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Episode One: Begin

Captain's Log: The date is April 8th of the year 2412(stardate 86095.24), and for the first time in a long time, the galaxy is in a state of peace. The war between the Federation and the Klingons has come to an end, the Borg have--for the moment--been driven back, and the Iconians--in spite of the destruction and strife they caused with their invasion of our galaxy--have suffered defeat. Across the Alpha and Beta quadrants, the civilizations that came together to defeat the Iconians are in the process of rebuilding. Amidst this era of peace and reconstruction, Starfleet has seen fit to resume one of its oldest--and arguably most important--functions: The exploration of parts unknown, and the continued study of things we've already discovered. To this end, I, Captain Jakkaru Shiro, have been placed in command of a new vessel, the fifth I have commanded. This new ship--N.C.C. 92551-E, the U.S.S. Jackal--will carry myself and my crew across the stars as we strive to carry out this objective. End log entry.

** ** Jakkaru leaned back in his chair, looking at his data pad with serious blue eyes, reading through the log entry he had just recorded. Not his best work perhaps, but it was a fitting description for the voyage they were all about to embark upon. He looked up to see the interior of a shuttle craft that was currently ferrying him up to the new ship of which he was to take command. He wasn't alone on the shuttle though. He was also accompanied by Marco Dalton--a tall bearded man with tanned skin who served as his First Officer--and by Rets, a female of the blue skinned Bolian race who served as his Chief Engineer.

Marco was seated across from him, reviewing a data pad of his own, and Rets was seated as the shuttle's control console, situated at the front of the vessel. Jakkaru leaned forward to see out the viewport, watching as they passed Earth Space Dock, headed for the dry docks just beyond the station. At one of those docks was their destination: a newly finished Noble Class Assault Cruiser, a cousin of the Sovereign Class, most famously used as the design template for the Enterprise-E.

To say Jakkaru was impatient to see the ship was an understatement. "Rets, how much longer until we reach her?"

The Bolian chuckled. "ETA is three minutes Captain."

Marco smirked. "You shouldn't be so impatient Captain. It's not a very becoming trait for someone of your rank."

Jakkaru rolled his eyes. "Right, well, when you finally get to achieve your dreams after years stuck in seemingly unending conflict then you can chide me."

"Huh?"

Jakk shook his head. "I didn't think you would get it. When I joined Starfleet, it wasn't to fight Klingons or the Iconians. I joined to explore the galaxy. And now, I finally get to do just that. I couldn't be happier, and yes, a bit impatient to get started."

Marco nodded. "Makes sense, I suppose. Still, you may want to reign in it a bit. It wouldn't do for the crew to see you worked up like that."

"Fair enough."

The two had their attention drawn by Rets saying, "You won't have to wait much longer Captain. She's coming into view."

Jakk--willing to show just a bit more impatience--stood and walked up to stand beside Rets, staring out the forward viewport. The sight that greeted him only served to make him all the more excited. The Jackal was ruggedly designed, far more so than the smooth Sovereign and Majestic classes which it resembled. The hull was dark grey with subtle black accents. He smiled widely. This was what he had dreamed of as a child, when first looking up at the stars.

Jakk too a step back and crossed his arms, simply drinking in the sight of the ship. A minute or two passed, and satisfied he said, "Alright Rets, let's speed this up. We don't need to spend ten minutes staring at the outside of the ship."

"Aye Captain. Full speed ahead."

Less than a minute later the shuttle touched down in the Jackal's aft bay, the door sliding open to allow Jakkaru, Marco, and Rets to step onto the Cruiser's deck. There were three members of ship security waiting for them. As they approached, one of the three--a tall, thickly built male Saurian, whose reptilian, scale like skin was purple in color--stepped forward. "Welcome aboard Captain, and Commanders. I am Lieutenant Aaakiit. I was assigned to be the head of security aboard the Jackal."

Jakk stopped, and the other two stopped a foot or so behind him. He smiled and said, "Thank you Lieutenant. I should tell you now that you weren't assigned to this ship. I requested you."

Aaakiit blinked a few times, as though in surprise. "You requested me sir?"

Jakk nodded. "That's right. I hand picked my senior staff, and when it came to the spots that needed to be filled, I spent a lot of time going through personnel files. Your record stuck out to me Lieutenant. Thus, here you are."

Aaakiit nodded. "Then thanks are in order for this opportunity Captain."

Jakk waved a hand dismissively. "Thinking nothing of it. I wanted to make sure I had good people aboard. Now, why don't you bring me up to speed on the ship's condition?"

He seemed to hesitate for a brief instant then nodded dutifully. "Aye sir."

Jakk walked past him and motioned for him to follow, with Marco following as well. Rets excused herself, saying she wanted to get to Main Engineering so she could get everything running in the manner she liked. As the three walked the Lieutenant spoke of the proceedings with getting all eight hundred plus members of the ship's crew onboard, as well as the security measures in place. At one point he handed Jakkaru a data pad that was a complete list of all onboard personnel. The sheer amount of information was staggering, yet he couldn't help but say, "Odd that's there's only around eight hundred people aboard. The Jackal-D had a crew of over a thousand."

Marco nodded in agreement. "A bit odd. But as I understand it these cruisers are made to run on a smaller crew. More efficient in some respects."

"True." Turning his attention to other matters Jakk asked, "Lieutenant, has my entire senior staff reported for duty?"

"Almost Captain. We're still waiting on the Chief Medical Officer."

Jakk frowned. "Odd. It's unlike Doctor Halloway to be running late."

Aaakiit cleared his throat. "I assumed you had heard sir. Doctor Halloway was...forced into an early retirement. He apparently had some sort of nervous breakdown."

Jakkaru shook his head in disbelief. "He always seemed so balanced. I suppose it's possible we just never saw that side of him...but still."

"I agree," Marco replied. "It seems quite unusual. Was there a specific cause?"

Aaakiit shook his head. "Apparently not. He just suffered some sort of mental breakdown. A lot of shouting and struggling against security personnel."

Jakk sighed. "Damn. He was a good Doctor. Who's replacing him?"

"I'm not exactly sure Captain. I was only recently informed that she had encountered delays after being reassigned to this vessel. Her information should be among the other Medical staff in the roster I gave you."

Jakk turned his attention back on the data pad and began shifting through pages of information until he found the complete list of medical staff. His eyes widened--almost imperceptibly so--when he saw the name of the ship's new Chief Medical Officer. He took a deep breath, and handed the data pad to Marco. "Commander, I'm going to leave the ship's preparations in your hands."

Marco gave him a quizzical look. "And what will you be doing sir?"

Jakkaru smiled a strange smile then. "Why, I'm going to the transporter room to welcome our new Doctor when she arrives."

He turned and walked away then, leaving looks of confusion on the faces of the other two officers. He made his way through the Jackal's curving halls and corridors to reach the transporter room, the whole time his mind racing, wondering just how it could be possible that he would have such luck.

Arriving at the transporter room, he gave a nod to the ensign working the controls, and to the lone security officer standing guard over the room. Then, he waited. He paced, tapped his foot, repeatedly flattened out his blue, black and white uniform, and generally acted with impatience. Finally after nearly half an hour of watching various crew members of all positions board the ship, the ensign received a message from the ground that one last crew member would be beaming up.

Jakk gulped, standing stark still, waiting with bated breath. The all too familiar sound of the matter transport beam was heard, and a haze of blue particles appeared over the transporter pad. A silhouette could be made out within the beam, resolving itself mere seconds later into a female Caitian in a blue Starfleet Uniform.

She looked for all the world like an anthropomorphized lioness, with light tawny fur and a long, thick tail trailing behind her. When she spotted him a smile spread across her feline features. When she spoke it was with a soft, purring voice. "Jakk--"

Jakkaru cleared his throat. "Welcome aboard Doctor Narihr."

Getting the sense of his tone she nodded. "Thank you Captain. I'm surprised I'm being greeted in person."

"Well, considering the...suddenness of your reassignment, I thought it would be appropriate for us to meet face to face before the ship gets underway."

She smiled again. "I appreciate the consideration Captain. Perhaps you would be so kind as to show me the way to Sick Bay? I'm afraid I haven't had much time to study the layout of the ship."

"It would be my pleasure. Follow me."

The two left the transporter room, walking at a leisurely pace through the halls and past the various crew members going about their duties, all doing their best to ready the ship for its maiden voyage.

As they walked Jakkaru said, "I'm sure this appointment came as a surprise. I certainly wasn't expecting you to be onboard."

"Yes, I was apparently the first one the contacted when the previous Doctor..."

"Suffered a total mental breakdown."

She nodded. "Yes. Well, naturally I jumped at the opportunity. It seemed to good a chance to pass up...for a few reasons."

Jakk smiled. "I imagine so. I'm rather excited myself to be on this ship. She's exactly the kind of ship I've always wanted to command."

"Yes...but I've been wondering, this is N.C.C. 92551- E. What happened to A through D?"

He smiled, a bit sheepishly. "Well...a lot of things. A was an Excalibur class, but it was already over the hill when I took command of it. It wasn't long before it was scrapped for parts and I was given the B, a Stargazer class. When the War with the Klingons started getting really intense, the B was renamed and handed off to another Captain, and I was given the C, an Ambassador Class cruiser. Unfortunately, it turned out after about two years that the C wasn't quite as up to the task as I had hoped. She was hopelessly crippled in a fight with the Klingons.

Then I gained command over the D, an Envoy class. She was a helluva ship too, and I Captained her for...about four years. But, in a battle with the Iconians...well, we sacrificed her. The battle group we were with was outgunned, and the ship had already taken a lot of damage. So, we set a collision course. Slammed her into one of the Iconian ships and triggered a warp core breach. Most of the crew got out--at least the ones who were still alive--but we lost the ship. Still, it managed to take out a couple of Iconian ships and cripple a couple others. Helped the rest of the ships there drive them back."

"So what then?" Narihr asked. "This ship was just finished...what did you do in the interim?"

"We waited. There were no available ships for us, so we wound up sitting around, hoping that the war would end well. And now here we are."

She nodded as they stepped into a turbolift together. "Yes, here we are."

The door closed behind them with a hydraulic hiss, and Jakkaru said, "Deck 15." The turbolift started moving, and they were alone.

For a few moments--moments that felt more like eons--the only sound was the whirring of the turbolift. Jakkaru--seeking to dispel the silence--cleared his throat and said, "You know, I was pretty surprised to see your--"

He stopped, caught slightly off guard when she leaned against him saying, "I've missed you Jakk."

He smiled softly. "I've missed you too. Ten years is entirely too long."

She nodded. "Yes." She stepped away then, turning to look him in the eye. She smirked--a slightly unusual expression for a Caitian--and said, "But I hope you don't think we'll just pick up right where we left off."

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, I wouldn't think so. But perhaps we could start with something simple. What would you say to dinner tonight? Perhaps at 1900 hours in my quarters?"

"Oh my, dinner in the Captain's quarters. Such a privilege. I most certainly have to accept, now don't I?"

He rolled his eyes. "I see you haven't changed much."

"Mmm...you on the other hand seem more...uh...'laid back', than I recall. I think I like it."

"Yes well, I've been through a lot of things. Wars tend to force you to mature, even if only a--"

For the second time he was cut off and caught by surprise as she stepped forward and kissed him. For but an instant time seemed to slow, both being caught up in the moment. When she stepped away she smirked again. "You're still so cute when you blush though. That hasn't changed."

Jakk laughed and shook his head. "I wouldn't know."

They felt the lift slowing, and both turned to face the doors. When they slid apart there was a woman in a black and white Starfleet uniform waiting on the lift's arrival. Her skin was pale, her hair pure white, and her eyes--or at least the one that was visible--was a solid silvery color with a green tint. Her most prominent feature though, was the set of blue accented Borg implants surrounding her left eye, including an ocular implant with three scopes that completely covered the eye itself. She smiled when she saw Jakkaru. "Hello Captain."

Jakk smiled in return. "Hello Maris. What are you doing down here?"

"Seren and I were just discussing the possibility of removing one or two more of my implants. She thinks there are a few that I don't actually still need." She looked over to Narihr and took immediate notice of the three solid square rank pips on the Caitian woman's chest. "I take it this is our new Doctor?"

Jakk nodded. "Yes. This is Narihr. Narihr, this is Lieutenant Commander Maris Wynter, my Second Officer."

Narihr was notably tense, while doing her best to come off as pleasant. "Hello."

"Welcome aboard Doctor. I look forward to working with you." Maris replied with her usual cheerful smile.

Turning back to Jakkaru, Maris said, "Commander Dalton just contacted me. He said that we're almost ready to get underway."

Jakk nodded. "Time to head up to the bridge then." He turned to Narihr. "I'll see you tonight then?"

She nodded. "Until then." She hesitated for a moment then stepped out of the turbolift, edging past Maris.

Jakk barely noticed as Maris stepped into the lift beside him and said, "Main Bridge."

He did notice though when Maris sighed and said, "I suppose I should be used to people reacting like that. Still, it's never easy to see people scared or uncomfortable around you for something beyond your control."

Jakk nodded. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure she was just surprised. Narihr is usually pretty accepting of people."

Maris tilted her head to one side. "Judging by that, it sounds like you have a previous connection to her."

"You could say that, but we don't really have the time to discuss it now."

She nodded. "Of course Captain."

A moment later the turbolift doors opened and they stepped out onto the Jackal's impressively large bridge. It had been constructed in a pattern similar to that of the Enterprise-D, but larger, and with an extra console station on both sides of the room. The rooms was also different in that it was all done in shades of blue, some quite dark.

Marco was busy overseeing the preparations to leave the dry dock, but when he spotted Jakkaru he stood and said, "Captain on deck!"

Jakk rolled his eyes when everyone else stopped what they were doing to stand at attention. "At ease. Return to your duties."

Jakk walked over to Marco shaking his head. "Now was that necessary?"

Marco smirked. "Sorry Captain. Standard procedure."

Jakk sighed. "Alright then, well let's have that be the last time, yes? Now then, what's our status?"

"Preparations are all but complete. We're just waiting on the new Tactical Officer to arrive at the bridge, and then we can begin procedures to exit Earth space."

"Good. How long for--"

Jakk's attention was drawn by the hydraulic hiss of the turbo lift's doors opening. From the turbolift came a young blue haired woman in a red uniform. Judging by the tattoo like patterns along both sides of her body, she was a Trill. Spotting Jakkaru she walked over and stood at attention before him. "Lieutenant Junior Grade, Ausril reporting for duty sir."

Jakk nodded. "At ease Lieutenant. I trust you're ready to take your station?"

She nodded. "Aye sir. And, if I might say so sir, it's an honor to be serving under you."

Jakk rolled his eyes. "Don't think of it like that. You're here because your record showed you to be qualified for the position. You earned your place here."

She hesitated then nodded again. "Aye Captain."

"Good, now take your post. We're about to get underway."

She replied with another "Aye" and strode over to the Tactical position, just behind and above the Captain's chair.

Jakk turned to Marco. "Alright, let's not waste any more time."

He walked across the bridge and took his place in the Captain's chair, tapping the console beside the chair to activate the ship's intercom system. "Attention all hands, this is Captain Jakkaru Shiro. We're about to get underway."

Jakkaru waited for a few moments as Marco took the seat to his right, Maris took her position at Ops, and Ensign Pele Cyrot--a brown haired Bajoran girl--took her seat at the helm station. With all of his bridge crew in their proper places he said, "Helm, get clearance to exit dry dock then take us out with maneuvering thrusters."

"Aye sir."

Only a moment passed before the Jackal began to move, sliding out from under the rib like structure of the dry dock. Once clear of Earth Space Dock Jakk said, "Alright, let's start with a test of the Impulse Engines. Full Impulse to the edge of the Solar System Ensign."

"Aye Captain. Increasing speed to Full Impulse."

The Jackal accelerated accordingly, taking them past the planets orbiting the Sun. Jakkaru turned to Marco and said, "It never ceases to amaze me. It used to take us three days to reach our own moon. Now we can reach the edge of our system in a matter of minutes."

Marco nodded. "It does show how far we've come." Without missing a beat he added. "Still, I think you moved a bit faster to meet up with Narihr."

Jakk sighed, and then smiled. "How do you...it doesn't matter. What can I say? I'm having a good day."

Marco chuckled, but if he had any other thoughts he kept them to himself.

Within twenty minutes they reached the edge of the Solar System, prompting Jakkaru to say, "Alright, let's start with something simple, shall we? Ensign, lay in a course for Star Base 39. Warp 7."

A few seconds later came the reply of, "Course laid in Captain."

"Engage."

On the forward view screen the white points of stars became streaks of light, signifying their transition to warp speed. And with that, the Jackal's journey through the galaxy had begun.

***

It wasn't until almost 1930 hours that there was a buzz from the door of Jakkaru's quarters. Narihr was running late, as usual. Jakk took a moment to smooth out his clothes--having changed into more casual attire than his uniform--and, after taking a deep breath, said, "Come."

The doors to his quarters slid open, and Jakk found himself stunned into silence. Like him, Narihr had opted to dress more casually for their dinner date. She had traded the shorter skirt and long sleeves of the uniform for what could be described as the polar opposite. Her fur covered arms were now fully visible, with only her shoulders covered, and she wore a long skirt that hid her tail from view. The dress was light blue in color, almost the same shade as her eyes. The hem was just short enough for him to see that she had rejected her usual low heels for the favored Caitian footwear--that is to say, none at all, exposing her bare paws to view.

She tilted her head ever so slightly--and ever so cutely--when he stayed silent, asking, "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head, finding his voice at the same time. "No it's just...I just haven't seen you like this in so long. It...well that is to say you...look wonderful."

Were her skin visible he would have seen her blushing ever so lightly at the compliment. "Thank you," she purred. "So then, will I be standing in your doorway all night?"

Jakk smiled. "Of course not. Please, come in."

He stepped aside and she stepped across the threshold, the doors sliding closed behind her.

***

When Jakk's alarm went off at 600 hours the next morning he was alone. He didn't mind it though. Even though they hadn't spent the night together afterward, his and Narihr's dinner date had gone quite well. He slid out of bed and got ready for the day, changing into his uniform and attaching his comm badge and rank pips to the front of the long sleeved, high collared shirt. Ready to take command of his ship once more, he left his quarters and made for the nearest turbolift, setting it on a path to the bridge.

When he stepped out of the lift and onto the bridge he walked over to Marco, who was sitting in the Captain's chair. The Commander stood when he saw Jakk approach. "Good morning Captain."

Jakk nodded. "Marco. What's our current status? How far are we from Star Base 39?"

"We just entered the Sierra Sector sir. At our current speed, we should enter the Sierra system in about two hours. Which, not to question your orders, but why are we headed for Star Base 39?"

"I figured a short trip would be good to break in the engines. Plus, in case something does go wrong, we'll already be en route to somewhere with a repair yard."

Marco smirked. "Well, unless you've had one of those weird intuition flashes of yours, I doubt anything will go wrong."

Jakk groaned. A number people were convinced that he had some sort of low level predictive power. 'Intuition plus', they sometimes called it. It was the result of several cases in the past where he had made snap decisions with seemingly no significance that wound up having sizeable impacts. Some called him psychic; he knew better, that he was in fact just lucky. It hadn't stopped rumors from spreading though, and it hadn't stopped Marco--who also felt the rumors were ridiculous--from giving Jakk a hard time about it.

Jakkaru cleared his throat. "Well, if something does go wrong, let me know. I'll be in my ready room. You have the bridge Commander."

"Aye sir."

***

Narihr sighed quietly to herself as she worked on the Rigelian patient in front of her. It was only her second day, and already she was dealing with engineering accidents. The accident in question was relatively minor, with the inexperienced engineering ensign before her burning himself while working on an EPS Conduit. Naturally she had expected to deal with such injuries aboard a star ship, but she hadn't expected to be treating them so soon. Still, it wasn't too bad, and inside of just a few minutes she was ushering the young Rigelian out of Sick Bay, sending him back to work.

Walking back to the bed where she had treated the engineer and gathered up her equipment. She heard the door to Sick Bay open with a hiss, but didn't bother to respond when no one said anything to her. It was likely one of the other medical officers, she thought.

When she turned away to take her instruments over to the storage cabinet she was surprised to see that the cabinet was already open, with a rave haired woman in a blue uniform rummaging through its contents. Narihr frowned. She had made a point of personally introducing herself to the entire medical staff. This woman wasn't one of them.

Narihr approached quietly, waited for a second or two then cleared her throat. "Excuse me, who are you, and what are you doing?"

The woman didn't react with surprise, as Narihr had expected, or even at all for a moment. When she did reply, it was with an uninterested tone. "Don't worry about it. Just let Doctor Halloway know that Lieutenant Commander Seren is borrowing a Medical Tricorder."

"Doctor who?"

The woman turned around quickly, her hair flaring just long enough for Narihr to see the pointed tips of her ears. She was a Vulcan. "Doctor Halloway...the Chief Medical Officer. You're new here, aren't you?"

Narihr sighed. She didn't detest Vulcans--like many emotional species often did--and in fact understood them better than most, as Caitians tended to avoid public displays of emotion. Even so, she still found Vulcans tiresome at times. "I see the misunderstanding here. You don't know yet. Doctor Halloway was forced into an early retirement due to a mental breakdown. I'm his replacement."

The Vulcan seemed almost surprised by that--only almost. "I see. Well, then I suppose a proper introduction is in order. I am Lieutenant Commander Seren, Chief Science Officer."

Narihr nodded. "I'm Narihr. Now then, what's this about a Medical Tricorder?"

"My apologies, Doctor Halloway and I had a bit of an...'open door' policy. He allowed me to borrow anything I needed for my research. I suppose it wouldn't be logical to expect that arrangement to continue."

Narihr shook her head. "I don't mind it. I would like to know what my equipment is being borrowed for though."

"Of course. Are you familiar with Lieutenant Commander Wynter? The one with the Borg Imp--"

"I'm familiar with her, yes."

Whereas anyone else might have been offended by being interrupted, Seren simply shrugged it off and continued. "She and I have been working for years at slowly but surely removing as many implants from her body as we possibly can. Going through her current implants, I discovered two that may be able to be removed without harming her. However, it would be a poor decision to remove them without running a thorough scan of all of their functions. Thus, the Tricorder."

"I see." A question occurred to Narihr. She hesitated, biting her lip as though trying to keep herself from speaking. She was very aware though of Seren's piercing stare, the Vulcan waiting ever so patiently. Narihr sighed. "Tell me...do you trust Maris?"

"I assume you ask because of her history with the Borg, yes? The short answer, Doctor, is yes. I've served alongside her for nearly six years now. In all that time, she's yet to give me any reason to see her as a threat to myself or any other crew members. While it may be prudent to be cautious around someone like her, I can assure you that you don't need to be concerned about her presence onboard this ship."

Narihr nodded, though she wasn't really convinced. "Alright. Well then, I suppose you can borrow a Tricorder. Just return it in one piece."

She walked over to the supply storage and picked up a Tricorder then handed the device to Seren, who took it with an "Of course Doctor," before leaving Sick Bay to return to her work.

Narihr shook her head. Even with Seren's reassurances, she still felt rather uncomfortable about there being a Borg--even a liberated one--onboard the ship.

***

In his ready room, Jakk sat at his desk, reading through the information displayed on the PADD in front of him. It was all the various technical specifications of the ship, with everything from engine and defensive capabilities, to a list of currently available programs on the ship's five holodecks. All in all, he was impressed. The Jackal's cruising warp speed was a respectable warp 6.5, with its maximum speed being warp 9.97--that is to say, maximum without activating the ship's quantum slipstream drive, which while limited in usability, could push the ship up to more than three times that speed.

She wasn't just fast though, she was well armed and defended. The ship's shields and hull were notably strong. More impressive were the Jackal's weapons. Two forward beam arrays--one plasma and one antiproton--two aft beam arrays, consisting of one phaser array and one polaron array. For forward projectiles the ship could fire quantum and plasma torpedoes, and from the aft it could launch a trasphasic cluster torpedo and plasma mines. It was quite clear that the Jackal's armaments were a product of the fact that her construction had begun at the tail end of the Iconian war; she was built for battle.

If nothing else it would make traveling the galaxy safer, up to a point. "Still seems unnecessary to be so heavily armed in an exploration vessel," he commented to himself.

Another minute or two passed in silence then it was impeded upon by his comm badge beeping. Without taking his eyes from the PADD Jakk tapped the badge. "Go ahead."

Marco's voice emanated from the device, saying, "Captain, we have something that requires your command sir."

"What is it?"

"We're receiving a distress signal from the Kei system sir, about 7 Light Years away from our current position. If we increase to maximum warp we can intercept within a matter of minutes."

Jakk nodded. "Lay in a course. I'll be on the bridge momentarily."

The comm beeped again, signaling the connection's closing. Jakk set the PADD down on his desk and stood with a sigh. "Wonderful. Finally get to explore the galaxy and the first thing we do is go barreling into a potentially dangerous situation."

In spite of his dissatisfaction though, he smoothed out the front of his uniform and walked out of his ready room, walking across the bridge over to the Captain's chair, taking his seat with Marco seated to his right. "Did the distress call say anything specific?"

Marco nodded. "Yes, though not much. There's a Romulan Republic freighter under attack."

"By who?"

"Unknown. The message identified the freighter as the R.R.F. Aihai, declared they were under attack, and nothing else."

Jakkaru nodded. "They likely had long range comms knocked out. Maris, what's our ETA?" He asked, directing his attention to his second officer.

"Two minutes, twenty-three seconds sir." She replied.

"Good. Shields up, all stations at yellow alert."

Marco quirked a brow. "Only yellow sir?"

"For all we know the attack could already be over. Thus caution, but not aggression...yet."

Though it was only those two minutes before they dropped out of warp, the tension and silence made it feel like it took longer. When the star lines slowed and became but individual stars again they were greeted with the sight of a small solar system, consisting of but three planets orbiting a dwarf star.

"Give me a scan of the system. I want the location of that freighter." Jakkaru commanded.

After a moment Ausril replied, "I'm picking up two ships, seventeen kilometers starboard."

"Full impulse to their location Ensign Pele."

"Aye sir!"

The Jackal turned, and on the forward view screen they all caught sight of a flash of light from a disruptor cannon. The attack was still going. Accelerating to her top sub-warp speed, the Jackal easily closed the distance. As the 'combatants' came into view a ripple of surprise went through the bridge officers. The ship attacking the Aihai was being attacked by a Romulan Ha'apax Warbird. Jakk stood from his seat, clasping his arms behind his back. "Open a channel to the Warbird. Find out what's going on."

"No response Captain. They seem to be ignoring us." Maris answered a moment later.

"Alright, then send out a message on all frequencies. Let them know that if they don't cease their attack, we will become involved."

Just as the Jackal came into firing range of the Ha'apax, the Warbird stopped firing on the Aihai. Jakkaru smiled. "Good. Now then, let's see if they're willing to talk no--"

"Sir, the Warbird has fired two heavy plasma torpedoes!" Ausril cried out. "One is headed for the Aihai, one is directed at us!"

Jakkaru snarled. "Bastards. Power to forward shields! Target antiproton beams on those torpedoes!"

As they watched the Warbird cloaked and--presumably--fled the scene, leaving only its two slow moving torpedoes behind. If either of those heavy plasma torpedoes hit, the shockwaves alone could cause massive damage, especially to the Aihai.

"Targets locked Captain!" Ausril answered his command.

"Fire!"

Ausril hesitated, freezing with her finger an inch away from the button that would fire the beams. Only a second or two ticked by before Jakkaru spun around and said, "Ausril, fire at those torpedoes now!"

Another pair of seconds passed before Ausril, shaking ever so slightly, rushed her finger down to contact the touch screen, firing the beams.

Jakkaru turned just in time to see two black/red beams destroy the heavy plasma torpedoes. He breathed a sigh of relief. "That was too close for comfort. Open a channel to the Aihai, and start scanning for that Warbird."

"Captain, I've opened a channel to the Aihai." Maris said.

"On screen."

The visage of an aged male Romulan appeared, taking the place of the Aihai on the main viewer. Jakk clasped his arms behind his back once more and inclined his head in greeting. "I am Captain Shiro of the U.S.S. Jackal. We came in response to your distress signal. What happened here?"

"Jolan tru, Captain. I am D'nal, Captain of the Aihai, and I thank you for your assistance. As to what happened, we are transporting a supply of minerals from the Kei mining colony. We hadn't gone more than a few dozen kilometers before we were attacked by that Warbird. They were attempting to claim our cargo...in the name of the Tal Shiar."

Jakk gritted his teeth, but otherwise betrayed no emotion. "I understand. We'll assist you with repairs, if necessary."

"It would be much appreciated Captain. I'll send you the information on our needs. D'nal out."

The screen flashed back to an image of the Aihai, floating a few kilometers in front of them. Jakk turned to Marco. "Commander, take care of assisting the Aihai. I should inform Star Fleet Command of the Tal Shair's presence in this sector. And Lieutenant Ausril!"

"Yes Captain?" The Trill all but squeaked back.

"I'd like to see you in my ready room."

Jakk turned and walked to the left side of the bridge, entering his ready room. He took a seat at his desk, and waited for a moment until Ausril walked through the doors, closing with a hydraulic hiss behind her. It didn't take a Betazoid to tell she was nervous.

Jakkaru laced his fingers together, setting his hands on the desk. With a stern look on his face he said, "I'd like to know what happened Lieutenant. When I gave the order to fire, you froze. Why?"

She gulped. "I'm sorry Captain. I...I was suddenly very aware of the pressure of my position. I've never been in a combat scenario before--at least not as Tactical Officer. I suppose I was afraid sir, of failing, and of disappointing you Captain. You selected me for this position, and I didn't want to make a mistake, and in doing so make you think you had made a mistake. I second guessed myself."

Jakkaru sighed. "As far as I'm concerned Lieutenant, you have disappointed me. But that doesn't mean you can't redeem yourself. I know how much pressure the Tactical position holds--I started as a Tactical Officer myself. But you have to be able to overcome the pressure, not let it overcome you. Your record suggested you would be a good addition to my crew, and I still believe that holds true." Ausril's expression lifted slightly, but dropped again when he said, "However, if this should happen again, I will find someone else to man your station. I can't afford to have my Officers seize up in a stressful scenario. Am I clear?"

The Trill girl nodded. "Aye sir."

"Good. Dismissed."

When the door closed behind her, Jakkaru turned his attention to the console on the desk, entering in the command to connect him to Earth Space Dock. After a few seconds the signal went through, and the screen was filled with the image of Admiral Jorel Quinn. The white bearded Trill nodded and said, "Greetings Captain. I hadn't thought we would be hearing from the Jackal so soon. Didn't your voyage just begin a day ago?"

"Yes Admiral, but I'm afraid we've encountered a situation that requires Command to be informed." Jakkaru quickly recounted the events from the distress signal's interception to the disappearance of the War Bird.

Admiral Quinn ran a hand through his beard, thinking. "Hmm...the Tal Shiar is far less powerful than they once were. Still, this can't be ignored, especially if they're operating so close to Federation Space. I'll begin putting together plans to have patrols run regularly through that area. Is there any sign of the Warbird?"

"No sir. It seems to have fled, for now."

"Very well then Captain, thank you for informing me. I'll get this handled as soon as possible. Quinn out."

Jakk sat back in his chair, crossing his arms, starring for a moment at the now blank screen. Part of him wanted to try to chase down the Warbird himself, but he knew that would be foolish at best. Were it six years prior, and he were in the Captain's chair of the Jackal-A, he would have, but not now. He smiled. "Narihr is right, I have mellowed out."

A few hours would pass before the Aihai was capable of making it to the nearest repair yards, but once the Romulan freighter was well underway, the Jackal set a course out of the Kei system, its voyage truly begun.