[Hahana III Colony Surface]

Ensign William Hume aimed again, unsure of how useful using the newly installed defensive weapons were on a ship that was entering low orbit. It was, at least, enough to give the attacker something to think about as he fired off a round. Waiting for the weapon to recharge he thought about the ten thousand different things that needed to be fixed about that, not least of all the fact that he was out in the open and not in any kind of defensive outpost with a barrier to the open sky. If they could figure out where Hume and the control panel were located a photon torpedo or shipborn phaser could easily finish him off. The sad fact was that apart from being a target this was the only thing he could do other than seek cover, and it would have to do. 

The question was, he thought, what was the point of this attack? The colony had nothing worth stealing and this was not pirate activity, this was not looting.

[USS Anaheim – Bridge]

The Anaheim was holding up under the onslaught. With the Galaxy Class São Paulo half way across the solar system dealing with four smaller ships, the Anaheim was being pinned down by another with a sixth attacked the colony world. With the shields now reporting in at under forty percent, there was only a matter of time before real damage would start to occur to the medical equipped California Class.

The First Officer, Doctor Travis McCleod, entered the bridge from the turbolift propping up the injured Chief Counselor Lieutenant Junior Grade Yuhiro Kolem. The pair made their way to a chair where McCleod set Kolem down.

”Councelor any insight to what‘s going on?” Captain Nathan Hawthorne asked though his exact wording had more expletives in it. He did not know much about the empathic abilities of his half-Betazoid counselor but he had heard about what Counselor Troi had done on the USS Enterprise a generation ago. If Kolem could help in any way, he was going to take that help.

”Let me focus,” she said. Trying to read the other ship. She had not practiced at this kind of empathic spy technique, as it was something that was extremely hard to practice even for full Betazoids. Closing her eyes she focused. She was surrounded by minds, pushing out past the Anaheim she felt nothing, and then something. Narrowing her mind she tried to get a read on anything, a feeling a… 

“They’re hiding something,” she said finally.

”Commander Th’kaotross do a scan on the enemy ship,” Hawthorne ordered.

The tall Andorian Security Chief nodded, and ran a scan, “Captain the rear shield is fluctuating. I think they’re having issues with it.”

”Bring us around and target their rear shields, attack pattern delta,” Hawthorne said, hopeful that this was a chance.

The Anaheim bobbed a weaved like a Trill fighting a Klingon, the only option was moving fast (as possible) and striking smartly. The ship fired its meager weaponry, but it worked and suddenly a cascading shield problem was affecting the enemy ship. Without its shields it did not stick around, even the weakened shields of the Anaheim were better than none, and the ship warped away almost immediately. 

“Sir the ships attacking the São Paulo are withdrawing too,” Lieutenant Commander Th’kraotross reported watching as the found readings also warped out of the sector. The Galaxy Class ship began to move at full impulse speed toward the colony planet. The final ship, the one that had targeted and attacked the planet, joined them.

Kolem collapsed against the back of the chair, exhausted. Everyone was tired, even though the fight had been short, it had taken a lot out of the crew. Everyone wanted a moment of rest but the Captain was already onto the next disaster.

Tapping his badge he called sickbay, “Lieutenant Va’Tok get everyone down to the surface you have. I don’t care about shifts, beam down. Take shuttles, get down there now.“

”Yes sir,” came the reply.

Looking at the rest of the crew he said, “If you’re not in engineering, I want you on the ground. They’ll need help right now, including our people. I’m going down, I don’t care about the rules. Kolem get to sickbay, get looked after. McCleod make sure she gets there then get down to the planet as well.“

He tapped his badge again “Young, what’s our status?”

The Chief Engineer’s voice answered, “Any more and we’d be floating in space. I’ll need a few days before we have warp, but I can get us in a stable orbit.”

”Do it, you and your team get us working,” the Captain said before signing off to head to the nearest transporter room.

[Hahana III Colony Surface – 4 Hours Later]

True to his word most of the crew of the Anaheim was on the colony’s surface. Rescue efforts, the second round of them, were under way and medical treatment was ongoing. Doctor Mueller who had been hurt, was taken back to the ship, and both the unmanaged São Paulo and the damaged Anaheim were in orbit around the planet. The Galaxy class ship sent down an investigation team and a smaller medical team to help out. The bulk of the work was left to the non-Starfleet volunteers and the Anaheim crew.

[USS Anaheim – Sickbay]

Ensign Hume nudged Lieutenant Junior Grade Kolem. She stirred on her medical bed, looked at him and sighed. It was impossible for her to pick out one mind among all the noise, so it was good to see that he’d survived.

”Captain sent me to get checked out, and to see you,” he said, hugging her.

”Ankle strain, and I hurt me leg when I fell off my bed,” Kolem said.

”That’s what having your own room will do,” Hume teased.

“You’re okay?” Kolem asked.

”Please it takes more than being shot by a starship to kill me,” Hume joked, not wanting to let on that he’d been scared as heck, but knowing that she knew already. She could feel it, even if she did not notice the shakiness of his hands. He was still fighting off the adrenaline from a few hours before.

“Doctor Va’Tok is going to take a look at me, then I can help you back to your killer bed,” Hume joked.

”Only if you stay tonight, as a bodyguard,” Kolem answered.

”Deal.”

[Starbase 72 – Lounge / May 31st]

“I just got promoted,” Adriana Cruz said, “I get my assignment tomorrow.”

Captain Hawthorne nodded, “I loved being Commander. I think it was my favorite rank. All the fun stuff, none of the paperwork. Enjoy it.”

The newly minted Commander nodded. She was flirting with a Captain, she never did that, this was a great day. A promotion and a cute guy, a bit old but whatever she’d have a fling and they’d never see each other again. It was the perfect plan, she could Riker this all over now that she was a Commander.

”I heard you got into it,” Cruz said to Hawthorne.

”Yeah, we got smacked around a bit. But we came out okay, Starfleet it relocating a station there, as a defensive outpost. The ship will be in dry dock for a few weeks. But it was nice to know my crew could handle some adventure. Though what I want to do,” Hawthorne said, “…what we all want to do is explore.”

”Yeah,” agreed Adriana Cruz, she had to agree, most people these days joined Starfleet to see new things. Running a California Class ship, however noble being a team of medics was sounded dull. Thankfully with her Strategic Operations background that was something that she was going to avoid. Unlike Hawthorne she was being fast tracked, and a more exciting command would be hers one day.

“You know while the Anaheim is being repaired command gave me a nice suite on the station. I even have some real brandy there, if you wanted another drink,” the Captain offered.

Commander Cruz smiled, there it was an invitation. She was definitely going to Commander Riker this (not Captain Riker when he’d settled down and got all domesticated). Nodding she fiddled with her hair, which was the only unconscious body language that men seemed to know women used when interested so it had become less unconscious and more of a sign.

“A drink would be nice,” she agreed, “Lead the way.”

This was definitely not a bad idea. Riker never had regrets.