By Richard Woodcock

Last Time on Star Trek: Asclepius

Gyramu’s voice comes through from Engineering. “Shield harmonics destabilizing. They’re pulling something through. I don’t know what, but it’s not small and it’s not from our side.”

Velan’s voice cuts in via comms. “Captain, Ghostkeel infiltration teams are falling back. They’re transmitting again. Same resonance as the dreadnought.”

Arleigh adds, “They’ve painted the station and the rift with the same signal signature.”

White stands. His voice is firm, unshakable.

“We hold this line. Ruiz—evasive pattern Epsilon-Three. Flores, ready phasers and signal the Fortitude. We may need Spacefleet teeth.”

“Already warming the torpedoes,” Digby responds.

White narrows his gaze on the growing silhouette of the Tau capital ship.

“Then it’s time we remind them… we’re not easily rewritten.”

The rift pulses once—brighter, louder—as something immense stirs beyond.

The Lazarus Rift pulses ominously in the dark void of space—a jagged tear lined with flickering violet energy. Out of warp, the USS Asclepius arrives. Sleek and striking, its hull gleams with silver-white and teal—markings of a Federation starship uniquely built for deep-space medical and scientific response.

On the bridge, Captain Fox White stands at the center, eyes fixed on the anomaly ahead.

“Back again… let’s hope this time, it listens,” he says quietly.

Lt. Cmdr. Eyaya Thal, the non-binary Andorian science officer, leans over their console.

“Subspace shear patterns resemble those catalogued during the Fortitude temporal echoes. But this frequency… it’s new.”

Commander Elisa Flores, seated to the captain’s right, frowns. “New usually means trouble.”

At helm, the ever-eager Lt. Janiyah “Jazz” Ruiz grins. “Sir, Outpost Lazarus is broadcasting a low-frequency standby beacon—no active comms.”

“Yellow alert,” White orders. “Bring us in slow. Open a channel. Let’s talk before this gets weird.”

And now the continuation

Captains Log – Captain White:

“Mission log, USS Asclepius. Contact initiated with unknown race self-designated as the ‘Tau’. Diplomatic overtures met with opaque assurances. Our medical outpost, Lazarus Station, is compromised. Helix Team has uncovered covert infiltration by operatives using advanced cloaking technology. This is no longer a peaceful exchange—it’s an active test of our readiness.”

USS ASCLEPIUS, BRIDGE

The bridge is bathed in the low hum of alert lighting. Though not yet at red alert, tension has begun to simmer beneath the surface. Onscreen, the Lazarus Rift pulses with its eerie, silent light.

Captain Fox White sits forward in his chair, arms crossed.


“Status on the outpost?”

Commander Elisa Flores swivels from tactical, her jaw tense.


“Still sealed tight. No external breach. But internal sensors are catching intermittent power surges—like someone’s piggybacking control protocols.”

Lt. Cmdr. Eyaya Thal glances up from the science station.


“It’s elegant. Adaptive encryption overlays. Someone is nesting commands in our infrastructure—coiled like a serpent around the relay cores.”

Lt. Janiyah “Jazz” Ruiz, at helm, whistles.


“Remind me again why we didn’t show up with phasers drawn?”


“Because the diplomatic option is still technically breathing.” Fox said dryly.

Thal shifts their antennae, deep in thought.


“Captain… this feels like a test. A probe—not of our sensors, but our cohesion. They’re watching to see how long it takes us to spot the knife at our throat.”


“Let’s not give them the satisfaction.” Fox responded exhaling slowly.

USS ASCLEPIUS, BRIDGE

The bridge is under low red lighting. On the main viewscreen, internal schematics of Outpost Lazarus rotate slowly, flickering with power disruptions. Stress is showing.


“We’ve isolated the feedback pulse to sub-level three. The origin point appears mobile.” Thal reported.


“A mobile origin?” Fox asked.


“Unless the walls are moving, we’ve got something walking around cloaked and jacked into the power grid.” Flores confirmed.


“Permission to fire a torpedo into our own outpost?” Ruiz asked with youth?


“Still not plan A, Jazz.” Fox said sternly but with dry wit.


“There’s another factor. The encrypted telemetry is not just transmitting within the station. It’s pulsing outward—short bursts toward the Rift itself.” Thal confirmed.


“To a cloaked ship?” Fox asked?


“Most likely. Ghostkeel stealth tech would align. They’re feeding it targeting data.” Flores laid out.

A pause. White stands, facing the rift onscreen.


“Then they’re planning more than a visit. They’re preparing a strike.” Fox answered.

OUTPOST LAZARUS, MAINTENANCE CORRIDORS

Helix Team moves cautiously. Darkness is broken by the pulsing glow of LCARS overlays and the dim blue lights from their HUDs. The corridor’s stale air hums with heat.


“Definitely not Starfleet code in here. Whoever wrote this script had a thing for redundancy and moral ambiguity.” Grell confirms over the comms.


“I found a relay. It’s hot—running subspace compression we don’t use. Socket, cut into the conduit.” Velan also confirmed.

JAX kneels beside her, emitter flickering dimly.


“There’s a signature attached. It’s layered with thermal bleed—matches Tau battlesuit patterns. That’s confirmed infiltration.”


“Energy flow indicates they are not just hiding—they are talking to something. A command vessel, likely cloaked in low orbit.” T’lira says quietly.


“Wraith, get us access. Specter, prep a data pull.” Arleigh commanded.


“I hope this thing isn’t booby-trapped. I left my spare limbs in my quarters.” Grell half chuckled.

A spark erupts from the panel. Velan jerks back.


“Confirmed tripwire. Too late to disarm.” Velan said concerned.


“All units fall back—NOW.” Arleigh shouted.

The corridor goes black as all lights cut. Then a low pulse… and a shimmer of active camouflage fades in behind them.


“Contact—rear guard! Tau operative visible!” Hressssk Growled response.

Phasers ignite the corridor in crimson light.

SPACEFLEET VESSEL FORTITUDE, INTELLIGENCE BAY

Major Digby stands behind a Spacefleet intelligence officer watching the event unfold via passive scans and trace data forwarded from the Asclepius.


“We’ve picked up three more bursts from the outpost. Minimal emissions, but precisely targeted.” Brint briefed.


“Do we have confirmation that these are outbound Tau signals?” Digby asked his eyebrow raising.


“We have pattern matches from the Artemis Incident. It’s the same encryption cadence.” Brint confirmed.

Digby folds his arms.


“They’re marking targets. Which means someone’s considering an offensive.”

He turns toward a tactical hologram.


“Fortitude to Asclepius. Standing by with tactical intervention drones and surgical strike teams. Your call, Captain White—but make it fast.” Digby says over the comms.

USS ASCLEPIUS, BRIDGE

White is at the center of the storm. Sweat beads slightly on his temple.


“Helix Team—report.” Fox ordered over the comms.


“We’ve engaged a cloaked infiltrator. Confirmed Ghostkeel armor. Repeat—Tau infiltration is active.” Arleigh confirmed over the comms back.


“Signal Fortitude. Tell Digby… Plan B is back on the table.” Fox responded.


“I’ll ready the weapons array. If diplomacy failed… at least we brought the bigger stick.” Flores nodded grimly.


“I wanted this to be different. Peaceful.” Fox said quietly to himself wondering where he went wrong and just for a moment wishing Miles Llewellyn and the Fortitude where here.


“Captain, they never stopped treating this like a battlefield. They simply smiled while aiming.” Thal answered.

TAU VESSEL – COMMAND CHAMBER

Aboard the hidden Tau Emissary-class vessel just beyond the rift, the interior glows with soft white and blue ambient light. Sleek, angular designs curve upward into holographic control panels and minimalist architecture. Por’ha N’drel, a poised Water Caste diplomat, stands beside Shas’O Vior’la Karesh, an armored Fire Caste commander.


“Starfleet’s response was quicker than expected. Resourceful. But their operational model remains scattershot.” N’Drel Appraised.


“They value unpredictability. An inefficient method—chaotic. But difficult to counter without escalation.” Karesh countered.


“And escalation violates Ethereal doctrine. This contact was to be passive. Observational.” N’Drel bowed response came.

Karesh turns to a tactical display. Ghostkeel infiltration readouts flicker across the screen.


“We are not firing. We are learning. Testing. No civilization survives first contact unchanged.” Karesh said clamly.

N’drel places a hand over a pulsing communication rune.


“Then let us test wisely. And not mistake arrogance for clarity.”

They turn toward the viewport. The Lazarus Rift glows in the distance—ominous and beckoning.

USS ASCLEPIUS, BRIDGE

The bridge remains dimmed under alert lighting. Alerts flash across the tactical display as internal sensors struggle to maintain a lock on cloaked contacts.


“Multiple transporter echoes—short bursts. They’re either beaming in… or out.” Ruiz reported.


“No warp signatures. Whatever is cloaked beyond the rift is maintaining position. Passive… but not idle.” Thal confirmed.


“If they’re uploading full personnel schematics and deck plans—Asclepius could be the real target.” Flores mused.

Fox rises from the command chair, posture rigid with rising concern.


“Ready the evacuation protocols. Quietly. I want medical teams prepped in case this turns surgical.”


“Captain—one more thing. I’ve translated a root phoneme from the intercepted bursts.” Thal gave the good news.

The viewscreen changes to Tau symbols with Federation translation underneath.

T’Aun Shas’ar. Fire Commander Protocol.


“‘Fire’ in their command hierarchy is a designation. But the usage here… it’s ceremonial. The operative isn’t just an infiltrator. They’re a leader.” Thal confirmed.

OUTPOST LAZARUS, HAZARD OPS CONDUIT DECK

Helix Team regroups in a secured junction. Sparks flicker from a damaged LCARS panel, casting harsh lighting over the sweat-drenched team.


“They’re cycling all ventilation feeds through a subprocessor. Mapping the whole damn place with ambient bio-signs.” Velan reporting fingers dancing over the LCARS controls.


“They are cataloguing species types… and prioritising.” T’Lira confirmed.


“You mean triaging.” Grell Said grimly.


“I’ve started a counter-loop. It’ll ghost most of us—but only for ten minutes. After that, we light up like emergency flares.” Jax reported.


“We get what we can, and we shut it down. Socket—plant a fragmentation loop. If they try this again, they’ll trigger a virus.” Arleigh confirmed.


“Enemy cloaks are adapting. Smell faint ozone. More suits incoming.” Hressssk said his tail twitching.


“Copy. Ready breach defense pattern gamma. Specter—how’s the exit route?” Arleigh asked.


“There’s one shaft left clear. But it runs cold—no heat, no flow. Like they want us to take it.” Velarik confirmed over the comms.


“Oh good. A horror-movie hallway.” Grell sighed.

SPACEFLEET VESSEL FORTITUDE, WAR ROOM

Major Digby leans over a starfield hologram.


“They’ve anchored a battlesuit carrier near the rift. Tau-class Dreadstrike silhouette. Slow pulse but deep output.” Digby reported.


“Orders, sir?” Brint asked.


“Monitor. Arm all tactical micro-drones. But hold. If they wanted war, they’d have fired already. This is… provocation.” Digby confirmed.


“Or distraction?” Brint said with a half smile.


“Exactly. So let’s distract them right back.” Digby confirmed with a wink.

He gestures. Holograms flare.


“Deploy decoy buoy and encode broadcast on scrambled relay. Let’s see if their ‘ethereal’ fire caste appreciates a touch of misdirection.” Digby commanded looking over to the communications officer.

USS ASCLEPIUS, OBSERVATION DECK (LATER)

White and Flores stand at the viewport. Beyond, the Lazarus Rift pulses, and the distant shimmer of the Tau dreadnought can be glimpsed.


“We opened this mission with hopes of peace.” Fox said.


“Hope’s not dead. But it’s in intensive care.” Flores answered with a half chuckle.


“If we survive this… remind me to take a long walk on a planet with zero anomalies.” Fox said with a half smile.


“I’ll pack the sunscreen.” Flores laughed.

They share a moment of quiet tension, pierced by a comm chime.


“Captain. I have a full data capture from the Helix Team’s incursion. You’ll want to see this.” Thal checked in.


“On our way.” Fox responded.

INSERTED CUTAWAY — TAU VESSEL, COMMAND CHAMBER

Back aboard the Tau ship, Karesh watches drone footage of the firefight in the corridors.

A junior Fire Warrior, Shas’la Tyen, speaks from below.


“Their response teams are well-coordinated. The defensive net caught one of the infiltrators.”Shas’La Tyen reported.


“That was the intent. Let them learn. Let them believe they’ve won.” Karesh confirmed


“Should we retreat the others?” Tyen Questioned?


“No. Let them finish the hunt. Our message is delivered.” Karesh Confirmed.

Karesh steps toward the viewing port as the image of Asclepius flickers through distortion.


“All resistance is friction… that sharpens unity.”

USS ASCLEPIUS BRIDGE, WAR ROOM VIEW

White, Flores, Thal, and Frump examine the data stream from Helix Team’s recovery. A fragmented schematic of the Tau Ghostkeel network overlays a map of the station.


“They weren’t just mapping us. They were seeding the station with signal relays—buried in the environmental controls and maintenance power relays.” Thal said.


“Like termites. With cloaks. And sniper rifles.” Frump commented.
“They’ve recorded the medical crew rotations, shuttle telemetry, and every hazard response drill we’ve run since docking.” Flores confirmed with a slight look of concern.


“What were they planning? Sabotage? A full takeover?” Fox asked?


“No. Not destruction. Infiltration. The goal was precision. Surgical silence.” Thal confirmed.

White turns toward the main viewer.


“Then we’re the tumour they didn’t expect. Time to make them feel it.” Fox said out loud.

OUTPOST LAZARUS, POWER CORE ACCESS SHAFT

Helix Team moves in pairs through the dark, low-clearance conduits above the power reactor housing. Sweat glistens, breath controlled.


“Specter. Socket. Breach junction alpha. We’ll flank left. Wraith and Grell, seal escape vectors.” Arleigh whispered.


“No thermal readings. Just static. It’s like they’re ghosts.” Velan perplexed answered.


“Correction. They’re less than ghosts. These suits were grown to evade awareness. But their signals… they breathe, just like us.” Orel Jax said softly appearing almost from nowhere.

Suddenly—FLASH. A Ghostkeel operative decloaks mid-stride and launches a kinetic burst. Hressssk reacts instinctively, shielding Velan.


“Permission to scream now?!” Grell asked from floor level


“Suppressing fire!” Arleigh ordered instantly .

A frenetic but controlled close-quarters skirmish ensues. The team fights in tight corridors—LCARS panels bursting with feedback. Sparks, static, grunts.

T’LIRA lifts her hand. A micro-stun pulse from her custom med-tricorder disorients a second suit.

VELAN dives, slamming her fist onto the relay node.


“Data line severed. Upload loop interrupted!” Velan confirmed.


“Extraction now! Socket, lay charges. We cave in the node after we’re clear!” Arleigh ordered.

SPACEFLEET VESSEL FORTITUDE, CIC

Digby watches the unfolding sensor telemetry. More subtle pulsing from the Tau dreadnought.

DIGBY
“They’re watching the battle unfold and not moving. That’s not arrogance. That’s confidence.” Digby thought aloud.


“Should we push the bluff, sir?” Brint asked?


“No. But let’s show them we’re not alone.” Digby replied looking at Brint.

He taps a console—two additional Spacefleet vessels decloak, framing the Tau ship at a distance.


“Now we wait to see if the ‘Greater Good’ includes restraint.” Digby asked dryly.

USS ASCLEPIUS BRIDGE, MOMENTS LATER


“Helix Team, report.” Fox ordered.


“Data stream halted. Tau cloaked suits confirmed. At least three disabled. No team fatalities.” Arleigh reported breathing heavily.


“Outstanding. Fall back and regroup. Medical team en route.” Fox commanded.

Frump crosses her arms, watching the viewport where the Tau ship remains still.


“Still not moving. Either they’re calculating… or they’re waiting for us to flinch.”


“Then we don’t.” Fox said to himself.

He turns to Ruiz.
“Put us between them and the station.” Fox commanded

ETHEREAL TRANSMISSION ROOM (UNKNOWN TAU LOCATION)

In a chamber of reflective crystal, a tall, robed Ethereal stands, hands clasped. A pool of gravitic light projects fragmented telemetry.

“This Federation… they believe peace is a structure. But peace is not a structure. It is a sacrifice. One they have not yet made.”

“The Fire Caste recommends advancing phase two.”


“Let them resist. Let them question. In doubt, the Greater Good finds its path.”

USS ASCLEPIUS BRIDGE

Asclepius held a firm position between Outpost Lazarus and the Tau dreadnought. The viewscreen shows the rift, flickering with its strange violet energy, and the menacing crescent blade of the Tau vessel still hovering at range.


“Tau ship has withdrawn its active scan protocols. Signal strength is minimal. Almost… contemplative.” Thal reported.


“Contemplative like a hawk watching its prey… or a theologian regretting the knife.” Frump considered.


“No weapons fired. No retreat. Just observation. That’s not hesitation—it’s doctrine.” Flores reported.


“Send the diplomatic packet. Include the data Helix recovered. And a message: ‘We’re not what you expected. Neither are you.’” Fox ordered.

Ruiz leans back in her chair with a sigh.


“So, that’s two missions, two galactic anomalies, and one stealth invasion. Think the third one’s going to involve a piñata?”


“Only if it’s quantum unstable.” Thal said dryly

Laughter breaks out on the bridge. Tension dissipates—if only slightly.

USS Asclepius, HAZARD OPS, HELIX READY ROOM

The Helix Team sits around the debrief table. Grell nurses a singed arm; Hressssk stands at the rear, his rifle resting nearby. Jax flickers faintly as his emitter recalibrates. Arleigh stands, arms crossed.


“You did good. No fatalities. We adapted. We hit fast. We hit smart.” Arleigh debriefed.


“Also, for the record, I only screamed internally.” Velan confirmed.


“Liar. Your soul shrieked across three decks.” Grell Chuckled.


“The mission proved the necessity of Helix’s existence. Our integration protocols worked.” T’Lira spoke calmly


“We are becoming… coherent.” Jax reported


“Next time… I suggest heavier weaponry.” Hressssk nodded


“Next time I suggest we send a different team.” Grell answered

They chuckle, tired but bonded.


“We’re not done. We’ve lit a fire—and someone’s watching. Dismissed for now. Sleep light.” Arleigh nodded.

SCENE 3 — SPACEFLEET VESSEL FORTITUDE, OBSERVATION DECK

Major Digby gazes out at the stars, hands clasped behind his back. He watches the rift close slightly, pulsing less now.

BRINT (offscreen) “No further signals from the Tau vessel. They’re holding position. For now.”


“Of course they are. They didn’t expect resistance with a Federation smile. They got Spacefleet steel too.” Digby answered

He taps the window glass once.


“They’re probing the edge of diplomacy with a surgical blade. But they’re not the only shadows out here.”

ASCLEPIUS, CAPTAIN’S READY ROOM (NIGHT)

Captain White, alone now, reviews the data sent from Helix Team: footage of cloaked Ghostkeel operatives, the intercepted phrases—Tau tactical language, Fire Caste codes, and a transmission fragment left behind.

DISTORTED VOICE (recorded): “Phase one… complete. T’au’va guides. The Ethereal will judge.”

White sits back, folding his hands beneath his chin.


“What kind of war ends before the first shot is fired?”

He taps his console.

“Log supplemental: We held the line. Barely. But the shadows grow sharper. And the Ethereal… is watching.”

He looks back at the viewport—where the Tau dreadnought still waits in silence.

TAU VESSEL  – CLOSING

Por’ha N’drel watches a silent feed of the rift pulsing as the Starfleet and Spacefleet ship remains in position.


“They will ask the wrong questions. They always do.” N’Drel said softly.

Behind him, Karesh begins prepping armor. Drones hiss in calibrated tones.


“Let them. The Ethereal has chosen. We will reshape this quadrant… one heart at a time.”

FADE TO BLACK.

TO BE CONTINUED…