After returning with all the gear and equipment for installing the Romulan cloaking tech on the Chernov, Kastarak organised a banquet in honour of the Vulcanophobic colleague of theirs, Colonel Malone. It was the way it had to be done, it was the way of Starfleet. From the large window in the senior officers’ mess, the strange landscape of Titan could be seen in the orangy haze. Visibility was not far, but enough to see small boulders. Large drops (about the size of pebbles) of hydrocarbons were raining down slowly. Due to the gravity and other conditions on Titan, rain fell about six times as slow as on Earth – about 160 centimetres per second. It was slow enough for the eye to follow the individual drops.

Kastarak had changed into mess uniform as per the rules and regulations. He anticipated soon the arrival of all the senior officers (OOC all of you lot) and the guest of honour, Colonel Malone, and, of course, the ship’s own captain, Christopher Taggart.

The table was set. A group of other crewmen would be serving later. They stood lined up by the door waiting, too, for the guests to arrive. Kastarak made a last occular inspection of them and of the room, and all looked well.

He then looked out the window again, mesmerized by the hypnotic nature of the rain.

– Lt Kastarak (XO)