Lieutenant Commander

I heard a knock on my front door and got off the couch to answer it. I opened the door to see Spock and Bones standing in the hallway.

"Spock, Bones, what are you doing here?" I asked as they entered my apartment and I closed the door.

Spock spoke first. "I am here to inform you of what has been decided due to the Captain's failure to submit an accurate report of the incident on Nibiru," he told me.

"What was decided?" I asked worriedly, my heart beginning to race. Whatever was decided, it probably wasn't good. Or else Spock would have just called me instead of showing up at my apartment.

"Star Fleet council has decided to remove the Enterprise from Captain Kirk's command and restore command to Pike," Spock stated.

It took me a minute to process. Then something snapped.

"Where is he? I am really going to kill him this time!" I shouted, starting for the door. As if they were expecting something like this to happen, Spock and Bones lunged forward and grabbed my arms.

I struggled against their hold, "It he wasn't so damn stubborn all the time...stuck up, arrogant...Would it kill him to be honest for once in his life?...He went and lost the damn ship!" I ranted.

"Now I see why you wanted backup," Bones grumbled as I continued trying to get to the door.

"I was correct to assume the Lieutenant Commander would react as such," Spock replied, "Andorians are a highly combative race. Astrid tends to only act on that when she is very angry."

"Oh please, I know," Bones grumbled. "Hey!" he said, pulling me backwards a little bit, "Cool it Astrid!"

I jerked my arm away from him one last time before I stopped fighting and hung my head. "What's going to happen to us?" I asked Spock.

"Jim has been demoted to first officer and I have been reassigned," he replied calmly. Him and Bones let go of my arms and slowly backed away a few steps. "You will remain on the Enterprise with duties and rank intact."

I looked up at him, "You've been reassigned? To where?"

"USS Bradbury," he informed me.

I sighed irritably, running my fingers through my long hair. "And why couldn't Jim tell me this himself?"

"My guess is he's in a bar right about now," Bones replied. The three of us stood in silence for a moment.

Suddenly everything else was drowned out by a painful wave of noise crashing into my brain. I yelled in panic and my hands flew up to clutch my head. I stumbled and my friends rushed forward to catch me and hold me up.

"Astrid? What's wrong?" Bones asked desperately.

"Screaming, I can hear screaming in my head," I managed, my eyes screwed shut in pain.

"It is most likely her telepathy," Spock informed Bones calmly. "Vulcans can often sense great deals of pain and suffering, usually only to this extent when they have a strong emotional bond tying them to the situation."

"And pain, so many people are in pain, so many are dead..." I sobbed, barely even hearing him due to the noise in my head. My head snapped up, "Thomas is gone! Thomas is dead too!" I cried out in panic. They lowered me to the ground, clutching my left side where my heart beat rapidly.

Bones bent down next to me, "It will be okay Astrid," he said soothingly, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"Thomas is dead..." I whispered shakily. After a few minutes I began to calm down.

Thomas was the son of my mother's human cousin. I had become acquainted with him not long after my induction into the academy. We had become close over our years studying together and he soon became one of my best friends. I began to view him as an older brother, since I had no siblings of my own. While I traveled through space aboard a Star Ship, he remained on Earth to work in the Kelvin Memorial Library in London.   

"Do you know what has happened to Thomas and the others to cause you such trauma?" Spock asked calmly.

I shook my head slowly, "A lot of people are dead..."

As I began to regain some form of composure, the PADD Spock had with him beeped. He raised his eyebrows as he read the urgent message.

"There is to be an emergency gathering of all Captains and First Officers at headquarters," he informed us. He looked at me, "I assume it pertains to whatever event you just experienced."

Suddenly, the large screen in my living room lit up with another message. I very shakily got up and made my way across the room. Bones and Spock stood on either side of me as I read the new urgent message.

"I am to report to headquarters to act as security at an emergency meeting." I let out a heavy sigh, "Great."

A/N:

Hey! Leave me a comment to let me know how you're liking the story so far! Am I describing Astrid's appearance and personality in a way that makes sense?

Live long and prosper,
Melody