“What the hell is going on here?!”

It was the assault on her sense of smell the XO noticed first. The toxic aroma of chemicals and smoke from burnt out computer panels. The acrid smell of singed hair. The putrid, rancid stench of decaying flesh. It would be a hard smell to forget in a hurry, but the vision presented to her just seconds later would be burnt into her memory for life.

Harrowing to say the least, the sight of a badly cremated body, features twisted and unrecognisable by fire, lying on an anti-grav sled and surrounded by Starfleet officers was the last thing Noli expected to see. The unknown warrior, whose once soft and pliable skin was now blackened and cracked, had drawn the presence of not only the command team, but the ship’s engineer and chief physician.

Tentatively, the Blonde Bombshell stepped forward, standing between the Captain and Prida, staring down at the figure in disbelief. She’d been under the impression she was coming to discuss and maybe look at whatever piece of technology they had transported aboard, but this organic life form had sent her mystery in a new direction. Just several feet away, the life capsule they had been located in lay dormant and empty.

“Who are they?”

Standing at the head of the table in the observation lounge, the angry Andorian had his hands on his hips as he glared at the holographic Tellarite spinning above the observation table.

“Meet Toska Reev,” Thalek revealed. “He was an intelligence operative undercover with the Syndicate cartel that attacked the Zaran system several weeks ago. We lost contact with him shortly after, until SFI received his distress code a few days ago.”

He pulled out the chair and slipped into it, reaching out and tapping the controls to make the figure disappear.

At this point, Linn Mora sat forward and glared down the table at his fellow blue-skinned humanoid. “We? You mean you’re Starfleet Intelligence?” the Bolian asked, drawing looks of derision and resignation around the group. Of course he was, it was so obvious now, what with the entire change of mood and orders the second there was so much as a hint of anything serious.

Smiling sheepishly, the Captain nodded in the affirmative. “I’m afraid my presence here was only to lead the search for our operative. Now that we have found him, Columbia will return us to Starbase Bravo before receiving new orders,” he decreed, avoiding eye contact with his XO in particular at this point. He knew how she’d feel because he would have felt exactly the same in her position. He wasn’t a typical Intelligence type, having been recruited from his previous command, so was more than able to empathise with her.

Moving on, he tried to make something meaningful come of the situation. “Now, while I’m still here, what information can you give me to take back to Command?”

“Cause of death is simple. Suffocation from smoke inhalation. He was dead before he burnt,” Doctor Okan told, her tone much colder than usual as she, too, avoided eye contact with the man who would seen be leaving.

“Small mercies,” the Xelliat scientist opposite Prida frowned, but a sentiment shared by all around the table.

“The big question is why was he out here,” Linn asked, “just floating, waiting?”

“We suspect his cover was blown and this was his only means of escape,” the Bajassian engineer remarked, sitting forward in her seat. “After analysing the escape pod it appears that the damage was a technical glitch and not a result of any weapons fire.”

“That may be the case,” Thalek nodded slowly, “but our last data packet suggested he had some information about the Zaran attack that we needed.”

One person conspicuous as to her silence was the Orion sat to the Captain’s left, draped in the red of command. To say she was fuming was an understatement. She was the strategic operations officer; she was supposed to know this stuff and when she didn’t, it really tied her hands. How could she possibly do her job when she didn’t have all of the information to hand?

Noli knew exactly how she felt. Being kept in the dark as an executive officer was not conducive to good leadership and management of the crew or the mission.

“The systems on that pod are fried,” Prida continued, drawing everyone’s attention. “I’ve scanned every inch and not a thing is salvageable, but we’ll keep trying,” she smiled, always happy to keep the reputation of the engineering corps intact.

“Thank you, Commander,” the Captain smiled towards the grey-skinned engineer and nodded in thanks. “I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that what we have spoken about here is classified. And I appreciate that you were expecting a commanding officer that would be here to stay. I’m sorry that can’t be me, as any commander would be thrilled to serve with such a team.”

Fluttering strands of hair were the only signs of movement from two of Columbia’s most senior officers, both watching as the shuttle before them rose from its berth and was propelled forward. An audible crack and sizzle occurred as the small craft vacated the bay and left the two officers alone, symbolic of the fact that the mighty Galaxy-class vessel was alone again, without a master and commander.

Neither spoke. Neither had to. Both understood the complexity of their situation, made worse by the fact they were to rendezvous with yet another commanding officer in just a few hours time. Command had assured the XO that whoever it was this time would be someone they could trust and rely on, not someone that would disappear sharpish on some kind of intelligence mission.

Eventually, the blonde, wrinkle-nosed Commander turned to her friend and colleague, jutting her head towards the massive bay doors.

Prida gave a single nod of agreement and both spun on their heels before marching for the door…

…and the journey to another new commanding officer.