Open, almost cathedral-like hallways intersected below the railing. It was bright, much too bright, but Penelya had spent the last two days getting used to this. She could keep it comfortably dim in her quarters, and choose to venture out at dawn and dusk once she's been brought to whatever planet awaited her. It was kind of amazing. For so much of her life, the clang of her boots against metal decks and the weight of artificial gravity on her body and head had been her anchors, the things she clutched to keep herself sane. And yet, now the only thing she wanted was to be on real ground, breathing pollen scented air, and looking up into a warm, cloudy night.
She opened her scaly lips and breathed it aloud. "Penelya." It was her only name now. Not that she had given up much, with her parents gone, her brothers estranged, and the betrothed who she'd never touched dead in one of the endless border skirmishes. But still, she felt naked. For so long, she had been taught to think of her family name as a suit of armor, even if it was a thin, flimsy suit.
Below the platform smooth skinned humans, hairy tellerites, and nearly half a dozen others came and went between the mess hall, the operations decks, and the habitation area. She knew what everything was, and what everyone was doing, but she couldn't understand any of it.
"Maryam told me you might be here."
Penelya leaped upright, every muscle in her body tensing up. She turned around to see the uniformed Nash ka'Sharren leaning against the railing a few armslengths away. The andorian's eyes had a glint that reminded Penelya of the too-bright lights, or of a pair of the stars that had so long ago beckoned her away from Cardassia Prime. As always, she looked larger than life, more real than the rest of the room. And for that, all the more dreamlike. The first Federation citizen that any Cardassian had ever beheld...it felt almost contrived.
"Such precision," Penelya replied with a cold smile, "two days back among her people, and Captain Ajam already slips back into loose Federation habits."
Nash's eyes narrowed a little. "I hope I'm not hearing buyer's remorse."
Penelya shook her head a little too quickly. "Of course not, Captain. If I am to become a valued member of Federation society, I must point out where I see room for improvement in operations. It's as much as was expected of me in the Defense Force."
"Ah, sorry," Nash offered a small smile, "as I'm sure you've been told, we never learned all that much about the CDF's internal culture."
"You still haven't read the reports I spent weeks writing up for your people? I must say, I'm disappointed." Penelya felt her throat tighten as she said the words. She maintained eye contact though, even if it was difficult.
A moment later, Nash chuckled. "There's a bit of a difference between reading a conceptual summary of something and seeing it in practice. Tell me, is the snarking also what a good citizen does?"
Penelya took a step closer. "In...friendly...circumstances."
Nash's smile grew. Penelya felt her heart accelerate.
"I should introduce you to some tellerites. I think your peoples might have a bit in common."
There was a long, heavy pause. Penelya kept her eyes trained on Nash's. Both pairs of orbs trying desperately to communicate, and failing.
"Yes," Penelya finally broke the silence, turning away from the Andorian and leaning back against the railing, "from what I've heard, they sound like a most engaging people." She felt a little burn under the scales of her face.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yes, of course. I am simply...a bit...overwhelmed." She closed her eyes, suddenly wishing Nash would just leave.
There was another, longer pause. She felt Nash's eyes drilling into the back of her head.
"I think you should stop by sickbay. You're the first Cardassian to stay aboard a Starfleet ship, who knows what kind of-"
"I said I'm fine, Captain." She growled the words over the edge of the railing. Immediately, her shame redoubled. Losing her composure this quickly? Had she not even realized how much stress this defection was putting her under? "If you do not wish to exchange any more words with me, I suppose I can find a tellerite to talk to as you instructed."
The longest pause yet. Then, from behind her, a sharp intake of breath.
"You."
...
"I what?" the cardassian woman asked, back still turned. Nash quickly swallowed the other words that had been on her tongue, but she still felt like Gul Miran had pulled the rug out from under her.
"You...um...you seem to have something you want to talk about," she spoke very carefully, thinking about every syllable before letting it out. Meanwhile, the rest of her mind was racing, almost panicked. Admiral Sulu had told her there were only two dozen, at most, Cardassians who could have written that scene. Oh ice, how could she have not seen it?
"Not in particular," the slim, scaly-skinned woman replied, "I was merely hoping we could get to know each other properly, now that we're not being forced to posture at each other across a field of Apiata shipwrecks. Thank you for checking up on me, captain."
Nash breathed in deeply, and let it out very slowly. "Penelya."
The cardassian turned around very slowly, raising her eye-ridges almost dangerously at her.
"I would like that. But you don't know me yet." Ice and glaciers, was this actually happening? Had some sort of space time anomaly dumped her into a world where the extranet memes about her were true?
"Indeed," Gul Miran whispered, obviously waiting for more.
"I'm an Explorer Corps captain. Some people would say I'm the Explorer Corps captain, though there's a human named Michel Thuir who might be stealing that title at this rate. When they send us into the frontier, they train us to be symbols just as much as people. Every word and action is supposed to represent the Federation, and we always do our bests to make it so."
"Ah. I believe I understand what you are saying."
"You've come to the right place, Penelya. And if you'd like dinner tomorrow night, you're welcome to stop by. Just to talk."
Penelya turned back to the railing, and resumed her people-watching. "I will consider it."
Nash watched the back of her head a little longer. "It wasn't actually you who killed those Apiata harvesters, was it?"
"No. You avenged those worker bees when the Lorgot's warp core breached. My job was just to publically deny it. And accuse you, of course."
"I see." Nash felt a little wave of relief wash over her. "I'm glad my orders never sound like that."
Penelya turned around a third time, just barely looking at her out of the corner of one snakelike eye. "Is that Nash ka'Sharren talking, or the Explorer Corps Captain?"
Nash smiled. "I'm glad to say those two are in total agreement on this one."
San Francisco
USS Courageous
Undergoing Inspection
Stardate 23725.3
Rosie McAdams wasn't his own age, not by a double handful of years, and a footful besides. But she wasn't a kid like some of the captains seemed these days. She'd at least been in grade school back in the day. When starship computer displays took real mental wattage to interpret, Orions counted as exotic, and Klingons didn't bother sculpting their foreheads. Back when there was no such thing as synthehol, and gorgeous lieutenants sang wardroom songs that could make a Vulcan crack a grin. Back when the future seemed less beige.
The new breed, the ones who'd come of age in the '90s and really come into their own with the Biophage, had a lot going for them, and it was more and more obvious that they were real spacers who knew the trade. But once in a while it was- refreshing- to see a captain who didn't look like they'd been born yesterday.
"Here we are again." Leslie grinned, twisting his torso to lock the safety on the turbolift control lever. That was a mistake. He barely finished the motion, then hissed in pain as nerves stuttered and muscles cramped all along his side.
"NNgh.." Leslie forced his arm out to lean against the wall, catch himself before he fell and made it worse.
McAdams had her communicator out and open with a blurring quick-draw, like a Wild West gunslinger. Faster than Leslie's eyes could follow. "Sir, is something wrong?"
"No..." Slowly, laboriously, he began straightening himself up. "No no, I'm fine... don't call the medics. Been having little foulups like this for forty years. Worse, lately. You know all those people who say the Vulcan nerve pinch can knock a man unconscious cleanly, with no side effects? Yeah... they never ran into a Vulcan in a hurry. There's a reason I'm Chairfleet these days. Thanks for being ready, though."
"It would hardly do to, ah, misplace a commodore two weeks before departure."
"Misplace, what, are you shorthanded? Thinking of keeping me aboard 'for medical reasons' until it's too late to transfer me off before you head out?"
McAdams's prim smile and ironic pause sent Leslie over the edge; he laughed uproariously and shook his head "Oh, I'm onto your evil scheme now, aren't I? Don't you dare! One five year mission was enough, thank you!"
"Curses. Foiled again." McAdams' smile curled a fraction more tightly. Leslie shook his head.
"Sometimes I don't know how you youngsters survive them to have another shot; nothing but riding herd on antimatter-shufflers for me! Much safer and more relaxing. Let's go."
Commodore and captain stepped through into the Excelsior's main engineering room- a complete rebuild. There hadn't been much left after the core ejection, and replacing the gutted compartment's internals entirely had been cheaper than refurbishing what they could salvage.
McAdams looked over the room very, very carefully- she must have known it well half a decade ago, after all. Leslie could see her weighing the changes. Wait for it... wait for it... The captain blinked, her head snapping around to face the commodore with a sudden flickering motion. "...Why is it upside down, sir? Did you let the Gaeni-"
"See, I knew you'd ask that. The warp core's not upside down, I promise. But the housing geometry's a bit different, so it looks that way. This is the Block IV version of the warp core, same as we put into Salnas, Avandar, and Thirishar. A few more refinements over the Block III you'd be used to."
McAdams nodded. "That's a relief. You know, for ten- eleven, now- ships, our Excelsiors do seem to have a lot of equipment diversity. More than I'd realized a few years ago."
"Try keeping track of the installation and safety procedures. It's like herding cats." Leslie paused, remembering the Caitians he'd passed on the way in. "I can't use that analogy anymore, can I?"
"Probably not." The captain shook her head.
"Maybe they'll have a sense of humor about it. If not... well, I'll miss it." Leslie sighed and slumped a bit. "Anyway. Some day we'll agree on a final design that's worth retrofitting into all the Excelsiors, but until then, we do what we can. Excelsior's flying around with the original core from '85. And she's overdue for an overhaul if you ask me, which nobody does. Sarek still has the old Block II."
"What about Enterprise?"
Leslie laughed. "Technically, Block II. Really? I can't even tell you what to call that one anymore. What that sawed-off little son of a torpedo tube Captain ka'Sharren swears by has done with Enterprise's main reactor makes me want to take turns crying with joy and horror. Old Scotty would never- hmp. You know what? Never mind. Just... never mind."
Leslie didn't need more than a second or two to have a few flashbacks about exactly what the late, much-lamented Montgomery Scott could do with a warp core from a cold start. He was still amazed that they'd made it back from that second temporal jaunt without breaking the entire post-Cold War history of Earth. The first accidental time jump had gone much more smoothly. And- the third one hadn't been their fault, and didn't count.
And to think he'd almost mentioned it back on Gaen when he lost his temper with Kell-Nac last year. Giving those loons ideas, that was all he needed! Gaeni with time machines. That was the... fourth most frightening thought of his life, actually. Wow.
McAdams had plainly been thinking in the time Leslie'd wasted on woolgathering, though. "I notice you put the consoles back the way they were. I thought they'd changed the specifications on that, too."
"Should they have?"
"I don't see why."
"Good, then I don't have to feel guilty for slipping the installation techs the old set of blueprints instead of the latest ones from Workflow and Ergonomics. Those little boys and girls are crazy. I swear, for a while there, starting around '75... they were juggling the bridge layout on the Connies every couple of years. I think they finally made up their mind and said "that's final" around '92. But for all I know they'll be doing it all over again on the 'Bees... I'm not going to be able to use that nickname anymore soon, either, am I?"
"I'm sure the Apiata will understand, sir. Maybe they'll like it." McAdams smiled wryly.
"Hope so. Anyway, I only had a few weeks to knock some sense into the Gaeni, shove them all off the ship and let our crews do the real work. Tried to give you the best of the old and the new. A few rough edges, but nothing we couldn't document or that you'll have any trouble getting shaken out."
The captain looked distant for a moment. "It's... a bit of a shock coming back to her after five years, and having lost so many while I was away. We lost people at Kadesh- ion beams, thankfully, not infection- but it was nothing like what happened to poor Maryam the year before last."
"It's never easy. But believe in yourself. You'll get the old girl back together."
"I hope so, sir. I hope so." McAdams squared her shoulders, as though bearing up under an invisible load.
Politics as Usual
Commander Grann felt like a bright red beacon lost in a storm of green bodies as he stood in the small lobby of the Executive Level of the Presidential Tower. Orions and the occasional alien, covered in richly patterned clothes were piling out of the elevator that frequently stopped there. The array of fashions was dizzying, although they had a few common elements - shimmering material, the occasional floral pattern, plunging necklines for everyone. Indeed, Grann had noticed there was a trend among the younger ones of formal jackets, open in the middle, but with nothing worn underneath. These Orions had a lot of faith placed in fashion adhesives, he mused. Or they simply didn't care about accidents.
A fresh wave of interns and staffers swept out of another elevator and they rushed - sometimes pushed - by him to the bullpen that dominated the center of this floor. Some would instead take the long hallway that bordered the bullpen and then scurry off to side offices with no doubt important stacks of tablets and optical data rods. Fewer still would climb the stairs at the back of the office to the Executive level. It seemed inefficient, but as Grann understood it, direct elevator access to the President's level was being severely restricted. Probably for the better.
The man beside him, tall even by Orion standards, was tapping a tablet behind his back against the wall with a steady clunk-clunk-clunk that made Grann feel oddly at peace in this maelstrom of too-tall bodies. It was something to focus on, and furthermore reminded him of the steady pulse of machinery he'd grown up with on Tellar. The man was Haz Magar, the Chief of Staff - an appointment, Grann had gathered, that was seen as something of a disappointing compromise. Shar Ordey had serious credentials with the populist-egalitarian wing of the Congressional Alliance, a community organizer with years of experience organizing in the trenches, quite literally. Magar, by contrast, was the only son of a mid-level hypercorp manager, stuck in the worst of all worlds -- considered pampered and spoilt by the Egalitarians, a weak upstart from a middling background from the Corporatists and a man to boot. Grann reckoned he'd be more at home with the Egalitarians, but he was doing himself no favors with his presentation, bedecked in rich, silken fabrics that caught the light in strange ways. If Grann turned out to like the man he might give him some tips on how to dress more like a Tellarite.
Grann snorted as a fresh-faced Amarki intern shoved by him, a flimsy box tucked under their shoulder. Grann looked over at Magar, "I was requested to meet with the Executive Officer of Justice, and I have stood in this hallway being bumped for five minutes. Are you so new that you can't find the office?"
Magar gave him a tight smile and checked his watch, "You are rapidly going to discover the Justice Executive isn't the one for -- oh! Sorkan!"
The Vulcan Justice Executive was sweeping down the hall with long strides towards them, a quartet of aides in lockstep a few paces behind. A few interns fluttered in and out of his path, quickly talking to him, showing him or his staff PADDs, and passing them off in a few circumstances. Magar was already moving, and he was smoothly pulled into Sorkan's orbit as Grann skipped-stepped to take up a position between Sorkan and his retinue. After a few moments, he elbowed his way past an intercepting intern and was walking at Sorkan's hip.
"Magar, Commander Grann. It is agreeable you chose to join me this morning," He glanced at a PADD handed to him by an aide, his stride never breaking, "Although I sense some emotional discomfort."
"I would like to know why I am being forced to run a marathon instead of having a meeting with the Justice Officer, as I expected," Grann said irritably
Sorkan turned his head slightly to speak to Grann, "I do not like -- one moment," Sorkan glanced down at a PADD, "This is the updated one?" He said to an intern, whom Grann realized was the Amarki that had shoved by him earlier.
"Yes sir!" The Amarki said, brightly, walking at his side, "You'll note we changed sections II and III."
"The language is still too hard-line, Xanei. We must navigate a path that pushes the Syndicate without backing them into a corner. We must always leave the option for them to reconcile with some face. Make the adjustments before I deliver my speech to Congress" With a nod, the Amarki was gone. Sorkan turned back again to talk to Grann, his voice maintaining the same Vulcan emotional lack of affect, "I prefer to operate at maximum efficiency, and that means if I can garner some physical activity in the course of my morning routine, I will do so. It is not my fault if your short legs struggle to keep up. My interns can manage it; I am sorry I expected more of Starfleet officers."
Grann blinked -- his translator wasn't having to change anything about Sorkan's speech. The man was addressing him in Tellarite. He saw the suddenly-concerned expression of Magar change to slight confusion as the Orion checked on the mood of his Tellarite guest and found he looked ecstatic.
"Unwelcome but not unexpected arrogance to expect others to bend to your will. But you can't even manage that, this place is chaotic!" Grann rather deliberately almost ran into an intern to underscore his point. "What has them all so busy, anyways? Have they never heard of email?"
"It does not surprise me a Tellarite is so short-sighted about the management of people," said Sorkan. "I have found keeping a vibrant office atmosphere is critical to maintaining the motivations of many of my staff, and if they prefer quiet, I can accommodate that as well. As for why they are so busy, you will remember that despite what you clearly have failed to grasp, we run an interstellar state here. It is, for many, exhausting, time-consuming, and due to Syndicate security breaches, often air-gapped--" He took a tablet from someone, raised an eyebrow, and handed it back. The unlucky intern looked mortified and scurried back to their desk in the bullpen, "--This is in addition to the burden Starfleet has placed on this office in providing legal cover for their operations." Sorkan pointed out cluster of desks, deep in the bullpen, with fourteen people frantically writing, one rapidly alternating between looking at Sorkan and this his tablet as the Vulcan drew closer, "As an example, those are the fourteen finest legal minds in the Union, attempting to find a constitutional condition that will allow a deployment of United Earth ships in our space."
"... Did no one give you a brief, or does your brain not hold onto facts?" Grann strode forward quickly, then walked backwards so he was facing Sorkan as he spoke, "The United Earth vessels arrived in orbit yesterday afternoon. It is abysmal the Executive Officer of Justice has either forgot this or is incomprehensibly unprepared, to say the least!"
"I have forgot nothing," said Sorkan, "In addition to your inability to tell time leading to those vessels arriving a week early, you fail to grasp even if it is legal, sometimes it is better to do all the relevant work and confirm what you know," Sorkan's eyebrow twitched, "Typical of a Tellarite to call for shoddy work." Sorkan reached out and slightly pushed Grann to the side, the Tellarite avoiding being bowled over by someone pushing a cart of tablets.
Grann brushed off his hand, "And it is typical of a Vulcan to be unable to improvise."
Sorkan's pace slowed ever so slightly as he approached the fourteen supposedly finest legal minds in the Union. One of them hurriedly fumbled a tablet, the black rectangle nearly dropping to the floor before Grann caught it and handed it to Sorkan. The fourteen crowded into the hall as he read it in silence, following along. As they came to the junction in the hall that led back to the elevator, he nodded and handed the tablet back. The lawyers collectively sighed with relief and carried the tablet away like it was a priceless Preserver artifact. Sorkan continued past the elevator junction and started to repeat his route, but this time with significantly fewer people approaching. "Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, Commander," he said, "I feel I should clarify the intent of this meeting."
Grann fell in beside Sorkan, looking up at the Vulcan with sudden professionalism, "I see. We are covering ground so quickly, surely you can illuminate me as swiftly."
Magar pulled in tight behind them as Sorkan spoke, "I thought you should be made aware that our Chief Legislative Officer, Maxeme Sierre, has refused to return from Broken Chains until our government moves there." Sorkan reached back and smoothly, a PADD was pressed into his hands, which he pushed into Grann's. The Tellarite cocked his head and regarded the recorded playback on it with interest.
"I know who Sierre is," he said, after a moment of watching it. He tapped at the screen with a finger, "But who is the grubby gal sitting in the big chair they usually would reserve for either of the Presidents?"
"She is a janitor."
"What?"
"By convention, a member of the Executive usually fills that seat or one of the lesser ones below it if there are multiple representatives. However, none of us are there -- but that janitor is paid for by the Treasury Department, so... technically she is a Executive representative."
Grann snorted with amusement. On the screen, Sierre was a small but bright figure, dressed in high fashion. She stood alone in a sea of white desks, standing at her assigned lectern at the middle-left of the room. The only other person on-screen was the janitor, who was having fiery oratory delivered to her by Sierre: "--in this situation, the first maxim of your policy ought to be to lead the people by reason and the people's enemies by terror. Instead this government has seen fit to be led by terror which the enemy by turn of their own reason has inflicted on us." She paused, taking a moment to scan the empty balconies above her. "It sends a terrifying, chilling signal to the common people when their governors and leaders are too afraid to leave the safety of their black towers to make a journey under safe escort, and by the laws and conventions that shaped this great Union. People are gutted in the streets over bread!" The janitor, who had the look of someone who was confused yet intrigued, nodded at this statement. "A malign organization seeps the very marrow of our people; and while a foreign power sends us ostensible help, we sit on our hands afraid to make three days travel in the security of a battleship. Where is such protection for the commons, I wonder!" Her voice shook with passion. "I became a representative in the full knowledge I might die the second after I swore the oath. I am ashamed to learn my fellow public servants are not so ready to lay down their lives for the Union, as we would expect -- demand of any militia woman, policewoman, or soldier."
Grann suddenly very badly wanted to argue with this woman. He reluctantly handed the PADD back to Sorkan as they approached the small alcove that housed the presidential staircase. Heavy grey blast doors that blocked their way, requiring them to flash ID badges at the armed and armored guards posted outside the doors, who stood aloof and still from the bustle of the bullpen. The doors opened with a woosh, and more guards eyed them as they brushed on by and up the elegant white marble of the presidential staircase. Grann eyed some detailing in the wall -- phaser projectors. Cleverly hidden ones, to be sure -- Grann thought the one built into a light fixture was particularly clever. But they were phaser projectors nonetheless. He found he couldn't take his eyes off them as they walked by them. He had never seen something like this in a public building, not even on a Starbase. He realized, with the despair of someone caught in an undertow, that he was now in a place where Presidents needed to be protected like antimatter pods.
They reached the first landing of the stairs when Sorkan suddenly stopped. Grann was so lost in his ruminations that he almost bumped into…
In a second he had looked up, studied the face, and instantly suppressed a smirk. Standing before him was Vice-President of the Union, Dawind Byis. Even though every minute he'd ever spent in a diplomacy class had taught him otherwise, some part of him hoped against hope the Vice President would find it fit to complain.
Unfortunately Byis lived up to his reputation for hospitality instead, extending a hand, "Ah, Commander Grann. Congratulations on your Command of the Yukikaze. I was looking forward to working with Jessica Rivers but you will no doubt be as impressive."
Grann took Byis' hand, which was surprisingly cold, based on the other Orions Grann had met. But, not as cold as Andorians, so not worth commenting on. "While I appreciated the sentiment, Vice-President, I do not need such flattery to keep my ego aloft. Getting the job done matters to me more than kind words. Even from someone so esteemed."
Byis smiled, nodding his head. "Ah, there is the famed Tellarite pragmatism and directness. Well, I'll be sure not to compliment you in the future, Grann." Grann nodded his approval and Byis turned to Magar, "Ah, Mister Magar. We haven't had the pleasure yet, for which I apologize. Business in the Federation and elsewhere."
Byis held out his hand and Magar clasped it. Neither man said a word, but Grann caught something -- a flash of disgust on Magar's face, quickly concealed. Magar's eye's met Byis' and that carefully constructed expression collapsed to shame as Byis tightened his grip.
"I have poor circulation," Byis said The cordial smile was gone. The lips still formed the expression of a smile, but their slight pursing suggesting he was transmitting the more subtle emotion of polite annoyance, "It is the result of a congenital defect, not corrected at birth because my overlords simply... didn't care about my cardiovascular system. They thought I'd be dead by thirty-five with the work I was planned to do. So no, it's not my insides rotting from a runaway retrovirus, or a false arm with a hidden knife, or whatever other conspiracy someone's poured into your head."
Grann suppressed a snort of amusement. Sorkan was, like many Vulcans, unreadable. But Grann had worked with enough Vulcans to know that he probably wished he was anywhere but here right now.
Magar's face, meanwhile, fixed itself into a frown, and his eyes blazed at Byis, "Sir, I said nothing which would suggest I think that."
"But for a moment you looked it," Grann interjected "and that was all he needed." Both men looked at him with an air of faint surprise. Grann couldn't remember with Orions if it was respectful to break eye contact, or if like Tellarites, they viewed that as a sign of disrespect, he opted to look at them slightly out of the corner of his eye, "Apologies if I intruded. On Tellar this would normally be my chance to join the argument."
"Sir, I had not expected the rumors to be true at all, and frankly, it is--" Magar's voice trailed off.
Byis craned his head, "It is what, Mr. Magar?"
"... a little rude to presume that of me. Respectfully, sir."
There was an uncomfortable silence as the four of them stood on the landing, Sorkan raising one eyebrow as he broke it, "I see you are not afraid to speak your mind, Mr. Magar."
Byis looked at Sorkan, then back to Magar, lips still slightly pursed, "He's in luck then. President likes that in her Chief of Staff."
"I'm glad I meet your approval," said Magar.
Grann found himself thinking about antimatter pods. About how they needed to be protected because they were so volatile. Ordey had been gone for a week and this was the result, a tense conversation on a landing. Were someone more senior to go… Grann hoped he wasn't around.
He cleared his throat respectfully, which meant everyone else on the staircase was subjected to a loud, sustained harrumph. Sorkan nodded slightly, "I agree. Vice-President, if there is no pressing need, I wish to discuss with the Commander--"
"Ah, Sorkan. There has been a change of plans." Byis said, gesturing up the steps. They ascended, "Of course, I knew you'd be here at this time, so no need for paging you." His smile faltered, "The President and Commodore Akintola are waiting for us. There has been a disturbing development."
"It seems all are, these days."
Grann squinted at the Vulcan's response. Fatalism?
They climbed the stairs and took a right. Down the hall was an elegant door, plated in precious metals. Grann felt a mixture of elation and panic as an aide opened it ahead of them. He had not expected to be in the same room as the President.
The room was huge, extending from almost the core of the building to bulge out the facade slightly with a large curved window. The ceiling over the president's desk was double height, which would normally give her a magnificent view of the capital. But right now she was at the other end of the end of the room, perched in a plush white chair. Akintola was opposite her, her hair bobbing as she exchanged animated conversation with the President. On the screen was an Orion man, his speech muted.
"You summoned me, Madam President?" Sorkan said.
"Quite. Please sit. Commander Grann, a pleasure." She rose and shook Grann's hand, ushering him to a seat, "The people of Alukk feel safer whenever the guardian star of your ship passes overhead."
"I'm glad someone feels safer." Grann said. He nodded Akintola, as Sorkan took a seat next to him, Byis opposite, Magar hovering just behind the president, "Commodore. Where's the fire?"
"I believe it would be easier to show them, Madam President."
Oyana waved her hand in assent, "Agreed. Computer, restart media clip. Full volume."
The media on the screen was an interview pulled from a newscast. The male was identified in block caps below: MOHYANA RASZ, ASCENSION PARTY REPRESENTATIVE GARVIM-COLO-PORCHAN ON THE BAY.
"-- of course we accepted help from the Syndicate," Rasz said to the interviewer "The revolution needed arms, and they supplied."
"But, Representative Rasz, I am sure you can see why people would find it hypocritical that a revolution with the beliefs yours had would so easily turn to slaving, profit-seeking criminals."
"I acknowledge that. But we were -- are -- in a fight against the larger corporate authoritarianism that holds billions in bondage. To use the tools of your oppressors to destroy them is, indeed, a hallmark of many revolutions. The Romanovs of Earth were executed with Imperial rifles, the Viscountess of Vol'Skana run over by her own luxury groundcar. If the Syndicate is willing to sell us the weapons to end the system they benefit, that is not my concern."
"Is, representative? I had believed that we were discussing actions during the Revolu--"
"--was, of course. Of course. And I am, of course, protected from prosecution due to the blanket amnesty granted under the Union Acts. Which is why I feel free to address the fact that we seem to have forgotten that the Syndicate has both benefitted us and harmed us. It sells slaves, to be sure, but what of the services it provides? A young man, harassed, stalked by a powerful woman. He goes to what passes for the police, they laugh at him. In such corruption the Syndicate flourishes because they can provide what we can't. Look," he unbuttons his jacket and leans back, "I would simply like to highlight that it was Orions who fought and bled for our Revolution, and part of that solution was using underhanded suppliers -- but they were Orion. Now we have allowed a bio-regressive state, one with a member state, Earth, that euthanizes anyone with altered genetics, dictating terms to us and pushing our forces around to their whims. I have always stood for an independent Orion state. Congress, for all their talk of anti capitalism, is merely dressing us up like a slave to be sold to the Federation. You think the violence is bad now, wait until they are throwing your children into the gutters for the tremity of the fact their eyes have been changed color!"
Oyana clicked the mute button. Magar looked at Akintola with a furrowed brow, "Ma'am, is it true that Earth euthanizes anyone with non-baseline genetics?"
Akintola did an impressive effort of not rolling her eyes, "No. Like most good lies, it has a grain of truth -- there is an old UE mandate saying that from the very early days of the government. But that was superseded by a later Charter and then, the Federation Charter. For the most part, the Federation punishes those who perform the alterations, not those with them," she waved her hand, "There was some talk of a 'War on Augments' in the wake of the Mutara Nebula Incident but thank goodness that the pacifists won out on that one."
Oyana shook her head, "I think we are missing the larger point that a member of our Legislature came out and said that he preferred the Syndicate to the Federation. And he is not alone in that sentiment -- there is some polling that suggests in the poorer areas, yet unreached by benefits packages, the Syndicate enjoys broad social support."
"Enough to form a constituency?" Grann said. Oyana nodded.
The room was silent as that sunk in.
Oyana continued, "This will not be the last pro-Syndicate politician, I am afraid. Although I am not sure so many will be as overt." She looked at Sorkan, "Your top priority now is to investigate Rasz and others in the Legislature suspected of taking direct support from the Syndicate. We must have a clean house before we can continue the fight. And step up the speeches. Most people like you on the podium, taking a stand against the Syndicate. You naming and shaming wayward Congresswomen will no doubt bolster confidence in the government."
"Very well, Madam President," he paused, "Although we still have the problem of Sierre's refusal to return. We will need to rally support."
"That has actually already been taken care of." Oyana nodded at the screen, "This was broadcast fifteen minutes ago. Ten minutes ago I got off the comms with Sierre. She is already on her way back -- turns out she relishes the thought of rooting out potential traitors in the Legislature rather than wasting her rhetoric on empty halls."
"I see," Sorkan said, "That is acceptable. Will we be needing the United Earth and Starfleet ships, then? Our lawyers have confirmed their use is legal, in any case."
"Yes. I told her about the compromise and she was ecstatic. So we have her on-side."
"For now," Byis muttered.
"You should not be so harsh on her, Byis. Already she's had the Committee for Outreach and Media fill the subnet with some, quite frankly, fire memes about the whole thing." Oyana tapped a tablet and one example jumped up on the screen:
@MaxemeSierror said:
I arrive at the legislature
Head: Bowed with the Weight of Responsibility
Arms: Carrying the Laws of the Land
Integrity: Shining Proudly for all to see
"Mm." Byis said, appreciatively, "Now that is a spicy meme."
Sorkan was looking down at Grann. He spoke in Tellarite, "To stave off your face getting any stupider looking, the Constitutional use I was examining was for your ships to transport our representatives to Broken Chains. We were always concerned about sabotage, especially on an Empbor."
Grann scowled, "Those ships must be terribly shitty if you think spreading your representatives out on a handful of escorts is safer."
"It is more the security concerns. The Syndicate has a far better understanding of the Empbor's weaknesses and a better route to sabotage than they do for your vessels. In addition, as the great Spock once said -- 'Never put all your eggs in one basket.' Having the delegates take multiple transports reduces the potential for a decapitation strike."
Byis chuckled, "If we are lucky enough to be on the USS Yukikaze you can join us in fostering inter-party cooperation and unipartisan spirit with games of cards or... perhaps something a little more stimulating." He winked at Grann.
Grann just stared back. He was unable to fully plumb the loaded depths of that statement.
The door to the Presidential office swung open in the small silence that followed, cutting off any response from Byis. Coming through the door was a shorter Orion male, his muscled arms on full display thanks to his sleeveless vest. In his arms he held a metal tray, the contents obscured to Grann. "Pardon me, everyone!" He said, brightly, "Ventil, dear, you were supposed to tell me when our guests were arriving. I made these just for them, after all!"
"I apologize," said Oyana, "Everyone, meet my husband and the Executive Man of the Union, Kol. He's made cookies."
"Indeed I have," he said, politely walking over to his wife and offering her one - President always came first, Grann supposed. She waved him off politely and he offered one next to Akintola, who carefully studied her options. Behind them, on mute again, the news had turned to reports on sudden fleet moves from Starfleet. "You can take more than one," Kol gently prompted.
In a second she'd snatched up what looked like a ginger-snap and an oatmeal cookie of some sort. "Thank you," she said. She looked over at Oyana, who nodded towards her main desk. Akintola put a hand under her chin to catch any stray crumbs as she stood up to walk over. That left Sorkan, Byis, and Grann relatively alone with Kol. Kol handed Byis a cookie without a word needing to be spoken. The Vice-President was in the process of happily stuffing it into his mouth when he too was waved over to the President's desk.
"Oh, Commander Grann!" Kol bubbled, "I had heard you were coming today, so I went to the trouble of attempting a recipe a Tellarite adapted while living on Earth." He carefully picked on off the tray and handed it to Grann.
Grann had low expectations for what was about to be handed to him, but was pleasantly surprised to see the cookie had a nice, smooth finish, with an attractive pattern cut into it. He made a great show of sniffing the fruit on top of the cookie suspiciously -- and was rewarded with the scent of apricot, an Earth delicacy that Tellarites particularly loved. He cast a sidelong glance at Sorkan as he, surprisingly, chose a cookie -- Chocolate chip, or the local equivalent. How surprisingly basic.
Slowly, Grann put the entire cookie into his mouth and chewed carefully. It had a satisfying crunch that was pleasing to the ear, and hidden pumpkin spice notes brought the whole thing together. It probably tasted like shit to a Human, but Grann didn't care.
"Not as good as my father-of-mothers could have made it," he grumbled after a moment.
"A bad opinion. I am sure that is because your palate was scrubbed with acid as a child," Kol replied, surprisingly, in Tellarite. He giggled slightly at Grann's obvious surprise, and switched to Orion, "I am sorry, I have always had a particular interest in your species. I was a supply chain and logistics major in university, and the Tellarite industrial system was always a point of interest. I was always hoping to get a posting to one of the shipping firms that interfaced with them, but then I married Oyana and... Well."
"...now he bakes cookies," Sorkan said. All three of them exchanged a look.
"Politics as usual," Grann said, after a moment, looking sympathetically at Kol.
"I hope when Ventil finally steps down we can take a tour of your homeworld, Commander Grann -- Oh, Sorkan. They're waving you over, now." Kol held the cookie tray out to Grann, "I didn't make all these to go to waste. See if you can get Ventil to eat one. She hasn't had much appetite."
"I will, but I am a Starfleet Commander, not a waiter." Grann's hand's briefly touched Kol's as he made the handover. Much warmer -- he could see why Byis' were so off-putting now. He huffed at Kol and went over to the desk, setting the tray down with a harsh clatter as he sat next to Akintola. He tried to not look too pleased with himself as she gave him an icy glare and covered it by grabbing another cookie. Were those beets?
"There is one more thing I would like to discuss," said Oyana, as soon as Grann was settled, "Maxeme is right. The Syndicate has been allowed to terrorize us, instead of the other way around. Which is why, tomorrow, I am promoting Rasprow to General and recalling Colonel Carana from the Seyek embassy to lead Reconnoitre Bloc."
"That would be unwise," Sorkan said.
"Ma'am, Carana--" said Byis, simultaneously.
Oyana turned to look out at the skyline, "I know, I know. But she is the only person I know whom the Syndicate fears," she said, smiling bitterly at the bustle of the city-scape below, "It is time for them to experience some terror, I think."
"From the reports I received, it sounds like this Carana made some excellent progress against the Syndicate," said Akintola, "I am not sure why you would be so opposed."
Sorkan turned to look at the two Starfleet officers. "That is because some of Carana's activities were not officially recorded, either because she failed to report them or due to cover-up by her superiors. Despite the raw numbers showing a high rate of capture and destruction of facilities, her heavy-handed methods could… inflame the local sentiment against the government. Particularly when we were not seen as capable of reining her in." Sorkan turned to Oyana, her face silhouetted slightly by the daylight outside. "Madam President, it is not logical to bring her back when we know pro-Syndicate propaganda efforts are beginning."
"That is true," Oyana said, "But at the same time, I want results. I want them to be on the back foot, in their homes. And she can deliver that." She turned slightly to better see Akintola, "Obviously she could jeopardize that if she went too far and the Federation heard. I think some supervision from your agents could help keep her in line. Do you have any you could embed with the Reconnoitre Bloc in an advisory role?"
Akintola considered, "I had been hoping to assign a pair to the Union Investigations unit, but I think they might be better suited to this. Lieutenant Holena comes highly recommended from her commander on the Sappho and her former precinct superintendent on Rigel. She likes to keep things by the book in official capacities, which would help, hopefully, keep Carana in line. And Lieutenant Hahlor jav Zonshu would make an excellent cultural liaison--"
"Excuse me," said Byis, "But Holena is an Orion, no? And Zonshu, not?" At Akintola's nod he continued, "Yet the non-Orion is the cultural analyst? How does that make sense?"
"Holena did not actually grow up in the Union. It seemed more prudent to me to assign her someone who had studied the culture and actually lived here. Both are, of course, experts on the Syndicate, although Holena has more hands-on expertise from her time in law enforcement."
Byis nodded and smiled, "Of course. Well them, Madam President, that seems a fair compromise."
Sorkan shifted slightly, "I remain opposed, but will carry out your directives. I have concerns that this will cause my department an additional burden due to the new investigations against the Legislature."
Oyana rose and stood in front of the window now, "I am sure Starfleet will keep her in line." She shifted her body, "Admiral, Commander, it has been a pleasure. I will leave it to Sorkan and Rasprow to coordinate with you on further action. Thank you."
Grann rose, watching the President. She was gazing down out the window to her left. Towards the plaza where she'd nearly lost her life. Grann wondered if she felt safe, here in this fortress-tower. If she felt those she loved were safe. Somehow, he doubted it.
Grann courteously picked up the tray of cookies and left behind Akintola. The President hadn't moved when the door shut behind him.
Dramatis Personae | Blue Indicates male character
Executive Council
President: Ventil Oyana
Vice-President: Dawind Byis
Chief of Staff: Haz Magar
Executive Officer of State: Horasa Aklin
People's Advocate for Labour: Dram Halluk
Executive Officer of Finance: Morde Ye Porchada
Executive Officer of Commercial Development and Procurement: Valitera Garita
Executive Officer of the Space Force: Zhayra Hayet
Executive Officer of the Planetary Force: Indir Tao
Executive Officer of Justice: Sorkan
Executive Officer of Health and Wellness: Muska Jeen
People's Advocate for Infrastructure and Development: Kolle Banala
Veteran's Advocate: Joletta Cam Ye Sonna Bel
Ambassador to the United Federation of Planets: Ojet ch'Xintiv
Union Security Council
Officer of Intelligence: Delnna Cachat
Executive-General: Coranna Ellio
Executive-Admiral: Tooph Ye Holena
People's Defense Representative: Leta Rasprow
Officer of Anti-Piracy: Venetta Pol Orsenni
Reconnoitre Bloc Commander: Acio Carana
Union Legislature
Congressional Alliance Chief Legislative Officer | Chairwoman of the CAP Committee for Outreach and Media: Maxeme Sierre
Others
Executive Man: Kol Oyana
Star Fleet Response Unit
Commander: Commodore Cynthia Akintola
Cultural Liaison: Doctor Asurva
Yukikaze Captain: Commander lorin Grann
Agent, Starfleet Security: Lieutenant Jelanna Ye Holena
Agent, Starfleet Security: Lieutenant Hahlor jav Zonshu
"...and so I knew when I saw him that the bruises on his face came from being struck by an open hand 30 centimeters in diameter, a clear sign of a Yrillian. Ah, but then Mr. Appel here disappeared into the crowd so quickly. How was I to track him? I'm glad you asked," said Dr. Yang
Captain Thuir hadn't asked.
"I had memorized on the spot the unique markings of the Treblador beast he was was leading, and remembering that an auction was being held, theorized that he was taking it for sale. From there it was a simple matter of accessing the records to-"
"Doctor Yang," interrupted Thuir through gritted teeth.
"Yes Captain?" replied his CMO Dr. Robert Yang.
"Next time you take me to see someone suspected of collusion with pirates, please tell me why we're going to see him before he gets the drop on us!"
Michel Thuir gestured with his chin at the phaser-toting ranch hand, his hands still remaining in the air.
For his part, the ranch hand glowered silently at them, hand holding the phaser trembling. He had the air of man in over his head, and in Thuir's experience that wasn't good. A man like that could do anything.
"Sir, you should think twice about how deep you want to get into-" Thuir began his pitch, but was quickly interrupted.
"Pa, what in the tarnation do you think you're doing?!" The voice came from a girl in her late teens who had rounded the corner. She was dressed roughly in overalls, with a wide-brimmed hat over her freckled face.
The man blanched before his daughter's question. "These Starfleet fellows, they were asking about- About things they shouldn't be asking about. I had to-"
Heedless of the phaser, the girl walked up to her father, taking the hat off her head and swatting him with it. "About you working with the pirates? I told you, I don't need anything you get me that way. I don't want it. I'll work my way off Tobias's Rest my own self."
The man took the blow, his phaser's aim wandering until it was in the general direction of Thuir at best. The captain considered making a move, but decided to let matters play out.
"It wasn't just that. They didn't give a fellow hardly a choice, what with promises in the one hand and the other curled up into a big old fist," complained the rancher. Somewhere in the sentence he switched from talking to his daughter to talking to Thuir.
He started backing away. "Whatever I did or didn't do, it's over now. They told me they don't need me no more, and I don't know where they are right now. I didn't want to know. It's safer that way. I'm sorry dumpling, I'll make it all up to you later."
Whirling about, the man took off running. Thuir put his hand out to stop Dr. Yang from pursuing, shaking his head. The ranch hand was still armed, and there was no point in starting another confrontation right now. Not when the Miracht could probably beam him off the surface at will. Besides, there was another source of information here who might prove more cooperative.
The girl watched her father run off, tears welling up in her eyes. "Pa, you dummy," she sniffled.
"Thank you for your help," said Thuir.
She wiped her tears away. "I was helping him as much as you. He'll get some punishment for what he done, but it won't be nothing to what he'd get for shooting a couple of Starfleet officers. Pa, he's not really bad, but he don't think far ahead. He knows I want to get off-world and see the stars, and he just rolled right into the big old hands of the first person who said they could help, not asking me what I thought about it."
"Do you think he was telling the truth about not knowing where the Yrillians are?"
She nodded emphatically. "Sure, Pa isn't too curious about stuff like that. Not like me. He's got no idea where they hid their ship, and he doesn't want to know. I guess nobody knows." But as she said this last sentence, she looked up and to the side while biting her lip.
Dr. Yang tried to whisper to him, "Captain I think-" Thuir waved him off. This didn't take a great deductive genius. The girl was the worst liar he had ever met.
"What's your name, miss?" asked Thuir.
"Jacqueline, sir. Or Jackie or Jaque, as you please."
"I'm Captain Michel Thuir of the Miracht. We were only supposed to be here to pick up Miss Caravel for a diplomatic summit, but when she told us about the trouble Tobias's Rest has been having with these pirates I was glad to help. We already captured a good number of them, but the remainder of the crew have managed to hide their ship from our sensors. A Yrillian won't betray their work gang no matter what, so we're not getting any answer from our prisoners, and I can't keep the Miracht here forever. If we can't find the ship, there won't be anything to stop them from starting all of this again the moment we leave."
In the strictest sense this was true, though somewhat misleading. Thuir doubted the Yrillians would be reckless enough to try and restart their scam on Tobias's Rest now that the Federation had been alerted. United Earth would get a follow-up ship out here sooner or later. Still unless he could find and capture the pirate ship, they'd be able to find some settlement in some other solar system and do the same thing there.
It took another few minutes of prodding to get her to admit it, but eventually Jackie confessed that she had some suspicions about where the Yrillians could have stashed their ship. She seemed mostly torn at the idea that she would be leading them to more evidence against her father, but folded before Thuir's recounting of all the local farmers who had been injured by the activities of the pirates.
Leading them back to the modest shack she called home (her father fortunately not around), Jackie took out a much-modified piece of sensor equipment. She explained, "I use this to help track the Treblador beasts when we let them free range. Spray them with any of a dozen exotic particles I can siphon off the local power plant, and it's a cheap way to make them light up unique-like on this rig. Came up with the idea myself, after I got sick of how irritated they get when you try to implant a physical tracker."
"And you sprayed some of Yrillians," guessed Thuir.
"I may have done that when I saw them smacking around Pa," answered Jackie. "I can even tell you approximate-like where they are from the direction they came and some seedpods sticking to them. They're somewhere in a forest northeast of here. Now if your fancy Excelsior can't spot them from orbit, they must be using some kind of active masking field. There's a lot of wild Treblador beasts around there; confuse the lifesigns enough and you might mistake a Yrillian for one of them. It's a big forest to search, but with this lovely we can find the particle trail and track them straight to wherever they're holed up."
Thuir took hold of the sensor unit. "If by 'we' you mean me and my security team, that sounds like an excellent idea."
"Now hold on, you're not going there without me," protested Jackie.
"I'm not taking a-"
"Didn't you hear me? That forest is crawling with wild Treblador beasts. You need someone who knows how to handle them. Do it right and they're gentle as kittens. Do it wrong and you got a ton of angry beast ready to stomp you flat. You don't believe me? Go to that field right outside and try to walk across it without me. See how even the beasts used to folks treat you. Go on," said Jacqueline. She folded her arms.
Thuir pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. It wasn't like she was the only person on the planet who knew how to handle the Treblador beasts. Given time, he could find someone who wasn't a teenage girl to help. Given time, his sensor team could no doubt pierce whatever spoofing field the Yrillians were using and beam them straight into his brig. Given time. The trouble was that the summit on Rigel wasn't waiting. Take the time it would take for the trip without redlining his engines and costing a week of maintenance, add in the time that it would take to wrap all this up once he found the pirates, and the plan really needed to get started... basically right now.
"Thank you Miss Appel. I will... reluctantly... take you up on that offer. With the understanding that you will stay back out of the way if and when violence breaks out. You understand me?"
She nodded.
A few hours later...
"Applejack, I kill you!" screamed the Yrillian. He reached out with two massive hands.
Jacqueline stepped easily to one side and tossed a loop of rope she had been using to wrangle the Treblador beasts around both hands, pulling the lasso tight. She turned and ran, and the Yrillian managed to pursue for one step before being yanked to a halt, the other end of the rope being secured to a nearby tree.
The thirty seconds the Yrillian spent trying to free himself were long enough for Thuir to show up and stun him.
Thuir frowned gloomily. It had been a textbook perfect surprise assault on the Yrillian encampment, except for the part where one of the pirates had apparently apparently taken a walk in the woods, run back at the sound of phaser fire, and stumbled headlong into the girl he was supposedly keeping well away from the fighting. Just a reminder that nothing works like the textbook.
He asked Jacqueline, "Are you all right?"
She bit her lip and looked up and to the side. "Just fine, captain."
"Now how about the truth?"
"Well, I bumped my head pretty hard when that fellow jumped out at me. Honest, I'm feeling kind of woozy."
Thuir sat her down and pulled out a medkit. As he examined her pupils he made conversation to keep her awake in case she had a concussion. "That pirate seemed like he knew who you are. He called you 'Applejack'?"
"Just a nickname a lot of folks around here use. Jacqueline Appel, 'Applejack'. Right? Anyways, that was old Feenogen. I bumped into him a few times when he was talking to my Pa, and he didn't care too much for me. Sharp fellow, though. Knew as soon as he saw me I was responsible for leading all of you here. Hope he doesn't have any friends left in town; that one can hold a grudge. Guess that's another reason to get off this planet as soon as I can find some way. Don't suppose you got room on your ship?"
"As it happens, I do," replied Thuir.
Applejack twisted to look at him, startled.
"As a starfleet captain, I have latitude to accept exceptional individuals as provisional cadets for a term of service, followed by nomination to Starfleet Academy. You've impressed me a lot, young lady. You seem intelligent, honest, ethical, and cool-headed in an emergency. All of them qualities I look for in Miracht crew members. We have a little over nine months left in our five year mission. You can come on board, get some practical experience, and study for Academy exams until the mission is over. I warn you it won't be easy. You don't have Academy training so you'll get all the dullest, hardest jobs, but you'll have a chance to learn an Excelsior from the inside out."
"Mister- I mean Captain Thuir sir, I'm a ranch hand's daughter. No job you're going to find will be duller or harder than my daily chores. If you'll have me on board as a cadet, nobody will work harder."
"I can't give you more than a couple of hours to say goodbye. We'll be breaking orbit soon."
At this Applejack did look hesitant, but only for a moment. "My friends... Pa... my sister... they all know what I want. They've been ready for me to go and I always knew a chance might come quick. Won't take me long to remind them of the goodbyes I already said."
Michel Thuir smiled. "Then welcome to Starfleet, Applejack."
"I'm going to be stuck with that nickname, aren't I sir?"
"Afraid so, Cadet."
….
I did not write this omake purely to make the ranch hand's daughter a MLP expy, I swear. I can also attest that when she finally gets to the Academy, Applejack will most definitely not make friends with a neurotic Vulcan named T'Wilit, an Andorian who fancies herself the best pilot at the Academy, a Betazoid who has a special talent for empathy with animals, an Amarkian fashionista who is the soul of generosity, and a Tellarite girl who throws the best dorm parties at the Academy. (Bites lip; looks up and to the side.) Omake reward would be if Jacqueline becomes a tracked character for purposes of her career.
Well, I have to say. After everything else that has happened thus far, it's nice to get back into the normal rhythm of things. Ah, insomuch as any meeting of the Ship Design Bureau is normal.
Eddie Leslie was distributing some anonymous suggestions on modular designs he had been sent, passing out the file attachments to everyone's datapads. If anyone knows who is responsible for those, uh, creative approaches to ship design, no one was confessing.
8pts are required to activate a Tech Team
212 / 8 = 26 rem 4
26 Tech Teams may be activated. Unused rp will carry forward to next year
The following Tech Team assignments are carrying over:
Daystorm Institute : 2320s Mainframes
40 Eridani A Shipyards : 2310s WarpCores
Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems : 2310s Warp Core Safety
Vulcan Science Academy : 2310s Short-Range Sensors
Generic Team 4: 2310s Long-Range Sensors
Weapons Fabrication Division: Early ToC Weapons
Federation Broadcast Service : 2310s Communications
Starfleet Science Academy: 2310s Message Security
Tellar Prime Academy of Mineral Science : 2310s Special Resources
University of Betazed: 2310s Affiliates Research
Spock: 2310s Diplomacy
Generic Team 3: 2310s Escort - Engineering
Generic Team 2: 2310s Explorer - Science
San Francisco Fleet Yards : 2310s Explorer - Engineering
Generic Team 5: Klingon Research
ZERO TEAMS MUST BE DEACTIVATED
Utopia Planitia Design Group
Taves Nar Orbital Engineering
Starfleet Medical Command
Generic Team 1
[ ] Submit a Research Plan, using up to twenty-five Tech Teams (Only changing teams need to be listed)
Comparison of Forward Defense versus Fleet in Being
Okay, I'm going to try and do a detailed comparison of the two Doctrines. They are surprisingly not symmetrical and are harder to compare than you would think. Let's start with the most basic of basics, home sectors versus border zones.
Home Sectors
Taking Caitian/Rigellian membership as good as done, we currently have 7 Home Sectors and one additional Sector (Apinae) that will likely join in a few years. All other other 300+ affiliates, except Risa, will likely be incorporated into existing sectors rather than getting their own. Risa I don't know about. 8 sectors.
Border Zones
EDIT: Since it's been a topic for debate I will limit this to border sectors currently on offer and not hypothetical "frontier zones" we might end up placing Rimward of Caitian Sector or Coreward of Rigel.
We currently have 3 border zones, the RBZ, the KBZ, and the CBZ. Now Forward Defense is all about the Border Zones, so I anticipate that if we were to go for Forward Defense we would want to buy 3 additional border zones. These would be: the Sydraxian border zone already on offer, a "Rimward" border zone covering our belly from 21 Themis to Biroth, and a "Coreward" border zone covering Rigel to Gaeni. Basically with Forward Defense you don't want to leave any home sector with an "edge" not occupied by a border zone. Again, I don't know what to do about Risa. I'm going to ignore Risa.
Fleet-in-Being = Cover 8 home sectors + 3 border zones = 11 territories
Forward Defense = Cover 8 home sectors + 4 border zones = 12 territories (1 of which must be purchased with pp)
Are more sectors better or worse? They stretch your fleet out more (though with some sectors having reduced requirements) but more events are generally better. Hard to say. Let's carry it through and see what the two doctrines do. Since we know Defense requirements are going up, I'm going to give some hypothetical "2317" baseline requirements before interference with a doctrine that I think are logical.
Sol Sector D21 (Earth + Betazed) - Currently has D5 Starbase
Vulcan Sector D12 - Currently has D5 Starbase
Andoria Sector D12 - Currently has D5 Starbase
Tellar Sector D12 - Currently has D5 Starbase
Amarkia Sector D12 - Currently has D5 Starbase
Caitian Sector (assume D12) - Currently has D5 Starbase
Rigel Sector (assume D12) - Currently has D5 Starbase
Apinae Sector (assume D15 - Apinae + Inforians) - Currently has D5 Starbase
RBZ D12 - Currently has D5 Starbase
KBZ D10
CBZ D12 - Currently has D5 Starbase
SBZ (assume D12)
By the end of of 2317 I am estimating our available fleet as:
11 Miranda-A (3C/2D)
8 Centaur-As (3C/3D)
5 Oberths (1C/1D)
7 Constellation-A (4C/4D)
4 Renaissance (5C/5D)
9 Constitutions (5C/5D)
20 Excelsiors (6C/6D) of which 9 are in the Explorer Corps and unavailable
I'm going to ignore the Level 1 "access" technology that gets you nothing but the right to research further into the doctrine since that's a 50/50 requirement for either one.
Level 2 Technologies
Fleet in Being (3 total)
L2 Federation World Focus: (three 25/25 technologies) -10% to Combat Value of Ships in a home sector / Redeployment (Garrison requirements shifted away from border zones to home sectors) / Frontier Duty (+5% Penalty to Combat value of ships in Border Zones) ---> leads to T3 Thorough Exploration and T3 Fleet Concentration
L2 Fleet Preservation: (two 25/25 technologies) Aversion (+2 R to attempts to flee/decline battle) / Unlock Target Priority: Reduce Explorers --> Leads to T3 Fleet Concentration
L2 Key Infrastructure: (two 2525 technologies) Starbases (-25% to cost of building Starbases) / Deep Space Stations (-25% to cost of building Deep Space Stations) / Outposts (-50% to cost of expanding Outposts) -->
leads to T3 Center of Gravity and T3 Focused Industry
Observations: So we've got one technologies that is all about where you put your ships and how much combat they count for, one that's about fleet combat (enabling ships to run away better and make sure that smaller ships take damage before explorers, and one that makes starbase and similar cheaper. Not that it's not "starbases in home sectors" but just a flat discount. These are all independent of each other, though note that you need both Federation World Focus and Fleet Preservation to get to T3 Fleet Concentration. Note that Federation World Focus has three techs instead of 2, including one you're forced to research that has only negative effects.
Effects of Federation World Focus - Let's assume that requirements are shifted by +3/-3 and that for the most part Combat = Defense (not true for Mirandas but for argument) and that we'll have ~223 Defense/Combat by 2315. Let's look at what this would do to a "minimum requirements" fleet.
Home Sector Defense/Combat = 99 (count combat as 89)
Border Zone Defense/Combat = 18 (count combat as 19)
Remaining 84 Combat = station in home sectors, combat counts as 76.
Overall Combat counted as 184/221.
Fleet Preservation speaks for itself, and Key infrastructure drops the cost of starbases from 20 to 15, 30 to 22, and outposts from 20 to 10.
Forward Defense (4 total)
L2 Border World Focus: (two 25/25 technologies) Early Doctrine (Ships in Border Zones count for -1 Combat against Cap) / Outward Focus (Rebalance Defense requirements from home to border) --> Leads to T3 Hard Shell System and T3 Mutual Support
L2 To Boldly Go: (two 25/25 technologies) General Order 37 - Patrolling (Event rate in border zones increases) / Captain's Initiative (+1 to Response Rolls in Border Zones) --> Leads to T3 Independent Captains and T3 Frontier Service Training
L2 Frontline Infrastructure: (two 25/25 technologies) Public Awareness (Removes pp penalty for border zone starbases) / Forward Siting Identification (Reduce pp cost for declaring a border zone) --> Leads to T3
Dispersed Industry and T3 Deep Space Construction
L2 Mobility Focus: (two 25/25 technologies) Self-Sufficient Designs (+2 to all Cruiser research) / Response Teams (+1 to attempts to intercept raiding attempts) --> Leads to T3 Counterpunch which does not exist.
Observations: So yes, this is hard to compare to the fleet in being techs. Border world focus is easy enough (see below) but then we get a T2 Event frequency bonus (I would guess takes them from 3/5 to 4/5 odds) and Event response bonus rather than fleet battles. Frontline Infrastructure basically only exists to mitigate the costs of the extra border zones and starbases for those border zones, so it's merely fixing a drawback for the princely price of several turns of research by a top team. Then finally we get a random bonus to cruiser research and a bonus to stopping Raiding Events which admittedly is pretty good.
Home Sector Combat = 60 (count combat as 60)
Border Zone Combat = 46 (count combat as 37)
Remaining 114 Combat (35 ships) = station in border, combat counts as 79
Overall Combat counted as 176/221.
Level 3 Technologies
Fleet in Being (4 total)
L3 Thorough Exploration: (two 25/25 technologies) Home Ground (Additional 5% Discount to Combat Value of Ships in Home Systems) / Ready Backup (+1 Response Team) ---> Leads to T4 Fortress System and T4 Thirst for Answers
L3 Fleet Concentration: (two 25/25 technologies) Home Fleet (Set 1 system as being the home of the fleet, -10% Combat Value to any ship in this fleet) / Osmosis (Reduce Garrison requirements outside of the Home Fleet system) ---> Leads to T4 Exploration Fleet and T4 Pride of the Fleet and T4 Attritional Battle
L3 Center of Gravity: (two 25/25 technologies) Pivot Point (-2Qtr to Starbase Build Times) / Recognising Requirements (+3 to Starbase Research) --> Leads to nothing.
L3 Focused Industry: (two 25/25 technologies) Mineral Contributions (+10 BR/SR from each Member World) / Personnel Contributions (+0.25/0.25/0.25 Crew from each Member World) --> Leads to nothing.
Observations: So Thorough Exploration and Fleet Concentration aren't that great in themselves (except for maybe Ready backup). In fact, I'm not convinced Fleet Concentration is worth anything at all. The only reason to stockpile ships in a Home Fleet system is to have them ready for war... it's certainly not worth is to over-respond to events in one lousy sector. It's probably no coincidence that these two "weaker" technologies are the ones that lead to T4 techs. Center of Gravity is eh.... I haven't noticed that shaving 2Qtrs off Starbase build times would matter to us much, though the Research bonus is nice. Focused Industry is clearly the crown jewel of this level. At ten member races (likely in a few years) that gives +100 Br/ +100 Sr, as well as +2.5 Crew of every type. That's pretty goddamn nice! Hell, it's basically "build an extra Explorer every 2 years".
The ideal tech progression for this doctrine would definitely be T2 Key Infrastructure ---> T3 Focused Industry, then go back and look at other techs.
Forward Defense (7 total; Note that Forward Defense has no T4 so it's much flatter)
L3 Hard Shell System: (two 25/25 technologies) Hard Shell System (Further rebalance the garrison requirements between border and home sector) / Contest Every Lightyear (+1 to Wolf-Pack Intercept attempts)
L3 Mutual Support: (two 25/25 technologies) Mutual Support (Can roll at -2 to respond to neighbouring home sectors) / Propulsion Focus (+2 to Defence/Response research)
L3 Independent Captains: (two 25/25 technologies) Known Space (Reduced event rate in home sectors) / The Infinite Cathedral of Stars* (Increased event rate in border zones)
L3 Frontier Service Training: (two 25/25 technologies) New Curriculum (+1 to DC of all sabotage attempts) / Spirit of Adventure (+1/1/1 to Explorer Corps recruiting)
L3 Dispersed Industry: (two 25/25 technologies) Colony Efforts (+5 Resources from colony worlds) / Redundancy (Federation starts duplicating critical industry in more places)
L3 Deep Space Construction: (two 25/25 technologies) Frontier Starbases (25% discount to Border Zone Starbases) / Sense of Security (All Border Zone starbases generate +1pp/yr)
L3 Forward Logistics: (one 50/50 technology) Heavy Repair Bays (Make available a project to repair up to 60% damage on Explorers at Starbases)
*"The Infinite Cathedral of Stars" is the best tech name, no arguments.
Observations: So yeah, there's a lot to take in here. There's no single "crown jewel" technology but every single one of these has at least something and most of them are pretty solid. Hard Shell System and Froward Logistics don't seem that valuable to me. ("A project" to do repairs? Maybe we should just build an extra berth instead, eh?) Certainly Frontier Service Training and Dispersed Industry are very valuable, with "Federation duplicates critical industry in more than one place" sort of "priceless". It doesn't matter until it really matters. Though Colony Efforts is just not as good as Focused Industry, full stop. But then, what is? Deep Space Construction helps border sector starbases "pay for themselves".
Not sure about reducing event frequency in home sectors with Independent Captains, but remember this is the second increased event rate in border sectors, so you'd really want to strip those home sectors bare and keep your best ships on the borders. And also... well, fewer events means less rewards but it also means that bad stuff doesn't happen that requires Starfleet to fix. That ship never sends out a Distress call in the first place. There's no sabotage event. All the "bad stuff" is kept safely on the frontiers, where all our ships are constantly hopping, and the home sectors are sleepier and quiet.
I think my ideal tech progression for Forward Defense would be:
L2 To Boldly Go (good events in border zones) --> L2 Frontline Infrastructure --> (start declaring a bunch of border zones) --> L2 Border World Focus (border zones easier to support) --> L3 Dispersed Industry (extra resources) ---> L3 Frontier Service Training (more explorers) --> L3 Deep Space Construction (more starbases) --> L3 Independent Captains
Level 4 Technologies (Fleet in Being only - 5 total)
Fleet in Being has 12 areas total, while Forward Defense has 11.
L4 Fortress System: (three 25/25 technologies) Starbase Anchors (+1 to Starbase Research) / Command & Control (+2 to Starbase D) / Buttoned Up Tight (Reduce enemy infiltration chances)
L4 Thirst for Answers: (one 25/25 technologies) Intensity (Increase Home Sector Event Rates)
L4 Exploration Fleet: (two 25/25 technologies) Unlock Target Priority: Hull Value / Cutting Edge (pp cost of new Explorer class designs by 25%)
L4 Pride of the Fleet: (two 25/25 technologies) Explorer Adaptability (Reduce Explorer Prototype penalty by half) / Cruiser Adaptability (Reduce Cruiser Prototype penalty by half)
L4 Attritional Battle: (one 25/25 technologies) Unlock Target Priority: Escort Types (Effect)
Observations: So obviously "Intensity" under Thirst for Answers is the best one on this level, as we finally unlock our event increaser. Unfortunately not in the same tech chain as Focused Industry, so you have to go back through some fairly mediocre techs to get there. Target priority Escorts is pretty great too, as it helps mitigate the advantages of our explorer-heavy fleet. Blowing away Escorts mean that enemy fleets will go down faster. Beyond that, eh, we design new ships so infrequently that cutting costs doesn't impress me much. Fortress System is pretty nice, though by this point I'm not sure if the Defense bonuses won't feel wasted. You've likely already got plenty of ships stacked in those systems.
Overall
You want more Events? Forward Defense will get you there faster and give you more zones to have Events in, as well as helping keep your combat cap down. But it'll take more ships to support all this and the resources enhancer isn't as good. You want more resources? Fleet in Being will give you better resources so you can build more ships, as well as better fleet combat bonuses.
Very roughly and broadly speaking:
Fleet in Being = More about having a fleet that wins wars.
Forward Defense = More about having a lot of Events in border zones and away from home worlds, as well as being able to survive a serious hit to a homeworld in a war.
Thoughts? (This wasn't an omake but it was as long as one, and I hope it's educational. @OneirosTheWriter might want to threadmark it.)
@OneirosTheWriter there is also a minor issue in Forward Defense. T2 Mobility Focus supposedly leads to "Counterpunch" but there is no such T3 tree. Meanwhile the T3 "Forward Logistics" supposedly has a predecessor of Frontline Infrastructure, but it is not listed as a "leads to" for Frontline Infrastructure.
EDIT: @SynchronizedWritersBlock has a nice expanded analysis with more details on the effects of home sector Starbases here.
Captains ka'Sharren, Straak, Ajam, and Commanders Leaniss, Usha, and Kuznetsova sat around the table of the Enterprise captain's ready room with Gul Miran and a pair of her officers. The table was brimming over with food, and if Maryam's favorites were only slightly over-represented, it was only because the meal had been put together with some haste.
"... and as soon as the USS Hope gets here, we should be able to safely and securely transport the crew back to neutral space for a hand-off." Nash finished with an elegantly languid hand-wave, as she lounged at the head of the table. "That leads us to what to do with the Kadak-Tor. We need to move the ship farther away so we can get some good sensor scans to show the Cardassians, present company excluded, that a ship blew up, and not that a ship flew by and dropped off a few critical bits."
"The core ejection was orthogonal to the chord between the ship and the moon, so there was no particle shadow cast, and they don't have a baseline scan of the body to realize that the residue left was insufficient." Straak noted.
Alex Kuznetsova only had so much self restraint, and finally seeing a moment spoke up, "Actually, we, " a quick nod of the head to Anne, "were already thinking about that."
"We have the Kadak-Tor running dark on minimum backup power for now, but because it has a distinctive emissions profile different from Federation ships, we need to get it out of the system before we power it enough for transport," Anne added.
Commander Kuznetsova pushed her plate aside, picked up the nearest salt shaker and sprinkled it over the tabletop in front of her. "This salt is the normal background particles in the area." She reached over and grabbed a fluffy biscuit off the plate of the unsuspecting Captain Maryam and smashed it into the table. "Ka-boom! Antimatter Explosion!" She ground it under her hand a bit. "Now this dinner roll," swiped from Anne, "Is the Enterprise."
Another roll flies across the table, knocking the one out of Alex's hand. Nash smugly looks at the results of her throw. "If any baked good is going to be the Enterprise, its going to be my dinner roll... Now Please Continue."
"OK, this dinner roll is the Enterprise. As it moves through the area, it pushes the particles there, like so" Alex continued as she dragged it through the salt and crumbs, "But, if you look closely, you can see the crumbs it leaves. Meanwhile, the Kadak-Tor is a Cardassian ship, and they have records of its engine so its..." another quick grab "This sesame roll" and repeats the same motion, leaving a few scattered seed. "This sesame roll is the Kadak-Tor, and it leave a trail. But, and this is the important part. If we can move the Kadak-Tor in low emissions mode" a gentle roll of the seeded roll, "and follow its path exactly with the Enterprise or the Sarek," pushing the other roll after the first, "We can wipe clear the traces, and let the other ship make some local scans that only show signs of Federation ships leaving the area."
"This is not how I expected this discussion to go." Gul Miran said with an awkward look at the faces of both Nash and Maryam, "but the idea seems sound. However, between the damage to the ship, and how few of us there are," with a gesture to her crew-mates, "I don't know if we can make that work"
Anne replied "If our good Captains can spare some people who can keep a secret, and whose absence won't attract attention, we can put together a prize crew. Its been too long since I got my hands dirty anyway."
"My Lieutenant Straite knows the ship emissions quite well and she could use a change of pace and this would encourage her to take some leave. I can come up with a few other names once I review your other requirements. I trust you will have a document ready soon." Straak offered.
"I know just the person to head up my crew delegation too," Nash smirked.
***
Lieutenant-Commander Robert Kenichi had really expected to be waking up after a full nights sleep after the Enterprise had ended its alert status. That was clearly not the case, and the message alert had the warble that meant it was a priority. A week of warp 11 would weary anyone on the engineering team, and running engineering during it, even it it was third watch, especially if it was third watch, was twice as bad. The ship had gotten where the Captain wanted her, apparently in the nick of time, and with absolutely zero earth-shaking kabooms along the way.
He threw a dangerously unsecured boot at the terminal, stopping the noise, and displaying the simple message. "Report to my ready room ASAP. -ka'Sharren". With no time to dilly-dally, he wiggled into the pants and tunic he had planned on putting down the 'cycler, hopped into his boot, over to the terminal and into the other book, and took off at a jog down the hallway.
***
The door of the ready room swept open. "Robert Kenichi reporting as orde..." and he trailed off as he saw a that scattered around the best captain in Starfleet, and one of the contenders for number two on that list were a bunch of Cardassians, a dead woman who needed sleep even more than he did, Anne Usha, and... "French Fries! I should have guessed this had your greasy mits all over it!"
Anne turned to Alex, "Wait, you know him?"
"What do you mean? You know him?"
"Ladies and gentlefolk, may I present the best xenotech engineer on the Enterprise, and that is saying something, Lieutenant-Commander Robert Kenichi. Rob, I have a little job for you, hush hush, the game is afoot, go-go gadget... er anyway." Nash gave up on trying to hit the right old earth reference.
"Yea, he was my study-buddy for astometrics back at the academy"
"Alex, you almost failed astrometrics. You remember that hand-tractor I made for advanced project lab? He was the one I was working with."
"It punched a hole a third of a meter into durocreate, of course I remember. Anyway, we kind of got distracted by a side project for astrometrics, the professor was a total bore."
By then Robert had a chance to study Alex Kuznetsova's signature post explanation food pile. "It's a good plan, but I think we can do a bit better. If we can get enough power going, instead of thrusters, we can reverse the hydrogen ramscoop and use it as a traction drive. No emissions at all, just scattering particles in odd ways. Even less to find once whatever ship the salty bread is supposed to be runs cleanup."
"We came in a runabout, if we add a power shunt from the backup reactors" Anne responded as if they had worked together the day before.
"It ought to be enough" Both finished in unison.
"Er..." Alex gave a quick glance at the Captains around the table. "Speaking of astrometrics. What Rob and I were doing then was creating a spoof registration for a merchant freighter. Last I checked it was still in the books. If we set the runabouts IFF to match that, we can spoof that identity, and the weak Federation warp drive plus high mass ship should look just like a merchie. It won't be fast, but once we get to the Amarkia-Tellar corridor, we can blend into traffic and vanish away."
***
"Come in Tellar Prime traffic control, this is Cap'n Jack Burton of the merchant ship Pork Chop Express. I'm havin a bit of trouble with my warp engines, and I need priority routing and want to request a safety exclusion zone just in case.
"Like I told my last wife, I said "Honey, I never fly faster than I can scan. Besides that, it's all in the reflexes."
Penelya Miran, accompanied by her XO, Jil Yarra, and her weapons officer, Alkor Evek, entered the Enterprise's ready room along with the Starfleeters. She had the impression that this was to be a small 'welcome to the Federation' meal. Probably a bit nicer than the Federation equivalent of feyt, but nothing too fancy. Maybe fish and fruits?
When she saw the table, overflowing with food, she didn't even try to hide her surprise. There was, indeed, fish and fruits (though the fruits looked fresher than should be expected), and a bean dish that looked rather like feyt - but also skewered meats (one of which looked a bit like woc, another vaguely resembling petha fowl), stews, stuffed vegetables, tubers, salads, breads and what were probably cheeses, a number of dips, even some pies.
"It's like we were at a Coranum feast, not dining on a warship," Evek whispered. He, at least, had lived in the capital - though in Torr, nowhere near the heights of power. It was natural he'd be the one to reach to Coranum as an example, rather than the Lakarian-born Miran, and certainly rather than the Ceterian, Yarra, for whom Coranum had been literal, and social, light-years away.
"Shh. Don't call this a warship," Miran whispered back. Yarra gave her a look. "What?" This had nothing to do with Nash, it was about being respectful of their hosts. If they wanted to call their massive battleships 'explorers', then that's the term the defectors should use.
The three Cardassians each served themselves fish and fruit. Best to stick to tried-and-true.
"Starting with your mains?" the Amarki officer, Leaniss, asked. "I wouldn't pass up on the farr-kahli." She indicated one of the stuffed vegetables on her plate. "It's something of a specialty for ships named Enterprise."
"Starting?" Miran looked confused. What did she expect, multi-course meals on a spaceship?
... maybe she did expect that. Leaniss had been a Senator, maybe she just saw this as default.
***
"... and as soon as the USS Hope gets here, we should be able to safely and securely transport the crew back to neutral space for a hand-off," Ka'Sharren was saying. Miran smiled. Her crew had only been doing their duty; it was good that they would be sent home, not held as hostages. She had feared that, in spite of what Ajam had told her. "That leads us to what to do with the Kadak-Tor. We need to move the ship farther away so we can get some good sensor scans to show the Cardassians, present company excluded, that a ship blew up, and not that a ship flew by and dropped off a few critical bits."
"The core ejection was orthogonal to the chord between the ship and the moon, so there was no particle shadow cast, and they don't have a baseline scan of the body to realize that the residue left was insufficient," the Vulcan noted.
One of the Humans - Kuznetsova, her name was - spoke up, "Actually, we, " a quick nod of the head to her companion, 'Usha', "were already thinking about that."
"We have the Kadak-Tor running dark on minimum backup power for now, but because it has a distinctive emissions profile different from Federation ships, we need to get it out of the system before we power it enough for transport," Usha added.
Commander Kuznetsova suddenly pushed her plate aside, picked up the nearest shaker, and sprinkled it over the tabletop in front of her. "This salt is the normal background particles in the area." She reached over and grabbed a fluffy biscuit off the plate of the unsuspecting Captain Ajam and smashed it into the table. "Ka-boom! Antimatter Explosion!"
Miran, Yarra, and Evek looked at each other, then looked to their tablemates. ... had the others not seen what they were seeing?
Kuznetsova ground the biscuit under her hand a bit. "Now this dinner roll," one she'd swiped from Usha, "Is the Enterprise." Another roll flew across the table, knocking the one out of her hand.
Ka'Sharren looked smug at the results of her throw. "If any baked good is going to be the Enterprise, it's going to be my dinner roll... Now, please continue." They were encouraging her? They weren't not seeing, they were outright playing along. Didn't they know people are starving? You don't play with your food - you eat it.
Perhaps not in the Federation. Ajam had claimed they were 'post-scarcity'. The defectors had dismissed that, but if these people - soldiers - were this tolerant of openly wasting food... maybe that came from a lack of need.
That didn't make it any less shocking to witness.
"OK, this dinner roll is the Enterprise. As it moves through the area, it pushes the particles there, like so," Kuznetsova continued as she dragged it through the salt and crumbs. Like she was a child. "But, if you look closely, you can see the crumbs it leaves. Meanwhile, the Kadak-Tor is a Cardassian ship, and they have records of its engine so it's -" another quick grab "- this sesame roll." The Human repeated the same motion, leaving a few scattered seeds. "This sesame roll is the Kadak-Tor, and it leaves a trail. But, and this is the important part. If we can move the Kadak-Tor in low emissions mode." She rolled the seeded roll, like a ball. "And follow its path exactly with the Enterprise or the Sarek," she said, then pushed the other roll after the first, "We can wipe clear the traces, and let the other ship make some local scans that only show signs of Federation ships leaving the area."
"This is not how I expected this discussion to go," Miran said, looking awkwardly at the faces of both Ka'Sharren and Ajam, who themselves looked a little bit embarrassed. No such look on Kuznetsova's face - she was unrepentant, or unobservant. But if this was acceptable, then there was no point in upsetting their hosts and calling her out on what she'd done. "But the idea seems sound. However, between the damage to the ship, and how few of us there are, I don't know if we can make that work."
"If our good Captains can spare some people who can keep a secret, and whose absence won't attract attention, we can put together a prize crew. It's been too long since I got my hands dirty anyway," Usha replied.
Kuznetsova smiled. Oh State. Was she going to come along as well?
***
I hope you don't mind my borrowing your scene, @ClawClawBite.
Generic Team 4 : Primitive Isolinear Computers
Generic Team 1 : 2310s Long -Range Sensors
Starfleet Medical : 2310s Intensive Care
Taves Nar Orbital Engineering : ToC Starbase Design
Utopia Planitia : 2310s Explorer Combat
San Francisco Fleetyards : 2310s Explorer - Science
Generic Team 2: 2310s Explorer - Engineering
Office of Naval Architecture : 2310s Starship Frames
Generic Team 5: Lone Ranger Way of the Anchor
Daystorm Institute : 2320s Mainframes
40 Eridani A Shipyards : 2310s WarpCores
Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems : 2310s Warp Core Safety
Vulcan Science Academy : 2310s Short-Range Sensors
Weapons Fabrication Division: Early ToC Weapons
Federation Broadcast Service : 2310s Communications
Starfleet Science Academy: 2310s Message Security
Tellar Prime Academy of Mineral Science : 2310s Special Resources
University of Betazed: 2310s Affiliates Research
Spock: 2310s Diplomacy
Generic Team 3: 2310s Escort - Engineering
212 / 8 = 26 rem 5
24 Tech Teams Selected
20rp carries over, 192 used
Generic Team 4: Primitive Isolinear Computers
+1
6 / 80 Prototype Isolinear Computer (Isolinear Tech I) (Required to progress computing to Isolinear-Era)
+6 40 / 40 Chelok-Am Dilithium Treatment (Dilithium Efficency II) (Warp Core Weight:SR ratio reduced by 0.1)
40 / 40 Improved Thermal Shroud (Warp Core Construction II) (Warp Core Weight reduced by 2%)
45 / 60 Improved Injector Throttling (Warp Core Scaling II) (Warp Core Min Multiplier reduced by .5/1/2)
[Warp Core Weight:SR ratio reduced by 0.1]
Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems : 2310s Warp Core Safety
+8 40 / 40 K19 Main Engineering System Module (Warp Core Damage Failsafe Design II) (Reduced chance of Warp Core Breach and reduce crew loss in the event of ship destroyed)
40 / 40 Light-Weight Coolant Redundancy (Warp Core Operation Safety Design II) (Improved reliability by +2)
20 / 20 EPS Conduit Mag Failsafes I (Reliability for all stats improved by 0.1)
[-2 to Warp Core Breach Chance, +2 to Warp Core Reliability, Reliability for all stats +0.1]
Office of Naval Architecture: 2310s Starship Frames
Vulcan Science Academy : 2310s Short-Range Sensors
+8+1 40 / 40 SR Anti-Cloaking II - (Improved chance of intercepting cloaked vessels)
40 / 40 Targeting Sensors II (2% weight savings for combat)
24 / 40 Geological Survey Sensors I (+1 to resource acquisition for non-Explorer Crew)
[2% weight savings for combat]
Generic Team 1: 2310s Long -Range Sensors
+1+1 40 / 40 Enhanced Sensors II - (2% weight savings for Science)
20 / 20 Light-Weight Sensor Redundancy I (Increases Science Reliability by +1)
40 / 40 Long Range Sensors II - (gain +1 to Rolls in Mapping Missions)
35 / 100 Large-Scale Sensor Array I (Starbases Gain +1 Defence)
Weapons Fabrication Division: Early ToC Weapons
+4
13 / 20 Early Nadion Theory (Phasers I) (Lead to Phaser Development)
8 / 20 Advanced Torpedo Theory (Torpedo I) (Lead to Torpedo Development)
8 / 20 Type-IV Heavy EPS Manifold ( Phaser Power Conductors I) (-1% Combat Power/Use)
13 / 20 Type-VI Torpedo Warhead (Torpedo Yield I) - (-2% combat power use for Escorts)
Andorian Academy: 2310s Deflector Shields
+6 40 / 40 Core Shields II (reduce Shield power requirements by 2%)
20 / 20 Emitter Designs I (-2% to Shield Weight)
20 / 20 Emitter Simplification I (improve Weight:SR ratio of Shield)
20 / 20 Shield Geometry I (+1 to Damage Evasion Attempts)
20 / 20 Shield Regeneration II (No effect yet)
20 / 20 Shield Reliability I (+1 reliability for shields)
[Shield power -2%]
Federation Broadcast Service : 2310s Communications
+4
32 / 40 Long Range Subspace Comms II (Gain +1 to all Distress Call and Diplomacy missions)
22 / 40 Fleet Comms II (Give a 2% bonus to Federation Combat values in multi-ship battles)
Starfleet Science Academy: 2310s Message Security
+6
32 / 40 Centi-Cochrane Band Antenna (Subspace Communications Intercepts II) (Allow deployment of Improved Listening Posts) 20 / 20 Subspace Communications Encryption I (Improve Information Security)
20 / 20 Subspace Communications Decryption I (Improve Intelligence Phase Information)
Tellar Prime Academy of Mineral Science : 2310s Special Resources
+6
19 / 40 Special Resource Extraction III (+5sr on Resource Extraction missions)
14 / 40 Special Resource Identification III (boost to SRs found on Resource Extraction missions)
24 / 40 Special Refining Techniques II (+5 to Mining Colony annual production)
University of Betazed: 2310s Affiliates Research
+6
22 / 60 Recruiting Campaign III (Increase Academy intake from Federation Affiliates to 0.15 each)
17 / 60 Diplomatic Analysis III (+2 to the -Annual- Diplomacy Rolls)
12 / 60 Public Media I (Leads to further tech)
Spock: 2310s Diplomacy
+10
20 / 60 Universal Translator IV (Nothing yet)
30 / 80 Extended Diplomatic Reach I (Apply an Annual Roll for a Random Non-Affiliate with Positive Relations)
20 / 60 Extended Profiles I (+1 to all Diplomatic Rolls)
Starfleet Medical Command : 2310s Intensive Care
+8
8 / 20 Type-1 Medical Tricorder (Away Team Medical Scanner I) (Improve Rolls for various Distress Call missions)
9 / 40 Infectious Diseases Lab II (Improve Plague handling rolls)
9 / 40 Chelok-Gar Method Radtherapy (Radiation Treatment II) (Improve Crew Survival Rolls in Warp Core Breaches or some Science Mission mishaps)
19 / 60 Mk 1 Multi-Spectrum Bioscan (Medical Sensors I) (+1 to Science Rolls regarding new non-sapient creatures)
Generic Team 3: 2310s Escort - Engineering
+1+2
13 / 20 Early Light-Weight Duranimum Alloy (Escort Hull Design II) (-1% to Escort hull weight)
9 / 20 Type-VII-E Deflector Array (Escort Shield Design I) (-1% to Escort shield weight) 10 / 10 ONA Standards Initiative (Escort Reliability Design I) (+1% to Escort Reliability)
6 / 10 Alpha-Pattern Close Interlocking Geometry (Escort Shield Geometry I)(-2% to Escort Shield power Use)
[+1 to Escort Reliability]
San Francisco Fleet Yards : 2310s Explorer - Science
+6+2+1
19 / 40 Explorer Science Design II (-1% to Explorer stat weights)
19 / 40 Explorer Presence Design II (-1% to Explorer stat weights) 20 / 20 Explorer Design Efficiency I (-2% to SR Cost)
14 / 20 Sensor Power Efficiency I (-1% to Explorer science power use)
12 / 20 Explorer Presence Efficiency I (-1% to Explorer presence power use)
[-2% to SR Cost]
Utopia Planitia Design Group: 2310s Explorer Combat
+10+2+1
17 / 40 Ambassador-A Pattern Nacelle (Explorer Nacelle Design Improvements II) (-2% Nacelle Penalty on Explorers)
20 / 40 Explorer Combat Design II (-1% to Explorer stat weights)
20 / 40 Explorer Defence Design II (-1% to Explorer stat weights)
18 / 20 Phaser Bank Power Feeds I (-1% to Explorer Power Use)
Generic Team 2: 2310s Explorer - Engineering
+1+2+1
24 / 40 Explorer Hull Design II (-1% to Explorer stat weights)
16 / 20 Type-VII-X SH Duty Deflector Array (Explorer Shield Design II) (-1% to Explorer stat weights) 20 / 20 Explorer Reliability Design I (+1 Hull/Shield Reliability)
14 / 20 Ultra-High Throughput EPS Core Tap I (+2% Explorer Power Generation)
[+1 Hull & Shield Reliability]
Taves Nar Orbital Engineering: ToC Starbase Design
+4
4 / 20 Macro Sensors I (+1 S to installations)
4 / 20 Large Phaser Banks I (+1 C to installations)
4 / 20 Large Torpedo Arrays I (+1 C to installations)
9 / 20 Large Scale Armour I (+1 H to installations)
4 / 20 Large Scale Shields I (+1 L to installations)
Generic Team 5: Way of the Anchor
+1+3 25 / 25 Anchor Ship (Explorers gain +2 to Response rolls, Cruisers gain +1) 25 / 25 Explorer Ethos (All Explorers count for -1 Combat with the Council)
[Explorers +2 to Response, Cruisers +1 to Response]
Lt-Cdr Kuznetsova's Tiger Team: Way of the Elephant
+8+3 25 / 25 Attack Pattern Echo (+5% Fleet Combat when outnumbered)
25 / 25 Rapid Shield Roll (+1 Shield when Outnumbered 2:1 or more)
[+5% Fleet combat when outnumbered, +1 Shield when outnumbered 2:1 or more]
Admiral Lathriss : Way of the Giant
+6+3 25 / 25 Explorer Emphasis (+1 to Ship Design (Explorer) Research)
25 / 25 Big is Beautiful (Reduce Explorer and Cruiser project pp request costs by 25%)
[Explorer and Cruiser project pp costs reduced by 25%]
Starfleet Tactical Command - Games & Theory Division: Cardassian Research
+4+3
10 / 60 Tactical Analysis II
15 / 60 Doctrinal Analysis II
10 / 60 Attack Pattern Analysis II
25 / 60 Intelligence Analysis II
Bridge, USS Sarek, Ferasa System, Stardate 23830.6
"Shuttles turning in to their terminal approach to the ventral hanger bay, Captain," calls Lieutenant Straite.
"Understood," replies Captain Straak as he stands at the centre of the bridge.
On the viewscreen the approaching diplomatic shuttle is easily seen against the bright blue marble of Ferasa. A Caitian Fathership, the Nirfari-class CSS Mrr'sharr, hangs gracefully against the dark of space ahead. It's a graceful ship, a large primary hull in an rounded leaf shape, a relatively small spherical secondary, hull and a quartet of nacelles on sweeping curved pylons. A conning tower-like bridge structure rises from the middle of the primary hull. It combines to give the ship a powerful and sturdy air, a lurking lion behind the pride of lionesses.
"Always more impressive when the new arrivals have an explorer worthy of the name, isn't it, Captain?" remarks a human man in formal clothes.
"The additional security afforded is welcome, Councillor," replies Straak dryly.
The other man snorts and shakes his head. "More than that." A hawkish Councillor from Vega by the name of Hans Carmichael, he is not Straak's first pick for the Federation's diplomatic party aboard. "When Betazed joined, they had a podunk cruiser to escort the shuttle in. Compare that to a mighty Riala, or this Nirfari?"
"Respectfully, Councillor, I believe the key elements of its role are to be capable of holding in atmosphere, and launching a shuttle," replies Straak. "It appears to have completed both tasks adequately."
"Bah, the grandeur of the occasion may not be 'logically quantified', or however you would care to put it," says Hans with a snort. "This is the image that will be beamed around the known galaxy. It looks much more impressive to have a meeting of equals here."
Straak gives Hans a rare look of annoyance. He takes a moment to help hone his dispassion. "We are not looking to acquire militaries, Councillor, but partners in exploration."
Hans grins and nods his head. "Oh, well said, Captain. Could have come right from the mouth of my counterpart from Earth, Councillor Langford, maybe even Councillor Stesk. Have you considered a career in politics after Starfleet?"
"In a universe of infinite possibilities, Councillor, it is possible that one exists where I come to such an end," says Straak, tone dryer than even his normal. "But I have not made an objective of it."
A polite cough from beside them reminds Straak of his first officer's presence. "It is time to head to the shuttle bay, Councillor, Captain."
It is a lengthy turbolift trip, traversing from one end of the ship to the other, but they still arrive before the bay doors are even open. An honour guard of Security personnel and junior officers are already assembled, wearing their finest formal uniforms. Straak is likewise in the formal version of his jacket, cutting a sauve, lean figure. A functionary from the Federation Diplomatic Service makes a pest of himself, bossing around anyone and everyone on the deck to get the placements just right.
"Captain! Hans!" greets Councillor Langford of Earth. "Glad you could join us, we were starting to wonder if you were going to skip the ceremony."
There are more Councillors on the incoming shuttle, but after Captain ka'Sharren's unilateral action beaming out the diplomats during the Amarkian ratification, it was decided that having Councillors present on the ship during this part of the ceremony would be beneficial. To provide Captains with political cover, if nothing else.
"Attention, attention!" booms a voice across the shuttlebay address system. "Outer doors opening!"
"Look at that, Rob, the Captain has got us here right on time," says Hans as the ventral hanger doors slowly yaws wide. "Vulcan efficiency, must be."
Straak gives Hans a sideways look but says nothing.
The two shuttles come in to a slow and expert landing, all recorded for posterity by crew from the Federation Broadcast Service and Caitian State Broadcasting. At the last moment the shuttles pirouette settle onto their pads. The ramps come down revealing an excited gaggle of diplomats, aides and, of course, Councillors. The three new Caitian Councillors-elect are first off of the shuttles, lead by P'Shirri, the man who had signed the Landle Accords ending the Caitian-Dawiar War.
Straak waits patiently as a round-robin of carefully composed greetings occur, before P'Shirri finally turns his attention to his host captain. "Captain Straak, we are in your care," he says with a toothy grin, fur rippling gracefully as he extends a hand.
"Congratulations, Councillor P'Shirri," replies Straak. "If you require anything, my crew is on hand to ensure that your journey to the Sol system is satisfactory."
"I'm sure it will be," says P'Shirri. He sweeps an arm towards two other Caitians, a man and a woman, both of them youthful and sharply dressed. "These are my aides. If you could please see to it that they are quartered next to me?"
"Certainly," says Straak. "If your aides would like to accompany me, I can deliver them to your quarters on my way back to the bridge to oversee our departure."
"That would be perfect, Captain, thank you."
Straak departs the shuttle bay shortly after that, trusting the entertaining of the Caitian delegation to Councilor Langford and his colleagues. The two aides, the young man, Shirrrad, and the young woman, N'rraw, both follow him to the turbolift. Of the two, it did not take a Betazoid to realise that Shirrad was not very pleased at the current state of affairs. His expression was sour, eyes darting everywhere, casting suspicion with every flick of his gaze. N'rraw, on the other hand, had a broad smile, and said hello to every passing crew member as they made their way through the corridors of the saucer section to the guest quarters. Just what Shirrad's problem was, Straak could not guess. In every polity, there are of course dissenters, and Straak cannot help but presume that the young man is among that number.
"These will be your quarters, sir, ma'am," says Straak as they arrive. "Across the hall will be Councillor P'Shirri. There is a duty officer post just up this corridor if you require assistance, or you can use the communication system built into the computer console in your quarters."
"Yeah, this'll do," says Shirrad as he looks up and down the corridor. He takes a moment to knock on the door to P'Shirri's quarters, gauging the material. "Should do, anyway. I'll check inside."
Straak raises an eyebrow when he turns to N'rraw. The aide rubs the back of her head and shrugs awkwardly. "Aheh, well. Shirrad has been paranoid of late. There was an information leak recently, that ended up in the hands of the Syndicate. Shirrad was implicated, but nothing conclusive was proven. He swears he had nothing to do with it, and has been looking high and low for 'moles' and 'traitors'. I'm sorry, he's normally so much more friendly and sociable."
"I see," says Straak. "Well, I am needed on the bridge now. I trust that you and Mr Shirrad will find your quarters in order."
"I'm sure we will, Captain, thank you for taking the time to guide us," says N'rraw.
