Little bit of a bonus on the end of this one for you to enjoy. (It builds the political role Reddy will play at a later time in the series.)

Part 9

"We have the survivors of the Azura!"

Sam leaped out of her seat and pumped a fist at the air. It turns out that things weren't so gloomy, and her tears hadn't need to have fallen. She turned to Sooroo. "Report on Azura."

Sooroo checked her readings. "Her warp core is critical, I suggest we maintain a four kilometer distance between us and the blast."

"Very well navigation, take us away, range to six kilometers." they had been hovering right next to the Azura, defending her from a single poaching corvette, they pulled away now and the screen centered on the freighter.

A second later the screen was blinded by the explosion, one so bright Suzanne had to change the view and leave the bridge crew blinking to remove dots from their vision. Sam gazed out at where the ship had once again, briefly thinking of how that could have happened to her ship, and how her hundred and fifty crew could be snuffed out easier than the metal hull of the once fine freighter. Sam banished all melancholy thoughts and returned to her seat. "Miss Shay, set course for Earth Spacedock, maximum warp!"

"Aye sir!" Shay worked at her console and the helm brought the ship around on an exit route. "Course laid in sir."

Sam paused for a moment. "Engage."

They sped off, leaving in their wake another battlefield.

Turns out, Thaddeus didn't get his nap on the transporter pad, as soon as he hit the ground a medic was there trying to stick a hypo needle in his ass, he had kicked the man away and had come to grips with the fact that he wasn't going to get a nap anytime soon. For the next hour he had been in sickbay while they repaired the tissue of his right leg, then immediately after he was given a dose of something that made him high. It was an hour after that when he stood before Captain O'Connell beside Lieutenant Devvers. He felt like a man who was a prisoner, his pant's leg was tied above his shin where he had been cut, Devvers was down to a tank top with a bandage around her upper arm where a disruptor blast had cut the skin. The Captain didn't seem to care, she was joyous.

"You wouldn't believe my reaction when I heard you both were aboard safe." Jan and Thaddeus looked at each other, wondering what their response should be, the Captain laughed at the motion. "It was quite uncaptain-like of me, standing and expressing joy at your survival." Thaddeus slowly began to realize that this was how the captain showed she was absolutely brimming with happiness. She straightened and tried to set a more serious face. "I'd like to thank you for the job you did today, you saved Captain Brott, and you have her thanks as well, and saved us too."

Devvers seemed concerned about the last. "Pardon me sir, but how did we save you?"

O'Connell shifted in her chair again, this time she leaned to one side. "Aren't Vulcans scary? They always judge what you do and predict the future. There happens to be a small room hidden below the bridge that can hardly be accessible without going on an epic quest, it's based of the CIC of older naval ships, and it's primary use these days is dissection of combat information. The director of the section, which is almost entirely Vulcan, determined that if we hadn't employed you to destroy your corvette, we very well may have never made it out of that radiation cloud in as good of a piece as we did."

Thaddeus nodded slowly. "So we saved your ass, Captain?"

O'Connell looked at the Welshman. "Indeed Chief, and for that I am very grateful. And for which I am informing you that we will stop off at drydock for a day or two, then take our time getting back to the Una System. I want you two to get better in that time, you deserve it."

Devvers spoke. "Captain, I'd like to make some recommendations for several—"

"In good time Lieutenant." Captain O'Connell cut her off. "For now I want you to rest, you have four days at minimum, and I want you ready for combat by then." Devvers dropped her head and nodded. The Captain laughed. "Don't worry, get some rest and enjoy some time on our holodeck, it will do worlds for you. Dismissed." they both came to attention, Thaddeus leaning heavily on a cane that Medical Officer Polk had given him. The turned and left the room.

Sam sat back down and watched the door closed behind them. She shifted in her chair again, Suzanne knew some tricks in the bed, and the "stress relief" Sam had gone through about an hour ago hadn't been washed off yet, Sam still had to prepare a report and send it to Admiral Quinn. Once she was done she'd get a shower and maybe find Suzanne waiting for her this time.

(Bonus)

Patrick Reddy sat back and tried to conceal a massive yawn with his hand. The man speaking was a Vulcan Admiral, and he droned. Reddy was beginning to regret accepting Jorel Quinn's invitation to sit in on the Una Meeting in which the Starfleet Council would debate what action would be taken for the Vega System. For the first hour, Reddy had been interested in the full combat report and what actions had been taken in the last two days, the second hour he had entertained himself by drawing very poor representations of Miranda-class cruisers, now at the bottom of the third hour, Reddy was trying his best not to simply stand and leave.

So far the speakers had been Vulcans and their human coworkers. All had had one simple message: no action be taken for the Vega system. Particularly, Reddy found that revolting. To think that fighting in the Vega system would cost too much money, at too little gain, was like thinking that paying free-enterprising cargo haulers should not be paid for delivering food to Sol because all farmland had been turned into cities. The speakers had given no one any chance, not even Vice Admiral Stocker, who was the highest council member present.

"I'd like to add, that the people of the Vega System should fight for themselves, and retake the system themselves. We gain little from the system anymore, and it is illogical to fight for a system that we get no gain from."

That hit Reddy hard, he jumped to hit feet and hit the small button that called attention to his seat. To interrupt a the man speaking was like interrupting a god, and a hundred eyes fell on Reddy, a Scotsman standing in his less glorious uniform, who almost lost his composure under the eyes. "Councilman, may I so dare to speak?" The Vulcan's eyes flashed with aggravation, he began to speak that he had not finished but Reddy cut him off. "I'd like to think that you will never finish, and I'm sure many in this room will agree that a Lieutenant Commander for less than a week would be more entertaining than you."

The room gasped. At the far end was a Klingon councilman representing the Utopia Shipyard around Mars. He slapped his attention button. "I say we allow the man to speak, I start a motion."

The Chairman looked about. "Councilman Kannarv wishes to start a motion, all in favor." the room lit up with sound. The Chairman looked at his vote counter. "Fifty-one votes for, majority passes for Lieutenant Commander Patrick Reddy to speak. Please step down councilman." the Vulcan gave an angry look at the Chairman and reluctantly stepped down from the podium.

Heart in his throat, Reddy stepped from his seat and walked to the podium, the whole way he felt as though every eye looked upon him as a fried chicken. He swallowed hard as he stepped up to the podium.

"You have the floor Mister Reddy." the Chairman stated.

Reddy nodded and composed himself, a funny thought came across his mind. "Well I thought that man would never stop talking." he didn't stop to let the crowd laugh. "But I must say, for a Vulcan, he speaks more illogically than a man who was shot for trespassing would if he tried to defend himself, he obviously doesn't know some hard facts. Which is strange since he is a Vulcan." he decided to make a point. "My point, Councilmen, is that there is only two solutions to the problem with the Vega System, only one is a logical one. Vega, a colony of several million people, Vega IX alone had 2.8 million, had as little as four hundred survivors know to Starfleet. Any other number is irrelevant and makes no contribution to the fact that the Borg, a force that we now believe we are invulnerable too, have a foothold in Federation space. And our councilmen, Starfleet Admirals nonetheless, believe that to eliminate this threat would be illogical and a waste of resources. Well I tell them this, no man ever showed that he was proud or dedicated to his people by not defending his borders. We may have destroyed the transwarp conduit in the Pollux System, but that will make little difference when thirteen million people have been adapted to fight for the Borg Collective. And as soon as they are adapted, there will be crews for not the fifty cubes in the system, but enough to mine raw resources and construct more. We refuse to see that the Borg, a force once so feared by us and all, is in our borders, and when ready, will make war against us. In that time, what will we respond with when the Una System is taken, or the Risa System? Will we once again say that they contribute none to the Federation and let the millions of inhabitants be assimilated?

"Gentlemen there is one, and only one, logical and sane motion to be made! That is to dedicate all available forces, and a brilliant commander, to retake the Vega System, and completely destroy the Borg occupation. I start a motion to fight!"

A female on the Chair stopped him. "Do pardon me Mister Reddy, but a motion may only be started by a member of the council."

Reddy stung. A call sounded from Councilman Kannarv's seat. "I start a motion to elect a commander to lead the forces in the Una System to destroy the Borg Occupation in the Vega System."

The Chairman leaned to his microphone. "Before we begin to vote, Councilman Kannarve, have you a candidate for your vote?"

"Nay! But we should vote to take action, before we waste the days wondering what candidate we should vote for." the Klingon shouted every word.

The Chairman nodded. "Very well, Councilman Kannarv has started a motion to elect a commander of the forces in the Una System to remove the Borg Occupation in the Vega System. All in favor?"

A number of lights came on, they were less than the majority. "All against?" something around the same number came on. "Undecided?" a similar number came on. The Chairman looked at his vote count and bit his lip. "The vote is thirty-nine undecided, thirty against, thirty-one for. The motion passes, I have made a decision and shared it with the Chair. I insist that we pursue to have this turned over to a qualified Starfleet Admiral, and left out of the Council. We will decide when we reconvene. Dismissed." the room stood and began to leave. Reddy stepped down from the podium and was intercepted by the Vulcan.

"I want you to know Commander, you have just made enemies on the council, which is something you do not want."

Reddy gave a sly smile and, as he usually covered it up, his thickest Scottish accent. "Ye'r can go an'nee fook yerself, I'mea bloody Scotsman." he knew the comment was offhand and probably offensive to his own culture, but he found it to be pleasing. As he exited the room he met up with Admiral Quinn, who had stern words to say, and Kannarv, who insisted on taking him to Qo'nos sometime to get a mug of bloodwine.