The Damascus jumped out of warp while arriving at the Barzan System. There, the Damascus crew would quickly notice that it was pretty busy. The bridge crew looked out as they could see the different sizes and shapes of ships flying near Starbase 38. Sazra took a deep breath as she was not expecting such a view in her lifetime, “Captain, Starbase 38 is sending the request of the CO and XO for the transport over to the starbase to start the briefing of our assignment. They have no room at this current time for any ships to dock due to the current traffic. If we require supplies or any repairs, they ask us to go to a nearby starbase or outpost as the docking list is too long,” T’Path spoke, looking over her shoulder to the Captain.

Giving a brief nod to her, “Thanks. Inform them that the XO and the Captain are on their way to the base at the designated transport pad. Get Commander Valerio to the bridge as he is in command of the ship while we are away” Sazra stood up from her chair and walked to the turbolift entering it after Silina did. “Transport Room 1″ The door closed as Sazra tried to relax a bit.

“You still dislike crowded spaces, don’t you” Silina looked at Sazra as she was leaning against the back of the turbolift. She could see from a distance how uncomfortable Sazra was before they even entered the system. 

“Stop reading into my body language, please” Sazra didn’t turn to Silina for that. “Sometimes I wonder if it is wise to have my former ship’s doctor as my right hand. You know way too much about me” Sazra smirks at that. “But maybe that’s also a good thing about keeping your friends close but your enemies closer.”  

Silina looked up at the turbolift ceiling and hummed a bit. “Well, if I were your enemy, you wouldn’t be getting out of this turbolift in one piece” Silina looked at Sazra with a grin. “You would be lost without me, Captain.” 

Not taking that bite, Sazra was saved by the doors opening, and she was quickly moving towards the transporter room, where the Transporter Chief nodded to their arrival. “Sergeant, you received the location. Please get us to that spot in one piece” She walked onto the pad, followed by Silina, and turned around to face the Chief.

“Yes, Captain, two beam over to Starbase 38” He moved his hand forward as the blue light was seen while the two command officers get transported to Starbase 38.  

Starbase 38

The area changed around for Sazra to the transporter room of Starbase 38. “Welcome to Starbase 38, Captain Praugol. Commander Woraten will be delegating your assignment to conference room number 8. Please make your way towards the designated area ma’am” The ensign waved his hand to the door.

Nodding to her, “Thank you, Ensign,” while Sazra and Silina both walked off the pad and exited the transport room. They both immediately get overwhelmed by the number of people that are there. Discussing the upcoming missions, the potential riches that await in the Delta Quadrant, and some Ferengi already busy trying to sell trinkets of this event. Sazra could feel the pressure on her chest as she felt a hand on her shoulder, making her look at her side seeing Silina standing there “I…am okay” 

“You don’t look like you are okay, Captain” Silina was concerned as she knew her old friend’s troubles. “Just stick close to me, okay?” Silina suddenly took the lead and moved forward through the crowd, pushing some people aside gently. “Excuse me.” 

The two made their way through the crowd as Sazra suddenly got a Ferengi jumping in front of her, making her take a step back, “Hello there…. Captain,” He had gazed a second at her pips, “You look like you’re about to get your assignment. Good, you want to remember this faithful event of treasure and riches waiting on the other side?” The man didn’t give a chance for Sazra to react, “I got the perfect trinket for you, don’t listen to the others that offer you this…this is the deal of a lifetime, I swear.” 

Then the Ferengi looked at his side, seeing Silina holding a hand on his shoulder, “I advise you now to choose your words very carefully. Because we are not interested in your fake metal trinkets that are not even your advice price worth.” She raised a finger to get him to be quiet, “And I swear I will inform Security if you keep going on…now get away…” The Ferengi growls and walks away as Silina keeps an eye on him, then looks back at Sazra “Do I need to get you a leash…?” 

Looking with a not-so-impressed facial expression, Sazra shrugs “I appreciate your step in on that, but I would love for you to stop doing such phrases in public” Sazra noticed a few officers staring and muttering about them. “People will get the wrong impression of your bad jokes.” 

Looking around, Silina laughs softly, “Right, you are right. I shall try my best to refrain from such comments in public” Silina continues to walk. “The room is ahead” She points in a specific direction that did have some other command officers walk into a room and a Commander welcoming them. Silina stops at the door. “Captain Praugol” She points at Sazra, “And Commander Ruslanovna of the Damascus reporting as requested.” 

The Bolian Commander looked at them both, “Welcome, I am Commander Woraten, and I shall give you the debriefing. Please take a seat” He waved into the conference room to some already placed seats. 

Sazra nodded to the Commander while passing him by and already saw quite some officers sitting and talking to each other. Sazra sat down next to Silina, who was already conversing with her neighbor. She was a social butterfly sometimes, and Sazra envied that. Looking at the screen ahead, she saw the blood dilithium image that was also in the briefing from the command. That crystal had some nasty working on telepaths, and it was a concerning factor that could affect her crew and even herself.

“Please be seated. I will start this briefing, so you all can return to your ship. The gate will open in a few hours, and we want to make use of it as much as potentially possible,” Woraten spoke as he moved himself to the front of all the people “I will repeat myself, I am Commander Woraten, Science Officer in service of Starbase 38 and various other projects. I have been asked to give you their assignment within Delta Quadrant. Foremost is that the main task is to investigate the sudden appearance of the blood dilithium” He raised his hand “before you ask, no, I don’t have further information about what you already received from command. The idea is that the science ships will go into the field and get those answers. Meaning you all.”

Silina looked quietly at the Commander as he explained everything, while Sazra was already considering the potential assignments Damascus could do for Starfleet in the given situation. Both the room was overall quiet and focused on the briefing that was given. 

Looking at the crowd, the Bolian nodded, “Right, assignments. If you hear yours, please take the PADD and move along. If you have questions, you can send it to Starfleet Science for further instructions. I am here to give them out and not explain them. USS Fleming, you are assigned to the borders of Chaotic Space. Your assignment is to see how this anomaly affects this area. Please be careful.” He reached out to the PADD as two people stood up, and one of them grabbed the assignment walking out of the room “USS Madison, you’re to report to the Hazari system, a rocky planet that has been impacted by the blood dilithium. Investigate this planet and find out why this planet got affected in the first place” A single person stood up and grabbed the PADD from Woraten, giving the nod to him while walking away.

Woraten looked down at the list, “USS Damascus. You must report to an asteroid field near Malon Cooperative and Devore Imperium. There are high readings of the anomaly, and Starfleet Science is convinced to get some rich information from this location about the blood dilithium” Both Sazra and Silina stand up walking to Woraten as Sazra grabs the PADD, the Bolian holds it for a second, looking into the eyes of Sazra “Fair warning Captain, the Devore Imperium has been acting quite hostile to any Federation vessel. Starfleet attaches an additional order for this assignment if they are hostile and nearby. Retreat as soon as possible to Markonian Outpost” 

“Understood, Commander, thanks for the warning” Sazra finally got the PADD out of the Commander’s hand and nodded to him as both Silina, and herself left the room. When further away, Sazra finally spoke, “Why is Starfleet even considering exploring so close to hostile space” Sazra shrugged, looking at the PADD information “Are we ready for this?” 

Silina looked at Sazra and smiled softly, “We are more than able to survive the borders of such hostile space. Starfleet knows our history. We have survived quite a bit, and hell, you survived a Romulan Deluxe Resort” Silina pointed out as they both made their way back to the transporter pad. The starbase was still very busy and people were still rushing around to get to their assignments.

“Stop reminding me of that, it is not like I went there on volunteering status you know” Sazra tried to not show her irritation about being reminded of that mission “Do a simple escort mission. It is easy they said, you be done in three days they said” Sazra shrugged again.

Walked into the transporter room, “Well, it does define you as who you are, Captain. You got more cranky after that mission for sure” Silina laughed stepping onto the pad as she saw Sazra turning around on the pad also “Ensign beam us back to Damascus” The ensign gave a nod to them as he activated the transporter seeing the two commanding officers get transported away with a  bright blue light.