The Retrieval Order

Posted on Sun Sep 13th, 2026 @ 2:34pm by Lieutenant Commander Liam Reynolds & Commander Hiro Sommers-Yoshida

1,478 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 9: Across Time
Location: USS Weiss, Briar Patch perimeter
Timeline: Stardate: 78385.4

ON

The Briar Patch did not reveal itself all at once.

At first it was only haze. Vast curtains of muted crimson and burnt gold spread across the darkness like bruises beneath the stars. Then came the movement hidden inside the clouds: slow currents of ionized gas twisting around unseen gravitational eddies, flashes of distant radiation illuminating the interior of the nebula for fractions of a second before vanishing again into shadow.

The USS Weiss moved carefully through it all.

Even at low impulse, the Nebula-class vessel projected quiet capability. Her broad mission pod rode above the secondary hull like a watchful eye, sensor pallets and scientific arrays actively sweeping the surrounding region.

On the bridge, the atmosphere was focused but calm. The practiced concentration of a crew accustomed to operating near the limits of Federation understanding.

Captain Lena Corvin sat forward slightly in the command chair, one elbow resting against the armrest as she studied the viewscreen. Human, mid-fifties, silver beginning to thread through dark hair, she possessed the restrained patience common among long-serving science captains.

“Radiation density?” she asked without looking away.

“At current levels, well within shield tolerances,” replied Lieutenant Nirin zh’Velas from tactical. The Andorian officer glanced over secondary readings. “Though the Patch appears more active deeper in-system.”

Corvin gave a faint nod. “It usually does.”

Across the bridge, Commander T’Vel stood at the science station, Vulcan composure uninterrupted despite the flood of incoming telemetry. The beacon data transmitted by Deep Space 21 occupied half her console.

“No additional signal emissions detected,” she reported. “The object remains dormant.”

Dormant.

That word had followed the Weiss ever since they departed the San Francisco Fleet Yards four days earlier.

Not inactive. Not inert. Dormant. The distinction mattered.

Behind T’Vel, two civilian specialists quietly reviewed the latest telemetry. One was an expert in non-aligned technological architectures from the Daystrom Institute, the other specialized in exotic subspace interactions. Both had been added to the mission at Starfleet Command’s direct request after initial analysis of the beacon.

Captain Corvin rose from her chair and moved toward the forward viewscreen. Outside, the Briar Patch thickened into a maze of glowing particulate clouds wrapped around pockets of darkness so deep they resembled tears in space itself.

Somewhere ahead lay Deep Space 21.

A former Cardassian station. A Federation outpost balanced on the edge of unexplored territory and recurring anomalies. Over the past two years its name had appeared in enough command briefings to become quietly familiar inside Starfleet Science and Intelligence circles alike.

And now there was the beacon. Recovered near the station’s perimeter. Artificial, sophisticated, and entirely unidentifiable. And after a single physical interaction, a child had disappeared.

Corvin disliked mysteries involving children. Not because they were uncommon in exploration work, but because they changed the emotional geometry of every mission attached to them. Crews became more cautious. Families aboard stations became uneasy. Senior officers began measuring every delay against a human absence.

She stopped near the viewscreen as the first shape of Deep Space 21 emerged through the haze ahead.

The station appeared gradually, its Cardassian architecture stark against the swirling nebular light. Long curved docking pylons extended like the ribs of some enormous metallic creature suspended in space. Running lights glimmered along the outer docking ring. In the background, the enormous clouds of the Briar Patch drifted silently behind it, dwarfing the station.

Even from this distance, the station carried an atmosphere of isolation. Of distance from the familiar.

“Deep Space 21 now within communications range,” Lieutenant Hale announced from operations.

Captain Corvin looked toward him.

“Open a channel.”

A brief chirp echoed across the bridge as the connection initialized.

“Channel open, sir.”

“This is Captain Lena Corvin of the Federation starship USS Weiss,” Corvin said calmly. “Requesting permission to dock and transfer scientific personnel.”

Liam currently in Ops was notified by an ensign. "Put the message through," he nodded while he checked out the information the "Wiess" had transmitted. "This is Commander Reynold of Deep Space 21. Permission granted to dock in dock 4 Captain."

He decided to go down to the dock. The Captains name rang a bell in his head and he couldn't place it. He also had this feeling, it was something bigger than just transferring personnel. "Ensign I'll be in dock four."

It was a short walk once a turbo lift was factored in. When he got there and saw her speaking with the quartermaster she certainly did look familiar. "How was your trip Captain?" he asked walking up to her.

Captain Lena Corvin paused for just a fraction of a second when she saw him, the recognition clicking into place not as personal memory but as professional familiarity, the kind built from briefings, mission summaries, and reports that tend to follow certain officers across years of Starfleet service. So this was Liam Reynolds. Not just another Deep Space 21 department head, but the station’s Chief Strategic Operations Officer. That explained the precision in the assignment, and it reframed her expectations immediately.

Her expression remained composed, but her attention sharpened; she had anticipated a Starfleet operations coordinator assigned to mission logistics oversight, not someone with his breadth of operational, diplomatic, and psychological experience. “The journey was uneventful,” she replied evenly after a beat, studying him in turn with quiet assessment. “Which, given the Briar Patch, I’m beginning to suspect is the most unusual outcome we could have hoped for.”

"I would concur. You sound disappointed?" Liam asked as he made a quick check on his PADD at the messages and orders he had sent out on route in the turbo lift.

Corvin's lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile.

“Not at all, Commander,” she said. “I've spent enough years in Starfleet to appreciate an uneventful transit when I get one.”

Her gaze drifted briefly toward the view-port beyond the docking bay, where the swirling colours of the Briar Patch were just visible through the station's outer structure.

“Particularly here.”

There was no fear in her voice, only respect of someone who understood that regions of space developed reputations for a reason.

“Besides,” she added, looking back to Reynolds, “from what I've read, Deep Space 21 has generated enough excitement lately for all of us.”

"This place certainly has a way of keeping life colourful," Liam agreed. "We still have the planets to fully explore and map. I'm fairly sure more colour will turn up then. I worked on settling the first colony on the earth like world. Actual dinosaur type creatures," his grin was almost like a school boy. He never could get over how interesting finding them was. "If you ever get some downtime when your here let me know. I could arrange a visit."

"That sounds tempting, Commander. I might take you up on it." Lena looked briefly in the direction of the exit that would lead from Dock 4 to the Promenade. "But before that we have to complete this transfer from Deep Space 21 to the Day Strom Institute. We brought along two Specialists who will be responsible for taking care of the beacon during transit."

Liam nodded. "And we had a couple of scientists to transfer over to you in fact to help with that task, ahh good timing," he said as the door opened. "Dr's Hilton and Kingsley. Your new CO, Captain Corvin."

"Captain," both said standing to attention. "The Beacon is ready to be transferred to you."

"Excellent." Lena tapped her Commbadge. "Commander T'Vel, the Beacon is ready to be transferred to the Weiss. Let our two Specialists know it's their turn."

("Yes, Captain. T'Vel out")

Captain Corvin turned back to Liam and the two Scientists. "Is it possible to use the Transporter to beam the Beacon onboard?

"Of course. Anything you need is at your disposal Captain," Liam said with a smile. He pressed his badge.

(Transporter room 1, this is Commander Reynolds. Lock onto the beacon and transport it directly to the Weiss)

(Yes sir, energising now,) came back the reply,

Liam waited a moment keeping the woman's gaze before his transporter staff spoke again. (Commander the Weiss confirms transport and receipt.)

(Thank you. Reynolds out)

"Is there anything else you need?" Liam asked.

“No, according to our mission outline this was all.” Lena smiled briefly, satisfied that the transfer went this smoothly. “Though, I do have some time left before the Weiss departs and this is my first time on this station. Perhaps you can give me a tour of the station, if your duties permit of course.”

"Oh I can make that happen," Liam said with a smile. "If you would like to follow me."

Lena offered a single nod. "Of course. Lead the way, Commander." As they both walked away, she was already looking forward to exploring the Promenade.

OFF:

Captain Lena Corvin (NPC)
CO USS Weiss

Commander Liam Reynolds
Second Officer, DS21

 

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