Chapter Text
Riku Tala
It’s been two months since the Agorians attacked the Walanari Outpost. We are still trying to recover from the attack. Still, luckily we have found our allies in the Large Magellanic Cloud to be caring and supportive in our time of need. The Vunall has given us a supply of sokvey and a team of their architects to help us rebuild a new base that fits on what remains of the islands while maintaining the same capacity. The Dralchians, Leycurians, Aga, and Cretil have all begun security patrols of the Large Magellanic Cloud to defend against any possible Agorian attack. The sentiment is nice, but I fear that none of us can defend against their awesome strength. The USS Discovery has also transported several vessels here after perfecting a technique used against them outside of the Verubin Nebula. These ships are unlike anything I have seen come out of the Federation in a long time. They are giant vessels that seem to be made with war in mind. They remind me of the Defiant and Prometheus classes from the time of the Dominion War. The Federation has come so far in the past few years of its existence; I would hate for us to lose our way again from fear.
In other news, all Starfleet vessels have been ordered to remain in orbit of the Walanari Outpost and to remain at a high alert status until we know more information. The Captain hasn’t been taking the situation well. The death of Admiral Ah’ih has affected them greatly. They have left me in charge of the Valkyrie for the time being while they go off with Tíren and Ivex. While I do not agree with their decision to leave me in temporary command, Starfleet Command thinks that it is in the best interest that they are allowed to operate in an unofficial capacity. It does help them cope with the events, but I do wish that they would have stayed here. The crew needs their captain. Try as I might, I cannot replace them.
“Commander Tala, would you please report to the surface? The Vunall have made significant progress and I think we are ready to begin a power transfer.” I can hear Juruj say over the comms.
“Right away, Sir,” I responded before promptly beaming down to the surface. Most of the island that housed the command center was vaporized in the attack so the Vunall have created a platform made out of sokvey to replace it. The vines seamlessly connect with what remains of our old outpost in an oddly satisfying manner.
In the distance, I can see Juruj standing next to one of the older Vunall from the team of architects. I still am not used to seeing him in his new uniform. After the dust settled and the other Starfleet vessels arrived, they came with orders for Juruj to be promoted to Admiral and gave him command of the outpost. Given his level of knowledge of the region and his work done as the outpost’s security officer, they saw it only fitting. “Good evening, Admiral Juruj.”
“I’m still not used to hearing that. Riku, just call me Juruj.” He responded. “This is Maru from the Vunall’s team, he just gave me their report on their progress on the control center.”
“We have finished the structure with all of its supports and have provided you with one of our power sources to better shield your outpost from another attack,” Maru says. “We don’t know if it can hold out against another Agorian attack, like the one you suffered, but we also have a way around that.” His horns start to glow a bright orange and suddenly the clouds above begin to ascend down on us. They come to a stop a few hundred meters above the new command center. Now to anyone above us, it would appear that we never set up a new outpost. “Would you like to see the inside of the new command center, Commander?”
“Yes, I would love to see it,” I replied. “Lead the way.” I’ve been looking forward to it for the past two months. There hasn’t been much else to do since we’ve been stuck in orbit for what seems like forever. It is always hard for an explorer to stay put in one place for too long.
Admiral Juruj and I start to walk across the sokvey bridge and Maru uses the sokvey to carry him across. The feeling of being in this bubble surrounded by violent storms and sea is surreal.
“Have you gotten any news from the Captain yet?” Juruj asked.
“No, I haven’t heard anything from them in weeks. I thought you would’ve heard something.” I responded. “I’m going to be hopeful and choose to believe they are doing better. But Juruj, I am worried about them. I know that they were thinking about leaving Starfleet after our original mission was completed, but now I fear that they might have decided to leave prematurely.”
“I haven’t heard a thing from them or Ivex or Tíren.” Admiral Juruj responded. “They’re breaking the protocols we set when we allowed them to go out into the Small Magellanic Cloud to gain some intelligence. I know that they meant a lot to the two of us. But I can only appease Starfleet Command for so long. If they don’t come back soon, I will have no choice but to either promote you or appoint another officer to captain the Valkyrie.”
“May I speak candidly, Admiral?” I asked him.
“Of course, Riku.” He responded. “I always value your honesty.”
“You cannot make someone else the captain of the Valkyrie. I don’t think the crew can adapt to that drastic of a change at a time like this.” I told him. “None of us are handling this well. We need to keep life as constant as we can right now. Ideally, the Captain returns and takes command. But if they don’t, I would be the best choice for the sake of the crew.”
“I tend to agree. But that isn’t entirely my decision to make, Riku.” Juruj says. “The outpost now has instantaneous communication with Federation Headquarters. I can’t make a decision at the moment. It has to go through certain channels now, like with the rest of Starfleet. I will try my best to get you that command, but I can not make you any promises.”
“Thank you for your confidence in me, Juruj,” I told him.
As we approach the new command center, I start to take notice of everything different. It is an open structure with no windows of any kind. There are doors, and I hope that they can be operated by us. It has a more natural feel despite knowing the fact that it was artificially created. But I shouldn’t be surprised by that. I remember what the Vunall homeworld looked like before the Xenomorph Seed destroyed their world. The Progenitor showed me how well the Vunall can exist with nature. Their world used to be covered in tree-like structures that stood tens of thousands of meters tall. It also retains the artistic styles the Vunall picked up when creating their space stations. It’s a welcome change from the grays and whites of Starfleet vessels.
“This is it.” Admiral Juruj says. “This is the new command center for Walanari Outpost. It’s hard to believe that this wasn’t here two months ago.”
“I hope that you like our work,” Maru says. “We worked very hard on it and we are quite proud of the work we have done here. A build like this required every part to be sculpted with the emotions of your officers. To do it any other way would have disgraced the memories of those who lost their lives here.”
“I love it, thank you, Maru.” Admiral Juruj says as the doors in front of us open.
The center is open like the Vunall stations but also has separate rooms for office and meeting spaces where one might need privacy. The rest of the area is filled with places to sit and work or talk to others. The Vunall kept everyone’s needs in mind when designing it. It would even appear to be a DeafSpace as well. In the center of all that space lies a pond with a tiny island in the center. There is a tree that rises up from that island. Each branch is covered in both pink leaves and flowers. Light from above hits the tree just right. The sight of it brings a sense of calm to me. No one could have done a better job of designing this space than the team of Vunall architects.
“This truly is beautiful, Maru. Your team has done an excellent job.”
“Why thank you, Commander. I am just glad that we could help repay the debt that we owe to your crew for freeing us of the Sickness.” Maru replied before walking further into the command center.
“Well, they’re about to begin the power transfer. It should allow for both compounds to work in unison.” Admiral Juruj says. “We should head to my new office. We have a lot to talk about that I would prefer to remain private.”
“Understood, Admiral. Lead the way.” I responded.
He led me up one of the ramps and we went to one of the higher levels in the command center until we reached his new office. I can see the room’s number and his name glowing orange from the Vunall’s power system.
Right as the door opens something jumps onto me and I fall to the floor. It doesn't take me too long to realize who it is. Mosuar continues to lick me as I pick him up and get off of the floor. “Is he allowed to be up here?” I asked.
“Well I am in command of the outpost now, so I am going to say yes.” Admiral Juruj responded as he headed in. “I know how much he hated being confined in my quarters on the Valkyrie so I gave him the ability to beam over here if he wants. That way he is never confined again.”
“That’s so sweet of you,” I told him as I followed him in.
The power to his office suddenly comes on and he sits down at his desk. “So what is the last thing you have heard from the Captain and the others?”
“Last I heard, they were helping organize a freedom movement on some of the outlying worlds in the Royal Agorian Patriarchy,” I told him.
“More like resurrect.” Admiral Juruj says. “The Selians have been one of Tíren’s greatest allies in the past and he hasn’t had any trouble with finding allies with them. He also has a great deal of support among the Baphall.”
“They’re going to need our help if a civil war breaks out,” I replied.
“It’s not a question of if at this point.” Admiral Juruj replied. “It is a question of when. From what I know, Tíren can raise enough voices to cause a disturbance in their territories. But you are right about them needing our help. Their forces won’t be enough to gain their freedom, and we aren’t strong enough to defend the Large Magellanic Cloud. But if we combine our forces, and play the cards we have correctly, we might be able to help them and they’ll be able to help us.”
“You were trying to prepare me for this, weren’t you, Admiral?” I asked him. “All that talk about the Captain. You wanted to prepare me for the fact that this will all happen sooner than I thought.”
“You’re correct. In two days, the Valkyrie and the five Starfleet vessels you’re familiar with are going to be sent out on a fact-finding mission.” Admiral Juruj says. “Thanks to your travels over the past few months, I have managed to work with the Dralchians to locate the Leyos. They are the ones who use psychotropic agents to influence dozens of worlds. I’m giving you command of the fleet. You’ll need to find out the placement of important Agorian systems and military installations. Anything that we can use to defend ourselves against them.”
“And then what, Admiral?” I asked him. “What’s after that?”
“I’m not at liberty to discuss our plans for the moment, Commander.” He responded. “You’re just going to have to trust that I know what I am doing. We’re back on our feet and we cannot waste a second.”
“Admiral, I am afraid of what is happening to us. You’re suggesting an invasion of Agorian territory and overthrowing their government. That is not what Starfleet is. That is not what the Federation is. If you want me to command this mission, I am going to need to know more of the details. Because you are right, we cannot waste a second. The stakes are high, but that does not mean we can deviate from our ways because of fear. My days of conquering empires are long gone, Admiral. So I will need an explanation.”
There is a chime from the door. It is just as loud as the Starfleet chimes, but softer, more natural sounding.
“Come in.” Admiral Juruj says. The doors behind me open up and Soji walks into Juruj’s new office. I can already tell what is going to happen and I do not like it. “Commander Tala, you can either take this mission, or I am going to give Soji command of the Valkyrie and the other Starfleet vessels. It is as simple as that. So if you want to help the crew, you’re going to have to accept all that I have given you. I’m sorry, but this is the way that it needs to be. We have direct orders from Federation HQ.”
“Fine. I’ll command this mission, Admiral.” I say before I turn to leave.
“I haven’t dismissed you yet, Commander.” Admiral Juruj says.
I ignore him, let Mosuar down, and I continue on my way.
“I’m sorry, Commander Tala,” Soji says. “I didn’t want it to come to this either, but there are so many lives at stake. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.”
I continue to walk out and down the ramp. I head out of the command center and I start to walk across the sokvey bridge.
“That was a bit tense, wasn’t it?” I can hear someone ask. It’s Maru.
“You were listening to us?” I asked. “You could be locked up for that.”
“That is true, I could. But I do not think that you will tattle on me, Commander Riku Tala.” Maru says as he follows me. “I do not mean you harm, I am in debt to you for saving my world. You are right that your people are on the tipping point of becoming what you fear.”
“The Dominion,” I responded. “So you know what I’ve done?”
“Yes, I do.” He answered. “But I also know what you have done since then, Riku. You’ve tried to atone for sins that will never be washed away. You don’t want to see that happen to the people you care about. You don’t want them to go on a path to being the part you hate most about yourself. I understand you want to abstain from commanding the mission, but it is where you can make the most difference. You can’t do anything here, you’re powerless. But If you are out there and in command of the fleet, you can make a difference. You can choose right from wrong and keep them on the right path as best as you can. You’ll hate yourself if you don’t at least try.”
“You’re very wise for someone so young,” I told Maru.
“Why thank you. But I am not young, I am one thousand three hundred and forty-two.” He responded. I let a number flash into my mind and let him know how old I am. “Well, maybe you’re right. Compared to you, most beings in this universe would be young. Just remember to stay true to your convictions and they won’t let you down. I have to get back to work. The command center has a few finishing touches that I simply cannot get wrong.”
He turns around and heads back to the command center while I continue to walk down the bridge. I can’t understand why Juruj is acting this way. The Juruj I know would never abandon all of our principles in the name of self-defense. There has to be more going on than I can see at the moment. The Federation never fires the first shot.
I decide that there is nothing for me to do other than lead the mission, so I beam back to the Valkyrie. I sit in the Captain’s ready room trying to think about what they would do in this situation. They certainly wouldn’t listen to Juruj. I don’t think they’d command the mission though either. They know that there are still rules that we need to follow. They wouldn’t act without getting more information no matter how they got it. An idea suddenly appears.
“Command Jem, please report to the ready room,” I say over the comms. It only takes a few seconds to enter the room.
“Yes, Commander?” Commander Jem asked me.
“You were in Section 31, correct?” I asked her.
“Yes, this one was in Section 31 for a long time. Why are you asking?”
“Admiral Juruj has ordered us on a mission with the Icarus, Kumari, Bashorat, Seven, and Jean-Luc Picard. I will be in command of the fleet. We are to gather information on the Agorians and assist in the overthrow of their government.” I informed her.
“What does that have to do with this one, Commander?” She asked.
“I hope that you’ll agree with me that this goes against the ideals of the Federation and Starfleet. This would be something Section 31 would do. Juruj gave me the option of being in command or Soji after I expressed discomfort with not knowing more about the mission.” I continued.
“This one is confused. Are you asking this one for advice on dealing with a lack of information? Or advice on putting your morals aside?” She asked.
“Neither, Commander,” I replied. “We have two days until we are to go on this mission and I do not intend on leaving this system without knowing more about this plan that Admiral Juruj has. I guess that I am asking you to get that information for me and report back as soon as possible. Preferably without anyone else knowing what we are doing. Can I count on you?”
Commander Jem looks at me for a moment. I think she is trying to decide to report me, ignore my request, or accept my mission.
“This one is also concerned with this mission. We would be breaking dozens of regulations if we were to proceed. More information would help soothe this one’s nerves. However, why don’t you go and retrieve the information? You have a better chance of getting in and out without anyone noticing. Why this one?” She asked me.
“I expressed my concerns too much. It would be suspicious if I went back to the command center snooping around for information. Juruj would also have scanners designed to locate Changelings. You are the only other person I could think of who would be able to get in and out without any of them thinking too much of it. Just pretend that you want to see what the new command center looks like. It should be easy for someone like you.”
“Alright, This one will do this for you. But we will be cutting it close. Even this one will have difficulties infiltrating the command center. This one has no idea what the inside of it looks like. There will also be the Vunall and any other telepath that may uncover our plans.” She said.
“I think that the Vunall will let you by. One of them shared my concerns about this mission. You may in fact find them to be useful allies.” I told her. “Go get started, we don’t have a lot of time.”
Commander Jem nods before leaving the ready room. I look out of the window down to where the outpost should be. I hope that I am doing the right thing. I can’t let the Federation violate their beliefs. If we do comprise ourselves, there is no hope for any of us regardless if we are victorious. We will have lost ourselves in the process.
Yari jn Jem
This one is alarmed by what Commander Tala said in the ready room. These are difficult times, but this one never thought that Juruj would give an order like this one. There is something that he is definitely hiding from the rest of us. Admirals often do that with captains, and captains with officers under their command. But this one would think that Commander Tala would have been given more information regarding our tactical situation. The seven new ships staying behind also raises more questions. The Chiyou, Winalagalis, Tūmatauenga, Maḥrem, Badb, Kū, Shariel. All interesting names for Starfleet vessels, each one named after a god of war. Something is going on and now it is this one’s job to figure out what it is. This one goes back to the tactical station and starts to run some discrete scans of the new command center. It’s very different from the old one. This one is unsure how to feel about it.
Going into the building unnoticed will be difficult. Every part of the building is connected to one another biologically. That limits the ways this one can enter without being noticed. The entire center of the new command center is wide open. There is no way that this one could even get to Juruj’s new office without anyone seeing this one.
It takes this one a moment to notice that there are no windows in the building. Only openings in the sokvey so that everyone still gets a view of the outside world. There will undoubtedly be increased security so taking the windows would be the best way to get into his office. But scaling the side of the building without anyone seeing this one will be near impossible.
“What are you working on, Commander?” This one hears Valis ask me. This one discretely changes the screen to something else.
“This one is working on the weapon’s overhaul.” This one told him. “The new weapon systems are proving to be difficult to implement with the polaric relays.”
“Do you need any help?” He asked this one. “I’ve got nothing to do and was itching to get my hands on a problem I could solve.”
“No thank you, Valis. This one should be able to sort out the problem with more than enough time to spare.” This one told him. “This one suggests you go down to engineering and see if Commander Ano needs any help with anything.”
“No problem, Commander. That’s actually a good idea. Thank you for the suggestion.” Valis says. “I will head down there now.”
That was close. He was practically looking over this one’s screen to see what this one was doing. This one needs to be more careful.
This one moves this one’s study of the new command center to this one’s quarters. That way no one else will be able to get a sense of what this one is working on. It takes several more hours before this one is able to form a plan to gather the data that Commander Tala wants. By now, it is night on the surface where the outpost is. Going there now would only draw more attention to this one. This one will have to wait until the morning before going in.
So this one heads to bed. There is nothing else this one can do until then. But that also means that this one will only have one day to gather the information and decode it if need be. Then we will be sent out to the far edge of the Large Magellanic Cloud to spy on the Agorians.
This one does not find sleep, however. This one does not know why. In the past, this one has had to lie to Starfleet officers to complete past missions. This one has had to steal as well. But this time is different from the others. Juruj is not simply another officer who is in this one’s way. He had been a great mentor for this one. This one would not have been able to succeed in this position if this one never got advice from him.
Eventually, this one succumbs to sleep, though it is fitful and shallow, filled with uneasy stirrings rather than true rest. When morning comes, this one rises slowly and descends to the planet’s surface in a beam of pale light. The chill meets this one like a quiet rebuke—sharper and more biting than anticipated. The air clings to the skin, dry and thin, and with every breath, a soft plume of vapor curls from this one’s mouth, vanishing into the stark, colorless sky.
This one starts to walk across the bridge towards the command center. There is a thick fog that covers most of the bridge and makes it difficult to see far in front of this one. Several other officers are walking both ways on the bridge. This one notices their weapons. Admiral Juruj must have increased the security precautions for the command center.
This one enters the command center and it is more beautiful than this one could have imagined. The entire place reminds this one of the reports the crew of the Valkyrie had on the Vunall stations. Admiral Juruj’s office should be on the fourth floor of the command center, but that’s not where this one is going.
Instead, this one goes up to one of the top levels of the command center. There should be several maintenance areas on this level. One of which might even allow for this one to get to the outside of the command center. If this one can get on the outside of the building, this one should be able to get into Juruj’s new office and download the data on his console. Then this one can decode it and give it to Commander Tala.
“Hello, I’m afraid you aren’t allowed to be up here.” This one hears a voice in this one's head say. “Can I escort you back down?”
This one turns around to see one of the Vunall architects standing behind this one. They’re so small, this one isn’t used to looking for them walking about. “No, that won’t be necessary.” This one responded. “This one is exactly where this one is supposed to be.”
The Vunall’s horns begin to glow and this one can feel it enter this one’s mind. Normally Section 31 agents are trained to block telepathic intrusions. But this Vunall is capable of breaking past all of this one’s barriers. There is no defense that this one has.
“Oh, I see.” The Vunall says. “Maru mentioned that someone like you would be stopping by. I’ve heard that there is something that you are trying to uncover, that you want to protect us from war. I will help you.” The Vunall heads into one of the maintenance rooms and this one follows. Their horns glow again and the wall in front of this one opens up. The roof of the command center is revealed to this one. “Go, I can only keep the wall open for so long before your officers are notified.”
“Thank you.” This one told the Vunall as this one walked through the opening in the wall. The roof is slanted but the sokvey creates enough friction for this one to safely walk closer to the edge.
Admiral Juruj’s office is several floors below the roof, this one will have to climb down to the fourth floor. The fog should provide this one with enough cover to get down there without anyone noticing this one.
This one crouches down and grabs onto the edge of the roof. This one plants this one’s feet on the wall and starts to slowly climb down the side of the command center. The fog in the air makes the sokvey slippery, this one almost falls a few times but this one slowly makes it to Juruj’s office.
This one can hear Admiral Juruj inside of his office. He is on a call with someone from Starfleet, but this one cannot hear what they are talking about. This one needs him to get out of his office soon. This one can feel this one’s grip starting to loosen on the sokvey.
It takes some time, but he eventually leaves his office. This one climbs through the window and into his office. This one hurries over to his console and starts to download the data. All of it has been encoded. Juruj seems to be taking his new job seriously. This one manages to pull all of the relevant data from the console and start to make my way out of the room.
Instead of climbing all the way back up to the top of the command center and exiting the way this one came, this one lets go and falls towards the shallow water beneath this one. Before this one hits the water, this one taps this one's comm badge and beams back to the Valkyrie.
The next few hours are spent trying to decode the information that this one downloaded from Juruj. There is a lot of information but this one is confident that this one will have the work finished before we are sent out on our mission.
“Commander Jem, progress report.” This one hears Commander Tala say over the comms system.
“This one is almost done.” This one responded. Within seconds, Commander Tala beams down to the room this one is working in.
“We don’t have a lot of time left, are you sure we are going to know what Juruj has in store for us after this mission?” She asked me.
“Yes, Commander.” This one responded. “This one should have everything we need. Just need to sort through all of the data.”
“I’ll help you.” Commander Tala says as she starts to look through the data that this one gathered. “It looks like there is an entire invasion plan for the Royal Agorian Patriarchy. All of our forces teamed up with the major powers here in the Large Magellanic Cloud as well as the rebel forces in the Small Magellanic Cloud. No formal declaration of war, just an all-out assault on the Agorians.”
“Commander Tala, you are needed on the bridge,” Valis says.
“On my way,” Riku responded. “You’re coming with me too, Commander. I am not letting this happen to the Federation.”
The two of us quickly head to the bridge and find Soji standing in front of the Captain’s chair. “Admiral Juruj wanted me to come up here to check on whether you intend on commanding the fleet.”
“I’m not commanding any fleet because there will be no mission, Soji.” Commander Tala responded. “I know what we are planning and it is wrong. It is not what Starfleet or the Federation is. No one is going on that mission if I have anything to do about it.”
“I’m afraid that that is not for you to decide,” Soji says.
“Commander Tala, I’m picking up a gateway forming several hundred thousand kilometers out from our location,” Valis says.
“Do you know who it is?” Commander Tala asked him.
“It’s Agorian, that’s all I can tell.” He responded.
“All hands to battle stations. Put our shields up and charge all weapons.” Commander Tala orders as she hurries to the Captain’s chair.
This one complies and prepares for battle. If it is Ivex then we have nothing to worry about. But it could easily be an Agorian ship like before.
H’daen Koval
The past two months have been hell. Tíren is the only thing that has been able to keep me afloat. We have learned that the Agorians can accurately locate Ivex when we use the gateway projector so we have had to travel by warp. We’ve also had to borrow an Agorian patrol shuttle to move around in busier areas of space. The starblade and projector both make Ivex easy for the Agorians to locate us. Because of this, we haven’t been able to make much progress in rallying the Tíren’s forces.
At this pace, it will take months for us to become organized enough to do anything. There have been times where it is just me in a shuttle for days at a time; evading Agorian vessels and meeting with freedom fighter factions within this sector. It has been lonely and I miss Valis, Commander Tala, and the rest of my crew. I know that I will have to leave them behind if I am to continue on this course. Being in the Federation is simply not an option for me anymore. They cannot get involved in a war at this time and they can’t win without bending and breaking their rules. They won’t be willing to do what is needed to help the people who live here. And I won’t let them abandon their principles.
Currently, I am headed back to Ivex from a remote mining system that belongs to the Selians. They were one of the biggest supporters of Tíren’s resistance and have been eager to restart their efforts. They are interesting people, to say the least.
Their society resembles a frontier-esque society, highly egalitarian and one’s reputation and honesty are valued. As someone who comes from a culture that values privacy and secrecy, my relations with the Selians leave much to be desired. I do believe that they are able to detect lies through some kind of receptor that neither Tíren nor I have been able to detect. The only reason the Selians appear to tolerate me is because I bring them plenty of food and water, and the fact that I am a close ally of Tíren, who they do trust.
Being on the edge of Agorian space, this makes sense. They are often overlooked by the Agorians and do not receive aid often. The rather frequent droughts and famines have led to the Selians turning away from their mining efforts and towards agriculture. Their homeworld and colonies are not fertile enough for them to support themselves despite all of their efforts. That would give them reason to be suspicious of outsiders who do not conform to their values and customs.
“This is Shaipouin, reporting back,” I say over the comms. Shaipouin means false door. Something that every Romulan home has, even on Ni’var after all these centuries. I approach from the opposite direction so that Ivex and Tíren know that it is me and that I have not been captured by the Agorians. It is something that no Agorian would ever know to do.
My transmitter starts to pick up a spike in static, it is Ivex and Tíren letting me know that it is safe for me to approach them. We’ve had to increase the amount of security precautions to ensure that we aren’t found by any of the Agorian patrols. I maneuver the shuttle through a nebula that Ivex has been hiding in. Eventually, the front of the vessel comes into view. The light from the starblade hits the surrounding gas and gives Ivex an eerie glow. I pilot the shuttle around Ivex and land in the shuttle bay. When I open the shuttle’s door, I can see Tíren entering the shuttle bay and heading towards me. He runs up to me and gives me a hug.
“I’m so happy to see that you made it back safely,” Tíren says before giving me a quick kiss. “You were supposed to be back here a few days ago. Ivex and I were starting to worry about you.”
“I know I was. The Selians were suspicious of me when I gave them my name. Apparently, the name I gave them wasn’t good enough for them. I had to spend two days with them before I was able to convince them to trust me.”
“From now on, I’m the one going on the away missions,” Tíren says. “We’re going to fall behind schedule if this keeps happening.”
“You’re the traitor prince of an aggressive empire, Tíren. There is enough money on your head to build an entire fleet of vessels. It is too risky to send you out of missions this often.” I told him. “Eventually someone is going to realize who you are and want to turn you in to get the reward. The Selians are struggling and that bounty could do a lot of good for them.”
“You’re worrying too much, H’daen. The Selians are a good and honest people. The Agorians haven’t given them anything in a long time. I doubt that they would turn me into them. It would hurt their reputation too much.”
“You would be surprised what people can do when they are desperate enough, Tíren,” I replied. “Even Federation worlds turned on their morals during the Burn. We need to be careful.”
“Well, I am going on the next mission no matter what,” Tíren says. “You’re not going to be able to stop me, so you might as well join me.”
“Fine, my Prince. What is our next mission then?” I asked him as we started to head towards the exit of the shuttle bay.
“There is a shipment of ore on Selios that is supposed to go to the Agorians tomorrow.” He responded. “It’s a highly valuable shipment, the ore is hard to extract and takes a long time to refine. My contact has asked that we steal the shipment and give it to them. With it, they will be able to buy more supplies: food, water, medicine, weapons.”
“Why can’t they steal the shipment for themselves?” I asked him. “They are already nearby and they know the area better than we do.”
“They don’t have the numbers, supplies, or skill to pull it off,” Tíren answered. “We will get some assistance getting into the region and getting the shipment of ore and us out of there. But on the inside, we will be alone.”
“It’s risky. Are we sure that the patrol shuttle is going to be able to get us into the system and back out again?” I asked him. “There is a large security force in orbit of Selios. If we are detected, we won’t last long in it.”
“We are going to meet with a Selian transport heading to the surface. The material they are transporting should mask our signatures.” Tíren said. “Then we will take a similar vessel back to the patrol shuttle.”
“You have this all planned out very well. When do we leave?” I asked.
“Tonight,” Tíren said. “So I recommend you get a shower. You smell. And you will not get the chance to for a few more days.”
He follows me back to his quarters and we shower. He fills me in on the details of the shipment as we refuel the shuttle and prepare to leave. Our goal is to sneak onto the transport and take it over before it can reach its destination and then redirect it to where our allies will be waiting for us.
Later that night we departed and headed towards the rendezvous point with the Selian transport. It’s half a day away at maximum warp, so we won’t have a lot of time before the shipment is supposed to happen.
“I’m detecting the Selian transport on sensors now,” I reported. “Changing course to intercept.” The shuttle turns and heads towards the transport. They send a code to us and we send ours back. The transport comes to a halt and we dock. Once Tíren and I board, the shuttle departs and heads to a set of preprogrammed coordinates for us to come back to. The two of us head to the cargo hold and wait for the transport to arrive on the surface of the planet.
“We’re approaching Selios now,” I told him as I looked at my badge’s readings. “So far the transport is not being stopped by any of the Agorian patrol vessels. I’ll take that as a sign that we are properly hidden from them.”
“See? I told you we would be fine.” Tíren responded. “Just in and out, simple as that. We’ll be back on Ivex in two days.”
The transport soon lands below the surface of Selios. Based on my readings, we are near one of the lower levels. We should be near where the shipment is coming from. We only have a few hours left until it's scheduled to head towards the Agorians.
I can hear one of the doors of the transport open up and someone walking towards us. I recognize him from a town called Sharnwick that Tíren and I visited several months ago. He is one of Tíren’s most trusted allies in the sector. We’ve been in almost constant communication with him.
“Gilded Crown, it is good to see you again.” The Selian says. “We have to hurry, I fear that the Agorians know that we are planning something.”
“It is good to see you again too, Olnet,” Tíren says as he heads towards the exit. I follow him and pull a hood over my face. It’s best if no one sees my face.
This area is very different from Sharnwick. There is no smoke and the temperature is moderate instead of sweltering. There are plenty of gemstones in the area and there are plants everywhere. Despite the large number of houses in the area, there are not a lot of Selians in the area. It’s almost like we are in a ghost town of some kind.
“Where is everyone?” I asked Olnet. “This area should be full of people, but there isn’t a soul in sight.”
“Most of them are either in hiding or working in the mines.” He responded. “Even though the Agorians won’t pay them much for the ore, it will be the most money any of them will ever see. A little bit goes a long way here.”
Eventually we reach a small tunnel covered by some foliage. He moves it aside and heads in. I give Tíren a look before the two of us enter the tunnel and follow Olnet. It continues to get ever so slightly smaller and I get a slight sense of anxiety as the walls close in on us.
As we exit the tunnel, a large cavern is revealed to us. There is a crude camp set up here with several dozen Selians. All of them are moving around, possibly preparing for the shipment to the Agorians. They don’t have much here. It is hard for me to imagine what hardships the Selian freedom fighters must go through to fight for even a little bit of freedom.
“Here is basecamp,” Olnet says. “While our numbers have diminished over the past few years, we have kept this cell alive. We won’t stop fighting for freedom, Tíren. All of us look forward to the day that our planet is free.”
“I know, we all do, Olnet,” Tíren says. “And what we are about to do will be a good start. With that ore in your hands, you’ll be able to expand your operations even further than you have ever before.”
“So what is the plan?” I asked Olnet as I walked up to him.
“The path that the transport is going to follow goes along a series of cliffs,” Olnet says. “We will attack from the upper cliff, board the transport, and redirect the transport to our base. Then a group will cause the cavern to collapse so we can cover up the tracks. The Agorians will have no way of tracing the shipment back to us. It will need to be quick.”
“How many guards?” Tíren asked him.
“Twenty at most,” Olnet says. “We’ll take care of most of them.”
“We should get going then. There will only be one chance for us.” Tíren says. Olnet nods and gathers up a group of his rebels and we head to where we are to engage the transport that will be carrying the shipment.
The cliff overlooks a thin path that goes from darkness to more darkness. Luckily all of us seem to be able to see well in the dark. Olnet’s rebels lay on the ground and set up their weapons. They will most likely pick off any of the Agorians who are on top of the transport.
“Here you are,” Olnet says as he hands the two of us hooks attached to a rope. “These will help the two climb down to get on top of the transport.”
“Thank you Olnet, but I won’t be needing one,” Tíren says. “I should be able to climb down without one.”
“Of course,” Olnet says as he takes the hook back from him. “The transport should be coming this way soon. You two should get into position. We will keep them distracted while the two of you board the transport. Good look.”
Tíren and I start to climb down the cliffside and as we make it to the halfway point I can see lights approaching. It looks like the transport we are expecting. A few seconds later, Olnet and men start to fire on the transport for along the cliff. Their blasts are absorbed by shields.
“Dammit, we need to pick up the pace,” Tíren says as he slides down the cliff. I loosen my grip on the rope and follow him. “Do you think the shields are going to go down in time?” He asked me.
“No idea,” I responded as I pulled out my phaser and started to fire on the transport. The shields start to weaken as the transport starts to fire at the cliff where Olnet and all of his rebels are. I continue to fire on the transport as it approaches and as it gets to close us, its shields go down. “Jump!”
Both Tíren and I jump and land on the top of the transport. Several Agorians guards are on top of the transport and they run towards us. Tíren activates his weapons and he charges at them. I fire at them, forcing them to activate your energy shields and limiting their mobility.
Tíren jumps behind them and cuts into them between their plates of armor. All of the guards fall down and roll off of the transport. We rush towards the back of the transport and open the doors. Several phaser blasts come flying out and barely miss us.
“You first,” I told Tíren. He shakes his head at me before rushing into the transport. I follow him and fire at some of the Agorian guards. They block my shots and come charging at us. I deactivated my phaser and activated my lirash.
By the time I get close to them, Tíren has already disarmed them and knocked them unconscious. “You know, you could at least leave some of them for me to deal with. Why do you get to have all of the fun?”
“Hey, you’re the one who told me to go in first,” Tíren responded as he deactivated his weapon. “That means that I am going to get most of them. I’ll tell you what, I’ll drag their bodies out of here and you get the driver. We only have a few minutes before we redirect the transport.”
“Thank you, you’re the best.” I said before I gave him a quick kiss. I leave him to deal with the guards and I head towards the front of the transport. I quickly reached the front of the transport. I stop outside of the door and scan the inside of the room. There are three guards and one driver.
I open the door but stay off to the side of the walkway. One of the guards cautiously starts to move out of the room. As soon as I see his weapon poking out, I strike it and knock it out of his hands. I then twirl and cut his head off and I go to the other side of the walkway. The other two guards aren’t going to make the same mistake that he made. Taking a deep breath, I focus on the guards’ minds and gain a sense of their plan.
I run into the room and slide past the two guards and cut one of their legs open. He falls to the ground and I bring the other side of my weapon to his head and knock him out. The other guard turns to me and knocks my weapon down. I take a step back as I get up and block his next attack.
As he tries to strike me again, I break my lirash into two. I use one to block his blade and bring the other to his neck. He falls to the ground leaving just me and the driver, who appears to be Selian. The driver looks at me with fear before jumping out of the transport. I can sense someone coming up behind me so I turn and ready myself to fight anyone who is there.
“Hey, it’s just me,” Tíren says. “I think that we got all of them. How long until we need to redirect the transport?”
“It’s coming up now,” I responded as I got into the driver’s seat. I take control of the transport and lead it off of the road. As we make our way back to Olnet’s base, I can feel the ground start to shake. The transport’s sensors start to detect the cavern behind collapsing. It looks like everything went as planned. I guess Tíren was right after all.
It takes us almost an hour to get back to the base. As I pull up, Olnet and his rebels run up to it and start to unload the cargo as I bring the transport to a halt. Tíren and I exit the transport and take a seat on a nearby rock.
“I’m so glad the two of you are all right,” Olnet says.
“Thank you,” I responded. “How are your comrades?”
“One death, several cuts and bruises,” Olnet responded. “She gave her life for the cause. To help free her world from the rule of the Agorians. There is no more noble way to lay down one’s life. She died with both valor and honor.”
“I’m sorry that you suffered a casualty,” Tíren says.
“Thank you, Gilded Crown. Without you, this would not have been possible.” Olnet replied. “Now we have other matters to attend to. The shipment was supposed to reach the Agorian vessel in one hour. You have to get on the transport before then. When they realize that the shipment was stolen, they will shut down everything. You won’t be able to leave Selios.”
“You’re right,” Tíren says. “It was good to see you again, old friend, even if only for a short time. We will be in touch as best as we can. Come on, let’s get going. We don’t have lots of time left.”
Tíren and I grab a drink from Olnet’s stores and we depart for the transport ship. By the time they reached it, they were starting the final preflight checks. I go up to the door and open it and we head inside.
“You were right,” I told Tíren. “This time at least.”
“Oh?” He asked. “What was I right about?”
“The mission,” I answered as I took a seat on one of the crates. “You said earlier that it would be quick and easy. In and out.”
“Thank you for admitting that you were wrong. That is very mature of you.” Tíren responded. “I am very proud of you for saying that.”
“Hey, I didn’t say that I was wrong, I simply said that you were right. There is a slight difference, but it makes a noticeable one.” I told him. “Come over here, there is plenty of room on the crate for both of us.”
“But I want to lie down,” Tíren told me. “My back is sore from all that climbing and fighting. It’ll be good for me to lay on my back.”
“How about you rest your head on my lap. Then when we get back to Ivex I can draw you a bath and give you a massage. How’s that sound?” I asked.
“Fine, you have got a deal,” Tíren responded as came over to me.
We make it back to Ivex without any problems and I draw Tíren that bath and give him a massage. He wasn’t lying, his back really needed it, it was tight all over.
“Tíren, we’ve got a problem,” Ivex says over the comms as I start to finish giving my massage to Tíren.
“What is it, Ivex?” He asked it. “Are there ships headed our way?”
“No. I have received a silent alert from the Valkyrie.” Ivex responded.
“Open up a gateway,” Tíren says. “It should be safe to do that here.”
“Opening a gateway to the Valkyrie,” Ivex responded.
“Are you ready to go back to them?” Tíren asked me.
“No, I am not. But it would seem that the times require it.” I responded. “We’ll see how long my presence is required. I still don’t want to be there. There are still too many unpleasant memories surrounding that stormy world.”
Ivex passes through the gateway and we appear on the other side. I go up to a console and access Ivex’s scans of the area. It would appear that all vessels have their weapons active and their shields up. There are a few vessels that I do not recognize, but they are undoubtedly heavily armed Federation ships. I wonder why the distress signal was sent out to us?
“The Valkyrie is hailing us,” Ivex says over the comms. Tíren and I beam up to the bridge and put the Valkyrie up.
“Captain! It is good to see you again.” Commander Tala says. “I didn’t think you would respond. I’m glad that you got here so quickly.”
“Of course, Commander. What is going on? I can see that Soji is on board so I assume that the matter is serious.” I replied.
“Admiral Juruj has ordered us to venture into Agorian space and spy on them with the intent of overthrowing their government by allying ourselves with the people of the Royal Agorian Patriarchy.” Commander Tala responded.
“Well, I know that they would welcome the assistance,” I told her. “The rebel factions are disconnected and they do not have a lot of resources. A fleet of Starfleet vessels would mean a lot for them.”
“But not like this, Captain.” Commander Tala said. “Juruj is planning a swift strike on the Agorians, destroying everything that we can to obtain victory. It is not the Starfleet way, Captain. And I will not let any of our vessels go on this mission. I will not let them throw away their values due to fear.”
“Captain, Admiral Juruj is hailing us from the surface,” Ivex says.
“Ignore him,” I told Ivex. “I want to hear more from Commander Tala. What else would you have them do? What other path should they take?”
“We have allies here in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Allies that want to take the fight to the Agorians. Let’s do this the proper way and assemble a task force to deal with the Agorians. A united front of anyone who wishes to stand up to the Agorians. They are the ones who have the most to lose, not us. They should be the ones who take priority. Not a sense of revenge and fear.”
I look back at Tíren and he nods his head. “Fine, we will try it your way, Commander. I will talk to the Admiral and see what I can do. But keep in mind that we may need to make a compromise.”
“Thank you, Captain.” Commander Tala says. “I’m glad that you’re back.”
“Captain, should I respond to Admiral Juruj’s hail?” Ivex asked me.
“No, I’ll go down to the surface. This is too important to settle over a comms channel.” I told Ivex. “Besides, I would like to see the new command center. The Vunall worked hard on it. It would be a shame if I never saw it.”
I beam down to the entrance of the command center. It is indeed a beautiful sight to see. It’s just like I am back on Tyrio Station. But we aren’t here to sightsee. I headed up to Juruj’s office and entered.
“Captain, it is good to see you again.” Admiral Juruj says as he stands up from his seat. “You didn’t respond to my hail, why is that?”
“Because you decided to piss off Commander Tala and by extension, me,” I responded. “An assault on the Agorians, how idiotic is that?”
“Be careful with what you say, Captain. I am an admiral now.” He says.
“Don’t let it go to your head, Juruj. I still have more experience than you do. Especially when it comes to the Agorians.” I told him. “Your fleet would be decimated before they fired a torpedo. I have a suggestion that would benefit both Commander Tala and you. I suggest you listen.”
“Fine, let’s hear it, Captain.” Admiral Juruj replied. “Make it quick.”
“We go out and search for any possible targets and weaknesses like you want, but we do not attack without the people of the Large Magellanic Cloud. We could assemble a coalition like Admiral Ah’ih wanted. With their help and approval, we can defend this region of space from the Agorians. It is the people of these Magellanic Clouds that have the most to lose. Their homes are here, and they can’t run away like we can. Give us some more time. We can do this the right way. Trust me, I want revenge for what the Agorians did to us. But we cannot throw away our values simply because it suits us.”
“Fine, I will give you and the governments of the Large Magellanic Cloud two weeks. As a favor to you.” He says. “If they are not on board and ready to take their ships into Agorian territory, then we will go in without them.”
“Thank you, Admiral. Don’t let that power go to your head.” I told him before I beamed back to the Valkyrie. I hope it is just the stress that is making him act this way. All of us need to keep our heads on if we are going to survive in the Magellanic Clouds. Our mission out here is paramount. If we fail, it could prevent other missions to places outside of our galaxy. More importantly, the Federation could be at risk.
“What did Admiral Juruj say, Captain?” Commander Tala asked me.
“We have got two weeks before the Admiral goes ahead with his plan,” I told her and the rest of the crew. “So let’s make them count, shall we?”