"I will be fine, Commander," Lorca said.
"Rogue Klingons might hijack your shuttle craft, Captain," Landry said. "We should take you to the meeting point."
"I like my ship away from the secret meeting," Lorca said. "Look. . ." he stepped back waving his hands. "should I get captured, I will get to know who orchestrated the war." He turned toward the doors then walked into it. He poked his head out of the shuttle craft. "You're the acting captain of this ship so make sure you don't get my ship destroyed, alright?"
"Aye," Landry said. "I will."
"Lieutenant Higgens, prepare to disembark shuttle bay," Lorca said, closing the door behind him with a press of a button.
Landry watched the shuttle craft depart from shuttle bay and the camera turned back toward her
Landry sighed, watching the shuttle craft vanish from her line of vision.
"Be careful," Landry said.
"We. . . come. . . in . . peace-zzzzz-roger-come-peace-"
Bryce checked the date it had been sent.
Over a year ago and the audio quality had decreased since transmission.
A part of him wondered if they managed to get the message, whoever they were, out there. So he decided to raise the audio keeping it going in the channels. He carried it out. In his career in Starfleet, as a communications officer, it was deemed bad luck to let voices go unheard. A tradition kept since the beginning of the 20th century, maybe even longer as he wasn't quite sure about it. He had the communicator plug in his ear. A random message popped up.
"Help us-HELP-USS Ribbon-under attack-please-reinforcements-Romulans!" the call was sizzling. "Shields are at 78%. We are in need of dire help. Starfleet, please, respond!"
And then there was silence as the quality had gone murky.
Bryce pulled up the file regarding the USS Ribbon: ship remains unaccounted for.
Bryce fiddled with the buttons on the screen once more helping the signal gain strength. Maybe, must maybe, one day their calls for help will be remembered. The file indicated Starfleet had no idea what happened that lead to the Ribbon's disappearance. The distress call seemed to have been sent over a hundred years ago. It was impressive how the quality still had the central message being clear. The voice of the terrified communication's officer was ringing loud and clear, sounding desperate. Ritcher felt as though he could be in the communications officers shoes anytime soon in this war should the Klingons find out about their method of getting there to a ambush or attack. And then he continued listening for any ghost audios.
It was a ordinary day for Burnham serving in engineering.
Her shift was to end in four hours.
A time table that she had grown accustomed to.
Because afterwards she would have lunch with Tilly, then have a lazy afternoon together spooning on the not-very-large-bed or have a different 'woman' bonding activity. Little by little, day by day, their friendship was growing. The bond between them grew stronger and warmer. The only request Burnham had was that she would not lose Tilly so soon during the war. Clenching Tilly's hands eased her concerns about those thoughts. She had her now rather than later. Tilly was beside Burnham looking through the code. Her eyes had become trained finding for the incorrect strands and picking them out. Burnham did not pay attention to what was going on around her.
Until, she heard a small voice from her console. Burnham ignored it. It was a thing of her imagination. That had to be it. But why? She had been through a months worth of war. A months worth of engineering cackling during a battle, smoke carried through the room, and engineering tilting to the left knocking the officers down. Injured officers was expected in the confined area. The section where the lithium crystals would be located was moved to another location of the cut-in-half room right into the corner. The familiar bulky shape was in the back of the room with a large space that had stairs walking up towards it.
"Hello," came the voice again.
Odd, it sounded close.
"Hello," it came again.
Burnham turned her attention off the screen once highlighting a section.
A five inch tall human like figure stood on the console with clasped hands.
"We come in peace," came the squeaky voice.
Burnham reached out grabbing Tilly's arm then yanked her down to her knees.
"What's up, buttcup-" Tilly said, then her eyes boggled. "A borrower!"
"Greetings," Burnham said, with the ta'al. "How did you get here?"
"We flew right in to shuttle bay. I am Captain Lurecca," Lurecca said. "Are you the leader of this ship?"
"Second officer," Burnham said.
"Ah, so where are the captain?" Lurecca asked.
"Likely in his quarters," Burnham said. "the first officer would be more logical to approach."
"Where are they?" Lurecca asked.
"On the bridge," Burnham replied. "She can make a special exception this morning."
"I accept your proposal," Lurecca said. "I propose we have this meeting in the conference room."
"That is a reasonable place to talk with a giant," Tilly said. "sure you don't need some of your own security for that?"
"We do not need weapons when our death would weigh heavily on your conscience," Lurecca said. "We are not afraid."
"Quite a sound argument," Burnham said.
"Lieutenant Stamets!" Tilly called, earning the Astromycologist's attention. "we have a borrower."
"A what?" Stmets asked, handing the padd off to a engineer technician.
"What she means to say is that we have a visitor," Burnham replied.
"Look," Tilly said, gesturing down toward the small captain.
"First of all," Stamets said. "what are you borrowing?"
"Uhh, nothing," Tilly said, as Lurecca leaped onto the side of his arm then began to climb.
"I don't see a visitor so there is nothing to discuss," Stamets said, as Lurecca made it to his shouder where she stood with her hands linked behind her back.
Tilly and Burnham exchanged a glance together.
"Lieutenant," Burnham said, as he turned his back toward them. "You might want to look on your shoulder."
"Why would I want to look on my shoulder?" Stamets asked, walking down the stairs,
"You have a captain on your shoulders," Tilly said.
"Just because Commander Ephraim left me in charge of engineering while he is on shore leave doesn't mean you can tell me I am captain material," Stamets said. "because one, I am not interested in command. Two, mushrooms," he shook his index finger. "Three, I like being a astromycologist and nothing is going to change that."
"Oh, you like mushrooms?" Lurecca asked.
"Yes, yes, I do," Stamets said.
"Mushrooms are gigantic on our planet," Lurecca said.
Stamets looked over then began to fall back and Lurecca leaped across from him landing to the floor. Stamets landed with a thud onto the floor.
Deep space station K-7 rested in space containing several officers from various ships. The Shenzhou, Constantine, and Shran were docked with the starbase. The scene dived down down into the starbase while the admirals were in discussion. Lorca was sitting in the middle of the table. Along side him sat O'May, Terral, Cornwell, and Georgiou at a rounded table. The lights were dimmed in the room. It seemed dramatic and tense as Lorca was tapping his fingers on the table.
"I know there is bad news," Lorca said. "Don't sugar coat it with me," then he added. "admirals."
"Frankly, the Kacjbo's are not willing to spare two more their kind for the war," Terral said. "Ephraim has been exhausted. They claim that he needs a break from all the jumping that your ship has been doing."
"I didn't want to make him jump thirty-five times in two weeks," Lorca said, then gave the slightest of smiles. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." a icy glare was returned in the direction of the captain from the admiral.
"Has your crew been given a shore leave recently?" Cornwell asked.
"They had shore leave a month ago, as you asked," Lorca said.
"Except for Burnham," Georgiou said.
"Yes," Lorca said. "I tried as I did with your recommended helmsmen. It didn't work."
"The next time there is shore leave then you must make her take it," Georgiou said. "That is a order."
"I will see what I can," Lorca said. "So, how long of a break is Ephraim going to be on?"
"A month," Cornwell said.
"A month is going to be bad news for the war," Lorca said. "the Klingons are going to win."
"For now," Terral said. "Logic dictates they will be arrogant and above reason after a month of success. They will not see the return of the Discovery so abruptly."
"Which what brings us to the Glenn," Georgiou said. "Captain O'May, your chief of spores will be introduced in the same time that Captain Lorca gets Ephraim back. Until then, you must use dilithium crystals."
"Understood," O'May said.
"Lorca," Georgiou said. "You have a very classified mission to carry out."
Lorca raised a eyebrow then grew a smile.
"Now, that is more like it," Lorca said, as his padd dinged. He picked it up then skimmed it, he looked with a questionable look on his face and wary. He leaned into the chair. His pleased demeanor changed. "You want me to do that?"
"Tables turn only so often, Captain," Georgiou said. "Fortune favors the bold."
"Will you do it?" Terral asked.
"Why me if O'May is not doing it?" Lorca asked. "His ship has a experimental warp drive that goes to six."
"Because I am not willing to risk my life for that, Lorca," O'May said. "there is so much I can only risk for my ship in war."
"We will overlook whatever you do, this once, to get the mission carried out," Georgiou said. "But if you make some moves that would not benefit Starfleet during this mission then you will not have your ship."
"Don't make you regret it," Lorca said, with a nod. "Got it."