Returning to Federation Space

On the bridge of the starship Horizon, all was eerily quiet. Even the chimes and purrs of consoles seemed muted to their ears as they all looked on the large viewer at the hazy blue sparkling line of the great galactic barrier. 

Few were those who had ever seen it and most of them who did were not even alive today. The USS Enterprise had been the last ship to venture this close to the edge of the galaxy and that had happened more than a century and a half ago. But now, Starfleet had the technology to come back here, and get back home to tell about it; the final frontier had just expanded a lot farther with what they had been through.

And that would be but the beginning of the life aboard the USS Horizon. No one had any doubt about it; they would be back here... or go even beyond.

But for now, this voyage was almost over. A full day has passed since they last emerged from the nebula where they had left a dying ghost ship behind. Repairs had been done, wounds had been mended, minds had come around the events lived through and hearts had returned to calmer beats; at least, enough to get enough of their bearings to proceed towards returning to the heart of the galaxy. They were finally all ready, and eager, to get back home.

Standing before the central seat, Captain Kheren looked around at some of  the officers sharing with him this moment. Besides navigator Aguk Snow, Tyvya, acting chief of security and tactical with Lieutenant Sarah Corcoran still recuperating in sickbay from their unprepared jump this far out in space; in front of them both, the lone ops console were Elisha Leône was all business on her complex board. Turning his head from left to right, the captain looked at  Snowfire K'Leysha, still a bit tired from her last ordeal but her black elfin face as enigmatic as ever ; nearer, the starkly contrasting chalk-colored face of Lyrya, filling in for their Bynars Doctors still taking care of the sixty refugees they were bringing back from decades of enslavement. As his silvery eyes came to the right, the Andorian looked at Robert Baoule acting in liaison with chief engineer Joey Sisko still down in main engineering to make sure their next, final transwarp trial would not go awry this time; closer between engineering and tactical stations stood Oseno Jureth, showing none of the serious and numerous injuries he had brought from his confrontation with a mad artificial intelligence; and right at his side, Neil Redding was finishing getting all the readiness reports on his exec chair's console from all over their one and a half kilometer long vessel, the final preparations prior to their return flight at velocities almost too ludicrous to comprehend.

Kheren looked back at the incredible vista of the galaxy's border, then sat down.

He could not help at this moment to think of Captain James Kirk. He had been the first starship commander to ever contemplate this view from the bridge of a starship... And Kheren thought of all the brave people that, like him, had come this close to the edge of infinity.

Space must have looked a lot bigger back then, when they could barely reach warp 8... Yet, today, it does not look to me any smaller from here...

Lieutenant Elisha Leône was busy making preparations for their flight back home. Yet as she went about her duties, she couldn't help but steal a glance or two around the grand ship, and at the dedicated officers occupying the other stations surrounding her.

I can't believe I made it through my first official mission on a Federation starship, she thought to herself.

I've spent my entire life sacrificing and clawing my way up just to have such an opportunity, yet throughout this undertaking, there were so many things that could have and did go wrong. But here we are... somehow heading back home again; despite the incredible odds against such an occurrence transpiring.

Then she snapped out of her thoughts and refocused on her tasks at hand.

Moments later, she swiveled her chair slightly to face toward her commanding officer.

"All systems indicate that we are ready to depart Captain" Elisha confirmed, and then she turned back toward the main viewscreen.

Homeward bound at last she thought, as a small smile grew across the olive-colored smooth skin of her radiant face. 

"Thank you, Lieutenant," answered Kheren, looking at her with his unflinching silvery stare. "This first voyage would not have gone so smoothly without you. You showed poise and valor as much as any seasoned officer here. And my logs will testify of it."

From his auxiliary station Commander Oseno glanced at the ongoing diagnostics coming in from the Polaris. The little destroyer was in pretty rough shape, as much so as her mother ship at any rate. His two man engineering team combined with several engineers from the Horizon's main engineering department were making what repairs they could in the even that she needed to be deployed again.

Jureth's injuries were mostly healed under the ministrations of the Bynar doctors though he thought he could still feel a small twinge in his back, but that may have just been his imagination. The Bajoran glanced around the magnificent bridge of the huge starship and for the first time was really content with his assignment. Prior to the Horizon's launch part of Jureth had wanted command of the Alsea, but he now knew that he was in the right place. They had just stopped the reincarnation of an insane terrorist and a threat to the entire galaxy. That was an experience  he wouldn't find patrolling the Klingon border.

"Strategic Operations stands ready Captain. The Polaris...she's down but not out Sir."

"She'll be up and in fighting spirit again in no time, just like her commanding officer," shot back the Andorian with an appreciative nod towards the Bajoran.

He could feel the pride and satisfaction in the man's voice and stance. Kheren had wondered at the start of their voyage if the former star-commander of Lotus Fleet's warship would be ill at ease not being the Big Man anymore, even if he was granted command of the Horizon's own escort vessel. But now his apprehensions had been put to rest. Oseno Jureth had faced danger and performed as well as he felt about having proven himself the outstanding Starfleet officer he was, Big Man or not. And Kheren for one was glad this remarkable officer now felt at home on his ship.

He bent his torso forward, resting his elbows on his knees and pointing all four oculars forward.

"Are we ready to get back to base, Number One?"

"All sections reporting satisfactory conditions, Captain," and then glanced around the room looking at all the faces that were so quickly becoming familiar to him."And with all humility aside, Sir, I've been around a lot of crews in my time, but this is the first time I have ever felt that I may need them as much they need me." and gave a crooked grin."Heaven help anything that gets in our way, Sir, at your discretion," and gave him a nod.

Kheren nodded back and then faced forward again.

"All hands, this is the captain; prepare for warp speed, standby transwarp drive."

His four eyes stayed on the viewer, looking one last time at the great galactic barrier before giving the order they had all been waiting for.

"Mister Snow..."

"Course plotted and laid in for Federation Space, Sir, " answered the Inuit, his eyes also on the vista of the very edge of the galaxy.

" Warp 9."

The familiar starstreak of warp travel instantly filled the viewer.

"Mister Sisko reports engines at nominal status," announced engineer baoule after a moment. "All systems available for transwarp drive."

A short sigh escaped the tiny nostrils of the Andorian. 

"Well, we still had one last test to complete if I recall..."

No one answered him. But they were all standing ready like him; ready for anything.

"Mister Snow... transwarp factor 5."

*     *     *

There was a bleep calling out from one of the dimmed monitors. The bald, blue-skinned head that was looking with dreary eyes at a PADD turned halfway to look at the monitor. Then he frowned and turned the rest of his squat body in his swiveling chair to fully face  the console. His webbed hands flashed over the controls several times.

"Lieutenant... I think you should see this."

"What is it, Ensign?" answered the Human woman from behind another console.

"I have a signal on the long range scanner bearing 180 mark 200 that just entered the sector."

"Recheck your instruments; there's nothing out there from that heading except empty space."

"I did, Lieutenant; twice. but it's still coming. And the speed! It's already halfway into the sector and closing in on us!"

The woman jumped to her feet, pulled her long brown hair behind an ear and bent to look at the same monitor as the Bolian officer.

"Switch to short range scanners. Identify."

The blue fingers ran accross the board.

"By composition and configuration a starship; but it can't be one of ours, Lieutenant. According to the readings it's... almost two kilometers long!"

By now, the defense perimeter system had been activated and all available installations and starships in the sector were getting an alert signal for an intruder. That signal had not been heard since the last time the Borg had invaded the Alpha Quadrant and hearts of every shape and numbers started fluttering accross twenty cubic light years. For a moment, the Lieutenant blinked at the monitor screen, looking at the data, reconfiguring herself a few readouts, blinking again. Then, her face lit up. Straightening, she let out a sigh.

"Ensign; recalibrate the comm array to maximum gain and find me it's transponder signal."

After a moment of further control manipulations, the Bolian in  turn grinned and looked back at her. But she had already guessed and was returning to her console, opening a general channel as well as patching herself directly to the leading Starfleet installation of the Hromi sector.

"This is Deep Space Station K7 monitoring outpost; Starbase Lotus...  the Horizon is coming home."

*     *     *

Captain's log

Stardate: 87656.2

With all our battle damage repaired and wounded mended, the Horizon has completed her first successful transwarp flight and flew into the history books. Moreover, survivors of a lost ship from a war ended long ago were brought back to their homes and families, a dangerous threat has been, once again, stopped and a new sentient lifeform has been saved.

But all that did not come without a price.

The original Jem'Hadar jailers sacrificed themselves to ensure the safe return of their former captives; personal memories and data of this ship,s first officer had been lost to ensure that a mad AI would not get freedom to roam accross the stars; our chief of security and tactical was critically wounded during the transwarp accident and has to be discharged to a major medical facility; our chief of science risked health and sanity in using extensively her psionic talents to stop the threat and save a life; our chief of strategic operations endured severe physical wounds and mental duress in opposing the Khan hologram directly. There has been wounds and there has been damages.

But we have done our duty as Starfleet officers; and in doing so, we did  good and we did it well. Our logs will testify as such.

Thus, as commanding officer of this vessel, I am making the following recommendations:

- Lieutenant Junior Grade Elisha Leône to be promoted to full Lieutenant rank for excellence of service all hrough her tour of duty aboard this ship.

- Lieutenant Commander Joey Daystrom Sisko to be promoted to full Commander rank for excellence of service all through his tour of duty aboard this vessel. Moreover, it is recommended that, for his expertise and experience as well as his personal comittement,  this officer be fully assigned as the chief officer responsible to the full restoration of the artificial life form known as Ensign Thetis Achilles.

- Lieutenant Commander Snowfire K'Leysha to be awarded a citation for her scientific contribution regarding the nature of her people and culture, most natably their biology and psionic abilities, and this at personal cost and under personal constraints. Moreover, it is recommended that this officer, with approval from her governing authority, be granted full Starfleet officer status and integration so as to properly serve on this or any other vessel of Starfleet.

- Commander Oseno Jureth to be awarded a citation for his exemplary devotion to duty and show of valor while under physical and mental duress for the sake of fellow crewmembers and Federation citizens. Moreover, it is recommended the MACO unit attached to the Horizon be placed directly under his command in view of the personal devotion to duty and courage he has shown, in the purest tradition of this Starfleet division.

- Commander Neil Stanley Redding to be awarded a citation for his exceptional diplomatic and command skills in convincing without bloodshed Jem'Hadar soldiers in releasing prisoners and allying themselves with this crew. Moreover, it is recommended that this officer be put next in line for the command position of the Lotus Fleet flagship.

These officers and the crew serving under them has shown itself not only worthy of serving on the Lotus Fleet flagship, but prime examples of what Starfleet is all about, and what the federation should stand for. This log is to testify of it all.

Captain Kheren had dictated his log with his silvery eyes and antennae leveled to all the bridge officers standing before him at attention. There was nothing to betray on his dark-blue rigid face or in his professional tone of voice the pride that swelled his heart standing with them, on this bridge, aboard this starship. But he hoped that his eyes would say enough; they deserved much more that what he could ever convey.

They were his crew, his friends... his clan.

"As you were."

With those simple words, they returned to their stations as the circular expanse of Starbase Lotus loomed before them on the large viewer.As they turned to do so, the Andorian never felt as if they were turning their backs to him one single second; what he felt was that they were, like him, with him, turning towards their home, and beyond that towards the stars.

To the horizon.