Star Trek: Odyssey 24: Dining on Ashes
Captain's Log: Stardate: 58749.5: After a year of brutal conflict the Mirror War has finally ended. Now we begin the rebuilding process of what has been lost. With the Emperor and Empress of the Terran Empire standing trial for war crimes, Starfleet Command has decided it would be best to leave the Mirror Universe alone. They believe that since it is its own universe, which it needs to rebuild on its own and not with our interference. Even though we are rebuilding, Starfleet is still proceeding with what Starfleet was made to do; and that is to explore. On a more personal note, the bridge seems somewhat empty with the loss of Commander Sparhawk. While I have no doubts on the ability of my new first officer, I feel that another part of me has been ripped away. This senseless war cost too many lives and I don't think there is an officer in the fleet that hasn't felt the brutal effects of the war in some way or another.
As Captain Allenworth sat in his ready room, Commander Merriell sat in the center chair, in command until the captain stepped onto the bridge. The ship was now entering the Laurentian system near the Klingon Border. Their current mission was to offer aid to any planet that was suffering from the effects from the Mirror War. They just received a report saying the Thunderchild had kidnapped a Federation official from Deneb IV and took them to Deneva. Merriell figured that since Captain Stork was involved the use of the word 'kidnapping' was such an inflammatory term.
Lieutenant Commander Hoshi Sato sat at the communications station while her husband, Lieutenant Commander Dustin Zofchak stood a few feet away at the Engineering station. Even though Hoshi took Dustin's last name when they were married, she still goes by her maiden name so not to confuse people since they hold the same rank.
Counselor Nycz sat in her seat next to Commander Merriell with her hands folded in her lap. Their child, Zoe, was currently with the Vulcan T'Pol, who had served with Hoshi on the NX-01 Enterprise. At the request of Hoshi, T'Pol had come aboard the Alexandria to watch Kyou and Ryou while their parents were on duty. T'Pol offered to watch Zoe as well.
Lieutenant Julia McKenzie stood at the tactical station with a security officer who had come up to the bridge to give her a status report. After pressing a few buttons on the PADD the young security officer left the bridge.
osHHsdaf Lieutenant Nathan Dowey navigated the starship while to his left was the half Human half Vulcan new Alpha shift Operations officer, Lieutenant Commander Ra'chel Johnson. Merriell was still felt it was weird to be sitting in, what he still considered to be Commander Sparhawk's chair, and see someone else permanently manning his former station. Fully aware that Ra'chel was only half Vulcan, it was an odd sight to see a person with pointy ears with short black hair and blonde highlights.
Alex turned his head as he heard the turbolift doors open to see Lieutenant Liz Dowler walk onto the bridge and over to Science station two. The trip into the Laurentian system had been rather uneventful. Uneventful considering that the crew didn't really have to continually watch their backs all the time like they did during the war.
Suddenly, a person emerged in a flash of light in the middle of the bridge. Zofchak sighed as he realized who was standing there, wearing a Starfleet uniform and a captain's rank on the collar. It was none other than Q. Everyone looked up from their stations. Even Dowey and Johnson turned around in their chairs to look at Q
"Damn it." Zofchak said.
"That's not very inviting." Q said.
"It wasn't supposed to be." Zofchak shot back.
Q turned to Alex, who stood up and faced the omnipotent being.
"You're not Allensworth." Q said.
"Captain Allensworth to the bridge." Alex called out.
Moments later, the ready room doors opened and Allensworth walked out. "Is there a problem…?" He stopped talking as he saw Q standing there. Q's very presence answered his question. "What do you want, Q?"
"Oh, nothing much. I'm just stopping in to visit one of my favorite captains." Q said.
"What happened to Picard?" Allensworth asked.
"I already visited him and I wanted to visit the other captains of the mighty and ruthless Starfleet."
"Ruthless?" Jermaine asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, the same Starfleet that conquered their mirror counterparts, which laid waste to the mirror Earth and savagely slaughtered the opposition." Q Said.
"What are you getting at? Are you suggesting that because we won the war that we are no better than our mirror counterparts?" Allensworth asked.
"No, I'm not suggesting that at all. I'm merely stating that Humans are still the savage race that we the Q Continuum had originally thought." Q said.
"How can you say that after what Captain Picard proved to you?" Zofchak asked.
"Yeah but this war has shown another side of you Humans. You've gone to war with other factions recently, so it seems to me that you Humans are reverting back to your savage child race ways. The Federation has gone to war with the Klingons, the Dominion, the Terran Empire, only children bicker over possessions."
"Possessions?" Dowler asked.
Q rolled his eyes. "I'm referring to the space the Federation occupies. The Dominion wanted the Alpha Quadrant and the Terran Empire wanted this universe."
"What did you expect us to do? Just roll over and let them take it? It's called standing up for what you believe in." Allensworth said.
Q dismissed the comment by a wave of his hand. "Are you denying that Humans are savage?"
"I'm not denying that in the past Humans did fight savagely but you can't condemn us for the sins of our ancestors." Allensworth said. "We have already proven to the Continuum that we are no longer like our ancestors."
"We have yet to judge that." Q said.
"Don't tell me you're going to judge us during the Post Atomic Horror again?" Zofchak asked.
"Oh no. I wouldn't dare to do something so civilized." Q said.
"I think he just insulted us." Dowey murmured to Johnson.
"You Humans always bring up how different you are from your ancestors. But, you continually wage war with other races, sometimes even your own race. You torture prisoners of war for information or for your own amusement. You kill children during war. You share intimate nights with the enemy just to gain information." Q shot a glance at Zofchak and Dowler. "I don't think you realize how close you and your ancestors really are. How savage and cruel you all are." Q raised his arm to head level with his fingers in a snapping position. "Here's a history lesson."
Allensworth cried out in protest. "Q, WHAT ARE YOU…?"
Q snapped his fingers and the entire bridge crew was gone.