Sitting somewhat comfortably in the captain’s chair, Lieutenant Commander Flemen was doing his best to remain cool and calm under the pressure he now found himself under. They were about to engage the Quirennal, he hoped that Captain Horatio McCallister’s plan worked. Looking around the scene before him, his nervousness settled somewhat by the sense of pride he took. In the last two months since they last saw the alien goliath of a ship, those who had returned to the Odyssey had picked themselves up and stepped up to the challenge in running the ship with limited crew. The entire bridge crew were all in acting positions. The only change he had made today was to place Penelope at the helm. The team in Cetacean Ops had been flying the ship before, but today if things went wrong he wanted her tactical database and quick reactions to deal with the situation. Her mobile emitter was hanging on her left arm, another precaution in case Captain Jyster attempts to infect the Odyssey’s computer systems affected her program. In fact all of the Odyssey’s emergency holograms had been liberated from the main holographic systems and onto their mobile emitters. For a technology that was copied from the 29th century, it would certainly safeguard the Odyssey in the upcoming confrontation. 

However that was something that Flemen was hoping to avoid. It was his nature to find a diplomatic solution to their current situation, it was one of the reasons that Jyster had used against him to send him back to the Odyssey without any of the other senior staff. It was also now a big part of Captain Horatio McCallister’s plan to free their missing colleagues and his brother from Jyster’s clutches. Flemen’s diplomatic flare was one of the many cogs in his masterplan. 

“Approaching the Quirennal, if they’ve not seen us arriving yet due to the nebula, then they should see us now.” Penelope announced.

“Red alert,” Flemen ordered and as the bridge was covered in the ship’s scarlet emergency lighting, he looked at the ops station. “Ensign McCallister, activate countermeasures.”

“Countermeasure engaged, sir.” Ensign McCallister confirmed from the ops station. “Our systems have not been probed, yet.”

“Keep your eye on it Alf.” Flemen ordered. He looked over to Jisaraa, the acting security and tactical chief was standing at the station normally occupied by Lenjir. “Lieutenant, any threats we should be concerned about?”

Shaking her head, the Orion woman answered him. “Nothing that our sensors are registering, but shields are at maximum and auxiliary power is on standby in case we need it.”

“Good.” Flemen said. If anything that worried him the most was the fact they had not witnessed the might of the Quirennal and just how much of a punch it could throw at them. Knowing their luck, it was armed to teeth multiple isokinetic cannons and thousands of transphasic torpedoes or something just as dangerous. Exaggeration alone was all that they had for now based on what they knew of the ship’s other systems, it wouldn’t surprise Flemen if the Quirennal was armed with a weapon that could turn a Borg Cube into dust in a few seconds flat. It was far superior in other forms, he couldn’t believe its weapons array wasn’t just as advanced. 

Turning over to Tierra at engineering, Flemen wondered just how well his acting chief engineer was doing. “Any luck in locating our missing crew?”

Studying sensor readings closely, Tierra glanced one more time before answering. “I think we might be in luck.” She shared. “From the looks of it the Quirennal has sustained further heavy damage to its outer hull. Our sensors are able to penetrate it a lot better than before. I’d summarise that their jolt using their coaxial drive caused a significant amount of stress on the hull plating. Commander Hunsen and I had originally wondered when we discovered the Quirennal if there was an operational deflector or shielding system in place, we never found anything in our initial search of the vessel but this would prove our assumptions. That said, I am picking up a high concentration of our crew, assembled in one location. Sensors are also showing the Quirennal children all there as well. It looks like the centre of the valley.”

“Is that good?” Alfie asked from ops.

“It is, ensign.” Tierra responded. “It means I can expand our buffer capacity and grab everyone there in one full swoop, it would mean taking the children as well, however with what we’ve got planned, taking them out of the danger would be a lot better then leaving them. But we need to be a lot closer.”

“How close?” Penelope questioned. 

“At least ten thousand kilometres.” Tierra replied. “The closer the better.”

Flemen then realised the decision was his and everyone would be waiting for him to make the call. Knowing that this could happen and was already planned for, Flemen ordered Penelope to bring them in close, while Alfie opened a channel. If he could distract Captain Jyster for a bit he would. “The moment you can beam them back, then do it.” Flemen directed Tierra. “Don’t wait for my order, just do it.”

The Deltan woman just nodded as she got to work. 

“Channel open, sir.” McCallister said.

Taking a breath, Flemen kept himself calm as he spoke. “Captain Jyster, this is Lieutenant Commander Craigen Flemen on the Odyssey. I know it’s been a while since we last saw one another, however, I have been authorised by the Federation Council to negotiate with you one more time to see if we could come to an amicable resolution to this situation.”

There was no reply. 

Flemen looked around at everyone, they all gave him the same blank stare. He knew he had to keep going. “The Federation Council is happy to welcome your ship and your children into the Federation, where they will be well looked after at a suitable location with people who are more trained and have the experience to support them.” Realising taking the official stance was perhaps not going to appeal to Jyster, he changed his tactics. “Captain, I appreciate you have the upper hand in keeping my captain and the rest of my crew from me. I also understand that originally Captain McCallister negotiated in good faith with you but I genuinely can’t believe you are not prepared to listen to this offer I have. Surely, you could see the benefits of us finding some mutual ground here and resolving this so everyone is happy?”

Jyster then appeared before them, her holographic appearance flickering several times. “You have guts for returning Mister Flemen, I see that you have been promoted while we’ve been away.”

“Starfleet gave me command of the Odyssey in Captain McCallister’s absence.” Flemen’s response was quick and straight to the point, he didn’t want to be distracted by other pleasantries.

Her projection flickered more and her voice sounded distorted too. “You’ve come far to track us down. I didn’t think your engines were this quick.”

“We had help from some of our allies.” Flemen said, realising that at the corner of his eye he could see that Tierra was close to initiating transport. He was also not going to explain how they had followed her subspace footprint, used the Turei’s underspace to travel to their current location either. 

“Hmm, it would seem you’ve had a lot of help. I can’t seem to access your systems.” Jyster stated, sounding more frustrated than she originally did. 

Alfie gave Flemen a look to confirm their countermeasures were holding in place. Their systems would be safeguarding for now. His worries about Penelope and the other holograms being taken over were eased somewhat.  

Remaining focused on her, Flemen shrugged his shoulders. “We came well equipped to show you that we are serious but we won’t allow you to take advantage of our vessel again, but my intention is not to start a fight with you. I don’t think either of us want that.” He paused as he considered his words further. He had practised this speech in his head moments before, so he knew what he wanted to say. “You sent me away and told me that I ‘do not have the experience or ability to properly mount a decent rescue plan’. Well here I am, proving to you that I’m using the experience and abilities that I do have to get my people back. Will you listen?”

More flickering, more distortion. Jyster was struggling to concentrate. “I can’t-I can’t…” She was then gone. 

Flemen looked at Tierra in a flash. “What happened?”

“Her projection just collapsed.” Tierra answered after looking over the sensors. Not bothering to worry about why they lost communication, the acting chief engineer returned to what she was working on before the call had taken place. “I’ve got a lock on a majority of our crew, but I’m detecting a few of them elsewhere. Looks like two silicon lifesigns are moving through the ship, at a rapid pace while others have just been moved into the command and control centre.”

“Who are the silicon lifesigns?” Jisaraa asked aloud for everyone to hear. 

Tierra turned her head to look up at her Orion colleague. “Our lovely Horta crewmates: Ensign Tchwulkk and Crewmember Demiaht. It looks like they’re tunnelling their way through the Quirennal. I think Captain Jyster’s technical problems are being caused by them. They appear to be using their natural acidic excretions to cause significant harm to various systems.”

“Why do I feel like my dad had this already planned in his head?” Alfie shared with everyone on the bridge.

“It wouldn’t surprise me Alf.” Flemen agreed with the acting ensign’s train of thought before looking back at his acting chief engineer. “Can you beam our Horta colleagues back as well?”

Tierra just nodded.

“Then beam them and those who else we can get back now!” Flemen ordered and then looked down to McCallister. “Alf, hail your uncle. Tell him to proceed to plan B and send them the coordinates of our other crewmates that are being held elsewhere.”

“Signal sent.” McCallister announced. 

“Transport complete, we’ve got every-” Tierra paused as she squinted at the readings from the transporter cycle. There was a huge drop in the capacity of what she had targeted. “I don’t understand it.”

Flemen looked at her, worried that Jyster had stopped their attempt. “What is it, Tierra?”

“I got everyone in the valley, besides the children.” Tierra answered as she looked at everyone with a confused look. “They’re not there.”

USS League NCC-74652

Standing in transporter room one with his hazard team, all kitted out and ready to go, Horatio McCallister took one more glance down at his weapon, a TR-116 rifle, and ensured the whole thing was ready. Placing his exographic targeting sensor over his head, he activated it and could see the heads up display. The modified rifle would help them bring back those who were still being kept back on the alien vessel they were about to board. Along with that, he knew from his time in Starfleet Intelligence that the weapon itself was one of the best, if not the best, to have on a covert rescue mission. The micro-transporter built within the rifle made its range effective. However chemical propelled bullets were not the only thing he was packing. In several magazines he and his Hazard Team had packed modified isolinear tags. They would use them to isolate and enhance the transporter lock on those Odyssey crew that Odyssey itself couldn’t rescue. As this Captain Jyster was a deranged hologram, in his judgement, using the TR-116 from a safe distance seemed like the best plan for now. 

“Bridge to Captain McCallister, Odyssey has sent the signal.” spoke his first officer over the intercom. 

Tapping his combadge as finished zipping up his combat uniform field vest, McCallister replied. “Then proceed as planned. Fire tricobalt devices and ensure our transporter cycle happens on detonation.” He then looked at his team, who were already on the pad. “Activate isolation dampeners everyone.” 

All of them activated the devices that sat on their left arms. Similar to the technology that had been used by the Federation in its duckblind missions for years now, isolation suits had been improved in the past thirty years. Combining similar technology used by Voyager in 2375, the isolation suit technology was merged with bio-dampeners, a device that could disguise someone while within the surroundings of a Borg vessel. The two pieces of technology together created a sophisticated piece of camouflage technology that allowed for covert agents to become undetectable for a limited time.

Limited time was all Horatio needed to find those who were trapped and get them out without getting his own team and himself trapped. It was a quick in and out mission. Along with rescuing those the Odyssey couldn’t save, he would ensure that the threat Jyster brought to them all was dealt with. But that was his own mission.  

Flying out from behind the Odyssey, the Intrepid-class starship flew out of nowhere and delivered a payload of tricobalt devices against the Quirennal’s outer hull plating. The massive explosion caused by the weapons ripped open a breach in the once powerful monatanium hull plating. 

Seconds later and Horatio felt the transporter beam take hold of him and deposit him on board the enemy vessel. His isolation dampener was active and straight away he found himself in the area known as the valley. Telling his team to spread out, he started to scan towards the area that the Odyssey hostages were being kept. Looking through his targeting sensor he saw his brother and sister-in-law. Telling his Hazard Team leader to take over, Horatio would move to get to his brother at once. 

Quirennal

Feeling disorientated at what was happening, Jyster couldn’t work out what to deal with at first. Overwhelmed, she had cut her transmission to the Odyssey and then transported Captain McCallister, Commanders Reyas and Duncan along with Senior Chief Court and her sons to the command and control centre of the ship. 

Sensors then registered the use of transporter technology penetrating the hull and within moments she lost the Odyssey crew, besides those she had with her. The command and control centre was better shielded from such things from happening. Transferring power to ensure she could protect the centre, she was adamant she was not going to lose today. Sensors also detected that whatever was disrupting her systems moments ago had stopped. She hadn’t had the time to determine what was happening when Odyssey appeared out of nowhere. 

“I’ll compliment your Mister Flemen, he is quite the hidden tactician. And I thought his diplomatic overtures were genuine.” Jyster said as she looked at Captain McCallister. “Tell me how you’re doing this.”

“I’m not doing anything. You’ve kept a close eye on me ever since you took us.” McCallister answered. It was obvious he wasn’t sharing everything with her, but she knew that he couldn’t have guessed that well that the Odyssey would arrive at this point in time. “And Craigen’s diplomatic overtures, whatever they are, I can assure you are genuine.” He added.

“I can back that up.” Duncan said, defending his former protege. 

Jyster shook her head. “I don’t believe you either of you. Plus, even if I wanted to believe you. My children need this ship to survive.”

“No we don’t mom.” Jorgeh said, moving towards the isomorphic projection. “Let us go!”

Betrayed by his words, Jyster shot a look at her eldest son. “I’ve done all of this for you!” She exclaimed, spreading her arms outwards, not pointing at anything in particular.

Reyas looked down at the nearby viewport, which showed the valley. Confused as to what she was seeing, the entire crew had gone but the children and young people they had been caring for were all still standing around. Then some of them started to disappear into thin air. “What’s happening to them all?” She asked, almost shouting at Jyster.

“I’m transferring necessary power to other systems. The particle synthesisers are needed for urgent repairs.” Jyster answered. She looked at Jorgen and Wylem. “I did this all for you. My children.”

Both teenage boys looked at each other, confused by her words. 

“What do you mean?” Wylem quizzed her. 

Before she could answer they were all shoved off from their feet as the League’s assault landed against the Quirennal. Alarms started to scream out as more of the ship’s systems reported heavy damage or were now offline. 

“Another Starfleet ship. How is this possible?” Jyster questioned McCallister as she activated a holographic display showing the sudden appearance of the USS League flying out from behind the Odyssey. “I didn’t detect them.” 

“Mom, answer Wylem’s question.” Jorgeh insisted. “What do you mean that you did all of this for us?”

Ignoring what was happening elsewhere, Jyster looked at her sons. “You two were the only survivors. I had to make some terrible decisions years ago to ensure that you both were saved. I couldn’t leave you both here alone. I knew I was slowly losing you. When I noticed the Odyssey could help us, I wanted to give you the community we once had.”

“Oh my god.” Duncan said, realising what was happening as he stepped forward towards the boys and their mother. “The other children, all of them weren’t real were they?”

The pieces of the puzzle started to fall for everyone. Court soon joined Duncan’s side as he placed one hand around Wylem’s shoulders. “You created them all, didn’t you? What were they? Holograms?” The enlisted officer sounded disgusted at her actions but also did his best to carefully choose his words to avoid upsetting the two boys further. 

Jyster looked between the two men she had picked to care for her sons. Appearing like she had lost all hope, she just blurted out what was truly happening.  “They were a combination of the ship’s particle synthesisers and advanced isomorphs, like me. All of them represented my former crew’s children.”

“You killed all of our friends?” Jorgeh asked back, in shock and terror. Tears were now forming around his eyes. He started to understand what she had done. “You made that decision so that Wylem and I would live?”

Jyster nodded. “To save my sons, yes.” She answered bluntly. “I had no choice, our ship was heavily damaged. Other members of our crew had been sacrificed to save all of the children. Time went by and the ship wasn’t properly repairing itself. I couldn’t do it all. I had limited access. So the only way to ensure your survival was to keep your stasis chambers operational. I had to cut the life support from every child’s chamber so that you two could live. I watched as every one of those youngsters took their last breaths, just so you two could live.”

“You’re not my mother. You’re a monster!” Jorgeh replied, now in disgust. “You could have found a different way.”

“I couldn’t.” Jyster snapped back. 

“Then find a different one now.” Wylem demanded. 

“Wylem’s right.” Jorgeh said, the anger filling in his expression. “Let us go! We don’t belong here now.”

“I can’t you’re my sons.” Jyster almost pleaded.

“Not anymore.” Jorgeh said as he moved towards Duncan and stood closer to him. “Max, Tobi, they’ve been more like parents to us in the past two months then this projection of you has ever been. My mother, my real mother, wouldn’t have allowed her crew to die and take the lives of innocent children. She would have found a different way.”

McCallister moved forward. “There is still time to end this, to turn things around. Flemen’s offer of the Federation providing you support still stands. Let me speak to him and order him to stand down. Your people’s legacy can still remain intact. We can honour those lost and ensure others know about your civilisation and its accomplishments.”

Jyster shook her head. “No, the Quirennal will survive alone. Our people will go on forever! Here!”

Reyas was about to speak but something hit her left shoulder. Thinking she was shot, she looked down and at the same time heard James call for her. Looking back at him, she saw that she had not been shot by a bullet but had been hit by a isolinear tag. A second later and she was enveloped by a transporter beam. Court was next and with him holding on to Wylem, the two of them were taken. Duncan, realising what was happening, took hold of Jorgeh in his arms as he was hit and the transporter effect surrounded the two of them. 

Accepting the embrace into Duncan’s arms, Jorgeh turned his head, the tears rolling down his red sore face as he took one more glance at his mother before resting his forehead against Duncan’s shoulder as he left the Quirennal. For the first time since being taken out of stasis he felt safe. 

McCallister was left standing facing Jyster. She appeared defeated and her program was failing as it started to flicker again. Out of the blue Horatio, his brother, appeared out of nowhere to the right of James. 

“Sorry for gatecrashing the party.” Horatio stated as he looked at Jyster. “I’m here for my big brother.”

“Big brother?” Jyster asked, confused by the remark before realising who he was. “You’re Horatio McCallister, captain of the U-S-S League.” She recalled what she had accessed from the Federation database and made the links to the ship that had attacked her.

“The one and only.” He said with a smirk. Looking at his older brother, Horatio took out an isolation tag and tapped his brother with it. “You rescued me that time from that Maquis mission, this is me paying you back.”

Before James had a chance to say anything he was beamed off the Quirennal. 

Pleased his brother was now safely off the ship, Horatio looked back at Jyster. Her program was malfunctioning further. The ship started to rock as systems started to fail and destabilise from the damage it sustained from the tricbolat attack. 

Horatio then went over to a nearby computer station and took out his tricorder as he spoke to Jyster. “I’m afraid your attack against the Odyssey has made you a credible threat to Federation security.” He activated the tricorder and began downloading something into the Quirennal’s database. “As such I must deal with you. You’ll find this is a modified version of the same virus you used against the Odyssey. Poetic justice and all of that.” He didn’t have the same sympathy for her like his brother did. His actions were cold, ruthless, just like hers had been over two months ago when she took the Odyssey crew. 

Jyster just shook her head in disbelief. How had she missed this McCallister boarding her vessel? How had he evaded her? Quickly she tried to raise defences around the ship’s main computer core but the virus was already making its way through. “All I wanted to do was to save my children.” She cried out. 

“From what I saw here, it wasn’t you saving them but my brother and his crew.” He looked at the virus. “I can promise you this, they’ll be well looked after.” McCallister then activated his own tag and was beamed back to the League. 

“I won’t let you take them!” Jyster screamed out. She closed her eyes and activated her ship’s coaxial warp drive. 

Her last ditch effort to save her children began.

USS Odyssey NCC-80000

On Odyssey’s bridge, Alfie noticed the sudden increase in power coming from the Quirennal and he soon recognised what it meant. Turning to look over his right shoulder, he called out to his superior. “Commander Flemen, the Quirennal’s coaxial drive is coming online and is about overload. I think Captain Jyster may be trying to outrun us but her systems are too badly damaged. We need to escape the blast radius!”

Standing up from his chair, Flemen ordered Penelope to take them out of the nebula at full impulse. 

“The Quirennal is in pursuit.” Ensign McCallister told everyone. “We’re being hailed by Captain McCallister on the League. Audio only.”

“Put it up.” Flemen ordered.

The channel was open and the voice of Horatio McCallister could be heard by all on the bridge. “Flying at impulse is not going to help us outrun the Quirennal. That ship will explode any time soon! Head to the nearest underspace corridors, we should take different apertures to increase our chances of getting away from the shockwave.”

“You heard the man, Penelope. Take us to the nearest underspace aperture.” Flemen commanded before he told everyone to hold on tightly over the ship intercom. 

Both Starfleet ships entered different underspace corridors, going in separate directions; the Quirennal followed the Odyssey in its wake. Appearing to be in some sort of flux as it attempted to pursue them, Odyssey jumped into high speeds just as the Quirennal lost containment to its coaxial warp drive. The massive ancient vessel exploded. Shockwaves were sent in multiple directions as hull fragments were vapourised too. 

Nothing was left of Captain Jyster’s relic.

As the Quirennal was on the periphery of the underspace aperture that they had just entered, the shockwave followed Odyssey into the corridor they had entered. Like a beast chasing its prey, the shockwave was impending against the larger Starfleet vessel. 

“Sir, we’ve got an incoming shockwave coming in. Level six, our shields might about take it.” Tierra called above the commotion as the ship was rocking hard caused by its current velocity. “I can’t be certain though that we may survive it.”

“Suggestions?” Flemen called out. 

“There’s another underspace corridor coming up, it leads further into the Beta Quadrant but it’s uncharted. We don’t know if it is stable enough for us or where it actually ends!” McCallister reported from ops. 

“We’re still not going to be fast enough!” Penelope said. “We need to jump to warp!”

“Inside the corridor?!” Tierra exclaimed. “We could end up collapsing the corridor and knocking out our warp drive altogether!”

“It’s better than being obliterated by that shockwave.” Penelope shouted out. “If we put enough power into the shields, we can survive the jump to warp inside the corridor!”

Having to trust Penelope, Flemen gave the go ahead to alter course and head into warp within the corridor. Odyssey changed its heading, narrowly missing the shockwave as it moved into the nearest corridor and jumping into warp. 

“Warp drive is exceeding maximum tolerance!” Teirra announced. “We’re going to lose containment if we don’t shut down the drive.”

“Then do it!” Flemen shouted as explosions started to erupt from the damage the ship was taking. The entire vessel was shaking violently now. Everyone was holding onto dear life.

“I can’t shut down the core!” Tierra stated. 

“Then can’t we eject it?” Alfie suggested.

“That’s suicidal.” Tierra answered back. “We may be pushed out of the corridor or have the core detonate near to us.”

“But we would have shut the warp drive down!” Alfie countered with. 

“Eject the warp core.” Flemen ordered. “Then someone activate the resonance pulse. See if it will push us out of the underspace before the core explodes.”

The sudden ejection of the ship’s warp core forced everyone onboard to be pushed forward by the disruption to the ship’s warp field and followed by the resonance pulse from the main deflector the Odyssey was forced out of the subspace corridor. 

“Commander, we’re just a few parsecs from the Federation-Romulan Republic border in the Beta Quadrant.” Penelope shared as she tried to secure the ship. It was still moving through space at high speeds. “I don’t know how we’ve made it this far, but that last corridor’s velocities must have been higher than we thought.”

“It’s not exactly how I envisioned us to cross the finish line for this mission.” Flemen said, as he gripped tightly onto the captain’s chair’s arms. “Let’s just find a way to slow down before we tear ourselves apart.”

More explosions erupted around them.

“Hull breach on decks eight through seventeen. Emergency force fields are in place and holding.” Alfie announced.

“I’m attempting to stabilise our velocity and pitch.” Penelope shared. “If not we may risk the hull collapsing at these speeds.”

“Alfie, send out distress signal on all Federation frequencies at once. Someone may be out there who can help us!” Flemen called out.

“Distress signal sent, sir.” Alfie said after tapping away at his console. He got an instant response. “Sir, it’s been picked up by…by…Starbase Bravo!”

“That’s good.” Flemen said, almost sounding sarcastic in his tone. Knowing though they would send a relief force to help them, he just hoped it would arrive before he had to order everyone into the escape pods before the ship followed in the footsteps of the Quirennal and its demise. Looking over to Tierra, Flemen hoped she was able to give him some good news as the ship continued to shake from the pressure it was dealing with as it attempted to calm itself down from its recent adventure. “Tierra, please tell me-”

“We’re trying to stabilise the ship, sir.” She said, pre-empting his question. Her fingers were darting across the engineering console so quickly she moved as fast as she could to save them all. “I’m resetting internal dampeners, transferring auxiliary power to manoeuvring thrusters. Penelope, I’m going to give you one big surge of power into the thrusters to stop our out of control axis spin and to bring us to a dead halt. I need that impressive holographic brain of yours to calculate what we need to do it all without ripping the ship in half.”

“I’m on it, lieutenant.” Penelope answered as she adjusted the helm controls in response to the acting chief engineer’s plan. “Ready.”

“Here we go!” Tierra declared as the Odyssey’s power systems adjusted themselves into doing what she wanted them to do. 

Penelope then moved at superhuman speeds as she slowed the ship down and stopped it from spiralling further out of control. After a few seconds, the swerving of the ship stopped and the entire vessel came to gradual halt. 

“I’m reading all stop.” Penelope announced. 

“Congratulations everyone.” Flemen said with a sigh and breathed out heavily as he pushed himself up in his chair. “What’s our status?” 

“That little manoeuvre has heavily damaged the ship sir,” Alfie reported. “We’re practically disabled. I believe the correct phrase is, dead in the water, sir. Not much is working, life support and emergency systems are online, that’s about it.”

Letting his shoulders slump at hearing that news, Flemen sighed again. “Understood. Let’s coordinate repair teams and hope that the relief force from Starbase Bravo arrives in time.”

At that point the aft turbolift doors opened to reveal the arrival of Captain McCallister. “What the hell have you done to my ship?” He asked as he stepped off the turbolift. 

“Dad!” Alfie called as he got up from the ops station and ran over to his father. 

Father and son embraced for a moment before letting go. 

“Welcome back sir.” Flemen said as he stood up from his chair. 

“Thank you Craigen.” McCallister said as he looked around at everyone and the damage sustained to the bridge. “I believe Mister Flemen, I left you in command of an operational ship?”

Glancing around himself, Flemen realised that even though McCallister was pulling his leg (he could sense the captain’s humour through his thoughts), he could also tell the captain was sincere with his comment. “We’ll have the Odyssey back up and running in no time.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” McCallister said. “However it is good to be back.”