Keeping Things Secure

Posted on Sun Oct 11th, 2026 @ 2:53am by Captain Wilkan Targaryen & Lieutenant Harris Zim

868 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Flashpoint
Location: Ready Room, U.S.S. Enterprise
Timeline: 3190-11-05, 19:00

Zim had a number of standard reports for the Captain to look over and sign. After all of the excitement of the recent missions the Capellan thought it was good to actually fall into a routine. He rang the Ready Room chime with the PADDs tucked under his arm.

Wilkan sat at his desk, staring silently through the window at the passing starfield. His frame remained immaculately still, the cold, quiet stillness of his Ready Room mirroring the vast silence outside. When the chime sounded, his deep-set eyes did not flinch, though his El-Aurian senses immediately processed the distinct, deliberate footfalls beyond the hatch

"Enter," Wilkan said softly, his voice effortlessly carried through the room.

As the doors slid open to reveal Zim holding a stack of PADDs, Wilkan did not rush to break the silence. He leaned back slightly, locking onto the Capellan with an intense, watchful gaze that demanded instant discipline. "Lieutenant," Wilkan acknowledged, gesturing smoothly to the corner of his desk. "Set them down. I take it tactical readiness and duty rosters are up to standard?"

"Yes Captain. Everything is as it should be. Engineering is assisting me in getting the targeting sensor reaction times higher. There is entirely too much delay from the time I make the request at console to the time the sensors react." Zim spoke in calm clicked tones. It was the standard from his people when speaking to someone who was superior to them. He placed the PADDs down on the desk and stood at parade rest. "If I may say so sir, it seems that our launching was no secret. Right out of the proverbial gate and the Kavaks encircle us."

"A Kavak," Wilkan repeated softly, the perpetual furrow beneath Wilkan’s brow deepening slightly. He set the PADD down and leaned back, his deep-set, dark eyes locking onto the young officer with an intense, calm focus. "I haven't heard that metaphor in a very long time. "I served in Starfleet during an era when another Capellan sat at the high table," Wilkan said calmly, his posture unyielding. "Admiral Leonard James Akaar. A man who carried the heavy, unbending pride of your world straight into Starfleet Command. He, too, saw threats circling like scavengers before the rest of the fleet even registered the shadow."

Zim nodded. "It does seem to be something of a theme among my people. We are not paranoid perse, but threats come from all sides and at any time. Admiral Akaar was a formidable person, I never had the pleasure of meeting him."

"Akaar was a man who understood that vigilance is not born of fear, Lieutenant, but of clarity," Wilkan explained, then quickly continued, "He didn't wait for the galaxy to prove its intentions; he prepared for the worst possible outcome and held the line until the mission shifted in his favor."

Wilkan picked up the top PADD, quickly scanning the tactical metrics with clinical speed before setting it down with a heavy, deliberate click, "Your instinct to refine sensor response times is sound, Lieutenant. See that Engineering gives your request priority."

"Yes sir." Zim replied and then after a thoughtful pause continued. "One should never wait for the galaxy to reveal its intentions. One should be ready for anything and everything. If I am totally honest sir it is the main reason I took this posting. To make sure that this ship was ready, and by extension everyone not on this ship would be ready. Ready for what is to come, whatever that may be."

Wilkan remained still behind the desk, choosing not to answer immediately. Instead, he listened to his Chief of Security closely in silence for a long minute, carefully processing the distinct, steady cadence of the Capellan's voice.

"Noble," Wilkan said softly, "and a heavy burden to claim for oneself. I've spent centuries watching officers step aboard flagships with that exact weight resting on their shoulders," Wilkan continued, holding Zim's view. "Many of them broke because they mistook readiness for control. They believed that if they simply prepared hard enough, calculated far enough, they could prevent the galaxy from surprising them."

"The galaxy will surprise you, Zim," Wilkan concluded, his furrowed brow relaxing by a nearly imperceptible fraction. "True readiness is not expecting to control the chaos, it's having the clarity to remain unbroken when the chaos arrives."

"I agree sir. True readiness is having the ability to navigate the storm. Be ready for anything that the universe can throw at you. The Sulaco is a step in the right direction toward that readiness goal. The galaxy is always evolving and so one can never be fully ready for something that does not even know itself yet." Zim waxed philosophical, it was something that he enjoyed doing. Although it was not something his people were particularly known for.

"Then let's ensure we remain adaptable, Lieutenant," Wilkan said a rare, faint ghost of a smile passing before his expression settled back into stoic stillness. He reached out, digitally signing the final PADD on his desk, and set it atop the stack. "Work with Engineering to refine those targeting arrays. I expect a full progress report before our next sector sweep. Dismissed."

 

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