Jump to content

Robert Falcon

Member
  • Posts

    631
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    6

Everything posted by Robert Falcon

  1. (( Ops Command Center; Starbase 118 )) ::Kaitlyn, PADD in hand, stepped out of the turbolift into the Command Center. They’d all had some time to depressurize, which they sorely needed, and now that she had a calm head, there was something Kaitlyn needed to say to Leo.:: ::Not that this was their first time talking since the mission ended. Since getting to the station, Kaitlyn and Leo got to talk on a daily basis, with many of their meals shared. She wouldn’t call it common-place yet, though. The concept of actually being able to see and interact with Leo on a daily basis was still novel and exciting. Their relationship had survived a difficult long-distance period. In her mind, that boded well for them.:: ::She approached his ready room door. Though Leo had long since told her to just come in whenever, she still felt it right to ring the chime. After all, he probably wouldn’t want some Admiral seeing a girl rush in from the side and start making out with him out of the blue.:: ::Then again, she thought with a smirk, that might be fun.:: ::Kaitlyn tapped the chime.:: ((Captain’s Ready Room; Hub; Starbase 118)) :: Leo was sitting at his desk, cup of tea half drunk. The chimed was unexpected, but not a surprise. He was a popular port of call for the crew, and Leo was only to happy to lend an ear to their concerns.:: Handley-Page: Come... ::She slipped through the door, giving him his customary smile as the door slid shut behind her.:: Falcon: Hello, my prince. :: Leo beamed at the sight of his red-headed princess. This was the best result possible. He stood up and walked around the desk.:: Handley-Page: It is good to see you. How are you today? Falcon: I’m doing fantastic. ::Smiles.:: How are you? Handley-Page: Excellent. Yes, I am doing fine. Checked on all the injured and new crew. All’s tickety-boo… ::He gave her a hug, Kaitlyn squeezing him tightly and giving him a kiss on his cheek.:: Handley-Page: Would you like a drink? Falcon: I’d love one! Handley-Page: No problemo. I know what you like! ::As Leo went to the replicator, Kaitlyn made her way toward the couch. She looked over to him again before she’d even sat down.:: Falcon: First things first, how’s Nia? :: Leo joined her, drink in hand.:: Handley-Page: There you go… ::Leo passed the cup to Kaitlyn, and then sat next to her and sighed. Kaitlyn took her first sip of delicious chai as he started.:: Handley-Page: She’s doing well, thanks, all things considered. The Docs have her dosed up on drugs to keep her mind… stable. Talking to her she was as chirpy as could be expected. ::Kaitlyn nodded her understanding. She remembered the look on Leo’s face when Nia had suddenly wandered onto Albion’s bridge, sounding extremely… different. To hear that his sister was even a bit better than that was a good thing.:: Falcon: That’s a good start, if nothing else. ::Another sip.:: What happens next? :: Leo sighed again.:: Handley-Page: Longer term, I’m not sure the procedure. Whatever that monster did to her on the Noguwip, it’s not going to be cured easily. ::Kaitlyn sighed as well, shaking her head.:: Falcon: ::Muttered.:: [...]s… ::Another sip.:: Handley-Page: I will not let this rest. I will hunt that serpent down and save my sister’s sanity. ::Kaitlyn looked to Leo again, one eyebrow slightly raised in curiosity.:: Falcon: You have an idea of where they came from? :: Leo pondered her question for a moment. He wondered if his suspicions were correct, but he wanted to confide in Kaitlyn.:: Handley-Page: I recognise all the hallmarks of the Noguwip and its crew…. they are…. ::That trail off spoke volumes to her. She remembered their conversation not too long before, just after the Noguwip departed the station. If he was shaken up that much about the revelation, it had to be…:: Falcon: Byzallians? Handley-Page: Yes, Byzallians…. well :: he paused:: They once were Byzallians. Now they are mere monstrous puppets. Falcon: Taree, and Y-rocck? ::Slight head tilt.:: Puppets? Handley-Page: Aye, I am coming to the opinion that both the demons we had aboard the station who came here from the Vytak, and our would-be saviours - the Noguwip were in fact dancing from the same string. :: Leo’s voice had gone from merely sad to haunting. If his fears were confirmed, then his and Nia’s location was now known to the ONE being in the galaxy they needed to hide from.:: ::Kaitlyn leaned back, taking another sip of her chai as she thought. She held the mug before her, tapping its side with one finger.:: Falcon: Given what’s happen with Nia, I can see where that idea came from. Question is, is there any proof? :: Leo puffed out his cheeks.:: Handley-Page: I don’t have any hard proof, especially as the demon’s body was conveniently vapourised by the Noguwip, but the whole episode stank of my homeworld. Demons and monsters aren’t normal encounters for Starfleet, but they are an everyday occurrence on Byzatium. Believe me, I spent eight long years there. ::Part of her wanted to remind Leo of her own history, if only to assure him that he wasn’t the only one who had encountered demons, but he was already well aware of the fact, and this was hardly the time to bring it up.:: Falcon: ::Nods.:: I believe you. Handley-Page: But it seems now that whatever warped experiments they are up to have progressed to telepathy, and what’s worse… their tentacles have reached the Starbase, and Nia in particular. It’s like they are searching me out and trying to drag me back… but if we are to cure Nia, I may have no choice. ::Kaitlyn set her chai on a nearby end table, shifting closer to Leo and reaching out to take his hands in hers.:: Falcon: Hey… Whatever happens, Leo, I’m here to help. :: Leo clasped Kaitlyn’s soft hands in his.:: Handley-Page: That means so much to me, but in all honesty I would want to keep you away from that Hell if at all possible. Besides, we will need some extra muscle. ::Kaitlyn gave him what she hoped was a confident smile.:: Falcon: Then we call in some backup. No one’s too big to stop, no matter what they have up their sleeves. Handley-Page: He has very big sleeves… :: Leo said that with a hint of menace. He knew quite well who the *HE* was that he referred to.:: Falcon: If it helps you feel any better… ::Holds out PADD.:: My one piece of actual business. Update on Albion. EDMC Jemeth’s had the repair crews pushing hard on repairs. Most of the major systems are 100%, and he expects the remaining systems to be back up and ready by the day after tomorrow. :: Leo was pleased with the change of conversation subject, and his face rose into a soft smile.:: Handley-Page: Jolly good, Jemeth is a top bloke, eh?There’s life in the old girl yet, still packing a punch.. Falcon: We never HOPE for a pounding out there, but it’s good to know she’s up for a scrap. Handley-Page: Aye. :: Leo took another sip of tea, and then placed the cup down. He looked into Kaitlyn’s eyes, and saw the warmth and confidence that burned in them. He also noticed how pretty her hair was in this dappled light. He leaned forward.:: Handley-Page: When are you off duty? ::She made a show as if looking at a wristwatch, then looked back up with a smile.:: Falcon: ‘Bout five minutes ago. Handley-Page: Got any plans? Falcon: Nothing major. ::Leans forward.:: I did have something else I wanted to talk to you about, though. ::Kaitlyn held up a forestalling hand, knowing how those words sounded to any man when spoken by any woman.:: Falcon: Nothing bad, don’t worry. Just something I noticed that I wanted to mention. :: Leo smiled warmly.:: Handley-Page: Fire away, my dear. ::Kaitlyn leaned back into the sofa, keeping her arm outstretched to continue grasping Leo’s hand.:: Falcon: Well, we’ve been through a lot since we got to the station, and more than once the situations seems a lot more risky than either of us would’ve liked. Handley-Page: Aye, that is very true. Not the quiet posting I had been hoping for. Sorry for dragging thee here. Falcon: The only thing that ever worried me about being here, about working with you again in the positions we’re in, is that… Well, that you might let our relationship affect your decisions. That in the heat of the moment, you’d hold me back from doing my job. Handley-Page: Really? I wouldn’t dare. I am more scared of you than all the monsters in the galaxy! Although I do worry about you when you’re out of sight. :: He winked at her.:: ::Kaitlyn smirked, managing a chuckle.:: Falcon: Be that as it may, you haven’t. I know you didn’t want to send me over to the Asphodel, but you did. I know you didn’t want to let me go roving across the Promenade, either, but you let me. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate it, and that it lets me know you have confidence in me. ::Smiles.:: Handley-Page: Seriously, I trust you to be able to handle yourself as good as anyone, and better than most. In fact, I feel safer when you are around. I know you’ve always got my back. Falcon: ::Smiles.:: That was never in doubt. Handley-Page: And I have yours. To Be Continued... Captain Leo Handley-Page Commanding Officer; Starbase118 Ops wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Handley-Page,_Leo --- "Professional Daydreamer & Rural Spaceman" AND =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Lt Commander Kaitlyn Falcon Chief Helm Officer Starbase 118 / U.S.S. Albion =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
  2. WHY HASN'T KAITLYN THOUGHT OF THIS?! I'm calling a Falcon staff meeting. NOW!
  3. Tiam, I've gotta say, when I read this line I actually leaned back in my chair giving a nod of major appreciation. ::Smiles.:: I LOVE this idea! It is, very much, Kaitlyn's brand of crazy! Which I'll also be noting when I make my reply, but I wanted to tell you now. ::Chuckles.::
  4. From Leo Handley-Page: This earned a "Daww...." from both my wife and I. ::Chuckles.:: There was no doubt in my mind that he cares about her, but we still enjoy seeing it demonstrated!
  5. When I mentioned this to my wife, saying it was Richard's quote, her first question was, "Reed Richards?" Still, this was awesome! (And potentially confirms Latveria in the SB118 Universe!)
  6. I voted for Data. My long standing fascination with androids aside (those who know my history in UFOP will get that joke), Data has proven on multiple situations that he's capable of handling difficult decisions in a logical manner. When given command of USS Sutherland in Redemption Part 2, he demonstrated initiative that allowed for the discovery of the cloaked Romulan resupply fleet. While he did not explain his actions to his crew at the time, that is something he could easily learn from and improve upon in the future. If you take into account the Star Trek: Countdown comic, I think he shows that he's learned how to captain a ship quite effectively. ::Smiles.::
  7. ((Robert Falcon’s Ready Room; U.S.S. Yorktown – Earth Year 2385)) Captain Robert Falcon gave a long stare at the PADD he held, containing the results of Yorktown’s latest long-range scans. He did not want to believe them true, but knew he could do nothing else. Yorktown’s science officer, his eldest daughter Alice, knew exactly what she was looking at. This was not her first time encountering these beings, after all. Nor was it Robert’s. Alice’s report was kept very factual, nearly clinical in its objectivity. At 0800 hours, long range sensors detected faint energy signatures with a close match to previously observed Fury patterns. Further analysis and additional scans have given us a 75% confidence of the presence of multiple Fury warships in the vicinity of the Hor’Chak system. While interspace weapons technology has not yet been detected, it cannot be ruled out. Robert set down the PADD, leaning back in his chair. He was keeping news of this discovery as silent as he could until he figured out what to do about it. Many of his crew had fought against the Furies three years before. Those who had come to the ship the years following had all heard the stories, Robert was certain. He wasn’t sure if the news would be taken well that the enemy had somehow returned. To be honest, Robert himself wasn’t taking it all that well… Still, he knew what he had to do. While his orders did not permit him to talk to anyone else about it, they didn’t prevent him informing Starfleet. He tapped the comm controls. “Jiana, open a channel to Starfleet Command, priority one secure.” A moment later, his XO/Helm Officer/Wife Jiana replied, “I’m on it. It’ll take a few minutes to establish the secure connection from here.” A priority one call to Starfleet Command… He’d never thought he’d actually make one in his career. The Furies, however… THAT was important enough. Of all the things he had encountered in his career in Starfleet, none matched the level of fear they could inspire. He remembered the class everyone had to take back in the Academy, learning about their involvement with the peoples of the Alpha and Beta quadrants. More importantly, they learned of the two attempts made, at that point, to return, as well as the events which pushed them to a far part of the galaxy. Robert had left that class with a bit more trepidation about what he might find when he ventured out to the unexplored regions of the galaxy. Years later, the long lost starship Voyager made contact with Starfleet Command and reported a great many things. One of the reports Robert had been most excited to see was their encounter with the Furies, mostly due to its ending. For all intents and purposes, the Furies could be considered no longer a threat. Gone for good! Others had not taken the news with quite the same optimism as he had… Admiral Kyle Colt, stationed in one of the further reaches of the Federation, felt that Starfleet should not rest on their laurels and had taken matters into his own hands. He’d led the ships under his command in an attempted coup against the Federation, with few people standing in his way. Robert’s ship, with him as Executive Officer in temporary command, was in the right place at the right time to see what Admiral Colt was planning and stop his attempt cold in its tracks. However, Colt was able to remain several steps ahead of everyone. He’d always had a backup plan in case he was stopped. Though his ship was under the guns of what few ships Robert was able to draft into an impromptu defense, Colt was able to cloak and escape, leaving behind only a message for Robert that he could hear from Colt again one day. “Robert, I have Starfleet Command over priority one secure.” Shaken out of memory, Robert looked up and tapped the comm. “Thank you, Jiana.” He took a deep breath, turning his chair to face his desk terminal and activating it. For a moment, it showed the Starfleet symbol, the words Starfleet Command written above it, Priority One Secure Transmission written below. Then, the image changed. A gray-haired human male with sharp blue eyes and an admiral’s insignia on his collar appeared at dead center. The room was dark, though Robert was not sure if it was simply night where the admiral was or if he had moved to a more secure room. “This is Admiral Vellan, Starfleet Command. Captain, what have you got for me?” Robert straightened in his chair. “Admiral, we’ve picked up energy readings giving a strong possibility of Fury presence approximately 30 lightyears from the Federation border. We’re too far out to get a size or disposition of the force at this time. My intention is to close the gap and gather more intel to verify what we’re detected so far.” Admiral Vellan blinked hard, mentally processing the report. “You wanna run that by me again, Captain?” Robert did so, this time slowing down and giving the admiral all the details he had. Admiral Vellan nodded as Robert spoke, taking in all the information as it came. When Robert finally finished, Admiral Vellan spoke again. “I’m going to have to call for an Admiralty meeting to go over this. I need you to stand by and stay put, got it son?” Robert nodded. “Got it, Admiral. We’ll be standing by on this channel. Yorktown out.” The transmission ended, Robert leaning back in his chair and taking a deep breath to keep his calm. He’d expected that a problem of this magnitude would take a bit of time to get a response. He was a patient person by default… but in this case he really hoped Admiral Vellan got an answer to him quickly… The door chime beeped, Robert looking up toward it. “Come,” he said. The doors swished open, admitting one red-haired human. His wife looked to him, some concern on her features as her brilliant green eyes met Robert’s blues. Robert figured she had seen the transmission end, with Robert not immediately returning to the bridge. The doors swished shut behind her as she started over toward him. “What’s the word?” “Stand by,” he replied with a bit of theatrical tone to suggest it was their current order. “Admiral Vellan has to talk it out with the other high pubahs so they can figure out how they’ll respond to it.” Jiana grabbed one of the chairs opposing him, spinning it to sit on it backwards. “Well, at least he believed you that we saw what we saw.” Robert shrugged. “Or decided to give be the benefit of the doubt. It could still bite me in the butt later on.” He gave a soft sigh. “I thought we were done with this…” “Me, too,” Jiana said, reaching out to grab Robert’s hand atop the desk. “If nothing else,” she offered, “this time we know they’re coming ahead of time, instead of getting randomly ambushed by them.” “True,” Robert admitted. He sighed, shaking his head. “But last time, we also didn’t get much Starfleet support… Can’t believe I’m admitting it, but I wish Colt were around…” Colt had been true to his word. About three years ago, and two years after their previous encounter, a strange transmission had come in. Admiral Colt had come to recruit Robert for his real mission, stopping the Furies at the edge of the galaxy. Robert had been skeptical at first, but Colt gave sufficient evidence of their impending arrival, along with the tech he’d developed to allow a fleet of ships to burrow through the Galactic Barrier. Robert, one of the few people to outthink Colt, was the one person Colt trusted to find the holes in his plan. Between the two of them, they managed to make a plan that worked. Robert sighed once more. “I don’t see much chance of him coming around this time, though. He’s still a fugitive, after all.” “True,” Jiana replied, “but Starfleet has to see the problem this time. It’s right in our backyard, plain as day.” Robert turned to look out the viewport at the expanse of stars. “I know,” he said, seemingly distant. “Yet… why do I get the feeling they won’t?” A long silence fell in the ready room, the pair passing the time with hands linked for mutual comfort. Finally, the intercom came alive. “Dad,” Alice’s voice spoke, “we’re getting a call back from Starfleet Command, priority one secure.” “Thanks, Alice,” Robert responded. “Put it through in here.” “Got it.” Jiana pulled her hand back as Robert got situated back in his chair, giving his uniform a quick tug to remove a few stubborn wrinkles. He reached out to tap his terminal. Moments later, Admiral Vellan reappeared on his screen. His expression was… neutral. “Captain Falcon,” he started, “the Admiralty has decided that, for the time being, there will be no response to the alleged Fury presence.” Robert’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Sir?” “Furthermore,” he continued, “you are not to speak of the energy readings you detected with anyone. That goes for your entire crew. Do you understand, captain?” He was silent for a moment as he attempted to process what he’d heard. “I… I understand what you’re saying, Admiral, but not the reason. Why aren’t we reacting to this?” The admiral’s expression broke, betraying his own annoyance. “Most of the Admiralty want to ignore it, pretend you didn’t see what you thought you saw. The overall opinion was to wait until they show their hand, if they ever do, and muster forces at that time.” He shook his head. “I can’t say I agree with that opinion, but the head of Starfleet herself made the final call. Those are her marching orders. Do you understand, captain?” Robert barely contained a sigh. “Yes, admiral, I do.” The admiral looked at Robert for a moment longer. “I know it isn’t what you wanted to hear, son, but it’s what I’ve got. Get clear for now and be ready to fight another day. Command out.” The admiral’s image was replaced by the logo once again, Robert slumping back in his chair and fighting to hurl the terminal across the room. It wasn’t the terminal’s fault, after all. It was just the messenger. Jiana was a bit more vocal about her frustrations. “Those… Those pig-headed morons! Do they have ANY idea what’s about to happen?” Robert looked up at her, a tired expression on his features. “Maybe. Maybe they’re just scared stiff, or think that if we don’t move the Furies won’t see us, or figure we’re too tough for them to take down.” He shook his head. “And by the time they see that they’re wrong, it’ll be too late.” “Will it?” Jiana asked. “What if we do something about it?” He looked to his wife, eyebrows furrowed once again. “Ji, we’ve got our marching orders. Get our butts out of here and back on patrol.” “Rob, you know how bad this could get,” she countered. “WE know how bad this could get.” Robert’s eyes closed as he thought. “Do you really want to go through that again?” he quietly asked. “You know what we went through last time, and back then we had backup. Do you really want that again?” ((Bridge; U.S.S. Yorktown – Earth Year 2382)) The bridge rocked as another volley of enemy fire impacted the shields. Jiana held on to the command seat tightly. “Damage report!” From the left side of the station before her, Jacen Tharen spoke up from tactical. “Shields down to 54% and recharging slowly. Port-engineering hull phaser array has been knocked out by the power feedback from the wedge.” Another report came from the engineering station. “I’ve reports of power failures on decks 18 and 19, repair teams responding.” Jiana swore under her breath. Yorktown’s refits were extensive, and she was a tough ship, but she hadn’t been designed with Furies in mind. Their jury-rigged shields, reformed into a wedge shape known to deflect the interspace-based fear inducing weapons the Furies favored, had wreaked havoc with their power systems. “Where are our escorts?” Jiana asked, looking at the science station. She could see a flurry of dots, red and blue, dancing around the console’s readouts. Admiral Colt’s ships were providing as much cover as they could to allow Yorktown and her crew to do their jobs. “Chasing down other ships,” came the reply. “One’s working back to us, the other’s a little occupied.” It was an ambitious plan. The Furies had managed to use their artificial wormhole technology to get close to the Milky Way, getting their planet in orbit of a rogue star outside the galaxy. They planned to use the tech again to move back into the Alpha Quadrant, now that they were close enough to get an actual target to jump toward. Robert and three of their grown children, James, Alice, and Rebecca, had gone to the surface to try and sabotage the system… and send the Fury’s planet into the rogue star. It was very risky, as the team could well still be on the planet when it fell. It was also drastic, as it was highly likely none of the Furies would be able to escape. Jiana had little sympathy. They could have taken the hint by now that they weren’t welcome in the Alpha Quadrant anymore. “Status of ERRS dishes?” she asked. “Dorsal dish is aimed at the strongest interspace source. Ventral’s at the ground team.” They had found that Yorktown’s new sensor technology, when properly configured, could disrupt the Fury interspace weapon. One of their dishes covered the fleet as best as they could. The other gave the ground team a safe haven to work from. As an added benefit, Yorktown could hear their comm chatter. Robert’s voice came over the intercom. “Rogue, we’re at the base of a large structure. Believe it to be their command center. Door is heavily reinforced. Think you can provide a key?” A moment later, another voice came over the intercom. “I think a spread of micro-torpedoes will do the trick,” Kaitlyn, their fourth grown child, replied from Robert’s shuttle. “That should do nicely, thanks.” James’s impassive voice came next. “We sure this is going to work?” “Don’t you remember anything from the stories I told you as a kid,” Robert replied. “The plucky group of heroes is always the enemy’s greatest weakness.” ((Robert Falcon’s Ready Room; U.S.S. Yorktown – Earth Year 2385)) They had survived that day. Yorktown beamed the team to safety while Rogue fled from the Fury planet as it plunged into the forming artificial wormhole. It popped back into normal space only a few light-seconds from the surface of the star and was quickly destroyed by tidal forces, falling into the fire. What few Fury ships remained fled, leaving Yorktown and Colt’s remaining fleet to burrow their way back through the Galactic Barrier. Starfleet had scarcely believed it, but in the end simply ordered them to remain silent. None liked it, but all accepted the order. Of course, all had been certain that the battles were done, and that the Furies were defeated. Robert looked back to his wife, his expression sober. “You realize what might happen if we do this, right? Starfleet might decide to court-martial us for disobeying orders, if we even survive long enough for them to do it. We’ve got only whatever supplies we can muster and no allies.” Jiana looked back, reaching out to take his hands in hers. “I never said it would be easy. Or smart. The easy, smart thing to do would be follow our orders, get out of here, and wait to see if Starfleet does something about this later… when it might be too late. What’s the RIGHT thing to do?” The right thing… Robert sighed. “To gather up whatever resources we can, get out there, and take the Furies down before they can threaten our home.” His wife nodded, squeezing his hands. “Now, whatever you want to do, I’ll support you. You say no and the worst comes, I won’t even say ‘I told you so’. Just tell me, Rob, what do YOU want to do?” That’s what it really came down it, wasn’t it? What did he want to do about it? His orders were clear. Turn around, get back to his patrol, and forget he ever saw anything. However, if the Furies were given time to build up and attack, to make this war happen on their terms, it became more likely that it would be more than Starfleet could handle. He hadn’t built Yorktown for this… He hadn’t put this crew together for this... He hadn’t meant for HIS FAMILY to do this… His family… There was a good chance that any who went would not return. Was he willing to sacrifice them all for this mission? Could he even make that kind of call for them? Would they ever forgive him if he never let them have the choice to join on a hopeless mission? Could he forgive himself if anything happened to them? They had been a team for a long time, forged in their years as a family on the Freedom and tested during their last battle with the Furies. Of anyone Robert knew who might be able to stop these… Demons… He knew that he and his family stood the best chance. And if they couldn’t do it… who could? Robert met his wife’s eyes. “I want to stop them. Here and now. Take the fight to the Furies, and stop them at the door.” Jiana nodded, giving his hands one last squeeze before releasing them. “I’ll make some calls, see what kind of resources I can drum up.” “I’ll figure out how to tell everyone,” Robert replied. “Whatever happens from here, they need to hear about this from me.”
  8. ((Admiral Kyle Colt’s Office; Starbase 285 – Earth Year 2380)) “Fools… All of them, fools…” He tossed his PADD angrily back to his desk, the neatly organized stack of PADDs knocked asunder, then stood and walked over to the office’s viewport. His blue eyes flicked to the walls of his office as his hand came up to scratch his neatly groomed white goatee. His office contained the usual knick knacks that one acquired over a lengthy Starfleet career; models and paintings of his previous commands, decorative trinkets from a dozen worlds, and an odd Tarkelian beaver statue that had been inexplicably placed in his quarters back when he was an Ensign that he could never quite bring himself to get rid of. None of those familiar objects, and not even the expanse of stars and brilliant nebula beyond, could return calm to his mind. Five years… It had been five long years since the end of the Dominion War, and the start of the pacification of Starfleet. No. This was not a comment against Starfleet’s mission to explore the galaxy and learn all that could be learned. Peaceful exploration and pacification were two entirely different things. He knew what needed to be done. The question was, if he made this leap, would anyone one follow? There was a chime at his office door. Without looking, the admiral spoke. “Enter.” Another human, with four gold pips on his collar, stepped through the door. His brown eyes were sharp, and he was young enough to still have color in his hair. Quickly, his eyes turned to the admiral. “Admiral Colt. You wanted to see me, sir?” “Yes, Captain, I did.” The admiral finally turned. Much as he wanted to, he could not manage even a small smile for his long time colleague. The topic of the day was far too grave. “Grab a chair, Dan. You’ll want to sit after hearing this.” Captain Daniel Rainsford approached, taking a seat at Admiral Colt’s desk as the admiral sat in his own chair. Admiral Colt grabbed the newest offending PADD from where it had landed and held it to the captain. “Read this.” The captain did, his eyes flicking quickly across its screen. The further we went, the more his eyebrows furrowed. “They can’t be serious…” Admiral Colt’s head gave a rueful nod. “They are, Dan. They are.” The admiral sighed, leaning back slightly in his chair. “Starfleet’s analyzed Voyager’s mission report and sensor data from their Fury incident.” The Furies: a conglomeration of extremely powerful races which had once ruled the Alpha Quadrant. They had been cast out millennia ago, though had long wished to return to retake their positions of power. During the mid twenty-third century, they had made their first attempt by sending one ship through an artificial wormhole, only to be stopped by an unlikely temporary alliance between the Klingon Empire and Captain James T. Kirk. Their second attempt came over a hundred years later, back in 2371, with a much larger fleet and more stable artificial wormhole technology. A five ship combined Federation-Klingon fleet led by the Enterprise-D managed to stop them. Voyager had encountered them during their long voyage home, in the Delta Quadrant. The Furies intent was to send an entire planet with billions of their people and an armada of ships through a massive artificial wormhole to launch their final invasion of the Alpha Quadrant. Voyager’s crew managed to deflect their wormhole, halting this last attempt. Admiral Colt continued. “The science folks at Starfleet Command have concluded that the Furies were, in fact, sent into the Small Magellanic Cloud galaxy. Almost 200,000 lightyears away. Thus, they conclude that the Furies are no longer a threat to the Alpha Quadrant. Therefore, Starfleet Command will no longer train any new cadet as to the existence of the Furies.” Captain Rainsford’s head shook slightly. “Why, sir? Are they afraid they’ll make the kids wet their pants unnecessarily, or something?” The admiral also shook his head. “No… No, it’s not that. It’s a continuation of the trend which started five years ago.” He reached up to his face, scratching at his goatee once again. “Starfleet Command does not want to even consider the possibility of another war.” “Can you really blame them, though?” Captain Rainsford leaned forward, elbows against his legs. “I mean… We took major losses against the Dominion. Earth itself got hit.” “I know,” the admiral said. “I was there.” “So far, the Dominion has been abiding by the peace treaty. The Furies…” He paused in thought for a moment before he continued. “200,000 lightyears is pretty blasted far.” Admiral Colt nodded. “It is, Dan. Yet…” He gestured to the now disorganized pile of PADDs between them, “I’ve never seen any verification that the Dominion abide by the treaty. No reconnaissance missions, barely any visits to the Gamma Quadrant. For all we know, they’ve been rebuilding their forces on the other side of the Bajoran wormhole and will strike us next week. Every time I hear of anyone suggesting we get a ship or two over there on a permanent basis, to continue our mission of exploration, of course, is shot down. ‘We don’t want to offend the Dominion’ they say.” The captain sighed, his eyes dropping. Admiral Colt knew that Captain Rainsford agreed with him. His old friend was also an optimist. That made him a pretty solid devil’s advocate to the admiral’s pessimism. “What of Constable Odo, though? The reports I read indicated he’d rejoined the… what was it called? The Great Link? If all the Founders are connected, then I doubt they’d be able to plan anything like this without him knowing.” “Who says he wouldn’t know?” the admiral asked. “Him against an entire planet of his people. Now, I didn’t know him, personally, and I only have respect for him based on what I’ve read, but I don’t know of anyone who could stand up to that kind of peer pressure.” Captain Rainsford considered for a moment, before sighing and shaking his head yet again. “And when it comes to the Furies,” Admiral Colt said, “200,000 lightyears is nothing to people who have working artificial wormhole technology. A wormhole took them to… where ever they landed. A wormhole could easily bring them back.” The admiral leaned forward once again. “Starfleet has forgotten why a strong defense is required. If not for the Dominion, if not for the Furies, then for whoever the next force is that will try to strip the people of the Federation of their way of life. Eternal vigilance, Dan. THAT is the price of liberty.” The captain’s face started to turn red. It was clear that he was growing steadily more uncomfortable with the conversation. He shook his head once more. “That’s… That’s not how Starfleet is seeing this. Our vigilance is in our patrols, our long-range sensors, our ability to see what’s coming and prepare for the hit.” Admiral Colt’s voice calmed, trying to sooth his old friend’s nerves. “It’s making sure that we’re strong enough that no one dares hit us.” The captain’s head shook almost constantly. “That’s not what the Federation stands for. It’s not what the people want!” “I know it’s not, Dan,” the admiral said, his voice still calm but now firm. “That’s where we come in. When our leaders are no longer willing to make the tough calls for the benefit of the Federation, it’s our responsibility to find leaders who will.” There was absolute silence in the admiral’s office as both men considered the implications of that statement. It was Captain Rainsford who spoke first, his voice quiet but his tone direct. “You’re talking about a mutiny.” Admiral Colt shook his head. “No. I’m talking about a coup.” The words had been uttered. There was no going back. “Admiral… It can’t be as serious as that, can it? There must be another way.” “There isn’t,” the admiral replied. “I’ve tried to get my point across over every official channel, and all the unofficial ones I have. Even those who agree with me refuse to act, or to even speak on my behalf. I see no other way to convince the Federation of the truth.” Captain Rainsford was silent for several long moments as he considered all that had been said over the past minutes. “You’re asking me if I agree with you? And if I’ll join you?” Admiral Colt nodded. “That is correct.” “You realize that we can’t do this alone.” Another nod. “That is also correct. And I don’t fool myself into thinking our fleet’s captains will be easy to convince… though I do believe they will come around.” “And if we fail, we’ll be considered traitors of the Federation.” The admiral actually gave a quiet chuckle at that. “Dan, I am fairly certain that we’ll be considered traitors even if we succeed. What matters is the future of the Federation, and its survival, even if we're not there to see it.” Captain Rainsford gave one last sigh… and a very slow nod. “Well, then, Admiral… Where do to start?”
  9. Thanks much! I'm just glad that folks enjoyed the story. I hated to go up against Sharee on it, but that idea I'd been kicking around for a while. (The planned use for it fell through.) It matched perfectly with this one, so I kinda jumped at it. Thanks again, and good luck to all in the next one!
  10. (( Keal's Pub; Starbase 118 - Promenade )) The clack of wood against wood punctuated the otherwise still air of the pub. It was long after hours, with the usual crowd of patrons sent home. Only two people remained, hovering near the one pool table not yet cleared for the night. One was a human, Natan Keal. He looked like a military man, but had never served a day. Just kept himself in good shape. His brown hair, mid-short length, wore down to a trimmed beard and mustache. His brown eyes carried his joy at his companion, and were able to ignore the fact he'd just scratched... "Well, your turn, Vera," he said, lifting himself from the table and pulling back his cue stick, giving a tug at his vest to get it back in place. Vera Yanis pulled away from the column she'd been leaning against, sending a smile Natan's way. Her Andorian antenna remained focused on him as she approached the table. She seemed to know something was up, but hadn't pressed him for details... yet. She wore one of her standard sleeveless jumpsuits. They were more comfortable for her in the relative warmth of the station. She was still adjusting from the cold of Andoria. Unlike Natan, however, she WAS military; a former member of the Imperial Guard. “I know you too well, Natan,” she said, retrieving the cue ball and finding a place on the table to set it, “I think you’re letting me win.” Natan chuckled. “Was it that obvious?” She chuckled back, leaning over the table and taking aim at her intended target. “It’s the way you lift you right arm just before you shoot.” Her stick shot forward, striking the cue ball and sending the four ball into a side pocket. She turned and smiled at him again. “You always do that.” “You like winning. I like to let you win.” He leaned back against another column, lacing his fingers behind his head and closing his eyes in contentment. “Nothing wrong with that, right?” He heard her stick being laid down on the table, and moments later felt her hands run up his sides, along his arms, and grab his hands. Her lips pressed strongly against his for a wonderful moment, and he finally reopened her eyes to see her beautiful face… showing a mixture of annoyance and amusement, if that were possible. “‘Tan, sometimes I don’t know if I should kiss you, or punch you.” Natan chuckled again. “Well, seems like it was an easy decision to make this time.” “You’re right. I decided both.” With that, she gave him a playful punch to his shoulder, laughed, and turned to take her next shot. He watched her take her next shot, smiling big. It had been a hard couple years, his final chunk of time on Andoria and the first months on the station. Too many secrets, too many lies, and the two of them caught in the middle… (( Two Years Ago; Andoria – Imperial Guard Headquarters Interrogation Cell )) “Who are you working for?” Natan looked up at the Andorian Guardsman with a tired expression. “I’ve told you once. I’ve told you TEN times. The answer isn’t changing. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” It had been going on for days, Natan was certain. He’d been pulled of the street as he’d been walking to work, thrown into one cell after another, and had an endless stream of questions either spoken or shouted at him by an equally endless number of Andorians. It was almost as if they expected his story to change, miraculously. They hadn’t started anything like torture yet; mostly lack of food and water and a couple periods of sleep depravation. This Andorian, though, rather then getting riled up and shouting, gave him a strange sort of smile. “Let’s see if this jogs your memory, pink skin.” Natan fought to not glare at the man. His family had been on Andoria for longer than he’d been alive. There were times he felt more Andorian than Human. Back in grade school, he’d nearly beat up a kid for calling him that… He’d developed a much thicker skin since then, but it still cut. The Andorian walked over to a monitor and flipped it on. On the screen was another interrogation cell, a Romulan behind the table. It looked like he’d had a much more difficult time than Natan had gone though. Natan looked at him for a moment, then looked over at the Guardsman. “Who’s he supposed to be?” “You tell me,” the Guardsman replied. “We traced funds transferred from his account to a new one you created about three weeks ago.” Now Natan’s eyebrows furrowed. “A new bank account? I haven’t made a new one of those in… years.” “The records show otherwise.” The Guardsman switched off the monitor. “He claimed, after some persuasion, that you were to assist him in gaining high level Imperial Guard military data. Ship schematics, weaponry, tactics, the works, in exchange for credits and passage off-world.” Natan could no longer contain his shock, looking at the Guardsman with jaw agape. “That’s a bald-faced lie!” “It was also the sort of persuasion that’s incredibly difficult to lie through, pink skin. He pointed us to the bank account.” The Guardsman returned to the seat across the table form Natan. “If you cooperate, give us all the information we need to stop whatever that Romulan’s compatriots might be planning, it will look very good for you. Your sentence will be reduced, possibly significantly.” Natan sighed lightly, his face resuming its forward tired exasperation. “If I had any information to give, you’d’ve gotten it a LONG time ago. I have nothing. I don’t know who that Romulan is. I don’t know what he’s planning. I don’t know what it is I’m supposed to have been getting him. I work for Jorak Falyn, at his establishment, the Ushaan-Tor, in city sector 21-Aleph. I’ve worked there for three years, and have every intention of working there for many more.” The Guardsman gave a small sigh as well. “I had hoped you’d be more cooperative once you saw we had captured your cohort… I suppose I was mistaken. My controllers will be most… displeased.” There was a knock at the door. The Guardsman stood, walked over, and opened it. “You’re not supposed to be in here.” A familiar voice answered. “I’ve got clearance. Get out.” “Fine… Five minutes.” With that, the Guardsman left. Vera entered. Much as he wanted to hug her, the restraints he was in kept Natan stuck in his chair. “Hey there.” “Hey,” she said with a small smile. “How are you holding up?” “Well enough, all things considered. So, good news or bad news?” “Your father isn’t standing for this,” she said. “He’s pulling all the strings he can to get you out of here. He knows you had no part in this, and neither do I.” “Dad knows what he’s doing…” Natan trailed off for a moment. “At least, I hope so… I wouldn’t want him to get in trouble for something I never did.” “He’ll be careful.” Vera smiled. “He’s got an Andorian sense of paranoia.” She leaned in close, giving him a kiss. She paused by his ear as she retreated. “And if his ideas don’t pan out, I’ve got a couple hidden up my sleeve.” “Like what?” Natan whispered back. She finished retreating, giving him another smile that really helped to warm his heart. “It’s a secret.” With that, she turned and retreated out the door… (( Present Day; Starbase 118 – Keal’s)) To that day, Natan had no idea what she did, but it had worked. The Guard backed off on their charges. Death was no longer on the table, just exile. Luckily, the place that would become his pub opened up at the right moment, and Starfleet held the slot for him until he could arrive and get it set up. It had been a rocky start, but the place survived. He’d made friends among the crew, and his tendency to have almost any drink a patron could name helped make his pub pretty popular with the various transients on the station. Natan looked over at Vera again as he prepared his next shot. He’d sunk a couple shots to it didn’t look so much like he was ‘letting’ her win. “Hey, Vera. Could you do me a favor?” “What’s that?” she replied. “There’s a bottle behind the bar. Green bottle, silver foil at the top. Mind grabbing it and a couple glasses for me?” Vera chuckled. “No. I’ll get it.” As she turned, Natan shot. The cue ball scratched, and he made a mock exasperated noise. Vera turned back to look at him. “‘Tan?” “That one wasn’t on purpose.” Mostly true. He hadn’t really cared where the ball went that time. He’d really planned to scratch it the NEXT hit. She gave him a beady-eyed mock glare. “I’m watching you, pink skin.” Natan chuckled. Vera could get away with that name. She never meant it in the derogatory sense. “Just grab the bottle, blue skin.” As she turned to grab the bottle, though, he reached over and grabbed the cue ball. From his pocket, he fished out another one. Within moments, the two were switched and the original cue ball was in his pocket. He was committed, now. It was time for a little secret of his own… (( Two Months Ago; Starbase 118 - Natan’s Apartment )) It had been a long, hard day, but Natan was finally getting to a good, happy point again. His pub was doing well, the station hadn’t tried to blow up in a few days, and his shipment of Bloodwine, Scotch, and Kanar had made it in safely. Now, if he could only get everything restocked before business started in the morning after getting some real sleep… But sleep would be delayed. The computer beeped. “Incoming message.” “From whom,” Natan asked, pulling off his vest. “Unknown.” That caught his attention, the fatigue leaving him for a moment. “Put it up.” The room’s computer terminal came up, showing a dark, distorted figure. Natan walked over, leaning over a chair to look at the screen. “This is Keal.” “Mr. Kael,” came an equally distorted voice, “I am to inform you that you will be seeing a friend in two days time.” Natan paused, raising an eyebrow. “And who might that be?” “It’s a secret.” And with that, the screen blipped off. Confused, tired, Natan just tired to shake it off and go back to his original focus. Shower, followed by sleep. Maybe it would make sense in the morning? (( Present Day; Starbase 118 – Keal’s )) In hindsight, he shouldn’t have been surprised when Vera showed up at the door to his pub two days later. She’d finally separated from the Guard and came looking for him. It had been the happiest day he’d had in a long time. She worked there now, helping out however she could. He knew the adjustment couldn’t have been easy on her, but it was about time for it to pay off. Vera returned with the bottle and glasses, handing them off to Natan and picking up her cue stick. Natan set the bottle and glasses onto a table, turning to watch. ‘This should be good…’ he thought. She aimed carefully at a ball on the far side of the table, edged for a perfect drop into a nearby pocket and, with a good angle off, would leave the cue ball in perfect position for another drop next shot. Vera slowly pulled the stick back, and ran it forward for a perfect strike… And, moments after the ball started to roll, it fell away in two halves… A small object was launched from the ball, rolling and bouncing along the path the cue ball would have taken. It made it all the way to Vera’s target, bouncing off and spinning to an eventual stop. It was a ring, either silver or white-gold. It had a number of small diamonds on it, two offset rows of them all along the ring. For the first time in all the years he’d known her, Vera looked completely shocked. “Huh,” Natan said, “would ya look at that?” “That’s…” Natan grabbed the ring from the table, holding it in his left palm and running his index finger around it. He looked at Vera, giving her a beaming smile, then walked over to her and gently took her left hand. “Vera, I’ve loved you for many years, and you were my best friend for years before that. You know me better than anyone out there, and I like to think I know you the same. Between us, there are no secrets… at least not anymore.” He looked up at her eyes, trying to gage her reaction. Vera was still surprised, her antenna shifting around as if giving a double take, but she seemed to be adapting quickly. He again smiled. “I don’t want lies to come between us anymore. I want to spent the rest of my life with you.” With that, he slowly dropped to one knee and slid the ring onto Vera’s left hand. “Vera Yanis… Will you marry me?” She looked from the ring, to him, and back… and back again. Slowly, the shock became a smile. Vera dropped to her knees before him, taking both his hands in hers. “Yes, Natan Keal. I will.” She pulled him toward her, and their lips again met in a kiss. He’d given her his last secret. ‘May it be the last one I keep.’
  11. ‘Well,’ James thought, ‘that went well.’ He sat on the bridge of his modified Raven class ship, the Nova, his legs propped up on the darkened helm station. This had to be a first, finding himself drifting along without power. He knew he wouldn’t be out there forever; folks knew where he was and they’d be back soon enough. Even if she’d gotten a bit pummeled, James had to admit his tough little freighter had done a fine job. The fact that he was still intact was proof. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder where he had screwed up… What had he missed? There were advantages to being an android; one of the Falcon clan. To remember what happened, all he had to do was rewind… ((Deep Space 3; Promar Sector; Two Days Before)) James took another sip of his scotch, scanning down the PADD. There were a number of cargos to be hauled this way and that, but few of them were in directions he really wanted to go. He started another run through of the list. There were a couple with promise he’d noted before, but he always waited ‘till the second, or even third, run through before selection. He was interrupted by the sound of a glass landing on the table. He looked up, spotting a glass of scotch of similar size as his own. James continued turning upward, soon seeing the kindly looking face of an older human gentleman. “Mr. James, I presume.” His voice had an Earth British accent. “You’re right,” James replied. Not wanting to have connections made with his father, James had chosen not to reveal his real last name. He’d proven reliable and hard working, so no one had asked any questions. “Have a seat, Mr…” He trailed off, leaving the question open. “Dover.” The man sat, giving the glass of scotch a slight nudge toward James. James knew the custom; a potential client learned what drink their prospective pilot was enjoying, then brought another with them when they came to sell their deal. James downed the rest of his original glass, then accepted the new on with a slight bow of his head. “What can I do for you today, Mr. Dover?” “I have a shipment I need delivered to the fourth planet of the Markanix system.” He was pretty direct… Not quite a flag. ‘Flags’ were what James called suspicious activity. They came in different sizes and colors and played a major part in his decision on whether or not to take a job. “No questions asked?” “Oh, not at all. Ask away, Mr. James.” “What’s being hauled?” “Computer cores. Six of them. Type 61-D, model 117-J. One of the local school districts made a purchase not too long ago, looking to upgrade.” As Dover spoke, James made a quick connection with the base’s computer and checked the man’s story. It checked out. James seemed to consider for a moment. “Well, that much should fit into my ship.” He gave a nod, taking a sip of the scotch. “All right, I’ll do it. How’s 4000 credits sound?” “That sounds marvelous,” Dover replied. “The computer cores are currently being stored in cargo bay 11.” “Should I beam them to my ship, or hand load them?” “I would prefer hand loading.” He gave a small shrug. “Seems these cores are a might finicky. It’s hard to tell what could damage them.” James nodded. “All right. I’ll move my ship to the closest loading dock. Half an hour?” “Half an hour. It’s a pleasure to be doing business with you, Mr. James.” Dover extended a hand. James took it and shook. “Likewise, Mr. Dover.” ((Bridge; Freighter Nova)) Dover hadn’t haggled. James had noted that as a flag, but it hadn’t been enough to turn down the job. 4000 credits was a standard rate, but you almost never got that. But then again, the fact that he hadn’t haggled could’ve simply meant he needed the cargo moved out as soon as possible. But that would’ve lead to more questions. ‘And in hindsight, that’s probably the last thing he would’ve wanted,’ James thought. He’d moved the Nova over as planned, and was met by Dover and a few other humans. They’d hauled the cores over to his ship, finding room with the few other things he was hauling until he found a good price for. Dover had left him with a final request… ((Upper Cargo Bay; Freighter Nova; Two Days Before)) “One final request,” Dover said as his people cleared out. “I would ask that you not scan these computer cores. As I mentioned before, they are easily damaged.” “Understood,” James replied. “I should arrive there in five days, six tops. Just replaced a few coils in my starboard nacelle, and I want to give them a chance to settle in before I push them too hard.” “That will be fine, Mr. James. A pleasant voyage to you.” Dover gave a half bow, turned and left. James watched him go, hitting the controls to close up the cargo bay. He’d done a bit more research over the last half-hour, and came to the conclusion that what Dover had told him was bogus. The computer cores he was hauling were of an obscure model, certainly. Few knew much about them, so it would be relatively easy to make up whatever you wanted to. They had no problems with being beamed around or scanned. Dover had just raised a pretty big red flag. But there had been nothing James could do about it at that moment. He needed to get away from the base first. ((Bridge; Freighter Nova)) He had run through a quick checklist, got permission to depart, and had gotten Nova moving away at warp 1 to give him plenty of time to work. He’d even primed his tactical systems, just in case. But no amount of preparing could’ve let him guess what he was about to find… ((Upper Cargo Bay; Freighter Nova; Two Days Before)) James walked a couple circles around one of the computer cores. It was a double core, with two smaller cores connected together to increase their power. The design normal; Danube-class Runabouts used a smaller version. At glance, the cores looked about as they should. About five feet in height, with each core about four feet in diameter and separated by some blinking computer equipment. But James was guessing there was something beneath this core’s skin, and he was going to find out. He started with an old tricorder set up for detecting explosives. It found none. Another general purpose one found something strange. It seemed there was a layer of high energy right at the surface of the core. ‘Holographic overlay, maybe?’ Rudimentary stealthing, but combined with the no scan policy it might’ve worked. He went to the core’s status monitor, and quickly found that the computer was encrypted. Luckily, his sister had a knack for breaking encryptions, and she’d taught him some of her methods. It took a few minutes, but he sliced his way into the computer’s systems. He was right. It was projecting a holo-image. He deactivated it. The central section remained the same, but the twin cores faded. They were tanks of similar size. One held a stack of gold-pressed latinum bars. The other held a person. A Bolian, male, in stasis. And from the look on his face, none-too-happy about being there. He repeated the process on each of the cores. Some had higher levels of security, and a couple had dampening fields to block scans. All told, he discovered seven beings in stasis, one of them an obvious Starfleet officer, several stacks of gold-pressed latinum bars, various gemstone piles, weapons, and some equipment he could not identify. ‘Somebody lied here.’ There was little he could do about the tanks. He couldn’t risk bringing anyone out of stasis until he knew more. At that point, what he needed most was backup. James started for the bridge. He knew who best to contact; Robert Falcon, his father. ((Bridge; Freighter Nova)) James shifted his feet, making sure they weren’t hitting any controls. Though deactivated, he didn’t want to damage them. He’d gotten through to his father after a couple tries. Seemed he was out and about in his shuttle doing R&D work at Starbase 118. He wasn’t too far out, actually. And it appeared Starfleet had already been kinda curious about what was going on in James’s part of space. Robert called in the calvary, and started for James’s position himself. Would’ve been nice it he could’ve made it there a tad sooner. ((18 Hours Before)) James didn’t like this, the hiding. On Robert’s recommendation, James had steered for a nearby nebula that would hopefully mask him until help arrived. Seems there had been more information about his route that hadn’t gotten logged into any database he could access. Freighters that worked with this ‘Dover’ guy seemed to vanish a bit more frequently then usual. The Rogue was a fast shuttle, so Robert would be able to back him up quickly. But he’d been sitting there for more then a day. He kinda wanted this to be over with. Suddenly, there was a blip on the sensors. James leaned over to look. Three ships were entering the system. They were small, and moving quickly into the local space. James wasn’t sure, but something told him this was a bad sign. There was a crackle from the comm. “We know you’re here, James. Come out of hiding, give us the cargo, and we’ll let you live.” It was a male voice, and sounded roughly Orion. James had set up something of a comm network in nearby space; a few jerry-rigged probes spread around the nebula. He opened a channel, knowing the signal would jump around randomly in its apparent starting location. “Never really knew the Syndicate to honor that particular promise, so it’s tough for me to believe you.” He started moving power around the ship. Nova could hold warp six for a while, but he’d always wanted to see how well she would do at seven. There was a chuckle from the comm line. “You can’t warp out of there. You’ll have to come back into open space. We’re content to wait.” Suddenly, his ship gave a shudder. “But then again, shooting practice sounds just as good.” That settled it. By random chance they would eventually hit him, and in the nebula he couldn’t raise his shields. Time to go. He set course to the far side of the nebula and charged up his warp nacelles. Nova broke through the barrier into open space. She rocked hard to starboard as the Orion’s weapons struck, then leapt to warp speed. She was sprinting with all she had at warp seven. But it wasn’t meant to be. Before too long, Nova dropped back to impulse with a very hard shudder. The new coils in the starboard nacelle had blown. Running was no longer an option. Time for plan ‘B’. He charged his weapons. Deception was one of Nova’s main defenses. She was faster and better defended then she appeared. Around her hull were five weapons. At first glance, they appeared to be outdated phase cannons. But under their skin, they were packed with enough firepower to match a type 6 phaser. With more work, they would gain even more punch. And it was time for their biggest test. Behind him, all three Orion raiders dropped from warp. He brought Nova about, charging weapons. Without hesitation, he opened fire. ((Bridge; Freighter Nova)) He’d managed to take one of the Orions out pretty quickly, then keep the other two busy until help arrived. First, his father had appeared with his shuttle. It was something akin to a heavy fighter, so it quickly turned the tide. He’d jetted off after the remaining Orion, with a starship following soon after. Unfortunately, that last Orion had scored a lucky hit, knocking out most all of Nova’s power. James could’ve fixed it if he’d had to, but Robert had promised a tow back to Deep Space 3. Robert had already contacted him, and was on the way back with the starship, the U.S.S. Thunderchild. They’d managed to capture the Orions, and dug out what was really going on. Everything Nova was carrying was meant for them, but the Orion Syndicate didn’t want anything leading to them. So, they’d pick some real event, disguise their cargo as needed, then attack the freighter hauling the goods. After relieving the pilot of his load, they would destroy the freighter. James had gotten lucky. He’d managed to get through their greedy lies. Next time, he wouldn’t fall into the trap.
  12. Well, if memory serves Iconia is hardly the garden spot of the Beta quadrant. :: Smiles.::
  13. Connie's heading out towards the Beta quadrant. Near as I can figure, they're headed toward Iconia. I'm not quite 100% sure yet, as I'm still kinda waiting to get on board. (I've had Rho in mid-transport for approaching 24 hours. :: Chuckles.:: ) At that point, it'll be check in time, followed by a recap I'm sure. (With reading through the logs as needed.) And because of you, Rho will probably be looking over her shoulder every so often for.... I'm not sure how long. :: Smiles.:: And I'm glad you got engineering. Should make things interesting if we ever to a joint sim.
  14. You are Geordi LaForge: You work well with others and often fix problems quickly. Your romantic relationships are often bungled. ::Nods Sagely.:: Yep. That fits me well.
  15. Hey, let us know what you think when you're done. I'm considering getting it too.
  16. Oh... Umm... Oops... Season 4 was great! Looking forward to when they get done with the batch of reruns.
  17. Holy frell.... Three folks from the space flight indusry donated a total of 3 Million dollars to save Enterprise! .... I think we just might win this fight. EDIT: Sorry. Didn't know that was included on the censor list. Changed to something completely different. (Thank goodness for Farscape.)
  18. The first couple episodes may raise an eyebrow in curiosity at what they're doing, but bear with them. Season 4 is the best season yet. Hmm... Gotta go see how the Save Enterprise movements are doing...
  19. Yeah. My dad reminded me of the followup episode. In my complete brain fragmentation, I'd forgotten. I liked it. ::Smiles.::
  20. I've got to agree. The first two seasons were ok. They had their moments, and I liked the continuity they held. Third season was well done. Kinda like the Dominion War with DS9, but they didn't drag it on too long. This season has been really well done, and I firmly believe it's because Manny got into the upper ranks. My dad contributed to the Save Enterprise funds. I really hope they can keep this going. I mean, TNG, the best Trek series to date, still needed a couple seasons to get onto its feet. Enterprise has finally caught its footing, and it should be allowed to keep going.
  21. The only problem with making things look less advanced then TOS (including PADDs) is making it believable as a future for us today. Right now we've got PDAs better then TOS PADDs (if my memory of what they looked like is accurate). Besides.... I think the Enterprise PADDs are cool... And kinda like with the whole writing thing, they couldn't really see 30 years into the future, know what technology level they'd have to show now and plan accordingly in TOS. Cut 'em some slack, ok?
  22. Here's another way to look at the whole technology thing. Yeah, some of it looks more advanced then in TOS. That really can't be avoided. Some of the technology we have today looks more advanced then what they had on TOS. So, the producers had to make things look more advanced then today, while still giving a lead up to TOS. Hard to do, but I'm not complaining about what they did in the series. Heck, I've got an NPC in the works who carries a phase pistol, and his freighter is armed with four phase cannons (allbeit modified a bit).
  23. I know of a couple sites that are trying to save it. http://www.enterprisefans.com/ http://www.saveenterprise.com/ They're trying to raise funding for run ads, convince CBS to take up the show for its 5th season. I don't have a paypal account, but my Dad does. I'll see if we can chip in. Both of us like the show. I think they made a lot of improvements with the 4th season. In other words, Enterprise being cancelled sucks.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.