Thank You

Unofficial Literary Challenge 26 - "The Anniversary"

---

The hum of the ship’s life support system was barely audible, as the main engines were shut down.  The room’s only light source was the bright service lamps encircling the ship as it floated within the docking cradle.  Stark shadows cloaked many features of the room, yet the sole occupant was bathed in bright light as she sat near the window.  Looking at the red surface of Mars, the Captain of the ship was silent, occasionally and absentmindedly tapping the PADD held in one hand.  The other hand rubbed rank pips on her collar.  Kathryn Beringer held a smirk on her lips as she recalled the meeting she left over an hour ago.

Without notice, another female voice asked, “That was an adventure of words, I must say.”

Kathryn was expecting the visitor and was not surprised her reverie was broken so suddenly.  “You had something to do with it, didn’t you, Q?”  She swiveled her chair to face the interior of her office.

Wearing a Fleet Admiral uniform, Q stood with her weight on one leg as she faked inspecting her fingernail.  Her affect was playful and she curtsied.  “Maaaybe?  You should be thanking me for helping you keep this bucket of bolts.”  She spread her arms wide as she opened a toothy smile.

“Yes.  I suppose so.” 

Q walked to a chair in front of Kathryn’s desk and sat down.  “I’ll take that for a ‘thank you’.  And you’re welcome.”

“Actually I really am grateful for your intervention.”

Leaning forward, Q’s mirth exchanged for seriousness.  “I know how much you love this ship, I had to save it.  Why would you let them do that to you?”

Kathryn shrugged.  “Duty.”

Q scoffed.  “Let’s be honest with each other.  Omnipotence deserves that much, don’t you think?”

With a sigh, Kathryn resigned herself to the conversation.  “You heard the Admirals, although Solaris has modern technology, he just looks … old.  Moving to the new Resolute-class is what Captains like me are being asked to do.”

“’Asked is the new word for ‘ordered’, is it?”

“I think you have proved there are exceptions.”

Q’s smile returned.  “Is there another barrier to the truth or shall we continue talking around it?  This isn’t about duty, orders or,” she looked around the room, “aesthetics.”

Kathryn gently tossed the PADD onto her desk and then turned her chair to face a dark wall, one side of her face lit by the bright light outside, the other side obscured by shadow, trying to hide her emotions from Q.  “Like you said, I love this ship.  This ship.”

Standing, Q then stepped around the desk to be behind Kathryn, looking out another window.  Her hands clasped behind her back as she waited for Kathryn to continue.

“Four years ago, I was ordered to abandon my first command, the Galatea.  I flew that ship for a year before she was crippled in a fire-fight against the Klingons.  Instead of repair, Starfleet decommissioned the ship and I was given command of Solaris.  I have really grown into my rank since then.  Borg, Vaudwaar, Iconians –“.  Kathryn paused to look at the PADD.  “I have lost a lot of good crew along the way, some of them because of my decisions.”  She looked back toward the window.  “I have learned a lot about what being a leader means; the guidance, the judgments, forgiveness and diplomacy.  I found ways to make peace with myself while settling my own vendettas.  All of that in this ship.”

Stifling a yawn, Q stretched her arms up and wide even though she didn’t need the relief.

Kathryn snorted.  “Four years ago today I took command of Solaris, and today you saved him from the scrapyard.”  She swiveled her chair to face Q.  “Thank you.”

---

Cast for crew:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nicols
Q - June Diane Raphael

Return of the Damocles

Unofficial Literary Challenge 25 "Agents of Yesterday" - Prompt 1

--

“And that’s it.” Kathryn pressed an icon on the wall display and the image of a Borg Complex blinked away to a black screen.

Captain James Pennell raised his eyebrows and whistled as he rested back into the chair. At the table in front were a small stack of PADDs and he rubbed his eyes trying to remove the mental fatigue he felt. He still wore his 23rd Century-style red shirt. The Command delta on his chest and Captain rank stripes on the cuffs made him Kathryn’s equal in terms of Starfleet. But with their relative experience, James was like a child in comparison to her, even though they were the same age chronologically. Recovering, he reached for a PADD and tapped a few keys.

“I know it’s a lot,” Kathryn said sympathetically.

“You can say that again.” James ran fingers through short cut blond hair. He opened his bright eyes as a gesture he just heard more information than he could absorb.

Kathryn smirked mischievously. “I know it’s a lot.”

James looked to the other Captain with eyes only, a grin formed on his lips. Looking back to the PADD, he tapped a key and asked, “So, in your opinion, what is the greatest threat to the Federation now?”

“Borg.” Her response was immediate.

Looking confused, James started looking at other PADDs as Kathryn sat into a seat across from him. But, they do not have planet-killers like the Undine or – “

“They are planet-killers, Captain,” Kathryn interrupted. “Each drone can do unspeakable damage on its own. If there is a literal virulent threat, it is the Borg.” Her words were crisp, clear and calm, her affect was stern. Resting her arms on the table, she laced her fingers and politely cleared her throat. Softening her voice, Kathryn continued. “In the grand scheme of things, the Borg is an old threat, relatively speaking. Yet, it’s their ability to quickly adapt that makes them so dangerous. You will form your own opinions from experience, no doubt.”

James’ smile returned. “I take it your opinion is rare in Starfleet nowadays?”

“Maybe,” Kathryn shrugged and returned the smile. “I’ve been involved in the more recent upheavals, from the increased Mirror Universe incursions to the Iconian War; serious events to be sure. Yet, there is something darkly sinister about the Borg I am not willing to brush aside just because Starfleet has formulated working strategies and tactics. What is new will become old eventually.”

His smile was not diminished by Kathryn’s seriousness. “Has anyone told you the corners of your lips dip slightly when you talk about something you care deeply about?”

Kathryn’s eyes widened and she blushed. “Oh. No, I don’t believe so.”

Captain Pennell waved as if to push a gnat away. “Well, I’m getting hungry. Care for dinner?” He started to stand.

Kathryn sat up a little straighter, surprised at the brisk invitation. “I … yes. Wait.” She opened her hands, palms outward wanting to stop time. “There is something more to convey about your crew.”

James stopped and sat back down. “My crew?”

“As you know, having the Damocles suddenly appear in the 25th century may cause temporal paradoxes that should be avoided.” Kathryn reached for a PADD that had rested at her hips through the briefing and activated the crew listing for Captain Pennell’s ship. She turned the PADD toward James, which he accepted. He reviewed the list as Kathryn spoke.

“For the crew highlighted, they need to avoid contact with the persons or groups listed. Unfortunately, some are family members. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert. Suffice to say you and your crew’s timelines stopped back in the 23rd century, only to start again in the 25th century. Naturally, all relatives and associations continued to progress in their own courses and pathways.”

James’ eyebrows met from concentration. “That sounds like a fancy way to say we’re not supposed to be here and now.”

“From where I sit, you’re right.”

“Thanks for being blunt.”

Kathryn nodded solemnly. “Timelines will be rewritten in unknown ways if select members of your crew were to connect with certain entities. Not to labor the point; your timelines ended when the ship disappeared, but everyone else’s kept moving, branching out, interconnecting, and ending on their own natural paths. Now a new set of timelines suddenly appear and interrupting the natural courses of all the others. The knowledge and experience within this new set will disrupt extant timelines. Temporal Investigations have learned, the hard way, interruptions must be avoided as much as possible.”

Captain Pennell whistled as he scrolled. “Got any tips?”

“There are a few. Ultimately, the onus rests with you and your crew being very careful for the rest of your lives.”

James put the PADD down and opened his arms over the whole pile, his smirk returned. “It looks like we’ll have a shorter life-span than Starfleet sold us back in the 23rd Century.”

“Welcome to the 25th Century,” Kathryn replied with a smile.

“So, dinner on your ship or mine?”

---

Cast for crew:

Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
James Pennell - Paul Walker

What Do We Do?

Unofficial Literary Challenge 24 - Mirror Wars - Prompt 3

---

 Kathryn looked at the main viewscreen in shock. The planet’s surface was a wasteland of craters. Small areas of city-scape could be seen between gaping pits, but these were blackened husks. Faint clouds hovered high above the surface. The crew was looking at a dead planet. “Anything?”

Omazei, sitting behind and to the left against the back wall shook her head. “Nothing, not anymore. There are no life-signs on the planet, not even a microbe of algae.”

Kathryn nodded solemnly. “Can we determine how long ago this happened?”

“Readings indicate within ten years.”

Ian whistled from the helm station. “What happened?”

Anthi announced, “Captain, projectile launch from the surface, headed for us!”

Kathryn turned in her chair perplexed by the report. “Identify and time to impact?”

Looking wide-eyed from her console, Anthi almost yelled, “solid deuterium, ten seconds!”

“Helm, whatever it takes! Shields up!” The bridge lights suddenly turned red with the warning claxon blaring. Solaris lurched to port. Standing crew was thrown to the ground and anyone sitting was pushed into arm rests. On the viewscreen and the planet’s curve disappeared, then a bright light grew from one side.

The shock wave crashed against the ship, pushing it along the roll axis. The shield’s either absorbed or deflected the force from the explosion. Inside, inertial dampeners and gravity regulators fought for control of the crew.

Kathryn reached for the command chair’s armrest to lift herself from the floor. “S’Rel, save the damage report for later. Ian, don’t stop, get us out of here. Omazei what just happened?”

The Trill Science Officer sat into her chair and started tapping at her console. After a few seconds, Omazei replied, “fusion detonation, approximately fifty megatons. Data shows a laser beam directed at the projectile from the surface caused the ignition. The source of both seems to be from the same location.”

Ian McKinnon at the helm spoke up. “Captain, we are about to arrive at the moon’s orbit around Kurza III.”

Turning to helm, Kathryn smiled. “Thank you Ian, full stop. Get ready to bolt if we are attacked again.” She looked around the bridge, and then rested her gaze to the MSD console. The image of the Excelsior-class ship above S’Rel started showing red in many places along the ship with increasing amounts. “Okay, go to yellow alert. S’Rel, let’s look at the damage report. I want a staff meeting in thirty minutes.”

+++

Kathryn looked around the room and stopped at the Chief Medical Officer. “How’s the crew?”

Annika Kramer sat forward. “There is not a concern for radiation; the ship’s shielding handled that easily. Although, initial reports declare there are ten serious injuries from the initial evasive maneuver, thirty-seven more from the shockwave and over two-hundred minor injuries over both events, after that, bumps and bruises. Triage teams will be working around the clock.”

“And the ship?”

The Andorian Chief Engineer interlaced his fingers on the table, a sign of concern. “The ship got battered from such close proximity to a thermonuclear explosion. Repairs will be slow, but he’ll fly right.”

“We’ve been through worse, Thel, I’m sure. Analysis of the situation?”

S’Rel raised a Vulcan eyebrow as if to gather attention before speaking. “The Kurza system was mapped by Voyager’s journey through the Delta Quadrant, though only rudimentary information was collected as the system was over fifty light years perpendicular to the path plotted. A study by Starfleet determined faint radio transmissions emanating from the system.”

Kathryn picked up immediately, “which is why we are here: consider First Contact possibilities unless the Prime Directive kicks in. Radio signals are a sign of a developing culture, yet within thirty years, it looks like whatever culture was on Kurza III is now gone, and a giant gun is pointed into space?”

Omazei leaned forward. “Automated planetary defenses are well known throughout recent history. In 2364, when the Enterprise-D visited the planet Minos , for example. This weapon may have been a part of the culture when Voyager passed by.”

“You said, ‘automated’. Have scans revealed anything about our attacker?”

Omazei looked at a PADD. “Back-tracing the trajectory of the attack, the source location is a massive metallic structure on the surface.”

The Andorian First Officer swiveled her chair toward Omazei. “It’s easy to presume the weapon was defending the planet because of our reception. But if the surface looks like a war zone, then could it be that the weapon was used against the planet?”

The room was quiet for a few seconds. Kathryn started to formulate a plan. “Okay, I want to see this through. A small team is going to the surface. Omazei, have Romas Verthir meet me in Transporter Room Three. Thel, can you join me for this one?”

The ship’s engineer nodded.

+++

Three Starfleet officers materialized on the planet and immediately pulled out tricorders from holsters on their environmental suits. Romas turned left while Thel turned right as Kathryn swept in front of her. Occasional strong winds blew dirt and sand in every direction.

Kathryn turned her head within the suit, whose design was inspired by the hellish milieu of Nukara. “Radiation levels are pretty high. We’ll have an hour at best.”

“Captain, look below.” Romas sounded sad and Kathryn had to bend at the waist due to the helmet being fixed to the shoulder harness. She took a step back from seeing the burned skull, only to crush more blackened bone. She looked around again and realized they teleported onto a field of bones.

Thel stepped forward still looking at his tricorder and snapped more bone, seeming to be oblivious to the carnage under foot. “Captain, my readings suggest an entryway to the structure one-hundred meters in this direction.” He was pointing toward the long side of the building that fired upon Solaris, which they chanced to start their survey of the situation. Fortunately, the ship was not greeted by weapons fire as before.

Kathryn and Romas joined Thel as he walked in the direction the tricorder was taking him. She inspected the area as best as the restrictive combat suit would allow. The building itself was almost one-hundred meters tall and three-hundred meters long and covered in rubble and sand from the area. It looked as if debris and soil rained from the surrounding parts of the city. The entire settlement around them was devastated. Large buildings seemed gutted out from massive explosions, revealing only the skeletal structure of beams from foundations. Smaller buildings seemed cleaned away by a massive broom.

As they walked, Romas would briefly stop to examine a skeletal corpse before catching up to the others only to stop again and scan with the tricorder. Kathryn noticed the number of bodies, or the piles of bones seemed to increase as they approached the door.

Thel suddenly raised an arm to stop Kathryn and he gestured to the building. Kathryn watched as a long pole pointed at them and swiveled back and forth, as if to wave them away from approaching further. She increased the audio from external microphones and heard a distinctly familiar sound.

Click. Click. Click.

“Thoughts?”

Thel lifted his tricorder slowly. After a few seconds, he reported, “it’s a ballistic weapon and clearly out of ammunition.”

“That explains the wounds in the nearby bodies,” Romas added and he knelt down to put a finger through a hole in a skull.

Kathryn looked around and noticed more in the same condition nearby and shook her head. She looked up and down the length of the building and started to notice other barrels protruding outward in varying sizes and lengths. Only the one nearby was moving. Leaning back to look toward the top of the building, she could see a large dome at the center with a long cylinder pointing toward the sky. She surmised that was the cannon that shot at her ship. “This structure is made for war.”

Thel took a step forward. “The door is this way.” He placed a hand on the phaser pistol at his waist.

As they reached the door, it hanged by one hinge inward and looked as if it were opened by explosive force. Cautiously, Kathryn entered first and activated the suits headlamps. Inside, the dust and dirt crawled into the structure from several years of exposure. The metallic hallway was only ten-meters long, devoid of any other features and allowed the team to walk in their bulky suits without discomfort. When they reached the door at the other end, it slid open without prompt but with great difficulty. Sand slowly blew into the fresh interior.

She moved her suit to allow the lamps to shine within. Inside the darkened room was packed with conduits, pipes and various conveyors, yet a walkway allowed transit within the metallic guts of the building. The microphones picked up a faint hum inside the structure suggesting it was still powered by some source. Kathryn turned back to Romas and Thel, both were still conducting scans with tricorders.

Kathryn activated the suits communicator. “Solaris, this is the Captain, do you read me?”

Static answered first and then Anthi’s voice responded faintly, “barely, but underst- <shzzt>. We are still <shzzt> to track your loca- <shzzt>. Do you cop- <shzzt>.”

“Yes. Boost signal and check every five minutes.”

“Aye aye, Capta- <shzzt>.”

“Okay, make or break time. Thel, I’ll need another pair of eyes in here, Romas keep scanning and mapping, please. Let’s chat to a minimum.” The others agreed with thumbs-up. Turning to the open door, she entered with a hand resting on her sidearm.

Several uninterrupted minutes passed as they walked the path that seemed to lead to the center of the structure. Communication with the ship was becoming more strained and Romas surmised it was indirect interference. At one point they passed a large area that was clearly used as an ammunition storage room with automated loaders near tracks and conveyors. The room was empty of fuel for the many weapons the site contained.

Eventually, they reached the center of the building. Inside the cavernous room, the walls were covered with display screens, all darkened and a few cracked. Suspended from the ceiling was a large command chair connected by a jungle of cables and wires. Some were not connected to the chair or armature and hanging above the floor. In front of the chair were a few other displays with input terminals. Sitting in the chair rested a single occupant, unmoving.

Slowly walking into the room, Romas continued his scans behind Thel and Kathryn. Checking the chronometer, Kathryn noted they would have very little time to investigate the situation as prolonged exposure was still a concern, yet the radiation levels inside the building were significantly lower than outside. Stepping toward the control chair, Kathryn could tell the occupant was dead from a head wound. In the Kurzan’s lap was an elegant-looking pistol, clearly used for its suicide.

“What happened?” Kathryn though out loud. Looking to Thel, he was already at a nearby console using his tricorder. She checked her suit’s reading once more. “Thel, anything?”

Without looking away from his work, he tapped at the tricorder before responding, “yes, sir. This console seems functional. In fact, most systems within the structure seem to be reasonably operational. I’m attempting to download information, but –“

Concord calls
Enemies of the state
All within
All without
Only Concord remains

The deep voice comes from everywhere within the room. Romas and Thel look to Kathryn. She shrugs. “Let me guess Thel, you are unable to download anything because of resistance from the program?”

“Yes, sir.”

Kathryn nods. She clears her throat and then activates the suit’s speakers. “Are you … Concord?”

Victory
In name and duty
Forever

Romas turned to Kathryn. “Captain, as a war machine, Concord may only recognize military-style phrasing, so conversation may be limited in scope. Yet, I do sense a presence here. I perceive Concord is A. I.”

Kathryn raised a hand absentmindedly to her neck as if reaching for her rank pips. It was a tick of hers as she concentrated. Would Concord respond to further inquiry? “Concord, I am a commanding officer conducting performance evaluation. Action report is ordered.”

The team waited for several minutes. Kathryn started to think the conversation was over before Concord responded.

Pacification accomplished
Enemies of the state
Vanquished
Yet Brothers
Defeated
Only Concord Remains

Thel stood and closed his tricorder. “I’m not getting any data from these terminals. Concord will either need to give us the information or tell us about it.”

Kathryn nodded. “Explain the defeat.”

Enemies of the state
Created the Brotherhood
Then
Destroyed the Brotherhood
Only Concord Remains

“Created, then destroyed,” Romas paced toward the dead Kurzan in the center of the room. “What if the Brotherhood were others like Concord? Maybe the Kurzans created these structures as a means of planetary defense that turned against them –“

“An unintended genocide?” Thel interrupted. “Then why would the controller,” pointing to the Kurzan, “kill himself? Wouldn’t he try to stop Concord in some way?’

Romas continued his train of thought. “Maybe he couldn’t stop Concord … or maybe he started it?”

Kathryn looked at the chronometer and waved a hand to stop discussion. “There are too many variables, too many mysteries and we are out of time.” She turned toward the door.

Thel attached the tricorder onto his belt. “What about Concord?”

Turning to look back, Kathryn answered. “Our mission was to determine First Contact protocols. If we were unable to make First Contact, then the Prime Directive kicks in. In this case, P. D. does not apply as we were not aware of Concord until it was too late. We have not contaminated the civilization because it doesn’t exist anymore. So the only question that remained was what happened to the Kurzans.” She opened her arms wide. “This happened.”

Romas turned back to the controller. “That may be so, but what do we do with Concord?”

---

Cast for crew:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Anthi Ythysi - Katheryn Winnick
Thel Ythysi - Kevin Sorbo
Ian McKinnon - Ben Browder
Omazei - Gemma Arterton
S'Rel - Morena Baccarin
Romas Verthir- Idris Elba
Annika Kramer - Abbie Cornish
Concord - Tony Todd - the voice

Just Right

Unofficial Literary Challenge 23 - "Battle Scars", prompt 1

---

Kathryn walked to the display screen within the wall and tapped at the corner. Images appeared revealing a star chart, some text within a report and a few images of persons from various races in profile. Turning toward the conference table, she cleared her throat briefly.

“On Stardate 91347.5, USS Solaris intercepted a cargo ship in the Mempa Sector, fourteen AU outside the Vor System. The vessel was adrift and all systems non-functional. Passive scans did not reveal other vessels nearby, no life signs on board and all escape pods were used. Registry searches returned null results. Starfleet was promptly notified and a boarding party was beamed onto the ship, with me leading the team.”

Although looking to each of the three people at the table throughout her introduction, Kathryn stopped her roving glances onto one, a female Vulcan. Counselor A’Mand raised an eyebrow in silent response declaring their previous sessions are not relevant in this setting.  A second passed before Kathryn continued.

“Once aboard we quickly determined the vessel’s cargo were animate in nature.” Kathryn instantly regretted the choice or words and was interrupted before she could correct herself.

“Animate? Do you mean livestock?” The male Rigelian leaned forward as he spoke, clearly his attention was captured.

“Pardon me, Admiral Doss, the cargo were sentient beings.” She turned and tapped the screen to highlight a cargo manifest. “15 different species from the Beta Quadrant: the vessel was transporting people. It was a slave trading ship.”

“Captain Beringer, please forgive my interruption," the human male reclined his chair and looked to the Counselor.  "How did Solaris find this vessel if it was just a floating hulk in deep space.”  His trimmed beard and mustache conveyed a relaxed appearance. Hazel eyes and muscular build through the Admiral’s cloak made him almost dashing even though he was at least twenty years older than Kathryn.

She smiled. “Of course, Admiral Snord. Solaris was on a diplomatic ferry mission to Qo’Nos for Commandant Decker of the Dawn Patrol Task Force. Once in the Pi Canis Block, per standard procedures, our maximum travel speed is Warp 2, with forward-path tight beam sensor scan at timed intervals. The Bramtlok was simply in our path.”

Admiral Snord smiled and was still for a few seconds, enough time for both Doss and A’Mand to look at him questioningly. “Would you say this was a fated moment?”

Kathryn looked down as if embarrassed with her response. “Yes, sir.”

“How did you know the ship was carrying slaves,” asked Admiral Doss.

Sadness overcame Kathryn‘s demeanor. “They were still in the freight hold.” She recalled pulling the manual lever to unlock the cargo doors. It took four of the team to pry open the massive doors. When dead fingers poked through the small opening from their efforts, the team jumped in their space suits. Shining lights into the room revealed the grisly scene.

Bringing herself back to the present, Kathryn continued. “Investigating the computer core yielded flight plan and path as well as the ship’s registry, but not for the abandoned condition of the vessel. Technical teams did not discern a mechanical or electrical reason for the abandoned condition of the vessel or for why the inhabitants to be spaced within the ship. All personnel logs were wiped. The OSS Bramtlok was Orion manufactured and owned by Gratol Kiaf, also known as ‘Gratol the Grave” within the Syndicate. SFI reports sum him up as sadistic, among other color descriptions.”

She turned back to the viewscreen and selected a star chart showing various symbols with corresponding colors. A line connected two points: one in a blank area of space, the other at a named star system. “There was a discrepancy between the number of persons listed in the manifest and those on the ship. Once Doctor Kalmar matched records to deceased, Solaris made for the Vor system to investigate the ship’s last point of origin. In transit, we detected faint subspace echoes emanating from the asteroid belt between the fifth and sixth planets. Passive sensor readings strongly suggested an intra-core artificial structure was located within the belt.”

The Rigelian raised an orange-highlighted hand. “Did Commandant Decker approve of the deviation from mission parameters?”

“Yes, only because we were near two hours ahead of schedule.”

Admiral Doss nodded his head approvingly.

Kathryn continued, “Solaris orbited Vor VII and started geological scans of the planet as a means to divert attention away from the covert operation conducted via shuttle. The goal was to learn more about the facility directly before taking further action, time permitting.”

A tactical display showed the Vor system, with images pointing to locations around the seventh planet and the asteroid belt. A simple dotted line connected pictures. “A Type-9 shuttle was used for the sortie, piloted by myself.” Both Admirals quickly looked to Counselor A’Mand, who remained composed, as if expecting the comment.

Admiral Snord leaned forward and laced his fingers together on the table. A sly smirk was glued to his face. “Captain, why did you take a shuttle by yourself to the facility?”

Kathryn placed both hands behind her back and gathered her thoughts. “To minimize risk to ship personnel, and considering the limited timeframe, the less staff directly involved the easier to accommodate resources to research the anomalous event.”

The three officers at the table sat quiet and unmoving. Kathryn perceived her answer was sufficient enough to continue the report.

“At four hundred thousand kilometers, passive scans revealed a massive structure built within an S-Type asteroid. Interestingly, only twenty humanoid inhabitants could be detected. Closer inspection revealed the facility to be a mining station. The majority composition of the asteroid was Bicarbonate Silica, a very benign substance, yet used in the manufacture of medical equipment within the Klingon Empire.”

Clearing her throat, Kathryn tapped on the viewscreen to enlarge a schematic of the mining facility shown in three dimensions revealed a basic sphere shaped structure with about ten percent being above the surface of the irregular shaped asteroid. “I teleported onto Level Two; this was the main docking level to the station and the least inhabited.”

Seeing Admiral Doss’ eyes widen, Kathryn quickly attempted to preempt his question. “My goal was get eyes-on surveillance of the facility to verify its legality, keeping in mind a derelict slave ship’s last port of call was this station.” Doss became mollified by the explanation.

Tapping the screen again, the second level schematic was cut out and presented as a tactical display with words appearing in various rooms. Pointing to the ‘control room’, Kathryn explained, “I was able to subdue a lone operator without raising alarms and accessed the computer core.” She tapped another area of the screen and a large manifest record appeared over the level map. “I was able to determine the station was indeed a mining facility operated by a cartel within the Orion Syndicate and that the Bramtlok had picked up the last of the slave workers for transport to another facility. The destination is still unknown, unfortunately.”

Counselor A’Mand’s eyebrow rose at the editorial. “Captain, pardon me for interrupting, what do you mean ‘unfortunately’?”

Kathryn turned to face the Vulcan. “The Bramtlok’s destination could have revealed further slave activity by the Syndicate and dealt with by proper authorities.”

Admiral Snord, still smirking added, “Your authority?”

“That was not my intent. The time window was shrinking in order to get Commandant Decker to his appointment on Qo’Nos. My report would have been sent to Starfleet Command to be routed.”

Kathryn waited for more questioning. After a couple of seconds of silence, she continued. “Recalling a discrepancy between the Bramtlok’s manifest and those found in cargo bay, I hedged on the cartel having mediocre attention to detail.” She tapped onto the screen and the second level schematic slid back into the sphere of the station and the sixth level pulled away. Enlarged, the words on rooms read ‘holding cell’. Tapping onto the area within a particular cell, a photo image appeared. The three officers at the table gasped.

“What is … is that a humanoid?” Admiral Doss was pointing at the image of a butchered mass of meat on the screen.

Without emotion Kathryn replied, “My readings suggested a Human female.” She turned and closed the image, and then tapped on another cell. A second image opened to show another mutilated corpse, its internal organs strewn about the small room. Kathryn paused for effect and then closed the image. She was about to tap another cell when someone’s hoarse coughing stopped her.

“Thank you, Captain. How many bodies did you find?” Admiral Snord wore a frown when Kathryn looked over her shoulder.

“The difference between the Bramtlok manifest and its cargo hold … except one.”

Kathryn opened a file showing a Bolian youth. “This is Bried. I found him using a tricorder scan for lifeforms and filtering out chronological age parameters. He had been hiding in a mine shaft on level eight. At that point, my time had almost expired. To get back to a safe transporter location to the shuttle, Bried and I had to use more obvious pathways that risked discovery. There was a firefight on level three. The incapacitated Orion in the control room must have been discovered. I was able to escape with Bried, but not before injuring three captors.”

“I evaded minimal aggression by egress above the orbital elliptic of the asteroid belt. Once aboard Solaris, I ordered the facility be destroyed.”

Counselor A’Mand looked to the Admirals. Admiral Snord’s smirk returned as he sat back into his chair and placing hands behind his head, looking relaxed. Admiral Doss seemed tense by comparison. “On what grounds?” A’Mand looked back to Kathryn stoically.

“The station was highly probable to have been a slave labor mining camp organized and run by the Orion Syndicate or its affiliates. Mining registrations for the Vor system only listed holding on planetary bodies, not the asteroid belt. With the unexplained deaths of the beings in Bramtlok’s cargo, the crew’s inexplicable departure from a technically functional spacecraft, and the condition of the bodies found on the facility, I concluded it a matter of injustice to leave the area with only a report being sent to Starfleet. Ultimately, the facility was not legally sanctioned and my orders prevented its continued use.”

The three officers looked to one another until the Admirals looked at A’Mand and nodded. The Vulcan Counselor turned to Kathryn and asked, “is this a matter of ‘might makes right’, Captain?”

Kathryn quickly responded, “to the contrary. Respectfully Counselor, right guides might.”

---

Cast for crew:

Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Counselor A'Mand - Lynn Collins
Admiral Cranston Snord - Ethan Hawke
Admiral Kree Doss - Daniel Radcliffe

Seen not heard:
Bried - male off-the-street extra 1
Gratol the Grave - Michael Nyqvist

If/Then

Unofficial Literary Challenge 22 - The Changeling

---

The woman sitting at the pilot’s seat of the Yellowstone Runabout smiled at Kathryn. Her round face was graced with soft cheeks and thin lips. Yet her cat-shaped eyes relayed a sharp intellect. Brown hair fell straight, ending in curls, halfway down her chest covering Science career pipes on the uniform. Kathryn returned the smile through the small desktop viewscreen. The conversation, so far, had been filled with remembering Academy days.

Snapping her fingers, Kathryn became excited from another recollection. “Speaking of bad boyfriends, I dated a Bajoran with Klingon tattoos on his back, do you remember him?”

Alison Burnett squinted as she searched her memories. Kathryn continued. “I met him at a party and he was all over me. He was so good looking and fun but he did have a mean streak. We dated a few weeks.”

The Lieutenant Commander smirked and then nodded. “I think I remember him, did he wear earrings on both ears?”

Kathryn’s eyes widened, “yes! You may have met him once or twice.”

Alison covered her mouth as if embarrassed. “He asked me to date him while you were seeing him too. I threatened to haul him to the ethics board, and then punched him in the face.”

Kathryn feigned disappointment. “What?!” Both women burst into laughter. Kathryn wiped away a tear. “No wonder he broke it off. What an idiot. Although the board would have laughed you out of the room, I guess I should thank you for that.”

Alison also dabbed at her eyes to keep the thin mascara from running. “Only in the Academy , right?” Sher smile faded. “Shall we get down to business?”

“Yes, yes indeed.” Kathryn wore a seriousness that fit her rank as she interlaced her fingers on the ready-room desk. She sat upright and tried to remain congenial but could not hide her solemnness. “Solaris is en route to your location and we should be there shortly.” Kathryn placed a hand on a PADD next to the screen without looking away. “I’m sure you can guess that my orders are to bring you in –“, she cleared her throat, surrendering to the gravity of the situation. “Dead or alive.”

Alison was not surprised and her countenance hardened. “Starfleet is that serious? Kathy, look at those orders: you are being ordered to kill me if you have to. Defection is not a death sentence.”

“I’ve read them, more times than you think.”

“And yet, they send one of my Academy friends to do their dirty work?”

“Would you rather someone else?”

Turning away from the screen, Alison sighed. “I’d rather not even have that choice –“

“That’s my point Alison, you have a choice! If you choose to turn around, then the punishment won’t be severe.” Kathryn had sat back and opened her arms wide showing some frustration.

Alison was resolute and she shook her head. “I have chosen. So many rules and regulations, my work was being controlled by idiots and pantomimes. The secrecy was almost conspiratorial and the War was a breaking point. The Federation is no longer the shining beacon of order and stability it promotes to the rest of the galaxy … at least not for me anymore.

Leaning forward, Kathryn became animated. “And defecting to the Terran Empire was the best alternative?! You could have resigned, or even told Admiral Quinn to burn in Sto’Vo’Kor. Even the Orion Syndicate in this universe would make a deal you couldn’t refuse with what you know.”

A chime activated and Anthi’s voice coldly declared from the bridge next to Kathryn’s ready-room, “we are at the coordinates as ordered, Captain.”

Alison looked away at a console within the Runabout. “Confirmed. Kathy, you really shouldn’t be here. If you leave, then there will be no more surprises.”

Kathryn looked down as she spoke, her own resolution growing. “The secrets you have about Black Talon are why the Federation sent me. The longer this goes on, the worse it will be for you. Don’t do this.”

A new very familiar voice was heard from Alison’s side. “Okay, that’s enough.” Another woman gruffly pulled Alison out of the pilot seat, sat down herself and started tapping at the console.

Kathryn was genuinely shocked. “You! Are you behind Alison’s defection?!”

Mirror Kathryn smiled mischievously and brushed aside a thick lock of burgundy hair from her face, revealing the black eyepatch across her left eye. “Maybe.”

The door to Kathryn’s room swished open and Anthi stopped at the threshold. “Captain, a Tachyon burst was detected and a Terran ship came through. It’s –“

“The Abyssal”, Kathryn interrupted not looking away from the screen and seething with fury.

Kathryn on the shuttle mocked, “so, Captain Beringer, if you really want to get into a shooting match, then your friend is in the crossfire.”

Ignoring her doppelganger, Kathryn glanced to Anthi, “prepare Pattern Rho Tycho, but hold station otherwise.”

Anthi nodded and left the room quickly as the Terran responded, “Wise move, Captain. Although your style for naming ship maneuvers is so formal. We like things to be simple and straightforward. Next time, just say it: rescue transport.” Alison stood behind the seat into view. Kathryn could not read any emotion on her old friend’s face.

“Go to Hell. You heard my orders; I’ll vaporize the shuttle before it enters Terran space.”

Mirror Kathryn pursed her lips. “Tsk tsk, Captain, that’s not noble at all. In fact, that sounds very … Terran of you.” She laughed at her whimsical verbal parry.

Tapping her combadge, Kathryn hoped for the best outcome, and leapt out of her chair toward the bridge, leaving the laughing in the room behind her. “Anthi, execute!”

She could feel the ship lurch as it quickly moved toward the shuttle. On the main viewscreen, the Terran Advanced Heavy Cruiser also stirred. A tractor beam emitted from the Abyssal and caught the tiny vessel.

Kathryn barked, “S’Rel, do we have Alison?”

The Vulcan was furiously tapping keys on her console. “There is interference, as if she were being transported already.”

In an instant, Kathryn recalled how Alison was one of her first true friends in the Academy; she accepted Kathryn and helped her to push past prejudices and anger made from years of captivity with the Orions. Alison didn’t smile often, but when she did it was inviting and infectious and Kathryn immediately missed her friend and regretted not saying more to her since Graduation Day. Her thoughts turned to the Black Talon suit and the lengths Kathryn went to preserve its secret, yet feeling happy to know Alison was a part of the project. Finally, the words from her orders flashed in front of her.

Dead or Alive.

The Terrans could not have Black Talon. Kathryn frowned with her next words. “Phasers, fire at the shuttle.”

Anthi tapped a key and bright orange streaks reached into the void . The small ship was incinerated and the fireball dissipated quickly.

The Abyssal banked away from Solaris, and accelerated at impulse speed while it’s deflector emitted a beam toward a point in front of the ship.

S’Rel declared they were being hailed and Kathryn nodded.

The large viewscreen changed to show the Mirror Captain’s face, a wide grin mocking Kathyrn. “I’m surprise you went through with your orders. That was very cold-blooded back there.”

Kathryn gulped. “Is Alison with you?”

The Terran shrugged, still wearing her grin. “If you want to look for her, then one day you’ll find out.”

---

Cast for crew:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Alison Burnett - Alexa Davalos
Anthi Ythysi - Katheryn Winnick
S'Rel - Morena Baccarin

Gambit Not Needed

Unofficial Literary Challenge 21 - "In the Darkness" - Prompt 2

+++

The man sat on the stiff bench looking up at Kathryn. With regulation-cut brown hair, thin mustache and soft blue eyes, he looked innocent. Yet the red-colored yoke of his uniform was torn at the shoulder and was scuffed in other places from the security team during his apprehension. The Lieutenant didn’t look apologetic or remorseful, which insulted Kathryn further.

Kathryn pursed her lips as she considered her words, imagining herself repeatedly punching his face. Glancing over a shoulder to her First Officer, adrenaline ebbed as a result of Anthi’s presence. Looking back to the man sitting in front of her, Kathryn bristled at the thought of interrogating him for information. She would rather let JAG have him but Solaris was at least two standard days away from a Federation outpost and Kathryn hunted for closure. She was personally offended from the action of the prisoner before her.

“My ship. This is my ship.” Kathryn spoke through clenched teeth as she pointed to her sternum. Her tone sharpened and rose with each word. “Why did you try to start a mutiny on my ship!

“It didn’t work, did it? Your crew is commendably loyal to you.”

Kathryn stepped forward. Anthi lowered the shield to the brig and entered the room, stopping when Kathryn raised a hand to halt her XO, also showing she was still in control.

“To Starfleet,” the Captain calmly corrected. “Tell me why.”

The man tsked, and then looked away.

Kathryn grinned and walked into his field of view. Turning back to the prisoner, she leaned against the wall and feigned a relaxed pose. “What happened to cause your brazen attempt to control my ship.”

“As long as I’m in this room, then I do not have to follow your orders. A court-martial is the worst I’ll get from Starfleet now.”

Anthi crossed her arms and hmphed audibly. This earned the man’s attention as if he was disrespected somehow.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You know the regulations- .”

“We’ll see about that,” Kathryn interrupted. Looking to Anthi, she asked unsympathetically, “did you apologize by the way? Pistol-whipping is not your style.”

The prisoner put a hand to the back of his head absentmindedly.

Anthi’s antennae stiffened. “I’m sorry. Traitor.”

The man grew more defiant. “Name calling now?”

“It’s not an opinion. You have no name with me.”

Kathryn stepped forward and smirked. “Look, answer my question and this will stay … relatively easy for you. Otherwise, when we get to Starbase Nineteen, I’m sure Admiral Liao will take a keen interest in your actions and act with absolute righteousness.”

Surprised, the man looked to the Captain. “We are not going to Deep Space Four?”

Kathryn quickly concealed her own surprise. The mutineer incriminated himself enough by expecting to go to a specific outpost. She needed to exploit the hole in his bulwark. “Why should we? Solaris almost had a mutiny on his hands! It seems fitting Liao would get the case; he is an expert on such matters, not that it happens often. Admittedly, I have not sent an update to our current orders. It’s a little out-of-the way, so you have a little bit of time to save yourself from ‘The Diablo’, wouldn’t you agree?”

The man seemed dazed by the revelation. “But … I was told-“. He interrupted himself and lowered his head, hands rubbing together nervously.

Anthi and Kathryn exchanged looks. The Captain mocked, “You look a little worried.” She then got serious. “You should be. In ancient times, mutiny was punishable by death. It’s good we have evolved past such barbarism, but that doesn’t mean the law isn’t still harsh. Count yourself lucky that your recruits surrendered your plans instead of acting with you. All they did was follow the words. But you decided to storm the bridge. It must have been a shock to see your compatriots turn on you.”

Perspiration started to fall from the man’s hairline as he rubbed his hands with increasing vigor. He whispered, “this … can’t be happening.”

Kathryn’s uneasiness with his reaction started to cause concern. Blocking her sympathy, Kathryn focused her attack and forced a congenial tone. Verbal strong-arming the man had weakened his defenses; maybe softer words would open the gates. “Just talk to me. The truth will set you free, from a certain point of view. Convince me of your intentions and I’ll help make consequences less severe. Throughout the Iconian War to now, have I ever mislead the crew … or you?”

With hands trembling slightly, the Lieutenant’s mouth opened and closed as if he wanted to say something, but was stopped, then another force pushed him to speak only to retreat again.

Anthi’s patience broke and she put a foot forward with raised fists. “SAY SOMETHING!”

The outburst shocked the prisoner. “It was a t-t-TEST!”

The silence was thick in the room as the man darted looked between the two women. Kathryn’s countenance darkened.

“What ... ”

“It – it was a test: the mutiny. I was ordered to start a – a sedition to discover how you would behave, how the crew would react.”

Kathryn and Anthi were equally dumbfounded from the revelation. Anthi recovered first, her anger quelled by confusion.

“Why?”

The man buckled and spoke rapidly. “It was known the Undine had penetrated several ranks with the Federation. Even after a purge, it highlighted several weaknesses. Starfleet was attacked from within and that was seen as unforgivably unacceptable. Before the Iconian war, several officers, like me, were recruited, trained and celled within several ships of the Fleet. The War allowed our handlers to target specific crews who underperformed during the conflict.”

Karthryn stiffened at the accusation. “Starfleet ordered Solaris away from the front-lines for most of the war!”

“It didn’t matter to some.” The prisoner lowered his head, ashamed. “Water had to be as thick as blood.”

Anthi took a step forward, her antennae leaning toward the prisoner. “Who did you report to?”

Sitting back to gain distance from the Andorian, the man blurted. “Section 31”.

+++

Cast for crew:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Anthi Ythysi - Katheryn Winnick
Mutineer - Aiden Gillen
Mentioned but not seen:
Maximilian Liao - James Hong

Rumors Are Not

Unofficial Literary Challenge 21

---

The Type-15 shuttle banked toward the gigantic gantry floating near Earth Space Dock. Engulfed within the structure and attached by station-keeping grapples was an Excelsior-class ship. The semi-cylindrical nacelles connected to the secondary hull by angular pylons, which countered the current Starfleet aesthetic. The most obvious difference between old and new designs was the round saucer of the primary hull. As the shuttlecraft flew closer, the ship’s pearly skin made Solaris look brand new, even though it had seen retrofit, refit and repair over the years. Its current Captain was one of the few remaining actively flying its class. Although the Advanced Cruiser model was recently reintroduced with a modern visual style, Solaris was slowly becoming a one-of-kind.

Cira Beitz had studied the history of the ship class and of Solaris itself. When her classmates in the Academy shared their postings, some were proud to have their first assignment with well-known Captains or ships. One of them even had a slot on the venerable Enterprise. For her part, Cira got a few jabs from friends at being assigned to an ‘old junker’. Yet, her readings suggested a slot on Solaris’ crew was nothing to be ashamed of or afraid from.

Standing about 1.7 meters, Cira felt small in the tiny shuttlecraft, especially relative to the ship in the forward window. Her short dark brown hair rested mid-way down the neck while her high cheeks rested under penetrating blue eyes. She tucked her hair behind the left ear and turned to notice the pilot sitting to her left looking away back to the ship.

“First assignment Ensign?”

Cira nodded and forced herself to look relaxed by resting her hands in her lap. “How could you tell?”

The pilot shrugged. His Engineering uniform was crisp and Cira noted the Lieutenant rank pips. With a sharp jawline and pointed nose, he looked intelligent. The pilot’s first question sounded disarming while inviting for discussion. “The more chatty ‘Cadies will blurt it out. Those who are quiet are the ones to watch. It’s in the eyes though. Veterans will focus on anything else because most ships are basically the same, just the layout changes.”

Based on that answer, Cira considered the pilot may have a lot of experience at the shipyards. “Do you have any stories to share?”

The pilot looked back to Solaris, and then lowered the speed one increment. “About the ship or the Captain?”

Surprised, Cira stuttered, “e … either, one or the other, whatever.”

The pilot grinned. “Let’s see, something not found in the files. During the retrofit near 2380, I think, Captain Carlyle insisted the outboard impulse engines be replaced with shuttlebays. So, the new engines would go to the secondary hull. CoE put a stop to that within minutes of the request.”

Cira chuckled as she recalled the technical specifications for the Excelsior-class made that idea a physical impossibility.

He smiled from her mirth and added, “yeah, Carlyle was known for out-of-the-box thinking.”

After a few moments of silence, Cira enjoyed the insight. “Is the ship haunted or anything like that?”

“Nah.” The pilot humored. “It’s just an old ship, even though it doesn’t look it. I heard the Captain has refused to upgrade the computer core to accept A.I.. Apparently is she doesn’t like them and top brass isn’t forcing her to have one.”

Cira was interested. “Not surprised really, those are better used on the larger exploration or flagship vessels.”

“Or maybe she cares more for a personal touch, if you will. Oh yeah, you may know that the Transwarp Drives on this class are notoriously unpredictable to work, right? Well, for Solaris, the Drive only failed once: on the first run with the Captain. So either the Chief Engineer is that good, or she is that lucky.”

Cira grinned, “or the ship likes her”.

Without pause, the pilot smiled and replied, “quite possibly.”

“What about Captain Beringer?”

“Oh, yes. I heard that when they scrapped her previous ship, she requested all the crew follow her to the new ship.” He nodded to the ship filling the forward viewport. “Very uncommon request.”

Cira agreed. “Did they all go with her?”

“You know Starfleet wouldn’t allow that, but she did get over three-quarters. Very uncommon accommodation.”

“That does seem … impressive.”

He continued, “scuttlebutt was that every crew member made a request to transfer with her to Solaris.” He turned the shuttle toward the rear of the ship. “Do you like Orions?”

“Pardon?”

The pilot started to input information and, without looking away from the console, patiently repeated, “do you like Orions?”

Still surprised by the non sequitur, Cira casually responded, “I’ve only met a few at the Academy. I guess so. Wait, does this involve Captain Beringer? I read she has an extreme opinion about them.”

“I heard the same thing, but that doesn’t explain her friendship with one on the bridge. Interestingly, there is only one other Orion on the ship. Still, I wouldn’t call her racist.”

“The notes on that subject were vague,” Cira recalled. “I just figured it was one of those personality quirks that have not received official attention.”

“Should it though?”

“I suppose not. Although, her record makes it sound like she has made dents in the Syndicate’s operations.”

The shuttle turned toward the open shuttle bay doors and slowed. The pilot communicated with the deck officer to finalize the approach.

Cira gathered her belongings and stood. “By the way, how do you know so much? There must be hundreds of ships in the Fleet.”

The pilot gently landed the shuttle, started to power down the engines, then stood and offered his hand. “I’m Ethan Carlyle, your mentor. Welcome aboard Solaris.”

Surprised, Cira paused enough to gather her wits before reaching to return the gesture. “You … you’re not with the station crew?”

“Captain Beringer insists her staff pick-up and delivers transfers. It only seems appropriate I guide you to your new post. Transporter Operator is more glamorous than it sounds.” Activating the door to open, Ethan picked up Cira’s largest bag and then waved a hand for her to exit first.

Taking the lead she exited the shuttle, and then turned back as she walked down the ramp. “You are the previous Captain’s son?”

“Yes. It would not be proper to work under your parent’s command. So, when Captain Beringer received the ship, I was granted a transfer to Solaris.” He looked past Cira and saluted.

Turning, Cira Beitz dropped her bags as Kathryn Beringer walked up, and saluted. The Captain stood over seventeen centimeters taller than Cira. Even a few steps away, Cira had to look up to the burgundy-haired woman.

“Welcome aboard Solaris, Ensign Beitz. I hope you will enjoy your tour with us.”

---
Cast for Crew:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Cira Beitz - Selma Blair
Ethan Carlyle- Hugh Dancy