Captain’s Quarters, U.S.S. Atlas
Stardate: 38363.8
The flame flickered gentle as the wick took light, the candle in the middle of the table adding a touch more ambiance to Bruce Keller’s darkened quarters. After weeks spent debating with himself over the ramifications he was still no closer to a decision, after all there was a lot of weight on that one question—regardless of what the answer was. But after trawling through the regulations and reading countless papers written on the ethics and/or appropriateness of the matter and not coming up with any sort of answer, he’d finally decided to hell with it.
The enunciator sounded making him jump. He’d been a bundle of nervous energy all day waiting for that moment. His stomach tight and palms a little sweaty, Keller straightened up and turned to the doorway.
“Enter.”
The doors parted to reveal Lieutenant Commander Htennak standing there, sporting a snug maroon jumpsuit with a deep V-neck that showed off his dark copper chest hair. As soon as the Ktarian saw him standing beside the candlelit dining table a wide smile spread across his face as he stepped inside, the door closed allowing them to be alone.
“Hi there,” Htennak began.
“Evening,” he replied, his mouth suddenly dry.
For a moment, they stood there in the captain’s dimly lit quarters. Htennak broke the tension with a chuckle. “Is it weird that I’m at a loss for words?”
Keller smiled. “You’re not the only one, this feels pretty far out my comfort zone for some reason.”
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown.”
“True,” he admitted, before gesturing to one of the two chairs. “But let’s just start with dinner and not have any further expectations.”
Htennak took the seat and nodded his agreement. “That sounds like a good place to start.”
Keller moved over to his desk and retrieved the bottle he’d found in the ship’s lounge, before pouring them both a glass of the azure blue liquid. Htennak’s eyes went wide.
“Is that Ktarian chardonnay?”
“Unreplicated. I’m going to have to thank whoever stocked the drinks cabinet, they’ve got some impeccable taste.”
“I’ll drink to that!”
They tapped their glasses together before each taking a sip. The crisp cool blending of fruits washed over his tongue, leaving a lingering hint of creamy vanilla. He was by no means an expert when it came to wine, he just knew what he liked and after just one taste he already had a new favourite—though that could’ve been more to do with the company he was keeping in that moment than the wine itself.
“I hope you’re hungry, I’ve been slaving away all afternoon.”
“Famished.”
Keller tapped a command into the replicator and it hummed to life. Truthfully, he had been wracking his brains on just what to serve, not wanting anything overly complicated but also didn’t want it to feel like just any ordinary meal in the mess hall. After he’d found the wine he’d been struck with inspiration, as Ktarians rarely had one large dish and typically opted for a number of different combinations he’d gone for a tapas option, blending together foods from numerous worlds across the Alpha Quadrant to create something he hoped would be memorable for a first date.
He picked up the tray and carried it to the table, each dish looked more inviting than the one next to it, with breads, vegetables, seafood, meats, and sauces from at least ten different planets. Htennak’s smile just widened as he looked at the selection and Keller slipped into the seat opposite him.
“You weren’t kidding, Cap…Bruce,” he quickly corrected himself, blushing.
“As they saying goes, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
Htennak raised an eyebrow. “So, it’s my heart you’re after, is it?”
“Bridge to Captain Keller,” the intercom interrupted.
He sighed. There it was. As the captain of a starship his life would never be a quiet one, he would forever have the weight of her mission and her crew on his shoulders. No matter what he may have wanted for himself, his duty would always be there just beneath the surface.
“Go ahead.”
“Sir, we’re picking up a distress call from an unknown alien ship approximately point-one light-years away,” stated Lieutenant sh’Thallas.
“Set a course and take us to maximum warp. Sound yellow alert. I’m on my way,” he replied already getting to his feet. The quiet evening he had envisioned, where he had the opportunity to get to know his guest a little better in a private setting with good wine and a smorgasbord of food evaporated.
Htennak was also standing up, ready to join him—that was a benefit of dating one of his officers he hadn’t considered, they were bound by the same sense of duty that he was. Keller led the way out onto the deck one corridor, following the curve until a junction led up to the raised bridge. Taking the ramp, the pair of them stepped onto the bridge, which was already a flurry of activity.
“Report.”
“We’re underway, sir,” the Andorian watch officer began as she rose from the command chair, “ETA in thirty-eight minutes.”
“Did the message say what the emergency was?”
Ensign Axlan at ops shook his head. “Negative, Captain. The message was badly distorted, all I could make out was the need for immediate assistance.”
“Any other ships on sensors?”
“None in range,” the Betazoid replied. “The vessels power readings are fluctuating wildly, so it looks more like a technical malfunction than a hostile attack.”
Keller nodded in silent agreement. “Alert sickbay to prepare for possible casualties and have damage control teams stand ready.” He glanced at his civvies. “I’ll get changed. Have the senior officers report to their stations.”
“Aye sir.”
* * * * *
Bridge, U.S.S. Atlas
“We’re approaching the ship, sir.”
“Drop us out of warp, Ensign,” Commander Celan instructed as she stood beside the captain’s chair.
“Aye Commander.”
Keller sat forward. “Full scan. Mr Tathar, any response to our hails?”
“Negative, sir.”
The captain shot her a look, his concern obvious as she felt it too. For a ship to call for help and not respond to any further communications was always worrying and meant one of two things, either the situation had deteriorated to the point where no one was able to make contact, or they were flying into a trap.
“Captain,” Lieutenant Na-Gharii began, “the ship is of unknown origin. No signs of battle damage but her main power is out, emergency backup is failing. I’ve got seventy-four lifes—” he paused for a second. “No, seventy-three. Seventy-two.” Another alert sounded on his console, drawing Celan closer to get a better look. “I’m picking up a lot of weapons fire aboard, sir.”
“Are the lifesigns all of the same species?” she asked.
“Yes sir.”
A frown deepened on her brow. “Some kind of mutiny?”
Keller stood and stepped down to the ops station. “Ensign, open a channel.” A quick nod followed. “Unknown vessel, this is Captain Keller of the starship Atlas. We picked up your distress call and are here to assist.”
There was a moment of silence before the speakers screeched to life. “Help! They’re killing us!”
“What’s going on? Who is attacking you?”
The open channel was silent.
She looked back at Keller, whose jaw was clenched tight. He wasn’t someone to ignore a call for help, even if it meant putting Starfleet personnel at risk though up until now he had always been one of those people who was risking it all, he’d never sent others into a situation he himself wouldn’t take the lead on. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but that was what that fourth pip meant.
He looked at her. “Commander, take a security detail over there.”
“Aye sir. Ydaris, Tathar with me. Have Doctor Yuen meet us in the transporter room.”
In seconds they were heading down to deck four. The situation was far from ideal, they were heading into first contact situation where the conditions were hostile, beaming in with no intelligence and no idea what they would be facing.
By the time they reached room one, security guards Parker and Riza were already there ready to issue each of them type-two phasers. They bridge crew had just accepted their sidearms when Yuen entered and took her weapon, offering no protest.
“Phasers on stun. Don’t fire unless fired upon. We need to get the situation under control and then work out what the hell is going on over there. Understood?”
“Yes sir,” the five officers and crewmen replied in unison.
She quickly took up a firing stance on the platform, phaser ready. Phillips was working the controls, a look on concern on her face.
“Commander, there is weapons fire in almost every section. No matter where I beam you to you might find yourselves under attack.”
“Do your best, Chief, I’ve got every faith in you.”
“Aye sir.” After a moment more she nodded to herself. “I’ve got co-ordinates.”
“Energise.”
* * * * *
Stardate: 38363.8
The flame flickered gentle as the wick took light, the candle in the middle of the table adding a touch more ambiance to Bruce Keller’s darkened quarters. After weeks spent debating with himself over the ramifications he was still no closer to a decision, after all there was a lot of weight on that one question—regardless of what the answer was. But after trawling through the regulations and reading countless papers written on the ethics and/or appropriateness of the matter and not coming up with any sort of answer, he’d finally decided to hell with it.
The enunciator sounded making him jump. He’d been a bundle of nervous energy all day waiting for that moment. His stomach tight and palms a little sweaty, Keller straightened up and turned to the doorway.
“Enter.”
The doors parted to reveal Lieutenant Commander Htennak standing there, sporting a snug maroon jumpsuit with a deep V-neck that showed off his dark copper chest hair. As soon as the Ktarian saw him standing beside the candlelit dining table a wide smile spread across his face as he stepped inside, the door closed allowing them to be alone.
“Hi there,” Htennak began.
“Evening,” he replied, his mouth suddenly dry.
For a moment, they stood there in the captain’s dimly lit quarters. Htennak broke the tension with a chuckle. “Is it weird that I’m at a loss for words?”
Keller smiled. “You’re not the only one, this feels pretty far out my comfort zone for some reason.”
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown.”
“True,” he admitted, before gesturing to one of the two chairs. “But let’s just start with dinner and not have any further expectations.”
Htennak took the seat and nodded his agreement. “That sounds like a good place to start.”
Keller moved over to his desk and retrieved the bottle he’d found in the ship’s lounge, before pouring them both a glass of the azure blue liquid. Htennak’s eyes went wide.
“Is that Ktarian chardonnay?”
“Unreplicated. I’m going to have to thank whoever stocked the drinks cabinet, they’ve got some impeccable taste.”
“I’ll drink to that!”
They tapped their glasses together before each taking a sip. The crisp cool blending of fruits washed over his tongue, leaving a lingering hint of creamy vanilla. He was by no means an expert when it came to wine, he just knew what he liked and after just one taste he already had a new favourite—though that could’ve been more to do with the company he was keeping in that moment than the wine itself.
“I hope you’re hungry, I’ve been slaving away all afternoon.”
“Famished.”
Keller tapped a command into the replicator and it hummed to life. Truthfully, he had been wracking his brains on just what to serve, not wanting anything overly complicated but also didn’t want it to feel like just any ordinary meal in the mess hall. After he’d found the wine he’d been struck with inspiration, as Ktarians rarely had one large dish and typically opted for a number of different combinations he’d gone for a tapas option, blending together foods from numerous worlds across the Alpha Quadrant to create something he hoped would be memorable for a first date.
He picked up the tray and carried it to the table, each dish looked more inviting than the one next to it, with breads, vegetables, seafood, meats, and sauces from at least ten different planets. Htennak’s smile just widened as he looked at the selection and Keller slipped into the seat opposite him.
“You weren’t kidding, Cap…Bruce,” he quickly corrected himself, blushing.
“As they saying goes, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
Htennak raised an eyebrow. “So, it’s my heart you’re after, is it?”
“Bridge to Captain Keller,” the intercom interrupted.
He sighed. There it was. As the captain of a starship his life would never be a quiet one, he would forever have the weight of her mission and her crew on his shoulders. No matter what he may have wanted for himself, his duty would always be there just beneath the surface.
“Go ahead.”
“Sir, we’re picking up a distress call from an unknown alien ship approximately point-one light-years away,” stated Lieutenant sh’Thallas.
“Set a course and take us to maximum warp. Sound yellow alert. I’m on my way,” he replied already getting to his feet. The quiet evening he had envisioned, where he had the opportunity to get to know his guest a little better in a private setting with good wine and a smorgasbord of food evaporated.
Htennak was also standing up, ready to join him—that was a benefit of dating one of his officers he hadn’t considered, they were bound by the same sense of duty that he was. Keller led the way out onto the deck one corridor, following the curve until a junction led up to the raised bridge. Taking the ramp, the pair of them stepped onto the bridge, which was already a flurry of activity.
“Report.”
“We’re underway, sir,” the Andorian watch officer began as she rose from the command chair, “ETA in thirty-eight minutes.”
“Did the message say what the emergency was?”
Ensign Axlan at ops shook his head. “Negative, Captain. The message was badly distorted, all I could make out was the need for immediate assistance.”
“Any other ships on sensors?”
“None in range,” the Betazoid replied. “The vessels power readings are fluctuating wildly, so it looks more like a technical malfunction than a hostile attack.”
Keller nodded in silent agreement. “Alert sickbay to prepare for possible casualties and have damage control teams stand ready.” He glanced at his civvies. “I’ll get changed. Have the senior officers report to their stations.”
“Aye sir.”
* * * * *
Bridge, U.S.S. Atlas
“We’re approaching the ship, sir.”
“Drop us out of warp, Ensign,” Commander Celan instructed as she stood beside the captain’s chair.
“Aye Commander.”
Keller sat forward. “Full scan. Mr Tathar, any response to our hails?”
“Negative, sir.”
The captain shot her a look, his concern obvious as she felt it too. For a ship to call for help and not respond to any further communications was always worrying and meant one of two things, either the situation had deteriorated to the point where no one was able to make contact, or they were flying into a trap.
“Captain,” Lieutenant Na-Gharii began, “the ship is of unknown origin. No signs of battle damage but her main power is out, emergency backup is failing. I’ve got seventy-four lifes—” he paused for a second. “No, seventy-three. Seventy-two.” Another alert sounded on his console, drawing Celan closer to get a better look. “I’m picking up a lot of weapons fire aboard, sir.”
“Are the lifesigns all of the same species?” she asked.
“Yes sir.”
A frown deepened on her brow. “Some kind of mutiny?”
Keller stood and stepped down to the ops station. “Ensign, open a channel.” A quick nod followed. “Unknown vessel, this is Captain Keller of the starship Atlas. We picked up your distress call and are here to assist.”
There was a moment of silence before the speakers screeched to life. “Help! They’re killing us!”
“What’s going on? Who is attacking you?”
The open channel was silent.
She looked back at Keller, whose jaw was clenched tight. He wasn’t someone to ignore a call for help, even if it meant putting Starfleet personnel at risk though up until now he had always been one of those people who was risking it all, he’d never sent others into a situation he himself wouldn’t take the lead on. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but that was what that fourth pip meant.
He looked at her. “Commander, take a security detail over there.”
“Aye sir. Ydaris, Tathar with me. Have Doctor Yuen meet us in the transporter room.”
In seconds they were heading down to deck four. The situation was far from ideal, they were heading into first contact situation where the conditions were hostile, beaming in with no intelligence and no idea what they would be facing.
By the time they reached room one, security guards Parker and Riza were already there ready to issue each of them type-two phasers. They bridge crew had just accepted their sidearms when Yuen entered and took her weapon, offering no protest.
“Phasers on stun. Don’t fire unless fired upon. We need to get the situation under control and then work out what the hell is going on over there. Understood?”
“Yes sir,” the five officers and crewmen replied in unison.
She quickly took up a firing stance on the platform, phaser ready. Phillips was working the controls, a look on concern on her face.
“Commander, there is weapons fire in almost every section. No matter where I beam you to you might find yourselves under attack.”
“Do your best, Chief, I’ve got every faith in you.”
“Aye sir.” After a moment more she nodded to herself. “I’ve got co-ordinates.”
“Energise.”
* * * * *
