the next couple of days I can set you up with one.”

Jacob gripped his head in the palm of his hands. This was even worse than the reassignment. “I’m going to be divorced!”

“Excuse me, sir.?”

“No, no I was talking to myself. Thank you chief I will make arrangements from here.” The chief nodded at closed the communication.

Clinic

The clinic was busy today, Laura hadn’t had time to sit or take a break in hours.  A fractured bone, burns, and the worse case of dysentery she had ever seen. That was just the last 2 hours. Laura quickly turned around, she was startled by an elderly lady, she clutched her chest and let out a breath of relief. “I’m sorry you startled me, how can I help you?”

“Where am I?” The woman asked in a confused state. “How did I get here, my son was suppo…”

Laura touched her on her shoulder. “Everything is alright, you are safe. I am a doctor, and you are at a clinic. Do you know your name?”

“Sarah, Sarah, yes that is it my name is Sarah.”

“Oh my god, I am sorry doctor. I turned my back, and she was just gone.”

Laura looked at the young nurse, not with anger but with extreme disappointment. “We will talk about it later for now do not take your eyes off of her.” She turned back to the lady and placed her arm around her. “Come let us get you back to the exam room.” At that moment she saw her husband being led into the exam area. “Nurse take Mrs. Sarah back to her exam room I will be there in just a minute. She placed her tricorder in her pocket and went to her husband. They embraced, and he placed a kiss on her cheek.

He pulled back from her with his hands on both of her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Can you take a break?” This was usually her lunchtime, he brought turkey sandwiches, and fruit salad in hopes they could sit in the courtyard and talk.

“No I don’t have time, but I am starving,” she said as she peaked at the bag he was trying to conceal behind his back. 

“We have a lot to discuss.”  

The Yue Fei dropped out of warp and Galakail Minor came into view. “Huh, the area doesn’t look so bad.” Joshua said looking at the viewscreen, “You never would have known there was a major conflict here a week ago.”

“There’s no telling what damage the Dominion did to Galakail Minor though,” Tolria said, looking at the viewscreen.

The roundabout broke through the planet’s atmosphere and Dawa and Jabir announced their arrival to the planet’s control tower. The Yue Fei was guided to a landing pad where it landed with a soft thud.

“Houston we have touch down. That’s one small trip for all mankind, one big warp trip for all mankind ” said Jabir 

“If no one has heard something like that it’s an old earth saying from even before first contact,” said Jabir again.

“I didn’t know you were into Earth history, Ensign,” said Dawa with a chuckle.

“I saw a photo in the academy hanging up of the Apollo 11 moon landing in Earth history and it had that saying below and kinda thought it suits this situation even though we are not the first Starfleet personnel here it is our first time,” said Jabir.

“All right people, we’re going to meet with the local government,” Joshua announced. “After that, we’ll be given assignments to assist with the hazard teams. Grab your things and be ready to work.”

Dawa retrieved her gear and messenger bag from storage and fell into step with Josh as they headed toward the prefectural hall. “So, do you think this government will give us a better reception than the last one did?”

Joshua chuckled, “Man, I hope so… The landing certainly was better,” he added with a smirk.

The hall they entered was still beautiful despite the recent devastation. Massive windows on the forward wall were still mostly intact, and they looked out on the lush coastline and sparkling sea.

There were two women in conversation at the reception desk, one seated behind and one standing in front. As the group approached, the seated woman stood and gestured to the woman in front of the desk, but before she could speak, the other woman cut in.

“Well, it looks like I owe you dinner,” she said, addressing her coworker as she eyeballed the group. “Starfleet delivered on their promise of aid for once. I thought they’d quit cleaning up after themselves a long time ago.”

The other woman looked helplessly from her associate to the group and back before weakly chiming in with, “Uh, this is Prefect Adelbai.”

Dawa’s smile quickly went from genuine to stretched and fake.

“Prefect,” Joshua simply said with a nod of acknowledgment. “My name is Dr. Joshua Bryant, these are my associates, Lieutenant Commander Dawa Vlček, Cadets Jabir Tior, Kinos Tolria, and Xiran Zoff.” He motioned to each of them in turn. “We’ve been tasked with cleaning up after ourselves, as you so eloquently put it,” Joshua continued, the million-dollar smile never leaving his face. “The only question remains is, how can we help?”

Lieutenant Commander Peri Anya stood at the head of the long conference table in her spacious office on Starbase Bravo, Darjeeling tea in one hand, data PADD in the other. It had been two weeks since she assumed her position as the Deputy Director of Promenade Security, and her determination to uphold the utopian vision of the Federation burned brighter than ever. With the bustling Frontier Day celebrations just around the corner, she knew there was much to discuss, and plan, to ensure the event went smoothly.

Assembled before her were the officers who made up her dedicated team. Each one carried the weight of their responsibilities, their faces reflecting a mixture of anticipation and respect for the stern commander. Peri had carefully handpicked her team, selecting officers from a range of departments who shared her unwavering commitment to justice and her relentless pursuit of truth, not to mention her desire to keep order on the station.

The Edosian lieutenant made sure that he had taken an end seat at the conference table, one so that he had room and didn’t feel confined two because this was a new group and he did not know how he would fit in. After taking his seat he pulled out his modified double PADD and studied up on the current security and intelligence briefings concerning Starbase Bravo, focusing on anything that dealt with the promenade or other public areas. 

“Commander, has anyone on the team heard of any threats made towards the Frontier Day festivities on Bravo in particular? “

Peri looked down the table towards Lieutenant Pilk and shrugged. “That’s kinda what I was hoping you strategic operations and intelligence gather types might be able to tell me. I provide the muscle. I rely on intelligence from you lot on where to send it,” the Bajoran frowned, folding her arms across her chest. “We’ve got refugees here from areas impacted by the Century Storm, and those from Romulan space. This is the first big deal we’ve had here under my watch, and I want it to go off without a hitch,” she said, looking around the table.

Sonja was in the room and looked at all the personnel present knowing this was one of those meetings that only happened when something big was going to happen, though she was of lower rank than some of them her importance was noted in the summons to be present in the meeting. She spoke up after Pilk. “Sir, there has been an increase of smuggled goods on the base, but none of the goods have caused a threat. I cannot be sure but I think this is a good way for someone to cause trouble, but the team has been diligent in making sure that the ships are triple-checked for any threats. I cannot say any other areas currently seem to hold any possibility of threat. The information from my teams states that currently, everything is calm.”

“Smugglers will often start with small inconsequential materials, get you to relax then they will work toward the bigger more money items. Good thinking on your part to not relax the standards.” he nodded toward Sonja.

“Petty crimes always raise during times like this. It’s the ones that use these activities to hide behind that we need to be watching for, and with a station as big as Bravo there are lots of places to hide.” Pilk pulled up a holographic map of the station highlighting the promenade area over the middle of the table. 

Alexander was going through his PADD when Pilk brought up the holographic image of the promenade area. He was still in confusion as to why he was summoned to this briefing, as he was a lowly ensign who had been assigned as an intelligence officer and barely had any clearance.  

Still, he spoke up after Lt. Pilk brought up the holographic image. 

“Sir, according to the given intelligence, there shouldn’t be any problems. So far, intelligence suggests that there are no problems to be concerned about, but as you know, I’m not privy to any higher intelligence gathered for Frontier Day, so I do not really see any point in me being here.” 

After Alexander finished his short briefing, he sat in silence, pondering if he should have said the last phrase.

“You’re here because I called you here,” Peri told in a very matter-of-fact tone. “The security of this station is everyone’s business, and not just those of us in gold. You’re an intelligence officer. Use your contacts, use your data, and do what all good intelligence officers do; analyse and identify threats. I want to know if there is so much as a Nausicaan breathing out of place. If you detect chatter about rogue cargo containers, let my people know. I don’t have enough people to be able to do all the jobs around here,” she reminded everyone, not just the poor ensign who had, in fairness, made a valid point.

”Speaking of cargo containers, I’m getting reports of federation supply containers being moved into warehouse spaces. Odd part is that the requisitions are not showing a final designation for the materials. Maybe something to look into?”

“Get on it,” Peri nodded. “In terms of security for the big day, I’ve cancelled all leave and got additional security personnel on standby from some of the vessels in the area. Teams will be given adjusted rotas and zones to patrol. Patrol supervisors will be expected to check in regularly, Miss Thompson. I’ll let you relay that to the troops,” the Bajoran instructed of her colleague in gold.

Sonja wrote the information down in her PADD as she did anytime she had a briefing that way the information was somewhere and she could easily access it. “I will make sure all personnel are made aware of that change and that the proper rotations are implemented for the duration of the event.”

“I’ll monitor ongoing chatter for any possible issues,” Dalaa, the Orion youngster from Strat Ops, advised the Bajoran.

“Vigilance is the order of the day people,” the Bajoran warned them all, leaning on the back of her chair as she loomed large. “Frontier Day is a massive event. Nothing must go wrong…”

Cloaked Romulan Pirate

“Sir, I've managed to tap into a data stream coming from the Federation outpost, it should allow us to avoid their patrols. Unfortunately, I was unable to completely decrypt the data, so only this image is available."

On the screen, a map of the space surrounding Starbase Bravo overlay a 10 by 10 grid, labeled 1-10 and A-H.  Suddenly, one of the squares turned completely white.

“What just happened Subcommander?”

“The data is unclear, but I believe they've labeled it as a possible location for our wherabouts.  Luckily they are off by two grids over.”

“Just in case, we'll prepare to move.  Take us to the gridpoint marked H-5.”

Starbase Bravo - Princess's Quarters

“Sorry Sky, but that's a miss.  I'll guess E2.”  She was rather proud of her strategy this time, Ever since their academy days, she hadn't been able to beat Sky at Battleship, and she hoped this time would change it all.

“Miss again Princess.  How about H5?”

“Hit, dang you.”

Cloaked Romulan Pirate

“Bring us about immediately take us to J5!” It could not be a coincidence that the minute they arrived in the new section, it turned red and they almost ran straight into a Starfleet Sabre class vessel.  “Engineering, I want to know how they're tracking us!”  The Commander stared intently at the screen, awaiting the next update.

USS Marduk - Captain's Cabin

Sky grinned to himself as he watched Princess miss again “Yeah B7 is a miss as well.” What followed was a series of curse words in three languages, one he didn't even recognize, and a statement that would make even a Klingon blush.  “I'm going to continue with J5.”

“There goes my Cheyenne Class.”

If it wasn’t already busy onboard Starbase Bravo things have gotten even more crazier with Frontier Day events in full swing. Renu Tol had been in his quarters getting ready for the event that was about to commence, standing there shirtless staring at his dress uniform. He disliked them as they always felt constrictive and very uncomfortable. After a while of himself grumbling he changed into his uniform before moving on to combing his hair which was currently a mess.

Looking at himself in the mirror adjusting his uniform and rank pips until he was satisfied with his appearance, ‘well as good as I am going to get’ he replied to himself as he walked out of the bedroom into the living room. Walking out of his quarters he made his way towards where the party was located. Frontier Day was such a big event and this year being the 250th Frontier Day was a huge event.

A short time later he arrived at his destination, adjusting his dress uniform again before he entered to see how it was set up. It had been done up beautifully and there were dignitaries from all over Starfleet that had flocked to Starbase Bravo for the festivities. He had walked deeper into the room looking for a good place to stand without seeming to be in the center. As he made his way over to a table on the far side of the room though not too far in the corner that he be considered a snob, he grabbed a glass of champagne he smiled at the waitress who had been handing them out.

Another hand grasped out from the crowd of dress uniforms.  That hand reached for the same flute of champagne only a few seconds after Renu claimed it.  The hand closed around empty air, the pads of the fingertips brushing against Renu’s fingers.

From the other side of the empty champagne tray, Lieutenant Elegy Weld said, “My apologies.”  In his perfectly-tailored dress uniform, Weld stood a little taller than Renu and slimmer in build.  Along their hairlines, the two of them shared the spotted markings of a Trill heritage – even if Weld had been prone to shave his head in those days.  Weld waved a hand at the waitress as she returned to the food prep area, off the promenade’s main concourse, where they stood.

“I’m sure another drink will materialize soon enough,” Weld said.

Renu Tol had felt something brush against his hand as he had been paying attention to the waitress, he looked over to the person who had happened to reach for the same flute. Renu smiled at the officer, “no worries.” Renu smiled as he also noticed he was a fellow Trill. He wasn’t used to such fancy parties such as these, though this year was a milestone that they went all out. 

“They sure went all out,” Renu commented looking around the room as he seemed impressed by it.

Looking to the left and the right, Weld could see no end to the decorations, dress uniforms and decked-up servers across the entire thoroughfare of the promenade.  Nodding slowly at what he saw, Weld grinned at Renu and then nodded twice more.

“I suppose we have a lot to celebrate,” Weld remarked.  “We’ve all been so much in the past couple of years, from Velorum to Deneb.  Makes you proud to wear the uniform, you know?”

“Indeed,” Renu replied then realized he had been rude. “How rude of me for not introducing myself, I am Lieutenant Commander Renu Tol. Recently took over as Deputy Director of Shipyard Operations,” he said extending his hand towards Weld with a smile on his face.

“It’s my pleasure to meet you, Commander Tol,” Weld said and he clasped Renu’s hand between both of his own.  “You can call me…”  But Weld’s voice trailed off.  Instead of his own name, he sucked in a distressed breath.  His gaze rose to look up at the holographic screens positioned around the promenade.  

A moment earlier, it had been easy to ignore the sensor feeds from Earth’s orbit.  Starfleet starships were parading through the stars in formation; if you had seen it once, you had seen it a dozen times.  But the fleet formation had taken a turn for the disastrous.  In the crisp more-real-than-real definition of a holographic projection, every starship – every single starship – was firing all phasers on Sol Station.  The fleet at Earth had gone rogue and was attacking Starfleet itself.

“What??” Weld finally said.

Renu looked at what Weld was seeing and he was taken aback by what he was witnessing, gasping at the sight. “What is happening?” He said as he watched what was unfolding in front of him while his hand was still in his as they were both left in shock. He was without words to even say anything for a long while, “something has to be wrong with the fleet formation system.” He said not knowing the true reason why the ships were firing on the starbase.

“This is more than something wrong,” Weld said.  All across the promenade, people were gasping or shouting.  The tenor of voices varied from helpless dismay to impotent frustration.  Weld took a step closer to Renu to be heard.  He raised an index finger to point at the screen where dozens upon dozens of phaser beams were converged on Sol Station.

“This is more than something wrong,” Weld affirmed.  “This is a catastrophe.” 

Looking at him for a brief moment before looking back at the screen and then back at Weld. “There must be something wrong with the fleet formation mode. If there is we have ships docked here at Starbase Bravo which also have that mode installed on them, I need to go have those looked at before we become the next catastrophe.” Renu said looking at him still not knowing the real reason.

Holding Renu’s gaze, Weld swallowed hard and then he asked, “Do you think Starbase Bravo could be next?”

He looked at him letting out a sigh, “I hope not.” He replied before looking back at the feed and repeating what he just said. He had never seen such a thing, what was supposed to be a good day quickly turned into a catastrophe that wasn’t imaginable. Wondering how something like this could happen, was there something more at play here than what they were seeing? 

Working his jaw a bit, “I owe you a drink.”  Renu said with a soft smile, “I better get going to get those ships checked out.”

“Good luck with the fleet formation programing,” Weld remarked.  “Who would have thought a parade could go so terribly, terribly wrong?”

Renu Tol was attending one of the many parties that were going on within Starbase Bravo when the horror struck the feed coming from Earth. He was still in his dress uniform when he quickly made his way down to one of the many ships that had the fleet formation mode installed. He had put a call out to anyone who could assist him in checking to see if there had been any security breaches. They would start at the Susan B. Anthony before moving to the others.

Upon arrival he noticed two officers as well as a few other engineers that answered the request, “Thank you for coming so quickly,” Renu said looking at a young Ensign and Lieutenant Commander both in yellow. “I am sure you all seen what we all seen,” he stated.

“I caught an FNN feed on the transport here, something about ships attacking Sol Station?” Jaso said, quickly falling into step with the group. “I had my doubts about this new fleet formation mode,” he grumbled. 

Ethan looked up from his console as Commander Tol entered the room and stood to attention, “Deputy Director Tol. Sir, what’s going on?” He asked. He was just about to come off duty when he heard about some kind of incident and the station being put on high alert. He didn’t know what was happening or what their new mission might be, but he was ready to help in any way that he could. 

Looking at the young ensign before walking to a console and pulling up the feed. “This is what is going on,” he pointed to the screen while looking at Ethan.

Ethan couldn’t believe what he was watching on the monitor, looking up at Commander Tol with a horrified look of disbelief. 

“I have,” Mads replied. She’d been intending to head to one of the parties but had been delayed when one of the transport schedules had had a hiccup and she’d had to replan it on the fly. She hadn’t been paying attention to the Frontier Day broadcast, not until the proverbial hand hit the fan. Then like everyone else, she’d watched the screen with mounting horror.

“I’m not much of an engineer,” she admitted. “But I can lock systems down with the best of them. What do you need?”

“We need to inspect the ships that have that fleet formation mode installed on them starting with the Susan B. Anthony, we need to know if they have been compromised in any way. We don’t want to be the next catastrophe to take place,” Tol replied looking at both.

“Commander Mads that would be great if you could lock down the systems of each ship starting with this one.” Tol ordered, “Let me know if you find anything out of the ordinary.” Tol added trying to cover any bases they can into figuring out if these ships have been compromised.

Mads offered a tight smile, but not one of amusement. Instead, it was filled with grim determination. “Will do. I suggest we keep comms open between this group.”

“Good idea,” Tol replied.

“Ethan and Jaso you both will come with me and help me inspect the system of the ship specifically that has to deal with the fleet formation mode,” Tol said looking at him.

“Understood sir,” Jaso said with a nod. He’d barely arrived and was already being thrown into chaos. The crisis was quickly becoming his modus operandi. 

Ethan looked to Jaso, then back to Commander Tol, and nodded, “Aye, sir.”

“Any questions?” Tol asked looking at the three of them.

“Should we anticipate conflict along the way?” Jaso didn’t typically carry a weapon on duty, but there were a lot of X factors. “We don’t know how many crew members are involved in this plot.”

“That’s a good point,” Ethan said, nodding as he heard Jaso ask his question, “bringing phasers might not be a bad idea. Who knows if we’re next.”

“Good point, there should be a weapons locker right next to the entrance to the Susan B. Anthony we can grab one. Though I do recommend the stun setting,” Renu replied. “If there isn’t anything else I suggest we get going, let’s stick together as we can do everything we need from engineering,” Renu said as they began to make their way to grab a phaser before heading onto the ship.

After a few moments of walking making sure everything was secure, they made it to engineering, walking over to one of the consoles. “Mads go ahead and lock down systems except what we need down here in engineering,” Renu replied before looking back at the other two.

But it didn’t. The lock-out went smoothly and she looked up to see where Tol was.

“All locked down,” she said in a quiet voice as she moved to stand next to him. “Just the engineering systems you’re working on are live.”

“Thank you Mads,” Renu said with a smile before turning to the others.

“Jaso run a level ten diagnostic on all systems,” Renu ordered. “That should be able to detect any abnormalities,” Renu said unless the systems were tampered with, and whoever did it probably wouldn’t detect anything that way.

Nodding, Jaso shouldered his rifle. Whenever he carried a rifle, he hoped it was never used. Still, it was comforting to have walked into this situation.

“Ensign, we will check out the fleet formation mode system manually while the diagnostic is being run,” Renu ordered.

“Aye, Commander,” Ethan said, eager to get started. 

Once they had their orders each set off to different parts of engineering to begin their work which would take a while to complete. They hoped that everything would check out, then other ships would need to be checked as well to ensure that they won’t suffer the same fate that the Sol system was facing right now. 

The console Jaso was working at finished, breaking the quiet. “Diagnostic complete. The computer didn’t find anything important,” he paused to look at the results. “The port Bussard collector is running 3.5 cycles behind the starboard one. They should get that fixed. It could be the-” He pause to look at the faces in the room. “But nothing’s wrong with the fleet formation mode.”

Ethan nodded, still looking at his console as he spoke, “Agreed, I’ve been looking over the line code for the formation system and haven’t been able to identify any faults with the system that could cause what we’ve seen at Earth. It all seems to check out.” He looked up to Tol confused. 

“I am getting the same thing,” Renu said with a sigh. “Well this ship is secure and isn’t in danger,” he added before looking at the three of them. “I suggest we do the same for the USS Exeter and the USS Hippocrates as those two also have the fleet formation mode installed on them.” Renu looked at the three of them.

Mads nodded. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll breathe a little easier when all these ships are locked down.” The events from Sol Sector hadn’t made for easy watching, that was for sure. “Which should we tackle first?”

“Perhaps we should split up,” Jaso said. “We can work faster, but keep an open commlink in case we run into trouble.”

“Probably a good idea,” Renu replied as they began to exit the ship. “Mads go with Jaso, Hale you’re with me,” Renu replied as they went off in their separate directions to two separate ships. His mind racing at the situation that was playing out on Earth, in the back of his mind he hoped they wouldn’t be the next victim.

The hum of the starbase’s docking bay was interrupted by the hiss of hydraulics as the shuttle’s boarding ramp extended, and the bright lights from outside spilled in. Among the passengers disembarking, Cam Solari stepped out with a mix of excitement and nervousness in his eyes.

He had finally arrived at Starbase Bravo, a prestigious assignment that marked the beginning of his Starfleet career. As a newly commissioned Ensign, Cam had dreamt of serving aboard a starship, venturing out into the unknown reaches of space. Instead, he found himself posted as a Flight Operations Officer on the bustling starbase, tasked with coordinating shuttle movements during the busiest event of the year, Frontier Day.

As Cam stepped onto the docking bay floor, his uniform neatly pressed and adorned with the rank insignia of an Ensign, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the starbase. It was a labyrinth of activity, with starships coming and going, officers and civilians bustling about, and the lively spirit of celebration permeating the air.

Before Cam could fully take in his surroundings, a voice called out to him, “Ensign Solari!” Turning his head, he saw a senior officer striding towards him with purpose. The officer’s uniform indicated he was a high-ranking figure, and as he approached, Cam noticed the warm smile on his face.

“I’m Lieutenant Commander Andrew Carter, Head of the Flight Control office,” the officer introduced himself, extending a hand in greeting. “We’re glad to have you on board, especially during this hectic Frontier Day.”

Cam shook Lt. Commander Carter’s hand firmly, trying to conceal his inner excitement and anxiety. “Thank you, sir. I’m honored to be here,” he replied, trying to sound as confident as possible.

The commander’s smile widened. “I can imagine. Frontier Day is a celebration like no other. The entire starbase is buzzing with activity, but I assure you, it’s also a fantastic opportunity to show what you’re made of.”

Cam nodded, his spirits lifting at the encouragement. “I’m ready to contribute in any way I can, sir.”

“Excellent,” Lt. Commander Carter said. “During Frontier Day, our shuttle operations become even more critical. With so many dignitaries and visitors arriving, we need to ensure smooth and efficient transportation. You’ll be working closely with our seasoned pilots and officers, learning the ropes as you go.”

Cam’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm. Despite his initial disappointment about not being assigned to a starship, he realized that this experience might just be the start of something extraordinary.

“As part of the flight operations team, you’ll have a front-row seat to the festivities,” Carter continued. “Starbase Bravo truly shines during this event, and it’s an excellent opportunity to make connections and showcase your abilities.”

“I won’t let you down, sir,” Cam assured him, feeling a renewed sense of purpose.

“Good to hear, Ensign,” Carter said with a nod. “Now, I’ll take you to the operations center. There’s much to do, but I have a feeling you’ll fit right in.”

As they made their way through the bustling starbase, Cam’s anticipation grew. The sights and sounds of the Frontier Day preparations surrounded him, filling him with wonder and excitement. He hoped he had found his place on Starbase Bravo, even if it wasn’t the assignment he had originally wished for.

Dawa tapped her foot as the turbolift traveled down, down, over three-hundred decks down to Sector Lima-Violet. Although lifts on a station as large as Starbase Bravo were fitted with small inertial dampeners, she still felt a bit dizzy when the doors finally slid open on deck 660.

This didn’t affect the spring in her step as she wove through the busy hangar, scanning the crowd for a face that matched the photo in the personnel file that graced her PADD. Her baseline good mood was bolstered by the fact that she was on an errand with a guaranteed positive outcome: she’d yet to meet a pilot that wouldn’t jump at the chance for extra flight hours.

Finally, she spotted a familiar face in the crowd and zeroed in on the officer that appeared to match her file.

“Excuse me, are you Camden Solari?”

“Yes, si’am, I am Ensign Camden Solari, everybody calls me Cam.” Cam’s eyes widened in terror when he realised what he just clucked out.

“Excuse me, I tried to say ma’am, sir.” immediately regretting his own correction he just ignored it this time, holding on to an idle shimmer of hope that this was all a dream and he just had to wake up.

Dawa laughed, though not unkindly, and reached out to shake the young man’s hand. “Don’t worry about it, ensign. I’m Dawa Vlček, commanding officer of the White Squadron. How’d you like to pick up some hours on an Apsara-class fighter?”

Cam’s eyes widened with surprise and excitement at the unexpected opportunity. “Wow, Commander Vlček, it’s an honor to meet you!” he replied, trying to contain his enthusiasm whilst shaking her hand. “I’d love to get some flight hours on a modern-day Memphis Belle. That’s an incredible offer!”

“Great!” said Dawa. “I’ll put you in the rotation; I’ve already confirmed your availability with your supervisor here in Flight Control.”

Cam’s smile grew even wider, and he couldn’t believe his luck. This was the perfect chance to showcase his abilities and make a positive impression. “Thank you, Commander. I won’t let you down,” he said with determination.

“I have no doubt about that,” Dawa replied, her confidence in him evident. “Come with me, and I’ll show you to the hangar where the Apsara-class fighters are stationed. We’ll get you up to speed and ready for action.”

As they walked through the bustling hangar, Cam’s heart raced with anticipation. This was a dream come true, an unexpected twist of fate that turned his initial disappointment of being stuck on air traffic duty into an incredible opportunity. 

Back in the higher levels of the station, Dawa pressed her hand onto an access panel and led Cam through the doors and onto the hangar deck. 

“I do enjoy getting the chance to show off my squad,” she admitted as she approached the nearest Apsara bomber. She keyed a code into her PADD, and the hatch on the underside of the cockpit opened for them. She led the way up the ladder. “I usually prefer smaller, lighter craft to be honest, but these fighters have really grown on me. Must be my ship-builder heritage: I can’t help but appreciate a well-designed vessel built in limited numbers.”

She made room in the narrow cockpit for Cam to ascend, and once he was up the ladder she gestured to the pilot seat as if to say, ‘Be my guest.’

Cam sat down in the pilot’s seat with a sense of relief. As he sat down his leg started to tremble with excitement and he immediately powered up the ship. Cam thought to himself ‘All my life I have never not been able to fly for such a long period of time, but now that is coming to an end!’

Cam checked if Dawa got seated and asked, “All set, commander?”

Dawa, who barely sat down herself, was impressed with the ease the young ensign readied the bomber. She nodded and matched his determination with a quick, “Go for it, ensign.”

Cam hovered the shuttle to the launching area and hailed flight control. “Starbase Bravo flight control, this is Apsara-class fighter B728 dash Ypsilon dash 4 ready for takeoff.”

“Solari? What the hell are you doing?” Cam could feel the astonishment in Lieutenant Janson’s voice. 

“Commander Vlček invited me to go on a routine patrol, we don’t want any surprises during the Frontier Day festivities do we Lieutenant?” Cam said grinning ear to ear.

“Uh, no uhm, offcou- uhm, you have all green ensign, have a safe flight.” The communique sounded.

“Well, thank you, Lieutenant! I will wave when we pass.” Cam closed the channel with his assistant shift leader and heard Dawa swallow a chuckle. 

“You know, you could have just sent out an automated request?” Dawa asked, though her smile hinted that she already knew the answer.

“Oh, I know, commander,” Cam replied, his eyes holding back tears of laughter.

Dawa shifted her focus to the console in front of her, but her amused smile didn’t waver as she calibrated the tactical station.

Cam played the control panel like a keyboardist that got reunited with his first piano. His leg now trembled in tune with the subtle vibrations caused by the ship’s engines. It felt great, almost like coming home. ‘The gravitational generator need’s some calibration,’ Cam thought to himself as he felt a small push in his stomach as the vessel propelled forward.

“So, about your ship-builder heritage, Utopia Planetia, or one of those smaller but equally impressive spacedock regions?” Cam asked Dawa casually, still trying to repress his nerves about her inviting him along on this incredible opportunity. 

“Oh, not Utopia Planetia, thank goodness,” said Dawa, the smile leaving her face at the mention of the doomed fleet yards. “No, my family’s from Christopher’s Landing on Titan. They’ve been working at the Sol VI shipyards for just about as long as the shipyards have existed. I just decided at some point that I’d rather fly ships than build them, but knowing how they’re put together has certainly come in handy. Perhaps you can relate? I’m sure having such a long history as a pilot–despite being so young–means you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of many a technical manual in your time.”

Cam chuckled as he reminisced the countless hours he’d shared with his father in the cockpits of ageless airplanes “You know, once my dad took me flying in this old, rickety plane he’d been fixing up. We were soaring over San Francisco Bay, enjoying the view, when suddenly the engine sputtered. My heart skipped a beat, but Dad just grinned and said, ‘Did you bring your swimming trunks?’ My heart skipped two more and then he said ‘it looks like we might get an unplanned dip in the bay today!’ Thankfully, he managed to coax the engine back to life, and we landed safely. I think that was the day I realized I inherited my love of flying from him, along with a dash of his knack for adventure.”

Joshua looked through the PADD provided by Prefect Adelbai, “When I asked how we could help, I didn’t think they meant rebuilding their entire colony.” He scratched his head, “I mean, look at some of this stuff.” Joshua handed the PADD to Dawa.

She scrolled through the exceedingly long list and started reading the items out loud. “Let’s see, water line repair? Pretty standard. Freshwater contamination monitoring? Some of the stuff they’re asking us to screen for isn’t part of the standard protocol Starfleet gave us, but fine, whatever. Vaccination updates? Again, standard, but– I’m no doctor, but this list seems unusually long. Replicator upgrades at their municipal supply depot…”

She kept scrolling. And scrolling. “Rather extensive updates. Some of this looks like they think we have magic wands instead of tricorders. Or, say, a full starship crew instead of three cadets. It looks like this colony was struggling long before the Lost Fleet attacked. I wonder if local raiding parties or the Kzinti have something to do with that. I’m really glad the Higgs made those updates to the defense system, or we’d have an even bigger mess on our hands.”

Dawa handed the PADD back to Josh. “Well, this is your mission, Dr. Bryant,” she said with a grin. “Where do you want us to start?”

Rubbing his eyes, Joshua took the PADD back from Dawa. “I think we need to divide and conquer. Let’s hit the critical systems first. Cadet Kinos, head to the Infirmary and handle the vaccination updates and health screenings. I can set up the contamination monitoring, it’s similar to the system Ingnaus had.” He handed the PADD to Jabir, “Cadet Tior, does the aqueduct system look like something you and Cadet Zoff can team up on?”

Taking the pad from Joshua and looking at the intense plans for the aqueduct system he looked up at Joshua and the Dawa then back at the PADD. “Yeah, I say we should be able to do this.” With this, he transferred the specs of the aqueduct system to his PADD and handed the other one back to Joshua. He nodded his head at Zoff, handed her the PADD and they walked off towards the aqueduct system looking over the plans.

Watching Tior and Zoff walking off, Tolria looked at Joshua and Dawa, “I guess that’s my cue. Time to go update some vaccination records,” she said with an eye roll.

“The work isn’t always sexy, Cadet Kinos. The slow days help you appreciate the crises,” Joshua replied.

Joshua turned to Dawa, “So that leaves you and me. Did you pack your galoshes?” He asked with a smirk.

Dawa sighed, but the good-natured smile didn’t leave her face. “You know it. Starfleet standard issue!”

The galoshes came up past her knees and did indeed have the Starfleet arrowhead insignia stamped on either side of the rims, but they did nothing against the slow, constant drip of water from the levels above. Dawa held one hand up to her brow to at least keep it out of her eyes, while the other grasped the strap of the toolkit hanging off her shoulder.

“I’m not sure what you’ll find in there,” came a voice over their comms channel. “Many of the clean-up organisms we use for bioremediation were killed in the most recent attack, and the rest are being overwhelmed by who-knows-what kind of contamination now.”

Dawa lifted one of her feet and glanced at the sludge that covered her boot as if she could tell just by looking. “Well,” she said, her voice echoing off the interior of the tank, “I can help the locals get their scanners back up and running, but hell if I know how to fix this bio-soup. It’s kind of like agriculture though, right? Just on a tiny level?”

“I think,” Joshua said, lifting his boot through the sludge, “Gross… Anyway, I think the scanners could give us a better idea of what we’re working with.” He tapped the button to broadcast on the comms channel. “Can you send me the biological information of the organisms used in here? Include the biothermal and radiologic profiles.

He took a couple of test tubes from a pouch on his belt, “I have an idea.” He submerged the tubes in the muck, emerging with them filled with sludge. Joshua wiped them down with his gloves and held them up to the light. “It almost looks petroleum-based. That could be a reversion to their base state or a chemical reaction maybe. Fascinating,” he placed them in his pouch and continued scanning.

Tior and Zoff found a workbench outside just down the hill from the aqueduct system going over the plans and working out between them what could be the possible problem, apart from the few fallen rocks scattered around the aqueduct’s control system.

A few moments later the two came up with a plan on how to possibly combat the water problem, so they made their way up to the control system. Upon arrival they saw the aqueduct control system buried in a few big boulders, too heavy to remove them by hand. They set their phasers to setting 4 and fired them at the boulders.

A few seconds passed and they could see all of the aqueduct control system. Luckily the control panel was almost in one piece, but there were a few minor damaged parts. Upon arriving at the control panel the two engineers went to fix what had been broken. But things were about to hit the roof big time.

“Zoff pass me the micro spanner please while you recalibrate the sensor board on top,” said Tior. A short while went by then Zoff turned to the supply case to grab the power calibrator and sort out the power flow. As she reached the case, she lost balance and fell behind between two boulders. Upon landing, Zoff bumped into what she thought was just another rock only to find out it was an undetonated torpedo.

“Tior you need to run, there’s an undetonated torpedo here. It looks to be of Breen design and I can hear a low humming noise. I think I reactivated it when I fell,” said Zoff. Tior stood and turned to see what Zoff was talking about and saw a broken design torpedo behind her with flashing lights getting faster and a humming noise getting louder.  Tior headed over to see if he could do anything and realized he had no time. He grabbed Zoff’s hand to try to pull her away to safety but just as he had her hand and started to pull her away, Tior and Zoff heard an explosion behind them as they were sent flying down the hill back towards the compound.

As the Apsara-class fighter smoothly glided beyond the expansive walls of Starbase Bravo, Ensign Cam Solari’s hands moved deftly across the controls, his excitement palpable even amidst the hum of the ship’s engines. Turning his attention to Commander Dawa Vlček, who occupied the co-pilot seat beside him, he inquired, “Commander, do you have a preferred heading in mind? Your familiarity with this region could guide our flight.” 

The view through the cockpit’s transparent canopy stretched before them, displaying the vast expanse of space that awaited their exploration.

“Yeah, let’s head out to Mellstoxx VI. I want you to have an opportunity to pilot us through a heavy atmosphere. Plus,” Dawa leaned towards Cam and stage-whispered, “This will be training for me, too.”

While Cam recognized her slight exaggeration, he couldn’t shake the sense of being genuinely valued.

She leaned back and brought up the holographic targeting array at her console. “I’ve asked the instructors at the Stinsfor Base to set up some targets for us; I need to get some hours in at the tactical station. When we finish that, we’ll check in with the base and possibly lead some cadets there in formation training.”

Dawa leaned back, took in the view outside the canopy, and sighed in contentment. “I’ll admit, it is nice to be the passenger every once in a while.”

Camden swiftly charted a course for Mellstoxx VI, aligning the vessel precisely, engaging warp without hesitation. While most might hesitate to navigate through a dense atmosphere, Cam’s excitement outweighed any apprehension.

“I can only imagine, though I’d rather not. All I know is I’m incredibly grateful you’ve given me my wings back, Commander,” Cam responded earnestly, repressing tears of joy.

Dawa could only smile at Cam, afraid that any response from her would feel inadequate in the face of his overwhelming sincerity.

“To clear the record and avoid any déjà vu,” Cam inquired with a chuckle, “should I go with the classic ‘sir’, stick with ranks, or is ‘ma’am’ a safe bet?” He playfully added, conscious of not stepping on any conversational landmines yet again.

“Ha!” Dawa barked a laugh at his reference to his earlier verbal misstep. “‘Sir’ is just fine; I find it rolls off the tongue easiest. We don’t want you overthinking anything that’s not directly related to flying this ship,” she added with a wink.

Moments later, they emerged from warp, Mellstoxx VI in full view through the canopy. Cam deftly adjusted the control panel, guiding the bomber into a steep, controlled descent toward the designated target coordinates. 

With a playful grin, Cam quipped, “Just in case you’ve forgotten the joys of riding shotgun, now’s the perfect time to start scanning for targets.”

Dawa made a show of rubbing her hands together in anticipation, then began weaving a pattern of inputs between the console and the holographic display above it. “Let’s hope they didn’t forget to– ah ha!”

A red light started pulsing on the holo-display. “We’ve got our first bogey! Sending the coordinates to your station. It’s moving away from us, so let’s see you catch up to it!”

The Apsara-class bomber’s nose pointed downward, piercing the first atmospheric layer. Turbulence jolted the craft, intensifying by the moment. With a swift glance at the gyroscope, Cam’s hands moved in synchronized precision – left to amplify the reflector, right to align trajectory with oncoming cloud pockets. Gradually, the tremors eased, allowing Cam to accelerate and use the cloud cover both as stabilizer and camouflage, concealing the target from view. Where moments ago, breathtaking views graced the canopy, now, only a dense curtain of condensed water particles stretched out before them.

“You know, back on Earth, I flew an original—” Cam’s sentence was abruptly cut off by an incoming weather phenomenon. A brilliant flash of light illuminated the fighter’s nose. Acting swiftly, Cam tilted the craft sideways and surged forward, maneuvering to escape the storm’s clutches. 

After stabilizing, Cam picked up where he left off, “As I was saying, back on Earth, I flew an original Boeing B17 ‘Memphis Belle’ once—well, a replica, of course. I have to admit, this ride is considerably smoother.” 

“That’s amazing!” Dawa said without lifting her eyes from her display. “I’ve never flown anything that didn’t have microfusion thrusters. In some ways, I think traditional aviation is more challenging.”

Cam briefly paused as he anticipated the next obstacle. Then, with a grin, he continued, “Speaking of which, does this still sport the original setup with 2 type 9, 4 type 8, 6 torps, and 2 micros? Or have you made some modifications?”

“All weaponry is factory standard,” said Dawa, “Though based on the raider ship I ran into the last time I was in the Paulson Nebula, perhaps an upgrade wouldn’t be a bad idea…”

The beeping of sensors filled the cockpit, signaling to Cam and Dawa that the target was nearly within reach.

“Activating phaser cannons…” said Dawa. “Preparing to fire…”

She held off for a few seconds as the beeping on the proximity sensor grew more rapid, and as soon as they melted together into one continuous tone, she fired. The streak of red energy illuminated the swirling clouds that surrounded them and met its mark, and the target drone exploded in a cloud of glittering shrapnel.

“Woo hoo!” Dawa pumped her fist. “You owe me a high-five when we land! When we approach the next one, fly an evasive pattern on approach as if it were firing at us. That’ll give both of us  more of a challenge.” 

“Affirmative, initiating evasive maneuvers,” Cam promptly responded to Dawa’s comment as he caught a glimpse of something flashing on his side console.

“Commander, was a distress signal meant to be included in the exercise?” Cam inquired, seeking clarification.

“What?” Dawa asked, and the confusion in her voice was answer enough. She swiped her fingers across the console and brought up the details encoded in the signal. Her eyes darted back and forth across the message.

“Ensign, we’re making a diversion. Get us to the other side of this planet as fast as you possibly can.”

The tank Dawa and Joshua were in shook slightly. Joshua looked at Dawa, “What was that?” He clicked to broadcast on the comm channel, “Was that seismic activity or the tank settling? Please tell me it was the latter…”

“Neither Chief. We’re recording a large detonation roughly 50 kilometers to the northwest,” came the response.

Joshua’s brow furrowed, “Why is there a detonation…” He slapped his commbadge, “Bryant to Tior, are you reading that quake?”

No response.

Joshua tapped it again, “Bryant to Zoff, please respond.”

Still no response.

“Something’s wrong,” he said to Dawa. He clicked to broadcast, “We need out of here now. Mobilize a response team and have the Infirmary prep for incoming.”

“Already done, as per colony protocol. We’re prepping for extrication now.”

Dawa was already climbing the ladder towards the hatch at the top of the tank. “I wonder if ‘more municipal transporters’ was anywhere on that list of theirs,” she grumbled.

Their transport arrived at the infirmary at the same time as Tior and Zoff, who were both being pushed in on stretchers. Dawa lept out before the transport had completely stopped and ran towards their charges.

“Are they responsive? Are they alive?” she asked the paramedic.

Then, without waiting for a response, she gripped the side of Tior’s stretcher. “Cadet Tior, can you hear me?”

The response team moved through the building’s corridors with ease, with Dawa and Joshua following close by. The response team burst into the Infirmary. “Beds 2 and 8,” a doctor said curtly, pointing to the biobeds in turn. “Give your handoff to the incoming triage nurse. These two need to be assessed.”

A few moments passed after the team had brought Tior and Zoff to the infirmary and Dawa asked and gripped the side of Tior’s stretcher he woke up in shock and disorientation shouting, “Zoff run, run!”

With this outburst he was told by Dawa to relax and that he was safe in the Infirmary. With the shock of what happened and the drugs he was given for the pain, Tior passed out again. A few hours passed and Tior came to find himself with a partially burnt and destroyed uniform, lying on a biobed with a low pitch coming from the monitor above his head. He looked around the room to see Cadet Zoff across the room on a similar biobed but with a surgical support frame around her and a monitor above her head. He looked at himself to see a person using a dermal regenerator on his legs repairing some minor damage he had received from the blast.

“What’s happened to me, and is Zoff ok? What are you doing to my legs and why can’t I move them?” He put his hand to his head to feel a cortical stimulator on his forehead.

“Leave it alone,” a nurse said. “It’s helping with the concussion you received from the explosion.” The nurse gave him a shot of pain relief from the Hypospray he had sitting at his bedside and walked off to get Lt Commander Dawa and Dr. Joshua Bryant.

“How much time is left on the kayolane?”

Tolria looked at the chronometer, “24 minutes.”

The doctor sighed, “Fractures to her 4th, 6th, and 7th vertebrae,” he read off of the display. “That’s not to mention the damage to her internal organs and fractures elsewhere. Her bones look like a jigsaw puzzle.” The weight of his words carried in the silence of the surgical suite. “Can someone give me the status of the EMH?”

“We’re working on it, sir.” A voice rang out over the suite’s intercom. “A previous version of the program was installed in the systems. It’s not the most user-friendly.”

Tolira stared down at the body of Xiran, “We were just talking not but 12 hours ago…”

“Focus cadet.”

Joshua and Dawa looked on at the two of them working. The doctor was holding it together, but Joshua noted a tense fear in the man. And while Cadet Kinos specialized in surgery, she was a long way from leading an operation.

A nurse approached Joshua, “Cadet Tior is awake, he’s asking for the two of you.”

“We’re not doing anything beneficial here, should we go see him?” Joshua said to Dawa.

“Definitely,” said Dawa. “I think we’ll be more helpful to the conscious cadet at this point.”

The two of them walked over to Jabir. “It’s good to see you awake. How are you feeling?”

“I feel like I went ten rounds with a Klingon doing hand-to-hand combat training. I’m a bit bruised and banged up but the nurse said I be fine. I’m more worried about Zoff is she going to be ok? I see she’s not looking good because of what’s stuck around her,” said Tior.

Sitting up with a bit of pain. “How much damage was done to the waterways? Can it still be repaired and are there any more undetonated warheads we need to worry about sir?” said Tior.

“One thing at a time, Cadet,” said Dawa. She gave a half-hearted chuckle, her desire to reassure Tior warring with her concern for Zoff. “Zoff is in surgery right now,” she said, but she didn’t elaborate before moving on to the next point.

“So it was an undetonated warhead?” said Dawa. “The clean-up crew had suggested as much, but I guess this confirms it. I think we need to add ‘munitions clearance’ to the top of this colony’s wish list. Tior and I could troubleshoot their planetary defense grid and figure out why it missed that warhead, but…”

Dawa trailed off, a faraway look on her face. Suddenly a lightbulb seemed to go off over her head. “Maybe we can help the crew here get their EMH running, first. Something to give them a helping hand in surgery.”

Joshua nodded, “Agreed. It’s clear Tolria and Dr. Personality over there are in over their heads. Do you feel up to leading their team Jabir? I won’t be much help with engineering, but I can hold a spanner and take directions.”

“Yeah, I’ll take a look at it. I just have to pop to my quarters and I access their system and download the EMH maintenance program and download it to my PADD.” With that, he got up from his bed and to the room he had been allocated, got changed, and downloaded the information. Fifteen minutes had passed and the cadet had returned from the quarters with a fresh uniform and a data PADD telling him the steps on how to repair the EMH program.

“All right then, let’s get started,” Joshua said, falling into step with Jabir.

Dawa’s hands flew across the console, and she didn’t look up as she spoke. “That signal is from one of the cadet ships. It descended too far and now it doesn’t have any functioning sensors due to atmospheric interference. They’re scrambling their more experienced pilots on the base, but trying to find that ship will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t look good, but we have to try to help if we can.”

Cam swiftly concurred and, with seamless efficiency, steered the bomber toward the vessel’s most recent coordinates. His maneuvers were so sharp that were it not for the protection of the Apsara-class vessel’s inertia dampeners and shielding, Cam and Dawa’s insides would have been plastered against the rear of the cockpit like some surreal piece of abstract art.

”Commander, do we possess information on the ship’s final known position, velocity, and projected course? Perhaps we can estimate the approximate area of its eventual destination?” Cam pondered aloud, his voice carrying his thoughts as he wrestled to stabilize the bomber’s turbulent flight.

“We sure do. Inputting it into navigation right now,” she said, unphased by the jolting and jostling of their vessel in the thick atmosphere.

”Obviously, the scanners aboard this craft aren’t equipped for such a task,” Cam pondered inwardly, recognizing their design limitations.

“You’re right there,” Dawa said forlornly. “They should be using an amplified distress beacon for atmospheric drills, but even those don’t travel very far in the thick of a J-class atmosphere.”

Cam wracked his brain, searching every nook and cranny of his thoughts while actively avoiding a fate similar to that of the unfortunate cadets. The thick atmosphere showed no mercy this day. Then, in a moment of recollection, Cam’s memory unearthed a passage from his recent readings during his final year at the Academy.

”Tachyons!” Cam exclaimed abruptly, akin to a triumphant ‘Eureka!’

“Gravitons!” Dawa shouted, finally looking up from her console to glance at Cam. “Why are we shouting the names of elementary particles?”

”Tachyons, Commander! What if we had Stinsfor emit a sequence of controlled tachyon pulses towards the nearest orbiting satellite, using it as a reflector? Once the pulses scatter across the surface, we can then triangulate the findings alongside our scanners, creating an analogy to sonar technology!” Cam’s words flowed out with remarkable speed, a reflection of his relief that years of enduring his brother’s scientific rambles had ultimately proven beneficial.

“Wha– uh. Hmm. ‘What if’ indeed…” Dawa’s brow furrowed in concentration as she pulled up the sensor interface on her console, trying to work out whether Cam’s idea was plausible. “I think it’s worth a shot!”

“Computer!” said Dawa. “Relay the following message to Stinsfor base: this is Lieutenant Commander Vlček in Apsara-class fighter B728 dash Ypsilon dash 4 requesting operational assistance in search and rescue…”

As the starfighter raced to the other side of the planet, a message came back from the base. “Looks like Operation: Solari’s Solution is a go,” she said, the hint of a smile in her voice despite the dire circumstances.

Soon, they were approaching the search radius for the missing ship. “Stinsfor base,” said Dawa, “Fire first pulse!”

“Confirmed, B728,” came the response. “Firing now.”

The holographic map in front of Dawa shimmered briefly, but no outlines appeared on the screen. “Recalibrating sensors… Stinsfor! Second pulse!”

The map shimmered again, and this time the outline of a half dozen fighters flying in a search formation appeared on the screen. “Well, that’s something. Cam, do you think you can bring us down another 100 kilometers? Or do you want to hand over the controls? No ego, be honest. I don’t want them searching for two lost ships.”

“I reckon I can manage around 120 meters, give or take. But it’s gonna be a real challenge,” Cam stated confidently.

With a gentle push on the lever displayed on the control panel, Cam directed the bomber’s nose downward. As the vessel sliced through the thickening atmosphere, vibrations surged, prompting Cam to stabilize the craft at around 50 meters below. 

As beads of sweat formed on his forehead, Cam employed his left hand to extend the deflectors to their maximum range. Simultaneously, he maneuvered the small ship downward at a slight angle. Despite the unrelenting turbulence, it remained manageable as they continued their descent, now finding themselves positioned 100 meters lower than their previous altitude.

”Guess I might have been a tad too gung-ho about the 120 meters. If you wanna go any lower, you’ll need to take the reins,” Cam admitted to Dawa.

’What were those Cadets thinking? No way they could handle these depths,’ Cam pondered privately, acknowledging that while he wasn’t the most seasoned pilot in the fleet, yet certainly ranked above many of his peers.

Abruptly, Cam’s internal musings were interrupted by the communication system coming to life, “B728, we’re standing by for the next pulse.”

“Continue holding, Stinsfor,” said Dawa.

She turned to Cam and considered him a moment before giving him a slight nod. A smile slowly spread across her face and she reached out to give his shoulder a squeeze. 

“Great job, Ensign. You’re one hell of a pilot.”

She turned back to her console and entered her command codes. A bright red light flashed and an alarm blared in one brief tone as the consoles in front of Cam and Dawa began flickering and rearranging themselves. “I’ll take us the rest of the way, and once we finish our descent, you watch those sensors. Then, if we get very, very lucky, I’ll need you to operate the transporters… But in the meantime, hang on!”

The bomber rolled and pitched abruptly downward, propelled by the gas giant’s supersonic winds as it cut through the cloud layers. After sixty seconds with just the occasional jolt and jostle, Dawa leveled them out again and a green light flashed on their console. 

“We’re in position, Stinsfor! Fire!”

Cam stared at the holographic image, and the map now sparkled like a Christmas tree. It displayed Mellstoxx VI’s unforgiving atmosphere, with half a dozen fighters soaring in formation and a tiny speck hidden below the deeper cloud layers.

”Commander, I think we’ve located them! Head for bearing two-two-five-mark-three,” Cam urged, suppressing his relief.

Dawa skillfully maneuvered the craft, making it feel like a leisurely summer day as they raced toward the coordinates. Cam dared not blink, his eyes locked on the scanners. As they approached the designated position, the feedback image sharpened, only to abruptly vanish.

“Stinsfor, I think we got them! Blast us!” 

The map once again illuminated, and Cam recognized the unmistakable outline of a craft he knew all too well, a sleek sparrow-class fighter.

”Commander, it’s definitely them! I’m looking at a sparrow two kilometers down and still falling,” Cam informed his co-pilot, who wasted no time in asking the crucial question.

”Lifesigns?”

Cam squinted at the scanners, desperately seeking the vital information.

”I’m detecting two life signs, though one is quite faint. I… I can’t get a lock, we need to get closer.”

Dawa clenched her jaw as she considered her next move.

“Okay,” she said. “I’m going to take us in below them so that you have time to beam them aboard before they descend too far. The atmospheric pressure is getting really intense at this depth; it’s gonna do a number on our antigrav thrusters, so get ready for some turbulence. Here we go…”

Suddenly they dropped like a rock, and Dawa felt her stomach rise into her throat. The fact that she’d done it intentionally didn’t seem to matter to her adrenaline levels.

The antigrav thrusters shuddered, and just as they stabilized they dropped again. And again.

Finally, after the fourth drop, the thrusters began to hum loudly as Dawa fought to maintain their position.

“Try it now!”

“Lock acquired! Energizing!”

From behind him, the unmistakable hum of a transporter coalescing filled the air. Cam swiftly pivoted, finding two Cadets materializing before him. One was unconscious, while the other appeared disoriented. Cam instinctively reached for his tricorder, commencing a scan on the fallen Cadet, a Bajoran female. All the while, he maintained a reassuring gaze on the frightened human male Cadet.

“Stay calm; you’re in good hands. We’re here to help,” Cam reassured, attempting to offer comfort, but his words fell on deaf ears. He made another attempt, introducing himself, “I’m Ensign Solari. Can you tell me your name?”

The Cadet’s lips parted, and he began to stammer, “M-my… My n-name is…” However, before he could finish, Cam’s tricorder erupted in a sudden, insistent series of beeps.

Cam swiftly called out to Dawa, his voice laden with the same sense of urgency, “Commander, we need a medic ASAP!”

“Don’t worry, we’re heading straight back to Stinsfor,” Dawa called over her shoulder. “…hopefully.”

She swiftly adjusted the craft’s position, angling it so that the gas giant’s powerful currents would act as a tailwind. “Diverting power from weapons systems to the antigrav thrusters. Hold tight!”

Dawa gave Cam a moment to adjust himself and the cadets, then hit a button on her console that gave them a powerful burst of energy up through the dense air and clouds.

As soon as she was sure the craft was going to hold during its ascent, she called the base. “Stinsfor! We’ve recovered both cadets. Returning to base. Need a medical team to meet us.”

“Confirmed, B728. Medical team is prepped and waiting. We’ll see you soon.”