Star Trek - Fingers Crossed
Copyright© 2026 by SilkStories
Chapter 8: Goddess of the Stars
“Are we in position, Ensign?” I asked as Mira confirmed with a simple, “Yes, Captain.” Pushing myself up from the chair, I rose to stand beside Garrett. He remained rigidly at attention next to me.
“Ready?”
It was a bold gamble, but Ensign Rejal had convinced me she could execute it. With our engines completely powered down and every system that might emit detectable energy signatures deliberately dampened, we’d rendered the ship effectively invisible.
We’d been creeping forward using what Dr. Thal called our organic plasma thrusters - a method allowing us to maneuver through space with virtually no detectable emissions.
Now we’re positioned directly beneath the USS Resolute, poised to crash their little party. Captain Rhodes will get one hell of a surprise.
I settled my hand on the phaser at my hip, shooting Garrett a smirk. “No trigger finger, Commander.” His retort came just as quick. “Ditto, Captain.”
“Let’s do it!”
I closed my eyes briefly, and a tremor ripped through the base of my skull. When my lids lifted again, unfamiliar surroundings greeted me—I stood in one of the corridors of the USS Resolute.
Shit!
I was supposed to materialize in Engineering. “Captain!” I heard Garrett call from behind me. As I turned, he pointed directly ahead. “Main engineering should be through those doors.”
As we advanced, the doors hissed apart. An ensign stepped through, his brow furrowing as he took in our uniforms. I fixed him with a sharp look. “Eyes forward, Ensign.” He immediately averted his gaze. “Yes, Captain,” he mumbled, sidestepping us without further challenge.
I inhaled deeply as we crossed into engineering, the cavernous space alive with blinking consoles and the quiet industry of a few crew members. No one had registered our presence yet.
The warp reactor dominated the far end of engineering as we advanced with purpose, my hands clasped firmly behind my back. A crewman glanced up from his console, his gaze locking onto us. I met his eyes with cool authority and gave a curt nod of acknowledgment, never breaking stride.
As we reached the warp core, I studied its cylindrical form while stealing a glance at Garrett. My expression remained carefully neutral, but my pulse hammered against my ribs. A crewman approached us, his brow furrowed in polite inquiry. “May I help you, sir?” he asked.
I pivoted sharply toward him, my voice dripping with disdain as I snapped, “Sir?” The crewman blinked, clearly taken aback by my tone. “Lieutenant,” I continued crisply, “I despise being addressed as ‘sir.’ It’s either ‘Captain’ or ‘ma’am.’” He quickly nodded, his cheeks flushing slightly. “Of course. My apologies, Captain.”
“Are you the chief of Engineering?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And where do you store your dilithium reserves module?” I asked, recoiling in confusion as he replied. “Sir?” My lips tightened into a rigid line, my eyes narrowing sharply at the repeated offense. With a hasty gesture, he pointed toward a nearby compartment.
“Can you show me?”
My gesture was no request. He nodded quickly and opened the compartment. Garrett and I leaned down to examine the contents. “Commander, will this do?” I asked quietly. “It appears adequate, Captain,” he confirmed in a low tone.
“Uhm, Captain?” The lieutenant’s voice held a note of growing unease as he ventured the question. “May I ask why you wanted to see this?”
“Of course Lietenant.” I quipped.
I withdrew the transporter device and attached it to the module. My hand immediately tapped my combadge. “Ensign Mitchell ... energize.” The lieutenant’s eyes widened in shock.
The module vanished before the stunned lieutenant’s eyes. “Thank you, Lietenant,” I said with icy politeness, turning to Garrett with a slight nod. The lieutenant fumbled for his combadge, his voice tight with alarm as he called out, “Security to Engineering! We have intruders.”
I closed my eyes as we materialized back on the Seeker’s bridge.
As I settled back into my command chair, Ensign Mitchell’s voice cut through the bridge’s quiet tension. “Captain, they’ve raised shields. We’re not going anywhere.” A grim satisfaction settled over me as I acknowledged his report with a curt nod. “Thank you, Ensign. Just as we anticipated.”
I pressed the comm panel on my armrest. “Engineering, do you have the equipment?” Darius’s voice crackled through a moment later. “Affirmative, Captain. We’re beginning installation modifications now—it should take a few hours to complete.”
“We’re still invisible to them, Captain,” Mitchell reported, his voice steady as I gave a small nod of acknowledgment. “No detection whatsoever.”
A flicker of concern crossed Ensign Rejal’s face as she turned toward me. “What if they go to warp, Captain?” she asked, her dark eyes meeting mine.
The Resolute’s shields held us captive—for now. If they jumped to warp with us caught inside, the resulting shear forces would tear our ship apart.
Should it come to that, we’d have no choice but to target their shield emitters directly—but such an action would leave them defenseless.
For over a month now, we’d been drifting between the Alpha and Beta Quadrants like ghosts, concealing ourselves within asteroid fields and nebula clouds. Starfleet Command had altered all communication frequencies, severing our ability to monitor their channels. Our database access had been completely revoked too—no newsfeeds, no status updates, nothing reached us anymore.
There was no endgame in sight, no plans—just us operating as officers trying not to shatter every Prime Directive we could. Now that we’d crossed into piracy, I might as well toss the whole damn rulebook out the airlock.
I recalled reading Admiral Janeway’s reports from when Voyager had been stranded in the Delta Quadrant—the terrible choices Captain Ransom and the Equinox crew faced just to survive.
To Janeway, even stranded seventy thousand light-years from home, compromising the Prime Directive remained unthinkable—a line she refused to cross despite the distance.
I was no better than Captain Ransom - perhaps even worse. And Janeway? She’d have shown me the same ruthlessness she gave him. Given time, she likely will.
Three hours had passed, and we remained concealed beneath the USS Resolute. I stood in engineering watching Lieutenant Carter install the final components of the modified module.
“It’s more sophisticated than our current systems,” he said, his brow furrowed in concentration as he worked. “Full integration will require several more hours, Captain.” He glanced up from the glowing console, meeting my gaze with a confident nod. “But the organic matrix should accelerate the process significantly.”
I stood with my hands clasped behind my back, nodding silently before turning to leave. I stepped carefully over the cables snaking across the deck, interwoven with the ship’s pulsating organic tendrils.
My comm badge chirped with Garrett’s urgent voice: “Captain to the bridge!” I tapped it immediately. “On my way.”
As I stepped off the turbolift onto the bridge, I immediately demanded a report. Ensign Varek turned from her communications console, her voice steady as she announced, “Captain Rhodes is hailing us.”
My eyes widened. “They’ve detected us?” Mitchell shook his head. “I think they’re just taking a shot in the dark, Captain,” he said as I settled into my chair.
“What do you think, Captain?”
I turned to Garrett beside me. “He’s probably pissed,” I said quietly, earning a smirk from him as he kept his eyes forward. I shifted my attention to the communications station. “On-screen, Ensign,” I ordered, and T’Pren acknowledged crisply with, “Aye, Captain.”
Zephyr Rhodes appeared on the viewscreen trying to look composed, “Captain Rhodes, always a pleasure,” I said as he sneered, “Delores!” he snapped.
“Yes?”
“You’ve gone too far now!”
“You said that last time, is the threshold moving each time?”
Rhodes’s face contorted with disdain. “There’s a special penal colony waiting for you, Captain,” he sneered condescendingly. “Your cell is already reserved. Why don’t you just surrender now and spare us both the trouble?”
“Captain Vance! Can you hear me?”
My eyes narrowed with confusion, what the hell? That almost sounded like, like...
“Delores, this is Admiral Janeway, do you copy?”
“Admiral?” I managed to say, my voice tight with disbelief. Garrett looked to me sharply, his brow furrowed in confusion.
“Cease your communication with Captain Rhodes, immediately.”
My breath came in rough gasps as I stared at Rhodes, then whipped toward T’Pren. With a slashing motion across my throat, I signaled her to kill the transmission immediately.
“Transmission terminated, Captain.”
“Admiral?” I repeated, my mind racing to process this impossible communication. “I don’t have much time, Delores,” her voice resonated directly within my thoughts. “I’m speaking to you through your neurological implants.”
“How?”
“Delores, you’re being influenced by alien technology,” Janeway’s voice resonated directly within my mind. “You’re being manipulated. The interactions you’ve had – with Starfleet, even with the Kaelari – none of it is what it appears to be.”
“Starfleet doesn’t want me, Admiral,” I choked out, tears threatening to spill over. “I’m too far gone.”
“No, Delores,” Janeway’s voice insisted urgently in my mind. “This isn’t you. The last time we spoke, you heard a different interpretation. It’s pushing you away from us. We need to remove those implants.”
“How do you know this?”
“Do you remember Lyra?”
My eyes widened as understanding dawned. “Yes,” I whispered hoarsely. “We found her husband. He had implants just like yours. We removed them, Delores.”
I gave a quick shake of my head, a single tear tracing its way down my cheek. “How do I know this isn’t some kind of trick?”
My hands trembled uncontrollably as I fought to hold myself together. “You were always against me from the beginning.” My voice broke on the last word, betraying the depth of my anguish. “I don’t have time to explain, Delores,” she pressed urgently, “but you have to trust me.”
“NOOOO!”
I screamed at the top of my lungs, hands clamped against my temples as I pitched forward from my chair. Garrett caught me instantly, his arms breaking my fall. “Delores,” he murmured, concern roughening his voice, “It’s alright.”
“Make it stop!” I gasped, my trembling lips barely forming the words as the bridge dissolved into darkness.
“She’s coming to,” I heard from the distance.
“Delores?”
My eyelids fluttered open to see Garrett leaning in close. As I lifted my gaze, I found myself staring at the sickbay ceiling.
“Garrett?”
His palm cradled my cheek with gentle care. “Are you okay?” he murmured, his voice a soothing balm. My gaze drifted upward, searching his face as I released a shaky breath. The phantom voices had fallen silent.
“How long have I been out?”
“Eight hours,” Garrett replied quietly. My eyes flew wide with alarm. “The Resolute?”
“We managed to get clear,” he reassured me, his thumb stroking my cheekbone. “Captain Rhodes eventually lowered their shields and we slipped away.”
A lump formed in my throat. “Admiral Janeway spoke to me,” I told him. His brow furrowed as he absorbed this revelation. “How?” he asked, confusion coloring his tone. I met his gaze directly. “Through my neural implants.”
“What do you think it means?”
I shook my head as I whispered, “I don’t know.”
“She told me we’re being manipulated,” I said, my voice dropping to a strained whisper. “That we perceive Starfleet’s communications differently than intended.” My fingers tightened on the edge of the biobed. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
“Doctor, can you verify this? See if these implants are somehow manipulating our understanding?” Garrett asked the doctor.
Elias nodded gravely. “Under normal circumstances I would have conducted exhaustive scans during our initial examinations,” he said, meeting my troubled gaze. “But given these developments, I’ll begin a full diagnostic immediately.”
Dr. Grant stared blankly ahead, a frown etching itself between his brows as he slowly shook his head. “I don’t understand why I never considered running these diagnostics earlier,” he admitted, his voice heavy with self-reproach.
Garrett observed my ravenous appetite with open astonishment as I ordered a full three-course meal from the replicator. Between messy bites, I gestured emphatically toward the laden tray and mumbled, “You’ve got to try this!”
“I’m good.”
He rose from the chair opposite mine as I stared at him with confusion. “I’ll be on the bridge if you need anything, Captain,” he said quietly. Disappointment pricked at me watching him prepare to leave. I gave a slight nod, whispering, “Okay, Commander.”
I finished my meal alone, surrounded by the quiet hum of the mess hall. Crew members passed through in small groups, their conversations fading as they noticed me.
They’d glance my way occasionally as some settled at a distant table. My brows furrowed when I noticed one whispering to her companion while stealing glances at me.
I became acutely aware of my own breathing as I watched them - the same crew member kept glancing over and whispering to her companion. The air seemed to tighten around me with each furtive look in my direction.
I surged to my feet, the tray’s edge catching my hand as it tipped off the table and crashed to the deck with a metallic clatter that froze every conversation mid-sentence. All heads turned toward me, their stares heavy with unspoken judgment in the sudden silence.
Whispers.
My pulse thundered in my ears as I stumbled from the mess hall, the corridor walls seeming to press inward with each ragged breath.
I jerked violently backward, a shriek tearing from my throat as an access panel burst open directly in front of me. A thick, pulsing tendril extruded from the opening, growing visibly thicker as it emerged. Leaning hard against the corridor wall for support, I pressed my palms flat against its surface and slid sideways past the horror, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
I reached my quarters, shedding my uniform like a suffocating second skin until I stood in just my bra and panties. Splashing cool water on my face at the sink, I tried to steady myself. That’s when music began playing—Strauss’s Blue Danube waltz echoing through my quarters. “Computer, end music,” I ordered sharply, scanning the ceiling for its source. But the waltz continued unabated, ignoring my command entirely.
I screamed at the top of my lungs, “Computer, end the fucking music!” But it didn’t stop. The waltz swelled louder as I sat on my bed and rocked back and forth. I clapped my palms over my ears trying to block out the sound, curling onto my side with my knees drawn up. Shutting my eyes tight, I pressed my hands harder against my head as the volume kept increasing relentlessly.
A hand closed firmly on my shoulder as I screamed. “Delores!” The voice seemed to come from far away. My eyes were squeezed shut, palms pressed hard against my ears, yet suddenly there was silence. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see Garrett leaning over me, his expression etched with worry. Our gazes locked for a suspended moment before I lunged forward, throwing my arms around him and holding on with desperate strength.
“It’s alright, Delores!”
“I’ve got you.”
Tears streamed down my face as choked sobs gave way to guttural cries tearing through my throat. Tremors shook my body, rattling through every bone and muscle. “I’ve got you,” he whispered once again.
“W ... What happened to the music?”
“What music?”
I perched on the edge of the biobed, wrapped in a thin robe while Garrett conferred with Elias nearby. A profound chill seeped into my bones, making me shiver uncontrollably. “Doctor, could you adjust the environmental controls?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “It’s so cold.” Both men turned to look at me as if I’d suggested something completely alien. Elias gave a curt nod and made some adjustments to a console. Warmth gradually spread through the room, easing the tremors, but I kept my gaze fixed on the floor.
“Delores! It’s Admiral Janeway, can you hear me?”
My expression twisted painfully as the thought screamed through my mind: Not again! Please, not again!
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