current_story:what_price_honour
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| current_story:what_price_honour [2026/03/28 14:53] – site_admin | current_story:what_price_honour [2026/04/11 13:22] (current) – site_admin | ||
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| The thought caught Roth up short as it occurred to her how much her understanding of Nat Hawk had changed. Hawk had gone from a genuine loose cannon and first-class annoyance, to a mature officer (albeit rough around the edges), to someone she genuinely owed her life to. Kim also knew that shift was due in no small part to her ex-husband, the former Admiral Tom Dorian. Tom had been Hawk’s mentor, and following the events of The Stand and Kim’s brief marriage to the man, she’d come to see what her ex had recognized in Hawk. Roth shuddered as she thought of Tom. She felt a cold rush of apathy wash over her as she realised she didn’t miss him. Wanted nothing to do with him in fact. Tom Dorian had lacked courage. He was too kind, too naive to exist in the universe that was. She didn’t miss Tom Dorian, but she was at least glad she understood Nat Hawk better. | The thought caught Roth up short as it occurred to her how much her understanding of Nat Hawk had changed. Hawk had gone from a genuine loose cannon and first-class annoyance, to a mature officer (albeit rough around the edges), to someone she genuinely owed her life to. Kim also knew that shift was due in no small part to her ex-husband, the former Admiral Tom Dorian. Tom had been Hawk’s mentor, and following the events of The Stand and Kim’s brief marriage to the man, she’d come to see what her ex had recognized in Hawk. Roth shuddered as she thought of Tom. She felt a cold rush of apathy wash over her as she realised she didn’t miss him. Wanted nothing to do with him in fact. Tom Dorian had lacked courage. He was too kind, too naive to exist in the universe that was. She didn’t miss Tom Dorian, but she was at least glad she understood Nat Hawk better. | ||
| - | ‘Poker’s got nothin’ ta do with the cards.’ Nat Hawk thought to himself. ‘You don’t play the cards. You play the player.’ | + | ‘Poker’s got nothin’ ta do with the cards.’ Nat Hawk thought to himself. ‘You don’t play the cards. You play the player.’ |
| - | + | \\ | |
| - | ====== | + | \\ |
| + | \\ | ||
| + | ---- | ||
| **< | **< | ||
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| **< | **< | ||
| - | As with most starships, one of the largest gathering places for the crew was the shuttle deck, and the Republic was no different. | + | As with most starships, one of the largest gathering places for the crew was the shuttle deck, and the Republic was no different. |
| - | Leon reviewed the official notice on the PADD, emblazoned with the seal of the Federation rather than the more familiar Starfleet logo he would have expected from PERSCOMM. | + | Leon reviewed the official notice on the PADD, emblazoned with the seal of the Federation rather than the more familiar Starfleet logo he would have expected from PERSCOMM. |
| " | " | ||
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| " | " | ||
| - | So it was. The " | + | So it was. The " |
| " | " | ||
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| " | " | ||
| - | "This is my Chief of Engineering, | + | "This is my Chief of Engineering, |
| - | "In that case," the Andorian offered. | + | "In that case," the Andorian offered. |
| "Then report to Commander Tolkath on the bridge at your convenience," | "Then report to Commander Tolkath on the bridge at your convenience," | ||
| Line 116: | Line 118: | ||
| "Thank you, commander, and welcome aboard." | "Thank you, commander, and welcome aboard." | ||
| - | With a nod of his head and a twitch of his antenna, Anathon spun around, brought his team to attention, and dismissed them, thus breaking up the formation. | + | With a nod of his head and a twitch of his antenna, Anathon spun around, brought his team to attention, and dismissed them, thus breaking up the formation. |
| His antenna laid themselves flat as he recognized the individual. | His antenna laid themselves flat as he recognized the individual. | ||
| Line 142: | Line 144: | ||
| “What?” Carter said in confusion. | “What?” Carter said in confusion. | ||
| - | | + | "I alone was supposed to be held responsible by Starfleet Intelligence for losing the planet to the Gorns. The hearing was being set up so I would take the fall." |
| " | " | ||
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| The news hit John like a ton of bricks. | The news hit John like a ton of bricks. | ||
| - | "The only way I can even BEGIN to rebuild my honor is to serve Arthur Cromwell' | + | "The only way I can even BEGIN to rebuild my honour |
| The sentiment hung in the air between them. John couldn' | The sentiment hung in the air between them. John couldn' | ||
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| “On the Valiant II, I was a thrown into a chair I had no business sitting in.” Carter said. “I wasn’t ready.” He waited a moment before continuing. “Of course, the Academy teaches us to grab opportunities. To make our mark. So…I thought that was my moment. Every call was right. Every act, no matter how desperate…no matter how STUPID was justified because I was going to solve the problem. Even if I didn’t know what the sprock I was doing, and I was scared to death that everyone could see it all over my face.” Carter took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck. | “On the Valiant II, I was a thrown into a chair I had no business sitting in.” Carter said. “I wasn’t ready.” He waited a moment before continuing. “Of course, the Academy teaches us to grab opportunities. To make our mark. So…I thought that was my moment. Every call was right. Every act, no matter how desperate…no matter how STUPID was justified because I was going to solve the problem. Even if I didn’t know what the sprock I was doing, and I was scared to death that everyone could see it all over my face.” Carter took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck. | ||
| - | “So I over-played my hand.” He continued. “I made a fool of you instead of listening. Rather than admit that YOU should have been in that slot instead of me…because you’d actually TRAINED for it, I let my ego tell me that I could do anything. That I was right because I deserved to be. And all of that was a lie. All of that was foolishness. And I never should have done it.” Carter admitted. “I can’t change the past.” He said, leveling his gaze at Anathon. “Right now, I wish I could, I wish I could go back and slap some sense into stupid, Lieutenant me. But I can’t.” He stepped closer to the Andorian, and slid to one side. “All I can tell you now is that I’m sorry for what I did. For not valuing you enough. Because the truth is that the universe is cold, and deadly, and dangerous, and the only way any of us will survive is if we see the value in each other, when we’re willing to but ourselves second, rather than indulge in the ridiculous idea that the fate of the universe is up to any single one of us.” | + | “So I over-played my hand.” He continued. “I made a fool of you instead of listening. Rather than admit that YOU should have been in that slot instead of me…because you’d actually TRAINED for it, I let my ego tell me that I could do anything. That I was right because I deserved to be. And all of that was a lie. All of that was foolishness. And I never should have done it.” Carter admitted. “I can’t change the past.” He said, leveling his gaze at Anathon. “Right now, I wish I could, I wish I could go back and slap some sense into stupid, Lieutenant me. But I can’t.” He stepped closer to the Andorian, and slid to one side. “All I can tell you now is that I’m sorry for what I did. For not valuing you enough. Because the truth is that the universe is cold, and deadly, and dangerous, and the only way any of us will survive is if we see the value in each other, when we’re willing to put ourselves second, rather than indulge in the ridiculous idea that the fate of the universe is up to any single one of us.” |
| “I was an arrogant, conceited, fool. And I’m sorry that I made your life harder because I was too scared to admit it to myself.” | “I was an arrogant, conceited, fool. And I’m sorry that I made your life harder because I was too scared to admit it to myself.” | ||
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| Anathon shouldered past Carter and entered the turbolift car. He looked back at Carter. “This doesn’t change anything between us.” He said. | Anathon shouldered past Carter and entered the turbolift car. He looked back at Carter. “This doesn’t change anything between us.” He said. | ||
| - | “Maybe not.” Carter nodded. “But now, both of us know the truth. So whatever IS between us from now on can be real. He stepped back from the lift doors ensuring they could close. “I appreciate your time. Carry On.” | + | “Maybe not.” Carter nodded. “But now, both of us know the truth. So whatever IS between us from now on can be real." |
| The lift doors closed and John Carter lingered for a long moment. What he’d told Anathon had been the truth. A truth that Carter had discovered when the heat and dust of Garsol had scoured away all his pretense and bravado. When he should have died, but didn’t. Garsol had been many things to John. It was a prison, it was paradise, it was a myth… but more than anything else, it was the place where John Carter realized who he really wanted to be. He wanted to be the person others thought he was, and that left no room for comfortable, | The lift doors closed and John Carter lingered for a long moment. What he’d told Anathon had been the truth. A truth that Carter had discovered when the heat and dust of Garsol had scoured away all his pretense and bravado. When he should have died, but didn’t. Garsol had been many things to John. It was a prison, it was paradise, it was a myth… but more than anything else, it was the place where John Carter realized who he really wanted to be. He wanted to be the person others thought he was, and that left no room for comfortable, | ||
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