((USS Culver City, Bridge))

LCDR Varyn K’lev sat in his command chair as Culver City cruised along in her assigned patrol area.  With the Tholians and the Sheliac tensions, the region was not exactly quiet, but so far things had not spilled across, at least in this sector.  Regardless, though, K’lev was taking no chances; as her patrol route had taken her within a short distance of the border at this point, she had gone from yellow to red alert, fully prepared for battle in case things did spill over.  As yet it hadn’t been necessary.

K’lev was in the middle of reading one of the latest updates from the intelligence center aboard Farragut on his chair’s armrest display when an alert suddenly sounded from tactical.  “I’m picking up a Tholian ship on a direct course for the border,” said Ensign Tyrisa sh’Livo, looking up at her captain as his head whipped around.

“Does it look like she’s going to cross?” K’lev asked.

sh’Livo nodded, a bit hesitantly.  “Yes…. Or at least maybe?  I’m not sure,” her face made an apologetic expression, though her eyes didn’t leave her console.  “I mean, she could cross, yeah.”

K’lev turned to Ensign Phillips at the helm.  “Ari, put us on an intercept course, but keep us on our side of the border; if that ship does cross, I wanna be there.  Chief, please let Farragut know what’s going on.”

Culver City altered course and accelerated, heading for the border.  As he worked his console, Chief Bong noticed a message coming in and called it up.  “Sir,” he said, “I’m picking up a distress call, coming from the Tholian ship.”

K’lev turned in his chair to face the grizzled chief.  “A distress call…?”  He shook his head.  “Tell them we’re on the way, and then update Farragut again.”  He then glanced back towards sh’Livo and Lieutenant Ophelia Lotharys.  “Has she crossed the border yet, or will we have to cross to assist?”

Lotharys fielded the question this time.  “She’s crossed to our side, but seems to be slowing.  I’m also detecting anomalous emissions; from what I’m seeing, I’d bet that ship is damaged, and its engines have given out.”

K’lev nodded.  “Keep an eye out for Tholian ships; if we got the distress call, I’ll bet they did, too.”

Within a minute or so, Culver City had dropped out of warp.  The Tholian vessel, a little larger than a meshweaver though not by much, lay ahead; one of its nacelles had been blasted open, coils exposed and cold, its hull was charred and pockmarked by weapons-fire, and its thrusters were guttering as it attempted to sluggishly swing about.  Additionally, Lotharys confirmed – with concern in her eyes – that its life support systems were on the verge of failing, and Culver City lacked adequate facilities to accommodate Tholian physiology in an evacuation.  “Open a channel please, Chief,” K’lev said.

A few quick taps on the console, and Bong had a comms channel open to the Tholian ship.  “Standing by, sir,” he said.

K’lev cleared his throat.  “Tholian vessel, this is USS Culver City.  We picked up your distress call, and will be beaming over a medical and engineering team; stand by to receive them.”

After a moment, a reply came in, the audio synthesized by the universal translator software installed in Culver City’s comms system.  “Fede….  ip, this i….  Rak’nal.  W….  ot be ta….  oners.”

“Rak’nal, we aren’t going to take you prisoners; we’re going to try and keep your crew alive until we can get you proper treatment at Starbase 420, then arrange your return to Tholia once you’re healthy,” K’lev responded, a look of confusion on his face making him grateful it was an audio-only connection; refusing rescue made absolutely no sense.

Another pause, then the synthesized voice responded, this time with what almost sounded like resignation.  “…ry we….  End y….  eam.”  The channel closed.

K’lev looked to sh’Livo.  “Tyrisa, let’s put together a boarding party: engineers and medics, with a security escort.  Make sure everyone’s dressed to deal with Tholian atmospheric conditions.  Let’s see if we can keep them alive.”  He started to turn back around, then stopped.  “Oh, and Tyrisa?  Tell the security team to impound the ship, quietly; per regulations, since it crossed the border during a period of active conflict, it can be held.  If command allows, the Tholians can have it back, after things cool off.”

As she began coordinating with the ship’s small security office, along with sickbay and engineering, K’lev turned next to Bong.  “Chief, please notify 420 of what’s happened, and request a tug and an impound crew to meet us to retrieve an impounded Tholian ship; with how hot things are, I don’t think we can be spared right now to tow them back ourselves.  And copy Farragut too.”

Over the next few minutes, Culver City beamed over a boarding party; its medical team, led by CMO Hilava, did the best they could for the wounded Tholian crew, while the engineers attempted to stabilize the Rak’nal’s life support and structural integrity systems and the security team quietly began securing the ship for its transit back to SB420.  The starbase responded quickly, dispatching a tug escorted by 3 runabouts carrying a prize crew with pressure suits, but they would not be arriving quickly.

Only a few minutes after the last boarding party had beamed over, sh’Livo’s console suddenly alerted.  “Oh no…” she whispered as she looked at the readout, before realizing that the bridge was waiting for her word.  “Another Tholian ship, a lot bigger than this one, is approaching the border, on what looks like an intercept course.”

K’lev couldn’t help but feel a shot of anxiety pass through his body.  He took a deep breath, to try and calm himself, then faced forward.  “Ari, put us between the Rak’nal and the border.  Keep our bow on that incoming ship.”

The newcomer dropped out of warp, on the Tholian side of the border: a heavy cruiser, easily more than a match for the Culver City.  K’lev’s heart felt like it had dropped somewhere around his kneecaps, and he settled back into his chair.  Chief Bong’s console, followed by the chief himself, broke the silence.  “We’re being hailed, sir.”

“Let’s-”  K’lev stopped for a moment, hoping nobody had heard his voice crack slightly.  “Let’s have it, audio only,” he said.  Maybe they’ll have a harder time hearing how scared I am than seeing it, he thought.

“Starfleet vessel, this is the Kal’re’ar.  Release the Rak’nal to us,” the voice said, its tone clearly imperious, the speaker likely someone used to being obeyed.

K’lev swallowed hard before answering.  “Kal’re’ar, this is USS Culver City.  We picked up a distress call from the Rak’nal and are currently engaged in rescue and recovery operations.  We have already made arrangements for ship and crew to be taken to a Starbase for further medical treatment; once the crew are recovered, arrangements can be made for their return.”  In his mind, K’lev hoped that he sounded authoritative; he certainly didn’t feel it.

“Return the Rak’nal and her crew to us.  We will not ask again,” came the reply.

K’lev looked around at his senior staff, eyes lingering on Lotharys perhaps a moment longer than on the others.  He then looked back forward, clearing his throat and standing.  “Rak’nal crossed the border into Federation space; by Starfleet regulations, she has been impounded.  I have crew aboard, rendering aid to her crew and trying to stabilize her life support and structural integrity for the trip to the starbase.  I will not abandon my crew, or stop rendering aid just because you don’t like it.  Now, you and I both know that the Kal’re’ar can probably overpower the Culver City, but our sensor nets will pick up you crossing the border, not to mention the firefight, which means we’ll have help coming, including ships much more capable than mine.  You can probably destroy us, but I’ll bet we could slow you down long enough for help to arrive, which means all you’d achieve by attacking us is to destroy both of our ships.  And if you cross the border to try and get around us, I will try to stop you.”  He paused, not sure if he didn’t just sign the death warrants of 200 people by defying the tactically-dominant Tholian ship’s captain.

By some miracle, the deluge of disruptor fire K’lev and his crew were bracing for did not come, and so the Orion decided to press ahead and hope for the best.  “Now, let’s be realistic, your doctors will be able to do more for the crew of the Rak’nal than mine can; don’t get me wrong, my medical team is very talented, but your bodies and ours are wildly different.  So here’s what I suggest: we’ll beam the Rak’nal’s survivors to the Kal’re’ar, so they can be treated by experts, but Rak’nal herself will remain impounded; however, I will suggest in my report that the ship be returned, but only after things cool down out here.”

Everyone on the bridge of the Culver City waited with bated breath, unsure if K’lev’s mouth didn’t just get them all in trouble.  Eventually, though, the Tholian on the other end of the channel responded.  “Your proposal is tolerable.  You have ten of your minutes to transfer Rak’nal’s survivors.”

“Thank you, Captain, for seeing reason.  The survivors will be transferred momentarily.  Culver City out.”  The moment the channel closed, K’lev collapsed into his command chair, one hand on his chest.  Lotharys started to run to him, but stopped when he held up a hand.  “Are you okay, Varyn?” she asked.

He nodded, trying to control his breathing and slow his hammering heart.  “Yeah…. Whew…. oh man….”  After a few moments of deep breathing, he was able to compose himself, then sat up.  “Chief, please notify Hilava and her medics of the deal we just struck, then beam the Tholian survivors to that cruiser.  We’ll wait until the Kal’re’ar’s left the area to take the Rak’nal in tow.”

With a couple of minutes to spare on the Tholian captain’s timer, Culver City had beamed the Rak’nal’s survivors to the Kal’re’ar, which then moved off, deeper into the system.  Ensign Phillips swung the California-class ship around and Culver City took Rak’nal in tow before resuming her patrol.  After the tug and its escorts finally arrived, they took over the tow, returning to SB420 with the impounded Tholian ship trailing behind them, while Culver City carried on with her mission.