I own Charlotte Hope and Elissa Manu, but nothing else. Plz r/r.

One morning, Charlotte walked into sickbay and saw one of her friends, Ensign Manu, sitting on a bed.

"Elissa, why are you here?" she asked, frowning, "I thought you told me you were going on an away mission today?"

"Ensign Manu is recovering from Bolian Flu," said Dr Crusher, walking in with a hypospray. Emptying it into Elissa's neck, she helped the girl down from the bed. "Now, there's no way you can go on that mission. You need to rest."

"Yes, Doctor." Elissa sighed and started towards the door.

Charlotte handed Dr Crusher a PADD. "Nurse Colby forgot to give you this before she left."

"Thanks, Charlotte."

Charlotte nodded and looked around nervously. "Computer, locate Lieutenant Johnson."

"Lieutenant Johnson is on deck ten, forward."

"Good."

"Granddad after you?" Crusher asked sympathetically.

"Yes. I don't know how long I can avoid him, though." Suddenly, an idea flashed into her head. "Although, there just might be a way…"

Leaving Dr Crusher, she ran out of sickbay.

"Thrusters, online."

"Where is that girl?" Geordie looked at Data, frustrated. "She's not usually late."

The shuttle doors opens, and a girl hurried in and took her place at a console.

"Ensign Manu, you're late." Geordie didn't look at her; he was busy with the readouts on his screen.

"Sorry, sir, it won't happen again."

"It better not. Open shuttlebay doors!"

The giant doors in front opened, revealing star-studded space. The shuttle lifted off the ground and lost no time in leaving the ship.

"The coordinates have been set."

"Warp one."

Once they were in space, Geordie half turned towards the girl. "Now, Ensign, would you mind telling me why…" He paused, staring at her in shock.

"Charlotte?" Data said, slightly surprised.

Charlotte gave a cheeky grin. "Hi, Data. How do I look in uniform?"

"Miss Hope, what are you doing…?" Geordie started angrily, "And where is Ensign Manu?"

"Elissa is recovering from Bolian Flu, and Dr Crusher told her that she should rest. So I'm taking her place."

"You?" Geordie shook his head and turned back to his console. "Oh, no you're not. I'm taking you right back-"

Data stopped his friend. "Geordie, she is able to pilot a vessel."

"Yeah, but-"

"Oh, c'mon Commander! We're only going to be sampling gas! How hard can it be? As Data says, I am able to operate a vessel. Please?"

Geordie sighed and raised his hands in mock surrender. "All right, all right. You can stay… for now."

"Thanks." Charlotte checked her console. "The collector is online."

Geordie checked his. "Approaching the cloud. Open injectors."

"Open."

"Fill the collectors to their capacity."

"I am reading an energy signature on the other side of the cloud." Data studied his screen. "It could be a ship, but I cannot identify it."

"The gasses must be interfering with our scans." Geordie pressed a few buttons. "Attempting to compensate."

"Collectors filled to capacity," Charlotte called.

"Commander, the ship is powering-"

Too late. The shuttle was rocked violently as the ship fired on it, and there was the sound of power going down.

"Shields are down!"

"Re-route power-"

Another hit. Charlotte clung to her console and gasped as the ship appeared on screen.

"That one took out our weapons. One more hit-"

The air was filled with shimmering light, and Charlotte watched her console dissolve into darkness…