The following is a non-profit, fan work based off the respective works Gene Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Brannon Braga
All rights belong to the original creators, CBS, and Paramount
The Bluefire Phoenix presents...
Enterprise Prime
Episode 2: First Star on the Right… Part 2
Act IV
On Andoria, the Imperial court was in a kerfuffle. The gossip buzzing in the geometrically designed Grand Foyer was enough to penetrate into the Imperial Council's private meeting room in the chamber to the right of the throne. Everything about the hall spoke to an older grander time that had been recaptured in all its glory. All the courtiers' whispers came to a sudden stop when the main doorway parted open.
A Grand Admiral, dressed his pristine white uniform marched through the crowd. His intimidating guards pushed aside all in his way. The council room doors opened for him as he stepped up to it. The door closed, leaving him alone in an antechamber.
The admiral braced himself as he entered the chamber proper. The council had filled out all the seats at the table. It was cold in the chamber. All eyes of the dozen member council were on the Admiral. Anger was clearly seething from every one of the Admiral's pores.
"Admiral Rawnth, it is a pleasure to see you again," The Minister of State asked. The female's hands were locked together in front of her. The Admiral simply nodded to her. He briefly cleared his throat.
"I wish to know what the Council plans to do to get back the Emperor's cousin," he stated. The static the emerged was dense enough to make some antennas twitch.
"Your son chose to be a pirate, Admiral. What would you have us do?" The Minister Justice asked. He received support from some of the other councilors.
"He is a possible emperor and you'd let him languish in a Vulcan penal colony?"
"He is twenty-fifth in line, Admiral. And even then, without the Matriarch's support he'd never have control of the Empire. Not without another pillar of support," the Queen-Regent spoke up. The room fell silent to her icy words.
All eyes turned to the recently widowed leader. She wore a gown of sapphire blue that shimmered in the odd lighting of the chamber. The dowager-empress was a stunning example of Andorian beauty. Power flowed from her very pore.
She shifted around in the chair. Rawnth frowned at her statement. "Are you implying something, dowager-empress?" he asked.
"Only that your concern for the wellbeing of your son is commendable to every parent. However you've both overestimated his value to the Empire and failed reign him in when he needed it. You have our sympathies Admiral, and beyond our usual diplomatic protests, you do not have our support," the dowager-empress declared. "Now go and continue to serve your emperor."
Rawnth stormed out of the palace. His wake sent even more worried whispers into the air. He boarded his shuttle and took off to his private residents deep in the woods. Sitting across from him was a younger Andorian in a silver uniform. The admiral watched the wilderness below through a viewport built into the floor.
"They have abandoned your brother," he remorsefully said.
"Are you surprised?"
"No. The queen regent is only two years away from losing most of her power. An uppity admiral whose son has a claim to the throne is not someone she'd support," he said.
"Then what would you have done?" the son asked.
"At the moment, I want you to investigate this new Human ship. When the drums of war call our soldiers to battle, we need to know just how dangerous they'll be in a war."
"They are still fresh on the scene. What danger could they pose?" the younger of the two asked.
"We are playing a very dangerous game. Anything that might give the Vulcans an advantage needs to be accounted for. The Vulcans have been efficient in keeping our intelligence operations from getting close, but this Enterprise is wide open for observation," the admiral declared.
"I see your point father. I shall ready my ship at once," his son responded. His father leaned forward.
"This mission is off the record. Use back channel suppliers only. If anyone asks you are on the business of the regency council."
"Understood."
"One more thing: you are only to observe. Do not engage," the admiral warned. His posture relaxed some. "But if you find your brother and an opportunity to rescue him arises, act on it and bring him home and you will be richly rewarded."
The son nodded with a smile. It was a polite simple smile pointed to a bright future. "I will keep it all in the shadows, father."
Across the stars on the dry planet of Vulcan, things were in a much more tense. A difficult thing to accomplish for such a stoic people. The Security Council's meeting chamber was particularly thick with the feeling as a young intelligence officer was preparing for an important meeting. Vulcan tended to abstain from gossip, but a report from the border had arrived and was starting to stir things up.
A mug shot of a young aristocratic Andorian male came up on the screen. "This is Narwn Sichs, son of Admiral Rawnth. He was taken into our custody after his raider was damaged thanks in part to Captain Archer of Starfleet. So far no special requests have been made for his release," the intelligence officer reported.
"Is it true that he is cousin of the emperor?" One of the younger members of the Council asked.
The officer nodded. "Yes ma'am. His mother is the younger sister of the deceased emperor. We've estimated that he is somewhere near thirtieth in line for the throne," he stated.
"His father will probably not take this sitting down," another councilor pointed out. The officer shook his head.
"Rawnth's family is currently out of favor with Narwn's maternal grandmother. Without her support, the Admiral won't be able to do much more than write us a message requesting Narwn's release. Anything else might risk his rank being revoked," he explained.
"Then what should we do with the boy?"
"The official Andorian response has been to disown Narwn as a pirate. Thus he is subject to the previously established rules."
"Is it wise to throw such a high ranking member of the Andorian up in a hard labor penal colony?"
"It might encourage other Andorian nobles to take up the banner of piracy if they know they'd get a cozy stay if captured."
"Perhaps some form of isolation from the general population."
"We can discuss the punishment of the boy at another time. For now we must focus on the Andorian response," the head of the council spoke up. She turned to the officer. "So you believe that the Andorians will abstain from violent action?"
"Yes ma'am, we've accounted for just about everything. The Andorians will respond diplomatically. Our analysts are sure this won't lead to conflict."
Back on Andoria, night had fallen. Rawnth's other son was walking with another Andorian officer on the perimeter of a sleek Andorian Prowler. It was armed with six phasers and three torpedo tubes. The Prowler was designed with retractable Nacelles and a set of ion engines.
"Captain, are you sure this is wise, Rawn?" the first officer asked as the approached the loading ramp. The captain looked to the officer.
"My father made a request of me. If we succeed, I'll be heavily rewarded and be able to share that reward with you and my crew," Rawn said.
"Your brother is nothing but a political pawn for your father. Let him rot, and wait for the war. Prove yourself then," the first officer countered. Rawn turned to his companion with a stern, but sympathetic glare.
"What would you have me do, simply…refuse the Admiral?" he asked. His tone wasn't a growl but it still had an undercurrent of menace that made his companion quiver a bit.
"Of course not sir, but there must be some better use for us than spying on the pink skins."
"Tell me, Larwren, what is the name of the human vessel that assisted with the capture of my brother?"
"Sir?"
"What is the name of the Human home world?"
"What is the point of this sir?"
"The point Larwren, is that we know very little about the humans. My father isn't so blind as to throw his only remaining son into the fray if it wouldn't benefit the empire," Rawn pointed out. They walked up the ramp into the Prowler.
The halls were narrow, barely allowing for the two males to walk parallel. The ceiling was trying not to add to the cramped space but failed repeatedly, forcing heads to bow.
"This still strikes me as a waste of time, sir. The humans are new to the galaxy, they couldn't stand against the Imperial Guard."
"No, but they are allied with the Vulcans. They may end up giving them an advantage in the future conflict."
"You overestimate them, Rawn."
"Will you say that when Vulcan banners line the Imperial Palace with a human plan as the catalyst to our downfall?"
"I apologize, captain."
The two stopped and Rawn braced Larwren's shoulder. "There will come a time when we will fight in a proper war. Until then trust my father like you trust me," Rawn said. Larwren nodded.
Rawn and Larwren entered the bridge. Said bridge was a tight semicircle. The helm station was at the apex of the arc, in front of the Command Table. Larwren took up the sensor station on the table.
"Sir, we are ready to depart," the helm reported.
"Good, as soon as there is a gap in the sensor screen, depart for the border."
Rawn smirked as his Prowler rose into the air, ready to take him to destiny.
The End
A/N: With that we must bid adieu, for now.
I don't want this to be a total solo project so if you have a suggestion for an episode, hit me up with a PM or leave it in a review.
Next time on Enterprise Prime:
The Enterprise is about to mark a major human achievement. But things go awry when the crew finds themselves in the middle of a dangerous battle.
