Lying against her husband’s chest as they relaxed across the long sofa in their quarters, Captain Cambil was reading the latest novel in the Vulcan Love Slave series. She had become obsessed with them after joining the Odyssey, thanks to Karyn Reyas (McCallister’s former wife). Naprem was preparing his lessons for the next day. Both were content in their surroundings, with gentle soft music playing in the background. 

“I miss our old quarters,” Naprem stated, still focused on his work.

“On the Odyssey?” Bexa asked, still engrossed with her text.

He nodded with an acknowledging hum.

“Me too; however, I can’t see Max allowing us to take them and putting them here on the Themis,” Bexa replied. 

Naprem sighed. A minute later, he spoke up, breaking the silence again. “I know these are the largest quarters on the ship; they just seem smaller without it being on two levels.”

Bexa chuckled under her breath. “Naprem, are you really complaining after I had the engineers extend our quarters to take over two others on either side so we could host both our sons and have space to ourselves as well?”

“I just liked having an upstairs.” 

“Well, if you want to home-share with T’Rani and Samris, then go ahead and request a staircase to be put in,” Bexa replied. 

Naprem shook his head and declined the idea. “I still find it bizarre the Ross-class ships come with their own promenade of shops and restaurants.”

“Your sons think it’s awesome,” She countered back.

“We said it was cool, Mom,” Edon stated from across the living room, where he sat in one of the armchairs with his legs up on the footrest. Their eldest son was sitting revising for an exam. “Anyway, Dad, I don’t see why you think it’s bizarre. The Odyssey has one and is probably five times bigger. So what’s the difference?” 

Naprem was about to answer when the intercom went off, and Commander Hunsen’s voice filled the room, silencing the music.

 “All hands red alert. Captain Cambil to the bridge.”

Jumping to her feet, Cambil said her goodbyes as her first officer called her to her job. She picked up her jacket on her way out and pulled it across her shoulders before zipping it up. Rushing down the corridor, she could see the ship already going to their actions stations; as she made her way down the corridor of deck nine, several stood to one side to allow her to get past. Appreciating the respect and consideration for her, she smiled at each one and thanked them before entering the nearest turbolift and calling for it to take her straight to the bridge.

“Report, Number One,” Cambil said the moment she stepped out into the bridge nearest to her ready room door. 

Hunsen, who was rising from her chair in the centre, responded immediately. “Triton has just declared that one of the former Borg drones has stolen one of their shuttles and is heading to the moon, which holds the excavation site that the Bellerophon crew has been investigating. Captain Canção has requested for the Justice Wing to intercept as the shuttle is closer to us. Also, the shuttle fired at their nacelle. They’re leaking plasma, and Odyssey is responding to assist them.”

Taking her seat, Cambil acknowledged the report as the rest of the senior bridge crew all arrived. “Tremt, inform the wing commander to approach and surround the shuttle. Let’s see if we can try and reason first.”

Hunsen nodded as he sent the message. 

“T’Rani,” Cambil said, noticing that her pilot was not wearing her usual uniform and was wearing her civilian attire. “Get us within weapon’s range.”

The Vulcan nodded.

“Scan the shuttle, Cline,” Cambil ordered. “Let’s see if we can better understand what we’re dealing with.”

“Yes, ma’am. The Triton told us that the ex-B is a Sikarian, and their pilot has also been captured.” Lenjir shared as he started the scan. 

T’Rani turned around in her chair and looked at Cambil. “Captain, I met Ensign Andar during the reception on the Odyssey. He is Phylosian and quite a capable officer.”

“Then we certainly want to save the shuttle,” Cambil assured her pilot. 

“I am detecting both Sikarian and Phloyisan life signs,” Lenjir announced.

“The Justice Wing is surrounding the shuttle now, and it looks like the Bellerophon is moving to assist in intercepting them, too,” Hunsen reported.

Deciding to use her authority as squadron deputy commander, Cambil ordered Lieutenant Jines to hail the Bellerophon.

“Channel open, ma’am,” The operations officer shared. 

After exchanging pleasantries with James’ younger brother (Cambil couldn’t get over how unalike the two men were in appearance, but how alike they were with their expressions and sayings). “Captain McCallister, what could Captain Canção’s guest want at your artic dig site?” She asked.

“We’ve just discovered the remains of the Queen’s cell,” McCallister replied. “And I find it interesting that the only Sikarian we’ve saved is coming down when my team have dug out a spatial trajector.” 

“By the Prophets’ will,” Cambil muttered under her breath before looking back at the Bellerophon’s commander. “I suspect he is coming down for it. Can you evacuate your teams out in time?”

Horatio nodded. “I believe so, but James wanted us to preserve it.”

“Hopefully, we will, but let’s air on the side of caution,” Cambil suggested. “Get your people out of harm’s way and target the structure with a tricobalt device. If we fail in disabling the shuttle and the ex-drone takes action to restore the trajector, then we should be ready with a last resort.” Cambil stated. She wondered if he would challenge her authority over this. Would he expect her to confirm this with his brother?

“Understood; we’ll start evacuation procedures at once and ready a tricobalt warhead as a last-ditch measure.” 

Pleased he was following her orders, Cambil smiled, thanked him and said she would keep him in the loop.

“We’re approaching the shuttle,” T’Rani announced after McCallister disappeared from the main screen.

“It’s not responding to our hails,” Jines added. 

“Captain, the shuttle has undergone a bit of transformation from what I can detect,” Lenjir stated. “I think the drone has somehow partially assimilated it. I’m detecting improvements to its shields and engines.”

“Ideas on how we disable it?” Cambil asked aloud.

“Shoot it down,” Lenjir suggested. “If its shields are significantly improved, then it reasonable to suggest that it is planning to make a quick entrance into the moon’s atmosphere and hopes to survive the entry.”

“Several tachyon bursts should force it to lower its shields while it resets; we could beam the missing ensign away,” Hunsen offered. 

“Then, while its shields are down, the Justice Wing could damage its engines. We grab it with a tractor beam afterwards.” Cambil said, looking at her first officer and then up to her tactical officer. 

Both men agreed with a nod.

“Let’s do it,” Cambil ordered, and her team went about giving out the orders and preparing for their action. She stared at the screen and wondered just at that moment if the ex-drone genuinely thought they could get past them all or if it was up to something else. Were they missing something else here?

Seconds later, the tachyon bursts fired, and for a brief moment, the shuttle’s shields came down, and they could beam Ensign Andar away.

“Sickbay to bridge, we have the ensign. He is okay. No assimilation has taken place.” reported Forbes. 

The Justice Wing was now firing on the shuttle, but the ex-Borg had quickly raised the shields. Nothing the Valkryie fighters did was making a dent. 

“Tell them to concentrate their fire on a single spot,” Cambil advised after watching the scene unfold in front of her on the main viewer.

Once again, the impressive fighter crafts took turns to take runs, targeting the port shields. 

Nothing. 

“The shuttle is approaching the moon’s atmosphere,” T’Rani shared. 

“Fire a photon torpedo in front of it and then destroy it with a phaser blast,” Cambil ordered. “Tell our fighters to fall back behind us and extend our shields.”

Again her crew did as they were told. Hunsen sent her orders to the fighters to move themselves behind their mothership; Jines extended the shields while Lenjir loaded the torpedo and charged the phasers. 

“Fire!” Cambil commanded.

 Rolling out of the forward tube, the single golden torpedo flew across space into the planet’s atmosphere before a lance of phaser energy destroyed it. The photonic shockwave expanded straight away in all directions and hit the shuttle.

“Report?” Cambil asked. She was hoping for good news.

“No change,” Jines answered. “The shuttle’s shields are still intact, and it’s heading at high speeds.”

Tapping her armchair’s panel, she opened a channel to the Bellerophon. “Horatio, fire!”