First Officer’s Log: The USS Luna left Starbase 86 and has headed into the Triangle, a region of space that if essentially a No Man’s Land between the rival empires of the Federation, the Romulan Free State and the Klingon Empire. The conflict between the Klingon and Romulans has further drawn away attention from the region leaving the criminal gangs and pirates unchecked in this area. Meanwhile I’m still finding my footing as a First Officer, and a member of this crew. Thus far life has been comfortable, and it’s obvious that in the designing of the USS Luna the intent was to create a place comfortable for human and non-human life on a long voyage. So far the arboretum is a favorite of mine, and much larger and lusher than the holographic green space that we had aboard my last ship.

 

The crew itself is perhaps a bit green, with most of the senior staff either having moved on or been beset by various tragedies, but they’re all eager and willing to learn. The ship is full of dedicated crew but most of them are so young that they can’t imagine being at war with the Klingons. It’s never happened within my lifetime, and so I can’t blame anyone who sees the seemingly perpetual peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire as being the only state of being that’s acceptable or even possible. Few of us have faced war before, especially not the prolonged violent conflict that any war with the Klingons will be. 

 

The crew though is adaptable and while they’ve been through more hardships than most crews I’ve seen I have faith in their reliance and their abilities come the end of peaceful relations with the Klingons.

 

For now though we are patrolling the Triangle, ensuring that the chaos going on in the galaxy does not come to Federation colonies which still need to be supplied and protected. 

—- USS Luna, Bridge —-

Commander Olivia Carrillo sat up a bit straighter as the ship appeared on the screen. Part of settling into the new position aboard the USS Luna had been figuring out how hands on the Captain wanted to be for things like this, semi-regular stops of ships in unclaimed space to see it they were pirates or something more sinister. She stood from the center chair and tugged downward on her black uniform with the red piping of command and glanced meaningfully at Lieutenant Junior Grade William Hume at tactical, “Don’t raise shields yet, but be ready to. Bring us alongside it, bridge to Captain Cruz we have an unidentified ship we’re closing in on.”

The Captain signaled that she was on her way, and entered the bridge from the Ready Room, she nodded at Carrillo and then glanced at Hume, ”Hail them Lieutenant on screen.”

An Orion popped up on screen looking nervous, he smiled, “I’m Captain J’tall of the Orion Free Trade Group.”

Cruz nodded, “I see, and what are you carrying captain?”

”We are carrying medical supplies to Federation colonies. We trade for their produce,” J’tall said.

“That sounds wonderful, I’m assuming that you wouldn’t object to us inspecting the cargo then. I could have a security team do a sweep in a few hours, wouldn’t slow you down much at all,” Cruz said.

J’tall frowned, “I would need to contact my superiors and get permission of course. Meanwhile Commander Carrillo here will put together an away team, so we don’t slow you down.”

The screen switched off, and Commander Carrillo gestured at Hume, “Lieutenant Junior Grade Hume, let Lieutenant Avila know that she’s joining us along with Lieutenant Voosha. And get armed, we’ll be polite but let’s assume they’re preparing a trap for us.”

Hume nodded, “Yes ma’am.”

“Mister Winfield,” Carrillo said to the man on the starship controls, “We’ll take a shuttle over since transporting to and from an Orion ship could be tricky, get yourself a relied officer and you can take us.”

Winfield nodded and the Assistant Chief Flight Control Officer called on the conn for a replacement officer so he could leave the bridge. In just under half and hour the away team was on their way over to the Orion ship via shuttlecraft, docking alongside of it, and entering. About five minutes after that a much larger Orion ship dropped out of warp.

—- Orion Ship #1 —-

The away team had donned the Hazard Team’s armor since the members were all on the Hazard team. With side arms as well as phaser rifles they began their exploration of the ship. J’Tall who had greeted them at the airlock watch on as they opened up crates to find hyposprays and medical supplies as promised. Carrillo tapped her Commbadge, “Away team to Luna, this all looks standard.”

When there was no response she tapped it again, and again got nothing.

”The walls of the ship could be interfering with our comm badges”, Voosha said. Though the Intelligence Officer is the group she did not want to jump to conclusions yet. However everyone was thinking the same thing, there comms wouldn’t work here because this was a pirate ship.

”Would you like to raise your ship in our communications room?” J’tall asked, behaving as if he did not understand the problem. 

This made Carrillo suspicious, but their options were limited. The other option was returning to the shuttle where Lieutenant Junior Grade Winfield was waiting for them, “Fine, comms room then.”

At alert and with phaser rifles drawn, if on stun, the group walked to the comm room. J’tall offered them a computer to raise the and then left them alone, closing the door to the room behind him.

”He just left,” Hume observed.

Carrillo worked on the computer, “Computer’s not working, we can’t hail the Luna, Hume open the door.”

Hume struggled with the door,  failing to open it, “It’s locked.”

There was a hissing sound. “What’s that?” asked Voosha, looking around the room for the source of the sound. It seemed to be coming from all around them. She kept turning as Carrillo gave the computer another attempt and then hit it.

”It’s a trap, not a comms room,” Avila said being the first to speak the obvious. She swallowed, all of a sudden her mouth was feeling dry, and her head hurt. She glanced down and figured out the source of the sound, “Gas.”

Switching her rifle from stun Carrillo fired, striking the door with a blast. It remained unaffected. Carrillo was trying to increase the output of the rifle when Voosha fell over. Her own vision blurred, her eyes drooped and she felt herself suddenly pitch forward as she tumbled towards the ground and into blackness.

—- USS Luna, Bridge —-

The Alpha shift had come on with the arrival of the second Orion ship. This one was armed to the teeth, and seemingly even outclassing the USS Luna. Captain Cruise knew that they had to tread carefully now, as the Orions had just called their manager. Compared with a Starfleet ship it was unbalanced, all weapons and teeth like drawings of ancient dinosaurs on Earth or the great white sharks with rows upon rows of teeth. 

”Tactical analysis,” Captain Cruz asked her Chief Security Officer Lieutenant Claudia Jara.

Jara frowned not liking the sight of the ship, and her assessment upon looking at her console did not improve. The computer was still identifying weapons, and like any good pirate ship they probably had a few hidden from easy sensor readings.

”I’d feel better if we were in a Sovereign-class ship,” Jara said, “That thing is all elbows as Hume would say.”

It was, she understood, a reference to the ancient Earth sport of hockey.

”Hail it,” Cruz said taking her seat.

On screen appeared a scantily clad but beautiful green woman who smiled sweetly at the crew of the Luna as if she had not just arrived in a flying death trap. 

“Starfleet people, how delightful,” she said, “I suppose the intruders my crew on my other ship has caught were yours?”

”If you’ve kidnapped them, then yes,” Cruz said, “I’m Captain Adriana Cruz of the United Feder….”

”Oh dear, I know the speech. I’m Dorana but most men, and women, just call me Mistress Delightful,” she said still smiling as if this was a great day, “Now you’re here I imagine to discuss your surrender.”

”I’m not surrendering,” Cruz said.

”First to try to pirate my vessel and then you refuse to go quietly,” Dorana said making a ‘tsk tsk’ sound with her tongue, “You Starfleet types are sure bold. But from one woman to another Captain, why don’t you come over and we can discuss the situation.”

”After you just kidnapped my away team, I don’t think so,” Cruz said.

”Then I’ll come there, but I think you’d rather talk than we exchange shots, you Starfleet types don’t like that,” Dorana said, “Besides I hold all the cards at the moment Captain.”

”We have VIP facilities, why don’t you and a delegation come over in about an hour,” Cruz said seeing no way around this.

”Perfect,” Dorana said, “See Captain Adriana Cruz, already we’re getting along famously.”

The transmission cut and Cruz stood up, heading to the turbolift, “Jara get your security staff down to sickbay. We need to make sure their pheromones aren’t going to affect us. She seemed too eager to meet in person for my taste. I’ll be at sickbay as well. We have one hour people, let’s be ready for guests.”