Monday, August 13, 2012
{{Not really happy with how this turned out. This is an extra long chapter, and probably should be broken up, but after wrestling with it for two weeks, I just wanted to get it over with.}}
Kanor stepped onto the bridge of
the I.S.S. Enterprise again; this time, as a guest. After the meeting, he had compiled a report
of the pertinent information from the PADDs he had gone over so far for the
Enterprise crewmembers. He sent it out
not long before they were scheduled to arrive in Independent Fleet space, so he
doubted any of the senior staff had a chance to read it yet. However, not long afterwards, Kaz had called
him on the shipâs intercom, and invited him to the bridge for their arrival at
Independence One. He suspected it was
both an extension of good faith, as well as a display of the Independent
Fleetâs strength and prowess.
Regardless, Kanor wasnât about to pass up the opportunity to gather
information about this group of individuals and the organization they belonged
to, so he had accepted. The turbolift
doors closed behind Kanor, and Commodore Kaz, standing in front of his chair
with his hands clasped behind his back, looked over his left shoulder to smile
at him.
âLet me formally welcome you to the
Enterprise bridge, Mister Kanor.â
Kanor nodded as his eyes swept around
the circular bridge. The senior staff
seemed to be manning the stations they had been on his first visit to the
bridge. Kanor noted the woman who had
not been at the senior staff meeting, but was at the station beyond Skidâs Engineering
console, seemed to be the same woman as before.
Most likely, that was Ensign Ai Tsukinawa manning the Tactical station.
âThank you, Kaz. I admit, I was surprised by the invitation.â
âWell, Mister Kanor, since youâll
be working with us for a while, I figured a little pomp and circumstance was in
order. Especially since itâs probably
the only time youâll get to see our little home, as it were.â
Kanor stepped over to stand beside
Kazâs chair, his eyes going to the viewscreen ahead.
âYou donât consider the Enterprise
your home?â
âOh, absolutely. In more ways than I could even go into. Still, every ship should have a home berth,
and itâs nice to return to it regularly.â
Kanor simply nodded as he looked
around on the viewscreen. They were
approaching a medium-sized planet, that appeared to be quite green. More landmasses than water. This intrigued Kanor. Planets similar to this one were usually the
first populated in general space, as they tended to be rich in resources and
capable of supporting a wide variety of life.
He hadnât consulted with Cypher to determine their exact location or
heading. Cypher was still being
difficult in regards to their argument, so he found himself trying to avoid
her, in hopes she would calm down and return to her normal self. Plus, he wasnât really sure how to deal with
her at the moment anyways. Still, he
found it hard to believe none of the bigger political powers hadnât snatched
this planet up already for their own colonists.
Perhaps it was too isolated; perhaps it was close to some border or
something.
Ships were darting to and fro
amongst the stars, of a wide variety. Some
stood out more than others, however. Over
there, a Klingon Vorâcha cruiser. A
flight group of Cardassian Hideki class shuttles, a Romulan science vessel he
couldnât classify, a Barolian freighter, a Starfleet Galaxy class. Kanor was surprised these were all ships of
the Independent Fleet. Vorâcha and
Galaxy class vessels were current vessel designs for their respective
governments; Cardassian and Romulan ships were rather zealously guarded. That the Independent Fleet was in possession
of them was impressive. Kanor speculated
it was due to the semi-recent chaotic aftermath of the Dominion War. Drei spoke up from behind Kanorâs left.
âIndependence One welcomes us home,
sir.â
Kanorâs eyes were drawn to a space
station that was currently in the shadow of the planet ahead. It was shaped like a mushroom or atmospheric
parachute; a wide, circular top that drastically tapered down into a long
column. The ships they had encountered
seemed to be either going to the station, or departing from it, though he
thought he could detect some movement from the station down to the planet as
well.
âLet them know itâs good to be
home, Drei. Request for Control to let
Stapes know weâve arrived, andâŠâ
Drei held up his left hand for a
moment as he frowned, listening intently to the earpiece he held to his right
ear.
âSir, Control informs me that our
normal port is temporarily unavailable, and directs us to instead dock at port seventeen.â
Kazâs brow furrowed deeply, his
body shifting to look past Kanor to Drei more directly.
âTemporarily unavailable? Why the hell is it unavailable?â
Drei conversed with the person at
Control for a few moments, then rolled his eyes as he held a finger down over a
switch on his console and looked to Kaz again.
âAll Iâm getting is a bunch of
bullshit, essentially. âItâs being taken
care ofâ and ânot any of our concernâ.â
Kaz swiveled around to look back at
the viewscreen, his jaw tightening.
âThatâs our exclusive port; itâs in
my damn contract. Theyâd better believe
that makes it my fucking concern when I canât use it!â
Kanor studied Kaz, watched the
Metronâs fists clench. He had a feeling
this was not going to go well for the people at Independent Fleet Control.
âTeâara, lay in a direct course for
our home port, full impulse.â
Kanor heard Skid start sniggering
loudly from the Engineering station. She
started manipulating the switches, buttons, and track balls in front of her,
and Kanor felt and heard a rumbling of power coming from the Enterpriseâs
depths below.
âUhâŠFULL impulse, sir?â
Kaz turned to sit down in his
command chair, his chin lifting as he rested his arms along the armrests,
moving the lap restraints into place.
âOh, absofuckinglutely. They can get the hell out of our way.â
The Andorian female, Teâara,
exchanged a look with Jax, on her left, but took a slow breath as her hands
started moving confidently over the controls.
âCourse laid in, sir.â
âAhead full impulse.â Jax said.
Kanor watched as the viewscreen
showed the Enterprise accelerating straight towards the space station,
Independence One. He heard a distinct
increase in the comm chatter from Dreiâs station, and saw Drei holding his
earpiece away from his ear with a huge grin.
âOh my. They donât seem to like that much at all.â
Kazâs eyes only seemed to narrow as
he glared at the viewscreen, and Kanor heard Skid snort.
âYouâd think theyâd bloody well
know better, by now!â
Kanor shifted to watch the young
Trill at the Enterpriseâs helm. His gaze
was glued to the viewscreen, his spotted hands moving over the controls in
front of him by instinct, with absolute confidence in the task he was
performing. Kanor watched as they
barreled through lanes of ship traffic, multiple vessels having to test their
inertial dampenersâ limits. But Jax made
the Enterprise dance in space; narrowly avoiding collisions, sliding past
everyone that crossed their path with margins of error Kanor couldnât even
fathom. Inexorably, the starship bore
down upon the massive doors that led to the main docking area of the space
station. They were along the curved side
of the thick saucer area that topped Independent One, situated on the top half,
and closed to protect ships that were inside for repairs or maintenance. He noticed the doors appeared to be closing
now; Independent Control intent on keeping the Enterprise out from the inner
docking station that was apparently her normal berth. Jax sent the Enterprise into a particularly
sharp dive to avoid a cumbersome hunk of a cargo ship, and Kanor was forced to
reach out to grasp the back of Kazâs chair with his right hand.
âMister Kanor, youâre welcome to
find yourself a seat and take advantage of the restraints we have
equipped. Iâd recommend the currently
vacant auxiliary stations along the starboard side.â
Kanorâs back straightened as he
shook his head. Klingon ships typically
did not have chairs equipped as a point of pride; with exceptions made for the
pilot or HoD, the captain.
âI will be fine where I am, thank
you.â
Kanor glanced back at Drei, who had
turned his chair around to simply watch the viewscreen. He, like everyone else aboard the bridge,
apparently, had also activated his lap restraints. The earpiece receiver he simply held in his
right hand, and Kanor could hear the very upset and very adamant voices
squawking at the Enterprise uselessly.
The ship, and her captain, were not going to be listening to them or
heeding their demands, that much was very clear. That the entire crew seemed to support Kazâs
reckless behavior wasâŠintriguing.
Teâara muttered an Andorian curse
as she stared ahead, where the doors to the inner docking area now filled the
viewscreen. Her cobalt blue knuckles
were gripping the edges of her Navigation console, her extra long antennae
curled tightly forward and overlapping themselves, and Kanor realized that the
gap of open space between the still closing doors were now narrower than the
width of the Enterpriseâs saucer section.
Even as he thought this, however, he watched the viewscreen smoothly
tilt on the Enterpriseâs longitudinal axis as Jax narrowed her profile to fit
through the doors.
âWoooooohooo! Way to go, Jockey!â
A bubble of tension seemed to burst
upon the bridge as the Enterprise narrowly skated through the docking bay
doors, punctuated by Skidâs cheer.
Teâara, her antennae unfurling in relief as she laughed nervously,
clapped Jax on the back. The young Trill
man jumped slightly in his seat at the unexpected contact, but never deviated
his eyes from the viewscreen. He sent
the Enterprise rolling to get out of the way of a tractor beam, and Kanor
realized towing ships were actively trying to lock onto the starship to halt
her advance or alter her trajectory.
Independent Control really did NOT want Kaz to see his docking port, for
some reason. Word must have gotten out,
as there were few ships left for Jax to have to maneuver around inside. As they proceeded, still at full impulse,
even the towing ships eventually stopped trying.
âArriving at our docking port now,
sir.â
Jaxâs voice was tight, slightly
higher in pitch than Kanor had noticed it being before. Little beads of sweat had broken out above
his brow, but Kanor didnât fault him for it; that was an exemplary feat of
piloting, especially for a starship of the Enterpriseâs size. The subtle sounds of power diminished as Jax
brought their rather suicidal jaunt to a final stop.
âOn screen.â
Kazâs voice was even, but simmered
with the anger that infused his facial features. The viewscreen shifted to the left, centering
upon an empty docking port. Teâara
magnified the area in question without being asked.
âThose sons of bitchesâŠ!â
âOf all the bloody fookin
ridiculousâŠ!â
âNaturally. Damn moronsâŠâ
Selorusâ even, steady voice
overrode Jax, Skid, and Dreiâs exclamations.
âSensors show multiple docking
clamps have been shorn away from the port, and all primary moorings and
umbilicals are missing.â
Kazâs words were like cracks of a
whip.
âDrei, Stapes. Now.â
The viewscreen immediately shifted to
a black screen with some symbol in the very center; Kanor recalled seeing it on
the flag in the main briefing room. A
brief moment later, the image was replaced by the face of a Vorta. Kanorâs eyes widened. The Vorta were an exclusive member of the Dominion;
a race of clones, they were genetically engineered by the Founders, the leaders
of the Dominion, to be their direct representatives and to serve the Founders
in all things. They had a pasty-white
skin tone, unique earholes that resided in rippled crests along the sides of
their heads, and purple eyes. The
Dominion War was still a very fresh wound on the majority of the Alpha Quadrant
where it had raged, and Kanor was simply stunned he was looking at a Vorta now
that wasnât either dead, or imprisoned.
He appeared to be in some sort of control center; far in the distance
behind him, Kanor could make out other people working at different
stations. They werenât JemâHadar, at least.
âCommodore, this line is
EXCLUSIVELY limited toâŠâ
âShut the fuck up, Louie. Give me Stapes. Immediately.â
âThatâs ADMIRAL Louie to you,
COMMODORE, and need I remind you I amâŠâ
âAn Ass Admiral? Oh, donât worry; Iâm reminded of that every
time I have to interact with you.
Stapes. Now.â
âREAR Admiral, and Admiral Stapleton
isâŠâ
âAi, lock photon torpedoes onto the
main control room of Independent One.â
Kanor couldnât help but grin
savagely as the Vortaâs beady little eyes flared with shock.
âI am giving you sixty seconds to
have Stapes on this supposedly direct line before I unleash photon torpedo one
up your ASS.â
âHe is OCCUPIED at the moment! Once he hears about your insane threat upon a
superior officer, to say nothing ofâŠâ
âFifty seconds.â
Louie, flustered, turned his head
to one side to quickly tap his fingers across a console to his immediate
right. He whipped his head back up to
look at Kaz through the viewscreen, horrified.
âYou wouldnât DARE!â
Kaz quite calmly stared right back
at Rear Admiral Louie as he moved the lap restraints and lifted his right leg
to rest over his left knee.
âForty seconds.â
The Vorta scowled darkly before
scrambling to punch in several controls beneath the viewscreen.
âI wonât forget this, Commodore,
mark my words, youâllâŠâ
âI should hope not, Louie. I would hate to have to show you up in front
of your cronies twice. Thirty.â
The viewscreen switched from the
view of an outraged Vorta, to the image of a middle-aged human male sitting
down behind a large, expansive desk. He
was wearing an intentionally impressive looking uniform, much different than
the style the Enterprise crew wore; white, double-breasted, with a variety of
medals along the right and left breast, in rows of three. Gold epaulets adorned each shoulder, as well. It was clearly designed to inspire awe in all
who looked upon the wearer. Kanor found
it to be rather comical. The man held
his right hand up, the tips of his fingers almost touching his forehead, and
his palm outward, in salute.
âCommodore Kaz! To what do I owe the late night pleasure?â
Kaz didnât return the salute. Kanor found it odd that the man mentioned it
was nighttime. By the Enterpriseâs time,
it was around 1600 hours. Wouldnât the
rest of the Fleet be on the same time?
âMy docking port was used by
someone else in our absence. That sad
excuse of a fucking shipâs captain then proceeded to destroy it.â
The man lowered his salute with a
touch of irritation on his features, and clasped his hands in front of him. He
leaned forward on the desk a little, flashing a sad smile with absolutely no
feeling behind it at all.
âAhh, that. Admiral Louie informed me of the incident
yesterday, and assured me heâd have his best people working to restore the port
completely, donât worry.â
âThat port is listed exclusively
for the Enterpriseâs use, Stapes. Itâs
in my contract. Exclusive WOULD imply
the Enterprise is the only ship allowed to dock there, wouldnât it?â
âWell normally, yes. However, Captain Somers returned from his
mission not long after you left, and the Courageous had suffered heavy
damage. Admiral Louie felt it was best
to have the ship repaired as swiftly as possible, and port thirteen is in a
prime location for that to happen. Since
it wasnât being used, I gave it my approval.â
Kanor heard Skid mutter an
explicative beneath her breath when Stapes mentioned this other Captain and his
ship, though he didnât understand why. A
silence stretched on the bridge as Kaz simply stared at Admiral Stapleton on
the viewscreen. The hum of machinery,
accentuated with the occasional high-pitched beep, was the only sound; the rest
of the crew seemed completely silent.
âSomers.â
Stapes shifted in his chair;
leaning back, tugging down sharply on his uniform front, then clasping his
hands together in his lap, beneath the desk.
âThatâs right. And because of that, Captain Somers and the
crew of the Courageous were able to leave yesterday, versus the extra week it
would have meant if they had used their regular port. They were in a bit of a rush, and the
Courageousâ helm officer has only been with the Fleet for a few monthsâŠâ
âAlmost a year, if memory serves
me. Which is a long time, as most of
Somerâs crew either donât live that long, or request a transfer.â
âYouâre out of line,
Commodore. Captain Somers is a distinguished,
decorated offiâŠâ
âJax, please stand and face the
viewscreen and our Fleet leader.â
Jax glanced over his shoulder a bit
nervously at Kaz, the poor Trillâs nerves probably still on edge after the feat
he had just performed, but got to his feet as commanded. He seemed awkward at first, but finally gave
Admiral Stapleton a sharp, ramrod-straight salute, clicking the black heels of
his shoes together. Stapes, who was
glaring at Kaz, nodded his head in Jaxâs direction, casually tossing a return salute.
âWould you describe, please, your
current rank, position aboard the Enterprise, length of time aboard the
Enterprise, and time with the Independent Fleet?â
Jax shifted uncomfortably, but
spoke clearly.
âLieutenant Daniel Jax, senior
pilot aboard the I.S.S. Enterprise. Iâve
been assigned to the Enterprise since stardateâŠâ
âMonths, Jax; days, etcetera.â
âAh, uhâŠtwelve months, twenty-seven
days. I joined the Independent FleetâŠâ
âGot through Basic, and immediately
requested to be posted to the Enterprise, isnât that correct?â
âUhâŠyes, yes, sir. Everyone knows itâs the best ship in the
Fleet, I didnât want to be anywhere else.â
Stapes was listening with an aloof
expression on his face, one of his hands lifting up to smooth over the rows of
medals on his right breast idly. Kaz was
staring back at him impassively, though Kanor could all but feel the rage
gushing out of the Metron.
âAnd upon arriving, you expressed
interest in the helm position right away, didnât you, Jax? Tell us, please; had you had any previous
training aboard a starship before joining the Fleet? Had you ever piloted a ship this big?â
âNo, sir! I grew up flying atmo-craft, and eventually
got to fly some fighters and stuff in deep space, but never a starship. UhâŠsir.â
âLook, Commodore, this little
charade is quâŠâ
Kaz simply spoke over Stapes. Kanor wasnât sure if it was because of his
proximity to the Commodore, or because Stapes was being transmitted, but Kazâs
voice easily overrode Stapesâ audibly.
âHow many times have you piloted the
Enterprise out of space dock since then, Jax?
Have you EVER done anything similar to the damage weâre looking at right
now?â
Jax turned his body to look back at
Kaz, still sitting in his chair. There
was a look of absolute disgust on his features.
âOf COURSE not! Thatâs basic, standard shit; I mean, you go
to leave anywhere, you release docking clamps and moorings, and withdraw the
umbilicalsâŠpractically first day training of any deep space flying program!â
Stapes was frowning, his face stern
and dark.
âAgain, Commodore, Lieutenant Jax
is clearly a very talâŠâ
âSelorus, are there any lifesigns
detected anywhere near docking port thirteen?â
âNegative, sir. Docking ports twelve and fourteen are both
clear at the moment, as well. I do
believe Louie might have had the surrounding area evacuated.â
âKaz, I donât know what youâre
thinking, butâŠ!â
âAi, destroy docking port
thirteen. Ensure collateral damage is
kept to a minimum.â
Stapes leapt up out of his chair,
his face contorted with fury.
âCommodore Kaz! I will TERMINATE the contracts of you and your
crew immediately, and consider this an act of treason...â
âYouâve already breached my
contract, and you know what Iâm capable of, Stapes. You terminate everyoneâs and declare us
traitors, and youâll have a very angry, very lethal starship right in the heart
of your operations, with Fleet-wide access codes and nothing left to lose. Iâll make sure it costs you very, very
dearly.â
Stapes slammed his left fist down
into the desk, and Kanor was surprised to seeâŠwhat could only be described as a
fluidic ripple seem to pass through the Admiralâs entire body. He wasnât even sure it might not have been an
error in the video transmission.
âWhat is WRONG with you!? A fellow member of this Fleet used your
portâs facilities, and youâre willing to start a war over it?!â
âCaptain Somersâ ship is absolutely
filthy. It either returned from that
mission heavily damaged because Captain Somers wouldnât know proper care and
maintenance of a starship if it bit him on the ass, or because heâs an
incompetent commander who doesnât give a damn about the vessel he commands, let
alone the people aboard her, and takes needless risks. You allowed him, and his crew, to use my port
for an extended period of time while they repaired their ship. Thereâs no telling what they fucked up, and
Iâll be damned if I risk MY ship or MY crew to a freak accident because Somers
and his people couldnât be bothered to handle things properly.â
Stapes sneered, each of his hands
planting themselves flat on the desk as he leaned forward.
âLike I said, Admiral Louie has a
teamâŠâ
âIâm sure as fuck not going to
trust my people to THAT man. And if I
canât have this docking port-again, specifically outlined in my contract-then
Iâll make damned sure no one else will be using it either.â
The two men stared at each other
via the viewscreen. Kaz: relaxed in his
command chair, his voice firm and unflinching; loud, but not yelling. Stapes: standing hunched over his luxurious
desk, his shoulders heaving, his face reddened, his voice long ago having left
the realm of normal conversational tones.
Ensign Tsukinawa spoke up, somewhat meekly, from the Tactical station.
âWeapons locked on target, sir.â
Kanor looked between the two men as
they stared at each other. There seemed
to be a lot of stare-offs that went on aboard this ship, he was noticing. He really didnât know them well enough to
judge who would win; the only reason Kaz had turned away from Kanor yesterday
was because his crew needed him. The one
thing Kanor could say about Kaz was that the man was passionate when it came to
his ship and her crew. He was throwing
down with this Admiral because he felt it was imperative for the safety of the
Enterprise and those aboard her, plain and simple. Kanor couldnât say if he would have done
things the same way, but he felt a deep respect for a leader who was willing to
go to such great lengths for his people.
Not for his own personal interests, or because it would raise his
favoritism amongst the crew; Kaz did it simply because it was the right thing
to do.
Kanor didnât know this Captain
Somers, either. However, people who had
a death wish usually got what they wanted, and in Kanorâs mind, carelessness
was the same thing. Many Klingons were
obsessed with a âglorious deathâ, and had a very real death wish; those who let
that obsession overpower them never got their glory, though.
âItâs up to you, Admiral. Give me my orders.â
Kanorâs gaze swept around the
bridge. Jax had slid back into his seat
at some point, and like everyone else, was paying rapt attention to his
instrumentation. From what he could see,
though, none of them were randomly pushing buttons to look busy. They were legitimately focused on specific
tasks. Skid looked like she was
diverting power, Jax was running a diagnostic on the Enterpriseâs navigational
sensors, Teâara was plotting different escape routes. Even Ai appeared to be pulling up different
targeting solutions for the interior of the space station, though it was hard
to tell from as far back as he was standing from Tactical. They were doing their jobs; trusting in Kaz
to make the right decisions, and willing to follow him, despite the
repercussions those decisions might entail.
He had to admit, it was ratherâŠinspiring. A little insane, but inspiring. Kazâs last request for âordersâ had left a
heavy feeling in the air, though. He
heard a deep, weary sigh come from the viewscreen.
âHow would you like to proceed,
then?â
Kanor realized just how tightly he
had been gripping the back of Kazâs chair.
âFirst of all, Dock thirteen. Completely rebuilt. Every bit of equipment and all machinery that
could have possibly come into contact with Somers and his crew, replaced with
brand new. Iâm talking still in the
packaging. I select the work crew of
those who will be working on the job, and my people and I will personally
inspect every last bit before the project is considered complete. All on the Independent Fleetâs tab, of
course.â
Stapes sat back down in his chair,
rolling his eyes.
âFine. As long as those individuals are not already
assigned to a job of higher priority. In
MY opinion, mind you. Now, willâŠâ
âOh, Iâm not finished. Second, an addendum to my contract. As owner of the I.S.S. Enterprise, the
docking port thirteen aboard Independence One is, from here on out, my personal
property. Anyone wishing to use the port
or facilities therefore must do so with my permission. Anyone violating those termsâŠwell, does so at
their own risk.â
Stapes leaned back in his chair,
his eyes narrowing as he crossed his legs underneath his desk. He tapped a finger against his desk for a few
moments, looking at Kaz.
âIâll allow you to purchase the
port; we can discuss the exact terms in a more private setting. Doing so, however, will then require that you
pay for the commodities your port will be using, such as utilities. Also, youâll be personally paying for any damage
your little stunt in getting where you are has cost the Fleet, whether it be
loss in time, or actual damages.
Consider yourself lucky I have yet to receive any reports of casualties.â
âWell, like you said, we can
discuss the exact details in a more private setting.â
âAgreed. Now, you have a mission debriefing, if Iâm
not mistaken, Commodore.â
Kaz smiled, nodding his head, but
holding up the index finger of his left hand.
Kanor felt like the smile was mocking in nature.
âOneâŠ.last little thing.â
âYouâre trying my patience,
CommodoreâŠâ
âOh, but itâs just a formality, I
assure you. A professional courtesy, if
you will. Maintaining respect for the
chain of command and all. Sir.â
Stapes leaned on his right arm,
which he had rested horizontally onto the table, and simply looked at Kaz.
âA formal, verbal apology from Rear
Admiral Louie, delivered in person, to me.
For blatantly breaking the terms of my contract, and publicly
disrespecting a fellow flag officer.
Since weâre unable to dock, I imagine that will require you and the Rear
Admiral to come over to the Enterprise.
I assure you, weâll welcome you aboard with all the formalities due.â
Stapes frowned deeply.
âIâd think that âpublic disrespectâ
could go both ways, Commodore. I fail to
see how the Enterprise is incapable of docking with Independence One. Admiral Louie instructed you to proceed to
dock seventeen, from what I recall?â
Kaz tilted his head to one side and
lowered his chin, affecting a pained expression.
âStapes, dock seventeen? Thatâs right next to the I.S.S. Stiles. An Excelsior-class vessel. You know very well I absolutely refuse to
park the Enterprise within three ports of an Excelsior-class ship. That, too, is in my contract. And I responded in kind in regards to how I
was treated.â
Stapes sighed.
âIâm sure we can arrange a port for
you that doesnât violate contractual agreements, Commodore.â
Kaz smiled genuinely, waving a hand
dismissively.
âOh, nonsense. Since the Enterprise will be departing so
quickly, thereâs really no need to inconvenience anyone further. Youâll want to debrief me personally, and
meet our temporary mission consultant Mister Kanor here. Louie will need to come deliver his
apology. And since the Admiralty Board,
which I am a part of, will need to meet to discuss the next step of our mission
tomorrow, it makes sense if everyone just comes to the Enterprise.â
Stapesâ eyes slid over to study
Kanor briefly, as if he were seeing him for the first time. It was the first time since his childhood
Kanor could remember being largely ignored entirely in a group. His back straightened under the scrutiny, but
he kept his expression neutral. His mind
was busy processing Kazâs little statement.
He was getting the distinct impression Kaz had invited him up to the
bridge for a whole slew of reasons, only part of them obvious at first
glance. The Admiralâs gaze swept back to
Kaz.
âIndeed, Commodore, there are a lot
of things weâll be discussing in your debriefing.â A pause.
âVery well. I will arrive on the
Enterprise by 1700 hours. The rest of
the Admiralty Board will convene tomorrow morning aboard the Enterprise, weâll
say 0800. Stapleton out.â
The screen reverted back to the
view outside the Enterprise at the practically destroyed port thirteen. Kanor saw Kazâs brow furrow at the sight.
âStand down weapons, Ai. Jax, bring us alongside our port, but make
sure I donât have to see that eyesore whenever I look out a window.â
Jax grinned at that, and
immediately began maneuvering the Enterprise into place, the surge of her
engines rumbling down below.
âAye, sir!â
Kaz turned his command chair around
to look at Kanor.
âWell, that wasnât exactly the sort
of tour I had planned for you, Mister Kanor, but hopefully it was exciting, at
least.â
Kanor couldnât help but smirk a
little.
âIndeed it was, at that. Much more so than I thought an arrival in
space dock might be.â
âYes, wellâŠnever a dull moment
aboard the Enterprise, thatâs for sure.
Now, normally Iâd have a formal dinner when weâre having Brass aboard,
but I have a feeling Stapes and I will be having quite a long debriefing
conversation. Heâll want to see you as
soon as weâre finished, however. Would
you prefer to join us, or meet us in your quarters?â
Kanor was surprised at Kazâs offer,
letting him decide the terms of his meeting with this Admiral Stapleton. He did not want the two men entering his
quarters just yet, especially as he hadnât fully secured the location. His ship, while it hadnât been offered, was
simply out of the question, as well. He
felt Kaz knew and had anticipated that.
Meeting with them would likely make them feel confident in having the
upper hand, and he felt, would send a clear message he was not intimidated by
the two of them.
âI would be happy to join the two
of you. In the main briefing room
again?â
Kazâs facial expression changed
when Kanor said he would join them, and he was certain he saw a smile tug at
the corner of the Metronâs mouth.
âActually, no. Iâll be meeting with Stapes in the Officerâs
Lounge, on deck three. Itâs just beyond
the galley. Iâll give you a call when
weâre ready for you, but I imagine itâll be a couple of hours, at least.â
âVery well. Am I permitted to make subspace transmissions
from my quarters? I do have some affairs
to deal with, given the unexpected turns this mission has taken.â
âOf course, and absolutely. The console in your quarters is fully
functioning, though all guestâs subspace communiquĂ©s are sent through the
communications officer on duty.â
As in âdonât expect to get off
anything sneakyâ. Fortunately, Gaila
would understand a cryptic message just fine.
At least the Enterprise had that in place as a security measure.
âAs well they should be.â
âAfter that ordeal is completed,
however, Iâll be throwing quite a party for the crew down in the Rec area of
deck seven. Youâre more than welcome to
attend, Mister Kanor.â
âIâŠwill have to politely
decline. I do not do parties.â
Kaz chuckled.
âWell, give it some thought. Youâd be surprised who youâll meetâŠâ
Skid piped up from her Engineering
station, singing.
ââŠworkinâ at the carwash, YEAH!â
The redheaded woman started humming
some song Kanor had never heard before, and was bouncing and squirming in her
seat in a fashion that wasâŠriveting.
Both of Kanorâs eyebrows shot up on his forehead. She took a break in her humming to toss a
question over her shoulder.
âThink the hardest workinâ man in
showbiz might make an appearance, Kaz?â
Kaz was grinning ear to ear when
Kanor looked back to him.
âHe just might, actually. He is feeling pretty good, just like he knew
he would.â
While Kanorâs universal translator
did not appear to be malfunctioning, and he was able to understand what they
were saying, he still felt there was something going on he was missing out on
entirely. Jax quipped from the
navigation console.
âI certainly feel like getting up
offa this thang.â
As Kanorâs brow furrowed even
deeper, Teâara leaned over to murmur something to Jax.
âIs this the Godfather of Soul you
were telling me about, thisâŠBrownjames?â
Jax grinned, murmuring just as quietly
back, though Kanor could hear them just fine with his superior hearing.
âJames Brown, and yesâŠyou have no
idea what youâre in for tonight.â
Kanor recalled that name being on
one of those circular plaques near Kazâs office, and immediately found himself
intrigued. He looked back at Kaz, to
find the Commodore gazing at him with a huge smirk on his face.
âYes, wellâŠthank you for the
invitation. I willâŠconsider it.â
Kaz shrugged his shoulders.
âAlright. Weâll start immediately after our meeting,
and Iâm sure itâll last well into the night.
In case you change your mind.â
Kaz got up from his chair, looking
over to the Communications console.
Drei, unlike the others around the bridge, seemed to have a sour
expression on his face.
âDrei, the bridge is yours. Skid, if youâll arrange a proper greeting for
the Admiralâs arrival aboard the Enterprise via shuttlecraft, and then stop by
my office?â
She was grinning ear to ear, still
moving in her chair excitedly, as she flashed Kaz and Kanor both a smile.
âYou betcha. And you should really come later, Ol Hairy
Knuckles, itâll be a blast!â
Kanor smiled stiffly at Skidâs
exuberance, but simply continued on to the turbolift without responding. Kaz joined him before the doors closed. They each twisted the handles along the walls
of the car and stated their respective destinations.
âYou have no idea what we were
talking about back there, do you?â
Kanor shifted on his feet
uncomfortably.
âIâŠdo recall seeing this James
Brown immortalized on the plaques of honor outside of your office, yes.â
Kaz threw his head back in
laughter.
âOhâŠoh wowâŠthat wasâŠwhew. Yes, yes I do have one of his albuâŠrather, a
âplaque of honorâ dedicated to him near my office. Thatâs funny that you should notice that,
actually.â
âWas he a great individual in
Metron society?â
Kaz snorted. Kanor had gotten used to hearing that noise
from Skid, but he had never heard Kaz make it before.
âErmâŠno, though things would
certainly have been more interesting if he had been. No, he was a human, from Earth. A very long time ago.â
Kanor tilted his head to one side
as the car slowed to a stop and the doors swished open.
âButâŠif he is no longer alive, how
is he going to appear at this gathering tonight? Do you have holodeck technology installed on
the entire Rec deck?â
Kaz grinned, stepping out into the
corridor that led to his office.
âNo, he wouldnât be a hologram,
thatâs for sure. Until later, Mister
Kanor!â
Kanorâs brow furrowed in puzzlement
as the car continued down to the cargo bay he had directed it to. He had assembled the security camera he
needed already and left it in his quarters.
However, he needed some other equipment from his ship for working on
Cypherâs voice emulation software, and needed to keep up the appearance he was
going to the Hunt to review the Federation packageâs contents.
After retrieving what he needed and
verifying the Hunt was still secured, Kanor took another turbolift back to his
quarters. The car slid to a halt at deck
seven, and the doors opened to admit Marcie, who smiled broadly as she saw him
and joined him. He found himself unable
to resist smiling back at her. She
twisted one of the control handles.
âDeck five. So, I heard Kaz and Stapes butted heads yet
again.â
Kanor frowned. He understood it must be a turn of phrase,
but found himself puzzled at the usage. As far as he knew, Klingons were one of
the few races that actually butted heads somewhat commonly, as their thicker
craniums and intensely physical society encouraged it. However, he was certain humans didnât, and
doubted Metrons did either. Yet, there
was that odd visual disturbance that he still couldnât make sense of when
Stapes got very angryâŠ
âErmâŠyes, however they seemed to
resolve their differences.â
Marcie chuckled.
âOh, donât expect that to last. Jax also told me you werenât planning on
coming to the party tonightâŠ.why not?
Itâll be fun!â
The car slid to a stop at deck
five, both of their destinations, and opened its doors. Kanor walked beside Marcie as they headed out
into the corridor, trying to match his stride to her much shorter one.
âI do notâŠIâm not very comfortable
in large group gatherings such as the one that has been described as occurring
this evening. I getâŠirritable, and
generally get a headache quickly. This
leads to me growling a lot.â
Marcie grinned as she looked over
at him.
âOh câmon! Itâs a party, not a security function! Donât you want to meet James Brown?â
They made a turn in the corridor,
and Kanor looked at Marcie, puzzled.
âKaz led me to believe that James
Brown lived a long time ago, and was no longer alive. How, then, could I meet James Brown now? He stated there were no holograms involved.â
Marcie laughed heartily, a hand
reaching out to touch Kanorâs arm.
âHe will be there tonight, I
promise you. Flesh and blood. You should come, itâll be relaxing.â
Kanor frowned again. He did not appreciate feeling like he was
having a joke pulled on him.
âI have plans for tonight, things
that Iâll be working on.â
Though they were coming up to the
doors to Kanorâs quarters, Marcie reached out to take his arm, indicating he
should continue walking with her.
âYeah, things thatâll still be
there tomorrow. Iâm going, Dieter is
going, Jax and Teâara are going, and Skid will be there; dancing, too. She loves to dance, and sheâs crazy good,
Iâll admit.â
Kanor did not see the importance of
Skid being in attendance, or her dancing abilities, but shrugged
regardless. They stopped at the doors to
the quarters right next to his.
âPerhaps another time. Are these yours?â
Marcie sighed and rolled her eyes
as she stepped in front of him, the doors parting immediately at her presence.
âThey are, yeah. And YOU, sir, are a party pooper!â
She stabbed his chest with one of
her fingers on the âyouâ, shaking her head as she looked up at him. He did not understand the term.
âPeople will be defecating at this
party?â
Marcie closed her eyes as her chin
dropped.
âNo. But it means you bring the excitement of a
party down as if someone WERE pooping at it.â
âAh. Well, Iâm sorry to have defecated on your
mood.â He tried to change the
subject. âI didnât realize your quarters
were right next to mine.â
She smiled softly up at him,
leaning against the open doorframe.
âYupâŠI made quite a quick dash last
night from my door to yours. I mean, I
donât let just anyone see me in my pajamas!â
He couldnât help but grin.
âWell, I am quite honored you chose
to let me be one of the few.â
She grinned back.
âWell, we ARE going to be best
friends, I keep saying!â
She straightened up and took a step
backwards into her quarters, pointing a finger at him.
âReally think about actually
coming, if anything to laugh at all the silly people. And James Brown! Regardless, Iâll see you later tonight!â
The doors closed behind her as she
retreated fully into her quarters, leaving Kanor with a lingering smile as he
headed back to his own room. He still
didnât quite fully understand their relationship, but he found himself looking
forward to her crawling into bed with him again to sleep, even if they werenât
having sex. She had been right, it felt
nice.
He entered his quarters, and almost
called out to Cypher, but stopped himself.
Immediately his good mood was dampened.
It was awkward; to behave differently around someone he had become so
accustomed to being himself around at all times and in all things, no fears
whatsoever. It felt unnatural, and justâŠfake. He hated fake, hated acting that way. He was passionate with his emotions; his
mother had worked hard to instill Vulcan disciplines in him, but he always struggled. Reining them in temporarily was one thing,
suppressing them constantly was something else entirely. His mother called it discipline; mental,
emotional, even spiritual. To him, it
felt like an amputation. They were part
of who he was intrinsically.
As he sat down in the office at the
communicationâs console, he couldnât help but grunt. Kaz and Marcie probably felt like he WAS
suppressing his emotions by not coming to this party that was being held
tonight. It wasnât that, however. Granted, he did not like large crowds of
people, especially since the majority of the Enterprise crew he had never
met. No, large social functions such as
the one they had described simply did not make sense to him. There was no purpose to it other than to
socialize, and yet, at least at the functions he had attempted to make it
through back home, you could barely hear each other talk. If you could (usually due to shouting), it
was largely drivel. Small talk,
meaningless boasting, absurdities and tales.
You couldnât truly get to know someone; people behaved differently in
such large groups, and very rarely would discuss things truly meaningful or
important because of the audience.
A few of them he had been to were
centered around a tournament of fighting.
Those started off well, at least there was a definitive purpose to it;
but as the night wore on and the bloodwine barrels got lower, the fighting
became ridiculous. His âchampionshipâ
fight at the last one he had gone to, his opponent had simply drifted off to sleep
when Kanor bodyslammed him into the ground, too drunk to get back up. He knew how to enjoy himself, to have fun,
and yetâŠ
âWere you attempting to use the
communication console and having difficulty, Master?â
He felt the corners of his mouth
tug up slightly, though it was tempered by her last word.
âNo, Cypher, I was merelyâŠlost in
thought.â
There was a stretch of
silence. Normally, she would ask him
what he was thinking about; eager to learn, attempting to understand how
biological thought patterns occurred. He
tried to ignore that silence, and what it meant. He activated the controls of the console,
entering in the proper subspace frequencies to contact Gaila. There was a delay, even in this initial
phase; Drei screening the communiqué, most likely. Eventually, a Ferengi male appeared on the
small viewscreen; it was difficult to make out anything in the background, all
you could see clearly was the Ferengiâs face.
Kanor knew this was intentional, of course. The Ferengi didnât speak; also, intentional.
âFriend! My eyes have ached to see your profitable
lobes.â
Weâre being watched and listened
to, itâs not safe to use names or talk about our business normally, because
they donât know what it is.
âIndeed, it has been much longer
than I expected.â
The Ferengiâs voice was deeper than
most Kanor had encountered, and paced oddly, but he had gotten used to it over
the years. Gaila understood, and was
pointing out he had been late for their meeting. Kanor gritted his teeth at his next words.
âIâm sorry, itâs entirely my
fault. Something came up I wasnât
expecting while I was running errands, but itâll pass soon enough. I havenât changed that much, but Iâll let you
know when I do, and make it a worthwhile story.â
Yes, Iâll pay you for your lost
time. Something happened while I was on
a mission, but it doesnât affect you. I
still need to meet with you, but Iâll have to get in contact again when I know
when. Iâll pay for the extra holding
time.
âYouâd better. You wouldnât want to do anything Iâd do.â
Donât rat me out, if they come
after me, Iâll tell them anything and everything. Gaila cut the transmission, and Kanor shook
his head. He liked dealing with Gaila,
he was predictable. Heâd save his own
ass, and do whatever would make him the most latinum. It cut into his own profit margins sometimes,
but again, knowing what to expect was invaluable.
âWould you like me to strike that
off of the âto doâ list, Master?â
Kanor got up from the
communications console and went over to the new equipment he had brought from
the Hunt and left on the desk.
âYes, shift up top five.â
He paused for a moment, then
reached over and hit the intercom beside the computer.
âKanor to Bridge.â
Dreiâs voice responded, as he was
hoping.
âI hope this is important, Mister
Kanor. This is the Bridge, not your
personal concierge.â
âKaz left you in command, didnât
he? I need to know if I have the ability
to requisition parts for my ship; whether it be via the Enterprise, or
someplace through the Fleet.â
âWhat kind of parts are you talking
about?â
âType six atmospheric filters. Three of them.â
There was a brief pause before Drei
responded.
âI left a message with Skid, though
she probably wonât read it until tomorrow.
Sheâs in charge of engineering parts like that. If we donât have it here on the Enterprise,
sheâll set you up with whom she normally deals with aboard the Fleet. You DO understand they wonât be free, yes?â
âOf course. Thank you, Drei.â
He cut the transmission. He didnât like Drei, the guy seemed like a
cocky bastard, and something about him just irritated Kanor. He grabbed what he needed, and proceeded to
set up his own security feed to the corridor just outside his door.
****
It was past 2000 hours before Kaz
called him on the intercom, stating Stapes was wanting to meet with him, and
would he mind coming to the Officerâs Lounge.
He would have really liked to have listened in on what they were saying
for the nearly three hours beforehand.
When the turbolift doors opened, he
was looking at multiple small tables and chairs arranged throughout a large
common room. To the immediate right,
there was a curving kitchen area, and to the immediate left was a short set of
stairs that led to a room separate from the common dining setting. The lighting was indirect; muted, but still
with plenty of light to see by standardly.
Remembering Kaz stating the lounge was behind the galley, he headed up
the stairs to the left.
Immediately, he was struck by the
view. The outer wall of the lounge was a
giant viewport that overlooked the length of the Enterprise. Judging by the vantage point, it seemed like
it was located on the top half of the saucer section, almost directly in the
middle, probably just below the bridge module.
Again, he was impressed with the appreciation for the visual aesthetic
humans had put into their ship design. A
view like this would have never been available on a Klingon vessel.
The décor was of a higher grade
back here, and just as he was noticing the Head to his left and the even more
comfortable looking chairs that were arranged in large and small conversation
circles nearby, an Enterprise crewmember came up to him, his eyes glancing over
him quickly.
âExcuse me, sir, this is the VIP
Officerâs lounge, Iâm afraidâŠâ
âIâm Kanor. Iâm to meet with Kaz and Stapes?â
The crewmember seemed a little
taken aback, though he hid it well. He
had an unmistakable French accent, from Earth.
âAhhh, my apologies, then, Mister
Kanor. If youâll follow me, I can take
you to their private room.â
Kanor nodded his head, his hands
clasped behind his back, as he proceeded to follow the crewmember through the
greater lounge area. They followed the
curving left of the room until they came to the back half, which had the best
view. A large viewing area was the main
highlight, sunken down below the level of the rest of the lounge to provide a
better vista. He was surprised to see
live plants, small trees, and even, on the far left side, a little pool
area. The interior wall, opposite the breathtaking
view outside, had a sprawling three dimensional star map strewn across it.
The crewmember followed the left
curvature of the room to the side opposite where Kanor had first entered, where
a few smaller, more intimate tables were arranged outside a long bar, which was
situated on the left. He exchanged a
brief nod with the Denobulan bartender, and came to a stop outside a small
doorway.
âYouâll find Kaz and the Admiral in
the private room in the back, Mister Kanor.
Down the hall, turn right, and straight across to the far door.â
Kanor nodded and stepped through
the doorway, turning left to head down the short hallway as the man had
instructed. These rooms were situated
behind the wall that had the three dimensional star map on it, and had
excellent sound dampening design and acoustics, as the subtle hum of people
conversing and eating from the lounge disappeared entirely. The first room, just beyond the hallway, had
a group of people in it watching a movie of some kind as they ate dinner. The viewscreen on the left was situated high
enough on the wall Kanor didnât block anyoneâs view, at least, as he crossed
the room to the far side.
âEnter.â
The door slid open as Kaz responded
to the door chimes Kanor had hit. After
they had closed behind him, Kaz gestured towards the far end of the couch that
he was sitting on, or the empty chair perpendicular to it.
âWelcome, Mister Kanor, Iâm glad
you could make it. Admiral Stapleton
here wished to meet you.â
The Admiral got to his feet as
Kanor stepped over to the empty chair Kaz had indicated on the opposite end of
the couch from Stapesâ own chair. He
held out a hand, his face looking tight, his jaw clenched.
âKanor.â
âMister Stapleton.â
He intentionally left off the rank;
this man was no Admiral to him. He
considered not shaking his hand, either; who knew where that hand had been, and
Kanor still had that image of Stapesâ body rippling or whatever it had done
before he couldnât shake. However, his
parents had always urged him to be diplomatic when he could. Kazâs comment earlier about Stapes being
âuseful and powerfulâ ran through his mind.
He shook the manâs hand.
âIâm to understand you killed
Lieutenant Shâlan in self defense?â
Straight to the point. Kanor liked that, actually. He felt like Stapes was attempting to use the
bluntness as a means of catching him off-guard; he obviously had not dealt a
lot with Klingons. Their society was
extremely blunt; according to his father, to a fault.
âThat is correct. He did not appreciate my honest evaluation of
his abilities, and was attempting to ensure I stopped voicing them on a
permanent basis.â
âSo you killed him? You didnât subdue him, you didnât
incapacitate hiâŠâ
âIf someone is assaulting me with
the intent to kill, I return the favor.
Your man was attempting to aim an energy weapon set to kill at me; I
killed him for it. End of story.â
It was obvious to Kanor there was a
lot more Stapes wanted to say, but his jaw only seemed to clinch even more
tightly than it was already. Kaz
interrupted them.
âStapes, like I said; upon careful
review, Kanor was accurate in his observations on Shâlan duties. I protested when you insisted he be posted
aboard the Enterprise because the man was a sloppy hothead. In the end, thatâs what got him killed, not
Mister Kanor here.â
Stapes took a deep, slow breath,
but finally inclined his head towards the both of them and gestured towards
their seats before he lowered himself back into his.
âIâm justâŠtaken aback by his
loss. He was a good man, a good
soldier. Exemplary service record, heâs
been with the Fleet since the beginningâŠâ
Kanor saw Kaz shoot him a
look. He didnât know Kazâs facial
expressions, but he felt like Kaz had a different opinion than Stapes
concerning the late Shâlan. Kanor felt
annoyed at this game being played between the Admiral and the Commodore.
âIs that the only reason you
invited me down here?â
Stapesâ ongoing description of
Shâlanâs supposedly better qualities halted as he looked across the low table
to Kanor. His head tilted just slightly;
bluntness was ruling this meeting so far.
âOf course not. I understand you apprehended some items we
were also in search of, and entered a business arrangement with Commodore Kaz,
here. I was simplyâŠâ
âMourning an oppressive brute; and
a poor one, at that. Now, yeâŠâ
âWell, he was bound to encounter
someone worse. Let me be frank, Kanor, I
donât like this arrangement the Commodore decided to enter with you. From what it sounds like to me, he saved your
life from those pirates. Sounds to me
like you owe him for it.â
âWell, Frank, I didnât enter into
it with you, I entered into it with him.â
Stapesâ eyes were steely, his
expression stern.
âI AM the Independent Fleet, Mister
Kanor. You entered into an arrangement
with one of my representatives. However,
I empowered that man to make decisions of that caliber, so Iâm going to stand
behind his choice. For now.â
âWhat Stapes is trying to say,
Kanor, is he doesnât like the idea of trusting and working with someone outside
of our group, but heâs putting faith in my assessment of you as a respectable
individual. Heâs also attempting not to
be a tyrannical despot. You beat us to
the target, fair and square.â
âKaz informs me youâre withholding the
information you recovered.â
âHe IS sharing it wâŠâ
âSure, what and when he sees fit to
share with your crew.â
âThe possession of that information
is the only reason I have any sort of pull in this âagreementâ. Yet you want me to just give it away?â
Kaz, his left arm propped up on the
couchâs arm, his hand held up to the left side of his face, chimed in again.
âItâs already been established
youâre solo limitations are slowing this mission down. If my crew had gotten that information first,
we could have an entire team going through that data, have a lot more of it
analyzed than youâve managed to get so far.â
âWhere you could then promptly dump
my body out the nearest airlock once you hit deep space.â
âIf we wanted to do that, we COULD
have already, you stuâŠâ
Kaz leapt up from his chair,
interrupting Stapes.
âLet me put it to you this way,
Kanor. Someone wanted that information
enough to pay pirates to steal it. Weâre
assuming theâŠpeople aboard that tentacle-y donut are responsible, but letâs
just say theyâre not. Those people donât
get what they wanted, they either come in search of it, or they do something
else to reach the same desired conclusion having that Federation package would
have.â
Kaz maneuvered around the short
table and began pacing in front of the darkened viewscreen on the wall. Kanor saw Stapes watching him, instead, out
of the corner of his eye. The Admiral
seemed annoyed at Kaz, but willing to tolerate the speech for now.
âNow, in that first scenario, their
search will eventually lead them to us.
Theyâll know who we are, possibly what weâre capable of; meanwhile, we
wonât even know who they are. They have
the tactical advantage.â
Kanor nodded. Sound reasoning, if a bit of a stretch. He would not take the same amount of time it
would take for someone to hunt down the Enterprise; the people responsible even
determining it was the Enterprise in a quick fashion was a stretch.
âLetâs say it was that culture we
encountered back there. We have no idea
what their capabilities are, what their technological means or combat
advantages might be. We saw what that
single blast of their weapon did to the pirate ship, and that was mighty
impressive. Again, weâre giving them the
tactical advantage; we have no idea if theyâve encountered our kind before, or
if they already learned all they need to about us. We simply donât know.â
âAnd if they decide to switch
tactics and forget about the package?â
âThen they enact another method to
get whatever it is they want. In which
case, we all become useless. The
Federation wonât care we have their information, because Those People will have
already done something else to accomplish the same thing having that package
would have. No money for anyone. A big waste of time.â
âThe Feds would still want their information
back.â Kanor said.
âIf the information is relevant
anymore. If Those People donât do
something that would make it irrelevant to the Feds.â
Stapes finally spoke up, restless
and curt.
âThereâs no telling. What IS telling, however, is that time is of
the essence. The longer we sit on that
information, the less valuable to those who care it becomes, Kanor. Which means we all end up losing.â
Kanor frowned. Kaz made a valid point. Even if he didnât sleep for a few days and
did nothing but go through those PADDs extensively, it would still take him too
long by himself to process everything thoroughly. Information, as a commodity, became dated
quickly in their business. Yet it was
the only power in this situation he had.
He had the source of the information.
Without it, everything else was useless.
Thoughts of escaping the Enterprise aboard the Hunt briefly flashed
through his mind again. He couldnât trust these people, he barely knew
them.
They were all staring at each
other, no one sure where to go from there.
Kaz, on Kanorâs right in front of the viewscreen, finally stepped over
in front of Kanor, and sat down on the edge of the table. Kanor couldnât help notice that by doing so,
Kaz was blocking Stapes entirely visually.
âAlright, Kanor. Iâm going to lay it all out on the line,
here. I understand your concerns about
sharing that information away.
Tactically, it puts you in a bad position. Your life depends on you making tactical
choices, because you donât have anyone else to rely on. I get that.â
Kanor couldnât help but grunt a
little at that.
âYou understand our situation, I
think. So Iâm going to extend our deal
even furtherâŠâ
âCommodore, Iâm going to have toâŠâ
Kaz glanced over his shoulder at
Stapes.
âNot now, Andy. I know what Iâm doing.â
He turned back to Kanor.
âShare that information, let us
work openly. In return, I personally
guarantee you no one aboard this vessel, or as part of the Independent Fleet,
will attempt to harm you in any way.â
âCommodore, you have noâŠâ
âI said not NOW!â
Kanor was shaking his head when Kaz
turned back to him.
âIâm sorry, thatâs simply notâŠâ
Kaz held up his left hand.
âHear me out, please. For all intents and purposes, you will be
part of my crew for this mission, Kanor.
I think you realize what that means to me, and to what ends Iâll go to
honor that. You have my word.â
Kanor had heard people âgive their
wordâ before. In Klingon society, the
word âhonorâ got tossed around quite a lot, too. However, he had seen what Kazâs crew, what
his ship, meant to him. A memory of his
mother came to him, unbidden. She who
had grown up torn between two worlds, only to have her adult life pull her into
an entirely different one altogether.
âEveryone told me I was a fool to
trust your father. That it was
illogical, dangerous. Vulcans and
Klingons could not forge a life together, we were too different. Yet the same thing was told to my parents; if
they had listened, I would not be here, nor would you. All trust requires risk, my son.â
Kanor closed his eyes for a moment,
trying to find that center of calm. That
center of logic. It eluded him, as
usual.
âAlright.â
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About Me
- Erratic Writer
- These will all be original short stories, novellas, one-offs, fan fictions, serials, and possibly even novels written by me, the Erratic Writer. These will mostly be science fiction, fantasy, or paranormal in genre. Each post will be prefaced by an introduction by me as well, to explain what follows.
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