CHAPTER III

USS QUEEN VICTORIA

"Well, that certainly works well. An invitation in reverse should I say." Captain Claire gives a comment about coming to the UNSC Ship. "So, Captain, who's coming to the party?" Ensign Thomas asks the captain.

"Commander and You, Ensign Thomas will come to that ship. While Vorik will take command of this ship. Now let's go to the shuttle bay to take a look inside their ship!" Captain Claire, Commander Stampson, and Ensign Park to the shuttle bay while Lieutenant Commander Vorik takes charge of the bridge.

"Vorik to T'Pau" Vorik calls T'Pau, Chief of Engineering.

"T'Pau here Lieutenant Commander, how can I help?"

"T'Pau, I need you to scan the Quantum Differential on that ship, and also scan the wormhole. Will that remain open or will collapse." Vorik gives a task to the T'Pau to ease the burden on the bridge. "Copy that Commander."

Meanwhile at the shuttle bay

"Captain, shuttlecraft 3 is online and ready to be used!" Chief O'Neil informed the captain that just arrived in the shuttle bay.

"Thank you, Chief!" Captain Claire thanks the chief.

While Ensign Park is preparing shuttlecraft 3, Commander Stampson suddenly realizes that it will be more than just three of them. "Captain, may I ask why you bring an extra 4 FNIC?"

(FNIC = Federation Naval Infantry Corp. Created in 2435 during the Vaktoh War. It is a replacement for all Starfleet Security which has been ineffective to protect ships from boarding parties)

"It is just a precaution Commander, nothing to worry about." Captain answers the question. "Are you sure about that? We're coming to their ships and for me bringing an armed infantry to their ship is an overkill." The commander questions a bit about Captain's decision. Captain put some thinking about it. And then she ordered them something

"Gentlemen, put weapons to offline condition. This is a low-level diplomatic conversation". Captain orders the FNIC to set weapons to offline.

"Aye Captain! Set weapons offline!" One of the FNIC personnel responded to the captain's order.

"Satisfaction Commander? I hope you did not push it. C'mon, enter the shuttle craft now."

"Satisfaction indeed Captain." Commander Stampson feels satisfied with the captain's initiatives.

"Captain, the pre-flight checklist is complete. The shuttle is ready to go." Ensign Park just finished the Pre-flight checklist. "Thank you, Ensign Park. I am now taking over. Seal the shuttle door now. Chief, we're ready to go, depressurize the Shuttle bay."

"Copy that Captain. All crewman clears the Shuttle bay! I Repeat, clear the shuttle bay!" Chief O'Neil clear the shuttle bay and depressurize the shuttle bay. Within seconds Shuttlecraft 3 carrying Captain Claire, Commander and Ensign Park including several FNIC Marines leave the USS Queen Victoria and heading to UNSC Aurora.

"UNSC AURORA, this is Captain Claire from the USS Victoria on board in Shuttlecraft 3. Request Permission to land" Captain Claire flies the Shuttlecraft 3 and waiting for the UNSC Aurora to response and open their own shuttle bay.

"Shuttlecraft three, this is UNSC AURORA. You are cleared to Land to the shuttle bay. Just follow the light Ma'am." UNSC Bridge approved Permission to land and guide them to land at UNSC Shuttle bay.

UNSC AURORA

Captain Kaloha arrived at the Main Shuttle Bay, waiting for Captain Claire to land. While watching their shuttlecraft land, suddenly someone from behind walk into him. "Chief Petty Officer, you never get bored to surprise me huh?" Chief Petty Officer Alice-110 suddenly appeared behind his back. Quite her usual tendency to appear suddenly behind someone's back.

"You know me very well Captain. Mind if I ask who are we waiting for?" Alice-110 asks

"Captain Claire of the USS Queen Victoria. Trust me I have no idea who she is or USS Queen Victoria." A Certain confused mind within the captain's brain continues to exist. "You suppose to stay at the sick bay, why did you come here?" Captain asks Allison.

"Doctor gives me permission to leave. Still sick but nothing I can't handle anyway, although the pain still bothering the hell out of me." Alice-110. Alice Harrison is a Spartan supersoldier, and the pain comes from the Surgical operation and augmentation inside her body. Considered young by many, many were understood that Alice, although timid, was supposed to stay at the sickbay. Only her mind of service to the UNSC continues to embroil her to do what must be done at the expense of her health.

"Be gentle, Alice. They come from earth, but not this earth. I mean not our earth, Orsa believes that we are here in some kind of Alternative Universe." Captain Kaloha advises Alice not to shoot first. "So not part of UNSC or any UEG?" Alice asks. "Negative Alice, not even the outer colony. I supposed we're stuck in here for a while. At least we're on a Peace treaty with the covenant…for a while." Captain Kaloha knows that peace with the covenant is only a band-aid. If the UNSC ever wants to achieve permanent peace against the covenant under Jiralhanae, making allies with other nations will be UNSC's best chance.

As Captain Kaloha and Alice-110 stand, shuttlecraft 3 from the USS Queen Victoria comes and landed inside the UNSC Aurora. Its engines were shut down and the door was opened, and then four persons with dark-grey uniforms come out of the shuttle. And the last three persons coming out, are Captain Claire, Commander Stampson, and Ensign Park. Captain Kaloha come to them and greet them in person "Captain Claire, it a very nice to meet you here." Captain Kaloha shakes Captain's Claire hand. And then Chief Petty Officer came along to salute Captain Claire. Captain Claire, although trained in Starfleet and knows that the salute was a tradition, it was not a standard one for the entire Starfleet. Nevertheless, Captain Clair salutes back to Chief Petty Officer Alice.

"May I ask who you are?" asks Captain Claire to Alice. "Yes Ma'am, Chief Petty Officer Alice on duty, sir!" Voicing with respect and obedience to the captain. Captain was impressed although in her mind, it was not her priority for a while. "Captain Kaloha, this is my second in Command, Commander Stampson, and Ensign Park. The other four is part of FNIC or Federation Naval Infantry Corps." Captain Claire explanation to Captain Kaloha certainly makes a curiosity to him. But that will be for a while.

"Your security detail can stay in their shuttlecraft if that is your wish, or if they prefer in our canteen that also will be fine." Captain Kaloha informs Captain Claire about her FNIC, for her, it's up to them if they prefer to stay in the shuttlecraft or go to their canteen. "That will be their choice, come on, we have something to be discussed." Captain Claire wants to deal with the issue as soon as possible.

"Ofcourse Captain Claire, please follow me."

UNSC AURORA BRIDGE

Captain Claire was brought into UNSC Bridge alongside Commander Stampson and Ensign Park. From what she can see, the ship is highly utilitarian and has near zero amenities. From there, she concluded that this ship is highly militarized, born to fight. There are also battle scars, only some of them. But she notices the crew also have some battle scars. Perhaps they have gone war, a thing that she prefers not to asked first.

"Welcome to the Bridge, Captain Claire. Nice to meet you!" Captain Claire was startled by the voice until a hologram appeared on the tactical section. "My do apologize captain, this is my AI Orsa." Captain was certainly impressed by the technology. "Is she sentient?" Captain Claire asks. "Yes, she is Captain."

"I hope I am not interrupting, but I think we should go to the point." Commander Suratoh take an initiative of conversation. "Ohh I'm sorry, this is Commander Suratoh. My First Officer." Captain Kaloha introduce Commander Suratoh to the Captain. Captain Claire shake his hand, but it was a strong hand shake.

"So, Captain, without further due. May I ask why you did not know about the Covenant War?" Captain Kaloha asks captain Claire why she did not know. For her, surely, she did not know anything about covenant war. In her mind, when she was at the Bride of Queen Victoria, Vorik once explain 'Quantum Differential. In other words, they are from another universe. "Well Captain, we don't know anything about the Covenant war because the Federation never encounter them. The only last war happen in here is Vaktoh war which last nearly 10 years."

"And then what is the Federation? I am sorry if I am aggressive a bit but seeing other species working together with you, seems so taboo in all of our minds." Commander Suratoh make a question to Captain Claire with some aggressiveness. Captain Claire looking and listening to Commander Suratoh make her think that they have suffered a lot during Covenant War.

"Federation is a unified Sovereign State with multiple member worlds and species being part of the Federation with Earth as the Capital. Our Federation was founded at 2161 created by Earth, Vulcan, Andoria, and Tellar." When Orsa hear the year '2161' she immediately appears in shock.

"Wait what?! 2161? Hmm Captain Claire, do you know what year is this?" Orsa asks captain Claire about year. "Under Gregorian Year, its 2415. Where you from?" Captain Claire was confused with everybody. "That is impossible, according to our data ship its November, 25th 2571. That can't be true." Commander Suratoh in denial of what happen while Captai Kaloha remain calm. "Captain, I think I can explain a bit." Orsa decide come to the rescue.

"what is it ORsa?" Captain Kaloha demand an answer. "When we enter to that anomaly, it was not just an anomaly. There are a Time Differential and Space Differential too. Based on our computer time, it is 2571. But according to scanner and navigational scanner, we're are in 2415 and certainly we are not at the same place." Orsa explain in simple manner so everybody can understand her.

For Captain Claire, this is great for her. A Great headache for her actually. She now facing a possibility Conflict of Directives, the Temporal Prime Directives.

For a lot of hours, she spends at the UNSC Aurora. Try to make sense of what's happening in here, what's happening with them. While the Covenant war seems horrifying by many, for her, its just another war. Captain Claire receive too many for hser a citation, award, commendation during the Vaktoh War. For the UNSC Crews, For Captain Kaloha, for alice, seems like they see a utopia of federation constantly bombarded in all sides. In their minds, build such society while upholding such values is a near impossibility. They are wondered how this Federation can survive in multiple front of war. First with Dominion War, and the Vaktoh War, will they stand a chance against the Ruling Jiralhane in the Covenant Empire? Its only time will tell and with the possibility if the worm hole connecting the two universes remain intact.