Queen of the Expanse

Posted on Sat Sep 19th, 2020 @ 10:36am by Mauricio Arnaldo & Katya

Mission: Shore Leave
Location: Carnwennan Station

ON:

[Carnwennan Station - Ops]

Ensign Green was manning the long-range sensors; six hours into her shift. Her eyes drooped a little while looking at the static display, a lock of brown curly hair falling across her vision before she pushed it backwards. The junior officer always seemed to get the Gamma shift, the late nights when very little happened. Carnwennan was such a well-oiled machine, the major craft movements all happened during Alpha and Beta shifts - that's when the big head honchos from Starfleet arrived; that's when the Fleet ships would typically stop by on their way into the Expanse. Traffic was always light on the Gamma shift; and she was mostly staring at an empty sector with nothing much to see except the occasional Talarian border patrol in the distance.

"I like the quiet." Came the voice of Lieutenant Commander Squall in the Ops Command chair nearby. She was the station's Assistant Chief Security Officer, and currently in the Command Program, who was trying so very desperately to get into a red shirt. She was in her early thirties, black hair tied up into a tight bun, a constant look of pensive concentration on her face. "Quiet means order. It means control. And I like control."

"Ahh-huh." Green replied lazily, barely listening to another of Squall's monologues.

Squall raised an eyebrow, "You look tired, Ensign." It wasn't a question, or a statement of concern. "You should ensure you complete your allotted sleep periods before coming on duty. No one ever got their pips from sleeping on the job."

Green tried hard not to roll her eyes. The Ensign knew she could code and calibrate faster than Squall, break down a data sequence and reconstruct network pathways in her sleep. She wasn't tired, she was bored. But it was pointless to say this to her superior officer, of course. The other officers on duty in Ops suddenly pretended to be very interested in their own work, knowing a lecture was forthcoming and hoping to stay out of her firing line.

Squall raised up from her spot, "When I was in your rank," She said it like it was dirty to have been an Ensign once, "I relished every experience in the Ops centre. You're part of a team that is responsible for the safety and security of this entire facility, Ensign. This is the beating, pounding heart of Carnwennan station. Every life depends on our work right here. It is an honour to stand here. I will be Captain one day because of my dedication to all of my duties and every single shift I had."

"Of course." Green replied flatly, so used to hearing these lectures. The worst thing about Gamma shift was having to spend it in the company of Lieutenant Commander Squall.

Squall wasn't finished, "You know, if you just applied a little more enthusiasm for your regular duties, Ensign, I think you could - "

Thankfully, she was interrupted by the sounds of a sensor alert by the Computer.

"Unidentified craft travelling through the Carnwennan Corridor!" Green announced with excitement, tapping away at her console.

"On screen." Squall remarked, straightening her jacket.

Green pressed a few buttons and the screen showed the small fleet in the far distance. "No recognisable signature. But there are... three of them."

In the distance, sailing casually through the Carnwennan Corridor, were three civilian ships. The lead ship was the largest of the three, and it looked similar to an Admiral's yacht - 30 metres in length, noticeable armaments, strong protective cladding, wide bridge, and large, round living quarters. To each side were smaller fighters - lasers, torpedoes, narrow pointed nose and sharp wings meant to manoeuvre and protect the main craft. All three were a mixture of technologies from around the Alpha quadrant, no single origin could be traced. However, each of the vessels had been painted a bright neon orange colour.

"Try to hail them." Squall ordered.

"Hailing," Green did so immediately. "Should we alert the Command team?" She asked hesitantly.

"Nonsense." Squall huffed, not even bothering to look at the Ensign, "I am in command of the station at this moment, I shall deal with the issue."

The computer alerted again, "They're responding." Green reported.

"Ah," Squall smiled, "Very good. I will speak with them. Put it through."

On the Ops centre's main viewscreen came the striking image of an alien woman - her dark skin coloured with bright, neon tattoos. Her hair was a shock of bright orange, defying gravity with its height and upright stance.

"Anh'Iranian." Green whispered softly, but Squall didn't acknowledge this. Green had studied her Inconnu species very well; from what little information they had currently. Only one ship had come into contact with an Anh'Iran before, and none had visited their home planet. The Ensign found their looks and body art to be mesmerising, it was a significant moment to be in the presence of such a species.

"Attention unidentified craft. You are about to enter Federation territory." Squall said with consternation. "State your identity and purpose or we will be forced to fire upon you."

It was unnecessarily hostile and it caused the Anh'Iran to shake her head and Katya furrowed her brown.

"I mean no offensive, Starfleet. I have come to formalise relations with the Federation." She replied quickly, "And to see my friends from the Pandora."

"The Pandora?" Squall baulked while squinting her eyes. It was not widely known that the Pandora had gone silent in the Expanse, with several Federation ships on the search for her, however Squall had been informed of this. She wondered what kind of mess the Pandora had gotten themselves into that was now showing up on the Federation's doorstep. "State your identity. Who are you?"

"Do you not know of me, human?" Katya smirked. "I am Katya, chief of Paradise Outpost, Queen of the Inconnu Expanse."

The Starfleet officers in the Carnwennan bridge paused at the this, all of them looking to the screen and then around at each other. Ensign Green couldn't help but smile a little - the Anh'Iran certainly looked and spoke like a queen.

"I... wasn't aware such a title existed." Squall replied hesitantly.

"I have just made it up." Katya shrugged. "After my station was liberated from the Breen Confederacy, we have become the citadel for the Free Peoples of the Expanse. The citizens who reject Alrakis Pact control and wish to live independently from outside influence. As the leader of Paradise, I have become the leader of the Free Peoples movement. The title is fitting."

"Impressive." Squall nodded, not knowing what else to say. It sounded like a state of chaos and a lack of control, which went against everything Squall believed in. She didn't put much respect into a title that a person could simply make up and claim, even if the citizens of the Expanse saw Katya as such. She assumed the Federation wouldn't recognise this title in any official capacity, but the prospect of hosting an envoy from Paradise would look good on her resume. She could see Starfleet awarding her for helping to facilitate relations with the Outpost, and getting that gold pip on her lapel.

Squall was so distracted by her fantasy that she almost missed the junior Ops officer trying to get her attention.

"Lieutenant Commander?!" Green was leaning over her console, practically hissing at her.

"One moment, uh, Queen Katya." Squall replied with a polite smile. Katya just shrugged, her neon tattoos shimmering.

As Squall turned to face her, Green pressed mute on the call so she could speak freely, "I am detecting Federation technology onboard their craft. She's actually talking to us through a Federation universal translator code, and they appear to be using a navigation database supplied by the USS Pandora."

Squall nodded, contemplating the intel, "Mission reports from the Expanse did state that the Pandora had established relations with the trading post, but I didn't know they extended an invitation to visit."

"I feel we should alert the Captain" Green repeated, "This is beyond our duties, Lieutenant Commander."

Squall turned up her nose at the suggestion, "I think I can handle a simple diplomatic encounter, Ensign. Besides, it will look good for all of us, if we continue the Pandora's mission to bring Paradise Outpost into the Federation's affiliation."

"But we don't have clearance - "

"Ensign." Squall was terse now. "Enough. I have noted your requested and over-ruled it. Do I need to remove you from duty?"

"No, Lieutenant Commander." Green said through gritted teeth, looking down to her screen.

"Good." Squall said with a patronising smile. "There is nothing about this that I cannot handle."

Green looked back to the main screen and her eyes widened. "Uh, what about that?" She said, nodding to the viewer.

Squall turned back to look and found Queen Katya was now joined by a human male at her side - young, dark hair, firm build and tall. He was wearing a uniform that must have come from Paradise, and a somber look in his eyes. Squall didn't even need to ask Green to unmute comms, the Ensign was already pressing the button.

"Katya, who is that?" Squall asked urgently as she took a few steps towards the screen.

"This is my Chief of Protection." Katya extended a long hand out and waived at his direction. "I believe he came from the Pandora, but he works for me now."

Squall replied, "Katya, may I address him?"

"Of course." Katya demurred.

"Who are you?" Squall asked.

Mauricio grimaced, "Former First Lieutenant Arnaldo, of the Starfleet Marine Corp. Katya is correct, I have resigned all positions from Starfleet in order to help protect Paradise, and its Queen."

"Deserted your post, First Lieutenant?" Squall said with a little bit of bite in her tone.

"Found a new purpose." Mauricio replied calmly. "I have come to request official separation and formally resign in good faith. I sent my forms through the Pandora but I wanted to ensure it was all settled."

"I may remind you that he is in my employ," Katya added, "And should be classified as a diplomatic entity of a foreign government." She smiled as the words fell out of her Anh'Iran tongue and were translated for the humans. She had been studying the database that the Pandora had given her, and she knew her terminology well. "No harm or arrest should come to him."

Squall bit her lip, knowing it was a difficult request. For an officer to desert their post, go AWOL, and join a foreign entity, was grounds for court martial at least. She couldn't fathom why anyone would willing to choose such a path, unless they were committing treason against the Federation. She wondered how the Captain of the Pandora would let such a thing happen.

"Is there a problem?" Katya pressed, eyes flashing bright orange.

"None." Squall shook her head and put on a pretend smile. "Mr. Arnaldo will be free to board the station as a member of your party. We will arrange a docking port for you as soon as possible."

"Wonderful." Katya also smiled.

"Ensure you power down all weapons and shields, your vessels will be thoroughly scanned and all members must submit to security screening before being allowed onto the station." Squall added, trying to regain that sense of control.

"As you wish." Katya shrugged cooly. "I would also be happy to give you some advice on security protocols once I review your screening process. From what Mauricio has told me, it seems the Federation could learn quite a lot from Paradise."

Ensign Green tried to stifle a laugh while Lieutenant Commander Squall just kept smiling. "I look forward to hearing it."

"Queen Katya out." The Anh'Iran replied and didn't wait for a response before ending the call.

Squall turned back to there others, "Well, looks like our night just got interesting."

"Oh I definitely relished that experience." Green commented under her breath. Squall heard it but pretended she didn't, returning to her place in the command chair.

"Guide the foreign vessels into port and alert security of the arrivals." Squall commanded, "Let's prepare to meet our guests."

OFF