Smarter Than You Realize

Cerina listened to the executive officer of the former Tokyo.  It was about what she expected to hear.  Send us back.  We'll make sure that the powers that are know you aided us.  It's in your best interests to do so.  And truth be told... the faster they got these humans off their ship, the better.

It wasn't that Cerina was uncomfortable around humans.  Her own father had once been human.  And with a mother in Starfleet, she had plenty of contact with them.  But as long as Starfleet personnel remained on a Bartokian ship, it painted a target squarely on the fleet.  And the Bartokians had enough trouble of their own with the Khalindarians; no need in compounding the problem.

Tapping her communications badge, Cerina said, "Korishma Blail... have you contacted either of the remaining Federation ships?"

"Very well.  Let them know."

Cerina's words were interrupted by an unmistakable feeling.  A thundering shudder ran through their ship.  They had just been fired upon.  But by whom?  In an instant, Cerina's demeanor changed.  The calmly civil commanding officer took a backseat to a totally different woman.  "Korrine... what just hit us?"

"What kind of fighters?"

This was not good.  Short-range fighters meant one thing: There was a Khalindarian super-destroyer nearby.  And even five Bartokian cruisers would have their hands full against one.  Cerina quickly turned back to Commander Jones.

"Commander... I'll make this very simple.  We just got hit by light fighter-fire.  That means, the Khalindarians have one of their super-destroyers nearby.  I regret to inform you, you're going to have to stick around a bit longer."  Tapping her badge again, she said, "Korrine... inform the Starfleet vessels that we need to get out of here now.  Select a suitable rendezvous point... and set course for maximum warp.  I'm not in the mood to go toe-to-toe with a super-destroyer."

Eve watched as the young brunette turned back to the viewscreen.  She had seen the small fighter craft of the Khalindarians... and she knew what it meant even before Cerina's first officer explained it.

By the Ancestors, Eve thought to herself; she is so young.  All the faces aboard the Bartokian cruiser looked that way.  But Eve also knew that the Bartokian fleet wouldn't hand a Molyar to just anyone.  You earned one... and that spoke volumes about these young Bartokians.