Star Trek: USS Jupiter

One- The Intergalactic Orb

"Captain's log Star-date 2264.6.3. File under personal grievances. Today I witnessed Myles Victorovich, my first officer, have a mental breakdown. To make matters worse he reverted from English to Russian. The universal translator couldn't keep up and decided to let him speak Russian. In all honesty, Myles hasn't slept more than five hours a night since we left Yorktown. The attack from the man formerly known as Balthazar Edison left his parents on life support. The attack was over a year ago. Last week when we were docked at Yorktown he found out his father had died. He hasn't taken it well," Kristen sighs.

She paces her cabin. She knows she should be getting ready to sleep. Her shift is over and sleep is calling. But this is something she needs to get off her chest.

"I remember when I got the news of my parents passing, I was serving on the Jupiter then. Barely an adult. I had gotten most of my training on the USS Edison and was able to skip a few years at the academy. The grief was overpowering. I was lucky to have Captain Avery and Chris to help me through, they became my family. Chris also was grieving for his best friends, I'm glad he was able to find some peace before he followed in their steps. I feel it in my heart that they are together and getting into mischief," Kristen smiles softly at her memories of Christopher Pike. Her godfather, best friends and adopted Uncle.

"As for Avery, she found me to be much like her and decided early I would take over once she took the position as admiral. For six years she groomed me. After turning twenty three she made me her first officer after Isla Montgomery left for the USS Aries. Now I'm nearly thirty...time flies—"

Beep.

"Pause recording." Kristen stops pacing and glances towards the door. "Enter."

Bright light floods into her cabin. She can barely make out the shape of Myles, her first officer. The tired Russian steps in and the door shuts behind him. He has a look of panic in his eyes. Something quite unusual for the average-sized man. Kristen questions her first officer with a look. "Myles, what is it?"

"Captain, the Enterprise has been spotted by a planet. It seems to be in distress," Myles' thick accent rolls around Captain Kristen Lee's cabin. "We believe it to be like the orb from twelve weeks ago,"

Kristen adjusts her old-fashioned glasses. The glasses are used to keep out bright lights. A side effect from a virus Kristen contracted when she was eight. The virus left Kristen blind. The doctors aboard the USS Edison did the best they could and restored her vision but left her with a sensitivity to bright lights.

"I'm coming," The door slides open and Kristen follows her first officer down the hall. She takes long strides to keep up. Myles' legs are much longer than his captains.

His blonde hair is too. She keeps telling him one of these days when they make first contact one poor alien is going to mistake him for a girl. Myles is having none of that. He is cautious around Kristen and scissors. Especially after last time.

Several weeks ago the crew of the Jupiter came across a planet-like orb. That orb seemed to be harmless. Oh, how wrong the assumption was. It took nearly all the Jupiter had to get out of that situation. Even then they were drifting through space for a week before Starfleet paid them any mind. Not that they had much communication with Starfleet during that week. Their broadcasting signal was damaged and when it was fixed the signal was weak. Commodore Matt Decker of the USS Constellation said if they hadn't been looking for the Jupiter they never would have been found.

"Is the planet similar to the one from twelve weeks ago?"

"It seems so,"

"I hope we're not too late." Kristen mutters as she and Myles step onto the turbo lift. Myles calls out to be taken to the bridge. In seconds the turbo lift whirs to life. The two high-ranking officers begin their ascent.