SHOALS — The USS Veritas (NCC-95035) hunts for a faction of “vanishing pirates” that have terrorized shipping lanes and threaten the security of the entire region.

Following the continued brazen attacks by pirates across five sectors that has spread now to the previously secure Mother Road, Starfleet has shifted the mission of its main presence in the Shoals to apprehending the pirate ship or faction responsible. However, despite disabling and capturing several pirate vessels over the last few weeks, Captain Roshanara Rahman and the crew of the USS Veritas have not been able to find the culprits responsible.

“This new and aggressive campaign by these unknown pirates threatens to undo all the progress Operation Safe Harbor and Veritas has done in the past six years,” a source quoting the captain disclosed to FNS, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to comment.

The crew of the Veritas had just returned from shore leave before embarking on their urgent mission to apprehend the pirates. Some crew members had joined in the festivities of bachelor and bachelorette parties for the upcoming wedding of Second Officer Lt. Cmdr. Jansen Orrey and Science Officer Lt. Cmdr. Raissa Moonsong. The captain meanwhile returned from an extended leave to Krios Prime.

“It was fun to get out and stretch our legs a bit,” said Crewman Second Class Elijah Coleman, a paramedic aboard Veritas. “But now we need to get back to work. The people out here in the Shoals are counting on us to keep them safe.”

Veritas is understood to have picked up two possible pirates that may know more about the mysterious heists. When asked for comment, Starfleet Command declined, only noting they had “complete faith” in Rahman and her crew to resolve the situation.

Written by Roshanara Rahman