Captains Log:

Having journeyed across a vast part of the Shackleton Expanse; starting out with the company or at least close proximity of other Four Fleet vessels heading out on their own missions, we’ve finally found ourselves completely alone, out here in this new frontier.

Our task and that of the USS Grus; which has taken an independent route through the Expanse; is to find the location of a mysterious planet by the name of Harha’kuva.

We are following the route taken by a Romulan Republic Rahhae-class science vessel; which hasn’t been heard from in three week.  Whether they have met with technical issues or faced something more serious is something we are aiming to discover.

Harha’kuva has created rather a mysterious quality for itself; and it is my hope we can extract the truth from all the legends.

<End Log>

 

Commander Mary Anacostia-Bolling, stretched her arms out wide and double checked the chronometer on the wall to the right of the desk in her Ready Room.  It was only a few minutes away from the time she’d set aside for the next staff meeting.  She grabbed her mug from the desk and upon taking a sip of its contents, noticed the liquid had gone cold.

She’d developed a habit of making herself a drink and then leaving it half unfinished; getting too engrossed with whatever task she was attending to at the time.

Mary decided she’d make a fresh one in the Conference Room, before starting the meeting off.  Grabbing  her Padd, she’s headed out the door.

**********

When the Commander arrived at the Conference Room, her Chief Medical Officer was already there; stood by one of the windows, watching as the stars streaked past.

“Things quiet in Sickbay, doctor?” She asked lightheartedly.

“For the most part, yes”. Doctor Sunny replied, turning from the window.  “It’s given me ample time to go through all the suggested modifications with Ensign Green, and get them implemented.”

“Do you feel they will work?” Mary asked placing her Padd, at the head of the table were she’d be seated, once she’d collected a fresh drink from the replicator.

“Your guess is as good as mine Captain.” Sunny answered.  “We are in a new and unpredictable environment.”

Knowing of Harha’kuva’s apparent ability to create a form of psionic resonance, powerful enough to both disrupt sensor data and affect an individual’s mind; monitoring sensors had been fitted throughout the ship, and all members of the crew would be required to wear a small device attached to their temples for the rest of the mission.  They were designed to monitor an individual’s brain activity and warn of any anomalies.

Lieutenant-Commander Alara Ley the ships Trill First Officer and Lieutenant Grav, its Tellarite Security Chief  arrived together; clearly having a rather animated discussion about something.  However it came to an abrupt end as the pair of them entered the conference room.

The Commander looked at her XO, in the hope of gaining some insight into what the issue was. But Alara merely mouthed in response, that everything was under control, before heading to the replicator and requesting a coffee.

‘She’s going to find out eventually.’ Ley her symbiont informed her.

‘Well I can’t force him to tell her.’ Alara answered with her mind. ‘You’ve been with him long enough to know how stubborn he can get.’

‘Stubborn!’  Ley’s voice filled Alara’s head. ‘If it came to a choice of moving him or a mountain, I’m betting on the mountain moving first.’

The Lieutenant-Commander struggled not to smirk, and was glad to not be facing anyone else at that moment. ‘I just can’t understand why he wouldn’t take up the job.’

‘May be he likes it here?’

The XO took her usual seat next to the Captain, just as the rest of the command staff who’d been requested for the meeting, started filing in.  Lieutenant Giovanni Agusta the ships Astrometric Officer was here to discuss the various stellar and planetary bodies that were know about within the search area.  The recently appointed Chief Engineer, Ensign Hayley Green arrived with the sleeves of her uniform half rolled up, clearly having been conducting some form maintenance prior to the meeting.  She quickly rolled them down and ran the fingers of one hand through her hair in an effort to make it a little more presentable.

Ensign Artin Dravid Logistics Officer, master procurer of all ships essential needs and possessor of a remarkable photographic memory, which had already proved invaluable, during a previous mission; walked in looking more subdued than his normal quiet and unassuming self.

Ensign’s Phillanie and Isaacs arrived last; ships Communications Chief and Chief Helm Officer respectively.

Commander Anacostia-Bolling waited until everyone had got themselves a drink and settled into their seats, “Right then, shall we get things underway.” Her eyes scanned the familiar faces before her, and all the affirmative nods from those present.

**********

The USS Grus was on her own to, and had been for the past three days.  She’d been travelling with other ships from the Fourth Fleet to begin with, but all had now gone their separate ways.  Where this Saber journeyed now, was virgin territory, a new and undiscovered frontier; unless you counted the dozens of local inhabited worlds that had always called the Shackleton Expanse, home.

There had been fleeting glimpses of other vessel on the long range scanners, but the Grus wasn’t here to make first contact with new civilisations; that task had been handed to other captains.  Lieutenant-Commander Chance Vought and his crew were on the search for the planet Harha’kuva.   Whilst her sister ship followed in the wake of a Romulan science team, who’d rather jumped the gun and gone racing off into the unknown without thought to the possible dangers; before the Fleet or any other Romulan vessels were in a position to assist.

“Ensign, how are we doing for time?” He asked the officer stationed at the Helm.

Ensign Chad Harris, tapped lightly on the console before replying.  “We’re currently running on schedule Captain.”

“Spotted anything of interest Lieutenant Debaere?” The next question had been aimed at his Chief Science Officer, tucked away at the back of the Bridge.

Rupert Debaere, who much preferred everyone to call him Bert, paused at his work a moment.  It was a hard question to answer, when in his view, everything out here was of some interest.  It was all new and unexplored.  Every second that past, as she ship hurtled along at Warp 6, was a second beyond any other Federation ship.  The Grus may not have had the most sophisticated sensor equipment in the Fleet, but every moment new or more detailed data was pouring in.

“Not much at the moment.” Debaere finally stated.  “You’ll be the second to know if anything crops up.”

**********

In another part of the ship Lieutenant Jason Devron, was enjoying a quick launch before heading back to the Bridge and taking over from the Captain.  He studied the reflection of a rugged, handsome-ish twenty-two year old, now spotting two solid pips on his collar.

Promotion had come for Jason and also Lyanna, only a week before heading out on this mission.  A lot of fine officers had been lost during ‘Frontier Day’ and that had meant rapid promotion for some, in order to fill the gaps created.

For Jason, disobeying a direct order from a superior officer and risking the lives of the USS Jaxartes’s crew in order to rescue that officer from the clutches of the Devore Imperium and then around five months later, stealing the ‘Jax’ in order to perform another rescue of the same Vulcan officer, had gone on his records.  Both these events had brought his abilities and those of other officers who’d helped him; to follow orders, into question.

It was clear that Commander Vought hadn’t entirely trusted him at first, or as someone had put it, ‘those renegades from the Jaxartes’.  Most of the finally mission had been classified, due to its strange nature, which hadn’t really helped matters.  Now though things were back to normal.

Jason stood and walked over to the waste collection unit; basically a replicator in reverse.  For a moment he thought he spotted a movement to his left and a childlike giggle.  No, there was nothing there; he was just letting his imagination run wild, after all he was wearing a device that was supposed to detect this kind of stuff.

Time to head back to the Bridge.