First Officer’s log, supplemental.

It’s been a little over six hours since we arrived for our rendezvous with the Melbourne – a bittersweet reunion for many, given our meeting point on the edge of the Zaran system. Whilst many are glad to be underway again, the meeting brings fresh uncertainty with the arrival of our new commanding officer, Captain Thalek th’Zorati, father of our very own Tempestava. Truth be told, most of us have never heard of him. Even during my time in command, his was not a name I heard. Maybe that’s a good thing. No heroic reputation to live up to and no negative connotations like Captain Ryan either. Just a capable officer who goes about his business in unremarkable fashion and gets the job done.

He’s already set to work, meeting all of the senior staff and being brought up to speed on the situation we find ourselves in. It’s refreshing to have a person in charge who doesn’t want to make dramatic changes just to make an impression as quickly as possible. Shift rotations remain the same, divisional assignments haven’t changed, and he’s confirmed Vashara as our second officer. He acknowledges that we are a capable crew and is happy to let us get on with the job at hand.

As it transpires, that job requires us to remain on station for a time, conducting regular sensor sweeps of the system and relaying them to Starfleet Cartography. I’m not sure what Starfleet expects us to find out here, but we’ll look…

…for those are our orders, and I, for one, am just happy to be at work again.

Adjusting to life as an executive again was never going to be easy for someone who had made the step up to the big chair before having the rug pulled from under them, but the Blonde Bombshell was doing her best. Even though she’d first boarded Columbia nearly two months ago in her new role she had had to instantly step in as acting Captain in the absence of an appointed CO. Changing mindset wasn’t easy, but so far, the Captain hadn’t placed any grand expectations on her and for that she was thankful as it allowed her (and the crew) to adjust slowly.

Having a routine task, such as the surveillance of the Zaran system, was helping. Mundane sensor sweeps requiring little and finding even less meant she didn’t have many orders to take, and that was ideal right now.

So far, they were on their fifteenth sweep of the system with easily another day’s work until they were free to…

A cacophony of noises from the science station to her left drew her gaze and seemingly caught the brutish Xelliat science operative off guard. Onsas quickly set about trying to ascertain the source of the alert signals and, to his surprise, he’d finally located something. Or, rather, his sensors had.

“We’ve got a small metallic object on a heading of three two six mark one three. Distance, three million kilometres,” Commander D’orr revealed, looking first to Noli and then the human at the Conn.

“Intercept course,” Noli ordered swiftly, then instantly chided herself before a sheepish look of apology towards the Andorian occupying the seat beside her.

“What Number One said,” the Captain agreed, somewhat luckily.

Henry nodded and adjusted the ship’s positioning, putting them on course with the object.

“Any further analysis Commander?” the Captain asked, turning his seat to look towards the science station where the sunken eyes of the Xelliat were trained on the computer console.

“Actually, Captain, yes,” the brute nodded slowly, and even during his clarification, he remained locked on his display. “I believe the device to be a data recorder of some kind. I’m analysing the material components, but early indications suggest it is Orion in origin.”

“A Black Box?” Henry quizzed, turning to exchange a look of curiosity with the Bajoran XO and their new Captain.

“Can we beam it aboard?” Thalek inquired, inching forward in his seat and addressing the Vulcan Ops chief beside their human pilot.

After a few seconds of dancing fingers, the silver-haired Vulcan turned and gave a confirmatory nod to the Andorian. “Affirmative, Captain,” T’Kir told.

In an instant, the Captain’s entire demeanour changed. Where there had once been a pleasant, stereotype-breaking smile, a replacement look of grave concern had taken over. He pushed himself out of the command chair and began issuing orders in a manner the team had yet to see.

“Transport the object to cargo bay three. I want the bay under top-level security protocols. No one but myself and the security chief is to have access to the cargo bay or its contents,” he decreed sternly, ensuring that he left no ambiguity in his statements. “More importantly, no one is to so much as acknowledge the existence of this item beyond the walls of this room without my express permission. Is that clear?”

The bridge was in a state of stunned silence, faces looking around the room at each other in a state of shock and confusion. One minute, they had been peacefully minding their own business, scanning random sectors of the system; now, they were being asked to keep something a secret from their colleagues and friends elsewhere on the ship. And now they all looked to the one person who had got them through the last six weeks of the year.

Taking a deep breath, Noli slowly nodded in agreement with the new captain, despite every fibre of her being urging her to ask the questions on everyone’s lips. “As you wish Captain,” the Bajoran agreed.

Satisfied that everyone on the bridge understood his clear orders and expectations, the Captain watched and waited until the confirmation arrived from T’Kir that the device had been successfully transported and was under quarantine. Then, and only then, did he look towards the XO again, his demeanour instantly returning to its previous manner. “Number One. Please return the ship to our previous co-ordinates. You have the bridge until I return,” the Andorian smiled, and then made for the sanctuary of his ready room.

Rising to her feet, the Bajoran wrinkled her nose as she watched the Andorian leave, with more questions than answers, mouthing simply…

“Aye Captain.”