The following morning on the bridge, the cadets took their positions, their excitement barely restrained as the ship dropped out of warp and entered orbit around the gas giant. The viewscreen displayed a swirling mass of storm clouds and shifting shades of orange and brown, a breathtaking sight even for seasoned observers of gas giants. The size of this celestial body was intimidating, with a vast gravity well and a turbulent atmosphere hiding untold mysteries waiting to be discovered.

Captain Niro stood at the centre of the bridge, his hands clasped behind his back, his dark eyes surveying his young crew. “All right, cadets,” he began, his voice calm but firm, “this will be a standard planetary survey. We will begin by deploying long-range probes to analyse the planet’s atmosphere, magnetosphere, and core composition. Your job will be to monitor the incoming data and assess any anomalies. This is a chance to put your training into action.”

The cadets listened intently, nodding as they received their assignments. Just as Niro was about to continue, the sensor console emitted a soft chime. Ensign Jaceon, who was operating the station, glanced at his screen before speaking up.

“Captain, we’re detecting multiple subspace distortions nearby.”

Niro raised an eyebrow and stepped forward. “Origin?”

Jaceon’s fingers danced over the console. “They’re organic, sir. A large herd of gormaganders, approximately twenty in number, moving through the upper layers of the planet’s exosphere.”

A ripple of surprise and intrigue moved through the bridge. Gormaganders, the massive space-dwelling creatures often referred to as ‘space whales,’ were a rare sight even within Federation space, and to find them here, deep in the Delta Quadrant, was a thrilling and highly unusual discovery. Their presence raised a host of questions. How had they travelled this far? Were they migrating? Or was this an isolated population lost from the wider galaxy?

Niro stroked his chin thoughtfully. “A herd of gormaganders this far from known migration routes? Fascinating.” He turned back to the crew. “This is an excellent opportunity to study their behaviour. We may be able to learn something new about their migration patterns, perhaps even discover an uncharted corridor they have been using to travel these vast distances.”

Penelope cleared her throat. “Sir, under the Endangered Species Act, we are required to take any gormagander we encounter aboard and transport them to the nearest xenologic facility or sanctuary for their protection.”

Niro glanced at the hologram beside him, then slightly nodded. “You’re absolutely right, Penelope. Gormaganders have been classified as an endangered species for some time now. However, considering our current position, far from Federation space, and the size of our vessel, we may not be equipped to fulfill that obligation. Transporting even one aboard would be challenging—let alone an entire herd.”

He turned back to Jaceon. “Continue scanning the herd. Look for any signs of distress, malnutrition, or injury. If they are in trouble, we may need to intervene. In the meantime, I’ll contact Commodore McCallister for guidance and see what recommendations he might have.”

He then turned his attention to the cadets, his gaze sharp but encouraging. “For now, we’ll divide into two teams. Midshipman Florrick, you’ll lead the team studying the gormaganders. Take Alfie, Athena, and William with you. Gather as much data as possible on their movement, physiology, and behaviour. If they show distress, we may need to consider how to proceed. Document everything—if we can’t take them in, we at least owe it to them to understand why they’re here.”

Florrick straightened, giving a sharp nod. “Understood, sir. We’ll be thorough.”

“Cadet Grant, you’ll lead the planetary survey. Take Jordan, Brook, and Jib. Your task will be to analyse the atmospheric composition and any anomalies detected in the gas giant. Look for any unusual radiation signatures, gravitational distortions, or potential resources of interest. If there are any signs of complex weather patterns, log them—this planet might be hiding surprises.”

Grant smiled confidently. “We won’t let you down, sir.”

Niro’s expression softened slightly. “Good. Get to work.”

As the cadets hurried to their respective stations, Niro turned to Penelope. “Get me, the commodore.”

“Aye, sir,” Penelope replied.

“You have the bridge, Penelope,’ Niro added as he left the bridge to head to his quarters.

The turbolift hummed softly as it descended toward the science deck, carrying Florrick and his assigned team. The air was filled with a quiet anticipation, though Scott couldn’t help but notice the lingering tension in Alfie’s posture. As the doors slid open and the group stepped into the corridor, Scott took the opportunity to fall into step beside Alfie, keeping his voice low as they walked.

“You doing okay?” Scott asked, casting a sideways glance at Alfie.

Alfie, who had been lost in his own thoughts, blinked and nodded. “Yeah. Thanks for asking. I promise I won’t let you down with this assignment.”

Scott flashed a warm smile and gave him a comforting pat on the back. “You never do, Alf. Just wanted to check in.”

Athena turned around, rolling her eyes dramatically. “Can we cut the bromance, please?”

William, walking beside her, chuckled and turned to face them. “And I don’t want my brother thinking you’re cheating on him, Alfie.”

Alfie and Scott both let out amused chuckles. Alfie raised his hands in mock surrender. “That would never happen, William.”

William grinned. “Good to know because I plan to be Jordan’s best man when you two get married.”

Athena let out a loud laugh and shook her head. “A little ahead of yourself there, aren’t you, William?” She then turned to Alfie, smirking. “But if you ever need a best woman, I’ll happily volunteer.”

Alfie rolled his eyes but couldn’t suppress a small smile. “Noted. But let’s not start planning my wedding just yet.”

By the time they reached the primary science lab, Scott turned to the group and crossed his arms. His attempt at being a leader was now in full swing. “All right, let’s put a pause on wedding plans. We have actual work to do. The gormaganders won’t study themselves. I need you all to be clear-headed when we start.”

The lab was already active, its consoles buzzing with data streams and sensor feedback. Holographic displays of the gormagander herd flickered in the centre of the room, rotating slowly to show various energy readings and biological markers. The cadets took their places, bringing up their assignments on their respective terminals.

Athena cracked her knuckles and smirked. “Let’s see what these space whales are up to.”

Scott moved to the central console and tapped a few commands into the interface, causing the holograms to zoom in on specific gormaganders. “We need to log their vitals first. Start with size estimates, energy output, and any signs of distress. Jaceon reported no immediate concerns, but let’s be thorough.”

William adjusted the controls at his station, narrowing the scans to analyse bio-signatures. “No signs of malnutrition so far. They seem pretty healthy, actually.”

Alfie focused on a secondary display and frowned slightly. “That’s strange. Gormaganders usually travel alone, right? This many together—it’s not unheard of, but it’s rare.”

Athena arched an eyebrow. “Maybe they just like each other’s company. Safety in numbers or something?”

Scott nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe. Or maybe something out here forced them into a herd. Let’s check for any environmental factors that might have influenced their migration. If they’re being pushed away from something, we need to know what.”

Alfie’s fingers flew over his console, adjusting the sensor parameters. “I’ll scan for anomalous radiation signatures or subspace disturbances. If something displaced them, we might be able to find the cause.”

William turned his chair slightly, shooting Alfie a grin. “Look at you, already thinking ahead. Jordan would be proud.”

Alfie shot him a playful glare. “I swear if you bring up Jordan one more time—”

Athena laughed. “Face it, you’re never escaping it. Now, let’s crack this mystery before Scott loses patience with us.”

Scott shook his head with an amused sigh. “Just focus, people. We might be looking at something significant here.”