The stars peeled away in streaks of pale fire as the USS Cardinal emerged from warp. The sensor-domed Nebula’s graceful bulk slid into synchronous orbit above the rust-speckled, khaki sphere of Eldor III. Waves of heat haze shimmered along the sunlit side of the class L planet. Dust storms curled lazily across the equatorial ridges. Shadows lengthened across cratered highlands, some of them barely visible from space. The atmosphere carried a sienna hue that lent to the scorched, delicate beauty of the world.

On the bridge, the soft hum of systems greeted officers assigned to the new Beta Shift rotation. Captain Raku was trying a new system of four six-hour shifts. Lights glowed amber and cyan across consoles as the officers monitored the planet upon arrival. The mood was alert, yet calm and procedural.

Captain Raku stood near the trio of command chairs on the raised, central platform. Officers at the stations on the crescent shaped ring of raised stations behind him peered over his head to take their first glance at Eldor III.

“Begin orbital scan of the surface,” Mobra ordered in a low, composed tone. “Focus on the primary landing zone. I want to know exact environmental conditions before we send down a single soul.”

A brisk voice answered from the Science station before the order had fully left the captain’s lips. “On it, sir,” said Ensign Raan ch’Loae. The young Andorian chan hunched with intensity over his console. “Sensors are picking up a great deal of particulate dust. Visibility on the surface will be limited at times. Daytime temperature at the designated coordinates is currently one hundred and fourteen degrees Fahrenheit.” The cerulean man turned, antennae flicking inquisitively. “And after nightfall? It drops to ten below zero. It’s a classic L-class thermal swing. We’ll need full environmental shielding for all surface teams.”

Captain Raku nodded. “Make preparations for transport. Ensign Harol, your Operations team will take point in deploying prefabricated shelters. Confirm power and climate regulation systems are synchronized with orbital control before the Cardinal takes off to Janoor III.”

Ensign Kian Harol looked back from his seat at Ops alongside the helm. “Yes, Captain. Understood.” He tapped his console, fingers moving more out of habit than focus. His jaw was tight. Blue eyes reminiscent of clean ocean water eyes bore the same haunted distance they’d carried ever since Talaen Rho fell in the Vaadwaur incursion.

Raku stepped down toward him. “You’ll be staying with the landing party for a full rotation. Ensure the settlement zone is fully functional. We won’t be in orbit long. Our presence is needed elsewhere.” His voice dropped slightly. “There should still be time for the planetside teams to rotate to Janoor III in a few days. The ship will be in comms range if anything pops up.”

Before Kian could respond, Ensign Kim Jung-soo turned from the Tactical station. Her dark eyes were focused and steady. “I’ll be on the surface as well, Harol. I’ll oversee the security detail at the compound. Nothing wild should happen. We’re close to Cait, not far from Sevury. It’s pretty calm out here.”

Kian exhaled slowly and offered her a grateful glance. “Then I won’t worry,” he said just loud enough for the bridge crew to hear. “Thank you, Kim.” The two often referred to each other by surname. It gave Kian a formality that was easier for his broken heart to bear. Kim seemed to innately understand.

Raku watched the exchange. “We can’t always choose when duty calls,” he said. “But we can decide how to answer it.”

Ensign Veetha turned her head at the helm station. Her large Ferengi ears twitched with interest. “Janoor III is not far at all, sir. The systems are practically neighbors,” she said brightly. “It’s about a sector and a quarter from where we are.” She looked at the Bravo Fleet map on her navigational display, seeing their current location of Eldor III sitting on a grid line just rimward of Cait. “All the lanes here are smooth. At high warp, we can hop between both places in just a few hours.” Veetha smiled, showing her polished teeth.

Something about Veetha’s energy tugged at the weariness hovering over the room. Raan’s antennae twitched with amusement. Kian straightened a little. Even Captain Raku allowed the ghost of a smile to crack his weathered features. Mobra walked down from the central platform to peek at the navigational map.

He turned back to face the bridge. “Alright. Begin equipment staging. Let’s get those shelters down before the sun sets and turns this place into a deep freeze.”

“Try to think of it like an expedition”, Counselor Zaa added. She stood from her seat in the center of the bridge. She was acting in her role as third officer, as Commander Smythe had the shift to handle tasks off the bridge. Part of the new rotation’s design was to give the senior staff more flexibility. Marlon uses this time to train and interact with the crew.

Lt. Cmdr. M’kath also has Beta shift off duty. Even more surprising than Ikastrul’s role as acting XO is M’kath’s role in command of the bridge from 8pm to 2am at Gamma Shift. The CO and XO would be called in if facing any emergency.

Captain Raku took one last glance at the surface scan displayed on the main viewscreen, then turned back to the others.

“Ensign Harol. Ensign Kim. You’re both dismissed. Meet your teams at Turbolift Two. Environmental suits will be waiting.”

Ensign Kian Harol stood from his Ops console with a nod, posture still a little stiff with nerves. Ensign Kim Jung-soo waited for him at the rear of the bridge. The two made their way towards the exit.

“Hold steady down there, you two,” Zaa said, voice rich with calm. “I read the crew manifest. You’ve got a capable group with you. Just remember to take a deep breath before the rest of us breathe down your necks for updates.”

Jung-soo gave a small grin. “We’ll hold the line, sir.”

Kian offered a subdued smile. “Thanks, Commander. That helps.”

The turbolift doors whispered shut behind their exit.

Two junior officers stepped forward briskly from where they had stood waiting near the starboard side of the bridge. A blonde human woman in Operations gold slid into Kian’s vacated seat and tapped the console to transfer control.

Captain Raku gestured towards her. “Beam down Structures One through Three.”

“Aye, sir,” she confirmed almost anxiously. She wasn’t used to bridge duty. The shift change seemed to be calling everyone up for bridge time.

Transporter Room Three hummed to life. Sleek, modular shelters were topped with glossy solar panel roofs and extendable bulkheads. Each structure shimmered, lost its solidity, and dissolved in bands of glittering blue-white. The cargo hold was empty seconds later. The hazy atmosphere of the desert world below loomed just outside of the bay’s bulkheads.

Back on the bridge, Ensign Raan ch’Loae leaned toward his console. Curious antennae twitched with longing. “I wish I were heading down with the Science team. They’ll be counting te’dran rahl. I love those Vulcan beetles. They convert silicate-based dust into fertile silica nodules over generations. They’re basically living alchemists. There’s a sand basin east of the camp site that hasn’t seen rainfall in two centuries—yet there’s a narrow patch of green there now. Do you know how long it would take for—”

“Ensign,” Raku cut in gently. “Are they ready?”

Before Raan could check, a voice called back over the comm. “Captain, the teams are still standing by. We’re just waiting on Ensign Harol to finish suiting up.” The transporter operator had noticed the structures were in place and wanted to update Mobra.

The Counselor and Captain congregated in front of the raised central platform. Zaa leaned down to murmur to Raku, “The Cardinal can check in every few hours. This orbit is stable. Even with everything happening on Janoor, we can hop the Cardinal between planets if needed.”

Raku nodded. “Very true. I don’t like leaving them so soon, but we’ll be on our way in about an hour. We should reach Janoor III late tonight and be ready for meetings by morning.”

Counselor Zaa smiled. “I’m actually looking forward to meeting other senior officers from Task Force 21. It’ll be good to put faces to names.”

“And credits to shops,” Raku said dryly. “Janoor has seen rapid development. Just last year, it was still a half-built diplomatic zone. Now I hear it’s full of markets, merchant enclaves, Ferengi kiosks… I might take a stroll through one, just to practice my negotiating skills.”

“Practice?” Zaa tilted her head. “Are you planning to buy a talking lamp or a discount warp stabilizer?”

“Hopefully just some bitterroot tea and a fresh pair of boots,” Raku replied. “I’m not above walking away with a talking lamp if the deal’s good enough, though.”

Ensign Veetha turned from the driver’s seat and grinned. “I’m sure I can help you figure out the local markets, Captain”, the Ferengi woman said confidently. She hid the fact that some traditionalists might not be happy to see a clothed lady of their race.

“Indeed you can”, Raku said excitedly as he turned to face her. “I need to see your skills in action, Ensign. One day I might need your advice on the bridge.”

“You can count on me, sir.” Veetha turned in her seat to face the viewscreen.

The blonde Ops officer spoke loudly. “Transporter Room Two reports parties one through three are in position and ready to beam down.”

Raku gave a final look toward the dusty world on the viewscreen. “Begin transport. Let’s get them dirt-side.”

Zaa clasped her hands behind her back. Her black eyes were bright with mischief. “Just make sure there’s still some shore leave left for the rest of us when we get to Janoor, Captain. I have a very important appointment with a pineapple sorbet stand I read about on the crew net.”