The Horizon Beckons

Posted on Sun Aug 30th, 2026 @ 4:56pm by Lieutenant Commander Dante Ambrogio & Captain Remy Johansen
Edited on on Sun Aug 30th, 2026 @ 5:56pm

1,571 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Maintenance and Recovery
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: November 6, 2389, MD 04: 0900 Hours

Dante stepped through the bridge and headed straight for the door of the ready room; he had been observing quietly for the last two weeks but now he decided that it was not going to jeopardize the safety of the Astrea and her crew for him to begin the job that he had been sent to the Astrea for. He stopped outside of the door and straightened his uniform before he pressed the chime and waited.

"Come in," Remy responded half-heartedly as she stood up to greet her guest. She expected to see a member of her senior staff, or one of the junior officers that had been recently tasked with an assignment. Instead she saw a face that was only vaguely familiar to her. Yet one who was occupying quite a bit of her Bridge space when they confronted the old Romulan ship.

Instead of walking around to meet the officer in the well of the room, she stayed behind her desk.

"How can I help you, Commander?" She asked.

"I thought I might introduce myself formally; I have been on board for a little bit but have not wanted to disrupt the handling of the situation on Barisa Prime." He stepped forward and offered a hand. "I am sure Command would dislike that I am even doing this first; but I feel it is only fair that you know Starfleet has demanded an audit on the events around these accords."

"Starfleet would dislike that you are introducing yourself? Or telling me that there is going to be an audit?" This man was a junior officers, and she addressed him as such when she asked her questions. She also couldn't help but notice his complexion had an interesting pallor, even for a Vulcan. It was part of what made his face so memorable from the Bridge, but now with fewer distractions, it was even more noticeable.

"The figures that most want this audit done would most certainly not be pleased that I gave you forewarning of anything; however.... I never much cared for those particular individuals desires. Especially since they are how I ended up assigned to the Phoenix." He offered a grim smile before continuing. "Captain; there are those that wish your command ill in the upper echelons."

"And why do you suppose anyone would wish my command to fail?" Remy asked, keeping her tone neutral, though curious. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. The Phoenix you said. Makes sense. I don't suppose it's a bad ship, other than it might be hard to make friends outside of internal affairs."

"Aye.." he paused a flash of distaste flashed across his face. "The Phoenix was here for the accords." He took a breath before continuing. "Dante Ambrogio; XO of the Phoenix... for now, anyway. I don't like to guess at the motives behind this audit, Captain. I just know that Astrea wasn't due for an audit for another four months until the events at the Accords went down the way they did. I came aboard the Astrea to prep as your crew was beginning the investigation into the attack on the Ambassador. I have tried to remain out of the way; I certainly did not need to add more stress to the crew."

"Well you certainly don't seem to know much, do you, Mr. Ambrogio?" Remy replied dryly. She knew that there were those that didn't want her in command. That wasn't new information. The question was whether or not this Commander could help her at all, or why he had come to her in the first place.

"So, you just thought I should know?" Remy clarified.

"I suppose I should be more candid; I don't know the names beyond Captain Palacios but I do know that his, as well as my own, orders ultimately come from well above my paygrade. And... none of them are as straightforward as they seem." He paused and glanced over his shoulder as though looking for an unseen watcher. "I wanted you to be able to quietly prepare anything that you might need to before the audit officially begins... I also wanted to meet you face to face because I don't believe in lurking in the shadows when it is unnecessary."

"Well, I can assure you, we have nothing to hide here," Remy replied smoothly. "Though, I always appreciate candidness in an officer. Can I do anything for you?" She asked, turning the tables. There was someone she needed to get to, and she needed him out of her office without suspecting anything.

Dante produced a PaDD from the clip at his belt and set it on the desk. "These are the orders for the Audit, Captain. I'll let you read them at your leisure..." He began to turn then stopped. "One last thing... I know that there are some sensitive areas onboard Astrea.... are there any that require a.... delicate touch during the audit?

Remy glared at the officer. A stranger asking such a sensitive question, as if she had any reason to trust him whatsoever.

"No," she replied simply. "Am I supposed to be in possession of this yet?" She asked lifting up the PaDD. Since this was an informal meeting and all."

"In possession of what?" His response was evasive and accompanied by a slight upturn of his mouth into a little bit of smugness.

"I see," Remy replied dryly. She read the look on his face all to well, and from someone like Spello she might have been amused, but she was suspicious still of this Ambrogio individual, and why he'd risk coming to a complete stranger.

"Well, if there is nothing else." Remy glanced casually at the door, her tone still guarded.

The lilt was back in his voice and hia face schooled in a moment as he began to turn. "Have a good evening, Captain Johansen. And thank you for sparing these few minutes." With that he was out the door quicker than he had come and gone from the bridge just as fast.

Remy waited a few minutes almost as if she wasn't sure that he was really gone, then she took a few more minutes and scrolled through the PaDD he had left behind.

"Computer, where is Dr. Blackstone?" she asked, still scolling through the PaDD as she listened for the answer.

"Dr. Blackstone is on Deck 12, Auxillary Lab 4."

Remy took a bated breath and stepped out onto the Bridge. She saw no signs of the Commander who had just visited her. She carried the PaDD onto the turbolift and directed the lift to take her to Deck 12 then pressed her Commbadge.

"Captain Johansen to Dr. Blackstone, meet me in the Physician's Lounge as soon as possible. I'm on my way."

"Acknowledged Captain; I will meet you there presently"

Physician's Lounge

Alex set down the work she had been about to begin and stepped out of Science Lab 4; ensuring that she locked it back down under the codes she had been given by the Board that had approved her project. She began to step away and then thought better of it and reactivated the final layer of security for the lab; sealing it hermetically and under her name as ACMO. With a small satisfied "hm" she turned and headed for the Physician's Lounge; making a beeline through one of the shorter corridors and arriving at the door where she tugged her uniform straight and took a breath before entering.

When she stepped inside she was happy to see that it was completely empty and the couple of alcoves and the spare office were as well. "How fortuitous..." she whispered; a small shiver running down her spine before she could reign her mind back in from its attempt to ruminate on what the meeting concerned.

When the Captain walked in half a beat later it wasn't readily apparent that anything was wrong at first, but then she spoke as she handed Blackstone the PaDD.

"We may have a problem."

Alex started to ask a question but fell silent as she began to read. After a few moments; in which she read and reread the PaDD she met Remy's gaze. "That does seem to be the case... Thing is though... How did we get ahold of this in advance of the Audit. From my experience they tend to just show up with no more than a couple hours notice."

Remy thought for a moment. She could ask Sam, he had his own ship, but if something were suspected he'd be stopped and they'd all be implicated. There didn't seem to be a good way to move anything. Though why had the Commander mentioned sensitive areas. He had...

Alex rubbed at her temple, mind running through scenarios and ways to ensure her work was secure for the audit. After a bit she spoke again. "Well... part of our problem might be resolved. I have recently come into a little bit of knowledge about my project because I recognized the new security code I was assigned as one belonging to Starfleet Intelligence."

---

Captain Remira Johansen
Commanding Officer
USS Astrea


Lieutenant Alexandra Blackstone
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Astrea

 

RSS Feed