Tales of the Illustrious – By Solair

Chapter 1

Old friends and the end of the beginning

It was after the Great War that smashed into the alpha quadrant throwing it into chaos, Cardassia was in ruins, and uncertainty lay thick in the air. A few minor skirmishes took place, but nothing on the scale of the last few years. One of the many ships that had severed well in the war, and had gained a repetition as a 'lucky ship' was the USS Illustrious. Now the Illustrious was an aging, she was an Ambassador class ship now coming into the last days of her life she was heading back to earth to pick up a decommission crew ready to strip her of all that could be salvaged; then take her hulk to the great ship yards round Jupiter, where she would be dismantled, a rather sad end to an impressive career.

As the ship dropped out of high warp into the solar system, a rather sober mood hit the bridge, is it dawned on the crew this was the last time that she would be come home, and that many of the crew were being assigned to other ships, but some like the ship were ending there days here, one of these was Captain Rothchild, he'd decided that he needed a long break to assess the last few years, and see if there was a future for Starfleet and him.

As the ship approached Neptune, a small craft approached her, it was an advanced type of shuttle but one the crew had not seen before.

"Captain we're being hailed, a Commander Seven of nine asking for permission to dock."

The captain looked at the read-out then over to his ops officer, "open a channel"

"Aye sir"

"Delta flyer you have permission to dock, welcome to the Illustrious"

The shuttle skimmed over the ship and proceeded to the aft shuttle bay where it docked within the ship.

Within the docking bay three figures left the flyer and made there way to the turbo lift, the doors opened, they stepped within the lift as the doors closed behind them.

As the turbo lift doors hissed open upon the bridge and the commander stepped out, an unsettling hush descended as the party of three made there way to the captain.

"Captain," Seven said as she quickly nodded in his direction, "I have been ordered to escort you to the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, I also require to see you in your ready room."

The captain and commander walked towards the ready room, as the ships number one looked at the other two officers that had now moved since they left the turbo lift, and now a former Borg drone was taking his captain to the ready room, what was going on?

As the captain entered his ready room making his way to his desk, the commander turned to the replicater, "coffee black" she said and sat down looking at the captain.

"Captain what I am about to tell you is for your ears only, do you understand?" she said with her eyebrow slightly raised.

"I understand, please continue", the captain replied with a hint of concern in his voice.

"This ship is by direct orders of Starfleet command to be surrendered over to me. Here are you orders" she handed him a pad which contained all the relevant data.

Taken the orders he started to read, everything that she said had come from the top, and was above board. There was a clause that did not make much sense; he was not to tell any of the crew what the orders had said.

Clicking the his com badge the captain spoke, "Lt Fletcher, get my Admiral Ross at Starfleet command"

"Aye sir" came the reply

A few minuets later the chime came, then Lt Fletcher spoke, "Captain Admiral Ross is waiting for you"

"Put him through here Lieutenant."

"Captain Rothchild what can I do for you?"

"Sir I have Commander Seven of Nine here, she's informed me that she is to take command of the Illustrious, can you confirm that order sir?"

"Yes captain, by order of Starfleet command I hereby confirm the order transferring command of the Illustrious to the commander at this time."

"Thankyou Admiral, Rothchild out"

He turned looked at the commander and spoke

"Very well commander I surrender control of the USS Illustrious to you at this time."

Half a day later the USS Astex had transferred most of the crew from the Illustrious and was about to make its way to earth, for some the start of new missions and new commissions, but for the captain, well it was time for his retirement. True at 45 he was not the eldest, but the war had taken its toll, and the Captain wanted to spend some time back where he had grown up, in the small village by the river it seemed like a good plan, it gave him a time, a time to find himself, after all the madness of the last few years.

Looking round the ready room for the last time, he sadly turned to the commander, nodded and said in a soft voice that barely hide a hint of emotion, "Take good care of her, she's been our home and our refuge over the last few years, I'll miss her"

With that he tapped his com badge, "Astex, one to beam", and with that his figure slowly vanished, a moment later both ships headed off on their separate ways.

It had been nearly a full two since Nathan Rothchild had left Starfleet, he'd settled down back in his family's house, a small black and white mock Tudor building. Sitting in his garden he watched the birds fly over the woods that were behind his property and towards the river as he had done most mornings since he had returned home. It had taken a long time to come to terms with the war, and the deaths that he'd seen. Most of his days now were spent walking his dog around the rivers and lakes that surrounded his village, or working on hi selection of boats that he had started to collect many years ago, but never had the time to fix, until now.

He'd just finished repairing the hull of a twenty five foot sailing ship; he'd called her the Illustrious. In part it was in honour of his old ship, and also an old royal Navy aircraft carrier that his fore fathers had served on generations ago. When he'd taken command of the Illustrious he had thought that fate had been kind to him, by reuniting his family name with a ship called Illustrious. Now he had made sure that he had a little of the name with him, it was only a small sailing cob, but it was his ship.

He stood back took his camera and click, another image to add to all his memories, he tuned away from the cob and looked towards the house, where standing by his back door was Admiral Ross.

"She's a fine ship you have there Nathan, looks like she'll do you proud"

"Thankyou Admiral, car to come inside for a cuppa?"

"Of course, you always did make a good mug of tea"

As the two men sat in his old style rustic kitchen drinking tea, the Admiral looked at the room he found himself in; it was like Nathan, refined and graceful. He took a sip of tea and smiled a smile that Nathan recognized all too well, and something told him that this was not a social visit. The two men had kept in contact since Nathan had left Starfleet, and the Admiral always tried to pop over to see him once in a while, but this was the first time he had come to his house by the river.

"As much as I like tour company Admiral…"

"Please call me Bill your not in the service anymore"

Looking at his old friend Nathan started again "Bill, as much as I like your company I feel that this is no social visit, so why are you here?"

"Straight to the point as always Nathan, always have been and always will be, and that's what I like about you." Replied the Admiral, "What I am about to tell you, well it goes no future then this house, do you understand?"

"Of course Bill, what's wrong, why are you here?" There was a note of concern in his voice as he replied, he had left Starfleet true, but it was still in his blood.

"The end of the war was over two years ago, as you know, it left most of the main players in the alpha quadrant severely weakened, and some factions now seem hell bent to take power in whichever way they can, this information was discovered by of Starfleet intelligent a little over two years ago. At this point I and three others came up with a plan, which involved your old ship, the Illustrious, and now it has come to involve you. This is all I can tell you for now, but I need your skill back in Starfleet, but not as a captain, something more, old friend, and something that is critical in our plans."
"Bill as much as I would like to join Starfleet again, I am no good behind a desk in a space station, I am at my best in command of a ship, and nothing more"

"Why do you think I'm here Nathan?"

Tapping his com badge he spoke "Two to beam directly to the bridge"

With a shocked look on his face the captain dematerialized along with the Admiral and when he appeared he was on the bridge of a star ship.