I’m glad to see Adele has found a confidant in Julian, seeing as it’s becoming harder and harder to trust anyone on this mission, and they’re only a week or so out of port. Though it’s always possible Beckley is a Section 31 operative, his ties to Starfleet Intelligence make him just a bit too obvious a plant. My guess is that whoever the other operative is, that person might be more like the last individual we’d ever suspect. Someone like Maren, for instance. It will doubtless prove fascinating to see how Adele and Maren handle the advisory board. Continued excellence!
Love Bashir the Man from Uncle. It seems that he has his own personal agenda and mission working within S31. It is hard to believe that it will come to any good. It does seem like a very S31 thing to do though - place operatives on a mission into the DQ. Especially in light of the technological advances made via Seven and Icheb's Borg knowledge. It seems S31 has dark ambitions and/or motivations about this mission. Intriguing question now is who is the other operative.... Loved how Bashir reasoned on the different heroes and their possible involvement in S31. From Adele to Icheb he has some genuinely good reasons to suspect them. It even made me wonder for a moment. I like too that he used his medical skills and knowledge and applies them to his spying activities. Adele finally gets a chance to relax and her observation about reacting to circumstances rings true and shows her to be a real captain. She wants to command situations. So far though, much of that has been out of her hands. Though with Icheb's call at the end she may now find the ball in her court. Dear oh dear. Lastly, icheb is communicating - how has he survived, has he been manipulated, what does he know, and what does this mean for the Tesseract? Questions, questions and more questions.
Got a chance to read the prologue and I must say that you've got me hooked. I like your characterizations--Irina and Icheb should prove interesting and I'm fascinated by the history between Maren and Icheb. Icheb never really impressed me on Voyager, so if you can take that character and bring him to life, I think that would be great. I'm also fascinated by your conception of the Tessaract as being essentially a city in space. Are you, by any chance, familiar with the works of James Blish? He wrote an entire future history series dealing with cities in space--great reads! I'll definitely be following this story here and at Ad Astra!
Thanks for the comments, everyone! As always, I really appreciate the feedback! CeJay -- Believe it or not, I had a plan for Julian from the moment I decided to go ahead and make him CMO. But yes, between me and CaptainSarine (and Gibraltar, too, he's got some cool ones!), the TBBS fanfic forum is now lousy with bloody spies. Julian has his own agenda, though. As for Adele ... well, she can't help but feel bad. Emotionally, she's been in a similar place to where Maren is, when she was about the same age, and she knows how much it hurts. Of course, she didn't compound her own problems by making questionable decisions at the time, like Maren is now. So she's not letting Maren off the hook ... just feeling like she could have handled their conversation better. oldstredshrtevr -- Wow, so glad I could accomodate your wish list! I'm also intrigued by Section 31 -- I personally believe that it's wrong to do evil so that good may come of it, but it's one of those fascinating debates with so many interesting hypotheticals and good points on both sides. Plenty of fodder for the imagination to be found with a group like that. Julian, as we know from DS9, was sucked into the middle of it without really being given a choice, but always tried to maintain his integrity. He's an idealistic man, and a very smart one. Those things haven't changed in this story, though he's gotten older and less naive. Thanks for the review! I look forward to any further comments you want to make! Gibraltar -- Thanks for the review and compliment! Adele needed a confidant pretty badly, that's for sure -- of course, we know Julian is more than just a CMO now. Too bad everyone Adele works with seems to be hiding something, including him. And oh, wow ... Maren? S31? Interesting thought. Certainly that would put her relationship with Icheb in a much more sinister light, wouldn't it? I'm not confirming or denying anything, just because it's more fun that way ... but seriously ... Maren? The kitten in a den of wolves, I believe you called her? She would certainly be the last person I'd suspect ... but then, you write Olivia Juneau. So I can see where your mind would go there. We'll see what happens as things unfold! Miranda Fave -- Julian's definitely got an agenda. So does S31. The question is, are these agendas compatible? And how many operatives are there? As far as Adele and Icheb -- you wondered for a moment about them? Oh, ye of little faith! Hehe. I'll take it as a compliment if I could make you suspect either of them for a moment, though, after forty-four previous chapters of liking them just fine. Speaking of Adele ... yes, she's a captain. A particularly feeling, empathic one, maybe, but still a captain. She's grown used to calling the shots over the last six years. Today, everything was out of her hands. The only one who got to make any real decisions today was Maren (and maybe Icheb, but Adele doesn't know anything about that yet). However, as you noted, that all may be about to change. The ball may be back in her court. And regarding Icheb -- Wait and see! As usual, thanks for the thoughtful review and the reassurance on this chapter. DavidFalkayn -- Hi there, thanks so much for the comment! It's always really exciting to see a new reader/reviewer, especially when it's a writer whose work I respect! I hope the story continues to please you as you get further into it! Enjoy!
What a great chapter! I loved the conversation between Julian and Adele, the two work really well together, and it was nice to see Adele gaining an ally against the Admiral. I get the feeling she may need it! I also like the backstory to Julian, discovering his continual links to the section. However the fact that they have links to this mission cannot be good, for anyone concerned. Great job and can't wait to see what Icheb has to say! P.S - We do both have a thing for spies, don't we??!
Thanks, Joel! I guess we do both have a thing for spies, though the Tesseract doesn't have nearly so many as the Redemption! I'm so glad you liked this chapter. You're sort of the reigning king of spy intrigue around here, so if you approve, that makes me very happy! Thanks for the review!
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX “I can’t guarantee this is going to be successful,” Icheb reminded Malik for the third time as they waited for Adele to answer their transmission. “I’m not the captain.” Malik nodded and stared straight ahead. Icheb thought the expression on the organic part of his face looked nervous. That makes two of us, he thought to himself. He had no idea what was going to happen next, and he had never been so conflicted in his life. He briefly wondered if Maren would be working on the bridge, then pushed the thought aside. No matter how badly he wanted to see her face right now, this was not a good time to be preoccupied. He had convinced Malik to forego the holographic interface when communicating with the Tesseract. He understood why they liked to use it when dealing with new contacts -- being hailed by someone who looked like a Borg drone was probably cause for instant panic by most of the quadrant. But the Federation valued the truth over just about everything else, at least in theory. Icheb was experienced enough to know that the practice often differed from the ideal, but at least in this case, he suspected the truth would be more persuasive than just about anything else. He tried to keep his mind clear as he stared ahead and waited for his captain. He tried not to think about the offer he’d just turned down. He hoped he would have the chance to revisit that decision later, when trust had been built on both sides. But for now, his crewmates couldn’t afford for him to be compromised in that manner. This is why you returned to the Delta Quadrant, a part of him was crying out. Irrelevant, he convinced himself. Circumstances have changed. You must adapt. **** As Adele and Julian arrived on the bridge of the Tesseract and Adele ordered the transmission onscreen, her eyes widened at the sight of her first officer standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a Borg drone. What is going on here? she wondered. She was relieved to see he looked unharmed. “Commander, are you all right?” she asked sharply, bypassing any standard greeting and, for the moment, ignoring the Borg drone completely. “I’m all right, Captain,” Icheb replied. “I’m on a Resistance vessel. I’m sorry I can’t tell you much over this connection, but I’m contacting you to tell you I’ve proposed a compromise and the Resistance has accepted, pending your approval.” “A compromise? Excuse me -- I didn’t realize we were negotiating.” She gave the drone standing beside Icheb a pointed glance. “Return my officer, then we’ll talk.” Icheb shook his head. “That’s part of the compromise, Captain. I’m going to stay here for now. It’s the only assurance I can give them that you won’t open fire as soon as we rendezvous with you.” “I don’t make a habit of opening fire on strange ships,” Adele said, again looking straight at Malik. “Of course, you drained our shields in the middle of a conflict with the Borg, took over our communications array, and kidnapped my first officer, so I can see where you might think you’ve earned an exception. Who are you?” Adele asked the drone on screen. “I’ll answer your questions face-to-face. Not over this link,” Malik responded. “If you want your officer back, I suggest you comply with his request.” “Are you threatening his life?” Adele asked. “That would be unnecessary. We both know his time is limited, do we not?” Adele raised her eyebrows at this. “Stop wasting it,” Malik ordered. “Proceed to the new coordinates I’m transmitting. We will rendezvous in a neutral location and you will be given more information at that time.” Adele exchanged a glance with Icheb, on screen, and he nodded once as if endorsing Malik’s demand. She glanced over at Julian, who was intently studying the first officer, then looked back at Icheb and Malik. “And what guarantee do I have that you won’t fire on us?” she asked, wishing they were close enough that she could get a read on their emotions. “We need you,” Malik said simply, with a bitter edge to his voice, then added, “For the moment, you have my word -- we will not fire unless fired upon.” Adele took a deep breath. “Time to coordinates?” she quietly asked Ensign Anit Gopal, sitting at flight control. He tapped at his console briefly. “Seventeen hours, thirteen minutes at slipstream velocity, Sir,” he replied. “Very well. I’ll see you tomorrow, gentlemen,” she told the pair of cyborgs on her screen. The one wearing a Starfleet uniform nodded in acknowledgment, and the link was terminated. Adele turned to Julian. “Doctor Bashir, I need you in my ready room.” Julian nodded, and she turned to the duty officer. “You have the bridge.” ***** Adele sat on the edge of her desk and pinched the bridge of her nose as she thought through what she had just seen. After a moment, she looked over at Julian, standing in front of her. “How much do you know about Commander Icheb’s cranial implants?” she queried. “Could these Borg have compromised him in some way? Could they be affecting his judgment, controlling him, manipulating him somehow?” Julian blew out a breath and looked unsure. “It’s hard to say. Anything is possible. And it’s difficult to tell anything over subspace. But he looked normal to me, which is to say, he looked stiff and vaguely nervous.” Adele smiled slightly. “You’ve noticed that, too?” Her smile quickly faded. “He said ‘resistance,’” she recalled somberly. “A civil war,” Julian replied, making the obvious speculation. Adele nodded and sighed before tapping her combadge. “Oyugo to Gentry.” “Eleanor Gentry here, Captain,” came the reply from the attorney. “You promised me a report on our legal options concerning the drones by the end of Beta shift. That’s ten minutes from now. I need it.” “I’m already on my way, Captain.” “Thank you. Oyugo out,” Adele replied. She looked over at Julian. “Go to sickbay and check on O’Connor, would you?” she asked him. Julian nodded, but his look was questioning. “I need to know when you think she’ll be able to work with the drones,” Adele explained, “and someone should probably tell both her and Quigley that Icheb is still alive.” Julian nodded in understanding. “I’ll go right now.” “Thank you. I’ll check in with you as soon as I speak to Eleanor and figure out what we’re doing about the drones. I think we’re going to need whatever information they can provide us sooner rather than later, though.” “I’m not sending O’Connor in there until she’s gotten some rest,” Julian warned her. “She’s in no condition to -- ” Adele sighed and cut him off. “I know. Let’s just see what Eleanor says, first. I’ll contact you when I have some idea of what we’re going to do.” “Understood,” Julian replied with a nod, and left for sickbay. As he did, Eleanor Gentry arrived on the bridge and nodded tersely at him with an attempt at a smile that somehow came off more like a scowl. Charming woman, Julian thought sarcastically, as the bridge doors closed behind him. ***** Eleanor Gentry rang the buzzer on Adele’s ready room door, which slid open on Adele’s command. As she stepped inside, she glanced around the spacious office a bit enviously. The last time she had been in the ready room, she had been too busy telling Commander Icheb off to really look at it. Back on Earth, her own office had been nicer than this, but even on a starship as large as the Tesseract, space wasn’t infinite, and her new workplace was a step down from the luxury she was accustomed to -- and that the captain obviously enjoyed. She smirked a bit as she saw a child’s drawing pinned to the wall beside the captain’s massive desk. I didn’t figure her for the sentimental type, she thought derisively as she handed Adele the PADD she was carrying. “Thank you for putting this together,” Adele said as she took the PADD. Eleanor nodded in acknowledgment. “I’ll let you read it yourself, but I can sum it up for you very quickly -- essentially, it’s up to you whether the drones in your brig have legal rights or not. It depends entirely on what you plan to do with them.” “Excuse me?” Adele asked, visibly surprised. “It depends on what you plan to do with them,” Eleanor repeated. “Whether you’re going to try to save them like Janeway did Hansen and Icheb, or if you’re going to question them and release them back to the Collective, or if you’re going to use them as weapons ...” Adele held up a hand to stop her. “All right, all right. I’m aware of the possibilities. But why should that affect their legal rights?” “If you’d let me finish,” Eleanor replied testily, “I’ll tell you. If you save those drones, try to restore their individuality and bring them into Federation society, they will have the same rights as your first officer currently enjoys. Anything you do to them now, they could bring against you -- and by ‘you,’ I mean Starfleet -- in a court of law later. There’s no guarantee they’d win, but I can think of several judges off the top of my head who would probably rule in their favor. So if you plan to keep them on board, I would be very careful what you do to them, and I certainly wouldn’t advise you to directly download anything from the live ones. In fact, if you’re going to keep them on board, the dead one is probably going to be your only source of information unless the live drones decide they want to cooperate.” Adele pressed her lips together and nodded thoughtfully. “Okay. What about our other options?” “Well, you could question them and release them. Originally, I thought that the Federation would view them as prisoners of war. You’re familiar with those regulations. But where it gets messy is whether they count as sentient individuals or not. An argument could be made that we’re dealing with a single sentient lifeform -- the Collective. And the Collective is not our prisoner -- three of its drones are. In their current state, they’re more like tools than people. As long as we keep them that way, I believe we’re legally in the clear to do whatever we want with them, within reason. It’s no different than downloading information from an errant enemy probe, or hacking into their main computer using found technology.” Adele nodded. “And using them as weapons?” She tensed as she asked the question. There was a time she would have been willing to do anything to strike a blow against the Borg Collective, but suddenly, she kept thinking of the report she had read on her first officer’s rescue from the Collective, and the accompanying image of him as a young drone. She remembered their conversation in the replimat shortly after the launch. “There are some decisions I wouldn’t want to have to make alone,” she had told him at the time. This was one of them. “As far as I can tell, Admiral Nechayev would certainly have your back,” Eleanor said. “Actually, my research seemed to indicate you’d have fairly broad support among the Admiralty at Command for that course of action -- not just her.” “Command is forty-thousand light years away,” Adele pointed out. “What about Admiral Beckley?” “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask him,” Eleanor replied. “Are you seriously considering using these drones as weapons?” Adele could sense the lawyer’s surprise, along with her hidden trepidation at the prospect of another conflict with the Borg. “I don’t know what I’m planning. You don’t know this yet, but Commander Icheb contacted us via subspace a few minutes before you came in. We’re en route to rendezvous with him. I plan to take a Saber-class once we get close -- no point in risking everyone’s safety for one officer. But he says he’s on a resistance ship. My best guess is that we’re looking at a Borg civil war. I want both sides of this story before I make any sort of plan. I need to know what’s been going on here the last eight years.” Eleanor nodded. “The board will be interested in this.” “I’m aware of that, Miss Gentry. I’ll call a meeting the moment I know more than what I just told you,” Adele replied. “Get some rest,” she added. “I have a feeling tomorrow will be a very busy day for the advisory board.” ***** Admiral Beckley sat in his office, listening intently to the conversation between the captain and the attorney. A Borg civil war, he thought to himself, and his mind raced with the possibilities. Thanks to the captain’s conversation with Julian Bashir, he knew she was planning on having the young chief engineer talk to the drones. He wondered if she would have any more success than he had. He was not sorry to hear that Commander Icheb was still alive. In his position, he couldn’t afford to have attachments, but he had developed a certain amount of respect for the young man in their short time on board the Tesseract. That respect, however, took a backseat to the knowledge that Icheb was a living biological weapon with a proven track record of success against the Borg. He would hand the young man over to the Collective himself if he thought it would destroy them. The situation was far more complex than that, though, and he needed more information. For the moment, he would be patient, and wait until Adele called the meeting. There was no reason to make her more wary of him than she was already. Slowly, he stood and stretched before deleting the audio files and heading for his quarters. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.
As much as I dislike the IDEA of a lawyer - easy for me to say - I've never needed one - Gentry serves an extremely important function. She is the one to voice the issues polite people don't like to have to say out loud. She's also a helpful exposition tool (yeah - she's a tool!). I'l apologize first - I still like Beckley. Or to be more specific I like to worry about and mildly distrust him while admiring him simultaneously. You've created compelling people and situations Kes7 - I really look forward to your new chapters. Thank you!!!
Somewhere James T. Kirk is spinning in his grave knowing that the day has come that a starship captain is referring to a lawyer for advice on what she can and cannot do. I actually think that it adds an interesting new dimension to the decision making process even if its a long way removed from those wild 'follow-your-gut' days of the 22nd century.
The Borg resistance leader is as charming as ever. I wonder how effective an ally Malik might be should he ever be in danger of losing the strategic advantage in any cooperative relationship with the Tesseract crew. That’s presuming, of course, that he’d have any interest in such an arrangement. Though Gentry’s presence in this case is advantageous to Adele, I can foresee occasions when having the time-delay of significant distance from Starfleet Command and their army of JAG attorneys might be a godsend for a captain contemplating various forms of action. Sometimes it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. And once again we see Beckley as the proverbial fly on the wall in Adele’s ready room. I’m still not sure as to what his ultimate agenda might be, or on behalf of whom (or what), but I’m enjoying the slow reveal of his character regardless.
Thank you so much, everyone, for reading and commenting. I kept putting off replying until I can find time to do it individually, but this week will not seem to cooperate, so this time I'm just going to have to say thank you for reading and giving feedback -- please know that I really appreciate it. More on the way, but like I said ... this week is not cooperating, so it might be the weekend before I post the next chapter. -k7, getting smacked around a bit by real life
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN Sickbay, 0348 hours Maren’s nervous fingers fumbled with the replicator control pad as she entered Icheb’s command codes to override the medical security lockout. The computer’s voice was ever-pleasant as it delivered the bad news: “Code not recognized.” Pull yourself together, Maren, she chided herself in annoyance. You have to do this. She re-entered the code -- correctly, this time -- and the tools she needed materialized on the replicator tray in front of her. She immediately picked them up and headed for the drone. Up close, she could see the woman’s face. Her heart pounded in her chest. I can’t do this. I can’t go through with this; it’s wrong, she thought in panic. Yes, you can, she quickly reassured herself. She’s still a drone, still dangerous, and Icheb won’t survive if you don’t. Taking a deep breath, she carefully used the laser scalpel to cut into the mottled gray skin on the undamaged part of the cyborg’s lightly ridged forehead. She cursed her slightly trembling hands as she made the incision, which looked nothing like the perfect circles and lines she had seen Voyager’s Doctor cut. I guess sometimes it helps to be a hologram, she noted wryly. She quickly completed the cortical node extraction and turned her attention to the next task, but when she saw that Icheb wasn’t where she needed him to be, she panicked. It was only then that she remembered he was gone. It wasn’t 2382, she wasn’t in a shuttle on the way to Risa, and Icheb wasn’t dying -- at least not imminently. She suddenly realized she was dreaming again. She woke up with a start in her room in sickbay, her heart still pounding in her chest. Pull yourself together, Maren, she told herself, echoing her dream. You can’t fall apart right now. She looked over at John, who had somehow managed to fall asleep in a visitor’s chair. His blond head rested at an awkward angle against the bulkhead, and one of the medics had finally taken pity on him and covered him in a thin, Starfleet-issue blanket. He looked completely exhausted, and Maren had a feeling his neck was going to be incredibly sore from sleeping in that strange position. He had come to sickbay to apologize to her -- unnecessarily, Maren felt. Then Julian Bashir had interrupted them to deliver the news that Icheb was alive and had contacted the Tesseract. That Icheb had been accounted for was simultaneously an enormous relief to them both and a reminder that he was far from out of the woods, and the sheer emotional weight of it had been too much for Maren. Rather than the joy or worry she should have been feeling, she had suddenly just felt utterly exhausted. As the emotional fatigue of the day -- augmented by painkillers and sedatives -- finally caught up to her, Maren had tried to convince John to go back to his own quarters and get some much-needed rest, but he had refused to leave, obviously still feeling guilty about walking out on her that afternoon. No matter how many times Maren reassured him that his anger had been justified, he still seemed to be bending over backward to be conciliatory. She got the feeling he simply didn’t want to be alone. It had been a difficult day for everyone, she realized. Shoving aside thoughts about both their kiss and the heated arguments they‘d had earlier that day, she wondered if anything would ever be the same again. She picked up the PADD sitting on her tray table so she could check the time without asking the computer aloud and waking John up. 0349 hours. Less than fifteen hours to go until the captain would rendezvous with whoever was holding Icheb. The Borg resistance, she thought with apprehension. She wondered if these ‘resistance’ Borg knew they had captured a living weapon. She also wondered what the drones in the brig might be able to reveal about the situation. Her mind started to wander, thinking of questions to ask the drones and the best way to word them, but at the same time, she felt tired and lightheaded. She was finding that actually bringing a coherent thought to completion was difficult, if not impossible. After a few unsuccessful minutes spent trying to focus, she finally closed her eyes and allowed the PADD she was holding to slip out of her fingers and onto the mattress beside her. Maybe tomorrow will be easier, she thought to herself, just before sleep overcame her once more. ***** Sickbay, 0615 hours John Quigley awoke to the sights and sounds of sickbay as Irina Marchenko shook his shoulder gently. “Did anyone ever tell you that you sleep like the dead?” the Russian doctor asked him quietly as he blinked in confusion, then ran his hand down his face tiredly. “I can’t say it’s a first,” John replied hoarsely. He winced as he sat up straight. His neck was killing him. “I can give you something for that,” Irina assured him, in a voice just above a whisper. “It’s six-fifteen,” she added. “I’m sure you want to shower before Alpha shift, so I thought I’d come wake you up.” John nodded, yawning, then looked over at Maren, relieved to see her sound asleep. “She’s doing fine,” Irina reassured him. She raised an accusatory eyebrow at John and added, “The night we launched, you did not tell me you had a girlfriend.” “I don’t have a girlfriend,” John retorted, unable to hide his exasperation. Irina looked disbelieving. “Whatever,” she said dismissively. “Just know for in the future, I don’t sleep with men who are attached. There are plenty of men on this ship who do not come with that kind of drama. I don’t like drama.” “She’s not my girlfriend,” John repeated irritably. “As you say,” Irina conceded calmly, obviously humoring him. “In any case, I’m telling you she’s stable. I think we might even release her to quarters tomorrow. It will be a little while before she is one hundred percent, but you don’t need to sit vigil beside her like this. She will be all right. I would tell you if you needed to be here; I promise.” John nodded slowly, still trying to shake off the fog of sleep. “Thanks,” he said sincerely. “Can you please hand me that PADD?” he requested, and Irina turned to see the device sitting next to Maren. She handed it over. “Thanks,” John said again, and Irina nodded in reply. As she went about scanning her patient and making a few adjustments on the biobed controls, John entered a quick message into Maren’s PADD. M - Back after A shift, if you’re still here. Comm. if you need anything. Remember what I said last night -- be careful, OK? Still sorry, too. -JQ He quickly saved the message and set the PADD on the small tray table beside Maren’s bed. He hoped she would take the advice he had given her last night to heart, but he wasn’t optimistic. He looked at the sleeping engineer for a long moment before standing up, stretching, and walking out. He had a feeling it was going to be another long, difficult day. ***** Large Conference Room, 0854 hours Lieutenant Commander Ryzal arrived several minutes early for the scheduled senior staff briefing, cursing the artificial daylight as he did so. His species was nocturnal by nature, and he preferred to work Gamma shift, but his position as chief tactical officer of the Tesseract meant that he had to work artificial days more often than artificial nights. The environmental lighting system, designed to mimic the circadian rhythms of an average M-class world, worked to most of the crew’s advantage, but not his. Normally, the Saurian bore this slight inconvenience stoically, but he was irritated to begin with, and this early briefing wasn’t helping. His most promising junior officer had gone missing for a few hours yesterday, disappearing after leading the security team to manage the Borg intrusion and only turning up again for the second half of his shift, disheveled and distracted. Ryzal had heard he was in sickbay with the chief engineer, but he hadn’t had a chance to talk to the younger man about any of it the previous afternoon. Both he and the lieutenant had been too busy running tactical analyses of the confrontation with the Borg and what apparently had been some sort of cloaked resistance ship. As he waited for the meeting to begin, he looked around at the other early arrivals. Adrian Keller, the ship’s flight controller, sat clutching a mug full of something steaming, looking fairly well-rested. Beside him was the CMO, Julian Bashir, who looked extremely tired. The two friends were chatting quietly about the previous day’s events and the upcoming mission to rendezvous with the Borg resistance, and the doctor frequently paused to yawn or rub his eyes. Lieutenant Telek, the acting chief engineer, sat at the far end of the table intently studying a PADD, his blue face lined with fatigue and worry. With a minute to spare before the meeting was scheduled to begin, the rest of the senior staff began to file in. Ryzal had long observed that most of the fleet had the on-time arrival down to an art form. He knew they thought it showed they were too busy to arrive early, but sufficiently dedicated to their duties to be prompt. Ryzal had never cared for such games. He could perform most of his duties from anywhere on the ship with the technology at his disposal, and he preferred to let his record speak for itself. Shipboard politics were not something he enjoyed at all. Acting first officer Borux, Chief Science Officer T’Pring, and Chief Communications Officer Iden Nix all walked in together, no doubt coming straight from the bridge. Adele Oyugo was right behind them. Ryzal had learned in his twenty years as a security and tactical officer how to read the facial expressions of most humanoid species, and even a few non-humanoids. At this moment, his captain was an enigma, her visage perfectly neutral. “Good morning,” she greeted her staff crisply. “By now, I’m sure all of you have heard that Commander Icheb contacted the Tesseract late last night. For now, he seems to be unharmed, and I’ll be leading an away mission to rendezvous with the ship he’s on this afternoon. Borux will be in command while I’m gone. The rest of you will be with me, except for Telek,” she said, glancing at the Andorian. “With O’Connor down for the count, I need you here manning engineering. I’ll be bringing Loren Daniels as our engineer on the Sol.” Telek nodded and made a note on his PADD. “Captain,” Ryzal spoke up. Adele looked at him. “Yes, Commander?” “Given what we know of the tactical capabilities of the entity holding the first officer, I question the wisdom of putting the entire senior staff at risk in this way.” Adele sighed. “The entire senior staff is at risk no matter where they are, given what we’ve observed. If I’m taking a Saber-class head-to-head with these Borg, I want my best people with me.” “Then why don’t we take the Tesseract?” Iden interjected. Everyone turned to look at the Bolian woman. “Well, I mean, it’s a lot more tactically capable than … well, anything, really,” she said, blushing a deeper shade of blue. Iden could talk all day about communications, or make endless social conversation, but voicing proposals outside of her usual realm of expertise during staff meetings was not normally her style. She just really didn’t want to be on a tiny Saber-class, even an upgraded one like the Sol, if there was any chance they were going up against Borg, even mysterious resistance Borg -- or maybe even especially mysterious resistance Borg. “There are hundreds of civilians on this ship,” Adele replied. “I’d rather not intentionally bring them into harm’s way.” “So, get them off,” Iden answered back. “Put non-essential personnel and civilians on the Sol and Luna and send them somewhere safer, and take the Tesseract for first contact with the Resistance. Together those ships can carry about four hundred people. Not comfortably, but it’s only temporary. And they‘re fairly tactically capable, if they run into any trouble.” “Iden’s suggestion is logical,” T’Pring said, earning her a shocked glance from Iden. T’Pring favored her colleague with a slightly elevated eyebrow. “I share your astonishment,” she informed the Bolian dryly. Adrian Keller’s normally relaxed expression was gone, replaced by a look of anxious disapproval. Ryzal shared his trepidation. He knew the flight controller had family aboard, and so did he -- a wife and an infant daughter. He was less than thrilled about the prospect of sending them away, not just from him, but from the relative protection of the Tesseract. All the same, he realized that safety was an illusion, and becoming more so all the time. The truth was that what Iden Nix had proposed might well be the safest plan for them. Both the Borg Collective and the Borg Resistance -- whatever it was -- were now aware of the Tesseract, but they might not think to look for the Sol or the Luna. And even if they did, both auxiliary ships could be armed with transphasic torpedoes, in addition to the slipstream technology that should enable them to outrun just about any aggressor. Their smaller size also made them more maneuverable and easier to hide. Reluctantly, Ryzal grunted his assent. “I agree, Lieutenant Nix’s proposal sounds reasonable, given the circumstances.” Adrian shot him a sharp glare from across the table, but held his tongue. Adele appeared to think for a moment, then nodded. “I agree,” she said, “it’s a better plan than mine. Let’s get ready to do it.”
Ooooooh! Getting to some meat! Given the events leading up to the evolutions of the Borg in the Alpha Quadrant, it seems a risky to send families to the DQ. StarFleet obviously is proceeding business as usual in a fist shaking act of defiance to the galaxy kind of thing, but it is a lot more prickly to send families so far away. I've pondered this on and off - since TNG actually - during the TNG era StarFleet seemed close to invincible because we saw Enterprise interacting with a lot of cultures that were less scientifically advance. DS9 and Voyager of course blew that idea out of my mind and made the Galaxy the big place it was during the TOS era. I like where this is heading - into the unknown - and I like Ryzal too. His people are featured in other TrekLit and they have such a seemingly different way of thinking - it's almost like they are ALIENS! Another fantastic chapter Kes7 - thanks for taking time out of your busy life to feed us!!!
Hee hee. Of course, as you expected no doubt, I loved T'Pring's response to Iden's risky plan. I share your astonishment indeed. Love it. The plan does have merit even from the surprising source. Basically, Adele knows nothing about what is ahead of them when they meet the mystery resistance movement. They may indeed be especially dangerous. Still, it is abold and brave move to shepherd the families onto the Sol and Luna. It both reassures and puts fears and doubts into the minds of those who are about to be separated from their families. So Keller and Ryzal have a lot in common and a lot to worry about - nevermind figuring a way through the current predicament. Ryzal is a great character from the little we have so far gleamed of him. I want for their to be more of him. But then I want more of all the characters. The way you write them I could happily sit and read them discuss their favourite biscuits. I like the perspective we got from his Saurian background and how it informed some of his thinking. It is a neat slant to take. I wonder what he makes of John Q amid his persnal crises at a time of emergency for the entire ship. I doubt he is the sentimental type. Mind you he does have a family so there must be a soft spot somewhere. As for poor John and Maren. They finally seem to get a little rest and hopefully a chance to cath up on themselves. They have both had a trying day and who knows what tomorrow will bring. The rest can't come soon enough considering Maren's nightmares which threw me for a loop at the start. Freaky and scary atmosphere created in that scene. Well done. It represent the hellish state of affairs for Maren and rest will refresh her for the challenges ahead - of which I am sure there are plenty. So for now, all that remains to be sorted is: Getting Icheb back Figuring ou the Resistance's true motivation and purpose Maybe finding a way to help Icheb Shepherd the civilians onto the Sol and Luna and pray that nothing sinister comes of such a move - not to mention wonder who will go where in terms of their duties Yipes! Can't see anything going wrong here ...
Maren’s still a wreck despite having discovered that Icheb’s still alive, while John’s still playing mother hen to her. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Adele is now faced with having to decide how many people she wants to commit to this potentially disastrous rendezvous with the Borg resistance. I’m glad to see that despite the near-overwhelming cascade of events that are threatening to overpower the crew of Tesseract, Adele can still see the value in the counsel of her senior staff.
The quality of being able to listen to your senior officers and then change your plan accordingly is an admirable one. I think it is part of what makes Adele a good commanding officer. (Even though I have questioned some of her decisions in the past.) But it's Irinia Marchenko who's getting my Personal Hero Award in this chapter. Finally somebody who tells it how it is. John couldn't be any more obvious. Yeah, I know he's Maren's best friend and all but ... come on ...
oldstredshrtevr -- Thanks for the review (and the subtle push to finish this chapter)! I agree that having families on board is almost crazy ... but I also understand why they allow it. This isn't like today's military where you're gone for, at most, a year or two ... some of these missions, like the Tesseract's, take years and years -- seven, in this case, and that's IF everything goes according to plan. So I can imagine Starfleet officers being unwilling to miss their childrens' entire childhoods, or part with a loved one for that long. And Starfleet is known for it's "f-you, we're doing this OUR way" mentality toward the universe and its dangers ... so there you go. Glad you liked Ryzal, and yes, we're headed into the unknown ... thanks again for reading and commenting! mirandafave -- Wrong? What could possibly go wrong? Thanks for the awesome review. Yeah, the resistance Borg have shown themselves to be incredibly powerful, so Adele is rightly wary ... even though Icheb seems okay for now, she has no idea what the story is with him and he's not high on the list of people she implicitly trusts at the moment anyway. So getting the innocents away from the situation seems like a good move. As for Ryzal and what he makes of John ... he probably has the same reaction as everyone else right now: <---- And yes, Maren is in her own personal hell right now and it's showing up in her crazy dreams. Hopefully you're right and a bit of rest will do her good. Gibraltar -- Yes, Maren is still a total disaster. With any luck, she'll be able to pull herself together and make herself useful soon. For now though ... yeah. Wreck. John's playing mother hen for sure, it's in his nature to do so. Remember, he did the same for Icheb way back in the beginning and got in trouble for it -- he just handled things in a more action-y way that time rather than sitting around. (He won't be sitting for long, though ...) As for Adele and her colleagues ... I think the remaining senior staff are the only people left on the ship that Adele still trusts. Thanks for the review! CeJay -- I laughed aloud at your comment on Irina. Yeah, she tells it like it is. Glad you appreciated Adele in this chapter. She's doing the best she can in the midst of some seriously confusing chaos. She doesn't always get it right, and she knows that. When someone else has a better plan, she's not afraid to admit it and go with that. But if this plan should fail, she also knows the responsibility is on her, not Iden. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Hey Kes! Sorry it has taken me so long to get around to reading this! A great chapter here, with Maren feeling the effects of everything that has happened recently, and with Borg showing up in her dreams you know that things have been chaotic! I liked the little scene with John as well, you described really well that feeling of detachment when someone talks to you after you just wake up. And John's continued protests about his relationship with Maren ain't foolin' no one! I really enjoyed the Saurian character, nice to see a different POV race and get a feel for another of the aliens onboard your ship. I laughed out loud at the little back and forth between Iden and T'pring, I thought that was handled really well. I look forward to seeing how the situation is going to develop. A masterful chapter, as usual! Joel
Hey, Joel! Sorry it has taken me so long to respond! Thanks so much for the kind comments on this chapter. Yeah, Maren is a mess, and John's not fooling anyone. I'm happy you liked seeing more of the Tesseract's chief tactical officer, and of course Iden and T'Pring are always really fun to write for when they are together. Oil and water, those two ... thanks again for reading and reviewing. We'll see what happens next, hopefully sooner rather than later.