Disclaimer: I don't own Enterprise, that credit goes solely to Brannon
Braga and Co. of Paramount Pictures, who have been geniuses for 30+ years
of Star Trek.
Based loosely on a comic my rl bf is doing about the future generations of Enterprise NX-01's famous crew.
The Continuation from "Tragedy"
"WAVEFRONT"
"The USS Glyder. It'll be our home for quite a while, guys." Newly promoted Captain James Douglas Archer and his friends stood in Starbase 167, admiring their new ship. Jesse whistled low. "Wow! The Admiralty spared nothing for this baby!" "That's because she's the best of her class. And possibly best in the fleet besides the Enterprise-F." Turning, the boys could see Magellan Zalinski, leader of the Secret Service, standing behind them. James still didn't like him after all the years had passed. He still couldn't wipe the memory of him backhanding Vee- Jay across the face, nor could he forget the look of triumph on Magellan's face when he was told by the Admiralty that the shuttlecraft transporting her to the Gulag had been destroyed by Jem'Hadar ships. He turned back to check out his new command as Magellan approached him. "Beautiful, isn't she," Magellan grinned. His face fell when James turned towards him angrily. He didn't react when the younger boy grabbed him by the collar. "Listen you," James snarled. "I don't need you telling me anything! I haven't forgotten what you did to her and I never will! You steer clear of the guys and I or I'll make sure you won't live to see your next birthday, understand?" "Crystal," Magellan replied as James released him. "But the next time you try that, you may not live yourself." James and his friends watched as Magellan slunk away. "What a bastard!" "Yes, he is," James replied. Vee-Jay, James thought sadly, pressing his hand againt the window, My command is in your memory. You never let up for a moment. Then James remembered her words about the Admiralty's 'mercy killings'. Mercy killings, James wondered, Were they what caused Admiral Picard's death? And what about my foster parents? James looked down at the name of his ship. This command would be for the ones he lost. For you Vee-Jay, Mother, Father, Admiral, James promised silently.
"That boy is a menace!" Magellan muttered, readjusting his collar. "He won't live to see the light of his command come to fruition." Magellan entered the lower levels of the Academy, unknowingly watched by a familiar face. He entered the Council Room where the Admiralty was talking about Picard's 'untimely' death. "Ah, Magellan," Admiral Alynna Nechayev smiled. "We were just discussing the job you and yours performed for us the other night." "Yes, Ma'am?" "You left no trace, son," Admiral Lon Harlann added. "A fine piece of work." "Thank you, Sir." "What is it you wished to discuss with us, Magellan?" "The next Mercy Killing, Sir," Magellan replied. "I'd prefer it to be the newly promoted Captain Archer." Alynna smirked. "The boy who has challenged your views since the death of Cadet Reed? A little off the side of what the mercy killings are all about, Magellan." "He's a troublemaker, Ma'am. A major one. With him at the command of the USS Glyder, he may just overturn enough stones out of our favour." "We don't know this yet." "Yes we do. He's reckless, he's impulsive, he'd do anything to start a war." "Much like Reed thought she could do before the shuttlecraft explosion." "I still believe the Jem'Hadar didn't destroy the shuttlecraft." Alynna's face grew stony. "You saw the mark, Magellan. It proved it." "What was stopping the Jem'Hadar from opening fire on the shuttlecraft when it left Earth?" Magellan asked. "Why did they wait until it approached the Devlar System, out of their homeworld's range?" "He has a valid point, Alynna," Lon began. "What did stop them? And why?" "If Cadet Vee-Jay Reed is still alive, why hasn't any trace of her popped up, Magellan?" It was a question Magellan couldn't answer. If Vee-Jay was still alive, she'd have attacked with the Rebellion by now. He shook his head. "I-I don't know, Admirals." "She is dead," Alynna continued. "And as for your next mercy killing, it's Admiral Brookshire until Archer becomes a problem. Is that understood?" Magellan bowed. "Yes, Ma'am." He respectfully exited the room.
"Report!" Commanders Vee-Jay Reed and Jeremiah Saint Borealis headed down the stairs towards the cryochamber lab. A young ensign rushed up the stairs towards them. "Ma'am, the report's come in from the Alpha Quadrant," he panted. "Admiral Brookshire is the next mercy kill." "They're keeping it up faster than we can react," Jeremiah muttered as the ensign stopped to catch his breath. "No doubt the war is upon us. With Brookshire's death, all hell will break loose." "Brookshire is but one piece of the final two," Vee-Jay replied. "He is not the catalyst." "What?!" Jeremiah gasped. "James is." "Archer's son?" "Yes." The doors to the lab opened when Vee-Jay put her hand on the security panel. Jeremiah pulled his jacket closed. "Jesus," he shivered. Vee-Jay ignored him, walking straight towards the end panel where three of her Rebellion's best were working on a stasistube. "Report," she ordered. "His life signs are critical but stable, Commander," Lieutenant Thomas Colloute explained. "We got him inside the chamber just in time." "How soon before you can repair the internal damage?" "A month, maybe more, Commander," CMO Terrence Geraghty replied. "Magellan didn't leave much to chance with the Admiral here." "You have three weeks." "What?" "The war is about to begin. We won't have anymore time to work with him when Admiral Brookshire comes through." "Brookshire? My mentor?!" Lieutenant Martin D'Lornay gasped. "One of the final two mercy killing victims." "No way." "You have your orders. Now carry them out!" "Yes, Ma'am!" the trio replied. "Come on, Jeremiah." "About time," Jeremiah shivered, his teeth chattering. As they exited the cryochamber lab, Jeremiah rubbed his arms. "I'll never understand how you can bear the icy temperatures in there!" "Standard Secret Service training," Vee-Jay replied. "They put me through it all when I was just a kid. I was field-combat trained when I was four years old. If you couldn't handle it, they'd kill you before they let you out of there." "How did you survive?" Jeremiah asked. "Barely." "So what's the plan?" "I want you and Kristopher to take the Enterprise-C and the Galaxia to patrol the boundary line between the Federation and the Neutral Zone. Keep an eye out for the USS Glyder." "Archer's command? Why?" "Magellan is going to be hunting his arse down. I want you to ensure he stays alive long enough to discover the message in his onboard records." "Will do," Jeremiah began. "But what about you?" "I'm going back to the Academy. I have a few loose ends to tie up." "The Alliance?" "Bingo." "Good luck, Commander." "Luck be with you and Captain Carmichael, Jeremiah." Beyond all reasoning, the Admiralty chooses the one who shall lead them, Vee-Jay thought as she strode quickly towards her private star shuttlecraft. And when he refuses, he and his own die for the 'safety' of them all. We'll soon see about that, Alynna!
James felt perfectly at home as the USS Glyder sailed out of Starbase 167 for the very first time. His crew, mostly his mates from Starfleet Academy; Adam, Simon, Jesse, Isaac and the others; were ready for anything.
"How're we doing Mister Tucker?" James grinned. "She's running like a dream, Captain Archer," came the reply. "God, she's beautiful down here!" "Well the view's pretty intense up here, too," James chuckled. "Where to, Cap'n Archer?" Isaac smirked. "Where we're meant to be patrolling with the Enterprise. The Neutral Zone." "Layin' in a course for the Neutral Zone." "Let's go!" The Glyder powered up its nacelles once it was clear of the Starbase, then vanished in a bright burst of light. James leant back and enjoyed every second of warp speed travel. He did not notice that behind him, his every move was being watched by a crewman he would never have suspected of being a traitor. "Sickbay to Captain Archer." "Go ahead," James replied. "I can't really explain this, Cap'n, without you being present down here." "What's up, Luke?" "You better get down here, Cap'n." "Commander Riker, you have the bridge." "Yes, Sir," Thomas Riker, James' younger brother smiled. James made his way down to the sickbay. The only one there was Luke Phlox, son of Halen Phlox, a CMO of Starfleet Command. "Captain, you'd better take a look at this. Once I found and decoded it, it wouldn't stop playing." "Eh? This was on our onboard records?" "Yes, Sir. I found it on your medical record." "What?" The Captain watched as the message played back. It was Federation in origin, but he vaguely recognised the uniforms. He could see a woman standing behind the Commanding Officer doing the talking. He squinted, trying to remember where he'd seen the woman before. "Captain James Douglas Archer and the crew of the USS Glyder, your lives are in great danger. The more you continue to act upon loyalty to the Admiralty Council of Starfleet Command so be the worse your situation. We are the Secret Service Rebellion, a faction formed by hope and kept together by the promise of the fall of the Federation. You must listen to us! The Admiralty Council have ordered your mercy killing as the next on the list after Admiral Brookshire. You Captain Archer are the catalyst - the one who will the Federation and its corruption down! Admiral Picard is in our care. Whatever you were told in the means that he was dead is a lie." "What the hell?" "Our faction has been moving silently and stealthily throughout the galaxy, gaining allies and weaponry to force the Admiralty back to a level which they can only use weapons to defend themselves. Their words are corrupted and their Secret Service employed to kill the weakest links in the Chain of Command. You were also told our leader was killed by the Jem'Hadar, that too is a cover-up. Our leader was rescued by our own shuttlecraft and ships, a mind-wipe performed on the guards and the shuttlecraft towed back to Federation Space. There it was set upon by the Jem'Hadar ships who intended to make a warning to Starfleet Command. That was not our doing to mindlessly kill two fine officers who obviously didn't realise what they were playing at." "Leader?" James gasped. "The Jem'Hadar?! No! That can't be right! She can't be alive!" "Who, Captain?" Luke asked. A figure on the video that had been standing in the shadows behind the Commander doing the talking stepped forward. James' heart leapt into his throat. "Vee-Jay!" he cried. "Oh my God! She's alive!" "Hello, James. It's been a long time, hasn't it? Ever since I took the blame for your foster parents' deaths, no doubt the memories you have of me contradict what I pleaded to the Council on that day. Time is short, James, please listen to what I have to say. War is upon the Federation, but not the kind of war you'd expect. The challenges the Alliances have been forcing on Starfleet Command are because of the corruption within Starfleet. That is why so many Admirals have turned up deceased in the last six months. Your Father, Admiral Thomas Archer, and my Father, Admiral Richard Reed, were the first two of their mercy killings - because they discovered what Admiral Alynna Nechayev was up to. Alynna saw it as a breach in the Chain of Command, hence their brutal deaths. I can't imagine what it had been like for you being told your parents had died in a shuttlecraft crash where no trace of them could be found." Vee-Jay's eyes glanced off to one side. "I'll bet you were never told I came home one day to my parents and Grandfather lying dead in the hallway of my parents' house in the mountains. I still remember their blood flowing down the front steps where I stood. I learned that day my own rival in the Secret Service had been the one who had killed them. You know him quite well. I remember you attempting to make a move against him when he backhanded me." "Magellan?!" James gasped. Now James understood why Magellan had been so cold towards them both. His Father and hers had discovered the truth, and now the fight had become personal. James was furious. "The Mercy Killings will end with the deaths of you and your crew. Time is running out, James! You must choose the side you wish to fall back under! If you choose the Admiralty, you'll die. It will be Magellan and his own that seal your fate. If you choose us, I can't make the same guarantees that Alynna will, but I can promise you you'll live to see the next day. Two of our own will be patrolling the Neutral Zone boundaries in stealth mode, by that I mean cloaked. Should you choose to join us, send a message to Captain Kristopher Kichawasi on a low-band frequency, preferably the lowest frequency you can use. They'll be by your side when the Admiralty decides you're their next target." For James, all the pieces of the puzzle now slotted together. Now he understood. He was the mouse in this game. If he died, then the Rebellion would fall and the Federation's corruption would spread out over the four quadrants of the Galaxy, not that it hadn't already. "Hold out for me, hero, won't you?" Vee-Jay smiled, kissing her fingers and pressing it to the screen. The viewscreen went black. James gripped it tightly, now fully understanding why Vee-Jay had done what she did all those years before. She hadn't had a choice. "Luke, make a copy of this message and send it to the briefing room immediately." "Yes, Sir." "Captain Archer to Commander Riker!" "Riker here, Sir." "Assemble the senior crew and tell them to report to the briefing room! I'm on my way!" "Aye, Captain!" "We'll soon see who's a helpless mouse, Admiral Nechayev!" James growled.
"Hello, James. It's been a long time, hasn't it? Ever since I took the blame for your foster parents' deaths, no doubt the memories you have of me contradict what I pleaded to the Council on that day. Time is short, James, please listen to what I have to say. War is upon the Federation, but not the kind of war you'd expect. The challenges the Alliances have been forcing on Starfleet Command are because of the corruption within Starfleet. That is why so many Admirals have turned up deceased in the last six months. Your Father, Admiral Thomas Archer, and my Father, Admiral Richard Reed, were the first two of their mercy killings - because they discovered what Admiral Alynna Nechayev was up to. Alynna saw it as a breach in the Chain of Command, hence their brutal deaths. I can't imagine what it had been like for you being told your parents had died in a shuttlecraft crash where no trace of them could be found."
The crew watched in stunned silence. James folded his arms and drew a deep breath. What he had learned in sickbay had been a crushing blow to the 'truth' he'd been told at the Academy. Vee-Jay was alive and well and working towards saving the lives of many more of the Admiralty's victims. "My God," Jesse gasped. "Admiral Sisko, Admiral Picard, Admiral Riker. God, it's just too brutal to imagine." "Vee-Jay said Picard was in the care of the Rebellion," James replied. "I don't know what that means but it's a safe bet he's still alive." "Mercy killings," Simon shuddered. "What are those bastards thinking?" "Eliminating the Chain of Command's weakest," Thomas spoke. "It's happened in society before, many eons ago during the time of the North American Indians." "They're planning a complete and total takeover of everything that makes them the United Federation of Planets!" "Vee-Jay said to contact a Captain Kristopher Kichawasi," James continued. "Kichawasi? Admiral Lawson Kichawasi's son?" Thomas asked. "That's a new one on me! Kichawasi is still part of the Admiralty!" "A spy, do ya think?" Jesse asked. "He'd have been discovered by now," Elson mused. "Vee-Jay said Brookshire would be the last to fall before me." "That's obvious," Thomas continued. "Brookshire is in charge of the Chain of Command! If he dies, Alynna Nechayev takes over!" "That all she wants," James nodded. "Supremacy." "But why would they want to kill you, Cap'n? It doesn't make any sense!" "Yes, it does." "How?" Simon asked. "Vee-Jay," James replied quietly. "I'm the only one that was close enough to her to understand her. The Admiralty knew that a long time ago. We had something between us that the Admirals couldn't explain. To me, she felt like the one person I knew would always be there." "We kinda figured there was something between you two when you were snuggled up together on the shuttlecraft during the field trip, Cap'n," Isaac grinned. "Hmm," James nodded. "Bridge to Captain Archer!" "Go ahead," James replied. "We've got company, Sir! It's the Secret Service Flagship, the USS Narahyrule!" "WHAT?!" The ship jolted violently as a barrage of photon torpedoes struck, tossing most of the senior personnel from their seats. "REPORT!" James yelled, pushing himself up and making straight for the bridge. "Shields at forty five percent!" "We've lost impulse drive!" "Captain!" Simon's voice came over the comm from Engineering. "What the hell was that?!" "Incoming message, Captain! It's Captain Magellan Zalinski!" "Onscreen!" Magellan's smirking face appeared on the main viewscreen as James and his senior bridge crew entered. "Ah, Captain Archer," he grinned. "I trust you found that attack most satisfactory?" "What the hell was that for?" James demanded. "Payback.and to tell you you're next!" "Your mercy killings," James snarled. "Vee-Jay knew all along you were a traitorous bastard!" "Ah? So you have worked it out, have you? I'm impressed." "Not as impressed as you're gonna be when I've finished blowing you and yours to hell!" "Truly? A Secret Service Flagship against the newly-built War-Class vessel, the Glyder? Hmph, your optimism knows no boundaries, Captain Archer." "Vee-Jay didn't have a choice all those years ago, but I do!" "Yes, and unfortunately she's not here to save your lousy skin, Captain!" Magellan smirked. "She may not be, but we are!" "Ahhh!" Magellan cried as a massive photon beam appeared out of a nearby nebula, striking his ship head on. "What in the heck?!" The mighty form of the USS Galaxia appeared out of the nebula, blocking the USS Narahyrule's path to the USS Glyder. "Holy God!" Isaac gasped. "The Galaxia! The biggest War-Class Starship ever built!" "I am Captain Kristopher Kichawasi of the SSR Galaxia!" the voice on the intercom announced. "Stand down Captain Zalinski, or be blown to hell!" "You!" rasped Magellan. James and his own could see that the blast had ravaged Magellan's bridge. Well over half his crew were either unconscious, semi-conscious or dead. Magellan himself was badly hurt, a deep wound spilling fresh blood from his forehead. "It'll be a cold day in hell before I surrender to you!" The viewscreen split in half, showing the faces of both Magellan and the newcomer, Kristopher. He was not much older than Magellan, but he bore the same look of defiance James had seen in Vee-Jay's eyes years earlier. "Stand down, Zalinski. Or would you rather die at my hands instead of at the hands of your rival?" Magellan snarled angrily. Kristopher smirked slightly. He was toying with the Secret Service Leader. "You may have secured Archer's place with you and yours, but you have not secured the Alpha Quadrant!" "Not yet." Magellan took a final look at James. "Her blood will stain the Federation for all of eternity," he rasped. "As will yours!" Then he was gone. The Narahyrule turned slowly and practically limped away from the Galaxia and the Glyder. It only barely went to warp before it was gone. James breathed a sigh of relief that Kristopher had arrived when he did. "You saved our lives, Captain," he began. Kristopher held up his hand. "Just call me Kristopher," he smiled. "Commander Reed sent Captain Saint Borealis and myself to find you, hopefully just after our message got through." "You planted it on our records?" "No, Vee-Jay did that herself from Starfleet Academy." "Starfleet Academy?!" James cried. "A few loose ends to tie up, that's what she told me and Jeremiah," Kristopher explained, shrugging. "What she's up to there is beyond me. I just follow orders delegated to me by Captain Saint Borealis." "Captain Saint Borealis?" "Yes, Captain Archer. He means me." Where Magellan's face had been on the viewscreen, another replaced the starfield almost immediately. "Captain Jeremiah Saint Borealis of the USS Enterprise 1701-C." Jeremiah was definitely older than Kristopher, and bore a rugged look about him that told James he ran purely on adrenaline. "What gives with all the decommissioned ships?" James asked. "We make do from what we're able to salvage from abandoned starbases and whatnot," Jeremiah explained. "Commander Reed herself made the necessary modifications to these ships so now they service our cause." "She made all those weaponry modifications herself?" "Uh huh." "There's something to be said for that crazy woman after all," James smirked. "No doubt Magellan has warned the Admiralty that you and yours have defected." "Which now puts you in a dangerous situation, Captain. Our saving you has turned the tables against you." "You going to take us to your leader or what?" Kristopher and Jeremiah side-glanced each other. "That ends the discussion," Jeremiah replied, rolling his eyes and signing off. "Very well, Captain Archer. When will you have warp speed back online?" "Simon?" "It wasn't too badly damaged so I'd say about an hour or so, Captain." "That enough?" James asked. "Hmm. Just enough for the Admiralty to come calling. With your permission, Captain, my engineers will be onboard to help you out." "How long with your team?" "Twenty minutes, tops." "This is something I gotta see, Captain!" Simon's voice replied. "Very well, Kristopher. You have my permission." "Thank you, Captain Archer. Kichawasi out!" What in the world is Commander Reed thinking?
"Where the hell are they?" Commander Vee-Jay Reed paced the top walkway of the massive tower that stood in the central zone of the city of Merek, on Planet Keile, in the Beta Quadrant. Merek served as a home for the Keile People, kind-hearted traders, gypsies, seers and travellers of the four quadrants of the Galaxy, with personalities very much like the Talaxians of the Delta Quadrant. Vee- Jay had first met Adamei, leader of Keile and his wife, the beautiful Darae, during one of her Secret Service missions - his insight and her technological knowledge had proved invaluable to her cause. She now resided on Keile, which also served as a ground landing point for her Rebellion ships. Their main base of operations and repairs, Starbase 19- 652, was only a few light years away from the planet. She had cleared up everything at Starfleet Academy and had taken a few steps into making sure the Admiralty didn't try anything new with them, else they'd find the Rebellion's secret weapon. "You appear troubled." Startled, Vee-Jay instinctively went for her phaser pistol before she realised the voice belonged to her old friend. "Adamei! You startled me!" "That much is certain. Do not worry, my friend. I can no longer see that far into the present as I used to, but I know your friends are safely in the hands of your own." "That makes me feel a whole lot better." Adamei looked at her closely, his aged eyes barely seeing more than just a faint blur of colours. "Something else is bothering you." "We attack, they defend, we pull back. We attack, they defend, we pull back," Vee-Jay replied quietly, gripping the bar of the railing. "There must be something I can use to change the effects we're having on the Admiralty." "You and James will find the way eventually," Adamei smiled, quietly slipping away down the stairs. "Perhaps you will even find something more." "Like that will ever-." Vee-Jay turned, only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the disappearing Adamei. "-happen," she finished quietly. Vee-Jay turned back towards the now setting suns. She had often marvelled at the planet's three suns and twin moons and tonight was no different. As the sparkling lights of the massive city lit up as the twin moons climbed higher in the sky, Vee-Jay couldn't help but wonder if there was something between her and James that she had seen before but not known how to handle. "And if there is," she said out loud. "How will I cope knowing one of us may not survive the final battle?"
~*To Be Continued!*~
Author's note: Whoa! Long story! In regards to Planet Keile, it's pronounced "Kiy-Elle" and since nothing has ever really been discussed about the Beta Quadrant, I took some artistic license out on it ^^; Keileans are kind of feline/lupine aliens with highly-developed senses such as night-vision, hearing and smell. Think of the Japanese Cat-girls/Fox- girls and you kind of have them in a nutshell. Males are delegated as Travellers and Traders, while the Females are Gypsies and Seers. One child in every ten thousand is born with all four traits of his/her parents. The elderly Adamei and his wife Darae have led their citizens for fully twelve decades and are in the process of training their young ones, Arikko and Dannica to succeed them. Dannica will be featured heavily in the next part of this storyline, while Arikko will be featured in the final part.
There's a deadly spy that makes his presence known amongst James' crew when young Ensign Marissa Daniels is found murdered in her quarters on board the USS Glyder. In what appears to be a Rebellion-related incident, James makes his feelings known to Vee-Jay and her own, preferring to stay onboard the Glyder and out of the Planet's atmosphere in Starbase 19-652, but a second murder occurs - this time it's Thomas Riker, James' younger brother. When Vee-Jay's adopted younger brother, Jaydenn, is found dead in his quarters, the fight becomes way too personal for both Vee-Jay and James to just let slide. The double-dealing traitor is active and neither one can identify who could have killed Ensign Daniels, Thomas and Jaydenn without being seen or heard by anyone on board the Glyder or Starbase 19-652. In all their experience, this murderer has one-up over them as to how he moves around. It's only when the duo make the connection between him and the Admiralty, and how he may have killed his victims that things take a turn in favour of stopping their elusive prey.but will they be in time to save the life of Dannica, daughter of Adamei and Darae before their hunted reaches her? Find out in Part 6, "Deceptions" ^_~
Based loosely on a comic my rl bf is doing about the future generations of Enterprise NX-01's famous crew.
The Continuation from "Tragedy"
"WAVEFRONT"
"The USS Glyder. It'll be our home for quite a while, guys." Newly promoted Captain James Douglas Archer and his friends stood in Starbase 167, admiring their new ship. Jesse whistled low. "Wow! The Admiralty spared nothing for this baby!" "That's because she's the best of her class. And possibly best in the fleet besides the Enterprise-F." Turning, the boys could see Magellan Zalinski, leader of the Secret Service, standing behind them. James still didn't like him after all the years had passed. He still couldn't wipe the memory of him backhanding Vee- Jay across the face, nor could he forget the look of triumph on Magellan's face when he was told by the Admiralty that the shuttlecraft transporting her to the Gulag had been destroyed by Jem'Hadar ships. He turned back to check out his new command as Magellan approached him. "Beautiful, isn't she," Magellan grinned. His face fell when James turned towards him angrily. He didn't react when the younger boy grabbed him by the collar. "Listen you," James snarled. "I don't need you telling me anything! I haven't forgotten what you did to her and I never will! You steer clear of the guys and I or I'll make sure you won't live to see your next birthday, understand?" "Crystal," Magellan replied as James released him. "But the next time you try that, you may not live yourself." James and his friends watched as Magellan slunk away. "What a bastard!" "Yes, he is," James replied. Vee-Jay, James thought sadly, pressing his hand againt the window, My command is in your memory. You never let up for a moment. Then James remembered her words about the Admiralty's 'mercy killings'. Mercy killings, James wondered, Were they what caused Admiral Picard's death? And what about my foster parents? James looked down at the name of his ship. This command would be for the ones he lost. For you Vee-Jay, Mother, Father, Admiral, James promised silently.
"That boy is a menace!" Magellan muttered, readjusting his collar. "He won't live to see the light of his command come to fruition." Magellan entered the lower levels of the Academy, unknowingly watched by a familiar face. He entered the Council Room where the Admiralty was talking about Picard's 'untimely' death. "Ah, Magellan," Admiral Alynna Nechayev smiled. "We were just discussing the job you and yours performed for us the other night." "Yes, Ma'am?" "You left no trace, son," Admiral Lon Harlann added. "A fine piece of work." "Thank you, Sir." "What is it you wished to discuss with us, Magellan?" "The next Mercy Killing, Sir," Magellan replied. "I'd prefer it to be the newly promoted Captain Archer." Alynna smirked. "The boy who has challenged your views since the death of Cadet Reed? A little off the side of what the mercy killings are all about, Magellan." "He's a troublemaker, Ma'am. A major one. With him at the command of the USS Glyder, he may just overturn enough stones out of our favour." "We don't know this yet." "Yes we do. He's reckless, he's impulsive, he'd do anything to start a war." "Much like Reed thought she could do before the shuttlecraft explosion." "I still believe the Jem'Hadar didn't destroy the shuttlecraft." Alynna's face grew stony. "You saw the mark, Magellan. It proved it." "What was stopping the Jem'Hadar from opening fire on the shuttlecraft when it left Earth?" Magellan asked. "Why did they wait until it approached the Devlar System, out of their homeworld's range?" "He has a valid point, Alynna," Lon began. "What did stop them? And why?" "If Cadet Vee-Jay Reed is still alive, why hasn't any trace of her popped up, Magellan?" It was a question Magellan couldn't answer. If Vee-Jay was still alive, she'd have attacked with the Rebellion by now. He shook his head. "I-I don't know, Admirals." "She is dead," Alynna continued. "And as for your next mercy killing, it's Admiral Brookshire until Archer becomes a problem. Is that understood?" Magellan bowed. "Yes, Ma'am." He respectfully exited the room.
"Report!" Commanders Vee-Jay Reed and Jeremiah Saint Borealis headed down the stairs towards the cryochamber lab. A young ensign rushed up the stairs towards them. "Ma'am, the report's come in from the Alpha Quadrant," he panted. "Admiral Brookshire is the next mercy kill." "They're keeping it up faster than we can react," Jeremiah muttered as the ensign stopped to catch his breath. "No doubt the war is upon us. With Brookshire's death, all hell will break loose." "Brookshire is but one piece of the final two," Vee-Jay replied. "He is not the catalyst." "What?!" Jeremiah gasped. "James is." "Archer's son?" "Yes." The doors to the lab opened when Vee-Jay put her hand on the security panel. Jeremiah pulled his jacket closed. "Jesus," he shivered. Vee-Jay ignored him, walking straight towards the end panel where three of her Rebellion's best were working on a stasistube. "Report," she ordered. "His life signs are critical but stable, Commander," Lieutenant Thomas Colloute explained. "We got him inside the chamber just in time." "How soon before you can repair the internal damage?" "A month, maybe more, Commander," CMO Terrence Geraghty replied. "Magellan didn't leave much to chance with the Admiral here." "You have three weeks." "What?" "The war is about to begin. We won't have anymore time to work with him when Admiral Brookshire comes through." "Brookshire? My mentor?!" Lieutenant Martin D'Lornay gasped. "One of the final two mercy killing victims." "No way." "You have your orders. Now carry them out!" "Yes, Ma'am!" the trio replied. "Come on, Jeremiah." "About time," Jeremiah shivered, his teeth chattering. As they exited the cryochamber lab, Jeremiah rubbed his arms. "I'll never understand how you can bear the icy temperatures in there!" "Standard Secret Service training," Vee-Jay replied. "They put me through it all when I was just a kid. I was field-combat trained when I was four years old. If you couldn't handle it, they'd kill you before they let you out of there." "How did you survive?" Jeremiah asked. "Barely." "So what's the plan?" "I want you and Kristopher to take the Enterprise-C and the Galaxia to patrol the boundary line between the Federation and the Neutral Zone. Keep an eye out for the USS Glyder." "Archer's command? Why?" "Magellan is going to be hunting his arse down. I want you to ensure he stays alive long enough to discover the message in his onboard records." "Will do," Jeremiah began. "But what about you?" "I'm going back to the Academy. I have a few loose ends to tie up." "The Alliance?" "Bingo." "Good luck, Commander." "Luck be with you and Captain Carmichael, Jeremiah." Beyond all reasoning, the Admiralty chooses the one who shall lead them, Vee-Jay thought as she strode quickly towards her private star shuttlecraft. And when he refuses, he and his own die for the 'safety' of them all. We'll soon see about that, Alynna!
James felt perfectly at home as the USS Glyder sailed out of Starbase 167 for the very first time. His crew, mostly his mates from Starfleet Academy; Adam, Simon, Jesse, Isaac and the others; were ready for anything.
"How're we doing Mister Tucker?" James grinned. "She's running like a dream, Captain Archer," came the reply. "God, she's beautiful down here!" "Well the view's pretty intense up here, too," James chuckled. "Where to, Cap'n Archer?" Isaac smirked. "Where we're meant to be patrolling with the Enterprise. The Neutral Zone." "Layin' in a course for the Neutral Zone." "Let's go!" The Glyder powered up its nacelles once it was clear of the Starbase, then vanished in a bright burst of light. James leant back and enjoyed every second of warp speed travel. He did not notice that behind him, his every move was being watched by a crewman he would never have suspected of being a traitor. "Sickbay to Captain Archer." "Go ahead," James replied. "I can't really explain this, Cap'n, without you being present down here." "What's up, Luke?" "You better get down here, Cap'n." "Commander Riker, you have the bridge." "Yes, Sir," Thomas Riker, James' younger brother smiled. James made his way down to the sickbay. The only one there was Luke Phlox, son of Halen Phlox, a CMO of Starfleet Command. "Captain, you'd better take a look at this. Once I found and decoded it, it wouldn't stop playing." "Eh? This was on our onboard records?" "Yes, Sir. I found it on your medical record." "What?" The Captain watched as the message played back. It was Federation in origin, but he vaguely recognised the uniforms. He could see a woman standing behind the Commanding Officer doing the talking. He squinted, trying to remember where he'd seen the woman before. "Captain James Douglas Archer and the crew of the USS Glyder, your lives are in great danger. The more you continue to act upon loyalty to the Admiralty Council of Starfleet Command so be the worse your situation. We are the Secret Service Rebellion, a faction formed by hope and kept together by the promise of the fall of the Federation. You must listen to us! The Admiralty Council have ordered your mercy killing as the next on the list after Admiral Brookshire. You Captain Archer are the catalyst - the one who will the Federation and its corruption down! Admiral Picard is in our care. Whatever you were told in the means that he was dead is a lie." "What the hell?" "Our faction has been moving silently and stealthily throughout the galaxy, gaining allies and weaponry to force the Admiralty back to a level which they can only use weapons to defend themselves. Their words are corrupted and their Secret Service employed to kill the weakest links in the Chain of Command. You were also told our leader was killed by the Jem'Hadar, that too is a cover-up. Our leader was rescued by our own shuttlecraft and ships, a mind-wipe performed on the guards and the shuttlecraft towed back to Federation Space. There it was set upon by the Jem'Hadar ships who intended to make a warning to Starfleet Command. That was not our doing to mindlessly kill two fine officers who obviously didn't realise what they were playing at." "Leader?" James gasped. "The Jem'Hadar?! No! That can't be right! She can't be alive!" "Who, Captain?" Luke asked. A figure on the video that had been standing in the shadows behind the Commander doing the talking stepped forward. James' heart leapt into his throat. "Vee-Jay!" he cried. "Oh my God! She's alive!" "Hello, James. It's been a long time, hasn't it? Ever since I took the blame for your foster parents' deaths, no doubt the memories you have of me contradict what I pleaded to the Council on that day. Time is short, James, please listen to what I have to say. War is upon the Federation, but not the kind of war you'd expect. The challenges the Alliances have been forcing on Starfleet Command are because of the corruption within Starfleet. That is why so many Admirals have turned up deceased in the last six months. Your Father, Admiral Thomas Archer, and my Father, Admiral Richard Reed, were the first two of their mercy killings - because they discovered what Admiral Alynna Nechayev was up to. Alynna saw it as a breach in the Chain of Command, hence their brutal deaths. I can't imagine what it had been like for you being told your parents had died in a shuttlecraft crash where no trace of them could be found." Vee-Jay's eyes glanced off to one side. "I'll bet you were never told I came home one day to my parents and Grandfather lying dead in the hallway of my parents' house in the mountains. I still remember their blood flowing down the front steps where I stood. I learned that day my own rival in the Secret Service had been the one who had killed them. You know him quite well. I remember you attempting to make a move against him when he backhanded me." "Magellan?!" James gasped. Now James understood why Magellan had been so cold towards them both. His Father and hers had discovered the truth, and now the fight had become personal. James was furious. "The Mercy Killings will end with the deaths of you and your crew. Time is running out, James! You must choose the side you wish to fall back under! If you choose the Admiralty, you'll die. It will be Magellan and his own that seal your fate. If you choose us, I can't make the same guarantees that Alynna will, but I can promise you you'll live to see the next day. Two of our own will be patrolling the Neutral Zone boundaries in stealth mode, by that I mean cloaked. Should you choose to join us, send a message to Captain Kristopher Kichawasi on a low-band frequency, preferably the lowest frequency you can use. They'll be by your side when the Admiralty decides you're their next target." For James, all the pieces of the puzzle now slotted together. Now he understood. He was the mouse in this game. If he died, then the Rebellion would fall and the Federation's corruption would spread out over the four quadrants of the Galaxy, not that it hadn't already. "Hold out for me, hero, won't you?" Vee-Jay smiled, kissing her fingers and pressing it to the screen. The viewscreen went black. James gripped it tightly, now fully understanding why Vee-Jay had done what she did all those years before. She hadn't had a choice. "Luke, make a copy of this message and send it to the briefing room immediately." "Yes, Sir." "Captain Archer to Commander Riker!" "Riker here, Sir." "Assemble the senior crew and tell them to report to the briefing room! I'm on my way!" "Aye, Captain!" "We'll soon see who's a helpless mouse, Admiral Nechayev!" James growled.
"Hello, James. It's been a long time, hasn't it? Ever since I took the blame for your foster parents' deaths, no doubt the memories you have of me contradict what I pleaded to the Council on that day. Time is short, James, please listen to what I have to say. War is upon the Federation, but not the kind of war you'd expect. The challenges the Alliances have been forcing on Starfleet Command are because of the corruption within Starfleet. That is why so many Admirals have turned up deceased in the last six months. Your Father, Admiral Thomas Archer, and my Father, Admiral Richard Reed, were the first two of their mercy killings - because they discovered what Admiral Alynna Nechayev was up to. Alynna saw it as a breach in the Chain of Command, hence their brutal deaths. I can't imagine what it had been like for you being told your parents had died in a shuttlecraft crash where no trace of them could be found."
The crew watched in stunned silence. James folded his arms and drew a deep breath. What he had learned in sickbay had been a crushing blow to the 'truth' he'd been told at the Academy. Vee-Jay was alive and well and working towards saving the lives of many more of the Admiralty's victims. "My God," Jesse gasped. "Admiral Sisko, Admiral Picard, Admiral Riker. God, it's just too brutal to imagine." "Vee-Jay said Picard was in the care of the Rebellion," James replied. "I don't know what that means but it's a safe bet he's still alive." "Mercy killings," Simon shuddered. "What are those bastards thinking?" "Eliminating the Chain of Command's weakest," Thomas spoke. "It's happened in society before, many eons ago during the time of the North American Indians." "They're planning a complete and total takeover of everything that makes them the United Federation of Planets!" "Vee-Jay said to contact a Captain Kristopher Kichawasi," James continued. "Kichawasi? Admiral Lawson Kichawasi's son?" Thomas asked. "That's a new one on me! Kichawasi is still part of the Admiralty!" "A spy, do ya think?" Jesse asked. "He'd have been discovered by now," Elson mused. "Vee-Jay said Brookshire would be the last to fall before me." "That's obvious," Thomas continued. "Brookshire is in charge of the Chain of Command! If he dies, Alynna Nechayev takes over!" "That all she wants," James nodded. "Supremacy." "But why would they want to kill you, Cap'n? It doesn't make any sense!" "Yes, it does." "How?" Simon asked. "Vee-Jay," James replied quietly. "I'm the only one that was close enough to her to understand her. The Admiralty knew that a long time ago. We had something between us that the Admirals couldn't explain. To me, she felt like the one person I knew would always be there." "We kinda figured there was something between you two when you were snuggled up together on the shuttlecraft during the field trip, Cap'n," Isaac grinned. "Hmm," James nodded. "Bridge to Captain Archer!" "Go ahead," James replied. "We've got company, Sir! It's the Secret Service Flagship, the USS Narahyrule!" "WHAT?!" The ship jolted violently as a barrage of photon torpedoes struck, tossing most of the senior personnel from their seats. "REPORT!" James yelled, pushing himself up and making straight for the bridge. "Shields at forty five percent!" "We've lost impulse drive!" "Captain!" Simon's voice came over the comm from Engineering. "What the hell was that?!" "Incoming message, Captain! It's Captain Magellan Zalinski!" "Onscreen!" Magellan's smirking face appeared on the main viewscreen as James and his senior bridge crew entered. "Ah, Captain Archer," he grinned. "I trust you found that attack most satisfactory?" "What the hell was that for?" James demanded. "Payback.and to tell you you're next!" "Your mercy killings," James snarled. "Vee-Jay knew all along you were a traitorous bastard!" "Ah? So you have worked it out, have you? I'm impressed." "Not as impressed as you're gonna be when I've finished blowing you and yours to hell!" "Truly? A Secret Service Flagship against the newly-built War-Class vessel, the Glyder? Hmph, your optimism knows no boundaries, Captain Archer." "Vee-Jay didn't have a choice all those years ago, but I do!" "Yes, and unfortunately she's not here to save your lousy skin, Captain!" Magellan smirked. "She may not be, but we are!" "Ahhh!" Magellan cried as a massive photon beam appeared out of a nearby nebula, striking his ship head on. "What in the heck?!" The mighty form of the USS Galaxia appeared out of the nebula, blocking the USS Narahyrule's path to the USS Glyder. "Holy God!" Isaac gasped. "The Galaxia! The biggest War-Class Starship ever built!" "I am Captain Kristopher Kichawasi of the SSR Galaxia!" the voice on the intercom announced. "Stand down Captain Zalinski, or be blown to hell!" "You!" rasped Magellan. James and his own could see that the blast had ravaged Magellan's bridge. Well over half his crew were either unconscious, semi-conscious or dead. Magellan himself was badly hurt, a deep wound spilling fresh blood from his forehead. "It'll be a cold day in hell before I surrender to you!" The viewscreen split in half, showing the faces of both Magellan and the newcomer, Kristopher. He was not much older than Magellan, but he bore the same look of defiance James had seen in Vee-Jay's eyes years earlier. "Stand down, Zalinski. Or would you rather die at my hands instead of at the hands of your rival?" Magellan snarled angrily. Kristopher smirked slightly. He was toying with the Secret Service Leader. "You may have secured Archer's place with you and yours, but you have not secured the Alpha Quadrant!" "Not yet." Magellan took a final look at James. "Her blood will stain the Federation for all of eternity," he rasped. "As will yours!" Then he was gone. The Narahyrule turned slowly and practically limped away from the Galaxia and the Glyder. It only barely went to warp before it was gone. James breathed a sigh of relief that Kristopher had arrived when he did. "You saved our lives, Captain," he began. Kristopher held up his hand. "Just call me Kristopher," he smiled. "Commander Reed sent Captain Saint Borealis and myself to find you, hopefully just after our message got through." "You planted it on our records?" "No, Vee-Jay did that herself from Starfleet Academy." "Starfleet Academy?!" James cried. "A few loose ends to tie up, that's what she told me and Jeremiah," Kristopher explained, shrugging. "What she's up to there is beyond me. I just follow orders delegated to me by Captain Saint Borealis." "Captain Saint Borealis?" "Yes, Captain Archer. He means me." Where Magellan's face had been on the viewscreen, another replaced the starfield almost immediately. "Captain Jeremiah Saint Borealis of the USS Enterprise 1701-C." Jeremiah was definitely older than Kristopher, and bore a rugged look about him that told James he ran purely on adrenaline. "What gives with all the decommissioned ships?" James asked. "We make do from what we're able to salvage from abandoned starbases and whatnot," Jeremiah explained. "Commander Reed herself made the necessary modifications to these ships so now they service our cause." "She made all those weaponry modifications herself?" "Uh huh." "There's something to be said for that crazy woman after all," James smirked. "No doubt Magellan has warned the Admiralty that you and yours have defected." "Which now puts you in a dangerous situation, Captain. Our saving you has turned the tables against you." "You going to take us to your leader or what?" Kristopher and Jeremiah side-glanced each other. "That ends the discussion," Jeremiah replied, rolling his eyes and signing off. "Very well, Captain Archer. When will you have warp speed back online?" "Simon?" "It wasn't too badly damaged so I'd say about an hour or so, Captain." "That enough?" James asked. "Hmm. Just enough for the Admiralty to come calling. With your permission, Captain, my engineers will be onboard to help you out." "How long with your team?" "Twenty minutes, tops." "This is something I gotta see, Captain!" Simon's voice replied. "Very well, Kristopher. You have my permission." "Thank you, Captain Archer. Kichawasi out!" What in the world is Commander Reed thinking?
"Where the hell are they?" Commander Vee-Jay Reed paced the top walkway of the massive tower that stood in the central zone of the city of Merek, on Planet Keile, in the Beta Quadrant. Merek served as a home for the Keile People, kind-hearted traders, gypsies, seers and travellers of the four quadrants of the Galaxy, with personalities very much like the Talaxians of the Delta Quadrant. Vee- Jay had first met Adamei, leader of Keile and his wife, the beautiful Darae, during one of her Secret Service missions - his insight and her technological knowledge had proved invaluable to her cause. She now resided on Keile, which also served as a ground landing point for her Rebellion ships. Their main base of operations and repairs, Starbase 19- 652, was only a few light years away from the planet. She had cleared up everything at Starfleet Academy and had taken a few steps into making sure the Admiralty didn't try anything new with them, else they'd find the Rebellion's secret weapon. "You appear troubled." Startled, Vee-Jay instinctively went for her phaser pistol before she realised the voice belonged to her old friend. "Adamei! You startled me!" "That much is certain. Do not worry, my friend. I can no longer see that far into the present as I used to, but I know your friends are safely in the hands of your own." "That makes me feel a whole lot better." Adamei looked at her closely, his aged eyes barely seeing more than just a faint blur of colours. "Something else is bothering you." "We attack, they defend, we pull back. We attack, they defend, we pull back," Vee-Jay replied quietly, gripping the bar of the railing. "There must be something I can use to change the effects we're having on the Admiralty." "You and James will find the way eventually," Adamei smiled, quietly slipping away down the stairs. "Perhaps you will even find something more." "Like that will ever-." Vee-Jay turned, only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the disappearing Adamei. "-happen," she finished quietly. Vee-Jay turned back towards the now setting suns. She had often marvelled at the planet's three suns and twin moons and tonight was no different. As the sparkling lights of the massive city lit up as the twin moons climbed higher in the sky, Vee-Jay couldn't help but wonder if there was something between her and James that she had seen before but not known how to handle. "And if there is," she said out loud. "How will I cope knowing one of us may not survive the final battle?"
~*To Be Continued!*~
Author's note: Whoa! Long story! In regards to Planet Keile, it's pronounced "Kiy-Elle" and since nothing has ever really been discussed about the Beta Quadrant, I took some artistic license out on it ^^; Keileans are kind of feline/lupine aliens with highly-developed senses such as night-vision, hearing and smell. Think of the Japanese Cat-girls/Fox- girls and you kind of have them in a nutshell. Males are delegated as Travellers and Traders, while the Females are Gypsies and Seers. One child in every ten thousand is born with all four traits of his/her parents. The elderly Adamei and his wife Darae have led their citizens for fully twelve decades and are in the process of training their young ones, Arikko and Dannica to succeed them. Dannica will be featured heavily in the next part of this storyline, while Arikko will be featured in the final part.
There's a deadly spy that makes his presence known amongst James' crew when young Ensign Marissa Daniels is found murdered in her quarters on board the USS Glyder. In what appears to be a Rebellion-related incident, James makes his feelings known to Vee-Jay and her own, preferring to stay onboard the Glyder and out of the Planet's atmosphere in Starbase 19-652, but a second murder occurs - this time it's Thomas Riker, James' younger brother. When Vee-Jay's adopted younger brother, Jaydenn, is found dead in his quarters, the fight becomes way too personal for both Vee-Jay and James to just let slide. The double-dealing traitor is active and neither one can identify who could have killed Ensign Daniels, Thomas and Jaydenn without being seen or heard by anyone on board the Glyder or Starbase 19-652. In all their experience, this murderer has one-up over them as to how he moves around. It's only when the duo make the connection between him and the Admiralty, and how he may have killed his victims that things take a turn in favour of stopping their elusive prey.but will they be in time to save the life of Dannica, daughter of Adamei and Darae before their hunted reaches her? Find out in Part 6, "Deceptions" ^_~