"Captain's log: Stardate 2259.13. The ENTERPRISE has entered a heretofore unexplored region of space, some twenty thousand light-years from Earth space. Our mission is to map the area thoroughly and to make First Contact with whatever warp-driven space-bearing race currently claims this area of space for their own. Kirk out."
James Tiberius Kirk thumbed off his command chair's log-entering control, while half-swiveling in the direction of the ship's science-officer, as well as the Number Two regarding command of the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE.
"Mr. Spock," he began with a mixture of commaraderie and command, "report, please."
Having already anticipated the captain's query, Commander Spock called up his station's sensor scans of the area of space in which they were now traveling, temporarily, at sublight velocities via the Impulse engines.
"Long range sensors have not yet detected any Warp-driven vehicles, or any sublight traveling vehicles, for that matter. However, there are Class M planets detected at the outermost edges of said long range scans, so the probability of detecting something that fits perfectly with our mission seems high."
"Thank you, Mr. Spock," said Captain Kirk as he faced forward again to look out the huge viewscreen-window through which could be seen thousands of stellar pinpoints seemingly calling for the starship's bridge crew to continue their entry into this unexplored region.
Having deverted his attention to Communications, situated past the point whereupon Commander Spock was seated, even though Kirk looked out into this newest space, the captain commanded, "Lt. Uhura, anything coming through over open frequencies?"
"No, Captain," quickly replied Lt. Nyota Uhura, as she continually tried to pick up anything at all over her Communications station. "I've been scanning, simultaneously, dozens of possible channels, through which we might make First Contact, but there's nothing but background static so far."
"Keep those frequencies open, Lieutenant," Captain James T. Kirk commanded, before turning his attention to Ensign Pavel Chekov, situated to a few feet forward, and to the captain's right. "Mr. Chekov, increase Impulse engines to three-fourths the speed-of-light constant."
"Increasing, sir, aye," came the distinctly Russian-accented seventeen-year-old entrusted with not only weaponry via his Tactical station, but sublight speeds, acctuated via a similar silvery throttle situated at Lt. Hikaru Sulu's station a few feet to Chekov's left. "Three-fourths light-speed, Keptin."
"Captain," stoically called Commander Spock from his continually scanning Science station's sensor sweeps, "at such a sublight speed, we could conceivably miss any Warp-driven vessels. I would recommend..."
"Thank you, Mr. Spock," cut in Captain Kirk, his sense of command over all on the bridge more than a little obvious in his tense tone. "You keep scanning, I'll keep commanding."
Spock's slanted eyebrow lifted lazily, as his deeply hidden emotions, buried beneath pure Vulcan logic, never once peeked out in his own tone, "Affirmative, Captain. However, it is my duty as First Officer to call attention to any contradictory command orders that might..."
"Thank you, Mr. Spock, understood," Captain James Tiberius Kirk said suddenly, cutting off the rest of whatever words of logic remained poised to be stated so succintly by the Science officer/First Officer seated not-quite-directly behind the starship commanding officer. "Continue long range scans."
"Affirmative, Captain," curtly-yet-emotionlessly, at least on the surface, replied Spock as he returned his own attention back to the sensor screen currently being displayed over a multi-tasked control screen directly in front of the First Officer/Science officer.
Such was when Dr. Leonard McCoy, having been standing silently to one side of the lower tier of the two-tiered bridge, stepped close to Captain Kirk's immediate right.
Then, speaking in an aside only loud enough to be heard by the ears of Captain James T. Kirk...
"Don't you think you need to lighten up, Jim? Everyone's trying to do their damnedest to fulfill this mission. There's no need to..."
"Noted, Bones," cut in Captain Kirk, in a strained aside meant only for Dr. McCoy's ears. "But I don't need you to tell me how to officiate this mission. I am well aware of how my tone might be perceived by those officers immediately under me. Especially my First Officer. So, unless you have anything medically pertinent to state, why don't you keep your opinions to your self..."
"Sensors are picking up a vessel, Captain," came Spock's calm, yet slightly forceful, report from his Science station's position. Causing all heads to momentarily turn in the Vulcan's direction.
"Is it a Warp-traveling vessel, Mr. Spock?"
"Not at the moment, Captain," coolly commented Spock, as he glanced to the command chair, before more fully reporting his sensor scanning find. "From what ship's sensors have detected, it 'popped' into existence at a distance of one hundred and thirty-seven thousand kilometers from our current three-fourths light-speed traveling position. Logic would presume that they have some sort of dimensional-jumping drive that allows them to leap through space rather than Warping it the way we do."
"On screen, Mr. Sulu, extreme magnification."
"Aye, Captain," was Lt. Sulu's reply, as his fingers numbly bounced over the touch-sensitive control screen laid out before him caused a maximum magnification screen to superimpose itself over the gargantuan window that so easily allowed a view of space directly in front of the starship ENTERPRISE. "Extreme magnification."
Captain Kirk leaned forward, forearms resting upon his knees, and stared at the view of a huge craft, looking like a metal-hulled lizard flanked by two not-as-long feet, as, immediately to its rear, powerful sublight thruster-engines pushed it along through normal space.
The extreme magnification of the still-distant, and incredibly large, spaceship made for an easily read name of said vessel.
"Galactica."