The soft hum of the Arsenal's engines was almost too loud for the Caitain as S'Nira paced the brightly lit bridge of the ship, agitation and concern licking at her features like fire. Her eyes glanced at the chronometer on the ship, her eyes narrowed. 32 hours had gone by at that point since Hayvna was abducted and they were no closer to finding her.
"Lieutenant, status report." S'Nira eventually commanded, her voice firm and tinged with urgency. The bridge crew, usually filled with lively off-duty chatter, now sat in tense silence, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of their consoles.
Yifre's head shot up quickly from her console at the sound of her name and she turned in her chair to face the Caitian Commander. "Nothing yet. We've even searched the ship in case she managed to get here, but nothing."
S'Nira let out a growl of frustration and she banged her fist on the back of the Captain's chair, her tail flicking irritably. Anyone currently seated on the Bridge flinched at the Commander's sudden outburst of anger. "There has to be more that we can do! Grodame, what about that list of ships I asked for?"
"I have it. Currently in spacedock here are us, the cargo vessels named Fuso and Gato, a few trader ships, and the USS Titania." Yifre replied as she scrolled through a small list of notes on her PADD. "As for ships enroute for shore leave here, only the USS Enterprise is scheduled for the day after tomorrow."
S'Nira stood there for a moment as she listened to the lieutenant speak and she frowned a bit. The USS Titania? She'd heard of the Constellation-Class ship before, but never had the two crossed paths before. Too many rumors about that crew too.
"As much as I would rather wait for the Enterprise to arrive and have their help, I don't think our captain can wait that long." The Caitian finally spoke as she turned to look at Yifre. "Open a hailing frequency to them and I'll do the talking."
"Aye, sir." Yifre replied, her brow furrowing in concentration as she activated the communications panel. The familiar chirp of the comm system filled the air, and S'Nira stepped closer, her heart pounding as the screen flickered to life. Almost on instinct, she smoothed her hands over her uniform top in a self-soothing gesture.
"USS Titania, this is Commander S'Nira of the USS Arsenal. We require your immediate assistance, if you are not on a tight schedule." S'Nira began as the screen suddenly showed a stoic figure appearing in the command chair. This man was Captain Tarin Alarix, captain of the USS Titania. His dark hair fell just above his piercing green eyes, which flickered in a way that put S'Nira on guard.
"Commander S'Nira, was it? What seems to be the problem? Not enough shore leave?" The man spoke in a neutral tone, a hint of amusement entering his voice.
S'Nira swallowed hard, noting the way his gaze seemed to linger just a moment too long on her. "Our captain, Captain Hayvna Vevva, has been missing since last night. We've conducted a full search of the ship and the resort, but haven't been able to locate her. We suspect foul play based on how we found her sleeping quarters and we need your help in finding her. The more hands we have on this, the higher chance we have of finding her."
The captain's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of something unreadable showing behind his eyes. "I see. That is very concerning news indeed. How can we help? We do need to leave soon, but perhaps we can offer some assistance."
S'Nira felt a glimmer of hope, but the look on the man's face was concerning to her. "We need to coordinate a search of the surrounding area. Perhaps she left the ship for some reason, and if we can establish a perimeter—"
"Of course," Captain Alarix interjected smoothly, his voice deceptively calm. "I can dispatch a shuttle with a team of my best officers to aid in your search. We can cover more ground that way."
"Thank you, Captain," S'Nira replied, her tone turning cautious. "I'll send over our last known coordinates for Captain Vevva's possible whereabouts. We need to act quickly. She has already been missing for roughly 32 hours." S'Nira couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She studied Tarin closely, trying to discern his true intentions. Yet, his demeanor remained professional, a mask of concern expertly crafted.
"Commander, I assure you, we will do everything in our power to find your captain," Trenn said, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "I understand how important she is to your crew. I'll have my team ready in just a few moments."
"Thank you, Captain," S'Nira replied, a knot of anxiety tightening in her stomach. "I appreciate your assistance."
As the transmission ended, S'Nira felt her shoulders slump a bit and she closed her eyes. "One conversation and I don't think I like that guy."
"I can not explain it, but something about Captain Alarix is as I would say, off-putting." Spoke a voice from behind her as Dr. T'lirri stepped up to stand beside the commander, her hands clasped behind her back.
"You're not the only one. Let's get through this and if we end up not being able to find her this way, we will wait for the Enterprise to arrive." S'Nira spoke as she turned to the Vulcan doctor, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let's hope we find her before then."
"I too want nothing more than our captain's safe return..." Dr. T'lirri spoke as she closed her eyes. "I do not wish for her to come to any harm either."
Taking a deep breath, she turned her attention to the rest of the crewmembers on the bridge. "Prepare to greet the Titania's team. I want to be ready the moment they're here."
As her crew scrambled to follow orders, S'Nira couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time. The prospect of Captain Vevva being in danger gnawed at her, a visceral reminder of their bond as officers and friends. "We're coming, Hayvna. Just hang on."