Red Alert, Part V: Hollow Victory
Posted on Thu Sep 17th, 2026 @ 3:59pm by Captain Remy Johansen & Sub-Lieutenant Osirin Acainus & Lieutenant Commander Nash Winters & Lieutenant Commander Xalanth & Lieutenant Commander Daynah Ral & Lieutenant Jean-Baptiste Dorsainvil & Commander Maxun Spello & Lieutenant Commander Dante Ambrogio
Edited on on Thu Sep 17th, 2026 @ 4:00pm
2,337 words; about a 12 minute read
Mission:
Peril at the Unification Accords
Location: Various
Timeline: Timeline: MD 11, 1500 HoursAfter Part IV
* * *
USS Astrea Bridge
* * *Xalanth banged one of his hands down on the console, letting out a few untranslated curses. . " Captain, the Romulans destroyed the shuttle. "
Daynah looked up from her console. "Captain, I hate being the wet blanket but the warbird is cloaking. Tracking it as best I can." Her hands danced on the console and her head whipped back and forth as she looked at different readouts. "Lost it. Last known heading was deeper into the Petrus Cluster."
On screen the warbird disappeared from view, the phasers firing into open space, missing their mark, no way of knowing how close they were to just missing the warbird.
"Last known heading was deeper into the Petrus Cluster," the helm officer called out. "Should we pursue?"
"Send a message to Seven-Seven-Three," Remy ordered, "If there are any ships in the region that get out here in time, tell them to deploy now. We have no way of finding a cloaked ship in this condition, continue long range sensor sweep with what we have."
Remy had responded too slowly and she knew it. In her effort to be diplomatic, this ship had gotten away, and with it, possibly the weapon and the people who had killed T'Varel and tried to kill her Chief Medical Officer. She felt a sick feeling in the pit of her chest, her back still felt slick with sweat under her uniform. Without looking at Auvray, she felt his eyes boring into the back of her head with judgement. He had said it.
Before the other senior staff had finished commiserating, Jean-Baptiste's fingers were already busy flying this way and that over his console, his LCARS display tapped directly into Astrea's own secured Intelligence database. His screen began to populate with old fleet registries and Romulan technical assessments dating back fifty years. There were even high-level diplomatic exchanges which only mid-level Intelligence analysts and flag officers has access to.
He frowned.
"Captain... I have something."
JB turned in his chair to face the command well.
"The hull geometry and energy signature match an archived Intelligence profile--with high confidence." He turned back to the screen as the records poured over every inch of the display. "The vessel is consistent with a D'deridex-class warbird formerly identified as the Supakor."
He enlarged the registry and watched the metadata scroll in small text beneath it.
"Commanding officer listed as Subcommander Tasruk." He beat passed as he shook his head in confusion. "Correction--former commanding officer. Federation records indicate Tasruk was confirmed deceased the year after the Dominion War ended."
Another file opened beside it, carrying the banner of a post-war intelligence-sharing agreement between the Federation and Romulans.
"The Supakor was reported decommissioned approximately twelve years ago as part of the military disclosures after the Treaty of Bajor. It was listed as withdrawn from active service... systems stripped... disposition marked complete in 2378."
JB looked up from his console again, catching Spello's gaze. They both seemed to be sharing the same thought--and it was not sitting comfortably.
The Captain turned around to face the back of the Bridge where the crew worked at science and engineering stations, "Lieutenant T'lenn, Sub-Lieutenant Acainus, take your sensor logs, everything you've been working on, and get with Dorsainvil's team. Maybe we picked up something that can be used to identify who... the hell was on that ship." Her voice was low and measured as she worked to keep herself level for the crew.
Osirin nodded, glancing over at the Vulcan. "Yes, ma'am," he replied. Right away."
"Hold our position until we hear from Seven-Seven-Three," she added.
"Progress on our ship sweep, have we heard from the Marines?" Remy asked, the weight of the day feeling heavier than she'd like.
The ancillary operations officer spoke up from behind Commander Spello, "Engineering deck is the only issue reporting a problem, Sir. It's being handled. Lieutenant Martinez and Commander Winters are on scene. Commander Keel has taken a remote Operations station to lock the area down."
"What kind of problem, Ensign?" Remy asked, her patience thin.
Philippe Auvray remained standing in the command well, slightly off to the side of Remy and Spello's seats, one hand resting lightly upon the polished rail. He watched Captain Johansen for several seconds before deciding to speak.
"Captain," he said, his voice carrying and possessing all the courtesy of an engraved invitation. "May I offer an observation?"
He didn't wait even a half-second for permission to become comfortable.
"There is an old saying taught to young officers in Paris. I do not know whether it survives elsewhere." He cleared his throat. "'Le parfait est souvent l'ennemi du bon.' Perfection is very often the enemy of what is simply... good enough."
He took an authoritative step forward, his eyes on the viewscreen, which still showed the empty space where the warbird had vanished.
"The commander of that vessel understood something today. A damaged cloak is still a cloak. A damaged ship is still dangerous. Given ten more seconds, perhaps you would have possessed every answer you desired."
A smile found him--a faint one. His eyes drifted to Spello and then settled on Remy.
"Instead, your adversary required only five."
There wasn't any triumph in his expression. If anything, it resembled well-polished disappointment.
"We will get our answers," Remy replied firmly, turning to square up to Auvray. "Patience is clearly not one of your assets. This isn't over. It's only just begun."
"Lay in a course for 7-7-3," Remy ordered, turning on her heel with simple disregard for Auvray.
"Lieutenant Dorsainvil, keep at it, find out who is in pursuit, and arrange to share what we have, and get me, Commander Winters. I need to know what happened in Engineering."
JB gave a single nod and turned back to his console.
He routed priority traffic first. Starbase 773 and Barisa Control Center. He touched the intership communications panel and sent a command signal through to Main Engineering.
Dante watched the showdown between Remy and Auvray with some amusement though he was careful to keep it off his face; he knew he would have to answer to Auvray later had he caught even a hint of that amusement. He had an inkling of hope growing that gave him some internal promise. He stepped back from the console in front of him and kept a close eye on Auvray as he stepped to an empty spot on the railing where he could see either of the Captains leave the bridge.
On JB's panel, the light flashed from yellow--pending--to green. He turned to Remy in the command well.
"I have Commander Nash standing by," Jean-Baptiste said, routing the channel.
“Nash here. Go ahead, Lieutenant,” replied the engineering chief.
[I’d rather not say too much over open comms, but the Vulcan is in custody. Our Marine detachment did a nice job. They should get a commendation. With your permission, Captain, I’d like to talk to him. His service record brings up more questions than it answers.]
The Captain cast a sideways glance at her first officer. When Nash first said 'Vulcan,' she thought they had an intruder, but then Nash mentioned a service record. One of Auvray's people was standing between Dorsainvil's station and T'lenn's. There were too many strangers on her ship. Her Bridge.
"I'll have Commander Xalanth meet you in Interrogation Room 1," Remy replied. "Have the Marine in charge down there to send someone up to the Bridge for a briefing once everything is secure."
The Captain turned to the back of the Bridge. "J.B., make sure everything is sent to my Ready Room, including a patch on this interview."
"Yes, ma'am."
It was then that she noticed Fulvia sitting beside J.B. and Xalanth still at this station and thought of their large family. "Commander Spello, once the Marines report they are finished, bring us back down to Yellow Alert until we are back in dock, and relieve Lieutenant Fulvia to see to their children. We need to get a roster from the school and see who else might need to have someone replace them at their post so we can get the schools cleared out."
"Commander Xalanth, Interview Room 1," the Captain stated, finishing off her orders. "Let's see who this Vulcan is, and what happened down there."
Auvray caught Dante's gaze and raised one silent eyebrow at the quickly unfolding situation. It would have been invisible to anyone who didn't already realize what they were looking at. Years earlier, they'd forged a strong friendship. Philippe allowed the moment to pass with nothing more than the faintest inclination of his head before returning his attention to the bridge, content to let everyone present believe they were merely strangers.
Dante gave a near imperceptible shake of his head at Auvray's brow, ensuring it appeared as though he himself was busy. He waited for a few minutes longer, watching and listening before stepping toward one of the exits to the bridge.
"Yes, ma'am," Xalanth said as he stood up to follow the captain. As he passed Fulvia, he stopped and quietly said to her. "Page 23," he said warmly, before following the captain.
"Commander Ral, scan the debris. Maybe there are some clues out there. Signs of why they wanted it destroyed."
Without offering Auvray or the rest of her crew an opportunity to see a reaction, so walked coolly off of the Bridge floor and into her Ready Room.
Twenty minutes later, Nash arrived at Interrogation 1 to meet Commander Xalanth.
“Xalanth, good to see you, my friend. I’m hoping you’ll accompany me to talk to this guy. Whatever is going on, I am worried it has something to do with me. I can’t be sure, though. His posting to Astrea just happens to be the same time I was called away to Earth. I don’t believe in coincidences. Something just doesn’t sit right with me, bubba. You don’t have to be an empath to know he’s hiding something.”
The Vulcan in custody pulled away from the Security Offiver just enough to square up to Commander Winters. "Coincidences happen every day, Commander. But I assure you, this is much, much larger than you."
"Well then looks like we have a very big problem to solve." Xalanth said to Winters.
“Indeed, we do,” Nash said, trying to be reassuring. He sat beside Xalanth with the Vulcan across from them.
Nash began. “I’m Commander Winters, this is Commander Xalanth. So, Kerek, if that is your name. Tell us..why you are here. And tell us….who you are working for. If you are not in a talking mood, we can always try another method. How do you feel about mind melds, Kerek? I happen to know a certain Vulcan science Officer who is very skilled in the practice. I might be able to convince her to help us. You see….up until about 6 weeks ago, you didn’t exist. That’s very strange. Isn’t that strange, Commander?”
"Indeed it does. Would you like to cut to the chase and tell us who you really are, Kerek?" Xalanth added his yellow, unblinking eyes, seemingly trying to stare into the man's soul.
Nash continues, watching the Vulcan carefully as he veers off to a distant tangent.
“I find it interesting how you look at Xalanth. You’ve never seen a Dragonian before. He is the first to serve in Starfleet. We seemed to hit it off right away. I find him to be honest, steadfast, reliable, and honorable. He has a beautiful family. Large family. Seven children. It’s remarkable.” Nash starts cackling like he heard a hysterical joke. “I remember that time….I came over to see the kids. They call me Uncle Nash, you believe that? Anyway, I was horsing around with two of the kids, I think it Yazar and Travla. They have these sharp claw at the end of their hands. Lacerations on my hands. Needed a dermal regenerator. We were having so much fun, I didn’t even realize it. This crew is my family, Kerek. Part of my job as a senior officer is to keep the crew safe. Please tell us what we need to know.”
Kerek merely sighed. The officers wouldn't have much time with him, and Starfleet was limited with what they would be allowed to do with it.
Captain Remira Johansen
Commanding Officer
USS Astrea
Commander Maxun Spello
First Officer
USS Astrea
Lt. Commander Nash Winters
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Astrea
Lt. Commander Xalanth
Chief Security Officer
USS Astrea
Lieutenant Jean-Baptiste Dorsainvil
Assistant Chief Security Officer
USS Astrea
Lt. Commander Daynah Ral
Chief Operations Officer
USS Astrea
Sub-Lieutenant Osirin Acainus
Mission Advisor
USS Astrea
Captain Philippe Auvray
Senior Starfleet Security Liaison
Starfleet Security
(NPC of JB Dorsainvil)
Lt. Commander Dante Ambrogio
Executive Officer for Starfleet Internal Investigations
USS Phoenix
(NPC of Alexandra Blackstone)
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