With their Captain seconded to Deep Space 11 for matters judicial in nature, Melbourne remains under the command of her ageing XO, Commander Kael Draven. Dispatched to the Zelar Nebula, a volatile region on the edge of Federation space, the crew must investigate a growing spatial rift emitting dangerous levels of subspace radiation. Their mission evolves, however, when Starfleet Intelligence suspects the rift may have been artificially created and could threaten nearby colonies if left unchecked. As Draven begins to feel out of his depth, the crew must try and hold things together until the Captain returns…