Star Trek: Cayuga
16 - ‘After Toil’
By Jack Elmlinger
“Sleep after toil, port after stormy seas,,
Ease after war, death after life does greatly please.”
- Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene
“Davi zh’Tali was an exemplary Starfleet officer. We didn’t always agree but that made me a better Captain, and her, in my opinion, a great First Officer. You knew her as a strong woman who defeated twenty-six Jem’hadar. Now you know her as a brave woman who saved the lives of countless Cardassians and Sr’khymer’arni.”
The table and chairs had been removed but the Mess Hall was still filled to capacity. From her position in front of the windows, Captain Jeanne Pozach watched her officers. Sean Pasko and Aimee Maguire stood side-by-side with ambivalent expressions on their faces. The only person in the crowded room who was showing real anguish was Admiral Thanadyshen sh’Diaar. Her red eyes and the speed with which she had arrived by starship only attested to the depth of her feelings.
“With reverence, we commit our heroic dead to the depths of space,” she continued before she tapped her combadge. “Bridge, go ahead.”
An orange flash exploded from beneath her and a single photon torpedo launched away into the dark void of space. It was a symbolic gesture since there was nothing remaining of zh’Tali’s body. “I hope you’re happy now,” Pozach murmured as she turned to watch the torpedo blink out of sight.
Pasko and Maguire weaved through the dispersing crowd. “Nice speech,” he said as they approached their commanding officer.
Pozach smiled weakly. “Thank you. It was from the heart.” She watched absently at her chief engineer who was absently scratching at the wound healing on her forehead. “Aimee, do you have a repair estimate?”
“Yeah, yeah, I do,” Maguire said with a grimace. “We’re in a bad way. It’s not just this last battle either. Since our last overhaul, we’ve fought in four major battles, Cindel, Laiat Prime, Norgo, and now this. We repaired all of the other damage without the benefit of a shipyard but we’ve reached the limits of what we can do.” She sighed at the thought. “It’s time to go home.”
“The Merak Fleet Yards are three weeks away at Warp Seven,” Pasko commented.
Pozach nodded her assent. “Have Mister Riker request an opening at the yard and set a course. First, however, we have a few more things to attend to.” Her gaze moved over to Admiral sh’Diaar who stood alone at a window and she excused herself.
sh’Diaar glanced up as she approached the older Andorian shen. “Captain,” she said quietly.
“Can the Cayuga deliver you back to Starbase Three-Five-Nine, Admiral?”
“No, but thank you. My ship is taking me to my bondmates on Mars. I would be grateful, though, if I could have Davi’s possession. I am her … next of kin.”
“Sir?,” Pozach bleated in surprise.
“She never told you and I didn’t expect her to. She was my bondmate, my wife… and you wouldn’t know it to look at her but she had long white hair when she was younger… like mine.” sh’Diaar placed a hand on the window, squinting to try to catch a last glimmer of the torpedo.
“I’m sorry for your loss. I’ll have her effects transported to your ship,” the Cayuga’s captain promised her.
“Thank you,” the Admiral said, lifting her hand away from the window. “Goodbye, Captain,” she continued, offering her a wan smile. “Good luck to you and your crew.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It had been too long since she had been able to fly and ch’Eenar’s raider was a gorgeous craft. Pozach landed the Peregrine class courier on a rise of dull orange rock and powered it down. When she stepped through the hatch, a large bag was slung over her shoulder. The Andorian terrorist was waiting for her, standing with his shoulders back imperiously. Lieutenant Ntannu was standing behind him, leaning on his cane.
“Lieutenant,” she ordered upon her approach,” wait for me in the ship.”
“Well, Captain?,” ch’Eenar asked her once they were alone at the base of the rise. “Have you come to lecture me on the morality of murdering Cardassians? Because I can dance around with that one all night long.”
“You think that we’re dancing?,” Pozach asked him quietly
“Foxtrot, tango, and I always lead.” He smiled at her, gesturing at the phaser holstered on her hip. “Have you realized that the stockades on Jaros II can’t hold me? Have you decided to kill me instead?”
Pozach stared at his bravado for a moment. “At the beginning of the Maquis movement, I’ve been told that the objective wasn’t to kill Cardassians but rather to free your homeworlds from their domination.”
“Of course, it was. None of us wanted to live at war. We tried to reason with the spoonheads but our words fell onto deaf ears. My home world of Korem was settled by Andorian traditionalists. Traditionalists, Captain, who had no technology any more advanced than artificial refrigeration units. When the Cardassians came to Korem, they demanded quotes of precious metals that we couldn’t possibly meet. When we failed to do what they wanted, we were wiped out and that is the only thing that the Cardassians understand.”
“As part of the Treaty of Bajor, the Federation reclaimed all of the contested colonies from the Cardassians,” she told him, tossing the bag at his feet. “You won. Eighty kilometers to the south, there is a settlement. I’ve spoken with the people there and should you choose to go, you’ll be welcomed.” She indicated the bag at his feet. “There’s enough supplies in that bag to last you for six days. Maybe ten if you stretch it.”
“And what about my ship?,” ch’Eenar asked her, glancing up at the courier’s sleep hull.
“The cloaking device is being returned to the Klingon Empire. The rest of the ship is slated to be analyzed and recommissioned by Starfleet.”
“Oh,” the Andorian chen said, his rugged face falling just a bit,” I just can’t stand the thought of her being with another man.”
Pozach shrugged and turned around on her heel. She reached the raider’s hatch when his voice stopped her.
“Captain?”
She turned around and nodded at him.
“Captain, this punishment… marooning me… is this just because you’re too afraid to kill me?”
Behind her, she heard the engines warming up as Ntannu prepared the ship for takeoff. Over the noise, she shouted,” Welcome home, Mister ch’Eenar!”
The ship lifted up into the skies of Korem before reaching the stars.
The End...
16 - ‘After Toil’
By Jack Elmlinger
“Sleep after toil, port after stormy seas,,
Ease after war, death after life does greatly please.”
- Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene
“Davi zh’Tali was an exemplary Starfleet officer. We didn’t always agree but that made me a better Captain, and her, in my opinion, a great First Officer. You knew her as a strong woman who defeated twenty-six Jem’hadar. Now you know her as a brave woman who saved the lives of countless Cardassians and Sr’khymer’arni.”
The table and chairs had been removed but the Mess Hall was still filled to capacity. From her position in front of the windows, Captain Jeanne Pozach watched her officers. Sean Pasko and Aimee Maguire stood side-by-side with ambivalent expressions on their faces. The only person in the crowded room who was showing real anguish was Admiral Thanadyshen sh’Diaar. Her red eyes and the speed with which she had arrived by starship only attested to the depth of her feelings.
“With reverence, we commit our heroic dead to the depths of space,” she continued before she tapped her combadge. “Bridge, go ahead.”
An orange flash exploded from beneath her and a single photon torpedo launched away into the dark void of space. It was a symbolic gesture since there was nothing remaining of zh’Tali’s body. “I hope you’re happy now,” Pozach murmured as she turned to watch the torpedo blink out of sight.
Pasko and Maguire weaved through the dispersing crowd. “Nice speech,” he said as they approached their commanding officer.
Pozach smiled weakly. “Thank you. It was from the heart.” She watched absently at her chief engineer who was absently scratching at the wound healing on her forehead. “Aimee, do you have a repair estimate?”
“Yeah, yeah, I do,” Maguire said with a grimace. “We’re in a bad way. It’s not just this last battle either. Since our last overhaul, we’ve fought in four major battles, Cindel, Laiat Prime, Norgo, and now this. We repaired all of the other damage without the benefit of a shipyard but we’ve reached the limits of what we can do.” She sighed at the thought. “It’s time to go home.”
“The Merak Fleet Yards are three weeks away at Warp Seven,” Pasko commented.
Pozach nodded her assent. “Have Mister Riker request an opening at the yard and set a course. First, however, we have a few more things to attend to.” Her gaze moved over to Admiral sh’Diaar who stood alone at a window and she excused herself.
sh’Diaar glanced up as she approached the older Andorian shen. “Captain,” she said quietly.
“Can the Cayuga deliver you back to Starbase Three-Five-Nine, Admiral?”
“No, but thank you. My ship is taking me to my bondmates on Mars. I would be grateful, though, if I could have Davi’s possession. I am her … next of kin.”
“Sir?,” Pozach bleated in surprise.
“She never told you and I didn’t expect her to. She was my bondmate, my wife… and you wouldn’t know it to look at her but she had long white hair when she was younger… like mine.” sh’Diaar placed a hand on the window, squinting to try to catch a last glimmer of the torpedo.
“I’m sorry for your loss. I’ll have her effects transported to your ship,” the Cayuga’s captain promised her.
“Thank you,” the Admiral said, lifting her hand away from the window. “Goodbye, Captain,” she continued, offering her a wan smile. “Good luck to you and your crew.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It had been too long since she had been able to fly and ch’Eenar’s raider was a gorgeous craft. Pozach landed the Peregrine class courier on a rise of dull orange rock and powered it down. When she stepped through the hatch, a large bag was slung over her shoulder. The Andorian terrorist was waiting for her, standing with his shoulders back imperiously. Lieutenant Ntannu was standing behind him, leaning on his cane.
“Lieutenant,” she ordered upon her approach,” wait for me in the ship.”
“Well, Captain?,” ch’Eenar asked her once they were alone at the base of the rise. “Have you come to lecture me on the morality of murdering Cardassians? Because I can dance around with that one all night long.”
“You think that we’re dancing?,” Pozach asked him quietly
“Foxtrot, tango, and I always lead.” He smiled at her, gesturing at the phaser holstered on her hip. “Have you realized that the stockades on Jaros II can’t hold me? Have you decided to kill me instead?”
Pozach stared at his bravado for a moment. “At the beginning of the Maquis movement, I’ve been told that the objective wasn’t to kill Cardassians but rather to free your homeworlds from their domination.”
“Of course, it was. None of us wanted to live at war. We tried to reason with the spoonheads but our words fell onto deaf ears. My home world of Korem was settled by Andorian traditionalists. Traditionalists, Captain, who had no technology any more advanced than artificial refrigeration units. When the Cardassians came to Korem, they demanded quotes of precious metals that we couldn’t possibly meet. When we failed to do what they wanted, we were wiped out and that is the only thing that the Cardassians understand.”
“As part of the Treaty of Bajor, the Federation reclaimed all of the contested colonies from the Cardassians,” she told him, tossing the bag at his feet. “You won. Eighty kilometers to the south, there is a settlement. I’ve spoken with the people there and should you choose to go, you’ll be welcomed.” She indicated the bag at his feet. “There’s enough supplies in that bag to last you for six days. Maybe ten if you stretch it.”
“And what about my ship?,” ch’Eenar asked her, glancing up at the courier’s sleep hull.
“The cloaking device is being returned to the Klingon Empire. The rest of the ship is slated to be analyzed and recommissioned by Starfleet.”
“Oh,” the Andorian chen said, his rugged face falling just a bit,” I just can’t stand the thought of her being with another man.”
Pozach shrugged and turned around on her heel. She reached the raider’s hatch when his voice stopped her.
“Captain?”
She turned around and nodded at him.
“Captain, this punishment… marooning me… is this just because you’re too afraid to kill me?”
Behind her, she heard the engines warming up as Ntannu prepared the ship for takeoff. Over the noise, she shouted,” Welcome home, Mister ch’Eenar!”
The ship lifted up into the skies of Korem before reaching the stars.
The End...
