WTF?!!!! LOL! No. I'm participating in the NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth (NANOWRIMO) which is basically a competition where you have to write a 50k novel in a month. Thus the hiatus on Restoration.
Chapter 15 Deputy Chief of Staff’s Office Building 1, Federation Headquarters Complex New York "Colin." The voice pulled Colin out of a deep sleep. Consciousness flooded in and pain erupted down his neck and along his spin. He groaned, feeling cold wood beneath his cheek. He had fallen asleep at his desk again. Third time this week. He lifted his head and stared up blearily to find J-L staring at him with a wry smile. "What time is it?” he asked. "Five in the morning." "God." He sat upright, feeling muscles pop in his shoulders and back. Reaching up with one hand, he began to massage his constricted muscles. "I must have fallen asleep after the meeting." "Obviously,” J-L said with a smirk. "What are you still doing here?" "I'm not still here. I just got back." "So early?" "Myriam called me back in. Something big is going down. She's been trying to reach you at home for the past hour and sent me down to see if you were still here." His words woke Colin all the way up. Pushing his chair back, he stood, suddenly alert. "What's going on?" J-L shook his head. "Myriam wouldn't say, but it can't be good – everyone is waiting for us in the Office." That brought Colin up short. It must be bad if they had pulled the President out of bed. "Ok, let's go." He led J-L out into the empty sub-office, glancing at Nargle’s desk. He tried to remember what time the Ferengi had left. Shaking his head, he jogged down the corridor to the turbolift, pausing only long enough for J-L to catch up before stepping inside. Both men inserted the new keycards they had been given, waiting for their identity to be confirmed. The turbolift jumped into motion, rising to the next floor. The moment the doors slid open, Colin burst out and walked rapidly to the President's office, J-L hurrying to keep up. In the Atrium, Baral Grax looked up at them both. Despite the hour, Grax looked as though he had been up for hours. He didn’t seem to need sleep. "Are they in there?" Colin asked. Grax nodded. "Ms Jones said to send you right in." "Have they been in there long?" "About half an hour." Dammit! He shared a worried look with J-L. Who knew how much they had missed! The Office de Concorde was as full as Colin had ever seen it. Besides Myriam and the President, almost the whole of the President’s personal staff, including his advisors and the Secretaries of every Federation ministry, stood or sat around the room. When Colin and J-L stepped inside, everyone looked up. Colin felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach – why wasn’t anyone talking when we walked in? Myriam frowned. "Nice of you to join us Colin." Colin ignored her tone. He wasn’t going to justify himself to her, not anymore. Although both of them had talked things out after their confrontation a few days earlier, and had come to an uneasy truce, Colin knew that things would never be the same between them. Myr must have known that too. "What's going on?" Instead of answering, Myriam glanced at the President, who nodded somberly. Myriam held his gaze for a moment and then sighed. "As of 0450 hours this morning, the Federation is officially at war with the Klingon Empire." Colin stood there for a moment, just staring at her. Then he allowed himself to drop into the chair behind him. He vaguely noticed J-L do the same. "How... What happened?" "I'll give you a full briefing later on, but in a nutshell, Starfleet Command received a report late last night from the USS Redemption. A Federation freighter carrying medical supplies for the rebuilding of Romulus came under attack from three Klingon Birds-of-Prey. So far, none of the Klingons who were taken into custody have talked but… Initial analysis of the captured Bird-of-Prey’s computer core seems definite – the attack was ordered by the Imperial Navy." She hesitated before going on. "The President feels we have reached a breaking point. The borders have been closed and the full Federation ambassadorial staff have been recalled from Qo’nos." So fast? J-L let out an explosive breath at his side. "I don't believe it has actually happened." "What now?" Colin asked. Admiral Barker, a burly human with white hair and a pepper beard who served as Federation Security Adviser, spoke up. "Starfleet has prepared a number of plans for securing the border. We have decided to seize a number of planets along the border, worlds that were in dispute at the end of the Occupation." "How many ships are we talking about?" Press Secretary Gar’ka asked. "As many as can be spared." Colin couldn't believe it. As much as he had pushed in the last few days for the Federation to finally take action against the Klingons, part of him hadn’t really accepted what it meant for the Federation to go to war. He only vaguely remember the end of the Occupation, nothing more than scattered recollections of feeling terrified during the bombings as the Jem’hadar pulled off Earth, and the street parties that followed the official end of hostilities. Growing up, he had thought the Federation was done with war. It looked like he had been wrong. Everyone in the room seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Colin had never seen so many sombre faces in one place. No one spoke, lost in their own fearful imaginings or anguished rememberings. "What about Redemption," J-L asked after a moment of silence. Colin guessed he must be thinking about his cousin. Strangely, Myriam looked at Colin before she answered him. "Redemption's mission to the Hegemony is too important to cancel. She will proceed as scheduled." She waited a few more moments before continuing, her eyes sweeping the room. "If no one else has anything, I think we'll call it a night. J-L, I know you need to get some sleep, but I need a statement ready for the President to make to the Federation by 0600 hours." The Communication's Director nodded tiredly. Everyone began to file towards the door, and Colin stood, about to intercept J-L and offer his help in drafting the statement. Before he could take a single step, though, Myriam called him over. Colin shared a short glance with J-L and then turned to see what Myriam wanted, but his boss shook her head curtly. Colin realised she didn't want to say anything until everyone had left the room. What is going on? Feeling increasingly uneasy, he waited while the Chiefs of Staff and Secretary Bramble of the State Department finished saying their goodbyes. When the door finally closed behind them, Colin realised he was alone with Myriam and the President. President Baxter sighed and gave Colin a tired smile. He indicated for them all to sit down. "Hell of a few weeks, hey Colin?" "Yes sir." "Almost beats the election campaign." Colin couldn't hold back a grin, remembering the long hours and crazy twists and turns of that campaign. "I wouldn't go that far, sir." "No.” The President nodded. “I suppose you're right." There didn’t seem to be anywhere else for the conversation to go, leaving an uncomfortable silence to settle over the room. As usual, Myriam was the one to break it. "The reason we called you in, Colin, is that we need you for a special assignement." He tensed. "I already have a special assignement." The President spoke up at his side. "We know you're not going to like this, son, but we wouldn't be asking you if we didn't need this like a Vulcan needs logic." "You still haven't asked me anything." Again, the President looked at Myriam. "We - the President and I - want you to serve as Special Presidential Representative on the Redemption mission." At first, Colin thought they were joking, like that one J-L and Myriam had pulled on him during the Tellarite trip. Then he saw the look on the President's face and he realised they were deadly serious. "I don't understand," he said after a moment. Is this some way for Myriam to get rid of me? "We need someone aboard that ship we can trust, someone who will be looking out for the interests of the whole Federation and not just Starfleet Command." "You want a spy." "If that is what you want to call it, then yes,” Myriam said brutally. "What about my work here?" he asked after a moment. "You're going to need me in the next few weeks and months, especially with the war on." "Colin, you have to realise that according to Starfleet's most optimistic estimates, at the very best we're looking at a war of attrition that is going to last for years with no gains on either side. As things stand, this war with the Klingons is one that we just can't win. Bringing the Laurentii in on our side, or at least gaining their technology, is our only hope." Myriam shared a look with the President, then she looked back at Colin. "In a nut shell, you're more useful to us out there than you are here at home." Colin looked from one to the other. They were asking him to give up his life and his job here on Earth, to turn his back on everything he had worked so hard to gain, and put himself in a position where he would most likely be in direct conflict with the very people he had once sworn an oath to serve. He couldn’t do it. Before he could say anything, the President put a hand on his shoulder. "Colin, listen to me. I will not make this a direct order." Myriam stiffened beside him, but one quick glare stalled whatever she had been about to say. He turned back to Colin. "What I will say is that this is a direct request for help from your President.” He smiled. “I know that I'm not the President Starfleet was hoping for. I'm not a warrior - I spent most of the Resistance negotiating between the variois factions and trying to hold the Alliance together. I wasn't a fighter pilot, I didn't command a cruiser and the closest I came to live combat was the evacuation of Alpha Centauri." His eyes glazed over slightly and Colin knew he was thinking back to the chaotic evacuation and the millions of dead left behind in the aftermath. Then his gaze cleared and when his eyes met Colin's again, the light within burned. "But I am the President of this Federation and I will not allow it to fall, whether to Klingons, or Andorians, or the Borg themselves. So I am asking you, as your President, to accept this mission. Be my eyes, my ears and my voice aboard that ship and make sure we get what we need." Colin held the man's gaze for a moment longer, and remembered why it was exactly that he had joined this man's campaign all those years before. He still felt that he would be more useful to the President right where he was, but he also knew that he couldn't refuse that request. Finally, he smiled. "When do I leave?" Colin Grove’s Apartment The Empire State Building Hours later, Colin finally let himself into his apartment. After catching a few hours sleep in one of the staff quarters, he had spent more time than he could spare delegating his work load to J-L and Myriam. Nargle had arranged their transport to Moscow, then booked Colin a taxi back home. Now, he only had another five hours left before he was due in the Moscow Starfleet Complex where Nargle and he would be catching a transport to the USS Highland, a refitted Galaxy-class ship from before the Occupation that would be joining the Redemption's support fleet at Khitomer. Instead of going straight to his bedroom to start packing, though, Colin went to his office instead. As he reached the terminal set into his desk, he fished a folded piece of paper from his pocket. Sitting down, he smoothed the small card out on the desk and stared at it. Lizabeth CarterSpecial Assistant to Councillor James Kisburn There was a comm terminal ident code beneath. Colin had kept Lizabeth's card despite himself, telling himself that it could always be useful – politically speaking, of course. Now though, he was forced to admit the truth. He had kept it because of all the women he had had affairs with over the past few years, she was the first he hadn’t been able to forget. Sighing, he turned on the terminal and as soon as the comm system activated, he input her ident. The system tried to connect the transmission for a few moments, then an automatic messaging system activated. He hesitated to leave a message, then realised that he couldn't walk away without at least saying goodbye. So he waited nervously for the message to end and then he started to speak. Councillor Kilburn’s Office Federation Council Building "And so... Well I guess I didn't want to leave without talking to you one last time and letting you know that I would like that dinner when I get back. If you're still interested. Sorry I didn't get a chance to say this face to face. Bye." Lisbeth glanced at Colin’s face on the screen, then looked up and studied her boss's face. He frowned. "The timing is unfortunate. When did you receive this?" "He left it ten minutes ago." Her boss nodded and stood. He walked over to the window and stared across the New York skyline at the Federation Headquarters complex. "So President Baxter is sending his little pretend soldier to keep an eye on Redemption." He paused. "Do you think he suspects?" Lisabeth shook her head. "No, sir. I think he's worried about Starfleet, as he should be. You played your hand beautifully." James Kilburn, Councillor for the planet Nimbus III, leader of the Movement for Eugenics' rights, and founder of the organisation known only as the Company, turned to face her with a smile on his face. "We played our hand beautifully, each and every one of us." Lisabeth bowed her head modestly. "What would you like to do about this?" "Groves?" He shrugged. "I don't think he will be much of an obstacle to our plans. Still, I believe you have a contact planned with our sleeper aboard Redemption?" "Yes sir. Our Klingon allies have requested we help their man aboard ship." "The doctor?" As usual, he wrinkled his nose at the thought of working with aliens. She nodded. "We had promised them our aide if they detached those three Birds-of-Prey to us." "Very well. Use the opportunity to inform our operative of Groves' arrival. Have her get close to him." Kilburn winked. "After all, he seems to have an affinity for augmented women." "Will do, sir," she said, trying not to show her distaste for what he was asking her to do. "Good." Kilburn turned back to the window, gazing out across the city. "Soon, very soon, all of this will be ours, just as it should be." His voice hardened. "As it always should have been."
War! Uh-oh. Sounds like it will be an ugly one, too (I mean, as wars go. They're all ugly, of course.). I love the way you portrayed Colin's reaction to the news, I thought it felt very true. Easy enough to talk tough until it actually happens ... Oh, and ANOTHER spy, being spied on by spies! Note to Colin: Women are trouble! Especially women who sleep with politicians and their employees. And augments! This is so entertaining. What a tangled, tangled web you're weaving here, Captain Sarine. So annoyed with you for doing nano! (I forgive you, but seriously ... I know you're going to leave us on a cliffhanger, here, and I'll be waiting on the edge of my seat for December! At least it's just a month.)
I hope you like DOG torture Captain Sarine..because I will have to submit my dog to torture until you return.. I agree with Kes7..collin's reaction was well done...and as for Kes's warning about women?? SO TRUE... Rob
kes Yeah, this will probably be an ugly war. It will also probably be an off camera one... I may decide to write some vignettes set during it but as Redemption is heading off to the Laurentii, we won't be seeing a lot of the war at the moment. Although Colin sees himself as a spy, his job is going to be much more representative-like. But yes, he is being spied on by the Company, as are a lot of people... I'm glad you found his reaction to be lifelike. Sorry about nano! I promise that if I finish early, I'll get on working on this asap! Rob No!!!! don't hurt the dog! Thanks for the kind comments, glad this rang true for you as well. Well one more chapter to go which I'll probably post on Saturday night and then on with the hiatus...
I see that as an indication of weakness! Which I will now exploit -- Come on, guys, it's not November yet! Maybe we can still talk him out of this ... (Just kidding ... well, kind of. )
Ahh.. Im just kidding. Thanks for ruining the only bargaining chip I had!!! LOL... Just make sure you 'prompt' us, Captain, when your about to come back with more issues after you conclude these last few you are on.. Rob
kes LOL! Yes, I'm weak, I admit it! But I also reaallly want to write this novel for nanowrimo so... bit of a toss up. But if you want to try and talk me out of it, you can always try... Rob No worries, you guys will be the first to know when Restoration returns. I've promised myself to find some way of posting the prologue and 1st chapter of Restoration on the 1st of December as a celebration for finishing nanowrimo. So you can look out for it sometime on the 1st. Thanks to you both for your enthusiasm! Joel
I thought the plot was tangled before...so the Augments are using the war to make a power play. Not sure how Redemption's mission will affect this since they'll be so dfar out but I'm sure you have something up your sleeve.
Mistral Thanks for the comment! Yes, the Augments are making a power play and the Redemption's mission is intricately involved in it. One more chapter to go tonight and then on hiatus... Joel
All, Here we are, the final chapter of Volume II of the Star Trek: Restoration saga. I've enjoyed all your feedback and hope you've enjoyed the story. As already mentioned above, I will be putting the Restoration story on hold for the next month as I participate in the NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth. So no new Restoration until 1st December. If any of you are interested in following my progress during nanowrimo and reading some extracts from my novel, Soulreaper, you can do so on my blog: http://treachery-treason-and-deceit.blogspot.com/ Hope as many of you as possible will post your feedback and comments on this final chapter! Thanks, Joel Chapter 16 Captain’s Log, 3rd April 2631. We have completed final reparations to Redemption following the encounter with the Klingons at Opiucus. Our last crew members and passengers are onboard, and we have made contact with three support craft that will be accompanying us. One final ship, the Highlands, will meet us at Khitomer before our final jump to Laurentii space. It has been a hard three weeks, for everyone. But I want to go on the record here and now to say how proud I am of this crew. They have pulled together despite their differences, and done what seemed impossible. I am sure they will continue to do so in the days to come as we finally launch this mission to the Hegemony… Ba’el Sarine’s Quarters USS Redemption Starfleet Construction Yards In Orbit of Romulus 0700 hours “It is 0700 hours.” The familiar sound of the computer pulled Ba’el Sarine from his nightmare. As always, it lingered a moment, but even if it hadn’t, Ba’el had had this bad dream so many times that he could have recited it – word for word, image for image. In the dream, he was back on the bridge of the Enterprise. Smoke obscured everything, rending the bridge in shadows and ghost, but he knew that his crew were there around him somewhere. His ship rocked as the Dominion ships pounded them desperately, trying to stop them from completing their mission. It was as if they had known what they were planning. The Founder’s homeworld dominated the viewscreen before him. From somewhere within the smoke, a voice called out, “Within range, Captain.” At this point, Ba’el always hesitated, just as he had in real life. Then he gave the order. “Fire.” The three torpedoes erupted from beneath Enterprise’s saucer section, whirling flashes of red energy that split from one another as they entered the atmosphere. Ba’el followed their progress even as they vanished from view. Then he waited. Waited as the ship seemed to tear herself apart beneath him. Waited as everyone on the bridge seemed to hold their breaths. Waited as the weapons he had designed and perfected neared their target. “Five seconds to target,” a disemboied voice echoed from the smoke. “Four… Three… Two… Impact.” In reality, he remembered asking for a progress report, in his dreams he stayed silent. In reality, explosions rocked the ship as the Dominion continued to fire on them, in his dreams a strange unsettling silence fell over the bridge. In reality he was too focused on survival to watch his brainchild do its job, in his dreams he couldn’t watch anything else. It began. At first there was no more than a single spot of dark amongst the gold. As the moments passed, that spot began to grow, to engulf the planet below. And as the Founders died en masse, in his dreams their screams began to echo through the bridge. Now that he was awake, Ba’el wiped a hand across his face. It came away covered in sweat. Since he had come onboard Redemption, he had not had the nightmare. The last time had been… Had been the day that Admiral Kovat called him and offered him command. Ba’el wondered whether the fact that the nightmare had returned on the day of the launch was supposed to be a sign. His father had always said that the ancestors had a dark sense of humour. He lay there for a few more moments, waiting for the last vestiges of the dream to fade away. Once they had, he slid out of bed and walked over to the small fresher unit. He splashed water on his face and glanced in the mirror. As he did, he received another sudden flash, a mental image from a month before. He had stood in front of a mirror just like this the day Jar had called him. He had changed a lot in the intervening weeks. The eyes that had looked back at him then had been haunted, bloodshot, dead. Now they seemed alive, though still a little haunted from his dream. His hair, which had been long and unkempt, was cut short and clean. He stepped back – he had gained a few pounds and his belly wasn’t sunken like a famine victim anymore. He hardly looked like the same man. I’m not, he realised. However he might have fought against it, he had to admit that Jar had been right. As long as he had stayed in that house, he had been stuck in the past. The fact that the nightmare had been a constant companion until he arrived onboard this ship was proof enough of that. Somehow, despite everything that happened, he had found a way to move on. He wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. “The time is 0715 hours,” the computer chimed, bringing him back to the here and now. Ba’el smiled. He had ordered a second reminder in case the first didn’t wake him. Today was the day of the launch. He couldn’t afford to be late. Shaking his head, he walked over to his closest. It was time to put on his uniform and get out there. He wanted to check in with every department before the launch. Nightmare or not, he was going to make the most of this day. Main Engineering 1020 hours “Commander Kane?” Without any sign that he had heard her, Kane retracted his tubules. He turned. A young ensign stood by his side, holding a diagnostic padd. She was young and human and very, very pink. He saw her flinch slightly as his ocular implant played a red light over her cheek. “Ensign.” She winced again. His voice must have become mechanical again. I’ve spent too long connected to the computer. This was not the first time a non-assimilated crewmember had reacted this way. Remembering what Ba’el had said to him the day before, he recalibrated his voice implants, forcing a little humanity into his voice. “How may I help you, ensign?” She seemed to relax slightly. “Sir, something has changed. In the main core memory.” “The anomaly,” he said immediately. She nodded. “Yes sir.” “Show me.” He followed her to a console. Her hand trembled slightly as she called up a holographic readout. Perhaps she is cold. Perhaps she is afraid. There was a 95% chance that it was the latter. He dismissed the thought out of hand. Whatever Ba’el said, they were going to have to get used to serving alongside the Borg. He looked up at the readout. The first sign that his primary human programming was reasserting itself after his immersion in Redemption’s computer systems was the slight febrile fear that ran down his spine at what he saw. “It has grown.” “Yes sir.” He detected a tremor in her voice. “Have there been any further changes?” The young ensign shook her head and looked at him. “Not that I can-“ She stopped as Kane lifted a hand, his eyes fixed on the readout. She turned and gasped. Four words had appeared on the holo-screen. Greetings. Where am I? “What is that?” she asked. Yes, a definite tremor in her voice. She needed reassurance. It was a shame that Kane had none to give her. After a moment of processing the information in his neural implants, he shook his head and fell back on his Borg programming. “Insufficient information to make a diagnosis.” In human terms… He had no idea. Storage Bay Nine 1546 hours Glancing carefully from one side to the other, Keene stepped into the storage bay. In the two days since his discussion with Lady J’tar aboard the Klingon ship, Keene had been waiting impatiently for some kind of signal from his new ally. The signal had only come through the night before, a padd left on his desk in sickbay, asking him for a meeting in this specific storage bay at this exact time. He had brought a tricorder with him just in case it was a set up, and he pulled it out now, scanning the bay's interior. Nothing. Whoever his contact was, they hadn't arrived yet. Moving over behind one of the canisters, Keene sat down on a lowloader and settled in to wait. As it had a lot over the past few days, his mind began to wander back to his conversation with Lady J’tar. He had always known that one day he would be called upon to give his life for the Empire. He had not expected this to be that mission, though. He couldn't quite decide how he felt about it. The mission itself made perfect sense, of course. After all, what better way to end any chance of an alliance between the Federation and the Hegemony than by having one of their own kill one of the Laurentii? All Keene had to do was find a way of killing Kalara and convincing everyone else that he was her for as long as it took to kill the Laurentii target. A holographic matrix wouldn't suffice this time. Luckily, the ‘device’ would be perfect. He had stored it in one of the lower cargobays, disguised as medical equipment. Ready for use whenever he needed it. Though painful, the process would be flawless. When to make the change, though? Not before they reached the Hegemony, that was for sure. The less time he had to spend convincing people that he was Kalara, the better. The difficulty, though, would be in… His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door into the bay sliding open. He tensed, wondering how he could be sure that this was his contact. He quickly realised that he couldn't. He would just have to take the chance. If it wasn't his contact, he could always claim that he was checking the containers for contaminents before the launch. When he stepped out of his hiding place and saw who was waiting there, he was sure that he had made a mistake. Of all the people he had expected to see, she was the last one on his list. It had to be mistake. Then she smiled. "Operative L’Goth? My name is Underhill. I hear we have some work to do." Keene could only stare as the woman began to laugh. Bridge 1713 hours Jasto stepped out onto the bridge. The whole bridge crew had gathered for the occasion, filling every square metre from the upper level down to the Pit. Everyone wore a grin - or their cultural equivalent - and held a glass of some kind of synthohol in their hands. Holographic waiters transferred from the Alpha Quadrant program wandered the tight space, carrying trays. Accepting a glass of sythetic champagne, Jasto allowed himself a moment to enjoy himself. This would be his first launch party and as a Trill with a symbiont as old as Dax, there weren't many things he could experience for the first time. He was looking around for Tania, who he hadn’t seen since leaving her quarters that morning, when he heard a voice behind him. "Lieutenant-Commander." He turned to see Doctor Malok approaching through the crowd. The big Klingon didn’t even seem to realise that everyone was stepping out of his way as he advanced. Jasto smiled. "Good evening, doctor." "Good evening." The Klingon glanced around as he stopped a few steps away. "It is difficult to move in here." Jasto hid a smile by taking a sip from his glass. "I would imagine it is," he said. He looked around again. "It's good to see so many people having fun." "Yes. There haven't been many reasons for celebration since the end of the Occupation." "Less than we all imagined." Doctor Malok looked at him askance, then laughed. "Sometimes I forget that you lived through the end of the Occupation just like I did." Thoughts of the end of the Occupation led inexorably to Haebron. Jasto forced a smile. "In a way." Although Malok seemed to sense his unease and changed the subject, Jasto regretted it almost immediately. “I wanted to talk to you about Lieutenant Williams.” “Oh?” Jasto said, trying to keep his voice calm. Things with the lieutenant had been surprisingly easy since their ‘encounter’. Once she had come back to active duty, she had acted in a professional manner, never once mentioning what had happened in sickbay, to him or anyone else. Jasto had actually begun to relax around her for the first time since discovering her presence onboard. Now, though, he wondered whether all this time she had been playing the patience game, preparing an ambush with the doctor. His fear turned to relief, though, when the doctor smiled. “I’m sure you remember that I did not want to let you talk to her that day, but now I think I should thank you. She has been a different woman ever since, as if she had gained a new purpose.” He looked at Jasto. “Whatever you said to her worked.” Jasto didn’t know what to say. A new purpose? He opened his mouth, but was saved from saying anything when a shrill whistle pierced the general hubbub. Both men followed everyon else, turning to the rear of the bridge to see Captain Sarine step out of the turbolift, Commander Ly’et, Commander Turner and Lieutenant-Commander Kane at his side. Jasto would have sworn that he saw an angry look cross the captain’s face as Commander Ly’et said something from behind him, but it vanished so quickly that he could have imagined it. Still, the commander did not look happy about something. Nor did Kane for that matter. What’s going on? “Captain on deck,” one of the security officers shouted, though the whistle had already gained most people’s attention. Everyone started to bang fingers on glasses, an ancient custom to welcome a new commander on deck. Out of the corner of his eye, Jasto caught a glimpse of Commander Kalara and Ambassador Benjamani drawing closer. Neither of them seemed happy either, though the reason for their feelings were more obvious. The captain smiled at the reception, though Jasto still thought it looked a little forced. “At ease, people.” Everyone relaxed slightly, though remaining relatively formal as Captain Sarine stepped up to the railing and looked around at his crew. “It’s good to see so many of you on the bridge, though I do wonder who is staffing the rest of the ship.” The joke drew a small ripple of laughter. “I’m sure most of you know me by now as your captain, Ba’el Sarine. I’m not a man for speeches, and I never have been. All I have to say is that you have all done wonders over the past few weeks in getting this ship ready for launch. I have never seen such a disparate group of people coming together in such a short time and working so well and so closely together. I’m sure I speak for Starfleet Command as a whole when I say thank you.” The applause was more forthcoming than the laughter. Captain Sarine waited for a few seconds, then lifted his hands to quieten everyone. “But our mission is just starting.” He glanced behind him at the three officers who had accompanied him in the turbolift. The look lasted a moment, then he faced forward again. “A friend of mine once told me that Redemption is going to be leading the first real mission of this new Federation. And when we look back on the charter of the first Federation, that was their guiding star. The Titan. The Voyager. Even the Enterprise.” As usual, an uneasy feeling fell over everyone at mention of Enterprise. The captain pushed on regardless. “This was what they did. Discovering and befriending new life and new civilisations. We are taking the first steps in making that dream a reality once again. I for one am proud to be leading this crew and I hope that you will be just as proud to serve onboard this ship.” The applause was almost overwhelming this time. At one point, Jasto wondered whether it was ever going to stop. Once it did, the captain nodded to them all. “Thank you for that. But what do you say we get this show on the road?” A ripple of laughter ran through the attending officers as Prin Ly’et stepped forward. “All officers not scheduled for bridge duty are invited to enjoy the festivities in the Alpha Quadrant. As for the rest of you…” She smiled. “Stations.” There was a sudden burst of movement as everyone headed for their stations, or for the turbolifts. Jasto turned to Malok and handed him his glass of champagne. Malok accepted it gladly, then bowed his head. “Good sailing,” the doctor said. “Thank you, doctor.” Turning away, he descended the steps into the Pit. Lieutenant Williams had already taken a seat at the conn and for a moment Jasto thought back on what Malok had said. Why would she have reacted so positively to their encounter? He wondered whether it had been as healing for her as it had been for him. He hoped that was what it was. Settling into his position at Ops, Jasto enjoyed the feel of the seat beneath him. He reached up and activated the holo-interface, settled the headset over his skull and turned to look at the captain. Sitting in his own chair, Sarine took a moment to drop the viewfinder down over his eye. Commander Ly’et took her position stood behind him and leaned forward to whisper something in his ear. The captain grinned, then looked at the three operations officers – Jasto at Ops, Lieutenant Williams at the conn and Ensign Q’sar at the navigation’s position. “Are we ready gentlemen?” “Yes sir,” they said in chorus. “All stations report ready?” Commander Ly’et asked Jasto who glanced at his screen, then nodded. “All stations ready.” “Is our course laid in?” “Affirmative,” the Vulcan ensign said from navigation. “Conn?” “We’re ready to go, Captain.” The captain nodded. “Good.” He looked around at them all, as if he wanted to imprint the moment on his mind. Then he smiled. “Take her out, Mister Dax. Onyx Station is waiting.” So ends Star Trek: Restoration Volume II – Aftermath Volume III – Onyx will be coming to a trekbbs near you in December 2009
Waaaaaaah. (About the hiatus, not the story.) Great chapter. Sarine was captain of the Enterprise? Awesome. I wonder what letter was after her name. I can't wait to find out in December what happens with Dax and Williams, and who is talking to them from the computer core. I liked your handling of Kane ... he's straddling that line between human and drone in a fascinating way. Keene and mystery spy ... I wonder who that is. I guess we'll see ... in a MONTH. If Keene kills Kalara, I'll want to find a way to become fictional and get revenge. I can't stand that guy. (Maybe I'll just write a story where the Tesseract crew travels through time to blow him up.) You are such a great storyteller! As you would say ... "Lovin it," and it will be missed while you're off doing other things.
kes7 Thanks so much for that enthusiastic send off! Really means a lot. Sorry to leave you hanging for the next month, hope it will be worth the wait. Still, my nanowrimo project is going well, so I'm happy about that. Yes, Sarine was captain of the Enterprise and in fact it didn't have a letter after her name since she was a rebel ship. And because of what happened in this little flashback, there will never be another one. I would pay good money to see that story! Thanks again for your comment. Now off to read your update on Tesseract! Yay! Joel
Hard to believe after all these characters have already been through that their real mission is only just beginning. Here we get a brief glimpse back at the apparent genocide that brought the Dominion Occupation to a close. Annihilating an entire species, even one as misguidedly malevolent as the Founders, obviously does not sit well with Ba’el’s conscience. Sarine’s pre-launch speech was short and to the point, just what I’d expected from a no-nonsense guy like him. It will be fascinating to see what happens to this powder-keg of a starship when it reaches Laurentii territory. This is an excellent end to an amazing second story. I’m eagerly awaiting installment #3!
Hi Gibraltar! First off, thanks so much for the comment. Great to see people are still interested in following the adventures of the "galant" crew of the USS Redemption... LOL! Yeah I was just thinking about this the other day. This was soooo not the original plan but after the damned Klingons decided to blow up Starbase 2 without asking me, and Ba'el threw Kalara in jail, I knew that the aftermath needed to be much longer. But now they're on their way!! Yiii! Yeah, I thought it was about time I made it absolutely clear exactly what Ba'el had done back in the day. And yeah, that has given him some major ghosts to deal with! I originally had him make a much longer speech, then realised that it wasn't him. He would just get to the point and get on with it. I hope Volume 3 matches your expectations! Coming soon (relatively... December 1st is soon!!! ) Joel
That was a good way to tie up Part 2. The voice in the computer has me very curious-I can't help but wonder who(?) it might be. Our Soong android, perhaps? Wiping the Dominion is unexpected-I knew Sarine did something but that-wow. And to mark the name, Enterprise, as well-very gutsy choice. Now finish your novel and get on with part 3. Might i suggest when you return a synopsis would be in order.
Yes...I agree..this was a great way to send us off with. I think your guess is right!!! We have, what, until december to wait?? That sucks!!!! I hope he does give us a synopsis..good idea!!!! Rob
Mistral Hey! Thanks for your comment. Glad you enjoyed the tie up of Part 2. As to your guess of who or what is in the computer... I guess we'll see, won't we? I really wanted to make a total cut from the old Federation in some way and I thought what better idea than to have Enterprise be a bad name to use because of what Ba'el did. So glad that you liked the choice and learning what Ba'el actually did. And the synopsis is a great idea, even from a writing point - it will help me get back into the swing of things for December! Thanks again! Rob Stop encouraging Mistral to guess/theorise about who/what is in the computer!!! Yes, unfortunately, you'll have to wait until the 1st for the continuing adventures. In the meantime, I have some already written chapters for my Star Wars story and will be posting them over the next few weeks if you want to take a look at that instead?? Thanks to you all for your comments! Joel