Fleeting Image

Posted on Sun Sep 13th, 2026 @ 1:39pm by Glinn (CRD) Nareth Teral & Gul (CRD) Aurel Salvek

1,259 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Crisis at Zeta-294
Location: The Inquisitor - Cardassian Vessel
Timeline: Before Shuttle Launch

ON:

The readings still made no sense. But it was at least consistent in its pattern of not making sense. Glinn Nareth Teral let out a soft breath as she sat back in her chair a little, dark eyes focused on the screen in front of her. The localized subspace-gravimetric distortion had originally been reported in by a patrol ship and the Inquisitor was a science ship. Not very big. Not armed to the teeth by Cardassian standards. In fact, it was almost…mundane. For Nareth, it was a place that those passionate about science ended up on…or those somehow disgraced. A noise made her look at her screen, at what looked almost like a ghost image. Brief, quick…gone. And yet, she could have sworn there had been a Federation vessel on the edges of their sensor range. She considered it for a moment before she stood, moving from her station and heading to the bridge. The doors opened for her without any issue…she had been around long enough, was high enough in rank, to be trusted…at least on this ship. Once, the Teral name had been the name of Guls and Legates…but the war had changed a lot of things for many. Her family’s fortune was no unique. "Gul Salvek," she said, giving the Gul a nod.

"Hm?" Gul Aurel Salvek didn't look up from where he sat in the Captain's chair. His finger moved across a glass panel, swiping the words on the screen to scroll. It wasn't unusual for the captain of the Inquisitor to show little to no interest in the scientific details of the ship's work. Of the two types of people Nareth had noted ended up on the science vessel, Gul Salvek was the disgraced kind. And the once celebrated military commander cared little for the scientific studies his ship carried out.

"I noticed something on the edges of our sensor range," she said, no nonsense as usual, her hands going behind her back. "It was only for a second. The signature looked like a Starfleet vessel. But I do not know if it was an echo, feedback...or just a glitch."

"There have been ghosts all over our sensors since we started studying the distortion..." he pointed out, but at least he afforded her a glance that time.

Nareth met his eyes, holding them for a moment before she nodded. "True. But this is the first ghost of the Federation," she said, but did not argue the point.

"Hm," Aurel made the non-committal sound again as he eased back in his chair. He weighed up what was worse...calling it in and it being nothing, or not calling it in and finding a Federation starship on their doorstep. "Ril?" he called across the bridge to see if they were picking up the same glimmer.

"I would not vow to it," Ril said, looking over at the Gul before giving a nod. "But there was something registered in Federation space. Briefly. I could be a ghost reading. Or it could be a whole fleet of Starfleet vessels."

"They hardly travel in packs," Nareth said, more to herself than anyone else. "It'll be a single ship if there is one."

Aurel straightened, staring at the viewscreen as if the mysterious vessel might manifest itself there. In truth, it was the most interesting thing that had happened in the past month. For him at least, who had no interest in subspace disturbances. "Call it in."

"Yes Gul," Ril said and gave a nod, turning to their station to relay the message back to Cardassia. Nareth turned to look at the viewscreen, her head tilting a little to the side as if she considered something. "We are analysing the latest readings of the anomaly. There appears to be some change. It is growing...stronger, for a lack of a better word."

"Good for the anomaly," Aurel murmured, sitting back as he watched her with an arched eyebrow, as if to ask what she would like him to do about it. "Perhaps it has caught the interest of our Federation friends?"

She looked at him for a moment, a look of amusement crossing her features. She knew that the Gul had no interest in science...and she could sympathise. For her, it had been an interest later in life, after the war, when she was rebuilding. Science seemed...a nicer route after her more direct military service. "Perhaps, although it is mostly on our side. I suspect something else has caught them. The ship...it appeared too small to be their flagship class."

"Ah, so we're the only fools out here staring into the void," Aurel sighed softly before waving a hand. "I take it you wish to watch it for longer then?"

"My orders are to document all I can until we receive new orders," Nareth said firmly, because it mattered to her. Not the science, although it was interesting...it was about orders. She was more than just a scientist in a uniform.

"Then why are you still here?" he finally turned to look at her fully, holding her eyes, his hand curled around the end of the armrest.

She watched him, a small smile on her lips at his words. "Because the computer is running the calculations," she said, lightly, then glanced around the bridge. "And perhaps I am tired of being locked in my tower. I could work in here too."

"I wasn't sure the bridge would have much interest for you," he chuckled softly, glancing around. "But there's the auxiliary science station, should you wish..." he looked back to her with curiosity.

She gave a nod and moved closer to him, just for a moment. "I was not always a scientist, Gul," she said, her voice soft. "There was a time I had aspirations for the chair you are sitting in. But perhaps not on a science ship."

"And most certainly not on mine," Aurel replied with the same hushed tone, but it somehow still managed to have bite to it.

She chuckled at that, her eyes shining with it as she smiled. "Don't worry, such...ideas of rank are far behind me. This is what Cardassia wishes me to do, so I do it."

"Ah, so we do have something in common after all," Aurel muttered softly, shaking his head lightly. "And are you learning anything from your distortion?"

"That ghosts can be loud," she said and gave a small smile, studying him for a moment. She wondered how he had ended up here. Perhaps it was worth...talking about, one day. "Although if we could recreate the effect, it could be useful for some of our military installations. Hiding in more plain sight."

"A ghost fleet would be helpful," he had to admit, chuckling softly as he rubbed the pad of his thumb against a fingertip. Or even a live one would do.

"Certainly would look impressive," she said and gave a small nod, watching him closely. And then she moved to her the science station, taking a seat.

Aurel remained motionless in the centre seat...apart from his eyes that followed her across the bridge. She saw a lot. It was something to both admire and be wary of. And as for the Federation ship? He would only be too pleased for an old fashioned stand off. It would quite literally make his day.

OFF:

Gul Aurel Salvek
Commanding Officer
The Inquisitor
(PNPC Rowe)

&

Glinn Nareth Teral
Chief Scientist
The Inquisitor
(PNPC Slattery)

 

RSS Feed