Nova blurted out, “The lights, captain,” with a delighted gasp.  Her head pivoted back and forth, between her console and Captain Taes and back again.  Pointing with her index finger, Nova drew an arc through the air, indicating the highest point on her Operations panel.  Colourful indicator boxes blinked on, filling an otherwise empty LCARS frame.  

Lieutenant JG Nova elaborated on her exclamation by saying, “The lights are coming on again across my board.  The galaxy is your oyster!”

From where she was sitting in the captain’s chair, Taes inclined her head in Nova’s direction.  Having recovered in the hours since her psychic rescue of Doctor Trojet’s secrets, Taes had the emotional wherewithal to offer Nova a fond, if perplexed, smile.

“I’m sure that’s very exciting, lieutenant,” Taes said.  “I’d love to feel the same.”

To Taes’ left, seated at the expansive science console, Lieutenant Yuulik chimed in on the exchange.

“Nova!” Yuulik insisted, “The captain can’t understand a word you’re saying!”

Stationed at the triangular engineering station to aft, Lieutenant Pagaloa interjected, “Long-range communications are functional,” translating for Nova’s ancient Earth slang.  Playfully, he added, “But don’t speak too loudly, captain.  We only have one operational transceiver until we can put into a drydock.”

Nova enthused, “We’re receiving pings from subspace relays all over the Deneb Sector.”  Then she recoiled her hands from the interface with the same intensity as if she’d been burned on a hot surface.  “Oh no.  There’s fewer than there used to be…”

Taes asked no follow-up questions about the state of the Deneb Sector at large.  Rather, she unfolded the narrow systems monitor arm from the side of her chair and she tapped at its LCARS interface.

“I’ve transmitted my reports to Fourth Fleet Command directly,” Taes reported, “along with my recommendations for Constellation to secure Doctor Trojet’s research from his facility on Trill.  Future researchers will have far more to learn from Trojet’s experiment but, for now, we must prevent the rest of the lost fleet from being released.”

After clearing her throat, Taes ordered, “Nova, please contact Farpoint Station and provide them with our ETA.  Ask if they have sufficient repair facilitates or if we should diver to starbase–“

From the forward tactical console, Lieutenant Commander Ache raised a hand, pointing her finger-mouths at the command platform.  Taes looked to her through Ache’s translucent free-standing console, where red points of light danced across a star chart like lightning-gnats at night.

“Excuse me, captain,” Ache interrupted, “If I may recommend a yellow alert because–“

“All hands: yellow alert,” Taes said, not needing to hear any reason other than Ache thought it was the right thing to do.

As yellow indicator lights flashed from every angle of the bridge, Ache explained, “I’ve been tracking Dominion fleet movements on long-range sensors and something’s changed. Nearly every Jem’Hadar battleship within our sensor range has changed course.”

Yuulik added, “These new courses- – they’re defying all of our predictive models.”  

Ache huffed a deep breath.  “Captain, from the perspective of our relative position, the Jem’Hadar will effectively blockade our course to Farpoint Station.  I can’t establish a safe route.”

Taes nodded twice.  She dropped her palms to her thighs.  She gave the order for, “All stop,” and in mere moments the swirl of streaking stars on the viewscreen slowed to a stationary view of open space between Kanaan and the Deneb system.  Taes kept her eyes on Ache and on the holographic representation of the Lost Fleet’s movements on Ache’s tactical console.

“Commander,” Taes asked, “are they forming a blockade or are they amassing a thunderous strike force to invade Deneb and Farpoint Station?”

Tapping a yellow menu screen that appeared on the tactical console, Ache remarked, “You might be psychic, captain.  We’ve received an alert from Farpoint Station:  A massive Dominion attack wing is incoming.  Every starship in the Fourth Fleet is ordered to defend Farpoint.”

Sinking deeper into the captain’s chair, Taes sighed louder than she would have liked the crew to hear.

“We’re a crew of explorers,” Taes said, her voice filling the room.  

She went on with, “I know some of you only joined Starfleet to stretch your minds into new areas of research.  We’re meant to be out alongside the likes of the great starship Sef, pushing the boundaries of wormhole technology.  Many of you have spent your careers by my side, puttering through archaeological digs.”

Recognizing the Romulan Free State scientist, Laken, at the forward science station, Taes added, “Many of you aren’t even Starfleet officers, but you have dedicated yourselves to our cause because you understand we’re stronger in cooperation than we would be under the violent domination of the Dominion.”

Taes got to her feet, saying, “More than a century ago, there was another crew of explorers aboard another starship Constellation.  At great personal cost, they managed to destroy a planet killer device.  I know we’re tired and we’re scared and we need a month in drydock, but I think we can do even better than defeating a literal doomsday machine, don’t you?”

Descending the stairs of the command platform, Taes moved to stand behind the flight control station, resting her hands on the chair’s back.

“Set course for Farpoint Station, maximum warp,” Taes ordered.  

And she said, “Let’s find out!”