Approach

The *Firefly* had dropped off Harper’s device a couple of hours previous and now they were approaching the system where the Starbase, their destination was located. During the previous three days they had made great progress and were arriving well before the real supply vessel would. t’Pek had continued to scan the lower sub-space frequencies for any signals, just as the Captain had ordered, but so far they had heard nothing from their contact on the base.

“Approaching the outer system.” Dylan announced.

“What do scanners say ?” Jack enquired.

“There’s a lot of sub-space background noise, I can’t get any firm readings.” t’Pek reported back. “There could be an entire fleet of vessels in there and we wouldn’t know. I don’t like these reading, there’s a lot of radiation and some debris close to the Starbase’s location.”

“Drop to impulse.” Jack ordered. “We’ll go in nice and slow, we’re not expected for another eighteen hours. Dylan, be ready to make a fast exit if we need to.”

The ship dropped out of warp and Dylan piloted it into the system on full impulse. Trance was sat at the Tactical console, her fingers hovering over the shield controls. At the first sign of trouble, she’d have the ship’s shields up and the weapons systems armed. Everyone knew that fact and no-one needed to tell her what was expected. As they edged closer to the inner system, the scanners became clearer.

“I’m picking up a lot of small objects in orbit around the Starbase.” t’Pek reported. “Could be debris or it could just be asteroids, this system isn’t exactly charted.”

Jack grew more nervous.

“What about the Starbase ?” He enquired. “Are you getting any signals ?”

“No…” t’Pek started to say, but then changed her mind. “…yes. I’m picking up a message, short range only, it’s some kind of beacon message.”

“Let’s hear it.” Jack ordered.

[This is Starbase G109 to any Federation vessels in the area.] The message started. [We have lost all long-range communications, believe sabotage…….repeat……we have been sabotaged by unknown forces….we require assistance.]

“Captain, those objects around the Starbase, they’re definitely not asteroids.” t’Pek interrupted. “It looks like debris from a Nova class starship and several shuttles and runabouts, there’s been a recent battle here.”

“Any sign if survivors ?” Jack enquired.

“No life signs detected, no escape pods, no distress signals.” t’Pek replied. “…my god….”

“What is it ?” Jack asked, realising that something was not right. His Science\Medical officers’ was rarely shocked or upset, but something had got to her.

“The vessels…..” She replied. “…they were destroyed by weapons fire from the Starbase.”

“The Starbase fired on the Nova ?” Beka remarked. “But that’s crazy.”

“All the vessels were destroyed by the Starbases’ weapons, there’s no doubt about it.” t’Pek continued. “No vessel could weald the amount of firepower used, it must have been the Starbase.”

“Have we been detected yet ?” Jack asked.

“Negative.” t’Pek replied. “There’s so much debris and radiation from the vessels for anyone to pick us out from the rest of the debris unless they were right on top of us.”

“What about the signal beacon, how far can the message travel ?” Jack enquired.

“Not very far.” t’Pek replied. “The signal will travel out at light speed, which means that it will reach the closest Federation outpost in about ten years. By then the signal will be so degraded it will be unintelligible. The radiation from all the debris is also disrupting the signal, no-one’s going to he hearing from them soon.”

“Then we’re not about to have any more surprised sprung on us.” Jack remarked.

“Captain, I’m picking up a power source in the debris, it looks like some kind of signal buoy. It’s active, but not transmitting.”

“Can we get it onboard ?” Jack enquired.

“Someone will have to go out and get it.” t’Pek reported.

“I’ll get suited up then.” Beka remarked, turning to head off the Command deck.

“Dylan, take us in as close as you can to that buoy.” Jack ordered.