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 <BOOKMARK:Chapter26>
 <fs x-large>**Chapter 26: Second Star To The Right**</fs><wrap lo right>[[archives:den_of_lions#top|Top]]</wrap>\\ \\
+**Location: main bridge, USS Republic**
+The confusion on Republic's bridge was slowly reaching epidemic proportions when Kim Roth stood up to address the newly arrived guests. At the Ops position, Brad Rainier caught a wave from Roth out of the corner of his eye. "Attention on Deck!" he bellowed in his best `scare-the-hell-out-of-the-middies' voice. An instant later, the bridge was silent, save for the regular beeps, chirps and hum that came from a starship's normal functions.
+"Thank you, Chief." Roth surveyed the assembled group, nodding with approval. "It's good to see you again, and for those of you who were part of the station's compliment," Roth again looked over the Chief, "We'll do our best to accommodate you." She looked at the crowd again. "Where's Commander Madhava?" she asked, with an arched eyebrow.
+"He's dead Captain," Counselor Tolkath said matter of factly. Tolkath looked to his feet, at the still unconscious Dr. Samantha Beckett. "It seems Doctor Beckett had her own agenda."
+Roth nodded grimly. "I see," the captain offered. "Everyone here get to Sickbay ASAP." Roth looked at the clearly relieved Doctor Cromwell, "If we can prevail upon you, Doctor?"
+Despite the ordeal of the last few hours, Leon felt an easy smile cross his face. "Permission to pass out afterwards, Captain?"
+"Granted, Doctor," she said, then turned to look at Rainier. "Chief? Lieutenant Snyder?" She asked the two crewmembers at the ops and helm consoles. "Can you get our guests squared away please?"
+As Snyder stood up from the helm station, the COB was already in motion before the captain finished the order. "Leave it to us Captain," he said, as they both headed to the turbolift and the crowd parted for him.
+"Mister Carter," Roth said, scanning the fast emptying bridge, "Take the helm please. We seem to have misplaced Mister Hawk."
+----
+**Location: Cargo Bay 2, USS Republic**
+The cargo bay's stillness was broken by the telltale whine of a transporter matter stream. An instant later, two space-suited forms hit the deck with an uncomfortable sounding thud.
+"Sonuvabitch!" Nat Hawk yelled, rubbing the shoulder that had just slammed into the deck. "Jesus Burke!" Hawk cursed, looking back at his companion who was in a heap on the floor. "I thought you were the smart one! How did you get the transporters to hurt?"
+"Wasn't easy . . . " Burke coughed, then clawed at the helmet release for his environment suit. "Get me outta this thing, will ya?"
+"Sure thing, Bruce," Hawk commented as he knelt down to unlatch the engineer's helmet. In a flash, Hawk was twisting the helmet counter-clockwise, lifting it away from Burke's face. "So whaddid ya do?"
+Burke coughed as he gulped fresh, albeit recycled air. "I set the station's transporters to send us out the minute Republic's shields were down. Didn't count on her moving though; hence the rough landing."
+Seeing Burke's greenish coloring, Hawk grimaced as he unfastened his own helmet. So . . . we could have materialized in the middle of an explosion? Assumin' that's what mighta brought the shields down?"
+"Could have, but didn't," Burke said weakly. "Calculated risk." The engineer's breathing was labored.
+"Right. I'm never playing poker with you Brucey," he quipped, then tapped Burke's comm badge. "Hawk ta Sickbay! Lock on for immediate transport!"
+Burke was confused as he felt the tingle of a newly forming transporter field around him. "Wait . . . where are you . . . "
+Nat Hawk shook his head. "Can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I got a ship to save."
+----
+**Location: Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco, Sol III**
+In the richly appointed halls of Starfleet HQ, Vladimir Kostya was weighing his options. He'd hoped that Kim Roth would play ball. Why wouldn't she? He'd offered her a chance to revive her career, to be instrumental in the defense of the Federation, to be a hero, but she'd thrown all that away with one simple word. `No one says no to me,' Kostya mused inwardly. `She'll learn that the hard way now'.
+The next move would be crucial, Kostya knew. He'd have to play things closer to the vest then he had with the Cestus III affair. In that case, he'd relied too much on outside agencies. `Too many variables', he thought, `but this time I've got people I know I can trust.'
+A chirp from the comm. system brought Kostya back to reality. Annoyed, he leaned forward and angrily stabbed at the control to take the call. "This better be important, Purvis!" he chided the Yeoman not five meters away in the office's receiving area.
+//"Yes, Admiral. Sorry to intrude sir, but we've just received word from Operations Control. They've lost contact with Allegiance, sir."//
+Kostya went ashen. "What?"
+//"Operations confirms the loss of her transponder from the Intel grid at . . . . 1646 local."//
+"1640 . . . that's over two hours ago! You're just telling me this now?"
+//"Apologies Admiral, but I wanted to be sure, and I wanted to go through proper . . . channels, sir."//
+`Good', Kostya hissed silently. `At least the useless cow knows how to keep things quiet. That's something.' The head of Starship Operations cleared his throat. "What's the status of Republic?"
+//"Last report had her damaged, but functional. Intel's still got her signal on the plot."//
+Kostya slammed his fist to the desktop. "How?" he blurted aloud. "How does that damned ship manage to slip away, every time?"
+//"Not sure Sir. I'll look into that for you."//
+Rather than answer, Kostya simply punched the channel closed and fumed while the sun from a beautiful San Francisco day flooded through his office windows. The light didn't improve his dark mood.
+----
+**Location: main engineering, USS Republic**
+Nat Hawk couldn't wait as the heavy doors leading to Republic's main engineering section. He anxiously squirmed through the doors and took off at a sprint for the vertical intermix chamber. As the central landmark for the room, it was impossible to miss. Hawk ignored a handful of questioning looks from the engineering staff as he walked toward the towering column.
+"I don't want excuses, damn it!" Maria Pikita yelled from the upper observation platform, "just get those crystals re-aligned." Maria huffed a long lock of hair out of her face and braced herself against the safety rail, surveying the lower portion of engineering's cavernous space.
+She blinked in surprise. "Lieutenant Hawk? Is that you?" she called from above.
+"The one and only, darlin'" Hawk said with a mock tip of the hat. "Lemme ask ya somethin'." Hawk took a few steps around the intermix chamber, closer to the dilithium crystal armature. "How bad is an asymmetrical warp field?"
+Pikita blinked. "Why do you want to know? And . . . " she looked Hawk over again, "why are you wearing an environment suit?"
+"No reason really," Hawk said, as he pulled his phaser and pointed it at the crystal armature. "Jes' gotta few a bugs ta exterminate . . ."
+**Location: USS Republic, Main Bridge**
+John Carter, after relieving Lieutenant Snyder to help Chief Rainier with their guests, was pleased that he hadn't lost his edge as a helmsman. It had been months since he'd actually had to use the controls to steer Republic, but he always wanted to believe that he never stopped thinking like a helmsman. Apparently, he still was one. He checked the conn station's sensor plot, then looked back at the main viewer. "We'll clear the planet's subspace footprint in 45 seconds, Captain. Engineering has us cleared to warp out after then. Shall I set a course?"
+Kim Roth waved her hand casually toward the main viewer. Set course for DS9. Maybe we can hide there for a while, seeing as how I just told our boss to go to hell."
+"I hear there's a future in piracy," Carter offered casually.
+Roth laughed out loud, an emotion she was surprisingly grateful for, considering the last few days. "You might be right XO," she said. "After all, you're already dressed for it."
+Carter smiled. "Course set for DS9, Captain."
+"Engage."
+**Location: Captain's Ready Room, USS Republic**
+Kim Roth sipped at her cup of mocha. It was late in the afternoon, ship time, and normally she limited her use of caffeine, to say nothing of chocolate, but she was a woman without a career, and damn it, she was entitled to treat herself. Republic's Captain looked down briefly at the lithe form resting on the arm of her chair, and scratched the small creature under its chin. "I guess you needed the rest too, eh stinker?"
+Smoke bleaked in the affirmative.
+"Is that all, XO?"
+Across the table, John Carter rubbed the back of his neck, a clear sign that, even though Republic was out of danger for the time being, he was still finding it hard to relax. "Well, I'm still waiting for Hawk's official report on what went on down in Engineering, but Pakita's own account of things was actually pretty even-handed." Carter shook his head. "I still can't believe he did it, but according to Pikita and Vic, it did the trick; unorthodox or not."
+Kim closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of her drink, allowing herself to smile. "I think you just summed up the man himself."
+"I suppose so, Carter agreed. Then he mentally brushed the thought aside as his face turned more serious. "In all seriousness Captain, what's our next move? I have to tell you, I don't like the idea of `hiding' as you put it, even if DS9 is the best port in the storm." Carter forced himself to straighten up, making his family's `Old Man Noise' in the process. "This little nightmare makes twice that Kostya's tried to pull the Federation into a war, and he was using us to do it. Now, don't get me wrong Captain," Carter said wrapping his fingers around the back of his chair, "I'm glad you told him off, gods know, but he's got connections, and criminal or not, he's still an Admiral! Whatever we're going to do," he urged the brunette across from him, " we can't do it alone, no matter how much I want to snap the sprocking weasel's neck. "
+Roth calmly set her china cup down beside her, on the desktop. "Point taken, Number One, and we're not going to be alone when we do move against Kostya, but we have to get our own house in order first. That means fixing the ship and getting the crew squared, and DS9 is the best place to do that. I signaled them to expect us just after my conversation with Kostya during our Tholian engagement. After that fiasco, there's no way I'm taking us back to 39 Sierra." Roth looked the tall Martian who was her second-in-command in the eye. "Carter," she said, with the barest hint of motherliness in her voice, "This isn't the time to strap on the six guns and ride for justice. We've got to be smart."
+Carter nodded. He knew she was right, but the thought of inaction made part of him want to scream.
+Meanwhile, Roth continued. "I've been in contact with other members of the Flag Staff. "We're not the only one's Kostya's managed to leave twisting. We've got friends. I just have to FIND them."
+"Speaking of finding," Carter said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "We've still got a missing Ops Chief and a stolen shuttle to track down."
+Again, Roth nodded. She noted that she seemed to do that a lot in her First Officer's presence. "I've had a thought or two on that, but I want to run something by you first?"
+Roth's explanation was cut short by the door chime.
+"Come," Roth answered. A second later, the hatch slid open and Zoë Beauvais, late of the USS Allegiance entered.
+Zoë looked at Carter, giving the monocular officer a polite nod. "Sorry to intrude ma'am," she offered, "I can come back later if you like?" She took a half step back toward the hatch.
+Instead, Roth waved the young Lieutenant in. "Not at all, Lieutenant," she offered warmly. "Have a seat. We were just talking about you."
+Zoë put that information at the back of her mind. The wound on her forehead was itching, but tolerable. The medics had enough on their hands with everyone else mysteriously showing up on the bridge all at once. "Ma'am," she explained, I've got Dr. Beckett secured in the brig. She's still demanding counsel. I felt I had no choice but to pass on her request to HQ."
+Roth rolled her eyes. Much as she disliked the political state of the Federation at the moment, and despite the fact that she'd ignored orders from her immediate superior, Republic's captain couldn't bring herself to deny Samantha Beckett rights that were guaranteed to her by the Articles of Federation. Roth shot Carter a sympathetic look. "Wonderful," she said woefully, "more lawyers."
+"Not for a while, Ma'am," Zoë explained. "It was the oddest thing . . . the subspace array was down for repair, so I had to settle for carrier wave."
+Carter laughed out loud. "You used the radio?"
+"Yes, Sir," Zoë smiled.
+"Well that should buy us a couple of centuries."
+Roth nodded. "That sorts Doctor Beckett until we can transfer her DS9. I think it's best if we keep that particular ace up our sleeve for now." Captain Roth gave the young Tactical Officer an appraising look. "Lieutenant, have you thought much about your future?"
+"Always thinking about it Ma'am, in order to get the job done properly. I was thinking about heading back to the London, seeing that I am technically on vacation right now when I got pulled into a side assignment that would have me back before the London would miss me. It was a poor choice, in my opinion, to take it. I don't like to go against the orders given me, Captain," Zoë continued, "but that woman, Captain MacDonald, was hard to work with in the first place. It was either do the job or get kicked out of the Fleet. I didn't have much choice but to moonlight that assignment."
+Roth nodded. "Fair enough," she commented, "but I'd like you to consider making your assignment on Republic permanent."
+"Ma'am?" Zoë stammered.
+"What?" Carter returned. The tall man's face flushed. "Now wait a minute, Captain," he protested, looking over toward Zoë. "No offense to Lieutenant Beauvais, but we just lost Dazing, and I don't know that putting another stranger at Tactical is what the crew needs right now."
+Carter pivoted to look the Lieutenant in the eye. "I swear Lieutenant, this isn't personal. You did a hell of a thing, stepping up when you came aboard, and I do want to thank you for that."
+"But?" Captain Roth commented.
+"But we've had nothing but trouble getting anyone other than myself and McTaggart up to speed at Tactical, and frankly, the kid deserves a shot."
+Roth nodded. "I agree," she said coolly, "but not aboard this ship."
+"Why the hell not!? . . . Ma'am?" he added awkwardly.
+"Aside from Doctors Cromwell and Virtus, is there anyone onboard you trust more than McTaggart?" Roth asked pointedly.
+"No, Captain. Which is why I want him at Tac."
+"I understand that," the captain affirmed, "but since we can agree that Lieutenant McTaggart is above reproach, and given how fond you are of Mister Forrest, it seems to me that McTaggart is the perfect choice to watch over your favorite Black Shirt."
+Carter nodded, seeing the logic of Roth's position. "So you're figuring?"
+"I'm figuring to let Forrest do what he does best." She paused, taking another sip of mocha. "Once we get to DS9, I'll turn Forrest and McTaggart over to Captain Kira so that Forrest can find our lost sheep. If McTaggart is there, then it allows me two things. First," Roth explained, holding up a finger, "we'll know what's happened to Kuga, and our own people can keep it quiet."
+Carter nodded, exchanging glances with Zoë, who felt a little like a fly on the wall. Meanwhile, the Captain continued.
+"Second, if McTaggart does the job you and I both think he will, then it will only help his career."
+Carter once again folded his arms across his chest. "So, you've already made your mind up about this?"
+"Not at all," Roth shook her head. "I'll leave it up to McTaggart of course. It's his decision, but I think he'll take the opportunity. For now, I just wanted you to understand where I was coming from."
+Carter smirked. "Well, I do appreciate that." The XO added.
+"I thought you might." Roth pivoted in her chair, looking again at the young Lieutenant. "So what do you say, Lieutenant Beauvais? Can we put you to work?"
+"Sounds good. I think right now the best place for me would be here. There are many different people upset by our course of action and I can only imagine it getting worse with the destruction of the Allegiance. I was left out of the loop for it all you understand, but I have seen, no matter what, the ripple effects stretch to the deepest part of space. I'm your woman," she said with a heavy heart. It displeased her the course of action that her career had taken, but now she had to do what she had to do to salvage it.
+"Good," Roth said to the pair, pleased that she'd managed to diffuse what could have been a tricky situation. "I'll let the two of you sort out the details, but there's no rush. We've still got a few days before we put in at DS9."
+Carter turned to Zoë. "I'm due to meet Doctor Harris on the Hill in 20 mics, Lieutenant. Why don't you join us? No time like the present."
+"The Hill, sir?" she asked quite curious. Through all the years of battle, she had seen many different uses for the term, 'The Hill'.
+"It's our lounge, Lieutenant," Carter corrected, "A hold-over from the ship's days as the Saratoga."
+"This ship was the Saratoga?" Zoë said in surprise. "I had no idea." With new appreciation for her surroundings, Zoë looked the Ready Room over. "There's a lot of history on this ship."
+"I hope you're up to making some, Lieutenant." Captain Roth offered.
+"I can do that. Just let me stop by sickbay first and get myself attended to, Commander. Shall we say, 1700?"
+"Sure," John nodded. "See you then."

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