“Lieutenant, we’ve got a problem.”  The young ensign leaned back from her station, catching the Deputy Director of Communications Operations as she returned with coffee to her desk in the center of the ring.

Lieutenant Presley Atega took a hesitant sip of from the steaming cup and walked up behind the shift lead on the night shift, “Define problem.”

“The private mining operation that arrived two nights ago for Rital II is reporting instabilities in their mining equipment.  The DDEO told them to shut it down so they can send in a team.”

Atega frowned, “DDEO?”

“Deputy Director Engineering Operations.”

“That is a lot to say.  DDEO it is.  They shut down, of course.”  The ensign shook her head in reply.  Atega felt the hair on her neck stand up, “How long since the DDEO advised them?”

“Two hours.  That’s part of the problem.  Colonial Operations reports unusual power and signal readings from the Rital 2 operations site – all within the last ten minutes.  There are no outbound communications; we can’t raise them on any channel.”

Presley felt her heart begin to shift into the next gear.  “That’s a problem.  We don’t have a…” she thought for a moment, “a…DDMO yet.”  She mentally went down her checklist as fast as her tired mind would, “Wake up Halsey – signal for a triage and trauma response team to meet up with him in the emergency response shuttle bay.  Who’s in CENTCOM?”  They had quickly discovered that Central Command Center was a lot to say.  They’d shortened it.

“Crawford.”

Captain Peter Crawford looked up as Atega finished her report, “We were monitoring it as well.  The atmosphere of Rital II isn’t conducive to detailed sensor reports.  We suspected they were using it to keep our eyes off their operations, but the permits were checked out, and they had a claim.  Halsey’s launching in two.”  He turned in the console, tapping open a channel, “Crawford to Moore.”

“Go ahead, captain.”

“Looks like your best friends on Rital II decided to try their luck.  We’ve got a developing situation.”  He explained what they knew, ending with, “We’re going to need you and a damage control team in the emergency response shuttle bay.”  Moore reported she was already on her way.  He turned to Atega, “Which of the squadron is closest?”

She tapped at her PADD, “Perseverance is on assignment, as is Douglas.  That leaves Dragonfly, sir.”  Atega was familiar with her captain.  Everyone was familiar with Captain Pantuso.

Crawford chuckled, “My favorite.  Signal her to move to Rita II in support of our operation.  Wake up your auxiliary teams to help staff out a group to handle this centrally – I’ll handle the operations side of things.  How many miners did they bring with them?”

“300, sir.”

“Then we’d better get to work.”  She dashed off at his dismissal, tapping her orders on the PADD.

“Standby!”  The runabout danced roughly through the outer atmosphere of Rital II.  The pilot was good, Captain Halsey reasoned to steady himself.  But even the good ones struggled.  The cabin shook once more, and he was thankful for the seatbelts that kept them secure.  Two additional medical runabouts and three staffed engineering runabouts were behind them.  Lieutenant Greer Moore had tossed him a PADD with what they had on the schematics and operations for the mining operation.  He wasn’t much of an engineer, but he could see several risk factors at first glance.  He didn’t dare do a second glance.  Greer’s face as she’d ordered her teams to move faster told him enough.  She was worried.  Not only that, she was angry.  The Deputy Director of Engineering Operations had a terrible poker face.  “Breaking through upper…reaching lower!”

He glanced out the windows, a gasp escaping his and others.  The sky was filled with black-plumed smoke, and bright orange fires dotted the site.  The main center was engulfed in a raging blaze, and explosions sputtered as the flames slowly moved through the site.  He asked, “You found us a good landing spot, lieutenant?”

The shuttle shook again. The pilot tapped furiously at his console, “Captain, the landing pads are in ruins. I don’t see a viable landing location. Engineering will have to clear some space for us. We’re going to have to transport you down, sir.”

Halsey tapped his seatbelt off, “Understood.  Triage teams – you’ll go first. Full protective suits for everyone until we have a handle on everything else.  We’ll follow, and engineering will be beside us.  Let’s go!”