Chapter 3.4

Posted on Tue Aug 8th, 2023 @ 10:44pm by Commodore Loatha Targaryen & Lieutenant Vijraoth sh'Kovrirr & Lieutenant Avir Yavan & Lieutenant Commander Lily Snow PhD, MD & Lieutenant Dylan Blake

1,279 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: No Sleep Tonight
Location: Operations Center, Deep Space 12
Timeline: 2431-05-31, 00:05

Lieutenant Avir Yavan sat at the Docking Control Workstation near the front of the Operations Center of Deep Space 12 carefully reading over the data that the station's sensors were providing. Working as the Dockmaster of a Starbase was a relatively boring assignment, working as the Dockmaster of a Starbase in the middle of the night was like watching paint dry. Not a year ago she was the Flight Controller of the Federation's Flagship, now she was trapped at the hind end of space.

At least the long range sensors were providing her some entertainment, even if she couldn't be there. Enterprise had just arrived in the Serris System, for some reason or another, while the Uhura was on approach to the same region to investigate the distress call from the Poseidon. Typing on the interface, she was able to learn that the Cardassians were not far away either, also located in Serris probably with the intention of attack. Enterprise was surrounded by its flotilla, but she couldn't help but fear what would happen next.

She sat watching, wishing that she was there. Piloting the Enterprise as it engaged the enemy, defending the Federation from those who wished it harm. Instead she was sitting watching the route the heroes were taking. She sighed as she fought the urge to take the rest of the night off and go dream of adventure.

The Ardanan woman spun in her chair as she looked at the relative absence of people in the command center of DS12. When Captain Bishop decided to lead the away mission himself it had created a bit of a command vacuum, but she couldn't blame him. Lieutenant sh'Kovrirr was left in actual command of the Nightwatch, but Commander Snow was to be called if anything happened. She hoped her spinning in her chair didn't qualify. Hopefully Lieutenant Blake would back her up if she did get into any trouble.

The Lieutenant in question glanced up from his work station having caught her movement in the corner of his eye. "You never did say earlier. What did you do to deserve pulling such a gruelling shift?"

The Ardanan stopped spinning, momentarily dizzy from her extracurricular exercise to alleviate her boredom. "Probably still the Admiral being upset I sat in his chair when I was playing Enterprise Bingo or that I used the transporter to reflavor my gum. You know the challenges of youth. How did you end up here?"

"Enterprise Bingo?" Blake repeated. "I don't know that one, you should teach me one day. I stupidly volunteered to work the Nightwatch as for a favour for Taasah, didn't occur to me until I agreed I'd be working double shifts at the time. Shot myself in the foot really," he sighed. "At least we have coffee to aid us through the night and a mystery to watch out there," he nodded toward the stars cape outside.

Yavan was more surprised by the fact that Blake never played Enterprise Bingo than anything, then he'd reported aboard as a Lieutenant and not an Ensign. "Mostly the junior officers play Enterprise Bingo," she explained, "You complete a list of tasks, which often involve breaking the rules, while not getting caught.

"How have I not heard about this?" Dylan asked slightly hurt he'd not been invited to join in previously. He was only LTJG when he arrived aboard and still considered himself a childish junior officer at the time - perhaps that didn't carry over to the others. "I assume you got caught?" he asked.

"Yeah. I really think it was the reflavoring my gum, but you know how protective the Admiral is of his chair," she glanced at the one in Ops knowing full well the one on the Enterprise he was even more partial to.

"Can you blame him?" Dylan asked. "It's the commission everyone dreams of - the Enterprise and her steep history venturing into the unknown. Hell, I was wondering round the decks in disbelief for the first two months when I arrived. Though, the drill on my introduction the tour was a bit of the dramatic start to my posting," he chuckled at the memory.

Avir nodded, remembering her orientation to the Enterprise. Five minutes in Galatea informed everyone that the Admiral would not tolerate failure aboard his ship and that they would find themselves reassigned to a garbage scow if failure occurred. Little did she know that the Admiral was a lot more patient that she led on. Avir had always wondered if it was a test. "It certainly lived up to the name."

From the Security console an alarm blared. Andorian Security Officer sh'Kovrirr typed on the wall mounted panel, "Proximity alarms are going off. We have an unscheduled vessel inbound at the edge of New Vulcan air space."

"Can you identify the vessel?" Blake asked. "Or predict its flight path?"

Yavan looked up from her console, "He may not, but I can. It's the Pegasus, Admiral Luzol's ship."

Blake winced. "Do you think she know what's going on out here? About Valhalla for example and what Targaryen is doing out there?"

"She's the Commander of Starfleet and the Admiral's wife," Yavan noted, "she knows."

Lieutenant sh'Kovrirr spoke up, "We should probably get Commander Snow up here."

"It's your call LT, you're Nightwatch Chief," Blake responded unwilling to be the one to rouse the Commander at this hour.

"Great," the Andorian mumbled thinking about the dangers of rousing the station's Science Officer if this turned out to be nothing. He didn't like to rouse officers for no reason, especially if there ended up being no need. He tapped his communicator, "Ops to Commander Snow. Can you come to Ops please?"

"On my way." Snow said with a slight icy tone, but still with a rich British accent. It didn't take her to long at arrive in Ops. "What is the situation?" She simply asked the pair of Officers.

Lieutenant Yavan went to speak, but Lieutenant sh'Kovrirr interrupted her as the Night Watch Duty Officer, "Sensors have detected a unscheduled vessel entering New Vulcan airspace, Commander."

"We believe it to be the Pegasus, Ma'am," Lieutenant Yavan interrupted the Night Watch Duty Officer, "Fleet Admiral Luzol's command ship." Yavan knew that Commander Snow served with the Fleet Admiral, briefly, when Luzol assumed command of the Enterprise a few years ago. Yavan herself had also served aboard at the same time. "Correction," she announced after looking at her console, "It is the Admiral. She's on approach now."

"We're being hailed," the Andorian confirmed and routed the call.

Fleet Admiral Luzol appeared on the viewscreen from her Office aboard her personal flagship. The Commanding Officer of Starfleet Command, the Auburn haired woman did not look happy to not be seeing her husband. "Where is the Admiral?" She sighed, "Maybe I don't want to know. I'll be arriving in ten minutes. Please arrange a cabin for me in Wright Towers with secure access to Starfleet Command and JAG. Out."

"That doesn't sound good," Blake muttered lowly once the transmission had ended. What had the Admiral landed them into this time, he wondered. For her to be here along with Starfleet Commander and JAG it wasn't going to be a simple slap on the wrist affair. "Should we alert the Admiral of the new development Commander?" he asked Snow.

"I don't think he's unaware," sh'Kovrirr sighed, "Enterprise is hailing the Pegasus."

"Maybe we should sit this one out," Yavan suggested. "I'd hate to be a fly on the wall in that room."

Blake cringed imaging the two strong headers locking horns: "It won't be pretty that's for sure."

The Andorian sighed, "Indeed, Lieutenant, indeed."

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