Star Trek : Restoration

[CaptainSarine]

Star Trek : Restoration

Volume II : Aftermath
​

Prologue

97th Risefall of Peraduin
Year 234 SC (Since the Crossing)
Ispaoreai Hyps’rat (Onyx Station)

The arterial corridor contracting and expanding around him to permit his passage, Shy’at kis Aebrun hurried to the central core of what the Unsanctified called Onyx Station.

Thrumming under his feet, the hyps’rat seemed to sense his anxiety, his fear, and reacted to it. Walls around him changed hue, burning a hot intense red before swirling into a dark worrisome green and then back again. Shy’at whispered the 768th shur to himself – Fear is the retreat of the weak-minded, the open jaws of the kelp-shark. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his beating hearts and lessen the amount of monoxide he was ingesting by closing three of his ventral air pouches. It seemed to work. By the time he reached the core, there was only the slightest hint of a green tinge to the walls.

The opening to the core irised open for him. He stepped through, falling to his knees and bowing his head. The wet rustle of his cloak against the living tissue of the floor was the only sound until the kruin spoke.

<< What is it, varec Aebrun? >> The voice echoed through the chamber, deep and resonating.

Shy’at kept his eyes downcast, not daring to look up at the kruin without first receiving leave to do so.

“One of our kispets has vanished in the Maeiru system, my lord.”

<< That is near the Great Shield. >>

Although it hadn’t been a question, Shy’at nodded. He could feel the floor tremble beneath him as kruin Asuph pondered the news.

<< How long? >>

Shy’at hesitated. “Five days.”

<< Why was I not informed sooner? >>

“Havac Mamuih believed we should give the varec more time to make his report.”

<< He is a fool. >>

Shy’at bowed his head even further. He did not dare show any sign of agreement in case the havac heard of it, but neither could he dispute the kruin’s words.

<< You may look upon me, varec. >>

Trembling, Shy’at lifted his head and gazed on the glory of the kruin. Encased in an hourglass of green liquid, deep within the translucent mass of blue brain matter, the master of Onyx Station was completely fused with the hyps’rat’s brain stem. Tendrils pierced his skull and both his hearts, while two more seemed to sprout directly from his visual strip. All around him, the hyps’rat’s brain chamber glistened with cerebral fluids, veins pumping with life-fluids branching out over the walls. Shy’at shook with awe at the sight.

<< I will attempt to use Ispaoreai’s crystat to commune with the system’s dwellium. If she allows it, I will get you your answers. You will remain and watch and report back to the havac. >>

Shy’at bowed his head again. Long minutes passed as the kruin accessed the telepathic matrix buried deep in the hyps’rat’s brain. Fluid flowed back and forth through the feeding tubules as the vast alien mind pierced the fabric of reality so as to contact the dwellium. Shy’at knew that thousands of the tiny creatures had been exuded by the birthing worlds in the core and scattered as sentinels along the Great Shield.

Shy’at waited, trying to still his shaking limbs and stop his ventral tendrils from thrumming. Finally, the kruin spoke.

<< I have retrieved a memory from the dwellium. >>

The image that flickered into existence in the middle of the chamber, created by holographic technology stolen from the heathen Dominion, revealed a binary star system made up of two dying grefthin-type stars. A trail of plasma wrapped around one of the red suns, reminding Shy’at of the coloured scarf his life-mate had worn on their wedding day. As he watched, a godsgate opened to the right of the picture, ejecting a tiny single-person scout ship. The missing kispet.

Shaped like a teardrop, the kispet shared the same basic biology as the hyps’rat and the dwellium. Boils and tumors covered the outer surface, still crackling with the subspace energy needed to chart the godsflow. As they watched, the creature began to move toward the nearest planet, seemingly propelled by the regular back and forth of its tail section.

Shy’at shuddered. He had piloted the creatures when he was a young barat in service to varec Casmer – and hated it. The memories came thick and fast - the sticky sensation of having his arms encased in the kispet’s brain matter. The tingling feeling at the end of his fingers as he caressed the fragile nerve ending, guiding the kispet where he wished. Worse, though, had been the feeding tubule plugged into the back of his brain stem, through which he had been forced to share his life force with the living ship.

<< What was the varec’s purpose? >> the kruin asked, forcing Shy’at back to the moment.

“A standard scouting mission along the Shield,” he said, repeating what havec Mamuih had told him.

<< Is there any indication that… >>

The kruin broke off. Shy’at took a moment to realize why. The dwellium had been tracking the kespit towards the second planet. As the sentinel’s visual cortex adjusted to the change in light, the world appeared, covered by a dark mass of shadow. Heaving waves of darkness writhed across the surface, rising and falling, rising and falling.

“What… What is that my lord?”

A heartsbeat. Then, << I do not know. >>

Shy’at sucked in monoxide through his breathing pouches. The admission was far more frightening that anything actually visible on the screen. Kruin Asuph was a grand master of the Laurentii – he had a direct link to the godtech and spoke to the Holy Seefu themselves. How could he not know what was happening?

Before he could ask anything else, though, the planet moved.

Shy'at fought back a scream. As the kespit approached, the whole surface reached upwards in a boiling tower of darkness. When the tip of the spire struck the atmosphere, it shattered into thousands of individual shadows. Each one bore a similar silhouette, remarkably like a seven-fingered hand. Though they all trailed down from the spherical core, the fingers were of different lengths and widths, ending in a sharp point that appeared to be a claw.

The loss of these thousands had barely affected the mass that continued to cover the planet.

The kruin used his link with the dwellium to enhance and enlarge the image. The kespit appeared almost life size as it turned and fled. Multiple boils erupted, spitting globs of luminescent green light back at the nearest enemy ships. The claw-like ships absorbed the energy blasts with no visible effect and carried on coming.

A crackling sound filled the central core, then Shy’at heard a voice, panicked and terrified.

“Aid! Aid! This is Kitan Brin, varec of the Yanus company. I am under attack by unidentified ships in the Maeiru system. Repeat, I am under attack. Please send reinforcements. Gloried Seefu, aid!”

As they neared the kispet, the nearest of the unidentified ships spun round so that their tendril-like limbs were now facing Kitan Brin’s ship. With a sudden burst of speed, three of them reached the living ship. Claws pierced through green flesh, bursting through boils and venting green and blue life-fluids into the emptiness of space. Shy’at could only watch in horror as the tendrils began to extrude a dark liquid over the kispet’s flesh, enveloping it in a web of darkness. Within seconds, the whole ship had been engulfed.

“Holy Seefu, Gloried Lords,” Shy’at prayed.

Kruin Asphu remained silent for a moment.

<< I am accessing a later memory. >> His voice sounded hollow.

The screen went dark, then a new scene appeared. At first Shy’at could not understand what he was seeing. Then, when he did understand, he fell to his knees, bile erupting from his ventral orifices.

The second planet was gone. A few tiny rocks remained, tumbling through space, cut loose from the gravitational field that had held them together and kept them linked to the system’s two suns. A heaving mass of dark matter rippled across the star field, extinguishing the stars and heading towards the system’s primary planet.

“Blessed Seefu, what are they?” Shy’at moaned, managing to stumble to his feet. His stomach juices dripped down onto the floor and vanished, sucked down by the ever hungry hyps’rat.

A sudden urgency filled the kruin’s voice. << Call together a yaszmoot of the havacs and varecs. Tell Havac Mamuih… Tell Havac Mamuih that the Darkness has pierced the Shield.”

Shy’at knew that he should obey. But as the Darkness spread to the next planet, he fell to his knees instead and began to pray.

 

[CaptainSarine]

Chapter 1

Captain’s Log, 4th April 2631. Repairs to Redemption are proceeding faster than anticipated, thanks in no small part to the input of my acting first officer, Lieutenant Dax. His idea has caused quite a few aesthetic complaints, but it certainly works as a practical solution. Latest projections from the engineering team are that we will be ready to launch in about two weeks time. I hope to shave a few days off of that estimate – the sooner Redemption is battle ready, the better.
Other preparations continue apace. The last shuttle of lower-level officers and cadets will be arriving within the hour, bringing the crew complement up to a full roster. Replacing the 83 officers who died during the Klingon attack has not been easy, but again Lieutenant Dax has done a fine job. Most of these new recruits are bound for the science department, although I have instructed Lieutenant Dax to have them temporarily placed under the direction of our acting chief engineer so as to speed up the repairs even further.
Unfortunately, that still leaves the positions of XO, second officer and chief engineer to be filled. My chief engineer should be arriving within the next few days and I am anticipating quite a few raised eyebrows once he gets here. As for XO and second officer… I am still drawing a blank.

Captain’s Ready Room
USS Redemption
Construction Yards (in orbit of Romulus)

Ba’el hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to elaborate. That’ll have to do. He switched off the recording equipment, allowing the screen to slide back into the desk. Sitting back in his chair, he cracked his knuckles over the desk before sliding both his palms behind his head.

Recording these logs had become a thorn in his side over the past few weeks, another headache created by Starfleet rules and regulations. Deciding how much to say and how much to leave out was beginning to grate on his nerves. Maybe once he finally chose an XO, he’d get them to record the logs for him.

Yawning, he turned to look around the ready room. At best it could be described as utilitary. At worse as totally lacking personality. A small space, it held nothing more than a desk, a chair, two sofas against the walls and an empty bookcase. Although he had argued against making it such a priority, it had been restored to working condition during the first week of repairs. He had quickly discovered that it made sense in the long term, especially when he had been able to make it available to the whole command crew as a temporary bridge. Now that the actual bridge had been repaired, though, he had it all to himself.

Standing up, he stepped over to the rectangular window and stared out at the docking bay, one of the few to have survived the attack. The fact that Redemption had received the berth was testament to the importance Starfleet Command was placing on getting the ship launch-ready as soon as possible.

Beyond the bay, Ba’el could make out the distant shapes of salvage ships trawling the debris field. A tug flew past, thrusters firing. On the repulsorsled pulled along behind, a team of engineers in spacesuits crouched over a dark grey hull panel, plasma cutters working furiously. Behind them stood two more suited figures, both hefting very large plasma cannons. A sign of the times. He watched as the tug flew past the ready room window and up, heading for the top of Redemption’s hull. Another step closer to getting his ship out there, amongst the stars.

His comm badge chirped, interrupting his thoughts, followed moments later by a female voice.

“Bridge to Captain Sarine.”

He tapped his comm badge. “Sarine here.”

“Captain, we have an incoming transmission from Earth, Priority One. An Admiral Kovat would like to speak with you.”

Jas? Ba’el hadn’t spoken to his old cell leader since just after the battle and that conversation had been bumpy, to say the least. What does he want now? He walked back to his desk and sat down, calling up the comm station.

“Put it through in here, Ensign.”

Moments later, Kovat’s face appeared through a veil of static. His Cardassian features were lost through the interference, reducing him to a slate-coloured blur.

“Captain? Is that you?”

“It’s me, Admiral. What can I do for you?”

“By the Prophets, the connection is horrible.”

Ba’el smiled grimly. “The Klingons who got away hit a few relay stations on their way to the border. We’ve been having trouble all week.”

Kovat grumbled something unintelligible, then waved a hand. “Never mind. How are the repairs to Redemption coming?”

“As well as can be expected, maybe a little better. Lieutenant Dax’s idea was a novel one, but it worked.”

“How long do you think it will be until the ship is ready?”

“I’m hoping that we’ll be up and running within another two to three weeks. The main problem has been the QS Drive. Not having a chief engineer isn’t making things any easier.”

“How is your search coming?”

“I have a pretty good idea of who I want.”

“Oh really?”

Ba’el nodded. He tensed, knowing full well how Jas Kovat would take the news. “I want Kane.”

The Cardassian didn’t disappoint. He spluttered, the blur of his face turning a deep shade of puce. “You can’t be serious!”

“Do you know anyone who could do a better job? He kept the Illustrious running with his bare hands.”

“Command will never accept it.”

“Well, they’re going to have to, since he should be arriving in the next couple of days.”

“You didn’t.”

“I did. You forced me into this, Admiral. If you want me to command Redemption, then the least you can do is back me up when I make my first command decision. I want Kane. I need Kane.”

Kovat hesitated a moment longer, his jaw working, then he nodded. “Fine, I’ll push it through, somehow. What about your XO?”

“I’ve seen a few people, none of whom have really impressed. I’m thinking of keeping Lieutenant Dax on full time.”

“Bad idea,” Kovat said, shaking his head. “People – and by people I mean most of the Admirals in Starfleet – are already questioning his loyalty after he disobeyed Commander Kalara’s order. That just got worse when he got her job. They’re accepting it for now since it is temporary but if you try to make him your permanent XO… If you want Kane as chief engineer, you’re going to have to choose someone else as your XO.”

Ba’el nodded. He had been expecting this little give and take, and was prepared for it. “Why do I get the feeling you have a suggestion of your own?”

“What would you think of Prin?”

Ba’el was surprised. Prin Ly’et had been weapons’ officer aboard Kovat’s ship at the same time as Ba’el has served as his second-in-command. They had always worked well together and had even been a couple for a few months. Still… “Do you really think she’d come? I mean we didn’t exactly part on friendly terms after the war. Besides, I thought she was serving aboard a war frigate on the Orion border.”

“She is. Lieutenant-Commander, tactical. I think she’d be amenable to switching to command, though, especially if we throw in a promotion. And you know full well that what happened three years ago was more to do with her worrying about you than anything else.”

Ba’el hesitated. It would be nice to see her again. She had always been willing to call him out when he was crossing a line, but she had also backed him up when he decided to cross it anyway. Besides, he thought with a smile, with Kane down in the engine room, it would be like having the old crew back together. Finally, he nodded. “I think that could work.”

“Good.” His smile only brushed his lips, though. “Now, about that Klingon woman…”

“I don’t want to hear about it, Admiral,” Ba’el cut him off. “I told you last time, I’m not dropping the charges.”

“Ba’el… You know that Command aren’t totally convinced you were in the right doing what you did. Now,” he went on, holding up his hands to forestall Ba’el’s angry reply, “I’m not saying that they agree with her either. But some pretty influential people are pushing for her to be cleared of all charges. It would make things a hell of a lot easier if it came from you.”

Ba’el shook his head. “I’m sorry, Admiral. She pointed a phaser at me, she almost tore this crew apart. Half the people on this ship don’t trust me because of what happened on the bridge that day. I have to stick to my guns if I’m going to at least gain their respect.”

Kovat shook his head. “I had a feeling you’d say that.” He sighed. “Well, I guess I can’t entirely blame you.”

Ba’el nodded. “Now, if that’s all Admiral…”

“Actually Captain, it isn’t.” Kovat looked away and Ba’el saw him picking at a fingernail. He remembered him doing that just before a battle. This must be bad. “The main reason I contacted you was to warn you – I have it on good authority that you’re going to be summoned before a command committee to justify your actions during the Battle of Romulus, sometime within the next few days.”

“A committee?”

“Yes. They want to review your performance, go over the decisions you made and the actions you took. The showdown with Commander Kalara is bound to come up, and they will certainly want to discuss the order you gave to Lieutenant Dax. Normally I would say it was just a formality but…”

“But what?”

“The Admiral heading up the committee is Admiral Jaxon Sisko.”

Ba’el frowned. “Never heard of him.”

“He was a major leader in the Bajoran Resistance Army, made General before the end of the Occupation and was instrumental in bringing them into the Federation. Most people think he’ll be First Minister when he decides to retire from active service. The thing is… He doesn’t like you.”

“Me? Why?”

“The wormhole.”

Ba’el closed his eyes. Of course, a Bajoran. It had to be the wormhole. “So he has an axe to grind.”

“A very large one.”

“Well… I’ll just have to deal with that when I come to it.”

“Don’t underestimate this man, Ba’el,” Kovat said sharply. “He could make your life very difficult.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Ba’el brushed his friend’s fears aside. “Besides, this committee may be just the opportunity I’ve been waiting for.”

“Waiting for? Why?” Kovat’s eyes narrowed. “What do you have planned, Ba’el?”

“I want to ask Command to let Redemption lead the assault on the Klingons.”

“No!”

Ba’el was surprised at the vehemency of his friend’s outburst. Almost snarling, Kovat leaned forward. “Ba’el you can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Ba’el said, anger seeping into his own voice. “Don’t tell me the Federation is just going to roll over and play dead?”

“At the moment, I don’t know what the President and the Council is going to do. We’re pushing him to retaliate but… That’s beside the point. The Klingons are not the priority. You have to go to Onyx Station, Ba’el, the sooner the better.”

“And let the Klingons get away with what they did?”

“Leave the Klingons to me. Here, look at this.”

Kovat looked away, his fingers dancing over the holographic interface floating at his side. Moments later, a file icon appeared in the bottom corner of Ba’el’s screen. Ba’el pressed it and a small window appeared beneath Kovat’s face. “What exactly am I looking at?”

“The reason why your mission to Onyx Station is so important.”

A huge black starship appeared on the screen. Ba’el recognised the vaguely whale-like shape as a Laurentii Behemoth-class cruiser.

Moments later, a burst of laser fire appeared out of nowhere, scoring scars and gaping wounds across the living hull. Thick indigo blood oozed from the wounds, congealing in the void. As soon as the attack ceased, though, a swarm of strange opaline creatures, spider-like, skittered out from one of the holes in the starship’s hull. The camera zoomed in, showing one of the creatures oozing a white substance from an orifice between its eyes. The creature began to spin and spread the white substance over one of the holes. As it cooled, it began to harden, covering the hull in a protective film.

“Those are called varin. A swarm of those creatures, like you just saw, could have repaired the exterior damage to the Redemption within a week. Imagine it. A fleet of ships equipped with these things could change the Federation. And that is without access to their biological ships and the birthing planets we know lay in their core systems. We’re barely back to half strength compared to the numbers we had at the height of the Resistance – the Laurentii regained their full strength within ten years. We need them, Ba’el. If the Laurentii join the Federation… We could beat back the Klingons and the Orions within a year.”

Ba’el stared at the screen as the video began to cycle through the video again. As much as he wished he didn’t, he could see the Admiral’s point. With this kind of bio-technology at their disposal… He sighed.

“Alright. You’re right. I’ll lead this mission to Onyx Station. But you have to make me a promise.”

“What?”

“Get the President to sign off on some kind of mission against the Klingons.” He paused, then grinned. “And shove a torpedo down their throats from me.”

Kovat grinned back. Ba’el could see the blood-lust in his own eyes reflected back at him from the Cardassian. “Count on it.”

 

[CaptainSarine]

Chapter 2

4th April 2631
Shuttle Lyons
On Approach to USS Redemption
Starfleet Construction Yards
In Orbit of Romulus

The starship Redemption reminded Zoraya of Bajor just after the end of the Dominion Occupation - beautiful and yet horribly scarred. As the shuttlecraft Lyons flew past the docking bay, she stared through the port-hole at the sleek, powerful form. That ship was made to sail the stars, she thought. Her beauty had been marred by the Klingon attack, though. Scarring and burn marks covered every square inch of her pure white hull. Vast stretches had been completely replaced by the darker grey of Starfleet's military frigates, like a patchwork of light and dark. She looks… disfigured.

“Not much to look at any more, is she?”

Zoraya tore her gaze away from the broken ship and glanced at the young Ferengi ensign sat opposite her.

“What do you mean?”

The Ferengi sniffed and glanced out of her own port-hole. “They told me she was going to be the most beautiful ship in the fleet. A marvel of Federation technology. I could have chosen any ship to serve on, but I chose her because of that. Now look at her. She looks like a monster.”

Zoraya felt an illogical surge of righteous indignation on the ship’s behalf. “She’s been through a lot. They’ve patched her up as best they could, as quickly as they could.”

“Well, I think they should have waited and done her up properly. Besides, who says she’s been through a lot? No one really knows what happened.” Leaning forward, the Ferengi glanced at the three cadets sat across the aisle. When she spoke, her voice hardly rose above a whisper. “You know, I heard that the day of the attack, the Klingon XO was found transmitting classified information to the Klingons. They say that the captain found her and shot her dead.”

Zoraya snorted and turned back to the port-hole. She had heard variations of the same story over the past three weeks. None of them were ever exactly the same. More importantly, none of them reflected what had actually happened, nor could they. Lin Parmek had already informed her that every single document relating to the so-called Battle of Romulus had been classified Top Secret. She had seen a copy of the official report, as part of her briefing, but even that had been severely censored before she got to see it.

“I don’t think you should believe everything you hear,” she said after a moment.

“Oh really? As if you know any better.”

All Zoraya wanted to do was tell the self-satisfied little Ferengi tart that actually yes, she did know better. Instead, she shook her head and waited for the shuttle to dock.

Three weeks. Three weeks, she had been waiting, stuck planetside while the Redemption was restored to a point where the junior officers could come onboard. To maintain her cover, she had been forced to join the others, travelling around Romulus every day, helping in the clear-up. The planet’s infrastructure had been blown to smithereens by the Klingons’ attack, left in worse shape than it had been after the Dominion pulled out. Zoraya hardly dared close her eyes at night anymore – her dreams were full of the bodies of children she had helped pull from the wreckage of an orphanage in Dinalla.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the comm system crackling.

"All hands, prepare to disembark. Shuttlecraft Lyons on final approach to Redemption. Repeat, all hands, prepare to disembark.”

She glanced forward into the cockpit. The pilot – a human woman with short blond hair – shut off the comm system and began to fire the manoeuvering thrusters, floating the shuttle towards one of the rear shuttlebays. From this vantage point, Redemption looked as Zoraya imagined she had before the attack – white, pristine and unblemished.

As the shuttle made her final approach, Zoraya stood up and began to feel around the overhead compartment for her bag. Grabbing what she thought was the handle to her sack, she pulled out a bright yellow holdall instead.

“That’s mine.”

She turned and found herself nose to nose with a middle-aged Cardassian male, clear eyes almost transparent under the artificial lighting, matching the science blue markings on his collar and sleeves. Despite his age, she noted that he wore the same single pip as she did on his collar.

“Sorry,” she said, flushing slightly as she handed him the bag and turned away.

He took it off her, then held out his hand. “I’m Ibram. Looks like we’ll be working together.”

Something in the tone of his voice caught her attention. She looked at him again, trying to decipher what it was. After a moment, she realised that she was just staring at him. Blushing, she held out a hand, trying not to flinch at the cold clamminess of his skin.

“Inia Premin.” After three weeks, her new name was almost second-nature.

“Nice to meet you, Prenim. May the Prophets watch over you.”

Oh, wonderful. A convert. She forced a smile. “And you,” she said, then turned and sat down as quickly as she could. Forcing herself not to look behind her to see if he was watching her, she pretended to check something in her bag. She felt a hand on her knee and jumped. When she looked up, the Ferengi was leaning in towards her, yellowing teeth sharp as tiny little knives.

“I think he likes you,” she leered, glancing behind her.

Zoraya refused to take the bait. She smiled sweetly and stood up, picturing herself pushing the small little troll out of the nearest airlock once they reached the ship.

The sensation of the Cardassian’s eyes on her back pursued her as she stood and walked to the back of the shuttle. She heard other people following her example. They were all ensigns or final-year cadets, most called up at the last moment to replace the officers lost during the Klingon attack. Eager to make a good impression. I just want to get out of her before him.

With a bump, the shuttle touched down in Redemption’s shuttlebay. Zoraya could hear the engines cycling as the pilot shut them down and initiated the cooling system. Holding her bag close to her chest, she waited for the hatch to open.

With a snap-hiss, it popped out of its framework and began to lower towards the deck. Once it had opened enough to allow her to glimpse the ship beyond, Zoraya saw a single figure waiting underneath, arms crossed over his chest. She recognised him straight away from the briefing material.

Captain Ba’el Sarine.

Zoraya felt a little kick in her stomach – she hadn’t expected to encounter him so soon. Lin Parmek’s words returned to her. Keep an eye on the Redemption’s captain, alright? He… He may be a liability.

Although all she wanted to do was hang back, she couldn’t afford to raise suspicions, so she was first onto the deck. When Sarine stepped forward to meet her, she saluted, staring at a point a few centimetres above his head.

“Ensign Inia Prenim, reporting for duty, sir.”

To her surprise, he chuckled. “At ease, ensign. This isn’t the Academy and you’ll find I run a slightly less formal ship than you’re used to. Welcome aboard Redemption.”

“Yes sir. Thank you, sir.”

Shaking his head, Sarine stepped past her to meet and greet the next officer off the shuttle. She stepped to the side, studying him. He matched his briefing photo almost perfectly, except for his hair which was now cut to regulation standards. Her eyes moved naturally to his left ear, or rather the lack thereof. She wondered if what she had read in his report was true, whether it had really been cut off by a Jem’hadar First. She dropped her gaze as Sarine glanced at her, then returned to studying him as soon as he had turned away.

Once all fifteen junior officers were off the shuttle, Sarine indicated that they should follow him across the shuttlebay to a calmer, quieter spot. They all fanned out in a semi-circle around him, arms dropping automatically behind their backs, feet spread out. Zoraya followed their example.

“Welcome to the Redemption, people. It is good to see so many young eager faces.” He smiled at them all. “My name is Ba’el Sarine and I will be your commanding officer. Many of you may have heard of me referred to as the mad man who killed his first officer and chief engineer in a wild effort to stop the Klingons.”

Zoraya frowned. Nervous laughter rippled through the group, but it ended swiftly when they saw that Sarine wasn’t smiling. He went on.

“You’ll hear a lot of different stories over the next few days, even weeks. For the record, I did not kill my first officer. I had her arrested for mutiny. Neither did I kill my chief engineer, although Lieutenant-Commander Ianto was lost that day in the line of duty, along with almost one hundred other fine young officers just like yourselves. I want to get all of this out of the way now, before we get started. You can believe me or not. Frankly, I don’t care.”

This time, the nervous murmur was louder and lasted longer. What is he playing at? Zoraya wondered.

“What I do care about is your performance aboard this ship. We have a very important, very dangerous mission ahead of us, and I need to know that I can count on every single one of you to do your duty, to obey your immediate superior’s orders and mine. You have been chosen because you are the finest Starfleet has to offer. Some of you could probably have chosen any assignment, but you chose Redemption. That means you chose everything that goes with it.” He stared at each of them in turn. “That means you chose me.”

“You may have heard that I didn’t choose to be Starfleet, that I was forced into becoming Captain of this ship. To tell you the truth… It’s true. I didn’t want to be here. I’m not a result of your Academy or some fine university. Like a lot of people my age – many of whom did choose to serve in Starfleet – I’m a rebel. I fought in the Resistance, I fought so that all of you could stand here today in your pretty uniforms without having to worry about a Jem’hadar sticking a knife in your bellies, or a Vorta throwing you in a labor camp. In the Resistance, you didn’t get a chance to discuss your commanding officer’s decisions in committee. You did what you were told or you died.”

“I know most of you weren’t expecting this kind of welcome, but I want to make sure that everything is clear, right from the start. If any of you decide to turn away now, I won’t hold it against you. I’ll make sure you get any berth you want, on any ship, and I’ll wish you all the luck in the galaxy.”

“For those of you who stay…” He looked from one to another, staring into their eyes, as if probing them empathically. “I expect loyalty. The first one of you who betrays me… I’ll throw you out of an airlock myself.”

When his eyes met hers, Zoraya felt her stomach turn over. He knows, she thought suddenly. He knows that someone on the ship has been assigned to watch him. Instead of sending her into a panic, the thought left her cold. She forced her breathing to stay regular, allowing a nervous smile to play on her lips. I have nothing to hide, Captain. I am exactly what I look like, a young, pretty little ensign without a traitorous bone in my body.

He looked away.

All of the others were looking at one another openly now, waiting to see if anyone would step forward and request a transfer of the ship. No one did. Zoraya was pretty sure that at least some of them probably wanted to but didn’t dare. She glanced at the Cardassian, Ibram. Like her, he was looking at Sarine and smiling. Unlike her, though, there was something cold, calculating in that smile. She had never seen a Cardassian look more like the lizards they were descended from. She felt a shiver run down her spine and turned away.

“Good,” Sarine was saying. “I am happy to have all of you onboard and I am sure that you will do this ship, and me, proud.” He turned to a Trill male who had approached unseen while he had been talking. “This is Lieutenant Dax, our acting first officer. He will explain your work assignments for the next two weeks, as well as giving you your berths.”

The whole group saluted. Ba’el looked them over, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, then he saluted back. Turning, he strode off across the shuttlebay. Zoraya watched him go. That is one dangerous man, she thought. What the hell have I gotten myself into?

Ensign Prenim’s Quarters
Deck 45
USS Redemption

Zoraya lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She heard a crash, followed by a colourful Orion curse, from the other room. Closing her eyes, she tried not to scream.

Three hours later and she still couldn't believe it. Of all the people they could have assigned her as roommate, they had paired her with the Ferengi.

The other ensign - who Zoraya had learned was called Molna - hadn't seemed any happier to have been stuck with her than she was. When Lieutenant Dax had announced the pairing, she had sniffed and glared at Zoraya, as if she had somehow arranged the whole unholy mess. Zoraya had only shrugged.

As long as she leaves me alone, it will be fine, she told herself, getting to her feet. I'll be able to do my job. Speaking of which...

Leaning down, she pulled her bag out from underneath the bed. Rummaging around inside, she seized on the encryption matrix unit she had hidden in a pair of panties and dragged it out. Wandering over to the door, she pressed her ear against the metal. Nothing. Either Molna was in her room, or she had gone out. Good. Pressing the pad next to the door, Zoraya locked it before walking over to the desk and the holostation installed there.

After working her way through the standard interface designed to help new users configure their accounts, she plugged the encryption matrix in.

The beauty of being a Federation spy aboard a Starfleet vessel was that the interface was designed to work with her tools. The connection was almost instantaneous and totally secure. Even if someone was to discover her communication, they would need the authorisation of an Admiral to even attempt to crack the code.

Within seconds, the comm line connected and Lin Parmek's reptilian face appeared.

"Ah, agent Taspar," he said, referring to her by her code name. "Has the insertion gone according to plan?"

"Almost."

He frowned. "Almost?"

She remembered what he had said after the Andor mission about repeating everything, and smothered a smile.

"Captain Sarine was there to greet us. He gave us quite a speech, warning everyone that if he discovered someone had betrayed him, he would throw us out an airlock. Almost as though he was expecting there to be a traitor amongst the group."

"That sounds like Sarine, all right," Parmek said with the slightest hint of a smile. "I don't think it meant anything, he is probably rattled by what happened with the Klingon woman." He frowned. "Still, it is worth bearing in mind. We may have to change our plans somewhat, make sure our conversations are secure."

Zoraya nodded. That was just like Parmek. Nothing to worry about, but let’s make sure we remain totally paranoid just in case.

"There was something else."

"Oh?"

"A Cardassian aboard the shuttle, another ensign. He... There was something about him that didn't sit right. I..."

"What is it?"

“He acted as though he knew who I was. What I was. As though he were SI as well.” She looked Parmek right in the eyes. “Had someone else been assigned this mission?”

Her handler stared right back. A smile played on his lips. “Now, Taspar, you know that I don’t double-up my missions. If I had assigned someone else, you wouldn’t be there. However… It may be that one of my esteemed colleagues has felt the need to run his or her own little operation on the side. I’ll see what I can find out. In the meantime…”

“In the meantime, I’ll do the mission you gave me to do. Everything else went as planned. In fact, considering they’ve temporarily assigned us to the engineering team, I should be in an even better position than we planned. I think I may be able to…”

She broke off as the buzz of her door chime rang through the room. She looked round at the door, then turned back to Parmek. "I have to go," she said. "There's someone at the door."

The chime rang out again. Parmek nodded. "Alright, agent Taspar. Keep your eyes open."

“I always do."

Cutting off the comm, she grabbed the encryption matrix and stuffed it inside her jacket. Zipping it up, she stood and mussed up her hair. When she unlocked the door, she found Molna just turning away. The Ferengi turned back round, almost jumping up and down with excitement.

"Have you heard?"

"Listen, Molna, we're going to have to set some ground rules if this is going to work out, so..."

"Never mind that! Have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

Zoraya realised that what she had taken to be excitement was actually fear. The Ferengi’s eyes gleamed with it. "It's the Borg! One of their ships just dropped out of slipstream space and… They’re heading straight for us!”

 

[kes7]

Borg? Uh oh.

Great start to Volume 2. The first scene was creepy in its alien-ness (is that a word?), and the rest was just really well written. I liked seeing more of Sarine, and I'm looking forward to learning more about the new characters you're introducing. Zoraya continues to be interesting and likable, as well.

This is great stuff, Capt. Sarine!

 

[Gibraltar]

As if things weren't bad enough already, now they've got Borg on their doorstep?! That's presuming, of course, that they're still the same level threat the were two centuries earlier.

Ba'el still has it out for Kalara, which given his history as a do-or-die-at-my-hand resistance fighter makes perfect sense. Dax has made some enemies in Command, but not enough to strip him of his commission or his posting to the Redemption.

You've infused the denizens of Onyx Station with a very exotic, non-humanoid flavor. I look forward to learning more about them, their religion, and whatever the hell ate that star system and put their collective underwear in a twist.

And Zoraya's finally onboard, though it looks like she's got competition in the surveillance department. Ba'el's speech was harsh and uncompromising, just like him, and he's made it clear that woe be unto anyone who crosses him.

Lots of terrific stuff here. I especially like all the gritty little details in the aftermath of the Klingon attack, from the patchwork job on the hull of Redemption to the spotty comms connections.

Can't wait for more!

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

Oh joy, the Borg! Just when I thought it couldn't get any wilder.

Loved the first part w/ the description of the Laurentii at Onyx Station. You've created a fascinating and very alien race - much different than the usual Trek aliens. The encounter with the dark, claw-like vessels and the destruction wreaked by the Darkness was chilling indeed.

So Captain Sarine is taking a hard-line against redemptions ex-XO. Can't say I blame him, but now he's in the middle of a political firestorm - good luck to him on that. And S.I. has placed a mole (or two?) on the ship as well. I'm sure they will all get along splendidly!

Very nice.

 

[Mistral]

There was so much to that! Zoraya is in way deeper than she knows with this stuff, The Darkness thing reminded me of the Shadow ships in the description, the Ferengi turned out to be a woman(!), Dax did something weird to fix the ship and the Borg are coming! *takes breath* Whoosh! Killer, Cap'n!

 

[tenmei]

An excellent beginning to the next story in the series, Sarine! I couldn't help but picture the 456 when you were describing the Laurentii and, given you named Ianto after Ianto Jones, I wondered if perhaps this was done on purpose?

Can't wait to see more of the Laurentii and, of course, how our intrepid new crew handle a Borg threat - especially given their participation in the events of your series' history.

 

[CeJay]

I gotta say, you're switching tracks fast, don't you?

The opening was ... well alien. I admit I didn't understand everything that was going on but I got a good sense of the threat that is looming over Oynx station and probably the Federation/Restoration.

I don't appreciate that Kalara has already been thrown aside so quickly. Oh no, I'm totally with Sarine, he's right about not wanting her as his XO any longer but Kalara is way too cool of a character for her not to play and important part in this series. You know that, I know that, we all know that. Let's see how you bring her back.

Now spies usually get a rather bad reputation. In fact the last spy to make an appearance here was responsible for over a hundred thousand deaths. But Taspar is likeable so far, even if she's a bloody spook and something tells me that she'll do more good than harm over time. (Of course I could be mistaken). Now that creepy Cardassian who prays to the Prophets is one to keep an eye out for.

I wonder if Sarine gave that speech to every new group of officers coming onto his ship. Cuz that was a big speech!

Still reading it, still loving it.

 

[CaptainSarine]

Kes7

Yes, I think "alienness" is a word! Thanks for your kind words, I'm glad you enjoyed seeing more of Sarine and the introduction to these new characters. Zoraya will have a lot more to do in this volume than in the last, so you should be seeing more of her as go on.

Gibraltar

As if things weren't bad enough already, now they've got Borg on their doorstep?! That's presuming, of course, that they're still the same level threat the were two centuries earlier.

The only thing I will say is that the arrival of the Borg is not at all what you're expecting.

Yes, Ba'el still has it in for Kalara and he isn't planning on letting her set foot on Redemption any time soon. As for Dax, well after 25 life-times, he's kind of used to being in someone's bad books!

I'm so glad you liked the Laurentii on Onyx Station, I was worried about that scene as it is quite alien, so it is cool that you liked them. We won't be seeing much more of them until Volume III, but then they'll be central to everything that is happening from there on out.

Zoraya may have competition... or she may just be being paranoid.

Glad you like all the little details, I'm really trying to portray the aftermath of these attacks as realistically as possible.

TLR

For the Borg - see my reply to Gibraltar above.

I'm so glad you also enjoyed our first glimpse of the Laurentii - I'm hoping they will be quite unique, but we'll see.

Now it wouldn't be any fun if everyone got along splendidly now would it?!!

Mistral

I hope there wasn't too much?? Yes, Zoraya is in very deep, the Darkness/Shadow thing is semi-intentional, I'm not entirely sure why the Ferengi being a woman was a surprise (?), Dax's weird thing was simply to replace the beautiful white hull plating with the dark grey plating of the destroyed ships and yes, the Borg ARE COMING!!! Wow, you're right, that does take your breath slightly!

So glad you found it ''Killer''

tenmei

No the 456/Laurentii link wasn't intentional, but now that you mention it I see what you mean! These aren't drugs addicts though, I promise!

I hope you'll enjoy what is going to happen with the Borg.

Cejay

I hope I'm not switching too fast?? I don't want to lose anybody...

I'm glad it came across as alien, that was my intention. I'm sorry if things didn't seem clear, but that was also semi-intentional.

Trust me, Kalara is far from over in this story. The next chapter will deal with the arrival of the Borg, but after that we'll be getting a glimpse of what she has been up to for the past three weeks and get an idea of where she's heading! I love Kalara too, no way I would just throw her away!!

Zoraya/Taspar is definitely a more likeable spy than Keene, but as to whether she'll do more good than harm... Lets wait and see.

Yes, Sarine gives that speech to every new arrival! He wants to make bloody sure they're all on the same page!

So glad you're still reading and even more happy you're still loving it!

Well, Chapter 3 should be up tomorrow if all goes according to plan!

Joel

 

[CaptainSarine]

Chapter 3

Bridge
USS Redemption
Starfleet Construction Yards
In Orbit of Romulus

Redemption slid out of space dock. Manoeuvering thrusters firing in steady bursts, she turned to starboard, heading out towards the outer edge of the Romulus system.

“Steady as she goes, Mister Garv,” Jasto Dax said, glancing at the tall Orion male at the helm, forcing down the twinge in his stomach. The Orion’s presence made Lieutenant Williams’ absence even more obvious. Jasto knew that she was still recuperating from her wounds in sickbay, though he had not dared to visit her.

Keeping one eye on the starfield in the viewfinder, he cast the other around the bridge, taking in the steady buzz of activity all around him. Over at tactical, Lieutenant L’wynd was running a series of scans of nearby space, checking that all of the sensor relays were back up and working. His replacement at Ops, Lieutenant (j.g) Tania Barani, stood behind her, checking her progress. A tall human woman of Indian extraction, she had been his personal choice as Bravo Watch Operations’ manager. When he had accepted Captain Sarine’s offer, he had asked her to take over his Alpha Watch shifts.

Everything seemed fine. Sitting back, he allowed himself a moment to enjoy the sensation of the captain’s chair beneath him. Although it had been almost two weeks since Captain Sarine had asked him to fill in as temporary first officer, this was only the fourth or fifth time he had sat the big chair alone. He hated to admit it, but it was a great feeling. A feeling the Dax hosts had missed since Ezri Dax last commanded in a Federation starship before the Occupation.

You don't deserve it, though, do you? You stole it. Little liar. Cheat. Murderer.

No!

Lieutenant Barani turned her head from the tactical station, her eyebrows dipping down in the middle. "Sorry, sir?"

Forcing a smile, Jasto shook his head. I have to stop doing that! "Nothing. Talking to myself."

Barani gave him a worried once over, then turned back to L’wynd’s station. Once he was sure no one was looking, Jasto closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples.

Haebron had been becoming more and more vocal over the past three weeks. Ever since the night of the Klingon attack, in fact. Just this morning, Jasto had injected a double-dose of jalapamine before coming on duty, and yet Haebron had found a way to break through the drugs within two hours. And now Jasto himself was starting to talk out loud.

Thief! Cheat! Murderer! Haebron giggled, then began to choke. As his coughing increased, he started to moan. No! Not again. Stop hurting me. It wasn't me. Please! It wasn't me!

"Sir!"

Jasto lifted his head. Lieutenant Barani was stood by his elbow, staring down at him, worry-lines creasing her forehead. He realised suddenly that his hands were clasped around his ears. When did I do that? Slowly lowering them, he looked around. The whole bridge crew was staring at him.

"Are you alright, sir? You... You were whispering. It sounded like you were in pain."

"I..." He stopped, shocked to hear his voice come out as a ragged croak. He cleared his throat. "I was?"

"Yes, sir. Would you like me to call Doctor Malok?"

"No!" When Barani took a step back, he realised he had shouted. Letting out a deep breath, he tried to smile. "No, Lieutenant. I'll go down and see him myself. Thank you."

"Are you sure, sir?"

She knows. Get her! Gut her. Slit her pretty little throat!

Hatred, violence, lust for blood – the feelings emanating from Haebron were so overwhelming that Jasto turned his face away, terrified that Barani would see them reflected in his eyes.

He was saved by a mad beeping that began to sound from the tactical station. He spun his chair round in time to see Lieutenant L'wynd's whole body morph into a crystaline shell and then back again. She’s been doing that a lot since the Klingons’ attack, as well.

"Report," he ordered, his voice still raw-sounding.

"I'm picking up increased tachyon readings at heading 7594.32."

As Lieutenant Barani went over to check the readings on her own monitor, Jasto stood and walked over to the tactical station. "A slipstream aperture?"

"It looks like it, but I've never seen readings like this before.”

“Ensign Garv, set a course for that heading and increase our impulse speed to Mark 6.”

“Aye sir.”

Jasto dropped down next to L’wynd’s station. “Try running a broader bandwidth scan of nearby subspace. We may be able to find out what that is.”

“Yes, sir. I’m not picking… Wait. Yes, it is definitely a slipstream aperture. It’s opening, sir.”

“Scan for ships.”

“Scanning...” She spun round. Up close, her eyes seemed like the marbles he had played with as a child. “Lieutenant, it's a Borg Type 03 scout ship!"

"Battle stations," he ordered. "Red alert, all hands to stations, Captain Sarine to the bridge."

Standing up, Jasto called up the image in his viewfinder. He heard someone behind him – probably Ensign Garv – whisper ‘That doesn’t look like any Borg ship they showed us in the Academy.’ Jasto couldn’t fault him for his impression – the Type 03 was nothing like the Borg cubes the Federation had encountered more frequently in the past. The strange assymetrical shape looked like nothing Jasto had ever seen in any other civilisation. Two arms extended from a vast central core made up of two sections, a large one on top of a smaller. Each arm ended in a small sub-core.

“Contact Starfleet Command,” he ordered Lieutenant Barani. “Ask for reinforcements.”

“Fighter wings scrambling now, sir. USS Hydra is the closest warship, she should be at our position in a few minutes.”

As the bridge officers moved to their battle stations, the captain’s ready room opened and Captain Sarine stepped out.

"Belay those orders, Lieutenant L'wynd. Cancel red alert. Contact any other ships and inform them to stand down as well."

Jasto spun round. He knew he must look like a mad man, eyes wide and breath coming in short gasps, but he didn't care. He's going to get us all killed! For once, Jasto didn't feel like silencing Haebron's mad ranting. He agreed with him.

"But Captain, it's the Borg."

Sarine had stepped down into the Pit, and he smiled at Jasto, patting him on the shoulder. "I did hear you first time, Lieutenant."

"Captain, they're hailing us," Barani said from Ops.

As Jasto went over to relieve her, he glimpsed Sarine sitting down in the captain's chair, settling the headset over his forehead. "General access, Lieutenant," he ordered, instructing Barani to dispatch the communication through to every bridge officers’ headset.

Jasto waited until she had completed the task before motioning for her to step aside. She glanced at him, obviously still worried about what had happened earlier, but did as she was ordered. Jasto nodded to her, then sat down, placing the headset over his own skull.

A shiver ran down his back at the sight reflected there. The familiar dark honeycomb cavern of a Borg ship extended behind three humanoid Borg. The part of Dax that was Ezri and Jadzia, Lerin and Karina recognised that these were not the Borg that they had known. And yet the affectations of normality - clothes and jewelry, skin colour and hair - only served to highlight the limbs replaced by mechanical augments, the facial prostheses that protuded from eyes and cheeks and mouths and skulls.

When they spoke, they still spoke with a single voice.

"We are the Borg."

Jasto glanced behind him at Barani – she was gripping the back of his chair so hard that her knuckles were turning white. His gaze swept round to take in the captain’s chair as well, as Captain Sarine spoke up.

"Welcome to Romulus. I take it you received my message."

Message? What is he talking about? He tried to catch Captain Sarine’s attention, but the captain ignored him completely. In the viewfinder, he saw one of the Borg step forward. Beneath the cybernetic implants, he saw that she had the rough skin and snout of a Tellarite.

"I am Speaker today," she said, the echo of hundreds of other voices lingering behind her. “I speak for this Collective.”

"Speaker," Sarine said, bowing his head.

"We received your message, Captain Sarine. We heard and we remembered the promise we made."

"Thank you. Is the One-of-One Kane there?"

A new figure stepped into view. Jasto heard Lieutenant Barani gasp beside him. The newcomer was probably the strangest Borg he had ever seen. He had half a head of flaming red hair, while the other half of his skull had been covered over by a silver metal plate. One green eye sparkled beside a red optical enhancement that glowed menacingly in the darkness of the Borg ship.

“The One named Kane greets you, One-of-One Sarine.”

“It is good to see you, Kane.”

To Jasto’s surprise, the Borg smiled. Though the result was far from reassuring, more of a pained grimace, it was a smile nevertheless. When he next spoke, the echo of many voices had vanished, as had the formality.

“Permission to beam aboard, Captain?”

“Granted.”

Jasto spun round. “Permission to speak, sir?”

Sarine frowned at him, then his eyes focused on the viewfinder again. “Would you allow me a moment, Kane?”

On his own viewfinder, Jasto saw the Borg scowl, then nod his head curtly. Jasto turned back to his monitor and cut the communication.

“What is it, Lieutenant?” Captain Sarine’s voice was laced with menace. Jasto took a deep breath, rethinking his approach.

“I would prefer to discuss this in private, sir.”

Captain Sarine opened his mouth, then sighed, shaking his head. Standing up, he ordered Lieutenant Barine to maintain a sensor lock on the Borg ship at all times, then motioned for Jasto to follow him. Fighting for control all the way into the ready room, Jasto exploded the moment the doors closed.

“Sir, Starfleet Regulations clearly state that any Borg ship found outside of the quarantine zone is to be destroyed immediately. We’ve broken regulations just talking to them. We can’t let them beam over!”

“I understand all of that, Lieutenant. My order stands.”

“With all due respect, sir, I can’t allow you to do that!”

Sarine’s eyes narrowed. “Are you disobeying a direct order, Mister Dax?”

“No, sir!” Jasto closed his eyes, trying to regain some kind of control. “One of my former hosts, Karina Dax, she fought the Borg during their last incursion. She signed up with the Dominion – the occupying force that every single Dax host had devoted their lives to fighting since the end of the War. She did that because she believed that the Borg were an even worse threat to the Alpha Quadrant than the Dominion were.”

He opened his eyes again, hoping Captain Sarine would glimpse even a hint of what he felt. “I was there, Captain, as the Borg destroyed planet after planet. I was there when the refugee ships began to pour in from the outlying systems. I fought the Borg, Captain, on planetary surfaces and from the bridge of Dominion fighters, and I can tell you that if the Dominion hadn’t have been there, we would have been overrun. We would have been destroyed. I proudly stood beside the Dominion the day we finally captured the last Borg Queen and forced her to disconnect the Collective once and for all. I helped negotiate with the Free Borg to form the quarantine zone.”

He could remember that day as if it had been yesterday – sitting aboard a Dominion Battlecruiser, the Vorta Kilana opposite her, one of the Founders between them at the head of the table, and the leader of the Free Borg, a former human drone named Jude, sat at the end of the table. He had seemed broken, as had the rest of his ‘people’. None of them could ever go back – whatever they had once been, they were Borg now. Though the overall Collective had gone, they needed to stay connected to their ship collective or risk insanity. Or death. All of them had agreed – Jude included – that the only way the Alpha Quadrant could be safe was if the Borg stayed locked away in a tiny zone of space. Never allowed to venture out. Never allowed to rebuild.

“I understand that, Lieutenant,” Captain Sarine said gently, returning him to the present. “However there are certain things that you don’t know.”

Jasto frowned. “I don’t understand.”

Sarine sighed, turning his back on Jasto and walking behind his desk. He motioned for Jasto to take a seat opposite him.

“What I am about to tell you, Lieutenant, could probably get me court-martialed. I need to be absolutely sure that I can count on your discretion.”

Jasto nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Haebron had fallen silent since the appearance of the Borg, as if the sight of them had scared him away. The silence was unnerving.

“Towards the end of the Occupation, the Allied Council made a decision. The rebellion was going badly, despite the Breen joining the cause. For every planet we took back, we had to abandon two. For every Dominion ship we hit, they destroyed a convoy. We needed a new plan. We… We contacted the Free Borg and offered them an alliance.”

“What?!”

“It wasn’t common knowledge, even at the time. They mostly provided us with technical support, helping us design better weapons, increase the efficiency of our energy distribution systems. The Free Borg have maintained one link with their past – their technological acumen is second to none. They can do things with machines that you wouldn’t believe. The bottom line is, Lieutenant, that they fought alongside us and if they hadn’t we might all still be living under Dominion control.”

Jasto felt sick. If there was one thing he believed, not as Dax but as himself, Jasto Elarnin, it was that the Borg were a menace to life itself. One that should be contained and never allowed to escape again. A Pandora’s box that should never be opened.

Captain Sarine shook his head, pushing a padd across the desk.

“I understand how you feel, Lieutenant, really I do. But I have a signed order here from Starfleet Command allowing five of those Borg to beam over to the ship.”

Jasto lifted the padd, looking it over. As he read, he kept hoping that the words would miraculously change, spin into some other configuration. This has to be a bad dream. It has to be.

“There’s something else you should know.”

He looked up. “Captain?” he asked warily.

“The Borg I just spoke to? Kane? He has been accorded a Starfleet special commission to become Redemption’s Chief Engineer. Effective immediately.”

In the silence that followed, Jasto couldn’t tell whether the silent screams were Haebron’s… Or his own.

 

[Gibraltar]

Heh... that's gonna go over like gangbusters with the crew. Man, Sarine is just one surprise after another, not that it isn't called for under the circumstances. Desperate times require desperate measures.

Dax's symbiotic mental state appears to be deteriorating, and that doesn't bode well for an officer who is already very much on the bubble with Starfleet Command.

 

[kes7]

Well, Dax's day just went from bad to worse. Can't wait to see how the mini-collective functions on a Starfleet vessel. I'm also having fun trying to picture fully assimilated Borg drones wearing clothes and jewelry. Interesting visual, and Kane sounds especially creepy looking.

Sarine certainly doesn't seem to care much what his crew thinks of him. I wonder how that will play out in the long run.

Haebron makes me want to throw things.

Hey, I've been wondering ... where's Damien?

Great chapter -- can't wait for more!

 

[tenmei]

An interesting - this Borg, Kane, the fellow who's going to be our new Chief Engineer? That should be a powder keg of drama.

 

[CaptainSarine]

Gibraltar

Yeah, having a Borg aboard is not exactly what most people were expecting! Sarine is a man of his times, willing to take risks and chances if it gets the job done - just like he would have in the Rebellion. Of course, he's going to have to start realising that things are different now.

Trust me, Dax's mental state is about to get a hell of a lot worse!

kes7

Glad I got your attention with these Borg. Kane is creepy looking and he has the personality to go with it!

Sarine is going to have to start realising that he isn't in the Resistance anymore. At the moment, he is being covered by the Admirals who need him for Onyx. But he is about to encounter someone willing to give him much less slack!

The fate of Damien is coming up.

Glad you liked it!

tenmei

Powder keg coming up! Oh and good job on your DS9 story!

 

[Mistral]

Nifty explanation. I figured it couldn't be the Borg we knew-and your variation is...interesting, to say the least. Too bad about Dax-looks like he'll be in a rubber room soon.

 

[Diogenes]

Cap'n Joel!
Sorry I haven't commented for a while. Been egregiously indolent. Yet I have eagerly consumed every chapter as soon as you posted.

Gotta say, you manage to pull off the gritty stuff really well. I HATE it when writers go for grit and gumption and just end up being self indulgent. You manage it (Sarine, Kalara) with authenticity. Sarine, sans ear and need for just about anyone's approval (that's one of the things that makes him so damn dangerous--glad he's on the side of "angels"), I can see this character in some Trek version of Dirty Dozen.

Thanks again, Capatin Sarine.

 

[CaptainSarine]

Mistral

No, these aren't the Borg we know. I'm glad that you liked my twist on them.

Yeah, Dax's problems are just going to get worse and worse.

Diogenes

So good to see you here again!!! Missed your comments!

Thanks for your kind words, I'm glad that these characters come across as real. It's really important to me not to be 'self-indulgent' as you say.

A Trek version of the Dirty Dozen... Oooh! I like it!

Hope you'll enjoy the next chapter, which should be up in a couple of days.

Joel

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

Another pretty twist, I must say. The old saying, "letting the fox into the hen house" comes to mind.

To say you've put together an interesting crew would be a major understatement. Having a Borg as part of the crew will add additional . . . complications, to say the least. I have a feeling that Kane will be quite different from 7 of 9.

Dax's continued mental deterioration is troubling. It's beginning to look doubtful as to whether he can hold Haebron in check. For his sake and the sake of the crew, I hope I'm wrong.

Fascinating stuff!

 

[CaptainSarine]

Chapter 4

Temporary Personnel Quarters
Ki’baratan
Romulus

0930 hours

Kalara stood in front of the mirror and adjusted her dress uniform for the sixth time.

Sighing, she tore the collar open and started to button it up again. The abrupt motion sent pain rippling through her ridges and down her spine, a vivid reminder of the last three weeks. The only reminder in fact – the whole period seemed lost in a bloodwine-tinged haze.

She rubbed at her forehead as she thought about the day to come. With the rebuilding of Romulus having taken top priority, her hearing before the court martial board had been pushed back again and again. She had finally received a message the night before informing her that she was expected back at Command by 1000 hours that morning. She glanced at her chrono – 0930. She needed to hurry up.

As she finished buttoning the collar, the loud chime of the door signal rang through the bedroom. She winced, the sound sending shards of red agony shooting through her skull and into her brain. Why do they have to make the damn things so loud?!

Scowling, she walked through the bedroom door and out into the living room. Barrels of bloodwine were stacked over by the far wall. The smell of the stuff seemed to have infected every surface and wall. What was I thinking?

The door signal rang again. Snarling, she slapped the locking padd and it slid open to reveal Admiral Kovoth stood on the other side.

Her snarl deepened. “What do you want?”

Kovoth scowled back. “Don’t try my patience, Kalara. I’ve been trying to reach you all morning.”

“I’ve been busy.”

He looked past her into the room, taking in the barrels of bloodwine. “I can see that.”

“What do you want?” she repeated.

“To come in and talk.”

She put her hand on the door frame, barring his access with her arm. “Talk about what? I think we both made our feelings very clear two weeks ago.”

Kovoth had tracked her down in the immediate aftermath of the Klingons’ attack, cornering her in the transporter room when she had beamed down. Taking her for a ‘walk’, he had accused her of throwing her career away, of bringing dishonor to her family and her people, and of acting like a spoiled child. She had punched him in the gut and walked off.

“I told you what I thought, Kalara, same as I always have. And you know that I was right.”

“No, sir. I don’t.”

He sighed. “Kalara, let me in or I swear I will pick you up by the scruff of your neck like a baby targ!”

If Kalara hadn’t had such a headache, she would have challenged him. She knew that in her current state she had no chance against him, though. Scowling, she stepped back, pulling her hand away from the door frame and letting him inside.

He sniffed the air. “By Kahless, woman, have you done anything but drink over the past three weeks?”

Though she still felt angry at him, she lowered her head. The message the night before had been like a wake-up call for her. She could remember enough of what had happened to feel ashamed. She was just glad that Damien had not been here to see her like this. You made sure of that, didn’t you?

“This is not starv’a’kai, Kalara. You are acting like our forefathers did during the War.”

Her anger rose up suddenly and overwhelmed her. “Qa’sar,” she screamed, snapping her hand towards the bridge of his nose. Kovoth reacted slowly, almost nonchalantly, grabbing her wrist and twisting her arm around. He leaned down until she was almost bent in two, his mouth next to her ear.

“Three weeks ago, you could have throw me across this room. Is this what you have become, Kalara?”

He let her go. She stumbled away, her shoulder burning with pain. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her in pain, though, and so she straightened to face him.

“What do you want?” she asked again.

Kovoth sighed. “I came to tell you that your hearing has been postponed.”

Just like that, all of the fight went out of her. Her shoulders dropped. Knowing that she was finally going to have a chance to defend herself had been just what she needed to drag herself out of her stupor. If that was being taken away from her…

“Until when?”

“Indefinitely. The board met last night and they have asked me to come and see you. With an offer.”

“What kind of offer?”

“The best one you can expect to receive. The board will forego a formal hearing if you accept an official reprimand. You will be bumped down to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander and offered the position of second officer aboard a Klingon warship. And you will accept to attend counselling."

For a long moment, Kalara just stood there, staring at him. His words struggled to get through the haze of bloodwine. Finally, she shook her head.

"What about Redemption?"

"Forget Redemption, Kalara. Your actions... This is the best you can hope for. At least you will still be able to serve the Federation. You won’t lose your commission. But..." He closed his eyes. "With this on your record, you'll probably never make first officer again. And they'll never offer you your own command."

His words cut her like knives. "What if I refuse?"

"Then you'll face a court martial, you'll be found guilty and you'll be thrown from the service. They don’t want this to turn into a prolonged affair, Kalara. It is a good offer. You should take it."

Kalara sneered at him. “You coward. You would rather I lay back than fight. And you say I have no honor.”

Kovoth's face flushed. "Be careful with your words, Kalara."

"No, you be careful. You can tell your board to go to hell. I want my day in court, sir. I want my side of things to be on record, so that everyone knows what kind of madman you have put in command of Redemption. She's my ship, Admiral. I won't give her up without a fight."

Kovoth stared at her, and she would have sworn there was the slightest hint of respect in his eyes. Finally, he shook his head. "Then there is nothing more I can do for you. I'll inform the board of your decision and they will reschedule a new date for your court martial."

"And I'll be ready when that day comes, sir."

Kovoth gave her one last, sad look, then he turned and left. Kalara watched him walk out, then she stood in the middle of the room for a few moments. In a daze, she walked back into the bedroom and stood in front of the mirror again. She looked at herself, her eyes tracing the line of her uniform, coming to rest on her commander’s pips. Reaching up, she caressed them slowly with a finger. Without warning, her hand tightened around them. She ripped them off her collar and threw them on the floor.

Then, with a scream of pure fury, she threw her fist at the glass.

Again.

And again.

And again.

1147 hours

Damien tapped his foot on the floor nervously after pressing the door signal for a twentieth time. He waited for a few seconds. Still nothing. He glanced left and right to see if anyone was watching, but he was still all alone in the corridor. He had been stood outside the door for ten minutes now and he was starting to get worried.

He debated whether to leave and come back, or simply force the door. Kalara had made it clear to him that he was no longer welcome in their quarters and he had promised to respect her wishes. If she found him there… He decided he didn’t care.

“Computer, override door lock, authorisation Kalara 7865.”

He spent an anxious few moments waiting, then the computer chimed and the door slid open. At least she hasn’t changed the access code yet.

He stepped inside and stopped short. The living room stank of bloodwine and sweat. His eyes took a few minutes to adjust to the darkness and he saw the barrels piled up against the wall. My God, Kali, what have you done?

His fears growing by the second, he walked across the living room to the bed room they had shared since arriving on Romulus. Without even the little light that had filtered through the blinds in the living room, he couldn’t see anything. “Computer, lights.”

Brilliant white light filled the room and almost instantly he saw her lying on the floor. Broken glass surrounded her body, like a miniature star field spread across the dark carpet. Her dress uniform was covered in blood and he saw bone poking out from her knuckles.

“Oh my God!” He fell to his knees, cradling her in his arms. Tapping his comm badge, he yelled. “Medical emergency, Commander Kalara’s quarters. I need a medic down here!”

He started to rock her back and forth in his arms, praying to any god that would listen for the medics to hurry.

1517 hours

Kalara came to slowly, consciousness seeping into her mind like water from a leaking faucet. She lay there, trying to get her bearings. She felt totally disorientated, unsure where she was. All she knew was that she was staring up at the monotonous green tone ceiling of a prefab Romulan room. Turning her head gingerly, she saw Damien sat in a chair beside the bed. He smiled sadly when their eyes met.

"Hi," he said.

"Hello."

"How do you feel?"

“I…Okay. A little groggy. Where am I?”

“In bed. In our quarters. The medics just left.” He looked down at her hands. She followed his gaze and saw that they were bandaged, a little blood already seeping through. “They did the best they could but real medical supplies are still reserved for emergencies.” He snorted. “As if this wasn’t an emergency. Anyway, you really did yourself some damage.”

His word brought it flooding right back – the argument with Kovoth, the mirror… She must have blacked out from loss of blood.

“They gave you something for the alcohol, as well.”

She smiled. “I thought my head felt better.”

He gazed at her for a few moments, then frowned. “What happened, Kali?”

Kalara didn’t know where to start. Although she knew that he was referring to more than just that one day, she couldn’t bring herself to talk about the rest. Not yet. “Kovoth came to see me. The Admiralty offered me a deal.”

“That’s fantastic. Isn’t it?”

“Yes, I was so happy I punched the mirror,” she said.

“Sorry.” He lowered his eyes.

“No.” She closed her eyes. Why do I keep on doing that? She looked at him. “I’m sorry. Sorry for everything. Sorry I threw you out. Sorry I pushed you away.” She turned her head away again, too ashamed to look at him. “I’m sorry.”

Suddenly, he was there, his arms wrapped around her. The smell of his aftershave was so familiar, so comforting that she started to cry. Her arm snaked around his middle and she pulled him tight against her. “I missed you,” she said through her tears.

“I missed you too.”

They held one another for a long time and waited for the tears to stop.

XXX​

“So, what is the deal?” he asked her once her tears were spent. They had sat in silence, just enjoying one another’s presence again.

“They want me to accept full responsibility for what happened,” she replied. “I’ll receive a formal reprimand and will get busted down to Lieutenant-Commander.”

“What did you say?”

“I told them to go to hell.”

Damien smiled. “That’s my girl.”

“Do you think I made the right decision?”

“I think you have to do what seems right to you. If I’ve learned one thing in the months we’ve had together, it’s that you know what you’re doing.” He grinned. “Most of the time.”

“I…”

The door signal interrupted what she had been about to say. They looked at one another. “Are you expecting someone?”

Kalara shook her head. “Maybe it’s one of the medics.”

Damien shrugged and got up. She watched him vanish into the living room, then minutes later he came back, a frown on his face.

“There’s a woman here who wants to see you. She says she’s an ambassador.”

“An ambassador?”

He nodded. “Do you want me to tell her to leave?”

“No. No. Let her in.”

When the ambassador walked in, Kalara saw that she was human, in her late sixties or early seventies, white hair pulled taut behind her in a severe bun. Though her face seemed vaguely familiar, Kalara was sure that they had never met.

“Commander Kalara, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you, Ambassador…”

“Benjamani. Ambassador Helena Benjamani. I was wondering whether I could talk to you.”

“About what?”

She glanced at Damien. “I would prefer to discuss this in private, if you don’t mind.”

Kalara stiffened. “Anything you want to say to me you can say in front of my husband.”

Before Benjamani could respond, Damien held up his hands. “I need to go and get my stuff anyway. I’ll leave you ladies to it.”

The ambassador smiled at him gratefully. Kalara would have rather he stayed. She reached out and took his hand as he walked over to her and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. “It will be fine. I’ll be right back.”

She gripped his hand for a moment longer, looking up into his eyes. I love you, she thought. I love you so much.

It was as if he had read her mind. His smile widened. “Me too,” he whispered.

Straightening, he bowed to the other woman. “Ambassador.” Then he walked through the bedroom door and was gone.

Once he had left, the ambassador walked over and perched on the chair he had just vacated. “I… I heard what happened to you, Commander. I had been hoping to speak with you today anyway, but when I heard… I had to come straight away.”

“What is this about, ambassador?”

“I’ve been reading your file, Commander Kalara. You are a brilliant woman, intelligent, brave and honorable. Everything a Klingon should be. And yet within a few minutes, Captain Ba’el Sarine was able to destroy all of that.”

Kalara’s throat tightened at the sound of his name. For a moment, she was back on the smoke-filled bridge, her phaser shaking in her hand as she wondered what to do. Now she wished she had pulled the trigger and be damned the consequences.

“Yes.” Her voice came out in a croak.

“I feel for you, Commander. Really I do. You see, Captain Sarine has put my career in danger as well.”

Kalara frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“I have spent the last three years of my life negotiating with the Laurentine Hegemony. I believe that an alliance with them could save our Federation. The technology they possess, their knowledge of the galaxy, of the universe… It would be invaluable in helping us in reconstruction. Especially after what happened a few days ago.”

“Suffice to say that I finally got them into a position where they were willing to talk to us and… And Captain Sarine showed up. I don’t know how, I don’t know when, but he got to them and he convinced them that only he could speak for the Federation. So they have forced him on me.”

“With all due respect, ambassador, I’m not sure what all of this this has to do with me.”

“I can’t get rid of Captain Sarine anymore than you can undo what happened during the battle with the Klingons. However, we may be able to help one another to make sure that it never happens again.”

“Ambassador, I don’t know what you’ve heard, but there’s nothing I can do. I’m facing a court martial.”

“I know. I also know that you were offered a deal this morning.”

“One I don’t plan on taking. And how do you know about that?”

“Because, Commander, I’m the one who arranged it.”

“What?” Kalara tried to sit up in bed, but the drugs the medics had given her had left her feeling drained. She settled for returning to a sitting position. “How dare you? I want my trial to go forward so that everyone can hear my side of the story. So that maybe someone will decide that Redemption needs to be in better hands.”

The ambassador smiled coldly. “Please, Commander. Be realistic. The Admiralty won’t be willing to listen to you. At best, they’ll allow you to speak your piece – in a closed session that no one will ever hear. And Captain Sarine will carry on as commander of Redemption. That is how it should be since he is the only one who can lead the mission to the Laurentii.”

“What are you saying, ma’am?” Kalara snapped. “That I should give up? Take the deal? Become second officer on some Klingon warship patrolling the Andorian border?”

The ambassador smiled again. “That is why I have come. What if I could offer you a way of accepting the deal and still being aboard Redemption when she leaves, to make sure that she is safe? And that Captain Sarine gets what is coming to him?”

Kalara felt a prickling behind her neck. How could this woman offer her something like that? “What exactly would I have to do?”

Once the ambassador had finished telling Kalara the plan, she sat back in the chair, steepling her fingers in front of her lips while Kalara stared off into space. Could it work? If it did, it could be the solution to all of her problems. She would have to accept the Admiralty’s offer but in return…

“Well?” the ambassador asked after a few moments. “What do you say?”

“I would need to talk it over with my husband. But…”

“But?”

“If he is alright with it… You can tell the Admiralty that I accept your offer.”

This time, when the ambassador smiled, Kalara smiled with her.