On the Aquaran

[Cptn Corizon 0]

Captain Heath Stanbury stood on the bridge of the passenger liner Aquaran. His attention fluttered between the blinking lights to his left, and the flashing green situation monitor directly in front of him.

 

“What was so important that it couldn’t wait another two hours when I’d be awake,” his voice still fresh with sleep, as were his eyes. He held a sliver coffee cup n his right hand and he took a drink between his question, and the response.

 

“Well Captain,” the attractive thirty-something Bajoran woman at the central operations consol said wryly. “We’ve been given notice that Starbase Camelot is on some sort of Security lockdown.”

 

Stanbury lifted his eyebrows. Really he wasn’t too surprised, given what he’d read about what was going on in the Quadrant. He was probably more surprised that his passenger manifest was completely full, all with people ready to try and start new lives, or continue old ones at this newest remote port of call. “Dominion troubles?”

 

“They won’t say,” she shook her head. “The only thing they’ll tell us is that they’ve sealed of the station and no one’s allowed to dock or undock.”

 

“Interesting,” he said as he started to wake up. “Any idea if when they’re going to lift the lockdown?”

 

“None.”

 

“Good think we packed light,” Stanbury said wryly. The comment came in light of the fact that he’d actually had to make an announcement to the boarding passengers at DS9 about bringing to much...as he called it…useless crap aboard.

 

The Bajoran woman only smirked. “Do you want me sound general quarters?”

 

“What’s our ETA?”

 

“Six hours…”

 

Stanbury thought about the situation for a long moment. “No, we’ll wait till morning.”

 

“We could reroute to New Bajor and layover there…”

 

“I think I’d rather sit in space outside of Camelot…”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Long story…”

 

“There is a Wadi Station not to far from us…”

“Over my dead body...”

 

She smirked. “Of course Captain. I’ll inform Camelot we wish to remain in orbit till the station has been cleared.”

 

“Good…I am going back to bed.”