Chapter 8
[Fkstrtower by Jetone on Ultramarin]
Lore had his eyes fixed on the view screen, occasionally glancing at the monitor displaying readings of the ionic storm washing over the ship's shields. It appeared as a deep blue cloud front, glowing from the inside and flashing with veins of what looked like interstellar lightning.
Two years ago, he had unknowingly piloted his Pakled vessel into this sector of space, demolishing the ship and nearly taking him with it. Currently, he was aboard a routine science vessel whose complement was about twenty officers. The science vessel was issued by the Lemnan-Idhaman Science Foundation. Lore was onboard, temporarily serving as a science officer.
Their ship dipped beneath the milky outer layer of the nebula, sensors 'tasting' the unique molecular configuration and collecting terabytes of data. The Raan star nebula was two parsecs outside of their own star system and held a certain fascination with the Lemnan people.
Lore continued monitoring the storm, alien symbols on his screen dancing before his eyes. He initially had not intended to stay for such a long period of time, but one week slipped into another and he found it grew more difficult to try and leave.
As Lore began growing roots in the sand of Lemnan, he also found his relationship with Jamaal had grown stronger as well. She shared with him glittering, broken shards of life that he had never known existed. She spent several weeks every year trekking across the desert, under the notion that she was searching for some 'divine cause'. On her last trip, she brought Lore with her, and he returned with a better idea of what he was. He was able to take a step outside of himself and analyze from an exterior perspective. He began to understand that he was somewhat lost. Lost in that sense, from his brother, the last true family he had left.
Though indeed Lore had stayed here for longer than any other home (save the isolation of Omicron Theta), it was only because he found someone who might be as lost as he was. In times when Lore was particularly distressed, Jamaal could find something to say that would diffuse him or if necessary, she would remain silent. And while he was learning to open up to others all over again, Jamaal's home had remained with open doors. She was a friend whom he had never known before.
"Sir, you have a message coming in from Commander Ilyn." The captain of the small science vessel picked up his padd and read through the message, his face growing tense. He was a younger officer, probably about Riker's age when Lore had last seen him. That seemed like so long ago… how long ago had it been? Five years? But the time was different here, creeping by at a slower pace.
"Set course for the nearest outpost, maximum impulse." Several members of the crew were giving the captain quizzical glances. He said nothing.
Arriving at the outpost, Lore saw a few science vessels similar to his own docking at the station. One of the fleet's flagships was also stationed close by. It was impressive merely by design and Lore began picturing how much damage it could inflict with its weapons.
"I have received orders to return with all of my crew to a neutral location."
His first officer began to object but was cut off. "All of the non-essential personnel are being evacuated. We have been told that this arrangement is only temporary." With a last look at his first officer, he turned to address Lore.
"Commander Ilyn has requested you specifically aboard her ship." This only surprised him further. Never once had he contacted his superior officer directly. What reason could she have for granting him the favor now?
.
.
Naghera Ilyn watched from the viewport as officers came and went aboard the station. She had informed the captains of the transport vessels that Lemnan was not their destination, but she had decided that a location outside of the system would be more secure. Her priestess still had not been informed of the development of this remote location.
Idhaman-Ra was established just after the attacks on their star system. The planet was located far on the outreaches of their own solar system, orbiting a dwarf star, which ranged around a red giant. It was unusual to have a planet with two suns, but it was stable and would support life. The idea spawned between the foreign Idhaman Ambassador and Naghera Ilyn herself as a kind of contingency plan in the face of a crisis. Their society had not needed sanctuary in over twenty-thousand years, but now their culture would need to change as new threats began to arise.
The only inhabitants of the colony now were several Idhaman scientist groups, working to terraform and cultivate the most stable continent.
The door chirped, interrupting her flood of thoughts. Lore entered, stone-faced and quiet. "You sent for me, Commander."
"I did." She attempted a weak smile but her face cracked into a grimace. It was funny; if Lore had not known better, he would have thought she was a Vulcan. "Lore, you know Jamaal and I are on tense ground but I hope that does not impair your judgment of me." Lore shook his head.
"Good." She paused, taking a seat from her standing point at the viewport. "Tell me, how much do you know of the last attack on our borders?"
"I know that the fleet which was encountered was small… easily overpowered. The task was doomed to fail from the start." Something flickered in her eyes.
"And do you know who authorized those attacks?"
"The Dominion… sir." He tacked on as an afterthought. Two years in service and he was still getting used to the idea of serving under others.
"What is your relationship to the Federation?"
"If you are questioning my loyalty, Commander, then you should know that I consider Lemnan my home. My allegiance is with you, sir."
She really did smile this time. "I was counting on it. I have an assignment for you, Lore. You are our only liaison to the outside world. I need you to act as an ambassador, representing our interests."
"What interests?" She did not answer immediately.
"I believe that the time has come to seek aid."
"What kind of aid?" His eyes narrowed slightly. She was dancing around what Lore already knew.
"Military aid."
"You do realize that that is a violation of the council's orders?" She nodded. "And you must have known that I must decline?" Lore grew more and more suspicious of her actions.
"Yes, I understand. But I think that given the more prudent facts at hand, you will come to change your mind."
Commander Ilyn rigidly passed the translucent padd over to Lore, after flicking through a few items. Lore scanned over the device, his jaw clenching and unclenching. Finally, he glanced up at her.
"When are we departing?"
"We will rendezvous with the rest of the fleet in six hours."
.
.
[Caligaverunt oculi mei by Tomás Luis de Victoria from the Tenebrae Responsories]
Lore was assigned a small, light scout vessel, as the only occupant onboard. He served as an observer, waiting for Ilyn's orders. He patched a message through to Jamaal's ship, announcing his presence in a private message directly to her. Her ship was a wing in a great bird of ships positioned together in an attempt to obstruct any opposition.
Suspense gripped him as he watched the ships through a tiny view screen. They were still and dark, being so far away from their sun. They would have been invisible if it were not for the tiny lights representing scant living quarters on each vessel. He had begged Jamaal to stay behind, and she had laughed at the proposal, not unkindly. It was not within her nature to back down from a fight, especially since they were so rare. She had even challenged Lore to the occasional wrestling match, though proving herself to be a sore loser. These were the only times he had ever seen her truly angry and though he did find her behavior peculiar, he never paid it much mind. His attention was beginning to wane and just as he closed his eyes, his comm panel exploded with reports from all sectors of the star system.
Lore watched in horror as a massive fleet of silvery black ships were illuminated as they dropped out of warp, flashes of light from their disrupters exposing the entire scene. The flagships returned the attack with several photon torpedoes fired simultaneously alongside an array of disrupter banks. The first ship went down. However, the battle was not contained within this sector of space. Communications rang through Lore's headset that the opposition was coming in from all over the star system. Distress signals were snatched off by the sounds of explosions followed by dead frequency and silence.
He quickly programmed his sensors to specifically monitor the readouts of Jamaal's ship. Her vessel had taken a few detrimental hits and was teetering while several more of the warships were taken down. Lore attempted to contact the Idhaman emissary through a subspace frequency, requesting aid. There was no reply.
"Commander, they have infiltrated our ship. Our officers… they're vanishing!" Lore could not tell from which ship the message originated. A warning message flashed across his sensor panel and he froze. The symbols TERMINATED flashed across the screen. Lore was frantically scanning for Jamaal's ship but all that he could find were chunks of debris, launched from their origin as the remaining ships maneuvered around them. His breath caught in his chest and he attempted to hail the fleet and in return received a short message from Naghera's leading flagship.
Commander Ilyn's ship opened the first vortex, and the rest of the fleet followed suit as the disturbance grew larger, opening its mouth to the crippled ships.
"Lore!" The transmission was hazed over with static from the space-time disturbance and cut short but her meaning had been clear. Flee.
He could only stare transfixed as the remaining ships slipped into the rapidly shrinking vortex while Lore found himself wishing that he was among them.
AN: The Lemnan culture does not have warp capability. They use vortex travel as means for long distance transport but for the most part they use sublight speed. Also, they don't have transporters. How convenient.
