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Chapter One

Admiral Brax Thalon, the middle aged, light blue skinned, short cropped white haired, dual antennae Andorian, sat in his small guest quarters aboard the U.S.S. Evergreen. The ship was traversing the vastness of space at warp five, heading both towards their new assignment and his new posting, Starbase 59.

The Admiral had lost count of the hours he had been sat there, staring square eyed at the computer monitor. Out of everything he had managed to learn, either through documents issued to him by Starfleet, or his own research, just a few things stood out to him above the rest. Firstly, Starbase 59, aka Overwatch, was Guardtower class, which only a few had been constructed. Secondly, that it had almost taken a decade to complete, its constructed inexplicably halted for an entire two years, from 2264 to 2266. Thirdly was its size, at just over eighteen-hundred meters wide and nineteen-hundred meters tall, it was by far the biggest facility he had ever been given command of. Fourth was the fact that it was a multi-purpose facility and especially not just a research and development station, as had been his last command.

He wondered why they had thought to put him, a scientist, in charge of a starbase? Usually, they liked to put more seasoned hard-liners in charge of large facilities. The type that had seen combat and had proved that they weren't going to buckle under a lot of pressure while in command. Not to say he didn't perform well under pressure because he did. Being the commander of a research facility with strict deadlines meant he had to be. Nonetheless, whatever the reason, his superiors had as of yet not divulged that information to him, if they ever would.

As far as the personnel went, he had looked over the files of the department heads. Well, of those that had been assigned so far at least. The station was still lacking in a security chief, head of sciences, as well as several other key personnel in different sectors.

From everything he read so far, of those that had actually been assigned, they all looked like well accomplished, dedicated officers. However, as always, the files lacked any sense of who they were as people. At his last posting, as the commander of a planet-side tactical research station, he had made it his mission to get to know those directly under his command. Thalon had found that knowing them more than just officers, more than simply cogs in a machine, that he could better ascertain their true strengths and weaknesses. He found that it made the work place feel more alive, more interactive. It became more than a job, they were there for a reason, they were there for discovery.

He scratched his well trimmed white beard, before rubbing his tired eyes. He must have been reading through the files on and off for over a day now. He checked the time to find, that sure enough, that at thirteen-hundred hours he had been. Thalon shut the computer screen off before he rose from the chair, and walked past the small partition into the bedroom area, where he promptly collapsed onto the bed.

He hadn't slept yet and had spent all night, morning and part of the afternoon, reading through everything his new posting could possibly throw at him. Now he felt exhausted, more so than he had done moments earlier.

He lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling before his eyes began to drift closed. That's when much to his chagrin, his stomach began to growl. He sighed with annoyance. No matter how tired he was, he knew trying to sleep on an empty stomach would give him no end of grief.

The Admiral forced himself into a sitting position, his legs over the edge of the bed, his feet resting on the floor. With a hefty push and a grunt, he managed to get back on his feet.

Thalon made his way out of his quarters, stepping out into the busy corridor. Luckily, the nearest officers mess was just a deck down, and the nearest turbo-shaft was just around the corner.

He began to walk down the corridor, turning left at the junction. His pace began to increase when he saw the ship's second officer, the red uniformed security chief, Lieutenant N'reinn, step into the turbo-lift.

"Hold for a second," he uttered as he broke into a slow jog.

N'reinn, the fur covered, feline Caitian looked back at him and nodded, swiping a bit of loose light brown hair from her face that had escaped the tight ponytail she had it tied into. She was shorter than the average humanoid at around one-point-six metres, though looked like she could still easily take on anyone who dared to trifle with her.

She smiled as he stepped in beside her. "Admiral," she greeted.

"Thanks," he said.

"Not everyday you see an admiral running for the elevator," she joked. "Where're you heading, sir?" she asked him.

"Mess hall, deck five," he told her with a tired smile.

"That's where I'm heading also, sir. On shift in another hour, so I was off to get a bite to eat." She promptly twisted one of the many control handles that lined the wall of the turbo-car. "Deck five, mess," she commanded.

The doors slid closed and the turbo-lift moved for all but five second, before the doors slid back open again.

"After you," he said with a smile. She headed out, closely followed by the admiral.

He quickly moved in step beside her. "So, how long have you been aboard the Evergreen?" he asked her, even though he already knew from looking at her service record.

"A while," she responded. "Was aboard her when she was a Hermes-class, and that was about six years ago. Was an ensign when I came aboard about eight years ago, but was promoted. But after they gave her such an extensive refit, they reclassified her as Edward Jenner-class. The security chief was reassigned and I was promoted from lieutenant junior grade to lieutenant."

The modifications she was talking about, was the adding of a new section to the aft of the ship, which made it look a bit like a single nacelle, Miranda-class, just more stubby at the aft. They also gave her a larger engineering deck, one that was a similar size to one found on frigates, giving her more power. But with only one nacelle, that power couldn't be put to good use for warp speed. He supposed it was all put to use in the sensor grid, the ship was a science vessel after all, and powerful sensors were a commodity that usually only the capital ships had the luxury of having. But he bet that this ships sensors would put even a Constitution-class starship's to shame.

They both entered the mess hall and stepped up to the food slots, where they placed in their cards and ordered their reconstituted, synthetic meals.

Thalon ordered some corn flakes and a glass of copun juice, while N'reinn ordered something that was clearly some kind of fish, and a glass of water.

"Mind of I sit with you, sir?" the Caitian asked.

"Not at all," he said, as they both sat down at a table. Thalon looked at her as she sunk her fork into her meal. "So," he began, "what's the challenge like here on the Evergreen?"

After chewing and swallowing what was on her fork, she responded. "Isn't really anything you'd call a challenge here," she told him. "We've been in the occasional shooting match with other ships out on the frontier, but that's very rare. I think it's only been twice in eight years in fact."

"Ever thought of doing something else?" he asked her. "Something that'll test your skills?"

"I have," she told him sincerely. "But security on a science vessel is seen as a bit of a joke."

Thalon's antennae twitched, and his eyebrows raised. "It is?" he asked.

"Well maybe not a joke, sir, but it's hard to go from chief of security and tactical officer on a science ship, to one on a cruiser, or escort. They just feel you don't have the experience."

"Well as of yet, there isn't a security chief on Overwatch," he told her. "And you look like you need a decent challenge."

"Offering me the job?" she asked.

"I did view your service record," he added. "You're a quick thinker, and quite observant."

"You viewed my service record?" she asked, a little surprised.

"The Evergreen is going to be stationed at Starbase 59," Thalon explained. "So I checked over all the senior officers' service records here on the ship."

She shook her head. "Well thanks for the offer, but no way will command allow the transfer of a security chief of a science ship, to a two kilometre wide starbase. They want someone who has experience, and someone who is higher in rank than lieutenant."

"I don't have experience commanding a multi-purpose starbase facility such as Overwatch, so perhaps it isn't completely impossible."

N'reinn smiled. "Maybe, sir."

"Anyway, I read that you graduated the academy in '59?"

"Yes, sir. It was one of the best days of my life."

"There is an officer on another ship assigned to Overwatch, that was in the class of '59, same as you."

"Who?"

"A Commander Arie Cayman."

N'reinn's face lit up. "Arie?" she asked. "Haven't seen her in years."

"She's assigned to the London."

"Wait a second, you said commander?"

"Yes, she's the executive officer."

"Oh," N'reinn said solemnly. "I guess I really did get the dead end assignment then."

"So, you two knew each other?"

"We were the best of friends back at the academy," N'reinn said. "Our first assignment was even on the same ship."

"The Defiant," the admiral said.

"Wow, you really did do your research."

"Yes, and you were reassigned here to this ship a year or two later."

"Yeah, and Arie was assigned to the Grand Valley a year after I left, and then I lost contact with her."

"Yes, she's been busy climbing the ranks."

"So, what class is the London?" N'reinn asked.

"Loknar-class frigate," Thalon told her.

"And first officer."

"Yes."

N'reinn smiled. "Way to go, Arie."

They both finished their meals before leaving. N'reinn said her farewell as she headed the opposite direction to him. A few minutes later, he was back in his quarters fast asleep.

Lieutenant Kincaid, the dark haired junior science officer, looked into the scanner as he detected the odd reading for a second time. The reading was coming from aft, seemingly trailing them by about eighteen light minutes.

He glanced around, seeing the ships tactical officer, N'reinn look over to him from the tactical station that lay just to the left of him.

She nodded to him in clarification, as she too had noticed it. They both turned to the command officer on watch, Commander Saaris, a tall, lean and dark short haired Vulcan. She was the chief of sciences on the ship and was currently in the command chair.

N'reinn reported what they were reading. "Commander, we are picking up a strange reading from aft. Roughly seventeen to nineteen light minutes behind us."

Saaris turned to them, swivelling the command chair as she did so. "Any indication as to what it might be?" she asked stoically.

Kincaid responded, "None, sir. It is some kind of distortion that appears to be keeping pace with us."

Saaris rose from the centre seat, and stepped up to the science console. Kincaid stepped out of the way as she peered into the scanner.

She looked around at the two of them after taking some readings. "It is possible that it is a cloaked ship."

"I was thinking that," N'reinn agreed. "But, we're far away from either Romulan, or even Klingon space."

Saaris took another brief glance into the scope. before turning to the helm. "Increase speed to warp six and alter heading to two-eight-seven mark zero-zero-one. That should bring us closer to the L-112 star system, which we shall pass in four hours, twenty-one minutes."

"That is only a course change of only point-two degrees to port, sir," Ensign Cooper, the helmsman informed her matter-of-factly.

"Follow the order, Ensign," Saaris said, forcing more urgency into her tone of voice.

"Yes, sir," Cooper acknowledged as he placed the coordinates into the helm.

Saaris stepped back down to the command chair and activated the intercom. "Captain Macadam to the bridge," she said.

A few moments later the reply came, "Anything the matter, Commander?"

"We have a strange energy reading that appears to be following us." She turned to Kincaid.

Kincaid nodded. "We've change course and speed so that we pass closer to system L-112. The pursuer, if it is a pursuer has changed warp factor, but not corrected their course heading."

Saaris turned back to the intercom that lay on the chair's arm. "Captain?" she asked.

"I heard it. I'm on my way."

Not five minutes later. The dark, clean shaven, chiselled captain, was setting foot onto the bridge. He didn't waste time on getting options.

"Is there a way to detect what it is, without them knowing we're actively looking for them?" he asked, as he leaned on the bright red railing, facing the science station.

Saaris, who had now relieved the junior officer, sat at her station. "No, I do not believe there is."

"And you're sure it's a cloaked ship?" he asked.

"It is a simple and logical hypothesis. I have referenced the readings on what we know of cloaking technology, and there are clear similarities."

Macadam turned to the view screen. "Maybe we should hail them, tell them we know they're there."

N'reinn almost leapt from her seat. "Are you mad!?" she asked, before adding, "Sir."

Macadam glared at her. "What was that Lieutenant?"

Saaris spoke up, turning the captain's gaze from the security chief to the Vulcan. "Despite her emotional outburst, she is correct."

"That I'm mad?" he asked. Shooting a foul glance at the Caitian.

"No, that it would be foolish to do so. If we reveal that we know of their presence, then they may attack us."

"They may attack us anyway," Macadam pointed out.

"I think an attack is most probable," the Vulcan said. "It was a risk increasing our space-warp factor. They may have taken that as a sign that they had been discovered. They may even now believe, that they have been in fact discovered."

Macadam wiped beads of sweat that had formed off of his brow. "Wouldn't they have attacked us already, if that was their goal?"

The commander shook her head. "Not necessarily, sir. They could be observing us, seeing where it is that we are heading. However, curiosity is a commodity that wanes thin with time, especially if they are Klingon, and not Romulan, as the former are not known for their patience."

"Do you think that we should send a message to Starbase 59?" he asked.

Saaris was blunt in her response. "No, sir. To do so would confirm that we know of their presence."

"Any suggestions?"

N'reinn decided now was her time to speak up. She was the ships tactical officer, even if they rarely needed her other than shooting asteroids. "I suggest, sir. That when we get close to System L-112, that we change course and enter that system. We can use it to at least be able to hide, which is what I think the Commander had in mind."

Macadam turned to her. "That's not going to happen. We keep pace and continue towards Starbase 59."

Saaris disagreed, "Sir, Starbase 59 is still thirty-seven-point-two hours away. If there intentions are to attack, then they will have done so long before that."

"So, what should we do?" he asked.

"Commander N'reinn is correct. Our safest bet is to alter course and enter the star system, which is why I indeed did have us alter course."

"Do you think we can take them on?" Macadam asked.

N'reinn answered, "If it's Romulans, then I have no idea. They usually use Warbirds and we would be pulverised by one of those. If it's Klingon, then anything over a D4 and we'd really struggle."

Saaris agreed. "You are correct. However, no matter who it is, we will have a better chance in the star system."

Macadam wasn't following her train of thought. There was clearly something he did not know. "I don't understand, what is so important about the star system?"

Saaris responded in her usual composed manner, "The system is home to a large gas super giant. It gives off huge amounts of radiation. It is on the verge of having enough mass to instigate nuclear fusion, becoming a star, making L-112 a binary system. One of the moons is inhabited by low level indigenous life forms and has an orbit of over two-point-five million kilometres from the host planet."

Macadam, who was a scientist first and captain second, understood where she was going. "We can hide in the planet's radiation belt. Our superior sensors will be able to break through the interference, while they won't be able to detect us."

Saaris turned to her station and brought up all the available information on the gas super giant. After a moment she turned back to the captain. "As I suspected, Captain. While we will be able to hide within its radiation belt, the interference won't completely hide us from sensors.

"So they'll be able to see us?"

"They will know our location within two to three thousand kilometres."

"That's a pretty big area, commander," Macadam pointed out. "It may just work long enough for help to arrive."

"Yes sir, however the planet's atmosphere is highly volatile. A sufficient energy beam hitting it would send out a jet of corrosive matter, that is high in radiation and charged particles."

"We'd be in trouble if that happened."

"The radiation belt is still our best option."

Macadam stepped over to his chair and sat in it. "Okay, this is what we do. When it is time to set course for L-112, we send out a distress signal to Starbase 59. We then try and use the gas giant as cover and hope they don't get in any lucky shots. At us or on the planet." He turned to Saaris. "This better be a cloaked ship, because We'll all look foolish if it isn't."

N'reinn turned from her station, after taking some additional low level scans. "Whatever it is, it has now matched our exact course. Maintaining distance."

Saaris peered back into her science scanner, taking readings from the distortion to aft. After a few moments, she saw a small fluctuation. She time stamped the occurrence, then performed a full analysis on it. The results showed a warp field, the signature unmistakably Klingon.

Macadam turned to her, noticing that her attention was focused on something "Got anything, Commander?" he asked her.

"The cloak manages to conceal almost everything about the pursuer. However a small fluctuation has revealed a Klingon warp signature."

Macadam drummed the arms of his chair with his fingers. "So it is a cloaked ship," he said solemnly.

"That is what these readings indicate."

"Do you think we should inform the admiral?" he asked.

"That is up to you, sir," the commander informed him. "However, I assume he would like to be informed of these events."

"I think I'll do that." He rose up from his seat. "I think I'll do it now." he said as he headed for the turbo-lift.

N'reinn called after him, "Four hours, Captain." That was how long they had before they would be changing course to L-112.

"Four hours," Macadam repeated, as the turbo-lift doors slid shut behind him.

Updated 09/2014