ST:Pandora "Enter the Enhasan"

[Episode 1.1]

Stardate 87706.8, Sol Stardock

The air inside the USS Pandora was a bit on the tense side. Starfleet personnel quickly walked its corridors in silence, exchanging only the briefest of greetings as they went about their business. A male Trill with black hair, dressed in the trademark gold of Starfleet Engineering and on his way to the turbolift, did his best to maintain an air of calm around himself, however he wasn't sure how well he was succeeding. He glanced at a nearby screen that displayed, among other information, the time.

1045. He'll be arriving soon...

He turned a corner and saw the turbolift doors ahead of him. He couldn't understand why he was so nervous. The sound of quick footsteps made him look over his shoulder. A young Human ensign dressed in blue strode up next to him.

"You doing alright, War?"

Lieutenant War'en Lok let out a sigh. "As alright as I can be. I'll just be glad when this is over and we can finally get back to some normalcy on this ship."

Ensign Chet Redwing gave the Trill a sympathetic look. "Relax. It's not like he's going to throw you out the airlock or anything. Hell, he's probably even more nervous than you are. After all, you are giving command over to him."

The pair reached the turbolift doors, which slid open with their characteristic hiss.

"Bridge."

As soon as the door shut behind them, War'en took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. Redwing noticed and, before War'en could stop him, touched the turbolift control panel and brought it to a complete stop.

"Red, what are yo--"

War'en was immediately silenced by Redwing pulling him into a sudden kiss. He relaxed almost instantaneously and the tensions seemed to melt out of that one, solitary place in the Pandora. After a moment that wasn't long enough for either of them, Red pulled back and gave him a smile. War'en looked at the man's dark face, accented by the tattoo around his left eye.

"War'en, relax. Everything will go fine."

War'en nodded, the two separated, and Redwing restarted the turbolift.

"Besides, look at it this way: how often do you get to meet an Enhasan?"

War'en rolled his eyes with a small grin. "I knew it. You're just excited to meet a new species."

"There's only five in all of Starfleet, and this Commander Emun was one of the first to join! How can you not be excited about getting to meet someone like this, let alone work with him!?"

War'en just shook his head with a smirk as the turbolift stopped and its doors slid open. While he was starting to feel anxious again, he was nowhere near as tense as before. He quickly glanced at Redwing, who was now assuming his post at the bridge's Science console. As he walked to the captain's chair, he spoke to the blond woman manning one of the two consoles at the ship's front.

"Ensign Roberts, how is Pandora today?"

The half-Romulan turned toward him and gave a small smile. War'en could tell that it was a nervous one. The grief tattoo on her forehead and nose still brought him a pang of sadness, even though she'd had it for two weeks now.

"All systems are at optimal levels. It's like we--"

Talona stopped for a moment and her expression faltered before she recovered and spoke again. "-- like she's fresh out of the box, sir."

War'en gave her a nod, acting as if he hadn't noticed. "Ensign Shrel, any news from Stardock?"

The Bajoran gave a nod and looked over his shoulder back toward War'en. "Yes, sir. I just received word that Commander Emun is on his way to the Pandora via shuttlecraft. I've already notified the shuttle bay to be ready to receive him."

War'en nodded, then realized the bridge was looking at him expectantly. He cleared his throat and tried his best confident grin.

"Thank you, everyone. I'm incredibly proud of the work you've all done, and I know that Commander Emun will be as well."

Tolana and Redwing smiled while Chet offered a small nod before they returned to their work. War'en took a seat in the chair he had been occupying for the last few weeks and suddenly realized that, while he was for the most part glad to be handing over the responsibilities he had had to assume, he was also going to miss them a little.

Maybe someday...

The hangar doors of the Pandora's shuttle bay moved open, allowing a shuttlecraft to enter the ship. The small vessel moved gracefully through the hangar and came to a gentle landing on an open platform. Several crew members stood by, watching the shuttle expectantly. After a moment the door slid open and a tall male stepped out. His hair, which was an incredibly vibrant blue, stood out around his head like a small mane. On the sides of his head were two pairs of bone crests that complimented his rigid forehead structure. His skin also had a blue color to it, but it had a vibrant quality that would normally be lacking on most other humanoids. The man straightened his red uniform as he stepped off the craft and acknowledged the crewmen who were now saluting him.

"At ease," he said simply as he walked by, briskly exiting the shuttlebay.

Activity seemed to come to a complete stop around him as he progressed through the deck toward the turbolift. Crewmen, immediately noticing the new arrival by his distinctive appearance and realizing who he was, stopped and saluted. After the first few nods, the man seemed to give up trying to get the crew to stop. When he finally made it to the turbolift and the doors shut behind him, he gave a low, frustrated growl.

This ship... of all ships. My first command, no less.

When the turbolift slowed, the man regained his calm composure. He knew this moment was the one that mattered above all others today.

The sound of the turbolift doors opening caused every officer's head to snap in its direction. War'en, upon catching the very first glimpse of the bright blue hair, stood at attention.

"Captain on the bridge!" he barked out as the man stepped out of the turbolift. All officers immediately followed War'en's example and snapped to attention, their eyes fixed on the new arrival.

The man quickly surveyed the attending officers, cleared his throat, and spoke.

"Greetings. I am Commander Oren-De, and I have been assigned command of the Pandora. It is an honor to serve this role with a crew that has already admirably demonstrated itself. I look forward to working with you all. Now, at ease, and back to your posts."

The crew nodded in near unison and went back to prepping the ship. War'en looked at Oren-De for a moment waiting for further orders and, upon receiving nothing but an awkward stare, he moved to the Engineering console. Talona Roberts moved to one in the bridge's rear. Oren-De watched the crew for a moment before moving to the captain's chair and, with a brief hesitation, sat down in it.

"Engineering, report."

War'en looked back at the new captain. "All systems are checking out as optimal, sir."

"Excellent. Helm, pull us away from Stardock."

"Yes, sir."

The crew operated in silence as Shrel received confirmation from the Stardock traffic control. Soon the Pandora was slowly pulling away from its docking area and moving through the vast flight corridors of the station. All eyes were on the viewscreen as it transitioned into a vast field of stars, punctuated by the high traffic of ships around the station. The Pandora sailed out the traffic surrounding Earth and into the more open expanse of Sol's interplanetary space.

"Captain, we have received permission to warp from Stardock traffic control. Awaiting heading."

"Very well. Set a course for Kinet IV, warp factor 5."

"Course laid in. Initiating warp drive."

Every officer seemed to hold their breath as the sound of the warp engines activating hummed through the ship. All Starfleet officers had heard the embarrassing stories of a ship's engines malfunctioning for one reason or another under a new captain. When the stars began to streak by the viewscreen, War'en finally felt himself completely relax. There was something about the sight that just made everything feel like it was returning to normal.

Captain’s Log, Stardate 87706.8

I have now been in command of the USS Pandora for more than 26 hours; one standard day on Enhasa. In that time, I find myself conflicted with regard to the crew. From what I have read and so far observed, they are incredibly capable and a credit to Starfleet. However, while the Pandora itself has recovered from the recent Borg incursion, her crew has not. I know many may find this a cold statement, but however tragic the recent history of this vessel, this crew has no choice but to rise above it or it will languish in mediocrity and self-pity. As their new captain, I am so far at a loss as to how to remedy the situation.

The doors to the Pandora’s conference room slid open as Redwing entered. Talona and War’en, who were seated at one side of the table, gave him smiles that betrayed their nervousness. Shrel looked up and made the smallest of acknowledging nods before returning to the data pad in front of him. Redwing took the seat next to Shrel and looked around, not really sure of what to do with himself.

“So… the new captain…”

Talona and War’en exchanged glances. “He seems… quiet,” Talona finally said. War’en just nodded and looked up at the door of the briefing room.

“Yeah. Too quiet, if you ask me. I don’t think he said more than three words to anyone who delivered a report to him yesterday.”

Shrel gave an annoyed grunt. “If only more of us would learn from his example.”

Redwing glared at Shrel and was about to retort when the doors to the conference room slid open, announcing the entry of Commander Oren-De. All four officers immediately stood at attention. Oren-De motioned with his hands for them to sit as he walked to the head of the table.

“At ease. Please, have a seat.” The officers nodded and took their seats as Oren-De did the same. He quickly looked over the datapad he had carried in with him, then looked up at them. An awkward moment of silence passed as Oren-De considered his first words.

“Allow me to open this meeting with good news. Given your exceptional service to this crew, this ship, and to Starfleet... Mr. Chet Redwing, Mr. Anden Shrel, and Ms. Talona Roberts, I have decided to promote you to full Lieutenants. Likewise, Mr. Lok, I am promoting you to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.”

The four officers looked at each other in stunned silence, then back at their new captain. Before they had a chance to respond, Oren-De continued, looking each of them in the eye as he spoke to them.

“Additionally, I am assigning each of you to the following positions, effective immediately. Lieutenant Commander Lok, I would like you serve as my first officer as well as formally take over as Chief of Engineering. Lieutenant Roberts, you've done a fine job as the interim bridge Operations officer, so I making that position permanent. Lieutenant Shrel, while you are a fine pilot, I believe your skills are better suited to Tactical. Finally, Lieutenant Redwing, despite your service as the interim Chief Science Officer, I believe your medical training would make you more useful as the ship's Chief Medical Officer."

Again, all four were in silence. Redwing was especially shocked, given that he had just been bumped up to, what he considered at least, a position of incredible responsibility given that he had only just been made a Lieutenant. He finally found his voice and somehow stumbled through his concerns.

"Captain Oren-De... I... thank you, but... are you sure? Wait, I mean... it's just that... uh... Chief Medical? Really!? You only just made me a Lieutenant. Um... sir..."

Oren-De looked studied Redwing closely for a moment before nodding and speaking to the group as a whole. "I realize that these changes seem significant and possibly... drastic. And yes, Lieutenant Redwing, had I been allowed my initial request from Starfleet, I would not be asking you serve as Chief Medical Officer. However, as I'm sure you're aware, the current conflict with the Klingon Empire, as well as Starfleet's other numerous concerns, has placed a strain on choice and availability of officer candidates. Therefore, I have had to make some difficult choices. However, I am making them after extensive reviews of your records and I have the utmost confidence that each of you will do well in these roles."

He looked around the table again. "Are there any other concerns?"

After another awkward silence, War'en finally shook his head and spoke. “Thank you, sir… for your confidence in us. We will not let you down.”

The other three officers nodded in agreement. Oren-De looked back down at his padd.

“I am glad to hear it. Now, on a related note...”

Oren-De tapped a command on the table display in front of him. The display on the opposite wall blinked to life, showing a slowly rotating M-class planet.

“As you know, we are currently en route to Kinet IV. It is the site of a Starfleet scientific outpost that deals primarily with studying the behavior of a nearby nebula that exhibits a variety of anomalous behaviors. There we will be picking up an addition to our crew, Lieutenant Margaret Matoya, who has been assigned to the Pandora as Chief Science Officer."

A woman's face appeared on the screen. She had a youthful and energetic expression on her face, framed by wavy black hair. A short bio of the woman appeared to the left of the name, but none of the officers read it, as they would be able to do so at their leisure when they weren't in a meeting.

"Following this brief stop, we will receive our standing orders from Starfleet. If there are no questions, you're dismissed."

The officers stood, nodded to Oren-De and filed out of the room to go to their posts. While Talona and Shrel proceeded toward their bridge consoles, War'en and Redwing made their way to the turbolift. Once inside and the doors shut, the two exchanged looks.

"I can't believe I'm Chief Medical Officer," Redwing said. "Our captain is an interesting guy."

War'en only nodded, not sure what to think of the situation. "Yeah. Real interesting..."

"Lieutenant Roberts to Captain Oren-De, we are coming into range of Kinet IV."

Oren-De looked up from the datapad he had been reviewing in his ready room. "Acknowledged."

The man placed the pad down on his desk and walked out of his ready room. He quickly surveyed the bridge and noted that the bridge crew was still stealing glances at him when they thought he wasn't looking. They were uneasy with him, and it was something that he hoped would lessen with time. From the way many of the officers seemed to react when they spoke to him, Oren-De had come to the conclusion that their previous captain had had a much different style.

"We will be dropping out of warp in ten seconds," the helmsman announced.

"Good. Please continue at full impulse toward the planet and bring the ship into a standard orbit."

"Yes, sir."

The Pandora dropped out of warp and began its approach toward the planet. The large blue and brown planet filled the viewscreen as the Pandora flew closer.

"Hail the outpost, Lieutenant Roberts, and put it on the viewscreen."

"Yes, sir." Talona entered the command and then frowned. "Captain... I'm not getting a response."

Tension began to fill the bridge. Oren-De leaned forward in his chair and seemed to be studying the planet. "Try again."

"... Sorry, no response, sir. I'm scanning the facility." Talona's eyes suddenly widened. "Sir, the number of life signs is only half that of the outpost's crew compliment! I'm also picking up a number of Klingon lifesigns!"

Oren-De wasted no time. "Yellow Alert. Lieutenant Roberts, is there any sign of Klingon ships in the vicinity?"

"No sir, but it's possible they're cloaked. I can try boosti-- Captain! Two Klingon Birds of Prey are decloaking ahead!"

"On-screen!"

The viewscreen blinked to a view of space just as two Birds of Prey decloaked in front of the Pandora. Talona looked back at Oren-De just in time to see the normally stoic Enhasan's face give a telling, frustrated twitch. Talona pretended not to notice and simply awaited orders, though the tell made her even more uneasy about the rapidly changing situation.

"Open hailing frequences."

Talona nodded and turned back to her console, trying to calm her breath. "Hailing frequencies open, Captain."

"Klingon ships, this is Captain Oren-De of the Federation starship Pandora. Explain what business you have at this Starfleet outpost."

"No answer. Sir, they're charging disruptors!"

"Red Alert! Power to the forward shields and open fire on shield systems! Initiate evasive maneuvers, keeping them to one side and divert shield power accordingly!"

"Yes, sir!" Talona and Shrel responded as they went to work at their consoles. Shrel, from his position behind Oren-De's command chair, immediately opened fire on the right-most ship. The two ships responded in kind, blasting the Pandora's fore shields with brilliant green disruptor fire.

"Shields holding! Coming about and locking all weapons onto shield generators!"

The Pandora banked around the Birds of Prey and, thanks to a boost in weapons power courtesy of War'en down in Engineering, unleashed an intense barrage of tetryon fire on one of the ships.

"Enemy shields down to 20% sir on starboard section!"

"Initiate Attack Pattern Alpha-2! Complement with a tachyon beam and use a high-yield torpedo volley!"

The Pandora flew away from the enemy ships, continuing to fire with its aft beam array. It came about hard, pounding both ships with its tetryon cannons while the Birds of Prey attempted to flank both sides of the ship. The Pandora focused fire on the weakened ship, whose shields were now down thanks to a well-fired tachyon beam as it came about. Shrel's torpedoes hit, causing massive visual damage to the Bird of Prey. A satisfied smirk crossed the Bajoran's face.

"Sir, direct hit! I am reading damage to their warp core. Breech is imminent!" reported Talona.

"Continue past the ship at full combat impulse. All power to rear shields!"

"Sir!?" exclaimed the helmsman in some confusion.

"Do it!"

"Yes... sir!"

The Pandora flew under the damaged Bird of Prey, which was already starting to suffer massive explosions. As soon as the Pandora was on the other side, Talona increased power to the rear shields. The second Bird of Prey gave chase and fired on the Pandora.

"Shields at 70%!"

"Return fire! Oren-De to Engineering, I need more power to the engines."

Down in Engineering, War'en's hands were flying over a console as his staff rushed around. He frowned at the request, wondering what the hell Oren-De was doing. "I'll give you all I can, but there's not much left!"

The Pandora gained a bit more speed, putting some distance between the two Birds of Prey.

"Reading warp core breech in the first ship!"

"Brace for impact!"

Just as the second Bird of Prey swooped under it, the first Bird of Prey blew apart in a bright blast. The Pandora was rocked forward somewhat by the explosion, shaking up the crew. The helmsman almost fell out of his chair, prompting a concerned shout from Talona. When he recovered, Talona looked at him sheepishly before returning to her console.

"I'm reading minimal damage to the Pandora. Sir, the other Bird of Prey has suffered massive damage to its hull and shield systems are damaged as well!"

"Bring us about and fire all weapons!"

The Pandora turned once more and brought all of its phase fire to bear on the Bird of Prey's weakened shields, which finally succumbed. Another torpedo volley courtesy of Shrel ended the conflict, breaching the hull and immediately destroying the ship.

A relieved quiet seemed to penetrate the ship as the crew took stock of the situation.

"No other ships detected, captain."

"Remain at Yellow Alert. Helmsman, bring us into orbit around Kinet IV. Ops, please continue scanning the facility and pinpoint an optimal away team insertion location."

Oren-De entered the Pandora's transporter room with Shrel and a security detail in tow. As they stepped up onto the transporter pad, the attending transporter engineer handed them each a phaser rifle and a belt that provided a personal shield. The team was in the business of donning this equipment when the doors to the room suddenly slid open, making way for a very agitated War'en.

"Sir, I must protest your decision to join the away team. You are the captain of this vessel and this mission is entirely too dangerous."

Oren-De looked momentarily surprised at War'en's outburst, but quickly resumed his normal calm composure.

"Your objection is noted, Lieutenant Commander Lok."

An awkward silence filled the room as the two looked at each other. It wasn't until Oren-De realized that his first officer wasn't going to leave without some justification that he finally elaborated.

"While I am the Pandora's captain, I am also her most experienced ground tactical officer. Indeed, for a mission this dangerous, I am one of those best-suited for the away team. Sending someone else would only needlessly jeopardize the away team and the staff of the outpost."

War'en looked at Oren-De in surprise. He wasn't sure whether to balk at his superior's arrogance or be impressed by his sense of duty. Finally, after a moment of thought, War'en relented.

"Acknowledged, sir." He then shot a look at Shrel, who nodded in return. It would be Shrel's duty to keep an eye on Oren-De and the Bajoran seemed to already have realized that. Oren-De, who seemed to have missed the brief nonverbal exchange, gave the go-ahead to the transporter attendant before looking back at War'en.

"You have the Bridge, Lieutenant Commander. We'll be tagging survivors for transport to Medical as we find them."

With that, the away team disappeared in a shimmer of blue light. War'en shot a look at the transporter attendant as he turned to leave. The young ensign seemed to almost wilt under the wave of frustration that poured out of his chief's gaze. He watched as War'en stalked out of the room and gave a relieved sigh when the doors finally hissed shut behind him. Out in the corridor, War'en began barking out orders to the Pandora's crew via the comm system.

"Lok to the Bridge. Begin monitoring the away team's progress. Stay alert for any approaching hostile ships, but keep shields lowered for now. Medical, prepare to receive casualties from the outpost ASAP. We're expecting a sizeable number."

And hopefully none of them will be our new captain...

Meanwhile, deep inside the outpost, the away team was taking stock of their surroundings. They were in a cargo bay that looked to be untouched by the Klingon attack. As soon as they had materialized, Shrel had taken a tricorder scan of the immediate area. After quickly reading the display, he snapped the device shut and looked at Oren with a soldier's seriousness.

"Just like the Pandora's scans, sir. This room is free of Klingon activity, and they're not heading in our direction. The station's subsystems are too damaged for them to detect a beam-in."

Oren-De nodded. "Good. They will be on the alert for us though, as I imagine the two Birds of Prey alerted them to our presence."

"The largest cluster of lifesigns is down the corridor from us, in the outpost's operations area. From the clustering of Klingon and non-Klingon readings, I'd guess that they are holding the remaining staff hostage while they try and find whatever it is they're here for, sir."

"Let's begin, then. Be alert and on your guard," Oren-De commanded as he raised his phaser rifle and activated his personal shield. Shrel and the rest of the security detail did the same, and the team slowly exited the cargo bay and proceeded down the corridor toward Ops. They were halfway there when Shrel suddenly held up a hand and gave a whispered hold order to the rest of the detail. They went into a crouch, with Oren-De following suit next to Shrel.

"There is a group of Klingons advancing this way. We can ambush them if we remain hidden at this position."

Oren-De nodded, and the team trained trained their rifles on the intersection ahead. Soon, the sound of heavy Klingon bootsteps began to echo down the corridor. The footsteps grew steadily louder and, soon enough, the group stepped just into view. One of the Klingons spotted the Starfleet officers out of the corner of his eye and barked a loud warning. Oren-De and the rest of the team fired their weapons, stunning a number of Klingons. The three remaining, protected by shields, responded with blasts of disruptor fire, causing the team to dive out of the way. Shrel came out of his roll alongside most of the detail and, with military precision, fired as one on the lead Klingon. The attack was too much for his shields, punching through them and blasting the Klingon a few feet down the hall.

Meanwhile, the remaining two had rushed toward Oren-De and a lone security member. The two fired on one of the Klingon pair and managed to bring him down, but the second was now too close to hinder with a second assault. The Klingon reached back and raised his bat'leth, bringing it down on Oren-De. The Enhasan rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the attack. With a primal yell, the Klingon made another attack. Oren-De looked up and saw the weapon coming down. It was too close to get out of the way in time. Shrel saw the danger his captain was in and brought his weapon to bear on the Klingon, but there was no possibility he would make the shot in time.

Just as the weapon neared Oren-De's head, the brilliant amber color of phasers filled his vision as four beams lanced through the air above him and struck his attacker. The Klingon was lifted from his feet by the assault and dropped a good six feet away. Oren-De looked over his shoulder and saw four Starfleet officers running toward them from a distance away. As they approached, Oren-De first that the lead officer, a young Human male with short, cropped brown hair, was wearing a blue and green visor that completely covered his eyes. The team from the Pandora stood as the newcomers stopped and stood at attention in front of Oren-De. The lead officer shouldered his rifle and grinned.

"Ensign William Lacera, sir. And may I say, you are all a sight for sore eyes. I was worried that Starfleet wouldn't even know about the attack, since we never even got off a distress call."

Oren-De nodded. "I am Commander Oren-De of the USS Pandora. We originally came here to pick up an officer that was posted to our ship, but we have come to render any aid you need in light of this surprise attack."

Will nodded with a look of recognition. "Ah, the Pandora. You're here for Lieutenant Matoya. Well, hopefully she's still alive. She's going to be one of the staff that the Klingons are going to be 'speaking with', and I've heard that those discussions don't last too long if you don't tell them what they want to hear."

"What interest do they have in her?"

"Well, sir, this outpost recently discovered the the Klingons were using the nearby nebula as a staging area for raids. The nebula hides their presence, so they can build up their forces there inside Federation space for raids. While I can't be sure, I'd guess that the Klingons listened to the chatter from our outpost, figured out they'd be discovered, and attacked the base to get at the data. I don't think the outpost had alerted Starfleet yet to what it had discovered, so as long as they got the data and prevented its transmission, Starfleet would never know. As for Lieutenant Matoya, well, she is one of those with access to that data. The Klingons will likely force her or one of the other officers to give them access."

Shrel looked at Oren-De with some alarm. "We don't have much time then, captain. The Klingons have some methods of interrogation that are impossible to resist."

"Agreed. Lieutenant Shrel, report everything that Ensign Lacera has told us to Pandora and have them transmit it to the nearest Starbase. Ensign Lacera, your team will join mine in rescuing the personnel held in the Ops section."

"Yes, sir!" Will said with a grin.

In the Pandora's medical bay, Redwing was rushing around attempting to gather and fabricate enough supplies to help care for the wounded that was expected from the outpost. He had been told to expect survivors as the away team proceeded through the outpost, but so far none had been beamed aboard. He wasn't sure whether to feel relief or dread. Thankfully, his inability to settle on an emotion allowed him to continue with the task at hand, free of distraction, until War'en's voice sounded over the comm.

"Medical, the team has just breached the area where most of the outpost's captive staff are being held. I imagine you'll be seeing your first causalities in a few minutes."

Redwing stopped and looked around with frustration at the empty medical bay.

"Wa-- I mean, Mr. Lok, I don't have any staff down here! Can you please order any personnel that know how to hold a hypospray to get down here?"

"We're operating on a skeleton crew as it is, but I'll see what I can do. In the mean time, I advise taking advantage of the EMH."

Redwing closed his eyes and forced himself not to curse into the comm system. After a moment, he opened them again and kept his voice polite. "Acknowledged, Lieutenant Commander Lok. Medical out," he responded, using the formal address to express his displeasure. Once the comm system was off, he took advantage of the fact he was alone in the medical bay.

"Fucking hell! He seriously expects me to use that... thing!? It's nothing but a medical textpadd with an arrogant personality and nasty bedside manner!"

He ran his hands through his hair and tried to think of another option, but to his dismay there didn't seem to be another available. War'en was right that they were operating on a skeleton crew, and if the Klingons showed up again they'd be needed at their stations. Redwing let out a sigh and gave in.

"Computer, activate Emergency Medical Holographic program."

In the center of the medical bay, a hologram shimmered into being. It looked like a middle-aged human male, with shock black hair and thick eyebrows. "Please state the nature of the medical emerg--"

"Gah! Not him! Change its appearance, now!"

"Please specify desired appearance," the computer chirped back.

"I don't care! Pick another preset, at random if you have to!"

The hologram disappeared briefly before reappearing as a Human woman with black hair and Asian features. "Please state the nature of the medical emergency."

"We are expecting a large number of wounded from an outpost on the surface of the planet we're orbiting. You are to assist me with triage and stabilization as they arrive. Until then, you can help by preparing batches of the standard emergency care hypos."

"Acknowledged," the EMH responded, before moving over to one of the replicators to start its tasks. Redwing watched her begin, before resuming his own preparations and cursing under his breath again, this time in Navajo. "Figures he would be the first image preset for the EMH..."

Down on the surface, the away team was in the thick of a firefight with the Klingon intruders. Dealing with the doors to the Ops section had been simple, as Will had the necessary access codes and the Klingons had apparently failed to penetrate the computer system enough to even change them. Once the doors had opened, the ensemble Starfleet team had opened fire on the Klingons, taking a number of them down immediately. However, there had still been several groups left within the room, and those remaining in the other parts of the outpost were now rushing to join their comrades. The result was the away team taking cover in various parts of the room, exchanging fire with the Klingons and slowly whittling away at their numbers.

Shrel had taken cover behind a console that was now damaged beyond all hope of repair. He was alone, but he had maneuvered himself to the closest covered position to the group of captives, which were huddled in a group at the corner of the room. There were still two Klingons guarding them. Shrel was trading fire with them and not making much progress. However, while popping up briefly to fire another round, Shrel noticed that a black-haired woman in a blue Starfleet uniform had separated from the group of captives and was inching closer to the pair of Klingons from behind. Shrel ducked back down and waited for the disrupter fire to arc over head. As he popped back up, he heard one of the Klingons give a pained howl. The Klingon was now holding the back of his head and the woman was holding a very large metal tube, which she had brought down hard on the back of the Klingon's head. With the two distracted, Shrel quickly dispatched them with an auto-targeted phaser spread. The woman flashed a grin to Shrel before picking up both of the Klingon's disruptor pistols and turning to the group of captives.

"Alright everyone, we're getting out of here. Just stay calm." She then turned back to Shrel. "Hey, red shirt! Get over here and beam these people to your ship!"

Shrel was a bit taken aback by the woman's order. Not only was he not expecting for one of the captives to take charge, but the 'red shirt' comment wasn't exactly something he enjoyed hearing. There was time for that later though, and the woman did have a point. Shrel checked the situation around him and quickly moved to the captives.

"Shrel to Pandora. Beam out all of the life signs in my immediate vicinity, except for me."

The woman shot him a surprised look. "Pandora? I'm Lieutenant Margaret Matoya. Tell the transporter to leave me here with you. I'm joining your crew after all, so I might as well stick around to help you."

Shrel looked at the woman in surprise. He hadn't ever met a science officer that was so eager to get into a firefight. However, remembering his orders, he simply shook his head.

"No. My orders are to evacuate all outpost personnel and that includes you. Pandora, beam out now."

Matoya opened her mouth to protest just as blue transporter light engulfed her and the rest of the captives around her. Shrel allowed himself a small smirk before looking around for the rest of his team. They were scattered around, but the Klingons in the room seem to have been eliminated. However, the rest that had been stationed in other parts of the outpost were now attempting to fight their way in through the door, reversing the roles of the fight. Oren-De was positioned on one of the walkways above, picking off Klingons as they attempted to enter the room. He had to admit, the Enhasan's aim and tactical sense were impressive.

Suddenly, one of the Klingons managed to make it through the door and rushed the closest Starfleet officer he could find, his bat'leth out and ready. Shrel fired at the Klingon, but his shields deflected the hit. The officer, who Shrel recognized as Will, suddenly tossed his phaser rifle away and rolled to the side to dodge the attack. As he came out of the roll, Will pulled out something that was attached to the utility belt he wore. As he brought his hand up, the object suddenly extended into a long, metal sword. Shrel recognized the weapon from one of his ground combat classes at the Academy; a katana. Will grasped the weapon with both hands and proceeded to fend off the Klingon's bat'leth strikes. Frustrated, the Klingon made a sloppy slice, which Will deftly dodged and responded to by impaling him. The Klingon made a surprised and sick gurgle sound before Will withdrew the weapon, now coated in pink blood. The Klingon fell forward as Will stepped to the side and turned to another Klingon that was making a rush towards him. This time though, the Klingon was unshielded and fell to Shrel's phaser rifle before he could even make it five steps in.

"All clear, sir!" shouted one of the outpost's security personnel. Will nodded and looked up toward Oren-De's position. "Orders, sir?"

Oren-De stood and surveyed the room. There seemed to be only minor injuries among his team and that of the outpost, which brought a smile to his face. Their units had functioned well together and it brought him a great amount of satisfaction to see such a result.

"Those who are not wounded, divide into teams and spread out. Search for survivors and beam them to the Pandora for treatment."

Shrel and Will acknowledged the order and began dividing their respective units. Oren-De grinned at the organization and tapped his badge. "Pandora, one to beam up."

Captain's log, supplemental. We have successfully prevented the Klingons from taking the Starfleet science outpost on Kinet IV and rescued its staff, including our new Chief Science Officer, Lieutenant Margaret Matoya. However, this matter is not yet finished and I still have a number of unanswered questions, which are all curiously connected to her.

The doors to the captain's ready room slid open for Matoya as she entered. Oren-De looked up from the computer display he had been reading.

"Ah, Lieutenant Matoya. First, let me welcome to the Pandora."

Matoya gave Oren-De as small grin. "Thank you, sir. I look forward to serving with your crew. From that battle down there, I'd say they are very capable."

Oren-De simply nodded, then began to study her closely. His gaze was completely uninhibited, and it produced a slightly surprised look from Matoya. Finally, Oren-De spoke again.

"I received a curious communique from Starfleet Intelligence. Apparently, in addition to now serving as my Chief Science Officer, you are also here on an investigation of your own. However, the communique failed to go into any detail about what this investigation entails. Please, inform me."

Matoya nodded. He gets right to the heart of the matter. Not surprising given his record.

"Of course, sir. I am here to interview your crew with regard to the recent attack by the Borg on the Vega colony. This would be the attack that ultimately led you to taking command of this vessel. Starfleet Intelligence, after reviewing reports of the incursion, is curious as to why these Borg behaved so differently from those we have previously encountered, and if this represents a change inside the Collective. To that end, I am to interview those members of your crew that encountered the Borg during that attack and evaluate any data I obtain. This is in line with my duties as a specialist on the Borg."

Oren-De nodded. From the portion of Matoya's record that had only been opened to him and not the rest of the crew, he had gathered as much about her role within Starfleet. It was precisely this role which had raised questions in his mind.

"Assigning a Starfleet Intelligence specialist on the Borg to my ship. This is enlightening as to the role Starfleet has settled on for the Pandora."

Matoya nodded again. "Yes, sir. Given the sensitive nature of my assignment, Starfleet wanted to wait until you had picked me up from Kinet IV before informing you. I expect you will be receiving a transmission from the admiralty at any moment alerting you to that fact."

"Indeed. Additionally, the commnique mentioned something about your current 'research project', but again, failed to go into any details."

"During the attack on the Vega colony, a Starfleet engineering officer utilized a computer virus that proved itself capable of disabling Borg drones and cutting them off from the Collective while causing minimal physical and nuerological damage. The issue is currently tied up in Starfleet JAG but Intelligence has acquired a copy of the program. I have been asked to study this... program's... method of action, as well as the likelihood of the Collective adapting to it. I'll be working with your Chief Medical Officer as well to go over the data obtained from Starfleet Medical dealing with the Borg who were exposed. Only he, you, and I are to know of this program's existence."

Oren-De took in this new information with some surprise. He had no idea that such a tool existed, and its implications for confrontations with the Borg were undeniable, provided that they were not able to adapt. However, it was then that something clicked in his head.

"You communicated the Klingon attack to Starfleet Intelligence, didn't you?"

Now it was Matoya's turn to be surprised. After a moment though, she simply smiled and nodded. "Yes, sir. May I ask how you knew? Those communications were heavily encrypted and deleted as soon as they were made."

"The fact that no additional Birds of Prey appeared after the initial two were defeated. That is highly unusual for a Klingon attack force, especially if the nearby nebula were, in fact, acting as a staging ground for raids, as Ensign Lacera reported to me. My guess is that Intelligence had a number of ships move into the nebula following our arrival and remove the rest of the Klingon threat there."

"Yes sir, that's correct. You should also know that the nebula wasn't a staging ground for raids, as we initially thought. Klingons had stepped up activity in the nebula, though it was all to prepare for an attack on just our outpost. There was no evidence of any infrastructure indicative of a permanent staging ground. Intelligence had deduced that the Klingon Empire wanted something from the outpost, and it is most likely the Borg cure that I was sent. After all, the Empire has had its own share of problems with the Borg, and it is also believed that, given the Klingon's tendencies toward conversion and subjugation of their enemies, that they might try to alter the virus so that any infected Borg are under their control. However, the program has been kept under tight scrutiny, and Intelligence is at a loss for how the Klingons might have found out about it and that the outpost had a copy."

Another silence permeated the room as Oren-De let that revelation sink in. Not only was it a frightening proposition, but it also shed more light on the role Starfleet intended for the Pandora. It seemed that run-ins with the Klingons, as well as the Borg, were to be expected.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Matoya. You may return to your post."

Matoya nodded and left the ready room. After only a minute, a chime announced that a new visitor had arrived.

"Come in," he simply said, allowing the doors to open for Ensign Lacera. The officer entered and looked at the Enhasan from behind his visor. As he had with Matoya, Oren-De studied him intensely for a moment. Lacera, unlike Matoya, became more uneasy more quickly.

"You... wanted to see me, Commander?"

"Yes. I was very impressed with your performance on the ground during the rescue operation. Additionally, I was reviewing your record and I was surprised to find that you're also a pilot."

Will nodded and grinned despite himself. "Yes, sir. I was part of the Nova Squadron back at the Academy."

"So I read. That being the case, why are you part of a security team on a science outpost? I don't mean to offend your ground combat abilities, but it seems your primary role lies at the helm of a starship."

Will shifted a little and a frown crossed his face. "From my record, you'll know that I was at the helm of the USS Argonaut after I graduated from the Academy. However, shortly after my assignment began, the ship was attacked and subsequently boarded by the Klingons. They even managed to make it onto the bridge, where a War Targ did this to me." He motioned to scars that cross the middle of his face, extending above and below his visor. "The damage was too severe for ocular implants to give me normal vision again. Instead, I have to use this false-color visor which transmits visual data directly to my brain and bypasses my damaged ocular nervous system."

"Again, so I read. However, I also read that, despite this injury and subsequent reassignment to the Kinet IV outpost, you still log an impressive amount of time in flight simulators and shuttles. I also observe no change in your flight record from before or after the incident."

Will nodded, his grin returning hesitantly. "Yes, sir. I've requested a number of helmsman positions, but none of the captains seemed to get past the fact that I'm not flying with 'normal' vision."

"Well, I am not looking for normal, I am looking for exceptional. I want someone who is most capable of filling a role and I do not really care how they do it. That being the case, I have made, and been granted, a request to have you transfered to the Pandora. I qm assigning you to the helm and you will report first thing tomorrow at 0800 hours."

Oren-De had never seen someone's face light up the way Will's did at that moment. The ensign looked like he was going to hug the Enhasan for a moment then, thankfully, thought better and somehow restrained himself to just a simple nod and thank-you. Oren-De dismissed the overjoyed pilot just in time to receive a transmission from Earth Spacedock.

"Admiral Quinn. How may I help you today?"

((That wraps up the first episode of Star Trek: Pandora! I hope you enjoyed reading it. I can't wait to get to more of the episodes that reveal more about the Pandora's crew, what happened during the Vega attack, and what lies in store for them.))