Captains Log: Supplemental

We have set up a rendezvous point in the Ramilles System and over the past four days we have been able to meet with eight of the eighteen vessels as well as make at least partial contact with another seven. As far as we can tell we won’t have to head out to anyone’s location to render aid, though eventually we will have to investigate the three signals that we couldn’t make contact with. It was a hard choice but I have decided to wait on that until we rendezvous with everyone we can. I can tell Commander Grkovic is chafing some at the wait but we all know this is the best course of action. As the Vulcans say, ‘The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few’. Of a more immediate concern is keeping the civilian ships’ crews morale up and making sure they follow instructions. We can’t make them stay of course but if they choose to stay, they will have to toe the line. Easier said than done with a group of independent minded freighter captains.

Orex walked to the large window in his quarters, staring out at the stars but not seeing them. His mind worked on the circumstances he found himself in, as it had for the past few days. The new arrivals had precious little information to add, though most had been happy to send their sensor logs over regardless.

Three more days, Orex thought grimly ,Three more days and we’ll head out to Starbase 93. We can’t stay here forever and we need to get moving to someplace established.

He hated to put a hard deadline in, but he had to get his inherited convoy moving. Supplies wouldn’t last forever, especially on some of the smaller ships. The captains were restive enough as it was. Some were unhappy at the delay but so far it was limited to dark expressions and unhappy comments.

“Bridge to Captain.”, A deep, baritone voice snapped Orex out of his thoughts.

“Orex here.”

“We’ve just received another distress call, sir.”, Lieutenant Michael Abercrombie, the ship’s Operations Officer, was tense.

“And, Lieutenant?”, Orex was already sure he wasn’t going to enjoy this revelation.

“It isn’t bloody good, captain. It came through surprisingly clear. I’ll pipe it down to you if you want, sir.”, The normally cheerful Australian Human’s voice was anything but.

“Please do, Lieutenant.”, Orex drew a breath as the recording started.

“This Captain Jamil Al-Hadid of the transport Najm Almusafir. We are un-under attack by a vessel of unknown design. We are already doomed, but hope this message will….save others. This anomaly isn’t natural as they seem to-to have no trouble moving or seeing. We-we will keep sending this. We are fighting as best we can but our armaments are minimal. May Allah watch over us all and be mercif-”, The abrupt ending of the transmission said everything that needed to be of the Najm Almusafir’s fate.

Orex clasped the bottom two of his three hands tightly behind his back while he placed his upper left hand against the window.

We are already doomed, but hope this message will….save others, Orex knew he wouldn’t forget those words for the rest of his days. He asked his ancestors to watch over Captain Jamil Al-Hadid and his brave crew as they traveled to whatever afterlife they might have believed in.

“Sir?” Lieutenant Abercrombie’s voice snapped Orex back to reality. 

Orex straightened as he gathered himself mentally, “Senior officer’s meeting in the conference room in fifteen, lieutenant.”

“Aye, sir.”

Orex looked back out his window. He had always known the void was dangerous, but this was the first time it had seemed so menacing.

USS San Diego

Conference Room

The final words of the Najm Almusafir hung heavy in the air as every officer present sat in silences ranging from grim to stunned. It was Lieutenant T’Prenn who finally broke the silence, her voice even as always.

“Were we able to get a location?”

Lieutenant Abercrombie, the duty officer at the time, waggled a hand back and forth.

“We were able to narrow it down to an area, however it’s not the smallest area to search”, the operation officer’s face showed a mix of annoyance and resignation, “especially in these conditions.”

“Has there been any contact with any of the ships heading here?” This question came from Kumiko Uchiyama, the ship’s Chief Medical Officer. She was a slight Human with gentle, almond shaped eyes.

“I’m afraid not, Doctor.”, Abercrombie said.

“And now we have some tough choices to make.”, the ship’s executive officer, Commander Grkovic, spoke in her usual clipped tone. “We can either leave now with who we have and leave the stragglers behind or wait and risk having whatever happened the Najm Almusafir happen to us. I’m not fond of either option personally.Though if we do choose to wait, I suggest we find our little fleet a better place to wait than in the wide open.” Grkovic set her hands back down in her lap as she had been using them to help illustrate her point.

All eyes eventually settled on Captain Orex. He had been quiet throughout the meeting thus far and now he unfolded himself from his chair at the head of the conference table and brought himself up to his full height. He looked along the table, catching and holding the eyes of each of his officers for a moment before moving along to the next one. Finally he sighed.

“It would not sit right with me to leave people behind who are counting on us to be there when they arrive. Commander Grkovic is correct though, we can’t stay here in the open.”

“Ramilles VI has a pretty powerful magnetosphere.”, this came from Chief Engineer Victor Massaquoi, who was tapping at a PADD and looking up system information. He looked up at Orex, “Strong enough to hide us without disrupting systems. Mostly.”

Orex focused on the engineer, “Mostly?”

“Well, no one will probably be able to see in but that means it’ll be hell trying to see out as well.”

“That means we will have to stay out to greet any new refugees that arrive. We can guide the convoy to safety and then set up right here as powered down as we can be. Unless there’s any other options”, Orex’s voice was firm.

T’Prenn spoke next, the tactical officer tapping away at her own PADD, “Nebula RDC-1138Z is 3.296 light years from this system and could possibly provide a place to remain unobserved. However, it has many pockets of corvairon and thalassite. Given the volatile nature of these particular gases, I am not entirely sure I recommend this course of action.”

“I second that.”, Massaquoi said with a grin.

“And I third it.”, Orex gave a slight smile of his own.

“Now you have the unenviable task of convincing a group of jumpy freighter captains to wait blindly in a planet’s magnetosphere while we leave and wait for the rest.”, Jackson Carstairs, the ship’s counselor said with no trace of amusement. He was a serious but kind man and truly didn’t envy his captain the upcoming conversation. 

“I know, which is why I’m glad I have such a well trained ship’s counselor here to help me navigate this particular hunt.”, Orex’s smile wasn’t quite as slight this time.

Carstairs cocked his head and without changing expression or tone stated, “I definitely walked into that.”

This brought laughs from Massaquoi and Abercrombie and a tolerant smile from Doctor Uchiyama. T’Prenn quirked an eyebrow, the closest she ever came to cracking her Vulcan mein.

Orex then looked at Carstairs, “Well counselor, I suppose we’d better figure out the best way to deal with our charges.”

USS San Diego

Main Bridge

In the end, it wasn’t quite as bad as Orex expected. Carstairs turned out to be an excellent javelin in his pack. As a student of psychology Carstairs had been quite helpful in explaining not just the Human captains’ potential mindsets and reactions, but the various other races as well. With such varied races and not even counting the variances within said races, this was going to be tricky. Yet all he could do was his best. 

The other rather unexpected javelin in his pack turned out to be Captain Kanok of the Angosian freighter Silver Runner. The former Angosian soldier turned hauler captain had an impeccable reputation among his peers for truthfulness and fair dealing. It also didn’t hurt that the other captains were a little afraid of him. When some of the captains threatened to derail the entire discussion, it was Kanok who spoke up….maybe yelled up would be more accurate, “By the stars, will you lot SHUT UP!”

Orex blinked but held his piece. Kanok spoke in a more measured tone, but also one that brooked no interference from his fellow freighter captains.

“If that was you out there trying to get here alone in the dark, I’m sure you all would be singing a different song. Do you idiots realize the RISK Captain Orex and his crew are taking even bothering with us at all?”

The main viewscreen was divided up so all eight captains’ faces could be seen. Orex noted that some had the decency to look a bit shamefaced at the Angosian’s words. Still, one had the temerity to speak up.

“We are here now though, Captain Orex would abandon us for people that might…..”, the hard faced Human freighter captain’s words trailed off as she saw Kanok’s face turn scarlet, his Angosian military tattoo by his left eye standing out brightly for it. However it was Orex who spoke.

“We can’t make you stay, captain but hear me and hear me well.”, Orex’s voice was so cold both his bridge crew and the various civilian captains, including Kanok, stared at him in surprise, “We will not come after you. You will be alone, virtually defenseless, blind and crippled in the dark. Even if we hear you we will not come. I will not leave ships behind to go after one. I am not abandoning you. I am simply hiding you away so your fellow captains making their way here have the same chance of survival you currently enjoy. If you stay, you listen to me, if you leave you will be utterly on your own.”

The hard faced captain cleared her throat uncomfortably, “Yes, I understand. We appreciate your help and will stay.”

Orex favored her with a curt nod and then addressed the entire group, “Get ready to hide over the north pole of Ramilles VI and stand by. Three days and then we will depart the system. If we don’t come back after seventy two hours of arrival to the pole, make your way to Starbase 93 as best you can. Understood?”

A ragged chorus of affirmatives came back through the comms.

“Let’s get to it then, San Diego out.” Before the communications channel cut, Orex saw Kanok give him a look of surprised approval.

Orex then sat back in his captain’s chair with a sigh of exasperation. He felt eyes on him and looked at Counselor Carstairs, who was eyeing his captain thoughtfully.

“All’s well that ends well, Captain.”, the counselor deadpanned.

Orex snorted in amused irritation.