Star Trek Hunter Episode 28: The Covenant

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Continued from Episode 27: Sword of Destiny

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 28: The Covenant

Episode 28 – The Covenant​

“Were the borg created as a slave race to do the bidding of some ancient progenitor? Or are they the result of a highly technologically advanced society’s attempt at utopia? Whatever their ancient origins, the borg claimed to have been seeking perfection for as long as any record of contact with them has survived. While their idea of utopia ostensibly involves the complete sharing of thought and experience at the expense of individuality, it is clear that individual drones, once separated from the collective, are able to access their own memories and begin to develop individual personalities in a process that is at once traumatic and completely natural.

“On separation from the collective, individual drones experience severe withdrawal symptoms combined with an intense desire to return to the intimacy of the collective. These withdrawal symptoms, accompanied by severe clinical depression, can last for several weeks – even years – and can be fatal. For the returned, the recurring desire to subsume their individuality once again into the collective apparently never goes away. But the returned almost invariably come to treasure their independence and will fight for their freedom even more fiercely than those who have never been assimilated.

“The question remains about the borg experience and those few drones we have rescued from it: Have we rescued them from a nightmare existence? Or have we pried them away from utopia?”

Admiral Kathryn Janeway – The Returned: Life After the Collective.






Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter: (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

Captain Napoleon Boles.
Chief Executive Officer – Commander Gaia Gamor.
Chief Operations Officer – Lieutenant Commander Moon Sun Salek.
.
Medical Director – Lieutenant Commander Jazz Sam Sinder.

Assistant Medical Director – 2nd Lieutenant Gabriella Griff.

Ensign Sif.

Forensic Specialist – Midshipman Kunto Wekesa (nickname Kit).
Forensic Specialist – Midshipman Raaven (rhymes with cabin).
Emergency Medical Hologram – Dr. Raj.
Tactical Medical Hologram – Dr. Kim.​

.
Director of Flight Operations – Lieutenant Grorher (roll the “r”s).

Assistant Flight Director – 2nd Lieutenant Leonarda Marks.

Navigator Johanna Imex.
Navigator Auqa’rh’lth (A-ka-ruh-ulth).​

Ensign Chelna Zusa.

Chief Flight Specialist Thyssi zh’Qaoleq (last name rhymes with Chocolate).
Flight Specialist Dih Terri.
Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar.
Flight Specialist Jennifer Hopper.​

.
Director of Ground Operations – Lieutenant Tolon Reeves.

Assistant Ground Ops Director – 2nd Lieutenant Eykirros Jones (nickname is Ike Jones).

Investigator Buttans Ngumbo.
Special Agent Anana Lynarr, Trantor Police Intelligence Division (temporary assignment).​

Ensign Yaaal Mac.

Chief Tactical Specialist Rumi Grace.
Tactical Specialist Dasare Eba (rhymes with Cabaret Nina).
Tactical Specialist Veri Geki.
Tactical Specialist Ranni Neivi.​

.
Director of Engineering – Lieutenant Sun Ho Hui.

Assistant Engineering Director – 2nd Lieutenant Geoffrey Horatio Alstars.

Midshipman Mula.
Transporter Engineer Dragomut.​

Ensign Carlos Datsun.

Chief Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas.
Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs.
Flight Engineer Tomos.
Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon.

​

This is the final episode of Star Trek Hunter. I will be traveling during October, so there may be an interruption in posting.

Thanks for reading!!! rbs

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

All of Star Trek Hunter on Trek BBS:

Episode 1: Flash Forward.
Episode 2: The Colony of New Hope.
Episode 3: Breakfast Serial.
Episode 4: Run to Earth.
Episode 5: The Fires of Pon Farr.
Episode 6: Breakfast Killer #2.
Episode 7: The Great Mushroom.
Episode 8: The Bolian Web.
Episode 9: The Library.
Episode 10: The Philosopher.
Episode 11: Intersections and Reunions.
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle.
Episode 13: The 15,000 Cities of Cun Ling.
Episode 14: When Death Comes.
Episode 15: A Stitch in Spacetime.
Episode 16: Slavers.
Episode 17: Terms of Surrender.
Episode 18: World on Fire.
Episode 19: The Ivonovic Commission.
Episode 20: Survival.
Episode 21: The Enemy of My Enemy.
Episode 22: Sacrifice.
Episode 23: JAG Wars.
Episode 24: A Trillian Problem.
Episode 25: I Dream of Shiva.
Episode 26: Rain Over Rising Sun.
Episode 27: Sword of Destiny.
Episode 28: The Covenant (Series Finale - Yes, amazingly, you are here...)

And more on Ad Astra:

Star Trek Hunter: Rock of Ages.

Star Beagle Adventures​

Star Beagle Adventures Episode 1: Eye of the Beholder.
Star Beagle Adventures Episode 2: Astral Traveler.
Star Beagle Adventures Episode 3: Yours is No Disgrace.
Star Beagle Adventures Episode 4: Starship Trooper.
Star Beagle Adventures Episode 5: All Good People.

 

[Will The Serious]

Episode 28: The Covenant (Series Finale - Yes, amazingly, you are here...)

Love the ToC commentary.

-Will

 

[Bynar0110]

Looking foward to reading it.

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 28: The Covenant
Scene 1: Collective Renaissance

28.1
Collective Renaissance​

“We are the borg. Cease fire and return to your home system or you will be assimilated. You have one minute to comply.”


The borg had not issued any communication at all to their antagonists in years – they had just been fighting it out with and running from one former victim after another – enemies energized by the borg’s sudden vulnerability, their lack of cohesion and their apparent inability to make decisions. The great collective of voices that had terrorized 10,000 civilizations throughout the Milky Way Galaxy had suddenly fallen silent and in an instant, instead of an unstoppable force, the borg had become a withering people, their mighty ships easy prey for determined looters and vengeful enemies once decimated by this formerly undefeatable foe.


Throughout the Milky Way, tens of thousands of ships were attacking the few thousand remaining borg cubes when those cubes suddenly came alive – their shields came back up, their ships began repairing themselves. Of the thousands of ships carrying hundreds of thousands of pirates and hardened warriors from nearly a thousand different species, no more than 30 crews took advantage of the single minute they were given to turn tail and flee from a newly re-energized collective.

As soon as that minute passed, every ship attacking a borg vessel fell silent. Their crews were taken in the blink of an eye onto the borg cubes and made borg in a process far more inexorable than ever before. Individual pirates and warriors were not chased down by borg drones and injected with nanites – the nanites were simply beamed directly into the blood stream of everyone on board every enemy vessel at once and they were fully assimilated by the time they were beamed over to the nearest cube.

Then began the slightly slower process of the borg drawing in each of their adversaries’ ships to be cannibalized for parts to repair the dilapidated giant cubes. Each cube moved toward the ships that had been attacking – thousands of ships of every description began apparently disassembling themselves into component structures, which in turn began streaming toward the borg cubes. Hull plating, engine nacelles, large structural beams, tiny rivets, even the gasses and drive plasma streamed in component parts, continuing to further disassemble as the pieces were drawn into the borg cubes as if by giant vacuum cleaners in space. Each ship that had been on the attack only minutes before was fully disassembled by the time its parts reached the nearest borg cube.

At the same time, each cube could be seen repairing itself. Hull plating that had been crumpled for decades, now straightened itself out into smooth, flat plating as if it were being ironed from the inside.


A new, singular will was uniting the borg and driving them. He had transported from the lavardorn, Minerva, onto the borg cube that she was floating inside, there to unite directly with the borg. They were not assimilating him. He was assimilating them.


Inside Minerva, the remaining companions of the new borg king were planning. He was able to hear them and speak to them through the emancipated borg drone, 3rd of 5, known affectionately as ‘Hugh.’


“Even with every borg cube in the galaxy and assuming we can double their numbers over the next hundred years and maintain exponential growth following that, we still have no chance of repairing enough of the Hulk to protect the entire Alpha Quadrant from the gamma wave front,” said Rear Admiral Sarekson Carrera, Director of Star Fleet Temporal Command. “But we don’t really need to protect a lot of empty space,” he continued. “What we need to protect is life environments and trade routes. It will take nothing short of a nightmarish amount of math to calculate which parts of the Hulk must be repaired and in what order so that every star system with life or potential for life is protected from the gamma wave front.”

“The borg can do the math,” said Hugh, speaking both for himself and for the new borg king. “We just need the raw data. The location of star systems that need protection. The location of the trade routes that must be protected. And the location and vector of the approaching gamma wave fronts.”

“But we don’t have all of that information,” Old Man Crusher objected. “Trade routes will need to be negotiated.”

“More importantly, we are far from having visited all of the star systems in the Alpha Quadrant,” objected Dr. Mlady. “Your people are only now beginning to map the locations of brown and red dwarf systems and we now know those systems can support life. The Federation is only now beginning to exploit some of these environments for colonization.”


“Minerva is pregnant,” said the blue avatar.


“Well, that was a bit of a non-sequitur,” Dr. Tali Shae observed.

“Not entirely,” the avatar replied. “She was impregnated before her pod sent her here from the Whale Galaxy. Their purpose in sending her here was to create a pod within this galaxy. Her partnership with us serves her purpose to create an environment for the pod she will give birth to. Over the next thirty years, she will birth about 200 pups. Each pup will need about 20 years to mature to the point of being able to physically support a small crew like yourselves – no more than three at first.”

“Will they be, as Minerva is, impervious to gamma radiation?” asked Dr. Carrera.

“It will take each pup about a hundred years to grow skin thick enough to withstand the gamma wave front,” said the avatar, “but as you know, Minerva obtains energy by resting inside the corona of a star. Once their skin is thick enough, her pups will be able to do the same.”

“200 teams of scientists, traveling at the speeds that Minerva is capable of,” mused alien Bob, “they could map the entire Alpha quadrant and then map the gamma wave front.”

“All we need now is enough borg to repair the Hulk,” said Dr. Carrera.


Hugh spoke up: “King Prometheus says he has a plan for that. But you’re probably not going to like it…”

28.1 (of 8)​

 

[Will The Serious]

What comes next is, as a good Sci-fi story should be, unimaginable.

I know this because I can't imagine where we are going from here. I can't wait.

-Will

 

[Bynar0110]

I love the appearance by Hugh!

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

What comes next is... I can't imagine where we are going from here....

What comes next is the promised cartoon... Get ready for some "toon-splainin"...

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 28: The Covenant
Scene 2: King Prometheus

28.2
King Prometheus​

“PLEASE STAND BY FOR THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT”


For several months, the entire Alpha Quadrant and a significant portion of the Beta Quadrant had been embroiled in a war among the three great powers – the United Federation of Planets, the Romulan Star Empire and the Klingon Empire. But someone suddenly hit the pause button. Throughout the Alpha Quadrant and the war torn parts of the Beta Quadrant, ships were landing or establishing stable orbits. Rescue missions were allowed to go forward, but all fighting was simply stopped. Even ground forces found themselves unable to initiate combat, even if they were armed only with hand-to-hand weapons.

Smaller civil wars and other wars throughout the Alpha Quadrant were similarly stopped. Electronic weapons stopped working. Projectile weapons and hand-to-hand combat were prevented by the projection of shielding between combatants.

On so-called primitive worlds, the so-called innocents – pre-warp populations who had developed electronic communication but who were as yet unaware of the vast space-bound populations of intelligent beings all around them – were receiving the same message on every radio frequency and every screen. The same message that was on every subspace frequency and every video monitor of any kind throughout the Alpha Quadrant, presented in every local language as needed – the message to stand by for an important announcement.


Then a silly jingle started – introducing a cartoon. These cartoons were specific to their audiences. People on Earth, Vulcan, Qo'noS, Saketh and Bajor saw a cartoon figure of a humanoid biped walking. On Andoria and on the viewscreens of the Andorian Imperial Guard ships, these cartoon figures sported antennae. On other viewscreens, the walking figure more closely resembled a bird or had four legs in addition to two arms – depending on the physiology of the predominant viewership. This cartoon figure was accompanied by silly music and a cheerful, comforting voice speaking in the appropriate language depending on the audience that was receiving:


“Hi there! This is you.” A second figure appeared on the screen. “And this is your friend or your neighbor.” Dozens more walking figures appeared. “And these are all the people you know who are alive today – your family, your tribe, everyone you know.”

Those who were on planets saw the figures grow small and then depicted as standing on a ball. Those in ships saw the figures grow small, then depicted as if they were being viewed through the window of a spaceship. They heard: “And this is your planet. And this is your spaceship. This is your home.”

The cartoon planets and spaceships grew small. Far underneath these tiny ships and planets wiggled fat, dark squiggly lines. “And these are gamma waves. Oh no! The gamma waves are getting close to your home! What ever will happen when they get there?”

The cartoons zoomed back in to show planets and spaceships with the dark squiggly lines coming up through them. As soon as the dark squiggly lines touched the walking figures, the cartoon people stiffened, then fell down. “Oh no!” burbled the narrator. “Guess what? Gamma radiation is deadly to all forms of life. So when those nasty gamma waves hit your planet or your ship – your home – everyone will die instantly.”

The cartoons then showed a sequence of silly walking figures falling down and bodies piling up. “You will die!” the narrator continued in a chirrupy voice. “Your family will die! Everyone you have ever known will die! All the other life on your world, on your ship, your home, will die too. Oh those terrible, terrible gamma waves! They’re going to kill everyone and everything. Not just on your home…”

The cartoon again expanded to show a large number of planets and ships being intersected by dark green squiggly lines. “Not just your world, but every world everywhere in this part of the galaxy. What, oh whatever can we do?”


The picture changed to a cartoon caricature of a face known in Star Fleet to many as Doctor Robert but to the people who really knew him and had served with him on the U.S.S. Voyager, he was simply “The Doctor.”


“Hello. I am King Prometheus of the borg. A few million years ago, the borg were created to protect life in this galaxy from those pesky gamma waves.” The cartoon caricatures of the borg were far less frightening to look at than the actual thing. In cartoon form, they were quite silly and, actually, kind of cute.

“The borg set about creating an enormous machine – a gigantic shield between you and those terrible, terrible gamma waves – Hooray for the borg!!!” Screens throughout the Federation, the Romulan and Klingon empires and everywhere else in the Alpha Quadrant now depicted cute, silly, heroic cartoon borg drones building a gigantic cartoon machine which in turn was stopping the cartoon gamma waves.


The picture changed again, to show confused borg wandering away from the machine. “But at some point along the way the borg forgot what they were doing and went off and did something else. They did some mean and scary things that they are not proud of…” The cartoon showed the machine falling apart and gamma waves passing through it. “And the machine, without anyone to take care of it, gradually fell apart and started letting those nasty gamma waves through. Which brings us back to you and all your friends on your ship, your planet, your home, who are going to die the moment those dastardly gamma waves arrive.”

The caricature of the Doctor’s smiling face returned to the screen. “But I have good news! We have found the borg, reminded them of their original purpose and we have brought them home to repair the Hulk and to save you and your home from those nasty gamma waves. Hooray for the borg!” The cartoon word ‘HOORAY!’ exploded into confetti and fireworks along with cartoon explosion, popping, and noisemaker sounds.


“But there is one, teensy little problem…” The caricature of King Prometheus returned to the screen - now a full body view that revealed the Doctor was wearing simple, unadorned black borg armor. “There just aren’t enough borg left to do the job. That’s where you come in! Over the next year, on your planet or on your ship, you will be given the opportunity to join the borg and help save the lives of everyone you know! Isn’t that wonderful?? We will establish a lottery and one in every five of those in the prime age category for your species will be brought into the collective. You will learn how to communicate and live as a member of the collective.” Gradually, as he was speaking, the caricature of the Doctor resolved into the actual, living image of the former Emergency Medical Hologram for the U.S.S. Voyager.

“After a mere 20 years of service, you will be returned home and as an added bonus, any and all illnesses you may be suffering from will be cured. Furthermore, you will not age during your 20 years of service – so you will return home physically no older than you were when you left.

“This is the covenant I, King Prometheus of the borg, make with you for your service. You will be allowed to keep or leave behind as many of your memories of being borg as you prefer. We also take volunteers of any age, so if you are suffering from an intractable illness, I implore you to volunteer and after your 20 years of service you will be returned to your home, cured! Hooray! You will get to help the borg save the galaxy and in return, your life will be made better too!”


“The Lottery will begin within the next three months. One in every five of you in the appropriate age category will be called to service, so make your lives ready for a prolonged absence. And now, we have a special message from the Chancellor of the Klingon Empire, Greta Leifsdottor!”


The change to Greta was shocking. Her long, blonde hair was gone. She was now bald, making her forehead and skull ridges – the heritage from her klingon grandfather – much more evident. Her once porcelain skin now had a greenish pallor and tubes were connected to her face and her chest. Her right arm had been replaced with a prosthetic that included a large number of tools. Her left eye had been replaced with some sort of optic device. Her muted silver klingon armor had been replaced with black borg armor. But she still stood tall and proudly held the sword of QeyliS. She stepped forward to stand next to King Prometheus on what was clearly an interior deck of a borg cube. At about 6’8”, she towered over the new borg king.

“It would bring the greatest dishonor to the entire Klingon Empire if any klingon were to need to be drafted by a lottery. Here is the greatest enemy of the klingon people – not the Federation. Not the romulans. Not the borg. But this simple brutal force of nature that is coming to kill us all. If you are a true warrior, step forth. We will establish our own lottery. The klingon lottery will not determine who will come with me to fight. The klingon lottery will determine who must stay behind to keep the home fires burning.”

“As it has always been with our people – it is an honor to be left behind only if you have been chosen to stay behind. Show me your hearts, my warriors. Show the humans and the romulans, the vulcans and the ferengi what it means to face your greatest fear. Show them what true courage is. Follow me to our greatest destiny so that the others – the human, the bajoran, the cardassian and the romulan can see your courage. Inspire them to face their own fears and volunteer to face this threat at our side, where they belong. I implore you, let so many of our people serve voluntarily that not one klingon will ever need to be drafted into service. This is why the sword of QeyliS has come to me – so that in this hour you, my legendary warriors, will find the true fire in your hearts and come to share this heroic task with me! Victory is our covenant! Qapla’!”

28.2 (of 8)​

 

[Will The Serious]

Wow! What a speech. Greta Leifsdotter is an inspiring leader.

-Will

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Wow! What a speech. Greta Leifsdotter is an inspiring leader....

And the Doctor's bedside manner has definitely evolved...

I do enjoy writing speeches... Thanks for the kind words! rbs

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 28: The Covenant
Scene 3: The Dolphins of Hawaii

28.3
The Dolphins of Hawaii​

“Couldn’t you just… find some nice guy and get yourself knocked up?”

Kenny Dolphin tried to put on a brave face, but he was fresh out of brave faces and the best he could manage at the moment was an overly protective, worried-father face. Still, that was far better than letting his true feelings show. Especially with his new grandson in his arms. Holding that baby had made him completely re-think all his worries about his daughters getting pregnant.


A freshly painted gazebo protected him and baby George from the sweltering mid-day Hawaiian sun. George’s parents, only recently wed – Vuk Smith and River Dolphin – were also sheltering in this gazebo, along with other family members. Grandpa Kenny was unconsciously bouncing baby George ever so slightly, which, along with the distant rumble of the surf and the even more distant cry of seagulls, had the baby in a happy, almost mesmerized, relaxed state. The baby had very dark skin like his Hawaiian grandfather, slightly pointed ears like his half-vulcan father, but somehow he had inherited his mother’s bright crystal-blue eyes.


Starlight Dolphin laughed lightly. “It will be all right, Dad. I spent this last year really traveling. You remember our sailing trip on Bajor?”

Dolphin almost unconsciously handed George to the baby’s other grandfather and namesake, Dr. George Smith, who was sitting next to him.

“Of course I remember,” Dolphin said. “It’s the most time I’ve spent with you since you were seven years old.”

“Well, on our way back to Earth, we stopped for a few nights in the 110 Piscium system,” said Starlight. “While I was on Pillo, the Great Mushroom gave me a dream. I knew this day would come and I knew I had to find the answer for you.”

“What answer?” asked Kenny. “The answer to what question?”

“Is it worth it?” said Starlight. “Dad, I have crawled through the antique library at the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds on Cophus II. I listened to the waterbirds singing – and the vulcans singing with them. I swam with the tetrasquids of Zephria IV and learned four dimensional wave painting from them. I spent a week inside the wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant with the nuns from the Bajoran temple on Deep Space 9, praying to the prophets. And the prophets spoke to me and showed me visions of what it will be like for the borg working on the Hulk – and they gave me messages to bring to the borg. Messages of hope. I sailed to the dark red spot on Ocean and I’ve sailed around the Earth. Twice. And I went with an expedition to observe the innocents on Dalsid V. And then to map the cloud layers of Dalsid III, where they have found life very similar to the Venusian life that was destroyed in the Venus Incident. And that is just the beginning of the wonders I’ve seen. So the answer is yes… Yes, it is very much worth it.”

“But… Twenty years… I’ll be 75 when you come back…” said Kenny. He was unable to keep the sound of hurtling loss from his voice.

“King Prometheus has offered a lot of incentives for those who volunteer in the first year of the lottery,” said Starlight. “I get to choose two people to exempt from the lottery. Vuk’s brother has exempted Vuk and baby George. I have chosen River and T’Lon. And you can come visit me. I will get 30 days vacation every year. I will be a drone, but it will still be me.”


Starlight Dolphin took a long breath and looked around at the stunning blood-orange sand, the ruby and emerald mountains of Kauai Island, the deep blue Pacific. “I love this place,” she said softly. “And I love all of you. But to save my family, I have to leave my family...”


The group fell silent. Except for baby George Dolphin, who was now making gurgling noises in the arms of his father, Vuk Smith. Kenny Dolphin felt T’Lon’s hand on his shoulder. Old Dr. George Smith was handing out cold bottles of Mexican beer – Corona.

Kenny Dolphin took a long, deep breath, then took a long drink of cold Mexican beer. It was delicious – sweet – almost citrus – highly carbonated – the champagne of beers.


“Think of it this way, Kenny,” said old Dr. George, “You’re not losing a daughter. You’re gaining 137 billion borg…”


And about a half-pint of cold, highly carbonated Mexican beer came spewing out of Kenny’s mouth and nose…

28.3 (of 8)​

 

[Will The Serious]

And about a half-pint of cold, highly carbonated Mexican beer came spewing out of Kenny’s mouth and nose…

Hilarious

Perfect.

-Will

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 28: The Covenant
Scene 4: Rearranging the Deck Chairs

28.4
Rearranging the Deck Chairs​

“Don’t be alarmed, Johnny, this is not an attack,” said Julian Bashir. “We’re just here to tie up a few loose ends and say our farewells.”


Johnny Canada found himself in the familiar dreamscape of the overstuffed armchair in the interview room Emory Ivonovic had built years ago to launch his podcast, Subspace Radio Ivonovic. Canada was seated on the far left. Chief Justice Julian Bashir was seated next to him. On the far right was a small, attractive elderly woman with blonde hair whom Canada recognized instantly - Fleet Admiral Alynna Nechayev, for the past decade the Director of Star Fleet Intelligence. Between Bashir and Nechayev sat Shiva. But her hair was different. Now nearly all black again, it was cut short and styled rather boyishly, revealing both the slightly pointed ears from her vulcan ancestry and the light spotting along the sides of her neck from her trill ancestry – her worry lines had largely vanished – an astoundingly beautiful old woman – the former matriarch of a large Chinese family. Canada looked at her with no small amount of trepidation.


“I am not Shiva anymore. But I don’t think I can be Minerva Irons again, either. I haven’t decided on a new name, but I think I’m going to avoid mythological names. Maybe a nature name, like Song* or Yue**.”

“Tung-Mei?” suggested Bashir.

“Oooh – the winter plum. I like that. I am Shiva no longer. My name is now Tung-Mei.***” The newly minted Tung-Mei, formerly Shiva, formerly Minerva Irons, stretched. “By spreading your new religion of Shiva the Creator, Shiva the Restorer, you have made my job so much easier. Shiva the Devourer can now be retired. And I am so ready to retire. Being Shiva gave me a new lease on life. But now it is time to leave him behind. I leave Saketh and its people in your very capable hands,” said Tung-Mei.

“And King Prometheus has made our job so much easier,” said Bashir. A definite change could be seen, Julian Bashir looked happier and far more relaxed than Canada had ever seen him. “I thought Section 31 would consume my life and that my last job – and your first job – would be to see to the drafting of our people into the borg. You will still need to police that, but King Prometheus and Chancellor Greta have made that so much easier for us – at least the beginning of it. Which gives me the opportunity to do something that very few directors of Section 31 have ever been able to do.”

“And what would that be?” Canada asked.

“Retire. Tung-Mei is taking me in her ship, The Shadow of Death, to the Gamma Quadrant. I sent Jodiah and Ezri there some time ago. There is a planet near the galactic rim. We established a colony a few years back – well off the beaten trail – outside of the Dominion. There are about 18,000 refugees there – trills, romulans, humans, cardassians, bajorans and several who are native to the Gamma Quadrant. So I am leaving Section 31 in your hands now. You will find everything has been moved to your office in Trantor. The cloak and dagger are officially yours.”

“Why me?” Canada asked.

Bashir smiled. “Because you, Johnny, will lose sleep over every decision you will be called on to make. It’s not great for your complexion and you can turn into a bit of an anti-social ogre. But that’s what makes you the only kind of person who is fit for the job…”

"Which means you will be working more closely with me," said Admiral Nechayev. "We've gotten along so well in the past..."

"Meaning I've given you intelligence and you buried it." Johnny's trademark friendly smile was more than a little brittle.

"Oh no, Johnny," said Nechayev, her smile far more genuine. "I made good use of it. You have been an invaluable source of information. It made the takeover of Vulcan so much easier. Almost bloodless.”


"Did you just admit to betraying the Federation?" Canada was incredulous, but at the same time well aware that there were many people who had always suspected Nechayev of treason - or would prefer to. Star Fleet Intelligence had always been rather shadowy and mistrusted by the rest of the organization.

It was Julian Bashir who responded. ”The luxury of political loyalty was destroyed the moment Minerva, er, Tung Mei that is, confirmed what I had learned about the Dead Zone," said Bashir. "And we had to allow some rather nasty things to happen just to make that mission possible."

"There could be no Federation if the Alpha Quadrant were sterilized," Nechayev added. "We realized that our highest priority was not the survival of the Federation, but the preservation of life within the Alpha Quadrant. And the only way that could possibly happen was to surrender a fifth of our populations to become borg. The people of the Federation would never accept that - look at what happened when everyone learned that they really had no future - all our races would be exterminated…”

“War,” Bashir concluded. “We did very little. We just stopped preventing it. The klingons knew. The humans knew. The romulans had known for a hundred years.” Bashir’s voice became uncharacteristically angry - the first time Johnny had ever seen the Chief Justice and master spy lose his famous cool. “The vulcans knew! The goddamned vulcans knew! And what did they do? They started killing each other over petty tribal differences. Just like everyone else: Kill the hybrids! Kill the humans! Kill the trills with the bigger spots! Even the klingon war was more about competition among the noble families - it was as much a civil war as all the others. Millions have been killed in these wars. And every single klingon, human, vulcan, romulan - every single one of them knew they were only rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.”


"I hate to admit that I actually quite enjoyed being Shiva the Devourer," said Tung-Mei. “It was unbelievably refreshing to revel in the bloodthirsty, sadistic side of my human and vulcan nature. But I only unleashed that evil because the people of Saketh would have fought to the death to prevent their world from being transplanted - even knowing their grandchildren would be exterminated by gamma radiation. Now the true believers in Shiva will make the transplant of Saketh happen. But they will need your help. There will still be more fighting and bloodshed - romulans and hemra trying to prevent it. Trying to do what people always do - hide their heads in the sand and pretend there is no problem.” Tung-Mei shook her head. “I’m afraid it is now your job now to save Saketh and its people. In spite of themselves."

Bashir smiled grimly. "I sacrificed millions of lives to save billions of lives. Imagine the current situation without the Klingon War… Instead of a rescue from a hopeless war, the arrival of the borg would have been received as more borg aggression. No one would have been willing to listen to stories about gamma waves. We had to allow some rather dreadful outcomes to make sure people would be receptive. Now Venus - that was a wrench..."


Canada was shocked to his core. "You destroyed Venus???"


Bashir shook his head slowly. “You give me too much credit… And not enough. Section 31 has been preventing such outrages for generations. It was faction of Earth First that destroyed Venus - with funding by both klingon and romulan agents provocateur. We could have stopped it. We didn’t stop it. It was the only way to bring home to people what we're facing. Without that example of what sudden, total annihilation looks like, and right next door, humanity would never accept giving one in every five of their children to become borg - even if only for 20 years.”

Bashir took a deep breath, deliberately calmed himself. “But that's only the start of it. In 20 years when the first humans and bajorans, romulans, klingons, ferengi and others are returned after 20 years of being borg drones, people will finally begin to understand just how terrible the price of saving all of the life in the Alpha Quadrant will be… Depression. Suicide. Families ripped apart… Millions of them will not survive. Billions of them will survive but will never recover. And once people realize the true price that is being demanded of them, they will rebel. There will be bloody civil war throughout the Alpha Quadrant for centuries. And you, Johnny, you will have to find a way to make sure that is a war they can never win."

"To create a future for life in the Alpha Quadrant, billions will lose their lives," said Nechayev. “My youngest son has volunteered, as has one of my granddaughters. They might never come back and if they do, they might never recover from the experience of being borg drones. No one ever wants to contemplate such a price. And it will be your job to extract it – to make sure that price is paid."

"I sacrificed millions to save billions," Bashir repeated. "You will have to sacrifice billions to save trillions. This task cannot wait 4,000 years. It cannot wait a single day. Not if we are to save life in this part of the galaxy from complete extermination. Somebody has to make the tough choices, Johnny. I can't say I envy you…"




* Song – Chinese Feminine Name: Pine Tree

** Yue – Chinese Feminine Name: Moon

***Tung-Mei – Chinese Feminine Name: Winter-Plums

28.4 (of 8)​

 

[Will The Serious]

A tense ending with a tight knot pulling all the loose threads in.

"You will have to sacrifice billions to save trillions. This task cannot wait 4,000 years. It cannot wait a single day. Not if we are to save life in this part of the galaxy from complete extermination.

Or...

Stay tuned for next season when it is discovered that the Gamma Wave Front is an attack from Andromeda; total sterilization before occupation. Advanced creatures who live on a different time scale? Maybe?!

A very good read, rbs. Thank you.

-Will

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

...Stay tuned for next season when it is discovered that the Gamma Wave Front is an attack from Andromeda; total sterilization before occupation. Advanced creatures who live on a different time scale? Maybe?!....A very good read, rbs....

Thanks for the kind words!

And do stay tuned... Q is mixed up in all of this. Just not how you might expect...

Thanks!! rbs

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 28: The Covenant
Scene 5: New Assignments

28.5
New Assignments​

Kenny Dolphin awoke in a tent on the beach. T’Lon was more or less twined around him.


“I am not returning to the U.S.S. Hunter,” she said. It took a moment for them to reconfigure themselves for conversation.

“Where will you go?” Kenny asked.

“My commission expires at the end of this month and I have sufficient vacation accrued to take terminal leave.”

“I am not returning the Hunter either,” said Kenny. “I’m being reassigned from the Office of Judge Advocate General. They’re returning me to Space Command. They’re giving me a Pegasus class ship.”

“Not the U.S.S. Milky Way? That would be awkward, serving under Rear Admiral Red…” T’Lon pushed Kenny over, climbed on top of him.

“It would be now,” he replied. “She’s committed to the polyamorous lifestyle. I’m a bit too much of a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal to manage that – at least not at close quarters. So what do you plan to do in your post-Star Fleet life?” He idly traced the scar on her right cheek, what remained of the top of her right earlobe. She closed her eyes, savoring the light caress.

“You asked me some time ago why I never got my battle scars repaired,” T’Lon said. “It’s because they fascinate you. And I like that.” She took a deep breath, opened her eyes. Deep wells of soft brown. “It seems T’Lok’s katra is finally at peace within you. And within me… So are you ready to go from a crew of 35 to commanding a starship with more than 6,000 people onboard?”

“Admiral Chekov seems to think so,” said Kenny. He caressed T’Lon’s back, admiring her perfect musculature. He had never seen anyone with such perfectly defined muscles – lean and limber – but smooth, protected by a healthy layer of subcutaneous fat – the body of a surfer.

“Would you happen to have an opening for a civilian contractor to provide physical fitness training and evaluation for those 6,000 people? I do have a Ph.D. in physical education…”

“I happen to know, for a fact, that I do,” Kenny responded. “Brand new ship. Brand new crew. And a plum assignment – actual exploration – a five year mission to map uncharted areas in the Alpha Quadrant, specifically brown and red dwarf systems. To seek out new life and new civilizations…”

“Which ship?” T’Lon asked.

“The only Andromeda class ship that will not be named after a galaxy,” said Kenny. “N.C.C. 1701… G.”

T’Lon’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “The U.S.S. Enterprise? Now there’s a legacy to be saddled with…”

“Archer, April, Pike, Kirk, Zarlo, Decker, Spock, Harriman, Bairnson*, George, Sulu, Johnson, Garrett, Castillo, Halloway, Picard, Riker, Jellico, Bateson, LaForge, T’May…” Kenny recited.


“Dolphin,” T’Lon concluded. “So, Captain Kenneth Dolphin of the U.S.S. Enterprise…” She pushed his shoulders back into the blanket and straddled him, capturing him. Her long auburn hair spilled about his face, framing her face above his.

Kenny Dolphin caught his breath - then: “I don’t understand you… You were the one arranging all those dates for me with Red… Even last week…”

T’Lon squeezed gently, causing Kenny to make an indistinct noise… “You fell in love with T’Lok the moment you first saw her.”

There was no point in trying to lie to a powerful telepath. “She was the most beautiful thing I ever saw,” Kenny said. “Until you smiled…”

“I never really smiled while T’Lok was alive,” said T’Lon. “After she died… you and I both inherited her katra - her living spirit… I incorporated the parts I loved about her into my own personality. T’Lok understood pleasure… Especially the intense pleasure of delayed gratification… Red reminded you of me.”

“There’s a… She does look a little like you,” said Kenny, “But the resemblance ends there…”

“She whetted your desire for me. But she could never satisfy it…”

“So all that - you pushing me into her arms… That was about delayed gratification?”

T’Lon moved her head slightly, caressing Kenny’s face with her hair. “In part… The time wasn’t right for us. First there was all the confusion with T’Lok’s katra - how having what was left of her in your head made you uncomfortable being with me. Then there was your ambition… We really couldn’t be together while I was under your command.”

“So you parked me with Red?” Dolphin shook his head slightly, made an amused noise. “And now you’re retrieving me from her?”

T’Lon touched Kenny’s nose with hers. Kissed his lips gently. “It would be illogical to think I could take you back from Admiral Red. You never belonged to her any more than you belong to me. You have only ever belonged to yourself. Admiral Red has several lovers - male, female, other genders you are less familiar with. But you are her favorite and it is very important for you to maintain your relationship with her.”

Kenny closed his eyes, laid his head back, laughed slightly. “All right, now you have me completely confused. How could that possibly be so important?” He opened his eyes, looked up at her. “And how do you know I’m her favorite?”


“Because she’s carrying your child…”


Kenny’s eyes suddenly opened wide. T’Lon relaxed on top of him. She nestled her face next to his - her cheek soft against his - her hair a silky veil across his face - just as it had been their first time together all those years ago… Her lips next to his ear… Her slightest whisper caused him to make that noise again…


“And so am I…”




*The list of Captains of the U.S.S. Enterprise comes from Memory Beta. I added Captain Jack Bairnson to promote fan fiction The Enterprise-B Chronicles by D. Dietz.

28.5 (of 8)​

 

[Bynar0110]

I finally caught up with all the updates and enjoyed reading them.

 

[Bynar0110]

When Morgan Bateson command the Enterprise?

 

[Will The Serious]

Commander Montgomery Scott also commanded the Enterprise. He took a very hard line against the Klingons and against Federation diplomats while in command of the Enterprise. https://www.ranker.com/list/scotty-star-trek-saving-the-day/aaron-edwards

-Will