The tension on Eos had started to die down; however, it wasn’t gone. Rempeck had been formally appointed as the new Ambassador, the Federation had turned a blind eye in favor of diplomatic relationships, and Elena had been left to pick up the pieces. However, the Captain had bigger problems right now.

First, there was the incident with Gab, then Rempeck’s warning, and now AJ Tindal had been assigned to the Edison. To make matters worse, it was Peter who had assigned Tindal to the Edison. As the Captain read the report, she couldn’t help but be reminded of Rempeck’s words: “No one gets to the rank and status like Peter, just being an analyst.” Just an analyst: Elena couldn’t help but feel that perhaps she didn’t know as much about her husband as she should. Was Peter really hiding things from her?

How could she know? Their romance had been a good old-fashioned whirlwind. They met, fell in love, and everything else just fell into place. But now, she couldn’t help but wonder what she had missed.

The terminal on her desk chimed. “Captain, he’s here!”

Elena adjusted her hair, taking one last look in the mirror. “Send him in,” she said, turning to face the door. As the doors opened, she smiled. “AJ,” she greeted her guest.

Tindal walked into the ready room, his demeanor a mix of confidence and frustration. Did he want a command? No! However, Peter was correct; he couldn’t hide from the past forever.

The two met in the middle of the room. AJ wasn’t sure if he should salute or hug. They had been close at one point, but that was a lifetime and several ships ago. “Captain,” he nodded, standing there for a second.

Elena smiled, embracing her old friend and planting a small kiss on his cheek. Adjusting his jacket, she patted his chest. “It’s good to see you back in uniform.” She gestured to the sitting area. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“What I want and what you will get me are two separate things,” he replied.

Elena walked to a small wooden cabinet behind her desk. Placing her right index finger on a console on the cabinet, she pulled out two small glass tumblers and a bottle of whiskey. Pouring two glasses, she walked to the sitting area and offered a glass to AJ. “Something tells me we both need this,” she offered.

“Thanks,” AJ smiled. “I must admit I was surprised when Peter came to see me. It was a bit unexpected…”

Elena interrupted, “It seems he’s full of surprises lately.”

“Wouldn’t it have been helpful if someone had warned you,” AJ sipped his drink. “Wait…”

“Okay, enough of that,” Elena replied, “Commander,” she smiled.

“Oh, we’re going there, Captain,” Tindal replied.

Elena set her glass down on the table next to her. There were so many questions she wanted to ask. Where to start? She was formulating her questions when the all-too-familiar chime of her comm badge sounded.

“Captain, we’re going to need you out here.”

Normally, Elena would have asked a question, but there was something in the officer’s voice that hinted at something darker. Little did she know.

The scene in Ops was something out of a training manual. Officers darted all over operations, comm channels lighting up every available terminal. Elena stood there for a moment, as a familiar voice came from behind her.

“Captain, there are portals opening everywhere,” Commander Harris stated. “Gravitational readings are crazy. We have ships disappearing and appearing…”

“Captain, we have an incoming distress call from the runabout Tyson,” the urgency in the Trill’s voice startled the Captain.

“We lost contact with the civilian transport vessel Aventuras.”

“Our sensors are limited, AJ. We could use the Edison,” Elena said, but before she could finish, the Edison Commander had already requested a beam over.

“Ma’am, picking up three Klingon Birds-of-Prey,” the officer next to her shouted. “I swear they were not there moments ago.”

Elena’s mind raced as she processed the situation unfolding around her. The scene in Ops was chaotic, with officers scrambling to make sense of the data flooding their terminals. She glanced at Harris, who stood ready, his expression clearly showing concern.

“Get me a secure channel to the Edison,” Elena ordered, her voice steady despite the confusion. The comm officer nodded, fingers flying over the console.

“Channel open, Captain,” the officer confirmed.

“Edison, this is Eos. AJ, we need immediate support. Sensors are detecting multiple Klingon Birds-of-Prey. Prepare for engagement and standby for further instructions,” she commanded.

“Understood, Captain. Edison stands ready,” came the swift reply from AJ.

Elena turned to Harris. “We need to understand what’s causing these portals and why ships are vanishing and reappearing. Our top priority is to secure our ships and prevent further losses.”

Harris nodded. “I’ll coordinate with Science and see if we can stabilize the gravitational readings. We might be able to close some of the portals or at least predict where they’ll open next.”

As Harris moved to assist science, Elena’s comm badge chimed again. “Captain, we are picking up strange energy signatures from the portals..”

Elena felt a chill run down her spine. “Can you identify something more then strange?”

“Not yet, but I’m working on it. We need more data,” the Officer replied.

“Keep me updated,” Elena said, ending the transmission. She turned to the comm officer. “Get me a status report on all Federation vessels in the area. I want to know who’s accounted for and who’s missing.”

“Yes, Captain,” the officer responded, beginning the task.

Minutes felt like hours as the team worked tirelessly. Reports of more distress signals and unidentified ships poured in, each one adding to the growing sense of urgency.

“Captain, we have a lock on the Tyson’s distress beacon,” a Trill officer reported. “They report the same thing we are seeing,  a portal and taking heavy damage. Requesting immediate assistance.”

“Dispatch a rescue team and have the Edison cover them,” Elena ordered. “And keep an eye on those Klingon ships. We can’t afford any surprises.”

 The terminal chimed again, drawing Elena’s attention. “Captain, we’ve intercepted a communication between the Klingon ships. It appears they are as confused as we are. They’re blaming the Federation for the portals,” the comm officer reported.

Elena frowned. “Open a channel to the lead Klingon vessel.”

“Channel open, Captain,” the officer replied.

“This is Captain Elena Mitchell of Eos Station. We are not responsible for the portals. We are working to identify the source and stabilize the situation. I suggest we avoid hostilities and cooperate to resolve this crisis.”

There was a tense pause before a gruff voice responded. “This is Captain Korta of the IKS Vo’ta. We will hold fire, but if we find any deception, there will be consequences, Captain”

“Understood, Captain Korta,” Elena said, ending the transmission.

She turned back to her team, “We have a temporary truce, so let’s make the most of it. Any progress on those gravitational readings?”

Elena watched as her team worked frantically. The mood in Operations was filled with tension and uncertainty. Harris glanced up from his console, catching her eye. “Captain, we’re still trying to stabilize the gravitational anomalies, but it’s like trying to catch smoke with our hands.”

Elena nodded, her mind racing. “Keep at it, Commander. We need answers.”

The comm officer interrupted, “Captain, more ships are reporting in. Some are Federation, but there are others… Romulan, even Cardassian vessels. They’re all experiencing the same portal phenomena.”

Elena sighed, “Get me a channel to all ships in the vicinity. We need to coordinate efforts.”

“Channel open, Captain,” the comm officer confirmed.

“This is Captain Elena Mitchell of Eos Station. We are experiencing a series of gravitational anomalies causing ships to disappear and reappear. We are working on learning more about these portals and need all ships to assist in gathering data. I suggest everyone avoid travel at this point until we know more. These portals are unpredictable.”

As she awaited responses, a sudden jolt rocked the station. “Report!” she demanded.

Harris checked his console. “A new portal just opened right next to us. We’re detecting massive energy spikes.”

“Lock us down,” she ordered.  “Send out warnings on all channels no one docks or leaves till we know what’s going on. “