A Matter of Prefix

[Chirakis 1]

Captain’s Log, Stardate 2387.003

Chirakis Kirel, Captain, SI-5

Sky Harbor Aegis - 0600 Hours - Aegis Relative

 

A Matter of Prefix

 

Bonding with an exceptionally powerful telepath transcends the physical, much more than Captain Chirakis was comfortable with or would care to admit. Had she understood the full implications of their actions at the time, Kirel might have chosen to abstain, but after months stranded on a deserted planet on the edge of nowhere, with her only connection to sanity being a Sindar Starfleet officer who had, in fact, saved her life - and she, his....

 

Isolation makes strange bedfellows - or so the saying goes.

 

Yet, over time the bond had grown into genuine admiration and deep mutual trust. In any event, d’Ka’s direct telepathic contact with Kirel was seldom, and never without reason. She counted it a mere distraction, and he always acquiesced at her usual ‘Get out of my head.’

 

It was the indirect, subtle telepathic connection they shared that was agitating. The direct came in words; the indirect came in feelings, and it was, more often than not, an unconscious projection on his part.

 

Just hours after the NX had relayed the information that a star near Romulus was showing signs of going nova, Kirel felt a sense of urgency she could not ignore, a persistent drive to act beyond the facts at hand, a drive that defied logic, that went beyond the circumstances she knew to exist. Kirel was no scientist, but she knew to pay careful attention to wording, and, in her mind, showing signs of going nova and actually going nova were two different categories, two different situations.

 

So why had she begun to pace the control tower, why this sudden urgency?

 

Each about-face became more sharp, more determined - to do what? The dozen or so regular and auxiliary personnel who had poured onto Aegis’ control tower to assist with routing, dispatching, and communications, were becoming distracted. Their distraction had, in turn, increased her agitation.

 

She needed to leave, to work, and to allow them to work unhindered.

 

A brief pause to instruct the operations officer, and she entered her office - a sanctuary of sorts - to contact Starfleet Intelligence FOB* and Director Torak, hoping they had more information than she, something that would calm the unexplained turmoil.

 

“We’ve just received word. What do you have?”

 

SI-5 Director Torak’s image filled half the secure main screen in Kirel’s office. A towel draped his neck, his forehead dripped with sweat and a tee shirt clung to his chest. As he spoke, he dabbed gym sweat from his brow and neck. To the director’s left and right, multiple screens streamed information. Behind him, personnel worked in small groups, some hunched over consoles, some darting to and fro - a similar situation to that of Aegis.

 

“That a star in the vicinity of Romulus is showing signs of going nova,” Kirel replied, “no more. We’ve informed the Allies. Convoys are en route to Romulus to prepare for a possible evacuation of that planet and any inhabited systems in the star’s projected path.”

 

The demure image of t’Pak, Alpha Team member and scientist, replaced the Aegis logo on Kirel’s split screen. She waited with customary Vulcan patience while the conversation between Kirel and the director continued.

 

“Possible?” Torak gave an incredulous snort. “A nearby star is going nova and we’re talking possible? Millions of inhabitants, and they’re saying possible?”

 

“The word is that the star is ‘showing signs,’ Director. Not that it ‘will go’ or ‘has actually gone’ nova.”

 

Another snort. “Not much difference in my book, Chirakis. What’s your source?”

 

“The NX, now on course to Romii. Dr. Feretti is aboard, directing the science endeavour; she spotted it on a direct feed from Romulus, approximately ten hours ago.”

 

“Preliminary signs were detected by the long-range sensor array ten hours ago? Why the hell did they wait so long to sound the alarm?” he muttered, his gaze calling for input from t’Pak.

 

“It is possible they were uncertain as to the exact nature of the event, Director,” she offered with customary Vulcan stoicism. “The information from the sensors indicates a nova, not a supernova. Given the size and distance of the star from inhabited space, if the star develops into a nova, it is possible but highly unlikely to pose a threat to inhabited systems, and certainly not one as far away as Romulus. However, if the star becomes a supernova it could be catastrophic.”

 

“Just how catastrophic are we talking about, t’Pak?”

 

“A supernova is more... energetic. Much or all of the star's material would be expelled at a velocity of up to 30,000 kilometers per second and drive a shock wave into the surrounding interstellar medium, destroying everything in its path. If the supernova is massive enough, it could destroy systems as far away as Sol.”

 

Torak’s expression darkened. “So how do we know the difference? How much time will we have for full evacuation?”

 

“Unfortunately, Director Torak, we will not know until the event occurs, and then it will be too late.”

 

Torak slumped into his chair and stared at the Vulcan Staff Sergeant for several minutes, then wiped a hand over his face. “And they think there might be a problem?”

 

He turned to Kirel, choice comments in his native Xhosa muffled by his hand. Before he could speak intelligibly, t’Pak drew his attention once more.

 

“Captain Chirakis, the NX 97000 encountered a Breen warship in subspace?”

 

“A cruiser, yes.”

 

“Your preliminary report indicated an explosion of the Breen ship, one powerful enough to have ejected the NX back to normal space?”

 

“In a manner of speaking, with the assistance of the Missouri.”

 

“Exactly when did this occur?”

 

Kirel raised her eyes to the chronometer. “Approximately...” She paused as bits and pieces of information that had been floating in her mind suddenly coalesced. “... eleven hours ago.” One hour before the star showed signs of going nova.

 

T’Pak shifted, a curious expression accompanying a tilt of her head as she began to work a console next to her.

 

“You think there might be some kind of connection?” Another swipe across his face with the towel accompanied a wave-off of a subordinate as Director Torak shifted his gaze to Kirel.

 

She waved a dismissive hand while guarding her expression. “That a ship exploding in subspace would cause a star to go nova is... absurd, to put it mildly. I doubt it was more than a coincidence.” She turned her attention back to t’Pak, hoping she would corroborate the statement.

 

The science officer continued working as she spoke. “I am sending some data your way, Captain. If your science officers aboard the NX 97000 would care to take a look and correlate it with their data? It may be more than a coincidence. The type of explosion detected could not have been caused by a mere starship explosion.”

 

“Not even a Breen cruiser?”

 

“Not even a Breen cruiser.”

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*FOB - Forward Operating Base