Captain Day Renora walked into the conference room off of the Vallejo bridge and took her place at the head of the long curved dark wooden table. Standing behind her high-backed chair she steadied herself by gripping the headrest, forcing herself to not let the exhaustion take root; there would be time for rest soon.

The senior officers began to come in and take their seats, including Dr. Pell, Lt. Valis, Lt. Kellan, Lt. Loran, and Ambassador Jiana Tilis. Commander Mehta was last to arrive having turned over command of the Bridge to Lt. Commander Rax. Once he took his seat, Captain Day began, choosing to remain standing.

“First order of business,” Captain Day began, her gaze sweeping across the assembled officers and remaining on Dr. Pell, “is an update on our wounded.”

Dr. Pell slouched in her seat, her Tellarite features set in a perpetual grimace. “Lieutenant Amir has been stabilized,” she reported, her voice deep. “He sustained severe injuries, but I am confident the medical team DS47 can grow a biosynthetic arm to replace the one he lost. That being said he will have a long road to recovery, but he seems to be in good spirits all things considered. Chef Amodio has made a full recovery once we were able to return power to the vascular regenerator. No other serious injuries have been reported.”

Captain Day nodded; relief evident in her eyes. “Good to hear, Doctor. Please keep me updated.” Turning her gaze to Chief Engineer Valis, “Lt. Valis, damage report.”

Lt. Valis tapped a few controls on the interface on the conference room table, “Ship’s systems report,” she announced without any hint of emotion, projecting a holographic display of the USS Vallejo’s schematics above the table. There were several red dots on the wireframe model of the ship as it slowly spun in the air. “We sustained damage to the port warp nacelle and primary plasma conduits. There are several instances of minor damage to the ODN matrix along decks four through eight. Repairs are underway, but it will take some time to restore full functionality. Our best possible speed is warp 6 at the moment.”

Captain Day listened attentively, thankful the ship faired so well in the encounter. “Thank you, Lieutenant. Keep me informed of any developments.”

Lt. Asha Kellan, the ship’s Science Officer, followed with her report. “Captain, our scans indicate no trace of the Spire,” she stated, her slight Ardanan accent lilting. “Furthermore, there are no detectable amounts of xirdalium in the surrounding system.”

Lt. Loran added, “It’s as if the Spire never existed in the first place. No anomalous readings, no residual energy signatures, and no trace of the harmonic field.”

The assembled officers exchanged puzzled glances, their minds grappling with the implications of their findings.

“Why were we spared?” Ambassador Tilis asked; her Trill features etched with curiosity. “What changed Velenia’s mind?”

Commander Mehta leaned forward. “Perhaps our actions on the Spire had some unforeseen impact,” he suggested, his tone thoughtful. “Maybe we inadvertently showed her a different path.”

“It’s possible that our efforts to prevent the destruction of the Spire resonated with her,” Lt. Loren added.

Captain Day cleared her throat, her voice cutting through the speculative murmurs. “I made every effort to convince Velenia otherwise,” she confessed, her tone tinged with frustration. “But she was adamant that she must protect the interests of the Sharnak at any cost, even if it meant our destruction.”

Lt. Valis raised an eyebrow, her Vulcan logic at work. “It is illogical for the Sharnak to destroy us if our actions posed no threat to them,” she pointed out, her voice calm and measured. “There must be another reason behind Velenia’s decision.”

Dr. Pell grumbled, her Tellarite features set in a grimace of disapproval. Though she wasn’t directly involved in the encounter with Velenia, the brutality of the attack on Lieutenant Amir was evidence enough of their ruthless nature.

Commander Mehta straightened up in his chair, his expression determined. “Regardless of Velenia’s motives, we cannot afford to dwell on the why,” he stated firmly. “Our priority now is to assess our situation and ensure the safety of the ship and its crew.”

Captain Day nodded in agreement, her gaze sweeping across the assembled officers. “Agreed,” she affirmed, her voice resolute. ” Commander Mehta, have Ensign Renn set a course for DS47.  Lt. Valis, use any resources necessary to complete repairs. Dr. Pell, I will join you in sickbay shortly to see Lt. Amir. Dismissed.”