Why, not a damn thing! Thanks for asking!Sandhurst sure is a gluten for punishment. Deciding to customize a warp core and bringing his old - and disgruntled - flame onto the ship.
What could go wrong there??
UT: TFV - Operation Vanguard
- Thread starter Gibraltar
- Start date
Ouch! Pell? Back? Ouch?
Ok, that probably went as well as it could have. Some very stinging words from Pell to Sandhurst but he has probably thrown greater insults and abuses at himself since taking command of the Gibraltar.
Funny how he reacts to Pell here, it seems so much more emotionally mature/stable of him. Sandhurst seems to be able to take it on the chin more - maybe he is part blunted to it all now given everything - or maybe he understands the needs for command require him to steel himself to such concerns.
But given that Europa is a new ship, a new command, Sandhurst could easily have taken it as an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start anew with many new crewmembers. But no. He instead seeks out the person he knows can do the job the best they can so despite the grief it might cause him, despite the baggage Pell entails, Sandhurst is putting the ship and its mission first. That's what makes him so great.
Ok, that probably went as well as it could have. Some very stinging words from Pell to Sandhurst but he has probably thrown greater insults and abuses at himself since taking command of the Gibraltar.
Funny how he reacts to Pell here, it seems so much more emotionally mature/stable of him. Sandhurst seems to be able to take it on the chin more - maybe he is part blunted to it all now given everything - or maybe he understands the needs for command require him to steel himself to such concerns.
But given that Europa is a new ship, a new command, Sandhurst could easily have taken it as an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start anew with many new crewmembers. But no. He instead seeks out the person he knows can do the job the best they can so despite the grief it might cause him, despite the baggage Pell entails, Sandhurst is putting the ship and its mission first. That's what makes him so great.
Ouch again! Sandhurst doesn't like the Akira class much?
Then he says he wants to design his own engine?! Man may have cracked his mind somewhere along the line. But it seems really the more and more into this mission I read, that Sandhurst is finding a new thirst for life/command. He's going to get his hands dirty designing and fitting a new engine. He's going to get to play explorer and the way he talks about the Luna class' design remit and comparing it to the Connie design of the Rock you sense the fervour and thrill Sandhurst is beginning to allow himself to experience. Now of course, there is a heck of a lot to do before then, never mind the danger on the other side of the transit and the many personnel problems he is going to have to put up with (Pell/Juneau, etc) but he seems to be looking forward to them as challenges.
TFV - Operation Vanguard (Chapter 3)
Chapter 3
He sat for the last time in the captain’s chair of the starship Gibraltar. It was in this chair that Donald Sandhurst had experienced the euphoric highs of unqualified success, as well as the crushing defeats of abject failure. It was symbolic both of the awesome responsibility he had undertaken upon accepting promotion to captain, as well as the powerful lessons learned while in command of the ninety-two year old vessel.
In a few moments, Lt. Commander Dolores Eustice would arrive onboard to formally assume command of Gibraltar. The old girl would then become the property of Starfleet’s Border Service, where she would continue to serve by patrolling the trade-lanes, rescuing stricken crews, and upholding the laws and ideals of the Federation from within its borders. It was a noble calling, and Sandhurst could think of no better ending to his time aboard than to hand the ship over to another crew who would cherish The Rock as much as he had.
“Captain,” called a fresh-faced Border Service specialist from Ops, “Captain Eustice will be beaming aboard momentarily.”
“Thank you, Mister Crabtree,” Sandhurst said, forcing himself to rise from his beloved seat for the final time. He moved toward the turbolift, but then paused to look back over the bridge. His eyes flit from the command chair to the tactical console directly behind it, from where Sandhurst had purposefully extinguished the life of his first officer, Liana Ramirez. That awful moment was but one of the soul-rending tests he’d been forced to endure since achieving his captaincy.
All those memories, both good and bad, would now truly be forever in the past. Europa was as much a rebirth as a transfer, both for him and for his crew.
“Tell the captain that I’ll be there to welcome her aboard. Announce that the change-of-command ceremony will take place on the rec deck in fifteen minutes.” Sandhurst reached up to brush his fingers across the ship’s dedication plaque as he stepped into the turbolift, its sealing doors calling to a close this chapter of his life and career.
*****
The Nyberrite cruiser Essence of Courage shuddered under the withering onslaught from the oncoming swarm. Their enemy’s weapons were not especially powerful, but there were just so damnably many of them.
“Reinforce the shields with auxiliary power,” ordered Shipmaster J’Doudish, a towering member of Korlarlian nobility. “Stagger the fire of our disruptors and torpedo batteries in waves, Weaponmaster. I want to use their numbers against them. Firing on them in sequential volleys may cause fratricidal explosions in their midst.”
“It will be done,” replied the harried weapons officer, his tactical display nearly overwhelmed in the target-rich environment.
Thousands of the compact, spherical ships approached in a looming wall of metallic death that numbed the imagination. Another of the alliance’s dwindling battle fleets had been assigned here to the Cosivii system in a last ditch effort to protect the homeworld of the Korl species from being overrun.
J’Doudish had secretly hoped for another relatively easy contact with this alien flotilla, following so closely on the heels of their successful mission to prevent the measured Bunati species from violating the territorial integrity of the Rashor Belt. The negotiations with the nearly glacial Bunati had been an exercise in patience, but had paid off handsomely when the surprisingly diplomatic race agreed to change course to circumnavigate Nyberrite territory.
This alien swarm of craft had been unwilling or unable to answer their hails with anything other than multi-spectrum gibberish that confounded their translation matrices. They’d proved as intransigent as the Bunati had pliable, and now this cloud of increasingly hostile vessels was bearing down on the planet of J’Doudish’s birth.
Korl had sired no fewer than three space-faring sentient species in the past fifteen million years, and the world boasted such galactic wonders as the towering Azuson Spires, constructs that still defied scientific study due to their hyper-advanced construction and sensor-reflective materials.
Now, all that history was in peril, and Shipmaster J’Doudish had nothing more than a handful of already battered ships to try and stop the swarm’s seemingly inexorable advance.
“Staggered firing pattern established, Shipmaster!” the weapons officer reported.
“Fire,” J’Doudish breathed, dreading the inevitable battle for his homeworld that was sure to follow.
*****
“This plaque will be placed on the bridge prior to our launch,” Sandhurst announced to the assembled crew of Europa which had gathered in the vessel’s shuttlebay. He held the duranium plate aloft for the crowd to see. “As our ship is being rushed into service, it’s fallen to me to select the motto that will adorn the plaque until such time as Europa is decommissioned, hopefully many decades from now. I’ve chosen a quote from a friend of mine, an avowed ‘old soldier’ and one of the fiercest souls I’ve ever known. He spoke these words to me once long ago at the academy, and they’ve stuck with me ever since. He said, ‘My strength derives not from my ability to defeat the few, but rather from my ability to protect the many.’”
“I believe that given the task to which we’ve been assigned, and the awesome responsibility that comes with it, this motto will hold us in good stead. Should we ever lose sight of why we’re out there, we need only look to these words to remember.”
The rest of the change-of-command and christening ceremony went by the numbers, with obligatory speeches by Admiral Brandies and a handful of other functionaries. The celebration afterwards was brief, as all hands soon returned to their duties, working double-shifts to have the ship ready to depart on schedule.
Sandhurst felt swept along by the momentum of events, so much so that he found the ceremony had ended before he’d had the opportunity to consciously enjoy the privilege of an official observance, such as had been denied him when he’d assumed command of Gibraltar.
*****
Chapter 3
He sat for the last time in the captain’s chair of the starship Gibraltar. It was in this chair that Donald Sandhurst had experienced the euphoric highs of unqualified success, as well as the crushing defeats of abject failure. It was symbolic both of the awesome responsibility he had undertaken upon accepting promotion to captain, as well as the powerful lessons learned while in command of the ninety-two year old vessel.
In a few moments, Lt. Commander Dolores Eustice would arrive onboard to formally assume command of Gibraltar. The old girl would then become the property of Starfleet’s Border Service, where she would continue to serve by patrolling the trade-lanes, rescuing stricken crews, and upholding the laws and ideals of the Federation from within its borders. It was a noble calling, and Sandhurst could think of no better ending to his time aboard than to hand the ship over to another crew who would cherish The Rock as much as he had.
“Captain,” called a fresh-faced Border Service specialist from Ops, “Captain Eustice will be beaming aboard momentarily.”
“Thank you, Mister Crabtree,” Sandhurst said, forcing himself to rise from his beloved seat for the final time. He moved toward the turbolift, but then paused to look back over the bridge. His eyes flit from the command chair to the tactical console directly behind it, from where Sandhurst had purposefully extinguished the life of his first officer, Liana Ramirez. That awful moment was but one of the soul-rending tests he’d been forced to endure since achieving his captaincy.
All those memories, both good and bad, would now truly be forever in the past. Europa was as much a rebirth as a transfer, both for him and for his crew.
“Tell the captain that I’ll be there to welcome her aboard. Announce that the change-of-command ceremony will take place on the rec deck in fifteen minutes.” Sandhurst reached up to brush his fingers across the ship’s dedication plaque as he stepped into the turbolift, its sealing doors calling to a close this chapter of his life and career.
*****
The Nyberrite cruiser Essence of Courage shuddered under the withering onslaught from the oncoming swarm. Their enemy’s weapons were not especially powerful, but there were just so damnably many of them.
“Reinforce the shields with auxiliary power,” ordered Shipmaster J’Doudish, a towering member of Korlarlian nobility. “Stagger the fire of our disruptors and torpedo batteries in waves, Weaponmaster. I want to use their numbers against them. Firing on them in sequential volleys may cause fratricidal explosions in their midst.”
“It will be done,” replied the harried weapons officer, his tactical display nearly overwhelmed in the target-rich environment.
Thousands of the compact, spherical ships approached in a looming wall of metallic death that numbed the imagination. Another of the alliance’s dwindling battle fleets had been assigned here to the Cosivii system in a last ditch effort to protect the homeworld of the Korl species from being overrun.
J’Doudish had secretly hoped for another relatively easy contact with this alien flotilla, following so closely on the heels of their successful mission to prevent the measured Bunati species from violating the territorial integrity of the Rashor Belt. The negotiations with the nearly glacial Bunati had been an exercise in patience, but had paid off handsomely when the surprisingly diplomatic race agreed to change course to circumnavigate Nyberrite territory.
This alien swarm of craft had been unwilling or unable to answer their hails with anything other than multi-spectrum gibberish that confounded their translation matrices. They’d proved as intransigent as the Bunati had pliable, and now this cloud of increasingly hostile vessels was bearing down on the planet of J’Doudish’s birth.
Korl had sired no fewer than three space-faring sentient species in the past fifteen million years, and the world boasted such galactic wonders as the towering Azuson Spires, constructs that still defied scientific study due to their hyper-advanced construction and sensor-reflective materials.
Now, all that history was in peril, and Shipmaster J’Doudish had nothing more than a handful of already battered ships to try and stop the swarm’s seemingly inexorable advance.
“Staggered firing pattern established, Shipmaster!” the weapons officer reported.
“Fire,” J’Doudish breathed, dreading the inevitable battle for his homeworld that was sure to follow.
*****
“This plaque will be placed on the bridge prior to our launch,” Sandhurst announced to the assembled crew of Europa which had gathered in the vessel’s shuttlebay. He held the duranium plate aloft for the crowd to see. “As our ship is being rushed into service, it’s fallen to me to select the motto that will adorn the plaque until such time as Europa is decommissioned, hopefully many decades from now. I’ve chosen a quote from a friend of mine, an avowed ‘old soldier’ and one of the fiercest souls I’ve ever known. He spoke these words to me once long ago at the academy, and they’ve stuck with me ever since. He said, ‘My strength derives not from my ability to defeat the few, but rather from my ability to protect the many.’”
“I believe that given the task to which we’ve been assigned, and the awesome responsibility that comes with it, this motto will hold us in good stead. Should we ever lose sight of why we’re out there, we need only look to these words to remember.”
The rest of the change-of-command and christening ceremony went by the numbers, with obligatory speeches by Admiral Brandies and a handful of other functionaries. The celebration afterwards was brief, as all hands soon returned to their duties, working double-shifts to have the ship ready to depart on schedule.
Sandhurst felt swept along by the momentum of events, so much so that he found the ceremony had ended before he’d had the opportunity to consciously enjoy the privilege of an official observance, such as had been denied him when he’d assumed command of Gibraltar.
*****
TFV - Operation Vanguard (Chapter 3 continued)
Starbase Bastion
Sandhurst didn’t have time for yet another meeting, as the task force was set to depart within the next seventy-two hours. However, politely declining the briefing was not an option, given the authorization code behind the ‘invitation.’
His crew was scrambling to load the last of Europa’s specialized equipment, to include the last-minute addition of three advanced sensor modules fresh from the Daystrom Institute’s Remote Telemetry Lab on Alpha Centauri that would boost the ship’s already considerable scanning power even further.
If they were fortunate enough to solve the propulsion problem by the time Europa’s warp-sled reached its destination point, Sandhurst’s new ship would likely serve as Task Force Vanguard’s own mobile long-range sensor platform.
However, much still needed to be done prior to their departure, and neither the ship’s new chief medical officer nor their counselor had yet to report aboard. A full two-thirds of the ship’s compliment were recent transfers to his command, and integrating the new arrivals with the existing close-knit crew and senior staff would prove a formidable challenge.
Sandhurst sidestepped gracefully as he navigated the crowded, as-yet unfinished corridors of Starbase Bastion, already a full five minutes late for a meeting with persons unknown. The appointment had simply appeared on his daily itinerary that morning, flagged as ‘urgent’ by Admiral Brandies, with nothing further to clarify the purpose or duration of the meeting.
He stepped into the atrium of a conference center, the entryway resplendent with tropical vegetation from a dozen different planets towering overhead. Sandhurst mused silently to himself that someone’s priorities were seriously off if horticultural decoration had trumped construction in the half-completed starbase.
Sandhurst stepped up to a data terminal. “Sandhurst, Donald M., Starfleet Captain. I have an appointment here at sixteen-hundred hours. Which room, please?
‘Your appointment is taking place in the Ellipsis Room, Level Two, Port Side.’ a cheery female voice announced. ‘You are six minutes and seventeen seconds late,’ the computer added helpfully.
Sandhurst bit back a snarky retort that would have been wasted on a machine and hurried up to the second level, quickly locating the appropriate room whose transparent aluminum partitions had been set to opaque. He stepped through the push-open door to find himself unexpectedly face-to-face with Vice-Admiral Edward Jellico. Sandhurst congratulated himself on only gawking for a moment before coming to crisp attention. “Admiral, sir.”
Jellico laughed and handed a steaming beverage cup to Sandhurst. “The gesture is appreciated, Captain, but unnecessary. Please, take this and have a seat.”
Sandhurst gingerly received the cup from the admiral and moved to the nearest chair at the conference table, only then registering the presence of others in the room.
Two women and two men ringed the table. One woman, a full commander, sat perusing a padd, while a younger female lieutenant busily took notes on an identical device. One of the men was a Starfleet captain whom Sandhurst couldn’t place.
The other man, wearing command red under his uniform jacket and bearing the rank of a lieutenant commander was most certainly known to Sandhurst. Pava Lar’ragos sat quietly, a carefully neutral expression inscribed upon his features as his eyes tracked upwards to meet Sandhurst’s own.
It was only as Sandhurst absently raised the cup to his lips that he detected that the contents were Rigellian spice coffee, his vice of choice. He took a careful sip, finding the blend to be both pungent as well as suitably strong. Sandhurst raised the cup in deference to Lar’ragos, who he assumed had informed the admiral of his preference, before turning in his chair to face Jellico.
“How can I help you, sir?” Sandhurst asked.
Jellico seated himself across from Sandhurst as he gestured off-handedly to Lar’ragos. “Commander Lar’ragos is joining the task force as the expedition’s Chief Strategic Operations Officer. He’ll be posted aboard the Galaxy with me and my executive command team, assisting in coordinating the activities of the whole intercept contingent.” Jellico cast a mischievous look at Pava before turning back to Sandhurst. “Donald, your friend here has told me some tall tales about your times together, more specifically your actions during Operation Peacekeeper in the Briar Patch and your run-in with the Maquis at E’Mdifarr.”
Sandhurst stalled by taking another sip from his cup and making what he hoped was a non-committal noise as he did so.
“My own research into your time in command of Gibraltar only underscores what Pava has indicated, that you are someone able to make the hard choices when circumstances call for them.”
“Respectfully, Admiral, I’m especially busy at the moment so if this is a pep-talk of some kind, I’d really rath—“
“It’s not,” Jellico snapped, his tone cooling considerably. “All the captains participating in Vanguard are of the highest caliber, but not all of them can handle the additional responsibility I’m entrusting to certain individuals.”
To prevent himself from saying anything that might further provoke Jellico, Sandhurst nursed his coffee and steadfastly concentrated on remaining quiet.
“Pava has been assisting our weapons research experts in reverse-engineering the subspace inversion weapon that your rogue Changeling used on Starfleet’s diplomatic expedition to Velkohn. Thanks to his unique talents, we believe we’ve been successful in homing in on the specific attenuated subspace harmonic that initiates a spatial inversion.”
Sandhurst’s eyes narrowed. “What would Starfleet need with such a weapon, Admiral?”
“Hopefully, nothing whatsoever. However, should one or more of the incoming fleets prove sufficiently advanced and hostile as to present an immediate threat to Federation security, employing such a weapon could well save us all.”
Sandhurst dipped his head in a brief gesture of understanding.
“Three of these Alpha-Weapons will be added to your ordinance loadout for the duration of Operation Vanguard, Captain,” Jellico continued. “Authorization for their deployment will come from me as on-scene task force commander, and will require both the captain and XO’s personal security codes to arm the device.”
“Understood, sir,” Sandhurst responded succinctly.
There was a long pause in the conversation during which Jellico cast another look Pava’s way, this one evidencing more than a bit of irritation.
“Apologies, Admiral,” Sandhurst offered, “if you were led to believe you’d have to perform a ‘hard-sell’ to bring me onboard with this idea.” Sandhurst added the weight of his stare to the sudden storm if angst that appeared to be settling onto Lar’ragos.
Jellico cocked his head to the side as he observed Sandhurst appraisingly. “So, there’s no issue here, then?”
“None whatsoever, sir.” Sandhurst gave the admiral a confident smile. “Pava obviously didn’t tell you about my personal directive number one, then?”
“Not as such,” Jellico frowned.
“Birds fly, fish swim, and Donald Sandhurst follows orders,” Europa’s captain intoned.
Jellico clapped his hands together as he stood. “Then I apologize for wasting your time, Donald.” He extended a hand to Sandhurst. “Good to have you with us on this especially critical mission, Captain.”
Sandhurst shook the hand firmly. “I’m honored to have been selected, sir.”
Jellico and his retinue beat a hasty exit, save for Lar’ragos.
Once the two men were alone, Sandhurst turned to face his old friend, his arms crossed in an unconsciously defensive gesture. ”You helped them build this thing, Pava?” It was less an accusation than a somber statement of fact.
“I did,” Lar’ragos replied. “Given the situation, I felt such a weapon was desperately needed.”
Sandhurst grunted disconsolately, then quirked an eyebrow at the smaller man. “This is where I’m supposed to get all righteously indignant and beat my chest while citing the Federation’s moral principles.”
Lar’ragos nodded slowly. “That’s what I’d anticipated, but it appears you just can’t bring yourself to do it this time.”
“No,” Sandhurst admitted. “I can’t. Heaven help me, but we might just need something as terrible as that to slow the incoming tide, should the worst-case scenario occur.”
“Yeah,” Lar’ragos offered with an ironic smirk. “What are the odds with us involved that the worst-case scenario would raise its ugly head?”
Sandhurst said nothing in reply, but merely swished the last lukewarm dregs of his coffee around the bottom of the mug.
“You didn’t hear this from me, Captain,” Lar’ragos said in a conspiratorial tone, “but this isn’t the only super-weapon our ships may be fielding on this expedition. A lot of really innovative and terribly destructive weapons were on the drawing board in the last months of the war, and not all of those designs were shelved when it ended.”
Sandhurst gave him a sidelong glance devoid of surprise.
“This subspace inversion field is likely the most humane of the doomsday weapons they’ve come up with,” Lar’ragos said, sounding a confessional note.
“So,” Sandhurst shifted topic abruptly, “Strategic Operations Officer, eh?”
“It seemed a good fit when Admiral Jellico offered me the position. I’ve got the strategic and tactical background for it, and a number of Special Missions Teams are being assigned to the task force. I can help decide when and how they’re best deployed. Besides, I’m from the Delta Quadrant, and I might know some of these species, though it’s unlikely.”
“I thought you were going to Vulcan to ‘dry out,’ Sandhurst reflected.
Lar’ragos nodded in confirmation. “I spent five months at a kolinahr monastery, brushing up on my emotional control.”
“And how’s that working for you,” Sandhurst asked, finding what he’d intended to be a barb emerge as an unintentionally genuine query.
The El Aurian’s smile was a seemingly genuine one. “Better than I’d hoped, actually. What I learned there dovetailed nicely with what I’ve been working on with Dax.”
“You still have sessions with Dax?” Sandhurst was incredulous.
“Via subspace, yes. I started back up with my counseling program when I went to Vulcan.”
The two men stood in silence for a moment.
“I want you to know I gave a lot of thought to asking for you to be assigned to Europa.”
“I appreciate that, sir,” Lar’ragos said. “But we both know there’s no place for me aboard your command. Too many ghosts between the two of us.”
“True enough,” acknowledged Sandhurst. He extended a hand. “Good luck out there, Pava. I’ve got a feeling this will be a long and dangerous assignment for everyone.”
“I’m certain of it,” Lar’ragos answered, shaking the proffered hand. “I’d be worried, but we’ve got the best of the best heading out with us.”
Sandhurst moved for the exit. “Let’s hope that’s enough.”
*****
Starbase Bastion
Sandhurst didn’t have time for yet another meeting, as the task force was set to depart within the next seventy-two hours. However, politely declining the briefing was not an option, given the authorization code behind the ‘invitation.’
His crew was scrambling to load the last of Europa’s specialized equipment, to include the last-minute addition of three advanced sensor modules fresh from the Daystrom Institute’s Remote Telemetry Lab on Alpha Centauri that would boost the ship’s already considerable scanning power even further.
If they were fortunate enough to solve the propulsion problem by the time Europa’s warp-sled reached its destination point, Sandhurst’s new ship would likely serve as Task Force Vanguard’s own mobile long-range sensor platform.
However, much still needed to be done prior to their departure, and neither the ship’s new chief medical officer nor their counselor had yet to report aboard. A full two-thirds of the ship’s compliment were recent transfers to his command, and integrating the new arrivals with the existing close-knit crew and senior staff would prove a formidable challenge.
Sandhurst sidestepped gracefully as he navigated the crowded, as-yet unfinished corridors of Starbase Bastion, already a full five minutes late for a meeting with persons unknown. The appointment had simply appeared on his daily itinerary that morning, flagged as ‘urgent’ by Admiral Brandies, with nothing further to clarify the purpose or duration of the meeting.
He stepped into the atrium of a conference center, the entryway resplendent with tropical vegetation from a dozen different planets towering overhead. Sandhurst mused silently to himself that someone’s priorities were seriously off if horticultural decoration had trumped construction in the half-completed starbase.
Sandhurst stepped up to a data terminal. “Sandhurst, Donald M., Starfleet Captain. I have an appointment here at sixteen-hundred hours. Which room, please?
‘Your appointment is taking place in the Ellipsis Room, Level Two, Port Side.’ a cheery female voice announced. ‘You are six minutes and seventeen seconds late,’ the computer added helpfully.
Sandhurst bit back a snarky retort that would have been wasted on a machine and hurried up to the second level, quickly locating the appropriate room whose transparent aluminum partitions had been set to opaque. He stepped through the push-open door to find himself unexpectedly face-to-face with Vice-Admiral Edward Jellico. Sandhurst congratulated himself on only gawking for a moment before coming to crisp attention. “Admiral, sir.”
Jellico laughed and handed a steaming beverage cup to Sandhurst. “The gesture is appreciated, Captain, but unnecessary. Please, take this and have a seat.”
Sandhurst gingerly received the cup from the admiral and moved to the nearest chair at the conference table, only then registering the presence of others in the room.
Two women and two men ringed the table. One woman, a full commander, sat perusing a padd, while a younger female lieutenant busily took notes on an identical device. One of the men was a Starfleet captain whom Sandhurst couldn’t place.
The other man, wearing command red under his uniform jacket and bearing the rank of a lieutenant commander was most certainly known to Sandhurst. Pava Lar’ragos sat quietly, a carefully neutral expression inscribed upon his features as his eyes tracked upwards to meet Sandhurst’s own.
It was only as Sandhurst absently raised the cup to his lips that he detected that the contents were Rigellian spice coffee, his vice of choice. He took a careful sip, finding the blend to be both pungent as well as suitably strong. Sandhurst raised the cup in deference to Lar’ragos, who he assumed had informed the admiral of his preference, before turning in his chair to face Jellico.
“How can I help you, sir?” Sandhurst asked.
Jellico seated himself across from Sandhurst as he gestured off-handedly to Lar’ragos. “Commander Lar’ragos is joining the task force as the expedition’s Chief Strategic Operations Officer. He’ll be posted aboard the Galaxy with me and my executive command team, assisting in coordinating the activities of the whole intercept contingent.” Jellico cast a mischievous look at Pava before turning back to Sandhurst. “Donald, your friend here has told me some tall tales about your times together, more specifically your actions during Operation Peacekeeper in the Briar Patch and your run-in with the Maquis at E’Mdifarr.”
Sandhurst stalled by taking another sip from his cup and making what he hoped was a non-committal noise as he did so.
“My own research into your time in command of Gibraltar only underscores what Pava has indicated, that you are someone able to make the hard choices when circumstances call for them.”
“Respectfully, Admiral, I’m especially busy at the moment so if this is a pep-talk of some kind, I’d really rath—“
“It’s not,” Jellico snapped, his tone cooling considerably. “All the captains participating in Vanguard are of the highest caliber, but not all of them can handle the additional responsibility I’m entrusting to certain individuals.”
To prevent himself from saying anything that might further provoke Jellico, Sandhurst nursed his coffee and steadfastly concentrated on remaining quiet.
“Pava has been assisting our weapons research experts in reverse-engineering the subspace inversion weapon that your rogue Changeling used on Starfleet’s diplomatic expedition to Velkohn. Thanks to his unique talents, we believe we’ve been successful in homing in on the specific attenuated subspace harmonic that initiates a spatial inversion.”
Sandhurst’s eyes narrowed. “What would Starfleet need with such a weapon, Admiral?”
“Hopefully, nothing whatsoever. However, should one or more of the incoming fleets prove sufficiently advanced and hostile as to present an immediate threat to Federation security, employing such a weapon could well save us all.”
Sandhurst dipped his head in a brief gesture of understanding.
“Three of these Alpha-Weapons will be added to your ordinance loadout for the duration of Operation Vanguard, Captain,” Jellico continued. “Authorization for their deployment will come from me as on-scene task force commander, and will require both the captain and XO’s personal security codes to arm the device.”
“Understood, sir,” Sandhurst responded succinctly.
There was a long pause in the conversation during which Jellico cast another look Pava’s way, this one evidencing more than a bit of irritation.
“Apologies, Admiral,” Sandhurst offered, “if you were led to believe you’d have to perform a ‘hard-sell’ to bring me onboard with this idea.” Sandhurst added the weight of his stare to the sudden storm if angst that appeared to be settling onto Lar’ragos.
Jellico cocked his head to the side as he observed Sandhurst appraisingly. “So, there’s no issue here, then?”
“None whatsoever, sir.” Sandhurst gave the admiral a confident smile. “Pava obviously didn’t tell you about my personal directive number one, then?”
“Not as such,” Jellico frowned.
“Birds fly, fish swim, and Donald Sandhurst follows orders,” Europa’s captain intoned.
Jellico clapped his hands together as he stood. “Then I apologize for wasting your time, Donald.” He extended a hand to Sandhurst. “Good to have you with us on this especially critical mission, Captain.”
Sandhurst shook the hand firmly. “I’m honored to have been selected, sir.”
Jellico and his retinue beat a hasty exit, save for Lar’ragos.
Once the two men were alone, Sandhurst turned to face his old friend, his arms crossed in an unconsciously defensive gesture. ”You helped them build this thing, Pava?” It was less an accusation than a somber statement of fact.
“I did,” Lar’ragos replied. “Given the situation, I felt such a weapon was desperately needed.”
Sandhurst grunted disconsolately, then quirked an eyebrow at the smaller man. “This is where I’m supposed to get all righteously indignant and beat my chest while citing the Federation’s moral principles.”
Lar’ragos nodded slowly. “That’s what I’d anticipated, but it appears you just can’t bring yourself to do it this time.”
“No,” Sandhurst admitted. “I can’t. Heaven help me, but we might just need something as terrible as that to slow the incoming tide, should the worst-case scenario occur.”
“Yeah,” Lar’ragos offered with an ironic smirk. “What are the odds with us involved that the worst-case scenario would raise its ugly head?”
Sandhurst said nothing in reply, but merely swished the last lukewarm dregs of his coffee around the bottom of the mug.
“You didn’t hear this from me, Captain,” Lar’ragos said in a conspiratorial tone, “but this isn’t the only super-weapon our ships may be fielding on this expedition. A lot of really innovative and terribly destructive weapons were on the drawing board in the last months of the war, and not all of those designs were shelved when it ended.”
Sandhurst gave him a sidelong glance devoid of surprise.
“This subspace inversion field is likely the most humane of the doomsday weapons they’ve come up with,” Lar’ragos said, sounding a confessional note.
“So,” Sandhurst shifted topic abruptly, “Strategic Operations Officer, eh?”
“It seemed a good fit when Admiral Jellico offered me the position. I’ve got the strategic and tactical background for it, and a number of Special Missions Teams are being assigned to the task force. I can help decide when and how they’re best deployed. Besides, I’m from the Delta Quadrant, and I might know some of these species, though it’s unlikely.”
“I thought you were going to Vulcan to ‘dry out,’ Sandhurst reflected.
Lar’ragos nodded in confirmation. “I spent five months at a kolinahr monastery, brushing up on my emotional control.”
“And how’s that working for you,” Sandhurst asked, finding what he’d intended to be a barb emerge as an unintentionally genuine query.
The El Aurian’s smile was a seemingly genuine one. “Better than I’d hoped, actually. What I learned there dovetailed nicely with what I’ve been working on with Dax.”
“You still have sessions with Dax?” Sandhurst was incredulous.
“Via subspace, yes. I started back up with my counseling program when I went to Vulcan.”
The two men stood in silence for a moment.
“I want you to know I gave a lot of thought to asking for you to be assigned to Europa.”
“I appreciate that, sir,” Lar’ragos said. “But we both know there’s no place for me aboard your command. Too many ghosts between the two of us.”
“True enough,” acknowledged Sandhurst. He extended a hand. “Good luck out there, Pava. I’ve got a feeling this will be a long and dangerous assignment for everyone.”
“I’m certain of it,” Lar’ragos answered, shaking the proffered hand. “I’d be worried, but we’ve got the best of the best heading out with us.”
Sandhurst moved for the exit. “Let’s hope that’s enough.”
*****
TFV - Operation Vanguard (Chapter 3 continued)
USS Europa
“What do you mean, I’m going?” Verrik hissed acidly into the computer terminal.
“That seemed self-explanatory to me. Would you like me to diagram it for you?”
“I’m so glad you find this amusing, friend. I think you’d suddenly find it less so if I were to show up unexpectedly in your home someday soon.”
“There’s no chance of that happening, and you know it. Now, discard the bravado and focus on the mission at hand.”
“Home!” Verrik blurted. “I want to go home, even if only for a brief visit. I want to feel the warmth in my bones, the heat of the sun on my face. I want to see the morning light climb to the crest of Mt. Seleya.”
“That world is long dead,” the voice replied patiently. “All that remains of your people is the blood in their descendants’ veins and the dust underfoot. You’d be more at home on Romulus than among the soulless automatons of your birth world.”
Verrik buried his face in his hands, close to tears. “I thought this body would make the perfect host. The girl was dull and weak, easily manipulated… but this one… fooling such a disciplined mind is exhausting. I must be constantly on my guard, lest he discover my presence.”
“There are only three of you in the entire task force,” the voice continued urgently. “We have never been so poorly positioned to meet such an enormous threat to the existence of the Federation. Each of you is invaluable, and it’s likely every one of you will be called upon to act in defense of our cause.”
The Operative reigned in her swirling emotions, forcing herself to concentrate on what must be done. “I understand,” Verrik said dully.
“If you wish to return home to Vulcan someday,” her handler underscored, “then you’d best make sure there’s a Vulcan left to set foot upon.”
*****
USS Europa
“What do you mean, I’m going?” Verrik hissed acidly into the computer terminal.
“That seemed self-explanatory to me. Would you like me to diagram it for you?”
“I’m so glad you find this amusing, friend. I think you’d suddenly find it less so if I were to show up unexpectedly in your home someday soon.”
“There’s no chance of that happening, and you know it. Now, discard the bravado and focus on the mission at hand.”
“Home!” Verrik blurted. “I want to go home, even if only for a brief visit. I want to feel the warmth in my bones, the heat of the sun on my face. I want to see the morning light climb to the crest of Mt. Seleya.”
“That world is long dead,” the voice replied patiently. “All that remains of your people is the blood in their descendants’ veins and the dust underfoot. You’d be more at home on Romulus than among the soulless automatons of your birth world.”
Verrik buried his face in his hands, close to tears. “I thought this body would make the perfect host. The girl was dull and weak, easily manipulated… but this one… fooling such a disciplined mind is exhausting. I must be constantly on my guard, lest he discover my presence.”
“There are only three of you in the entire task force,” the voice continued urgently. “We have never been so poorly positioned to meet such an enormous threat to the existence of the Federation. Each of you is invaluable, and it’s likely every one of you will be called upon to act in defense of our cause.”
The Operative reigned in her swirling emotions, forcing herself to concentrate on what must be done. “I understand,” Verrik said dully.
“If you wish to return home to Vulcan someday,” her handler underscored, “then you’d best make sure there’s a Vulcan left to set foot upon.”
*****
Great job of adding layers upon layers in this saga. Here's another bit of intrigue: hidden operatives inhabiting SF personnel!
The Sandhurst/Pava reunion was both chilly and warm. Both men demonstrated that their professionalism trumps all in the end.
As for Pell's return...it's great to see the whole gang back together, but I think Sandhurst's motivations were nothing but personal. There are plenty of other diplomatic officers in the fleet, so I'm not buying his thin excuse for recalling her all the way from the GQ.
All looking great so far, keep it coming.
The Sandhurst/Pava reunion was both chilly and warm. Both men demonstrated that their professionalism trumps all in the end.
As for Pell's return...it's great to see the whole gang back together, but I think Sandhurst's motivations were nothing but personal. There are plenty of other diplomatic officers in the fleet, so I'm not buying his thin excuse for recalling her all the way from the GQ.
All looking great so far, keep it coming.
A fitting and bittersweet goodbye to the Old Lady here. It's quite literally the end of an era as Sandhurst and the crew bid farewell to a ship they've called home but which has also been the source of so much pain and anguish. Here's to Europa bringing these brave souls better luck.
The inclusion of WMD in Task Force Vanguard is going to prove controversial, I'm sure. The moral implications of resorting to such measures are immense and it will be interesting to see how Sandhurst and other TFV officers will react when it becomes necessary to deploy one.
Yeah, not if but when. No point introducing something if you're not going to use it, right? Oh, I know how you write your stories, friend. There will be blood. Especially now that Pava is back.
The inclusion of WMD in Task Force Vanguard is going to prove controversial, I'm sure. The moral implications of resorting to such measures are immense and it will be interesting to see how Sandhurst and other TFV officers will react when it becomes necessary to deploy one.
Yeah, not if but when. No point introducing something if you're not going to use it, right? Oh, I know how you write your stories, friend. There will be blood. Especially now that Pava is back.
That was a tough scene where Donald sits in Gibraltar's center seat for the last time. He's been through the crucible in that chair, for good and bad. I know he'll miss his first command though the memories will not all be fond ones. Glad The Rock has a few more years ahead with the Border Service, though I hope she's not relegated to a buoy tender. (She won't if I have any say in the matter. )
Donald handled the unexpected meeting with Admiral Jellico with aplomb, dishing out his own surprise to Pava by his reaction to their new load-out. It's another example of how command has seasoned Sandhurst. I think he's still a compassionate man, but he has learned to carry the burden of command well. He's become a veteran C.O. and his new billet and responsibilities reflect that.
Verrik's 'demon' is troubled and troubling. Here's hoping his true self can gain the upper hand and figure out that he's being used. I cannot recall - is this the same entity that sometimes controlled Juneau or a different one? I understand that there are three in TFV.
Excellent, excellent chapter.
)Donald handled the unexpected meeting with Admiral Jellico with aplomb, dishing out his own surprise to Pava by his reaction to their new load-out. It's another example of how command has seasoned Sandhurst. I think he's still a compassionate man, but he has learned to carry the burden of command well. He's become a veteran C.O. and his new billet and responsibilities reflect that.
Verrik's 'demon' is troubled and troubling. Here's hoping his true self can gain the upper hand and figure out that he's being used. I cannot recall - is this the same entity that sometimes controlled Juneau or a different one? I understand that there are three in TFV.
Excellent, excellent chapter.
I was half expecting that the meeting with Jellico would include a piece about how the Europa was receiving special dispensation, so that she could be renamed Gibraltar
You are building up one helluva mission here. Waiting with baited breath for each installment.
You are building up one helluva mission here. Waiting with baited breath for each installment.
Ahh...I'd started to think the Section 31 operative in Verrik had been forgotten. "Good" to see that's been remembered. I find myself skeptical that there'd be any way to purge one of these things without killing a host, though--something I'm sure Section 31 is banking on to try to keep anyone from doing it. Seems to me, though, that Verrik's days could be numbered, given that Sandhurst likely would kill him if it came down to it.
And now Pava. Good grief, just when I thought this story couldn't handle any more explosive characters. I never thought I'd be thinking Jellico was the civilized one.
And now Pava. Good grief, just when I thought this story couldn't handle any more explosive characters. I never thought I'd be thinking Jellico was the civilized one.
Oh boy, and here I was thinking that things were going to be a little easier for a few months.
Thanks for the review, Galen4! I think Sandhurst would be hard-pressed to disagree with your assessment of his motivations.
When you say it like that, CeJay, you make it sound so ominous!
Thanks for the review. It is indeed the very same S31 Operative that occupied Juneau for much of the past two years. I greatly appreciate the kind words.That was a tough scene where Donald sits in Gibraltar's center seat for the last time. He's been through the crucible in that chair, for good and bad. I know he'll miss his first command though the memories will not all be fond ones. Glad The Rock has a few more years ahead with the Border Service, though I hope she's not relegated to a buoy tender. (She won't if I have any say in the matter.
Donald handled the unexpected meeting with Admiral Jellico with aplomb, dishing out his own surprise to Pava by his reaction to their new load-out. It's another example of how command has seasoned Sandhurst. I think he's still a compassionate man, but he has learned to carry the burden of command well. He's become a veteran C.O. and his new billet and responsibilities reflect that.
Verrik's 'demon' is troubled and troubling. Here's hoping his true self can gain the upper hand and figure out that he's being used. I cannot recall - is this the same entity that sometimes controlled Juneau or a different one? I understand that there are three in TFV.
Excellent, excellent chapter.
Thanks, Bry! Very few ships are special enough to receive such dispensation, and Gibraltar just didn't make the cut. Besides the one and only time they could arguably be said to have 'saved the universe' is totally classified.I was half expecting that the meeting with Jellico would include a piece about how the Europa was receiving special dispensation, so that she could be renamed Gibraltar
You are building up one helluva mission here. Waiting with baited breath for each installment.
Heh, I wonder if Edward would take that as a compliment, or an insult.Ahh...I'd started to think the Section 31 operative in Verrik had been forgotten. "Good" to see that's been remembered. I find myself skeptical that there'd be any way to purge one of these things without killing a host, though--something I'm sure Section 31 is banking on to try to keep anyone from doing it. Seems to me, though, that Verrik's days could be numbered, given that Sandhurst likely would kill him if it came down to it.
And now Pava. Good grief, just when I thought this story couldn't handle any more explosive characters. I never thought I'd be thinking Jellico was the civilized one.
Much obliged for the review, Nerys.
What? Why break with tradition now?
I wonder if the Nyberite Alliance will survive this onslaught.
Pava is the perfect person for that position. ...besides, to leave him behind would just be a terrible waste.
I had forgotten the 31 mind had left Juneau. This could be an intelligence bonanza for Section 31. Assuming they're not running a separate agenda.
Pava is the perfect person for that position. ...besides, to leave him behind would just be a terrible waste.
I had forgotten the 31 mind had left Juneau. This could be an intelligence bonanza for Section 31. Assuming they're not running a separate agenda.
I'm really liking the concept to the Nyberrite Alliance, all the ancient races who have withdrawn from mainstream interstellar politics. It's a concept I would never have considered for them.
Love, Love, LOVE it!!! My favorite crew off on a new and interesting adventure. I also love how you've woven in so many aspects of their previous adventures. And how - Worf-like - you've managed to find a rational reason for Lar'ragos to return. And a new ship? Well deserved, and there's a big part of me hoping they get to keep her ... but who wouldn't miss "The Rock"?
Since I'm so late to this thread, I won't rehash points that I'm sure have been discussed at length already (I'll save that for later posts
), but I wanted to jump in and add my enthusiastic 
.
Can't see where you take us this time.
Tally ho!
Since I'm so late to this thread, I won't rehash points that I'm sure have been discussed at length already (I'll save that for later posts
), but I wanted to jump in and add my enthusiastic .Can't see where you take us this time.
Tally ho!
You can never be sure where Section 31 is concerned what exactly their end goals are.I wonder if the Nyberite Alliance will survive this onslaught.
Pava is the perfect person for that position. ...besides, to leave him behind would just be a terrible waste.
I had forgotten the 31 mind had left Juneau. This could be an intelligence bonanza for Section 31. Assuming they're not running a separate agenda.
Thanks! I thought it would be an interesting angle to examine with them as their alliance bears the initial brunt of the 'barbarian hordes.'
Glad you're enjoying the story, TrekkieMonster.Love, Love, LOVE it!!! My favorite crew off on a new and interesting adventure. I also love how you've woven in so many aspects of their previous adventures. And how - Worf-like - you've managed to find a rational reason for Lar'ragos to return. And a new ship? Well deserved, and there's a big part of me hoping they get to keep her ... but who wouldn't miss "The Rock"?
Since I'm so late to this thread, I won't rehash points that I'm sure have been discussed at length already (I'll save that for later posts
Can't see where you take us this time.
Tally ho!
Part of service in any military branch is movement, and in Starfleet, people eventually move on to different ships. Donald will always have a soft spot in his heart for Gibraltar, but as Picard moved on from Stargazer (however unwillingly), Sandhurst and his people are moving on to bigger (though not necessarily better, given the circumstances) things.
Thanks for the feedback!
Oh boys. Things have just gotten even more interesting - as if it were possible - and the mission hasn't even begun. I knew Pava had to be in the mix somewhere but to see that he is going to Vanguard strategic operations officer does seem a good fit. But with his appearance we are reminded of the chillier darker bloodier directions this story could yet take - the secret operative being another. We've lots of balls in play as we kick off promising that there is going to be lots of story to be told.
So um...watcha gonna call the series now that there ain't no more Gibraltar in it?
Vice. Admiral. Jellico.
We are much pleased that you have chosen to include THE MAN in a position of real authority.
Glad to see Pava back too...and a teensy bit upset for totally selfish reasons. (Y'see, I was thinking of borrowing him for one of my stories, since I figured he had nothing better to do in this story. Then you up and made him the task force J-3. Dang it.)
Vice. Admiral. Jellico.
We are much pleased that you have chosen to include THE MAN in a position of real authority.
Glad to see Pava back too...and a teensy bit upset for totally selfish reasons. (Y'see, I was thinking of borrowing him for one of my stories, since I figured he had nothing better to do in this story. Then you up and made him the task force J-3. Dang it.)
