“How did we miss it?”  Commander Park remarked as she stood in the Vestibule, overseeing Lieutenant Hazel Wallaker and her science team.  The blinking light of a new signal about halfway the distance to The Constructor had popped up as Perseverance and Klothos had continued the lazy shadowing of the Bird of Prey.

Wallaker was as annoyed about the revelation as the XO was, if not more.  She fought the urge to berate somebody, anybody, for the mistake.  Park had been working with her more closely, namely with her bedside manner.  It was a work in progress.  “Checking the previous sensor records.”  Hazel realized that any fault in her team rested on her shoulders.  No one to blame but herself, she told herself.  The computer beeped back an answer.  “Commander, that signal was not there a few days ago.”  Her fingers marched up and down the console, demanding further details.  The computer obediently complied.  “There was a residual reading buried in the reports.  The computer didn’t classify it as worth investigating.  I’m adjusting the computer algorithms to compensate in the future.”

Captain Wren Walton turned on her heels, making eye contact with Park at the back of the bridge.  “Then what are we looking at now?”

Park walked from console to console, eyeballing each station and conferring with each officer.  She shook her head in amazement.  “We think it’s a Blood Guild station – possibly a remote outpost or reserve station they built into an asteroid in case they needed it.  Paranoia seems to fit with this group.  The Bird of Prey has transported many signatures onboard and is resuming its lazy patrol around the local area.”  Park walked out of the Vestibule and back onto the bridge.  “They’ll see us coming if we take the ship in.  I’m not even sure a shuttle could evade the Bird of Prey sensors, or whatever they’ve got built into the station.”

Wren saw her plan and immediately did not like it.  “You want to send the Klothos in there.”

Park explained, grimacing.  “With myself, and one other – Prentice or Reid.  We work with J’Klast to see what we can see, working the angle of him not really following our affiliate rules.  We can try to get onboard with his crew and find a way around to report back.”

Walton found it impressive.  “You came up with this on your own?”

Park shrugged.  “We need to figure out what’s going on over there.  J’Klast is probably the only one they won’t shoot.”

Wren chuckled, “The word ‘probably’ is doing some very heavy lifting, Commander.  Make it a three-man team.  I’ll ask J’Klast how much acting experience he’s had.  You’d better hope he can sell this.  Getting into a shooting war with unhinged Klingons is not my idea of a good time.”

Park smiled, amused at Walton’s annoyance.  “Never fear, Wren.”

As the turbolift door closed behind the Executive Officer, Walton muttered, “That’ll be the day.”