The runabout streaked away from the USS Carlsbad, heading towards the debris field of the former starship USS Thunderdragon. Commander Aramis Lionel, Chief Engineer Catersha, Engineer’s Mate Ensign Lindsay McDowell, who was the Ensign who helped the Captain by answering his questions about the flight recorder being on every starship, were on this special mission.

Personal Log, Stardate 04.18.2402

Commander Aramis Lionel recording.

Captain Skyrunner has given me the task of heading up a special, and highly dangerous, retrieval mission of finding the flight recorder for the Thunderdragon, secure it, and return to the ship before the Vaadwaur ship detects them and knows we are here. Not exactly a light assignment, but I like the danger, keeps the blood pumping. Ensign McDowell and Chief Catersha are currently in the aft compartment adjusting the runabouts scanners to be able to find the recorder fast. So, since I’m alone at the controls, it’s given me a minute to think of something more personal…

End Log.

Commander Lionel was sitting at the controls thinking about the past. Seeing Cayersha has reignited old feelings he had for her back in the Academy. He thought that they were dead, but part of her charm was her ability to ignite old feelings. That is what she did to him back on Starbase Bravo when they caught up before she left. Finding out that he was posted on the same ship as her was luck or a blessing, depending on your viewpoint. He regretted how they separated back when they were in the Academy. Not hearing the aft compartment door open, Aramis spoke to himself softly.

“I regret how I left Cat back then. I hope she can forgive me,” he whispered to himself.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt hands on his shoulders. He snapped his head to his right as he saw arms wrap around his neck and felt a big kiss on his right cheek.

“Yes, silly. I forgave you long ago,” Catersha whispered in his right ear, before she nibbled on it.

Aramis turned away to his left and stood up. He looked at her with a surprised look. She gave him her best playful hurt face.

“What’s wrong,” she asked him, batting her eyes at him.

He shook his head, smiling at her playful antics.

“You big flirt,” he said to her.

She slowly stepped around the pilot’s chair and stood next to him, holding his hand. She looked him squarely in his eyes, as she spoke straight from her heart.

“I never stopped thinking of you Aramis, since we broke up back during the Academy. Yea, I was kinda hurt that you left, but I never had any bad feelings about you for that. I knew and understood why you did what you did. I have always believed in second chances. This could be our second chance, if you want.”

“I do, but not sure if it will be appropriate,” Aramis replied.

Cat gently pulled him closer to her, putting her arms around his neck, her eyes locked onto his, a spark of longing deep in her eyes. Aramis responded to her by gently placing his hands on her hips, softly holding her close. He leaned down and softly kissed her lips. Suddenly the doors to the aft compartment whooshed open and both Aramis and Catersha quickly broke their embrace and pretended to look over a computer console.

“Sir, the scanners’ readjustment is complete,” Ensign McDowell reported.

“Thank you Ensign,” both Catersha and Aramis said at the same time.

Aramis retook the pilot’s seat and Catersha took the other one. Ensign McDowell took the Engineering console on the port side behind where Catersha sat. The computer console at the helm started beeping. Aramis looked at the screen.

“Heads up, we are approaching the debris field. Ensign, start scanning. We have less than five hours to find the recorder,” Aramis said. “Cat, can you prepare to boost the impulse engines, just in case. I get a bad feeling about this mission.”

Both women nodded acknowledgement and started working on their stations. Aramis brought up the tactical scanners and accessed the probe that the USS Carlsbad positioned over the north pole of the planet. He has a bad feeling that he can’t figure out what it was coming from.

Four hours later, the runabouts’ scanners started beeping and lit up like a Christmas tree. Ensign McDowell piped up excitedly.

“Commander Lionel, I think I found the recorder. Coordinates 276.118.343. About 900 meters away sir,” the Ensign reported.

Commander Lionel adjusted the course of the runabout and slowed their speed, as those coordinates were in a dense part of the field. The runabout weaved through the debris field and slowly approached the coordinates of the recorder. The scanners beeped louder and more urgently as they got closer.

“It’s directly ahead sir, that big piece there,” Ensign McDowell said.

Commander Lionel tapped his navigation board and the runabout came to a stop next to the piece of debris but also matched its rotational direction, to avoid collision. Catersha was already conducting short range scans.

“Found the recorder,” Cat said, tapping her console to share her scan data with Aramis. “Looks like we will have to go EV, it will need to be cut free to beam it over.”

He looked it over, then carefully positioned the runabout just above the location of the recorder. The runabout carefully landed on the rather large piece of the secondary hull, where the recorder was located. He checked his chronometer.

“You two ladies suit up and cut that thing out and be ready to transport over as soon as it’s free. We are down to 85 minutes until that Vaadwaur ship clears the planet horizon on this side. I want to be back aboard the ship before that and it takes 57 minutes to get back to the planet. Needless to say, we have 28 minutes to do this. Snap to it,” Aramis said.

Both ladies nodded and walked back to the aft compartment, the door whooshing closed in front of Aramis.

“Please be careful,” he said softly.

He went back to the pilot’s seat, brought up the main sensors and set up two displays, one showing the ladies as they carefully exited the runabout, and a short range scan, showing the positions of the planet, the runabout, and the debris field.

Both of the engineers carefully stepped out of the rear hatch and walked on the piece of hull playing. Catersha was using a tricorder to guide them to the exact location. Ensign McDowell carried a case of tools.

“Ladies, not to sound like a clock, but we are down to 23 minutes. How are we doing,” Aramis announced over the communication system.

“You say you’re not a clock yet you act like one, sir,” Catersha replied, in her usual playful tone. “We found the recorder, cutting it out now.” Catersha looked at the Ensign next to her, “Ensign, get me the plasma torch please.”

The Ensign carefully opened the tool case and pulled out the plasma torch, handing it to Catersha. Cat skillfully used it to cut through the already heavily damaged hull plating and through the softer inner hull. Even with her expert skills of using plasma torches, it took her a long time to cut through. When she finally cut through the last bulkhead, she managed to free it from the wreckage.

“Time is up ladies. We got to go now,” Commander Lionel urged.

“Beam us and the equipment back. We are clear,” Catersha stated.

Aramis hit a few controls and the runabout’s transporter beam captured the ladies with the recorder and materialized them back onto the runabout. Aramis wasted no time and hit the thrusters, moving the runabout away from the wreckage and through the debris field. Chief Catersha and Ensign McDowell started taking their EV suits off, anxious to examine the recorder. The runabout finally cleared the wreckage field and Commander Lionel hit full impulse power, heading back to the planet. They were about halfway back to the planet when Catersha managed to access the recorder by opening the casing up.

“Well Cat, does it still work?” Aramis looked to the rear of the cabin.

Catersha was looking the recorder over.

“Looks pretty beat up. Lots of carbon scoring from explosions, but looks like it still is active. I am detecting a signal from it.”

Suddenly, the runabout’s sensor panel screamed for attention. Commander Lionel looked at it and swore in Klingon. Both Chief Catersha and Ensign McDowell looked at him with a serious expression on their faces.

Aramis stated, “apparently so did the Vaadwaur ship. They just rounded the planet’s horizon and detected the signal and spotted us. They are on an intercept course. ETA is 12 minutes.”