Mission Day 8: 1000

On the USS Edison, AJ stared at the tactical display, his expression growing darker by the minute. The ship remained in quarantine, but the latest update from the station had pushed his patience to its limits. Doctor Tavok was no longer a trusted ally. He was a fugitive, and worse, he was headed straight for the Edison.

“Commander,” Doctor Andrews stepped onto the bridge. “We’ve isolated more infected crew members, but the virus continues to mutate faster than we can develop treatments. We need help,” she reminded Tindal.

AJ clenched his fists. “Help may be coming our way, but not in the way we expected. Tavok’s ship is on its way here. Lock down the ship.” He looked around the bridge, “Doctor, no one leaves or enters the quarantine zone until further notice. I don’t care what the excuse is.”

A flash of movement caught AJ’s eye on the main screen as Tavok’s vessel appeared on sensors. It approached with alarming speed, bypassing all Starfleet communication protocols. As the alarm rang out, AJ’s voice cut through the panic. “Red alert! All hands to battle stations!”

The Edison’s tactical officer immediately opened a hailing frequency, but Tavok’s ship wasn’t responding. AJ knew they had one chance to intercept before Tavok tried to dock or did something even worse.

“Commander, he’s trying to override our docking systems,” the ensign at the controls warned.

“Shut it down!” AJ barked. “Don’t let him near our airlocks.”

Tavok’s ship veered closer, now within firing range. AJ hesitated for only a moment. The scientist had already caused enough damage, and they couldn’t afford to let him escape again. “Disable his engines,” AJ ordered, his voice cold. “Now.” He demanded.

The Edison’s phasers fired, striking Tavok’s ship and sending it into a tailspin. The vessel shuddered, its engines flickering and failing as it drifted in space. AJ watched the display carefully, knowing that even with its engines down, the danger wasn’t over. Tavok was desperate, and desperate people were unpredictable.

“Prepare a boarding party,” AJ commanded, turning to his chief of security. “Lieutenant Krev, bring him in.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

Minutes later, a team of Starfleet officers stormed Tavok’s disabled ship. The interior was dark and sterile, but there were signs of chaos. Consoles had been smashed, data wiped. Whatever Tavok had been doing, he’d tried to cover his tracks.

They found him in the main compartment, hunched over a console, frantically typing commands into what remained of the ship’s systems.  Then the security officers closed in, Tavok turned and for the first time, they saw who he truly was.

His once calm stoic Vulcan features had shifted into something more cunning. His Romulan features now clear and undeniable. His eyes filled with a mix of fear and anger. “You don’t understand!” Tavok shouted, backing away from the officers. “The virus… it wasn’t meant for the Federation. It was meant for the Klingons!”

“You’re Romulan?” Krev stated, his antennae twitching with shock.

“Very observant, Andorian,” Tavok responded, glaring at the chief of security.

AJ, who had entered the room with his phaser drawn, narrowed his eyes. “You’ve caused enough damage already. You’ll explain everything back on the Edison.”

Tavok’s eyes darted from side to side as though searching for a way out. “You don’t know what’s at stake! The virus was never meant to escape.’ His eyes drifted to a small metallic case. “It was an accident. I had a cure, but… I needed more time!”

AJ motioned for his officers to restrain him. “What cure? What are you talking about?”

Tavok, his hands now bound, stared at AJ with desperation. “I developed a failsafe. A cure for myself in case the virus infected me. It’s there. Take it, use it. You’ll find what you need inside that case.”

AJ watched as Tavok was dragged away, his mind racing. The implications were staggering. Tavok had been developing a bioweapon, something intended to harm the Klingon Empire. And now, his twisted creation had spread across the Edison and Eos. 

They would have plenty of time to sort out the mess. “Get that case down to sickbay and Doctor Andrews,” AJ ordered, not bothering to stay around. For now, he needed to contact Elena and alert the Federation.

Mission Day 8: 1300

The Federation’s response was swift and decisive. As soon as the USS Edison’s crew had secured the Romulan scientist and ended the threat of his escape, a high-level Federation team arrived to take control of the situation. AJ hadn’t even made it back to the station. “That was faster than I expected,” he remarked, looking at the viewscreen.

The Federation representative, a stern officer, stepped into view. Her efficiency and authority left no room for doubt about the seriousness of her mission. Her name was not immediately revealed, but her rank was Captain. She was here to handle the fallout from the crisis.

“Commander Tindal,” she began. “I’m here to take over the containment of the virus and ensure that all data related to this incident is secured. We cannot afford any further missteps.”

AJ nodded, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. He had hoped the situation would be resolved internally, but the magnitude of the threat had necessitated higher intervention. “Understood. The Doctor was captured on his ship. He’s been quite forthcoming about his intentions, though it’s clear he had ulterior motives.”

The Captain’s eyes narrowed. “We’ve been briefed. The Federation is taking over all evidence related to this virus, including data from both Eos Station and the USS Edison. We’re also overseeing the destruction of any remaining research to ensure that no further information can be exploited. We’ve routed the USS Hope to the station to assist in the treatment of all infected personnel.”

She gestured to someone off-screen, and suddenly, the representative and a pair of Federation officers appeared on the Edison’s bridge. “Please provide us with access to all relevant systems and data logs.”

AJ led them to the Edison’s operations center, where the officers quickly began work. The Federation team began the meticulous process of isolating and transferring all virus-related data from the ship’s computers. Meanwhile, a separate team was dispatched to Eos Station to perform a similar task.

Once the task was complete and the data was carefully extracted, they began the process of deleting all traces of the virus and its research. From what AJ was told, the data had been transferred to a highly secure Federation server, where it would be analyzed. Within an hour, all evidence of the last few days was wiped, gone.; as if it had never happened. AJ understood, but it didn’t sit well with him.

“I’m sorry, Captain, but our primary concern is preventing replication or further misuse of this virus. We are also coordinating with Starfleet to track down other individuals or groups who may have been involved in or aware of this threat. Thank you for your cooperation, Commander. The Federation will handle the legal and security aspects from here. We appreciate your crew’s professionalism.”

AJ nodded, feeling helpless as the Federation representative and her team prepared to depart. “We’ll continue to support your efforts in any way we can.”

As the Federation vessel departed, taking with it the Romulan scientist and all relevant evidence, AJ couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. The immediate threat had been neutralized, but the implications of the Doctor’s actions would undoubtedly have some ripples. For now, however, that was for people with more brass on their collars.

“Set course for Eos,” AJ slumped into the command chair, “let’s go home.”