“Best Made Plans”
written by David Moody
Captain Lenti Utex

The four men entered the room briskly. Utex stood, leaning on the high back of the chair at the end of the long table dominating the room, his arms folded across it. Security Chief Revos seemed as if her were about to sit, but saw the Captain’s businesslike stance and decided against it. Utex caught the moment of indecision. “Go ahead, Commander,” he told the Security Chief. “Seat’s not taken. His eyes stared into the man, belying the truth behind his word. Go ahead and sit, his gaze taunted. Show me how much concern you have for our Counselor and our Executive Officer. Give me an excuse; give me someone to blow up at.

TogHa quietly rolled his eyes as the Captain was staring through Revos, and leaned casually against a wall.

Revos shook his head slowly, framing a firm smile toward the Captain. ‘I’ll be fine sir,” he assured the man. The Captain took in a sharp breath and turned toward Chief Engineer Lieutenant Ray who had just activated the blackened panel on the far wall. It altered to display wireframe diagrams of the USS Victory and the few other vessel in her immediate vicinity.

Utex said, “I would have done this on the bridge Mister Ray,” he told the Chief Engineer a beat before the man was going to begin speaking, “but I wanted to weed out any dangers inherent to the process that may have not yet revealed themselves.”

Ray opened his mouth to speak once more, but the Captain said quietly, “Wouldn’t do any good to kill everyone else trying to come to the rescue of two crewmembers."

The Betazoid nodded, waited a beat to be interrupted again, and when such was not forthcoming, began once more.