Treacherous Waters - Gibraltar/Intrepid Crossover
- Thread starter Gibraltar
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Treacherous Waters - Chapter 21 continued
Sandhurst found Sickbay was a riot of motion and noise as he entered. Unfortunately, it was not the first time he had witnessed such a scene aboard Gibraltar. The floor was littered with discarded sections of Class-4 body armor and blood-soaked pressure bandages. Holograms, nurses, and medical technicians worked in well practiced rhythm to suture the wounds of the surviving strike team members.
As he moved into the bustling compartment, Sandhurst flinched as a spray of crimson from an arterial bleed spattered across the front of his uniform. The fluid was quickly absorbed by the dark material of his jacket, and the captain pressed on, looking for the remaining mission leader.
Lar'ragos appeared none the worse for wear, despite the deep gouges and blast marks that scored his armor. He waved away one of the medical staff who hovered over him, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Go work on someone who needs it." Lar'ragos glanced up and paused in his protestations long enough to share a pained look with Sandhurst. No words were exchanged. None were needed.
The captain moved on and found his way to a transparent partition. On the other side of the barrier was a hard-shell duffle containing the Changeling from the surface. Sandhurst looked to the technician monitoring the Founder's readouts. "Is that thing safely confined?"
"Yes, sir. A level-ten containment field has been established around the carryall."
"Is it alive?" Sandhurst queried.
"I believe so, sir" the med-tech replied carefully. "Typically when Changelings expire, they decompose into a powdered silica-based residue. This one's maintaining it's liquid-state cohesion, and I'm reading what we believe to be their species' version of neural activity."
"Tough to believe..." said Lar'ragos from behind them. "We hit that thing with enough phaser and poleron energy to kill a dozen Changelings."
"So this is what, some kind of new and improved super-Founder?" Sandhurst glanced over his shoulder at Lar'ragos. "This is the Dominion's idea of peaceful co-existence?"
The El Aurian stepped forward, "This isn't what you think, sir. This Changeling is different... it was modified somehow by a local species that found it on the brink of death. The Changeling claims the Federation had infected the Founders with a pathogen near the end of the war, and the locals were trying to cure it."
"Starfleet Intelligence discredited those bio-weapon rumors as Dominion misinformation," Sandhurst rebuffed the idea.
"Regardless," Lar'ragos pressed, "if the Founders believe it, that could be cause enough for them to resume hostilities."
Sandhurst attempted to clarify the situation, "You're telling me that the Dominion isn't behind all this?"
Lar'ragos shook his head, "I don't believe so, sir. When I spoke to the Changeling, it was my impression that it's been trying to establish its own domain out here, independent of that of the Dominion." His eyes clouded momentarily, "It's mad, sir. Insane."
"And all this time since you reported the Changeling's presence, I've been berating myself for adding to the burdens of the poor, manipulated Velk." Sandhurst's expression soured, "They were accessories to this crime from the beginning." He moved away from the partition and motioned for Lar'ragos to follow.
He shadowed Sandhurst out of Sickbay and into the corridor, the silence between them stretched as they awaited the arrival of a turbolift.
As they stepped inside and the doors closed, Sandhurst spoke. His voice was thick with a potent mix of anger and anguish. "I'm taking you off the leash, Pava." Sandhurst spared a sidelong glance at the smaller man. "I take it you understand my full meaning?"
A slight shudder passed through Lar'ragos' body, and he felt himself actually physically recoil from the captain's statement.
"I want you to go down there and find out who's responsible for helping this monster. I don't care what you do or how you do it, but you find them and you make them pay." Sandhurst trembled as he spoke; the man waged a losing battle to maintain the illusion of control.
"No," Lar'ragos said, his voice barely above a whisper. "No," he said again, his timber more confident, "I don't think so, sir."
"What?" Sandhurst spat, his tone shrill with disbelief. "Those sons-of-bitches killed thousands of our people. They killed Ramirez and Tark!"
"No, sir. You killed Ramirez," Lar'ragos said simply.
Sandhurst spun towards him and grasped at Lar'ragos in a blind rage, "God dam--" His voice caught as Pava's fingers jabbed him in the throat. A flurry of quick strikes to various nerve centers and pressure points sent Sandhurst sinking slowly to his knees.
Lar'ragos squat down beside him. "Believe it or not, captain-my-captain, I'm really not in the mood to have you violating my personal space. The last time I let you lay hands on me was in the Briar Patch, and I figured I had that coming. No more."
Sandhurst coughed and gagged in reply.
"I'm sorry Liana's dead, Donald, I really am. I liked and respected her immensely. She had a bright future ahead of her. But like you and like me, Ramirez was a soldier. Soldiers die, even the very good ones." Lar'ragos ran a gloved hand over his face in a gesture of exasperation. "I understand you feel tremendous guilt over what you had to do, but I'm not willing to be your whipping boy. If you want to go on a rampage of vengeance down on Velkohn, that's fine, but you pay your own butcher's bill."
Lar'ragos stood and looked down at Sandhurst, his expression tinged with pity. "You sent us down there because it needed to be done. Now you have to live with the consequences." He toggled the panel and the lift doors parted. On the threshold he offered, "You once asked why I was still a lieutenant after twenty years in the service. This... this is exactly why."
He stepped through the doors as Sandhurst toppled over onto his side, wheezing and gurgling.
*****
"Status of Velk orbital defenses and warships?" Pell Ojana asked.
"The satellite grid is still offline, sir." Shanthi reported from the Science station. "I've managed to infect their command and control system with a looped pseudo-personality matrix."
Pell frowned, "Want to try that again, Lieutenant? This time in Fed Standard."
"Sorry, sir. I've convinced the artificial intelligence that runs their defense network that it's a very clever Pakled trader. It's become obsessed with rifling through their global data net looking for things of value to pilfer from the planet."
Her face betrayed her amusement, "That's just sick, Mister Shanthi."
"Thank you, sir. Their patrol ships are holding position just outside our weapons range. Their weapons and defenses are hot. My guess is they're unwilling to commit to an attack until their leadership manages to talk down the defense mainframe."
"A Rigellian standoff," Pell mused. She turned to look at the fresh-faced young ensign at Tactical. "How goes the evacuation of our hospital teams on the surface?"
"The last of our medical and security personnel are beaming aboard now, sir."
"Picking up a new contact on sensors," Ziang noted from the Ops board. "A warship by configuration. Elevated power readings..." he paused and looked uncertain as he scrolled back through his readouts. "It's Velk by the looks of it, sir, but much larger and significantly more powerful than anything we've seen them field, Commander."
"Is it in visual range?"
"Not yet, sir."
Pell drummed her fingers on the armrest of the command chair and debated whether to bother Sandhurst with this new information just yet.
The ensign at Tactical blanched noticably, then set his gaze on Pell. "Sir, that thing's armaments are on par with that of a Sovereign-class vessel."
She sighed, "Naturally." Tapping her combadge she called out, "Captain Sandhurst to the bridge!"
*****
Sandhurst found Sickbay was a riot of motion and noise as he entered. Unfortunately, it was not the first time he had witnessed such a scene aboard Gibraltar. The floor was littered with discarded sections of Class-4 body armor and blood-soaked pressure bandages. Holograms, nurses, and medical technicians worked in well practiced rhythm to suture the wounds of the surviving strike team members.
As he moved into the bustling compartment, Sandhurst flinched as a spray of crimson from an arterial bleed spattered across the front of his uniform. The fluid was quickly absorbed by the dark material of his jacket, and the captain pressed on, looking for the remaining mission leader.
Lar'ragos appeared none the worse for wear, despite the deep gouges and blast marks that scored his armor. He waved away one of the medical staff who hovered over him, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Go work on someone who needs it." Lar'ragos glanced up and paused in his protestations long enough to share a pained look with Sandhurst. No words were exchanged. None were needed.
The captain moved on and found his way to a transparent partition. On the other side of the barrier was a hard-shell duffle containing the Changeling from the surface. Sandhurst looked to the technician monitoring the Founder's readouts. "Is that thing safely confined?"
"Yes, sir. A level-ten containment field has been established around the carryall."
"Is it alive?" Sandhurst queried.
"I believe so, sir" the med-tech replied carefully. "Typically when Changelings expire, they decompose into a powdered silica-based residue. This one's maintaining it's liquid-state cohesion, and I'm reading what we believe to be their species' version of neural activity."
"Tough to believe..." said Lar'ragos from behind them. "We hit that thing with enough phaser and poleron energy to kill a dozen Changelings."
"So this is what, some kind of new and improved super-Founder?" Sandhurst glanced over his shoulder at Lar'ragos. "This is the Dominion's idea of peaceful co-existence?"
The El Aurian stepped forward, "This isn't what you think, sir. This Changeling is different... it was modified somehow by a local species that found it on the brink of death. The Changeling claims the Federation had infected the Founders with a pathogen near the end of the war, and the locals were trying to cure it."
"Starfleet Intelligence discredited those bio-weapon rumors as Dominion misinformation," Sandhurst rebuffed the idea.
"Regardless," Lar'ragos pressed, "if the Founders believe it, that could be cause enough for them to resume hostilities."
Sandhurst attempted to clarify the situation, "You're telling me that the Dominion isn't behind all this?"
Lar'ragos shook his head, "I don't believe so, sir. When I spoke to the Changeling, it was my impression that it's been trying to establish its own domain out here, independent of that of the Dominion." His eyes clouded momentarily, "It's mad, sir. Insane."
"And all this time since you reported the Changeling's presence, I've been berating myself for adding to the burdens of the poor, manipulated Velk." Sandhurst's expression soured, "They were accessories to this crime from the beginning." He moved away from the partition and motioned for Lar'ragos to follow.
He shadowed Sandhurst out of Sickbay and into the corridor, the silence between them stretched as they awaited the arrival of a turbolift.
As they stepped inside and the doors closed, Sandhurst spoke. His voice was thick with a potent mix of anger and anguish. "I'm taking you off the leash, Pava." Sandhurst spared a sidelong glance at the smaller man. "I take it you understand my full meaning?"
A slight shudder passed through Lar'ragos' body, and he felt himself actually physically recoil from the captain's statement.
"I want you to go down there and find out who's responsible for helping this monster. I don't care what you do or how you do it, but you find them and you make them pay." Sandhurst trembled as he spoke; the man waged a losing battle to maintain the illusion of control.
"No," Lar'ragos said, his voice barely above a whisper. "No," he said again, his timber more confident, "I don't think so, sir."
"What?" Sandhurst spat, his tone shrill with disbelief. "Those sons-of-bitches killed thousands of our people. They killed Ramirez and Tark!"
"No, sir. You killed Ramirez," Lar'ragos said simply.
Sandhurst spun towards him and grasped at Lar'ragos in a blind rage, "God dam--" His voice caught as Pava's fingers jabbed him in the throat. A flurry of quick strikes to various nerve centers and pressure points sent Sandhurst sinking slowly to his knees.
Lar'ragos squat down beside him. "Believe it or not, captain-my-captain, I'm really not in the mood to have you violating my personal space. The last time I let you lay hands on me was in the Briar Patch, and I figured I had that coming. No more."
Sandhurst coughed and gagged in reply.
"I'm sorry Liana's dead, Donald, I really am. I liked and respected her immensely. She had a bright future ahead of her. But like you and like me, Ramirez was a soldier. Soldiers die, even the very good ones." Lar'ragos ran a gloved hand over his face in a gesture of exasperation. "I understand you feel tremendous guilt over what you had to do, but I'm not willing to be your whipping boy. If you want to go on a rampage of vengeance down on Velkohn, that's fine, but you pay your own butcher's bill."
Lar'ragos stood and looked down at Sandhurst, his expression tinged with pity. "You sent us down there because it needed to be done. Now you have to live with the consequences." He toggled the panel and the lift doors parted. On the threshold he offered, "You once asked why I was still a lieutenant after twenty years in the service. This... this is exactly why."
He stepped through the doors as Sandhurst toppled over onto his side, wheezing and gurgling.
*****
"Status of Velk orbital defenses and warships?" Pell Ojana asked.
"The satellite grid is still offline, sir." Shanthi reported from the Science station. "I've managed to infect their command and control system with a looped pseudo-personality matrix."
Pell frowned, "Want to try that again, Lieutenant? This time in Fed Standard."
"Sorry, sir. I've convinced the artificial intelligence that runs their defense network that it's a very clever Pakled trader. It's become obsessed with rifling through their global data net looking for things of value to pilfer from the planet."
Her face betrayed her amusement, "That's just sick, Mister Shanthi."
"Thank you, sir. Their patrol ships are holding position just outside our weapons range. Their weapons and defenses are hot. My guess is they're unwilling to commit to an attack until their leadership manages to talk down the defense mainframe."
"A Rigellian standoff," Pell mused. She turned to look at the fresh-faced young ensign at Tactical. "How goes the evacuation of our hospital teams on the surface?"
"The last of our medical and security personnel are beaming aboard now, sir."
"Picking up a new contact on sensors," Ziang noted from the Ops board. "A warship by configuration. Elevated power readings..." he paused and looked uncertain as he scrolled back through his readouts. "It's Velk by the looks of it, sir, but much larger and significantly more powerful than anything we've seen them field, Commander."
"Is it in visual range?"
"Not yet, sir."
Pell drummed her fingers on the armrest of the command chair and debated whether to bother Sandhurst with this new information just yet.
The ensign at Tactical blanched noticably, then set his gaze on Pell. "Sir, that thing's armaments are on par with that of a Sovereign-class vessel."
She sighed, "Naturally." Tapping her combadge she called out, "Captain Sandhurst to the bridge!"
*****
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Re: Treacherous Waters - Chapter 21 continued
Things just keep getting grimmer and grimmer. Sandhurst having to kill Ramirez...Pava and Sandhurst coming to blows...an insane Changeling...and a Velk capital ship closing in.
The butcher's bill for this is already high and it's looking like it's going to get higher still.
Intrepid better get there soon!
Things just keep getting grimmer and grimmer. Sandhurst having to kill Ramirez...Pava and Sandhurst coming to blows...an insane Changeling...and a Velk capital ship closing in.
The butcher's bill for this is already high and it's looking like it's going to get higher still.
Intrepid better get there soon!
Re: Treacherous Waters - Chapter 21 continued
"Naturally" ... pretty much Gibraltar's motto by now. Only one way to go: Worse.
The Sandhurst/Pava sequence was a real delight and so very understandable. Pava is a killer but he is also the man who keeps his head even when the situation has developed way passed the tolerable. Sandhurst on the other hand is quickly reaching his own threshold. Maybe he has even passed it.
'Naturally', there is more trouble ahead ...
"Naturally" ... pretty much Gibraltar's motto by now. Only one way to go: Worse.
The Sandhurst/Pava sequence was a real delight and so very understandable. Pava is a killer but he is also the man who keeps his head even when the situation has developed way passed the tolerable. Sandhurst on the other hand is quickly reaching his own threshold. Maybe he has even passed it.
'Naturally', there is more trouble ahead ...
Outstanding scene between Sandhurst and Lar'ragos. Pava has limits to his patience, as he so ably demonstrated to the Captain.
I fear that Sandhurst may be near the breaking point, considering all he has endured since taking command of Gibraltar. I have tremendous sympathy for Sandhurst, but in this instance, I think Pava was in the right (even though striking a superior officer is a court-martial offense.) Hopefully, Sandhurst can get it together, and quickly!
Where do they go from here? I am very anxious to find out!
Extremely well done!
I fear that Sandhurst may be near the breaking point, considering all he has endured since taking command of Gibraltar. I have tremendous sympathy for Sandhurst, but in this instance, I think Pava was in the right (even though striking a superior officer is a court-martial offense.) Hopefully, Sandhurst can get it together, and quickly!
Where do they go from here? I am very anxious to find out!
Extremely well done!
So many good parts. The bit about Sandhurst reacting slowly to the fluid situation, the death of Ramirez, Pava and Donald in the lift and Pell's reaction to the latest news were all excellent portrayals. The combat scene rocked, real grit there without losing Starfleet/Federation perspective and "flavor". Well done, you two!
Re: Treacherous Waters - Chapter 21 continued
So, G...are you, like, trying to kill off the Gibraltar crew so you don't have to write it anymore? 'Cause they could all just transfer or retire without all the bloodshed, y'know what I mean?
Seriously, I'd have to say I like the Gibraltar parts here better than the Intrepid ones, but that's probably just because I'm more familiar with your characters. That doesn't mean I don't like the other parts. Anyhow, keep it up!
So, G...are you, like, trying to kill off the Gibraltar crew so you don't have to write it anymore? 'Cause they could all just transfer or retire without all the bloodshed, y'know what I mean?
Seriously, I'd have to say I like the Gibraltar parts here better than the Intrepid ones, but that's probably just because I'm more familiar with your characters. That doesn't mean I don't like the other parts. Anyhow, keep it up!
Re: Treacherous Waters - Chapter 21 continued
Sure, Gibraltar has been spanked in the past, but the crew has persevered through their ingenuity, tenaciousness, and occasionally, dumb blind luck.
This time, though, the writing was on the wall. Did Sandhurst push too far to get to the source of this mystery? Should he have waited on Intrepid to come back to Velkohn so the crews could pool their resources? Both are debatable. What isn’t in question is that this time… their luck ran out.
Thanks for everyone’s comments. I’m glad people are enjoying the story.
Some missions are more dangerous than others.
Sure, Gibraltar has been spanked in the past, but the crew has persevered through their ingenuity, tenaciousness, and occasionally, dumb blind luck.
This time, though, the writing was on the wall. Did Sandhurst push too far to get to the source of this mystery? Should he have waited on Intrepid to come back to Velkohn so the crews could pool their resources? Both are debatable. What isn’t in question is that this time… their luck ran out.
Thanks for everyone’s comments. I’m glad people are enjoying the story.
Yup, another truly stunning entry. The whole thing. There's part of me that's hoping Ramirez will somehow be miraculously saved ..., but from a story-telling perspective, her sacrifice was just fantastic gut-wrenching storytelling. And, like others above, I thought the scene between Pava and Sandhurst in the lift was incredible. It would have been difficult to believe if you hadn't so carefully and subtlely built up Sandhurst's slow but steady slide to the edge of sanity while at the same time putting Lar'ragos through a living hell. I especially loved his last line; it sums up so much so beautifully.
Once again ..., me want more! ME WANT MORE!
Once again ..., me want more! ME WANT MORE!
The overall build up to your scene between Pava and Sandhurst was very well done--this has been several stories building. The juxtapositioning of Aubrey and Sandhurst is also important--both captains reaching the ends of their ropes, but for them and their ships and crews to survive, they have to find it in themselves to pull away from the brink. The question is: can they do it?
And what of Lar'ragos? Has he reached the end of his rope?
You and Galen truly are creating something special here.
And what of Lar'ragos? Has he reached the end of his rope?
You and Galen truly are creating something special here.
Finally got around to reading Ch. 21. A tour de force. It's amazing how far these characters have come since "Embers of the Fire". A great exchange between Pava and Sandy. It left me sympathetic for both men. I also like the fact that no one believes the Changeling infection story, a very nice piece of writing there. The Velk and this sub-Dominion are pretty cool concepts. You continue adding new and interesting villians to our shared universe-the Baron, the rogue Q, the Bajora Tava, the neo-Maquis, and now the Velk.
I believe this story is going to totally turn the Gibraltar series upside down by its end, and you know I like that sort of thing. Keep pushing the boundaries.
I believe this story is going to totally turn the Gibraltar series upside down by its end, and you know I like that sort of thing. Keep pushing the boundaries.
Treacherous Waters - Chapter 22
Chapter 22 <by Galen Holcomb>
The boy named Carris grinned expectantly. He was seated at Counselor Perboda’s private terminal, his small hands floating just above the control panel, fingers twitching with electric purpose.
Attached to the control panel was his combadge-----a standard Starfleet issue communicator. The internal components of the badge had been masterfully reprogrammed with genetic tissue to create a device that was very much different from its initial construction. The combadge now served as a direct interface to Perboda’s terminal, while at the same time breaking a dozen different security codes.
“Computer,” Carris said in Perboda’s voice, “Link this terminal to subspace transmitter Zulu Eight Seven.”
“Link established.” The computer confirmed a moment later.
Carris stifled a shrill giggle as he began entering numbers. “Prepare to send the following transmissions on these frequencies.”
“Unable to comply. Subspace transmissions are restricted to a Theta One security clearance by order of the commanding officer.”
The young boy’s face twisted into something monstrous. With effort, he brought his seething rage under control and reminded himself to stay focused. Reaching outward, he placed his index finger on the combadge and closed his eyes, gradually bringing that extension of his being back into harmony with his will.
It was precision work that required all of his mental dexterity. The internal make up of the combadge shuffled on the molecular level, and then settled back into solid matter. Exerting his influence further, Carris ordered the tiny device to unlimber a series of subspace micro pulses which instantly unlocked the additional codes he needed.
“Security clearance accepted. Transmissions may commence.”
Carris sent both of the broadcasts. He then picked up the communicator and returned it to his breast. He reset Perboda’s terminal to training mode, a state it had occupied when the good counselor had left him in his quarters ten minutes before.
He stretched casually. The altered combadge was incriminating, but it hardly mattered. Events were now in motion, events that couldn’t be stopped. At this point, what happened to this distant part of his identity was irrelevant.
Counselor Perboda stepped into the room and gave Carris a warm smile. “Hi. I’m back. Did you have fun playing?”
Carris returned the smile. “Oh yeah, you could definitely say that.” As if remembering something with difficulty, he added, “Thanks for letting me play on your terminal. I had fun pretending to fly the ship. And thanks for letting me stay in your quarters for awhile. Sickbay was so…confining.” He ground his teeth silently. “It almost felt like I was…locked in a box or something.”
“I know the feeling.” The Orion man chuckled. “Hey, you didn’t run us into an asteroid field, did you?” He asked in mock alarm.
Carris smirked, regarding Perboda with hidden disdain. “Nothing so mundane, I assure you.”
The counselor sat on his haunches near Carris, so that his intimidating stature would be less evident. “Hey, you know Pe’los is here to play with you. She’s a little sad that you stopped spending time with her.” He indicated the closed doors with his head. “She’s in the living room. Would you like to see her now?”
The boy-that-wasn’t-a-boy shrugged. “Okay. Why not?”
“Good. She’ll be happy for your company again.”
Carris hopped down from the chair and Perboda offered a large green hand for him to take.
Before they entered into the main room, the counselor stopped and knelt again by the boy. “Carris, I know bad things happened to you on that outpost.” Emerald eyes glistened with empathy. “I’ve had bad things happen to me, too. But you know what? None of it was your fault.”
Carris groped for something that would satisfy the Orion. Luckily he had something handy, something that hit close to home. “Thanks. I’ll be okay.” He hung his head. “I just feel so-----violated. So…changed.”
The counselor nodded. “And it’s okay to be angry about that.”
The boy continued to stare at the floor as he spoke. “Oh, I’m angry all right. But humans, or rather, we humans have a saying that makes me feel better.”
Perboda tilted his head curiously. “Oh? And what is that?”
Carris leaned next to Perboda’s ear, his face contorting into a mask of pure hatred. “’What goes around comes around.’” He whispered.
“Have the orders been authenticated?” Captain Aubrey asked his first officer.
“Yes.” Shantok acknowledged beside him in the turbolift. “There is a crisis developing with the Talarians. The Starfleet COMM beacon relayed explicit instructions for both us and Gibraltar to return immediately to the Alpha Quadrant.” She paused as the car stopped and the doors opened. “There is more. Intrepid has been ordered to join up with Task Force Bravo at Deep Space Nine, which is on hot stand by for deployment. You are to assume command of the task force.”
Aubrey pondered the news as he walked onto the bridge. “Well, we can’t leave until I’ve ascertained Gibraltar’s situation first.” It was a hedge, but one he knew he could get away with.
Lt. Commander Adol was ready with an update. “Interference is abating quickly as we leave the interference zone sir, but it will be a few more minutes before we can link up to Gibraltar.” He tapped out a short pattern on the tactical board. “I am reading heavy and disorganized COMM chatter all over this area, however.”
Aubrey placed a hand on his command chair but didn’t sit down. “What type of ‘chatter’?”
Adol’s antennas went rigid as he concentrated. “Signals picking up strength. Now reading a distress call, audio only.” He looked up. “Velk, Captain. They’re hailing us by name.”
“On speakers.”
Waves of turbulent noise crackled through the bridge before a thick voice became audible. It was raw with panic. “Intrepid! We’re under attack and need immediate assistance. They’re savages! They say that we’re going to all be executed! We have female-----“
All at once another voice interrupted the first. It was icy and resolute. “Starfleet ship, you are warned to stay away or we will fire on you. Your alliance with the state of Thalo has made you our enemies.” The unseen speaker was nearly growling. “The Federation has befriended thieves and butchers. Be warned, no matter how great are your numbers, no matter how great your firepower, we’ll fight you with our last drop of blood!”
The speakers became silent.
Ensign Sorna echoed the thoughts of her shipmates. “Sir, what were they talking about? What alliance?” The young brunette looked back from the helm but it was clear that no one had the answer.
The captain descended the two steps beyond his chair, to stand next to the OPS officer. “Mr. Pal, what do you have on short range?”
“Reading eight Velk cutters at point one two seven light years. Six of the ships are attacking the remaining two. From their trajectory, it’s obvious those two ships were trying exit the system.” Lt. Pal watched as new data rolled through his screen. “Sir, the vessels that are being fired upon are in critical condition…multiple hull breaches, radiation leakage and failing life support.” Frowning, he read off the last bit of information. “Eighty-three life signs. They won’t last long.”
Shantok managed to look impassive and pained all at the same time. “Our last update from Gibraltar indicated that open warfare had begun among the Velk military. It would appear the situation has deteriorated further in our absence. It’s very likely that a civil war is now underway.”
Pal vindicated the idea. “Confirmed sir. Long range sensors are registering a total of one hundred nineteen Velk spacecraft engaged in combat with one another. They’re scattered throughout the Velkamis system and along the border of their territory.”
Adol was trying to keep his agitation under reign. “Captain, the Velk are repeating their distress call.” His face stretched into a grimace. “They’re begging us for help.”
The bridge fell silent with anticipation.
The captain slid into his chair and resisted the impulse to lean forward. Instead, he pushed back in his seat and kept his gaze locked on the forward viewer. “Ensign Sorna, continue course and speed to Velkohn.”
“Sir, with respect; if those Velk don’t get our help they’ll be killed.” Lt. Pal intoned beseechingly.
“Civil war or no, it’s still an internal Velk conflict, Mr. Pal.” The captain swept the bridge with stern eyes. “If we help either side, the Federation will lose all credibility.”
The Andorian leaned heavily on his tactical podium, still fending off weakness from the theta radiation poisoning. “Sir, if we drop out of warp near their position, we might be able to beam the survivors off with minimal danger-----”
“I’m sorry Mr. Adol, but it’s still a violation of the Prime Directive.” As usual, Aubrey seemed unfazed by the building turmoil around him.
Pal took a second shot. “But sir...is that even a consideration anymore? It’s obvious things have fallen apart. Our diplomatic mission is a failure. And eighty-three people are about to die.”
“All the more reason to keep whatever objectivity we have left.”
“And many more will die if we enflame an internal war, Lieutenant.” Shantok contributed. Dispassionate or not, she emoted an edge that warned against further challenges.
Aubrey set his jaw. “The debate is over, ladies and gentlemen.” He projected the statement loudly enough for any bridge officer to hear. “Mind your stations.” Silently, he entertained a grim idea. Dammit, Sandhurst. Please tell me this isn’t what it looks like…
“All communication channels are open, sir.” Adol reported sullenly. “Long range sensors at full capacity.”
Intrepid’s captain steeled himself, and looked reluctantly at the forward screen. “Put me through to Sandhurst. Right now.”
Adol raised a pair of stark white eyebrows. “Sir, Gibraltar is already hailing us. They’re broadcasting on the emergency channel. Having trouble pulling in their signal.”
Exasperated, Aubrey glowered at him. “You just said communications were clear.”
“They are, sir. It looks like someone over there is jamming their broadcast.” His fingers continued to move deftly. “Boosting power to the chamber coil receivers. Wait. I have them now.”
Aubrey exhaled slowly. “On screen.”
Chapter 22 <by Galen Holcomb>
The boy named Carris grinned expectantly. He was seated at Counselor Perboda’s private terminal, his small hands floating just above the control panel, fingers twitching with electric purpose.
Attached to the control panel was his combadge-----a standard Starfleet issue communicator. The internal components of the badge had been masterfully reprogrammed with genetic tissue to create a device that was very much different from its initial construction. The combadge now served as a direct interface to Perboda’s terminal, while at the same time breaking a dozen different security codes.
“Computer,” Carris said in Perboda’s voice, “Link this terminal to subspace transmitter Zulu Eight Seven.”
“Link established.” The computer confirmed a moment later.
Carris stifled a shrill giggle as he began entering numbers. “Prepare to send the following transmissions on these frequencies.”
“Unable to comply. Subspace transmissions are restricted to a Theta One security clearance by order of the commanding officer.”
The young boy’s face twisted into something monstrous. With effort, he brought his seething rage under control and reminded himself to stay focused. Reaching outward, he placed his index finger on the combadge and closed his eyes, gradually bringing that extension of his being back into harmony with his will.
It was precision work that required all of his mental dexterity. The internal make up of the combadge shuffled on the molecular level, and then settled back into solid matter. Exerting his influence further, Carris ordered the tiny device to unlimber a series of subspace micro pulses which instantly unlocked the additional codes he needed.
“Security clearance accepted. Transmissions may commence.”
Carris sent both of the broadcasts. He then picked up the communicator and returned it to his breast. He reset Perboda’s terminal to training mode, a state it had occupied when the good counselor had left him in his quarters ten minutes before.
He stretched casually. The altered combadge was incriminating, but it hardly mattered. Events were now in motion, events that couldn’t be stopped. At this point, what happened to this distant part of his identity was irrelevant.
Counselor Perboda stepped into the room and gave Carris a warm smile. “Hi. I’m back. Did you have fun playing?”
Carris returned the smile. “Oh yeah, you could definitely say that.” As if remembering something with difficulty, he added, “Thanks for letting me play on your terminal. I had fun pretending to fly the ship. And thanks for letting me stay in your quarters for awhile. Sickbay was so…confining.” He ground his teeth silently. “It almost felt like I was…locked in a box or something.”
“I know the feeling.” The Orion man chuckled. “Hey, you didn’t run us into an asteroid field, did you?” He asked in mock alarm.
Carris smirked, regarding Perboda with hidden disdain. “Nothing so mundane, I assure you.”
The counselor sat on his haunches near Carris, so that his intimidating stature would be less evident. “Hey, you know Pe’los is here to play with you. She’s a little sad that you stopped spending time with her.” He indicated the closed doors with his head. “She’s in the living room. Would you like to see her now?”
The boy-that-wasn’t-a-boy shrugged. “Okay. Why not?”
“Good. She’ll be happy for your company again.”
Carris hopped down from the chair and Perboda offered a large green hand for him to take.
Before they entered into the main room, the counselor stopped and knelt again by the boy. “Carris, I know bad things happened to you on that outpost.” Emerald eyes glistened with empathy. “I’ve had bad things happen to me, too. But you know what? None of it was your fault.”
Carris groped for something that would satisfy the Orion. Luckily he had something handy, something that hit close to home. “Thanks. I’ll be okay.” He hung his head. “I just feel so-----violated. So…changed.”
The counselor nodded. “And it’s okay to be angry about that.”
The boy continued to stare at the floor as he spoke. “Oh, I’m angry all right. But humans, or rather, we humans have a saying that makes me feel better.”
Perboda tilted his head curiously. “Oh? And what is that?”
Carris leaned next to Perboda’s ear, his face contorting into a mask of pure hatred. “’What goes around comes around.’” He whispered.
***
“Have the orders been authenticated?” Captain Aubrey asked his first officer.
“Yes.” Shantok acknowledged beside him in the turbolift. “There is a crisis developing with the Talarians. The Starfleet COMM beacon relayed explicit instructions for both us and Gibraltar to return immediately to the Alpha Quadrant.” She paused as the car stopped and the doors opened. “There is more. Intrepid has been ordered to join up with Task Force Bravo at Deep Space Nine, which is on hot stand by for deployment. You are to assume command of the task force.”
Aubrey pondered the news as he walked onto the bridge. “Well, we can’t leave until I’ve ascertained Gibraltar’s situation first.” It was a hedge, but one he knew he could get away with.
Lt. Commander Adol was ready with an update. “Interference is abating quickly as we leave the interference zone sir, but it will be a few more minutes before we can link up to Gibraltar.” He tapped out a short pattern on the tactical board. “I am reading heavy and disorganized COMM chatter all over this area, however.”
Aubrey placed a hand on his command chair but didn’t sit down. “What type of ‘chatter’?”
Adol’s antennas went rigid as he concentrated. “Signals picking up strength. Now reading a distress call, audio only.” He looked up. “Velk, Captain. They’re hailing us by name.”
“On speakers.”
Waves of turbulent noise crackled through the bridge before a thick voice became audible. It was raw with panic. “Intrepid! We’re under attack and need immediate assistance. They’re savages! They say that we’re going to all be executed! We have female-----“
All at once another voice interrupted the first. It was icy and resolute. “Starfleet ship, you are warned to stay away or we will fire on you. Your alliance with the state of Thalo has made you our enemies.” The unseen speaker was nearly growling. “The Federation has befriended thieves and butchers. Be warned, no matter how great are your numbers, no matter how great your firepower, we’ll fight you with our last drop of blood!”
The speakers became silent.
Ensign Sorna echoed the thoughts of her shipmates. “Sir, what were they talking about? What alliance?” The young brunette looked back from the helm but it was clear that no one had the answer.
The captain descended the two steps beyond his chair, to stand next to the OPS officer. “Mr. Pal, what do you have on short range?”
“Reading eight Velk cutters at point one two seven light years. Six of the ships are attacking the remaining two. From their trajectory, it’s obvious those two ships were trying exit the system.” Lt. Pal watched as new data rolled through his screen. “Sir, the vessels that are being fired upon are in critical condition…multiple hull breaches, radiation leakage and failing life support.” Frowning, he read off the last bit of information. “Eighty-three life signs. They won’t last long.”
Shantok managed to look impassive and pained all at the same time. “Our last update from Gibraltar indicated that open warfare had begun among the Velk military. It would appear the situation has deteriorated further in our absence. It’s very likely that a civil war is now underway.”
Pal vindicated the idea. “Confirmed sir. Long range sensors are registering a total of one hundred nineteen Velk spacecraft engaged in combat with one another. They’re scattered throughout the Velkamis system and along the border of their territory.”
Adol was trying to keep his agitation under reign. “Captain, the Velk are repeating their distress call.” His face stretched into a grimace. “They’re begging us for help.”
The bridge fell silent with anticipation.
The captain slid into his chair and resisted the impulse to lean forward. Instead, he pushed back in his seat and kept his gaze locked on the forward viewer. “Ensign Sorna, continue course and speed to Velkohn.”
“Sir, with respect; if those Velk don’t get our help they’ll be killed.” Lt. Pal intoned beseechingly.
“Civil war or no, it’s still an internal Velk conflict, Mr. Pal.” The captain swept the bridge with stern eyes. “If we help either side, the Federation will lose all credibility.”
The Andorian leaned heavily on his tactical podium, still fending off weakness from the theta radiation poisoning. “Sir, if we drop out of warp near their position, we might be able to beam the survivors off with minimal danger-----”
“I’m sorry Mr. Adol, but it’s still a violation of the Prime Directive.” As usual, Aubrey seemed unfazed by the building turmoil around him.
Pal took a second shot. “But sir...is that even a consideration anymore? It’s obvious things have fallen apart. Our diplomatic mission is a failure. And eighty-three people are about to die.”
“All the more reason to keep whatever objectivity we have left.”
“And many more will die if we enflame an internal war, Lieutenant.” Shantok contributed. Dispassionate or not, she emoted an edge that warned against further challenges.
Aubrey set his jaw. “The debate is over, ladies and gentlemen.” He projected the statement loudly enough for any bridge officer to hear. “Mind your stations.” Silently, he entertained a grim idea. Dammit, Sandhurst. Please tell me this isn’t what it looks like…
“All communication channels are open, sir.” Adol reported sullenly. “Long range sensors at full capacity.”
Intrepid’s captain steeled himself, and looked reluctantly at the forward screen. “Put me through to Sandhurst. Right now.”
Adol raised a pair of stark white eyebrows. “Sir, Gibraltar is already hailing us. They’re broadcasting on the emergency channel. Having trouble pulling in their signal.”
Exasperated, Aubrey glowered at him. “You just said communications were clear.”
“They are, sir. It looks like someone over there is jamming their broadcast.” His fingers continued to move deftly. “Boosting power to the chamber coil receivers. Wait. I have them now.”
Aubrey exhaled slowly. “On screen.”
***
Chapter 22 continued
<cont'd>
Lt. JG Olivia Juneau didn’t bother feeling surprised. When she heard the purr of the lift platform behind her, she had no doubt who was riding the small elevator.
Without looking back from the compact enclave, she sighed in resignation. Well, you didn’t think you could avoid him forever did you? She asked herself rhetorically. He probably knows every nook and cranny of this ship.
Chief Engineer Cal Benjamin stood awkwardly for a moment before stepping through the circular railing and onto the deck before him. His face was set in an expression that was, to Juneau anyway, an irritatingly bad attempt at looking shocked.
“Livy?” He gulped. “I uh, didn’t know you were assigned to this area…”
She turned her chair towards him, folding her arms. “If you say so.”
He scratched the back of his head absently. “Really, umm…I didn’t think you’d be-----“
“Working?” She finished coolly. “After I briefed your captain and XO on Gibraltar’s sensor data, I asked to be assigned to a duty station. So they gave me this auxiliary operations board.” She waived casually at the console behind her. “Totally redundant. From what I understand it’s usually not even manned. But it was something to do.”
He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it.
She cocked an eyebrow at his confused silence. “What? Did you think I was just going to sit around my quarters for the rest of this trip?”
Benjamin was already chaffing at her tone-----and annoyed with himself for wanting to make amends to her. Particularly since he could think of nothing he had done wrong. He allowed the maintenance kit to drop with a loud thunk, advertising his own displeasure. “I came here to repair the grid behind that bulkhead.” He announced huffily. “Part of the network flashed out during the attack.”
“I know. It nearly flashed out into my face.” She rose and moved away from the panel. “My hair got a little singed. But I wasn’t hurt, just in case you were wondering.”
“I wasn’t wondering. I already checked with sickbay on your status.”
The simple and honest response threw her off track temporarily. As she collected herself, she watched him remove the bulkhead panel and begin to fish through his kit for the right tool.
He pushed his upper torso into the access panel and his disembodied voice drifted back to her from out of the small chamber. “You know, you were wrong about what you said a while back.”
Here we go, she thought. “You came up here to tell me I was wrong? And what was I wrong about?”
“That at least I was able to move past what happened.” His movements stopped, and she heard a heavy sigh echo from within the chamber. “I wasn’t. I never did.”
Her first impulse was to scoff, for she had been fully prepared for Benjamin to take her on a guilt trip. But it was as if an unseen hand moved a curtain aside at that very moment, allowing her to peer beyond her own pain and disillusionment for the first time in weeks. With that clarity there was sadness.
She could now see that Cal Benjamin had changed. He was no longer the supremely confident young officer she had become enamored with three years ago-----the man who had graduated with engineering honors. Once upon a time, she had spent long nights with him, listening to how his ideas would one day change the face of starship operations. He had been cocky and arrogant, almost to the point of being intolerable-----and Juneau had soaked it up. She had needed his arrogance. His self love was contagious and had nurtured her fledging confidence, allowing it to blossom.
Today, she didn’t recognize the stranger before her. He was more like a bumbling cadet than the man who had promised to conquer Starfleet and take her along for the ride.
“Well, maybe it’s time you did move past it.” Juneau said to the visible part of his body. Then, barely audible, she continued, “Maybe we both deserve to be forgiven.”
Benjamin withdrew from the access opening and dropped the spanner into the box at his feet. “Livy, we killed a man. How do you forgive yourself for that?”
Hearing those words spoken aloud for the first time, she recoiled. Out of reflex, she began to recite a speech she had rehearsed to herself many times over the last three years. “No, we didn’t. If we had, you and I would be in a rehab colony as we speak. We went too far with a prank, Cal. That was all. How could we possibly know that he would snap, and…and…?”
Benjamin blanched at the memory. “It doesn’t matter whether we knew or not. It was cruel no matter how you slice it. He didn’t deserve-----“
“He did deserve it!” She lashed out-----and she was just as surprised as Benjamin by her own vehemence. She took several deep breaths to reclaim her composure. “Look Cal, I’m sorry about what happened but let’s face it; Commander Fawcett was an ass, and he made both our lives a hell so yes, he deserved a little payback.” Wavering, she pressed on. “The rest was just…well, bad luck. That’s all it was. Bad luck. For all of us.”
Benjamin picked up a diagnostic device and fiddled with it unnecessarily. “Well, it wasn’t all bad luck for you. After all, it gave you the perfect excuse to leave me.”
Her mouth hung open. “What?”
Believing he was now on the moral high ground, Benjamin went on the offensive. “Sure, that’s why it was so easy for you to disappear, without so much as a goodbye or a ‘kiss my butt’. You could’ve stayed. We could have faced things together, but instead you ran away-----“
“’Ran away’?” She stammered.
“Sure,” He sniffed indignantly. “Isn’t that what you wanted?” And before he knew what was happening, three years of anguish came out in a single gush. “But you couldn’t be honest with me. You didn’t have the guts to just say ‘I don’t care about you anymore’, so you used the first excuse to leave. You never gave a damn about me and you never gave a damn about us! You lied about everything you ever said to me! What happened? Did your ‘dear John’ letter get lost in subspace? Was I too hard to find? Or maybe you forgot me so damn fast-----“
She slapped him.
It was a light slap, but it stunned him into silence. The instrument he had been holding clattered to the deck. He goggled at her, looking wounded.
The interlude that followed seemed a very long one, hellishly long for both of them.
Eventually the power of speech returned to Juneau. “Is that what you’ve been telling yourself all this time?” She choked. “My God, Cal! After the review board they were going to send us to opposite ends of the galaxy! Or you did you miss that part? I requested an immediate transfer to allow us both some dignity.” She shook her head in disgust. “But I guess I shouldn’t have bothered.”
A glimmer of the old Cal Benjamin came to life. He squared his shoulders and raised his chin. “I wanted to spend my life with you.”
The red alert siren reverberated through the room.
Startled, they both stared questioningly at each other.
Someone spoke through the ship’s PA system. “Battlestations! All hands man your battlestations.”
Shantok chirped out from Benjamin’s combadge immediately afterward. “Mr. Benjamin, we need you to increase speed by three percent.”
He continued staring at Juneau with deep remorse. It took him nearly thirty seconds to shift mental gears. He tapped his communicator. “Ma’am, we’re already at warp nine point three and I’m having trouble maintaining that as it is.”
“It was my understanding that our warp core, injector assembly and coils are state of the art.”
He cleared his throat nervously. “Uh, our drive system isn’t the problem, ma’am. It’s our superstructure. The hull configuration is still a good forty years behind the times.”
Juneau looked wistful, as if the conversation were familiar to her.
He went on. “Our structural integrity is pushed to the limit to keep up with the peristaltic stress factors produced by this new core.”
Aubrey broke into the channel, his voice as hard as nails. “Mr. Benjamin, I don’t care if you have to make love to the SI generators and tie the ship together with bailing wire. But I want nine point six.”
The chief engineer was pouty, the image of a little boy who had just been ordered to stay in and do his homework. “I’ll get back to engineering and do what I can, sir. Can I ask what’s going on?”
“Gibraltar is under attack from the same Velk battleship we ran into at the Bog. We’re moving to intercept, so speed is critical. Captain out.”
Juneau’s eyes became large ovals.
Benjamin scooped up his diagnostic scanner and tool box. Silently, he turned away from her and began to trot back to the small lift.
She acted on impulse, recognizing that a chasm would lie between them forever if she let him walk away. “Need a hand in engineering?” She blurted out. “It’s not my specialty but I’m sure I could be useful.”
He looked back at her with confusion. When his reply came, it was bereft of thought. “But you were assigned here.”
She jerked a thumb at the open bulkhead and dark panel. “Yeah, I was until you pulled out the power grid and killed my station.” Fighting to keep desperation out of her voice, she dropped all pretenses. “Cal, my shipmates are in trouble. I can’t just stand around doing nothing.”
Benjamin was trying to navigate the currents of emotion that seemed to flow in different directions simultaneously. Shame, anger and yearning were all competing for equal attention. The sting from Juneau’s slap was still upon his face.
Something won out in the end. He just didn’t know what that something was. “Sure. Of course. I can use the help.”
As they descended in the lift together, his earlier words drifted back to her. She turned them over in her mind more than once on the way down.
I wanted to spend my life with you…
<cont'd>
Lt. JG Olivia Juneau didn’t bother feeling surprised. When she heard the purr of the lift platform behind her, she had no doubt who was riding the small elevator.
Without looking back from the compact enclave, she sighed in resignation. Well, you didn’t think you could avoid him forever did you? She asked herself rhetorically. He probably knows every nook and cranny of this ship.
Chief Engineer Cal Benjamin stood awkwardly for a moment before stepping through the circular railing and onto the deck before him. His face was set in an expression that was, to Juneau anyway, an irritatingly bad attempt at looking shocked.
“Livy?” He gulped. “I uh, didn’t know you were assigned to this area…”
She turned her chair towards him, folding her arms. “If you say so.”
He scratched the back of his head absently. “Really, umm…I didn’t think you’d be-----“
“Working?” She finished coolly. “After I briefed your captain and XO on Gibraltar’s sensor data, I asked to be assigned to a duty station. So they gave me this auxiliary operations board.” She waived casually at the console behind her. “Totally redundant. From what I understand it’s usually not even manned. But it was something to do.”
He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it.
She cocked an eyebrow at his confused silence. “What? Did you think I was just going to sit around my quarters for the rest of this trip?”
Benjamin was already chaffing at her tone-----and annoyed with himself for wanting to make amends to her. Particularly since he could think of nothing he had done wrong. He allowed the maintenance kit to drop with a loud thunk, advertising his own displeasure. “I came here to repair the grid behind that bulkhead.” He announced huffily. “Part of the network flashed out during the attack.”
“I know. It nearly flashed out into my face.” She rose and moved away from the panel. “My hair got a little singed. But I wasn’t hurt, just in case you were wondering.”
“I wasn’t wondering. I already checked with sickbay on your status.”
The simple and honest response threw her off track temporarily. As she collected herself, she watched him remove the bulkhead panel and begin to fish through his kit for the right tool.
He pushed his upper torso into the access panel and his disembodied voice drifted back to her from out of the small chamber. “You know, you were wrong about what you said a while back.”
Here we go, she thought. “You came up here to tell me I was wrong? And what was I wrong about?”
“That at least I was able to move past what happened.” His movements stopped, and she heard a heavy sigh echo from within the chamber. “I wasn’t. I never did.”
Her first impulse was to scoff, for she had been fully prepared for Benjamin to take her on a guilt trip. But it was as if an unseen hand moved a curtain aside at that very moment, allowing her to peer beyond her own pain and disillusionment for the first time in weeks. With that clarity there was sadness.
She could now see that Cal Benjamin had changed. He was no longer the supremely confident young officer she had become enamored with three years ago-----the man who had graduated with engineering honors. Once upon a time, she had spent long nights with him, listening to how his ideas would one day change the face of starship operations. He had been cocky and arrogant, almost to the point of being intolerable-----and Juneau had soaked it up. She had needed his arrogance. His self love was contagious and had nurtured her fledging confidence, allowing it to blossom.
Today, she didn’t recognize the stranger before her. He was more like a bumbling cadet than the man who had promised to conquer Starfleet and take her along for the ride.
“Well, maybe it’s time you did move past it.” Juneau said to the visible part of his body. Then, barely audible, she continued, “Maybe we both deserve to be forgiven.”
Benjamin withdrew from the access opening and dropped the spanner into the box at his feet. “Livy, we killed a man. How do you forgive yourself for that?”
Hearing those words spoken aloud for the first time, she recoiled. Out of reflex, she began to recite a speech she had rehearsed to herself many times over the last three years. “No, we didn’t. If we had, you and I would be in a rehab colony as we speak. We went too far with a prank, Cal. That was all. How could we possibly know that he would snap, and…and…?”
Benjamin blanched at the memory. “It doesn’t matter whether we knew or not. It was cruel no matter how you slice it. He didn’t deserve-----“
“He did deserve it!” She lashed out-----and she was just as surprised as Benjamin by her own vehemence. She took several deep breaths to reclaim her composure. “Look Cal, I’m sorry about what happened but let’s face it; Commander Fawcett was an ass, and he made both our lives a hell so yes, he deserved a little payback.” Wavering, she pressed on. “The rest was just…well, bad luck. That’s all it was. Bad luck. For all of us.”
Benjamin picked up a diagnostic device and fiddled with it unnecessarily. “Well, it wasn’t all bad luck for you. After all, it gave you the perfect excuse to leave me.”
Her mouth hung open. “What?”
Believing he was now on the moral high ground, Benjamin went on the offensive. “Sure, that’s why it was so easy for you to disappear, without so much as a goodbye or a ‘kiss my butt’. You could’ve stayed. We could have faced things together, but instead you ran away-----“
“’Ran away’?” She stammered.
“Sure,” He sniffed indignantly. “Isn’t that what you wanted?” And before he knew what was happening, three years of anguish came out in a single gush. “But you couldn’t be honest with me. You didn’t have the guts to just say ‘I don’t care about you anymore’, so you used the first excuse to leave. You never gave a damn about me and you never gave a damn about us! You lied about everything you ever said to me! What happened? Did your ‘dear John’ letter get lost in subspace? Was I too hard to find? Or maybe you forgot me so damn fast-----“
She slapped him.
It was a light slap, but it stunned him into silence. The instrument he had been holding clattered to the deck. He goggled at her, looking wounded.
The interlude that followed seemed a very long one, hellishly long for both of them.
Eventually the power of speech returned to Juneau. “Is that what you’ve been telling yourself all this time?” She choked. “My God, Cal! After the review board they were going to send us to opposite ends of the galaxy! Or you did you miss that part? I requested an immediate transfer to allow us both some dignity.” She shook her head in disgust. “But I guess I shouldn’t have bothered.”
A glimmer of the old Cal Benjamin came to life. He squared his shoulders and raised his chin. “I wanted to spend my life with you.”
The red alert siren reverberated through the room.
Startled, they both stared questioningly at each other.
Someone spoke through the ship’s PA system. “Battlestations! All hands man your battlestations.”
Shantok chirped out from Benjamin’s combadge immediately afterward. “Mr. Benjamin, we need you to increase speed by three percent.”
He continued staring at Juneau with deep remorse. It took him nearly thirty seconds to shift mental gears. He tapped his communicator. “Ma’am, we’re already at warp nine point three and I’m having trouble maintaining that as it is.”
“It was my understanding that our warp core, injector assembly and coils are state of the art.”
He cleared his throat nervously. “Uh, our drive system isn’t the problem, ma’am. It’s our superstructure. The hull configuration is still a good forty years behind the times.”
Juneau looked wistful, as if the conversation were familiar to her.
He went on. “Our structural integrity is pushed to the limit to keep up with the peristaltic stress factors produced by this new core.”
Aubrey broke into the channel, his voice as hard as nails. “Mr. Benjamin, I don’t care if you have to make love to the SI generators and tie the ship together with bailing wire. But I want nine point six.”
The chief engineer was pouty, the image of a little boy who had just been ordered to stay in and do his homework. “I’ll get back to engineering and do what I can, sir. Can I ask what’s going on?”
“Gibraltar is under attack from the same Velk battleship we ran into at the Bog. We’re moving to intercept, so speed is critical. Captain out.”
Juneau’s eyes became large ovals.
Benjamin scooped up his diagnostic scanner and tool box. Silently, he turned away from her and began to trot back to the small lift.
She acted on impulse, recognizing that a chasm would lie between them forever if she let him walk away. “Need a hand in engineering?” She blurted out. “It’s not my specialty but I’m sure I could be useful.”
He looked back at her with confusion. When his reply came, it was bereft of thought. “But you were assigned here.”
She jerked a thumb at the open bulkhead and dark panel. “Yeah, I was until you pulled out the power grid and killed my station.” Fighting to keep desperation out of her voice, she dropped all pretenses. “Cal, my shipmates are in trouble. I can’t just stand around doing nothing.”
Benjamin was trying to navigate the currents of emotion that seemed to flow in different directions simultaneously. Shame, anger and yearning were all competing for equal attention. The sting from Juneau’s slap was still upon his face.
Something won out in the end. He just didn’t know what that something was. “Sure. Of course. I can use the help.”
As they descended in the lift together, his earlier words drifted back to her. She turned them over in her mind more than once on the way down.
I wanted to spend my life with you…
***
Very good character work with Benjamin and Juneau--as dark secrets start coming out, we get more of glimpse into why Juneau is the way she is. Also, the scene with Carris is even more chilling as we know what the shapeshifter did and what he might do yet again now that he's alone with the little girl.
What's that old saying about vengeance? I see a lot of graves being dug here by the time this runs its course.
What's that old saying about vengeance? I see a lot of graves being dug here by the time this runs its course.
I wholeheartedly agree with the above comments. "Chilling" is the perfect word to describe Carris, and I love what you're doing with that character. And I also agree about the interaction between Juneau and Cal. Very nice.
When you write a really powerful and arresting story readers can easily get side tracked when the writer decides to change gears suddenly and explore a seemingly less relevant sub-plot. But I'm loving it. I'm a sucker for well done space opera and this certainly qualifies.
The main plot has me hooked, the shape-shifter child is freaky as hell and a good story is nothing with some ol' fashioned human drama.
Excellent work all around.
The main plot has me hooked, the shape-shifter child is freaky as hell and a good story is nothing with some ol' fashioned human drama.
Excellent work all around.
^ Yeah, what Mistral said. Great character work here. I'm (impatiently!) awaiting the next installment! 
