So the Philly is a ship crewed by traitors, misfits and idiots? I'd much rather be on the Indy.
ST: Independence - "Beneath the Raptor's Wings"
- Thread starter Dnoth
- Start date
Getting caught up--the holidays can be rough when it comes to reading and writing! Collins is a total bad (bleep)--cold, calculating--a sociopathic starship captain--a great villain! Karim and Sintina are going to have to watch him--and themselves--every second. If they're not careful, Collins will turn their own crew against them.
And yes, the Philly is a sad ship...
And yes, the Philly is a sad ship...
Collins is ruthless and chilling and utterly able to wind bin Nadel and Sinitia up the wrong way. And no matter what their course of action in respects to Collins they will constantly second guess themselves because you never know when he is playing them and getting exactly what he wants.
Great stuff with Collins even able to make the Indy crew question their superiors in how he handled bin Nadel with the security team. He's a cool customer and perhaps that is his intention.
Great stuff with Collins even able to make the Indy crew question their superiors in how he handled bin Nadel with the security team. He's a cool customer and perhaps that is his intention.
CHAPTER 8
Supplemental
USS Independence, Conference Lounge
At Rally Coordinates in the Neutral Zone
Jonin Faltyne entered just after the captain from the Philadelphia. The XO led the group. Behind the security officer was the Caitain commander and then PO Runningfox.
The Andorian noticed the sneer on Captain Aurelia’s face as they positioned themselves. Two Romulans already sat at the table. The party from the Philadelphia sat without comment. Obviously, there was some bad blood between his commanding officers and those of the Philly. He assumed it was residual from their encounter last year. Perhaps the crews still held it against each other.
Faltyne nodded to the petty officer to assume his post near the far exit. That bin Nadal ordered a security attachment at this meeting was not unusual. The fact that they escorted a Starfleet captain and his XO to it was.
Ever since the captain received their orders, things have been out of sorts. Aurelia and bin Nadal seemed much more tense. Odd orders like treating a Sovereign as a potential hostile didn’t help matters. Then, the incident in the corridor… ‘What is going on?’ he asked himself.
Captain Aurelia didn’t greet her Starfleet counterpart. Instead, she got down to business, “Where was the Fothmar’s last location?”
Apparently ignorant of the dynamic in the room, Commander Hanora informed them, “In the Rator System. He warped away on a course of 198 mark 097, but I doubt that will help us. He will take an erratic course to…where ever he’s going.”
H’gaws asked, “Have you been able to determmmine this alien’s intentions in control of his mind?”
Bin Nadal and Aurelia shared a look of dubiousness.
“No,” the Romulan commander stated. She added with genuine regret, “It is possible the entire crew is affected. We may have to destroy the vessel.”
Surprisingly, Collins took the words out of Sintina’s mouth, “And what if P’nav and his crew are not possessed?”
Hanora was hesitant to answer.
Her sub-commander somberly chimed in, “Then Captain, he is acting without the approval of the Emperor and must be executed.”
Sintina puffed, “Let me get this straight. You would turn our mission from apprehending P’nav to killing him. Is that right?”
“That is not what I desire…” began Hanora.
“But we have to face facts, Captain,” finished Collins, “It most likely will come to that.”
Aurelia crossed her arms, and began to wonder if Hanora and Collins were in on this together. At that point, she knew what it felt like to be in the lion’s den.
“Unfortunately, I concur,” stated the Romulan commander.
Karim offered, “There still might be away to capture him and his crew.”
“If there is,” Hanora commented, “I am open to it.” She then asked, somewhat sardonically, “Do you have any suggestions?”
The Indy XO admitted, “No, not at present, sir.”
After an uneasy moment, Captain Collins prompted, “At any rate, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We need to find him first. My question is: do you opt for sticking to a tight or wide formation in our search?”
“I recommend a tight formation, within several thousand kilometers” said Hanora, “otherwise, he could have the opportunity to single us out.”
Aurelia leaned in, “I disagree, if we stay just inside each other’s long range sensors, we could scan more space and still be relatively safe.”
H’gaws suggested, “Could we implement a tachyon field to help us?”
“With only three ships,” answered bin Nadal, “it wouldn’t be very effective.”
“Please believe me,” added Hanora, “we have attempted to break through his cloak by every means we know, with no success. P’nav spent several years as an engineer. He knows how to maintain his stealth. However,” she handed a hand-held display device to her counterparts, “We have plotted his known locations over the last two weeks. There is a pattern.”
The display was a grid of several sectors. Dots represented encounters with the Fothmar. There was one thing in common. The general direction of the ship seemed to be from the Romulan Vendor sector into the shared Hyralan sector. A cone appeared showing his most likely destinations. Among them were Algeron, Beta Pictoris, and Miridian.
“A large area of space for three ships to search,” said the Caitian first officer.
Collins informed them, “The Border Service has already been alerted. Maybe they could establish a tachyon grid at the border and we could pressure P’nav right into them.”
“Despite what many in the regular fleet think,” rejoined Sintina, “I doubt they could afford to be taken off their patrol routes and sit and wait for a ship that may or may not pass them.”
Without missing a beat, the Philly captain said, “Then we need to find a way to bait him. We’re never going to find him just meandering about.”
Aurelia’s stomach dropped as she reached the natural conclusion. If she were with any other group, she’d do it without hesitation. She believed she saw a piece of the puzzle fall into place. Collins then made the very same suggestion she would have.
“We have to have a wide formation, maybe one fifth of a light year apart. We’d be about an hour away from each other.” He looked at Sintina with his nearly lifeless eyes, “We’d be the bait.”
“Once he attacked,” concluded Hanora, “We’d have to converge quickly to come to the…bait’s assistance.”
Knowing full well the implications, Karim asked, “What makes you think he’ll attack?”
“It’s how he operates,” replied the Romulan, “He knows he’s being hunted. He will attempt to disable us first, then proceed on.”
She felt sick. Aurelia didn’t want to say the words, but she knew it was their best shot at recovering P’nav. “I agree with Captain Collins.”
He took note of her decision with a very subtle smirk. “Alright then.”
Once the details of the collaboration were worked out, the meeting broke up.
Zack lingered and addressed Sintina, “Captain, might I have a word alone?”
“I recommend against that, Captain,” piped up Karim. He knew Aurelia would want to demonstrate her lack of fear. He hoped Collins wouldn’t use that to his favor.
A few seconds passed. Then, Aurelia looked at Faltyne, “Go back to the bridge. Monitor this room visually, but don’t listen in.”
The Andorian did as he was ordered. He and his subordinate exited. Bin Nadal wasn’t so willing to leave.
She reassured him, “I’m a big girl, Karim. I can take care of myself.”
Reluctantly, the Persian exited. The door slid shut behind him.
Now alone with the murderer, Aurelia suddenly found herself expecting a fight. She started, “No bullshit, get to your point and get out.”
He smiled, “I do like you, Captain. I don’t share the animosity you have toward me.”
“You blew up my ship,” she glared.
“I had nothing to do with that.”
She corrected, “Your bosses, Section 31 ordered it.”
He was amused once again, “I still can’t believe Chase admitted that, way too overconfident, that one.” Collins continued, “I know your motivation against us, because of your ship and the crew that were killed. It’s revenge. I understand and respect that. Hell, I don’t even blame you. But have you ever considered the motivations of Uhura’s group?”
“Ha,” she spouted, “I suppose now you’re going to try to convince me I’m on the wrong side?”
He wondered a bit around the room. A moment later, he offered, “There’s a song from the twentieth century…I forget the artist. But there is a monologue in it. It goes something like this:
'I’m a gun for hire, I’m a saint, I’m a liar
Because there are no facts, no truth, just data to be manipulated
I can get you any result you’d like
Because there is no wrong, there is no right
And I sleep very well at night.'”
“How wonderfully cold and amoral,” Sintina commented.
He said genuinely, “It’s honest, Captain. Does Uhura’s group offer such brutal honesty? Or do they hide behind words like democracy and freedom?”
Her silence promoted him to continue.
“Do you really think most citizens of the Federation have any concept of what freedom is? Most of them live their lives in a state of sleep walking. They just want to go about leading their happy little lives. They don’t really care who’s at the helm or how they got there.”
Mordantly, she returned with, “A murderer and a philosopher.”
“How many people did you kill during the war?”
“That was different.”
He laughed aloud, “You know the only difference between you and me? I’ve accepted what I am, but you’re still hiding behind semantics.”
Her face flushed with anger. She wasn’t a heartless murderer! She was nothing like him! She growled, “Get out.”
Collins was content enough with himself to concede. He cocked his head slightly and found Runningfox on the other side of the door. “Lead on,” Collins told him.
She was now alone. Fists clinched, Sintina looked out the window. The Philadelphia could be seen not far away. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she made an admission. She was playing out of her league, in more ways than one. She fought a battle against a tear of frustration, rage, and self-doubt. She lost.
END OF CHAPTER 8
Supplemental
USS Independence, Conference Lounge
At Rally Coordinates in the Neutral Zone
Jonin Faltyne entered just after the captain from the Philadelphia. The XO led the group. Behind the security officer was the Caitain commander and then PO Runningfox.
The Andorian noticed the sneer on Captain Aurelia’s face as they positioned themselves. Two Romulans already sat at the table. The party from the Philadelphia sat without comment. Obviously, there was some bad blood between his commanding officers and those of the Philly. He assumed it was residual from their encounter last year. Perhaps the crews still held it against each other.
Faltyne nodded to the petty officer to assume his post near the far exit. That bin Nadal ordered a security attachment at this meeting was not unusual. The fact that they escorted a Starfleet captain and his XO to it was.
Ever since the captain received their orders, things have been out of sorts. Aurelia and bin Nadal seemed much more tense. Odd orders like treating a Sovereign as a potential hostile didn’t help matters. Then, the incident in the corridor… ‘What is going on?’ he asked himself.
Captain Aurelia didn’t greet her Starfleet counterpart. Instead, she got down to business, “Where was the Fothmar’s last location?”
Apparently ignorant of the dynamic in the room, Commander Hanora informed them, “In the Rator System. He warped away on a course of 198 mark 097, but I doubt that will help us. He will take an erratic course to…where ever he’s going.”
H’gaws asked, “Have you been able to determmmine this alien’s intentions in control of his mind?”
Bin Nadal and Aurelia shared a look of dubiousness.
“No,” the Romulan commander stated. She added with genuine regret, “It is possible the entire crew is affected. We may have to destroy the vessel.”
Surprisingly, Collins took the words out of Sintina’s mouth, “And what if P’nav and his crew are not possessed?”
Hanora was hesitant to answer.
Her sub-commander somberly chimed in, “Then Captain, he is acting without the approval of the Emperor and must be executed.”
Sintina puffed, “Let me get this straight. You would turn our mission from apprehending P’nav to killing him. Is that right?”
“That is not what I desire…” began Hanora.
“But we have to face facts, Captain,” finished Collins, “It most likely will come to that.”
Aurelia crossed her arms, and began to wonder if Hanora and Collins were in on this together. At that point, she knew what it felt like to be in the lion’s den.
“Unfortunately, I concur,” stated the Romulan commander.
Karim offered, “There still might be away to capture him and his crew.”
“If there is,” Hanora commented, “I am open to it.” She then asked, somewhat sardonically, “Do you have any suggestions?”
The Indy XO admitted, “No, not at present, sir.”
After an uneasy moment, Captain Collins prompted, “At any rate, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We need to find him first. My question is: do you opt for sticking to a tight or wide formation in our search?”
“I recommend a tight formation, within several thousand kilometers” said Hanora, “otherwise, he could have the opportunity to single us out.”
Aurelia leaned in, “I disagree, if we stay just inside each other’s long range sensors, we could scan more space and still be relatively safe.”
H’gaws suggested, “Could we implement a tachyon field to help us?”
“With only three ships,” answered bin Nadal, “it wouldn’t be very effective.”
“Please believe me,” added Hanora, “we have attempted to break through his cloak by every means we know, with no success. P’nav spent several years as an engineer. He knows how to maintain his stealth. However,” she handed a hand-held display device to her counterparts, “We have plotted his known locations over the last two weeks. There is a pattern.”
The display was a grid of several sectors. Dots represented encounters with the Fothmar. There was one thing in common. The general direction of the ship seemed to be from the Romulan Vendor sector into the shared Hyralan sector. A cone appeared showing his most likely destinations. Among them were Algeron, Beta Pictoris, and Miridian.
“A large area of space for three ships to search,” said the Caitian first officer.
Collins informed them, “The Border Service has already been alerted. Maybe they could establish a tachyon grid at the border and we could pressure P’nav right into them.”
“Despite what many in the regular fleet think,” rejoined Sintina, “I doubt they could afford to be taken off their patrol routes and sit and wait for a ship that may or may not pass them.”
Without missing a beat, the Philly captain said, “Then we need to find a way to bait him. We’re never going to find him just meandering about.”
Aurelia’s stomach dropped as she reached the natural conclusion. If she were with any other group, she’d do it without hesitation. She believed she saw a piece of the puzzle fall into place. Collins then made the very same suggestion she would have.
“We have to have a wide formation, maybe one fifth of a light year apart. We’d be about an hour away from each other.” He looked at Sintina with his nearly lifeless eyes, “We’d be the bait.”
“Once he attacked,” concluded Hanora, “We’d have to converge quickly to come to the…bait’s assistance.”
Knowing full well the implications, Karim asked, “What makes you think he’ll attack?”
“It’s how he operates,” replied the Romulan, “He knows he’s being hunted. He will attempt to disable us first, then proceed on.”
She felt sick. Aurelia didn’t want to say the words, but she knew it was their best shot at recovering P’nav. “I agree with Captain Collins.”
He took note of her decision with a very subtle smirk. “Alright then.”
Once the details of the collaboration were worked out, the meeting broke up.
Zack lingered and addressed Sintina, “Captain, might I have a word alone?”
“I recommend against that, Captain,” piped up Karim. He knew Aurelia would want to demonstrate her lack of fear. He hoped Collins wouldn’t use that to his favor.
A few seconds passed. Then, Aurelia looked at Faltyne, “Go back to the bridge. Monitor this room visually, but don’t listen in.”
The Andorian did as he was ordered. He and his subordinate exited. Bin Nadal wasn’t so willing to leave.
She reassured him, “I’m a big girl, Karim. I can take care of myself.”
Reluctantly, the Persian exited. The door slid shut behind him.
Now alone with the murderer, Aurelia suddenly found herself expecting a fight. She started, “No bullshit, get to your point and get out.”
He smiled, “I do like you, Captain. I don’t share the animosity you have toward me.”
“You blew up my ship,” she glared.
“I had nothing to do with that.”
She corrected, “Your bosses, Section 31 ordered it.”
He was amused once again, “I still can’t believe Chase admitted that, way too overconfident, that one.” Collins continued, “I know your motivation against us, because of your ship and the crew that were killed. It’s revenge. I understand and respect that. Hell, I don’t even blame you. But have you ever considered the motivations of Uhura’s group?”
“Ha,” she spouted, “I suppose now you’re going to try to convince me I’m on the wrong side?”
He wondered a bit around the room. A moment later, he offered, “There’s a song from the twentieth century…I forget the artist. But there is a monologue in it. It goes something like this:
'I’m a gun for hire, I’m a saint, I’m a liar
Because there are no facts, no truth, just data to be manipulated
I can get you any result you’d like
Because there is no wrong, there is no right
And I sleep very well at night.'”
“How wonderfully cold and amoral,” Sintina commented.
He said genuinely, “It’s honest, Captain. Does Uhura’s group offer such brutal honesty? Or do they hide behind words like democracy and freedom?”
Her silence promoted him to continue.
“Do you really think most citizens of the Federation have any concept of what freedom is? Most of them live their lives in a state of sleep walking. They just want to go about leading their happy little lives. They don’t really care who’s at the helm or how they got there.”
Mordantly, she returned with, “A murderer and a philosopher.”
“How many people did you kill during the war?”
“That was different.”
He laughed aloud, “You know the only difference between you and me? I’ve accepted what I am, but you’re still hiding behind semantics.”
Her face flushed with anger. She wasn’t a heartless murderer! She was nothing like him! She growled, “Get out.”
Collins was content enough with himself to concede. He cocked his head slightly and found Runningfox on the other side of the door. “Lead on,” Collins told him.
She was now alone. Fists clinched, Sintina looked out the window. The Philadelphia could be seen not far away. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she made an admission. She was playing out of her league, in more ways than one. She fought a battle against a tear of frustration, rage, and self-doubt. She lost.
END OF CHAPTER 8
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Wow...Collins really tried to run roughshod over her there, and damn near succeeded. She only barely held her own in that. That will not bode well for her and her crew...
Finally got caught up. Collins-have you ever seen Burn Notice? I know just the actor to play him. What a bastard-and you write him so well! I found myself gritting my teeth while reading the last 4 chapters more and more as I progressed. Very well done! And I think I understand the fires that finally end up tempering Sintina's personality-when you play a double game and keep secrets like this you learn restraint as a survival trait. Bravo!
Collins won this round--no doubt about it. Sintina is still young and still wet behind the ears. She's got a ways to go yet--but she's getting there.
Maybe she did lose and certainly with Collins anyone would be playing out of their league but she's getting better with experience. Of course we only gain experience from making mistakes.
Never saw Burn Notice. I might have to rent it. Thanks again everyone for your continued interest. Here's the next bit...
CHAPTER 9
Supplemental
IRW Fothmar, Commander’s Office
Running under Cloak in the Outmarches
Commander P’nav stared at his desktop computer. He debated whether to take this precaution. Too much was at stake. He trusted Xil and if anything happened to him… The elder Romulan tapped the console. “Begin dictation.”
He started, “Sub-Commander Xil, if you are watching this, then I am dead. It is imperative that you complete my mission.” He sighed somberly, “Which requires me to take you into my confidence. I have no doubt of your abilities or your resolve, but this information carries with it a heavy burden.
Where shall I begin? I suppose it began, like so many things within the Empire, with Koval. As I’m sure you’re aware, Koval was the Chairman of the Tal’Shiar and is a sitting member of the Continuing Committee in the Senate. I’ve had a…working relationship with him for many years.
He came across some information that a very elite group in the Federation, which he once worked with, has started fermenting unrest among the Remans. Koval believes they intend to use the Remans to destabilize the Empire.” He darkly grimaced, “Or should I say destabilize it further. As you know, the Tal’Shiar is not what it once was. So in an effort to combat this threat, I was tasked to find some allies. It took some time, but it appears I’ve found some.
I am to meet them in the Beta Pictoris proto-system. You must go there and give my contacts the information I’m attaching to this message. A Starfleet ship named Independence is supposed to be at the exact coordinates I’ve inputted. It’s important to be there. Otherwise, two ships would never find each other in all the dense rock, ice, and gases; not to mention the radiation emitting from the hyper-active star. That ship will take you to another location. The crew will know what happened, but they won’t know why and, hopefully, they won’t detect the Starfleet ship in the proto-system. I am told this whole incident will be blamed on mind-controlling aliens trying to get back to their home in the proto-system.”
P’nav leaned in, “I am sorry my friend. Once you do this, you will be an exile. It was decided, I must appear to go rogue so Koval and others can have deniability. Download this to a secured padd and erase any trace of it from the ship before you leave.”
He concluded with, “Do this for me. Do this for Romulas. Bed aoi dypshj.”
“End dictation. Save in encrypted memory.” He leaned back, “Computer, begin continuously monitoring my life signs. If they stop, deliver this message to Sub-Commander Xil.”
The computer confirmed the order.
*****
Supplemental
USS Independence, Ready Room
In the Romulan Neutral Zone
Once the task force was in formation, Aurelia retreated to her office. The game had begun. Unfortunately, she had no idea how it would play out. Her instincts told her to break formation, and warp the hell away from here. But she couldn’t do that.
She searched for the song Collins quoted, Don Henley’s “Garden of Allah,” and listened to it a few times. It provided no insight…other than confirming he was completely ruthless and lacked any conscience.
Sintina sat down and rested her head in her hands. The moment she did, the enunciator chimed. She groaned while she straightened up, “Come in.”
Jonin Faltyne entered. He had a padd in his hands. The Andorian stated stiffly, “Captain, it is my duty to report an assault early today.”
“Oh?” she said, “That’s Karim’s area, why tell me?”
He offered the padd to her, “Commander bin Nadal perpetrated the assault.”
“On who?”
“Captain Collins.”
“Pifft,” Sintina guffawed, “hell, I thought it was something important.”
His brow crunched up, “Ma’am?”
She rubbed her temples. Jonin deserved something. He was just doing his job. “Lieutenant Faltyne…” in mid-sentence she decided to ease her tone, “Jonin, as I recall, you were held captive by Cardassian insurgents for several months.”
He tightened up at the turn in conversation, “Aye, ma’am.” Something changed in this face for a moment. Memories he didn’t want to revisit came hurtling back.
Sintina regretted bring it up now, but it was too late to go back. She continued, “If you happened to meet one of those Cardassians at a spaceport, what would you do?”
“Forgive me for being blunt, ma’am,” he rejoined with malice in his eyes, “but I’d rip off their neck ridges.”
She stood and walked to him, “I won’t go into details, but let’s say Commander bin Nadal…and others…received severe injuries from Collins.”
Still angry from injustices of the past, he nodded. He looked down at the padd, which Aurelia hadn’t taken, and tapped it a few times. The Andorian again addressed his captain, “It appears my report has been deleted, ma’am.”
She grinned and headed back to her chair, “Thank you, Lieutenant.”
“Ma’am,” Faltyne ventured, “I don’t think I can perform my duties during this mission without more information.”
Sintina’s first reaction was to dress him down, but under the circumstances, she couldn’t blame him. She also didn’t have the wherewithal to explain everything. She hoped pointing him in the right direction might be enough. “All right, search for wanted criminals on New Sydney. That’s your opening into the rabbit hole.”
The Andorian wasn’t entirely sure what the analogy to a rabbit hole was, but he got her meaning. He nodded, “Thank you, Captain.”
*****
Supplemental
IRW Fothmar, Security Office
Running under Cloak in the Outmarches
Doctor Dren walked in with a report in his hand. He laid it on the desk and said, “The ship’s medical scanners detected nothing unusual.”
Despite the conclusion, Centurion Dulas examined the findings. It didn’t matter to him that he wasn’t a doctor and couldn’t make out most of it. He quickly gave up and finding something Dren overlooked. He said, “So we are where we were.”
“And that’s not proof that he’s not being manipulated,” added the doctor.
Dulas pushed back from his desk and said frustrated, “So he’s either under alien control or a renegade.”
The other Romulan grimaced at the word. “It’s possible he really is on an elaborate mission of some sort.”
He stood and said indignantly, “We are on no training exercise.” Dulas activated a display so Dren could see. It was a tactical map of the area. It was explained, “The Odaus has joined with two Starfleet vessels. They are hunting us.”
“It would make more sense now,” offered the doctor, “Perhaps the Romulan Guard is using this to examine Starfleet tactics. What better way than to have a joint mission to search for one of our ships.” He chuckled, “If anything, I feel better now.”
Dulas had considered that point. He was still very uneasy. He relented a bit, “We shall see.”
END OF CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 9
Supplemental
IRW Fothmar, Commander’s Office
Running under Cloak in the Outmarches
Commander P’nav stared at his desktop computer. He debated whether to take this precaution. Too much was at stake. He trusted Xil and if anything happened to him… The elder Romulan tapped the console. “Begin dictation.”
He started, “Sub-Commander Xil, if you are watching this, then I am dead. It is imperative that you complete my mission.” He sighed somberly, “Which requires me to take you into my confidence. I have no doubt of your abilities or your resolve, but this information carries with it a heavy burden.
Where shall I begin? I suppose it began, like so many things within the Empire, with Koval. As I’m sure you’re aware, Koval was the Chairman of the Tal’Shiar and is a sitting member of the Continuing Committee in the Senate. I’ve had a…working relationship with him for many years.
He came across some information that a very elite group in the Federation, which he once worked with, has started fermenting unrest among the Remans. Koval believes they intend to use the Remans to destabilize the Empire.” He darkly grimaced, “Or should I say destabilize it further. As you know, the Tal’Shiar is not what it once was. So in an effort to combat this threat, I was tasked to find some allies. It took some time, but it appears I’ve found some.
I am to meet them in the Beta Pictoris proto-system. You must go there and give my contacts the information I’m attaching to this message. A Starfleet ship named Independence is supposed to be at the exact coordinates I’ve inputted. It’s important to be there. Otherwise, two ships would never find each other in all the dense rock, ice, and gases; not to mention the radiation emitting from the hyper-active star. That ship will take you to another location. The crew will know what happened, but they won’t know why and, hopefully, they won’t detect the Starfleet ship in the proto-system. I am told this whole incident will be blamed on mind-controlling aliens trying to get back to their home in the proto-system.”
P’nav leaned in, “I am sorry my friend. Once you do this, you will be an exile. It was decided, I must appear to go rogue so Koval and others can have deniability. Download this to a secured padd and erase any trace of it from the ship before you leave.”
He concluded with, “Do this for me. Do this for Romulas. Bed aoi dypshj.”
“End dictation. Save in encrypted memory.” He leaned back, “Computer, begin continuously monitoring my life signs. If they stop, deliver this message to Sub-Commander Xil.”
The computer confirmed the order.
*****
Supplemental
USS Independence, Ready Room
In the Romulan Neutral Zone
Once the task force was in formation, Aurelia retreated to her office. The game had begun. Unfortunately, she had no idea how it would play out. Her instincts told her to break formation, and warp the hell away from here. But she couldn’t do that.
She searched for the song Collins quoted, Don Henley’s “Garden of Allah,” and listened to it a few times. It provided no insight…other than confirming he was completely ruthless and lacked any conscience.
Sintina sat down and rested her head in her hands. The moment she did, the enunciator chimed. She groaned while she straightened up, “Come in.”
Jonin Faltyne entered. He had a padd in his hands. The Andorian stated stiffly, “Captain, it is my duty to report an assault early today.”
“Oh?” she said, “That’s Karim’s area, why tell me?”
He offered the padd to her, “Commander bin Nadal perpetrated the assault.”
“On who?”
“Captain Collins.”
“Pifft,” Sintina guffawed, “hell, I thought it was something important.”
His brow crunched up, “Ma’am?”
She rubbed her temples. Jonin deserved something. He was just doing his job. “Lieutenant Faltyne…” in mid-sentence she decided to ease her tone, “Jonin, as I recall, you were held captive by Cardassian insurgents for several months.”
He tightened up at the turn in conversation, “Aye, ma’am.” Something changed in this face for a moment. Memories he didn’t want to revisit came hurtling back.
Sintina regretted bring it up now, but it was too late to go back. She continued, “If you happened to meet one of those Cardassians at a spaceport, what would you do?”
“Forgive me for being blunt, ma’am,” he rejoined with malice in his eyes, “but I’d rip off their neck ridges.”
She stood and walked to him, “I won’t go into details, but let’s say Commander bin Nadal…and others…received severe injuries from Collins.”
Still angry from injustices of the past, he nodded. He looked down at the padd, which Aurelia hadn’t taken, and tapped it a few times. The Andorian again addressed his captain, “It appears my report has been deleted, ma’am.”
She grinned and headed back to her chair, “Thank you, Lieutenant.”
“Ma’am,” Faltyne ventured, “I don’t think I can perform my duties during this mission without more information.”
Sintina’s first reaction was to dress him down, but under the circumstances, she couldn’t blame him. She also didn’t have the wherewithal to explain everything. She hoped pointing him in the right direction might be enough. “All right, search for wanted criminals on New Sydney. That’s your opening into the rabbit hole.”
The Andorian wasn’t entirely sure what the analogy to a rabbit hole was, but he got her meaning. He nodded, “Thank you, Captain.”
*****
Supplemental
IRW Fothmar, Security Office
Running under Cloak in the Outmarches
Doctor Dren walked in with a report in his hand. He laid it on the desk and said, “The ship’s medical scanners detected nothing unusual.”
Despite the conclusion, Centurion Dulas examined the findings. It didn’t matter to him that he wasn’t a doctor and couldn’t make out most of it. He quickly gave up and finding something Dren overlooked. He said, “So we are where we were.”
“And that’s not proof that he’s not being manipulated,” added the doctor.
Dulas pushed back from his desk and said frustrated, “So he’s either under alien control or a renegade.”
The other Romulan grimaced at the word. “It’s possible he really is on an elaborate mission of some sort.”
He stood and said indignantly, “We are on no training exercise.” Dulas activated a display so Dren could see. It was a tactical map of the area. It was explained, “The Odaus has joined with two Starfleet vessels. They are hunting us.”
“It would make more sense now,” offered the doctor, “Perhaps the Romulan Guard is using this to examine Starfleet tactics. What better way than to have a joint mission to search for one of our ships.” He chuckled, “If anything, I feel better now.”
Dulas had considered that point. He was still very uneasy. He relented a bit, “We shall see.”
END OF CHAPTER 9
Good to see Aurelia demonstrate she still has credibility with Faltyne even after that scene. She's very lucky, though, she knew just what to say to Faltyne to make it personal, though--I have to wonder what would've happened if she'd been dealing with someone who didn't have that past.
BTW, have you devised your own Romulan language? If so, I'm curious about any information you may have available on it.
BTW, have you devised your own Romulan language? If so, I'm curious about any information you may have available on it.
Aurelia did say just the right words and did just the right thing to keep Faltayne on her side. A very good job handling a very delicate balancing act--she's learning.
As for the Romulans...P'Nav has put it all on the line, hasn't he? One thing no one can say--that the Roms do not lack courage.
As for the Romulans...P'Nav has put it all on the line, hasn't he? One thing no one can say--that the Roms do not lack courage.
BTW, have you devised your own Romulan language? If so, I'm curious about any information you may have available on it.
No, any Romulan I use is credited to this site: http://www.cix.co.uk/~mr-flibble/rpg/romulan/rihannsu.html
Oh, I see...I just didn't recognize those particular words as Rihannsu.
P'Nav's mission is made clear ... to us. His crew does not have that sort of insight yet and that might cause some serious friction in the foreseeable future.
An interesting contrast is the way in which Aurelia deals with her crew. Instead of keeping it all a secret, like her Romulan counterpart, she drops a few subtle hints that should eventually guarantee her crew's loyalty.
An interesting contrast is the way in which Aurelia deals with her crew. Instead of keeping it all a secret, like her Romulan counterpart, she drops a few subtle hints that should eventually guarantee her crew's loyalty.
One wonders if even the Romulans are following their own plots!! Very interesting ... oh and I'm bookmarking that Romulan dictionary site for futture references, cool!
Thanks everybody!
CHAPTER 10
Stardate: 54518.7 (9 July 2377)
USS Independence, Security Office
In the Neutral Zone
Jonin Faltyne sat down with a cup of iced spice tea from his native Andoria. The blue-skinned chief of security took a long sip and said, “Computer, has the requested information from New Sydney been compiled?”
“Affirmative.”
He leaned in, “Display results.”
The night before Lieutenant Faltyne requested the computer to search for crimes committed on the non-Federation colony from stardate 53650 to 53750. The return was too numerous to scroll through. So he designed a filter algorithm that ran over the night. The computer identified eight crimes that met his criteria.
He examined them one by one. There was an incident in orbit where a civilian freighter, the Ethiopia, was destroyed. A series of crimes took place in a private residence: breaking and entering, attempted murder, and another murder of a police officer. Finally, there was a report of a small craft battle in the atmosphere.
Next, he looked up the Starfleet inquiry into the former captain of the Philadelphia, a human by the name of Dalton Russell. The inquiry found Russell and a few other crewmembers guilty of all the crimes. He looked on. The evidence provided was shaky at best. The main witness was Commander Zackary Collins, the executive officer.
The Andorian went back to the New Sydney reports. Even though Starfleet attributed the crimes to Russell, the NSPD still considered the cases open.
A survivor, Yanas Tigan… “Wait,” Faltyne said to himself, “Tigan. Where do I know that name?” He thought for a moment. His memories went back to his days on Deep Space Nine, but he wasn’t sure… “Ezri!”
He did a secondary search to confirm his assumption. Yanas Tigan had three children: Janel, Norvo,…and Ezri. Jonin went back to the police report with a renewed sense of personal interest. Ezri was central in helping him cope with his…imprisonment.
Yanas Tigan was sent to a local hospital after getting stabbed in one of her lungs. She recovered and was questioned by the NSPD. A composite rendering of the assailant was made based off her description.
He scrolled down to see the image.
Immediately, he recognized the face. His stomach churned. Then, his fists clinched.
*****
Supplemental
IRW Fothmar, MainBridge
Running Under Cloak in the Outmarches
The mood on the command deck was somber. The silver-haired Commander P’nav walked casually, but with purpose. His hands were neatly behind his back. He addressed the security officer, “Centurion, put your display on the main screen.” A second later, a tactical image of the surrounding space appeared for all to see. Two Imperial Romulan icons represented the Fothmar and Odaus. Two Starfleet symbols were labeled in Romulan.
P’nav stepped closer to read the labels. Under his breath, he read, “The Phil-a-del-phia, Sovereign class.” He paused. Sovereign class ships were not to be underestimated. Then, he went on, “and the Independence.” He sighed with a mixture of relief and understanding. “I see now how this is supposed to be played out.”
The senior Romulan spun around and addressed his crew with confidence. “The Sovereign is obviously the greater threat. We need not be concerned about the Steamrunner class vessel.”
With meaning, Dulas asked, “And what of the Odaus, Commander?”
He grinned, “With any luck, we’ll have no further encounters with Commander Hanora.” P’nav continued, “I want to approach under cloak on the dorsal side of the Sovereign.” He manipulated the image to clearly illustrate his attack plan. “We’ll have to strike quickly and precisely. I want to disable their warp drive and be gone before they know what happened.”
*****
Supplemental
USS Independence, Counselor’s Office
In the Neutral Zone
Kimula was only slightly surprised when the door chime went off. She didn’t have an appointment for another 45 minutes. It wasn’t uncommon for Sintina or Karim to swing by. “Enter.”
She was a bit taken back when another Andorian, Jonin, entered.
He came in with a rush and began to say something when he noticed a few things. He had successfully avoided counseling sessions so far. He didn’t quite fell comfortable with Lieutenant Soma, yet. So, he’d never been in Kimula’s office before. It was nice and cool in the room. Then, he noticed a large, recirculating waterfall on a far bulkhead. He grimaced at the liquid. It reminded him of how much he hated swimming.
Faltyne refocused, “What do you know about what happened at New Sydney?”
His fellow Andorian crossed her legs on her chair, “You mean with Collins?”
He nodded.
“Why ask me?” she asked. There was a mild playfulness in her voice.
“Because I know how close you, the commander, and captain are.” He shifted around and added, “And because if worse comes to worst, I might be able to pull rank on you and order you to tell me.” His demeanor wasn’t solemn.
She grinned, “Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
He dropped any pretence of superiority, “Please. I want in.”
“Have a seat,” she said and gestured. He did and she continued, “It’s not my place to ‘let you in.’ I’m not going to deny the three of us have a close relationship. Karim…Commander bin Nadal and I can say things to Captain Aurelia that would get most officers in the brig.” She leaned back and sighed. “If you really want to know more about what’s going on, I think you should talk to Karim.”
“Will he tell me?” he rephrased more to the point, “Will he trust me?”
The female Andorian shrugged, “I don’t know.”
*****
Supplemental
USS Philadelphia, Captain’s Ready Room
In the Neutral Zone
The bulky Caitian sat opposite of Captain Collins. “I’ve prrrogrammed the computer. All I have to do is prrress my combadge when the time comes.”
The dark-haired captain commented, “That will make it easier. Timing will be critical.”
“Ggrrrfft,” the Caitain dismissed his concerns, “I’ve had harrrderrr missions than this.” He leaned in, “Have you accounted forrr the Independence?”
Collins grinned devilishly, “Of course.” He acknowledged, “I’m sure they suspect something, but that won’t make any difference. The situation is simply beyond their ability to change.” He leaned back and his face showed shallow regret.
“What is it?”
“Oh,” he rejoined, “It’s just it would’ve been fun to end my relationship with Aurelia and bin Nadal with more of a…personal touch.”
The Caitain’s features became more serious…if that was possible…as his meaning sunk in. He observed, “You really do enjoy killing, don’t you?”
An unabashed grin returned, “Everyone needs a hobby.”
END OF CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 10
Stardate: 54518.7 (9 July 2377)
USS Independence, Security Office
In the Neutral Zone
Jonin Faltyne sat down with a cup of iced spice tea from his native Andoria. The blue-skinned chief of security took a long sip and said, “Computer, has the requested information from New Sydney been compiled?”
“Affirmative.”
He leaned in, “Display results.”
The night before Lieutenant Faltyne requested the computer to search for crimes committed on the non-Federation colony from stardate 53650 to 53750. The return was too numerous to scroll through. So he designed a filter algorithm that ran over the night. The computer identified eight crimes that met his criteria.
He examined them one by one. There was an incident in orbit where a civilian freighter, the Ethiopia, was destroyed. A series of crimes took place in a private residence: breaking and entering, attempted murder, and another murder of a police officer. Finally, there was a report of a small craft battle in the atmosphere.
Next, he looked up the Starfleet inquiry into the former captain of the Philadelphia, a human by the name of Dalton Russell. The inquiry found Russell and a few other crewmembers guilty of all the crimes. He looked on. The evidence provided was shaky at best. The main witness was Commander Zackary Collins, the executive officer.
The Andorian went back to the New Sydney reports. Even though Starfleet attributed the crimes to Russell, the NSPD still considered the cases open.
A survivor, Yanas Tigan… “Wait,” Faltyne said to himself, “Tigan. Where do I know that name?” He thought for a moment. His memories went back to his days on Deep Space Nine, but he wasn’t sure… “Ezri!”
He did a secondary search to confirm his assumption. Yanas Tigan had three children: Janel, Norvo,…and Ezri. Jonin went back to the police report with a renewed sense of personal interest. Ezri was central in helping him cope with his…imprisonment.
Yanas Tigan was sent to a local hospital after getting stabbed in one of her lungs. She recovered and was questioned by the NSPD. A composite rendering of the assailant was made based off her description.
He scrolled down to see the image.
Immediately, he recognized the face. His stomach churned. Then, his fists clinched.
*****
Supplemental
IRW Fothmar, MainBridge
Running Under Cloak in the Outmarches
The mood on the command deck was somber. The silver-haired Commander P’nav walked casually, but with purpose. His hands were neatly behind his back. He addressed the security officer, “Centurion, put your display on the main screen.” A second later, a tactical image of the surrounding space appeared for all to see. Two Imperial Romulan icons represented the Fothmar and Odaus. Two Starfleet symbols were labeled in Romulan.
P’nav stepped closer to read the labels. Under his breath, he read, “The Phil-a-del-phia, Sovereign class.” He paused. Sovereign class ships were not to be underestimated. Then, he went on, “and the Independence.” He sighed with a mixture of relief and understanding. “I see now how this is supposed to be played out.”
The senior Romulan spun around and addressed his crew with confidence. “The Sovereign is obviously the greater threat. We need not be concerned about the Steamrunner class vessel.”
With meaning, Dulas asked, “And what of the Odaus, Commander?”
He grinned, “With any luck, we’ll have no further encounters with Commander Hanora.” P’nav continued, “I want to approach under cloak on the dorsal side of the Sovereign.” He manipulated the image to clearly illustrate his attack plan. “We’ll have to strike quickly and precisely. I want to disable their warp drive and be gone before they know what happened.”
*****
Supplemental
USS Independence, Counselor’s Office
In the Neutral Zone
Kimula was only slightly surprised when the door chime went off. She didn’t have an appointment for another 45 minutes. It wasn’t uncommon for Sintina or Karim to swing by. “Enter.”
She was a bit taken back when another Andorian, Jonin, entered.
He came in with a rush and began to say something when he noticed a few things. He had successfully avoided counseling sessions so far. He didn’t quite fell comfortable with Lieutenant Soma, yet. So, he’d never been in Kimula’s office before. It was nice and cool in the room. Then, he noticed a large, recirculating waterfall on a far bulkhead. He grimaced at the liquid. It reminded him of how much he hated swimming.
Faltyne refocused, “What do you know about what happened at New Sydney?”
His fellow Andorian crossed her legs on her chair, “You mean with Collins?”
He nodded.
“Why ask me?” she asked. There was a mild playfulness in her voice.
“Because I know how close you, the commander, and captain are.” He shifted around and added, “And because if worse comes to worst, I might be able to pull rank on you and order you to tell me.” His demeanor wasn’t solemn.
She grinned, “Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
He dropped any pretence of superiority, “Please. I want in.”
“Have a seat,” she said and gestured. He did and she continued, “It’s not my place to ‘let you in.’ I’m not going to deny the three of us have a close relationship. Karim…Commander bin Nadal and I can say things to Captain Aurelia that would get most officers in the brig.” She leaned back and sighed. “If you really want to know more about what’s going on, I think you should talk to Karim.”
“Will he tell me?” he rephrased more to the point, “Will he trust me?”
The female Andorian shrugged, “I don’t know.”
*****
Supplemental
USS Philadelphia, Captain’s Ready Room
In the Neutral Zone
The bulky Caitian sat opposite of Captain Collins. “I’ve prrrogrammed the computer. All I have to do is prrress my combadge when the time comes.”
The dark-haired captain commented, “That will make it easier. Timing will be critical.”
“Ggrrrfft,” the Caitain dismissed his concerns, “I’ve had harrrderrr missions than this.” He leaned in, “Have you accounted forrr the Independence?”
Collins grinned devilishly, “Of course.” He acknowledged, “I’m sure they suspect something, but that won’t make any difference. The situation is simply beyond their ability to change.” He leaned back and his face showed shallow regret.
“What is it?”
“Oh,” he rejoined, “It’s just it would’ve been fun to end my relationship with Aurelia and bin Nadal with more of a…personal touch.”
The Caitain’s features became more serious…if that was possible…as his meaning sunk in. He observed, “You really do enjoy killing, don’t you?”
An unabashed grin returned, “Everyone needs a hobby.”
END OF CHAPTER 10
Dang...Collins' bridge crew are on something. Or nuts.
Glad to see Faltyne find out what Aurelia's reasons are, and buy in.
Oh, and on the "small details" front...I did think it was a nice little detail to see P'nav have to work to pronounce such an alien name!
Glad to see Faltyne find out what Aurelia's reasons are, and buy in.
Oh, and on the "small details" front...I did think it was a nice little detail to see P'nav have to work to pronounce such an alien name!
It's nice to see that the relationship between Kimula and Faltyne is less awkward. I like this pairing. We never get to see many aliens mingling with their own kind and I hope you'll explore their relationship further. There still might be some friction there.
For now however they've got bigger fish to fry. Try a homicidal S31, starship captain with a Soverign at his command. The only reason Aurelia and crew survived their last encoutner was because they had the firepower of a quasi-warship to back them up. Not this time. And clearly the Romulans know that too.
For now however they've got bigger fish to fry. Try a homicidal S31, starship captain with a Soverign at his command. The only reason Aurelia and crew survived their last encoutner was because they had the firepower of a quasi-warship to back them up. Not this time. And clearly the Romulans know that too.
