Space… the final frontier… The famous words by Admiral Kirk were etched into a bronze plaque above the main view screen of the USS John Brown. The ship’s Ccommanding officer, Star Fleet Captain Mic’kal Sen, sat on her chair with a cup of Alberian espresso on the arm as she reviewed the reports from the previous shifts. Her XO, a Bolian male named Jed, was reading the latest Intel update from Fleet in the chair next to her. “I don’t know why we have to keep reading these things. We’re a Deep Space Exploration vessel. I mean really, Captain… we haven’t even been in any claimed space in six-and-a-half months. Why do we need to know about a potential smuggling operation between Andoria and Orion? It would take us almost a year to get there to do anything.” and he shook his head.

Sen smiled without looking up at the Commander and said “Really, Jed? Already? I haven’t even gotten through my first cup yet.” and she chuckled. “And don’t you want to know what is happening back home? We’re going to be gone five years. A lot can change in that time. We need to keep in the loop.” “Captain-” the science officer said, “- I’m picking up a signal, very faint. Could be a ship of some kind.” Sen looked at Jed and scowled. “A ship? All the way out here? That’s… odd.” “To say the least.” Jed replied and then looked at the science officer. “Send coordinates to helm. Helm, set course and hold steady at warp seven.” “Aye, Commander.” the helm officer replied.

Two hours later…

The debris field floated silently in space, small bits and pieces of scorched and twisted metal slowly moving away from the last point where they all made up something far greater than themselves. If any living thing had been present to look closely, the only recognizable thing that would be seen would be a single cup once holding Alberian espresso…

GM