The West Covina glides into orbit around Selornia, a green-and-blue planet that looks pretty serene from up here. I’m standing at the viewport in the bridge, watching the clouds swirl and the rivers wind across the planet’s surface, feeling that quiet thrill of a new world beneath us. Captain Slovan stands at my side, hands on his hips, doing his best to look inspiring—or at least look like he knows what he’s doing.

“Looks like everything’s actually going according to plan,” I say, because when does that ever happen?

He smirks. “So far, so good. Don’t jinx it, Dave.”

“Me?” I let out a laugh. “Never.”

We stand there for a few more moments, just looking down at the planet, and I can’t help but feel a certain… sentimentality for this moment. Slovan has been around for most of my life in one way or another, ever since I was accidentally created in that transporter accident back when he was a lieutenant. I remember waking up confused, feeling like an intruder in my own skin, and there he was, arms crossed, offering me a snarky but comforting, “Hey, welcome to existence, kid.” I don’t know if it was his experience as a war vet or just his way with people, but he’s made a place for me, and I don’t forget that. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to tell him that. I’d never hear the end of it.

He claps a hand on my shoulder, breaking the reverie. “Ready to head down?”

“Shuttle’s prepped, ensign team’s waiting.” I pause, giving him a side glance. “I’ll make sure they don’t get too comfortable.”

He snorts. “Make sure you don’t get too comfortable.”

“Noted.” I give him a mock salute, and he rolls his eyes.

The shuttle ride down is smooth, the familiar hum of the engines settling into the background noise as I brief the two ensigns beside me. They’re both fresh out of the academy, and they have that wide-eyed look that says they haven’t seen much outside a Starfleet classroom.

“Selornia’s a Class M planet, breathable atmosphere, not much in the way of hostile fauna,” I tell them, keeping it simple. “You’ll be handling scans, taking samples. And remember—this is second contact. Our job is diplomacy, but you should be alert. Keep your scanners ready and your communicators closer.”

They nod seriously, and I try not to smile. Slovan told me I look like a stiff Vulcan when I’m being serious, but I can’t help it; this is their first away mission, and it’s my job to make sure they survive it. Shuttle lands softly on a wide grassy area near the main settlement. As the hatch opens, I’m hit with the smell of grass and something else I can’t quite place—kind of like cinnamon, but earthier. The locals, a humanoid species called the Kashun, are waiting for us at the edge of the field.

The Kashun leader—a tall, elegant-looking figure in a deep red robe—steps forward. “Greetings, Starfleet,” he says in that formal, almost regal tone some species have when they meet new people.

“Greetings,” I reply with a slight bow of my head. “I’m First Officer Dave—uh, just Dave. Thank you for receiving us so quickly.”

The Kashun leader gives a curt nod. “We welcome the Federation’s continued friendship.”

They lead us into their village, which is a mix of stone buildings with domed roofs and a strange kind of energy field that separates each home. It’s quaint, peaceful. The Kashun go about their day as if we’re just a regular occurrence, and I wonder how often the Federation actually does second-contact missions. I pull out my tricorder and start scanning, watching the ensigns fumble with their scanners beside me.

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Then I see them.

Badgers. Everywhere.

They’re taller than I imagined, standing upright like some kind of woodland humanoid with the distinct black-and-white markings, beady little eyes, and claws that look… sharp. They’re not exactly dressed like the Kashun; each one wears just a simple shirt, nothing else. It’s almost cute, and almost unsettling. I look down, then look away, then look down again, mentally cursing whoever didn’t think to issue them some pants.

The badger creatures move between the Kashun like pets or maybe servants. I’m not sure. One of them is carrying a basket filled with something red and juicy, and as I pass, it gives me a look—sharp and knowing, like it’s sizing me up.

I feel my cheeks heat up and glance back at my scanner. Focus. “Uh, this place is… lively,” I mutter.

Ensign Hale, one of the rookies, stares openly. “Those are some big badgers, sir.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t stare,” I tell him, pulling his gaze away. “They’re part of the ecosystem here, clearly domesticated, but stay professional. Let’s not be rude.”

The Kashun leader is explaining something about their farming methods when I see one of the badgers sidle up to another Kashun, who swats it away like it’s nothing more than an annoyance. The badger lets out a soft growl, and the Kashun mutters under his breath, “Get your dirty paws off me, you damn dirty Oshop!”

I do a double-take. Did that Kashun just call it…?

Before I can finish the thought, the badger suddenly straightens, its eyes blazing. “NO!” it roars, loud enough that all conversation stops. It sounds—well, sentient. There’s no mistaking the anger in its voice.

For a split second, everything is frozen. Then chaos erupts.

Badgers everywhere are suddenly snarling, baring their teeth and claws, their eyes flashing with an intelligence that can’t possibly be mistaken. A group of Kashun try to retreat, but one of the badgers lunges, knocking a Kashun to the ground with surprising force. The Kashun is screaming, and the others are scattering in a panic.

“Uh, Captain?” I tap my communicator frantically. “Captain, we have a problem!”

I don’t hear Slovan’s response before one of the badgers lunges at me, claws extended. I dodge sideways, barely, and feel its claws swipe the air just inches from my face. The ensigns behind me are scrambling to get their own communicators out, eyes wide with terror.

“Everyone back to the shuttle!” I yell, trying to keep my voice steady. “Move!”

We bolt back toward the clearing, weaving through the chaos, but the badgers are everywhere. It’s like they’ve been waiting for this moment, like something inside them has snapped. One of them is dragging a Kashun across the ground, and I watch in horror as another Kashun kicks the creature away, only to be tackled by two more badgers a second later.

“Ensigns, stay together!” I shout over the noise.

I glance over my shoulder and see one of the ensigns, Lattimore, pale and wide-eyed, sprinting ahead. He stumbles, and I grab his arm, dragging him back up. “Stay focused, ensign!” I bark.

“Yes, sir!” he gasps, eyes darting around in panic. We’re nearly to the shuttle when a group of badgers blocks our path, teeth bared, eyes gleaming with that same furious intelligence.

“Kashun scum,” one of them growls, and I freeze.

“Uh…” I glance at my phaser, but it’s still set to stun. And I’m not sure a stun setting will do much here. I look around, trying to find another way out, but they’ve surrounded us.

“Captain, we’re under attack!” I shout into my communicator, feeling a little ridiculous as I duck another swing from a badger’s claws. “The, uh, badgers are sentient, repeat, the badgers are sentient!”

There’s static on the line, and then Slovan’s voice cuts through. “Hold tight, Dave! We’re scrambling a backup team—”

Once again, the badger lunges at me, its claws catching my shoulder and knocking me back. Pain flares through me, but I push it off and stumble back, disoriented. I look around, heart pounding, trying to find an opening, but the badgers are closing in. I’ve lost sight of the ensigns, and I feel a twist of panic in my gut.

The last thing I see is a flash of black-and-white fur, a blur of claws, and the sky tilting sideways as I hit the ground. The world fades to black.