“As
most of you already know we are on our way to the Argolis cluster. While we all
had expected to be assigned to the Romulan border for a while longer, Command
feels that, in light of recent diplomatic success with the Klingons, the
situation has stabilized enough to send us to the Cardassian front.” Tarin
looked from face to face and she was sure everyone except Doctor Jascar knew at
least something about their next mission by now, even Counselor Lee.
“Starfleet
has had some indication of increased Cardassian activities around the cluster
and our mission is to find out what is going on. Most of the information we have
comes from long-range probes and automated sensor devices along the border and
none of it is conclusive. Whatever they may be up to, the Cardassians are going
out off their way to make sure it remains a secret for now.”
“Getting
to the Argolis will take us about a week, even at our current speed of warp
8,” Rishana remarked. “There must be some other ship in the sector that’s
a lot closer than we are.”
“Yes
there is,” Commander Enikal answered. He touched a control on the desk and a
map of the area around the Argolis protostar cluster appeared on the viewer.
“We have ships stationed at Starbases in the region, but most of them are on
patrol along the border or have been temporarily reassigned to Betazed”
“Be
that as it may, the starship Malinche is on its way to investigate as we
speak, but the protostar cluster interferes with most of our sensors. Even with
two ships it will be a difficult and time-consuming job.”
“The
Malinche, that’s Captain Sander’s ship, isn’t it,” Commander
Westmore asked.
“Yes,”
Tarin replied, eyeing the Commander inquisitively, “do you know him?”
“Not
in person, no.” As so often before Alexander Westmore’s face betrayed not
the smallest hint about his emotion. “As far as I have heard he is quite a
capable officer. As I recall he was even on the list of potential captains for
the Valkyrie.”
* * * * *
“A
single ship is not enough for a thorough investigation, so Command is sending
the Valkyrie as well.” Captain Sanders told his assembled officers.
“Together we should be able to find out if the Cardassians are active in this
sector and if so, what they are up to, but it may take a while.”
“The
Valkyrie, that’s the new Galaxy-class ship we have been hearing so much
about lately, isn’t it?”
Captain
Sanders clenched his hands. “Yes it is,” he replied in a gruff voice.
“While we have been fighting the Cardassians for months, Command decided to
make heroes off the Valkyrie and her crew.”
“Sounds
like you have a bone to pick with Captain Veal,” his XO remarked.
“No.”
No one in the conference room doubted that Kyle Sanders meant what he said. “I
have never met her, but I think she did a very good job during the battle of
Vulcanis and during the Chaos War. I am not implying that Captain Veal is
anything but a capable officer; I just can’t agree with the way Starfleet
Command is turning her into a figurehead.”
A
few nods around the table signaled the agreement of his senior officers, but
Captain Sanders wasn’t really paying attention. During the last few months
many other officers had done their own part to keep the Federation alive, but
that was only part of why he disagreed with the role Command had assigned the Valkyrie.
He
was aware of the pressure Starfleet Command had put on Captain Veal’s
shoulders and he didn’t envy her for it. He knew his name had been on the list
of COs for the Valkyrie, but if he had been offered the position he would
have declined. Maybe Captain Veal was just too young, too inexperienced, to
realize what she had gotten herself into. On the other hand, if she wasn’t…
* * * * *
“Now,
ladies and gentlemen, before we end this meeting, there are a few announcements
I have to make.” Tarin looked from face to face and smiled. “Don’t worry,
none of it is bad news.”
“First
of all, our recent mission with the Klingons has made it pretty obvious that
sometimes standard shuttlecraft are not large or fast enough for what we may
need in the future. Command agrees with me and as soon as they can free one up
from it's regular duties we will get a new auxiliary craft assigned to the
Valkyrie.”
Rishana’s
eyes gleamed. The Valkyrie was a fine ship, but piloting something that
was a little more maneuverable would be fun. “What will it be, a Runabout?”
Tarin
slowly shook her head. “We will get a Tultrak-class.”
“Like
the courier we used on the L-351 mission?” Moira asked. “That was one fast
little ship.”
“Yes,
it’s the same class. Tultraks are only lightly armed, but they are faster than
a Runabout and have stronger shields.”
Ben
leaned forward and folded his hands on the table. “Another bonus is that they
have been in service for over a decade. All their systems are thoroughly tested
and built from standard components. Servicing one of them should be easy.”
Tarin
raised her hand to stop the conversation from drifting to the new ship. She had
a few other things to announce. “As it happens, this was not all I have
discussed with Starfleet Command. Surprisingly enough they agreed with
everything I had to say.”
Chuckles
and grins from almost everyone answered her as she turned to Felix Alvarez.
“Lieutenant Alvarez, as of today you are permanently assigned to this ship as
Chief Security Officer with all privileges and responsibilities that go along
with the position.”
She
rose and walked around the table. Alvarez
glanced at the padd the Captain handed him and acknowledged receipt of his new
orders with a thumbprint.
“Congratulations.”
After she shook the Lieutenant’s hand Tarin returned to the head of the
conference table but did not sit down again. Instead she reached for a small box
she had brought with her.
“Now,
there is one more thing I have to announce and I am both happy and proud to do
it. Lieutenant O’Shea, will you step forward please.”
Moira
looked around as she rose, but nothing she saw provided an explanation for the
Captain’s announcement. Most of her colleagues looked as surprised as she did,
but at least Commander Enikal offered an encouraging smile.
When
Moira stood in front of the Captain, Tarin’s voice turned an official tone.
“Lieutenant Moira O’Shea, Starfleet Command recognizes your outstanding
achievements during your recent mission on planet L-351. Considering your
actions not only in the best tradition of Starfleet but being instrumental in
preserving intergalactic peace as well, it is my honor and my privilege to
herewith award you the Palm Leaf of the Axanar Peace Mission in recognition of
your services to Starfleet and the Federation.”
Tarin
opened the small box and taking out the shiny medal she placed the silver and
blue ribbon over Moira’s shoulders. “Congratulations, Lieutenant.” She
shook Moira’s hand. As her senior officers clapped their hands she added:
“Decorating an officer serving under her command is one of the rarest and most
pleasurable duties a starship captain can perform and I am sure that in your
case I will have the opportunity and the pleasure again.”
Captain
Veal smiled – no, Moira realized, as stunned as she was – the captain
grinned from ear to ear. Before Lieutenant O’Shea had a chance to reply, Tarin
addressed the assembled officers again.
“This concludes the official part
of our meeting, but before you all go about your duties again there is one final
announcement I have to make.” The broad grin was still on Tarin’s face when
she went on. Her crew had performed admirably so far, and whatever happened in
the Argolis sector, her people deserved a little relaxation.
“I
believe we have a lot to celebrate, so after 1900 all drinks in Ten Forward are
on my tab.”
* * * *
“Congratulations
again, Lieutenant.” Tarin
didn’t offer her hand to Moira but raised her glass in salute.
Moira
O’Shea was happy. She had received a commendation after the Chaos War, only a
few months ago, but somehow being awarded a medal by her commanding officer
instead of some Admiral or another was quite different -somehow it seemed more
real. And it was not only that. All the people she knew from the Eclipse
and who had somehow found themselves on the Valkyrie seemed to agree that
she had earned the commendation.
For
a time Moira had feared the transfer to such a large ship as the Valkyrie
would make her lose all the connections she had built on her former post, but it
hadn't happened. She was still part of a family, and if anything, her
‘family’ had grown larger, rather than smaller, during the last month.
Captain
Veal lightly placed a hand on Moira’s shoulder and steered her away from the
crowd.
“There
is something I want to tell you Moira.” Tarin took a sip of wine. “When I
received my first commendations they didn’t mean much, if anything, to me. I
looked at them as only being small pieces of metal that didn’t make a
difference about what I had done and in a way that was true.” The Captain
leaned against the wall by the window and for a moment she looked out at the
stars streaking by the huge spaceship. Sipping her wine again she looked back at
the red-haired Lieutenant.
“In
another way I was very wrong about how I viewed my first commendations and I
want you to learn this lesson earlier than I did. This medal is not about
Starfleet Command recognizing what a good job you did and it’s not something
to brag about. At least not much,” Tarin added with a wink.
“What
makes commendations important is that they tell us something about what we have
become. Look at it as a signpost on a road you travel, the road to becoming a
better officer. If you do that you can truly be proud of the medal and
yourself.”
* * * * *
Captain
Sanders was proud of the Malinche and her crew. Before the Chaos War they
had been patrolling the Demilitarized Zone on a constant lookout for both Maquis
and Cardassian activities, but since the Cardassians had overrun Bajor five
months ago, the Maquis had almost completely vanished. Now all the Malinche
ever dealt with was Cardassians – his crew knew what to look for and they
would be ready, should the Cardies try to make a move.
He
listened to the near constant reports for a moment and checked the small
computer readout by his chair. So far there was no sign of anything unusual, at
least not outside the Argolis. If there were Cardassians around, they were
hidden inside the tight group of protostars and the green and yellow nebula that
surrounded them.
Captain Sanders knew any ship maneuvering in the cluster ran a high risk of being torn apart by the gravimetric shear, but if the Cardassians had found a way to navigate through the Argolis cluster, they would have a perfect hiding place in striking distance from Betazed and other important Federation world. On the other hand, that idea itself seemed so preposterous it was hardly worth considering, taking into account the conditions inside a protostar cluster.
“Tactical,
prepare two class VIII probes for launch and set their course directly to port
and starboard, along the edge of the cluster.” The strong electromagnetic
radiation from the molecular cloud was limiting the Malinche’s sensors
even at the distance they kept for now. Using probes would give them at least a
little more to look at.
“Aye
aye, Sir.”
If
the Cardassians were moving ships through this sector they couldn’t stay
hidden forever. Sooner or later they would have to make their move and when that
happened Captain Sanders would be ready.
* * * * *
"Everyone else is celebrating Lieutenant O'Shea's commendation, except for you, so I thought I'd bring the party to your office." Tarin placed a bottle and two glasses on Doctor Jascar's desk.
Theron slowly put down the padd he had been reading and glanced at the Captain. "I really don't feel like partying. I think you would have a lot more fun if you went back to Ten Forward."
Tarin just sat down and opened the bottle. "No." She poured some bright red liquid into both glasses and pushed one of them across the desk. "You are not getting rid of me so easily, Doctor."
Doctor
Jascar's eyes narrowed as he watched her lean back into the visitor chair,
taking a sip of her drink. She appeared relaxed, but nothing about her betrayed
her true feelings. He crossed his arms and leaned back.
"Why
not?" Maybe she would just tell him and he could figure out what he needed
to do to be left alone again.
"As
far as I can tell you are a good doctor and this ship needs a good CMO, but
that's not enough." She took another sip of her drink. “We need officers
who are part of the crew.” She leaned forward a little and placed her
glass on the table.
“Sooner
or later you will have to stop hiding in this office and I would like it to
happen sooner, rather than later, if only for your own sake. You can’t dwell
in the past forever.”
Theron
snorted and reached for the drink the Captain had poured him. “Unlike the rest
of you, I find that a little difficult.” He took a sip of his drink,
than a gulp. It was some kind of wine, but he didn’t pay attention to the
taste. “You may be able to just forget about the past and go back to your
usual Starfleet routine, but I can’t, so why don’t you just go back to the
party, mingle with the rest of the crew and leave me alone?”
Tarin
breathed deeply before she replied in a cold voice. “Because right now,
Doctor, you are the most self-centered pigheaded man I have ever met and someone
has to set your head straight.”
* * * * *
“Captain,
one of our probes reports a Ferengi freighter moving very close to the cluster.
Coordinates 084 by 021.”
Kyle
Sanders swiveled his chair around and eyed his tactical officer. “Are you sure
it is a Ferengi?”
The
Andorian Lieutenant checked the sensors again before he looked at his captain
and nodded. “Yes Sir, I am certain. The sensor readings are quite conclusive,
even with the interference.”
Now
what would a Ferengi ship be doing in this sector? Entering the cluster was
close to suicide and there were no really profitable trade-goods on any world
within five light-years. Maybe it was a smuggler who hoped the radiation would
mask his movements from Starfleet ships in this area. That was certainly not
what the Malinche had been looking for, but they had to investigate it
nonetheless.
“Helm,
set a course for the last known coordinates of that Ferengi ship, warp four.”
* * * * *
“Now
wait a minute!”
“No,”
the Captain cut him off. “You will wait and just listen to me, Doctor Jascar.”
Theron realized he would be well advised to do as she said. To him the Captain
had never before looked or sounded so cold and bitter.
“Do
you really think you are the only one who suffered during the war or carries the
burden of painful memories with him? Do you really believe the rest of us can
just forget the past and live our lives as if nothing bad ever happened? Do you
truly believe you have a monopoly on loss and sadness and pain?”
She
leaned back into the chair again and she sounded more sympathetic when, after a
moment of silence, she went on. “Believe me, many people on this ship have
been through the same you are going through. The only difference is that we have
been able to find ways to deal with it.”
Tarin
looked down at the back of her left hand and gently touched it with her right,
as if to assure herself it was still there. Looking up at Theron Jascar again,
she almost smiled. “Sooner or later you will have to find your own way to
handle the loss, but trying to do it alone is going to be very painful and it
will take a long time. It doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t have to
talk to me or the Counselor or anyone else about what you are going through, but
at least consider giving us a chance to help you.”
She stood and took her glass and the bottle with her as she headed for the door. Before she had reached it, Tarin turned around and looked at the doctor again. “The pain will never completely go away, but for as long as you decide to only dwell in the past it will never lessen. I don’t want any member of my crew to suffer so much.”
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3
Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7