Waiting

Posted on Sun Jul 27th, 2025 @ 3:46am by Commodore Samantha York & Commander Joren Tal & Lieutenant Aenar Torek & Lieutenant Bela Swain & Lieutenant JG Vincent Shaw

1,436 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Broken Mirror
Location: Calypso

The Marine Team was on the third mercenary ship, looking for the scientist and information. The other two ships were damaged, but not surrendering. Yet.

Sam wasn't going to attack if she could out wait them. Nor was she going to put her retrieval team in more jeopardy if she had a choice. So, they watched and waited.

While they were waiting, Vincent was determined in figuring out how to get a better scan on the other ships. Could it be the different harmonics being on this side of the mirror? There was that time on the SS Gavia when there seemed to be a bleed over from another universe and it was causing havoc, with the sensors. He ran calculations in his head checking the figures with a calculator. He made some minor adjustments, trying to scan the ships once more.

Joren detested waiting. He had long accepted that sometimes waiting was the best course of action, and fully agreed with the Commodore. But that didn't mean he liked doing it. So rather than twiddle his thumbs, which he knew only resulted in annoyed fellow crewmates (pacing up and down the bridge tended to put others on edge, for some reason) - Joren excused himself from the bridge and paced towards the holodeck for some exercise, while staying on the comms in case he was needed.

Catching himself staring into space, Satt mentally shook himself and collected his wits once more. Looking down to his console, he dedicated a small portion to running scenarios of what could happen with the other ships. Being prepared was the key, he always reasoned, and given they were just ... waiting for something to happen, he might as well busy himself.

Satt always liked keeping himself busy. Allowing his brain too much time to wander always led to a dark place, created years before during the War. Even now it was still hard to escape, so keeping busy, and the mind focused, was for the best.

Having finally made his way to his own Science console, Aenar had spent a few good minutes luxuriating in the comfort and security of being aboard a Galaxy-class vessel once more. He saw that his deputy, though culturally argumentative, had done a good job in his absence. Seeing that they were waiting for an update on the ships in their vicinity, he had delved into the logs of the action to familiarise himself. It was better than giving in to the itch of impatience for action he had.

Spying the Duty Officer at Tactical staring off into space, he chuckled to himself. At least he wasn't the only one bored to tears with waiting.

Bela watched as the crew started to allow their focus to slide. Waiting was difficult, even for a counselor. Noticing Aenar doing something other than letting his focus wander off, she decided to give him some attention as a reward and as encouragement to others.

Hopping out of her chair, she headed over to Aenar and asked in a sing song voice, "Whatcha doin'?" She beamed in his general direction, so that when he turned towards her, he would catch her large smile facing him.

Smiling, Aenar looked up at the Counsellor. "Looking through the mission logs. Seems I've missed out on a few things. Care to join?" He patted the seat next to his. "Plenty of room, Bela."

Bela was not about to refuse the seat, and she sidled up next to Aenar and keenly looked onto Aenar's screen. "What did you miss, and why?" she asked curiously.

'Mostly the aftermath of missing the MU engineer,' Aenar replied with a sheepish smile, 'I got a little concussed, and it's taken a while to get back up to speed, and walking around.' He sighed, a little frustrated. 'I missed the crossing into this messed-up reality too.'

He shot her a smile, 'missed being cross-examined by the Chief Counsellor too.'

Bela laughed prettily at that. "I'm quite hardly a prosecutor and I'm never so aggressive."

'You don't need to be aggressive to be a good cross-examiner," Aenar noted, pleased he'd gotten her to laugh. This mission had largely been devoid of cheer. "But a good Counsellor always asks a follow-up if needed, no?"

"Of course!" Bela replied enthusiastically, "Which, of course, is why I am here. Is there anything you need, or anything that I can help with?"

'Well, I could use a drink, but I think that's frowned upon when on duty." Aenar chuckled, before shaking his head, "the same as everyone else - to get out of this topsy-turvy reality, get back to our own time and place. Get back that sense of belonging to where I am and knowing that I am the real me."

He paused, then said, "You know, I have no idea how I'd react if I saw my alter-ego? What would that do to a person? Would I lose my mind?"

"There are documented cases of Starfleet officers meeting their mirror counterparts. Nobody has lost their mind yet," Bela told Aenar reassuringly. "And from everything that I have gathered, it would be pretty easy to tell your mirror self apart. They're much more aggressive and violent here." She visibly shuddered. "My mirror self is likely dead if she's anything like me. I don't know how I or maybe she could handle the constant violence."

"You know, I'd like to think every reality has a Bela similar to ours," Aenar said with a smile. "I think being around her would make everyone chill out a little. Even in this universe."

"That's very sweet, Aenar, but in this world where it is a mirror image, I have to fear that I would be someone completely terrifying."

'Who knows, in all honesty? We're making assumptions based on anecdotal data - I'm not sure a reality could exist where everyone was completely malicious.' Aenar sighed, 'it would be a great scientific study to be able to observe this reality unobstructed, but it seems that that will never be possible.'

Bela shuddered. "I don't think that's anything that I would ever want to study."

Sam watched the data streaming down the sides of the viewscreen, but her thoughts were focused on memories of missions past. Especially ones involving Damon. It was going to take her time to truly absorb what happened and that he wasn't coming back. She would. In time. But for now, she continued to watch the data.

Vincent decided to check on those who had gone on the third MU Ship, keeping tabs on them. Having had taken in consideration of the harmonics on this side of the mirror, he tracked the combadge signatures of the team that was there. It looked like the team had split into two groups. The three marines looked to be like they were crawling in the jefferies tubes.

"Commodore I've got movement from our team that are on the third ship. They've separated in to two teams, from the scan I am getting the marines had come across someone in the jefferies tubes. Looks like the situation is contained."

Sending the scan feed to Sam for her to see.

"Thank you," Sam said to Vincent. "Keep me updated."

"Aye Commodore." Vincent's eyes drifted back to the screen, his eyes widened he uttered "Blast!!" loud enough to interrupt anyone who was in a conversation. "Commodore there is phaser fire going on!" the operations officer calling out loudly.

"Get our people back," Sam ordered. "Security, punch a hole in those shields long enough to get a transporter lock on our people."

Nodding, and declaring an 'aye Captain,' Satt programmed a fire-pattern into the Tactical console, leaning against it with one hand. beams of energy lanced out across space, striking the enemy vessel across its shields, draining them to the point that they could get their people out. 'Enemy shields are down to sixty percent and falling,' the Bolian declared in his thick voice.

"Commodore sending the coordinates to the transporter chief, if I may?" Shaw queried of Samantha.

"Yes. Get them aboard. Then contact the Prowler. We need to find out which of those ships has the technology to jump between universes and destroy it. We can't go home until we finish this."

A post by

Commodore Samantha York
Commanding Officer
USS Calypso

Lieutenant Vincent Shaw
Chief of Operations
USS Calypso

Lieutenant Bela Swaim
Chief Counselor
USS Calypso

Ensign Satt
Security
USS Calypso

Commander Joren Tal
Executive Officer
USS Calypso

Lieutenant Aenar Torek
Chief Science Officer
USS Calypso

 

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