STRATOS, ARDANA.
Sitting in a dark corner, picking at morsels of meat on a bone, the man frantically eat as if it was his last meal. Startled, he was right to think so as he heard a gigantic thud followed by a metallic, resounding clang. The city’s security forces were unrelenting, and until every last member of the former aristocracy were found, rounded up, and executed, he would have to endure being hunted. He would also have to endure the constant anxiety of wondering where the next meal was coming from, as well as the fear of the constant impromptu visits of the squads, mopping up the remnants of the former sky city dwellers. Although the monarchy had stated that they were just building an equal society, & that the people of the sky cities were being welcomed to live on the surface, whilst re-integrating into Ardanan society, he knew that they were exacting their revenge. Revenge for the thousands of deaths caused by the madness of inhaling zenite gas, from mining zenite. Grabbing his rucksack, and gathering up the remaining, uneaten food, he sought his usual hiding spot that had yet to be discovered. This particular spot had been the one that held the record for the amount of time it had remained undiscovered. Barking.....he could hear barking, as the squad had clearly upped their game & brought Ardanan hounds with them. He would be sniffed out within moments, and decided that he would have to go to one of his other hiding spots he had found, should the one he occupied be discovered. Leaving the bones of his meal, he knew that would be a good enough diversion for any dog, as he grabbed his rucksack & crossbow, and made his break.
The security squad all wore the same uniform of a black helmet with a blacked out visor, which housed a computer screen that could pick up various movements & heat all across the spectrum that was unseen to the naked eye, as well as an earpiece. Their bullet proof jackets, apart from the gold buttons, were black, save for a patch on the right shoulder which was a logo of a crown, with a lion at either side of it. Black pants & heavy, Ardanan leather boots were also required uniform of King Xirkes elite guards. The leader, (who was differentiated from the others by a gold, unbroken band around the elbow area of his right arm), held a two way communication unit in his hands, issuing orders. For those soldiers nearest to him, he made gestures with his hands and pointed in certain directions. The hounds were straining at their leashes, and maniacally sniffing the air. The leader, having finished issuing orders, started running with the other guards, flashing their torches to illuminate the path ahead.
CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS, U.S.S. PHOENIX.
It wasn’t often that Simon got time to spend in his quarters, during a duty shift, but there was work to be done. He had reports to file, but more pressingly, the study of the planet Ardana & their culture was a top priority, as he left the bridge in the safe hands of Commander Davenport.
Ardana was last visited by the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701. Then Captain James T. Kirk had found wrongdoings & an unfair balance in their society. Considering that the world was a UFP member made these gross acts of misconduct unacceptable. The ruling aristocracy, & elite of the society at the time, lived in one of the first of many cloud cities to be built; Stratos. Whilst the poor, the Troglytes, were made to mine zenite, and their only reward being very squalid working & living conditions. The occupants of Stratos received all the profits, and let resources be developed for the Troglytes as & when they deemed fit. The severe side effects of mining zenite were caused by the gas it released, which would cause madness, then death. After receiving the report from Captain Kirk, the Federation President threatened Ardana with the removal of membership, should such practices of inequality continue. The President also ordered a complete blockade of the planet under UFP jurisdiction, so that no zenite would be able to be exported offworld. Fearing for the collapse of the economy, the Governor relented. The Troglytes were given the means to build infrastructure, and atmosphere processors to make the mining of zenite safer. Cities sprang up across the main continent that Stratos hovered over, and eventually, the Troglytes were granted their own ruling body, with the election of President Lencomb. The Troglytes cast off their name & saw themselves as Ardanan’s. Enjoying an exact split of mining operations, the Ardanan’s prospered, and their economy grew with other exports & imports initiated by young entrepreneurs. However, the once gleaming sky cities were now in a state of disrepair, and their economy was faltering. After the death of 6 million on the Mampa continent, due to a catastrophic engine failure of the sky city above, Lencomb made overtures to the once ruling aristocracy to join their society, and become a shining beacon of unity in the quadrant. Some relented, citing suspicion, whilst some feeling they had nothing to lose, became a citizen of Ardana. There were many who feared that the constant decay of the sky cities was a threat that literally loomed over them, and that the re-patriotation of cloud dwellers wasn’t moving as quick as they liked. It was imperative that the cities were decommissioned before another Mampa disaster happened. However, there were those who were scared of the future, and those who all they had known were their lives living in the sky. Lencomb couldn’t force those against their will to live on the planet, and so there was only so much persuading he could do, and thus, left the one’s who wanted to stay in peace. But he warned them that the cities would be decommissioned eventually, as they were now a danger. One beautiful, sunny day in the main city, Lencomb celebrated a successful fifth term as President, and all of the reforms that he had brought upon the now thriving society. Leaders & diplomats from all over the Federation were invited to join the celebrations, which were initiated by a motorcade through the streets. That day was to be Lencomb’s final day in office as a hidden assailant with one lucky shot, assassinated him. Once the month of mourning had passed, and the captured former sky city dweller had been executed, a re-election occurred. In an unprecedented move, a former royal figure decided that a government needed a figurehead. With his narrow defeat by Lencomb some terms prior, the popular Xirkes assumed power, and in a coronation was proclaimed King.
It was Xirkes who initially made overtures to the UFP for assistance from Starfleet’s famed engineers in assistance of swift decommissioning of the final sky city, Stratos. Simon had every confidence that this was Ken’s kind of task, so he had assigned Ken, Commander Davenport, Lieutenant Babi, and a team of engineers & security detail for the mission. He had been invited himself by Xirkes to the royal palace for a banquet celebrating the removal of the final city, and the ushering in of a new era for Ardana, with renewed strength of relations with the Federation. After reading up on Xirkes, Simon found he had distaste for him already. From his profile he seemed full of qualities that made the Captain’s skin crawl. Although, as a Captain, although he should listen to his instincts, he felt that to pre judge a person wasn’t fair before a chance had been given to get to know them. The familiar beeping comm tone followed by Andy’s voice interrupted his studies; “Bridge to Captain Hodgkinson, we are two hours away from Ardana, and there is an urgent communiqué from Admiral Janeway.” Simon acknowledged the message and requested it to be put through to his quarters, as he tapped the appropriate keys on his desktop padd.
ENGINEEERING, U.S.S. PHOENIX.
In the laboratory section of engineering, Ken sat at the desk, analysing the schematics of the sky cities engines. He deemed that the only way for the city to be brought to rest was to add additional temporary thrusters, and use ground based tractor beams to assist in a controlled descent. In the laboratory also, in an upright monitoring cradle, stood Klix. Still deactivated, although not completely as basic functions were kept operational, by what Ken assumed was a redundant emergency backup system. Ken & his engineering team really could do with Klix’s expertise & the super fast processing of information that his brain handled, for this mission. He turned round on his chair to face him; “So, what do you think Klix? Is my plan a sound one, or do you think there is a better way?” Not expecting any response, Ken turned back to the screen to study the schematics. Somewhere, deep within his machine brain, a chip started to pulsate, and as they got closer to Ardana, it increased its pulsating speed.
SPORTS HALL, U.S.S. PHOENIX
Lieutenant Dantuma & Ensign Markey were enjoying a game of squash; however, the first rounds of enjoyment had quickly been filled with frustration as Craig whitewashed Duco. With every whack of his racquet against the ball, his returns got more and more powerful, whilst his mutterings got more & more profound. “God....damn....Starfleet.......busted....to....Lieutenant.....” Craig threw his racquet on the floor, and fed up of Duco’s whining, made his way to the changing rooms. “We have a few hours before our first mission where no doubt, our performance will be monitored with scrutiny. With your mounting frustration, the mission could be put into jeopardy. Also, i am trying to get a bit of squash practice in, considering over the next few days, it will be impossible getting some time out. God damn it, i’m an Ensign, but i know that the Exodus waits for me to be her Captain, and i will have staff to delegate tasks to, rather than be swamped with them as i am now!” Duco laughed; “That’s what i like about you Craig, ever the dreamer!” Little did he know that Craig was determined to make this, out of all the dreams he ever had, become a reality.
BRIDGE, U.S.S. PHOENIX.
Apart from the familiar noises that populated the bridge, the area was generally quiet. The low chatter of fellow officers seemed to be the only other sound permeating the artificial clicks and beeps. It made a change to have a peaceful bridge, Andy mused. But he also knew that it was such a rare occasion that the noise level was at such low decibels that in his experience, it was usually the calm before the storm. Although the bridge chair was comfortable enough, Andy fidgeted a lot. He couldn’t see himself in permanent command of a vessel, and a second in command served his current state of mind well. Making the big decisions is something that he felt he wasn’t ready for, even though he was well aware that it wouldn’t be long before the crew evaluations were due, where promotions would be available to candidates who had shown diligence, & exemplary performance. A slight rumbling every sixty seconds seemed to pass beneath his feet, and it had started to become more noticeable. The Rhaanderite twins Labe & Nake were coming to the end of their shift, & would shortly be relieved by Duco & Craig. “Ensign Nake, please run a diagnostic on the torque sensors, they feel slightly off.” His fingers whizzing over the keys carrying out the orders given, Nake was shocked at the findings. “Commander, you were right about your feeling as they were off by 1.6 percent!” Satisfied, Andy smiled & acknowledged the Ensign for his effort. “I just felt it Ensign, you did all the work to correct it.” Smiling, Nake turned to his brother & winked, whilst Labe rolled his silver pupils. “You’ve already got a big head, if it gets any larger, we won’t be able to hit warp speed due to the weight ratio!” Nake laughed; “I’m your twin brother, our heads therefore will always be the same size!” Andy continued studying the constant scans of the area they passed as they got closer to Ardana, thumbing the touchscreen on his armrest.
At tactical, Rez was running various battle simulations on his screen, and Andy could see by the expression on his face that he wasn’t satisfied with the outcome. Andy was confident that the Captain, who knew Rez was a perfectionist, felt safe in the knowledge that whatever situation they found themselves in, Rez would always come through for them. Whilst other officers were at their various stations, performing checks, diagnostics, and prepatory tasks, Kirsty seemed lost amidst the hubbub. She had a padd in her hand, with the intention of writing notes about her experiences, so she could perhaps use them someday to help others who sought counsel, & other Counsellor’s, counsel effectively. But nothing was forthcoming. It was all there in her head, and unfortunately, still in her heart, but something blocked her from writing it. Thumbing the padd to bring up psyche profiles on the Ardanan culture, she felt that would be a more productive use of her time. But she couldn’t help but wonder if the writing block was something a bit more....deliberate.
CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS, U.S.S. PHOENIX.
The familiar friendly face of Admiral Janeway appeared on screen, with her customary cup of coffee having pride of place on her desk. The last time they had spoke she had been particularly jovial, excited, and her usual self of the excitement of the five year missions. This time she wore a dour expression which told Simon that she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. It was Janeway herself that had persuaded him to rejoin Starfleet, and that after decades of conflict, the Federation needed a recognised face, the face of a hero, who would restore faith in the fleet. As well as the fact that although many cadets & officers who showed promise were being fast tracked through the ranks, they also needed any established good officers they could find. The Dominion War, Borg incursions, skirmishes with the Klingons, and the corruption that had riddled through Starfleet & the UFP, had taken its toll. The proposition of a new wave of exploration had begun the long road to renewal of faith, and Simon’s priority was to strengthen ties with established members who had been overlooked during the consistently consecutive crisis that occurred. Simon felt the feeling of dread well up in the pit of his stomach. “Captain, i felt it fitting that you be the first to know, Vullia is deliberating within its council to withdraw from the UFP. They will have an answer for us within twenty four of their hours; that equates to thirty hours Federation standard time. Ensign Rollings was found dead some hours ago on Rura Penthe, and Vullian justice demands that his kidnappers be brought to the homeworld & executed. Rollings had kept it quiet as he didn’t want any preferential treatment, but he was to be the first male Prince in line for the throne. He was good at keeping a secret, and omitted it from his personnel files.” Simon had wondered why the media had made such a fuss over the constant talks between the Vullia Ambassador, the Klingons, & the Federation Council. Clearly, this wasn’t just a case of any national being abducted & missing in action, but Simon could never pinpoint why such upset was caused by it. “Marax is dead, so he and his cohorts cannot be held accountable. Unless he has blood relatives, but then even if it is a matter of honour, & politics, surely the Klingons will not release to the Vullian authorities those who haven’t done wrong?” Janeway nodded her head in agreement; “This is true, but Chancellor Martok is arguing that it is a matter of honour, and that the house and family Marax descending from, have blood on their hands with a heavy debt of honour to repay. The High Council have been split over this, with those who have always been against Martok’s leadership, looking for any opportunity to sow seeds of dissent. I have met Martok, and i don’t envy the weight of leadership he carries.” “So where does that leave the Federation then?” replied Simon inquisitively. “Well, as the Klingons are our allies, the Vullians say it would not be in their best interests to maintain UFP membership. But my biggest fear is that the Vullians and their strong sense of righteousness may compel them to do something rash, which could not only bring war to an area that is still reeling from decades of conflict, but.....” Simon interrupted her; “....we could also lose our only source of benamite crystals, which we are still working on how to find a way to recrystallize them.” Simon felt disappointed. What was the real reason for Janeway’s concern? Was she making the same mistakes that many twenty first politicians had made? Was she more concerned with the loss of the only known source in the quadrant used to power the quantum slipstream drives, or was she generally concerned with the possibilities that could erupt if nobody came forward to answer for the death of Rollings? Not many viewed the Vullians as bringing much to the UFP table as a species, but Simon would always defend them by saying they are like a flower, waiting for the coming spring. “I’ll mention Rollings unfortunate death in my briefings with senior staff, and ask them to relay the news where appropriate. I gather that Rollings met his death at the hands of some unruly prisoner?” “Yes. The Nausicaan will be extradited to Vullia, by the Klingons.” Simon put his head in his hands in despair. “Who’s to say that the Vullians will just take only the Nausicaan prisoner, prisoner?” Janeway smiled for the first time during the conversation. “That’s where you come in. After your mission to Ardana has concluded, lay in a course for Rura Penthe, where you will escort the Klingon ship to Vullia, in a show of faith & co-operation.” Simon shook his head; “It never rains but it pours. My crew, have had more than their fair share of dealings with the Klingons in recent weeks. They are chomping at the bit to do some exploring.” “Of course Captain, and exploring is what you will be doing, once you do this one important favour for me, and for the sake of maintaining peace in the quadrant. In the meantime, i am sending you a download of some recent archaeological finds across the quadrant. The rest of the Alpha fleet have information sent to sites near their location. Now i know you like a challenge & solving puzzles. We think they are all linked somehow, as if someone has left a message, but we don’t know what. God speed Captain. Janeway out.” Simon was already restless at the thought of glamorised escort duties.
Sitting in a dark corner, picking at morsels of meat on a bone, the man frantically eat as if it was his last meal. Startled, he was right to think so as he heard a gigantic thud followed by a metallic, resounding clang. The city’s security forces were unrelenting, and until every last member of the former aristocracy were found, rounded up, and executed, he would have to endure being hunted. He would also have to endure the constant anxiety of wondering where the next meal was coming from, as well as the fear of the constant impromptu visits of the squads, mopping up the remnants of the former sky city dwellers. Although the monarchy had stated that they were just building an equal society, & that the people of the sky cities were being welcomed to live on the surface, whilst re-integrating into Ardanan society, he knew that they were exacting their revenge. Revenge for the thousands of deaths caused by the madness of inhaling zenite gas, from mining zenite. Grabbing his rucksack, and gathering up the remaining, uneaten food, he sought his usual hiding spot that had yet to be discovered. This particular spot had been the one that held the record for the amount of time it had remained undiscovered. Barking.....he could hear barking, as the squad had clearly upped their game & brought Ardanan hounds with them. He would be sniffed out within moments, and decided that he would have to go to one of his other hiding spots he had found, should the one he occupied be discovered. Leaving the bones of his meal, he knew that would be a good enough diversion for any dog, as he grabbed his rucksack & crossbow, and made his break.
The security squad all wore the same uniform of a black helmet with a blacked out visor, which housed a computer screen that could pick up various movements & heat all across the spectrum that was unseen to the naked eye, as well as an earpiece. Their bullet proof jackets, apart from the gold buttons, were black, save for a patch on the right shoulder which was a logo of a crown, with a lion at either side of it. Black pants & heavy, Ardanan leather boots were also required uniform of King Xirkes elite guards. The leader, (who was differentiated from the others by a gold, unbroken band around the elbow area of his right arm), held a two way communication unit in his hands, issuing orders. For those soldiers nearest to him, he made gestures with his hands and pointed in certain directions. The hounds were straining at their leashes, and maniacally sniffing the air. The leader, having finished issuing orders, started running with the other guards, flashing their torches to illuminate the path ahead.
CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS, U.S.S. PHOENIX.
It wasn’t often that Simon got time to spend in his quarters, during a duty shift, but there was work to be done. He had reports to file, but more pressingly, the study of the planet Ardana & their culture was a top priority, as he left the bridge in the safe hands of Commander Davenport.
Ardana was last visited by the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701. Then Captain James T. Kirk had found wrongdoings & an unfair balance in their society. Considering that the world was a UFP member made these gross acts of misconduct unacceptable. The ruling aristocracy, & elite of the society at the time, lived in one of the first of many cloud cities to be built; Stratos. Whilst the poor, the Troglytes, were made to mine zenite, and their only reward being very squalid working & living conditions. The occupants of Stratos received all the profits, and let resources be developed for the Troglytes as & when they deemed fit. The severe side effects of mining zenite were caused by the gas it released, which would cause madness, then death. After receiving the report from Captain Kirk, the Federation President threatened Ardana with the removal of membership, should such practices of inequality continue. The President also ordered a complete blockade of the planet under UFP jurisdiction, so that no zenite would be able to be exported offworld. Fearing for the collapse of the economy, the Governor relented. The Troglytes were given the means to build infrastructure, and atmosphere processors to make the mining of zenite safer. Cities sprang up across the main continent that Stratos hovered over, and eventually, the Troglytes were granted their own ruling body, with the election of President Lencomb. The Troglytes cast off their name & saw themselves as Ardanan’s. Enjoying an exact split of mining operations, the Ardanan’s prospered, and their economy grew with other exports & imports initiated by young entrepreneurs. However, the once gleaming sky cities were now in a state of disrepair, and their economy was faltering. After the death of 6 million on the Mampa continent, due to a catastrophic engine failure of the sky city above, Lencomb made overtures to the once ruling aristocracy to join their society, and become a shining beacon of unity in the quadrant. Some relented, citing suspicion, whilst some feeling they had nothing to lose, became a citizen of Ardana. There were many who feared that the constant decay of the sky cities was a threat that literally loomed over them, and that the re-patriotation of cloud dwellers wasn’t moving as quick as they liked. It was imperative that the cities were decommissioned before another Mampa disaster happened. However, there were those who were scared of the future, and those who all they had known were their lives living in the sky. Lencomb couldn’t force those against their will to live on the planet, and so there was only so much persuading he could do, and thus, left the one’s who wanted to stay in peace. But he warned them that the cities would be decommissioned eventually, as they were now a danger. One beautiful, sunny day in the main city, Lencomb celebrated a successful fifth term as President, and all of the reforms that he had brought upon the now thriving society. Leaders & diplomats from all over the Federation were invited to join the celebrations, which were initiated by a motorcade through the streets. That day was to be Lencomb’s final day in office as a hidden assailant with one lucky shot, assassinated him. Once the month of mourning had passed, and the captured former sky city dweller had been executed, a re-election occurred. In an unprecedented move, a former royal figure decided that a government needed a figurehead. With his narrow defeat by Lencomb some terms prior, the popular Xirkes assumed power, and in a coronation was proclaimed King.
It was Xirkes who initially made overtures to the UFP for assistance from Starfleet’s famed engineers in assistance of swift decommissioning of the final sky city, Stratos. Simon had every confidence that this was Ken’s kind of task, so he had assigned Ken, Commander Davenport, Lieutenant Babi, and a team of engineers & security detail for the mission. He had been invited himself by Xirkes to the royal palace for a banquet celebrating the removal of the final city, and the ushering in of a new era for Ardana, with renewed strength of relations with the Federation. After reading up on Xirkes, Simon found he had distaste for him already. From his profile he seemed full of qualities that made the Captain’s skin crawl. Although, as a Captain, although he should listen to his instincts, he felt that to pre judge a person wasn’t fair before a chance had been given to get to know them. The familiar beeping comm tone followed by Andy’s voice interrupted his studies; “Bridge to Captain Hodgkinson, we are two hours away from Ardana, and there is an urgent communiqué from Admiral Janeway.” Simon acknowledged the message and requested it to be put through to his quarters, as he tapped the appropriate keys on his desktop padd.
ENGINEEERING, U.S.S. PHOENIX.
In the laboratory section of engineering, Ken sat at the desk, analysing the schematics of the sky cities engines. He deemed that the only way for the city to be brought to rest was to add additional temporary thrusters, and use ground based tractor beams to assist in a controlled descent. In the laboratory also, in an upright monitoring cradle, stood Klix. Still deactivated, although not completely as basic functions were kept operational, by what Ken assumed was a redundant emergency backup system. Ken & his engineering team really could do with Klix’s expertise & the super fast processing of information that his brain handled, for this mission. He turned round on his chair to face him; “So, what do you think Klix? Is my plan a sound one, or do you think there is a better way?” Not expecting any response, Ken turned back to the screen to study the schematics. Somewhere, deep within his machine brain, a chip started to pulsate, and as they got closer to Ardana, it increased its pulsating speed.
SPORTS HALL, U.S.S. PHOENIX
Lieutenant Dantuma & Ensign Markey were enjoying a game of squash; however, the first rounds of enjoyment had quickly been filled with frustration as Craig whitewashed Duco. With every whack of his racquet against the ball, his returns got more and more powerful, whilst his mutterings got more & more profound. “God....damn....Starfleet.......busted....to....Lieutenant.....” Craig threw his racquet on the floor, and fed up of Duco’s whining, made his way to the changing rooms. “We have a few hours before our first mission where no doubt, our performance will be monitored with scrutiny. With your mounting frustration, the mission could be put into jeopardy. Also, i am trying to get a bit of squash practice in, considering over the next few days, it will be impossible getting some time out. God damn it, i’m an Ensign, but i know that the Exodus waits for me to be her Captain, and i will have staff to delegate tasks to, rather than be swamped with them as i am now!” Duco laughed; “That’s what i like about you Craig, ever the dreamer!” Little did he know that Craig was determined to make this, out of all the dreams he ever had, become a reality.
BRIDGE, U.S.S. PHOENIX.
Apart from the familiar noises that populated the bridge, the area was generally quiet. The low chatter of fellow officers seemed to be the only other sound permeating the artificial clicks and beeps. It made a change to have a peaceful bridge, Andy mused. But he also knew that it was such a rare occasion that the noise level was at such low decibels that in his experience, it was usually the calm before the storm. Although the bridge chair was comfortable enough, Andy fidgeted a lot. He couldn’t see himself in permanent command of a vessel, and a second in command served his current state of mind well. Making the big decisions is something that he felt he wasn’t ready for, even though he was well aware that it wouldn’t be long before the crew evaluations were due, where promotions would be available to candidates who had shown diligence, & exemplary performance. A slight rumbling every sixty seconds seemed to pass beneath his feet, and it had started to become more noticeable. The Rhaanderite twins Labe & Nake were coming to the end of their shift, & would shortly be relieved by Duco & Craig. “Ensign Nake, please run a diagnostic on the torque sensors, they feel slightly off.” His fingers whizzing over the keys carrying out the orders given, Nake was shocked at the findings. “Commander, you were right about your feeling as they were off by 1.6 percent!” Satisfied, Andy smiled & acknowledged the Ensign for his effort. “I just felt it Ensign, you did all the work to correct it.” Smiling, Nake turned to his brother & winked, whilst Labe rolled his silver pupils. “You’ve already got a big head, if it gets any larger, we won’t be able to hit warp speed due to the weight ratio!” Nake laughed; “I’m your twin brother, our heads therefore will always be the same size!” Andy continued studying the constant scans of the area they passed as they got closer to Ardana, thumbing the touchscreen on his armrest.
At tactical, Rez was running various battle simulations on his screen, and Andy could see by the expression on his face that he wasn’t satisfied with the outcome. Andy was confident that the Captain, who knew Rez was a perfectionist, felt safe in the knowledge that whatever situation they found themselves in, Rez would always come through for them. Whilst other officers were at their various stations, performing checks, diagnostics, and prepatory tasks, Kirsty seemed lost amidst the hubbub. She had a padd in her hand, with the intention of writing notes about her experiences, so she could perhaps use them someday to help others who sought counsel, & other Counsellor’s, counsel effectively. But nothing was forthcoming. It was all there in her head, and unfortunately, still in her heart, but something blocked her from writing it. Thumbing the padd to bring up psyche profiles on the Ardanan culture, she felt that would be a more productive use of her time. But she couldn’t help but wonder if the writing block was something a bit more....deliberate.
CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS, U.S.S. PHOENIX.
The familiar friendly face of Admiral Janeway appeared on screen, with her customary cup of coffee having pride of place on her desk. The last time they had spoke she had been particularly jovial, excited, and her usual self of the excitement of the five year missions. This time she wore a dour expression which told Simon that she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. It was Janeway herself that had persuaded him to rejoin Starfleet, and that after decades of conflict, the Federation needed a recognised face, the face of a hero, who would restore faith in the fleet. As well as the fact that although many cadets & officers who showed promise were being fast tracked through the ranks, they also needed any established good officers they could find. The Dominion War, Borg incursions, skirmishes with the Klingons, and the corruption that had riddled through Starfleet & the UFP, had taken its toll. The proposition of a new wave of exploration had begun the long road to renewal of faith, and Simon’s priority was to strengthen ties with established members who had been overlooked during the consistently consecutive crisis that occurred. Simon felt the feeling of dread well up in the pit of his stomach. “Captain, i felt it fitting that you be the first to know, Vullia is deliberating within its council to withdraw from the UFP. They will have an answer for us within twenty four of their hours; that equates to thirty hours Federation standard time. Ensign Rollings was found dead some hours ago on Rura Penthe, and Vullian justice demands that his kidnappers be brought to the homeworld & executed. Rollings had kept it quiet as he didn’t want any preferential treatment, but he was to be the first male Prince in line for the throne. He was good at keeping a secret, and omitted it from his personnel files.” Simon had wondered why the media had made such a fuss over the constant talks between the Vullia Ambassador, the Klingons, & the Federation Council. Clearly, this wasn’t just a case of any national being abducted & missing in action, but Simon could never pinpoint why such upset was caused by it. “Marax is dead, so he and his cohorts cannot be held accountable. Unless he has blood relatives, but then even if it is a matter of honour, & politics, surely the Klingons will not release to the Vullian authorities those who haven’t done wrong?” Janeway nodded her head in agreement; “This is true, but Chancellor Martok is arguing that it is a matter of honour, and that the house and family Marax descending from, have blood on their hands with a heavy debt of honour to repay. The High Council have been split over this, with those who have always been against Martok’s leadership, looking for any opportunity to sow seeds of dissent. I have met Martok, and i don’t envy the weight of leadership he carries.” “So where does that leave the Federation then?” replied Simon inquisitively. “Well, as the Klingons are our allies, the Vullians say it would not be in their best interests to maintain UFP membership. But my biggest fear is that the Vullians and their strong sense of righteousness may compel them to do something rash, which could not only bring war to an area that is still reeling from decades of conflict, but.....” Simon interrupted her; “....we could also lose our only source of benamite crystals, which we are still working on how to find a way to recrystallize them.” Simon felt disappointed. What was the real reason for Janeway’s concern? Was she making the same mistakes that many twenty first politicians had made? Was she more concerned with the loss of the only known source in the quadrant used to power the quantum slipstream drives, or was she generally concerned with the possibilities that could erupt if nobody came forward to answer for the death of Rollings? Not many viewed the Vullians as bringing much to the UFP table as a species, but Simon would always defend them by saying they are like a flower, waiting for the coming spring. “I’ll mention Rollings unfortunate death in my briefings with senior staff, and ask them to relay the news where appropriate. I gather that Rollings met his death at the hands of some unruly prisoner?” “Yes. The Nausicaan will be extradited to Vullia, by the Klingons.” Simon put his head in his hands in despair. “Who’s to say that the Vullians will just take only the Nausicaan prisoner, prisoner?” Janeway smiled for the first time during the conversation. “That’s where you come in. After your mission to Ardana has concluded, lay in a course for Rura Penthe, where you will escort the Klingon ship to Vullia, in a show of faith & co-operation.” Simon shook his head; “It never rains but it pours. My crew, have had more than their fair share of dealings with the Klingons in recent weeks. They are chomping at the bit to do some exploring.” “Of course Captain, and exploring is what you will be doing, once you do this one important favour for me, and for the sake of maintaining peace in the quadrant. In the meantime, i am sending you a download of some recent archaeological finds across the quadrant. The rest of the Alpha fleet have information sent to sites near their location. Now i know you like a challenge & solving puzzles. We think they are all linked somehow, as if someone has left a message, but we don’t know what. God speed Captain. Janeway out.” Simon was already restless at the thought of glamorised escort duties.
