The magenta‑and‑white mountains beyond Darro‑Miller rolled into view next, fronted by an enigmatic jumble of ruined stone columns and temples that had been left behind untold eons ago by some long‑extinct sentient race. Archer looked on wistfully as the tantalizing ancient vista quickly vanished over the horizon and the shuttlepod arced upward toward a standard orbital insertion.

“They say the statues the archeologists found down there look almost human, Reed said, almost as though hed been reading Archers mind.

“Its amazing to find traces of anything that looks so much like we do almost seventeen light‑years from home, Archer said as he returned his full attention to the console before him. “I wish we had at least a solid week down there to go picking through those ruins. The mysteries of where those ancient people had gone, where they had originatedand whether they were cosmic cousins of humanity or had arisen independentlywere enticing almost beyond measure.

“A few uninterrupted days of shore leave for the crew wouldnt go down badly either, sir, Reed said, wearing an expression that was somehow both hopeful and fatalistic.

“Time and tide are impatient mistresses, Malcolm, Archer said with a weak smile. “Duty calls. Starfleet says weve got pirates and raiders to catch.

Roughly forty minutes later, Archer found himself back on Enterprises busy bridge, along with Reed, Mayweather, and Sato. After confirming that the engineering repair team was also back aboard and ordering Ensign Mayweather to break orbit for the starships next destination, the captain leaned back in his command chair and watched Altair VI begin making a swift descent into the void. Presented on the main viewer in an aft view, the blue‑green orb quickly began to shrink in apparent size, like a pebble falling in slow motion into a dark and bottomless pit.

Now he had to get Enterpriseback to the main civilian shipping lanes of Coalition space. It was time to resume the interminable vigil, patrolling for pirate vessels that only very rarely deigned to put in an appearance. Which really meant that it was time to go back to simply waiting around passively for something, anything, to happen, while the Romulans, and maybe the Klingons as well, continued drawing their plans behind the slumbering backs of the Coalitions perpetually distracted movers and shakers.

“On course and steady on half impulse power, Captain, Mayweather said as he entered several commands into his console, refining the starships flight path.

“Thanks, Travis, Archer said. “Engage warp drive, warp factor five. Lets not keep our pirates and raiders waiting any longer than we absolutely have to.

Mayweather turned and favored him with a brief but rueful grin before facing front once again. “Aye, sir, he said, then pushed the throttle stick purposefully forward. The feel of the deck plates suddenly changed beneath Archers boots as the increased output of the vessels powerful matter/antimatter reactor sent subaural vibrations racing throughout Enterprises superstructure.

“Captain! Reeds sudden exclamation from the tactical console at the bridges aft section startled Archer out of his reverie. The keening wail of a proximity alarm pierced the air at almost the same moment.

Archer turned his chair around, then rose to his feet in a single swift, fluid motion. “What is it, Malcolm?

A frown of concern crumpled the ever‑vigilant weapons officers forehead. “The long‑range navigational sensors have just made contact with a small object in our flight path. It fits the general profile of a manned space vessel.

Archer motioned to Hoshi to cut off the klaxon, whose nerve‑jarring noise abruptly ceased a moment later. “Collision danger? he asked, facing the tactical console.

Reed shook his head. “Correction, sir: The object doesnt lie directlyin our flight path. We should clear it by a hundred kilometers or more.

“So why the alarm? Hoshi asked. “A hundred klicks is a pretty wide berth, isnt it?

“In deep space, thats like practically trading paint jobs, Mayweather said, frowning as he studied the console before him. “If this things a ship, then why isnt it using a standard navigational beacon?

Donning a frown that matched the helmsmans, Archer nodded. “Thats exactly what I intend to find out, Travis. Match velocity and intercept.

“Aye, sir, Mayweather said, adjusting the stick with one hand as he touched a series of buttons and switches with the other. “Dropping out of warp.

“What about our pirates and raiders, sir? Reed asked as the deck plates beneath Archers feet resumed their usual subwarp feel.

Archer turned toward his weapons officer, noted his ironic grin, and returned it. “Lets just say its theirturn to sit around and wait.

“Unless theyve decided to come to us, Mayweather said, nodding in the direction of the unknown and not yet visible vessel.

Archer was already considering that possibilityalong with the possibility that the mystery ship might be a Romulan or Klingon vessel, here to probe Coalition defenses surreptitiously.

“Its definitely a ship, Captain, Reed said. “Im reading hull metal.

“Visual? Archer asked.

“Coming up now, Captain, Reed said.

Archer faced the forward viewer, upon which a long, slender shape was already beginning to resolve itself, obviously with the help of a good deal of low‑illumination image enhancement. Whatever this vessel customarily used for running lights had been either disabled through mishap or deliberately turned off.

Archers frown deepened. “Its a ship, all right. Shes either rigged for silent running, or else shes a derelict. I dont think Ive ever seen that exact configuration before, though. He turned back toward the tactical station. “Malcolm?

Reed was already studying something on his console that only he could see. “Already on it, sir.

The aft starboard turbolift doors hissed open and TPol stepped purposefully onto the bridge, a look of concern overlaid upon her otherwise stoic Vulcan features. Archer nodded to her in greeting, and she returned the gesture before becoming completely absorbed in the image that had just formed on the forward viewer.

“The ship configuration databanks recognize the design, Reed said, his eyes abruptly widening.

“And? Archer said sharply, struggling with only partial success to subdue an intense surge of impatience.

“Its Klingon, Captain, TPol said calmly, beating the saucer‑eyed tactical officer to the punch as she moved gingerly to one of the aft science consoles.

“Tactical alert, Archer said, and the bridge lighting dimmed automatically in response.

“For a Klingon ship, it doesnt look all that dangerous, Reed said, sounding surprised.

“Guess they cant all be battle cruisers, Travis said. “Even the Klingons must have freighters and tugs and garbage scows.

Archer nodded in agreement as he studied the image on the screen. Like the few Klingon battle cruisers he had encountered over the past few years, this vessel possessed a long, narrow midsection, which terminated on its forward end at a small oblong command‑and‑control structure that abutted a much wider aft section, to which a pair of engine nacelles were attached. Unlike those other vessels, however, this crafts hull seemed to display the wear of long, hard toil rather than the scars of combat, and was conspicuously bereft of overt weaponry.

“The vessel conforms to the general configuration of a Hasparath‑class military cargo vessel, TPol said. “Two hundred thirty‑seven meters in length, one hundred eleven meters at the beam. Mass of approximately two hundred thousand metric tons.

Archer nodded appreciatively. The other ship was nearly fifty meters longer than Enterprise,and considerably more massive. Hell of a thing to just leave lying around,he thought.