Casting Shadows
Posted on Tue Jul 7th, 2026 @ 7:25am by Lieutenant Commander Riaani ek'Meru
Edited on on Tue Jul 7th, 2026 @ 7:29am
1,013 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Episode 1: The Fissure
Location: Personal Quarters, OSV Letha
"I still can't believe you're going."
By standards as-yet unknown, the senior officer quarters aboard the Letha were comparatively compact. Of course, the ship itself defied certain outside expectations by being a flagship that housed a modest crew compliment of 35. Leadership on Oshaal had never prioritised quantity over quality, not when it lead to unnecessary expenditure. The fleet had larger vessels; some tasks required a more multi-faceted approach and those responsible for the longer-ranged ventures with extended deployment timetables naturally relied on a larger resource pool. The OSV Letha's primary role was to gather experienced brilliance, arm it with the best functional prototypes the Osha'Thaar's combined efforts could produce and then send it off to act as scout and first-response unit due to its ability to out-pace nearly every other ship the fleet had at its disposal. Earning a position on board was no small matter.
It made surrendering such a position in favour of entering an entirely foreign chain of command almost incomprehensible.
As Riaani moved between the open case on her bed and her wardrobe, she spared a glance for the diminutive frame perched on the end of the mattress, hands tucked beneath her knees. Teela had never mastered the art of subtle communication, being just as likely now to speak her mind as when they'd been children, squabbling over the best way to secure second helpings. Now arguably one of the fleet's best surgeons, the petite Kodaaj'ek's personality had grown in ways the rest of her had struggled to keep up with.
Right now, she appeared poised to provide an animated summary on the follies of being a stupid ka'druu.
Riaani smiled, a reserved gesture that merely served to soften her composure without altering it drastically. "Unprecedented opportunities are difficult to turn down."
"That's kaash and you know it. We don't even know who these people are, much less what their motivations might be. Going at all is risky; going alone is absolutely irresponsible. Command have no right."
"They haven't ordered me, Tee." Carefully, Riaani tucked the next item of clothing into its place. "I offered. The Starfleet representatives have shown interest in cooperating and we are unlikely to have a better chance to understand their intentions." Returning once more to the wardrobe, the diplomat considered her options before intercepting the next protest with a stern side-eye. "It is equally dangerous to draw conclusions without direct engagement. This way, our options remain flexible."
A huff of irritated frustration prompted another twitch of amusement from Riaani. Her friend was more liable these days to accept reason but Teela was still not one for backing down easily and just as adverse as ever to conceding a point graciously.
"First it was one station. Then it was the occasional ship. Now they bring through what looks like the beginnings of an actual fleet and we're just supposed to believe they're only interested in looking at the scenery?"
"No, we're meant to view curiosity as one of many plausible motivations and not dismiss it outright on the basis of unfounded paranoia." Riaani squeezed the next garment into her pack and then paused a moment to face her friend. "Pessimism is not a valid default, we have no justifiable cause to accuse them of deceitfulness."
"Yet."
"If the evidence exists to prove aggressive intent, I consider it part of my new responsibilities to uncover it. Verifying their peaceful claims is just as important, however, and deserves no less dedication." Reaching over, Riaani patted the other woman's shoulder. "I'm not going to form opinions before I've even had a direct conversation with any of them. Don't forget, you'll have one of them here with you. I'm sure there'll be plenty of opportunity for you to gauge his honorable intentions." A knowing wink carried a degree of sympathy for the incoming officer; Riaani had been on the receiving end of Teela's relentless fact-checking more times than she cared to recount.
At any rate, the remark seemed to work. A slow, devious grin replaced the medic's scowl with pure calculative anticipation.
"Scientific curiousity does go both ways."
Riaani laughed. "Just try not to draw too much blood."
Teela's eyes sparkled. "You never know, he might like it."
The future, Riaani had always thought, possessed a vastness that defied comprehension. One could speculate endlessly about what lay beyond the horizon but until that horizon was crossed, every expectation remained little more than conjecture. The sense of limitless possibility had always excited the Kodaaj'ek, so much so that she had never fully understood those who described the future as a looming monolithic inevitability rather than the elegant, sparkling expanse she had always imagined it to be. It explained her affinity for the night sky at the very least and made her feel no-less at home behind the controls of her small craft than stretched out on her back atop an outcrop back home. The future, for all its uncertainty, had never felt oppressive before.
Alone within the cockpit of her shuttlecraft, as she guided the small vessel away from the Letha with practised confidence, Riaani watched as the unfamiliar silhouette of the USS Amazônia gradually eclipsed the stars beyond and for the first time experienced a glimpse of what the more pessimistic philosophers might have meant. For a brief moment, the future ceased to resemble an open horizon and became, for the first time in her life, something vast enough to cast a shadow.
Breathe.
A careful hand steadied her approach and, satisfied that her preparations would ensure a smooth docking, Riaani rolled her shoulders back and consciously eased the tension from her posture. The flashing alert of an incoming transmission now finally warranted a response. With a gentle nod of acceptance, the comm. channel activated and she spoke softly to the expectant voice at the other end.
"Sa'vera, Amazônia. This is the shuttle Niru, beginning our approach."
Lt. Commander Riaani ek'Meru
On-loan Executive Officer
USS Amazônia
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