“Captain’s log stardate seven-nine-four-oh-six point nine. The Astra is assisting the Rakosans in preparing a new settlement site for an incoming Trabe convoy. This mission marks a crucial step in trying to maintain ties between two former members of the Delta Coalition, one we hope will serve as an example for other former members. For now, the task seems straightforward: a standard planetary survey, ideal training ground for our cadets.”

“Haunted?” Merez echoed, folding his arms with a scoff. The science officer shook his head, clearly unimpressed.

“That’s what the old Rakosan survey files suggest,” Penelope said with a shrug. “It’s the reason the original colonists bypassed this moon entirely.” She gestured towards the softly rotating holographic display hovering above the circular table console in the centre of them.

The senior staff stood clustered at the rear of the Astra’s bridge, reviewing Penelope’s briefing. The mission details hovered in soft blue light: an M-class moon orbiting a gas giant not unlike Jupiter, near one of the Rakosans’ few outer colonies. The surface teemed with plant and animal life. The images showed it to be a lush, green, and blue marble, seemingly ideal for any humanoid colony. Besides the ghost stories that Penelope had found in an unofficial document buried deep in the records, the Rakosans had shared with them. It had no signs of intelligent life. No threats.

Niro chuckled at Merez’s reaction and how deadly serious Penelope was. The Deltan captain had been pleased when those who had joined the Astra from the Themis a few weeks prior agreed to remain with them permanently. Lee, Askew, Merez, and Stellan had spoken with him, all agreeing that it would be negligible for them to leave the Astra without sufficient support needed to train these cadets. Niro appreciated their words, and since then, he had begun to feel his ship was achieving its purpose: to train the next generation. 

Not long after that, they’d approached him with a shared concern: the need for private quarters. Their previous arrangement, the shared bunkeroom with the cadets, was not quite able to help them develop that distant professional relationship they needed as senior leaders. Niro agreed immediately, repurposing an unused storage bay into a modest but functional set of cabins. It took a day of fabrication work and a few replicated partitions, but the team made it their own. They even welcomed Parker and Jaceon into their circle of trust. 

Beyond that, Niro had been particularly impressed with Stellan. The quiet nurse had petitioned to complete his medical training, most of which he’d already undertaken on the Themis under Doctor Forbes. Once complete, Stellan would become Astra’s first permanent Chief Medical Officer. Though they had their Long-term Medical Holographic program, they had recently been damaged during the battle with the Vaadwaur. Stellan had stepped in and had taken over sickbay, keeping those injured alive and treating them without any worry or concern. The team was settling in, and for the first time, Niro truly felt like the Astra was becoming what it was meant to be: a proving ground for the next generation.

Their professionalism didn’t stop there. One evening, Niro found the entire senior team gathered in the mess, huddled around a table laden with PADDS, reworking the cadet training schedule. They’d proposed numerous enhancements to Starfleet’s curriculum, arguing that it lacked the real-world edge needed for Delta Quadrant missions. Niro had listened and approved every single change.

“Do we have anything solid behind the ghost stories?” Lee asked, frowning as the moon turned slowly in holographic orbit.

Penelope tapped a control. “Not much. The Rakosans surveyed it over fifty years ago, but they eventually chose the other M-class world that’s located in the inner core of the system. According to the report, their survey team claimed to hear and see things that didn’t register on sensors.”

“That’s wonderfully vague,” Merez muttered, crossing his arms again.

“What about now?” Askew asked. “Any anomalies on our scans? Any threats we should be concerned about?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Penelope replied. “Atmosphere is stable, biosphere healthy, no radiation pockets or dangerous fauna. It’s free of any dangers that our sensors can see, Commander.”

“So we’re looking at a perfect, unclaimed paradise for the Trabe?” Parker said, eyebrow raised.

“Precisely,” Penelope said, sounding almost too confident.

“Perfect spot for some hands-on away team training for our cadets,” Askew said, glancing at her husband.

“I was thinking the same,” Lee agreed with a nod.

“Hold on,” Merez cut in. “I had plans to use this moon for planetary survey training for our cadets.”

“Can’t you do both?” Stellan asked. “Split them up into teams.”

“Kit has a point,” Jaceon added. “What’s stopping us from landing the ship and using the time we’ve got to do a decent job on this? The Trabe aren’t planning to move in for another week. Let’s give them a full-blown record on the world they will be calling home.”

Niro now spoke up. “Jaceon suggests a good point. Let’s do this one by the book—no summary report. And if I remember correctly from my handover notes, the cadets have completed a similar mission previously. Last year on the Odyssey, Captain Reyas had them use the Telemachus for a similar mission. Therefore, this shouldn’t pose a challenge for them; however, dividing them into smaller groups to improve their skills is also a good idea. Let’s organise them into teams of three and rotate them through each training exercise: fieldwork, planetary surveys, and ship maintenance.”

“Captain,” Askew said, “Midshipman Florrick’s nearly finished his final assignment. Since he’s been shadowing me, I’d prefer to keep him on my team.”

“That’s fine,” Niro said with a nod. “We’ve got enough cadets to spread out.”

He turned to Penelope. “Assign them into teams of three and draw up a schedule. Ensure that each group completes all the tasks. Let’s give them a holistic approach to this type of mission. I want them to see every angle we take.”

“Aye, sir,” Penelope replied.

Niro offered them all a small smile, pride evident in his eyes. “Good work, everyone. I appreciate the coordination and initiative. This is exactly the kind of leadership these cadets need to see. Let’s get everything prepped: survey kits checked, landing parties assigned, and the ship ready for descent.” He looked around the group one last time. “Let’s make this a textbook example of how Starfleet gets the job done. Dismissed.”

The landing of the Astra was smooth and uneventful, her sturdy frame settling against the grassy plains with only the faintest hum of her inertial dampeners adjusting to the planetary gravity. Outside, the alien sky shimmered with bands of violet and bronze, as if twilight had come early to this lush moon. A faint breeze rolled across the open clearing, rustling the tall grasses and carrying with it the scent of distant wildflowers and wet stone. Birds or something like them chirped in sweet calls, and the river that cut past the nearby ridge moved through the rocks almost silently.

The first away team had departed shortly after landing, packed into one of the Astra’s hover buggies. The sleek craft glided across the plains with ease, cutting a wide arc through the surrounding wilderness until it reached the proposed site of the Trabe settlement. The clearing stretched out before them like a perfect cradle of potential, ringed by thick trees with curling, violet, and green leaves, and pulsing mineral formations that glowed faintly under the moon’s pale sunlight.

The hover buggy’s engines powered down with a low hum, and the group stepped out into the open clearing. Warm light filtered through tall alien trees with silver-blue leaves that shimmered subtly in the breeze. The clearing stretched out beneath a sky washed in soft violet hues, cradled by gently rolling grasslands and a winding river that glistened like molten glass.

Lee stood at the front, hands on his hips as he scanned their surroundings with a satisfied nod. “Textbook settlement site,” he said.

“It’s beautiful,” Alfie murmured beside Jordan, shading his eyes against the light. The air smelled faintly of citrus and earth. It was clean and untouched.

Lee turned to the group. “Alright, listen up, cadets. We’re setting up camp here near the river bend. There are glowing mineral formations nearby that we want to catalogue, and the vegetation to the north also needs to be examined. That’s our priority. Figure out what’s usable for the Trabe.”

Askew took over, tapping her PADD. “We’ll spend three days out here. Daily surveys, environmental analysis, and camp routines. Teams rotate through each task. Any questions?”

Alfie nudged Jordan subtly with his elbow. “Does sharing a tent count as rotation?”

Jordan arched an eyebrow with mock seriousness. “Only if we rotate sleeping positions.”

Alfie stifled a laugh. The shared glint in their eyes was unmistakable. It was something rekindled, still delicate, but alive.

Behind them, Scott busied himself unloading field gear from the buggy. His hands moved robotically, eyes unfocused. When he caught a glimpse of Alfie resting his hand briefly against Jordan’s back, a flash of guilt stormed across his face. He blinked, looked away.

“Midshipman,” Jaceon called over as he unfolded a tent nearby. “Need a hand?”

Scott shook his head too quickly. “No, I’ve got it.”

“You sure? You seem off.”

Scott hesitated, then forced a tight smile. “Just thinking. My midshipman cruise is almost over. Bit nervous about what comes next.”

Jaceon gave a friendly nod. “It’s a big transition. But you’re more than ready, Scott. You’ve aced the engineering track, and what I hear from the others, you’ve got this in the bag. Just this last leg with Commander Askew and you’ll be graduating in no time!”

“Thanks.” Scott turned quickly, eager to escape the conversation, only for Askew’s voice to call across the clearing.

“Florrick!”

“I’ll be back,” Scott muttered, then jogged off toward her, grateful for the excuse.

Parker was unrolling her tent fabric nearby when Beatrice sauntered over, sleeves rolled up and hair tied in a practical bun.

“Need a hand, Counsellor?” Beatrice asked.

Parker looked up and smiled. “Much appreciated, Cadet, thank you.”

As they worked together in silence, Parker glanced toward Alfie and Jordan again, now sitting close on a rock, quietly talking while Alfie handed Jordan a ration bar.

“They seem…close again,” she remarked casually.

Beatrice rolled her eyes.

Parker caught the look. “That does not sit well with you?”

Beatrice sighed. “No, it’s not that.” She adjusted a tent peg. “Jordan and I used to date. Back before Frontier Day.”

Parker’s eyebrows lifted. “Ah.”

“And then I got with Alfie behind Jordan’s back,” Beatrice added bluntly.

The counsellor paused, letting that sit.

“I didn’t know why I did it at the time,” Beatrice continued, her voice softer. “None of us did. But Doctor Slyvexs discovered something after the whole Borg-DNA mess after Frontier Day.”

Eager to hear this, Parker encouraged the young cadet to carry on. “Do share.”

“Well, it turns out that Jordan’s Ryslanti heritage interacted with the Borg infection. It caused some weird kind of empathic resonance between the three of us.”

Parker tilted her head. “Like you’re own version of the hive mind?”

Beatrice nodded. “Exactly. Once the Borg DNA was removed, it faded. We realised we’d all been feeling things that weren’t really ours. Not entirely, anyway.”

“And how do you feel now?”

Beatrice paused, then shrugged. “Honestly? I’m okay with it. I can see it in them, Alfie and Jordan. They were meant to be together, even before all that happened. No one else really compares. They’ve always been close. Not even mixed-up alien DNA can stop them. They’ll be together forever.”

Parker gave her a thoughtful look. “And you?”

Beatrice chuckled to herself. “I’m focusing on me. My career. Getting into command school one day, maybe. I don’t need a relationship screwing that up.”

The counsellor smiled. “Is it awkward between you three?”

“Not really.” Beatrice grinned, a little sheepishly. “We’re weirdly functional now. Alfie even helps me study. And I tag along with them for morning fitness routines.”

Parker laughed gently. “That sounds very healthy.”

Beatrice smirked. “I even ‘ship’ them. Jolfie.”

Parker blinked. “Jolfie?”

“Jordan plus Alfie.” Beatrice’s smirk widened. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m being mature. Jibb and William were the ones who created Jolfie to annoy Jordan and Alfie when they were being overly affectionate with one another.”

Parker chuckled. “It’s interesting to see how close all of your cadets have gotten over the last few weeks. It’s nice.”

Beatrice gave the last corner of the tent one final tug, then sat back on her heels with a satisfied breath. “Isn’t unit cohesion important, counsellor?”

“It sure is,” Parker agreed. “And this mission should certainly build on it further.”

“We’re on a beautiful alien moon, counsellor, what’s the worst that could happen?” Betrice asked, still grinning. 

“A good question,” Parker looked up at the younger woman. “What are your thoughts around ghosts, cadet?”