Diplomatic Arrival

The Command Centre was very quiet, as the station moved into ‘evening’ above Serenity. The station was a full-time operation, but vessel traffic tended to dip during the early part of Beta shift, only picking up again as the shift drew to a close.

Ensign Charles Saila was at the main Operations station, monitoring the space around Serenity and the station. Everything was quiet, there were a couple of vessels on the edge of sensor range, which had left the station some hours earlier and were heading towards the Briar patch, but no other traffic.

Suddenly Charles noticed another vessel approaching the station. The vessel appeared to have emerged from a polar orbit above Serenity. Saila knew that there were no launches from the planet scheduled and the fact that the vessel had appeared so suddenly on the sensors put him on alert. He called over Commander K’Tag to his console.

“Report” K’Tag requested.

“I’ve just picked up a vessel on approach to the station.” Saila replied. “It just appeared from out of nowhere and I think it may have been hidden from our sensors by maintaining a polar orbit above Serenity.”

“Time to intercept ?” K’Tag asked.

“Five minutes.” Saila replied.

“Have you attempted to contact the vessel ?” K’Tag stated.

“Just about to, but I thought I’d alert you first.” Charles replied, opening a channel to the unidentified vessel. “This is Starbase 901 to approaching vessel.”

Nothing came back.

“Scan the vessel…..” K’Tag ordered. “…….and put it on screen.”

The viewscreen changed to show the image of Serenity, but so far there was no sign of the vessel approaching the station.

“The vessel is coming into visual range now.” Saila announced. “Four minutes to intercept.”

“Where ?” K’Tag asked, looking hard at the viewscreen, but still not seeing the vessel. Then he saw it against the background of the planet below. The vessel appeared to be triangular in shape and black in colour. However, it was difficult to estimate its size as it appeared to ‘shimmer’ on the screen distorting the image.

“Time to space doors, three minute.” Saila announced. “It’s definitely heading for the station.”

“What about those scans….” K’Tag ordered. “…what do we have ?”

“Very little.” Saila admitted. “Sensors can’t penetrate the hull of the vessel. What I can tell you is that it is about forty metres long and triangular in shape. One interesting thing is that it would appear to use an ion-based sub-light propulsion system, which would make it very alien in origin. No visible weapons systems or shield and I’m not picking up any warp signature.”

“Try contacting the vessel again…..” K’Tag ordered. “….and prepare to bring the weapons and shields online. I don’t like this.”

“This is Starbase 901 to approaching vessel.” Saila announced once more. “Your approach is unauthorised; please state your registry and intentions. Failure to comply with our request will lead to us into taking defensive action and firing on your vessel.”

“How long until they reach the space doors ?” K’Tag enquired.

“Time to space doors, two minute.” Saila announced. “Commander, I’m picking up a signal, it’s audio only but it’s definitely originating from the vessel.”

The voice came over the sub-space channel, sounding slightly metallic, as if it had been electronically altered to hide the identity of the speaker.

[This is the SS Freedom on final approach to Starbase 901.] The voice announced. [Requesting docking clearance to the station.]

Charles checked the Federation database for the vessel SS Freedom. After a few moments, the initial data came up on the console.

“It’s definitely a Federation registry Commander, the SS Freedom…” Saila announced. “…..There’s not much more in the database, but it’s got diplomatic status and has permission to travel in Federation, Ferengi, Klingon, Cardassian, Bajorian and Romulan space. There’s no information on its owner in the database or anything on its design or origins.”

“I still don’t like this….” K’Tag announced.

“Don’t like what ?” A female voice announced from behind them. It was Captain Mallory, who had been in her office and noticed the growing concern of the Command staff.

“We have an unauthorised vessel on approach to the station.” K’Tag reported. “It appears to have Federation diplomatic status. However, it broke from a polar orbit above Serenity which would have hidden it from our sensors for sometime.”

“One minute to space doors.” Saila announced. “Should I open the doors Captain ?”

“If the vessel has Federation diplomatic status, then we can’t deny it access to the station.” Kitty announced. “Open the doors and bring it in, but dock it in one of the maximum security hangers... there’s something not right here.”

“Starbase 901 to SS Freedom, you have clearance to dock at hanger bay Sixty-Two.” Charles announced. “Docking beacon has been activated, transfer helm control to the station on my command once you have cleared the space doors.”

On the viewscreen, the image changed to the starship hanger and focused in on the huge space doors, which started to spread open, allowing the stars outside to ‘seep’ in. Slowly the small, black triangular vessel passed the doors and entered the starship hanger.

“Starbase 901 to Freedom, you are locked onto beacon…..” Charles announced. “…..transfer helm control over to us in three…two….one. Helm control established.”

“Command to Security.” Kitty announced as she tapped her comm. badge. “Have a Security team meet me at hanger bay Sixty-Two immediately.”

[Security to Command.] Chief Warrant Officer Tara Carmichael announced. [What’s the problem ?]

"We’ve got a small vessel on final docking approach.” Kitty explained. “It’s got diplomatic status, but both K’Tag and I believe something doesn’t feel right.”

[The team is already on its way Captain.] Tara reported. [I’ve also secured the hanger and the corridors leading off.]

Suddenly things when very wrong, as the vessel made a move away from its designated flight path.

“Ensign what’s happening ?” Kitty enquired.

“We no longer have helm control.” Charles explained.

“Has the vessel cut the command link ?” K’Tag asked.

“No……” Saila stated. “….we still have the link, it’s just that helm control is no longer being routed through Command. Someone has re-routed all docking controls.”

“Where ?” Kitty asked.

“Checking…..” Charles replied. “….but there’s only three areas where it could have been done.”

“Looks like someone has gone to a lot of trouble to come onboard.” Kitty stated. “Any idea where the vessel is now heading ?”

“Looks like it’s heading for the diplomatic hangers…..” Charles stated. “….Wait the beacon for hanger Fifty-One has just been activated, I’d guess that’s where they are heading. Yes, the vessel has locked onto the new beacon signal… its definitely heading for Fifty-One.”

“Command to Security.” Kitty stated once more.

[Carmichael here Captain.] Tara announced.

“Tara, we have a security breach. Someone has re-routed docking controls and has taken control of the vessel. It’s now heading for hanger Fifty-One, not Sixty-Two.” Kitty explained.

[I’ll have my Security teams re-route.] Tara confirmed. [Any idea where control has been re-routed to ?]

“….to deck Eleven.” Saila finally announced. “They’ve been re-routed to the docking control centre directly above hanger Fifty-One.”

[Deck Eleven……] Tara replied. [….how did anyone get into the diplomatic section ?]

"We’ll deal with that problem later….” The Captain stated. “…for now just get whoever has taken over ‘my’ station. Ensign go to Yellow Alert.”

[Understood. Security out.] Tara finished.

As the Command centre went on Yellow Alert, officers watched the main viewscreen as it tracked the vessel continuing on its flight to the docking hanger. As the vessel finally came to rest on the hanger floor, the image disappeared off the viewscreen.

“What happened ?” K’Tag exclaimed.

“All security in hanger Fifty-One has been re-routed….” Ensign Saila answered. “….we’ve been locked out the hanger. There is a low level sub-space field being emitted by the vessel which is disrupting the sensors in the hanger and a level ten force field has been erected around the access points to the hanger. Whoever is onboard obviously doesn’t want us to get close to them.”

“All command functions have been returned to Command, we have the station back.” K’Tag confirmed.

“All except hanger Fifty-One.” Kitty said.

[Security to Command.] The voice of Tara Carmichael announced. [All the personnel on Deck Eleven appear to have been knocked out somehow. There’s no trace of the cause, but we have no fatalities. Medical are on their way.]

What about our ‘visitor’ ?” Kitty enquired.

[Gone.] Tara admitted. [They must have got off the deck before we arrived. They’re long gone. I’ll have medical check over the personnel and we’ll check the docking centre. Then I’ll head down to hanger Fifty-One to check on the other Security team.]

“Stand down Yellow Alert Ensign.” Kitty ordered. “Carmichael, keep your staff on high alert, it’s obvious that whoever was on that vessel had help from someone onboard the station. And I’ve got a feeling that whoever they are they’ve already left their vessel.”

[I’ll assign an investigation team to look over the entire section.] Tara stated. [I’ll get to the bottom of what happened here.]

Freelancer’s Quarters

Freelancer managed to reach their quarters and stowed the toolkit away. The first part of the mission had been successful; they now had their vessel onboard. Picking up a device that they had left on the desk before leaving, they attached it to the workstation console and activated both the device and then the console.

After about five minutes checking, Freelancer was able to confirm that the sub-space link between the station and their vessel was secure and operational. Freelancer now had top level access to the stations central computer core and the sensor grids. They could now read every report made via the computer core as well as monitor the movements of every vessel in the area. Hopefully, knowing what the future could hold, this link could help Freelancer avert the disaster that would see the end of the Federation.

Next task was to prepare the station for what was to come, sensors, shields and weapons would all need to be enhanced. The task was going to be a hard one, especially as Freelancer would be working alone, but their position at least allowed them access to the engineering areas where they needed to work. The one thing on Freelancer’s side was time, they’d have at least two months to prepare the stations systems.

Removing their outfit, Freelancer quickly took a sonic shower and headed for bed, the real work would start in the morning.