As Sodak’s environmental suit regulated all vital functions such as monitoring the temperature and ensuring his body was as comfortable as possible, he could see as he stepped out of the airlock of the escape pod, without the suit he would be far from comfortable. As the sun scorched the arid terrain laced with rock fragments, he could make out the shimmering vapour of heat. His Vulcan physiology could withstand such environments to a degree, but then this wasn’t Vulcan. As he slowly descended down the ladder rungs, he could see the marks on the emergency escape vehicle, which told the story of the trauma it and he had endured. Yet, at the same time, the cramped craft that had temporarily become his home, had delivered him to the nearest, although barely habitable planet, alive. He had hoped, and going off fuel and oxygen reserves, that the pod would also deliver him back into space, and towards the strange, yet definite readings that indicated a Starfleet Starbase. He had scanned the immediate vicinity of space upon planet fall to Parcha, and discovered the familiar readings of the base and a fleet of starships. However, the base and vessels seemed to appear intermittently on the display, which indicated either there was some kind of anomaly causing interference in obtaining an accurate scan, or the Starbase and starships were equipped with cloaking devices. The last time he had consulted the Treaty Of Algeron, a clause specifically states that Starfleet, and the United Federation Of Planets will not endeavour to create or reproduce cloaking technology, nor outfit anything or anyone with such devices. The only recorded time that Starfleet had been authorized by the Romulan government to use cloaking technology, was when they loaned a device to be installed aboard the U.S.S. Defiant. The stipulations of usage were solely for the cloak to be engaged during missions to the Gamma Quadrant. As his boots touched the desert terrain he disturbed gravel, as wispy dust clouds formed around his feet only to quickly disperse. At the same time, something appeared to be burrowing out at his feet, and upon emergence had similarities to a reptile such as a lizard native to Earth’s tropical and desert continents. The scaly visitor seemed to glance at Sodak’s feet, and then lazily headed in a northerly direction, clearly unfazed by the unforgiving heat. Sodak surmised that the lizard was heading towards an outcropping of small mountains in the distance, and for a moment watched the creature continue its leisurely stroll. He placed his scanner back into its protective holster as although he recorded all statistics of the reptile, he knew that a lot of similarities could be drawn from various species across the quadrant. Starfleet’s primary mandate was currently and always as long as he could remember, to seek out new worlds, new civilisations, and new life forms. The reptile was definitely a new life form of sorts, and Sodak in that moment had upheld one of Starfleet’s most cherished ideals. It seemed a futile exercise to take anymore readings as Sodak felt that previous visitations by survey vessels and probes would have already mapped Parcha in minute detail. The planet was as insignificant now as when it was discovered in a survey mission many years ago. Although the helmet glass was tinted to compensate for the glare of the sun, Sodak instinctively raised his hand to block the sudden flare that had appeared on the horizon to the east. It was as if some kind of bomb had been detonated as the glare appeared to be getting brighter by the second, which also indicated to Sodak that it was also getting closer. The temperature monitor on the holographic display inside the helmet indicated a hazard warning, projecting itself into his line of sight and announcing that the heat was steadily rising. Sodak started to make his way back to the pod for protection against whatever was heading his way, when suddenly the ground started to shake around him. With an almighty eruption of dust, sand, rock, and gravel, the ground seemed give way behind him as if doors had automatically appeared and slid open, subsequently revealing a sliver blue craft rising from the depths. Before Sodak could respond, he disappeared in a haze of shimmering and sparkling lights, as the vehicle also promptly disappeared back underground.
Kirsty had decided that to avoid the painfully unbearable feelings of despair, and the fear of a possible downward spiral into depression, to focus on what she felt she did best. Right now, there was none of the survivors aboard the faux Phoenix that needed her counselling expertise more at this moment in time, than the Chief Tactical/Security Officer, Rez. His recovery from the aftermath of the explosion of the device orbiting Athena Sirius, which had in turn devastated the Phoenix, had been a lengthy recovery at best. He had been amongst those who had the most severe of injuries, counting a ruptured spleen and near fatal head trauma on the list. As a physician at the top of his game, Kurt had done all he could with the physical healing of his patients wounds, and now it was up to Kirsty to assist with the mental healing. She had decided to try an alternative form of counselling. Rather than just ask questions that lead to answers that lead to conversations she stated to Rez that the session was an open forum, and the discussions didn’t even have to relate to recent events. The silence in the room was overwhelming as Rez casually scanned around at the paintings. He pointed to one in particular which depicted a vista of temples and buildings that bore resemblance to those once constructed by the ancient Mediterranean races, such as the Greeks or Romans. In the background of the picture, the sky seemed to be filled with looming dark clouds, which in some parts were illuminated by the lightning that danced within them. The more immediate danger in the picture was the rolling tsunami that appeared to be about to crash down on the civilisation. “Atlantis”; Kirsty announced and identified. “History is vague as to the true cause of the vanishing Atlanteans, but a popular theory is that which is depicted in the picture. A wave of unstoppable, destructive force, erasing them from time in one swoop.” Rez appeared to take in everything the Counsellor said, as Kirsty started to realize she was getting through to him and making connection. “That’s what happened to us....Phoenix. Almost erased from time equally in one swoop, by an unstoppable destructive force. I let my guard down.” Kirsty finally understood that the Chief Of Security had seemingly been blaming himself for the events at Athena Sirius. “Rez. You should know that this will sound patronizing, but you can’t be prepared for every eventuality. The unpredictable is as it is. Continuing with you train of thought will not help the healing process.” Rez stood up quickly, although not as quick as he would have liked or as quick as he used to pre-injury. “Counsellor. How long before you and the doc clear me for active duty?” Kirsty consulted his recent medical and psyche files again, and skimmed over the recent documentation detailing his injuries and medical prognosis. “If i have read these correctly, you could actually return to part time duty with restrictions imposed by myself and the doc. Once you near recovery in a week or so we can lift those restrictions and return you to full time active duty. This all depends on various factors such as healing time, etc.” Kirsty had noticed an instant change in the Chief Of Security’s demeanour, as he seemed to have regained the animation of his eyes and face that had been lost for some time. Rez felt the adrenaline rush through him as the blissful sensation returned like a long lost friend. “If you and Doctor Coey, as well as Captain Hodgkinson approve of my gradual return to duty, my first priority is to scour this faux Phoenix, and see what can be found out about Klix’s creation.” For a moment that seemed like an eternity, Rez stopped, and sat down again, whilst emitting a heavy sigh. “I never knew Klix as well as some. I believe though that he touched the lives of a lot of crew members. In some ways, that alone has made him immortal and unforgettable. Then of course there’s the Phoenix, destroyed way before her time. I barely got to know the vessel or the crew.” Trying to keep a professional head and not betraying her emotions about Sodak, she kept her game face. “We are all feeling heavy losses and dealing with it in different ways. Some aren’t coping as well as others.” Where she was concerned, Counsellor Walker felt her response couldn’t have been more truthful. As she continued to listen to Rez, she couldn’t help but feel that after three of the senior officers being listed as missing in action,, the destruction of the Phoenix, and the amount of casualties both physically and mentally, the worst was yet to come which would no doubt in her mind be a Starfleet Board Of Enquiry.
The Admiral’s shuttle, the Delta Flyer had been docked in the main bay for almost an hour. It was a strange sense of irony that its resting spot was the usual space assigned to the Alpha Flyer. Which amongst the three senior officers who last embarked on a mission; Ensign Craig Markey, Lieutenant Duco Dantuma, and Chief Engineer Kenneth Mumford, had been listed as missing. Until corpses were discovered or wreckage of the Alpha Flyer had been presented to the senior staff, Simon would not accept his crew were dead. As far as he was concerned, they were very much alive....somewhere. Commander Davenport had noticed throughout the staff gathering that Simon’s mind seemed to be anywhere but present on the ship. Clearly he was present physically, but ever since the Athena Sirius disaster, it seemed he had left his mind behind there. It was clear that the whole event had left a scar that would be difficult to heal, and he would be continually haunted for some time until he came round from his trance like state. Admiral Janeway had been clear, factual, and straight to the point, almost as if time wasn’t on her side. The upper echelons of Starfleet, over a short period of time, had become closed off with the sharing of information, with lots of meetings above the usual expected norm between the highest levels of the Admiralty. A plethora of fast track promotions to Captain, as well as drastic changes in fleet deployments had been happening at lightning quick paces. The Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards had been suddenly put on restricted access with several Defiant Class cruisers assigned to defensive patrol stations at the construction yard. The destruction of the U.S.S. Esteban and the loss of all hands of Admiral Charles Coburn and his crew had been too coincidental, especially with his recent open vocal dissatisfaction of the way Starfleet had begun to go about its operations. Coburn had many a frequent talk with Janeway on his concerns, that also coupled with evidence he had begun to gather, albeit at first accidentally, had made Admiral Janeway feel that eyes were watching her every move. At times, she felt her communiqués and daily duties were being monitored and scrutinised. She was also positive that she had been followed several times going about her duties and out of hour’s activities, as well as the unnerving feeling that her apartment was under surveillance. The information and evidence that stood out like a sore thumb was the subject her and Charles had last discussed, which was the noticeably and steadily increasing paranoid behaviour of the Chief Of Starfleet Operations and Dominion War veteran, Admiral William Ross. It seemed that he was convinced that the Founders hadn’t fully retreated back to the Gamma Quadrant and at the same time, he was certain that a full scale invasion, paling into insignificance compared to the war, was imminent. Coburn was also certain that a secret ship building program had been underway for a while at Utopia Planitia, due to random reports from his contacts that vessels of a kind unseen before were rapidly being constructed, and then would disappear as if they had never been there. Admiral Janeway culminated her debriefing with the report issued from the recent encounter of a changeling on Ardana. “So, as you can see, with proof in black and white thanks to your report Captain, fuel to the fire has been added. I believe we are mere days away from Bill Ross petitioning the UFP council for agreeing a deployment into the Gamma Quadrant.” Lieutenant Miller responded; “The Federation President will never approve such a request for a Starfleet invasion into the Gamma Quadrant!” Admiral Janeway laughed to herself. “Unfortunately he has friends on the council whom could easily sway a decision in his favour. Also, and if i know the current Bill Ross and not eh one i used to know, he will manipulate the council by presenting it as an exploratory survey to make overtures to the Founders.” Doctor Coey was chomping at the bit to make his opinion heard, and saw an opening. “If you ask me Admiral, and you haven’t, this isn’t our fight. Our dearest blood is barely cold in the morgue, and then there are those who require physical and mental healing. Notwithstanding this ship is a clone, a fake, and we will have to account for the loss of the Phoenix to Starfleet and the UFP. As Chief Medical Officer, i can make Captain Hodgkinsons order set in stone. We keep on heading towards Earth, and kindly decline your request for help. We are in no fit state.” The Admiral slowly rose out her chair and subsequently addressed the crew. “I see it was pointless coming here. My work is done.” With that her skin tone changed from light pink to a shimmering gelatinous mass as she launched herself at the crew, stunning them whilst heading out of the ready room. As the officers regained their composure and headed in the changeling’s direction, they halted as they stared in bewilderment and shock at the person occupying the Captain’s chair attired in an Admiral’s uniform. “Greetings Captain!” With mounting frustration, puzzlement, and confusion, Simon released his pent up anger. “Will someone please tell me just what the hell is going on here?!!!”
The new Romulan super weapon prototype, although potentially devastating to the Empire’s enemies, wasn’t without its flaws. It was commonly believed that until such teething problems could be overcome, the deployment of the weapon would leave the weapon temporarily vulnerable. Vast quantities of energy were required to power up the device, which required transference of said energy, and deactivation of some systems. In the case of Commander Kul’s Crimson Talon, the Bird Of Paradise would have to decloak and lower shields, to activate the weapon. For Kul, the temporary vulnerability may as well be an eternity; however he had in his favour the skills of a master tactician. The vessels minutes of weakness would be negated by the years of experience the veteran had gained through surprise manoeuvres and outmanoeuvring the enemy. His military record had shown time and again that he had turned a dire situation into victory. As the Romulan vessel decloaked whilst heading off the U.S.S. Exeter, both ships seemed to hang in space in a standoff. Not wanting to waste vital energy, Kul ordered for all disruptor banks to be kept red hot and ready, but not to be fired unless necessary, which he would dictate when so. He was informed that the Federation starship had raised shields, which proved that it wasn’t so derelict and powerless after all. As he silently willed the countdown of the weapon to move along faster, he started to wonder if the Exeter was a classic trap scenario, which the Romulans had perfected time and again. Because of heavy losses, Starfleet had learnt a hard lesson not to board a derelict Romulan vessel, as it was undoubtedly a deadly trap. He pondered if similarly the Exeter was counting down to powering up and unleashing a devastating explosion, which would easily destroy both vessels. However, if such a scenario was in place, than his crew would have detected any power surges, spikes, or anomalies. One of the Centurions then announced a different kind of power surge, as the crew of the Exeter had detected thee weapon, and unleashed a relentless barrage of phaser strikes and torpedoes, whilst manoeuvring the mighty starship out of possible harm’s way. The hardiness of the Romulan vessel coupled with Kul’s experience meant that the damage to his vessel was minimal. Kul’s tactical Centurion then made an announcement that was music to everyone’s pointed ears.
Kirsty had decided that to avoid the painfully unbearable feelings of despair, and the fear of a possible downward spiral into depression, to focus on what she felt she did best. Right now, there was none of the survivors aboard the faux Phoenix that needed her counselling expertise more at this moment in time, than the Chief Tactical/Security Officer, Rez. His recovery from the aftermath of the explosion of the device orbiting Athena Sirius, which had in turn devastated the Phoenix, had been a lengthy recovery at best. He had been amongst those who had the most severe of injuries, counting a ruptured spleen and near fatal head trauma on the list. As a physician at the top of his game, Kurt had done all he could with the physical healing of his patients wounds, and now it was up to Kirsty to assist with the mental healing. She had decided to try an alternative form of counselling. Rather than just ask questions that lead to answers that lead to conversations she stated to Rez that the session was an open forum, and the discussions didn’t even have to relate to recent events. The silence in the room was overwhelming as Rez casually scanned around at the paintings. He pointed to one in particular which depicted a vista of temples and buildings that bore resemblance to those once constructed by the ancient Mediterranean races, such as the Greeks or Romans. In the background of the picture, the sky seemed to be filled with looming dark clouds, which in some parts were illuminated by the lightning that danced within them. The more immediate danger in the picture was the rolling tsunami that appeared to be about to crash down on the civilisation. “Atlantis”; Kirsty announced and identified. “History is vague as to the true cause of the vanishing Atlanteans, but a popular theory is that which is depicted in the picture. A wave of unstoppable, destructive force, erasing them from time in one swoop.” Rez appeared to take in everything the Counsellor said, as Kirsty started to realize she was getting through to him and making connection. “That’s what happened to us....Phoenix. Almost erased from time equally in one swoop, by an unstoppable destructive force. I let my guard down.” Kirsty finally understood that the Chief Of Security had seemingly been blaming himself for the events at Athena Sirius. “Rez. You should know that this will sound patronizing, but you can’t be prepared for every eventuality. The unpredictable is as it is. Continuing with you train of thought will not help the healing process.” Rez stood up quickly, although not as quick as he would have liked or as quick as he used to pre-injury. “Counsellor. How long before you and the doc clear me for active duty?” Kirsty consulted his recent medical and psyche files again, and skimmed over the recent documentation detailing his injuries and medical prognosis. “If i have read these correctly, you could actually return to part time duty with restrictions imposed by myself and the doc. Once you near recovery in a week or so we can lift those restrictions and return you to full time active duty. This all depends on various factors such as healing time, etc.” Kirsty had noticed an instant change in the Chief Of Security’s demeanour, as he seemed to have regained the animation of his eyes and face that had been lost for some time. Rez felt the adrenaline rush through him as the blissful sensation returned like a long lost friend. “If you and Doctor Coey, as well as Captain Hodgkinson approve of my gradual return to duty, my first priority is to scour this faux Phoenix, and see what can be found out about Klix’s creation.” For a moment that seemed like an eternity, Rez stopped, and sat down again, whilst emitting a heavy sigh. “I never knew Klix as well as some. I believe though that he touched the lives of a lot of crew members. In some ways, that alone has made him immortal and unforgettable. Then of course there’s the Phoenix, destroyed way before her time. I barely got to know the vessel or the crew.” Trying to keep a professional head and not betraying her emotions about Sodak, she kept her game face. “We are all feeling heavy losses and dealing with it in different ways. Some aren’t coping as well as others.” Where she was concerned, Counsellor Walker felt her response couldn’t have been more truthful. As she continued to listen to Rez, she couldn’t help but feel that after three of the senior officers being listed as missing in action,, the destruction of the Phoenix, and the amount of casualties both physically and mentally, the worst was yet to come which would no doubt in her mind be a Starfleet Board Of Enquiry.
The Admiral’s shuttle, the Delta Flyer had been docked in the main bay for almost an hour. It was a strange sense of irony that its resting spot was the usual space assigned to the Alpha Flyer. Which amongst the three senior officers who last embarked on a mission; Ensign Craig Markey, Lieutenant Duco Dantuma, and Chief Engineer Kenneth Mumford, had been listed as missing. Until corpses were discovered or wreckage of the Alpha Flyer had been presented to the senior staff, Simon would not accept his crew were dead. As far as he was concerned, they were very much alive....somewhere. Commander Davenport had noticed throughout the staff gathering that Simon’s mind seemed to be anywhere but present on the ship. Clearly he was present physically, but ever since the Athena Sirius disaster, it seemed he had left his mind behind there. It was clear that the whole event had left a scar that would be difficult to heal, and he would be continually haunted for some time until he came round from his trance like state. Admiral Janeway had been clear, factual, and straight to the point, almost as if time wasn’t on her side. The upper echelons of Starfleet, over a short period of time, had become closed off with the sharing of information, with lots of meetings above the usual expected norm between the highest levels of the Admiralty. A plethora of fast track promotions to Captain, as well as drastic changes in fleet deployments had been happening at lightning quick paces. The Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards had been suddenly put on restricted access with several Defiant Class cruisers assigned to defensive patrol stations at the construction yard. The destruction of the U.S.S. Esteban and the loss of all hands of Admiral Charles Coburn and his crew had been too coincidental, especially with his recent open vocal dissatisfaction of the way Starfleet had begun to go about its operations. Coburn had many a frequent talk with Janeway on his concerns, that also coupled with evidence he had begun to gather, albeit at first accidentally, had made Admiral Janeway feel that eyes were watching her every move. At times, she felt her communiqués and daily duties were being monitored and scrutinised. She was also positive that she had been followed several times going about her duties and out of hour’s activities, as well as the unnerving feeling that her apartment was under surveillance. The information and evidence that stood out like a sore thumb was the subject her and Charles had last discussed, which was the noticeably and steadily increasing paranoid behaviour of the Chief Of Starfleet Operations and Dominion War veteran, Admiral William Ross. It seemed that he was convinced that the Founders hadn’t fully retreated back to the Gamma Quadrant and at the same time, he was certain that a full scale invasion, paling into insignificance compared to the war, was imminent. Coburn was also certain that a secret ship building program had been underway for a while at Utopia Planitia, due to random reports from his contacts that vessels of a kind unseen before were rapidly being constructed, and then would disappear as if they had never been there. Admiral Janeway culminated her debriefing with the report issued from the recent encounter of a changeling on Ardana. “So, as you can see, with proof in black and white thanks to your report Captain, fuel to the fire has been added. I believe we are mere days away from Bill Ross petitioning the UFP council for agreeing a deployment into the Gamma Quadrant.” Lieutenant Miller responded; “The Federation President will never approve such a request for a Starfleet invasion into the Gamma Quadrant!” Admiral Janeway laughed to herself. “Unfortunately he has friends on the council whom could easily sway a decision in his favour. Also, and if i know the current Bill Ross and not eh one i used to know, he will manipulate the council by presenting it as an exploratory survey to make overtures to the Founders.” Doctor Coey was chomping at the bit to make his opinion heard, and saw an opening. “If you ask me Admiral, and you haven’t, this isn’t our fight. Our dearest blood is barely cold in the morgue, and then there are those who require physical and mental healing. Notwithstanding this ship is a clone, a fake, and we will have to account for the loss of the Phoenix to Starfleet and the UFP. As Chief Medical Officer, i can make Captain Hodgkinsons order set in stone. We keep on heading towards Earth, and kindly decline your request for help. We are in no fit state.” The Admiral slowly rose out her chair and subsequently addressed the crew. “I see it was pointless coming here. My work is done.” With that her skin tone changed from light pink to a shimmering gelatinous mass as she launched herself at the crew, stunning them whilst heading out of the ready room. As the officers regained their composure and headed in the changeling’s direction, they halted as they stared in bewilderment and shock at the person occupying the Captain’s chair attired in an Admiral’s uniform. “Greetings Captain!” With mounting frustration, puzzlement, and confusion, Simon released his pent up anger. “Will someone please tell me just what the hell is going on here?!!!”
The new Romulan super weapon prototype, although potentially devastating to the Empire’s enemies, wasn’t without its flaws. It was commonly believed that until such teething problems could be overcome, the deployment of the weapon would leave the weapon temporarily vulnerable. Vast quantities of energy were required to power up the device, which required transference of said energy, and deactivation of some systems. In the case of Commander Kul’s Crimson Talon, the Bird Of Paradise would have to decloak and lower shields, to activate the weapon. For Kul, the temporary vulnerability may as well be an eternity; however he had in his favour the skills of a master tactician. The vessels minutes of weakness would be negated by the years of experience the veteran had gained through surprise manoeuvres and outmanoeuvring the enemy. His military record had shown time and again that he had turned a dire situation into victory. As the Romulan vessel decloaked whilst heading off the U.S.S. Exeter, both ships seemed to hang in space in a standoff. Not wanting to waste vital energy, Kul ordered for all disruptor banks to be kept red hot and ready, but not to be fired unless necessary, which he would dictate when so. He was informed that the Federation starship had raised shields, which proved that it wasn’t so derelict and powerless after all. As he silently willed the countdown of the weapon to move along faster, he started to wonder if the Exeter was a classic trap scenario, which the Romulans had perfected time and again. Because of heavy losses, Starfleet had learnt a hard lesson not to board a derelict Romulan vessel, as it was undoubtedly a deadly trap. He pondered if similarly the Exeter was counting down to powering up and unleashing a devastating explosion, which would easily destroy both vessels. However, if such a scenario was in place, than his crew would have detected any power surges, spikes, or anomalies. One of the Centurions then announced a different kind of power surge, as the crew of the Exeter had detected thee weapon, and unleashed a relentless barrage of phaser strikes and torpedoes, whilst manoeuvring the mighty starship out of possible harm’s way. The hardiness of the Romulan vessel coupled with Kul’s experience meant that the damage to his vessel was minimal. Kul’s tactical Centurion then made an announcement that was music to everyone’s pointed ears.
