Captain’s log, April 10, 2401.

Atlantis is responding to a dual distress call from a pair of Cardassian starships just outside claimed Union space in the Expanse. The CUS Ta’del is apparently stuck within the upper layers of a gas giant, unable to break free, having found itself in such a situation while attempting to rescue a science vessel.

We’ve been informed the science vessel is in no immediate danger at present, so we’re focusing on the Ta’del and I’m hoping to learn more upon meeting with Gul Malek once his ship is out of danger. From there we’ll then begin operations to rescue the science vessel.

Ships in peril is honestly a welcome distraction from the pageantry of Frontier Day, which while Atlantis isn’t involved in any of the celebrations, there are events planned aboard ship to coincide with celebrations elsewhere. The crew have been distracted for a week now with all the preceding multimedia we’re receiving. Hopefully, an honest rescue mission will help people refocus around here.

Honestly, after the last few years, the Federation and Starfleet need a feel-good moment like Frontier Day, but for Starfleet, it just feels like a bunch of admirals getting together to pat each on the back for jobs well done, which rings hollow in the aftermath of Deneb.

“Welcome to Atlantis, Gul Malek,” Tikva said as the Cardassian officer was shown into the conference room. He’d come aboard with two of his own officers in tow, which she’d already been informed were his chief engineer and science officer.

“Indeed so,” Gul Malek said as he looked her over once, then turned to Mac at her side and appraised him as well. From the emotions she could feel from him, he considered Mac in a better light than her. Some sense of superiority, an equivalating height to competency.

Which when she looked over his officers, both roughly the same height as Malek, she was reasonably certain was some bias that Malek held. Now if he was aware of it or not, she couldn’t tell. Curse her mixed genetics and only being an empath.

Let’s get Lin in here!

We are not calling Lin in here just because she’s marginally taller than he is.

Then what about just so we can look at her?

Seriously, when are we going to grow up?

Never?

Never!

“Please, have a seat. Now that we’ve towed Ta’del out of the upper atmosphere and back to a stable orbit, I’m sure you’ve got a number of engineers who will be wanting to catch up on some sleep, yes?” she asked, a wave of her hand to the empty seats around the table, dutifully stocked with light refreshments by the third and final Starfleet officer in the room – Lieutenant Fightmaster.

“Once we’ve made a full engineering assessment of Ta’del, hopefully so,” the chief engineer said, whose name she’d already forgotten from when the transporter chief had called through such details to her. “We spent two days fighting to keep the ship at altitude, so your assistance in towing us out of the gravity well was much appreciated, Captain Theodoras.”

“It was timely,” Malek said sharply, a quick glare at his engineer. She could tell he didn’t like the use of the word ‘appreciated’. “My crew were making progress in raising our altitude before your arrival. Your assistance merely expedited the situation.”

It was Mac’s turn to get involved, a large smile on his face. “Well, we’re just glad we can help,” he said. “It’s what we’re out here for after all.” Mac didn’t let it show that he’d picked up on Malek’s slight, that Atlantis ‘wasn’t needed’ here. Just rolled over it, and acted like the happy and naïve Starfleet officer.

In other words, let the Cardassian think he’s better than you – it just makes things go quicker.

“And while we’re here,” she followed on before Malek could get any wind into him for more vaguely insulting commentary, “we might as well help out with this science vessel of yours that’s needing help.”

“That would be…helpful,” the woman who came over with Malek replied. She, much like the engineer, looked exhausted, unlike their commanding officer. “We’ve only had very limited communication with the Rubic for the last two days, but it has been regular and they have confirmed they are still in reasonably good condition. Aside from slowly sinking into a gas giant.”

“Were they conducting a survey of the gas giant?” Mac asked.

“They were conducting a survey of the system before an attack by a Breen raider forced them to take shelter within the gas giant’s upper layers,” the science officer continued. “The composition of the gasses does a reasonable job of scrambling sensors so the captain, Tormen Krel of the Gratul Institute of Planetary Sciences, opted to send a distress call and then hide. Unfortunately, they had sustained engine damage, compounded by a storm, and lost a considerable amount of altitude.”

“How long do we have?” Mac continued.

“Seven days remaining by our count, so about six days Federation standard,” the science officer continued. “Communications with the Rubic has been extremely limited. They slipped below a layer containing dilithium-chromate which has proven incredibly problematic for subspace communications. We had resorted to using our full comm systems to merely broadcast energised bursts and resorted to a pre-warp communications methodology to communication.”

“Morse code,” Tikva found herself uttering, then continued when the Cardassians all looked at her at once. “Ancient communication method from Earth using short and long pulses to represent letters for transmission before audio communication was invented. Could be used over wires, primitive radio, light or even just sound like tapping or horns.”

“Yes, exactly that,” the science officer said with a slight smile. “But again, that dilithium-chromate disperses the pulses, so getting a position fix on the Rubic has proven impossible so far.”

Malek cleared his throat, bringing his officer’s explanation to a halt. A power move to refocus on him. “Which is why I had ordered the Ta’del into the gas giant’s atmosphere. We were to descend to a lower altitude and attempt to triangulate the Rubic’s position from there. Unfortunately, it would seem that Ta’del is past his prime and unsuited for such endeavours.”

The engineer weathered the glare sent his way. “Ta’del was old before the Dominion War, but he’s still a serviceable vessel and more than a match for pirates and Breen raiders.” His defence of the ship was admirable, but likely because his fate was tied to it and Malek’s displeasure couldn’t be brought fully on one or the other. “Our impulse engines weren’t designed to work inside an atmosphere and modifications that my team and I made failed to live up to our expectations. We were able to start our climb out and were merely awaiting another ship from the Twelfth Order to arrive to assist.”

“Well, Commander MacIntyre?” Tikva asked, turning to face her executive officer. “Think we can lend a hand till the Twelfth Order get here?”

“Narrow down where the Rubic isn’t at least until someone else arrives who can help out,” he answered, again playing to the ‘bubbling’ masquerade for Malek’s sake. “Can even lend some engineers to Gul Malek here to help with the Ta’del, if you want that is?” he asked, turning to the Gul.

“No, thank you,” Malek said, with all the dripping sarcasm he could muster on such short notice. “But your assistance with the Rubic would be…appreciated.”

“Don’t mention it,” she said, watching Malek for any eye rolls, but failed to catch any. She doubted he would have mentioned their help without her telling him not to anyway. “I do have a favour to ask though.”

“You may ask,” Malek replied, his chin lifting at being placed in such a position as to do someone a favour. Never mind his rescue mission had needed rescuing and his ship was barely able to move under its own power right now. The man’s superiority complex knew no limits.

“Well if we’re going to go looking for the Rubic, we’re likely to slip into or below this dilithium-chromate layer.” She watched, seeing the nods in affirmation from the Cardassian science officer, then from Malek as he processed the fact. “The Federation is about to be celebrating Frontier Day in a few days and there’s going to be numerous parades and speeches broadcast throughout the quadrant, including out here in the Thomar Expanse for the Starfleet ships out here to enjoy. Could you perhaps record such transmissions for us so we can get them off of you when we can?”

“You want me to task my crew with recording Starfleet transmissions?” Malek asked.

“Oh no, just the public Federation broadcasts,” she answered. “They’re being sent in the clear for all to watch. We’ll provide the comm channel details and which segments to record. Mostly from the admirals at Earth wanting to give out a series of self-congratulatory speeches.”

There was a brief flash of emotion from Malek when she described the speeches as ‘self-congratulatory’. Like he had actually liked her saying that. A commonality in feeling regarding superior officers.

“I shall talk with my communications team and see what we can arrange to handle for you,” Malek finally said. “But our focus will be on the Rubic. If we can make repairs and modifications to join you in the search, we will do so.”

“Fair enough,” she answered. “If there’s nothing else, Gul Malek, I should go and consult with my science and engineering officers to make preparations for atmospheric flight. Hopefully with Atlantis being a toucher younger than venerable Ta’del, we will have a bit more luck.”

A touch? This ship isn’t even a year old. We can kick a gas giant’s ass!

Still, Atlantis is a spaceship, not a submarine.

Pah!

“We shall see,” Malek said, pushing his chair back and rising to his feet, his officers following promptly following him. “We shall see.”

It was Fightmaster’s excellent timing that had him stepping forward just perfectly, a slight wave of his arm towards the door that led down a deck with the promise to escort their visitors to the transporter room. And as they filed out, the door closing behind them, she and Mac both let out a sigh.

“That man is the stereotype. Arrogant prick,” Mac uttered.

“You’re not wrong there,” she confirmed for him. “I got the distinct impression he didn’t want to deal with me, but you.” She cut him off with a raised hand. “Height is power and competence in his mind.”

“So, we’re going to dive into that mess,” Mac said, a thumb over a shoulder in the general direction of the planet they were orbiting, “and start looking around for a science ship that was chased there by the Breen?”

“We’re not leaving that’s for certain,” she confirmed. “Why?”

“We’re going to be descending into who knows what.” He looked at her and she could feel the expectation from him. He was waiting for her to put something together and she just wasn’t. “You’re Greek, you should get this. We’re taking this ship, and descending –“

“Oh!” she snapped out. “Atlantis!”

“Finally,” Mac said with a slap to the tabletop.

“We’ve got one thing a mythical city didn’t have though.”

“What’s that?” Mac asked.

“We haven’t pissed off any gods.”

“The day’s still young,” Mac quipped.