The doors to Captain Krabreii’s ready room swished open, and she stepped onto the bridge. Her tall, commanding figure immediately drew the crew’s attention. Saval followed closely behind her, his hands clasped behind his back in his customary Vulcan manner, immediately attracting the crew’s attention. The two of them together were a force to reckon with. 

“Captain on the bridge!” Jines declared from the helm station, his voice ringing out distinctly.

At once, the crew stood to attention, their gazes locked forward, professionalism emanating from every corner of the room. Even the usually laid-back Anderson straightened his posture, although a hint of unease lingered on his face.

Krabreii maintained a calm and neutral expression. Although revealing her feelings or thoughts to anyone was rare, she understood how this mission had affected her crew. Compared to other missions they had undertaken since arriving in the Delta Quadrant, this had been the one that returned them to one of Starfleet’s pinnacle principles of exploration, and she loathed the negative outcome of their investigation. 

“At ease,” Krabreii ordered, her deep voice cutting through the momentary stillness. The crew relaxed, returning to their stations, but the tension in the air remained palpable.

Krabreii walked across the room to stand at the centre of it all, her hands clasped behind her back as she gazed at the main viewscreen. It displayed the faint trails of the three spaceships, each making their way toward Terros, the contested moon.

The captain’s voice broke the silence, steady and resolute. “As of this moment, all three nations have launched their spacecraft.” She turned, her sharp eyes scanning the faces of her officers. “The Prime Directive is clear—we are forbidden to interfere. The price of this directive is often high, and today, we feel its weight.”

Her voice softened slightly. “But as we’ve seen in countless other civilisations—Earth, Vulcan, Andoria, Efros and more—the journey into space exploration has always been perilous. Every nation, every planet, faces challenges and tragedies along the way. Unfortunately, with what we know about Terros means that we know what the likely outcome will be for these three crews. It is our hope that the Virellans will grow stronger from these struggles and, one day, find a way to unite and explore the stars as one.”

The silence hung heavy until Lieutenant Anderson stepped forward. His jaw was tight, and he spoke with careful consideration. “Captain, may I say something?”

Krabreii nodded, her expression encouraging. “Go ahead, Brad.”

Anderson cleared his throat and glanced around at the other officers before speaking. “I’ll be honest, ma’am. A part of me wishes we could help the Virellans. Watching them make mistakes we know will cost lives; it’s hard to stand by and do nothing, especially when it is in our nature to help those in need.” He paused, his voice tightening. “But this mission has made me think about Earth’s early days of space exploration. I’ve been reading up on some of the tragedies—the Challenger, Columbia, the Ares mission to Mars and the many countless lives lost before Zefram Cochrane’s warp flight.”

He exhaled deeply, his tone shifting to one of reflection. “In the back of my mind, all I could keep thinking of was, what if the Vulcans had interfered in any of those moments? What if they’d stepped in and fixed things for us? What if they had saved all of those crews as they passed by our planet? Would Earth have ever found its way to the stars? Would the Federation that we know today even exist? None of us know the answer to that.”

The bridge was silent as Anderson continued, his voice steady now. “The Prime Directive isn’t just a rule—it’s a reminder that we’re not gods. We don’t have the right to play with the lives of others, no matter how much we might want to. Watching this unfold… it’s painful. But I believe that someday, the Virellans will join the galactic community. And maybe they’ll be the ones to create their own version of the Federation right here in the Delta Quadrant—a new era of peaceful exploration.”

Kulucis, who had been leaning against a console with his arms crossed, nodded slowly. “I like that idea, Brad. A lot. The Virellans carving their own path, their own legacy. It’s poetic.”

Krabreii offered a rare, small smile. “Well said, both of you. That’s the spirit of Starfleet. We observe, we learn, and we hope. And sometimes, hope is all we have to give.”

She moved toward her chair, her presence commanding as she sat. “Mister Jines, set a course to take us out of the system, impulse power only. Let’s leave them to their destiny.”

“Aye, Captain,” Jines replied, his hands already moving over his controls. Just as he began to prepare for departure, his console beeped insistently. His brow furrowed, and he glanced back at her. “Captain, I’m detecting an issue on one of the ships.”

Krabreii tensed. She threw a look at Savel before glancing back at the pilot and leaning forward slightly. “What kind of issue?”

Jines tapped rapidly at his controls, and Bollwyn, stationed nearby, chimed in as she analyzed the data. “It’s the Horizon, Captain. The ship’s structural integrity is failing. They’re venting atmosphere.”

Before Krabreii could respond, Bollwyn added, her voice rising with urgency, “I’ve intercepted communications from the other two ships. Both are altering course to assist the Horizon.”

The bridge fell silent for a moment, everyone absorbing the implications. Krabreii smirked at hearing that news.

Saval was the first to speak, his Vulcan tone calm but with a faint undertone of satisfaction. “Perhaps there is hope for the Virellans after all. Cooperation in the face of adversity may lay the foundation for unity.”

Krabreii allowed herself a moment to process that. A slight smile played on her lips. “Perhaps, Commander. Let’s hope this is the beginning of something greater for them.”

She pulled down on her jacket and straightened herself in her chair, her command presence returning. “Mister Jines, get us underway—slow and steady. Let’s ensure we remain undetected.”

Jines nodded firmly. “Aye, Captain. Setting course now.”

As the Orion gracefully moved away from the system, the bridge crew kept their thoughts to themselves. On the main viewscreen, the three ships of Virella worked together, a fragile but promising sign of cooperation among the planet’s nations. The distressed Horizon was stuck between the other two crafts as their crews started spacewalks to help the stranded crews. All of them were working in tandem to help each other to prevent the loss of life. What did this new sense of cooperation mean for their missions? Would they continue together, return home or return to their separate ways? Who knew?

To herself, Captain Krabreii hoped that one day she could return and find this planet united just like her people and so many others had done. United and hopeful for the future. She could only dream of that day to come. 

Once Jines announced they were at a safe distance and ready to jump to warp, Krabreii took one deep breath.

“Engage!” She ordered.

The Orion‘s warp engines grew in brightness as they charged themselves up, and like a snap of a pair of fingers, the ship jumped into high warp away from the Virellan system.