Chapter One

  Refit

  Earth hung below the U.S.S. Camelot like a blue white jewel, its oceans shimmering against the black velvet of space. The massive silhouette of Earth Spacedock loomed ahead, docking arms unfolding like the petals of a mechanical flower as the battle scarred starship approached under thruster control.

  Inside the bridge, every station was manned.

  Captain K’sigh sat in the center seat, posture rigid, eyes sharp.

  Commander Fakowerfo stood at his right, hands clasped behind his back in perfect Rigelian discipline.

  Commander Neso Dax monitored power flow from the engineering console, her expression calm despite the damage reports scrolling past.

  Lieutenant Kita tracked sensor telemetry, tail flicking with restrained tension.

  Lt. Commander Philip Banks stood at Tactical, uniform crisp, eyes scanning every readout with practiced vigilance.

  At the forward stations, the rest of the bridge team worked with quiet precision.

  Ensign Ralston held the CONN, guiding the wounded starship with careful thruster bursts.

  Lieutenant Jora handled Communications, routing priority channels through damaged relays and maintaining a link with Spacedock Control.

  Lieutenant Mara Vell sat at Operations, reallocating dwindling power reserves and keeping life support stable across the ship’s compromised sections.

  The Camelot bore the scars of its last mission — scorch marks along the hull, micro fractures in the saucer plating, and entire sections of the tactical grid offline. But she had made it home.

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  “Thrusters at station keeping,” Ensign Ralston reported.

  “Docking clamps engaged,” Commander Dax confirmed. “We are secured to Spacedock.”

  A soft vibration ran through the deck as the umbilicals connected — power, atmosphere, data, and structural locks. The Camelot was now part of the station, a patient being wheeled into surgery.

  Captain K’sigh rose from the center seat, his voice deep and resonant as he tapped the intercom.

  “Attention all hands.”

  His words carried through every corridor, every deck, every heart aboard the Camelot.

  “You are hereby relieved of duty for the next three months while refit and upgrades are completed.”

  A hush fell across the ship.

  K’sigh continued, tone solemn but steady.

  “Memorial services for our fallen crew members will begin tomorrow at 0900 hours. All personnel are requested to attend in full dress uniform. At 1400 hours, we will hold awards and promotion ceremonies. You have all earned this time. Rest. Heal. Be with your families. And be prepared to report back at a moment’s notice.”

  He closed the channel.

  For a moment, no one moved.

  Then the ship came alive with quiet motion — officers gathering their bags, exchanging soft words, touching bulkheads as if saying goodbye to an old friend. The transporter rooms filled first, then the service umbilical corridors. The Camelot’s crew stepped off the ship in steady streams, heading toward the bright lights and open spaces of Spacedock.

  Lt. Commander Philip Banks remained at Tactical until the last of his security teams had departed. Only then did he step away, pausing to rest a hand on the console that had carried him through fire.

  He walked slowly to the forward viewport.

  Earth rotated peacefully below — serene, unaware of the sacrifices made to keep it safe.

  Footsteps approached.

  Lieutenant Kita stood in the doorway, hands clasped behind her back.

  “Sir… the crew is disembarking. They’re gathering in the station atrium. Some of them were hoping you’d join them.”

  Philip nodded, though his eyes stayed on the planet below.

  “I’ll be there shortly.”

  Kita hesitated, her ears lowering slightly.

  “Sir… you brought us home. All of us who could be brought home.”

  Philip exhaled softly.

  “We saved each other, Lieutenant. That’s how it’s supposed to be.”

  He turned toward her, offering a faint but genuine smile.

  “Let’s go join the others.”

  Together, they stepped off the bridge and into the next chapter of their lives — a chapter of healing, rebuilding, and preparing for the storm they both knew was coming.

  Because somewhere out there, beyond the calm blue glow of Earth…

  The Ascended were not finished