Treading the Fine Line

Captain's log, Stardate 49257.6. Captain Elsa Frost speaking. We're enroute to the Zangyack neutral zone, a region of space that marks the barrier between Earth Federation territory and that of the Zangyack Empire. The Empire is ruthless and cruel, and has been at a cold war with the rest of the galaxy for a number of years. Now, a smuggler ship appears to be on the verge of igniting another galactic war.

"Kristoff, any sign of the smuggler vessel on the scanners?" Elsa asked.

"Nothing yet, Captain," he reported. "I still can't believe one ship would go this close to the neutral zone."

"Well, someone was clearly being very stupid," Kira remarked.

Sapphira looked at her console. "Mom, I'm picking up the ship now. It's an RTS 11, very old cargo vessel."

"RTS 11?" Elsa mused. That type of ship was very familiar to her. "Bring it on screen."

The viewscreen in front of them activated, revealing a rusty green cargo ship, with yellow windows and what appeared to be battle damage along its hull.

"That's quite a lot of scars," Kristoff admitted.

"There are crew aboard, Captain," Kira reported.

"Can we beam them to sickbay?" Elsa asked.

"Negative. Their warp core's overloaded. Half of that ship is now one giant sea of radiation."

"Crap," Elsa muttered. "Alright, Kristoff, Sapphira, we're going over there."

"Aye aye," Kristoff said, getting up from his seat.

"I'll try and use my powers to shield us from the radiation," Sapphira stated.

"Be very careful, Sapphira," Elsa cautioned. "Your iridium powers might cause a chain reaction in their warp core."

"I'll do my best, Mom," Sapphira replied.

xXx

Just a few moments later, Elsa, Sapphira and Kristoff beamed aboard the cargo ship. There seemed to be crew scurrying around, and alarms were blaring everywhere.

"Excuse me!" Elsa called to them. "Who's in charge around here?"

One of the crew, an alien man who resembled a shark, looked at her. "That would be the captain, Miss."

"Where can I find them?"

"Last we heard, she was still on the bridge."

"Damn it," Elsa swore. "Sapphira, come with me to the bridge. Kristoff, see if you can help down here."

"I'll do what I can," Kristoff explained.

Elsa and Sapphira then found the elevator that led to the bridge. As they stepped inside, Sapphira noticed her mother was becoming unusually tense.

"Mom, are you okay?"

Elsa sighed. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"You're getting agitated."

"I said I'm fine. Let's just get this over and done with."

The elevator then arrived on the main bridge of the cargo vessel. At the front of the bridge, there appeared to be a woman at the controls.

"Stupid warp crystals!" she complained. "Why do they have to blow up at just the wrong time?"

"Are you the captain?" Elsa asked.

The woman then got up. "Who wants to know...Elsa?" The woman had pale skin, was wearing a purple jumpsuit, and had maroon hair in a ponytail.

Elsa looked at her in surprise. "Megara?"

The woman then ran up to Elsa and hugged her tight. "Elsie!"

Elsa then hugged the woman back. "I've missed you too."

Sapphira raised an eyebrow. "Umm, Mom, do you know this girl?"

Megara scoffed. "Know her? Elsa's one of my oldest friends!"

Sapphira looked confused, but Elsa then gave her a reassuring look and said, "We'll discuss it later."

"So what's a big hero like you doing all the way out here?" Megara inquired.

"We came to rescue you," Elsa responded. "Can you get your engines online?"

"Nope. We can't even get the lights working on most of the ship."

"What caused all this?"

"Our last batch of warp crystals decided to explode mid-reaction," Megara explained.

"Explode?" Elsa wondered.

"Yeah, as in kablooey!" Megara affirmed, mimicking the explosion with her hands. "We managed to seal off the decks that were contaminated, but it's only a matter of time till we lose auxiliary power."

"Alright, since we can't beam back over till the ship is fixed, we need to start making repairs," Elsa stated.

"Elsa?" A voice crackled over the radio.

Elsa tapped her earpiece. "What is it, Anna?"

"There's another ship arriving in this sector," Anna reported.

"Must be a Zangyack ship," Sapphira remarked.

"Shit," Elsa scowled. "Anna, can you get over here and use your powers to hide this ship? If the Zangyack see us, we're toast."

"On my way!"

Anna left the Archangel in her flight suit and transformed into her true form. She then flew over to the cargo vessel, the boots on her suit magnetising her to its hull. She then placed her hand on the deck and the ship started to become coated in Knydaxian energy, causing it to become invisible.

"Cloak complete," Anna replied.

"Good work, Anna," Elsa praised her wife. "Kira, Melody, are you there?"

"We're here, Captain," Melody responded.

"I need you to stall the Zangyack ship. I don't care how, but keep their attention away from us for as long as possible," Elsa ordered.

"We'll do our best, Captain," Kira acknowledged.

"Sounds like you've moved up in the world," Megara remarked. The maroon haired woman then went over to a console and began to make repairs.

"So are you gonna explain how you know that girl?" Sapphira asked.

"Megara and I…we were once lovers," Elsa explained. "It was before I met your mother, a long time ago."

"Is she Arendellian?" Sapphira asked. "Because she doesn't look as old as she should be."

"Half Arendellian," Elsa stated. "Her mother was human."

"Ah. And you never mentioned this to us why?"

"Like I said, it was a long time ago," Elsa stated. "Now come on. We've got to get this ship fixed up."

xXx

On the bridge of the Archangel, the situation was starting to become tense. Melody, sat in the Captain's chair, was trying her best not to panic. "I can't believe they put me in charge," she muttered.

"Hey, Admiral Bjorgman said you needed the experience," Kira explained.

"I'm an engineer, Kira!" Melody snapped. "I don't belong in this chair!"

"But you're still one of the ship's senior officers."

Melody sighed, a hand on her temple. "I know, I know."

"Commander Ansaris?" Merida reported. "That wee Zangyack ship is just coming into visual range now."

"Alright, put it on screen," Melody stated.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Kira asked.

"What the fuck do you think?" Melody snarled.

The ship then came on the viewscreen. It was a large white vessel that resembled a chariot, with two large cannons along its bow.

"That's the Giant Horse," Kira remarked. "The Zangyack flagship."

"It's okay," Melody said, taking a deep breath. "We'll play it cool."

"They're hailing us, Commander," Merida stated.

"Put them through," Melody instructed.

The viewscreen then changed to show an alien on the screen. He appeared to have grey skin with blue lines crisscrossing what appeared to be scales. His eyes glowed blue and his shoulders and upper chest were a gold armour, with tufts of what appeared to be white hair along the side of his head. "My name is Prince Vrak, heir to the Zangyack empire," he said in a cold but gentle voice. "If I may ask, why is a Federation vessel this close to our border?"

"Your Highness," Melody greeted him. "We're currently doing…a stellar cartography survey of star constellations in this sector."

"I see. And why have you remained here?" Vrak then asked.

"Our warp core is...damaged slightly. We're making repairs as I speak; we'll be on our way shortly."

"I understand," Vrak stated. "My ship and I will remain here to assist you if you require it."

"No! No! We've totally got this!" Melody excused. "No need for you to remain here."

"On the contrary, my dear," Vrak replied. "I would prefer to remain here as a show of…good faith between our two governments."

"I see," Melody said through gritted teeth. "Thank you anyway."

"You are most welcome." And with that, the communication channel closed.

"Well, that complicates things," Kira remarked.

Melody sighed. "Poseidon give me strength."

xXx

Meanwhile, on the cargo vessel, Elsa and Kristoff were helping move some heavy equipment.

"Well, I never expected to have a reunion with her on this ship!" Elsa said in a strained voice as she tried to push a heavy crate.

Kristoff helped Elsa, picking up the crate with ease. "So how long has it been since you last spoke to her?"

Elsa wiped her brow. "35 years."

"Wow, that's a long time."

"And neither of us has aged a day. That's Arendellian DNA for you."

Kristoff pushed the crate into one of the cargo bays. "How do you feel about it?"

"Confused, but I'd rather get this mission done," Elsa stated.

"Is that all?"

"Yes that's all," Elsa remarked.

"I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me about Megara," Kristoff said.

"What is there to tell? We were together for a year, then things didn't work out, so we went our separate ways."

Kristoff sighed. "Elsa, you can lie to me, but you can't lie to Anna and Sapphira about this."

"What makes you think I'm lying to them?"

"Your whole attitude on this mission," Kristoff said. "Look, I'm not gonna pretend that I know anything about you and this Megara girl, because I don't, okay? But whatever it is, I know you don't wanna be open about it to Anna and Sapphira, but you have to be."

Elsa sighed. "Alright, I'll go tell them as soon as this is over."

"No, go tell them now. I can handle things here," Kristoff replied. "That's an admiral's order."

"As you wish," Elsa accepted. "And never pull rank on me again, alright?"

"I'm only doing it for your benefit, Elsa," Kristoff justified himself.

xXx

"So apparently you used to date my wife," Anna remarked as she assisted Megara in the communications center. She had just come onboard to assist in the repairs of the ship, wanting to do her part for the mission.

"It was more than just dating," Megara remarked. "It was dancing, watching holo-movies, running from the law together."

"Sounds like you and her were close," Anna noted.

"Well, yeah, we were," Megara smiled. "We were even married for a little while."

Anna's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Oh yeah, totally happened. Ceremony, kisses, everything," Megara then sipped a drink she had brought down there.

Anna looked down. "So I really wasn't Elsa's true love then."

Megara sighed. "You are, Anna. Elsa and I were only married for a few months, but then things just didn't work out. She gave back her ring to me and we broke up."

"I just…. I'm sorry."

Megara put her hand on Anna's shoulder. "And for what I've heard about you, Elsa made a good choice. You're the perfect woman for her."

"Anna?" Elsa's voice then called to them.

Anna looked over her shoulder. "Elsa?"

"Anna, there's something we need to talk about," Elsa began.

"Don't bother," Anna put her hand up. "Your ex-wife just told me."

Elsa's eyes filled with regret. "I know, I should have told you a long time ago…."

Anna sighed. "No, It doesn't matter." She walked up to Elsa. "You were always my tudko, and always will be my tudko."

"You're not upset?"

"No, of course I'm not," Anna said, taking Elsa's hands. "I still love you, no matter what."

Megara folded her arms.

Elsa looked at her former lover and smiled. "Thank you, Megara."

"Hey, just because your ring isn't on my finger anymore doesn't mean I can't look out for you," she quipped.

"Okay, now that's all said and done," Anna stated, "we've got a ship to fix"

xXx

Acting Captain's log: Lieutenant Commander Melody Ansaris speaking. Captain Frost and the away team are still aboard the freighter, and the Zangyack ship is still hanging around. I'm afraid that this Prince Vrak's patience may be wearing thin.

Melody tapped her fingers on the armrest of the captain's chair, silently praying for this whole ordeal to be over.

"Melody, Prince Vrak is hailing us again," Kira told her.

"Dammit," she whispered. "Put him through."

Vrak's face then appeared on the viewscreen. "Hello again, Federation. Have you repaired your engines yet?"

"Not yet, Your Highness," Melody responded. "It's taking a lot longer than we thought, but we're progressing nicely."

"I understand, but you must remove yourselves from our space soon. We're preparing to use a radon scan to try and pinpoint the cause of your problem."

"A radon scan?!" Kira exclaimed.

"No! Please, no need for the radon scan!" Melody excused.

"Do not worry, it will be quick," Vrak told them before closing the transmission.

"Son of a BITCH!" Melody growled. "Radon scans are the one thing than can penetrate Knydaxian cloaks."

"I'll call the captain," Kira stated.

xXx

Back on the cargo ship, Elsa, Sapphira, Anna and Megara were standing outside a containment field in what was once the ship's engine room.

"That's one big mess," Sapphira remarked.

"This field won't hold for long," Megara admitted. "We tried to hold the explosion in the actual warp chamber."

"And did it work?" Elsa asked.

"No, the explosion kept on going. Our only choice was to flood the deck with radiation to sterilize the reaction."

"Well, we've got to get this ship moving somehow," Anna said.

"Why didn't you try putting a tractor beam on us?" Megara asked.

"Our ship can't cross the Zangyack border," Elsa explained.

"What if Mama and I get out and push the ship?" Sapphira suggested.

"They've got a point," Megara commented.

"No, this ship is massive," Elsa replied. "Even at full strength, you couldn't push this thing."

"Well, we could try detaching the cargo bays," Megara offered. "That would make us a bit lighter."

"It's worth a try, isn't it?" Anna interjected.

Elsa's earpiece then pinged. "Captain, you there?"

Elsa pressed the earpiece. "What is it, Kira?"

"Elsa, the Zangyack are gonna do a radon scan. It's gonna break the cloak that Anna is using!"

"What?!" Elsa exclaimed. "Prepare the tractor beam and power the engines to maximum. As soon as I give the all clear, pull us out of here and go to max warp."

"Max warp? But the ship will be torn apart!"

"I don't care!" Elsa shouted. "Just be ready!" She then looked at Megara. "How do we detach the cargo compartments?"

"There's a master control console in the control center of cargo bay 3," Megara explained.

"Kristoff should be there," Elsa mused. She then pressed her commbadge. "Kristoff, we need your help?"

"What is it?"

"Are you in cargo bay 3?"

"Yeah, why?"

"We need you to get to the control console in that cargo bay, now!"

"On it!" Kristoff reported. Kristoff made his way up the control console and pressed his commbadge. "Alright I'm here."

"Good work," Elsa told him. "Now you've got to activate the compartment separation sequence."

"How do I do that? Is there a button?"

"There should be a big switch on the console," Megara answered.

"Found it," Kristoff said, pulling the switch. "Now what?"

"Get the hell out of there!"

"On my way!" Kristoff called back. He started to run along the corridor that acted as the spine of the cargo ship as the cargo bays started to detach from the ship in modular components.

The ship's cloak started to fade immediately, revealing its presence to the Zangyack ship.

"A cloaked ship?" Vrak mused on the bridge of his vessel. "So, the Federation were hiding something after all…. Charge main guns, target the Federation ship."

Back on the cargo ship, Anna and Sapphira were floating outside of the ship in their true forms, ready to push the ship towards the Archangel.

"Elsa, we're ready," Anna stated.

"Good, now do what we planned," Elsa stated.

"Ready, Mama?" Sapphira asked.

"You know we were born ready," Anna remarked.

The two of them flew against the hull of the ship, pushing onto it with their hands. The ship began to slowly drift towards the Archangel.

"Come on, Sapphira!" Anna strained.

"I'm pushing as hard as I can!" Sapphira groaned.

The ship was pushed close to the Archangel and the tractor beam activated, holding the cargo ship in place.

"We did it!" Sapphira cheered. "Now, let's get out of here!" The two rushed into a nearby airlock.

The Zangyack ship charged up its main lasers, but before it could fire the Archangel had already gone to warp, with the cargo ship in tow.

"Damn it!" Varak grunted, smacking his fist on his chair.

"Shall I report this to your father?" inquired his bodyguard, a bronze-skinned alien called Damaras.

"No, don't bother. I'd rather not my idiot brother get word of this," Vrak stated.

"As you wish, sire," Damaras acknowledged.

Vrak scowled. "I'll be back, Federation. Just you wait."

xXx

Back on the Archangel, Melody was making sure everything had gone okay with the jump to warp. "Did we make it with the cargo ship in tow?" she asked.

"We made it," Elsa's voice stated.

Melody turned around to see Elsa, Anna, Sapphira and Megara arrive on the bridge. "C-captain!"

"At ease, Melody," Elsa calmed her.

"Do you want me to get up?"

"If you like my seat, you can have it," Elsa remarked. "Just make sure it's the way you found it when you give it back."

Melody blushed. "Yes, ma'am."

Megara looked around. "Wow! This ship is a lot cooler than that old tug you used to fly around in. And a damn sight prettier too."

Elsa smirked. "We could always have you around, Megara. I could put a word in to Federation command and you could get a post on this ship with us."

Megara shook her head. "Nah, I'm fine the way I am. Just drop me at the nearest station." She then kissed Anna's cheek. "You take of Elsa now, Anna. Make sure she gets all the love she needs."

Anna's cheeks went rosy pink, and she smiled. "I will."

Elsa then walked over to the front of the bridge. "Ensign DunBroch, set a course for Niva Station."

"Aye, captain," Merida replied dutifully.

Elsa stood by the chair that Melody was sitting in. "Engage."

The Archangel then rocketed into space at full warp, heading to the location of the crew's next adventure.