Destined | Christopher Pike

Chapter Seventeen

"Stardate 2817. It's been three days since my little interaction with Captain Pike. Somehow, the both of us have managed to be completely professional with one another. It's as if nothing has even happened. I'm not sure what to think exactly. Maybe we're both taking time to figure out what we want? It's clear he shares feelings for me. Anyways. Today we are traveling to the edge of Federation space. It's dangerous territory, but I'm confident we'll be okay. We're traveling with Dr. Aspen. Dr. Aspen does humanitarian work and today we'll be assisting them in helping some stranded colonists."

Emma ended her log before slipping on her cadet shirt. It felt odd talking to her datapad about her personal feelings towards a certain Captain. The primary use of the logs were to record what was happening in your life as a member of Starfleet. No one would ever have access to them with the exception of the person actually making the log. Still, a relationship with Christopher seemed like something she would want to remember.

She was sent to the bridge to keep watch over the radar and coms as Christopher and a few other members of the Enterprise ate lunch with Dr. Aspen, a former counselor turned humanitarian. They would be aiding Dr. Aspen to rescue three colonial ships stranded outside of Federation space. It would be a dangerous mission, but to Emma it was one of the more impactful missions they went on. They would be directly helping people that desperately needed it.

They would be arriving to the last known coordinates soon and while Emma would have loved to had dinner with Dr. Aspen and the rest of the crew, she knew her job was important on the bridge. The radar in front of her had been relatively barren until they crept close to the coordinates. Suddenly, little blips began to appear in front of Emma's eyes. All of it was too small to be ships.

Emma spun around to look at La'an. "Lt. Noonien-Singh, I've got something here, but it's too small to be the colonists' ships."

"Give me the view outside." She requested.

Emma turned to do as she was told. When she turned back around massive amounts of debris were in front of them where the ships were suppose to be. The crew looked around at each other confused. Had they been attacked? But Emma didn't know why someone would attack innocent people. Then again, it wasn't completely unheard of at the edge. She listened as La'an hailed Chris and waited practically on the edge of her seat.

"What am I looking at?" Christopher asked as he walked in and took his seat and Dr. Aspen stood behind him.

"Debris. It's all that remains of the colonists. Ship signatures match two of the three colonial vessels." La'an said.

"Any survivors?" He asked.

Ortegas shook her head. "No life signs, sir."

"Maybe they escaped to the third ship. Is there any sign of it?" Dr. Aspen asked.

"None, Counselor. But I am detecting an unidentified warp signature." Spock told them.

Christopher leaned towards Dr. Aspen. "Your pirates?"

Pirates. Emma had heard rumors of pirates from her mother and other Captain's she had met in her lifetime, but it had never been authenticated.

"What if they wanted the colonists themselves? Outside the Federation, slavery is upsettingly common." La'an said.

"If you're right, and I hope you're not, then they're already back across the border." Chris said.

Spock could already tell what their Captain was about to say next. "Sir, entering non-Federation space requires Starfleet approval."

He was right. Emma wished Spock wasn't right, but he was. It could cost Chris everything if they didn't go about the situation the right way, but she understood his urgency. Human lives were at stake.