Mercury Rising [☿1]

Posted on Sat Feb 7th, 2026 @ 1:53pm by Captain Rovak & Ambassador Oriath Velt & Commander Atna & Lieutenant Commander N'Tgni Creon & Master Chief Petty Officer Gaz
Edited on on Sat Feb 7th, 2026 @ 1:57pm

1,154 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Histories
Location: Earth Starbase, Inner Dock, Pier 15
Timeline: 0430 Hours - February 2396

N’Tgni yawned as she checked the clock on her tablet for what felt like the tenth time that hour. She was lying backwards on one of the chaise lounges in the arrival terminal, where the Victory was supposed to have arrived two and a half hours ago.

Commander Rovak spotted her as he approached, clearing his throat to alert her.

She saw the XO approach and remained as she was, watching him, upside down as he was to her vision.

"Still no sign of the Victory?" Rovak asked.

"Not as such." N’Tgni responded without effort.

"Ensign I realize Starfleet procedure is still new to you in practice, but it is customary to at least turn right way up when addressing a senior officer."

"With all due respect sir, my shift doesn't start for two hours. This is me volunteering. Volunteering I might add that could just as easily have been done from my bed. It's Starbase One. They have people who will call you when the ship arrives. Why are you so antsy?"

"I am not antsy, Ensign Creon. The crew aboard the Victory are needed to supervise the last stage of the refit process. The longer they are delayed, the longer engineers are waiting with tools down. This will delay our launch considerably. The sooner Victory's people arrive, the sooner the Mercury departs." Rovak explained.

"You're telling me there's nobody on Earth that can tell them where to put the shelves?" N’Tgni queried.

"I realize you are being facetious, but there is more to the process than that. Many of the specialized scientists will be bringing their own equipment aboard, the teams need to know what sort of hardware is going to be needed to ensure everyone can operate their equipment at the same time. That will also require a review by the operations team, all of whom are currently waiting with no tasks available to them." Rovak countered.

N’Tgni's padd beeped suddenly. A message on the surface read 'USS Victory has arrived in Sol System'. "Well, would you look at that. This really could have been handled from my quarters."

Rovak said nothing. Watching as the ship docked, and tapping his communicator. "Captain, the Victory has arrived in the system. Works should be underway again within the hour." Rovak narrated into his badge.

"Alright Mister Rovak. Don't rush." The Captain said, the steel drums in the background of his communication indicating he was still on the beaches of Jamaica, soaking in the sun, or possibly whatever they would fill his cup with, depending on the time of day.

As the massive spacedoors parted, the venerable constellation-class passed through smoothly, docking at the arrival gate.

N’Tgni finally stood, holding her padd behind her back with her arms linked, standing next to the XO.

The Victory docked as expected with a gentle thud, through the primary umbilicus the crew began to emerge. Two of them made their way directly towards the waiting Vulcan and Romulan, having been instructed to do so by one of the many frantic messages sent by impatient engineers.

Mork was still in his yellow coveralls, his knapsack over his shoulder with all the worldly possessions he was bringing with him. "Great, looks like it's going to be one big polite, joyless Vulcan crew. I bet if you had feelings you'd be thrilled." Gaz said to Atna as they approached the waiting pair from the Mercury.

"Such a remark is no doubt prompted by your emotionality at our departure from the Victory. Please, Chief, get a hold of yourself." Atna said dismissively, having grown accustomed to the Chief and his coarse ways.

"From that scrapheap? Please. They should have melted down the Constellation class into something useful years ago. Not to mention the complete lack of gratitude for all the top-quality work my Crew and I got done for these people. Do you know how many times Commander Nwaro scratched that deck?" Gaz asked incredulously.

"Fourteen. We had no choice but to shut down aft sensors every time the deck plating had be taken up for re-replication. It was most inconvenient." Atna responded, hoping to snip the Chief's outbursts just in time for one of the two waiting to start speaking.

"Lieutenant, Chief, welcome. I am Commander Rovak, this is Ensign Creon." Rovak made a Vulcan salute to the pair.

Atna returned the gesture. "I am Lieutenant Atna. Greetings."

Gaz stood at attention. "Senior Chief Petty Officer Keggurgazzanantilthar reporting for duty, sir."

"Is there an abbreviation for that one Chief?" Ensign Creon asked.

"Gaz, ma'am. I prefer it to the whole thing, wastes less time."

"I'll remember that." Creon said, changing the preferred reference listed on the manifest.

Rovak's combadge beeped, and the Captain's voice came through. "Mister Rovak, I've just got off the horn with Captain Trasque, he's been kind enough to offer us his Tactical Chief. I've had Ayol send her information across to the manifest. She'll meet you shortly if she's not there already. Velt out."

"What is the new officer's name?" Rovak asked, hoping to ask Atna and Gaz about him.

"Lieutenant Commander.. Zhau." Creon said.

Rovak's head snapped suddenly towards her as the name was mentioned. "Zhau. Clan-name Zheishora-Autesh?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." Creon responded, tapping the name to bring up any alternatives. She looked just as concerned as he did, remembering well how last time she'd encoutnered a Zhau, she'd awoken in the brig of the USS Oathkeeper with the rest of the diplomatic prisoners from Starbase 51. It was still less than 24 months ago, her 'father' hadn't lifted a finger to help the last time she'd encountered a Zhau and been abducted, it was the beginning of the end of their relationship, and the first (but not last) time Rovak and his crew had saved her before her defection to Starfleet.

Peeling away from the crowd of disembarking crew as if summoned by her name, Shiva lined up next to Gaz and Atna. "I am late, sir. I have no excuse. Lieutenant Commander Shiva Zhau, reporting for duty." She said, though in truth she'd only received the message three minutes ago mid-workout, and had come straight from the sonic shower in her quarters.

"Commander, you..." Rovak didn't seem quite able to process it. She had the same vibrant magenta eyes as her brother. Her brother who had nearly killed them all and restarted the Dominion War. Her brother, the last man he had arrested, given by the Federation to the Dominion, and the Dominion to the Klingons, now rumored to be encamped on Rura Penthe. Yet there was something more there, a resemblance. He put it out of his mind.

"Welcome, Lieutenant Commander. If you'll all follow me I'll show you to the Mercury." Creon cut in, after Rovak seemed to shut down mid-sentence.

Rovak watched them go silently, and tapped his combadge. "Captain, I believe we need to talk."

RSS Feed