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- | <fs x-large> | + | <fs x-large> |
+ | A low hum of conversation filled the Lounge, the name given to the mess hall of Starbase 23. Groups of officers and enlisted Starfleet personnel gathered and discussed their day, laughter and smiles erupting from the occasional table. Engineers talked shop, Medical personal reviewed patient files, Command officers discussed whatever business was at had. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The doors to the lounge slid open with a familiar hiss and as if on queue the various conversations around the Lounge stopped. Dozens of eyes turned to watch the man who had just entered. He stood just under six feet tall, his brown hair, slightly longer than Regulations would allow. In any normal circumstance this man wouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The man quickly scanned the room, his eyes missing nothing, and simply headed to the service counter. The conversations around the room began again but with a subtle lowering of tone. Whispers concerning this new person seeming to predominate. The man soon had a tray of food, and headed towards an unoccupied table. Eyes tried to subtly follow the stranger, which brought a hint of a smile to his lips. The stranger pulled a PADD from his wait and set it and the food tray down. A few quick pushes on the PADD control interface and words began to steadily stream across the viewer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lieutenant Commander Douglas Forrest slowly read the information on the screen, his face blank, something he'd had years to practice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest was happily surprised to see his next assignment placed him back aboard the USS Republic, his last stay somewhat shortened by the increase in the Kreltan Affair. But `Fleet Intel Operation Division had ordered him back after he had reported the mysterious technology provided by Daniels. Intel' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest knew there would be some difficulty from certain officers on the Republic, many of them still sat on a moral high-ground that left them unable to accept that `Fleet Intel was an important part of the Federation. Intel officers either learned to ignore the disdain or became cold, callous operatives. Either method was within operational parameters. Forrest was pleased to see that his assignment to the Republic didn't involve any Top Secret details, he was simply assigned to the Republic because he possessed training that would be valuable. It would also be nice to see Shadow again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Shadow had always been top notch and Forrest still felt a debt to him ever since a mission on Celtris III went south. `Fleet needed some files in a Cardassian officers computer system. A team had made it's way there and had no problem extracting the files, but something went wrong (like they tend to) and Forrest had taken a nearly fatal disrupter blast. Shadow had been there. For that Forrest would always be grateful. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest quietly finished his meal and slowly sipped the tall glass of orange juice, amazed how the replicator always had the perfect amount of pulp. The Republic would be here to pick him up in less than thirteen hours. Enough time to catch a work out in a holosuite and still get a nice nap. Once more into the breach, dear friends. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | The off-white, circular chamber walls of the U.S.S. Enterprise bridge made the room a small, cramped place to work. The black-colored workstations along the walls used old-fashioned manual switches, making their operation a lot less efficient than current control stations. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon was once again running the simulation of Starfleet’s ancient ‘Kobayashi Maru’ scenario; an ancient military-style training exercise 80 years out of date. The program was a gift from Commander Carter to help him in his starship-strategy portion of the bridge-officers exam. Although the doctor had little time to play the scenario given his current holodeck class-schedule from Starfleet, he felt it proper to try it a second time since his disastrous attempt two weeks ago. At this particular moment, he was at the portion where the ship had just received the distress signal from a passenger ship in the Klingon Neutral Zone. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ‘We know the Klingons are out there,’ he thought. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Mister Spock,” he asked, swiveling around in his chair to face the young, black-haired Vulcan science officer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Captain, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Is there any way to fool their long-range sensors into overlooking us on their scanners? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “None, sir.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “So we either chance war and destruction by rescuing the ship, or hold station here and do nothing.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Precisely, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon shook his head with pursed lips. ‘Definitely sounds like winning this scenario is difficult. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Very well, then,” Leon announced. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the alarm beacon sounded throughout the room, the lights bathed everything in a deep red color. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Just then, the communication system of the Republic came to life. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Bridge to Doctor Cromwell. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Computer, | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Aye sir.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Computer, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The familiar holodeck archway whispered into existence at the far end of the bridge simulator, directly between the two aft turbolifts. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Ann!” Leon said with joviality. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Good to see you too, bro,” the woman responded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yeah, well it wasn’t under the greatest circumstances, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No kidding? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well, it’s been a while since I made that vow, and things are a little different here on the Republic. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’s great. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What about dad?” Leon asked with a hint of poison in his voice | ||
+ | |||
+ | The woman’s smile decreased somewhat at the mentioning of Leon’s father. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “For twenty years?” Leon said sourly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Leon, I didn’t call about dad,” she said changing the subject. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The doctor suddenly lost his smile. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well, there’s been a lot of Starfleet activity around here lately. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What’s so odd about that? Maybe it’s a new science project or something. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “They’re not science vessels, Leon. You don’t call a fleet of Sovereign and Nebula class ships for a gas anomaly.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Pinpoints of static began to dance across on the screen, with a few wisps of an interfering signal. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I can look into it if you wish, Ann.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Leon . . . . can’t hear you. You’re pict . . . . .ing up.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Ann, can you hear me?” Leon asked in annoyance at the signal loss. However, the noise became more pronounced over the next few seconds, with Ann’s picture flickering erratically. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Leon . . . . “ the picture suddenly flipped off with the Federation logo appearing in the center of the screen. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The doctor quickly pressed the intercom button. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “It appears that the signal was jammed at the source. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Can you re-establish the transmission? | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Negative, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon waited for over a minute that seemed like eternity. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Yellow alert. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | <First Officer' | ||
+ | |||
+ | John Carter seemed to recall that Admiral Chester " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The light in his cabin was low `Doctor' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The door signal chirped and John rolled his eyes. He stood up, made the requisite Carter family `Old Man Noise and rolled his neck from side to side, praying for a soft " | ||
+ | |||
+ | John walked calmly to open his cabin door. A quiet " | ||
+ | |||
+ | There was an audible gulp as John took it all in. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Shannon smiled warmly and stepped into John's cabin. "That may be the first time I've ever caught you speechless John." Shannon walked past Carter (who now knew first hand that it was just as pleasant to watch Shannon Harris leave a room as it was to watch her arrive), and set her package on John's desk. After a short while, Carter regained his composure and cleared his throat. *Ahem* "Is there something I can do for you Counselor?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Harris turned with an easy grace that John hadn't realized she possessed. "Well, for starters, `Commander'," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Harris giggled in flattery. "Not for that," she said coyly, "but I'm glad you like it." She pushed the box in John's direction. "For this", she said, as John picked the box up. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What do you mean?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Harris propped her head sideways on her arm, and gave Carter a sour look. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The last remark punched trough John's amour, and the Martian First Officer cracked a smile. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So, while you were on Betazed," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | John opened the box and held up a type six duty jacket; soft red suede with black accents on the shoulders. John couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It was nothing John." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No, I mean you probably shouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well that's where you're wrong," | ||
+ | |||
+ | John felt himself relax at Shannon' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Harris leaned closer and whispered. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | John leaned back and looked up into Shannon' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Are you making a pass at me?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | On cue, the com system chirped. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Roger that, Sullivan," | ||
+ | |||
+ | On the bridge, Lieutenant Sullivan wondered just who `WE' were. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Doctor Cromwell did not take the news lightly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yellow alert in port. Got to be the strangest thing, eh doc?” Carter greeted the doctor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Hmm?” Leon replied, looking to find the executive officer and counselor tailing him. Doctor Harris was busy tying her scarlet-colored hair up in a bun, taking care not to get it caught in the hastily zipped collar of her blue duty uniform. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You’re right, Shannon. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter raised an eyebrow at Leon asking, “you knew about this?” referring to his gift from the temporary counselor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Who do you think she checked with about the dress-code regulations? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter looked slightly disappointed at the news, and looked towards Harris. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It WAS,” Leon interjected. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the trio walked down the corridor towards the turbolift, a blue-uniformed lieutenant commander with a crop of black balding hair, a beard, and moustache came jogging up from the opposite direction. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Leon,” Doctor Saal Yezbeck shouted as he strode up. “Glad I found you before you headed up to the bridge.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well that’s good news,” Leon responded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Aye, sir.” Yezbeck answered, continuing on past the officers before Leon called him back. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Wait a minute!” the doctor stated with comprehension. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’s what you get for missing out on staff parties, doc,” Carter chided. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes,” Leon admitted. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It was supposed to be a surprise, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Sorry, Leon,” Yezbeck apologized while continuing further down the hall. “You can buy me and Eliza a drink later!” | ||
+ | |||
+ | With a furrow in his forehead, Doctor Cromwell looked to Carter with dissatisfaction as the trio continued their walk to the mid-deck turbolift shaft. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Hey doc,” Carter said defensively. | ||
+ | |||
+ | With a dissatisfied smirk, Leon turned away from him silently as they all entered the turbolift. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Bridge, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I wonder what this is all about? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Or,” Doctor Cromwell added, “Star Fleet itself has gone to a heightened alert status.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You know something about this, doc?” Carter looked at Leon quizzically. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “All I know,” the doctor started forebodingly, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Both Carter and Harris looked at Doctor Cromwell in astonishment. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The Gorn border?” Doctor Harris asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You have a sister?” inquired John, which drew a sour look from Harris. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Ann sounded nervous,” Leon continued without pause. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “We haven’t heard anything from the Gorn Hegemony since the Metron Treaty of stardate 3067 where the Federation/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How do you know so much?” Carter looked at the counselor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It’s been part of my temporary counselor training, SIR,” she replied with moderate sarcasm in her voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter then spoke up. “All I know about the Gorns is that they’ve never been much of a threat to the Federation since the Cestus Three colony was rebuilt over a hundred years ago. Since then, only a few cultural historians have gained permission to enter Gorn territory. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “One of those historians, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Don’t worry, doc,” Carter soothed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I hope so.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | As Forrest moved through the Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest pressed a small spot on the back of his left hand, and tapped his Comm Badge. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Relay Forrest-Echo." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Routine communications traffic began, the requests of Starships waiting for docking, engineers giving work crews instructions, | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest entered the nearest turbo-lift, still amazed at what the Toybox was doing these days. Just prior to his mission with the Klingons, he'd had a couple of things done. One included a SubComm, a subdermal communicator that allowed `Fleet Ops to communicate without being detected by sensors. Its range was about 100 meters so the application was limited, but could be boosted by standard a standard Comm badge. If the SubComm was linked to a Protocol Emulator there was no communications system that couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The hum of the turbo lift lasted only a few moments before the door opened again and admitted a taller, blond Lieutenant dressed in Operations yellow. Forrest quickly put a name to a face and realized this was Nathan Hawk, the Chief of Helm. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well I've got a couple of theories," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lieutenant Hawk barely contained a smile, as the turbo-lift doors opened onto the Bridge. The two men walked down the ramp and into the Observation lounge. Forrest wondered exactly what trouble `Fleet would need to be bailed out of next. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Hill - more commonly known as Ten Forward on other Galaxy-Class vessels - was the center for social interaction and communal gathering aboard the Republic. | ||
+ | |||
+ | To either side of him where those who had become his closest companions aboard, Lieutenant Sven Buttenhoff and Ensign ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Though all three where usually on duty at this time of day, their lay-over at Starbase 23 had been cause enough for Hawk to convince the rest of his trio to take a day off and relax. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I tell ya, boys," Hawk said, taking a mouthful of his drink, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh, please don' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, I for one am glad things have been so calm lately." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Gren, Gren, Gren," Nat scolded, "what in the hell's the point' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh, I want to live life. I just want to live it for a long time, too. Preferably without any injuries or stressful situations of alien conflicts along the way." Gren remarked, sipping his tonic water as if the thoughts alone had made him anxious. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It would sure as hell be more fun than this," Sven replied with a sip of his own beverage, his tone of voice devoid of much emotion except for a hint of boredom and irritation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Good point." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So, any word on replacements?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "How the frinx would I know?" Nat answered, honestly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sven shrugged, "I just thought you might have heard something." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I wonder who'll take over as Chief of my department?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I hope not. I mean, I just hope we get someone more... creative." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I know what you mean," Sven remarked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I thought ya liked Virtus?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh, I do," Sven replied instantly, "I just mean I know what Gren means, about hoping for someone creative. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You see what you did?" Sven remarked jovially, "You threaten to take us into an asteroid field if things don't pique up, and look what happens!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You think we should report to our stations?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I didn't hear mister-repeats-himself-four-damn-times call general quarters 'er tell all hands ta their stations." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Two strips it is." Sven replied as Nat made his way to the doors and into the corridor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well I've got a couple of theories," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nat had to stifle a smile at the apparent ignorance of the SI as they made their way to the Conference Room. He wondered how much of Nat's file - if any - he'd read, and if he had his own undisclosed assignment pertaining to it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Captain nodded as Victor entered the room. Victor paused to look over the new individual in Science blue, as well as the new Chief Tact Officer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Good day Captain." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Good day Mister Virtus." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Vic quickly stepped to the right as Doctor Cromwell came in with a slightly uncharacteristic haste. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Not at all Leon." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The good doctor moved around to his traditional seat, weaving around the narrow space between the conference table and the port bulkhead. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Sorry Vic." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No harm done Commander." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The door slid shut as John took the seat to the right of the Captain, and Shannon the left. Victor sighed in relief, stepped in front of the door... and stepped back as Nat Hawk barreled in with a smile, and stopped short of plowing into the wiry Malthan. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Whoa thar' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Think nothing of it." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Victor allowed the drawling helmsman by to sit beside the first officer, and gave the door a good long look. He then counted to 011 in binary, and when Lieutenant Cmdr Forrest walked through the reopened door, Vic blazed past him aft like an Oranian smuggler through a Tellarite blockade, and took his seat between the doctors. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you Captain. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Across the room, the new helmsman, Lieutenant Nat Hawk, shouted out an explicative. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What in the hell?" Nat remarked upon laying eyes upon Lieutenant Jace ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It takes more then that to kill a McClintock, you should know that. Most of the meantime, I've been working in the black, or at least the light grey anyway," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Too much to do with ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yeah, well," Nat replied, noticing a (not so) good amount of attention focused on them and their conversation, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Jace pulled quite a face at the thought of flavor of said brandy. "If you are calling a bottle of brandy bad, I don't even want to be in the same room when its open. You'd drink anything," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The doors closed as John Carter sat on Marshall' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest nodded as Marshall continued, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall then said, "and last but certainly not least is Lieutenant Kristen Tyler, our Chief Science Officer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Bridge to Captain” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | 'Next time I order no interruptions' | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Sir, there' | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Put it through in here.” =/\= It had been two weeks since Jim Marshall had watched the Admiral walk out the airlock. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Captain, we've got a situation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Understood Admiral.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Good luck Captain. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall then turned back to the crew, "Well, if it is the Gorns we'll be facing, I'd like to know what we're dealing with. Doctor, what can you tell us about them as a species?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon was transfixed on the scene outside the observation lounge. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Doctor? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Hmm? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Doctor . . . the Gorns?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Oh . . . yes.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well, there’s very little to tell about them socially, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “As you can see, they resemble a Terran lizard species, and by most accounts, are suspected to have an exothermic metabolism.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How do we know that?” asked a curious Lieutenant Tyler, the new chief science officer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well, due to visual accounts, mainly,” Leon continued. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “True, but until we have a little more proof, I don’t know if we can come to that conclusion yet,” replied the science chief. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Agreed, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “My guess,” interjected Tyler, who continued to scrutinize the viewscreen, “would be that their world is bathed in ultraviolet radiation due their eyes.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes,” Doctor Cromwell agreed without hesitance. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How do we kill them?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Doctor Cromwell and Lieutenant Tyler ceased their verbose scientific exchange at the audacity of the crass question, and a moment of silence ensued where Leon searched the audience for the inquisitor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ‘”Excuse me?” the doctor asked the audience of partially flummoxed officers. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I said, how do we kill the lizards?” the person asked again, and this time, Leon realized the question was coming from the ship’s new tactical officer, Lieutenant McClintock. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Um,” replied Doctor Cromwell, who was caught off guard yet again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I mean,” McClintock said with impatient emphasis. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well,” the doctor started again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How’s that? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The Gorn’s epidermal layer is seemingly a complex network of micro-scales composed of layered chitin proteins interlaced with a mineralized calcium-iron resin. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A whistle of impressed astonishment came forth from Lieutenant Kristen Tyler. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “A layered kitten-what? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It means, lieutenant, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Exactly, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Okay, so we use phasers . . .” replied McClintock, hoping to get a clear answer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well, we could,” replied Doctor Cromwell, drawing a wince from the tactical chief. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “These are tough little bastards, lieutenant, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Agreed, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “At the very best, captain” the scarlet-haired counselor replied, “they’d be suspicious. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Doctor Cromwell shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the fretfulness of the current situation welling within him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Limited historical investigation shows a feudal society,” continued Harris. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Understood, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lieutenant Commander Douglas Forrest stood as the doctor took his seat and straightened the black duty jacket he wore. Forrest looked at the officers sitting at the table and began to speak. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you, Doctor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest moved around the room, his pace slow and steady, matching his voice. He often used this method when required to recall detailed information, | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest waited a few moments to let his fellow officers absorb the information. His orders were to share all knowledge `Fleet Intel had on the Gorn. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What about their military capabilities?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest made his way back to his seat as he finished. He regretted not being able to share the rest of the information he had in this open briefing. His superiors had been quite specific. When this briefing was finished he'd talk to Captain Marshall and let him in on the rest. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lieutenant Commander Virtus nodded and stood, changing the main viewscreen to show a rotating wire frame cube, with little spheres at the vertices, and larger spheres on the faces, and in the center. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "From the little time I've had to study the hull data, I agree with the boys in Intel R&D that it is most likely a molybdenum/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Victor highlighted the smaller spheres, and switched to his ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Victor turned back to the table, and was impressed that no one had a glassy-eyed look, unlike the year he had spent teaching at the Academy. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "If I had to hazard a fast guess,” the new science chief started. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Victor listened with 9/10th of an ear to the new Science Department Head as she theorized about the chemical composition of the Gorn hulls. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Spook that an investigation ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Commander Carter was growing impatient. "The ships are tough, right?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Simple answers were best when dealing with Command Branch personnel, even the ones you've known for 12 years, 134 days, 17 hours... give or take. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | There were times when John Carter knew he was out of his depth, and this was one of them. He couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | John cleared his throat. "I hate to interrupt the science fair kids," he said with a smirk, "but can I bottom line this?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And the Gorn themselves are resistant to phaser fire?" he asked, looking at Leon. There was no response. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon heard Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The trio of scientists nodded. "Ok then," Carter said. "Tac, you work with Lieutenant Commander Forrest and see if you can't get me a few tricks to play with." | ||
+ | |||
+ | With that, Captain Marshall spoke up. "If no one has anything further," | ||
+ | |||
+ | The rest of the officers got up from the table as Marshall exited to the bridge. Waiting by the door, Carter gave the Science Chief a quick look, extending a hand to the new lieutenant. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | John cocked his head and continued. "I understand this assignment caught you off guard too. Anything I can do to help?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Not missing his yawn, whatever thoughts Kristen might have been having at that point were neatly hidden as she shook his hand in return. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Pack leader G'Meth looked on with pleasure as his tactical display showed the steady progress of the Sss' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | G'Meth moved slowly, despite the warm environment. A by-product of his own advanced age. "It has been a long time indeed, First Sword. I doubted I would ever look on home again." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The First Sword circled around to his pack leader' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The first sword hissed as more sectors of local space turned green, indicating that Gorn assault teams had landed at their assigned places on Cestus II and III. Back at the centre of the ship's bridge, G'Meth shook his head. "We have not won yet, First Sword," | ||
+ | |||
+ | G'Meth felt the sting of memory as he remembered the last time he'd been to the Cestus system. For generations, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Almost 100 years ago, G'Meth had led a small colonizing mission to Cestus III for what should have been a routine stop. Instead, the Gorn crew found their ancestral territory over-run by millions of filthy, foul-smelling hairless apes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | `Apes' G'Meth cursed silently, `With no concept of proper use of the bounties the galaxy provides them. Spreading like weeds to any planet that will support them,' he chuckled as the next thought occurred to him, `and some they CANT' | ||
+ | |||
+ | `They came to this place, not caring what it meant. And now, they' | ||
+ | |||
+ | G' | ||
+ | |||
+ | His mind back at the present, G'Meth hissed again, confidently. "Well, let them come," he said. "I, G'Meth have returned to reclaim this system. If the humans want to stop me again, then their weak and cowardly captain will have to face me again. I will have my revenge!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the briefing ended, Nat stood up from the table and kept a scrutinizing gaze fixed on Lieutenant Commander Douglas Forrest as he vacated the room. The Commander for his part, either failed to notice the leering eyes upon him, or simply wasn't phased by it. Once the ship's new resident SI goon had departed, Nat turned his attention to Lieutenant Jason McClintock, one of the few people that Nat considered an actual friend in the galaxy. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So howd' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, from what I understand, this ship has tended to be rather hard on Tactical officers," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, my dads done some unbelievable stuff. I suppose your right though, but unfortunately I cant talk about some of the things I did during the war. And a lot of the rest was pretty boring. Who cares about general staff meetings with officers of Flag Rank?" Jace said with a grimace. "So I can tell you how three out of seven Admirals like their coffee, doesn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Jace looked at the only open seat, appeared to think a bit - and then reclined against the window in the corner, continuing the conversation as if nothing was unusual. "One thing I was thinking about was projectile firearms. Nothing penetrates better then a sharpened steel bullet. In the right caliber it would punch a whole in the hull of a runabout." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mid-sip with his fourth glass of Whiskey of the morning, Nat stopped just as the amber liquid washed over his lips, and put the drink down. "Frinx man, yer as paranoid' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Of course, used to a nice place on the starbase, no waiters, but a nice place." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Might s'well just gimme the whole bottle a whiskey," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Gimme another," | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the waiter moved off, Nat was about to reply when Gren interjected his own question. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, the Gorn sound nearly impervious to a phaser, we'll need something with a more concentrated punch. For both their ships, and for their people." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Hey, this ain't the bridge 'er the Academy," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The former Miss Alpha Quadrant?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The vera same." Nat replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Your lucky Sven. I would have killed you. Or at least made you wish I had." Jace said with complete seriousness. "So, what was so important to you, that you felt you should take such a wonderful life experience from our friend Nat here? Heck that kind of thing might have been good enough to take his mind off of crashing into things." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I never kiss'n tell," Nat replied, mock-serious, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And you were complaining about my stories earlier? I am not entirely sure that some of the things you've claimed to have done are anatomically possible, let alone that kinds of things you could get such nice young ladies to participate in." Said Jace laughing. "And, the fact that you only collide with things you intend to isn't very reassuring when I am living inside something you are going to be allowed to pilot. But then, I have every confidence that you wont accidentally run into anything, so it almost evens out." Jace said with a Gaelic twinkle in his eye. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Hey, ya wanna talk 'bout worry, I'm servin' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, I can see that your going to be distracted for a while. When you have some extra free time, I brought some rather exotic liquors with me. Your welcome to sample them. Gentlemen, its been fun, but I have to get back to sorting out my wayward department." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nat barely noticed Jace leave as he moved over to the bar and struck up a conversation with the lovely Lieutenant... | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wispy clouds of white floated gently across the seemingly calm, blue skies. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Towards the edge of town, the large commercial constructs ended, and a grid of residential avenues separated plots of vermillion-colored plant communities containing small, dome-shaped buildings of various configurations. | ||
+ | |||
+ | One such home was situated on a plot of varied wildflowers, | ||
+ | |||
+ | A whispery, almost hissing voice emanated from the appliance, interspersed with grunts and gurgles. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . .This is Pack Leader G'Meth of the reclamation fleet Sss' | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Janice! | ||
+ | |||
+ | The barking command came from a gruff-faced man with black and gray hair who entered the room from an adjoining hallway. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The woman, who stared at the console in shock, did not reply. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Did you hear me?” shouted the man again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | At that moment, a pounding came forth from the front door. The man immediately brought the phaser rifle to bear, but the muffled voice from outside caused him to lower it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Mom! | ||
+ | |||
+ | Instantly, the man strode over to the door, and pressed the entry switch. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Forget it, Ann,” the man said, turning away and walking back inside. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Stunned, Ann walked into the house after her father. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Not if I have anything to say about it!” he retorted. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Dad, the colony is regrouping at the mountain reserve shelters, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Forget it!” the man said with spite. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Dad, you’re throwing you life away!” she shouted. | ||
+ | |||
+ | But the stubborn man did not listen. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No!” she protested with incredulous screams, struggling to tear loose from the man’s grip. “No! | ||
+ | |||
+ | Janice, the older woman, was obviously in denial as the man grabbed onto both shoulders. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Arthur, it’s not fair!” she whimpered with tears in her eyes. “We’ve lived here all our lives! | ||
+ | |||
+ | “They won’t,” the man said with emphasis. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A moment went by as they hugged, interrupted only by a low-flying vessel that rumbled overhead. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Get her out of here, Ann,” he said with fervor in his voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ann herself began to cry. “Dad . . .” her lip quivered, as if struggling to voice words she did not often speak. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Arthur corralled them towards the door, and the three embraced as a second vessel flew overhead. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The two weeping women obediently left the home, leaving Arthur to finish his defense preparations. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Yellow alert not only brought the ship to a heightened readiness level, but it also activated an additional duty shift to the current on-duty shift. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In alert situations, the activation of additional duty shifts is prescribed by Starfleet regulation as either (1) the next scheduled duty shift to be brought to duty alongside the current shift (yellow alert), or (2) bringing all of the vessel’s duty shifts to bare for battle-ready situations (red alert). | ||
+ | |||
+ | In sickbay, yellow alert did two things: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Doctor Cromwell, despite his anxious mood, made the most of the heightened alert status by reviewing his new crew, which reported onboard as soon as the ship was taken to yellow alert. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Now, as beta and gamma shift continued to ready sickbay for the possibility of incoming casualties, Leon stood in the main ward reviewing his surgical staff. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Doctor Lawrence Major,” he addressed the dark-skinned male human, who smiled in return. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes sir,” replied Doctor Major with a slight Australian accent. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon raised his eyebrow, knowing all too well the long strings attached to a civilian contract with Starfleet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Moving to the next in line, Doctor Cromwell consulted his PADD. “Lieutenant Alice Copenhagen, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No sir,” the woman replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I think you’ll like your assignment here, lieutenant. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Thank you, sir,” replied the new head nurse. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Moving to the last in line, Leon looked at the PADD before addressing the Klingon. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Lieutenant Q’Tuir, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes sir,” replied the Klingon in a deep, stern voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What part of Q’onos are you from, doctor? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The Northern B’hraka province sir,” replied the lieutenant. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “When did you graduate from the warrior academy?” Leon asked plainly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I have not been through the academy, sir.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No?” Leon asked quizzically. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You are mistaken, doctor,” Q’Tuir replied calmly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Of course,” Leon agreed without hesitation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The need to explore,” smiled Q’Tuir. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Have you ever served with humans before?” Doctor Cromwell asked, changing the subject. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Of course sir,” Q’Tuir replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Impressive, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Not at all, sir,” the lieutenant stated benevolently. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You honor us with your presence, Doctor Q’Tuir, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Turning around to address the collection of surgeons, Leon explained to them their current situations. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I suppose by now, you’re all wondering why we’re at condition yellow,” he started. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Understood, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Nurse Copenhagen, I already explained your new position, and I suggest you meet your nursing staff and disseminate our mission situation.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Immediately sir,” the nurse acknowledged, | ||
+ | |||
+ | As she left, Leon concluded his meeting. “Well, I guess that’s it. For our veterans, please welcome our newer staff, and show them around the ship when you get the chance. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Without another word, Leon made a direct line to his office, not taking notice of the scrutinizing stare that Doctor Yezbeck gave him. As the CMO exited the room, Saal looked around at the dispersing gaggle of officers and then proceeded to follow him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | “Maruevian Tea,” Leon said to the wall-mounted replicator next to his desk. “Hot.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Something I can do for you, Saal?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Oh, not much,” he mysteriously answered, strolling into the office. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon closed his eyes, slightly annoyed that he was being psychoanalyzed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Come on,” Yezbeck continued. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What do you want me to do? Break down and cry? Saal, I’m not really in the mood to open the floodgates on my feelings right now.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’m not asking you to,” Yezbeck admitted straightforwardly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon, quite unexpectedly, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well,” Yezbeck said, folding his arms. “So much for not opening the floodgates.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Sorry, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Don’t be,” he explained. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Sleep? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Look, either prescribe yourself a tranquilizer, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Fine,” Leon surrendered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | A few minutes passed before the chime to his door rang and Lieutenant Kristin Tyler entered. Crossing towards his desk, she came to attention and said "You wished to see me Captain?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes Lieutenant, have a seat. Don't worry about what happened in the briefing. Now on to the real topic, when I ask for a scientific explanation please explain it to where someone who is not science minded can understand it. My science courses were my lowest scores at the Academy that's why Lieutenant." | ||
+ | |||
+ | From her seat, Lieutenant Tyler just gazed at him calmly. She hadn't planned on worrying about the events in the briefing, nor had she planned to question the Captain' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall didn't like her short answer, and he hoped that Tyler would fit in with this crew. "When we're on the bridge, and this goes for all senior staff, it is all business. Off duty we're pretty relaxed." | ||
+ | |||
+ | What was going on here? Did he think she was a newly graduated kid fresh from the Academy still wet behind the ears? Kris wasn't sure just what she was expected to say in response to a statement like that, all she could come up with was a simple " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Look, I'm not trying to treat you like a fresh Academy grad. I know of your record, and you'll do fine here. All I can ask for is your best." The captain rose from his chair and went around the desk and sat on the edge and said, "We haven' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Accepting his hand, she shook his hand as she said " | ||
+ | |||
+ | I know how to read people, you looked a little uncomfortable. I'm not trying to be intimidating. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Not knowing what else she could say, Kris replied, "Thank you sir." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Feeling very uncomfortable and not sure what if anything she was expected to do now Lieutenant Tyler simply waited for the Captain to continue. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall noticed that she was uncomfortable, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Rising, Kristen said "Aye Captain." | ||
+ | |||
+ | ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Bridge to Captain, we're ready to depart.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall walked onto the bridge, and took the center seat. He noticed that all of the bridge positions were staffed by department heads. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Bridge to Engineering.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Virtus here.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How are the engines? | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= Operating at 98 percent efficiency, Captain. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Good to hear. Bridge out.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall then turned to the helm and ordered, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall then replied, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall then opened a channel to the starbase. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Permission granted. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Thank you Starbase 23. See you next trip.” The channel then closed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall didn't appreciate the sentiment as Hawk piloted the ship out of the Starbase. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Three and a half hours if I've calculated it right Captain," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Republic then jumped into warp. It was good to be in action again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall walked in and sat in the chair by the coffee table. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Cadet James R. Marshall walked into the holodeck they were using for training. | ||
+ | |||
+ | They had approached the ship, a Klingon D-12 Bird of Prey. They hailed the Klingons but it was no success. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "None apparent Captain. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Ops, ready the pulse. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It was nothing," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall drifted back into reality. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Bridge to Captain Marshall. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Slow to impulse. I'm on my way.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | U.S.S. Republic was en route to the Cestus system to investigate communications problems. The ship was still ninety minutes out of the system, and while Republic was still at yellow alert, the Alpha shift had ended, and Captain James Marshall had ordered that the Alpha Shift take some down time while they could. Stepping into the bridge turbolift, John Carter had to admit that his captain had a point. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As John entered the lift car, Nat Hawk, Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | `Just calm down Johnny', | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank ya kindly, C' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The XO cleared his throat, swaying slightly as the car raced toward the forward section of deck 10 that served as the ship's primary recreation area. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Been damn near livin' there maself." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I bet." Carter rolled his eyes, trying to hide his annoyance. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "There a problem, C' | ||
+ | |||
+ | John regarded the helmsman, then cocked his head to speak to the computer. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh really?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter turned to face the junior officer. He could feel his temper rising, and had to remind himself to control it. "Just what the hell did you think you were doing up there? That was a starship bridge! Not the Ready Room on a carrier!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yer point?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I don't care if he told you to break your own arm!" Carter shot back. "He DID NOT ask for opinions. He gave you an order." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "If ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Now that you mention it," Carter commented, "But if you're going to wear that uniform, then you WILL respect fleet procedures." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nat couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | It was all Carter could do to keep conscious. Pushing against Hawk's attack...fighting for air. His thoughts were a blur. '26 Omega? What the hell did that mean?' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I could have you tossed in an SI brig fer a coupla years for threaten' | ||
+ | |||
+ | John worked his fingers under Hawk's forearm, shifting his weight to use Hawk's own momentum to help him slip lose. Carter rubbed his throat and stepped behind Nat. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nat turned on his heel, stepping back to the wall of the lift and keeping himself prone for an attack. "I ain't no friggin black shirt goon!" Hawk shot back. "Only have dealin' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | John swallowed hard. "NOW we're getting somewhere." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Hawk just stared at Carter for a moment, unsure of him. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Tell ya what," he said, stepping out of the lift after Carter. "Lemme buy ya a drink fer, uh, stranglin' | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nearly an hour since he'd come off duty, Nat sat at the bar in the low-lit lounge, nursing a glass of Romulan Ale - his second since the ship's First Officer, John Carter, had left twenty or so minutes earlier. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Having heard about the ship's lounge, oddly enough called 'The Hill' | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Nat stared down upon his half-empty beverage, the liquid and illuminated surface of the bar casting a faint blue tint to his features, the doors to the typically buzzing social hall parted to admit one of the many new faces aboard ship. Normally, a new face - especially a pleasant female one - would pique Nat's attention. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Walking to the bar, Kris got the bartender' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Polishing off the last remains of his second glass of Romulan Ale, Nat flagged down the barkeep as he returned from supplying a glass of white wine to the new Science Officer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Lil service' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I look like I give a shit, boy?" Nat replied, his temper getting the better of him. The barkeep simply stood silent and still. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Gazing over the top of her PADD at him, with a slight arch of her eyebrows Kristen nodded slowly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | She blinked, mildly taken aback by his outburst. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, I crossed ma fingers." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The fact that I'm sitting here instead of continuing my previous work assignment should be answer enough," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Being anywhere in Starfleet ain't my idea of a good time," Nat replied, sitting back. "Only option I got at the moment, though." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "If I had my choice, I'd still be back on Neezora IV working aboard the Sea Dancer continuing the research on the life forms which live around the coral reefs. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Can you pilot a 130 foot long ocean research yacht?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I can pilot a six-hundred-forty meter starship or twenty-five meter fighter," | ||
+ | |||
+ | She smiled a little then, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kris smiled again, "It was a posting I was in no hurry to leave for sure.." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So why did ya?" Nat asked, taking a sip of whiskey. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Her expression darkened just a bit, taking a sip of her drink before she answered Kris at last said, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You ain't got no higher-up pals 'at owe ya a favor ya could called in?" he queried. | ||
+ | |||
+ | She laughed at that, working to hide the actual reasons for her sudden orders to the Republic "No, I can't say that I do." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, if it makes ya feel any better, I'm in the same boat. Literally an proverbially." | ||
+ | |||
+ | She shrugged, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | She didn't have an answer to that, just shrugged her shoulders as she sipped from her glass again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Could be worse," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "At least then I could hit the person who had offended my honor and not have to worry about more than the bruises I'd get in the resulting fist fight," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "If it makes ya feel better, ya can hit me. I ain't particularly inta the kinky stuff, but what the hell." he replied with a broad grin, | ||
+ | |||
+ | She gave him a look, unable to help laughing again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kris was still trying to decide what to make of that ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I don't believe in hope," Nat replied, "hopin is fer people who won't er can't do." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well that's . . . somewhat depressing to hear," she answered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Least it's honest an likely true." Nat replied, polishing off his glass of whiskey. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Her eyes sparkled a little with amusement, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Some call me Lieutenant, some call me Hawk, some call me Wild Card or Death Wish. Most call me Nat though. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Watching him leave, she shook her head after a moment before deciding to finish her drink and then left, heading for her own quarters. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Open a channel," | ||
+ | |||
+ | “This is Captain James Marshall of the U.S.S. Republic. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= ‘Delta Dawn to U.S.S. Republic, I think we do have full authority here. | ||
+ | |||
+ | You'll understand once you find out why.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | The voice sounded utterly familiar to Marshall. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Would you be willing to tell us that story?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "On screen," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Like the voice, the face on the viewscreen was quite familiar. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Hello James.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Miss Malcome, long time no see. Why don't you beam over, talk about old times?” the captain said with a hint of mockery in his voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “I'd love to stay and chat but we're in a bit of hurry. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The channel then closed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "John, could you come up to the bridge? | ||
+ | |||
+ | "On my way, sir." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall looked to the viewscreen to see what the ships were doing. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Dawn was slowly moving straight at the Republic. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Alert automatically sounded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The ships are heading towards Romulan space Captain," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Tell me we're going after them sir," said Nat. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall knew what that was all about and ordered, "Have them land in the main shuttlebay. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | The violent shock took Lieutenant Commander Virtus totally by surprise. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Victor watched panicking sentients turn into worried but confident members of Starfleet' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Victor glanced over the numbers again as information trickled down from the bridge via the tactical officer on duty. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Vic glanced again and tapped his combadge. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “This is Lieutenant Commander Virtus to all Engineering Personnel. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Getting information to the people that needed it was the job of Ops, except in times of extreme emergency, when Tactical got damage control, Sciences took over sensors and communication, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Surveying the activity around the engine room, Vic was impressed by his people. | ||
+ | |||
+ | At this point, someone on the bridge will remember that Engineering lives in a dark and twisting cavern in the bowels of the ship, and will order a holographic blonde human boy wearing a short toga and sandals to take down a message with his wooden stylus onto his wax tablet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Virtus shook himself from his flight of fancy, "Yes Ensign?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Take him to sickbay." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Aye sir." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Victor chided himself for not concentrating on his job and got back to waiting for the Red Alert to end. Just like John to ram another ship in the middle of nowhere. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | There were always a few minor injuries every day. It was human nature. | ||
+ | |||
+ | When a starship suddenly jumps 15 centimeters up and to the left, it's astonishing how many people are caught mid-shower, or standing on a footstool dusting a shelf, or goofing off in engineering... | ||
+ | |||
+ | "How did you receive this bruise Ensign?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I was ... demonstrating the ability to remain inverted and mobile to another ensign." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Klingon doctor mulled that over while moving his medical tricorder over the Kri' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Very well. The swelling will diminish with time. You show no further signs of damage to the brain. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes Doctor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Carry on." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Humans were a strange and interesting species. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lieutenant Commander Douglas Forrest sat at the auxiliary Tactical Station and continued to view the multitude of files on loan from the Klingons. A cold cup of synth-caf sat nearby, totally violating the rules on drinks at duty stations. In his desire to find anything out from the data, Forrest had long forgot the cup's presence. It was a wonder the cup continued to exist. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Computer replay file KDF – 1451” | ||
+ | |||
+ | The display before him showed three Klingon B' | ||
+ | |||
+ | But in this instance the Gorn ships did not react or seem effected by this tactic. The Klingon disruptors seemed to have almost no effect on the Gorn ships, the energy weapon dissipated by the Gorn hull. The Gorn ships executed a precise Y-axis roll maneuver while never breaking their formation, which caused the imprecise plasma torpedoes to miss completely. Klingon target systems were known for their lack of accuracy. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Gorn ships continued their roll and reformed into a wedge formation, and pursued the T' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Computer. Replay KDF 3443.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Once again the display was filled with a tactical display of ships, this time nine Gorn battle ships were shown in a classic three by three wall formation. An effective formation when engaged in multiple ship combat. The nine Gorn ships were dwarfed by the two Klingon Vor' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The two Klingon ships performed a crossing flight pattern that would give both ships maximum firing targets on the nine Gorn cruisers. The powerful Klingons ships opened fire with its devastating disruptors but they seemed to have the expected affect, meaning none. The Gorn hull seemed capable of handling quite a bit of energy. A plasma torpedo spread from the two Klingon heavy battle cruisers lanced out at the Gorn vessels. The Gorn ships, in unified formation, initiated a Z-axis turn and drop and avoided the torpedoes, but just barely. The nine vessels held their formation and turned their attention towards the B' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The B'Nagh continued to maneuver and it became obvious it was drawing the fire of the Gorn ships to allow the G'Hagk to gain a superior firing position. Sure enough the G'Hagk returned on the Gorn ships flank. However before it could set up for the best possible attack, three Gorn vessels broke from the wall and turned to engage the Klingon ship. The three Gorn vessels formed a wedge and yellow energy weapons fire lanced from the Gorn vessels and remarkably all struck the same area of the Klingon ship. It looked as if the shield would hold, but the precision of the Gorn targeting soon became apparent and the Klingon ships shield buckled and finally fell. The Gorn ships continued to pour fire into the G' | ||
+ | |||
+ | But those plans were quickly ended when the Klingon vessel detonated. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Meanwhile the B'Nagh was now engaged with only six Gorn vessels that seemed impervious to its weapon fire or almost prescient with its ability to outmaneuver the plasma torpedoes. The Klingon vessel remained evasive determined to avoid the Gorn massed firing which seemed capable damaging shields with ease. The B'Nagh suddenly executed a maneuver very similar to an Immelman, something next to impossible for a Starship to do. Inertial dampeners were designed to prohibit such maneuvers to avoid stressing the warp engines and structural integrity of a ship. It wasn't a pretty maneuver, but it did seem to catch the Gorn ships off guard. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Klingon ship fired all of its weapons, targeting the lead Gorn ship. Small explosions ripped across the hull of the B'Nagh , the maneuver causing massive stress to the ship. But it seemed worth it, because the Gorn ships made no attempt to maneuver out of the plasma torpedoes. The disruptors proved ineffective but the torpedoes tore through the weak shields of the Gorn vessel and detonated in the forward section of the ship, ripping the vessel in half lengthwise. The B'Nagh engaged the five remaining Gorn ships, two of them flying in an unorganized pattern the other three forming a wedge formation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Computer. Freeze image.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | ‘Think Doug, think.’ thought Forrest. | ||
+ | |||
+ | One of the tricks they taught you in `Fleet Intelligence was to view everything and let your subconscious mind store the details. It wasn't any easy task but by using field operatives were capable of looking at a document and recalling all the information from it later. It was a learned photographic memory. The Vulcans were able to do this with entire libraries. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest calmed himself and began the La' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Unsure of his place in the chain of command, Forrest decided to make his way to the bridge, his general knowledge would be bound to assist somewhere. And if they'd encountered the Gorn this soon, he might be able to figure out the puzzle that was eluding him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | On the bridge, Commander Carter sat in the command chair, a young ensign manned the tactical station and Hawk was seated in the Conn Chair, his eyes alertly checking for any side effects of the slight jostle. His fingers flew over the LCARS screen and made a quick .2% adjustment to port attitude control. Hawk was completely engrossed in the task at hand and missed the friendly nod directed at him by Forrest or gave no sign of noticing it. Forrest could sense there was some open hostility from the young Lieutenant but was unsure if it was directed at him or the uniform. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Commander Carter seemed somewhat surprised to see Forrest on the bridge. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What brings you to my bridge, Lieutenant Commander?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I need access to the main tactical database, sir," replied Forrest. "I have some theories on the Gorn that I’d like to investigate." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Very well," stated Carter, "Carry on." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest moved over to the Tactical Station and watched the replay of the encounter with the Corvette leading up to the collision. The small ships formed a decent if somewhat ragged wall of interdiction. The actually collision itself appeared to be the sort of thing done as a jest or insult. What caught Forrest' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Damn. Damn. Damn." swore Forrest; drawing looks from the rest of the Bridge personnel. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest moved aside the Tactical Officer and quickly called up the data he'd been reviewing. Forrest watched the section he needed and realized his theory was correct. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Go ahead," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well I've been analyzing the data from the Klingons and noticed that the Gorn seem to slip into patterned responses to tactical situations. Their formations show an incredible amount of precision, far better than would be expected. They also respond to standard tactical situations with a uniform pattern. But they seem to have a problem responding to non-standard tactics. They recover in due time, but anytime they are surprised their tactics fall apart. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest looked to Carter, knowing he'd planted a seed or two in the XO, tactical thinking mind. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest looked over at the Lieutenant and was immediately impressed by the younger officer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I hadn't thought about that possibility," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Granted Forrest hated when there were two possibilities to an answer, decision-making was always easier with fewer choices. But what he hated worse was when somebody failed to point out the possibility of more possibilities. That got people hurt or worse yet killed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Okay, either way we suspect some form of communication between the Gorn ships that give them incredible coordination and response. The simplest answer is to disrupt those communications. But my suspicious mind says that task easier said than done." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest closed his eyes and began thinking again. He wished he'd studied Starship tactics more when he had the chance. His specialty was cognitive problem solving while under extreme duress, not Starship tactics. Sometimes he wished he were still doing undercover fieldwork. Nothing beat those moments when you were surgically altered to look like a Romulan and had to by-pass a Senators personal security measure to get information a new shipyard. That was a piece of the proverbial cake. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Haz' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Watch yer mouth, C' | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Very well,” Carter replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | From afar, only a few faint pulses of scarlet light flickered through the veil of darkness. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The entire south residential district of Cornucopia settlement was ablaze with sporadic structure fires. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Arthur Cromwell knew the end was near. As Gorn soldiers went from house to house, arresting colonists who did not follow orders to leave their homes and report to internment camps, he only had one recourse. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Watching as the multiple shimmers of transporter energy faded in front of his house, Arthur saw at least two-dozen Gorn commandos take tactical positions in his yard. After their leader checked his tricorder to confirm Arthur’s presence in the house, the soldiers moved quickly and intently in groups of four, leap-frogging their advance past sandbag walls and towards the barricaded door. A loud explosion resonated across the neighborhood as Arthur’s carefully placed sonic bomb shattered the auditory canals of the four leading troops. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Finally, the Gorns reached the back porch, the inevitability of which Arthur had prepared for. Although the gathering of troops in the front yard seemed to be the main attack, the repeating phaser cluster sounding from the rear foyer signified the Gorns themselves could be devious if they wanted. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Reprocessing antimatter was a job best fit for an engineer; the volatile elements were quite unstable, and a homemade sensor-shielded magnetic storage unit was a precarious piece of equipment to say the least. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Arthur designed the phaser cluster only as a diversionary apparatus, and the simultaneous crash through both the front and back doors indicated the resumption of the snatch operation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The searing heat of the raging inferno danced around him, and Arthur rose from his hidden, hastily-built shelter below what was once his home. The fire danced against the surface of his silvery flame-retardant radiation suit, and as he gathered his insulative pack of survival gear and ordinance, he knew the infrared and gamma radiation emitted from the small antimatter explosion would cloud the sensors of orbiting starships. | ||
+ | |||
+ | While he longed to see his wife and daughter again, hoping that they had arrived safely at their destination, | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Computer, | ||
+ | |||
+ | With bags of sleeplessness hanging below his eyes, Leon sat on his bed with elbows resting on his knees. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Two hours,” he mumbled softly to himself. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Acknowledged” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Might as well get some coursework done,” he said to himself, standing up from the bed. Alpha shift wasn’t due to be back on duty until 2400, but Leon couldn’t bear the thought of tossing and turning any longer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Computer, | ||
+ | |||
+ | A negative computer warble sounded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Unable to comply. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What? | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Holodeck three is now off limits to everyone but the Security Department.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “For how long?” the doctor spouted with incredulity. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Indefinitely.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Computer!” he shouted with a rising voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Holodeck three is now designated as an exclusive training center for the Republic Hazard Team. All other personnel must utilize other onboard holodeck facilities.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Son of a . . .” | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Last command not recognized. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Never mind!” the vexed doctor replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The calm voice of the Republic’s computer was programmed to repeat the alert status twice an hour in the public spaces of the ship. Since there was no associated alert beacon or condition-red tracer lights along the wall during yellow alert, the heightened readiness status needed another conduit for reminding everyone that they needed to be on their toes. However, even that mode of alerting the crew became monotonous with time, especially if the Republic stayed at yellow alert for an extended period. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “John!” came a voice from further down the hall. Commander Carter looked up from his information device to see Leon walking towards him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Hey doc, how’s it going?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Could be better,” Leon replied sourly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yeah, same here. I didn’t get much sleep either.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well,” the doctor started. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How’s that?” Carter asked quizzically. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It’s apparently been commandeered by the security department for training a ‘Hazard Team’,” Leon explained. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Oh, yeah. I just came from a meeting with McTaggart about that,” John said with mild comprehension. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I will, but I’d rather not. It’s the only holodeck closest to my quarters, and I’m usually pretty tired after my evening course load. What is a ‘Hazard Team’ anyway? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It’s a special operations team from Military Operations Command,” Carter clarified. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Marines? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Beats me, doc. Who knows why Captain Marshall does the things he does? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I thought marines on board exploration vessels are virtually unheard of,” Leon remarked through gritted teeth. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter chuckled. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Two things,” Leon said, bringing the duo to a stop in the hallway. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “First, this is supposed to be a ship of exploration, | ||
+ | |||
+ | For his part, John Carter just rolled his eyes. He knew now that his friend was again on another one of his self-righteous soapbox speeches. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Second, | ||
+ | |||
+ | John Carter’s face suddenly filled with concern at the look the doctor gave him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Second . . . They can’t be trusted.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | The exec raised his eyebrows. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Okay, let me be specific . . . *I* don’t trust them.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You . . .” John was confused. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Three words,” the doctor stated. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The commander thought for a moment. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon felt a tightness in his stomach, and the remembrance of a bad memory did not mix well with his current anxiety about Cestus Three. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I was stationed there during the Dominion War. It was a small temporary medical facility dispatched out of Starbase 72 so starships returning from the front could off load heavy casualties before returning to base.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “So? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Our base was obliterated by a Jem H’dar attack.” The memory did not please the doctor, and with the infuriated look on Leon’s face, John could only offer sympathy in a conciliatory tone. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Leon . . . I’m sorry.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That wasn’t the worst of it,” he added, his throat swelling with hatred. | ||
+ | |||
+ | John said nothing more. He only looked at Leon, failing to find any words of comfort. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “My patients were murdered in their beds, and my entire medical staff executed.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Captain Marshall and Lieutenant McClintock walked into the turbolift. Marshall said, "Main Shuttlebay." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Of course sir. I was on a hazard team on the USS Gettysburg." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Captain was well aware of the Lieutenant' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It will be nice to have a hazard team on board,” Jace continued. “They really do come in handy in a pinch. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Captain responded, "It does have its benefits that's why I made the request." | ||
+ | |||
+ | They entered the shuttlebay to six people walk out of the runabout. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall recognized one of the men that was there. "You are Petty Officer Theodore Mendoza?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes sir," he replied." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Very well, this is Lieutenant McClintock, the Chief of Security. Lieutenant, why don't why show them to their training holodeck?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, sir,” McClintock replied. “If you need me for anything else I will be on the bridge. Gentlemen, if you will come with me..." Jace said while making a quick assessment of the six people. "I know Teddy, but you other five are?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "My name is Petty Officer Third Class John Abrams, sir," said one of the taller, black-uniformed men. "This is Crewman First Class Kevin Bradley, Petty Officer Second Class Henry Sherman, Crewman Fred Hemet, and Crewman Richard Towe.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You can call me Deuce,” Towe interjected. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, as it's been said, I'm Lieutenant Jason McClintock, but unless you’re in a lot of trouble you'd better call me Jace." | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the hazard team and McClintock left, Marshall stood on the shuttle deck as he noticed another speck of a vessel looming out in space outside the shuttlebay’s atmospheric containment field. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “A second runabout is requesting clearance to land, captain. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’ll take it here,” the captain replied, walking over to a communications console. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Runabout Helmand to Captain Marshall. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Absolutely, | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “We have need for your chief medical officer . . .” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | When Carter returned to the bridge, he slipped into the command chair and asked "ETA, Mister Hawk?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, all depends," | ||
+ | |||
+ | John Carter weighed his options. The warrior in him wanted to take every possible advantage he could get, and the element of surprise was always key, in his mind, to winning the day, but something told him to hold back. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As John studied the plot, Sean McTaggart called out from the tactical station. "The main shuttlebay reports second runabout on board, sir." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Republic had dropped to impulse 15 minutes ago to receive the ship's newest crew, an elite Hazard Team. John had had some misgivings about bringing the team onboard, but he had to admit that, from a tactical sense, it gave him more tools to solve problems. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Aye sir. She's in now. Shields back in place." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I guess they brought their toys with ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Full, but won't that..." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next to Carter, Forrest rolled his eyes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But even * I * Don't want to face down 20 starships." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No, you'd NEVER do that", Forrest commented with a wink. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Coming in behind them is just likely to make them jumpy and make us a whole lot less alive. Besides", | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Marshall to Carter and Virtus, you might want to come down to the main shuttlebay. I'm afraid the Doctor is leaving us.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter looked quizzically at the ship’s ubiquitous speakers. “Leaving? | ||
+ | |||
+ | With that, the lift doors closed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Inside the lift car, John tapped his comm. badge. “Vic, did you get that?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Get it in the sense of received? Yes. In the sense of understanding? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Can you leave the warp harmonics for a minute? | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Already done. I’ll see you in 8.7 seconds.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the turbolift car shot toward Engineering, | ||
+ | |||
+ | John barely had time to finish the thought when the lift doors opened. The tall, thin form of Victor Virtus entered the car with his typical disciplined stride. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Figure it out yet?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yep.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter waited for a moment as the lift car continued back up the neck of U.S.S. Republic toward the saucer section’s main shuttle bay. “You wanna share with the rest of the class?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Virtus turned his head crisply to address his friend. “Chase is here.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter felt his face flush “Chase Meridian? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Unless there’s another I don’t know about.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Believe me Vic, one is plenty. Why’s she here?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The IFF on Lieutenant Meridian’s shuttle is coded for the diplomatic service.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Sprock me”, John cursed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In common Starfleet parlance, ‘Diplomatic mission’ was short-hand for ‘stuff that even the Black Shirts don’t talk about.’ It was a given that ‘Fleet would ask its officers to do things they couldn’t talk about from time to time. John himself had participated in events on the wrong side of the Romulan Neutral Zone that he couldn’t talk about, and more recently, all of Republic’s command crew had been sworn to secrecy for ‘unauthorized temporal activities’, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Oh, I don’t know John”, Victor quipped, “She seemed quite fond of you on Regulus.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That wasn’t my idea!” John shot back, “I didn’t know who she was!” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Victor gave his friend an appraising look. “Did you ask?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I was on Shore Leave for griffe’s sake!” Carter began pacing in the back of the car. “Besides, neither of us were in uniform. I had know way of knowing who, or WHAT she was.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Didn’t notice the data interface? I’m sure you must have...” Victor cleared his throat to underscore his point, “run across it.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Can we drop this please? If she wants the Doc, then I’m damned sure going to know why!” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It doesn’t seem to bother Captain Marshall any.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’s another thing!” Carter yelled. “We’re sailing toward a hostile armada, God knows what the Gorn have done to Cestus III, and we’re about to lose our best combat medic because some paper-pushing nass-head feels like yanking Leon’s chain? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “We haven’t used paper for 200 years John,” Victor said dryly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You KNOW what I mean!” Carter slammed his fist against the lift car’s bulkhead. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “WE don’t have any choice in the matter,” Victor responded, “And it’s very likely that Lieutenant Meridian has Duraniam-clad orders. Odds are that the Captain doesn’t have any options.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Bull,” Carter spit bitterly, “there are always options.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next to the impassioned Martian XO, Victor rolled his eyes. “I was AFRAID you’d say something like that.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | The lift doors opened, and Carter and Virtus began a brisk walk to Republic’s main shuttle bay. “She’s up to something Vic. I know it.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the pair rounded the corner, they passed Captain James Marshall. Republic’s CO gave his officers a quick nod, and it looked very much to Victor that the Captain didn’t envy the situation waiting for the duo in the shuttlebay. Without a word, Marshall continued his deliberate stride to the turbo lift, and back to the bridge. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the shuttle bay, Leon Cromwell stood defiantly with his arms crossed, daring Lieutenant Meridian to say the wrong thing. “Now see here, LIEUTENANT, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Meridian gave Cromwell a self-satisfied smirk. “Oh, believe me Doctor,” she said almost playfully, “this is no game.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | The tension of the moment was broken by the arrival of Carter and Virtus. “John!” Leon turned to the XO, barely able to keep his temper in check, “Tell me you can do something about this.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Hello J.T.” Meridian said with a venomous familiarity. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Chase, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “J.T.?” Questioned Victor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Will someone PLEASE tell me what the hell’s gong on”? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter crossed the shuttle bay to stand inches from Lieutenant Meridian. “You’re not taking my CMO anywhere...LIEUTENANT.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Oh,” Meridian cooed, “you’re so cute when you’re angry.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | With Meridian occupied by Carter’s confrontation, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Intimately, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well THAT figures.” There was the barest hint of a laugh in Cromwell’s voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Indeed, Doctor. Indeed.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Meridian looked approvingly at Carter as she considered what to say next. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I liked you better in gold, sweetie.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Stuff it! What do you want with my Doctor? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well,” Meridian stepped around the XO, to look toward Cromwell and Virtus. “In the first place, J.T. ...” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Don’t call me that.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Meridian smiled as she continued, satisfied that she had gotten under Carter’s skin. “He’s not your doctor. He’s Starfleet personnel, and he’s been re-assigned.” Chase gave Leon a wink that seemed to suggest ‘gotcha!’. “And in the second, I’m doing this for his own good.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How the hell do you figure THAT?!” Leon questioned from across the bay. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Meridian’s expression changed almost instantly from playful to deadly serious. “Conflict of interest, Doctor.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You heard me,” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next to Cromwell, Victor Virtus was counting under his breath. “Three, two...” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Grozit!” Carter cursed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Watch your language honey,” Meridian chided, her tone turning eerily playful again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter was close to losing his temper, but his patience were long past thin to non-existent. He gave Meridian a look that could have melted armor-plast. “Enough games Chase.” Carter looked back toward Leon and Virtus. “My ship needs this man, so tell me what the hell you want him for, or so help me, I’ll make sure you leave this deck without your runabout.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Hmm,” Meridian said thoughtfully, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Just answer my question, Chase. Where’s the conflict of interest for Leon doing his job?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’m disappointed Johnny,” Meridian fairly giggled, “you should have put this together already.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next to Virtus, Cromwell leaned in to speak with the Engineer. “Jeez, she’s really getting to him.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “John’s always had a weakness for a pretty face, Doctor.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | As if on cue, the sound of footsteps on the deck plating marked the arrival of another visitor. Doctor Shannon Harris walked quickly into the shuttle bay, stepping over to Join Cromwell and Virtus. “Leon?, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Across the shuttle bay, Chase Meridian quirked an eyebrow. “Uh-oh”, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter looked back at the newly arrived Doctor Harris and sighed, then turned his attention back Chase. “Get...to...the point,” Carter hissed, letting the edge of his ‘command voice’ punctuate the sentence. | ||
+ | |||
+ | It was not a request. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Doctor Cromwell’s continued presence here will place Starfleet in a rather... uncomfortable position, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Like hell I am!” Leon shouted. “You’re not taking me anywhere! I was BORN on Cestus III for god’s sake!” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Indeed, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Harris felt immediately defensive as Lieutenant Meridian seemed to dissect the red-haired physician with her eyes. Shannon suppressed a shiver as Meridian continued her explanation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Your family, Doctor, your father specifically, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What do you mean ‘for you’, Lieutenant? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “For Starfleet operations in this system. Your father’s a terrorist, Doctor Cromwell.” Meridian waited as her audience absorbed her words. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Good for him!” Leon shot back. | ||
+ | |||
+ | There was a soft beep, and the assembled crewmen looked on as Meridian blinked, and nodded once. John Carter remained strangely silent. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’ve done enough explaining, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’m not going anywhere!” | ||
+ | |||
+ | John Carter turned to face his crew mates, standing face to face with Leon Cromwell. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes you are Doc.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Excuse me?” Cromwell asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Excuse me?” Harris and Virtus questioned in unison. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It makes sense Doc,” Carter began to explain, “you can’t maintain objectivity if you’re worried about your family.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “But...” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “And Captain Marshall will have his hands full enough trying to defuse this situation without worrying about his CMO doing something...rash and Carter-like.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “John,” Leon’s eyes were wide, almost pleading, “please. I have to do SOMETHING.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “And you will”, Carter said, placing his hand on the Doctor’s shoulder. Just not this. Besides,” John offered, “you’ve had questions about why Starfleet drafted you since the day you set foot on this ship.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Victor Virtus nodded. In truth, he’d wondered how long it would take for John to make the logical conclusion, or even IF he would. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Go find your answers,” Carter said simply. “I’ll look after your family.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “John, I can’t...” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Trust me, Doc. Have I ever let you down?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Touching as this is,” Chase Meridian cut in, “Doctor Cromwell and I have a deadline.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Just prep the ship, you cyber-jacked witch!” Carter let his temper show again, “and don’t for a minute think I don’t wish you were sucking vacuum.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Aww,” Meridian sighed, “you say the sweetest things.” Meridian focused her attention on Shannon Harris. “Doesn’t he, red?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Across the bay, Shannon Harris clenched her fists. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon Cromwell took Carter’s hand. “You still owe me money, you son-of-a-bitch.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter gave Leon an easy smirk, able to put Meridian’s presence out of his mind for a moment. The XO returned the handshake. “Don’t worry Doc,” John offered, “this isn’t over.” Carter looked back in Meridian’s direction. “I always pay my debts.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | For once in her life, Chase Meridian made a graceful exit, ducking into the still-humming runabout. Next to Doctors Harris and Virtus, Leon Cromwell lifted his chin and looked at his colleagues approvingly. “All right then,” Cromwell said with resignation, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon looked over at Shannon Harris, who was having difficulty letting the scene unfold. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Keep an eye on our boy here, eh Doctor Harris? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Shannon couldn’t help but smile at the Doctor’s kindness. “No worries, Leon.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next, Cromwell stepped over to regard Victor Virtus. “Doctor.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Doctor.” Virtus replied simply. | ||
+ | |||
+ | With that, Leon Cromwell turned on a heel, executing a perfect, Starfleet about-face, and walked purposefully into the runabout. | ||
+ | |||
+ | 27 seconds later, Meridian and Leon Cromwell were racing back toward Earth at hundreds of times the speed of light. John Carter let his guard down and put one arm around Shannon Harris’ shoulder, then tapped his comm badge. “Carter to bridge. The runabout’s away. ” | ||
+ | |||
+ | The silence in the shuttlebay lasted for about a half a minute while Carter, Harris, and Virtus watched through the containment field as the runabout entered warp. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Glad to see you finally followed orders for once, Commander.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Looking slightly aghast, John looked around the bay for where the echoing voice came from. The shuttlebay door was closing as a metal clanking sounded from up above in the control room. It was Captain Marshall climbing down from the observation platform. | ||
+ | |||
+ | For his part, Captain Marshall had gotten used to the cold shoulder from his first officer, paying no mind to the scowl emanating from the commander. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I read Chase’s orders myself. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Just because I followed orders,” John replied coolly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The captain ignored the remark. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes,” sneered Carter. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “First off,” Marshall started. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes sir,” John replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Second of all, according to Chase, we have some terrorist cell working down there stirring up more trouble than we need. Is that correct? | ||
+ | |||
+ | This time, Carter only nodded his head in reply. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Finally, there’s likely to be Starfleet personnel in hiding that could use our help at the moment. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Sir, with all due respect, get to the sprocking point!” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall squinted with annoyance at Carter, making his next sentence more firm. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Your mission, Commander, is to take our new Hazard Team to the surface in a shuttle and make contact with any human resistance cells or Starfleet assets.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . .and then?” Carter insistently awaited the final conclusion. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “And then, you’ll contact me and we’ll go from there.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’s it?! Just contact you? What about beaming survivors aboard? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’ll deal with the Gorns,” Marshall returned. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Permission to bring Mister Hawk and Commander Forrest along,” he requested. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Why Forrest? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Because sir,” Carter’s tone was impatient. | ||
+ | |||
+ | To himself, Carter was amused at turning the tables on the captain, asking him the inane questions for once. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Fine. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Carter to bridge,” John tapped his combadge. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “This is the bridge. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Have Commander Forrest, Lieutenant Hawk, and the new Hazard Team report to the main shuttle bay. We lift off in ten mics.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Aye aye, sir.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | Most normal Starfleet officers would have aligned the shuttle via sensors with the small distortion formed within the ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Once through the Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | The silhouette of James Marshall appeared on the viewscreen before the before the members of the Gorn bridge crew. The dark, steamy environment was awake with sounds of computers and controls emitting an occasional baritone chirp while the green, scaley figure of M'Geth sat in the center seat, speaking in hisses and clucks that was translated to English. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Ssso be it, Marrrshall," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "He is dead, and has been for quite sometime now. In light of that, I am more than willing to take his place in representing the Federation." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | With a grace of movement impossible to obtain in a larger craft, the shuttle Onizuka maneuvered between the first two Gorn vessels and into the fringes of the upper atmosphere of Cestus III. Their course and speed where designed to keep them in close to each Gorn vessel they passed, to mask their presence as a stray reading amongst so many other ships. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nat knew the tactic the Gorn where using well, had even used it himself against a few Cardassian Hideki-Class fighters during the war. He'd also had to find a ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Hawk for his part nodded approvingly as they entered the stratosphere now. His first impression of the Commander had been casual, but still Starfleet-at-heart. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | From the aft cabin, the easily identifiable and unpleasant odor of half-digested stomach contents and bile wafted forward. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The small craft continued to fall until Hawk slammed down upon the controls, in one movement ceasing her decent and plowing forward on impulse, and flipping the craft over to starboard until she was level and 'right side up' again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | The desert-like terrain of Cestus III had always been harsh. The air temperature could easily reach 35 Celsius. | ||
+ | |||
+ | All this flashed through Security Chief A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | His assignment was to run a small security force at a remote Starfleet listening post. Seeing as this was a Federation Colony planet, it was obvious this wasn't a typical Military operation. It had that Starfleet Intelligence reek to it. None of his personnel spoke of the matter and tried to stay out of the way of the " | ||
+ | |||
+ | A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Gorn were herding the colonists in small groups and placing them in quickly erected detainment pens. Those colonists who showed signs of resisting were easily overpowered and penned as well. The Gorn appeared to be happy with detaining the colonists. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | When the facility first report the approach of the Gorn fleet around Cestus III they weren' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Six hours ago A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Andorian shook his head. The heat was starting to get him. He needed to stay focused. His cooling system had been damaged when his patrol had stumbled upon two Gorn troopers. The fight hadn't lasted long. Both Davis and Bitterstaff had been killed; his suit ripped to shreds and one of his antennae was painfully broken. Yes indeed a long, painful, bloody stalk. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the distance a dozen Gorn appeared surrounded by a nimbus of transporter energy and began making their way towards a home near the end of the settlement. A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The security chief smiled, one of his scary smiles, usually reserved for those people he admired or hated. He wasn't sure how, but someone in Cornucopia had decided to bleed the Gorn. As the block of homes burned he spotted a single figure, dressed in a silvery fire suit, sneaking away. A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The chief ducked pack out of sight and gathered the field packs he'd taken from Davis and Bitterstaff and shouldered them. They each weighed around twenty kilos and contained food rations, phaser recharge packs, portable shelters and survival gear. In his agitated state the weight was nothing. He quickly jogged along the outcropping and used the terrain to cover his movement. He'd be able to reach a point that would intersect the lone guerrilla' | ||
+ | |||
+ | When A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | In the fog of war, mysteries abound. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Most Federation colonies utilized localized matter/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Built from hollowed-out bedrock deep below the colony, Arthur had long considered the tunnels to be more than just a haven for the planet’s large population of Sandwings--the Cestus III version of bats. Although the main inputs and outputs of the waste network had caved-in long ago, the torrential downpours of the monsoon season caused the tunnels to accumulate rainwater through percolation from the surface. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Fortunately for Arthur, the years of top-down erosion had opened up a fracture in the ground that led to a branch of the abandoned tunnel system. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The edge of the wood was marked by a lonely street which paralleled the tree boundary. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Paranoid suspicion gripped Arthur. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Against his better judgment, Arthur quickly pulled off the sensor netting and again produced his tricorder. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall spun on his heel, placing his hands on his hips. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Even at his advanced age Captain, he's probably faster and I KNOW he's stronger than you." Sean McTaggart tried to keep his temper, knowing full well that while he was exercising his duty as a member of the command crew, he was also dangerously close to insubordination. "When this...G' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The hell I can' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "If the XO had been in a position to stop you, the two of you would be having this discussion right now." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall' | ||
+ | |||
+ | McTaggart could tell he'd crossed some kind of line, and began to soften his approach. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I know what you're trying to do, Lieutenant Commander," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What are you doing here?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | McTaggart didn't hide the self-satisfied look on his face. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | In the transporter room of Fierce Claw, G'Meth looked at his First Sword with a measure of reluctant pride. In the dim red light of the small room, punctuated by the pulsing flash of matter regulators, G'meth watched as the First Sword checked the sharpness of his Line Blade. The blade curved in a fierce arc and flared at the to make the cutting surface that much more effective. The blade itself was a light, highly polished silicate composite that had been refined over the years, taking advantage of the latest in zero-gravity manufacturing techniques. The lightweight of the blade combined with the properties of the silicate to make this latest generation of Gorn " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The hilt of the weapon was a simple, rough hewn stone disk; the same material that made up the handle of the weapon. The stone itself came form the quarries of the Gorn homeworld, as had been the practice for centuries, since before the Gorn made their steps into space. Tradition held that the blade was the outward symbol of a line member' | ||
+ | |||
+ | G'Meth also noted with an approving smile that his First Sword also carried a small glass vile at his waist, containing a viscous green liquid. `Good', | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | In the days before the first line, before the serpent walked, there were all manner of beasts on the homeworld. The serpents lived in harmony with nature working in the sun, sheltering in the ground, taking only what was necessary from their environment. However the serpents were not alone. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The homeworld also had mammals. Hairy, noisy creatures with wasteful habits who worked to change the natural order. Screaming and cursing through the night when they should have rested. Tearing at the ground with tools, and using fire to take away the night' | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the cold of night, when the serpent would sleep, (for how can one move without the warmth of the sun?) The mammal used his twisted tools to kill the serpent, then took his body back to feast on his dead brother in triumph. But, like so many mammals, this one too was short sighted. He did not know that the serpent he killed had already laid the seeds for the Gorn civilization. A clutch of eggs were safely buried in the warmth of the sun baked ground, and when the sun rose that day, as the decadent, mammals dozed to recover from their perverted celebrations, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The young serpent watched her surroundings, | ||
+ | |||
+ | When the sun set that night, as the serpent slipped back into her earthen bed, the sun whispered to her in a dream. The next morning, when the serpent awoke, she smiled and thanked the sun for light, warmth, and for speed and strength. The serpent also thanked the sun for answering her prayer, for giving the serpent sharp fangs to pierce the mammal' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The serpent disappeared into the tall grass of the plains to where the mammals slept and used the gifts the sun had given the serpent. | ||
+ | |||
+ | That night, the mammals did not scream. The serpent' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Since that time, all Gorn knew the `Way of the Serpent' | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | It had been a long time since G'Meth felt the weight of a Line Blade in his hand, but he did recall that the First Sword had a point. This Terran Captain, Marshall, would insert himself into history, hoping to repeat the humiliation that was visited on G'Meth by the hated Kirk. Marshall had already requested trial by combat to settle the human incursion into Gorn territory on Cestus III, and by the laws of his government, G'Meth could not refuse to meet his opponent. However, the law was also quite clear in the position that Marshall was NOT his opponent. The Kirk was dead, so Marshall was acting as his second. In turn, G'Meth would appoint his First Sword as second, and let the trial decide who was in the right. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= " | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= "The Federation ship has slipped into orbit around the moon. They say that Marshall is awaiting your arrival." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Is he alone?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= "No, Pack Leader. There are two of them. One is armed." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you bridge." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No, Pack Leader. Such is the way of the Serpent." | ||
+ | |||
+ | G'Meth nodded in approval. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Silence was the only thing to fill the cabin for the next for moments as the Onizuka moved along the surface of Cestus III. Finally, someone spoke up. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So, who puked?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | One by one the six members of the Hazard Team checked the charge packs in their phaser rifles, the position of their tri-corders and communicators on the black syth-fibre straps and buckles that comprised a Starfleet issues battle harness, and gave Forrest, who had been assigned as Ops. Leader a `thumbs up'. Forrest performed the same check on himself with a light chuckle. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Roger that." Carter answered back, as he walked to the equipment locker just behind the exit port. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Hawk's inner musings were broken up when John Carter tossed him a hand phaser and a harness with two extra charge packs. Hawk caught the equipment with ease and fixed the weapon in place around his waist. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter secured his own battle harness and then keyed the runabout' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Douglas Forrest pulled his tri-corder free of his equipment harness. The six Hazard Team members formed an arc around the two officers, and Nat Hawk brought up the rear, closing and locking the runabout hatch behind him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | The high-pitched trickling of water resonated off the tunnel walls with an echoic reverberation in the distance. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Shortly after climbing down the open fissure in the ground, the weight of the three new backpacks plus his own survival bag became unbearable for the sixty-something father of two. As soon as he reached the branch tunnel, he converted a two-meter length of rolled-up, durable plastic into a makeshift sled. Using synthetic rope and a survival knife, Arthur securely tied the four heavy parcels to the topside of the plastic, and attached a long loop in the front for use as a tether. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the hours wore on, sweat drenched Arthur’s clothing, and after emptying his canteen of drinking water, stopped for a moment to refill it with a portable vapor condenser. | ||
+ | |||
+ | However, his slumber was short-lived. | ||
+ | |||
+ | With his heart pounding, the only sound in the quiet cave was of blood pumping past his ears. His mind raced through the different sized predators that could have possibly made the sound. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wheels turned in Arthur’s head, analyzing the voice, and he suddenly realized that it wasn’t the croaking and hissing of a bipedal lizard. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Hello Skip,” Arthur replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | To his relief, the nozzle was lowered, and the voice, which was cold and determined a split second ago, returned with a quizzical and slightly warmer tone. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Artie? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Turning around, Arthur beamed his headlamp into the wrinkled face of a nearly-bald man with a ring of fine white hair around the lower back of his skull. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Get that damn thing out of my face, you moron!” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Switching his headlamp from beam mode to ambient mode, the focused ray emanating from Arthur’s forehead changed to a diffuse orb of soft light that was easier on the eyes, but did not have the range of the previous mode. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What the hell’s the matter with you?” returned Arthur. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Sorry, Artie,” offered Skip. “All I saw was a shadow in the light and some sort of growling. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Growling? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yeah, you ding-bat. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I don’t snore!” he returned. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Like hell you don’t. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The reminder of his wife brought a moment of silence where a sense of worry washed over Arthur. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Now that you’re here, you can help me with this.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What have you got here?” Skip asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’m not altogether sure, but it looks like someone dropped off a load of survival gear for me just before I made it to the spider-hole. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Skip shook his head. “No idea,” he said. “Did you check it for creepers? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Arthur nodded, remembering his quick yet thorough tricorder scan of the backpacks before deciding to bring them along. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Earth? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Didn’t look like it,” Arthur shook his head. “No Fleet markings at all that I could see. Suits me just fine though. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yeah,” scoffed Skip. “Sure you would’ve.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Camp?” inquired Arthur. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No,” Skip answered with a hint of regret. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Aw, damnit skipper, it's a set-up. I knew these lizards wouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Belay that, Lieutenant." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The elder Gorn officer tilted his head, his un-blinking eyes reflecting the bright light of alien stars against the battle-moon' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "For which I'm taking the place of Captain Kirk, thus fulfilling our arrangement. I'm willing to fight for our position, but..." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You did not fully read the material human," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall almost winced as he heard the hatred in the saurian' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "In return, my First Sword will act in my place." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | G'Meth nodded as his First Sword looked intently at his honor blade. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Thinking fast, Jim Marshall searched the area. He spotted an ornate dagger on G' | ||
+ | |||
+ | G'Meth stepped forward, nodding his head slightly. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sean McTaggart stepped quickly to interpose himself between G'Meth and Captain Marshall. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall held up his hand and gently pushed the tactical lieutenant aside. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | McTaggart' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall’s face turned from a mask of calm to a picture of fury. "One more word from you mister, and you'll be up on charges! If it weren' | ||
+ | |||
+ | McTaggart swallowed his own anger at the rebuke of common sense, and stepped away from his commanding officer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | G'Meth stopped and regarded the scene in front of him. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Just give me the damned knife!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | G'Meth slowly and deliberately slipped his dagger from his belt, turning it on his palm, then slowly delivering the weapon, pommel first, to the human captain. "As you wish. I will remember the fire in your blood, human." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The hell you will!" Marshall shot back. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sean McTaggart reached for his captain’s shoulder, but stopped short. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall nodded. "Thank you, lieutenant." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Across the barren surface of the combat area, the First Sword slipped his weapon free, shifting its weight from one hand to the other, twisting his body in a fluid swaying motion. For his part, James Marshall swallowed hard, and choked his grip on the short bladed weapon he held. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Both G'Meth and McTaggart looked on as the two combatants danced around each other. Both seemed hesitant to make the first attack. Jim Marshall knew that he had speed going for him. While the saurian he faced may have been faster, he was also larger and had to wield a heavier weapon. If he was lucky, then Marshall might be able to get inside his opponent’s reach, and draw first blood. 'That might be enough', | ||
+ | |||
+ | The First Sword tensed his muscles swinging his honor blade in a wide arc across his mid-section. Rather than jump back, Jim Marshall seized on his opponent' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marshall' | ||
+ | |||
+ | For a moment, the First Sword was stunned. Somehow, this inferior, cowardly mammal had seen through the Way of the Serpent. Unbidden by conscious thought, the First Sword cursed himself silently for so foolishly facing a mammal under the dark of night. He should have known better than to abandon the grace of the sun. Still, the First Sword would not be denied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The First Sword focused his will to act through the pain in his chest. He felt the weight and smelled the stench of the mammal on his flesh. This was an affront he could not allow. With a chilling growl, the First Sword twisted his chest away from the writhing mass of human. He smiled sickly as he heard the blade of his Pack Leader' | ||
+ | |||
+ | With his anchor to the First Sword destroyed, James Marshall landed clumsily on the ground in front of his enemy. He watched as a thick, blue rivulet formed on the First Sword' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Jim Marshall screamed as the First Sword' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Jesus Christ!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | James Marshall lay still as the First Sword pulled his weapon free from the fallen human' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Through a haze of shock, pain, and a curious numbness that he was not prepared for, Jim Marshall coughed. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Above the human captain, Pack Leader G'Meth stepped forward. The centurion Gorn bent down slightly bringing his maw just inches from Marshall' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sean McTaggart scrambled forward, clumsily reaching for his phaser as he lurched for his captain. The weapon clattered to the dirt with a puff of dust. Seeing his Captain ripped apart made McTaggart think that the weapon was now unimportant. He tapped his comm badge. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, human," | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the next instant, McTaggart, and the barely breathing James Marshall vanished in a flash of transporter energy. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | Five years ago, Skip and Arthur attended a Cestus Colony council meeting where security arrangements for the planet’s eight settlement regions were discussed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Even though the statement silenced most of the colonists, officially putting the subject to rest, others like Skip and Arthur were outraged. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the beginning, none of them ever really believed that they would have to actually implement their resistance strategy. | ||
+ | |||
+ | It was almost uncanny how swiftly the Gorns came. No one had expected it to happen so quickly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “So you actually did it, Artie? | ||
+ | |||
+ | A plump, rough-shaven man in his fifties was roasting a small ebony chunk of unrecognizable meat over a campfire with the aid of skewer as he asked Arthur the question. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You should have been there Wey,” replied Arthur, who was busily spooning food into his mouth from a foil ration packet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wey chuckled, and his massive gut rippled like jelly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Arthur snickered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Skip, on the other hand, had a bottle of whiskey in his hands, and was staring blankly into the fire. “It took you two years and a fistful of permits to get all that antimatter. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nodding his head, Arthur lost his smile and scraped a few more mouthfuls from the foil packet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Continuing his blank stare, Skip turned his head slightly towards Arthur. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Still amazed at the gall of Arthur’s escape story, Wey joined in the laughter. “So do you really know where Clark is?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I haven’t got a clue!” Arthur admitted with joviality. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A clattering of objects caught the attention of the boisterous men, and they looked over to Arthur’s makeshift sled where a middle-aged woman with a bun of black hair and a long-sleeved green jersey sat inspecting the contents of the backpacks. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “There’s got to be a fortune in stuff here!” she remarked. “Look at this! Phaser packs, explosive darts, aerial charges, nitro-blocks. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Arthur was finishing off a swallow from Skip’s flask as he shrugged his shoulders. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Hey Lins,” addressed Wey. “Why don’t you take a break from that and have a bite to eat. We’ve all got to keep our strength up.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | The woman stood up with a small grey case in one hand, and a metal cylindrical object in the other. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Not if I have to eat what you’re eating. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “A sandwing, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lins looked revolted, and winced at the thought of ingesting the singed beast. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Simple, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Thanks, but I had sandwing for lunch . . .” he replied, as Wey shrugged his shoulders and broke a piece of the animal off his skewer and began eating it. As Lins focused her attention on the two articles she brought over from the sled, Arthur asked, “What have you got there?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’m not sure,” she replied, handing the cylindrical object off to Skip. Opening the gray case, she examined the contents before exclaiming. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “And a well stocked one, at that,” commented Skip who peered over Lins’ shoulder as she pulled out a flip-open medical tricorder. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Oh great,” Arthur commented with disdain. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Skip didn’t pay Arthur any attention, but instead turned to the device that Lins handed him. After examining it for a moment, he came to a conclusion. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Looks like they also included a Starfleet emergency transponder in those supplies. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How?” asked Wey. “The only way anyone would receive the signal is if they were in low orbit looking for us or somewhere on the ground. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Skip admitted. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Silence descended upon the group as Skip went back to staring into the fire, Lins continued to examine the contents of the medical kit, and Wey proceeded to finish eating the roasted sandwing. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lins and Skip stopped what they were doing and looked at Arthur. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What its it, Arite?” asked Skip. | ||
+ | |||
+ | It was plain to see that Arthur was in contemplation. He was looking to the ground as if it were a blank chalkboard in his mind, and picturing the minute details of a plan forming in his head. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Skip?” he finally said. “You know that subterranean water retention pond on the east side of town? It’s fairly deep, isn’t it?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yeah, at least twenty meters,” he replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It’s just below the city’s main thermal regulator, right?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Of course,” Skip returned. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Lins,” Arthur turned to Skip’s neighbor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Oh, I don’t know,” she replied | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Just tell me, how much?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’d say at least six hundred thousand metric tons in the cooling pipe network alone. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Although she seemed insistent on learning of his brainstorm-in-progress before it got too out of hand, Arthur ignored her and continued to ask questions. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Wey,” he turned to the obese man who was in the middle of his meal. “Your construction company does structural maintenance on the complex. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes,” he answered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That would make the lower level a sensor shadow to an active sensor scan, right?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes,” Wey replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | “If we opened the pipe network,” Arthur continued his train of thought, “and allowed all the liquid sodium to drain into the retaining pond, how long would it take to empty the system? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well,” Lins calculated in her head. “The system is under extreme pressure, otherwise the sodium wouldn’t be in liquid form. The exchange pipes are about a half meter in diameter, and there’s one feeder pipe for each city block, so that comes out to about a hundred different branches to the cooling pipe network. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Besides, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Arthur began to smile, as if Skip’s response was exactly what he was looking for. Turning back to Wey, he continued his questioning. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How much concrete resin is between the retention pond and the street level outside the thermal regulation complex? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “They use the standard trititanium fibers in the resin,” Wey explained. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “So, if we place localized nitrate charges around the perimeter of the retention pond’s ceiling, could we conceivably cave in the roof? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yeah,” Wey spouted with almost sarcastic obviousness. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Artie, you’re nuts,” Lins added as Arthur’s plan took hold in everyone’s head. There was a tense seriousness etched into her voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It’s okay, Lins,” Arthur replied with a devious smile. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | It took the entire morning for the shadow cell to make their way through the waste tunnels into downtown. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The aboveground structure itself was a massive network of suspended pipes connected to hundreds of enormous radiator fins. Although the fins were held aloft by the pipes, which were in turn anchored to the ground about a block in either direction, the regulation complex was a single-level structure below the fins with a series of roof-based catchments for collecting condensed water vapor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “There are still about a dozen things that can go wrong with this plan,” Lins muttered while typing commands into the computer console. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Arthur grunted his response while reviewing the manifold controls. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Each maintenance valve is meant to have a collection hose attached to them before they’re opened,” she explained. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What about the recovery grid?” asked Arthur. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Biting her lip, Lins seemed to be on the edge of exasperation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Look,” she hissed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What do you mean? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What I mean is this,” Lins held up her hand and counted off each major discrepancy she with the operation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Arthur waited patiently for her to finish, determined to have the last word. As soon as Lins concluded her statement, he addressed each point. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Okay,” he started. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Have you given any thought to how our actions will affect colonists that aren’t in Shadowforce? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The Gorns will be out for blood, and they may take it out on innocent people.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Look,” Arthur said with a more conciliatory tone. “We’re doing everything within our power to drive the rex’s from the colony. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A brief moment of silence gripped the room where Lins thought about what Arthur said. She crossed her arms, sighed, then nodded her head. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You’re right. I’m sorry.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I know,” Arthur sympathized. | ||
+ | |||
+ | He paused the let his words sink in. As she nodded silently, Arthur patted her on the shoulder and said, “Let’s get the show on the road.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Pulling out a small translucent cube from his pocket, Arthur tapped the top of it in rapid, regular form. With each touch of the cube, the device sent out a pulse of light, and along with it, a coded message. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Belowground, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wey held the device in his hand, programming the detonation sequence to activate all of the nitrate blocks simultaneously. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’s the last of them,” he explained. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Skip, I’m a construction worker,” returned Wey, his voice echoing throughout cavern. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Before Skip could respond, a vibration in his pocket stopped him. Pulling out a small translucent cube, he watched it as pulsating lights flickered within it. Skip silently mouthed words under his breath, deciphering the code of on/off pulses. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “He says they’re ready, and are wondering about us.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “We’re good to go.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tapping the cube in a rhythmic pattern, Skip returned the message to Arthur and Lins signifying their preparedness to proceed with the operation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Seconds passed as Skip and Wey observed the phenomena in awe. Suddenly, the two men winced as the air turned putrid, burning their eyes and lungs. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “We’re out of here!” shouted Wey, as Skip nodded and followed him up the stairs and closed the access door securely behind himself. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Across the street from the thermal regulation complex, Skip and Wey laid in waiting at a pre-arranged hiding spot. An aboveground transit stop for the city’s tubular mass-transit system was an optimal observation location for the shadow cell to view the spectacle they had so carefully prepared. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Did you activate the transponder? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Arthur nodded positively. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “And then,” Wey smiled, holding the detonator. “It’s bye-bye baby!” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Don’t you mean,” interjected Skip. “Lye-lye baby?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | The two men chuckled as Lins gave a disapproving look. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Will you two be quiet?” she whispered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Look!” announced Arthur. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Indeed, as the four looked on, multiple signatures of transporter energy appeared all around the thermal regulation building. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Where did you put the transponder, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Between the two central radiator fins above the complex,” replied Arthur. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’ll guarantee they won’t be going downstairs, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “There’s some more!” announced Skip. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Still more transporter beams flashed below them, bringing another group of lizard-like troopers. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “This is going to be great!” said Wey. “There’s got to be at least a hundred down there now!” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Uh oh,” said Lins ominously. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What?” they all said collectively. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The vent stack! | ||
+ | |||
+ | As all eyes turned away from the conglomerating Gorns and watched as bright white smoke began pouring out of a ventilation stack towards the back of the complex. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It’s the pond’s air circulation system!” Lins concluded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Gorns too saw the rising smoke, and many began talking into their communicators. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Damn!” swore Arthur. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Like a colliding freight train, the crackle of the explosives shook the ground within a ten-block radius. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How potent do you think that stuff is?” Arthur asked, staring in awe at the smoldering crater. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’m guessing at least thirty-molar, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Even from their distant position, the echoic reverberation of the explosion had passed, and all that was left was the screaming and hissing of Gorn troops dissolving in the ultra-caustic lake below. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Watching starlines streak past the viewport reminded Leon of bright paint strokes drawn intermittently on a black canvas stretching towards infinity. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The past day was an exceedingly tedious journey from the Gorn border to the center of the Federation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “So tell me, doctor,” Meriden asked from across the passenger compartment. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “My reasons for assigning departmental personnel to various tasks aboard ship are motivated by mission priorities, current workload, and are absolutely none of your business.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon had been forced to take a harsh approach towards Meriden’s invasive inquiries. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You needn’t take offense, doctor,” Lieutenant Meriden edged on. “I’m actually a fan of your matchmaker approach. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Still looking out the window, Leon dismissed the notion with a distinct lack of interest. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Come now, doctor,” she purred with a toxic smile, setting aside Leon’s crude remark. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No,” conceded the doctor who grew tired of Meriden’s relentless wit and stood up from the chair. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’s fine,” agreed the sly Lieutenant Meriden. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Don’t flatter yourself, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The cramped sleeping chamber of a Starfleet runabout was no place to spend a ten-hour period of one’s life, especially if they had insomnia problems. | ||
+ | |||
+ | With bloodshot, sleep-deprived eyes, the doctor showed up in the main cabin the next morning with a mug of coffee just in time to see the rusty red pillars of the Golden Gate Bridge gliding past the passenger viewport. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Five minutes to planetfall. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The trip was finally over, and the thought of finally ridding himself of the company of his conniving attaché served to lift Leon’s spirits as he sat down to watch the Terran scenery during landing. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon was without the weight of stowed baggage, thanks in part to the hasty departure from the Republic whose staff promised to forward his belongings at the earliest possible convenience. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Your orders are to report to Admiral Krockover’s office at 0900 hours,” said the lieutenant who handed Leon a PADD as she emerged from the cockpit. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Exactly who is Admiral Krockover? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The person you have to report to at 0900,” returned the snide comment. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Warn me first so I can throw myself in front of a shuttle going warp five.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon could not tell if her expression was more of a sneer than a smirk, but fortunately for him, there was no further conversation as the two parted ways. Before long, the doctor found himself navigating the sprawling complex alone. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | The importation of exotic plant species to Earth from other star systems is bound by numerous Federation regulations, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Given two hours since departing the runabout to roam the hallways, Leon took his time to find the office of the Admiral Krockover, pausing every so often to admire the various floral arrangements. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Like many other places throughout the headquarters building, the lobby of Krockover’s office was embellished with plant arrangements of all types, fed by the ambient glow of both windows and overhead lighting. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “May I help you?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon broke away from his inspection of the shrubbery and focused on the young woman in command red. “Yes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Oh, Doctor Cromwell, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Moments later, a young Vulcan female with ensign rank pips on her crimson collar emerged from a set of doors to the left of the reception desk. In the stoic demeanor of her planet, the officer looked at Doctor Cromwell with a silent, contemplative gaze. Leon, who sat in the lobby next to a coffee table, took note of the introspective ensign and watched her as she continued towards him from the office door. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The admiral will see you now, doctor,” she said in a monotone voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon nodded his thanks, and proceeded to stand up and walk to the office. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Like the lobby and hallways prior, the spacious office was adorned with cultivated containers of plant life, and a large window overlooking San Francisco Bay was affixed to the far wall. In front of the window, an executive desk was centered between two, freestanding flagpoles. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” a gravelly female voice asked from the chair. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon shifted slightly as he stood in the center of the office, unsure how to respond. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I wonder,” the admiral continued. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Perhaps most of them simply have no impact whatsoever, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Are you sure?” she replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Usually, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Are you saying that everyone is selfish, and that there are no true acts of altruism? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Not at all,” the doctor maintained. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Ah,” the admiral concluded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well, I’m talking about natural tendencies. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You’re starting to sound like Ensign S’kak, my aide camp. Her Vulcan logic has an interesting twist to our private discussions on morality.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | For Leon, seeing the admiral’s face stirred a very faint memory that he could not bring to the surface. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Have we met?” Leon finally asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Maintaining her amused half-smirk, Admiral Krockover replied, “Not for a very, very long time, Leon.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | ‘Leon?’ the doctor thought to himself, for he had never been on a first-name basis with any admiral he knew of. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’m sorry,” the admiral offered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon raised his eyebrows in surprise. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “All of them did,” the admiral replied, placing her elbows on the desk and resting her chin on folded hands. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That funeral was thirty years ago,” Leon said with comprehension. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It was your mother’s idea that I come in civilian clothes to placate your father. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Silence returned while Leon mulled over everything that she had said. Stressed, he rubbed his forehead in thought, trying to remember if his mother ever mentioned an Auntie Pam when he was a child. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Please Leon,” the admiral offered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Without hesitation, Leon accepted the offer, sliding into a padded armchair near the desk. Taking another sip of his coffee, he looked at the woman as if searching for an ulterior motive. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “In a way, it does,” the elderly admiral replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What exactly do you mean by ‘keeping track’? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You have your father’s paranoia!” she chuckled. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Me?” Leon tried to look innocent. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes you,” she persisted. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You watched my graduation? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I beamed with pride as I saw you march across that parade field,” Krockover added. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon was shocked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I suppose that you were a bit disappointed when I chose not to reenlist, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Not really,” she replied to Leon’s surprise. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Suddenly, the admiral lost her smile, and replaced it with a long, sober gaze. “Little did I know of what would happen next.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I didn’t exactly have control of that,” Leon admitted. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I did everything I could to keep you from being drafted,” she said with regret. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The admiral looked up to find Leon staring at her in astonishment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You . . . you went looking for me?” he said through a raspy throat. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “A promise is a promise, Leon. I couldn’t let your grandmother down, now could I?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Silence again permeated the room as the admiral allowed the doctor to digest the information. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It was you, wasn’t it? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No,” the admiral stated clearly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Why?” the doctor asked, preparing himself for yet another bombshell. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Krockover sighed heavily and leaned back in her chair. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Leon, the reasons are . . . complicated, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “But?” Leon persisted. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “But, we needed you.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Who?” the doctor demanded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Again, the admiral sighed, and decided to take a different approach. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Leon,” she started. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “He said something about a conspiracy in the fleet,” he recalled. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That was partially true,” continued Admiral Krockover. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What ‘sides’ are we talking about here?” Leon asked, confused as ever. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’s the simple part,” she replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What exactly are you getting at?” the doctor continued with irritation creeping into his voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Ever since the Cardassian border conflict two decades ago, and the subsequent formation of the Marquee, there’s been a growing movement within Starfleet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Eventually, | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Leon had suspected, the second bombshell had arrived. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What does this have to do with me?” he finally asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The hawks, now in control of the Federation Council, have been clandestinely reorganizing Starfleet by placing their people in charge of key starships and starbases, or in positions of authority aboard ones they couldn’t oust the incumbent commander. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Your reactivation orders were implemented in lieu of a Lieutenant Commander Mortland, a staunchly hawkish medical doctor, from being posted in a senior position aboard the Republic.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Surely you could have found someone else?” Leon asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No,” Krockover stated flatly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What about my orders?” the doctor persisted. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The hawks,” Krockover explained. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “But why?” Leon asked, at the edge of his seat. “Why me? Why couldn’t you have just left me alone aboard the Bremerton to finish my Daystrom grant?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “There’s no simple answer to that, Leon,” admitted the admiral. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The doctor was feeling as if his life was being manipulated the day he received those orders to report to the Republic. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “We’re losing ground, Leon,” the admiral pleaded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Although he felt he was being put on the spot, if the admiral’s story was true, the Federation was in desperate need for people to wanted to give peace a chance. | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | The admiral smiled again, extremely relieved that her hunch to trust her distantly-related grand nephew was well placed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “So, does this make me some sort of secret agent now?” the doctor asked with a touch of sarcasm. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The chuckle from the admiral indicated her amusement at the thought. “No, no. There are no black ops here. Although I advise against talking about this to others, I trust you to use your judgment. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What about the Republic? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You’ll be assigned back aboard as soon as the Cestus Three situation is resolved.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What about that? How’s it going? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes,” she confessed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon nodded his head slowly, more out of frustration that there’s nothing he can do to help his family or the Republic right now. The admiral had shown trust in him over the years, as well as at this very moment by revealing the Federation power struggle. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “So what do I do until I’m sent back to the Republic? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’m glad you asked,” the admiral smiled before pressing the intercom button on her desk. “S’kak, you can come in now.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Certainly, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Since Leon had already gone through a surreal situation with the admiral, he no longer wished to maintain an air of mystery surrounding anything. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Ensign, do I somehow know you as well?” he asked sarcastically, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The question drew a laugh from the admiral, but the logical ensign simply looked at Leon and replied, “there is no family relation between us, doctor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon’s jaw hit the floor as the third bombshell of the day struck him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You’ve been the talk of the office, Leon,” the admiral replied with amusement. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the doors closed, the Admiral’s smile slowly faded as she turned her attention to the computer screen on her desk. It was good to see her grand nephew again after all these years, but there were much more pressing matters at hand. She was putting it lightly when she said Leon’s father was considered a terrorist as his most recent exploits spelled out across her monitor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Unfortunately, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | The tingling sensation of the transporter should have faded after beaming back to the ship for James Marshall. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . begin a system-wide neurological scan . . .” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Doctor Yezbeck’s words reached his ears, but held little meaning. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ‘You should have trusted me, captain.’ | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . unknown substance exhibiting asynchronous isomerism. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The sound of rushing air and labored breathing lingered in the background. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . do we have a stasis option? . . .” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . Negative. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The soft, slowing beat of his heart pounded within the captain’s ears. The fragmented moments within space and time merged as if nothing held them together at all. A fleeting image of Rachael Blake faded into Jim’s mind. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Rachael!” he spouted on the exam table. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ‘Jim, why didn’t you let go?’ Rachael’s eyes were transfixed on him. She was a formidable woman, resourceful captain, possessing beauty without bounds. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . administer 500 cc’s of quadrantropine . . .” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sawyer had removed her combadge again, and the penetrating gaze of the black haired half-Vulcan/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . we have cardiac failure. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ‘My knight.’ | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . no response from the antitoxin . . . systemic organ shutdown imminent . . .” | ||
+ | |||
+ | ‘Jimmy!’ | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . increase cordical stimulators to 800 faradays . . .” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Up and down. Jim bounced up and down on his father’s knee. It was fun. ‘See that picture, son? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . we have a steady redline on the synaptic monitor . . .” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cold or hot was irrelevant, as there was no longer any sensation of environmental extremes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . no sign of activity in the prefrontal cortex or hippocampus . . .” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Although his eyes did not hurt, the light was blinding nonetheless. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . confirm cessation of all neurological functions . . .” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Only space could be so black . . . so empty. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . make a note in the medical log . . . what’s the current ship-time? . . .” | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tense moments passed as Vic sat silently in the command chair. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Sickbay to bridge.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | Virtus looked to Shannon Harris seated next to him. Although the counselor wasn’t telepathic, it didn’t take a Betazoid to know what was on Vic’s mind. They each exchanged a glance of impending disaster as the acting commander pressed the intercom button on the armrest. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “This is the bridge. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Captain Marshall is dead.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | Silence took hold as the shock of the news rippled through the bridge crew. At the tactical console, Jason McClintock’s jaw stiffened. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Mister Snyder,” Virtus called out to the helm station. | ||
+ | |||
+ | With a negative warble sounding from the navigation console, a frown developed on the assistant helm officer’s face. “The helm’s not responding, sir.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Run a diagnostic, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I think I can answer that, commander, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Virtus turned around to face the tac chief. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’m sorry sir, but I’m afraid I’ve had to lock out all command functions.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Lieutenant, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Again, I apologize sir. But our orders were to secure the ship from station-keeping and hold her in position in the event of Captain Marshall becoming incapacitated.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “OUR orders?” asked Vic. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kristen Tyler took position alongside McClintock as he explained. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “When we first came aboard at Starbase 23, Captain Marshall instituted a standing order with myself, Lieutenant Tyler and, several of the crew with the endorsement of Admiral Kostya.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Continue, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Should anything happen to Captain Marshall on this upcoming mission, we were to immediately secure the ship, and prevent any change of command until told otherwise by Admiral Kostya at Starfleet Command.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That is a violation of Starfleet regulations, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Those are our orders, sir.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Unblinking, Lieutenant Commander Victor Virtus locked stares with McClintock. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Sir, I can’t express how sorry I am, but we have our orders.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | At that moment, the port-aft turbolift doors parted, and two enlisted security officers marched out and took station at either corner of the bridge’s aft section. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Chief, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The chief petty officer looked at McClintock with a concerned expression that was reciprocated. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Please sir,” McClintock pleaded with polite respect. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Virtus shot a glance at Harris who, while facing away from McClintock, shifted her eyes clandestinely towards the control panel to her left. She looked calmly back to Vic, giving a very slight nod as if saying ‘I’ll take care of things here.’ | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Unfortunately, | ||
+ | |||
+ | In a flash, the chief engineer dropped to the ground and did shoulder roll to his rear right. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “McClintock to Hamilton, | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Acknowledged.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Forrest checked his tricorder, he spoke to Commander Carter. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter nodded. "Mmm Hmm. Well if Leon's dad anything like him, he shouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Jesus Christ!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Hazard Team immediately unslung their weapons, scanning the horizon for another incoming volley. Falling back on years of Starfleet training, Doug Forrest hit the ground and rolled with the impact to make getting to his feet just a bit easier. Nat Hawk was already back on his feet as John Carter looked toward the signs of destruction. "Let me guess..." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Two hours later, the away team crossed the border of McCallum province into the Cornucopia settlement proper. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well if it wasn't an energy charge or a photon grenade, what the hell was it?" John Carter asked. He was running at a fair clip along with Hawk, Forrest, and the six members of Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It was a big conventional explosion. Real big." Forrest and the rest of the away team stopped short as they neared the smoke-filled edge of the settlement. Forrest immediately turned is head and covered his eyes. "Good GOD!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next to the two bridge officers, Nat Hawk bent over. It took all of his concentration to keep from retching. "Gah! That's worse than a Klingon kitchen after the G'akh spoils!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But the Black Shirts are here right?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I can neither confirm or deny." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wey brought his scope back to his eyes, then pointed to Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Any blue coats?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No reason." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wey checked the scope again. "Too late," he said grimly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The members of Shadow Force watched as swirls of purple transporter energy appeared near the ruins of the water treatment plant. Squads of armed Gorn shocktroops quickly formed a perimeter around the carnage that Shadow Force had caused. Wey, Skip and Cromwell moved down the steps of the transit platform toward the safety of the sewers they used to move about undetected. They were greeted at the bottom of the steps by a very displeased Lindsey Davenport. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Not now Lins," Cromwell answered, "we are very short on time." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The look in Cromwell' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | Dried spots of blood littered the floor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It’s really a simple request, doctor.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Four Jem H’dar soldiers stood at each corner of the dark, gloomy chamber, staying at a distance as their sovereign strode closer to Leon. The iridescent glow of the Vorta’s eyes hid his malevolent demeanor as he looked at the doctor with false sympathy. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You said yourself you were stationed out of Starbase 72,” the Vorta stated soothingly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I told you . . .” sputtered Leon through dried blood moistened by saliva. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Vorta closed his eyes, shaking his head in pity. “I do wish you would discontinue this ruse.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | The sound of the soldiers closing in from the corners caused Leon to tense up. Although it was a natural response, the pain of the suspension wires tugging on his flesh flared up again, and he clenched his jaw at what was about to ensue. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Flickers from electrical sparks lit the room up like a strobe light, and the crackle of arcing electrodes from the prodding mechanisms resonated with a high-pitched whine. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Again and again, the whine of the communications console sounded throughout the room. The uninterrupted darkness confused Leon as he was roused from his sleep. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “A little early for a wake-up call,” he grumbled. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Standing up, Leon tightened the sash on his bathrobe and shuffled over to the communications station at his desk. Clumsily flopping into the chair, he quickly tapped the ‘answer’ button to silence the annoying warble. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Admiral, | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Sorry to wake you, Leon.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “S’alright, | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “I have some bad news from the Republic, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What is it?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Captain Marshall is dead.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What? | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “I’m not completely certain about the details, but he beamed away from the ship to face the Gorn commander in some sort of duel, and the officer who went with him called for an emergency beam-out shortly afterwards. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Damn it!” Leon stormed, standing up and pacing the room. “Why did you pull me away from the Republic? | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Leon, you and I both know that pulling you out of there when we did was the best thing for both of us. As for saving Captain Marshall, Doctor Yezbeck is an expert in emergency medicine. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon was visibly distressed, with a furrow forming on his forehead. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Can you give me anymore specifics? | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Unfortunately, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What?” Leon was confused. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “No. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Locked out? How? By who?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “I don’t know, but I can make an educated guess. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You think the Admiral might have had something to do with the Republic going silent? | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “It’s not something I would put beyond him. During the Dominion War, Kostya was known for ‘interposition orders’ if a ship captain or other senior officer became incapacitated.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What exactly are interposition orders? | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Basically, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’s crazy! | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Better a ship be destroyed than fall in enemy hands. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Sort of like the Republic? | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Exactly like the Republic. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Why would Kostya use an order like that now? We’re not at war! Isn’t there something illegal about this?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Yes, it’s true that there may be some legality issues, but it was never fully explored because we were at war at the time. It’s very odd that Kostya would go to these lengths to maintain control of the Republic, especially since the ship is in a hazardous situation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That,” offered Leon. “Or maybe Kostya feels that there are enough hawks in the council to treat interposition orders as a non-issue.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Maybe, but the doves aren’t going to let this one slide quietly in the council. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “So what do we do from here?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Nothing yet. Kostya’s likely to move fast and try to put another hawkish captain in charge of the Republic. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Wait a minute. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Please, Leon. I’m only a rear admiral. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon stared at the blank console for more than a minute after the Federation ‘end transmission’ logo had ceased. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What the hell is going on down there?” he whispered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Granite and basalt were the basic components of the Cestus Three crust. | ||
+ | |||
+ | However, as a place to hide from the prying eyes of overhead vessels, the Gordonian Mountains offered no better haven on the planet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The hollowed out bunker was composed of several rooms laid out around a central cavern known as ‘the hub’. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Governor Clarke? | ||
+ | |||
+ | The ancient pursed his lips several times through squinted, wrinkled eyes, and as he smoothed a small crop of white hair with a shaky, age-spotted hand, he manipulated the controls of his ambulatory device and floated towards the twenty-something controller. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes?” the gravelly voice came forth from the governor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You asked me to update you when the Gorn recovery operation in Cornucopia was complete.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What’s it look like?” the governor asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The medical skiffs stayed for only about thirty minutes,” the controller reported. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What do you make of the heat-exchange complex? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “From what I’m hearing on Gorn com intercepts, it’s a complete loss, sir. Whatever happened, it took everything into the belowground retention pond. Liquid sodium included.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Was it an accident? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Not from the sound of it.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Then it couldn’t have been Shadowforce? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Not unless they stockpiled Class-1R explosives. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Harmph, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Luckily, no. In fact, Intel’s been rather quiet except for the retention pond explosion. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “They’re SUPPOSED to be just observing, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The old man hovered behind the control operator for a moment, watching him sift through various screens of data. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How many Gorns do you estimate are on the ground now?” the elderly man asked after a moment. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “There’s about ten assault ships in orbit supported by a dozen battleships. Recent intelligence about the Gorn naval fleet indicate a standard assault ship holds about two to three thousand battle troops. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Hmmmm, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Quite likely, sir.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “And Starfleet? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Other than the intelligence personnel, only that lone Galaxy Class is hovering above us.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Why in Sam Hill would they send one lousy ship?” the old man muttered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I don’t know sir, but the outlook doesn’t look good.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Agreed, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes sir,” the controlled acknowledged. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Governor Clarke made his way down the isle, pausing behind other operators every now and then within the dark cavern. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I hope to hell Fleet knows what they’re doing . . .” | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Vic knew that taking the emergency turbolift would make McClintock assume he was headed to the battle bridge. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the door to the geophysics lab slid open, it startled Lieutenant Junior Grade Maria Pakita. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What happened? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I was, but unfortunately, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It’s true then?” she gulped. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes,” replied Virtus. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What do you mean?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It means Captain Marshall and Admiral Kostya had plans to keep Carter from taking over command during this mission.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Why? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Your guess is as good as mine,” Vic sighed as he opened up a nearby drawer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Why are you using the bio-dampers? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No,” answered Vic. “I don’t want the bridge to track me.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Where are you going?” she asked with bewilderment. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Since the battle bridge was automatically cut off when the command codes were locked out, I’m going to find McTaggart and some engineering crew to try and set up an alternate bridge in an empty deuterium storage tank on deck 27. By completely bypassing the ships main computer core, we should be able to get back control of the ship.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “A deuterium tank? Why there?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The storage tank’s magnetic field can be modified to set up a transporter shield to prevent beaming. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Good luck, sir,” Pakita offered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You too,” Vic replied as he exited the room. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What do you mean he wasn’t on the battle bridge? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lieutenant McClintock’s voice was stern bordering on aggravated as he addressed Sean McTaggart, the assistant tactical chief. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Like I said, sir,” the subordinate answered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What do internal sensors show?” McClintock turned to Lieutenant Tyler at science station one. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Indeterminate, | ||
+ | |||
+ | McClintock looked visibly confused. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tyler looked hurt, but not shaken. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Can they do that?” McClintock turned to McTaggart. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “If they gained access to the computer core,” the assistant tactical answered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | McClintock was now quite perturbed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well you do something to get them the hell out of there!” he shouted at McTaggart. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Lieutenant, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Your concern for the commander, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “For your sake, lieutenant, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the away team manned the windows of their makeshift home, Nat Hawk spat his displeasure. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest gave John a nervous look as he checked his tri-corder' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well I'm not going out alone." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | There wasn’t much left for Carter to say. As the mysterious woman disappeared towards the back of the gutted café, John looked to Forrest with a silent, yet amazed glance as if asking ‘should we? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Let’s roll.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You don’t have to tell me twice,” Mendoza replied, following up the rear of the group retreating into the shadows. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Unfortunately, | ||
+ | |||
+ | It was not easy for the Starfleet group to engage terrain that they had never traversed before. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Suddenly, the sound of phaser fire behind at the end of the column indicated that the team was being overrun. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Down here!” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter looked to see the woman waving from a recessed nook situated behind a concrete retention wall. Above the wall, an embankment of cultured trees had been planted to beautify the skyscraper around which it was built. The wall was littered with gaping holes, several of which, topsoil had leached out, creating piles of dirt near the base. The woman was hiding in one of the holes without soil, and as Carter and his team reached the breach, they filed inside, following the woman into the nook. To the commander’s dismay, the nook was a dead end, and his heart began racing. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What are you doing?” he shouted at a loud whisper. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Shhh!” she insisted, motioning for everyone to hunker down and be quiet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter opened his mouth to speak, but before words came out, the woman spoke first. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Come on!” she whispered loudly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | They were off again, this time in the opposite direction in which they came. More twists and turns throughout the maze of gutted and intact buildings laid ahead, and John couldn’t remember which ones he had seen before, and which were new. Finally, they all came to a dead-end alley, and as Carter and his team turned the corner, he saw the woman pulling on a large metal crate. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Losing no time, the mysterious woman grabbed a nearby length of metal refuse that she used as a pry-bar to lift the grate out of its recessed frame. As the grate was pulled aside, she climbed down the hole whispering the words, “let’s go!” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter, who decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth, motioned his people past him, and directed them down the hole. Forrest led first, followed by the hazard team, and soon, only Carter and Lieutenant Hawk remained aboveground. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Are you going?” John asked insistently. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I ain't goin’ down there! | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Get down there!” Carter hissed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | For the next ten minutes the away team, led by Lindsey Davenport, continued to work their way to the lower levels of the storm sewers. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You mind telling me where we’re going?” Carter asked Lins insistently. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Out of the range of Gorn sensors,” she replied laconically before disappearing into the fissure. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Downward further they progressed, past the manmade precipices of the storm drain system, and into the natural bedrock below Cornucopia settlement. | ||
+ | |||
+ | They finally emerged into what appeared to be a huge cavernous tunnel replete with crumbling walls and littered with gravelly debris. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What do we do now?” John asked as Lindsey took a seat on a boulder. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “We wait,” she replied mysteriously. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “For what?” he asked again, hoping to get a clear answer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “For the rest of the team to get here.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Team?” John asked, clearly confused. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What did you take me for?” Lins asked with a slight twinge of rebellious mirth in her voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Certainly not lost,” Carter rebutted to the forty-something woman. | ||
+ | |||
+ | For the first time in a while, Lins found herself smiling. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The two shook hands. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the two spoke, there was a distant flicker of light down the tunnel, other than that of the away team’s wrist lights. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Lins!” came an extremely agitated voice that echoed off the walls. | ||
+ | |||
+ | With her smile turning to that of frustration and defensiveness, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Doing what you refused to do,” she responded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the three lights approached, the men’s faces came into view. The ages of the two towards the rear were somewhere in their fifties, with one sporting a bald head and the other a head of graying red with a beard. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I TOLD you!” he bellowed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Now hold on there!” Carter responded with a sense of knightly gratitude to Lins. But before he could explain himself, the man shouted back at him with such force and animosity that John had to stop and think why someone he never met would be so angry with him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You stay OUT of this, petticoat!” the man said. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ‘Petticoat? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I most certainly will NOT!” John rebuffed, with an equally stern and commanding voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the two began an intense exchange of diatribes, the other men walked over to Lins with relieved expressions on their faces. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The shouting match between Carter and Arthur Cromwell continued as Forrest, Hawk, and the hazard team walked over to Lins and the two men. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . and ANOTHER thing!” Cromwell’s voice invaded the cavern, the argument gaining speed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Doug Forrest,” the intel officer extended his hand to the balding man. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Chester Mannfield, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You can call me Wey.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Pleased to meet you,” Forrest replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . you slobbering piece of . . .” Carter’s voice bellowed, followed by Cromwell’s “ . . . yellow-streaked peacocks! . . .” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You’ve already met Lindsey,” Skip continued. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Of course,” Forrest replied with a slight bow. “We owe her a lot. This is Lieutenant Hawk,” he continued the introductions by pointing to Nat, and then to the other six members of the hazard team. “That’s Abrahams, Mendoza, Bradley, Sherman, Hemet, and Towe.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You can call me Deuce,” Towe added. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Pleased to meet you all,” Skip said diplomatically. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . jack-ass! | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Uh oh,” Lins ominously interrupted at hearing Cromwell’s words. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Are you done?” Carter shouted to Arthur, who could only gasp an answer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Not to steal your fire,” Wey said. “But I think we’re doing just fine by ourselves.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Doug Forrest gave his XO a look. "I don't know that that's the case either Wey." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What do you mean?" Wey asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Deuce, of Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The faces of Shadow Force went ashen. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | John Carter looked down at Arthur Cromwell, who had just gotten his wind back. The Martian Lieutenant Commander extended his hand to the elder colonist, hoping that Cromwell wouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well where' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nat Hawk fidgeted nervously as the uneasy allies all formed a circle in the sub-terranian space. The gambler in him didn't trust strangers, and despite the events of the last few minutes, he still wasn't sure what to make of his Republic shipmates. Next to Hawk, Carter surveyed the crowd. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wey rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. "Ah well, you might as well forget it. The Border was the first area the Rexes locked down when they went all agro. Hell," Wey's face lightened with a smile that wasn't too forced, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | John Carter rolled his eyes " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Standing across from Carter in the circle, Arthur Cromwell spoke up. "All this is a waste of time," he thundered. "The Gorn have declared war on us, and Starfleet sends one ship? What more proof do you need? I told you 'Fleet would let us rot." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No one's letting anyone rot, Mister Cromwell." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Arthur' | ||
+ | |||
+ | John Carter whirled around to face his CMO's father. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Aww, cram it up yer..." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But I will not, I absolutely WILL NOT have you speak badly of a man who's saved my life at least twice, and who, by the way, you seem to have done a real number on. Grozit! No wonder he left!" Cromwell remained strangely silent. "And before you go calling me blood- thirsty, seems to me that you've racked up one hell of a body count all on your own." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "One thing at a time, Mister Cromwell." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lindsey Davenport stepped into the center of the circle. "If you two will settle down," she chided, "I would really like to know what the Federation plans to do about our situation." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Doug Forrest spoke up while John Carter calmed down. "Once we return with our report, Starfleet Command will weigh it's options." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What about the Diplomatic Corps?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest nodded. "Yes, we' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Will there be anything else, sir? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Behind the desk, a woman with shoulder-length black curly hair sported a command-red under-tunic with the three pips of a Starfleet commander. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No Gentry,” she replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Thank you, sir,” he replied before departing the office. | ||
+ | |||
+ | It was a plain office with no windows to speak of, and only a small bookshelf against the wall to the right of the desk. To the left, a colorful painting of a Nebula-Class cruiser among a backdrop of stars was situated on the wall above a glass aquarium. | ||
+ | |||
+ | For her part, the commander stood in front of the aquarium looking up at the picture. | ||
+ | |||
+ | U.S.S. Thundercrest -- NCC-71339 | ||
+ | |||
+ | After allowing a brief moment of nostalgia conjured by the nameplate, she looked down to the dedication inscription etched into a similar gold plate on the bottom of the frame: | ||
+ | |||
+ | To Captain Kimberly Roth -- For loyalty and dedicated service | ||
+ | |||
+ | Like the nameplate, she stroked the gold etching with remembrance, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Starfleet Intelligence achieved a breakthrough in its reconnaissance division. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Unfortunately, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The two opposing sides arrived at the information node at the same time, despite Roth pushing the engines of the Thundercrest beyond design limits. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the Breen began to deploy their new energy-depriving weapon, Starfleet was nearly paralyzed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A soft chattering sound roused Roth from her day-trance. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How did it end up like this, Smoke?” she whispered to her companion. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Roth was referring to the only position in Starfleet she could get after serving out her sentence. | ||
+ | |||
+ | When the small animal had finished eating, Roth gave it a few strokes behind its left ear before placing it back into the aquarium. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Come,” she announced. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It’s okay, commander, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Still caught off guard by the sudden appearance of an admiral in her office, Kim found it very hard to relax. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Um, admiral . . . I wasn’t informed that you’d be arriving. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes, yes,” the older man replied with detachment as he walked into the center of the room. “Your staff was more than amiable. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well . . .” Roth looked around the office to make sure everything was in order. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Admiral Kostya,” the older officer replied grasping her hand. “And might I say, it is truly and honor to finally meet you, commander.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kim went from surprised to stunned and suspicious. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Um . . . yes,” she replied, dumbfounded at Kostya’s remark. | ||
+ | |||
+ | For his part, the admiral looked around the room, not paying attention to the rising tension on Roth’s part. Finally, she could bare the silence no more. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Is there something I can do for you, sir?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kostya reviewed the collection of books on the bookshelf before looking back at Roth with eyes of approval and confidence. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Actually commander, I was wondering if there’s something I could do for you . . .” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Roth was now highly suspicious. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I . . . don’t understand, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How long have you been stationed here?” the admiral promptly asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Three years, seven months, sir.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | The admiral smiled, catching something in Roth’s reply. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’s a long time to be in such an unremarkable position in Starfleet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What makes you say that, sir?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Come now,” Kostya remarked with slight amusement. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Hero?” she blurted out with vexation and bafflement. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Agreed, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Frankly sir,” she continued. “No one, not even my family, would EVER consider me a hero. Especially not in Starfleet.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’s where you’re wrong, commander, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Do you?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “My personal feelings are irrelevant, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kim could feel her heart pounding in her chest. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What do you mean?” she was finally able to ask with dry throat and pale face. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’ve come to ask if you’d be interested in sitting in the captain’s chair again.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | The impact of Kostya’s words hit Roth squarely in the chest. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “There’s an upcoming mission in Tholian space,” the admiral continued. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kostya could tell that Roth was speechless, which was precisely the result he wanted. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Of course,” he added. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Only if I go on this mission?” she managed to ask. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes,” Kostya replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | It didn’t take a function of her higher consciousness for her to reply to the admiral. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "When do we leave?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | On Galaxy Class starships, the main security offices are located on deck 38 in the secondary hull. However, as the ship class evolved over the years, there came a need for smaller localized security stations spaced throughout the ship. Eventually, the two armories, located on deck 26 in the secondary hull and deck 5 in the saucer, became the default locales where security officers could base their operations other than the brig area. | ||
+ | |||
+ | For precautionary reasons, the ships armories are located separately from the security offices to prevent rogue inmates from obtaining access to the plethora of weaponry available aboard ship. The rooms themselves are heavily compartmentalized and situated towards the center of the hull. Multiple security measures are required to access the armories, which include voice, retinal, and genetic scans, as well as a level three security code. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The deck 5 saucer section armory is a medium-sized compartment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | It was Ensign Depach Narundi’s turn at the watch desk during the Republic’s chain-of-command crisis following Captain Marshall’s death. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How’s things going down here, Depach?” the lieutenant asked calmly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The young ensign stood up, folding his arms behind his back. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “A little tense, sir,” he responded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sean smiled. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Can’t get anything by you, can I?” McTaggart offered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Disappeared? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Virtus is an engineer, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well sure,” Narundi replied with certainty indicating that his loyalties lie with the ship and crew. “But what’s the motive for these orders that McClintock’s following? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I don’t know,” McTaggart said matter-of-factly as he obtained a hand phaser from the charging bin. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “And Lieutenant Commander Virtus?” Narundi continued. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I don’t know,” came the same response, this time with a shake of his head. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “And what about Commander Carter?” the ensign maintained his line of questioning. | ||
+ | |||
+ | McTaggart was starting towards the door as he gave the same vague reply. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I don’t know.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Narundi sat back down at the watch desk with a look of irritation and disgust. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Don’t worry, Depach.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | The ensign looked up to his superior with a surprised expression at the audacity of the question, then shrugged his shoulders. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I don’t know,” Depach replied before returning his attention back to the watch desk. McTaggart smiled and left the room. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Nat was not the type to complain when something bothered him. Normally, anything that bothered him was either violently assaulted or drowned in the contents of a liquor bottle. | ||
+ | |||
+ | 'Why tha frinx did ya volunteer fer this, ya idiot?' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Though he knew it would do him no good and likely a fraction of harm in the long run, Nat felt for his flask concealed behind the top jacket of his uniform. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As he put the flask to his lips once more, he was startled by a high-pitched squeal that emanated from fairly close to him. Not just fairly close, but actually on his person. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | A few feet next to Carter, Lieutenant Command Doug Forrest stood his ground. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What the hell is going on here? | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest hesitated in such a way that Hawk knew it was something he didn't really want to talk about. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What kind of a covert signal?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "To find that out, I'll need some sort of computer access." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Will this do?" asked Lindsey Davenport, holding a civilian PADD. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It might." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It says: ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What tha hells that mean?" Hawk asked before anyone else could. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It means... that the Command Codes aboard the Republic have been altered." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Just what the hell is going on? Are we in danger here? Did those things track us through you?" Cromwell accused, agitated. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well what's going on aboard your damned ship then?" Cromwell asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "There are only two ways the command codes of a starship can be changed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Wait a minute, how did that signal even reach us? Can't the Gorn track it?" one of the Hazard Team asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No, Ensign. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What about this program, Trojan Centurion? | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I am not surrendering my home because your Captain made some half-assed deal with the devil." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We can sort that out later!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What about the Republic?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Right now, we've got to worry about our current situation and completing our mission. | ||
+ | |||
+ | With a sigh, Nat moved off in pursuit of Carter, asking himself again 'Why tha hell did ya volunteer fer this?' | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | It had been a hellish morning for A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | So, he had scouting duty for the second day in a row, this time by himself. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The iridescent purple lances of precision energy weaponry poured down from the sky and pounded a rocky outcropping a few kilometers away. They landed with a soft, distant thud, shaking the ground as they impacted. A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What are they shooting at?” he mumbled softly to himself. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As if on cue, A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Bingo, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Inconceivable . . .” he whispered to himself with both surprise and vexation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Kilometres away, Carter, and the rest of Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I swear to God Hawk," Carter spat, " this is the LAST time I take you anywhere!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You brought half the Gorn navy down on our heads, that's what!" Arthur Cromwell yelled out as he looked to the western horizon. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In unison both Carter and Hawk shot the elder Cromwell hard glances. "Shut up!" they both yelled. Then the two officers looked at each other. Hawk seemed genuinely surprised, and John noted that this might have been the first time he and Hawk agreed on anything. "We have to find shelter!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Then that's where we go!" Carter broke into a run, hoping that the older members of Shadow Force could keep up. As he sprinted forward, he glanced to his left, where Doug Forrest was helping Wey keep pace. "Is it true?" Carter asked. "Did they lock onto the Intel signal that found Hawk?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest nodded grimly. "Most likely. Though the gear we're carrying isn't helping much either. We might as well power down. Try to run silent for as long as we can, now that the Gorn know to look for us." | ||
+ | |||
+ | What Forrest proposed bothered John Carter, almost on principal alone. The idea of powering down weapons and leaving the landing party defenseless went against everything Carter had been taught. On the other hand, Forrest had a point. Shutting down any and all EM sources would make the landing party nearly impossible to find from orbit. Without a known position to triangulate on, the team would be safe from orbital attack as well as the Gorn soldiers. Additionally, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Power down your weapon Nat." Carter ordered softly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Like HELL!" the helmsman answered back. "An let them dern lizards skin me alive? No thanks!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | The two officers walked along as Carter tried to explain. "Hawk, the Gorn ships are tracking us by the energy output from our weapons. Now power down before you get a plasma torp shot down your throat!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The away team and the members of Shadow Force hurried toward the remnants of the Cornucopia settlement hall, the once shining centerpiece of the community. After weeks of Gorn occupation however, it was little more than a ruin. As the hurried humans ducked into the shelter, Carter again looked at Lindsey Davenport, then at Arthur Cromwell. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Now hold on a second there, petticoat!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What assets?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Before Carter could answer, there was a rustling of dust and debris behind the assembled group. Instinctively, | ||
+ | |||
+ | As John Carter whirled to face the noise, his eyes came upon the unmistakable blue skin of an Andorian. His normally white hair was dingy with dirt, sweat, and smoke, and the curved antennae on his head were lying almost flat against his head, indicating that he was agitated. It was a posture that John knew all too well. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Andorian stepped forward with hands raised, surveying the assembled troops with a practiced gaze. He held his gaze a bit longer on Doug Forrest, nodding slightly to the Intel Officer. Then looked Carter dead in the eyes. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I think you know, Carter, or at least you've suspected for some time." The Andorian cocked his head and seemed a bit more at ease as he saw confusion in John Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Recognition hit John Carter like a fist. In front of him was an officer who he'd had to face down as a matter of honor and protocol years ago. Of all the beings John Carter had thought he would see on Cestus III, this was not one of them. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So nice to see you again, Commander." | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | “Coffee. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Her red hair contained streaks of gray, the combined result of her time in the Delta Quadrant, pressures of being a flag officer, and regular aging. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Computer, | ||
+ | |||
+ | In seconds, the gray-haired, | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “What can I do for you, admiral? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Sorry to bother you at this late hour, Pam,” Janeway consoled. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “What’s the cover-story? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The public is being told that heightened solar activity has temporarily disrupted the Cestus communications array, and that commercial vessels will be diverted away from the system until the ion disturbances have dissipated.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “They can’t keep this covered up for much longer.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Agreed, | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Unfortunately, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “We have to be very careful now, Pam,” the admiral said ominously. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “With all due respect, admiral, a lot of lives have already been lost. We’re completely blind about what’s happening on the surface, and only the hawks know what’s going on down there now that Republic has gone silent.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’m really sorry about your family, Pam. But we had no way to know how quickly the Gorns would respond, and an evacuation of Cestus before any attack would have been impossible.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “I’m not blaming you, admiral. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’ve already ordered the 512th Colonization Fleet to take an extended shore leave at Bellatrix Four. They just finished a colonization operation in the Pleiades cluster, so their transport ships will be mostly empty. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “What about Kostya?” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “He’s dropped off the radar screen at the moment,” Janeway replied with a hint of frustration in her voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “He’s been informed that he’s on standby for return to the Republic.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Good,” the admiral replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | The maintenance platform on the deuterium tank level was intended for engineering personnel only, but McTaggart, in his official capacity to hunt down Lieutenant Commander Virtus, was able to enter the restricted area without escort. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Thanks for coming, lieutenant, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’m taking a real risk here, sir,” McTaggart replied, his voice, like Vic’s, bouncing off the walls around him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I know,” Vic said walking towards the lieutenant. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “With all due respect sir,” the assistant security chief started. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes, I know that too. Which means that we both have something in common.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | McTaggart quirked an eyebrow. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Carter saved my life as well, and I don’t plan on allowing him to perish while the Republic is held hostage to some bureaucrats order to stand by and wait.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | The lieutenant felt less tense, realizing that Virtus was, as he suspected, looking out for the crew and not himself. Still, there was an ethical dilemma here that he could not ignore. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What about McClintock and Tyler? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Don’t blame yourself, Sean,” the engineer offered with absolution. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Don’t like losing a commanding officer on my watch.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It wasn’t your watch. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Virtus had a point, and McTaggart knew it. The only reason he challenged the captain about going down to the moon to fight the Gorn was out of loyalty and duty. If McClintock was as duty bound as himself, he should have been the first to stop Captain Marshall. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “So what do we do about him?” the lieutenant asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Leave that to me,” Virtus said confidentially. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The two men stared at one another, trying to look past each others’ conversational defenses to get a feeling if trust was warranted. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes,” he replied to Vic’s question. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Good,” the much-relieved engineer said. “This is what I need you to do . . .” | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter felt his temper slip, but he didn't care. For all he knew, his captain was dead, Republic was likely burning in space, and he was starring down over five thousand Gorn troops. John's training called for assessing the situation and making a rational decision to keep both himself and his team alive, but that wasn't what John was thinking about. "You want to see rash, A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You can't do that Commander." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Silence hung in the air as the rhythmic pounding of the Gorn bombardment stopped. "Uh oh," Carter hissed. Doug Forrest instinctively tapped his comm. badge. | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest shook his head grimly as the line gave no response. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter and A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "This is Pack Leader G' | ||
+ | |||
+ | `Son of a Bitch!', | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We have tried to keep you safe in the camps as we surveyed this planet." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Safe my ass! You scale-faced butchers!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Did they kill anyone?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Did they kill anyone? Destroy any homes?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Of course they did you damned Blackshirt!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Think carefully...did they draw first blood?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "They drove us from our homes you fascist!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But did they kill anyone?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "They damned well WOULD have!" Cromwell shot back, and before he realized what he'd admitted to, Lindsey Davenport placed a reassuring hand on Arthur Cromwell' | ||
+ | |||
+ | High above, G' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "That seems predictable enough." | ||
+ | |||
+ | As far as the Gorn are concerned, you brought this on yourselves." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Their was an eerie silence as the away team waited for what would happen next. The faces of the members of Shadow Force seemed oddly re-assured as the distant pounding of the Gorn orbital bombardment continued, but this time it was more distant and muffled. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Give it to me straight." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mendoza looked briefly at the huddled members of Shadow Force, then back at the Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Almost as one, the members of Shadow Force turned their heads in Mendoza' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | With an engineering crew of twenty, it didn’t take long to assemble a starship control center in the heart of an empty deuterium tank. Spare parts and optical cabling were readily available in engineering sections of the ship, and before long, the inside of the tank turned from a vacant, empty hydrogen fuel cell to something reminiscent of a 24-century version of a Doctor Frankenstein laboratory with acceleration chairs. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Beneath a newly-installed computer console, an engineer in operations gold worked with his back to the floor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Among the plethora of hastily installed equipment and group of enlisted technicians, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Sorry, Sven.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Butenhoff rubbed his head sulkily, and shot Pakita a sour look. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Where have you been?” he asked her. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Rerouting the computer nodes on deck ten,” she said proudly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Are you sure?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Fairly sure,” Pakita responded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Well, now that you’re here, I could use your help with the backup computer interface. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What do you mean?” she asked, taking a seat at the new sciences station and accessing the computer status monitor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I know.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’s odd,” Pakita remarked with a frown. | ||
+ | |||
+ | About that time, another clamor sounded from above as Lieutenant Commander Virtus climbed down the access ladder. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How’s it going?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “We can’t bring the backup computer online, sir,” Pakita reported. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Do a processor diagnostic, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Acknowledged.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Moments later, the results splayed across the screen offering no clue as to the problem. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It shouldn’t do that,” Vic whispered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Pakita manipulated the controls, the basic programming language of the backup computer scrolled down the screen. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “It all looks fine,” the German technician remarked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Wait a minute,” Virtus said, pressing a few buttons on Pakita’s console. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “There, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What?” Pakita remarked with perplexity. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No,” Virtus replied with emphasis. | ||
+ | |||
+ | With a frown, Pakita typed a few more commands into the console. She configured it to display both the prefix cipher of the makeshift bridge’s control systems, and that of the stardrive’s backup computer core. Although the numbers were very similar, the one for the backup core was a few digits off. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “You’re right,” Pakita said with surprise. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No,” Virtus said flatly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’s not possible, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Normally, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Everyone nodded his or her head responding with “aye.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “All systems ready, sir,” Pakita announced to Victor Virtus. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Victor nodded his head as Pakita dialed the final activation sequence. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “U.S.S. Saratoga is now under the command of Lieutenant Commander Victor Xavier Virtus.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | Everyone in the room paused at the sounding of the computer voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Saratoga? | ||
+ | |||
+ | For his part, Vic was just as confused as everyone else on the bridge. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’d really like to get to the bottom of this people,” he said to the gawking crew. “But unfortunately, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Helm, set two-seven-zero. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Security team standing by in transporter room six. Awaiting your co-ordinates, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Very good, lieutenant.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | “We’re WHAT?” McClintock yelled from the tactical station. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I said,” replied Lieutenant Snyder at the helm. “The Republic is breaking her current orbit and moving closer to the planet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Are we losing engine power, lieutenant? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Negative, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’s impossible!” McClintock exclaimed with anger. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Apparently, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Tyler, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Attempting to trace the error now, sir,” the auburn-haired science officer replied, typing commands into her station at the rear of the bridge. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Computer!” he summoned. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Command not recognized. U.S.S. Saratoga is now under the command of Lieutenant Commander Victor Xavier Virtus.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | Although the computer’s odd behavior coaxed a bewildered expression from most on the bridge, McClintock and Tyler were each wide-eyed with rage and panic respectively. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Computer! | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Command not recognized. U.S.S. Saratoga is now under the command of Lieutenant Commander Victor Xavier Virtus.” =/\= | ||
+ | |||
+ | “What the hell is happening? | ||
+ | |||
+ | A few seconds of silence passed where McClintock was about to call again, but was interrupted by Ensign Depach Narundi’s voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “I’m sorry sir, but Lieutenant McTaggart went to sickbay with a case of gastrointestinal distress. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes, damn it!” McClintock shouted while Tyler got up from the science station and headed for the portside-aft turbolift. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lieutenant Tyler stopped dead in her tracks in front of the turbolift doors as they failed to open. Several times she stepped towards them, each time failing to activate the door mechanism. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Elevators are out, too!” she exclaimed with alarm as Narundi’s voice came back over the com system in response to McClintock’s orders. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “I’m sorry sir. All security teams are currently busy. But I’m sure one will free up as soon as you’re ready to be polite.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Flabbergasted, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I think at this point,” Doctor Harris interjected calmly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | There are moments in time beyond understanding and explanation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "How many...?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "At least...a thousand." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Hawk didn't recognize the voice, but at the moment it didn't matter that he know their identity. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We need a Doctor!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We don't even know if the Republic is still up there." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Not to mention how to get there, if the Trojan Centurion' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We can't just let him die!" Davenport shouted, outraged at the comments. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No one said we would." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | His palms sweaty and his fingers jittery, Sven Buttenhoff input the proper commands to maneuver the mammoth Galaxy-Class starship lower into the planets upper atmosphere, all the while whispering something to himself in a barely audible tone. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We aren't going to crash, we aren't going to crash, we aren't going to crash," | ||
+ | |||
+ | 'I wonder if I should tell him I flunked basic piloting skills three times at the academy?' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Stand by, Lieutenant." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Shaking her head in doubt, the younger woman entered a series of commands before sighing in frustration. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What is it?" Virtus queried, calmly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The make-shift bridge fell quiet as the realization that over a thousand Federation citizens had just been murdered flooded everyone' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the next instant, a new reality fell into place around them - that of a Transporter room. At the controls was a familiar Security Officer whose name Nat couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | "He did what? | ||
+ | |||
+ | "All he said was it was the most efficient way to…" | ||
+ | |||
+ | John Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No worries Vic," Carter said with ease. "I see you found the Saratoga." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I suppose that's one way to put it." John looked quickly at the status board and viewscreen that Victor had managed to fabricate. "Are the Gorn attacking?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Not yet," Victor answered, absent-mindedly stroking his moustache. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Good call, we're still outnumbered 20 to 1." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You don't like those odds?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Not today, no." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I see your point." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Of course. Sensors recorded the whole affair, but . . ." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, at least that's over with." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh come on Vic," Carter thundered back. "He was dangerously unstable. Especially after the whole Bombay mess, and the Blackshirts are all over whatever happened on Cestus III." Carter stepped toward the door. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The pressure door to the deuterium tank opened again. Heads turned as Doug Forrest walked in with A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You said you had a trump card A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Or what?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "An order which I'd have no business following. I answer to my Section Commander, Sir. Not you." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next to A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It . . . shouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Since his dismissal from the U.S.S. Discovery some years ago, when a then Lieutenant John Carter had spit on thousands of years of tradition, A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you Mister A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I know just the place XO." Mendoza answered. He and Deuce took up flanking positions on A' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Ok Vic, where do we stand?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Victor Virtus settled back into what served for his center seat and explained. "With the back-up core re-initiated, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "That didn't stop them from relieving you of command Vic." Carter interjected. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "True John, but I'm also confident that your appearance changes things a bit. Tactically speaking, everyone on the bridge is cut off." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well that's something at least." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sean rubbed his temples as he thought out the situation. "Hard to say sir," he finally offered. "He hasn't done anything to alienate the department, but he also hasn't been here all that long." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So if push came to shove?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | John let an easy smile cross his face again. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No problem sir." | ||
+ | |||
+ | John looked back at Victor Virtus. "Ok, here's the plan. Forrest?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes Sir. The main communications nexus is underneath the Cornucopia elementary school." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "On it, Commander." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Vic, do we have communications?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Good enough. Ready a copy of the Captain' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I can live with that." Carter said, genuinely relieved to not have another death on his conscience. He cocked his head as Nat Hawk stood easy in the circle of officers that had formed in the tank. "How well do you know McClintock, Nat?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I want you to talk to him. See if he's really committed to these orders, or if we can solve this simply . . . for once." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Uh not to pry Commander," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Who me?" The Martian questioned mockingly. "Once Forrest gets back, I'm going to beam over to the Gorn flagship and surrender." | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sitting comfortably at his table in the cavernous and desolate crew lounge, his dirt-covered boots perched atop the tables illuminated surface with one leg crossed over the other, Nat savored a mouthful of Altarian Ale. Echoing forth from every micro-speaker embedded throughout the walls was a piece of old earth music from a known as rock'n roll, a style Nat favored specifically above all others. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "' | ||
+ | |||
+ | To that end, a dozen paces away - near the bar - the shimmering effect of a transport beam appeared, preceded by the familiar whine. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "How did you..?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Get on up from the surface, or get ya here ta ten forward?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The latter." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh, well that was tha easy part. Ya see, when ya go ta work fer those no good black-shirts, | ||
+ | |||
+ | McClintock snorted, crossing his arms and taking a step towards Nat. "Let me guess," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "If you think abducting me like this is going to change anything, your mistaken. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Your right, but...this is too complicated to explain in any detail right now. What I can tell you, and will tell you, is that I'm operating on orders from a higher authority. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh really? | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Okey dokey. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well duh, do I gotta spell it out for ya?" Hawk asked mockingly, "You ain't the cap' | ||
+ | |||
+ | McClintock' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well why the frinx not?" Hawk asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Says who?" Hawk queried. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Heh, yeah, tha war." Hawk replied, grinning at the rush of nostalgia. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What do you want?" McClintock asked, bluntly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I told ya. Those Command Codes." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Out of the question." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I wasn't askin' ya." Hawk replied, lifting his right hand from his lap, a type-II phaser in his grasp. | ||
+ | |||
+ | McClintock snorted again, "Fine, go ahead, shoot me. It won't get you those command codes any quicker." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | A golden-orange beam of phased energy shot forward from the phaser, slicing through the air at speeds somewhere below that of sound. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What the hell's wrong with you?" Jace replied, astonished, struggling to speak through the certain agony pulsating through him. A phaser on a narrow beam, typically reserved for cutting away rock or metal, was literally one of the top ten most painful experiences to endure from a weapon of any kind. Not only did it cut deeper, faster, and with a sharper edge than anything in existence, but it had the added ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nat didn't say anything. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Ya remember that one time, Cap'n Sisko a'DS9 was 'board the Honshu when we where takin' Dukat to 621? Ya know, right b'fore she got blown ta bits?" Hawk queried the wounded former friend and colleague. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Now Hawk stood up, and moved a few steps closer to the injured Security Officer, stopping and leveling the phaser at the mans chest. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “. . . You wouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You sure 'bout that?" Nat asked him. "I mean, think 'bout it. You die and the internal sensors' | ||
+ | |||
+ | McClintock looked around hastily, his eyes filled with panic. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You kill me, and you'll go to prison! | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Did I forget ta mention I'm the star witness fer the Federation against the Orion Syndicate? | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Your insane . . ." McClintock replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Gimme the codes, Jace. Last chance." | ||
+ | |||
+ | McClintock hesitated, his eyes shifting from the phaser to Hawk's face. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Wrong answer." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Then he fired. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Aye sir," replied Buttenhoff, leaving the Conn and glad to be off the hook. "At least I didn't crash," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Virtus then furrowed his brow slightly, something troubling him. "Ms. Pakita, how where the Command Codes restored?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What about Lieutenant McClintock?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The time is 17:03 hours." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Before anything else could be said or done, the doors to the make-shift bridge opened to admit Lieutenant Nathan Hawk. Placing a phaser on the make-shift tactical console, he moved to Virtus' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So how 'bout them command codes?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Hawk chuckled, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Not really." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, I tried it the Commander' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You murdered him?" Pakita asked in horror. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You could have informed us of your plan in the first place, Lieutenant." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Go ahead, Lieutenant." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The bridge is secured sir. Primary control can be restored at your command. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Very well. We're on our way. See to it that Alpha Shift reports to their duty stations immediately." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You know," Virtus said as he lead the way from the make-shift bridge, "we could have simply injected the Lieutenant by force. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | John Carter paced back and forth in front of the transporter pad for what seemed to be the hundredth time. He stepped over to the console to conform the coordinates…again. Controls were set to send Carter to meet with Pack Leader G'Meth on the Gorn flagship. In the meantime, Carter had to wait. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Doug Forrest had been gone for 27 minutes. In that time, the crew had rallied around the command staff, and through a chain of events that Carter wasn't entirely sure of, Jace McClintock was dead; and yet not, and the Saratoga, which had been lost was found; and yet not. This was the part of command that John hated the most. The waiting. More specifically, | ||
+ | |||
+ | John turned to continue another circuit in front of the pad when the transporter whined to life. In seconds, the form of Commander Douglas Forrest appeared, and in his hand he held a small isolinear data module. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Is that it?" Carter asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yep. Every scrap of sensor and log data the duck blind collected for the last six months." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter backed away slowly. "No, no." He said holding up both hands. "Right now I don't know WHAT's on that." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest cocked his head. "And if you touch it, suddenly you'll know?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No, but having my prints on the thing makes it a lot harder to deny it's existence to the press, which I will have to do to save my career." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I disagree. It's really the only way out of this." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "How do you figure that?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Not playing straight with the Gorn is what got us into this mess in the first place. That's a mistake I mean to rectify. I'm not going to release the data to the public, but I am going to level that scales." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Need I remind you Commander that the Gorn just killed twelve hundred innocent people, and that grandstanding like this is what got Captain Marshall killed?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But what about the colonists? Where' | ||
+ | |||
+ | It was a valid question, and as much as Carter wanted to explain his plan to his Intel Officer, John had to remember that whatever else he was, Forrest was still a Blackshirt, and therefore, not completely trustworthy. Carter cleared his throat and gave his fellow officer a hard determined stare. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You can't be serious! Who negotiated that thing anyway?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Even as Forrest was speaking, microscopic processors in his cerebellum were sifting through gigaquads of data, searching for the text of the Metron treaty. Many members of Starfleet suspected that the intelligence corps were extensively cyber-equipped, | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I checked the outgoing comm. logs, along with everything else…" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Of course you did." He quipped. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And just before the Gorn obliterated the mountain range, as the fire was coming down in fact, a coded distress signal went by subspace to Starfleet asking for emergency evacuation." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter felt his expression lighten. "So that means…" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "That since this area of space was hot before we even got here, there' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "How close?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter remained resolute, though now more hopeful than he had been. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter felt his familiar smirk return. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest stepped to the controls, and in a swirl of light and sound, | ||
+ | |||
+ | John Carter was gone. Doug Forrest tipped an imaginary hat to the vacant transporter system. "Be seeing you . . . I hope." | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | In the interior of Fierce Claw, G'Meth and the First Sword sat contentedly. With fingers steepled before his eyes, the Pack Leader regarded his second in command, who had so cunningly dispatched the foolish human Captain. Finally, after nearly 100 years, Cestus III was wholly Gorn territory, and G'Meth had some measure of revenge on a man who had died long ago. Next to him, G'Meth saw that the First Sword was swaying. It was, for Gorn, a nervous gesture. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The triumph of the moment was disturbed as the Gorn comm. system beeped to life. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =\/= "Pack Leader, the human officer is on board." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | =\/= "Yes Pack Leader” =\/= | ||
+ | |||
+ | Long minutes passed before the door to the Gorn meeting room opened with a mechanical whir. John Carter entered, flanked by two towering Gorn escorts. G' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | John came to attention. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The speech was formal and succinct, and not even close to the fiery words Carter wanted to use. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You practiced that for a long time, didn't you mammal?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I had a few minutes while the sensor crews tallied the dead on the surface." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The First Sword hissed and fingered his claws, but G'Meth raised a hand to stop his charge. "You hold your temper well for a warm-blood." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter stood unmoving, sizing up the power and strength of his foes. `I'll say this for Jim Marshall,' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "In exchange for safe passage out of this system, and time to evacuate of all Federation citizens willing to leave this system, I am offering to let you know what we know." | ||
+ | |||
+ | G'Meth was surprised at how steady the human' | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And you would give it to us? Betray your own people?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Pha! Just like a mammal!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | G'Meth paused, intrigued by Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter nodded. "I take it then that you agree?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You are bold human," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter nodded and tapped his comm. badge. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Seconds later, a message came from the Gorn bridge confirming the presence of the Federation data. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Tense minutes ticked by as John Carter sat in the center seat on the bridge of the U.S.S. Republic, watching rainbow-flecked stars streak by on the viewer. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nat looked down at his own helm plot and watched as a green icon representing his ship crossed a virtual barrier. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter let out a sigh of relief, then tapped a stud on the arm of the command chair. "How many did we get Doctor Yezbeck?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= “Two hundred and six, bridge. They' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you Tac," Carter said calmly. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next to Carter, Shannon Harris sat, giving the XO a stern look. "You knew they were coming, and you didn't tell us?" she whispered to John. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But I was . . . hopeful." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The engineering sub-station on the bridge had a chronometer linked to the latest data from Starfleet command, who in turn calibrated with one-thousand, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Victor Virtus never needed them. "One hour, 15 minutes, 27 seconds . . . mark." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Ok Vic, we're about to have some admirals over for a little chat, so we better air the dirty laundry before they get here. Send it out." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The com system chirped an affirmative. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the crew looked on, puzzled, all John Carter could do was sit back, and wait for all hell to break loose. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Over the years, member states of the United Federation of Planets have sent their respective ambassadors to Earth for representation in council. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Now, at the commencement of a closed-door council meeting, the screen displayed the wreathed symbol of the Federation as the representatives engaged in dialog regarding the Cestus Three situation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The question, Senator Groth,” the president addressed the Zakdorn delegate in the upper house. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Our approach is a mistake,” came the higher pitched, raspy response from the senator. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the front row of the upper house, four white-uniformed Starfleet admirals; three with the collar insignia of full admiral and one with that of the fleet admiral, Johan Morozov, sat silently while they listened to the politicians debate. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I was delayed," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Looking around quizzically, | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "On a classified assignment," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "That being?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | This was a normal working day in the life of Admiral Janeway. As the most junior on the C-in-C staff, she was often on the receiving end of the rookie jokes. However, as they tested her loyalties, and discovered her personal moral to embrace peace above all else, the rest of the admiralty in the normally close-knit entourage grew cold to her. Soon, she found herself an outsider among this group of people, and it was this realization than led her to the dark discovery of the hawks versus dove movement within Starfleet. Needless to say, she was the only dove on the C-in-C staff. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Yes, it would have been easy to quit. In fact, she seriously considered it after being promoted to this post by the Starfleet Services Committee of the Federation Council. Kathryn got the job by being more of a celebrity than an efficient bureaucrat, as her time in the Delta Quadrant had made her a living legend among the council as well as the common citizen. It was this pop idol status that forced the fleet admiral to keep her on his staff despite his opposition to her dovish views. Still, it didn't keep him from making Janeway' | ||
+ | |||
+ | From her point of view, Kathryn was the only dove in Starfleet that could get this close to the hawk's inner circle. She was a diamond in the rough, and she knew it. It was her stubborn side that refused to allow her to resign from the C-in-C staff. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Our situation," | ||
+ | |||
+ | From the upper house, a bald-headed Deltan stood up and addressed the assembly. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The floor recognizes Senator Jilara from Delta Four," the aged Andorian president announced. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I would like to call for a vote to authorize Starfleet to respond to the unwarranted aggression." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So noted," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The front doors to the chamber flew open, cutting off the president in mid-sentence. A white-robed human followed by three others in formal gray-suited apparel, rushed into the council chamber. It was Viceroy Haakanson, the president' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Many apologies, mister president," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Whispers were shared among the crowd as the president slammed his gavel on the podium. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The viceroy quietly consulted one of his gray-suited escorts who punched several commands into a handheld PADD. Almost immediately, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We have breaking news at this hour at our beta-quadrant network affiliate," | ||
+ | |||
+ | The crowd of senators, which was once quietly whispering among themselves, erupted into a frenzy of words and shouting matches as the surprised and shocked politicians reacted to the news leak. At least sixty seconds of chaos ensued where members of the Starfleet contingency looked at one another with calm resolve. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kathryn Janeway, on the other hand, appeared much more disturbed than before. She knew that if the public was aware about the invasion, outrage would soon follow, and the council would be forced to vote for military action. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A furrow developed in her forehead, and she placed a finger to her chin as her mind raced as to what to do. Kathryn was about to call her aide camp, Ensign S'kak, when she caught sight of the young female Vulcan making her way through the crowd and over to the admiral' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Are you sure?" she replied to her Vulcan assistant who whispered something in her ear. The other admirals seated next to her to look at the two quizzically. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "If everyone would please re-take their seats!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I think at this point," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Kate! Sit back down immediately! That's an order!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "As you were, Admiral Morozov," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Apparently, being a celebrity had its benefits occasionally. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you, mister president," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "From the colony itself?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, sir. As of ten minutes ago, the frequencies that were jamming the Cestus communications network were lifted, and the entire sector automatically went to priority one alert. The 512th Colonization Fleet was the closest Starfleet contingent and responded immediately. We have a live report from Captain Livingston. If I may, sir?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Janeway pointed to the screen that was broadcasting the now silent news footage of Captain Marshall and the Gorn first officer fighting on the Cestus moon. The president nodded, and S'kak, who had made her way to the communications console, switched the viewscreen to an image of the bridge of an Ambassador Class cruiser where a black, curly-haired Captain rose to his feet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Hello Captain Livingston," | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= "I understand, admiral. We've just arrived at the Cestus system, and we're engaged in a full evacuation of Federation citizens with permission from the Gorn government. We rendezvoused with the Republic, and as I'm sure you know, they' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Again, whispers of surprise and shock rippled through the council chamber. A few heated arguments started, but were quickly subdued by the pounding of the president' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What violations are we talking about, Captain Livingston?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | =/\= "Sir, the Republic has discovered an illegal Starfleet intelligence outpost operating in the system. They confirmed it by capturing one of their operatives, and acquired the data they' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Just as when the news footage was released, the chambers again burst into a chorus of arguments and counter arguments that barely allowed for Janeway to signal S'kak to close the subspace channel. The shouting was fierce, with many outraged at the annexing of Federation territory, and others just as upset about the confirmed treaty violation. Perhaps the only people who were silent among the infuriated delegates were Fleet Admiral Morozov and Vice Admiral Janeway, whose cold working relationship just reached a new level of abhorrence for one another. As the two locked stares, only the repeated slamming of President D' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Several minutes passed before order was restored, and as the delegates took their seats once again, the president spoke with a voice of carefully restrained emotion. Nevertheless, | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes sir," the now very nervous admiral replied, working diligently to maintain his composure. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I want a full investigation into the existence of this outpost, and why it never reached the floor of this chamber." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Right away, sir." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "In the meantime," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | An unusual moment of silence passed in the chamber. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I concur that position, mister president," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "As do I, mister president," | ||
+ | |||
+ | A few more voices of support chimed in following the first two, with little resistance by any opposed. It appeared that, in the light of a flagrant treaty violation, anyone who wished the Cestus colony to remain as Federation territory was forced to remain silent. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So noted," | ||
+ | |||
+ | The council meeting lasted another hour where final arrangements were made for an official investigation into the Cestus intelligence operation as well as some carefully worded response statements for the press. Although Admiral Janeway was alone as the only dove on the Fleet Admiral' | ||