Executive Officer’s Personal Log:

Since I’ve taken command to allow Captain Orex some long overdue rest, I have found myself facing tough choice after tough crises. At least it certainly feels like it. So many times I wanted to wake the Captain, but what kind of executive officer would I be if did such a thing. Besides, I am more than capable of handling the pressure. That doesn’t mean it is an enjoyable experience, however.

I know what the crew thinks of me. The Raptor seems to be my unofficial title amongst much of the crew. I like it but I must remember that as the XO, I need to be the approachable one. It doesn’t come naturally to me. I am much more of a ‘I said it needed to be done, now do it’ sort. I sometimes suspect that the reason I was assigned under Captain Orex was to learn perspective.

This is my first taste of real command. Not commanding a shift. Not commanding a simulation. This is real life and until the Captain returns to duty, it is all on my shoulders. So be it.

End Personal Log

Day of Trial 1: 1727 Ship’s Time

The San Diego had just left a much relieved group of ships’ captains and crews, happy to know the San Diego was still alive and with them. With Captain Kanok telling Grkovic not to worry as he was more than able to keep “this merry band of reprobates” in line. The San Diego was headed back to it’s previous spot to power down and wait once again.

It was tiring and it was stressful and maybe this is what caused Commander Grkovic to mutter out loud, “I hate just sitting in the open.”

The helmsman on duty, Ensign Helmut Ridenour, turned his head slightly.

“Sir?”, he asked.

Silently cursing herself, Grkovic answered, “Nothing, Ensign. Just mind your duties.”

“Yes, sir.”, Ridenour nodded.

But he had heard what the executive officer had said. What’s more he agreed and he had been idly working on a solution in his head. He had wanted to bring it up to the captain.

Why did it have to be her?, Ridenour thought morosely

The executive officer was somewhat feared and held in awe by the junior officers and crew. She seemed to be everywhere with her sharp manner and hawk-like gaze. She never seemed to slow down either.

But the longer we sit out here, the more likely something bad will happen. I just know it.

Ridenour came to decision and steeled himself,

“Commander?”

Grkovic turned her raptor’s stare towards the young helmsman, “Yes, ensign.”

Taking another fortifying breath, Ridenour started speaking before he could change his mind.

“With respect, I actually heard you, sir. I agree and I’ve been working on an idea that might help.”, the words seemed to tumble out but Ridenour sat straight and looked the commander in the eye without flinching.

Grkovic’s eyes narrowed and she stalked towards the ensign. Then she stopped and considered.

It’s not my job to slap this man down. I shouldn’t be irritated at all, I must be getting tired myself. I need to not only encourage my own approachability, but this young ensign’s ability to think for himself. Just as any Starfleet officer should.

Realizing this could be a pivotal moment of Ensign Ridenour’s career, Grkovic gathered herself and said, “I’m listening, Ensign.”

Showing signs of relief, Ridenour began, “The asteroid belt between Ramilles VI and VII. I know it’s dense but I can get us in there.”

Grkovic scoffed, “Powered down and unable to do stationkeeping or shoot a rock in a pinch. Do you realize how fast those asteroids travel?”

“I can do stationkeeping with the directional and docking thrusters.”, Ridenour continued doggedly, “I can make us look like just another hunk of metal. I’ll have to concentrate but I can probably do a slightly better job then the computer in this instance. Also unlike the magnetosphere of a planet we’ll have an easier time seeing out.”

Grkovic stared at the helmsman incredulously,

“What is it with pilots?”

“I’ve been doing simulations, sir!”, Ridenour almost shouted, sensing he was losing the executive officer.

“Simulations?”,Grkovic echoed.

“Yes, sir. Not much to do powered down and waiting. The idea hit me and so I did several simulations. I would never have even brought it up to you otherwise believe me.”, Ridenour’s tone was almost comically earnest.

There was a choked cough from the operations station and Grkovic looked over to see Lt. Abercrombie suspiciously covering his mouth with his hand. 

Noticing the sudden shift of attention towards him, the Australian pointed to his throat while making a pained expression, “Sorry, bit of a frog in my throat.”

“Right.”, Grkovic replied skeptically, holding the operations officer’s eyes for another moment before turning back to Ridenour, “Let me see those simulations, ensign.”

With the executive officer standing over his shoulder, Ridenour played back the simulations he had run. Grkovic’s face turned from grim, to surprised, to disbelief. She looked sharply at Ridenour then said, “Stand by, ensign.”

Grkovic stalked to the nearest auxiliary console and pulled up the personnel file for one Ensign Helmut Ridenour. 

You really are almost as good as you think you are, Grkovic thought to herself after seeing his piloting scores.

Grkovic stood up and looked at Ridenour, “Alright, ensign, we’ll try it. The second it goes to hell or I feel you can’t handle it we stop. You do realize you can’t stay awake the whole time, right?”

“Yes, sir. I figured we can skim the edge of the belt when I sleep, not as good as being in it but better than the open.”

Probably where we should’ve been hiding from the beginning, Grkovic thought with hindsight, while speaking aloud.

“You seem to have an answer for everything, ensign.”, softening the words with a rare smile.

“I had plenty of time to think it through, sir.”, Ridenour replied almost shyly.

“Understandable. Take us in, Mr. Ridenour and pray we don’t get caught on the move.”

Ridenour turned to his console and began to lay in a course to the closest part of the asteroid belt. He was smiling.

Day of Trial 1: 2003 Ship’s Time

Commander Grkovic had had a change of heart and had cleared Lt. Commander Massaquoi to deploy the modified probes, which the chief engineer had dubbed “screamers”.

Massaquoi and his engineers had also outdid expectations and managed to put together six screamers. They now were floating quietly about the system, augmenting the San Diego’s own sensors.

I just hope they test well, Grkovic thought to herself.

She had some reservations, but in the end decided the pros outweighed the potential cons. She just hoped Captain Orex agreed with her decision.

Ping!

Grkovic quickly turned towards Lt. T’Prenn at her tactical station, expression asking the obvious question. A screamer had started screaming.

“Screamer Five, Commander. Collecting information now.”, somehow the Vulcan seemed to convey slight disapproval at the term “screamer”.

“Another freighter?”, Grkovic asked tensely.

After a few more seconds of going over the information the screamer was able to send through the interference, T’Prenn looked up at the executive officer, “No, sir.”

Unprompted, T’Prenn put a still image on the main viewer. It was somewhat distorted and blurred but clear enough to see larger details. It was a ship, sleek with almost organic lines. It looked almost predatory.

“What do we know, Lieutenant?”, Grkovic never took her eyes off of the ship being shown on screen.

T’Prenn spoke with clinical detachment, “The vessel came into system at high warp, unable to give an exact speed. Armaments are confirmed, however the interference is making exact specifications impossible at this time.”

“So a potentially heavily armed and hostile ship unaffected by the anomaly has warped into the system.”, Grkovic finally looked over at T’Prenn as the atmosphere on the bridge seemed to darken.

“A reasonable assessment under the circumstances, sir.”, T’Prenn answered then suddenly looked back at her console before looking back at the executive officer, “And Screamer Five has gone silent.”

T’Prenn said this last statement as if discussing the weather and Grkovic asked, “The anomaly?”

“No, sir. The silencing was too abrupt.”, T’Prenn said with confidence.

Grkovic turned to Ensign Helmut Ridenour at his helm station, “Keep making us look like another rock, ensign.”

“Aye, sir.”, the young, blonde helmsman replied.

Ping!

“Screamer Three, sir.”, T’Prenn supplied, “much closer.”

Grkovic held her breath as if any noise would give them away and Ridenour concentrated on his console fiercely. 

T’Prenn spoke again, “They are closing fast, Commander.”

“Do they see us?”, Grkovic shot back.

T’Prenn stared at her console, weighing the data.

“Lieutenant?”, Grkovic pressed after a few moments.

T’Prenn looked up, “I do not believe so, sir. I believe they are skirting the outer edge of the belt in a regular sweep of the area. We simply have the misfortune of the vessel picking an area close to us.”

Grkovic looked off to the side, eyes unfocused as her mind worked furiously. She suddenly looked up and spoke, “Mr. Ridenour, I believe we are about to find out the true merit of your little idea here very soon.”

“Aye, sir.”, the ensign replied, eyes never leaving his console, hands moving with deft, subtle movements.

“Three hundred thousand, kilometers and closing. With the interference the vessel’s signature is fading in and out.”, T’Prenn spoke quietly.

Grkovic unconsciously sucked in a breath. That was getting quite close by spacefaring standards.

“Two hundred and fifty thousand.”

Ridenour let out a shuddering breath even as he smoothly worked his console in a odd dichotomy of courage and fear.

“Can we fight it, Mr. T’Prenn?”, Grkovic asked softly.

“Even with the limited information available, I can deduce they are far more heavily armed than we are, sir. They also seem unaffected by the anomaly. One hundred seventy five thousand.”

Trust T’Prenn, Adrijana. Don’t flinch, Grkovic told herself and suddenly her fierce nature came to the fore and she glowered defiantly.

With the exception of T’Prenn and Ridenour, the bridge personnel began to shuffle and look around nervously.

“Steady friends, we’re fine.”, this came from Lieutenant Michael Abercombie, the ship’s chief operations officer. Grkovic was quietly grateful for his comforting words to the crew, even if he seemed to be comforting himself as much as anyone else.

“One hundred thirty thousand.”, T’Prenn said.

Just the tension seemed to reach unbearable heights, T’Prenn called out, “They are veering off. Last projected course is out of the system, headed to NGC-9724. That is my best conclusion, Commander.”

The exhalation of held breaths was audible on the bridge, so audible in fact that it covered the sound of doors opening.

Several of the bridge crew gave startled jerks as a gravelly voice inquired, “What did I miss?”

Grkovic, for one of the few times in her life, didn’t know where to start as the stress of what just happened evacuated her body and she was left feeling drained.

Captain Orex, able to read the room and sense the atmosphere of the bridge, spoke again with a small smile.

“That much, I see. Alright, senior officers to the conference room in ten. Let’s see what you have been up to while your lazy captain slept.”