Bridging the Divide 2
First Impressions
RRW Gallena
"We're being hailed by the Valley Forge, Subcommander." Samantha announced from her comm station.
Taking a deep breath and exhaling, V'lana immediately responded as Admiral Hackett pulled down his uniform jacket, "Main viewscreen." A distinguished looking brown-haired human male wearing a mustard/gold colored long sleeved shirt with a thick gold braid indicating rank on his sleeve appeared on the screen.
"Do you know him?" Admiral Hackett whispered to the subcommander.
"He must be the taskforce commander, Admiral." V'lana responded, "See the gold braid on his sleeve? That's his rank—commodore."
As the subcommander, admiral, and bridge crew listened, their hearts skipping, the man spoke with a slight Scandinavian accent. "Welcome home, Subcommander Avesti and the crew of the Gallena. I am Commodore Soren Magnussen commanding the Joint Universal Task Force." His manner relaxing somewhat, he explained with a slight self-deprecating grin, "Now that we got all the pompous lort out of the way, it's good to see you, Subcommander. From what little I've heard, you've had an interesting adventure."
A slight smile crossing her face in response, V'lana replied, "You might say that Sir." Gesturing to the craggy faced man standing next to her, she introduced him. "Commodore…this is Admiral Stephen Hackett of the Earth Systems Alliance."
"Admiral." Soren acknowledged with a polite incline of his head.
"Commodore." Hackett answered back with an equally respectful gesture.
Immediately getting down to business, Soren noted, "I'm sure that your scanners have detected the same thing ours have—the presence of a large Elachi station and fleet."
"Yes, Sir. We have." V'lana answered back, "I assume you've got an idea on how to deal with that situation?"
"I have a few thoughts." Soren replied, "As I'm sure you do as well." Now addressing the admiral standing next to V'lana, Commodore Magnussen politely advised, "Admiral, I would recommend that we and the senior officers of our respective fleets meet to coordinate actions on dealing with the situation."
"I concur." Admiral Hackett agreed at once. "Where do you wish to meet?"
"The Gallena will suffice." Soren replied, "With its commanding officer's permission, of course."
"Of course, Sir." V'lana responded with a slight incline of her head, "We look forward to meeting you." After a momentary pause, she inquired, "You wouldn't happen to have one or more telepaths or empaths at your disposal, Sir? We have a situation that requires their aid."
"We do indeed, Subcommander." Soren replied, "I'll have them beam over with the other senior officers so that your people can brief them."
"Thank you, Sir." V'lana acknowledged, "We look forward to seeing everyone…and…" she added with a slightly impish grin, "…renewing acquaintances."
Responding with an equally rakish smirk, Soren responded, "As do Zsa-Zsa, Korath, and Kaval. I was instructed by them to tell you that they missed you. By the way…" he added, his expression that of a man who was obviously keeping a secret, "Commander Kaval bears a message addressed to you from Proconsul D'Tan and Admiral Kererek. I'll let him deliver it to you in person. Would an hour be sufficient time for you to prepare?"
"Yes, Sir." V'lana acknowledged, "We look forward to seeing you in an hour."
"Very good." Soren inclined his head, "See you then. Valley Forge out."
As the transmission ended, Admiral Hackett announced, "If you'll excuse me, Subcommander, I must inform Admiral Mikhailovich and the ship captains that their presence is needed."
"You're welcome to use my ready room, Admiral." V'lana suggested, gesturing to her office, "I have to go to sickbay to speak to Doctors Chakwas and Aven and then make preparations in the shuttle bay for your people."
"Thank you, Subcommander." Hackett acknowledged with a nod of his head, "I look forward to meeting Commodore Magnussen and the other officers when they arrive."
USS Valley Forge
"Butterflies, Lieutenant Commander?" Soren asked his aide as the pair made their way down the corridor towards the transporter room.
"Some, Sir." Ashley admitted, letting out a breath, "I'm not sure about the welcome I'm going to be getting."
"I'd think your friends would be overjoyed on seeing you." The Danish starship captain remarked in an effort to cheer up the former Alliance marine.
"Oh…I think once they get over the initial shock, Garrus…Liara…Tali…Dr. Chakwas…they'll be as thrilled to see me as I them. It's…the others…like Admirals Hackett and Mikhailovich…Captain Shepard…those are the ones that have me on edge. I'm not sure if they're going to welcome me back or charge me with desertion."
"How do you feel?" Soren asked, "Do you think of yourself as a deserter?"
"Hell No!" Ashley vehemently responded. Then, after taking a moment to calm and center herself, she explained, "I left that life behind when Rana and I went through that portal and came out here. I have a new life now. New friends. A new purpose. And a job I love. I have nothing to be ashamed of where my old life is concerned and nothing keeping me there. Yes…I am looking forward to seeing old friends and my family again. But…my home…my life is here…in Starfleet." Her lips now turning up in a wry grin, she allowed her fingers to gently graze those of her lover's as she spoke, "Besides…I've gotten very close to a certain someone and what we Williams women want…we Williams women get."
Chuckling, Soren answered back as the couple approached the transporter room door, "And I, for one, have gotten very close to a certain someone as well and am glad she is here."
Immediately after the Commodore had uttered his heartfelt admission, the transporter room door again slid open, revealing a man wearing a Systems Alliance class-A uniform displaying the rank insignia of a gunnery chief. "Commodore…Lieutenant Commander." Gunnery Chief Donald Keys announced as he came to a halt and saluted.
"As you were, Chief." Soren politely responded before gently chiding, "This isn't the Alliance Navy."
"Yeah, Donkey." Ashley interjected, deliberately using the gunnery chief's nickname, "And this isn't the first time you've seen us in uniform."
"Just getting back into practice." Donkey replied as he relaxed somewhat. "Mikhailovich will probably want to carry out an inspection the moment he sees me."
Gesturing at the transporter pads, the commodore hinted, "Better not keep them waiting, then."
USS Spoiled Princess
"What do you think Rana…Twes…can you help those poor people?" Nelia asked as the three women lounged in the bar, sipping the drinks that had just been delivered to them by their new valet, Belen's nephew, Bylo.
Heaving a sigh, Twesata snorted a mild euphoriac before responding, "Don't know. We'll have to see what sort of damage was done on their psyches before even beginning to try to put them back together again—if we can do it."
"The man…Kaidan Alenko…is lucky to still be alive." Rana declared as she also took a sniff of the drug her lover just handed to her. "Ardat-Yakshi…" the asari geneticist barely suppressed a shudder of fear on uttering those words, "…rarely leave their prey alive. The mere fact that he survived speaks highly of his strength of will."
"Ya'll ran into Alenko back in our old universe, didn't you Rana?" Dixie asked as she, Atris, and Candy joined the conversation.
"Yeah." The asari scientist confessed. "It wasn't a very pleasant run in though. I literally pissed my pants when he, Shepard, and T'Soni barged into my office. They scared me shitless. Especially when Shepard told me that she was going to explode a nuke under my feet. Then, once it dawned on me that she was letting me go instead of shooting me, it was asshole and elbows outta there as fast as my feet would carry me."
"Where was Ash during all this?" Candy inquired as Bylo brought over more drinks.
"She was with Kirrahe and his group." Rana replied, "We ran into each other in the tunnels underneath the labs that I had found. That was where we found the portal that we jumped through and ended up here."
"Some story." Atris remarked as Nelia's comm chirped.
"Right." The roguish Orion responded, "We're on our way." Cracking a sardonic grin, she half-jokingly commanded her two telepaths. "That was Ash. They want us over on the Gallena, so off to sickbay for detox shots and then get into our uniforms. I don't think they're ready for see-through chemises and topless skirts."
"Oh poo." Twesata, semi-stoned and semi-naked, smirked. "C'mon, imzadi…let's get cleaned up for the neighbors."
"Dix?" Nelia then spoke to the Alabama-born engineer, "They want you there also to brief them on what you know."
"Sure thing, Sugar." Doris responded. Looking down at the halter top and short-shorts she was currently wearing, the Alabama native quipped, blushing slightly, "Ah better go and get changed myself."
SSV Orizaba
As the two officers entered the hangar deck, Hannah Shepard spoke to the man walking beside her in a low tone so that the Alliance crew could not overhear their private conversation. "I don't care what anyone else says or thinks. That thing on the Gallena is not my daughter."
"I'm told that the clone was implanted with Commander Shepard's mental engrams." Rear Admiral Boris Mikhailovich cautiously responded, "I'm not exactly sure what that means though." Lowering his voice, Mikhailovich let slip slightly his usual stern exterior, "Are you sure you want to do this, Hannah?"
"I have to Boris." Hannah answered back, "I have to know whether some piece of my daughter is still alive in that thing or not."
"I understand." Mikhailovich commiserated. "Sergei is still in a coma from the brain damage he suffered when the Cape Town was lost at the Citadel."
"I still…" Hannah stammered before regaining composure, "I'm sorry, Boris, I better not finish that statement. You know how I feel about Jane being promoted as rapidly as she was."
Speaking sympathetically as the pair neared the shuttle that would carry them to the Gallena, Mikhailovich agreed with the captain. "I understand completely, Hannah. For what it is worth, I stated as much to Admiral Hackett and Ambassador Udina when she was given command of the Normandy. Don't get me wrong, she was a very good officer, but it was too early in her career for her to be given a command of her own." Arriving at the shuttle, the admiral motioned for his companion to board first, "Come…it's time to see who we are allying ourselves with."
RRW Gallena
"As we're going to be having quite a few guests, we'll be holding the conference in the holodeck." V'lana instructed the Alliance admiral walking beside her. "Speaking of which, the shuttles from your fleet are inbound and should be here shortly."
"Thank you for your patience, Subcommander." Admiral Hackett replied with a grin, "Most of us…myself included…are still not comfortable with your use of matter teleportation just yet."
"Understandable." V'lana responded with a slight smirk as the pair entered the transporter room. "It can be a jarring experience if you've never undergone it before."
"Commodore Magnussen and his staff are ready to beam aboard, Subcommander." The Romulan sublieutenant manning the transporter console declared in a crisp voice.
Inclining her head slightly, V'lana commanded, "Energize."
Immediately after rematerializing on the warbird's transporter pad, Commodore Magnussen, speaking for himself and his party, uttered the traditional request on boarding another vessel, "Permission to come on board, Subcommander?"
"Permission granted, Commodore. Welcome aboard." V'lana formally acknowledged, introducing the human standing next to her, "This is Admiral Steven Hackett, Commander of the Fifth Fleet, Systems Alliance."
"Admiral." Soren greeted with a slight incline of his head, "Commodore Soren Magnussen…currently in command of the Joint Universal Task Force. If I may, I'd like to introduce my companions. My aide…Lieutenant Commander Ashley Williams. I believe you are acquainted with her."
"I am indeed." Hackett responded, his expression not displaying his surprise on the sight of the former gunnery chief wearing a gold Starfleet minidress, the gold braid that he had learned was the insignia for a lieutenant commander on her sleeves and her dark hair arranged in a beehive. Deliberately addressing the former Alliance marine by her current Starfleet rank and not her former Alliance title, he smiled, "I look forward to hearing your account as to how you've been faring, Lieutenant Commander."
"Yes, Sir." Ashley politely acknowledged as the Commodore introduced the other member of his party.
"Admiral…this is Gunnery Chief Donald Keys…"
"Sir!" Coming to attention, Donkey rendered a crisp salute.
"Gunny." The Admiral responded with an equally precise salute. "It is good to see you again. We had presumed you lost with the Dawn Star. I look forward to reading your report on what happened." Addressing the Danish Starfleet officer still standing on the transporter pad, Hackett politely inquired, "I take it the ship and its passengers and crew are in your universe, Commodore?"
"Yes, Admiral." Soren replied, "Unfortunately we weren't able to rescue everyone. Some of the passengers were killed and others taken…possibly to that Elachi station."
"I'm sure you did all you could, Commodore, and, speaking on behalf of the Systems Alliance and the Citadel Council, I appreciate your efforts in rescuing our people." Hackett answered back, "I take it you have plans on dealing with that station?"
"We do, Admiral." Soren responded, "That is one of the topics we'll be discussing at the briefing."
"Commodore?" V'lana politely interjected, "The captains from the other ships indicate that they are ready to beam aboard and we're beginning to receive shuttles from the Citadel fleet."
"Thank you, Subcommander." The commodore replied, suggesting further. "Admiral? If you'd like to remain, I'll be happy to introduce you to the other captains."
"I'd like that, Commodore." Hackett answered back with a nod of his head. "I look forward to meeting them. I've taken the opportunity to read something of the information that Subcommander Avesti has on hand regarding them. It seems you have a talented…and diverse…group of captains under your command."
"I assume you've read the open file on Captain Rosza." Soren responded with a slightly sardonic grin before sincerely declaring, "I assure you, that while she and her command are…unorthodox…to put it mildly, they are also highly competent and have received numerous citations and commendations…as well as…" he admitted somewhat embarrassingly, "…a fair amount of reprimands."
"It's all right, Commodore." Hackett grinned back, "I've had my share of colorful officers under my command. I've found that, for the most part, as long as they're getting results, it's usually best to ignore the odd…incident."
"Subcommander, Commander Terre is ready to beam over from the Spoiled Princess with her people, and Captain Hobson and his first officer are standing by."
"Commander Terre would be one of those colorful characters." Soren advised, further suggesting to V'lana, "Subcommander? You might want to doublecheck the air filtration system in the holodeck. Captain Hobson's first officer is Deltan and Commander Terre is Orion."
"We should be fine, Sir." V'lana replied, "But I'll have my engineer check to be sure." As her chief engineer answered her hail, the subcommander inquired, "Veril? How are our air filtration systems in the holodeck."
"Working perfectly, Subcommander. Why? Is there a problem?" The Reman engineer responded.
"No…but do me a favor and check to make sure. We're having a Deltan and an Orion attending the meeting. I know it shouldn't be an issue as it's a large holodeck…but there will be a lot of people attending and…better safe than sorry."
"Understood, Subcommander. I'll send Ken and Gabby to make sure everything's working properly."
"Thanks. Avesti out."
"Is there something I should know, Lieutenant Commander?" Admiral Hackett asked his old gunnery chief.
"Nelia…Commander Terre…is Orion, and Commander Rysyl is Deltan." Ashley explained, "Both races release a very powerful pheromone that acts as a grade-A sexual attractant. Normally, as long as the air filtration systems are working and a room isn't too crowded, it's not a problem—most of the stories you're going to hear about Deltans and Orion females are the products of overactive imaginations, but…in the wrong circumstances…"
"Like a crowded room where the air isn't circulating…" Admiral Hackett nodded in understanding, a slight grin appearing on his face, "I can see where problems might arise in those circumstances."
"Yes, Sir." Ashley grinned back as pillars of light appeared on the transporter pad, materializing into the Aeolia's captain and first officer as well as Nelia, accompanied by her team.
Admiral Hackett looked on with interest as the new arrivals were greeted by the Commodore and Subcommander until he heard a Scandinavian accented voice calling his name.
"Admiral Hackett?"
"Yes." The Systems Alliance admiral, recovering quickly, responded, his attention now focused on the Danish Starfleet commodore.
"Admiral…" Soren diplomatically announced, "I'd like to introduce you to Captain Christopher Hobson…" A man with neatly trimmed seal-brown hair, a poker faced expression and immaculately dressed in what Admiral Hackett was informed as being an Odyssey-class uniform bearing the rank insignia of a captain stepped forward, accompanied by a beautiful bald-headed woman also wearing an Odyssey uniform.
"Admiral." The stone-faced captain formally presented himself and his companion. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir. Please allow me to introduce to you my executive officer, Commander Anara Rysyl."
His heart racing involuntarily at the sight of the strikingly beautiful Deltan woman, Hackett almost missed hearing his name being called out again.
"And this, Admiral…is Commander Nelia Terre with part of her crew."
"Hello, Admiral." The green-skinned, raven-haired woman wearing a gold Starfleet minidress smirked mischievously as she saw that the Systems Alliance admiral was barely maintaining his stoic exterior. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Please allow me to introduce Lieutenants Twesata Glex and Rana Thanoptis…they…along with Commander Rysyl…will be the ones working with your injured people in sickbay."
"Lieutenant Thanoptis…" Admiral Hackett, bravely maintaining his composure, inclined his head slightly in the direction of the asari Starfleet officer, "You must have been the one who survived Virmire with Lieutenant Commander Williams."
"Yes, Sir." The asari geneticist affirmed before sincerely declaring, "I'm one of those who owe a great debt to Commander Shepard. She took a chance on me when she let me run away from Saren's lab rather than just shooting me. I owe her for that."
"At one time or another, Rana's pulled all of our asses out of the fire…Sir." Ashley interjected, coming to the aid of her teammate.
"I'm not questioning Lieutenant Thanoptis's loyalty, Lieutenant Commander." Admiral Hackett assured, "On the contrary, I'm pleased to see that Commander Shepard's instincts and trust were well placed. A great many people, myself included, owe a tremendous debt to the Commander." He then spoke to the three women in a plaintive voice, "I hope that you will be able to help Commander Alenko and the clone of Commander Shepard. If there is anything of our Commander Shepard still alive..."
"We'll do everything we can for both of them, Sir." Rana vowed as a Romulan woman entered the transporter room.
Interjecting herself into the conversation, V'lana gestured at the newcomer. "This is Lieutenant Satra, my science officer, she will escort you to sickbay."
"Thank you, Subcommander." Anara replied, adding for the admiral's benefit, "We'll do everything we can for your people."
"Sir?" Ashley interjected, addressing the commodore, "Permission to accompany Lieutenant Satra and the others?"
Understanding that his aide wanted to see her old shipmates, Soren nodded his head in assent, "Permission granted, Lieutenant Commander. I'll see you at the meeting."
Watching as the former Alliance gunnery chief walked out of the room, Admiral Hackett turned to his Starfleet counterpart. "Commodore, I hope you know that you've a fine officer. I am glad to see that she has found a home. The Alliance's loss is Starfleet's gain. Take care of her."
Soren promised in return, "I will Admiral. And you are correct. She is a very good officer."
Shuttle Bay
Exiting their shuttle, Admiral Mikhailovich and Captain Shepard were met by a Romulan officer accompanied by a blonde Starfleet officer and an asari.
"Admiral Mikhailovich? Captain Shepard? We met briefly the last time you were on board. Centurion Tovan Kev, Executive officer. Subcommander Avesti, Admiral Hackett, and Commodore Magnussen send their regards and wish to express their regrets for not being able to personally greet you."
The blonde human then stepped forward, introducing herself. "Lieutenant Commander Cilla Oudekirk, second officer, Sirs. Dr. T'Soni have been instructed to accompany Captain Shepard to sickbay."
"Is that where my…the clone…is?" Hannah asked with a slight crack in her voice.
"Yes, Sir." Cilla politely responded, further explaining, "The telepaths who are going to work with Commander Alenko and the clone should be in sickbay when we arrive. We thought that you might wish to speak with them before the meeting." She then addressed the Admiral. "Admiral Mikhailovich?"
"Yes, Lieutenant Commander?"
"If you would also accompany me, I will take you to the holodeck where we will be holding the staff conference. By the time we arrive, the other captains, along with Admiral Hackett and Commodore Magnussen should be there."
Sickbay
Looking down at the redheaded woman lying peacefully in the stasis tube next to his old friend and comrade, Garrus Vakarian shook his head as he glumly commented to the gray-haired woman standing next to him. "I don't know what to think, Doctor. She looks so much like our Commander Shepard. While I a part of me is praying that you'll be able to fix her, another part of me wants you to just unplug the tube and let her die. I saw her casually gun down Kaidan and then hold him as a hostage for Jack." His gaze turned to the man lying in the adjacent tube. "What am I supposed to think? I want to hate her…but I can't. But I can't bring myself to feel sorry for her either."
"How are they?"
Startled, Dr. Chakwas looked up, at once recognizing Hannah Shepard, accompanied by Liara. "Captain Shepard. I'm sorry, but there's no change in either the clone's or Staff Commander Alenko's condition. Dr. Aven and I were able to remove all of the Cerberus implants…including those that monitored and controlled her behavior."
"So…" Hannah persisted, "How much of my daughter is in there?"
The doctor shook her head, "We can't say for sure how much…if any…of the personalities of either one have survived their experiences. I've just been informed that Commodore Magnussen…the commander of the other fleet…has sent over some telepaths who are on their way here. Hopefully, they'll be able to tell us more."
"Please…" Hannah implored, "I can't stay as I have to go to a meeting…"
"We'll keep you updated, Captain." Dr. Chakwas replied in an assuring voice, "It's easy to get lost on this ship, so, Nurse Papadopoulos will show you to the holodeck."
"Thank you." The Alliance captain responded as a human wearing a pale blue minidress introduced herself. "Again…if anything changes…"
"We'll let you know at once."
Gallena—Corridor on the way to sickbay
"Nervous Ash?" Twesata asked with a mischievous smirk.
"Did those Betazoid empathic senses of yours pick up on that?" Ashley joked back with a snort of nervous laughter.
"Didn't need 'em." The leggy Betazoid responded. Then, her voice tone taking on a more sympathetic edge, she comforted her friend. "Don't worry, Ash. They're going to be overjoyed at seeing that you're alive."
"Twes is right, Ash." Rana declared, adding her voice in support. "I'm sure they will be happy to see you again."
"Anything from the Deltan contingent?" Ashley jokingly remarked, bringing Anara into the conversation.
"I think your friends said it best, Ashley." Anara answered back with a warm smile, "You have nothing to worry about…but you're still worried—aren't you?"
"Yeah." Ashley admitted, "Not so much at how Liara, Garrus, and the others are going to react…but rather…"
"You're worried about your friend Kaidan." Anara finished, inclining her head in understanding.
"And then there's the clone." Ashley further confessed, "How much of my old Skipper is still in there and how much is bullshit that Cerberus dumped in her?"
"That's what we're going to find out, Ash." Twesata declared as they neared the entrance to sickbay. Ready?"
"No." Ashley took a deep breath and exhaled, "But let's go anyway."
Sickbay
As soon as the sickbay door opened to admit Ashley and the telepaths accompanying her, Liara, looking up and at once recognizing her old friend, gasped in surprise. "Ashley?!"
"What?" Garrus exclaimed as he pivoted in the direction his asari friend was pointing. At once realizing the identity of the dark-haired woman, even though she was wearing a Starfleet minidress, the turian vigilante shook his head in disbelief, "No…can't be. You're dead."
"Ashley Williams." Dr. Chakwas uttered in a hushed tone, "I don't believe my eyes. You're alive."
"How did you…" Liara, stifling a sob, rushed to embrace her old friend, hugging her tightly. "You were…we heard…the nuke…what happened?"
"It's a long story." Ashley replied softly as she returned her old friend's hug before releasing her. "Short version, Commander Rentolla saved my life. He made me go down a hole that led to a series of underground tunnels."
"Was Saren using them?" Garrus asked in curiosity.
"He didn't even know they existed—thank God—seeing as what was in there." Ashley replied with a slight grin, "I ran into Rana down there…" she then pushed her asari teammate, wearing a blue Starfleet minidress, forward, "I almost killed her before she told me that she had discovered them earlier and didn't tell Saren."
"You forgot to mention the Dewan arthropod down there." Rana nervously quipped as she glanced anxiously first at Liara and then Garrus.
"I was getting around to that." Ashley bantered back in an effort to lighten tensions.
Her gaze falling on the other asari, Liara exclaimed accusingly, "I remember you…Rana Thanoptis…you worked for Saren. I thought you ran away after Shepard let you go."
"I did." Rana confessed. "I ran as fast as possible to the tunnels and that's where I ran into Ashley. After I talked her into not shooting me…"
A raven-haired woman wearing a blue Starfleet minidress interposed herself between the two asari declaring protectively to Liara, "Leave my imzadi alone."
"That's Twesata." Ashley explained in an effort to ease conflict. "She's on the same team as Rana and me. She's also a telepath." The former Alliance marine then asserted firmly, "Rana's pulled our asses out of the fire more than once. She's on our side."
"If you say she's all right…" Garrus declared, ending the discussion, "Then that's good enough for us. Right, Liara?"
"I guess so." The asari information broker reluctantly conceded before inquiring, "So…what happened?"
Sighing in relief as tensions eased, Rana continued her story, "We teamed up and after Ashley took down that Dewan arthropod I was talking about earlier…"
"While Rana was shitting her pants." Ashley joked, giving her teammate a playful poke in the ribs.
"Dewan what?" Garrus asked.
"Think giant scorpion with an attitude." Ashley replied, gesturing for her friend to continue her tale.
"Yeah." Rana agreed, "That. After Ashley took care of it, we heard geth in the tunnels and took off to a chamber I'd found. Inside that chamber, there was a portal."
"We didn't know what was going to be on the other side, but we did know that if we stayed, the geth were going to get us and since neither one of us planned on being impaled on one of their spikes…" Ashley interjected.
"We jumped into the portal." Rana finished, "Thankfully, we ended up in Twesata's universe, and we've been there ever since."
"It sounds like you two have had an interesting adventure." Dr. Chakwas remarked as her gaze fell on Twesata and the bald woman in the room, "You said that your other friend was a telepath too?"
"Yes." Ashley replied, introducing the women accompanying her, first the dark-haired woman and then the elegant bald-headed officer, "This is Commander Anara Rysyl…she's Deltan and both an empath and telepath."
"Greetings." Anara politely announced her presence to the room, "We'll do everything we can to help your friends.
"And this…" Ashley then gestured to her teammate, "As you already know, is Lieutenant Twesata Glex. She's Betazoid and is also both a telepath and empath."
"What Commander Rysyl said." Twesata simply declared before inquiring, inclining her head at the two bodies lying in the stasis tubes, "So…these are the two?"
"Yes." Dr. Chakwas confirmed, "Staff Commander Kaidan Alenko and the clone of Commander Shepard. "They've both suffered from a great deal of mental trauma. And, while there is still mental activity…it's at a minimal level. It's as if their brains have put themselves on a standby or repair mode."
"Can you do anything?" Ashley asked in a pleading voice.
"We'll see." Anara gently responded as she placed her hands on both tubes, the other telepaths following her lead. After what seemed to those watching to be hours, but was in actuality mere seconds, the telepaths broke their contact. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, the Deltan empath announced, "There is something of who they are still in both of them…but it's hard to say how much remains. I think they can be helped…but not here…and not by us. We're just not skilled enough."
"We need to take them where specialists can help them." Twesata declared, suggesting, "Like Betazed. My people are natural telepaths and empaths and have experience dealing with this sort of trauma."
"So…we're going to have to take them to your universe." Dr. Chakwas concluded.
"Yes." Anara affirmed, "Do they have family?"
"Yes." The human doctor nodded her head in confirmation, "Captain Shepard…Hannah Shepard…the commanding officer of the Orizaba, is the original Jane Shepard's mother. She'll be at the staff meeting."
"Good." Anara exclaimed, "We can talk to her either before or after the meeting. What about Commander Alenko?"
"His family's back on Earth…our Earth." Dr. Chakwas replied. "It'll be difficult to get word to them. However, as he is an Earth Alliance officer, I can refer him to you for further care after running it through Admiral Hackett. I don't see any problem with the admiral granting his consent—although he will want to inform the Alenkos as soon as possible—as do I. As his parents, they have a right to know."
"I agree with you." The Deltan empath immediately responded, "They also should have the opportunity to be with their son if they so desire. I cannot make promises—but I will do the best I can to make sure they get that opportunity."
"Thank you, Commander." Dr. Chakwas smiled back.
"Excuse me…" Ashley diplomatically interrupted, "Commander…Doctor…I'm afraid we have to…"
"Thank you, Lieutenant Commander." Anara responded, explaining to the doctor, "I'm afraid we have to attend the staff meeting."
"Of course." Dr. Chakwas responded with a smile, further pleading, "Come by and see me when you get the chance, Ashley. I'd like to hear about what you've been doing the past few years."
"Save me a glass of Serrice Ice Brandy and it's a date." Ashley grinned back as Garrus cleared his throat and Liara anxiously looked on, "I think I know what you two want…" seeing the Deltan XO's subtle nod of her head, the former gunnery chief smirked, "You two can come to the meeting. I have a feeling you're going to play an important part in what's about to happen, so you should be there. It'll also give us a chance to catch up after. Twes? Rana?"
"We'll stay here with the Doctor, Ash." Twesata replied, Rana nodding her head in agreement. "There's a lot we need to know about both Commander Alenko and the clone before we can really do anything to help them and any information she can provide us…"
"Short of patient-doctor confidentiality…" Dr Chakwas immediately responded, "I'll give you everything I can."
Gallena—holodeck conference chamber
"Hello, dahlings!" Captain Zsuzsanna Rosza, accompanied by Elisa Flores, her olive-skinned executive officer, and Salome, her science officer, waved at her fellow captains as the trio sauntered into the holodeck which had been transformed into a large auditorium with seats and a podium for the speaker. Spotting V'lana who was currently in conversation with three officers wearing Systems Alliance uniforms, along with Ashley, an asari, and a turian. Waving at the Romulan subcommander, the Hungarian captain called out as she and Elisa approached the little group, "'lana, dahling! We missed you!"
Hearing a familiar Hungarian accented voice calling out to her, the lovely Romulan responded, "Zsa-Zsa! Elisa! Salome! Come…join us."
Frowning with disapproval at the sight of the three scandalously clad women approaching, Admiral Mikhailovich muttered under his breath, "These are officers? They look more like hookers in Afterlife."
"V'lana, dahling! Give us a kiss." Zsa-Zsa exclaimed, kissing V'lana on the cheeks, "So tell me, dragam…what have you…or who have you…been doing the past couple of years?"
"Ummm…" V'lana stammered uncertainly, "I'll talk to you later about it, Zsa-Zsa, okay?"
Seeing the distressed look on her comrade's face, the Hungarian captain nodded her head, replying in a sympathetic voice, "Ertem. We'll talk later…over drinks. Igen?"
"Thank you. I'd like that." V'lana replied as she turned to the others looking on in a mixture of curiosity and disapproval and formally introduced the newcomers. "Admirals Hackett and Milanovich…Captain Shepard…this is Captain Zsuzsanna Rosza, captain of the Belladonna, Commander Elisa Flores, her first officer, and science officer Salome Jenkins."
"Captain." Admiral Hackett, aware that salutes were not used in Starfleet, acknowledged with a simple dip of his head, "I have heard that you and your ship have quite the reputation."
Shrugging her shoulders, Zsuzsanna replied nonchalantly, "We work hard and play hard. And we kill the enemy."
"We don't always play by Starfleet rules…" Elisa interjected in a cool tone, "…but we get the job done."
"I've read through some of your combat record earlier…" Hackett noted, "I was especially impressed by your actions in the battle that led to the rescue of the New Dawn passengers and crew. Speaking for the Systems Alliance, I want to thank you and your fellow ship captains."
"Szivesen." Zsa-Zsa replied with a slight grin as tensions eased slightly, "We were glad to help. I only wish we could have saved more."
Tensions eased, the group slid into small talk until Commodore Magnussen announced from the podium. "If everyone would take their seats, we can begin the meeting. We have a great deal to discuss and not a whole lot of time. Before we proceed, Commander Kaval has an important message he would like to convey. Commander?"
"Thank you." The commanding officer of the D'ressa acknowledged as he stood behind the dais. I have been asked by Proconsul D'Tan and Admiral Kererek to carry out a very pleasant duty." Taking a deep breath, he announced in a voice tinged with pride, "Subcommander V'lana Avesti. Please come here."
As she made her way up to the stage, V'lana noticed her fellow captains all smiling at her. "Commander." V'lana inclined her head in respect at the distinguished Romulan standing before her.
"Subcommander Avesti." Kaval responded, still smiling. Handing a padd to the young subcommander, he declared, "As I mentioned earlier, I bear a special message from Admiral Kererek and Proconsul D'Tan. Please…read it aloud."
Taking a deep breath, V'lana read the message, her eyes widening and voice cracking as she spoke. "Greetings to our long lost sister and the gallant crew of the Gallena. We welcome you back into our arms. Let it be known that…" As V'lana paused in shock and surprise, Kaval grinned.
"Go on…please…"
Her voice cracking with emotion, V'lana recited, "Let it be known that effective with receipt of this message, Subcommander V'lana Avesti is promoted to Commander with all the obligations and privileges associated with the rank. Furthermore, the officers and crew of the Gallena are also effective immediately promoted one step in rank. We…we…" V'lana stammered, "…we thank you for your commitment to duty and welcome you back to the Republic. We have all missed you."
"Congratulations, Commander." Kaval announced with pride, "Welcome back our sister."
"Thank you." V'lana responded in an uncharacteristically modest tone of voice. "It is good to be back home."
Resuming his position at the podium, Soren happily announced, "The Starfleet personnel who were on the Gallena will also receive promotions. Congratulations to you all and a job well done. Now…" he declared, his face now taking on a grim countenance as a holographic projection of the Elachi station and fleet appeared, "…we have important matters to discuss. To secure passage from one universe to another, that station and fleet must be neutralized. However, we cannot just simply destroy the station from space. We must first board it. While we maintain hope that there will be prisoners there that we can rescue—and we will make all efforts to do so should there be any prisoners, we must also gather as much intelligence as possible regarding the Elachi, their motives, and the purposes of those with whom they are allied. That is going to be a tall order. Scans for the Aeolia and D'ressa have revealed what we expected: the station is well defended with redundant shields, weapons turrets, and torpedo launchers, not to mention the fact that they have transport buffers."
"We'd be walking into a buzzsaw." Garrus whispered in a low voice to the asari seated next to him. "I hope this Commodore knows that."
Almost as if he had read the turian vigilante's mind, Soren further elaborated his plan, "A direct assault would be suicidal. However, we think we have found a way to infiltrate the station with commando teams. The teams' mission, once the station has been breached by them, is to sabotage its defenses—giving an opening for the second part of our plan. To pull this off, we are going to take a page out of Greek mythology and use a Trojan Horse. As this was his idea, I'll let Captain Hobson explain."
Clearing his throat, the punctilious captain began his presentation. "We have noticed through repeated scans that an Elachi supply vessel will leave the station at regular intervals. It opens a portal at the exact same coordinates and returns twenty-four hours later at the same location. My proposal is that we have cloaked vessels waiting in ambush with the objective being to capture the vessel intact. That will be our Trojan Horse into the Elachi station."
Nodding his head sagely, Admiral Mikhailovich, impressed by both how the Starfleet captain carried himself as well as his presentation, remarked to the Systems Alliance admiral seated next to him in a low whisper, "He would make a good ship captain in the Alliance Navy and his plan is a good one. I see a potential flaw though. What would prevent the alien ship from just opening up an escape portal or sending out a message for aid?"
Almost as if in answer to the admiral's question, Hobson further explained, "It is important that our target's engines are disabled immediately on engagement. There will be absolutely no margin for error and we will only have one chance at this. The Gallena and the Spoiled Princess would be the ideal ships to carry out the interception and boarding as they are both capable of cloaking and possess strong ECM and ECCM capabilities, along with the Aeolia. Using the Gallena, instead of the Aeolia, however,as our strike vessel will allow our Citadel friends to participate as the ship already consists of members from those races."
Nodding his head appreciatingly, Admiral Hackett whispered to the man seated next to him, "I'm impressed. He's willing to forego personal glory for the sake of the mission."
"It would aid in building alliances." Matriarch Lidanya, commanding the Destiny Ascension, agreed, adding her weight to the discussion.
"A good solution." The turian captain concurred. "The Gallena will suffice."
"Commander Avesti…Commander Terre?" The Iceman called out, referring to the Gallena's captain by her new rank, "Your input?"
Nodding her head, V'lana replied, "It'll work. I'd like to further suggest that we drop cloaked tractor mines and subspace jammers to prep for the ambush. The mines will immobilize the Elachi long enough for us to take out their engines and the jammers will prevent them calling for aid."
"We should also include Edi in one of our landing parties. Her abilities could prove useful." Nelia advised, giving Vega, seated next to Miranda and Solana, a playful wink, the Alliance marine blushing in response at the glares coming from the women on either side of him.
"Good ideas." Hobson affirmed, agreeing to the Romulan and Orion commanders' modifications to his plan as Commodore Magnussen resumed control of the meeting.
"We have a suggestion from Admiral Sevemus. Inclining his head respectfully at the turian officer, the Iceman gestured to the podium, "Admiral? Please?"
"Thank you, Captain." Admiral Caeus Sevemus, commanding the turian dreadnaught Primarch's Pride, took his place behind the podium.
"While Citadel and Alliance ships at present are incapable of engaging directly with these Elachi vessels, there are ways in which we can contribute." The turian earnestly stated. "First…our capital ships can assist in search and rescue operations should those be necessary. Second…while our larger ships might not be able to combat the enemy in direct battle, our fighters…particularly asari fighters…can provide some assistance—scouting and screening if nothing else. Third…from what I have been told, our shuttles and yours, Commodore, are roughly equivalent. In fact, depending on the situation, Systems Alliance and turian shuttles, at least, are more durable than their Starfleet or Romulan Republic counterparts. Our shuttles…properly escorted, of course…can assist in ferrying marines to the station and survivors off."
Understanding the need for the Citadel captains and admirals in attendance to feel that, in some way, they will be contributing to the coming battle, Soren inclined his head in acknowledgement as he resumed control over the meeting.
"The admiral's suggestions are good ones." Zsa-Zsa declared in support. "We must assume that the station is capable of isolating breached segments, so just using transporters will not work. We also do not possess enough shuttles to launch such an assault and as their shuttles and ours are roughly comparable as far as sublight flight is concerned, they would be most useful—as would their troops."
"A team or two of asari commandoes would prove most effective." Matriarch Lidanya pointed out, smiling with appreciation at the Hungarian captain's words.
"As would Alliance and turian marines." Admiral Hackett further pointed out, his facial expression betraying his pleasure that there would be an Alliance presence at the coming attack.
"STG experience in covert reconnaissance as well as engineering and scientific capabilities might prove of benefit." Mordin, who had been quietly listening to the conference, interjected.
"Very good ideas." Soren announced, "Now…it is time to prepare for action. Commander Avesti…Commander Terre…when can you launch your ambush?"
Looking at each other and nodding their heads in unison, Nelia confidently declared, "Whenever you're ready."
"Then…make it so. Admirals…Matriarch…may we speak in private so that we can better coordinate our fleets? Captains…we will meet again after Commanders Terre and Avesti have brought back their prize. If there's nothing else…dismissed and good luck."