—- Ready Room —-

”You lost Miller and Jara?” 

As Commander Sánchez had predicted the Captain was more than a little annoyed. She stood up from behind her desk and put both of her hands down on it, using it to hold herself up as she looked at her First and Second Officers. The news that they had returned without either the ship’s Chief Science Officer or Chief Security Officer was alarming. Starfleet did not just lose people without a trace.

Or at least it was not supposed to.

As soon as they had gotten out of weapons range of the station Ensign Vanessa Constable had called the USS Seattle to pick them up, and the ship had made the rendezvous in about six hours. The two senior officers had found time to to to casually return to their quarters on the Waverider for some personal time, which Constable had noticed but also had not commented on.

”I may know where they are,” Constable said, the Assistant Chief Engineer walking to a panel on the wall, bringing up the user interface and navigating through to a schematic of a transport ship.

”The G-56 transport ship has a security protocol that few people seem to know about. If stolen once a day it hails its owner and tells them its location. Well I programmed the transport ship of our smugglers to think it was stolen and the USS Seattle was its owner,” the Ensign explained, “Meaning that once a day it should hail us with its exact location.”

The other three looked at her, “And won’t that be stopped by the smugglers?”

”The system is designed to do it covertly, so it’s not discovered. Unless they’re specifically scanning for it, which is unlikely they won’t see it,” she explained, “I saw them hide in a shipping container, and then I had to hide. When I got back the container was gone, so I tagged the ship.”

Captain Cruz sighed, “Alright, at least someone’s on the ball. We’ll wait for the call, then go get out people. What else did we find out for all this?”

Commander Sánchez set the idol down, “We got this off an arms dealer. Meaning our suspects are funding arms by trading these items. When we find them, I assume it’ll prove to be the True Way.”

”We can’t leapt to conclusions, but I tend to agree with you,” Cruz said, “Aright, very good. Take a rest, get cleaned up, and we’ll be underway as soon as we have a destination.”

—- First Officer’s Quarters —-

Commander Andrés Sánchez lay on his beg as Lieutenant Kolem collapsed beside him still wearing the necklace from the station. He could have sworn it was blue, but now it was a vibrant purple. He admired it sitting around her neck the chain a light gold that suited her skin tone. She law beside him pulling the covers up around herself.

”Adriana wasn’t happy,” Sánchez said.

”Well nobody likes losing their followers,” Kolem observed, “but the Engineer seemed to satiate her.”

”Ensign Constable,” the ship’s First Officer was slowly learning everyone’s name, which was possible on such a small ship. Kolem had known everyone’s name, so it was odd that she kept forgetting Ensign Constable, but then again they had a lot on their mind.

”I think of her as the plain one, and you the attractive one,” Kolem said.

”I guess,” Sánchez had not really thought about which of the crew was plain and which was not. Truthfully they were mostly young, in good shape and in the prime of their lives. The only exception being Lieutenant Commander Tashai, but she was an El-Alurian and it was hard to compare them against other species, at least age wise.

”I guess,” Kolem said mimicking his voice, she smiled, “You care too much what she thinks you should care more about what I think. You should be devoted to me.”

”I think it’s a bit early in the relationship for that,” Sánchez said.

”No, it’s not you will be devoted to me,” Kolem said, and her eyes glowed. 

For a minute Sánchez felt confused then he felt panic looking into her eyes which were now infinite pools. He had never seen something it was like all of space inside a woman’s head. She smiled as he felt himself falling into her eyes, losing himself and then the panic left him as he was replaced with a worshipful devoutness, a sureness about his place in the universe and serving his god that he had never felt.

”I am devout my Queen,” he said.

Kolem smiled, “Good I will learn about this time I am in, and then we will make worshippers of this entire crew, even our Captain. Then this fleet of theirs.”

”Of yours,” he said.

”Quite right of mine,” she said and smiled, now a planet would not hold her. Now she could really have the stars.

—- Bridge —-

“We’ve got a signal,” Lieutenant Junior Grade William Hume said as he looked down at the readout. He looked up at Captain Cruz, “It’s in the demiliterized zone, on a former human colony there. Now it’s a suspected True Way base.”

“Okay, set a course,” Cruz said, “We’re going to have to avoid any Cardassians on our trip, so do your best to do that. Give all contacts to the conn. Mister Winfield give me maximum warp.”

“Yes ma’am,” Lieutenant Junior Grade Winfield nodded, setting in a course to the planet and sending the ship into maximum warp. The stars on the view screen went from static as she ship remained still to streaks of light as it jumped into warp.

Cruz looked around the bridge, “Lieutenant Dorian, update Starfleet that we have a location. Have them send a few Reliant-class ships to shut down that black market. Let’s get in, and get our people first and worry about anything else later.”

The crew set about carrying out her orders and after about an hour watching the stars whiz by on the bridge she went into her ready room to read up on reports and hail the USS Obama where she eventually got through to Captain Shraa.

”BolIans,” Shraa said rolling her eyes.

”Well I’m sure whatever the problem with the Bolians is you’ll get through it,” Cruz smiled.

”We have a delegation on board. A VIP real big deal, so he keeps insisting anytime he shouts at me for anything,” Shraa said, “I did not join Starfleet to be a waiter Adriana.”

”As much as they can be awful, ambassadors keep the peace, and we should thank them,” Cruz said, “Without them we’d be at war with everyone.”

”Sounds kind of nice,” the Andorian Captain said then smiled, “I miss you, you going to be on Starbase 72 soon?”

”I lost my Chief Science Officer and Chief of Security, as soon as I get them back you’re on,” Cruz said.

”This time though don’t bring your exes along,” Shraa said. 

Her door banged, as someone ignored the chime and instead went straight to pounding on metal to get her attention. Across the galaxy Cruz could hear shouting and she rolled her eyes, knowing that it was likely the Bolian diplomat that Shraa had spoken about.

”I’ll let you go,” she said.

”I’ll see you soon,” Shraa said and ended the communication.