This story takes place post-Nemesis dealing with galactic tensions following the defeat of the Dominion. This first installment introduces my main characters, who are firmly in the tradition of Trek multiculturalism and acceptance. Here goes.
* * *
The Norway-class USS Braveheart was on an ordinary ole’ patrol along the Cardassian neutral zone on that day That fateful day. Captain Ernesto Emilio Gonzalez Sanchez was captaining the arrowhead-shaped Norway class, which FYI has a shuttle bay in the stern.
He sat contemplating out his quarter’s window’s, sipping ponderously his black tea. Black like space he reflected, piercingly. Cold, lifeless – totaly pointless. The Captain wished he was back on Ourman 8’s sparkling beaches with his wife, Vasquez. Yes, but such is the burden of a Starfleet officer he reminded himself. There was a surging loneliness, stirring, brewing within him whenever he thought of such things. Brewing like his tea recently was – brewing.
Wee-bee-woo-boo.
Sanchez’s door went off.
“Enter,” he shouted softly.
“Here’s the report from our scans, sir” the young, fresh Ensign barked. Sanchez was stuck with an untested ship and an untested crew. Just what he needed, he thought, if they should encounter say, a Cardassian warship – one armed with 2 torpedo launchers and 8 Class-IV disrupters. Frankly he was hoping for an encounter, to push the envelope of his crew and the ship. Purportedly the Norway class was extraordinarily manouverable, agile, and quite rigid.
The fresh sensor scans rezzed up on the padd. A collection of glowy blurbs in the lower left-hand corner of the screen might have meant an approaching fleet attempting to mask it’s warp and weapon signatures with thorium fields. Might have. But thorium was notoriously unstable. Had the Romulans mastered it? Finally? Sanchez didn’t know… But he wondered…
Emerging in Sanchez’s head was the idea that the Ensign was still in the room. “Do you have a question, Ensign?” Sanchez laughed.
The Ensign readjusted his stance and clearly mumbled, “Will we ever see home again, sir?”
Contemplatively rubbing and his beard and taking a long draught and of his tea, Sanchez mussed, “Perhaps, Engisn. Maybe. If we do our jobs. Right. Dismissed.”
END OF PART I
Vice Admiral Hirohito Mikado sat in seiza position, meditating through his porthole. Several scrolls, his very own work, hung from the walls. In one corner of the room was a small Shinto shrine, with several offerings having been put on it earlier that day. Captain Mikado came from a proud Samurai lineage. His ancestors had, among other things, fought with Toyotomi Hideyoshi against the Western barbarians (those white devils!), defended the peace in the Tokugawa Era, and fought the bastard American devils during the so-called World War II of ancient Earth history. Naturally Commodore Mikado was versed in the art of the sword and various martial arts – jujitsu, kendo, aikido, judo,, iaido, bushido, sado, kendo… He wisely got up from seiza position and shuffled meanderingly over to the replicator for some kocha, or black tea. He always drank some kocha before practicing jujitsu with his seitotachi, or students. He was there sensei, or teacher.
The Captain was permitted to wear a kimono during off-duty hours, and occasionally was allowed to emerge onto the bridge with the wakizashi, no matter how dangerous it was too weer katana on the bridge. Yes, The Ciptain though. I am proud of my rich heritage.
END OF PART II
The low light rubbed beautifully across the deep ebony skin of Lieutenant M’Dinga who sat in thoughtful repose, staring out his quarter’s elongated window. His quarters were decorated with various symbols of uniquely African culture – masks used during ritual dances, an actual spear used by the Zulu tribe against the British, a framed jazz album by Thelonious Monk… In one corner was a shrine to Nelson Mandela. Normally M’Dinga would wake up to the sounds of the Sahara – played through his room’s speaker system, eat a hardy breakfast and time permitting, get in a short workout on the holodeck. His huge, towering frame was quite threatening.
“Good day, Lieutenant M’Dinga!” a passing Ensign said in the corridor. M’Dinga simply replied with a piercing, barking gaze.
The Engisn nervously withdrew from the Lieutenant, trying to continue about his business as through nothing had happened. Of course, this was normal – the Captain understood M’Dinga’s attitude and that it would never actually lead to violence.
END OF PART III
U.S.S. Braveheart, main engineering
“Get those plasma infusers back on line!” I barked at the Lieutenant. Main engineering was a mess after the attack by the Tholians.
The brown-haired Turillian replied, by indicating with his four-fingered slate-colored hands that it was a no-go. Turrilian blood was gray.
“God damn it…” I muttered under my breath, loudly. It was too easy to get them back on line.
“Sabotage?” the Turillian, name of Xindro Xynne, asked pre-emptively, mirroring my thoughts at that same instant of time.
I stabbed at the control panel by way of retort. The infusers were now shut off. “If something’s wrong with them,” I growled happily, “I want you to find out what, Mr. Xynne.”
“Yes sir,” he barked half-heartedly.
I needed to get to the bridge.
END OF PART IV
* * *
The Norway-class USS Braveheart was on an ordinary ole’ patrol along the Cardassian neutral zone on that day That fateful day. Captain Ernesto Emilio Gonzalez Sanchez was captaining the arrowhead-shaped Norway class, which FYI has a shuttle bay in the stern.
He sat contemplating out his quarter’s window’s, sipping ponderously his black tea. Black like space he reflected, piercingly. Cold, lifeless – totaly pointless. The Captain wished he was back on Ourman 8’s sparkling beaches with his wife, Vasquez. Yes, but such is the burden of a Starfleet officer he reminded himself. There was a surging loneliness, stirring, brewing within him whenever he thought of such things. Brewing like his tea recently was – brewing.
Wee-bee-woo-boo.
Sanchez’s door went off.
“Enter,” he shouted softly.
“Here’s the report from our scans, sir” the young, fresh Ensign barked. Sanchez was stuck with an untested ship and an untested crew. Just what he needed, he thought, if they should encounter say, a Cardassian warship – one armed with 2 torpedo launchers and 8 Class-IV disrupters. Frankly he was hoping for an encounter, to push the envelope of his crew and the ship. Purportedly the Norway class was extraordinarily manouverable, agile, and quite rigid.
The fresh sensor scans rezzed up on the padd. A collection of glowy blurbs in the lower left-hand corner of the screen might have meant an approaching fleet attempting to mask it’s warp and weapon signatures with thorium fields. Might have. But thorium was notoriously unstable. Had the Romulans mastered it? Finally? Sanchez didn’t know… But he wondered…
Emerging in Sanchez’s head was the idea that the Ensign was still in the room. “Do you have a question, Ensign?” Sanchez laughed.
The Ensign readjusted his stance and clearly mumbled, “Will we ever see home again, sir?”
Contemplatively rubbing and his beard and taking a long draught and of his tea, Sanchez mussed, “Perhaps, Engisn. Maybe. If we do our jobs. Right. Dismissed.”
END OF PART I
Vice Admiral Hirohito Mikado sat in seiza position, meditating through his porthole. Several scrolls, his very own work, hung from the walls. In one corner of the room was a small Shinto shrine, with several offerings having been put on it earlier that day. Captain Mikado came from a proud Samurai lineage. His ancestors had, among other things, fought with Toyotomi Hideyoshi against the Western barbarians (those white devils!), defended the peace in the Tokugawa Era, and fought the bastard American devils during the so-called World War II of ancient Earth history. Naturally Commodore Mikado was versed in the art of the sword and various martial arts – jujitsu, kendo, aikido, judo,, iaido, bushido, sado, kendo… He wisely got up from seiza position and shuffled meanderingly over to the replicator for some kocha, or black tea. He always drank some kocha before practicing jujitsu with his seitotachi, or students. He was there sensei, or teacher.
The Captain was permitted to wear a kimono during off-duty hours, and occasionally was allowed to emerge onto the bridge with the wakizashi, no matter how dangerous it was too weer katana on the bridge. Yes, The Ciptain though. I am proud of my rich heritage.
END OF PART II
The low light rubbed beautifully across the deep ebony skin of Lieutenant M’Dinga who sat in thoughtful repose, staring out his quarter’s elongated window. His quarters were decorated with various symbols of uniquely African culture – masks used during ritual dances, an actual spear used by the Zulu tribe against the British, a framed jazz album by Thelonious Monk… In one corner was a shrine to Nelson Mandela. Normally M’Dinga would wake up to the sounds of the Sahara – played through his room’s speaker system, eat a hardy breakfast and time permitting, get in a short workout on the holodeck. His huge, towering frame was quite threatening.
“Good day, Lieutenant M’Dinga!” a passing Ensign said in the corridor. M’Dinga simply replied with a piercing, barking gaze.
The Engisn nervously withdrew from the Lieutenant, trying to continue about his business as through nothing had happened. Of course, this was normal – the Captain understood M’Dinga’s attitude and that it would never actually lead to violence.
END OF PART III
U.S.S. Braveheart, main engineering
“Get those plasma infusers back on line!” I barked at the Lieutenant. Main engineering was a mess after the attack by the Tholians.
The brown-haired Turillian replied, by indicating with his four-fingered slate-colored hands that it was a no-go. Turrilian blood was gray.
“God damn it…” I muttered under my breath, loudly. It was too easy to get them back on line.
“Sabotage?” the Turillian, name of Xindro Xynne, asked pre-emptively, mirroring my thoughts at that same instant of time.
I stabbed at the control panel by way of retort. The infusers were now shut off. “If something’s wrong with them,” I growled happily, “I want you to find out what, Mr. Xynne.”
“Yes sir,” he barked half-heartedly.
I needed to get to the bridge.
END OF PART IV