Orders
Posted on Thu Apr 2nd, 2026 @ 3:35am by Brigadier General Jonathan Frost
609 words; about a 3 minute read
Mission:
Veil of Accord
Location: ready room
The ready room of the USS Archlight was quiet—almost deceptively so. A soft hum of 29th-century systems pulsed through the bulkheads, a constant reminder that this ship was more than steel and circuitry—it was the Federation’s future made manifest.
Brigadier General Jonathan Frost stood near the viewport, hands clasped behind his back, watching the slow drift of stars beyond. His reflection stared back at him—calm, composed, but already calculating the weight of whatever came next.
The chirp of the comm system broke the silence.
“Bridge to General Frost.”
Frost didn’t turn immediately. “Go ahead.”
“Sir, we are receiving a priority one transmission from Starfleet Command. Encryption level omega. Fleet Admiral Rylia Thorne is requesting you on a secure channel.”
That got his attention.
Frost moved to his desk, tapping the console. The room dimmed slightly as privacy fields engaged.
“Patch it through to the ready room. Authorization Frost-Gamma-Seven.”
“Aye, sir. Routing now.”
A brief pause—then the Starfleet delta shimmered into existence above his desk, resolving into the composed and commanding figure of Fleet Admiral Rylia Thorne. Even through the holographic projection, her presence carried unmistakable authority.
“Brigadier General Frost,” Thorne began, her voice precise and unwavering. “We’ll keep this brief.”
Frost straightened slightly. “Understood, Admiral.”
“Effective immediately, the Archlight is being reassigned to a diplomatic escort mission. You are to proceed to the Veltari system. The Veltari Cooperative has expressed conditional interest in opening formal trade relations with the Federation.”
Frost’s eyes narrowed just slightly. Conditional. That always meant complications.
“You will escort a Federation diplomatic delegation to Veltari Prime,” Thorne continued. “Your primary objectives are to ensure their security, facilitate negotiations, and demonstrate the Federation’s commitment to peaceful cooperation.”
“And the secondary?” Frost asked, already anticipating there was more.
Thorne gave a faint nod.
“Fleet Systems Command has authorized the Archlight to conduct live-field testing of its advanced systems during this mission. Discreetly. Your vessel represents the next evolution of multi-mission capability. We need real-world data—especially in a politically sensitive environment.”
Frost allowed himself the smallest exhale. Diplomacy under a microscope… while stress-testing cutting-edge systems.
“Understood, Admiral. We’ll keep it subtle.”
“You’ll need to,” Thorne replied. “The Veltari place a high value on sovereignty and transparency. Any indication of hidden intent could jeopardize negotiations.”
“Then we won’t give them one,” Frost said firmly.
A flicker of approval crossed Thorne’s expression.
“Good. One more thing—this mission is considered strategically vital. If successful, it could open a new corridor of cooperation in a region that has remained… cautious of Federation influence.”
Frost nodded once. “Failure isn’t an option.”
“No, General. It isn’t.”
The transmission paused for a fraction of a second, then:
“Starfleet Command is counting on you—and on the Archlight. Admiral Thorne out.”
The signal dissolved, leaving the ready room in silence once more.
Frost stood still for a moment, eyes lingering on the space where Thorne had been. Then, with practiced efficiency, he tapped his combadge.
“Frost to Bridge.”
“Bridge here, sir.”
“Set course for the Veltari system. Inform all senior staff—we’ll have a full mission briefing in one hour. And Commander…” he added, his tone sharpening just slightly, “bring all departments to readiness. If Starfleet wants a demonstration, we’re going to give them one.”
“Aye, General.”
Frost closed the channel and glanced once more out at the stars.
“Diplomacy… and a systems trial,” he murmured to himself. “Let’s see what this ship can really do.”
With that, Brigadier General Jonathan Frost turned and stepped out of the ready room—already shifting from contemplation to command.
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