Nice...the Bluefin is about to find itself in the center of a really tricky situation--a Romulan intel op, an out of favor Klingon house--looks like Bluefin is about to become one of 'those' ships that doesn't go looking for trouble because trouble finds it. And Strauss thought this was going to be a boring tour...
I almost feel sorry for the Klingon/Romulan ship, almost. But if I've learned one thing about Starfleet officers, it's that when their friends are killed because of corruption, they won't rest until the ones responsible are languishing in whatever hells they believe in. Sto'Vo'Kor and the Nine Hells of Erebus will be a little more crowded soon.
^Amen to that. The Bluefin has come to chew bubblegum and kick ass. Unfortunately, due to their lack of replicators, they appear to be all out of bubblegum.
This from someone who is still driving around a Constitution class ship in the late 24th century. At least our computers don't sound like adding machines!
Hey, now, my ship spent the last 50 years in storage, so in a year-by-year comparison, Bluefin has Gibraltar beat hands-down! Call me back when Akinola pimp slaps a Timelord, then we'll talk.
Uh, uh, are we playing comparing starship exploits now? I wanna play too ... Games aside, great plot developments here. I especially like the feel of closeness here. Akinola knows this area and its people. Like DS9 you could build up a very fascinating corner of the galaxy with its own shares of problems, baddies and good guys. I also enjoyed how your crew gels and Strauss' outsider view on things. I look forward to see how this resolves.
I must say, I do like the design! And it's about the right vintage, too. It certainly fits what, in my mind, constitutes a border cutter or patrol frigate. However, this is more of how I envision the Bluefin appearing: (Design by Lt. Carter - Skipjack class patrol frigate). Lt. Carter's Patrol Frigate
Both are cool designs, but the Skipjack class has a bit more of that late 23rd-early 24th century design style to it. And hey, where's the next chapter?! I'm jonesing for my fix, man!
I've always had a thing for borderline "Loknar-Class" refits / configurations. The U.S.S. Phobos by Lt. Kevin Riley, etc. As a border-cutter in the Klingon War years, you'd want a ship with severely restricted tactical profile with as little to hit with torpedoes & phasers as possible that can dip, bank & yaw it's way through a tight fit like the Defiant-Class. Lt. Carter's design is fine as a pure explorer but it's features say "shoot here first" with a saucer, engineering hull & nacelles in the usual Constitution-Class form. Plus, for the kind of adventures I imagine happening here, you want a ship with a bit of a "Millenium Falcon" feel to it. Slender & fast. Maybe not well armed or armored but manueverable as heck.
Hellsgate - You make some excellent points regarding the Loknar class. I do agree, it has several advantages from a tactical standpoint. And when I was first developing this story line, I considered using a Defiant class ship. I decided for a more traditional ship for several reasons. The Bluefin is a multi-mission cutter. Search and Rescue, servicing sub-space relay stations, and interdiction are all part of the job. They need a large hangar bay for SAR operations (there are numerous shuttles on board) and to handle evacuees from damaged ships. They also required a geneous sick-bay for large numbers of casualties and a large brig for captured pirates, etc. If you check out the U.S. Coast Guard's cutters (some great web-sites on line) you'll find several types - deep water ships, fast-response ships, ice-breakers, etc. I visualize the Border Service vessels pretty much the same. I do think the Loknar variant would be a great Fast Response Cutter (and I'm already thinking of incorporating such a ship in a future tale! ) I would be VERY interested in suggestions for the Everest class asteroid breaker/ deep space tug. I envision slow and ugly with impulse engines that could pull a small moon. The late, lamented USS Kilimanjaro had a crew compliment of 75, but that could certainly go up or down.
Lt. Commander T'Ser returned to the bridge, relieving Lt. Bane at the sensor station. Lt. Commander Gralt also came onto the bridge, surprising Akinola. "Commander, to what do we owe the pleasure of you company?" asked Akinola. Gralt, obviously fatigued, forwent his usual sarcasm and answered succinctly. "I need to be up here when the shooting starts, so I can coordinate our defensive plan." Strauss, her curiosity piqued, asked, "So what is our plan?" Gralt seated himself at the engineering station, and spoke as he brought up several displays. "Our shields alone will not be sufficient to stop that energy weapon, should they use it. I'm going to also employ a static subspace field from the warp engines. That, along with the shields, should protect the ship and the crew from what we saw happen to the Kilimanjaro . But it's going to take precise timing - we can't sustain a static subspace field for long. And, I imagine one shot will still overload many, if not most of our systems." He turned to Akinola and gave him a meaningful look. "We will probably lose warp drive, at least temporarily." "What about weapons?" asked Akinola. Gralt shrugged. "I don't know. But chances are they will be affected." He saw the frown on Akinola's face. "Hey, at least I can keep us from being blown to bits! That should count for something!" "Alright, Gralt. Good work. We'll have to figure another way to put them out of commission, if we lose phasers and torpedoes," said Akinola. "We can always throw rocks," grumbled Gralt. "There's plenty of them out here." Akinola turned his head back to Gralt, a smile forming on his face. "Say that again, commander . . ." ****************************** The Klingon commander watched the tactical display and made his decision. "Helm! Move us in toward the target, one quarter speed. Bring us within 1000 kelikams of their stern. Gunner! Bring weapons on line - initiate charging cylce for the plasma cannon." The Romulan agent grabbed the command chair and turned the Klingon to face him. "You fool!" he hissed. "This is unnecessary! Let the Federation vessel pass - we have already achieved our purpose! You are jeapordizing my mission!" The Klingon glowered at the Romulan and spoke in a slow, threatening tone. "YOUR mission? Be silent, spy, or I will feed your tongue to my pet Targ! If you interfere again, I will gut you with my blade where you stand!" The Romulan looked down to see a tri-bladed dagger pressed against his abdomen. He straightened, maintaining his dignity. "Very well, commander ," his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I leave you to your mission of conquest and glory." The Klingon either did not recognize the sarcasm or chose to ignore it. "See to it, then. Now, stay out of my way. I have business to which I must attend." He turned back to the viewscreen and barked an order. "Stations! Prepare for an attack run!" **************************** T'Ser turned from the sensor hood. "Captain! Target vessel is on the move." she said, urgency in her voice. Akinola, jammed his finger down on the Red Alert button. Immediately, the bridge lights changed to red and the alert klaxon sounded throughout the cutter. "Bearing?" T'Ser shook her head in frustration. "They are still cloaked. I can tell where they were but I cannot get a lock on where they are at any given moment." Strauss was ready at the weapons console. "Phasers are armed. Torpedoes loaded and ready, sir." Gralt spoke from the engineering station. "Should I deploy the subspace field?" Akinola shook his head. "Negative! They should not be able to fire while cloaked. We can't deploy it until they fire." He turned to Strauss. "Commander, I imagine they will come at us from astern. But as to angle of attack, we won't know until they de-cloak. I want you to be ready to fire as soon as we get a visual. Don't wait for a target lock, set phasers to wide dispersal." Strauss protested. "But sir, the phasers will not be as effective." Akinola nodded. "I know. But it might be enough to throw their aim off a bit. T'Ser, any idea of their course and speed?" "Best estimate, they are moving around astern of us at one-quarter impulse. If they move straight at us, it will be extremely difficult to track them." she said. Akinola rubbed his chin. "If this weapon is based on the old Romulan technology, it probably has a limited range, so they will have to get in fairly close. Commander Strauss, deactivate the minimum range safeties on the torpedoes - we may be getting into a knife fight in a minute!" ***************************** "Time to target?" demanded the Klingon commander. "One minute - range, 500 kelikams," replied the Helmsman. "Plasma cannon to full power. Prepare to de-cloak!" ******************************* "Captain, I've lost them!" T'Ser said, frustration in her voice. "Steady, people. Gralt, be ready to activate defenses as soon as they appear," Akinola said, his voice calm and steady. "Helm, maintain course and speed. We don't want to spook them. Let them think we're sitting ducks." ********************************* The Klingon gunner spoke. "Commander! Target is acquired. Plasma cannon at 100% charge." The Klingon commander smiled. "Prepare to join the Black Fleet, Earthers . . . Helm, disengage cloak, gunner - fire!" ********************************* At first, the viewscreen simply showed the blackness of space and several large asteroids aft of the Bluefin . Then, a small section of space began to shimmer slightly, taking the form of a K'Vort class Bird-of-Prey. Akinola barked orders quickly. "Fire all weapons! Gralt, activate defenses!" Charged parcels of death and mayhem spat forth from both vessels. Tens of thousands of terrawatts of energy lit up the perpetual night sky of space as if a new star were born. Phaser fire sizzled against the shields of the Bird-of-Prey as two photon torpedoes detonated nearby, releasing the harsh, searing energy of matter and anti-matter colliding. At almost the same instant, a blindingly bright orb of green energy erupted from the nose of the Klingon ship, quickly enveloping the Bluefin and unleashing hellish radiation against the cutter's shields, which blazed like lightning then failed. Darkness returned once more to the Molari asteroid belt.
Strauss shook her head, trying to clear the ringing in her ears. She had a headache, a funny taste in her mouth, and felt like she might throw up, but she was alive! She turned to survey the bridge, T'Ser was kneeling by the prone form of the captain. Strauss' blood turned cold. "T'Ser! The captain - is he? . . ." asked Strauss, anxiously. T'Ser looked up. "His pulse is strong, but he's unconscious. He may have a concussion. I've already contacted sickbay for a medical team." Strauss, quickly rallied, and realized they were still in a potentially dagerous tactical situation. She shifted to command mode. "Status?" Gralt fielded the question. "We're alive and the ship's intact. Thank the deities for that! The Klingon ship appears to be drifting for now, no weapons reading at present, although they still have power and life support." "And Bluefin's status?" pressed Strauss. Gralt winced as he turned in his chair, a pronounced bump was over one eye. "Do you want the good news or the bad news?" Strauss breathed heavily. "Just give it all to me." Gralt looked at a display at his station. "We've lost warp drive, which I anticipated. We also lost phasers - feedback from their energy weapon fried the emitters. Torpedoes are also off-line, navigational deflectors are operational but will need some work." He paused. "The good news - life support is fine and there are no hull breaches, although I bet we've got some minor damage to the hull here and there. The warp core is intact but the coils are damaged. We'll need two weeks in the ship yard to get those replaced. Communications are inoperative, but I can have that fixed in short order. Oh, and we have the secondary shields operating, but only at 40%. Impulse drive is fully operational." A medical team, led by Dr. Baxter, exited the turbo-lift and moved quickly to the captain. Baxter favored Inga for a moment. "Commander Strauss, I presume? Calvin Baxter - sorry we have not had the chance to meet before." He knelt down and ran a medical scanner over Akinola. Inga smiled weakly at the doctor. "We've both been kind of busy. How is he, doctor?" Baxter regarded the scanner with a slight frown and grunted. "A concussion - third one this year!" He shook his head. "He'll be just fine commander. We'll get him down to sickbay for observation but he'll soon be as right as rain." "Other casualties?" asked Struass. "Only bumps and bruises so far." Baxter gave her a meaningful look. "We were very lucky! Akinola moaned and his eyelids fluttered open and fixed on Baxter. He groaned, then spoke. "Well, since it's you, I must not be dead." "No Joseph, once again you've been saved by your amazingly hard head," said Baxter. Akinola tried to sit up, but Baxter prevented him. "Uh-uh-uh!, it's off to a bio-bed for you. Commander Strauss has matters well in hand." The wave of nausea and dizziness that overwhelmed Akinola convinced him. He waved Strauss over. "Status?" he croaked. "We're alive, intact and have minimal shields and impulse. Warp drive is down and so are weapons," replied Strauss. "Okay . . . take care of the ship." he said in a raspy voice. He appeared to be losing consciousness again. "Don't forget the rocks, Inga . . ." Akinola slipped back into the arms of Morpheus. Baxter and two medics transported him off the bridge on an anti-grav gurney. T'Ser looked at Struass, puzzled. "Rocks?" "Probably the concussion," said Strauss. "Scan that other ship - I want to know if they're dead or getting prepared for another run." T'Ser responded. "I just did - they are functioning, but their mains are off-line. I believe they may have maneuvering thrusters but no impulse or warp drive. As to weapons, they are all off-line at present and their shields are down tp 20%." "life-signs?" "There are 20 life signs on board. Some of these are fading, however. It appears they were less prepared for our barrage than we for theirs," said T'Ser. Inga stared at the sinister image of the Bird-of-Prey hanging in space. "Well, we need to finish this. Can we beam over a boarding party?" T'Ser shook her head. "No, even down to 20%, their shields will block our ability to use the transporter." Strauss sat in the command chair. "Alright, we need a plan B." ****************************** The Klingon commander coughed and spat bright, pink blood onto the deck. The atmosphere was even thicker than normal with smoke from electrical fires. He quickly sought to assess the situation. "Report!" He bellowed. He received no reply at first, then the helmsman roused up from his board, blood oozing from a gash to his head. He blinked once, trying to focus his eyes, then spoke. "My Lord, we have lost warp drive and sub-light drives. Life support is fluctuating. Shields are down to 20%. We have maneuvering thrusters on stand-by." The commander growled, "Weapons! What of our weapons?" The helmsman staggered to the gunnery station, pushing his dead crewmate out of the seat. He took a moment to study the flickering displays and shook his head. "Phasers are gone - the emitters are fused. Of course, no torpedoes with the plasma cannon. And the cannon itself . . . " the helmsman peered at the unfamiliar readings, "is off-line but appears undamaged. However, the power conduits are damaged. We might be able to re-charge and fire a burst, but we may destroy ourselves in the process." The commander simply sat still for a moment, his anger a smoldering ember. If only we had decent disruptors instead of those useless Orion phasers! , he thought. He turned to berate the Romulan agent for his foolish ruse and saw the spy, lying on the deck in a pool of green blood, a large piece of shrapnel jutting from his left eye. "So!" he said to the corpse. "It is turning into a good day, after all!" He turned back to the crewman. "What of the federation ship? Was it destroyed?" The helmsman returned to his station. He banged his fist on his board. "The ship is intact!" he said, anger mixed with disbelief in his voice. "It is not possible!" The commander nodded slowly, a thin smile on his face. "A worthy adversary, indeed," he said to himself. To the helmsman, he barked -"Their status, fool! What of their weapons? Their shields?" The helmsman concentrated on his readouts. "Weapons are off-line. They have shields, but they are weakened - appear to be less than 50%. They are holding station at the moment." "They probably want to negotiate terms for our surrender. " the commander said with a sneer. "Helmsman! Begin charging the plasma cannon!" He sat back in his chair. "There will be songs sung of our exploits!" "Not if no one is alive to report it," muttered the helmsman to himself. *********************************** "Commander? I'm reading an energy build-up on the Klingon vessel!" said T'Ser. "It appears that they are charging the energy weapon." Strauss stood up. "Time until they can fire?" T'Ser replied, "Best guess? With their damage, probably five minutes." Strauss turned to Gralt. "Commander, is there any chance you can re-create the static subspace field again?" Gralt shook his head. "No way. I had to use the warp coils to create the first one and they're fried. Our shields alone would not help at full strength, much less in their current depleted state." Strauss turned again to T'Ser. "Could we outrun it?" "Unlikely at impulse speeds. The burst would overtake us before we could get out of range." Strauss said, "Then we've got to take them out first." Gralt snorted, "Sure! We've got no phasers, no torpedoes. I know! We could threaten to write a nasty letter to the Klingon Chancellor!" "Stow it, commander," said Strauss sharply. "I need options, now." She maintained her gaze at the screen, watching the Klingon vessel. As she did, a shadow passed over the hull of the other ship - a large asteroid drifting lazily through space. She suddenly heard the captain's voice in her head, " Don't forget the rocks, Inga. " She whirled back toward Gralt. "Do we still have tractor beams?" At first, Gralt looked confused. "Well, yes, but I don't see . . ." He paused, a look of realization coming over his face. "Deities! Yes!" He turned to his station, tapping switches, then turned back to Strauss. "We have full power on all four tractor beams." Commander Strauss spoke tersely. "Commander Gralt, latch on to that asteroid and bring it our way . . . through that ship! Helm, prepare for evasive maneuvers - this may get hairy!" ******************************** The Klingon commander watched the Federation ship on his screen. He was somewhat disapointed that he could not contact them, that he could not see their faces when they realized that he, Krell of House K'Tinga, had beaten them. "My Lord!" exclaimed the helmsman. "What is it? Is the weapon charged?" asked Krell. "The enemy vessel has engaged tractor beams!" Krell frowned, "We do not appear to be caught in a tractor beam." "Sir, the beams are not aimed at us!" Realization suddenly hit the Klingon commander. "Thrusters, you fool! Move us, NOW!" A proximity warning klaxon began to blare on the bridge of the Bird-of-Prey. The helmsman spoke, tonelessly, "Too late." The 790 thousand metric ton asteroid was very small as asteroids were classified in the Molari Belt. It was much too small to receive its own designation on any star charts. The deflector shield of most capital ships would move it aside effortlessly. But it still had more mass than a Galaxy class starship and it ripped through the Klingon vessel, the collision creating an explosion that vaporized the small vessel and knocked several chunks of rock off the asteroid. The explosion flared briefly, then quickly dimmed, the asteroid continuing on its endless journey at the edge of Molari space. ************************* Commander Strauss watched the asteroid annhilate the Bird-of-Prey as the Bluefin moved easily away from the blast effect and cloud of debris. She spoke softly, "Send us a card from Sto'Vo'Kor , you cold S.O.B." **************************** Captain Joseph Akinola sat up in his bio-bed, eating a bowl of cherry vanilla ice cream. He looked up as Commander Strauss entered sickbay. He began to speak, "Well, commander . . ." Strauss began to speak, interruptin him. "Sir, damage control parties are at work and repairs are underway. Communciation are back up and shields are back to 100%. I have ordered us to make best speed out of the Molari Belt and rendezvous with the USS Matterhorn ." "Commander? . . ." "At which time, Captain Hastings will tow us back to the ship yard at Star Station Echo, ETA - four days. Gralt says that repairs should take . . ." "Commander!" Strauss stopped suddenly, embarrassed. She realized that she had been rambling, so intent on giving her report, that she had not responded to the captain. Akinola looked at her, a smile in his eyes. "Nicely done, commander. Now, sit down before you fall down." She looked down for a moment, slightly embarrassed, then took a seat on a stool by Akinola's bed. She realized how tired she was, now that the adrenaline rush had faded. "Sorry, sir. I just wanted to make my report and get back to the bridge," she said. "The bridge will still be there when you get back, commander. We have a good crew and they're busy doing their job. Let them," he said, gently. "T'Ser already stopped by and told me what happened. You showed good command presence and made the right decision under a tremendous amount of stress." Strauss kept her gaze lowered. She could feel herself blush. "Sir, you were the one with the idea to use the tractors on an asteroid. I was slow on the uptake . . ." "Bull!" Akinola said, suddenly, startling Strauss. "I didn't tell you what to do. I had a concussion and you heard me babbling about rocks. It was your initiative, commander, and your good assessment of the situation and the options. You used your officers and you used your wits. I know you were scared, hell, I was too!" He calmed down and looked at her. "Inga, you did well today. You still have a lot to learn about this ship and our mission, but I'm confident that you've got what it takes to serve on this ship. Now, would you like some ice-cream?" Strauss stood up, now smiling. "Thank you sir, but I can't stand cherry vanilla ice cream. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work." Akinola feigned a hurt expression on his face, "Fine. See if I offer to share my ice cream again." He smiled back, "Go on commander. I'll see you later." After Strauss left, Akinola pulled a computer screen to his bed. He contacted the ensign at communications and gave him instructions. Soon, the face of Chief Inspector Timothy McGrath appeared. "Timothy, do you have any news for me?" He nodded. "I do. But you realize that we cannot legally use this information in any Federation legal proceedings." "Understood," said Akinola. "I have an idea about getting around that, though. Now, tell me what you've learned." McGrath did. ********************************* One month later . . . Governor George Tarleck stood at the large windows of his oppulent office, overlooking the Red Mountains of Molari III. He was smoking a cigar made of the finest and most expensive Ferengi tobacco. A snifter of Saurian brandy was in his right hand. He was a large, corpulent man, wearing a finely tailored suit, as he surveyed his domain. He was also in a very good mood. The deal he had brokered with the Klingon renegade, Krell, would cover the debts he owed the Orion Syndicate. His small part of the deal, luring a Federation asteroid breaker into a trap had been a simple matter. While there might be questions about why he had done so, he had plausible deniability about the ship's destruction. Regrettable, of course, was the loss of lives, but this was business. He cared not a bit for the Klingon's motives nor his "honor." In his mind, Krell was a loser, a Klingon privateer who had picked the wrong side in their short-lived civil war. What had interested Tarleck was the crates of gold-pressed latinum that Krell had delivered. He had learned that Krell's ship had been destroyed out in the Belt. He figured that there was no way that he could be linked to the Klingon's activities and that he was free and clear. Tarleck's reverie was interupted by a commotion at the door of his office. "You can't go in without an appointment! . . ." Tarleck's assistant was saying. Two men moved past the flustered secretary. One was a starfleet officer, the other, an all too familiar man. "Inspector McGrath!" said Tarleck, "So nice of you to drop in. I see you're still getting your suits from re-manufactured replicators. Ms. Carlin, it's alright. You may go back to your desk." The buxom secretary with the bright, purple hair, quickly closed the door. Traleck kept a forced smile on his face. "Can I offer you gentlemen any refreshments, coffee? perhaps something stonger? . . ." McGrath and Akinola ignored the false hospitality. McGrath spoke first. "Governor Tarleck, we know that you were involved in the recent ambush and destruction of the USS Kilimanjaro and that you were involved in a conspiracy with a renegade Klingon to place blame on the Orion Syndicate." Tarleck was not a man who spooked easily. He picked up a large, gold lighter from his desk and re-lit his cigar. "That's a pretty bold accusation, McGrath. But I doubt you have any real evidence to back that up. Besides, why would I want to do such a terrible thing?" "Maybe to get the Syndicate off your back permanently," said the Starfleet officer, "by having us retaliate against them for apparently destroying one of our ships." Tarleck kept his poker face, but that comment had found its mark. "And just who the hell are you?" "Captain Joseph Akinola, commanding officer of the USS Bluefin ." The tall, dark-skinned human replied. "There were over 70 men and women from over a dozen worlds on the Kilimanjaro . Men and women who would lay down their lives to save your sorry butt if you were really in trouble. You set them up. They walked into your little trap, and now my colleagues and friends are dead," he said, ice in his voice, "Just so you could avoid paying off some gambling debts." Tarleck snorted derisively. "You know, this is getting boring. I'm a busy man, so why don't you just go and peddle your fairy tales somewhere else!" McGrath remained unperturbed. "It might interest you to know that I had a nice little chat with one of your emplyees, a Mr. M'butto. I must say, he was a bit hesitant to talk with me - at first. But with a bit of persuasion, he was quite talkative." Tarleck's face went ashen. "That's inadmissable in any court in the Federation. My lawyers will have a field day and you both will be begging for a job in my mines when they're through with you," he said, spittle flying from his mouth. McGrath regarded him as a cat might regard an interesting insect. "That IS true. Mr. M'butto's testimony is totally worthless to any legal proceedings, despite the damning nature of his testimony. Oh, I do have a recording, if you'd like to hear it," he offered. Tarleck was off-balance, a position to which he was not accustomed. "Well . . . like you said - you've got no case!" Akinola responded. "No. What was said was that we've no case under Federation law. That's true." He paused. "But Klingon law, well now . . . that's a different matter." Tarleck's mouth went dry. "You can't . . .," he rasped. "Oh, but I can!" said Akinola evenly. He tapped his comm badge. "Chief Brin, please send down our guests." Momentarily, the shimmering effect of transporter energy appeared as three distinct columns. They quickly coalesced into three large Klingon warriors. "Governor Tarleck, this is Lt. Trarn of the Imperial Klingon Defense Force, he and his two officers will escort you to Klingon space where you will be tried on charges of conspiracy to commit acts of treason against the Empire." Tarleck was shaking with fear and rage. "You can't do this!" he screamed. "I'm a Federation citizen." McGrath spoke. "That is true. However, you must know that there are aspects of our mutual-defense treaty that allows for very speedy extradition in such cases. Of course, your attorneys will have an opportunity to appeal to the Klingons, but . . . that may be a lengthy process. And I believe that your attorneys may be busy with other aspects of your business affairs." The Klingon lieutenant moved forward and grabbed Tarleck roughly. He grinned menacingly. "Come now, governor, you may find that Rura Penthe is very nice this time of year." ****************************** Captain Akinola sat in his ready room with a steaming cup of coffee. On his screen was the image of Admiral Morgan Bateson. "So, admiral, you agree that there was more to this than a stupid governor and a crazy, disgraced Klingon?" On the screen, the admiral ran a hand over his thinning hair. "It would seem so. From what we could tell when we had the Bluefin in space dock, the faint energy traces seem to be consistent with what we know of Romulan plasma weapons." Akinola shook his head. "It doesn't make sense, Admiral. The Romulans never do anything without a very good reason. What could they possibly have gained from this - our going to war with the Syndicate? I don't see how that works." Bateson looked troubled. "I don't either. But if the Roms are involved in something on this side of the quadrant, you can bet it will mean more trouble for us." Akinola gave a thin smile. "Semper Paratus, sir. We're always ready!" Bateson smiled. "Thank God for that. Take care of yourself, captain. Bateson, out." Akinola turned off the screen and picked up a piece of wood and a carving knife. While the piece was still in rough form, it was taking on the characteritic shape of an Everest class asteroid breaker. ************************************ "Tar'kilik was a valuable agent. The director is not pleased that he is dead." The female Romulan operative inclined her head, acknowledging her superior. "It was a risky operation. The Klingon was too head-strong." The supervisor steepled his fingers. "It was Tar'kilik who failed, not you T'Vash. You counseled against the plan." "That is true. But if it had succeeded, we would have been in an excellent position to make our foray into the Badlands." The supervisor frowned. "Never say, 'what if,' T'Vash. It is a bad habit and clouds your focus." Another nod of the head. "As you say. What are your orders, commander?" "It is imperative that we get assets into the heart of the Badlands - before the Federation or the Klingons discover what is hidden there." he paused. "It is time to utilize one of our sleeper agentss in the Federation." T'Vash spoke, cautiously. "That is a great risk." The supervisor nodded. "But sometimes, with great risk comes great reward! END OF EPISODE ONE
I just had a chance to finish this and may I just say ... What fun! What pure and unadulterated fun! I love the premise, the characters (including Admiral Bateson), and how fluidly you've developed both over such a relatively short span here. And, did I mention that it was a fun story? Nicely done. And, thanks! :thumbsup:
Very cool stuff. Besides a lot of action you also delivered a great continuing plot line which just begs for more. Also you have given us a great conclusion by making sure the bad guys got what they deserve. I'm suprised Tarleck didn't beg for being arrested by the Federation officals. I almost feel bad for him ... well almost. I'm looking forward to the continuing adventures of the Bluefin and her crew. Keep'em coming please.
A fantastic conclusion to a great series-opener. This last chapter tied everything together masterfully, and we got to see Strauss take charge in very hairy circumstances. This had Klingons, Romulans, intense battles, asteroid-slingshots, and the best quote I’ve read in a long time, Strauss’ “Send us a card from Sto'Vo'Kor, you cold S.O.B." Akinola’s rendering of Tarleck over to the Klingons was a masterful stroke, a brilliant end-run around that a-hole’s legal protections. I’d be surprised if the Syndicate didn’t move to have Tarleck silenced now, considering all he could reveal about their operations. Not that a little vacation to Rura Penthe could get that much worse, of course. You’ve assembled an interesting and eclectic crew, one that promises many more exciting adventures to come. I’m looking forward to getting some more background on Akinola, and why he’s remained in the Border Service rather than moving up to larger, more prestigious ships of the line. Is it his lack of academy training that’s holding him back, or is he just happy where he’s at? You’ve come roaring onto the fanfic board with your first endeavor, and I believe congratulations are in order. Well done! :thumbsup:
What a helluva a way to make your B'Board debut! Like the others have said, you've done a bang up job here! Taut suspense, an interesting group of characters, an excellent plot, action, Klingons, Romulans, Orions, who could ask for more? I could! More...Please! Congratulations are very much in order :thumbsup: What I thought was really great here was how you shifted the focus from Akinola to Strauss and then back again--everyone gets their moment in the limelight. And the way Akinola took care of Tarleck...sheer poetic justice. Very nicely done!