The Adventure Continues…. Part 9
There was a moment of stunned silence on the bridge of the U.S.S. West Point. Starbase 410 was completely destroyed. Slowly, reports started to come in from the surviving vessels. The IKV Hegd qaD, a Klingon Battlecruser attached to Starbase 410, hailed them.
"Captain T'Pina," General K'batlh said from the main viewer, "The ambassador and I would like to send our condolences for the death of Commodore Jat and the rest of your Starfleet personnel. They died fighting a good fight. We were honored to have served with them."
The Klingon General paused, then continued, "We are heading to the Klingon colony of K'Dorn. Once there, we will off load our refugees and continue our mission in the triangle. We shall also attempt to find out who is responsible for the destruction of our starbase. If you are able to discern who it was, let us know." K'batlh leaned closer to the screen and growled. "We would be very interested."
"Good luck and good hunting, General." T'Pina answered. "Be assured, we will let you know if we find out anything. T'Pina out."
"Major Amme, please set course for Bajor and join me in the briefing room." T'Pina asked. She turned to Brian Starr and said, "Commander Starr, please have any of the surviving Command Staff report to the briefing room in 10 minutes. Mr. Hedley, you have the Conn."
With her orders given, T'Pina stood up and walked stiffly towards the turbolift, leaning more than usual on her cane. "We have much to discuss."
S'ena was depressed. As a half Orion, her body contained scent glands, which tended to effect most of the others around her. If she felt an emotion, her body released hormones which duplicated that emotion in most humanoids. As she looked around the briefing room, S'ena noted that everyone else there was also in a funk.
There were few of the command staff left. Major Media and Lt. John Broda were quietly talking on one side of the triangular table. Tech Ellie Barstow, while not really part of the command staff yet, was there, though more subdued than normal. S'ena laughed to herself, she was more subdued than normal herself. Her laughter threatened to overwhelm her, so she quickly suppressed it. If she didn't get her emotions into line, she could disable everyone who was left. Everyone except Brian she noted.
Brian was working on the computer interface at the narrow end of the table. S'ena had wanted to alternately hate him for forcing her to leave Catastrophe behind, and to seek comfort in his arms. Undecided, she had approached him, but he had thrown himself into his work, completely ignoring her. With nothing to do, she just sat at the opposite end of the table and kept to herself.
Captain T'Pina entered the briefing room and took her chair. Leaning back, she let out an uncharacteristic sigh. "Commander Starr, please brief us."
Brian took a deep breath. "As far as we can tell, we lost everyone in Ops when the ejection system failed. Commodore Jat and Lt. Commander Remora were in Engineering when it went. Presumably they were also responsible for holding off the explosion which allowed more people to escape. Reports from survivors place Lt. Commander Q'Squa in the promenade, where he was attempting to control the frightened evacuees. Though given the opportunity to leave, they all remained at their posts and were directly responsible for saving over 5,000 lives and 70 ships. Still, 1,111 people died, or are listed as missing."
"Among the surviving staff, the only one not present is Dr. Strachan, who is administering to injured. Everyone else is here." Brian looked up. "That is all."
Everyone looked around the table at each other, not seeing who was left, but seeing who was missing.
T'Pina cleared her throat. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am about to engage in a highly illegal activity which, I hope, will bring back our lost comrades. I have deemed the action has a high probability of failure, and if that happens, I shall pay the cost. But it is a chance that I must take. You, on the other hand, do not. I can't tell you any more than this. If you would like to leave, no one should hold it against you, but I suggest you decide now. Anyone who wishes to leave may do so."
T'Pina paused a moment. When no one moved, she continued. "I have come up with a plan, but it must not leave this room or all is lost. Major Amme, please call in Vedek Sespirie."
Major Amme rose from her seat and crossed to the door. She returned with a female Bajoran S'ena had only seen once or twice on the station. Madia showed the Vedek to a chair she pulled back from the table. S'ena couldn't guess why the Bajoran religious leader was asked to join. The way Madia showed her respect, S'ena thought she must be someone of some importance.
T'Pina leaned forward, placing her hands together on the table. "Vedek Sespirie, we are glad you could join us."
"Be assured, Captain, I sympathize with the loss you have suffered today. If it weren't for your valiant sacrifices, many of my people on the station would not be with us."
"Your words gladden our heavy hearts, Vedek, but I have learned from experience that the best way to deal with strong emotion is to learn something new. Specifically, we'd like to learn about…."
"Standard orbit, Bajor, Captain." Maj. Amme announced from the helm. Her duties momentarily finished, she turned to face T'Pina with a questioning look.
"Captain, we are being hailed from the planet, and from Deep Space Nine." Cadet Hedley said.
T'Pina stood up. "Please ask DS9 to wait until we have answered the hail from the planet. Tell them we will be with them as soon as possible." T'Pina took a deep breath. "Place the Bajoran messager on the main viewer."
The view of stars and planet on the main screen dissolved and changed into the visage of an elderly Bajoran Vedek. The woman looked sternly from the screen at the entire bridge crew. She radiated authority. Captain T'Pina looked her in the eyes and asked, "Vedek Kirin, How does our request before the Vedek Assembly fare?"
"Captain T'Pina, I must tell you that your request was very unorthodox, and thus, was doomed from the beginning. I have the unfortunate task of telling you that your request has been denied. What you asked was just too dangerous. Perhaps you can find some other way?"
T'Pina appeared crestfallen. "We thank the Vedek Assembly for their time and for considering our request in the first place. We hope that the Prophets smile upon the people of Bajor." T'Pina hesitated for a second. "Do you mind if we stay in orbit for a few days? We have no current orders, and some of my people would like to take shore leave after what we have been through."
"Of course, captain. Your people are always welcome on Bajor."
With that, Vedek Kirin ended her transmission and the view screen returned to it's previous display of stars and the planet Bajor.
"Cadet Hedley, please send my regards to DS9." Capt. T'Pina asked.
"Right away, captain." Cadet Hedley said as he turned toward his board. "I have Colonel Kira. Transferring to main screen."
An angry Bajoran female appeared on the screen. "Captain T'Pina, I presume? Why do I have Temporal Investigations in my office? Did you know that they were here hours before you arrived? They want to talk to you, captain. Would you be so kind as to transport yourself over to DS9 right away?"
"Of course, Colonel. I'll be right over." T'Pina signaled to Hedley that the conversation was over, and once again Bajor appeared on the screen. "T'Pina to command staff, please report to transporter room one."
"Cadet Hedley, announce a 24 hour shore leave for all non-essential personnel. Then divide the essential personnel into three 12 hour shifts, one to commence right away, and the others to start shore leave after they return. I'll be on DS9, you have the Conn. Major Amme, you are with me."
Media kept to herself until they were both in the turbo lift. When they were alone she said, "Transporter room one." Turning to T'Pina. "Well, I guess that tears it. We're finished."
T'Pina looked at Media. "On the contrary, we have only begun. I assumed that word of what we were attempting would leak out. If nothing else, Temporal Investigations always seems to know things before they happen. I have taken their interference into account."
Media looked at T'Pina with astonishment. "You mean you're going ahead with this plan after all? The Vedek Assembly turned us down! Temporal Investigations is already here! There is no way we can succeed!"
"Major," T'Pina's eyebrow rose, "You surprise me. Logic dictates that since Temporal Investigations is here, then we must have succeeded to some extent. Otherwise there would be no need for their presence. As for the Vedek Assembly, I assumed that they would turn us down. I only asked in case I was wrong. What they desire, or do not desire, is irrelevant to our plan. It would have just made things easier if they had agreed."
The turbo lift came to a halt, and so did their conversation. The two went down the corridor to transporter room one. Inside, Brian Starr, S'ena, John Broda and Tech Ellie Barstow, waited.
T'Pina stepped up to the platform. "I am going to talk to Temporal Investigations. I will delay them as long as possible, but you must hurry. The plan goes on as before, just expect more resistance. Remember, the lives of everyone who died on the station depend on you. Transport."
Ellie activated the transporter, and T'Pina disappeared in a shower of sparks and a familiar hum. Ellie then took some readings and said, "The temple is shielded from transport. I can't get us inside. The closest I can put us is the front steps."
"That wouldn't work." Maj. Amme injected. "We will have to disguise ourselves and come in from a location further away. I suggest we change clothes and have Dr. Strachan make cosmetic changes to those of us that need it. We'll meet back here in half an hour."
In an alley, not far from the main Bajoran Temple, 5 robed people appeared. If you had seen them, you would have instantly been suspicious by the furtive looks they gave the surrounding alley. Seeing no one was there, they relaxed.
"Remember, let me do the talking." Major Amme said softly. "If we are going to get pasted the front gate, everyone take their cues from me and try to remember your Bajoran briefing. If anyone talks to you, look at me. I'll answer for you."
The party moved down the alley and into the street. Moving single file with their hoods up to cover their faces, they appeared as pilgrims from any part of the galaxy. Soon, they reached the main temple of the Prophets on Bajor.
