USS Grail

They were expendable

That's what they were supposed to think

But for how long?

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Corvette Hunt somehow muffled a smile as he left commander Terrakian's office. He had more info and data that he would be able to handle in a week, and he knew it very well. On the other hand, he had worked several years as a desk clerk, filing reports, browsing through accounts and such. He knew his job, and he knew how to make it, painlessly and fast.

As he entered his room, he looked around, and found it empty. There were no traces of his baggage, and equipment which should already be there. As he scanned the room around, he contemplated it's emptiness, and it resembled in some way his own. Whenever he wasn't surrounded by high-tech gizmos, he felt somehow out of place. Empty. It hurt some way his soul in a way that nobody, not even him could understand.

This, he had discovered before, on Jupiter, his home planet. Sometimes, the weather control grid wasn't able to handle the incredible furious storms and winds that the giant unleashed, and when that happened, the first thing to go was power. With power, the day was turned into night, and as that happened, every electronic device completely shutted down. It was a very strange feeling. Not having anything to do without power, Corvette felt miserable, condemned, and tortured to such an extent, it became unbearable

for him to live without it. He had learned to harness power from the storms, just enough for him to turn on an old 20th century bulb. It wasn't the light that recomforted him, but knowing and feeling of electricity flowing through the copper alloy, coming in contact with the filaments, and lighting it. Everytime he heard the music of power running by it, he felt much recomforted, in a way stronger, and smiled to life, as it showed him the wonders it held.

Suddenly the doors opened and a person appeared on the portal. He was holding a tricorder and started scanning the room. When he saw Lt. Cmdr. Corvette Hunt, he stood in attention.

"Excuse me sir. I didn't knew you were here" the security guard said.

"What are you doing and who are you?" asked Corvette.

"I'm ensign Robinson, sir, and I'm checking to see that your belongings are transported safely."

"Very well ensign Robinson. Carry on." said Corvette as he turned around and watched the man at work. He turned out to be a very efficient person. He handled the transportation of all baggage and special equipment that was requested a few weeks ago to starfleet intelligence.

Intelligence had given him a very hard time, but finally they had agreed to give some of the requested equipment to Hunt. That equipment was basically a protector device. Devised with the latest in espionage and counter-espionage techniques, including all knowledge gathered from the different races who belong and some that don't belong to starfleet, that baby was one who Corvette himself had helped to design and build. Although still in the development process, it had proven more than capable to detain one or two saboteurs, and had been able to go past all known starfleet security protocols once in awhile. Scheduled to be destructed due to it's incredible potential to harm the federation if fallen into the wrong hands, it was kept as a secret with Starfleet intelligence.

Now, due to the risks involved in the Grail's doomed destination, it was a way for Corvette to have his baby back, and be able to work and enhance her once again.

The tingle sensation that Corvette felt as his equipment was being beamed aboard was, in a way, indescribable. To the young ensign, the whole thing looked as an ancient computer, not much worth looking at. For Corvette, it was one of his life's achievements. One that he was particularly proud of.

"That was the all the bags and equipment you has asked for, sir. If there isn't any more..." the ensign interrupted Corvette's thoughts.

"Yes, thank you Mr. Robinson. You are dismissed."

The ensign turned around and left the room. As he left it, Corvette run to the main processing unit, and hugged it. It was a childish thing to do, but he couldn't help it. In fact, he couldn't help it at all. He was about to kiss it, when he remembered the last time he tried to do just that, and the computer short-circuited frying his lips.

He stepped back, and he wanted to work on her. To put her online, but he had a lot of work ahead of him before the Grail departed, and he intended to do just that.