The ready room was gently illuminated, with only the subtle light of distant stars visible through the viewport and the soft glow of the pale blue panels on the desk. The engines produced a smooth, consistent hum reverberating through the bulkheads—a reminder of the Orion’s passage towards its destination.

Captain Krabreii sat with her eyes closed, leaning back in her chair. The haunting melody of classical Efrosian string music filled the room, its crescendo swirling with melancholy and strength. Her fingers lightly tapped against the armrests, moving in rhythm with the music. This piece had been a favourite of her husband’s. She remembered the first time she had heard it, on one of their first dates, long before the galaxy had changed around them.

Her thoughts drifted back to those days she shared with him until his last one. It was one of the first times they were not together in their careers. She was in command of the Minerva, which had been her pride, a sleek Duderstadt-class fast cruiser, sharp and elegant. They had been sent as reinforcements to the Archanis sector during the height of the Hunters of D’Ghor invasion. Klingon renegades with no honour, no code—just bloodlust.

USS Minerva (NCC-96131), Taldir System, Archanis Sector, Beta Quadrant

Stardate: 76336.3 (2399)

“Captain, we’re dropping out of warp in ten seconds,” Saval called from his chair. His voice was sharp but calming, a reassurance given the tension ahead.

Krabreii sat forward in her chair, her eyes locked on the viewscreen. She had been in countless battles before. Her career in Starfleet had started as a pilot during the Dominion War. This was nothing new to her. 

The stars around them streaked and slowed, resolving into the harsh backdrop of the Taldir system. The moment the Minerva reverted to normal space, the battle leapt into focus. Phaser fire arced across the void like jagged cracks of lightning, and disruptor bursts flashed green against the black canvas of space.

Dead ahead, the USS Sheeran was locked in desperate combat with a Bird of Prey. Its shields flickered dangerously, and the hull bore scorch marks from multiple disruptor hits.

Krabreii felt her breath catch—the Sheeran—her husband’s vessel. 

“Magnify!” she ordered, rising from her seat as the image zoomed in on the battle. “Arm phasers and quantum torpedoes. Target that Bird of Prey. Hail the Sheeran. Tell them we’re moving to support.”

“No response from the Sheeran, ma’am. Their communications array may be damaged.” Saval replied. 

Krabreii’s grip on the railing tightened. “Helm, take us to intercept. Maximum impulse. Get between them and the Bird of Prey.”

But the Minerva wasn’t fast enough.

She watched in horror on the screen as the Bird of Prey suddenly banked hard and accelerated, driving straight for the Sheeran.

“Captain, they’re moving to ram!” Saval’s voice cut through the static of battle noise.

“Fire everything! Hit them with everything we have!” Krabreii shouted at the top of her lungs.

Minerva’s phasers lashed out, but the Bird of Prey was already too close. In a matter of seconds, it collided with Sheeran’s engineering section. The resulting explosion blossomed outward, a silent inferno tearing through space. Sheeran’s saucer twisted, breaking apart under the force.

Krabreii’s hands trembled as she watched helplessly. The screen dimmed to filter out the intensity of the blast. When it cleared, all that remained of the Sheeran was scattered debris among the stars.

The bridge fell silent.

“Captain…” Saval’s voice was gentle, though she barely registered it.

She stared at the wreckage until the cold reality pressed down on her chest like a weight she could not lift.

Krabreii’s eyes shot open. The Efrosian strings had faded into silence, and she found herself gripping the arms of her chair too tightly. Her breathing was shallow, and for a moment, she wasn’t entirely sure where she was.

The door chime echoed in the stillness. She exhaled, grounding herself. “Yes, enter!”

The doors parted, and Saval stepped inside, his hands clasped behind his back in his usual Vulcan manner. “Captain, we have arrived.”

Krabreii nodded, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she rose to her feet. “Thank you, Commander. Where do we stand with our stealth modifications?”

“Lieutenants Anderson and Nali have completed the modifications. The holographic projectors are online and functional. We remain undetected.”

“Good.” She smoothed her uniform, trying to shake off the remnants of the dream. “Let’s see what this planet has to offer.”

Saval’s gaze lingered on her for a fraction longer than usual. He did not ask, but Krabreii knew he had noticed the distant look in her eyes. Still, he said nothing.

She stepped past him, the doors sliding shut behind them as they made their way to the bridge. As she crossed the threshold, the view of the new star system filled the screen.

This was not the Archanis sector. The past was gone. The future lay ahead.

Krabreii sat in her command chair and steadied herself. “Let’s get to work.”

“Initial scans starting now,” Kulucis announced from the science station. His hands moved deftly across the controls. “No immediate signs of advanced orbital weaponry or significant space infrastructure. I’m detecting numerous satellites and three space stations with a few humanoid lifeforms onboard them. None of them appear to have any form of weapons on them.”

“Interesting,” Krabreii said. “Let’s keep an eye out for anything unusual.”

At the tactical station, Anderson’s brow furrowed as his console began to beep urgently. “Captain, I am detecting multiple launches from the surface!” he said, his tone sharp. “Could be missile launches—possible military activity?”

The bridge went still for a moment. Anderson’s words hung in the air like a weight.

“Missiles?” Krabreii asked, standing and taking a step toward him. “Can you confirm that?”

Kulucis glanced over at his own readings, twitching with interest. “Hold on,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “Those trajectories… Lieutenant, let me take a closer look.”

Anderson frowned but stepped back slightly, allowing Kulucis to share the data feed. After a moment, his eyes widened slightly in realisation, and a smirk crept over his face.

“These aren’t missiles,” Kulucis said. He adjusted the display on the main viewscreen, bringing up detailed scans of the objects. “They’re rockets. Primitive space rockets using chemical propulsion with crews.”

“Rockets?” Anderson repeated, his initial alarm giving way to curiosity. “You’re sure?”

“Quite sure,” Kulucis replied, nodding. “They’re consistent with pre-warp space technology we’ve observed in species for countless years now. Judging by the patterns, we’ve stumbled across an active space program. Actually, make that more than one. The rockets are being launched from at least three different points on the planets. Perhaps we’ve run into something more…” He paused for effect, glancing toward the captain. “…a space race.”

Krabreii’s eyes lit up with intrigue. “A space race,” she echoed, stepping closer to the viewscreen. The display showed the three launch sites scattered across the planet, each sending up rockets on slightly different trajectories.

“I’ve not observed a pre-warp race at this stage of development,” Kulucis continued, his voice gaining a hint of excitement. “The simultaneous launches suggest competition between nations or regions. The payloads are likely exploratory—satellites or perhaps even crewed capsules.”

“Remarkable,” Krabreii murmured. She looked back at her crew. “This could be a pivotal moment in their history. The transition from planetary to interplanetary civilisation is one of the greatest leaps any culture can make. We might get to see them approaching that edge.”

“And one of the most dangerous,” Saval added from his chair, his Vulcan tone measured. “If tensions between factions escalate, it could lead to conflict rather than cooperation.”

“Which is why we need to tread carefully,” Krabreii agreed. She turned back to Kulucis. “Commander, can you pinpoint any key launch facilities? If we’re going to observe, I want to focus on the areas of highest activity.”

“Already working on it, Captain,” Kulucis replied, his hands flying over the console. “I’m isolating signals and telemetry from the launches. It should give us an idea of these regions’ power dynamics and technological capabilities.”

“Excellent,” Krabreii said, returning to her chair. “Brad and Cheryon, I want you both to monitor their communication channels discreetly. Let’s see if we can gather insights without violating the Prime Directive.

Both officers acknowledged with affirmatives and a couple of nods. 

“Andron, keep us at a safe distance, even with our camouflage on; I don’t want someone somewhere seeing a shimmer or the odd gamma ray being bent by our shields,” Krabreii ordered.

“Captain, this planet’s moon has a para-magnetic core; we could use one of the craters to hide in if ever need to,” Jines suggested from the helm.

“Let’s keep it in mind,” Krabreii said, impressed with the pilot’s outside-of-the-box thinking. “But for now, we watch and wait. I am not having any of us jump the gun on this. Let’s see how this unfolds. If this is a pivotal moment for this race, we may be witnessing the birth of a new spacefaring civilisation.”

Once her crew fully grasped her orders, Krabreii briefly paused and caught her breath. This situation was definitely a more pleasant change from facing off against rogue Klingons on the edge of the frontier. She couldn’t help but think how much her husband would have enjoyed exploring the wonders that lay ahead of them. 

This was why she joined Starfleet.