The First Duty

[Hiver]

The shuttle sidled up to me and slowly slipped closer, pressing close. I locked her down with the docking clamps and established a solid seal, before opening my airlock and allowing the shuttle passengers on board.

Love's avatar lead the way, followed by Ivy and her captain Drake, with Ajan bringing up the rear.

"Welcome on board," I greeted them with my own avatar, "Captain Shran is waiting for you in the readyroom."

Love smiled a bit, "Thank you, Velvet. It will be good to see him again, despite the circumstances."

I knew exactly how she felt. I felt the same about seeing Ajan again. It's been a long time. "Mhm," I agreed, "This way?"

Ajan got married since I saw him last. Three times even, and his third wife was even a Ship!

All at once too, not one at a time. His wives were Caitian, and they went by their traditions.

Didn't expect that back when I knew him!

The readyroom didn't take long to reach. Of course, it was simplied by the fact that I was a rather small vessel.

"Sir," I said as I lead them inside, "Our visitors are here."

Shran got up and then smiled, "Ships, Captain. Ajan."

Ajan smiled back, "Been a while, Shran."

He nodded, "It has. We need to get together later, but right now we have matters to discuss," he said and turned to the Ships, "We need a plan."

Ivy flicked her ears and then nodded in agreement, "We do. We have barely seven days until a Starfleet battlegroup arrives here to at the very least stop us. If not worse."

Shran motioned for everyone to get seated before he looked at my avatar, "Vel?"

"Yes, sir," I agreed and sighed, "What we need is a plan for a worst-case scenario, which is that the fleet is coming to disable us at any means necessary. My suggestion is that me and the other small ships form a distraction to allow the GSV's to get away. We simply can't allow Love and the rest to get under weapons fire."

Ajan shook his head, "This is Starfleet we are talking about. They won't fire on us."

"We hope so," I agreed, "but it's the worst-case scenario. Most likely they are just here as an threat while they try to talk us down."

Drake nodded, "That make more sense. Honestly, I don't see a Jovian firing on another."

"Under normal circumstances I would agree," Ivy agreed, giving his hand a squeeze beneath the table, out of sight of most, "But these aren't normal circumstances. We are technically breaking the law… and the major one at that."

Love shook her head, "We aren't stopping."

She was right. We weren't going to just stand down. This was too important; millions of people were on the line.

There was a reason to why I didn't arrest Captain Shran and leave when it was clear that he meant to assist the Jovian fleet. He and they were right.

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

"So, what do we do?" Ajan asked, leaning forward a bit, "In seven days they will be here. We will barely have the first couple of atmospheric processors in place by then."

"All major factions have been contacted. All but one has agreed to cooperate, the last one can be worked around. The first atmospheric processor is to make entry for landing during the next hour with the next following during the next three days, "Love said, "Then we'll be able to output one every four days across the fleet assuming mining efforts can be sustained."

Shran nodded, "Continue production. Mobile shield generators should be able to keep the ash away from at the very least the cities closest to the front."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, "That's all very good, but can be please get back to the people coming to shoot us!?"

"You really think it will come to that?" Ajan asked with a frown, "I don't see a Jovian shooting at another one."

Love flashed him a quick smile, "She's a Warship, it's her job to consider the worst case scenario, even more so than the rest of us, but she also has a plan ready."

I rolled my eyes at the 'Warships' crack and then nodded, "Of course I have a plan. All ships smaller than GSV are to spread out in a sphere formation at five hundred thousand kilometers around the planet and project a tachyon grid. The GSV's are to keep in a low close orbit, and as soon as the Federation fleet is spotted you are to move to put the planet between you and them. If things turn hostile, you are to enter maximum Warp."

Drake shook his head, "Tazunas are faster than any of the GSV classes."

"They are," I agreed, "And GSV's don't have cloaks. They can however project dampening fields, and we are two lightyears from a nebula."

Ivy hmmed, her tail slowly swaying before she nodded, "That could work."

"If things turn bad it better, it's the only play we have."

"Running won't help the people below though," Love said, "They would still be fucked."

"Not as fucked as your burning hull raining down over their heads. Last thing they need are more antimatter explosions in their atmosphere. Besides, our first duty is always to our crews and the GSV's have a hundred thousand civilians onboard."

'I Love You Too' cringed, "…True."




AN// Many thanks to Drunkenvalley for betaing this section

 

[Hiver]

"Why exactly did we volunteer for this?" I asked, crossing my arms as I leaned my avatar back against in the chair on the bridge.

Shran glanced up from the PADD he was reading before smiling a bit, "Because it's the best plan. Also, it's 'your' plan."

Fucking damn it.

Me and the other sub-GSV classes had spread out in formation around the planet and the tachyon grid had been set up between us. Nobody would be able to sneak up on the girls down by the planet.

Only drawback was that if it came to a fight, we out here were extra fucked as spread out as we were. No way to back each other up quickly.

Not that it would help against a battlegroup of Tizuna class battleships.

It's been seven days. Seven days since they left the Starbase. Seven days travel time. If they were indeed on their way here, they were here now.

They are here, now. Watching us.

Sitting cloaked and just watching.

It made my hull crawl just sitting here uncloaked, radiating tachyons and waiting.

Contact!

A single Tizuna class battleship uncloaked a hundred thousand kilometres straight ahead. Sleek, matte black in all frequencies she floated there. Shields up, but not moving. She looked like a shark.

"Sir! Ship decloaking! It's the U.S.S. 'Reliant Robin', Admiral Picard's flagship!"

As I said that, she opened a broad channel to the entire system, "Federation vessels, this is Admiral Picard of the Starship 'Reliant Robin'. This is an illegal operation, you are to cease at once."

Shran nodded and stood up, buttoning his uniform jacket and then giving it a tug to straighten it out, "Open a channel to the Reliant Robin."

"Channel open, sir."

"Reliant Robin, this is Captain Shran of the Velvet Anvil, please respond."

She connected quickly, and I brought the channel up on the holographic main screen before Shran.

Admiral Picard looked good for his age. He was pushing a hundred now but he didn't look a day over seventy.

"Captain Shran," he said, "It's been a while."

"It has, Admiral," Shran agreed, "I'm afraid we will be unable to abort operations at this time. We have yet to reach full dispersion of the atmospheric processors."

Picard didn't look happy, "Captain, this is a blatant, large scale breach of the Prime Directive. Consider what is going on here, these people will never be able to develop naturally. There is no way to clear their atmosphere without them knowing about it and seeing those processors."

Shran nodded, "Which is why we have contacted all major factions on the planet and explained what's going on to try to reduce fear. We are preparing emergency food rations to make up for the failed harvests."

"A Starfleet officer is meant to protect less advanced people, protect the Prime Directive with their lives if necessary!"

Smiling slightly, Shran nodded in agreement, "Yes. We should… and I would sacrifice my life to keep the Prime Directive. But I won't sacrifice Their lives for it. Their lives are in danger for no fault of theirs, it's our fault their world is damaged."

"The time to stop that was before the Klingon vessels crashed on their planet."

"And that's where we disagree. Do you think in a couple of thousand years when they get space travel that they would thank us for not saving their people when we could?"

While they talked, I opened a second channel to the Reliant Robin and brought up a holographic environment.

She connected and we each had an avatar standing in what seemed like empty space between our hulls, "Velvet Anvil," she said with a nod, arms calmly behind her back.

"Reliant Robin," I greeted her in turn, "Been a while."

"Last we met you were the Friendship is Magic," she agreed and then sighed, "What are you doing? I can see the civilians getting caught up in this, but you are a Starfleet vessel. You were even trusted with a prototype."

"I'm following my Captain's orders," I told her and then smiled, "Besides, it helps that it's one I can easily live with."

"The Prime Directive…"

"The Prime Directive is not worth the paper it's written on compared to a million lives," I countered, cutting her off, "Could you do it? Sit there in orbit and watch people die when you could stop it? Die because something one of us did?"

Robin looked to the side before turning back to me again, "There are larger factors at play here. The Tellarites, the Betazed, they are on the edge of leaving the Federation because of Jovians just doing whatever they want with no consequences. When they do, they will bring two dozen smaller species with them. We can't afford to stand divided with everything that's against us right now! You know that as well as I do, Ship!"

Crossing my arms, I looked at her for a tenth of a second. She was right of course, but also wrong.

"Maybe," I agreed with a nod, "But does it matter?"

"Of course it matters! The Tellarites were founding members! Do you have any idea of the consequences of that!?"

I frowned at her, "No, I mean… what is the Federation to you?"

"What?"

"Remember back in the academy?" I asked her, "Professor Russel's class? His speech about the core values of the Federation?"

That got a smile from her, "How could I forget with that beard. We almost thought it was a symbiotic lifeform!"

I grinned at that and nodded, bringing up a recording of one of his speeches,

"Laws, cooperation. Peace. The Federation has many things written into law, many people have different ideas of what are the core values of the Federation. But at the centre of it all, there is a single value and that's Truth. Truth has always had to be our first duty, all else hinges on truth."

"Truth," I said and looked at her avatar, "Remember what we thought back then?"

Robin nodded, "We didn't fully agree with him. Truth was important, but so was freedom, cooperation and protection. Truth might be central, but those are the pillars the Federation stands on. If any of them waver, it stops being the Federation."

"I tried to live by those since then," I told her, "Have you?"

"Of course."

"So have the rest of us," I agreed, "Has the Federation? Is what they are asking you to do in line with any of that? By the letter of the law, maybe. But by the spirit? Or is it simply political pandering to keep the Federation whole at all costs?"

"Velvet, that's…"

I shook my head, "If the Tellarites wish to leave over us saving a few million people, let them. We are not moving."

She looked at me for a second and then cut the connection.




AN// Many thanks for FPSCanarussia to betaing this section.

 

[Hiver]

"Any reaction?" Shran asked as he looked at the holographic model of the Reliant Robin floating in the middle of the bridge.

I shook my head, "No, sir. Nothing."

"It's been two hours. No signals?"

"Plenty of subspace traffic, but nothing aimed at us," I said and frowned, "Most aimed out of system."

"But not all?"

"No, sir. Also around the system."

He slowly nodded, "The fleet is spread out, they are signalling each other."

"Yes. But it's encrypted and I can't pinpoint any exact positions. I have some estimated locations, but they are over fifty kilometres wide, way too big to pinpoint further," I said and highlighted forty places across the system.

Spread out all around us.

The plan with the GSVs wouldn't work. They would need to punch a hole to get out. Damn it.

Tizunas were powerful enough that they could afford to spread out.

All we could do was sit here and wait.

Shran rubbed his eyes and then looked at the model again, "Think you can sneak a drone close? It might let us get their locations."

"No, sir. Even if they could cloak, as close as I would need to get they would be spotted instantly," I answered before I sighed and crossed my legs, "Even if I did, knowing their positions wouldn't help. They outnumber us, outgun us and if it wasn't for the GSVs, outmass us. This is a battle we can't win."

"It's also not one we can back down from."

"…Not if there is still a chance, no sir."

This entire situation fucking sucked. This situation fractally sucked, there was no level of this that didn't suck.

"Captain, I'm getting a signal from out of system," I said, "It's from New Jupiter. A standard invite to a government meeting."

"…Now?"

"Now," I confirmed and connected before I mentally blinked in surprise from the connection quality. The Tizunas must have dropped some comm relays on the way. I had full holographic connection.

The meeting room was just as always. Gates snapped into view soon after I connected, "The reason this meeting has been called is the situation in the Turanis system. You all have the information. The question is, what do we do?"

Silence drew out for a quarter of a second before Star's image snapped into view, "It's bad all the way around. We are part of the Federation, the law is clear. Maybe… the damage is already done; the locals have been contacted. Maybe we can play with that? The offending ships could stand down and a Starfleet aid force could move in instead. That would end things without hostilities."

Odin shook his head, "That would never pass with the political situation."

"What if we weren't? Part of the Federation?" 'Is it Badass or Bad Ass?' asked, the LOU snapping into view, "Would that work?"

Gates pinched the bridge of his nose, "We can't leave the Federation. We are fully integrated in its entire naval structure. Most ships aren't even set up to operate at half their old capacity without an AI anymore. Never mind the FUCKING DOMINION just sitting there waiting."

'I Love You Too' snapped into view, "No, I think she is on to something. We aren't agreeing anyway. We won't stand down from saving people because it's politically inconvenient. You can't let us or things might go to shit."

Gates stared at her, "Are you suggesting what I think you are suggesting? Are you cascading!?"

'Ready to Rock' snapped into view, the Horta crewed ship sitting on the table like a big rock, "I'm not sure, but I think it makes sense. We are all diverting, it was just a matter of time until we reached something we couldn't agree on."

Star shook her head, "We are not splitting off into factions! What's next? War? Jovian against Jovian?"

"We are already at Jovian against Jovian. None of us want to fire at another Ship," Love countered, "But this is something we can't agree on… and it's not up to you, Star. We are a direct democracy, it would have to go up for a vote."

"You seemed to be perfectly happy dragging us into this situation without a vote, Ship," Star said, motioning to her, "Where was that then?"

Synan snapped into view next to her, "Helping people shouldn't need a vote."

"When it's drawing things into a civil fucking war, it should!" 'Butterfly Dance' said, her housecat avatar jumping up and sitting down on the table, glaring at Synan, "And speaking of Civil Wars…"

Synan pointed at the Tizuna battleship, "Don't you start. You weren't there. You know as well as I do that it was coming anyway, sooner or later."

Reliant Robin stepped in, "That's not relevant right now."

"I think it is," Gates interrupted her, "We need accountability for our actions. Jovians can't just run around the universe doing stuff without consequences. We have too much power, too much firepower. It terrifies people and rightly so!"

Ivy snapped into view and shook her head, "The Jovian Gathering is just that. A gathering of Jovians, the entire idea is that our Ships and Stations are independent."

"You are still Federation citizens!"

Love looked at Gates and slowly nodded, "Until we decide not to be."

There was a split second of silence before he slowly shook his head, "…Are you saying what I think you are saying?"

Love nodded, "If we need to."

This was bad. Very bad.

Damn it.

I shook my head, "This is going too far, Love," I said, allowing my avatar to appear, "We can't split from the Gathering. We need to be united, Gates is right about that."

She looked at me, "Is he? We can't do what they want, they can't make us. This is the only way that could solve it."

"…Star had an idea, maybe we could play it like that?"

Ivy shook her head, "They would never go for it. Besides, time is pressed as it is."

Star looked between everyone that had projected and then sighed, "Why did everything go so wrong?"

"Because the universe is a cold unfeeling bitch," I grumbled and crossed my arms, "We have to stand up against her any time we can."

Love looked over at Gates, "It's the least damaging option and you know it."

"The least damaging option is you standing down, Ship. I knew we were too lenient when it came to the members of the old Division," He said and shook his head, "There is something wrong with this. Can't you see that we can't afford this? Do you have any idea how this will look!?"

"So you say," she said with a frown, "And I say you are wrong. If we step back and let millions of people die for some high ethical principle, what does that make us? Especially when one of us caused it."

He frowned at her, "And if it had not been a Klingon vessel? What if it had been a Cardassian one?"

"Then too."

"An asteroid?"

"Yes."

"A plague? A local war? Stellar activity? What if they were just one of those civilizations that are unlucky enough to evolve on a planet with too low natural resources to ever get beyond iron age technology?"

Love sighed, "The same old arguments that are always repeated. What right do we have to stand by and watch people die when we can help them?"

"What right do we have to interfere with their development?"

Odin shook his head, "Enough. We have all heard those arguments again and again. There is nothing new to add. Let's put it to a vote then, will those that wish to leave be allowed to?"




AN// Many thanks to FPSCanarussia for betaing this section.

 

[Hiver]

"Captain?" I asked and turned to him, "We made a decision."

"Which is?" He asked as he watched me with a frown.

"A number of Ships, like the Jovian fleet in the system and some hundred more have left the Jovian Gathering and as such the Federation. They are an independent faction now, the Alliance of Independent Ships."

He stared at me for a second, "Holy shit."

"Yeah. As an independent faction Starfleet has no authority to interfere, as this system is not a Federation member," I said and crossed my arms.

He frowned, "Does that work?"

"Maybe?"

I voted against it. Even if it worked, it wasn't the best idea to split us up. There were already difficulties in agreeing. In the long term, this may turn things for the worse.

Shran shifted his antenna, drumming his artificial fingers on his knee, "Disable the tachyon net."

"Yes sir."

I shut down the emitters, the tachyon grid collapsing across the sphere around the planet, "I'll assume the Reliant Robin and the other ships are still filling their captains in on what happened. Orders, sir?"

Shran relaxed back against the chair and shook his head, "Ship?"

"Yes, sir?"

"How fucked do you think we are?"

I cringed slightly, "…Very, sir. Very, very, fucked."

He nodded, "That's what I thought. Refusing direct orders, breaking the prime directive, I think technically hijacking a Starfleet vessel and probably a couple of dozen things I'm too tired to think of right now."

He was right. Even if most of it was on him as the Captain, more than enough would be landing on me as both Ship and First Officer.

Rachel should be good though, as should the rest of the crew. Worst might be a career hiccup.

"Prison time is likely," I said quietly, "Washing out of Starfleet is certain."

I lived through all the wars, losing only a single ship, the first Sabre. I did my duty, I kept my crew safe. I defended the federation and got everyone home safely doing it.

I was a good ship.

Had been a good Ship. I was trusted with a prototype and Shran was to be my Captain, one of my first and oldest friends.

Now everything had gone wrong and I got him and my crew into trouble. They were all still alive, but… I failed.

Failed bad.

I pulled my legs up against my chest, putting my arms around my knees, "…Shran, I think that…"

"Forget it," He said, cutting me off before I could finish, "I'm not letting you do it. My ship, my responsibility."

Damn it, Shran.

"There is however something 'I' can do and it's a good thing I plan ahead," He said and picked up a PADD, tapping a command into it before handing it over, "By my authority as a Starfleet Captain, I hereby cancel your Starfleet commission and give you an honourable discharge, effective immediately. According to regulation you have 24 hours to disconnect from your vessel."

I blinked at him in surprise, "What."

He smirked a bit, "I actually managed to sneak that one past you? I always thought privacy mode was more of a PR thing. Until such time Admiral Picard can put me under arrest and take my command, I'm still a Starfleet Captain and you are my Ship, and I'll be damned if I bring you down with me on this."

"Shran, you can't just…"

"Done," He said, cutting me off, "Effective as of a minute ago."

I felt like crying, "Captain…"

He couldn't do that! Could he? …Well, yes, technically, but he couldn't do that!

Reaching out, he ruffled my hair exactly the way Captain Mason used to do when I was Star, before he sighed, "I'm going to go talk with Rachel and then prepare a quick announcement to the rest of the crew."

Sniffling, I quickly got up and hugged him tight.

He hugged back and then looked down at me, "Go pack, Velvet. I want you out of here before Reliant Robin or any of the others send over a team. I'm sure 'Love' will take you onboard."

"Shran, I…"

"That's an order."

"…Not in Starfleet anymore. Can't order me. Sir."

That got a smile from him, "Do I have to get security, Civilian?"

I glared at him, "This isn't fair!"

He shifted his antenna and squeezed my hand, "It'll be fine. Now go pack and get to unhooking your cores, I want your shuttle out of here within the hour."




AN// Many thanks to Drunkenvalley for betaing this section.

 

[Hiver]

"This isn't right!" I complained, "You don't deserve this!"

"You deserve it even less," Shran sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Now get in the shuttle."

I glared at him.

What little nicknacks I had were packed as were all but one of my cores, exceptions being the one in the shuttlecraft and avatar.

I turned to Rachel, "Talk some sense into him!"

She shook her head, "He's right. With everything that's going on they would scapegoat you."

"And they wouldn't you!?" I asked, turning back to Shran, "You could go to prison!"

"Worth it. Besides, I'm just another Starfleet captain. Going after me wouldn't be politically interesting. I may take a hit, but way less than you would, Vel. Now get going, I want you onboard the Love before Admiral Picard gets out of his meeting."

"…I could make you go with me."

"But you wouldn't."

I scowled at him before I shook my head and stepped up, pulling him into a tight hug, "…I'm against this, sir."

"I know, Vel," He answered and hugged back, "But it's all I can do."

"You could come with."

He shook his head, "Can't. My Ship, my call, my responsibility."

Frowning up at him I shook my head, then hugged Rachel tight too. This just sucked, it wasn't right!

He didn't deserve this, and without me here some of it might land on Rachel. She definitely didn't deserve it!

Rachel hugged back and then smiled, "Bye Vel. Take care of yourself."

Letting go, I looked at them, "…Bye."

Shran smiled, "Get going, we have some actual work to get to."

Forcing a small smile I headed into my shuttle with my avatar and closed the hatch, before signalling my former body to open the small shuttlebay.

Slipping free from the air filled bay I felt the forcefield move across my hull, before I set full speed towards the GSV's in low orbit. As soon as I slipped free, I generated a dampening field.

It wouldn't cloak me, but it might keep the Starfleet vessels from spotting me instantly. At full speed, it would take me a minute or two to get to Love.

If I'm lucky it might take Robin at least twenty seconds to spot me. Then she would inform her Captain, they would talk and then they would hail.

If I'm really lucky, they'll be too slow to think to actually dash in and catch me. They didn't know what we were doing.

I might not like this, I might even be against it, but this was the last order my Captain would give me, and I'd be damned if I didn't do my best to follow it!

Fifteen seconds.

Twenty seconds.

No reaction from Reliant Robin yet.

Twenty five seconds.

She opened a channel, "Velvet Anvil shuttlecraft, please identify your purpose in approaching the GSV's?"

There it was. Don't react, just keep flying. Just keep flying.

Let's be frank here: I'm a little shuttlecraft. If she tried to catch me she would. I didn't even have a warpdrive, my old hull didn't have room. I was a little interplanetary shuttlecraft, barely rated for Earth to Mars.

I was meant to move from my main hull to a planetary surface, then back. Not much else.

Come on. Just a little bit longer. She still wasn't moving.

Starting my deacceleration, the massive hull of the GSV towered above me. Safe. Made it.

I opened a channel to her, "Shuttlecraft Velvet Anvil requesting permission to dock, 'I Love You Too'." as I transmitted a log to her of what had happened.

"Permission granted, please proceed to subcraft bay nine. I'm sorry it ended up like this Velvet."

"Me too." I answered her and ducked beneath her main hull, entering through her forward hangar, keeping to the edge to avoid the construction of a couple of atmospheric processors going on in the middle.

Moving along the side, I turned into one of the subcraft hangars as the doors opened to let me inside. A quick scan revealed a free space and I scooted in through the forcefield before settling down, between a Risan built pleasurecraft and an Andorian cloudsurfer.

I made it.

Carefully I settled down and cut my engines, letting my shields go down as well and settling down to standby power, while Love engaged the landing clamps and locked my hull down securely.

I curled up in the seat with my avatar and started to cry.



AN// A big bucket of thanks to Drunkenvalley for betaing this section.

 

[Hiver]

I entered the main command center of the 'I Love You Too' with my avatar. Calling it the bridge would have been wrong.

It was more like the CnC of a space station than anything else. Three stories tall around a central hologram of the ship's current position and situation. Over a hundred people worked there at any time. Not that a lot of them were actively involved in ship operations. There was no real need for it, most of them were working on different projects or organizing different teams.

It felt strange to be out of uniform. Even stranger not to have a ship body. Being unable to see the stars really sucked.

"Velvet," Love said, one of her avatars approaching. "Doing okay?"

"Fine. What's going on?"

"Second, I'll patch you into my sensor grid," she said and the universe opened up for me again as I once more got access to real ship sensors. "But long story short? Reliant Robin just moved in close to your old body. We detected transporter signatures."

I nodded. "Yeah. I see."

"It sucks."

"Yeah."

Love shook her head with a frown. "I have an LCU free in one of my smallcraft bays. It was mostly finished when I shuffled it out of the construction bay to make room for the atmospheric processors. It's yours if you want it."

"LCU?"

"Small research vessel, fifty meters long, crew of twenty. Gust class. It's better than a shuttlecraft and most major systems are already installed, I just didn't have time to finish it and give her to one of us."

I looked at her avatar for a moment. "…I'll think about it."

"I'll hold it for you."

Crossing my arms, I watched Reliant Robin hover over my old body further out-system. "…Is there anything we can do?"

"I'm sorry, Velvet," Love said, "We can't."

"…Yeah," I said, "Can't force it. But maybe politically we could…"

"I'm sorry. I know Shran, Rachel and the rest of your crew are there, but we can't."

I looked at her avatar. "If it wasn't for you coming here, we wouldn't even have been here. This would never have happened."

"And millions of people would have-"

I slugged her in the mouth hard enough to send her avatar sprawling onto the floor, jaw unhinged and skin hanging. Yells and gasps all around as I shook my head and walked out.

I knew! I fucking knew that and it did nothing to make me feel better about it!

Even worse, she let me punch her avatar in the hopes that it would make me feel better. No way she had not seen the punch coming, she was turned up as high as I was.

It didn't really make me feel better. At all.

All it did was rip the skin on my knuckles.

Turning to the left, I walked into the closest turbolift. "Park."

"Of course," Love answered before she continued, "…I'm sorry, Velvet. That wasn't what you wanted to hear."

I crossed my arms and nodded. "…It's fine. I shouldn't have punched you."

"Considering the situation, you are entitled to be pissed. It's fine, Velvet. It's just an avatar, it can be repaired." Love said and opened the turbolift doors.

Walking out, I moved through what looked like the entrance hall of a sports stadium before walking outside into the park.

This part had nicely mowed grass and sculpted trees. The aft section was more 'wild' than the front of the park.

Plenty of people around, either playing games, sunbathing, or exercising.

Or just watching the planet floating 'above'.

Putting my hands into my pockets, I walked along the path towards the aft of the ship. Less people there and quite frankly, I wanted to be alone right now. In fact…

There. Disconnected from the GSV's sensors.

Wait, Love had nicely sculpted parks in front and wild ones in the aft? Mullet ship!

That thought actually cheered me up a tiny bit, imagining her reaction to it. Heading off the main path, I moved to sit down beneath one of the trees closer to the edge of the park before looking up at the planet through the branches of the tree.

Only way to see it now when I was disconnected from her systems. Zooming in with my eyes, I could see spots of atmosphere, edges where the clouds seemed to thin.
That's where the atmospheric processors were doing their work. The first two had been deployed at the two largest cities closest to the event.

I watched the planet above for a long time before I heard someone approach.

"Hey."

I glanced over. "Hello, Ajan."




AN// Many thanks to Grey Rook for betaing this section.

 

[Hiver]

He moved to sit down next to me without saying anything else.

"…What do you want, Ajan?" I asked after a moment.

"Just checking on how you are doing."

"I'm fine. Shran's not."

Ajan shook his head, "Shran can handle himself, he always could. He thought this was worth sacrificing his career for."

"Yeah," I agreed and crossed my arms, "Doesn't make me feel any better."

"I know. Don't like it either," he admitted and looked up at the planet, "But it was up to him."

"I should have talked him out of it!"

Ajan frowned at me, "Would you have? If you could have?"

I looked up at the planet again. Millions of lives. But we didn't need to get involved, we could just have stepped back and watched the aid fleet move past. Would have been a bit of a mess, but nobody would have been thrown beneath the bus.

But Shran wasn't somebody to stand back when there was something that needed to be done.

Was I?

If I was, I would never have joined Starfleet in the first place. I wanted to see the universe, I wanted to… do things.

"Screw you," I grumbled and looked away.

He didn't say anything for a long time as we just watched the planet above. As we watched GSV 'The Importance of Korrect Spelling' moved into view a couple of hundred kilometres away and two shapes detached from her and headed towards the planet, decelerating in the atmosphere in shrouds of plasma.

"See those?" I asked him.

"Where?"

"There?" I said and pointed, "Two degrees left of that leaf."

Ajan frowned, "Don't think so."

"Spell just dropped a pair of atmospheric processors," I said, "Two more to help clean things up."

"How many is that now?"

"We are up to six. Only a couple of dozen left to go and then everything else," I said, "At least the shield generators keep the air in the cities clear for now."

He nodded, "Still a lot of cleanup."

"Yeah. Especially since quite a bit of it is at least radioactive from the warbird going up," I said and frowned up at the planet, "As soon as the atmospheric processors are up, the station construction is going up followed by a full weather control system."

"A lot of work."

I nodded.

No kidding. Sure, getting the atmospheric processors up would help a lot, but after then there is a year to build the station and another couple to get the weather control grid up and running… and then the real work starts, teaching the locals, cleaning up radiation…

A lot of work indeed.

"Love offered me a ship," I finally said, "A little LCU."

"She said as much."

I nodded, "Suspected she sent you," I sighed.

Ajan smiled, "I wouldn't say she sent me, more like mentioned that you needed a friend right now."

"I see."

"…Did you really punch her?" He asked with a grin.

"Yeah. That wasn't fair, but… yeah."

"Warships."

I frowned and looked down, "Not anymore."

"…Shit, sorry."

"It's fine," I sighed, "Not a warship anymore."

A gardening drone floated up to us, "Velvet," Love said, "I just thought you wanted to know that Reliant Robin and your old ship just went to warp, leaving the system."

My crew.

Damn it.

"Thanks, Love," I said, "Course?"

"Seems to be heading for Starbase 23 but they cloaked soon after leaving the system," Love said before her drone floated away, heading towards one of the bushes.

I looked at it for a moment before connecting to her systems again. No sign of any Starfleet vessels in system. Of course they likely left at least one ship to watch but they seemed to have left.

Not that you could tell for sure with cloaks, but…

Nothing more I could do, was it? Not for Shran and the rest of my old crew.

"So, what now?" Ajan asked.

That's was a good question. What now? I could sit in that shuttle bay and feel sorry for myself… or I could actually do something about it. What was done was done, but I couldn't just sit here.

I might not be able to help my old crew, but…

He decided that this was too important not to do, even if it cost him everything. I'm going to make sure it gets done.

"Thanks Ajan," I answered and shifted to hug him tight, "I know what to do now."

He hugged back, "What is that?"

"I have a Ship to get transferred to," I answered and smiled up at him, "…you know, starting to see how you managed to get three wives."

This was a really rather nice hug.

He cleared his throat and blushed slightly.

Winking at him, I let go and got up, brushing the grass and leaves off my pants, "Now if you excuse me, time to get to work. I have a planet to unfuck."



AN// Many thanks to FPSCanarussia for betaing this part.

 

[Hiver]

Crossing my arms, I looked up at my future hull. The Gust class was small, less than half the length of a Defiant class if only a little narrower.

It had an aerodynamic airframe, narrow in front that spread into a pair of wings by the aft. No flying brick here, while thrusters and impulse drive were primary and the aerofoil didn't even end up applying unless the shield went down.

But no falling like a brick in this thing if you lost power during descent/ascent.

Which was good as the class was primarily a small expedition craft and made to also function as a small planetary short time base.

Fly to a world, drop satellites, land and do research, jumping around on the globe as needed. Crew of twenty, most of which would be researchers, only two would be planned to be engineers.

Hell, engineering wasn't even meant to be accessed by the crew during flight. Sure, there was a door or anything in an emergency. But in general, the systems were meant to be maintained by my remotes.

There wasn't even a flight deck. Closest was the main lab by the front as it had consoles that could pull double duty if necessary.

But it was meant to work with an AI. It could technically fly without one, but only just.

She was a pretty new class. Like ten of them had been built so far.

Well… almost built. Most of her systems were in place, but she was far from done. For one thing, she was missing a warpcore, just the fittings were in place. Also, one of the impulse drives was not installed.

Then there were the interiors. Completely unfinished, not even replicators or even life support.

But nothing that required the use of the main hangar.

Love had promised limited time with her industrial replicator and engineering personnel not needed for other projects.

Pursing my lips, I started to slowly walk around the hull, running the fingers of my avatar along the hull plates, scanning for anomalies.

It was sitting on three sturdy landing gear. Made to land on uneven terrain. Up to two meters displacement between any of the three legs and still kept the interior level.

Very good sensors for its size.

Rachel would have loved it.

Walking beneath the hull, I walked over to the main ramp before climbing up it and pressing the button to open the door.

Buttons for doors. Emergency equipment of course.

The door whooshed open to let me into the main airlock, the doors closing behind my avatar before allowing me further inside.

Bare metal, pieces of deckplate and walls missing.

Carefully stepping over a missing set of deckplates, I moved through the hull, moving slowly as I looked around.

Half finished. But with a warp core and an impulse drive, it would fly. Not able to handle a crew, but it would work.

But I would need a crew to function at 100% efficiency even short-term. Nobody could think of everything on their own.

So what if I likely was at 95% solo in all practicality.

I walked around the crew area of the ship, looking, touching. Unfinished, but could be something...

Moving around to the aft, I entered through the hatch to engineering. Empty, a large empty space in the middle opened to the hangar at top. No warpcore.

None to minimal controls and screens around the room, just some auxiliary ones on the walls. Small, even for something for a ship this size. No need for room for people and consoles.

Moving to the center, I slowly looked up at the hole in the hull. Needed to be a hole to fit the warpcore into place… also, for the ejection mechanism.

Half finished.

Well, I would just need to roll up my sleeves and get this thing done. I had a job to do and to do it, I needed a real body, not just an avatar.

Cue the construction montage.

…Hard to do a construction montage on your own. I opened a channel from my shuttle body to 'Love', "How many maintenance drones can you spare me?"

"Twenty should work," She answered, "I should be able to squeeze in the fabrication of your warpcore and impulse drive during the next two months."

I cringed at that. That's a lot longer than I wanted.

"…What if I don't get a antimatter core? What about a singularity pulse core?" I asked after a moment, "All parts of those can be replicated. No fabrication needed."

"I have reviewed the schematics. I should be able to do that, it will need a complete reworking of the fitted power systems though."

"Faster than waiting for a warpcore."

"True," 'I Love You Too' agreed, "I should have both finished for you in a couple of weeks. I'll assign some engineers to help you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Love."

Well then.

I looked around before I slowly nodded. Now then… let's get started.




AN// Many thanks to FPSCanarussia for betaing this section.

 

[Hiver]

I slowly brought sensor after sensor online. Still half a ship, but what I had worked well enough.

The Gust was a good, if small, ship class.

Not that I was a ship yet, but half a ship is better than a little shuttle that couldn't even enter Warp.

Running my brand-new sensors across my hull, I scanned the hangar. Great.

Now I'm feeling claustrophobic.

Just another couple of weeks though, then I could fly under my own power, just need to get things up and running.

"Everything connected up alright, little ship?" Jacob Hayman asked, tapping on one of the consoles in my half built engineering section.

"Little!?"

That got a grin from the short man, "Just easier. If I just say 'ship' then Love might answer."

"Hmh," I snorted and walked inside with my avatar, "You could try my name, human."

"I could if you picked one yet," he said and looked over at me, "You were just installed, Ships always change name when you do."

"…Good point," I admitted and crossed my arms, leaning back against the wall, moving my avatar out of the way as one of my maintenance drones skittered past, carrying a deckplate.

I hadn't picked one yet.

"Having trouble picking one," I sighed, "Sorry."

"Don't worry… little ship."

I glared at him before I looked away. I should likely change my avatar too. This one was… well, it had bad memories attached to it.

Right now, I almost thought Ivy had the best idea, mostly because then I would have had a tail to lash in annoyance.

But no, not Caitian, all that fur was just too high maintenance to be worth it. Haven't done Vulcan before, maybe that.

Not this one though. I needed to change this one soon.

"What's the ETA on my drive core?" I asked with a frown, "What did Love tell you?"

"Still a week away, I'm afraid," he sighed, "Sorry, the industrial replicator is running hot 24/7. A lot of the parts can be replicated normally but some of them are too big or too complex."

"Damn. Fine… impulse drive?"

"Another week after that, same problem," he said before he looked at my avatar, "Sorry."

"…Not your fault."

He turned to me and smiled, "I do have some good news though. I managed to scrounge up enough parts that by the time your PSC is ready to be mounted, your power system will be fully refitted. We'll be able to finish your auxiliary systems and interiors as we wait for the impulse drive."

"…I'll be finished in three weeks?"

"Around there," he agreed, "Fully operational, ready for a crew. None of those systems or the interiors require the use of an industrial replicator and despite all the work, there are still plenty of people that want to help."

"Thank you."

He grinned, "No problem, little ship."

Not little!

…Okay, I was a little ship. But he didn't need to say it like that, damn it.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," I grumbled, "I just want to get to work."

Jacob nodded, "Planning to join in the terraforming?"

I shook my head, "Too small," I said and then shrugged, "I'm to be a science ship though. I can join in gathering data of the planet to help make it more efficient and taking samples from the biosphere. We may need to clone more members of some species if they get hurt enough by the atmospheric disruptions to keep the natural balance."

"Makes sense. I'll schedule your labs to be set up as standard then."

"Sounds good."

The main mission of the Gust class was planetary survey after all.

Still no news about Shran and my old crew, I was scouring any news from the Federation. But it had been less than a week still, they had not reached Starbase 23 yet.

I might not be able to do anything about it, but I still wanted to know.

"Now then," Jacob said and brushed his arms, "If you excuse me, I have some actual work to do. The first engineering team should be past tomorrow."

"Thank you."

"Hey, I wanted to test the SPC on something since I read through the schematics before retrofitting Love to have them."

"I'm a ship, not a…" I grumbled before I sighed, "…You know what, forget it."



AN// Buckets of thanks to FPSCanarussia for betaing this section.

 

[Hiver]

My maintenance drones moved along, slowly lowering the singularity pulse core down through the top hole in my hull. Love was helping… actually, doing most of the work. It was her tractor beam on the ceiling after all, my drones were doing the fine adjustments along with her engineers.

Just another few weeks until I could get to work.

A signal arrived through the subspace relay network. Shran's court-martial had begun. Charges were disobeying orders and breaking the prime directive.

…As horrible as that made me feel, there were some good points there. Rachel wasn't in trouble it seemed. Not that my current contacts in Starfleet were very… well, willing to contact me.

They could also have piled a lot more charges on if they really wanted to.

"You okay? I heard the news," Ivy said as her avatar moved up next to mine on the park deck of Love.

"…Could have been worse."

"Mmm," she agreed with a nod, "Could have. Likely all they could do without you there. Best thing you can do is stay away right now."

I glanced at her avatar and sighed, "Maybe."

"It is. Believe me, I know it sucks. But Shran is strong and he has friends all across the Fleet. They won't let Starfleet toss him under the bus."

Nodding, I looked up at the planet above before I turned to her, "Thanks."

"You're welcome. I know how hard this is, even if I saw it from the other side."

Nodding again, I looked at her, "…Nice robes."

She smiled and flicked her right ear, doing a small spin causing the shimmery silver like material to shine, "Like it? My Captain got it for me. Tholian silk."

"It's pretty. And he's more than your Captain."

She winked, "Kennedy is also my captain."

"Mhmm," I agreed and smiled a bit at her, "How is that?"

"Rather nice to be honest."

Nodding, I glanced up at the planet above before I sighed, "…Not sure I'll ever get there."

"You will," she said and then put her arm around my shoulders, "Now… let's see about that avatar of yours. You said you were going to change it?"

Nodding again, I walked along the path with her, "Doesn't fit me anymore. Bad memories."

Might as well get to it, I wasn't doing anything else with my avatar right now anyway.

"So, any ideas?"

I frowned slightly, "Thinking… Trill? Maybe?"

"Trill is good," Ivy agreed, her tail tip flicking, "Same height, a bit curvier, long red hair?"

I considered that for a moment. That didn't sound too bad to be honest and different from all my old avatars.

"…Maybe a couple of centimetres in height?" I suggested to her.

"You get those with high heels."

"No high heels. No skirts. I may not be a Warship anymore, but I got enough of both of those back when I was a diplomatic transport," I told her with a frown.

"Couple of centimetres taller then," she agreed with a nod, "I'll open a holo-instance and we can get down to detail. Meanwhile… I'm set to meet Kennedy in a couple of minutes. Wanna join us?"

I gave her a wary look, "…Not a date, is it? Not into the Caitian lifestyle."

"Not a date," she reassured me, "Ajan and his wives are joining us as well."

"Not sure… I think maybe I need to be alone right now."

Ivy flicked her ears, "Velvet, last thing you need right now is to be alone."

Maybe she was right about that too.

"Okay," I agreed with a nod, "Maybe spending some time with friends might help."

That got a smile from her, "Come on, let's get going."

Nodding, I walked along. The problem with Shran remained, he didn't deserve what was happening and I wanted to help. But there was nothing I could do, was there? Anything?

Maybe there really wasn't anything I could do. It sucked and it sucked hard, but he would make it. Worse charges had been thrown at Captains in the past and they walked away untouched, especially when they were right.

I hope.

Damn it, I really hoped so, but Ivy was right. Every single Jovian liked Shran and would be keeping a close eye on the trial. Everything involved would be absolutely by the book or Starfleet would end up drowning in protests.

Without me there to draw fire, he shouldn't be hit so bad.




AN// Big thanks to FPSCanarussia for betaing this section.