The crew on the bridge was focused on their duties, but one person was especially determined to find these cloaked ships. They had to be out there. Yet proving it was turning into a challenge. Ebony shrugged as he tapped the sensor data in front of him. “I’m not discouraging this, I’m not about to shoot myself in the foot, given how energetic I was earlier, but this data is inconclusive.”

Standing next to Ebony, Rina glanced up from her PADD, which displayed the same sensor data. She knew this pursuit was going to be difficult. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Well, out with it. I can tell you’ve got ideas; they’re practically drooling off you.” Rina wanted his input. Even though Ebony might be jumping in too early, his enthusiasm was well-intentioned.

He tapped his console, bringing up the sensor grid. “If we do a low-level tachyon sweep, we’re limited by how far our sensors can reach. We could also revisit the idea of launching short-range probes to gather more continuous data.” Leaning on the console, Ebony added, “Or we could boost our sensor net, but we’ll need Engineering for that.” These were all feasible options, but so far the results had been minimal.

Rina studied the console, recognizing the potential in his suggestions. If these unknown forces had upgraded their cloaking tech, they had to match it somehow. “We need to be careful about sending out probes that might cross the border,” she noted.

Ebony shrugged. “Not that it matters much; nobody exactly owns the Grim Wall. But we both know going in there would be a death sentence.” He paused. “I still think if we push harder on these scans, we could at least confirm if it’s the Klingons.”

“If it is the Klingons,” T’Prin echoed in her usual monotone from the Ops console. She glanced at them. “Sensor recalibrations have improved resolution by another two percent,” she reported, then returned her attention to the console. “But that may not be enough if these cloak signatures are advanced.” She glanced back again, noticing Rina’s surprised look, yet chose to ignore it. “Lieutenant Okafor, while you may be correct that the Grim Wall is dangerous, we’re near the thinnest region of it. The risk of detection increases if we deploy any probes.”

At that moment, Captain Catalán stepped onto the bridge from the turbolift. With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked in Rina’s direction. “Anything to report, Commander? How is the investigation progressing?” he asked, walking slowly toward them.

Standing a bit straighter, Rina faced her captain. “Not much progress, sir. We’re discussing methods to shed some light on this darkness to see who or what appears. Sending probes might be risky, as Lieutenant T’Prin pointed out, we’re too close to the Klingon border. Running heavy scans could tip them off that we’re suspicious of something, and they might question our motives before we have any proof.” Rina crossed her arms. “But the most plausible approach is to ask Engineering to boost our sensor grid.”

Catalán gave a brief nod. “I support that approach, Commander. We need hard evidence.” Turning to head for the center chair, he added, “And don’t forget to keep Hecate Station in the loop. Fleet Captain Kobahl asked for regular updates on this. But don’t broadcast unverified data. That could spark rumors.”

Rina and Ebony both acknowledged the captain’s orders and proceeded to the turbolift, setting their next destination: Engineering.

Engineering

Engineering was small and compact, but it served its function well. Officers and enlisted personnel moved about, keeping the Saber-class ship in top condition. Rina and Ebony arrived to find Thran and Dara in the middle of a discussion about the ship’s functionality.

“I’m not going to provide your systems an update if there isn’t one to give,” Dara pointed out. The Andorian woman, who ran Engineering with precision, was not amused when people tried to infringe on her domain. Serving as the Kusanagi’s Chief Engineering Officer, she did her job exceptionally well.

“While I understand that, Commander,” Samir Thran began, “Starfleet Science Division informed me there’s a new patch release for my systems. It contains important data.” Thran, the Chief Science Officer, had risen through the ranks by delivering solid results. As the third host of the Thran symbiont, he brought a broader perspective to scientific endeavors.

Taking a deep breath, Rina said, “That update got delayed until next week, Lieutenant.” She saw Thran’s disappointment and shrugged slightly. “Still, it’s good to find you both here. We need your help pinpointing this cloaked ship. We’re thinking of boosting the sensor grid. What’s your take?”

“It could cause a power drain,” Dara cautioned. “The warp core would have to handle repeated scans, and we’d need to ensure it doesn’t get overloaded.”

Samir tapped his chin, thinking for a moment. “An intermittent tachyon burst might help. It produces flickers on cloaked shields if timed correctly. As far as we know, even advanced cloaking devices don’t have a guaranteed counter for that.”

Ebony, still convinced Klingons were behind it, tried to steer the idea. “What if we focus on potential Klingon cloak patterns?”

Dara glanced at Samir, ignoring what she saw as Ebony’s paranoia. “That could work. If I boost certain sensor arrays to enhance these particles, the warp core shouldn’t be over-stressed.” She turned to her console. “I can have this ready in about twenty minutes.”

Rina clapped her hands together, smiling. “Great, but let’s keep this low-key. We don’t want a diplomatic incident with the Empire.”

Bridge

Rina and Ebony returned to the bridge after discussing the plans for locating the cloaked ship. They had settled on two main strategies: first, a limited tachyon sweep enhanced by some sensor grid improvements to confirm any cloaked presence; and second, a kind of ambush net, passive scans to catch suspicious energy signatures if the cloak flickered.

Approaching T’Prin, Rina said, “Let’s see what’s out there. Begin the scan. Lieutenant Okafor, be ready to raise us to yellow alert if we pick up anything.”

The team set the plan into motion. For a few seconds, nothing happened, and everyone stared anxiously at the consoles. Then a minor sensor blip appeared.

“There!” Rina called out, exchanging a look with Ebony. They both knew they had prepared for this. “Inform the captain and move the ship into range. We’ll start the next-level scans now.”