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<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | **Location: Captain' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kimberly Roth looked skeptically at the isolinear chip that had been conveyed to her from the U.S.S. Perpetua. The chip's yellow pearlescent coating glinted in the subdued lighting of the room. Curled up on Roth's shoulder, Smoke looked at the flashes with a simple twitch of the nose and `bleeked' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You stay out of this stinker," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Across the Captain' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh, there' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So far so good Captain. In fact, I'm going to meet with him as soon as we're done here. He's the last addition now that we finally have a Tac Chief onboard." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Roth took a deep breath. "Yes, about that . . . " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Immediately, | ||
+ | |||
+ | In truth, Carter had a point. The transporter was originally invented in the early 22nd century by Doctor Emory Erickson over 150 years ago. Like any technology, especially one as radical as matter/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter crossed his arms over his chest. "Who do you have in mind?" he asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Commander Forrest is back on board. Not permanently, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter paused, reminding himself to give his Captain a fair and honest answer to her question. "Well, he's calm under pressure, that's for sure, and I assume he's qualified to operate any of the tactical systems." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But . . . " | ||
+ | |||
+ | John rolled his eyes. "But he's a Black Shirt, Captain." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Would you have trusted Vaax if he'd made it onboard?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Sure, but that's different. I'd have had no reason NOT to trust Vaax." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Roth tilted her head. "But you have some reason not to trust Forrest? What did he do?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Did he or did he not help you and the Hazard Team on Cestus three?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "He did." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And did he or did he not comply with all your orders during the mission?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "He did, Captain." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Even the ones he might not have agreed with?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter felt the familiar smirk cross his face. "Oh, that's for sure Ma' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And the rest of the Department would follow his lead?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | There was a slight glimmer in Roth's eye as she could se she'd made a point with the XO. "Right then," she said, setting her hands on the polished black surface. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter chuckled, glad to see that he and his captain were on the same page when it came to Starfleet Intelligence. "Since we're clearing the air here Captain, can you set me straight on some scuttlebutt ?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Roth nodded. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Not exactly, XO. She's provided your council for the preliminary hearing on the Cestus three Affair. Commanders Tuvok and Paris came onto the station a short time ago. I met with them briefly, and They' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter nodded as he considered his situation. "Well, I've already had my session with Mister Cole, but I don't think `Check the report' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Roth quickly held up a hand. "Stop right there Mister Carter," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But if Commander Tuvok is my counsel, then isn't that a conflict of interest for the ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Not in this case," Roth said as she shook her head. "It seems that Commander Tuvok also holds a license from the Federation Bar, so he can still represent all of you." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I see." Carter nodded, than looked back toward the door. "Then if you'll excuse me Captain, I'd better get Mister Burke squared away and see my lawyer." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Roth waved the Martian officer ahead. "On your way Mister Carter. I'd like this mess cleared up as soon as possible." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you Ma' | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the hatch hissed shut, Smoke stirred from the slumbering mass he'd been during the officers' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The dark, graceful creature `bleeked' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And no more celery for you either!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Without pause or hesitation, without error or fault, the nimble shuttle craft Delta Flyer moved through space with the grace and agility of an accomplished dancer. The unorthodox design coupled with the accomplished pilot at the ships controls made for a masterful display to any who watched. Skimming less than a meter over the outer shell of Starbase 39-Sierra, it was astonishing enough that the pilot was human. To know that the pilot was also flying blind, unaided by the crafts sophisticated sensors, made it all the more remarkable. To Lieutenant Nathan Hawk, this was as close to serenity and inner peace as he would ever know. The irony that it came on the verge of a trial in which he and his colleagues where accused of charges ranging from attempted murder to treason wasn't lost on him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Hawk's only reply was the hint of a grin at the corners of his mouth. Tom Paris was, after all, one of the best pilots in the known galaxy. To have him insinuate he considered himself to be out-classed by someone younger, lower ranking, and by all definitions even more or a rogue than himself was a compliment even Hawk had to admit, he was honored to have bestowed on him. After all he didn't exactly have a lot of respect for the majority of Starfleet ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Could be worse," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, there wasn't much else to do on the ride here. Tuvok isn't exactly renowned for his conversational skills, if you know what I mean." Paris responded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So ya think m' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Ya know," he said, as he quickly maneuvered the small craft into a steep turn/dive up along the underside of the starbase, "it ain't m'self I'm worried 'bout n'all this. I've got more ace cards up m' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "If I where you, I'd be worried about myself just as much. Besides the charges you're all facing together, you've got the attempted murder and assault and battery charges on you alone. Even if the court finds it justified, you could still be looking at serious time." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Shaking his head, Nat slammed on the control rods, throwing the Flyer hard to port and spinning her around level at the same time, sending her heading out into open space, away from the starbase. While he had dreamed for years of taking this ship out for a spin, he couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I ain't gotta worry 'bout m' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Your friends?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I ain't sure there is a way, though," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It could always be worse, you could be stuck in the Delta Quadrant, seventy-thousand light years from home, under constant attack . . . " Paris said, his tone of voice actually going from re-assuring to nostalgic as he went on. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Ya miss it?" Hawk asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The Delta Quadrant?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It had it's charms," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The war, the 85th, flying a fighter. You miss it?" Paris asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Every damn day m' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " . . . Complete?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What about survival?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "That why you made all those Kamikaze runs?" Tom asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Looking at Paris, Hawk scrutinized the man for a moment before saying anything, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well I am impressed, sort of. And I'm not a Counselor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Have ya?" Hawk queried. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Flyer here, go ahead." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Sir, Commander Tuvok needs to meet with you as soon as possible." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Turning around to face the controls again, Hawk laid in a course back for the Republic. After a few moments of silence, Hawk finally spoke up. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "For what?" Paris asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Being a Pilot." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Any time." Paris replied with a smirk. | ||
---- | ---- | ||
< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | **Location: Turbolift, USS Republic** | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko was shocked that her little meeting with the Captain went so smooth after her being in incarcerated at the Starbase, though she told the truth, but on all but one topic. The doors slid open on to deck three where the Mess Hall was just right around the corner. | ||
+ | |||
+ | **Location: Officer' | ||
+ | |||
+ | A group of young crewmen were sitting down at one of the large tables enjoying each others company. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I hear our new Chief of Operations is still in the brig at the Starbase, because the Klingon government is demanding a trial on Q' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Are you sure about that?" questioned the second crewmen confused by his buddy' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yea same here." said the others. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yea before you know it Starfleet is going to think the Captain is running a pirate ship." commented one of the crewmen. | ||
+ | |||
+ | One of the crewmen stood up in his chair, "Argh mates we're goin off to rape and pillage some Gorn outpost to find that latium for ours booties." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Others just shook their heads in silence, as their shipmate made a fool of himself. | ||
+ | |||
+ | One of the crewmen noticed a young Asian ensign sit down at the table across from them. "Hey who do you think that is?" Pointing out the young Asian ensign. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A few of them took a quick glance, when one of them said, "No way is that the new Chief, she's too puny" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yea I have to agree with that." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The joker of the crew got up and walked over to Naruko, saying in his pirate voice "Arr.. Would you like to join me and my shipmates for a few brews missy?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko sat down towards the end of the table as the pirate of the group began to introduce everyone. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Argh, these are my fellow shipmates next to you is Davis, to your right is Tracy, John is across for from ya and I'm Captain Lambert captain of this crew of misfits." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh god, you had to say pirate in this conversation and the now the new kid thinks we're a bunch of comedians." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Davis tried to comfort Tracy by patting her on the back. "Come on I'm sure the new gal doesn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Hey! My jokes are not lame." said Lambert in defense. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So Ensign what's your name?" inquired John | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Cool name, that's Japanese right?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "See I knew she can't be the new chief ops, Kuga is a Chinese name . . . I think." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What are they saying about the new chief ops?" questioned Naruko wondering what their saying about her. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "At least he dropped the pirate act." commented Tracy | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Argh! We'll see who the smart ass is when ya walk the plank!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tracy rolled her eyes ready to throw Lambert out the airlock. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko nearly choked on her tea after hearing the rumor on her. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Are you ok Naruko?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yea, the computer made the tea a little too hot for me." she stated trying to cover her shock. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the others went on Naruko couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | A Starfleet security officer approached the table, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko knew her undercover was over with, when she looked at the others at the table she wasn't sure who was more shocked her or them. She turned towards the person behind her, responding " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko trying to keep from bursting out with laughter replied "Of course." | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Naruko and the Starbase Security Officer left the Mess Hall, the others sat in silence not sure what to make on what just happened. | ||
+ | |||
+ | About an hour passed as rumors regarding Ensign Kuga circulated around the room, and before too long, Commander Carter strolled through the doors for his meeting with the new chief engineer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | There were lots of things on John Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter shook his head as he continued to look over the room. `Some things never change', | ||
+ | |||
+ | It was Beta shift on Republic, so the Officer' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter shook his head to clear that troubling thought away, and moved to a small table near the middle of the room, where Bruce Burke was enjoying a light meal and looking over several PADDs. "I see you're getting right down to work, Lieutenant Commander." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Burke looked up from his splayed document. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Just familiarization, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter hid a small chuckle, remembering his first time on a Galaxy Class starship. "Fair enough," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Burke returned an easy smile. "Well, you're here now Commander, what's the first thing I need to know?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "First things first," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Across the table, Carter looked on approvingly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " I appreciate the confidence Commander, I'd actually like to know more about the rest of the staff. Where are you from commander? At least, where do you call home port?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Mars, born and raised," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No I haven' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter tilted his head oddly. "You know, come to think of it, I don't really know. That's odd . . . " Carter gave his head a slight shake. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | John leaned back slightly in his chair. "How do you feel about poker, Mister Burke?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I, uh, I really wouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No problem. All department heads have a standing invitation. Fridays, 1900, my quarters. Just an excuse to get together. Tell me then, what exactly do you do for fun?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I played Aussie rules football most of my life. But out in the world I find it easier to get mates together to play rugby." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Are you into any sports, Commander?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Just Lacrosse. Played it growing up, but, I'll try anything once." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | John smiled, happy to have at least a small connection to the new addition to the crew. "It had it's moments. Nice and fast though. Like flying." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter cast a weary eye on Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So . . . what was your specialty, Burke? Warp field harmonics? Inter-mix ratios?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Burke laughed out loud. " That's a joke right? There is only one intermix ratio. One to one." | ||
+ | |||
+ | John smiled back. "See, that's why I'm not an engineer." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But, anyways, I actually specialize in chemistry, . . . .a materials specialist. That extends into subspace fields, particle theory. In fact, I got 2/3s the way thru medical school before I switched over to engineering." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The data's still in the computers. You're welcome to study them all you like." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Me? God no!" Carter said, a little too fast. "I mean, not that I wouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Burke shrugged. "Beats the hell out of coming home to a pet dog." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, you're right there," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Three years." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, the middle coast is a beautiful place." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Intrigued, Burke pressed ahead. " Tell me about her, her history." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter chuckled a bit. "Well, Republic does have a reputation for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The saucer was originally the USS Saratoga. Found adrift during the Cardassian Wars. It took five years of work, but she was totally re-fit and re- christened about a year ago. Since that time, we've gone through our fair share of scrapes, and a stardrive section. Our first captain was killed a few weeks ago on one of Cestus three' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well . . . we've had some . . . unusual attention from Command. Admiral Vladimir Kostya was sort of Captain Marshall' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You might have to do some digging, but yes, the whole thing' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter shook his head. "No, it's a hearing, and it's not the whole command staff. It's just me, Hawk, Forrest, and some civilians from Cestus three." | ||
+ | |||
+ | John gave his new chief engineer an appraising glance, but before he could answer, his combadge chirped. | ||
+ | |||
+ | //" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Hang on a sec." John said, holding up a hand. He looked up a bit to address the chirp. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | //"It is necessary that I meet with you before the hearing tomorrow, Commander. Please report to conference room two."// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter winced as he felt a sudden surge of impending drama and maneuvering that we wasn't at all looking forward to. "On my way, Commander. Give me five mics." | ||
+ | |||
+ | //" | ||
+ | |||
+ | John looked back at Bruce, noticing a bit of concern in the engineer' | ||
+ | " | ||
---- | ---- | ||
< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | **Location: Private quarters aboard the Transport Ship Omniretant** | ||
+ | Reittan was drowning in a sea of thought, "The USS Republic." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Upon arrival he ordered a strawberry daiquiri, his human grandmother' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Reittan wondered on the scene. It had happened before, many times. Individuals would see his ears and assume he was Vulcan. After getting to know him, they were shocked at the " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tolkath' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Suddenly, the emotions of the next table grabbed Reittan' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Upon arrival at the star base, Lieutenant Commander Tolkath quickly gathered his things and left the Omniretant. He walked briskly through the corridors towards his new assignment. As he was walking, he happened to glance out the window and saw the Republic. A sense of excitement entered his being. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Three Naussican, two Ferengi, and a Klingon were killed," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Upon reaching the turbo lift, Tolkath waited patiently until the familiar hiss of the doors opening announced its arrival. "Man, this is a big ship," Tolkath thought in wonderment. "I had forgotten how big a galaxy class is." When the turbo lift reached its destination, | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Kimberly Roth looked grimly at the angular features of the Admiral on the other end of the subspace channel. "Yes sir, of course I appreciate the importance of the system, but until I get there I won't . . . " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "May I share something with you Captain Roth?" Vladimir Kostya asked on the other end of the link. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Of course, Admiral." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I have the utmost respect for your open-mindedness Captain." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Roth felt her eyebrow raise a habit she picked up from her brief association with a young Vulcan doctor on leave from the farthest reaches of the Federation. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The menace in Kostya' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kostya' | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the subspace channel went dead, Roth finally let herself shiver. As if on cue, Smoke moved silently across the room and slid under Roth's desk, finally taking a spot on the desktop near the subspace viewer. Looking up, Smoke cocked his head and give Roth a curious grumble. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I know, I know, but that's the price of admission." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Smoke returned an expression that was close to a sarcastic smirk, then the creature' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Roth straightened her posture. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The door slid open and a tall, dark haired Lieutenant Commander with unmistakably pointed ears stepped into the room. He nodded slightly to the captain. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Ah, you must me Counselor Tolkath." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Reittan could sense the mutual bond between the Captain and the creature on her shoulder. Unlike many of his Betazoid counterparts, | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Very well, ma' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Also, I don't know what type of ships you're used to serving aboard, but here on the Republic, the ship's counselor fulfills a very important role. Not only will you and your people provide diplomatic, linguistic, and psychological services, but you'll also work with the crewmaster; our liaison to the ship's civilian family members, as well as the ship's chaplain, archaeological officers, and anthropological teams." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Good. According to the ships logs, the Republic has been without a qualified counselor for months, and we've had to temporarily assign our ship's pediatrician into the job. I've informed her that she's going back to her regular job, and considering the stress of filling a position not associated with the medical department, I'm sure the doctor is happy about it." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Reittan nodded in agreement. After all, some would rather face a room full of Klingons than dare step foot in a room with a single counselor, the ravenous wolves they are. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The pause in the conversation caused the Captain to inquire, "Is there anything else I can assist you with, Counselor?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No thank you Captain, I look forward to serving with you aboard the Republic. I think I will retire to my quarters and begin to unpack. I can sense this is going to be quite the adventure." | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | **Location: Deck 3, USS Republic** | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko Kuga walked along Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the pair rounded another corner, the enlisted man ushered Kuga into a turbolift car. Once inside the car , Kuga turned a weary eye back to her companion. "Just where are you taking me, Petty Officer?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Reluctantly, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The scene in the gym was startling to say the least. A mix of non-commissioned officers and enlisted men from all of Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the centre of the mat, a short man with a dusty grey crew cut and a build resembling a fireplug stood, wearing a Starfleet Marine Corps tee-shirt and loose fitting sweat pants. His hands were covered with blue practice pads. The short man turned to face Kuga as she approached. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Chief of what?" Kuga asked as she stepped closer to the mat. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Rainier smiled, which made the age lines in his face more pronounced. "Chief of the Boat actually," | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’m sorry Chief, but I don’t fight.” said Naruko | ||
+ | |||
+ | “And Klingons? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko smirked, “Never happened chief.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’ll believe that after our questioning” said Rainier as he clapped his gloves again. “Ready? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko and sighed with hopelessness as she shook her head. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I take that as a yes” as Rainier took a swing towards Naruko’s face. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko acting out of training and instinct dodge Rainier’s assault with a repeated right and left punches. “Sir, I don’t see the point of this line of questioning.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Rainier aimed his next punch for Naruko’s gut, until he found his arm being blocked and his opponent’s foot an inch from his face. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko let go of Rainier’s arm as she hopped a few steps to regain her balance. “Are we done Chief?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Rainier took a deep breath and began his assault again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Rainier swung with his left arm, Naruko bent forward and with a gentle swing of her arm hitting the side of Rainier’s rib cage. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Please tell me you’re not afraid to hurt an old man,” said Rainier as he took a few steps back. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko stepped off the mat and took a bow, “Sorry Chief, but I think this investigation is over with,” she said. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Brad Rainier bent at the waist inhaling deeply to get his wind back after his quick exchange with Kuga. He looked up with an almost playful gleam in his eye. "I know all I need to Ma' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Rainer snapped to attention. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko was surprised to see the rest of the assembled crew follow suit. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Um . . . Dismissed." | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Kuga exited, Rainier brought his salute down and stood at ease, then paced around the gym mat. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Most of the assembled crew began to mill about in small clusters, when a young, dark-skinned crewman in command colors stepped up to look at the chief. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Brad looked the young crewman over. "By God", he whispered, "you people get younger every year." He turned his head toward the door and addressed the crewman. "That, crewman . . . what's your name?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "That, crewman Yeats," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, Chief, But why the . . . " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Brad Rainier smiled. "' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Yeats shook her head. "Not really no. I mean, she's an Ensign. Technically, | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Brad looked on, searching Yeats' face for recognition. "Here endeth the lesson." | ||
---- | ---- | ||
< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | **Location: Corridor, USS Republic** | ||
+ | So far, her first day at her new assignment hadn't gotten any better. Then again, it also hadn't really gotten worse either, and a lack of bad was a good thing, wasn't it? Letting a sigh escape, she turned as the turbolift doors opened -- and walked right into a blond Lieutenant in command red, who was exiting the lift. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you…" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "If you don’t mind…" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well hold up a moment, this ain't no way fer console buddies ta start off." he said, blocking her path. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yeah, ya jus said yer Ops, right? Well, I'm Helm. So we'll be seein' a lot of each other." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "For your sake, sir, I hope not." Naruko said as she tried to walk pass him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Come on now, lemme least buy ya a drink, er maybe . . . hell, well, if I knew what time it was I'd suggest a certain meal but, ain't really been livin' by a clock past few weeks." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I’m sorry, but I think I’ll have to pass… I’m really not looking for a date." she said. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Me neither, honest, I swear," | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Alright, but I’m holding you to the plutonic agreement.” she stated | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yes, I just got on board after being held at the Starbase.” she said | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Hold up," he said, stopping for a moment, "yer sayin' yer the new Ops Chief? Tha one dun beat the frinx outta half-dozen Klingons over 'board the station?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Yea, but it’s not what you think.” Naruko said hoping to get this event behind her. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | “They hear my last name and think I’m some sort of kung fu master.” she commented | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So where ya from?" he asked as they entered the lounge, and he lead the way up to the bar. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Earth… Japan to be more exact, you?” she said | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Me? South Carolina, Charleston. Originally, anywho. Ma folks . . . traveled." | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Big ship, almost too big for my taste really.” she said | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Too bulky, ya ask me. I prefer most everythin' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Hot Tea, please.” Naruko ordered | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I choose not to drink around strange men.” she said | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Heh, I once drank a case a romulan ale on abet. Nasty stuff, ya ask me. Damn near blacked out fer a week. Started drinkin' | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That’s why I don’t drink liquor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Class of ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Wow, so I take it you saw a lot of action during the war?” she inquired as she took a sip of her tea. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Heh, ya name a battle, I was there. Most a the time, we was with the 7th Fleet. Even at Tyra," he said, his tone turning morbid at mention of the infamous battle where the 7th fleet had lost 98 out of 112 starships. Again he downed his drink in one swoop, ordering a third as quickly as the glass hit the bar. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I’m sorry, must have been hard for you seeing so much death," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Naw, I left 'bout three 'er four years back. Me n' | ||
+ | |||
+ | “The adventure…” she said knowing that was lie “…being a computer assistant for my mom didn’t sound too pleasant.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No, my mom wasn’t too happy when she saw me packing my bags…” she said as she took a sip of tea remembering the fight she had with her mom. “…I guess she didn’t want to lose me like she lost dad.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Lost as in he left, er as in he left the buildin'?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No, his ship went missing during the war.“ she said trying to hold back the tears. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | “So why did you come back to Starfleet.” she asked trying to change the subject. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Despite the fact the question put him in a position where he could only lie, he was relieved to be off the topic of dead parents, not just for the fact he wasn't much good with dealing with other peoples baggage, but because of his own. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh, well . . . just . . . couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Ever go to the movies?” she asked | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I love all the old motion pictures from the mid twentieth century, a lot of them have silly plots, but give a good perspective of what life was like back then.” she said | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Sorta like a holonovel, only ya ain't do nothin' | ||
+ | |||
+ | “How about you… “ giving a smirk “…When you don’t drink and fly on autopilot? | ||
+ | |||
+ | On instinct, a devil-may-care flirtatious grin slipped over Nat's face, but he quickly deactivated his autopilot, "Well ta be honest, usually flyin' on autopilot gets me ta the real fun," he said with a laugh, "but otherwise, lately, I've been fixin' up an old Peregrine-Class fighter. Prototype, actually. Beat ta hell, but, she'll be space worthy again. Eventually." | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Sounds like fun, do you know what time it is?” she asked | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Oh 'bout 16:00 'er so, why, got a date?" he asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “No…” she said shaking her head “… I just wanted to get to the bridge and get started on my duties.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Ah, well, s'pose I'll see ya up there, someday soon. Ain't gonna be on duty fer a while longer. Sorta under investigation fer assault, attempted murder, conspiracy, the like." he said honestly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Assault… attempted murder?!” she said sounding surprise. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | “I see, well I better be off now, thank you for the drink sir.” she said as she got up from the bar. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | The turbolift hum as it passed decks at the speed of over 1,000 kmh, Naruko stood in silence as she waited for the doors to open to her destination. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The turbolift began to slow down until it came to a halt, as the doors slid open a wave of an offal stench filled the air. She peered into the corridor of dimming lights and the red alert flashing down the corridor. She took a step off the turbolift, as she turned around to glace back inside… the lift had disappeared. | ||
+ | |||
+ | She began to walk slowly down the corridor the sounds of bulkheads collapsing and the horrible smell of death on the ship was beginning to take its toll as she neared a console. Starting to feel sick to her stomach from the stench, she also began to feel cold chills run up her spine as she tried to get information on where she was from the computer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The screen quickly flashed to black as she entered her access codes, the sound of metal tearing echoed throughout the ship, as she turned back to the screen ‘Death’ appeared in front of her. She slowly walked backwards away from the console as the hairs on her skin rose in fear… suddenly she stopped as her heart began to race feeling the cold hand of someone touching her shoulder. Out of instinct she jumped around to face who was behind her. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The body of a young petty officer swung back and forth in front of the door way as his decompressed body hanged by a small piece of flesh from the ceiling. Is eyes had frozen blood or tears of red as if he saw death himself. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Her thought of the petty officer was replaced by sound of a little girl giggling as it echoed through the corridor, Naruko turned her head to see where the sound was coming from… A little girl standing at the intersection ahead in a white dress holding a teddy bear, unafraid of the death around her. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko began to approach the little girl, but the girl quickly ran off down the corridor towards the darkness. Naruko began to run trying to catch up to the girl, only to find when she turned the corner to see a forcefield blocking the vacuum of space. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A weak almost near death voice echoed in the opposite direction from where the girl came from saying over and over again “Naruko… Naruko…” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko instantly recognized the voice as she called out “Daddy!” With zeal she made her way down the corridor following the voice as it got louder and louder. She came to a halt as she recognized the cabin of her father’s on the Roosevelt. She looked in horror as she saw her father was being consumed by a Borg like machine. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Help me Naruko… Help me” he said in pain. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko took a step forward, but only to be thrown to the ground by a forcefield, as she came back to her senses from the quick jolt of electricity… the room now filled with the giggles of the little girl. She watched as the girl walked towards the door way, puzzled as how she got there after her disappearing act on the other side of the corridor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The little girl gave Naruko an odd expression as if she was curious to see Naruko, or that she knew her “Don’t be scared… father is ok.” said the girl as she gave a smile trying to comfort Naruko. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko began to look around her, as the sound of metal tearing began to echo through the walls of the ship . . . getting louder, and louder. As she turned her head towards her father again, she watched in terror as the hull of the ship broke apart. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Daddy!” she cried out as she jumped up in her bed. | ||
---- | ---- | ||
< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | Nestled safely within the blanket of space proclaimed the property of the Romulan Star Empire, a lonely private yacht - adrift upon cursory inspection - resonated with the exotic harmony and melody of Terran music. Within the confines of this darkened and unremarkable vessel lurked three equally darkened and unremarkable humanoids - at least, once more, upon cursory inspection. As with many things throughout the galaxy, though, little truth can be drawn from such simplistic and vague examinations of only the surface details. By peering deeper than the surface, though, one can discover more than the most obvious. As is such with this particular situation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The first individual of the trio is a bald, lumbering, heavy-set male seated opposite a narrow viewscreen, watching the images upon it, his mouth receiving the only form of exercise he has likely seen in far too many years. Though it would be easy to conclude he is content and perhaps even enjoying himself from the surface, only by delving into his relatively simplistic psyche can one understand that this is not contentment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The second individual is perhaps as much the opposite from the first as is possible. Laying upon a lavishly plush bed, engulfed by curtains and tapestries, her rapt attention is focused upon herself, or more precisely, the reflection of herself in the mirror grasped in her right hand. Tending to her full head of flowing red-brown hair, admiring her agile, graceful, and properly trim physique, her only distractions are her own selfish preoccupations of vanity. Though in fairness, she does give fleeting moments of consideration to the third individual' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The third individual is considerably unlike the other two. Though he shares some basic traits - vanity, selfishness, | ||
+ | |||
+ | None of these facets of individual personalities, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The first of which is their species, which is rather uncommon outside of certain circles and certainly this deep into the firm grasp of the Romulan' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The second of which is their affiliations to a specific organization of less-than-reputable status in the highly moral and respectable levels of existence - the Syndicate of the same name as their race. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Finally, the third of which is their identities, or to be more specific the identity of one of them, the third individual - Keevan Faro, perhaps the most notorious individual of the upper rung of the previously mentioned organization. At least, since his indictment six months prior at the hands of both the United Federation of Planets, and the local authorities of New Sydney. | ||
+ | |||
+ | This revelation also answers your next question, which is, why oh why is someone with no doubt a significant amount of power and influence, less the scrupulous as it may be, sitting adrift and virtually alone in a private yacht in the cold dark depths of the outer fringe of the Romulan Star Empire? If however, you're more like the first individual - you remember, the overweight and undereducated one? - I'll spell it out for you. Our dear Mister Faro, influential as he may be, is amongst the ranks of the galaxies most wanted. By which of course I mean that he is a fugitive from the properly adorned keepers of peace and justice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In truth, he had never before given much consideration to said properly adorned keepers of peace and justice. In the past, whenever someone with so much as a passing affiliation with such authorities came within a parsec of himself, he simply ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "At least, for the time being," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Did you say something, my love?" asked the second individual - Seya, Faro's long-time mistress and companion - as she lay upside down on the satin sheets covering the palatial bed. Faro, for his part, had to stifle his simmering temper at the sound of her voice upon his ears. While he did care for Seya, at times like these when his mind was focused on more important matters, he wanted little else than to extricate himself from her. 'Or perhaps her from an airlock . . . ' he thought to himself, an indulgent smile forming on his lips at the sinister thought. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No, my dear, nothing," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yeah, but," Zerik replied as he swallowed, "this is funny." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So watch it from the bridge!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Aww, but I can' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You bumbling fool! Are you insane as well as stupid!?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oww! Boss! Make her stop! Ouch! Seya!" protested Zerik, who ineptly defended himself despite his capability to deftly do so. Stupid as he may appear, he knew enough to not fight back against his superior' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Faro, for his part, had turned his attention away from his oafish assistant and towards the viewscreen, as a rather repulsive Tellarite gave commentary to a video clip that consumed most of the screen. Inserted over the video, which showed a group of Terrans entering some sort of court, was a headline that read: " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " . . . One question that remains unanswered is the identity of one of those being charged," | ||
+ | |||
+ | For a few moments, Keevan Faro felt more rage and hate, more contempt and volatile anger, than he had ever before felt in his ninety-four years. Even word of his indictment by the Federation and New Sydney authorities, | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Faro for his part did not reply to Seya's questioning tone, but instead began to do something considerably unexpected - laugh. Hysterically, | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Once more Faro said nothing, instead, he simply stepped to the side of the viewscreen and turned to face his companions. Blood seeped from a number of small cuts on the hand that had held the dagger, but he didn't seem to notice. As Seya drew her attention from him to the viewscreen, she finally realized why with a gasp that was soon followed by a scornful glare. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It all makes sense," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What does?" Zerik asked brainlessly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The indictment! The evidence! How he managed to escape and disappear and survive all this time, long after we eliminated everyone else in my employ who fled New Sydney afterwards! Even how he managed to infiltrate the Syndicate and get as close to me as he did!" Faro shouted, so many pieces of so many puzzles coming together within the confines of his mind. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Uhh . . . " came the dense and dim reply of Zerik, who clearly hadn't put the pieces together as well or as quickly as Keevan had. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It all makes sense now," he said, sitting down on the table across from Zerik, as he allowed Seya to tend to his wounded hand. "We knew someone had betrayed the Syndicate, but we didn't know who because so many of our lesser involved associates fled after word of the indictment. We eliminated everyone but that card shark and smuggler, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and when we heard about his ship being found adrift near Tholian space a few weeks later, everyone presumed he was dead, too." Faro explained to his half-witted friend. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I don't understand how he got so close, though," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Not that we know of," Faro replied, a distant, distracted look in his eyes, as his mind theorized potential scenarios and possibilities. Finally, one occurred to him, " . . . Bilby." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So he's just some peta'Q regular officer? No formal training?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "He has to be," Faro replied, ignoring his own annoyance at the prospect of having been so well duped by someone without proper training or experience "Just a regular officer . . . " Faro repeated, a plan suddenly forming in his mind, " . . . a regular officer, whose exact location, we now know." Faro said, the same sinister smile as earlier forming over his face. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Which means we can . . . ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You know," Seya began as Zerik departed, "we have some time, it'll take us days to get to the expanse . . . I wonder what we could do until then?" she said, seductively inferring her own thoughts. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "True, but I feel . . . stimulated. It's not every day, after all, that you find yourself so well blessed with knowledge as this." he explained. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What in the galaxy would you want to compose at this particular moment?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "For Hawthorne? What could you compose to fit him?" Seya questioned as she found the padd in question and offered it to Faro. | ||
+ | "A Requiem, my dear," Faro replied, as he accepted the padd, "A requiem for all our troubles . . . " | ||
---- | ---- | ||
< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | **Location: Corridor section beta-6, deck 12, USS Republic** | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Damn, I'm happy to be in sickbay again!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We know," Leon smiled with amusement, choking back a sly comment. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "At least you have some bridge experience now," Yezbeck commented. "Think you're ready for command school?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Harris laughed out loud. "I think that's way down the road for me. Besides, I wouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon gave her a raised eyebrow, surprised that a woman with her leadership talents would be worried about insulting him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | **Location: Main sickbay, deck 12, USS Republic** | ||
+ | |||
+ | In sickbay, there' | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the grey-haired Doctor Eliza Fernmoore stood at the main ward nurse' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Within moments, a whisper sounded where a holographic human figure appeared in a blue Starfleet uniform. The black curly hair and blue eyes were not a mystery to most people who saw it, as the computer-generated automaton bore the face of the famous Doctor Bashir from Deep Space Nine. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No emergency," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I understand." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Now, I'm going to download this first file into your . . ." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Horizontal lines of static began to dance across the hologram' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh no," Eliza said with disappointment. "Not again." | ||
+ | |||
+ | At about the same moment, the main doors to sickbay opened, and the trio of head doctors walked into the ward engaged in conversation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "That reminds me," Doctor Cromwell said to Harris. "The hearing is in two hours. Are you going to join me on the observation floor?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Shannon shook her head. "I just can't, Leon. If John's going to be taken into custody, I don't want to watch it. His pride and dignity are too important to me." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Come on," the chief doctor replied with annoyance. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "How about you, Saal?" Leon turned to Doctor Yezbeck. "You want to join me?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No can do, boss," he replied. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Saal and Shannon walked out the door together, Leon looked across the room at Doctor Fernmoore. She appeared frustrated while she worked the computer at the nurse' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "That IS a problem," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Just a software upgrade," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes doctor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Doctor Cromwell headed for the door, he called out and said, "If you need me, I'll be at the hearing." | ||
+ | |||
+ | When the door closed after Leon, the whisper of an activating hologram sounded once again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | **Location: Captain' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "95% efficiency is nothing short of a small miracle." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Okay, anyone." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well Commander, about him . . . you're going to need a lot of patience," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I recon I know who you mean." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "As you know Lieutenant Hawk has had a difficult period. We're hoping to help him adjust." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No worries, captain. He and I have spoken a few times. Someone the likes of Nate Hawk isn't capable of getting my goose," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Captain Roth was amused and more than a little incredulous at the blind faith of her Chief Engineer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Roth tried to protect him from future embarrassment. "You wouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Roth admired his leadership skills. It wasn't going to be a walk in the park and he knew it. She handed him a padd detailing Hawk's recent activities. "This report doesn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | As he read it his calm expression occasionally broke into one of surprise. When he was finished he coolly returned the padd to the captain. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Care to recant?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Burke now seemed a little more subdued. "No, Captain, that's the story I'm sticking with. For better or worse." | ||
---- | ---- | ||
< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | **Location: Conference room 6, Starbase 39 Sierra** | ||
+ | |||
+ | Judge Robert Phillip Wade entered the lounge, his black robe surrounding him like a wraith-like skin. He’d always been curious that of all the traditions associated with his office, this one was the one that was still held to the strictest. Seated around the room were the players in the drama about to unfold. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A tall, dark Vulcan sat at the defense table. Wade had always found Vulcans to be a bit intense but they rarely made mistakes and never had emotional outbursts. A thin Human dressed in a well-made dark suit sat at the prosecution table, and ran his finger along his eyebrow, in a gesture of vanity or nervous habit. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “All rise,” interrupted the Bailiff, the only person in the room of Starfleet personnel, dressed in uniform. “The People vs. The Honorable Robert Phillip Wade, presiding.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | The entire room rose to their feet, the defendants standing at attention. The prosecutor stood alone, a sly smile on his face. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Be seated,” spoke Wade, his clear tenor taking command of the room. “Just to clarify this is just a preliminary hearing. The prosecution is here to present its case and evidence. The defense will then present its case. I needn’t remind you that this is a Federation court and the typical methods applied through Starfleet will not be used. With that said, I expect professionalism and courtesy throughout this hearing.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade watched the players, trying to read them, trying to gain insight on those in his court. He knew his methods were a bit odd but they served him well. In a preliminary hearing a lot depended on the people involved. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok, the defense council, sat calmly, no sign of anxiety or tension. Of the rest of the defendants, they seemed a mixed group, it was easy to determine who were the Starfleet personnel, despite the lack of uniforms. For the most part, they remained calm and at ease. The civilians amongst them; the colonists of Cestus III, had looks of worry and concern. All that is, but one. Arthur Cromwell had the look of a once proud man, now filled with some sadness. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you, your honor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "This is a case of individuals wielding the power of both their occupational positions and mob rule to take the law into their own hands to the detriment of civilized society." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole walked in front of the prosecutor table and immediately took center stage of the court, using hand-gestures and subtle yet dramatic poses to accentuate his statements. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No doubt," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Spreading his arms in the direction of the defense table, Cole identified those he accused. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole turned on his heel and continued to pace in the other direction. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Their murderous acts caused the death of several hundred Gorn soldiers, who in their culture, saw the heinous crime as an escalation of combat that invoked 'First Blood' -- the Gorn axiom wherein, if confrontation crosses the threshold into loss of life, then complete and total war can be declared where any individual of either side has been slain. If Shadowforce had not killed those soldiers, the Gorns would never have slaughtered any citizen of Cestus Three.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole waited a moment, sure that he had the judge’s attention, then continued. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sitting in on the proceedings as an observer, Leon Cromwell felt his heart begin to sink as he heard the mountain of charges leveled against his crewmates. As Leon listened intently, Cole continued his oration. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "For the crimes of second degree murder, treason, reckless endangerment of Federation lives, conspiracy to commit an unlawful act, and tampering of public property, we seek life imprisonment for Arthur Cromwell, Jonathan Carter, and Victor Virtus. In addition, due to being willful accessories to these crimes, the prosecution seeks the minimum of a twenty-year imprisonment for Nathanial Hawk, Douglas Forrest, Weyland Hirsch, Chester ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole turned again to face the judge with an almost predatory sneer. “We will defer to the court’s judgment on whether other individuals should be charged, such as the security and engineering crew of the Republic, as well as the Hazard Team that accompanied Mister Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Cole finished his statement, he looked to the defense table with a very stern and sober expression before looking back to Judge Wade. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | He cast one more glance at the Tuvok and the defendants as he returned to his seat at the prosecution table. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Cole sat, Judge Wade looked on to Tuvok who would represent the defense. “You may proceed, Mister Tuvok.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | With measured, Vulcan precision, Tuvok rose to his feet, his dark Vulcan robes a stark contrast to the business-like attire that the rest of the defendants wore. “Thank you, Your Honor,” he bowed slightly. “The defense does not dispute any of the events that Mister Cole has just characterized so... colorfully. Those events did indeed occur.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | From Tuvok’s right, the voice of Nat Hawk interrupted the Vulcan’s remarks. “Jeezus, c’mander! I thought you were on our side! Why don’t y’all just give ‘em the rope?” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Immediately, | ||
+ | |||
+ | “As you wish judge.” Tuvok answered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The judge meanwhile, looked straight at Nat Hawk. “And Mister Hawk. I don’t care if this is only a hearing. You will NOT interrupt these proceedings again, or I will find you in contempt. Is that clear, Mister Hawk?” From Wade’s expression, his last words were more statement than question. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Crystal, yer Honor, sir.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | On the bench, Wade rolled his eyes then waved a hand in front of himself. “Proceed Mister Tuvok.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Vulcan cleared his throat. “As I said. The facts of the case are not in dispute. The colony of Cestus Three was invaded by forces of the Gorn Hegemony. Members of the colony did use force against their occupiers, and Mister Carter as well as the rest of his away team were present on the planet surface.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok paused briefly, for while he was a Vulcan, and trained to conceal his emotions, Tuvok was also a keen student of human nature, and understood the usefulness of theater to sway an observers opinion. “However, the defense will demonstrate that there were other forces at work of which Mister Cromwell and his civilian comrades as well as Mister Carter and his teams were unaware. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Said forces did in fact willfully break the Treaty of Metron, causing the loss of the colony, and also caused a catastrophic breakdown in the chain of command onboard the starship Republic, that left my clients not as gleeful murderers bent on revenge, or jealous cowboys looking to tarnish a man’s reputation, as the prosecution would have you believe. Instead the defense will demonstrate that my clients did in fact use every means at their disposal to uphold the laws of the United Federation of Planets. Misters Cromwell, Carter and Virtus, along with the rest of the defendants in fact worked to save not only the colonists of Cestus Three, but also the nine hundred forty-seven souls, both Starfleet and civilian onboard the starship Republic. | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Your honor. My clients regret the loss of life that circumstances forced them to witness. But more than that, they regret that the power of one organization has grown so much that it saw the citizens of Cestus three not as members of the United Federation of Planets, but as pawns in a mysterious and illegal power-grab that would have used the men, women and children on the colony as well as Republic as so much grist for the mill. Faced with such injustice and overwhelming circumstance, | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you your honor. The state calls Miss Lindsey Davenport to the stand as a hostile witness." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Biting her lower lip, and a determined look in her eye, Lindsey swallowed as she stood up and made her way to the witness stand. As she approached, Puruves, the young black haired paralegal who accompanied the judge from Earth, stood up with a leather-bound copy of the Federation constitution. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Raise your right arm," he beckoned. As she complied, Peruves recited the well-rehearsed line that he had spoken countless times. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Under penalty of perjury, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I do." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Miss Davenport," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I see. Then you would say that you are very close to him?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I would." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Have you ever known Mister Cromwell to lose his temper?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Your honor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, " she said reluctantly with a cold stare at the prosecutor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Would you say he has a pattern of losing his temper under extreme circumstances?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Then perhaps I can show you." Walking to the prosecution table, Cole picked up a PADD and began to read it out loud to the court. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The state would like to present exhibit A, the police record and public minutes from various meetings of the Cestus Colony council forum. Two years ago, Mister Cromwell was arrested and later released for disorderly conduct at a local tavern. The dispute dealt with a bar patron who rebuffed and insulted the defendant regarding Starfleet' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Looking back towards Lindsey, Cole remarked, "from the evidence, Miss Davenport, I'd say that Mister Cromwell has a history of not only losing his temper, but forcing aside other peoples' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But you don't understand!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But . . ." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No more questions your honor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Judge Wade looked cautiously to the Defense' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The dark skinned Vulcan rose and looked for a while toward Lins, who fidgeted slightly in the witness box. "Thank you Your Honor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade nodded. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lins nodded and quickly slipped out of the box to seat herself back in the gallery. Before she was even seated, Cole stood again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The state would like to call to the witness stand, Arthur Cromwell, as a hostile witness." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Would you please tell the court what happened on the first evening of the Gorn invasion?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I was at home with my wife. The next thing I knew, the Gorns were performing tactical strikes on government buildings. After they took our government officials hostage of course." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I see", Cole nodded pacing slowly in front of Cromwell. "So they just rained down destruction from orbit, with no warning what-so-ever?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "They transmitted a surrender order over all communications frequencies." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But isn't it true that the order to surrender came well BEFORE any seizure of land by the Gorn forces?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cromwell looked petulant in the box, almost like a pouting child. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole stopped, with his eyes fixed on Cromwell' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Go to Hell." Crowell cursed, just under his breath. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok shot to his feet, but there was little emotion in his voice. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade nodded. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole nodded. "Of course, your Honor. I'll re-phrase." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade nodded again. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the gallery, Nat Hawk elbowed Carter. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole stepped back to the table for the prosecution and picked up an isolinear chip. "The prosecution would like to enter People' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole looked over his shoulder at the frustrated Cromwell. "Do you recall now, Mister Cromwell?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Again, Tuvok shot to his feet. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade nodded again. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ever respectful, Cole nodded. "Of course, your Honor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I sent my wife and daughter to the mountain caves where others were gathering." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We had no idea what the Gorns were up to. They could have been executing people in those camps." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So, instead of finding out for yourself, you sent your family away and went on the offensive?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And exactly how did you keep them from taking your home?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "When they came to haul me away, I considered it a violation of trespassing laws and defended my home." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok remained motionless for the moment…content to let the conversation play out. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I know what I meant!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And then?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And then," Arthur proudly stated. "When they refused to go away, I made sure they wouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And exactly how did you ensure that?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I destroyed my home." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You certainly did, Mister Cromwell." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Arthur crossed his arms. "I chose to exercise my rights under section ten of the Articles of Federation." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok nodded his head slowly, happy that Arthur listened during the pre-trial meeting. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I was protecting my home." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh, were you?" Cole spun around to face Arthur. "And exactly what did you do that brought the Gorns to you home?" The elder Cromwell did not respond and only glared at the counsel. "Well, Mister Cromwell?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You can't bait me like I was a school boy. I refuse to answer that question." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole pressed a button on his PADD, and the court' | ||
+ | |||
+ | //" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Whispers were shared among the observation floor where Leon closed his eyes in disbelief. The sudden revelation brought surprise to the face of the defendants, but their counsel remained calm and confident, as any Vulcan would. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the gallery, Nat Hawk was somewhat less sedate. "Aw, frinx!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The prosecution submits that Mister Cromwell, in a pre-meditated assassination plan, lured the Gorn to his home and brutally slaughtered them with a substance that was obtained under false pretenses." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Marching back towards the prosecution table, Cole concluded his interrogation of Arthur. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No more questions, your honor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade noted the look of smug satisfaction on Cole's face as the prosecutor sat down. Maintaining the decorum he thought any judge should project he simply turned his head to address Tuvok. "Your witness counselor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | With practiced calm and focus, Tuvok rose. "Thank you, your honor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cromwell nodded. "Yes, I am." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And what does that by-law state?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade snorted, annoyed. "Point taken, Mister Cole, but you really should stand when addressing the Bench. Sustained." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole nodded. "Noted your Honor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade looked at Tuvok and continued. "You may want to re-phrase that, Advocate Tuvok." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Of course." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And was there a reason you felt this justification?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And what is your understanding of that law?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The question has direct bearing on my client' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade almost chuckled. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The law gives me the right to defend my home using whatever force I deem necessary." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok nodded. "The defendant is essentially correct. By-law 1789 states that in the absence of Starfleet, or any other duly appointed protective organization, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade cleared his throat. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you, your Honor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I thought it was an invasion. I thought we were at war." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Just as you should have." Tuvok intoned. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Not as far as we knew. That's why several citizens of the colony decided to form Shadow Force." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And just what is Shadow Force, Mister Cromwell, for the record." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Well, for the record," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok turned his attention to Judge Wade, "In full compliance with statute 1789." The Vulcan counsel then turned and stepped calmly back to his table. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade smiled, not necessarily pleased with the direction of the trial, but more-so because the trial was going to be an exercise in fine litigation on both sides. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Arthur Cromwell stepped from the witness box, Wade slammed his archaic gavel on the bench top. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the room began to clear, Nat Hawk stood and looked at Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nat had expected a response to come from John Carter, likely in the form of some sort of brush off or grim comment, in response to his semi-casual, | ||
+ | |||
+ | In this case though it was neither here nor there, as the two words in response had come from someone Nat had never before seen. He knew this for sure because he knew himself, and knew that if he had seen this particular someone at any point in his life prior, he most surely would remember either the best sex he had ever had or the worst rejection-caused hangover he'd ever had. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "May we help you?" queried Tuvok, a subtle hint of caution in his tone. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Ah, alright, then this is for you," she said, offering the padd. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Accepting it, Carter found it's contents encrypted - albeit at only security level four, which every non-com from here to Rigel 7 had. Entering his own code, Carter then examined the contents of the document. Hawk watched as his expression altered slightly, going from tense and cautious as it had been for days, to adding a splash of all out irritation. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You said it," the stranger - Warner - replied in agreement. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You Voyager people don't know how to do anything the easy way, do you?" Carter prompted Tuvok. Hawk could tell Carter had meant the remark to be fairly light-hearted, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I beg your pardon, Commander?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Never mind," he said, shaking his head. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I thought we ain't s' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Who told you that?" Warner asked of Hawk. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I did." Tuvok replied, "In my role as legal counsel. It would seem, however, that Admiral Janeway has other . . . ideas." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You mean she didn't even consult you?" Carter asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I have found the Admiral rarely . . . consults . . . when she knows the probable response will be in the negative." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So, wait, ya don't know her?" Hawk asked Carter, "I mean, you two ain't ole pals 'er somethin'?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No, Hawk, we don't know each other." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh, well then," Hawk said, promptly shifting gears, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Warner, for her part, smiled, holding back a laugh as she did, "You must be the Hawk I've heard so much about," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oooh, ya mean somebody' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So to speak," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Like a deer in the headlights, Hawk stopped in his tracks, "Not a reporter friend, I hope?" he asked, hesitantly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Do I even want to know?" he asked of Warner. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yeah, yeah, yuck it up," Hawk said, "thems was tough times, the war n'all, ain't ma fault." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh, so, womanizing and jumping from bunk-to-bunk at warp speeds is all the wars fault?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Ya even know the stats on a fighter pilots survival rate?" Hawk asked her, at this point getting a little pissed off. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Fine, then why don't you show our guest to her quarters?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I could make it an order," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Aww hell," Hawk grumbled, rolling his eyes, "I hate you," he said to Carter as he headed for the door. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | After a long and silent ride upwards through the station via turbolift, Hawk lead the way onto the stations main Promenade, enjoying seeing the starscape after four minutes of turbolift running lights passing by - or rather being passed by. He had planned to stop off for a meal, or at least a drink, but now that was out of the question. He was just about resigned to his fate of spending the next hour locating, assigning, and escorting their newest arrival to quarters when a familiar diamond-like shape caught his eyes out the window. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Hawk to Delta Flyer," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Paris here," came the reply. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Where ya off ta in such a hurry?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Got room fer one more?" Hawk asked, eagerly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Naw, I've been reduced to cargo hauling," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Stand by then," Paris said. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Hell ya are," Hawk shot back. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "This is what I'm here for, Lieutenant," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Hawk gave her a stern look, before smiling ear-to-ear, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Paris to Hawk, I've got the all clear from your Captain, ready for transport." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Make that two ta beam up, Tom," Hawk replied. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "A friend a Admiral Janeway' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " . . . O . . . K . . . " came Paris' reply. | ||
+ | Before another word could be exchanged, the station' | ||
---- | ---- | ||
< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | **Location: "The Lazy Susan", | ||
+ | The quiet hum of conversation mixed with the occasional chime of cutlery hovered within the atmosphere of the casual eatery. Although a central circular bar hosted a few restaurant patrons, the rest of the hall contained tables and booths at which a major percentage of customers sat dining amongst themselves. One such corner booth was occupied by a lone guest who sat reading a PADD and enjoying a small plate of potato pancakes. He wore a Starfleet lieutenant commander' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Saal stopped eating in mid-chew, and slowly turned his eyes to the newcomer. His face bore the expression of a man who had heard a joke one to many times, and was becoming quite tired of it. As the doctor swallowed his last bite, he replied to his new companion. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I switched branches a long time ago," Yezbeck answered him. "You can call me by my real name, you know." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And there' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, but I am," came the sly response. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What do you want?" the doctor chose to cut to the chase. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I thought I'd fill you in on the Gorn poison you discovered in James Marshall' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Dropping his PADD on the table, Saal's expression changed to annoyance as he put down his fork. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You should know," the mystery man replied. "The asynchronous isomerism of the poison was more complex than any ever encountered." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So? It's still a medical issue. Not an intelligence issue." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "On the contrary. The poison has more than a medical curiosity surrounding it." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I don't know," Saal retorted. "Fifty three permutations makes it a pretty interesting toxicology project." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Try four-hundred and thirty-six," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Once Starfleet Medical pegged down the biochemistry behind it, they realized it had implications reaching far beyond their expertise and handed the issue over to us. It turns out that the Gorns didn't make it." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Then who did?" Saal questioned him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The doctor' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, but they' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Why would they make such a toxic bio-weapon? It's not only against Federation law, but violates their own cultural edicts." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "How much do you know about Kafarian history?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well then, what do you know about the Xindi?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | With a furrow developing in his forehead, the doctor looked upward in thought before answering. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The humanoid race in the Azati Sector? What do they have to do with the Kafarians?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I see you never paid attention in your academy history classes." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You lost me," Saal sighed in frustration. "Where do the Kafarians fit into all this?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The original six Xindi species were humanoid, hominid, aquatic, avian, reptilian, and insectoid. The avians were wiped out in the first Xindi civil war, and the reptilians became extinct in the second Xindi civil war, but not before the populations of the aquatics and the insectoids were reduced to only a few thousand members. The humanoids, hominids, and aquatics formed a coalition in the civil war, and became the victors after the reptilians were destroyed. The aquatic species migrated rimward and eventually settled on Pacifica. The aggressive insectoids, as allies of the now extinct reptilians, nearly met the same fate as them if it were not for a small colony on a barren planetoid in the Azati Sector." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "From the sound of it," Saal remarked. "You seem to be implying that these ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And, we've uncovered evidence that the population of a small community on Kafaria may have somehow genetically regressed back to their aggressive Xindi roots." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So, why don't you guys just storm in and quarantine the community?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We tried, but when the spec ops troops arrived, the community had deserted. Intelligence indicates that they went off-planet in an Orion cargo vessel. The poison you discovered got into Gorn hands through the black market. We shutter to think who else may have acquired the stuff." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You blew it," Doctor Yezbeck remarked without changing his expression. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The face of the mysterious man switched to a humble appearance, and the bushy gray eyebrows rose in bereavement while he looked to the floor. It was apparent that he agreed with Saal, but did not want to respond. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So what does this have to do with me?" Saal asked after a moment of silence. "I don't work for you anymore." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And how do you know this?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | With a smile, the intelligence officer replied, "the Republic has some links to the Orions that you, nor anyone else aboard, know of at the moment." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Care to share how you know this?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So why are we here talking to one another?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You don't seem too worried about that." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Looking at his watch, the intel operative replied, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You keep my medical colleagues out of this," Saal said with irritation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I told you," Saal reminded the man. "I don't work for you anymore." | ||
+ | |||
+ | With a smile and a wink, he replied, "I know." | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the secretive individual left the booth, Saal shook his head muttering, " | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | **Location: Turbolift shaft 7-L, USS Republic** | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the junior officer rode the turbolift alone, he paced a circle along the perimeter in disgust. As normal, his rough, uncombed hair gave him the appearance of a newly-wakened cadet back at the academy, and if it were not for the gold operations-colored collar on his uniform that sported a lieutenant junior-grade rank, the youthful appearance on his face would suggest as such. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Although Klaus originally joined the Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | When the operations department had its officers reassigned upon arriving at 39-Sierra, Klaus saw an opportunity to regain his lost prestige when he found himself the only officer among almost one hundred enlisted operations personnel. Surely Captain Marshall' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Then SHE came along . . . | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Klaus stepped off the turbolift, he approached the corridor section that hosted the operations main office. There were uniformed engineering personnel huddled around the door, and as the lieutenant approached, he noticed that they were putting the finishing touches on the office door. The horizontal brown ID lines located three-fourths the way up from the bottom of the entrance were altered: | ||
+ | |||
+ | **0827: CHIEF OF OPERATIONS\\ | ||
+ | ENSIGN NARUKO KUGA** | ||
+ | |||
+ | Klaus sneered in contempt at the change. Thomas Sullivan' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko was standing behind her new desk hovering over an open box from where she was unloading various business articles along with personal items to decorate her new workplace. Lieutenant Klaus came to a stop in from of the desk with a look of irritation on his face, and as the two officers faced one another, the poorly-groomed lieutenant spoke with condescension in his voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Naruko finished placing the last item out of her box and on to the desk she gave an odd look towards the Lieutenant in front of her. "Have a seat." she said motioning to the chair beside him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Klaus, in his irritation, looked at the seat and hesitated. His disdain for the ops chief grew after entering the room, especially after seeing just how young Naruko was. | ||
+ | |||
+ | 'Have a seat'? he thought with a shiver of anger washing over his spine. It was him who should have been on the other side of that desk according to Klaus' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Although in truth, there was no negative energy emanating from the ensign, but Lieutenant Klaus' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Trying to sound pleasant as possible, "I would appreciate the next time you address me please called me sir or ma'am, not . . . Ensign." | ||
+ | |||
+ | 'So she IS mocking me!' Klaus thought with a sneer. Captain Roth had already talked him down in her office, and he now saw Kuga as adding salt to the wound. They were both against him, trying to get him to request a reassignment. The hatred he was generating wafted across his mind, and although his attitude to both the ensign and his new captain reached an all-time low, he refused to give in to what he perceived as their collective goal. Swallowing his pride, he resolved to finally sit in the chair keeping careful eye on the ensign. 'They WON'T succeed!' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No complaints," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko could already feel the plots of her destruction around her from Klaus, "Right now on the duty roster for operation, we're currently the only two officers fit to run this department. I'm not going to lie to you, that this is my first actual experience at being head of operations, so I will be relying on your expertise for awhile." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Of course," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Naruko wanted to return the smile, but she began to get more scared by Klaus, feeling as if she had fallen into the mirror universe. "By the wishes of the Captain that I do not place you as assistant of chief operations, which I can somewhat understand from your recent history on the Republic." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Klaus nearly exploded. 'TRUE Starfleet officer?' | ||
+ | |||
+ | 'She wasn't there!' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nearly gasping, Klaus' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | 'My chance will come,' Klaus thought to calm him. 'She won't last long here . . . not long at all . . . ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I would gladly take up any duty that may serve to help you overlook my past behavior." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | A snort that turned to a soft cough overwhelmed the lieutenant as he beamed a dagger-filled gaze at the ensign. The sensor lab was the most obscure and perhaps most inconsequential leadership position in the Operations department, and there was certainly no prestige in it. Slowly standing up, Klaus felt the nagging need to vacate the office before he said anything that would land him in the brig. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "If that's all," he managed to say through gritted teeth. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
---- | ---- | ||
< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | " | ||
+ | Leon Cromwell was sitting in his quarters with shoes off and feet up on a footrest as he watched the news of the hearing recorded earlier in the day. The viewscreen flickered alive with images of the defendants coming out of the courtroom, and the flock of observers in the background holding signs that read "Gorns Go Home," " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "As you can hear from behind us, they have gained quite a crowd of supporters, mostly young adults from various university campuses in nearby star systems. The defense claimed they were following Federation by-law 1789 which states any citizen has the right to defend their home, absence of Starfleet or any other duly appointed protective organization, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "As the hearing reconvenes tomorrow morning, Galactic News Network will be there to bring you all the details . . . | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | As he walked along the corridors in deck eight, Leon could not help to notice a group of three engineers gathered in front of a door. It had formerly belonged to Counselor B' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Watching the engineers, Leon could tell that they were finishing up with changing the stenciling on the door. Gathering their equipment, the trio of technicians paid the doctor no mind as they walked away down the to the turbolift. Without another glace, Leon turned his attention to the horizontal brown identification stripe located three-fourth' | ||
+ | |||
+ | **0872: SHIP'S COUNSELOR\\ | ||
+ | LT CMDR REITTAN TOLKATH** | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Must be our new counselor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon shook his head. "They can get their own guide," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Counselor Tolkath looked over his office. A sense of uneasiness lingered, but with all the chaos on the starbase and aboard the starship he couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The doctor walked in, almost hesitantly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Reittan sensed a complex cascade of emotion emanating from the visitor. "Ah, Doctor Cromwell. What can I do for you?" Counselor Tolkath asked as he greeted his guest with a warm smile. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon blinked. For a brief moment, he questioned himself on how this stranger knew who he was, but before saying anything, he answered his own question. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I don't know if you've had anyone formally greet you," Leon began. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No, I've only the chance to report into the Captain," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, in that case, let me be the first." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Taking Cromwell' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We haven' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you Doctor Cromwell. You will have to excuse the clutter." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you," he replied, sliding into the chair in front of Reittan' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Do you have Vulcan ancestry?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Reittan smiled; a hint of pride swelled within him. "My paternal grandfather is Vulcan." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I had a Vulcan doctor in sickbay, recently," | ||
+ | |||
+ | The sorrow that Reittan had sensed earlier from Doctor Cromwell was beginning to become stifling. He sensed this wasn't the only loss that this good doctor had experienced, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No, it wasn't easy. But then, this ship has lost a lot of good people during the past year. Including a captain. Overall, though, I'd say the crew has handled it well." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sensing something inside the doctor wanted desperately to talk; the Counselor decided to continue. "So, tell me a little about yourself. How did you get involved in Starfleet?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | At the mention of the war the counselor felt a surge of emotion against the barrier that had been so painstakingly been erected in Leon. "So you were involved in the Dominion war?" Reittan inquired intent on tearing down Leon's barriers that were long overdue for demolition. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, that's right," | ||
+ | |||
+ | At this point Leon's subconscious cries for help were almost deafening to Reittan' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon felt a sense of nervousness rising in his stomach. Not towards Reittan, but towards the subject they were discussing. The doctor had talked about his experience in the Dominion war dozens of times, but never had he felt like this. It was as though his fear and anxiety about the war, which he had worked years to suppress, were rising within him. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his head. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The doctor paused in confusion. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Suddenly, his throat tightened, and tears welled in his eyes. Leon thought that the pain of those days had long since subsided, but the anguish he now felt as fresh as if it had happened yesterday. With the sound of blood rushing past his ears, he grasped the armrests of his chair in attempts to hold back his tears. Moments passed where Leon worked to control his breathing, and as he did so, heard Reittan' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon sat in the chair with a surprised expression, as if someone or something reached deep into the emotional recesses of his mind and brought to the surface the merest fraction of his life's pain. As it slowly receded back into the abyss of his soul, he wiped his now red, swollen eyes before looking back at the counselor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "How did you do that?" Leon whispered in amazement. "I had no idea those feelings were still with me . . . " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The doctor was impressed, to say the least. Although Leon had visited numerous counselors to work on his post-traumatic stress from the war, he had never experienced a counseling session with an empath before. It was the most unique, introspective experience he had ever had. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We all get drawn into our own life dramas at sometimes the strangest times.'" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Standing up, the doctor had a quizzical look on his face. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Reittan escorted Leon to the door, and the two shook hands. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No problem, doctor. I also look forward to the tour of the Republic. Also, make sure to schedule an appointment for our next visit." | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the door to the office closed, Leon shook his head in disbelief. Although he had not expected to show his personal side in front of a complete stranger this evening, the doctor felt as though a great weight had lifted from his shoulders. Leon proceeded down the corridor to the turbolift, feeling no need to keep his mind busy with holodeck training programs. He felt genuinely tired and no longer on edge. Deep down inside, Leon knew that tonight he would sleep well for the first time in weeks. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | Throughout the Federation, a maze of subspace relays and communication nodes float in the depths of space, carrying with them the burden of a civilization' | ||
+ | |||
+ | <WRAP center round box 80%> | ||
+ | // | ||
+ | \\ \\ | ||
+ | Priority Green-3 (low)\\ | ||
+ | To: Cmdr John Carter, U.S.S. Republic, NCC-76241\\ | ||
+ | From: Lieutenant Cmdr Victor Virtus, Sol three, SB-1\\ | ||
+ | Stardate 57806.5 | ||
+ | \\ \\ | ||
+ | Hello John, | ||
+ | \\ \\ | ||
+ | Sorry I could not write sooner. Plenty of time, just not for leisure. I hope the trial is going well. There' | ||
+ | \\ \\ | ||
+ | I apparently missed the Doc by less than an hour. I was coming in from a ' | ||
+ | \\ \\ | ||
+ | Keep an eye out for a paper on breakthroughs in warp field resonance and it's effect on matter/ | ||
+ | \\ \\ | ||
+ | I'd be happier if I could both claim full credit for the discovery, and that that had been what I was researching, | ||
+ | \\ \\ | ||
+ | Take good care of Captain Roth. She got a raw deal a few years back, as I'm sure you know. I knew her CoE in that snafu, we were at the Academy together. She knows her stuff, but there' | ||
+ | \\ \\ | ||
+ | I wish I were going with you, but what I'm working on now ' | ||
+ | \\ \\ | ||
+ | Look after the old girl for me. She's not sleek and nimble like the Valiant II, she's graceful and dangerous, like that flutist you were dating on Risa. (After the first time you decided to fly too close to a quantum singularity.) Speaking of Risa, have Burke tell you the one about the Horta and the Magnetic Flux Interpolator. I heard it second-hand from one of his old chiefs and I can remember the punchline, but not the build-up. | ||
+ | \\ \\ | ||
+ | Be careful out there John, you're a pain in the butt sometimes, but a lot of folks would really miss you. If I have to drag you through space/time again, I'll be most cross. | ||
+ | \\ \\ | ||
+ | My love to Shannon, and warmest well-wishes, | ||
+ | -Vic | ||
+ | " . . . look upwards . . . " | ||
+ | \\ \\ | ||
+ | End Transmission**// | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | **Location: Main engineering, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Space is big," Lieutenant Pakita repeated to the new ensign. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I don't understand", | ||
+ | |||
+ | Maria sighed. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Donavon pondered that, and as comprehension dawned within his eyes, Maria' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So . . . there' | ||
+ | |||
+ | . . . before plummeting to bounce off the deck plating. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You betcha Ensign. But I'm not allowed to talk about it. So mum's the word. If I hear any such nonsense in the future, I'll deny it under oath, understood?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | The ensign leaned in as well, "Aye aye, Lieutenant." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Back to work then, these engines aren't going to maintain themselves. We've got a checklist nine meters long. Both of our transporter specialists are incapacitated, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The poor ensign' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lieutenant Pakita mentally slapped her palm to her forehead, while physical nodding in agreement, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Maria winced internally, waiting to see how Donovan would react to the barrage of numbers. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes Lieutenant! Cargo Bay Two, Level 3 diagnostic, circuits 5 thru 9. Aye aye," he confirmed, nodding and heading for the turbolift. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The lanky Caribbean girl watched him go with a brief smirk, and glanced around. Finding no one within earshot, she sat down at a terminal, put her elbow on the display and let her chin rest on her fist. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
---- | ---- | ||
< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | **Location: 86th moon of Beaufort IV** | ||
+ | |||
+ | The small escape pod was almost all covered by snow, there was no chance that the transceiver array would still work tomorrow. The nights were intolerable. With life-support offline, a thermal blanket was little comfort for nights at -50 Celsius. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Hranok was meditating. Not that it was his way to deal with difficult situations, but he had nothing else to do. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "This is finally the end", he told himself. | ||
+ | |||
+ | He survived alone 3 weeks inside the wreckage of the saucer section of the Odyssey, a galaxy-class vessel trapped inside the Gamma-quadrant. He has been captured and tortured in a Dominion Prison Camp. He climbed Mt Milana on Betazed in only two weeks, with three broken ribs. But now, even after only five days, THIS is definitely too much." He knew he was in hypothermic shock, he couldn’t feel his legs. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | After he survived the destruction of 15 ships, after the war, he chose to switch from security to science. He wished that he could finish his career, happy, in an untroubled office, if possible with a window or two. He saw himself working in a lab at the Bureau of Temporal Investigation at Nairobi. When you don’t serve on a ship, there’s no chance that it’ll explode. Instead, he joined an officer exchange program with Romulus and served on the Imperial warbird Levek. He was then assigned to various Oberth-class science ships exploring temporal distortions and was chosen as Operation Officer on the most ambitious project Starfleet and the always-mysterious Temporal Bureau of Investigation even created: the U.S.S. Paladin. Hranok never thought that the project could go wrong; everything was planned and set accordingly. Now that the Paladin was destroyed, with obviously no survivors, the Temporal Bureau of Investigation would certainly close. Everything he worked for during the last three years would be destroyed . | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | **Location: Delta Flyer** | ||
+ | |||
+ | With practiced ease, Lieutenant Commander Thomas Eugene Paris, Executive Officer of the Starship Voyager under Captain Chakotay, slipped the agile shuttle of his own co-design from warp. As the stars fell relaxed back to their normal appearance, Tom felt a mixture of emotions he had felt dozens of times before since their return from the Delta Quadrant. Relief, a sense of home, a sense of wonder, and a sense of longing for the days - as hazardous as they where - when the stars where as unfamiliar as they had ever been. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Now entering the Beaufort system." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Around them, and throughout the system, chunks and metal and other miscellaneous substances drifted unnaturally between the various planetoids. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "This debris is from a Federation Starship," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh, that helps." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What is it with you pilots and dropping the inertial dampers just when your about to do loops and weaves?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Space sick, darlin'?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Only because your here." She shot back with a sarcastic smile. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "If you two love birds don't keep it down, we're liable to miss our moon." Paris interjected. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I coulda told ya that," Hawk said, remembering his first day aboard and the liquid-metal surgical suite he'd created at Cromwell' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Here we are, 86th moon of Beaufort IV." Paris announced, plowing the ship forward into the planetoids minimal atmosphere. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Who n'the hell named this system, anywho?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Scan for that transceiver, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Clumsily, not used to non-navigational sensors, Hawk complied without response. Though it took three scans, the transceivers fading signal finally came back. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Can we get a transporter lock?" Teague asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I sure hope so," Paris replied, "the Arctic looks more inviting than this place." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Just think how the survivors feel." Warner replied, unapologetically. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I just meant it'll be a lot easier if we can just beam them up, that's all." Paris replied, defensively. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "One a these days, yer gonna sass the wrong person, missy, an then yer gonna have ta fight with a lot more than words." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Knock it off, you two! We've got a job to do here!" Paris demanded. After a few quiet moments, he couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Can you get a transporter lock?" Paris asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Hawk, if you don't stop following me, you're really going to earn that nickname 'Death Wish' of yours," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Hawk? Nathan Hawk? The Nathan Hawk from the 85th Attack Squadron?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | The reporter smiled at the young pilot. "Well, once again, your reputation precedes you." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I know you?" Hawk asked, ignoring Warner' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I saved yer ass!" Hawk exclaimed with a grin. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh yeah, you did!" the Bolian agreed, coughing, but with a big smile. "That dogfight with the Cardassian raider was really something. We were talking about that for months afterward." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, now I dun saved yer ass a second time." Hawk said. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "How modest," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "A debt that I’m willing to pay with a bottle of romulan ale if you want?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Wait, you where the tactical officer on the Bismarck?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I switched to science a few years ago, after the war." he said more seriously, still suspicious about the civilian clothing she was wearing. "And you are?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Leah Warner, FNS," the woman said, not mentioning what she was doing there anyway. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "A reporter? For me? Wow, I didn't realize I was so special." | ||
+ | |||
+ | From the cockpit, Lieutenant Commander Tom Paris appeared. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Hranok knew that he would have to answer questions he didn’t want to. He needed a way out. The hypospray injected by Teague made tingle his right arm, he grimaced and kept silent for a few seconds. He was visibly trapped and needed a way to get out. "Who is Commander Claudel?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The Traffic Coordinator of the Sector and Strategic Operations officer at Starbase 39-Sierra," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "How can you be sure?" Paris asked. | ||
+ | Hranok never answered. A reporter, officers he didn’t know… the risk was too high. He just smiled and closed his eyes. He would take care everything on Sierra-39 . . . | ||
---- | ---- | ||
< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | **Location: Observation room, unit 327, residential level 1138, south complex 72B, Starbase 39 Sierra** | ||
+ | As usually, the room was dark, and the only available light came from the expansive viewport that unveiled the billions of minute points of light amongst the blackness of space. The scene was quiet. Perfectly still, save the barely noticeable twinkling of the stars and the occasional spaceship either entering or coming out of warp. This was the way Arthur Cromwell liked it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | His face had grown weary over the past week, but the first day of the hearing robbed him of sleep the previous night, and the dark circles under his eyes were yet another signatory that his mental exhaustion was at a new low. The half empty bottle of scotch sat on the window sill as Arthur stared into the stars, and like his soul, the level of the whiskey had slowly leeched away overnight in despair. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As he gazed out into the vastness of space with bloodshot eyes, Arthur' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon silently walked into the room allowing the closing door to signify his presence. More than a minute passed before his father acknowledged him, and by the fact that there was no irritable tone in his voice, it suggested a man who was at the end of his rope. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | He took another sip of whiskey from a short glass he held in his right hand. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Worse yet, I'm starting to believe them." | ||
+ | |||
+ | A knot formed in Leon's stomach as his worry for his father swelled. This was a man he had held in the highest respect as a boy, if not spite as a teenager and adult. Yet now he holds back the anguish of watching him wither into an old man whose heart has lost all hope. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Dad . . . you couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Arthur was taken aback that his son was actually defending him, especially since every domicile in the Federation was having second thoughts about his role in the incident. Still, it gave him no joy, and he only turned around to face Leon with sad, tired eyes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | He tried to take a step towards the door, but in his inebriated state, he swayed, and nearly fell down if it were not for Leon who he grabbed at the shoulder. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | **Location: Commercial Transport Liner " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Doctor V. X. Virtus drummed his fingers on the arm of the faux-leather and faux-hardwood chair in his nicely appointed but tiny cabin aboard the Seaswift Two. It'd had been an agonizingly long journey at warp three. Starfleet ships-of-the-line spoil it's crewmen with warp speeds in the five to eight range, causing a sense that anything slower was the equivalent of crawling through space dragging a Class M planet with a ninety-year old tractor beam. Comments like "would it help if I got out and pushed?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Assuming a logarithmic asymptotic warp curve, the closer one gets to warp ten, the closer one's subjective velocity gets to infinity. Thus, warp one being equal to the speed of light as measured by a stationary outside observer, warp three is several times the speed of light, and warp eight is, well, very-very fast. But the true break-throughs in warp field research are now in ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The good doctor mentally re-ran through his request to the Starfleet Corps of Engineer' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The computer chimed, and a melodic woman' | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | **Location: Counselors office, deck 8, USS Republic** | ||
+ | |||
+ | Reittan finished his dictating his notes from the doctor' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Post-traumatic stress disorders were strenuous to him. It took a great amount of energy and concentration to guide the person, understand their emotions, but not experience them. Depending on the empathic ability, to a novice the task could seem insurmountable because of the intensity of emotion tied to the ordeal. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The view-screen began flickering, coming to life on its own. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the back of his mind he heard familiar voices. Just then the door chime sounded alerting him of someone outside the door. Reittan turned his chair to face the sliding door. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Come in." he invited. | ||
+ | |||
+ | At the sound of his voice a visitor outside the door laughed, giggling like a giddy school girl. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lieutenant Commander Tolkath couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "She is not the only one here. She is just the only one who was too excited to not giggle. But can you blame a mother?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, what are we waiting for? He said come in." Jaren asked aloud to the rest of his party and took a step towards the automated door. Sensing his presence, the doors gave way with a hiss. Reittan' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "How are you, my child?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Now Grandmother, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Smiling, the matriarch of the family proudly looked over her grandson in his Starfleet uniform, began picking at it, and said jokingly, "Ooh, look who's teaching who etiquette." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Lieutenant Commander warmly embraced each member of his family. When the time for his Vulcan grandfather to receive a welcome arrived, Reittan raised his hand, separated the fingers, and stated admirably, "Live Long and Prosper." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Counselor Tolkath had learned much from his very polarized family; this polarity would save his life. His gift would return the favor, paradoxically, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Who is B' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Counselor Tolkath shook his head and the whole story unconsciously quickly cascaded through his mind " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The conversation ebbed and flowed from one topic to another. Finally Grandmother asked, "What is all this news about the trial? The air is so thick with confusion, chaos, and anxiety that you could almost cut it with a knife." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank the Four I am not the only one who feels that way." Reittan thought to himself. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No you are not." Yaxara spoke aloud unconsciously. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Reittan then spent the next hour explaining what he knew of the invasion of the Gorns. Upon the mention of Tuvok' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Did the Federation learn nothing from the Dominion invasion of Betazed? I am going to march right up there . . . " said a livid Grandmother. Her diplomatic duties had taught her to usually use candor, but because the wounds of the war were so fresh, she had forgotten all tact. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It is illogical that a man can not protect his own home . . . What does the Federation have to gain . . . " Reittan' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Jaren stood up, walked over, and leaned up against one of the Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Reittan paused a moment, then asked hesitantly, "So, what is the verdict with the amendment to the Code of Sentience? Are they going to put a provision for the usage of telepathy in a time of life or death situation?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Grandmother looked down at the pale floor. The topic was a sore one for the family. "They are still in debate." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The memory haunted Reittan; he knew he had done what he should have. After all, it was that incident and the Dominion invasion that lead him from being a Doctorate degree holding Psychologist to a Starfleet officer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It was the logical thing to do." Jaren and his father eerily chimed in at the same time. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh, I'm sure my humanity played into it, too. But, Reittan remember you saved people' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Reittan raised his eyebrow. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | With that the family headed out of the counselor' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | **Location: Room B-4, residential compartments, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Doctor Virtus looked around his modest new quarters aboard the Republic, and estimated how many steps there were between his door and Main Engineering. | ||
+ | |||
+ | <WRAP center round box 80%> | ||
+ | Step 1. Out the door turn left\\ | ||
+ | Step 2. Down the corridor into the turbolift\\ | ||
+ | Step 3. Override security permissions\\ | ||
+ | Step 4. Lift down to deck 36\\ | ||
+ | Step 5. Out the door turn right\\ | ||
+ | Step 6. Convince engineering personnel he was not a crackpot in the middle of a emergency as panels explode and people are falling from gantries and Borg are beaming in and Nat is flying beyond the tolerances of the inertial dampers while John goes EVA hand to hand with a hideous, tentacled beast to protect a beautiful unknown alien race female wearing a strangely see-through shapesuit. | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Fifty-six strides walking, four-two at a combat jog. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | A an electronic warble sounded in response to his voice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " . . . I'm home." | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | "Chief Engineer' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I haven' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Shen Baowen separated his shoulder helping to unload science equipment that had been abandoned in place. Doctor Cromwell says it looks like he'll be remaining on Starbase to recuperate. So, I set about finding a replacement Maintenance Officer. I'm pretty much decided on promoting a young woman named Rota Sonji to the post. Rota, who's been an operations manager on Farius Prime (Upsilon Andromeda) is in the same boat I was in not too long ago (5 months since I came aboard from Earth–time flies when you're having fun and realigning the warp coils!) She says she makes some strong hasperat. She also mentioned something about with azna with flaked blood fleas. I told her about my string green beans and dried onions recipe and she sounded like she was interested in an exchange. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
---- | ---- | ||
< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | **Location: Conference room 6, Starbase 39 Sierra -- " | ||
+ | Inside the confines of the conference room, Judge Wade spoke in stern tones. "All right then folks, let's get back to business shall we." He nodded toward Mister Cole who seemed eager to continue his attack on the assembled members of Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | With reptilian ease, Cole nodded. "Thank you, your Honor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | As a door to the front of the room opened, the surly Andorian, dressed in the black fatigues of the Imperial Guard of Andor, walked to the witness stand, took the pledge of truth, and dutifully sat down. | ||
+ | |||
+ | John Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next to Carter, Nat Hawk chuckled. "Jeez, Cyclops, how is it we always run into the people you pissed off?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter turned his head slightly and skewed his face into a sour scowl. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | On the floor of the conference room, Cole gave the Andorian in Intelligence black a glance. "Will you tell the court of your duty position during the events in question?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I was a security officer at the Cestus three intelligence outpost." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The outpost that is currently under investigation by the Federation Council for possible treaty violation?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok raised an eyebrow at the prosecution' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Now, I understand that that investigation is ongoing, and does not pertain to any of the charges being brought against these defendants, but can you tell me what your orders were when the Gorns began to invade Cestus three?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We were to observe only, and not interfere." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And did you?" Cole asked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Did I what?" Anathon asked with a twitch of his antenna. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No, I did not." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Are you sure?" Cole second-guessed the Andorian. "Think carefully." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I did not interfere," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The state would like to turn the court' | ||
+ | |||
+ | A bailiff pushed out a grav-cart with three similar looking black backpacks aligned next to one another. Anathon' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Now, Mister Anathon," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "If they' | ||
+ | |||
+ | A bead of sweat trickled down the side of Anathon' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole nodded his head, seeming to accept the reply. He then turned towards the defense table, making an announcement to the court. "The state submits that Mister Cromwell committed not only one offense of pre-meditated murder, but two. With the assistance of THOSE individuals." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "On the contrary," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The state would like to present exhibit F, sensor footage from a Gorn security sweep of downtown Cornucopia during the events in question. They were provided to us by the Gorn government for these proceedings." | ||
+ | |||
+ | A viewscreen to the right of the judge' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Suddenly, a loud explosion is heard in the background, and the Gorns quickly turn towards the direction of the sound. The street began to buckle all around the building, and as craters begin to form, troops, transports, and event the structure started to collapse below ground. Screams and curses sound as wisps of white smoke begin to obscure the sensor' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The screen flipped off, leaving the courtroom silent with a few whispers and an occasional sob at the shock of the scene. Even Lins shed a few tears at the defense table as Arthur, Skip, and Wey stared blankly at the now deactivated viewer. After a moment, Cole, while staring at the ceiling in thought, continued his questioning of Anathon. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Can you identify the source of the explosion, Mister Anathon? Do you know of anything that can rip through one-meter thick streets of tritainium concrete resin?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "A very power explosive substance," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Not antimatter?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No, but almost as bad," Anathon gulped, not sure of his next words. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "A military explosive . . . " the prosecutor nodded his head. "The Gorn's analysis indicated nitrate charges. Does that seem possible to you?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Somewhat surprisingly, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Is it jest me," Hawk commented again, "Or did your lawyer…" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Our lawyer, Hawk." Carter whispered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Or did YOUR lawyer skip one hell of a chance to scuttle blue-boy' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter looked on in silence, not pleased with the idea that he was agreeing with the young lieutenant. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Presenting another PADD from his briefcase at the prosecution table, Cole brought it over to Anathon at the witness stand. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "These are the contents of the backpacks found among Mister Cromwell and his cohorts," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Whispers were once again shared among the observers as Cole came to a close. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No further questions." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole spun slowly, taking his place back at the defense table. "Very well, Mister Cole," Judge Wade said from the bench. "Your witness Advocate Tuvok." | ||
+ | |||
+ | With calm, measured steps, Tuvok approached the witness box, where Anathon fidgeted slightly." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade nodded. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Your Honor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the box, Anathon continued to sweat, then nodded. "Yes, I have served on the Valiant II." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok nodded and turned to pace in the opposite direction. "And who was responsible for that evaluation?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Anathon swallowed hard and spoke after a brief pause. "The captain and first officer of the vessel." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I do not," Anathon leveled his icy blue eyes at Tuvok, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I would like to enter Defense exhibit A. Crew manifest and fitness reports from the U.S.S. Valiant II; Excelsior class cruiser, Galaxy Exploration Command. I would like to point out that Mister Anathon' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok nodded. "I see. In point of fact, you gathered the other Andorian members of the Valiant II's crew, and tried to kill John Carter, did you not?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Anathon' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I did." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Your Honor, I move that this witness' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole stood up, showing the first signs of annoyance throughout the two days of deliberations. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you, your Honor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole developed a furrow in his forehead. A fissure was developing in his case against the defendants. Although his argument against the Shadowforce members was solid, the connection to John Carter and the other Republic personnel was starting to unravel. It was time for desperate measures, and although he had one crucial witness in mind to bring to the court, it was a very risky gamble . . . | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade smiled slightly at Cole's obvious annoyance. "Call your next witness, Mister Cole." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole smiled and slicked his pinky along his eyebrow. "Thank you Judge Wade." Cole turned, rifled through a few briefs on his desk and looked back at the defense table. "The defense now calls Lana Taylor to the stand." | ||
+ | |||
+ | With an astonished look, both Carter at the defense table and Leon in the observation floor glanced at one another as a Starfleet lieutenant, acting as bailiff, escorted the station' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "As I have mentioned before, your honor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nodding his head, Judge Wade agreed. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Of course, your honor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Lana was held to the pledge, she sat down looking both innocent and slightly confused. Doctor Chambers stood beside her along with the bailiff. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Miss Taylor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Y . . . yes . . . " she said with vague recollection. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | A snicker came from Nat Hawk as Tuvok gave him a stern look. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You need not worry about that, Miss Taylor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Rolling her eyes in thought, a pause occurred where Lana quirked an eyebrow. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Would you say that John Carter resented James Marshall' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, I would," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh, that's IT!" Carter said in full voice as he shot to his feet. "This is unbelievable!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | His face wide in shock, Cole spun and looked back at the judge. "Your Honor! Please?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | The judge hit his gavel on the bench, and the loud clap rang through the room. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole turned in surprise to face the judge. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade looked at Cole sternly. "Get that poor woman off the stand now, Mister Cole. I don't care who you work for, I will not have someone paraded about for humiliation in my court." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole nodded, "Yes your Honor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "As for you, Mister Carter," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | There was an uneasy silence as Lana Taylor was led away and order descended, reluctantly, | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | After a few moments, the judge hit his gavel to bring the proceedings back into session. This time, however, Cole decided to change tactics. If he could not make a connection between John Carter and Shadowforce, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The prosecution' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Very well," the judge agreed. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok, in turn, had elected to start the presentation for the defense with John Carter on the stand. The irritated Martian gave Cole a sour look as we walked to the podium, agreed to the pledge of truth, and sat down. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We ran and hid a lot." There was a small murmur of amusement from the gallery, quickly silenced by a hit from judge Wade's gavel. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The captain ordered me to assemble an away team and make contact with any intelligence assets on the planet." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok tilted his head. "You weren' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No Sir, I was not." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You were not ordered to assist in the liberation of the planet, or aid the members of Shadow Force?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Not specifically, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And yet," Tuvok added with some caution, "you included the members of Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "When Republic was ordered to Cestus three, it was to investigate communications failure with the colony. We had no idea that the Gorn had even set foot on the colony. When we arrived in system, we counted 14 assault ships along with one command cruiser and several smaller capital ships." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "How many Gorn ships were in orbit when you arrived?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok raised one eyebrow in classic Vulcan fashion. "You approached Cestus three in shuttle craft? Why was that?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter gave his head a slight nod. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And what was Captain Marshall doing while you were heading for the surface?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The nature of the captain' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter turned his head to look back at Cole. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok nodded. "And that was the last time you spoke with your captain?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Tell me Mister Carter, " Tuvok paused and turned, then continued to pace, "How did you first become aware of Shadow Force' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter smiled a bit, looking sideways at Arthur Cromwell as he answered, "We followed the signs of the explosion." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "As far as I'm aware, yes." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I decided to lead the civilians back to the settlement in the Gordonian Mountains so that we could sort this whole mess out." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But you didn't get the chance did you?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No, we didn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No further questions," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Your witness, Mister Cole." | ||
+ | |||
+ | With the look of a predator that had just been provided a sedentary meal, Cole slipped out of his seat at the prosecutor' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And wasn't it also true that he informed you that he was planning to duel with the Gorn Captain?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I don't remember." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | //" | ||
+ | |||
+ | //" | ||
+ | |||
+ | //" | ||
+ | |||
+ | //" | ||
+ | |||
+ | //"We lost track of you somewhere in the upper mesosphere, we had atmospheric readings all over the place, we thought you'd broken up."// | ||
+ | |||
+ | //"No sir. Just . . . skipped across the pond."// | ||
+ | |||
+ | //"I see. The Gorn have . . . re-accepted my challenge. We'll be departing within the hour, you have your orders."// | ||
+ | |||
+ | //"Aye sir. Good luck."// | ||
+ | |||
+ | //" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Turning back towards Carter, Cole continued his line of questioning. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What did ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "He must have been referring to his arrangement to duel the Gorn captain," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I see," Cole acknowledged smoothly. "Did you make any attempt to further understand what he was talking about?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No. I had immediate concerns." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I didn't know about the duel!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You didn't know about the duel, but yet you still wished him good luck at the end of the communication?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "He was going to enter negotiations with a hostile power. He needed all the luck he could get." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You doubted Captain Marshall' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter glared at Cole. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But it is what you meant." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Had I known, I would have said something!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh no," Cole looked very soberly at Carter with squinted eyes. "You knew. Maybe not about the duel, but you knew he was departing the ship. And you also knew the next in the chain-of-command was your friend Mister Virtus. Whether you did not hear the captain, or whether you heard him but chose not to act, which from Miss Taylor' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I did that to get at the truth!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And just how did you think that would help the Marshall family, Mister Carter?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "When the Away Team and I arrived and we discovered that there were in fact Starfleet Intelligence assets on Cestus three, I realized that no one was playing straight with us. I was sick of the lies and sick of all the deception. I wanted to make sure that no one could hide what happened to Captain Marshall." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole looked at Carter with a calm expression, content to let the monocular officer explain himself. Cole was confident that Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter sat back with a confident smirk. "I can't tell you." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The shock was visible on Cole's face. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter scanned the gallery. "You might, but they don' | ||
+ | |||
+ | At the defense table, Tuvok felt the corners of his mouth tighten in the barest hint of a smile. In an effort to incriminate John Carter, Cole had inadvertently ran afoul of the Federation Official Secrets Act. This century-old legislation made it illegal for any federation citizen, whether Starfleet or not, to divulge any classified information. Tuvok had cautioned Carter, Forrest, and Hawk against becoming complacent because of the civilian nature of the trial. At this moment, he was pleased to see that his client had paid attention. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole, who had just realized he had cornered the prosecution' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Very good," Cole responded condescendingly. "Now, was the Republic a licensed media outlet?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yet, despite your noble act of transmitting this sensor footage to prevent a cover-up of James Marshall' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok rose to his feet as Cole moved to seat himself at the table. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | In response, Wade simply nodded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok nodded. "And if the captain leaves the ship, would you, as executive officer be under any obligation to return to the vessel?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No, Advocate. That's what the chain of command is for." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Chain of command. Indeed. The prosecution said previously that Mister Virtus, whose deposition has been entered into the record, should have been in command when Captain Marshall left the Republic." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Is that in fact what occurred?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Carter nodded. "Yes, but only until Captain Marshall was murdered." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok felt his eyebrow raise, despite his formidable emotional control. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | John shook his head. "He was savagely cut down and poisoned for no good reason. I've seen the logs. It was murder." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok looked sternly at Carter. "Your Honor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | At the Prosecutor' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | John Carter paused briefly, then answered. "The duel was moot. Even if Captain Marshall would have won, the colony would have been lost." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I can't sir," Carter offered. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok turned again to regard Judge Wade. "For the record, the witness is referring to Admiral Vladimir Kostya, Chief of Starfleet Operations. Federation information requests have revealed that Admiral Kostya had strategic command of the Cestus three situation as James Marshall' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "If we are to establish the events of what occurred after Mister Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "As Mister Carter has already mentioned," | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Cole saw it, if he couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The defense disagrees," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "If we were to concede to what amounts to an illegal order, then there is no way that Mister Virtus nor the crew could have enforced it." Tuvok, too, was engaged in the staring match, leaving Judge Wade to warily shuffle his eyes back and forth between the two. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As for the judge himself, he had not heard about interposition orders since it was mentioned occasionally in the media during the Dominion War. Apparently, there were some high brass in Starfleet who felt it necessary to issue orders that prevented the normal changeover in the chain of command on large capital starships and control cruisers when the commanding officer was incapacitated. This had to do with the possibility of Dominion changelings infiltrating the ranks, or something to that order. Wade never really understood it, and certainly didn't expect it to ever appear in his courtroom. Nonetheless, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The court declares the issue of the interposition orders to be a Starfleet issue. Any future litigation pursuant to the legality of these orders may affect the outcome of certain portions of this hearing, and therefore, the case may be reopened at that time. However, until then, the issue is to be considered out of the realm of a civilian court. Prosecutor, I assume this affects your case against Mister Virtus?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, your honor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So be it," Wade ordered with a slam of his gavel. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you, your honor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, I would you're honor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Cole walked back to the witness stand with his usual predatory smile, John Carter rolled his eyes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And, although you may not have been required to return to the Republic when your commanding officer had mentioned he was meeting with the Gorns, your lack of doing so resulted in James Marshall' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | With a moment of silence, the Vulcan raised his eyebrow, computing the actual change in statistics with John Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "They would," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The observation floor erupted in whispers of uncertainty as Cole spun around and returned to the prosecutor table. "No further questions for Mister Carter, your honor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Very well," Wade acknowledged. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | As John returned to his seat, he posed an irritable expression that made Nat Hawk slightly uncomfortable, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Ya don't seemed too worried about all this, c' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Without concern, Forrest glanced down at his wrist chronometer. "Hawk, the sum total of things I know that you don't would fill several, by which I mean many, many, books." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, that's a relief," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Hawk, if he was at all concerned about his situation, showed absolutely no outward sign. Tuvok, on the other hand, was very worried. In a swift maneuver, Cole had successfully turned John Carter' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok was coming to grips with the reality of the situation. With his clients anticipating his response, he simply interlaced his fingers, raised an eyebrow, and admitted failure for the first time ever since receiving his Federation Bar license. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No, your honor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Very well," Wade replied, turning to the smiling Cole. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The state rests, your honor. We request that all defendants; Arthur Cromwell and Shadowforce for murder and accessory to murder of the Cestus three colonists, and John Carter and the away team, for accessory to murder and violation of the Fair-Coverage Media Act, be charged, detained, and prosecuted in a Federation court at the earliest possible convenience." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So be it," the Judge responded somberly, raising his gavel. However, before it could be lowered thus sealing the fate of the defendants, the doors to rear of the courtroom opened to the surprise of the two attending Starfleet bailiffs. An aged man in a black uniform walked silently towards the defendant' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Judge Wade was not accustomed to interruptions, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole immediately shot to his feet. "Your Honor! I STORNGLY object. The defense has rested their case. You can't . . . " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade leaned back at the bench, shaking his head slightly. "Why in the world did I think this one would be easy." Wade rose his left hand and motioned ahead of himself. "All right, Advocate. Let's have it." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The defense calls Douglas Forrest to the stand." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The next few minutes were all testament to the give and take of courtroom procedure. Cole objected, to which Tuvok countered; like verbal fencers with thrust parry and riposte. Eventually, precedence was met, procedure satisfied, and the oath of truth administered to Douglas Forrest. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "State your name and occupation for the record, please." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You were present during the Landing Party' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I was." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And, as an accomplished Intelligence Officer, what information can you offer to explain the origins of the Cestus three occupation by the Gorn." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The stoic Vulcan rose to his feet and walked toward the bench holding the PADD he had recently been given. "This document, Judge, is an executive order from Admiral Owen Paris; Starfleet Commander-In-Chief. It re-affirms Mister Forrest' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade scowled. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok allowed himself a small nod, then turned to face Douglas Forrest. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Was there a duck blind on Cestus three?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Where was it?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest remained silent for a moment, looking squarely at Cole. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok nodded. "And in a geo-political context. Where is it?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Point six meters inside the Gorn sensor-control zone on Cestus three. An area designated by the Metron Treaty where no sensory equipment could be deployed because, due to planetary rotation, it constantly faces Gorn space." | ||
+ | |||
+ | There was a collective gasp in the courtroom as the enormity of Forrest' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No shit," said Nat Hawk. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "That is correct." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And what bearing would such an arrangement have on the Treaty of Metron?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest sat quietly for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "It effectively gives control of the planet to the Gorns." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Who else, beside yourself, knew these facts?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes sir, he should have." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "In fact, would that not explain why Mister Carter and the away team were instructed to find any intelligence assets, rather than the colony' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole, who had been surprisingly silent during Forrest' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It is." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok turned looking at the table full of stunned defendants he had so recently thought he had let down. Reluctantly, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Advocate turned again to look at Forrest who's expression in the witness box was remarkably, disturbingly, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "All told, twenty-two years. Sixteen in `Fleet, the last six as a civilian contractor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you," Tuvok said. He then turned to Judge Wade. "Your Honor, I would like to take advantage of Mister Forrest' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade cradled his chin as he propped an elbow on the bench. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Your Honor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade nodded. "Relax Advocate," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you, your honor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Each piece of gear is tagged with a special code that is constantly scanned for and verified by the computer in the theater of operations." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And what about the explosive itself?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest looked puzzled. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok regarded Forrest sternly. "Do not all Starfleet issue explosives, including those used by Starfleet Intelligence, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest smiled. "Yes, yes they do." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade scowled from the bench. "Share with the rest of us Advocate?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the Gallery, Nat Hawk whispered again. "Note to self; make sure all my lawyers are ex-tactical Special Forces vets." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "No shit." Carter agreed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "That being the case, the nitrate charges used by Shadow Force should be traceable, should they not?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Again, Forrest smiled. "Yes, Advocate." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And Mister Forrest, do you know, SPECIFICALLY where the nitrate charges Shadow Force used to destroy the reclamation plant came from?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, Advocate, I do." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Your Honor, I must protest! Where is Mister Forrest going to conjure this proof from? Thin air? The prosecution has not been made aware of any such evidence." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok spun quickly to face his adversary. "As the prosecutor is aware, this is only a preliminary hearing. Should we proceed to trial, discovery will dictate that both prosecution and defense gets copies of everything we have." | ||
+ | |||
+ | From the bench, Wade slammed down his gavel. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Both Cole and Tuvok nodded. "Of course your Honor," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you," Wade said. "Now, Mister Forrest. If you please, answer the question. Where did the nitrate charges come from?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The charges came from the Cestus three duck blind stores Your Honor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "And how do you know this?" the judge asked directly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "From the standing orders to the duck blind' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade nodded. "And you can confirm this?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, Your Honor." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Then I'm satisfied," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you, Judge." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Forrest looked more grim than usual, inhaled deeply and answered. "To covertly assist the colonists in the event of an invasion." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Thank you, Mister Forrest." | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The young blonde was just one of dozens of reporters crowded around the conference room of Starbase 39-Sierra as the so-called `Republic Eight' exited the room that had been their crucible for the better part of two weeks as Tuvok and Cole went back and forth. All the news services could report for sure was that new evidence had come to light in the closing hours of the hearing which SOMEHOW drastically changed what all the experts KNEW would happen. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We just got word that the hearing was concluded, and the prosecution has decided to deal. Judge Wade did issue a statement explaining that he had been approached by Starfleet JAG, and that the investigation was, quote, ongoing." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The young woman shook her head. "In that event, Tobin, I don't know when or even IF we'll ever find out what went on in there." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So that's it?" Asked the Effrosian anchor, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Bajoran reporter nodded. " | ||
---- | ---- | ||
< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | **Location: Judge Wade's chambers, Starbase 39 Sierra** | ||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The picture of Vulcan calm, Tuvok held his hands loosely against his robes; a common gesture of contemplation or resignation. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "He broke the damned law, Advocate, or have you forgotten that?" Cole shot back with hostility. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Apart from the release to the media, Carter followed the letter of every order he was given, as did those in his command. In fact, the orders that the crew did not comply with can easily be shown to be at best unadvisable, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You want me to pin the loss of one of the Federation' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the corner of the room, Judge Wade watched with appreciation as Tuvok let the full weight of his rhetorical and legal prowess fall on Cole's shoulders. It seemed to the judge that Cole had not argued a case that was less than air-tight in quite some time, and it had likely been longer since he'd argued with a Vulcan. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade let out a small grin as he wondered how Cole felt now that the tables had been turned on him. 'How unnerving is it,' Wade wondered, 'to face a man who holds all the cards and knows it?' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "As an advocate, I am sworn to defend my clients and seek the truth, however, I am also a Starfleet officer, and sworn to defend the Federation. Public disclosure of this conspiracy to take the Gorn to war serves neither of those goals. It is enough that you and I know the truth and let history discover it later, but if you would rather not wait . . . " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole braced himself against the table with his head slumped down. He'd been picked as prosecutor of the trial to see to it that the ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | What Cole hadn't counted on was the testimony of Douglas Forrest, Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole shook his head slowly among Section 31 operatives, failure was bad, but discovery was deadly, and given a choice between the two, Cole would elect to take the smaller defeat, and live to fight another day. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "He caused an explosion! He killed hundreds, HUNDREDS of foreign nationals, and instigated his own guerilla war, complete with his own army!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "A war which a rogue element in Starfleet not only anticipated, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "None the less," Cole continued, "While the Black Shirts might have planned it, Cromwell actually did it. And what's worse, he'd probably do it again." | ||
+ | |||
+ | This time, it was Tuvok who had to concede a point. While the crew of Republic did not actually engage in hostilities, | ||
+ | |||
+ | An oily sneer crept across the prosecutor' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok nodded, seeing the logic of Cole's position. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "In addition, the members of Shadow Force are guilty of being accessories to multiple counts of murder, act of war or not, and they will have to agree either to confinement, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Grimly, Tuvok nodded. It was a good deal, and one that, while distasteful on some levels, would leave the battered reputation of Starfleet, let alone the Federation intact. "I believe," | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the corner, Judge Wade regarded the scene. "Do we have a deal gentlemen?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I believe we might." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I can work with it Judge." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Very well then," Wade said as he stood back up, heading for the door. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the trio exited Wade's chambers, headed back to the makeshift courtroom, he felt the weight of his antique gavel in his hand. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade crossed into the light of the main conference room. The bailiff stood and addressed the gallery. "All rise for the Honorable Judge . . . " | ||
---- | ---- | ||
< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | **Location: Outside of conference room 6 (" | ||
+ | |||
+ | As people poured out of the courtroom, encountering members of the press and student protesters, everyone intermingled as they moved away from the doors to keep the exit clear. Leon was among the crowd, and moved aside to wait for his friends and family. As expected, two Starfleet bailiffs escorted a somber Arthur Cromwell through the exit causing the press to explode like a powder keg. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What about the Gorn soldiers? Do you grieve for them and their families?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Would you do it again, Mister Cromwell?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The bailiffs held off the press corps while Leon and Arthur had a last moment together. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, dad," Leon started. "I guess the outcome could have been worse. I'm glad you chose not to take this to trial. They might have come down harder on you." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I know," Arthur replied. "I just wanted it to be done with. No amount of courtroom litigation or guerilla warfare will bring Janice and Ann back. There just doesn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | He looked back at the press as they closed in on Tuvok and Cole, badgering them for information. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh no," Leon replied. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | His father looked at him with tired eyes, wondering if this would be the last time he ever sees his son. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The two looked at one another, father and son, and without spoken words, twenty five years of animosity evaporated in the realization that all the family they had left was each another. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon and Lindsey embraced in a tight hug as she approached. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, that all depends," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Back to Cestus," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We will," Lins concluded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the bailiffs escorted Arthur away, and the remaining Shadowforce members made their way to the docking level, Leon looked after them deep in thought. He could not help but wonder where each of them would be a year from now and what they would be doing. Suddenly, a voice woke him from his day-trance. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Hey doc," Carter said, causing Leon to turn around and see not only him, but Hawk and Forrest as well. "Hell of a hearing, wouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Dare I ask, what you're talking about?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon looked at Nat, realizing that the helmsman had made an accurate correlation. Starfleet and the Federation had indeed made a mistake with respect to neighboring empires. Twice. And both times, a war had broken out allowing the powers that be to admit a mistake while the headlines were focused mainly on the war. Both times, the real perpetrators escaped justice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | //" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Be sure to dodge the media," |