A deep blue illuminated the Buran’s command center. Captain Ki, Montana Station’s Director of Intelligence Operations, stood at the front of the bridge, glancing from officer to officer as she spoke. “We’ve been playing catch-up with Tougun’s intelligence. Trusting him is not on the table. Hence why we’re making sure what he said is actually there. Once we had his data, we connected more than a few dots on our board. We now suspect there are at least three Orion Syndicate slave centers in the rimward. Their operational level and status remains unknown.” She gestured at the main screen. “The Buran is the tip of this spear. Finding them will help free whoever they’ve taken and put the Orions or whoever this is on their heels.” She turned back to the crew. “I’m here to support and answer questions. Let’s find them.”
Ki walked back to her station at the edge of the bridge. Captain Dread turned to her science chief. “Lieutenant Bishop, what do we have?” Buran was operating on silent running protocols, and passive sensors were the only ones being powered, aside from the array of cameras they had and the additional ones they’d installed before leaving Montana Station.
Eleanor held an earpiece in one ear as she ran through the results of the few sensors they had online. The rest of her team was manning the cameras to see what they could find with the naked eye. “We’re detecting some power readings within range. Unknown if it’s a ship or a station. Lots of communications. We’re working to decode.”
Helena clenched her jaw. The Orions had gotten smarter and less carefree in the last six months. She amended that in her head. The evidence confirmed them to be Orions. The frustrating mystery persisted: who they were connected to, and what they shared with the nebulous and decentralized Orion Syndicate. Dread sat perched on the edge of her seat, eyes searching the blackness of space ahead.
Bishop searched the various screens at her station. Being handicapped with only passive sensors made her job challenging. She didn’t mind the challenge. She minded being in the same space as the Syndicate with one hand tied behind her back. Something caught her eye on the screen. “Captain, I’ve got a partial transcript of communications.” Eleanor worked on the audio, pressing the earpiece as the clip played to make sure the transcript was correct. “We have the load. Fifty for delivery. Payment expected on arrival.” She turned in her chair to face the bridge. “That was five minutes ago. I have an approximate location.”
Dread nodded, and the viewscreen changed to a map of the sector, zoomed in on their current location. The communication signal was a yellow dot in the next system, near where the other readings had appeared. “Helm, guide us a little closer. Bishop, alert your team to focus on the cameras. We’ll use the asteroid field nearby for cover.” The Buran inched closer, appearing to be a lazy drifting sensor reading as the maneuvering thrusters and minimal impulse engines pushed the ship towards its next interception point.
“They are keeping their distance.”
Captain J’Klast sat in his chair, watching the primary display with curious animosity. The Klothos had taken a different route into the sector, brazenly drifting into the system where the Orion Syndicate was operating. “As they should. A Klingon ship drops in for a glance; even the Orions are going to be nervous. If they get within range, charge blasters and prepare torpedoes.” He turned in his chair to face the tactical station. “What do we make of them?”
His niece, Kali, had been studying the readouts from the Syndicate ships. “They are unusually powered. It is as if they are waiting to throw off a disguise and throw punches above their weight class.” Her eyes glittered. “I’ve always wanted to fight an Orion. I hear their blood is especially delicious.”
J’Klast scoffed. “Your interest in them tends to run in a different direction, if I recall.”
She replied with a shrug. “They are fun to play with between the sheets.” She musesd. “I still wouldn’t mind either. Probably end up with the same result. Lots of blood.” A sly smile transformed into a menacing growl. “It has been a while since I’ve had a good tussle.” She chuckled darkly at her uncle, who rolled his eyes in response.
“You may get your chance, niece. Let’s draw closer to our new friends.”
