“Captain,
we are all set,” Lieutenant Alvarez reported as he entered the bridge ten
minutes later.
“Good.
Why don’t you and Commander Enikal join me in my ready room for a moment to go
over the details. Commander Westmore, you have the bridge.”
When
Tarin, Dar and Lieutenant Alvarez had settled around the ready room table Tarin
addressed her security chief: “What have you got?”
“Going
by the data Lieutenant Hagen provided I am confident a torpedo set to deliver an
EM pulse close enough to the target will knock out the generators powering the
Talkhans’ transport inhibitors for at least one minute. That should give us
all the time we need to beam down enough troops, especially if we start a
diversion at the same time.”
Commander
Enikal raised an eyebrow. “What kind of diversion?”
“Shuttles
are too vulnerable, so I was thinking escape pods,” Felix Alvarez answered.
“They are built for rapid atmospheric entry and they are small enough to evade
most hostile fire. That would make them a logical choice to insert our forces
and therefore a good decoy.”
Dar
nodded approvingly, as did Captain Veal after she had thought about it for a few
seconds. “How many people will you need?”
“That
depends on how accurately we can determine Novak’s location. If we can get a
good fix on his position I think ten, maybe twelve should be enough to apprehend
him and hold the position long enough for an extraction. At the secondary target
we may need about as many, plus three maybe four engineers.” He sighed, then
met his captain’s gaze. “I am afraid we will have to beam down the engineers
with the security teams instead of securing the target first.”
“Don’t
worry,” Tarin said. “Talk to Commander Tucker about the engineers. I want
only volunteers for this mission, but apart from that the details are up to
you.”
Her
nod told Lieutenant Alvarez that he should be about his work, but before he
reached the ready room doors, Tarin Veal addressed him again. “Lieutenant,
when you send down a team to apprehend Novak I want to be part of it.”
Noticing
her security chief’s shocked expression she added, “I know, I am no
crack-shot with a phaser, but I can take care of myself. If you must, detail one
of your people to cover my back, but not more
“Understood.”
*****
Dar
Enikal waited until the door had closed behind Lieutenant Alvarez. “You should
not go down there. At the Argolis I knew you were better qualified than me to
lead the away team, but this is different. I am a security officer by training,
but you are not. If one of use goes down to Talkha with Alvarez and his men it
has to be me, not you.”
“I
knew you would say this.” Tarin sighed and brushed both hands through her
hair. “I will go down to Talkha with Lieutenant Alvarez and here is why.”
Tarin
leaned forward and looked her XO straight in the eye. She wanted to avoid his
gaze, look anywhere else, but she needed him to understand – she needed his
support. “I could tell you about how I need someone with your tactical skills
to take command in case anything goes wrong, but that would only be half the
truth. No,” Tarin exhaled slowly, “the most important reason I have to do
this myself is that I am acting on my own here. A Starfleet captain is given a
lot of freedom to make decisions on her own, even one like granting aid to a
non-aligned power. On the other hand there is no telling if Starfleet Command
will support a decision to get involved in the civil-war of a neutral world.”
Commander
Enikal considered the argument carefully. “It wouldn’t be the first time
Starfleet decided to judge something based on the outcome instead of the rules,
but you are right, there’s no guarantee they will.”
‘And
it wouldn’t be the first time our careers depend on it,’
Tarin thought. “That’s why I want you to stay in the background as much as
you can. Lieutenant Alvarez may get away with the excuse of only following
orders, but I doubt Starfleet will accept the same from my XO.”
Commander
Enikal slowly ran his hand over his head and kneaded his neck. “No, I am
sorry, but not this time. What kind of XO would I be if I just stood by and sat
this one out?”
Before
Tarin had time to formulate an answer Commander Enikal went on, slowly and
deliberately, knowing he would have some convincing to do. “If anything goes
wrong and you are captured down there, what would you expect me to do? I am no
diplomat and I don’t know the situation and the people involved half as well
as you do. If anything goes wrong it will take a diplomat to salvage the
situation, not a tactical officer.”
“I
am not much of a diplomat, resorting to force like this,” Tarin interjected.
“Don’t
make me laugh,” Dar shot back. “I know you. If you saw any other way you
wouldn’t do this. At least you know when to use diplomacy and when not to.”
He fell silent for a moment, but Tarin knew he wasn’t finished.
“It’s
all well and good that you want to protect my career, but my career needs no
protecting. Even if Starfleet disagrees with your decision, just standing by
while my captain gets herself into danger wouldn’t do my career much good
either. That aside, I didn’t sign on for this mission because I thought it was
a great career move that would catapult me to a captaincy. I am here because you
asked me and because I thought it was the right thing to do.” Dar Enikal took
a deep breath and held it for a long moment before he went on. “Right now I am
certain the right thing to do is go down to Talkha myself, so you better let me
do my job.”
As
Tarin contemplated Commander Enikal’s argument the Bolian turned the
Captain’s desktop computer in his direction and accessed the Valkyrie’s
logs.
“All
that aside,” the Bolian remarked, “you have missed your monthly phaser
training by three days. Technically you are no longer qualified to be part of an
away team going into a potentially dangerous situation. If I had been here I
would have reminded you of it, but as things are I could just order you to stay
on board.”
A
small dry laugh escaped Tarin’s lips. “A good argument and Starfleet
regulations on your side, how could I refuse?”
*****
“Hold
it! What are you doing here?”
Karena
Basiri took a step back and gave the soldier a wide-eyed look full of surprise.
“Minister Durham asked me to compile this report for her.” She held up a
padd she had found in one of the nearby offices. “What is going on here? Why
are there so many soldiers around?”
“Tretyak
has plotted with the Federation to overthrow our government, don’t ask me for
any details. Where have you been that you don’t know?”
“I
was in the vault the last two hours, working on this report.” Noticing the
soldier’s furrowing brows Karena hurriedly added: “The vault is what we call
the archives. It’s in the cellar. It’s so isolated I am always glad to get
of there.” ‘Oh god, that last line was
just too much,’ she feared, as soon as she had said it.
The
soldier didn’t even notice, by now convinced he was just dealing with a
bureaucrat and her little bureaucratic matters. “Okay, let me have a look at
that report.” He only glanced at the index and shook his head in disgust.
“I’ll never understand how you people can keep this place running if you
have to deal with so much bureaucratic crap.”
He
handed the padd back to Karena and let her through into Minister Durham’s
office.
When
she came out again five minutes later the young soldier just glanced at her.
“You better check in with the Lieutenant in the lobby; he may have a few
questions for you.”
“Yes,
of course.” Basiri nodded her agreement and headed for the next elevator.
“Wait
a minute,” the soldier startled her. “Do you have any idea what’s going on
at the Foreign Ministry?” He pointed his chin at the window.
Karena
managed a smile as she answered. “I’ve heard someone mention a fire alarm,
but it’s hard to believe. Can you remember the last time we had a fire break
out?”
“No,
not really.” When the lift had started it’s way down to the lobby the
soldier stepped back to the window and stared at the people on the plaza below.
The army was slowly getting things sorted out and directed people back into the
Foreign Ministry building. ‘Right, when did we have a fire around
here? Guess someone just made a big mistake.’
At
the same time Minister Durham read the message on the padd once more before she
typed a short reply, signed it with her personal code reserved for government
documents and with her thumbprint.
She
looked up, but with the communications blackout nobody bothered keeping a watch
on her. She selected the frequency for the transmission, double-checked it, then
hit the send button.
*****
Major
Kendall stood to attention as his small viewscreen came to life. “Minister
Novak, Sir!”
“Kendall,
listen up. There are things going on here that suggest the corruption may be
more widespread than we thought. We have picked up an unauthorized transmission
from the ministry of industry to the Valkyrie. If Durham is in league
with Tretyak swift and decisive action will be required.”
Kendall
knew well that neither Tretyak nor Durham were part of any plot against Talkha,
but he played along. What was said could well become part of Talkhan history and
Kendall wanted to have his part in it. “Yes, Sir! I can have additional troops
beam down to the ministry of industry any time.”
“No.”
Novak shook his head. “I will order our patrol ships to join your forces at
warp speed. They should arrive within the next fifteen minutes. Next I will
contact Veal and ask her to withdraw within thirty minutes. If she doesn’t do
it you will attack the Valkyrie with every ship at your disposal.”
“Yes,
Sir, but what about Starfleet? Won’t they retaliate sooner or later if we
attack one of their ships?”
“No,
they won’t. If Veal disregards an order from the Talkhan government Starfleet
has no legal grounds to attack us. Perhaps they will want to do it, but they
will not do it. So even if it becomes necessary to take out the Valkyrie
for our own safety there will be nothing to fear.” Novak looked away for a
second as one of his subordinates gave him a thumbs-up sign. The computer link
had been shut down. It had been a clever idea of Durham to use this frequency to
get in touch with Tretyak, but whatever she had said, she would not get a reply.
Bertram
Novak turned his attention back to Kendall. “Now, Major, will your forces be
able to take out the Valkyrie if it becomes necessary?”
“We
will.” There was no doubt in Kendall’s voice. “As soon as our patrol ships
arrive we will have eight of our ships and ten privateers at our disposal. The Valkyrie
may be a big ship, but that just makes her a bigger target that we can
outmaneuver at any time, catching her in a crossfire.”
“Good.
Prepare your attack, but wait for my final orders before you act. Novak out.”
*****
“Lafayette,
patch me through to all militia ships and privateers.” Kendall’s voice
brooked no objection, but André Lafayette paid little attention to the
major’s tone.
“No,
I don’t think so.”
“What?!
Don’t you dare disobey my orders, Lafayette!” Looking at the privateer’s
tense features the Talkhan had a strong hunch what Lafayette’s answer would
be. Slowly his hand crept to his sidearm. Disobedience he would not tolerate.
Captain
Lafayette rose from his seat and held the Major’s gaze. “We may have a vast
numerical advantage, but I will not risk my ship or my crew’s life attacking a
Galaxy-class ship. Do you have any idea how many ships this will cost us?”
“Not
many if we can keep mobile and keep her in a crossfire.” Kendall’s hand had
reached his pistol holster. “If you withdraw, everyone else will have less of
a chance. Is that what you want?”
“No,
it’s not what I want,” André replied, “but I will get my crew out of this
alive – with or without your orders.”
In
one swift motion Kendall’s fingers flipped open the holster flap that
separated his hand from his gun.
He
never had a chance to notice the flash behind him as Shadira fired her weapon
and Kendall fell down on the Tiger’s deck, stunned and certain to wake
up with a splitting headache fifteen minutes later.
“My
dear,” Lafayette remarked, as he visibly relaxed, “you look as stunning as
ever.”
Shadira
gave a small groan as she holstered her phaser. Whenever André made one of his
quips she doubted it had been a good idea to become part of his crew, but there
were more important things than the past decisions or her captain’s sense of
humor to think about.
Captain
Lafayette knew the same just as well. “Open a frequency to the other
privateers. Make sure the Talkhans won’t pick it up.”
Shadira
nodded and reached for her panel. Each privateer had a Talkhan observer on
board, but one man per ship would be easier to deal with than the whole Talkhan
army.
*****
“Okay,
now this is settled, why don’t you tell me why you decided to get involved in
this mess?” Commander Enikal leaned back in his chair and studied Tarin’s
face.
She
shook her head almost imperceptibly. “It would be easy to treat this as an
internal affair of Talkha, wouldn’t it? We could just let Novak take over and
sort out any consequences for our trade with the Alekians later.” Captain Veal
swiveled her chair around and stared out the window. Talkha was slowly spinning
below her ready room window. From orbit it looked quiet, peaceful, a planet not
much different from Earth, Alpha Centauri, or any other Federation world.
“Actually
I think Novak may have a point,” Tarin softly said. “Talkha needs to change.
I may not share Tretyak’s and Novak’s pessimism that the Talkhans won’t be
able to adjust in time, but the sooner they start to adapt to the changes ahead,
the better it will be for them.”
She
turned her chair back and reclined in it, trying to sort out all the thoughts
and emotions that had been going through her head, to put them into words. “If
Talkha has to change it has to be a change by and for the people of this world.
Not because they know best what to do, but because no lasting cultural
development can be imposed on a populace by force, not even with a society as
the Talkhans. Sooner or later it is bound to backfire and that will do more for
the downfall of Talkha than any of the changes predicted by their scientists.”
“So
you want to hand the problem to the Talkhan people and let them decide what they
want to do?”
“Yes.”
Tarin’s eyes wandered around her office and came to rest on the old dedication
plaque on the shelve by the door. ‘A
true heart,’ she read. During the Chaos War everything had been clear cut.
Invaders and defenders, conquerors versus explorers. Following her heart had
been good enough then, but black and white was easy to deal with. Talkha was
neither – not black, not white, and not easy to deal with. It would be so easy
to get out, leave all these problems behind her and at the same time it would be
wrong.
“You
know,” Captain Veal carefully remarked, “even if we stop Novak’s coup d’état,
after a fashion he will still have won. When this day is over Talkha will never
be the same again, that much is certain. The best we can hope to accomplish is
do our part that the truth is revealed and offer our help to the Talkhans. What
they make of that is up to them.”
*****
“...
and that’s the situation,” André Lafayette closed. “As I see it we may
win against the Valkyrie, but not without heavy losses. Starfleet may
have political reasons to treat the Talkhans gently, but that doesn’t go for
us. We will be the first to be fired upon and we will be the first to die.”
Grelkov
started to make a gruff reply, but Grr'lsta was quicker. “Maybe and maybe not.
The Valkyrie could withdraw. If we quit the field now, who will hire us
in the future?”
Lafayette
purposely shook his head. “And they may not withdraw. But even if they do,
look at what’s going on on Talkha. It’s a military coup. The army may come
out on top or they may not. The Alekians may decide they don’t want a civil
war on their own doorstep and could get involved any second. But whatever
happens I am not getting myself killed today, that’s for sure.”
“Bwah!”
Grelkov spit out. “You are a coward, like Hartmann. The Talkhans will be good
enough to take Starfleet. I will stay, I will win.”
“So
you think Hartmann is a coward?” Grr'lsta asked his Nausicaan colleague.
Grelkov’s
growl was probably a confirmation, but whatever it was, most of the privateers
had been convinced. They knew Walter Hartmann was no sissy – cautious, but not
cowardly. That Grelkov couldn’t realize it confirmed that all the stronger. If
the Nausicaan wanted to fight, getting away as fast as possible was the only
sane thing to do.
*****
“What
is it, Commander?” Tarin asked as she entered the bridge, closely followed by
Dar Enikal. That Commander Westmore had asked her to the bridge just when she
was starting to feel seriously philosophical was maybe for the best.
“We
have received a data stream from Talkha. Minister Durham is supporting Tretyak
and a Starfleet intervention. The Talkhans are preparing an official statement
at the moment.” Alex Westmore gestured towards the conference room.
“I
see.” Captain Veal activated her combadge. “Veal to Alvarez. Get ready to
go. Commander Enikal will join you shortly.”
If
Lieutenant Alvarez was surprised by the change of plans his voice betrayed non
of it. “Understood, Captain.”
“You
better change back into uniform,” Tarin said to her Bolian XO after she had
closed the com line. “I’d rather have Commander Enikal go on this mission
than Morin Vados.”
As
Commander Enikal nodded and headed for the turbolift Tarin Veal focused her
attention on her conn officers. “Lieutenant Foster, you will join Commander
Enikal’s away team. We can’t rely on the transporter to extract our teams,
but the Talkhans have been kind enough to park a shuttle in front of the Council
building. You should be able to work with that. Rishana, take over the conn.”
“Yes,
Ma’am,” both Lieutenants replied in chorus.
Just
as Rishana Hagen took her customary place at the Valkyrie’s helm
controls Lieutenant O’Shea noticed a new development on her sensor read-outs.
“Captain,
we have lost our computer link to Talkha and two of the Talkhan patrol ships
heading here from the system perimeter have gone to warp. ETA in twelve
minutes.”
“Oh
great,” Tarin muttered under her breath, but before she had time for any other
reaction Commander Westmore reported an incoming transmission from Talkha.
“Put it on the main viewer and try to trace the source of the transmission,”
Captain Veal ordered.
“Captain
Veal,” Minister Novak addressed her in an emotionless voice, “this is an
official demand by the government of Talkha. You will withdraw your ship from
this system within the next thirty minutes. If you do not comply with this
request we will have no choice but to force you to leave. If you want to beam
any Talkhan citizens currently aboard your vessel to Talkha before you leave,
feel free to do so, but it’s not a requirement. Novak out.”
Tarin
took a deep slow breath. “Someone please tell me we got a fix on him?” She
swiveled her chair around and looked up to Commander Westmore at the tactical
station. His predatory grin was nothing Tarin wanted to ever be about her, but
it provided all the answers she needed.
“Yes,
we have. He’s in the Council building. I’ll inform Commander Enikal and
Lieutenant Alvarez.”
“Good.”
Tarin rose and stepped to Commodore Keltak’s side. “May I suggest you return
to your ship, Commodore? I doubt your government would be very happy if you got
caught in the crossfire of a conflict that isn’t yours.”
The
Alekian bowed his head and clacked his tongue several times. Apparently it was
really a sign of agreement. “A good point, Captain. I almost regret that our
governments don’t have a military alliance. You will have your work cut out
for you even with a ship like the Valkyrie at your disposal. It would be
a shame to see your efforts be for naught.” A faint sucking noise escaped the
Alekian’s lips and he motioned for his staff to follow him from the bridge.
After
the turbolift doors had closed behind Keltak and his small entourage Tarin
stared at the viewscreen for a few seconds. “Yes, that’s quite an armada the
Talkhans have assembled,” she said more to herself than to her crew.
“I
wouldn’t count on that, Captain,” Rishana Hagen answered as several
privateer ships slowly started to drift out off formation, away from the ships
of their Talkhan employers.
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12