Starbase 86 was less busy than usual. The ships were slowly returning from their sudden operation to find out what the Borg were up to when they appeared to be crossing their comfort zone. It created wide panic, as no one really knew what they were up to or the sudden interest. Overlooking the inner dry docks of the starbase, Lieutenant Commander Oanom Areva, the base shipyard chief, looked from the operational deck at a recent Grissom class ship being repaired after barely escaping their encounter with a Sphere. 

“The horrors of the unknown darkness are all-consuming,” Oanom muttered as his arms crossed over each other. He honestly didn’t know how to react to all this, and the Borg’s sudden appearance right after the Frontier Day incident, the Lost Fleet invasion, so much was happening. Taking a deep breath, wondering what they can expect next. 

Flipping between several documents on his PADD Captain Nathan Hawthorne looked around for his Commanding Officer. He’d been relegated to Vulcan working in a Starfleet office doing menial clerical work, and then, thankfully, he’d gotten this transfer as the Task Force Executive Officer for TF86. It was undoubtedly more important and interesting than his exile on Vulcan.

First up was his report on the USS Tokyo, which had failed in its assignment of the pathogen deployment, losing seven people. The Tokyo is currently in the Delta Quadrant and en route to Markonian Outpost to regroup with USS Mariner.

He nodded at Lieutenant Commander Areva, “How’s things going? Many ships coming in this week?” 

His black Betazoid eyes looked over his shoulder toward the new arrival. “Captain, I didn’t expect your arrival here for another week. Did Starfleet rush up your schedule also, sir?” Oanom shrugged and turned sideways to him as he pointed toward the Grissom. “Much like this, smaller ships are coming in for repairs the whole week. The USS Girga was unlucky and will be stuck in docks for a while.” 

Oanom lowered his hand and shrugged, “We got the USS Los Angeles en route to us for highly required repairs.” He placed his hands over each other. “Any status on USS Jaxartes ETA? That little ship has quite the history, but it still needs that checkup after everything that has happened.”

Hawthorne nodded, flipping through his PADD, “The USS Jaxartes is recovering after their encounter with the Borg and staying at Tartarus III to provide aid. We have Starbase 416 with an unknown status as of yet, but USS Gemini with Captain Maxwell has arrived at the scene to investigate the blackout. Also going there is my old ship, the USS Seattle, which just transferred in from Task Force 72. She’s a quick little ship, good crew, too.”

Hawthorne looked at his PADD, “Any news on the USS Solvang?”

Giving the Captain a questionable look, “Solvang, yea… “ Looking at the task force schedule on his PADD, “I am just a mere shipyard chief, but that ship just launched for a shakedown cruise from Starbase Bravo and is actually heading towards a known pirate activity area. Might want to check up on that one,” Oanom pointed out, followed with a shrug, “Any data on when we can expect the USS Lafayette, sir?”

Hawthorne gave the Chief a look, “Chiefs tend to know more than the Admirals, don’t sell yourself short. You’re getting your hands dirty while we sit in offices and file reports. The Lafayette is headed to Chandra Prime, so that I wouldn’t expect her back for a bit.”

Folding his hands behind his back, which he hoped was a leader-looking thing to do, Captain Hawthorne nodded once more, “Seems all crews are appropriately occupied. I’ll let you get on with it, Oanom.”

Scratching the back of his head, he saw an incoming request for logistic aid, “Thanks, I need it, sir. Good luck with the TFCO. She is a…..hard ass, sir” Oanom shrugged a bit and gave a final nod before walking off to resume another day at the dry docks.