Bloodsuckers

In the year 2210, the Heironymous operates as a V-San front-line ship hunting vampiric threats. Captain Nicholas Churchill leads the crew, with Damian Underwood as his new first officer after being blacklisted by Star Fleet. Rosa Wong, Roman Kuchinsky, and Quintana round out the human crew, with Quintana being a telepathic vampire-human hybrid loyal to humans.

After clearing a Vorhee attack on Earth Base Quantum, the crew receives a distress call from Basra 14. Fiona Kennedy survives a Leatherfaces assault, highlighting how vampires threaten frontier settlements. The team sets course to Basra 14 to rescue survivors and gather intelligence.

In the mining shafts, Damian and Churchill investigate the distress. They are trapped and Churchill is captured and killed by vampires, leaving Damian suddenly in command. Rosa and Roman refuse to follow his lead, blaming him for Churchill's death and threatening mutiny.

With no other missions available, the Heironymous stops at Transit Station DHF in the Millerton Quadrant for Fiona's extraction and crew rest. Rosa and Roman attempt transfers, but their retinal IDs fail and they become persona non grata. Damian brokers a deal: one more joint assignment under his command, and then transfers can be arranged.

An urgent SOS returns from Transit Station; they find survivors dead as the crew investigates. Quintana identifies that the attackers are of a vampiric species delivering necrotic venom and leech-like vermis nosferati. The crew realizes they are dealing with a new predator that feeds on flesh.

They locate the feeding vampire and shoot it; leech-like worms crawl from its mouth. Quintana confirms Vermis nosferati, a host-dwelling vampire that emerges to feed. The crew stabs and shoots the remaining vampires, but a deeper danger lingers.

From monitoring feeds, Fiona and her allies Gilles and Vondi condemn Earth's Manifest Destiny and celebrate vampiric plans to curb human expansion. They plot with Muco, leader of the Vorhees, to stop intergalactic expansion and end prejudice against vampires.

Damian notices a pattern: both attacks feature different vampire species, yet their electronic defenses are shut down. Fiona's body is missing from the Transit Station’s dead, suggesting she left and is central to the scheme. He traces her departure flight plan and discovers a path leading to Cosmosis.

HQ orders a search-and-destroy mission in the Knobe System, but Damian and the crew decide to detour to Cosmosis to confront Fiona and avenge Churchill. They keep the true plan hidden to keep the crew united.

The Heironymous follows Fiona to Dhiagalev 8, a depleted ore planet. They are attacked by a small craft, which destroys their ship and leaves them stranded. They locate an old vampire colony and prepare to confront Muco and Churchill.

Fiona leads Damian to Muco and a revived Captain Churchill, now a vampire. Churchill explains a plan of unity through vampiric cooperation to take over the world, but Damian refuses to aid them. Muco orders Damian and his crew killed.

Fiona realizes Muco's deceit and challenges him, but Muco shoots her in the stomach to demonstrate power. Churchill and Damian clash over leadership as the situation spirals. The revelation shifts momentum toward a violent showdown.

Gilles and Vondi reveal themselves as willing to destabilize Muco's control, convincing the captive vampires that Muco ordered their restraint. They arm Rosa, Roman, and Quintana and escort them toward Churchill's chamber where the crew can fight back. The final confrontation begins as the humans seize the upper hand.

Damian stabs Churchill in the heart with a shard of glass, then stabs Muco to end the threat. With the vampire faction defeated, the crew heads back to HQ to secure a new ship and plan their next mission. The victory comes at a cost, but the team remains intact.