Captains Log, Stardate 2865.3 Jacob Monroe Captain U.S.S. Palomino
The Palomino is currently three weeks out of Federation space heading to an unknown anomaly that long range probes have detected near a fairly young star cluster. Readings are almost identical to those taken by U.S.S. Enterprise in Tholian space when the U.S.S. Defiant disappeared 20 years ago. We recently lost contact with one of the probes assigned to map the area. We have been assigned to observer the area affected and to place warning buoy's, but not to try to penetrate any of the affected space our self's. We have been assigned 4 weeks to take readings and monitor, before returning for a small refit and duty back on the Klingon Frontier.
Personal Log,
The crew is really looking forward to some scientific study as most of our last six months has been dedicated to monitoring cloaked ships along the Neutral Zone. Though, word is that with the current peace trends, the neutral zone may be dissolved within the next few years. Word is we may be rotated to monitor more along the Romulan boarder, or allowed to actually get to do some scientific mission utilizing the Clark Class's advanced sensor suite. The change of pace is actually quite pleasing to captain and crew. End log.
Captain Jacob Monroe leaned back in his chair with a sigh. One of the new things that Star Fleet was building into ships was a captain's office off the bridge. The name that stuck was Ready Room, as many joked that the Captain was ready to run to the bridge. Many officers decorated with their own personal style, this room was pretty stark except for a large picture of his family across from his desk. Taken a year earlier with him, his wife and two children at Starbase 22 on leave; it was soon to be replaces after the Palomino's three month overhaul was done and a new picture from the family's next vacation would replace it.
He was ready to check the family travel itinerary again for the twentieth time when the chime to his door beeped.
"Enter" he said as the ships Dr. entered the room. "Doctor, what can I do for you?"
T'par, the Vulcan medical officer sat easily in one of the seats provided for guests as she handed a PADD to him. T'Par was a ravishing red head Vulcan who had lost her husband during the attack on Earth by the Whale Probe. His ship was one of the few that rescue crews were unable to get too before full power failure. At close to six foot, the first officer had commented that in the late 20th century, she would have been a bathing suit model.
The Captain took the PADD and quickly browsed it, before raising his eyes.
"Theragen? Why the hell do you need Theragen for? Isn't that a deadly Klingon nerve agent?"
"It is, but according to Dr. Mcoy's report attached to the incident, the space affected the crew of both the Defiant and Enterprise with violence, and an ethanol based derivative of Theragen is what was found to counter the effects."
"Do you have all you need to manufacture this derivative?" he asked, bringing up his one desktop unit and loading the report from the file sent with the mission Brief.
"Affirmative, we have enough to last one week in addition to the projected mission specs." She replied folding her hand in her lap. "I believe we could have the required dosage all processed before arrival, and if more is needed for and extended stay, we could easily make the difference without taxing ships stores."
The Captain spent several moments reading over the medical report before picking up the PADD and signing his approval for the project.
"There you go Doctor, just be careful with it is all I ask." Handing the PADD back to her he asked. "Is there anything else?"
"Nothing more from me at this time." She said.
"Good, have you and Commander Ryan had a chance to look over the ship efficiency reports from departments this month?"
"We finished them late yesterday. The ship and crew are operating at standard or above in all areas, Moral is still high, most due to the extended leave approaching. There has also been a noticeable increase in work based reading and study in long term exploration, first contact and landing party procedures, as the crew brushes up on a focus for exploration. Apparently, as Commander Ryan said, many of the crew plan to "hit the books" during the break."
"Good, very good. We might want to make sure we plan some qualification exercises as well as rotation for Landing Party when we get back. So, have you decided how you will spend your leave?"
"Commander Ryan and I will be going to Vulcan. He has expressed an interest in the Vulcan Forge and wishes to visit. I have offered to escort him." She said with an emerald blush on her cheeks.
"Another one of his Extreme Survival exercises I assume?" Said the Captain refraining from smiling. He had noticed the budding relationship, as had most of the crew, but all respected her privacy to make a big issue out of it.
"Yes" she replied, the blush quickly disappearing. "I have offered to show him the dangers and survival techniques Vulcans have developed for several weeks, and then allow him to venture on his own for three days. Even though he may know the skills, his human lungs will need much longer to acclimate to the environment to allow for the reduced oxygen levels to go past that."
"I am glad this time he has an expert with him, the delay of his returning last time from his attempt to survive on Andor's surface and the two extra weeks it took him to recover from frost bite was a mild irritant." The captain commented.
"Indeed, but their techniques were able to save his arm and legs intact without having to resort to implants." She said. "I will be monitoring him closely so to avoid any long term health issues."
"Very good, now we just have to get this mission done." Said the captain "unless you have anything else Doctor, I would say start working on your concoction."
The Doctor left and the captain began working on several reports he had put off to kill time. He had been working for about thirty minutes when he received a com alert.
"Captain here, what is it?"
"Science Officer Sir, I am picking up what appears to be a sensor shadow following us. Seems to be a cloaked ship, from the energy readings we are getting, it appears to be a Klingon ship, most likely a scout of some sort from the size."
"I will join you on the bridge."
The Captain rose and exited the ready room to the bridge and quickly made his way up to the science station. The Science Officer, an Edoan with three arms named Maltavis was quickly adjusting several knobs on his Dynoscan and looking into it.
"So what do you think, able to ID her?" he asked.
Part of the Palomino's mission was to try to not only track cloaked ships, but to also try to build a database to see if there were any readings that could be taken to be used to identify individual ships. The Federation Database over the last two years had been able to build a small listing of known ships and their signatures.
"I will tell you here in a few seconds." Said Maltavis.
At that moment the bridge turbo lift opened and the ships first officer stepped in. A human of African descent with coffee colored skin and sharp bright ebony eyes. Victor Matongo came up to the science console and looked over Maltavis's shoulder.
"Word is we got a stalker following Captain." He said.
"Looks like it Victor, she is keeping distance trailing, and trying to act like a shadow." Said the Captain watching the monitor, "Maltavis is trying to ID her now."
"And we have ID, IKS Stormfront, S-12 class Klingon Scout under the command of Captain Kalaktor."
"Kalaktor, oh boy this will be fun then." Said the Captain with a smile.
"Indeed, we owe him for that last mission we had where he left us with those Orions ships." Said Victor with a grin.
"I agree, what is the best way to say Hello?"
With a grin the first officer looked at the Captain and in a Scottish accent said "One single Ping, for range."
"Oh wicked Idea, I like it." Said the Captain with a grin. "Maltavis, is there a way to simulate the affect of a sonar hitting the ship and rattling it?"
The Edoan looked deep in thought, trying to figure out a way to achieve the requested task when a twinkle in his eye he made some quick adjustments to the sensors and looked at the two commanding officers. "Ready at your command."
"Fire" said the Captain.
A few moments later the Andorian at the communications console looked up.
"Incoming message from the IKS Stormfront for you captain."
"Put it on the screen Lt. Shran." Said the Captain with a Grin
The view came to life with the image of a Klingon of young age sitting at his chair with a grin on his face.
"Captain Monroe, should have known we would have had a hard time sneaking up on you."
"Captain Kalaktor, it is a pleasure to see you again. I assume you have a hint of our mission and are supposed to investigate as well?"
"Yes, more so the curiosity of why the cure for this space anomaly is one of the empires strongest nerve agents and to find out if we are affected as well."
"Well there are worse people I could imagine tagging along. Why don't you turn off the power waster, and catch up. Believe it or not, those group of Orion's you left us with last time had some contraband 1956 Blood Wine that I have in storage for a appropriate moment. I think that would be now."
"1956, that is a good year. I shall beam over as soon as we catch up with you. Kalaktor out."
The Captain looked at his First Officer. "Kalaktor."
"I know" he said "This should be fun."
Monroe and Kalaktor had an interesting history together. Both had begun service as intelligence officers in their individual governments, and had first met when both governments were investigating a Romulan plot and meet during their individual investigations. With the defeat of the plan after working together, the two actually became fast friends keeping in touch. Both shared in that they were married to members of the Diplomatic corps, and were able to arrange to get together occasionally. The wife's and kids of course were able to meet up more and both families had grown fairly close together, though his wife's father, a veteran of the Four Year War with the Klingons still have strong reservations. The two were in the Captains personal Quarters with a small cask of Blood Wine and catching up.
"So Tomak is preparing for his Age of Ascension this summer, and inquired if Robert will be coming." Said Kalaktor as the two each dipped their mugs in the cask to refill.
"As of now, we all plan to attend. Sarah has cleared all the red tape for the family. In fact, she found out that Robert had acquired a pain stick from someone and was actually using it on himself. " He took a sip of the wine, "or should I say found him knocked out beside it after he used it."
"Ah, do you think he will try to declare also?"
"We have discussed it, and if he feels he can do it, we will allow it. How will those in the empire react?"
"If he fails, there will be some ridicule but acceptance as he is Human, but if he succeeds, he and your family will have much honor among our people for the achievement."
"Means also I will have to get him a Bat'leth and began some training in the serious martial arts training." Sighed Monroe, "Grandpa is really going to complain about this one."
During the Four year war with the Klingons, Monroe's father had commanded the third Ares class ship off the assembly line, the USS Hephaestus. Though the ware ended not long after, he did have a major part in the Battle of Axanar at the end.
"Just tell him it is the same concept of….how was it…Cowboys and Indians. Kids wanted to play and someone has to be the other side." Said Kalaktor with a smile.
"Right, Personally I am liking this bit of a peaceful turn of our governments, the tribute your warriors sent to Star Fleet after Kirks loss even with his involvement in the Kitamerh Crisis really was a turning point I think."
"It will still be a rocky road my friend, there are many hard core Klingons who feel our Warrior Pride and might is being threatened by peace. But hopefully missions like this where we together though assigned different orders, work together to solve a mystery. Though yours is probably more to investigate and place warning bouys, mine is to see if the space affects Klingons the same way it affects Humans."
"I know our two crews get along well, but might be a good idea to if at the first signs of irritability that your crew pull back as we test to see if the Enterprise Fix works for both races."
"Agreed. Nervous and agitated Klingon hands on a weapons console are not a good thing. Oh by the way, when did you detect our ship?"
"About 6 minutes before we pinged you. Science reported it and we saw it was you."
"Ahh, interesting. That was when I had my Science officer switch off the new cloak for the old one. We had been following you about 8 hours." He said with a Grin.
"Oh, no you didn't. Do you know the paperwork you just put me into having to notate that?"
"I figure it will give you science officer some fun looking in the old logs to detect us and at least give you something to work out too."
"Remind me next time, your supplying the blood wine then" said the captain with a frown.
"Deal," said the Klingon with a laugh.
An hour later the Captain beamed his friend over and as he was leaving the Transporter room, the First Officer joined him.
"Good visit sir?" asked Victor
"Indeed, always is, though I am not sure if he is throwing us a hering or not, he said they were on a second device before following us and had switched to their old one at the time we detected them. Not sure if we can take it serious or not, but better go ahead and have the Science section go over the readings for at least an hour before we detected them."
"Aye sir, see in you the morning."
"Till morning"
Meanwhile on the Klingon ship, Kalaktor was visiting with his first officer.
"Did your visit go well, sir?"
"Indeed, we went through a good deal of the blood wine he had. And it was a good year."
"Will there be any other visits or other items I need to be aware of?"
"Three days till we get to our destination, probably so. You know how Starfleet loves their planning sessions. Oh, notify High Command, we have confirmed they can detect our cloaks. They had us pegged as soon as we came in range. But, threw a little lie to them, let them think we were monitoring them for a while and then switched cloaks"
They both laughed going down the corridor to the bridge.
Author's Notes:
The USS Palomino is a Clark Class Scout, designed by Glenn Gagnon, for stats see the following site.
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Also please let me have feedback on your thoughts. Criticism welcome.