Hell of a Turn

Posted on Thu Dec 9th, 2021 @ 4:25am by Commodore Loatha Targaryen & Galatea

711 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Short Treks
Location: Ready Room, Starfleet One
Timeline: 2430-09-09, 09:45

"You weren't who I expected to see, Commander," Admiral Luzol Targaryen said from inside the Mission Commander's Office on New Vulcan. "When I received notification that the Enterprise was calling I expected Will or Captain Bishop to be on the other end."

Galatea leaned forward at her desk toward the holographic replica of Fleet Admiral Targaryen that stood across from her. Luzol was the nearest high ranking official near to their current location and the best person for her to seek counsel from regarding the dangers of what they just faced. Admiral Targaryen had seen it all in her long career in Starfleet and unidentified vessels were nothing new. The only complication was that her husband was directly at risk this time.

"It is actually your husband that I am calling you about, Ma'am," the hologram answered.

She sighed, "What did he do this time?"

Her subroutines calculated the best response for her comment as being a smirk, and Galatea knew Admiral Luzol well enough that it was the best choice in this instance. Smirking she said, "Actually this time he's innocent. I'm calling you about something far more grave. I had to order the Enterprise away from Talos due to an unidentified vessel coming in with weapons hot."

"Are you certain you saw what you think you saw? The Talosians are incredibly adept at subterfuge - they have manipulated the living and machine before," the hybrid officer explained.

"I do not believe that they have falsified anything this time, Admiral. Our scans and away team indicated that the planet had come under attack and their outpost destroyed by disruptor fire. We have reason to believe that this unidentified craft was responsible for the assault," she typed on the workstation's keyboard. "I am transmitting to you all sensor readings we have taken from the craft."

Luzol nodded as she reached away, a PADD returning with her hand. "I already received them. You're right it's not exactly a pleasure craft you came up against now is it?" It was a rhetorical question. "What does Willian think?"

Now was the hard point, coming clean to the Commander of Starfleet about what had happened at Talos. "Admiral Targaryen is not aboard the ship."

The Admiral's eyebrow rose, "Excuse me?"

"Admiral Targaryen chose to lead the away team to the surface. He was still there when I ordered the Enterprise away," Galatea explained hoping that the Admiral wouldn't order her decompiled.

Luzol crossed her arms, but betrayed no real emotion in her response. "I am certain that you had your reasons for escape, Commander, and I do not begrudge you the challenges that you are probably facing as we speak. Starfleet Officers don't like to leave their colleagues behind, especially when a potential enemy was inbound." She paused a moment, a light sigh escaping her lips, "Commander, you are not to risk the Enterprise. As the Federation Flagship and Starfleet One it would be devastating to morale throughout the Federation should she be destroyed. You may monitor the alien craft; however, do not engage. If you think that your ship is at risk you are to return to the nearest outpost at maximum speed. Is that clear?"

"Admiral, I had hoped to try to recover the away team," the AI explained with surprise. "Four members of our crew are on the surface of Talos and are unlikely to survive without our intervention."

"Commander, you are not to engage the unknown. Putting the Enterprise at risk of destruction is not acceptable. Am I clear?" She asked with finality to her statements.

Galatea nodded, "Aye. May I ask a candid question?"

Luzol nodded, "Please."

"Will an effort be launched to recover our personnel?" She asked.

She sighed in answer, a sad look on her face. "For the moment the Talos System is quarantined by order of the Federation. Only the Enterprise was authorized to break that quarantine. I will do my best to arrange their recovery, but I doubt it will be soon," she set the PADD aside that she held. "Monitor the situation and report back. Targaryen out."

As the holographic replica of Admiral Targaryen disappeared, Galatea just stared at the empty space wishing she hadn't been the one to sign the away team's death warrants.

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