CHAPTER FOURTEEN
LaBrel took off, laughing that his escape would be so easy. As long as the Federation was pathetic, seeing to the safety of the slaves before all else, they wouldn't pay attention to any escapees. He even noticed other shuttles make their way to freedom... in fact, there was one right behind him. He would regroup with his men, and they would try things his way, without any sniveling Vorta around to stick their loyalty to the Dominion in his face.
He was admiring the soft glow of the nearby planet blow him. He wished they could have had their mine there. It was a nice planet; one of the first things he did when coming to this system was to visit it. But it had none of the materials needed for processing ketrecel white, and it was more efficient to have everything in the asteroid belt.
Suddenly, proximity alarms were going off. He frantically searched his board, wondering what could have set them off. Certainly not the shuttle behind him; it was too far away. He was still completing that thought when space wavered in front of him. His eyes bugged out when a massive Sovereign-class starship appeared before him. Frantic to avoid a collision, LaBrel slapped at his controls; but he was not a good shuttle pilot. He managed to avoid the large ship with the name Highlander emblazoned across the hull, but in the process, he skimmed off a nearby asteroid, about half the size of the ship. Still, without his shields up, it was still plenty big enough to do damage. LaBrel tried desperately to go through options in his head.
~ * ~
Apollo saw the shower of sparks come from the shuttle ahead of them, and tapped his combadge. "Racer to Highlander. Did you fire on them?"
"No sir, Admiral," came the reply, whose voice Sam distinctly recognized as being Scotty's. "He struck an asteroid when we showed up. My guess is now he'll be heading fer th' planet."
"What the hell? Am I in some alternate universe or something? Is Jim Kirk on that ship, too?" Sam said, obviously confused.
Apollo merely smirked and told her, "I'll explain later." Then, to his badge, "Scotty, keep an eye on him. If his shuttle looks like it might rip itself apart, yank him out of there. I'm following him down, otherwise."
"Aye sir, we'll be keepin' an eye on him. Highlander out."
Sam could see that Apollo was concentrating hard on not letting the other shuttle out of his sight, so she kept anything she had to say to a low tone. "Alternate universe or not, now that I have my memories back, the last thing I remember before finding myself on Fremma, in terrible pain I might add, was being on the bridge of the Valiant and watching the ship blow up around me. Now, considering that ship is nothing like what I knew we had, I'm going to assume I'm a few years in the future. I don't suppose you'd mind explaining what happened there, too, would you?"
"All in good time," he said. Then he allowed himself to take his eyes off the screen and look at Sam. "But I will tell you this... I've never been happier to see you in all my life. And that covers a lot of territory." He smiled at her, took her hand and kissed it. She returned the smile. He studied her for a moment; she looked a bit haggard, and she looked slightly malnourished, but otherwise not too worse for wear.
She saw his look, and an incredible wave of sadness hit her. "They... oh Apollo, they killed Lilta."
"Lilta?"
She nodded. "Brekkan's granddaughter." A tear rolled down her cheek.
The memory of the child Sorel had treated aboard the Valiant came unbidden to his mind. His facial expression seemed to adopt a stony mask, and he returned his fiery gaze toward the viewscreen, where he noticed LaBrel's shuttle just starting to glow from atmospheric entry. He dove straight for the beacon.
"We'll avenge her, Sam. Don't you worry about it."
~ * ~
LaBrel staggered away from his shuttle. It may never fly again, but at least he was down in one piece, and with the emergency beacon he activated in the shuttle, he could hide until he could be rescued. He hoped that Federation starship couldn't pick up the beacon, but he knew almost before completing that thought that the Federation's technology was sufficient enough where they would no doubt catch it.
The shuttle that followed him from the asteroid landed just next to his wreck... perhaps he would be rescued after all, though he wondered how they avoided the starship. Perhaps they saw his poor fortune and decided to hide in the asteroids, skirt their way around. Either way, he saw salvation. He ran over to the shuttle as the hatch was opening up. He was about to enter the shuttle and thank the pilot for rescuing him when suddenly he couldn't open his mouth. It had been closed by a fist that knocked him squarely and rather hard on the jaw. He stumbled backward, couldn't keep his balance, and fell on his backside. He started to get back up, and noticed with shock that the fist that slugged him belonged to a Starfleet officer with luminous blue eyes. Prisoner 90210 was behind him in the shuttle.
"You're in a lot of trouble, LaBrel," the officer said.
"May I have the privilege to know with whom I am 'in trouble'?"
"Admiral Apollo A. Racer of the USS Highlander. I'm arresting you for charges of slavery, murder, and assault of a Starfleet officer, just to name a couple."
LaBrel chuckled. "Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but you hit me."
Apollo gestured in the shuttle towards the second occupant. "This is Commander Samantha Racer. She was currently on inactive duty, spending time on a Federation world that your forces raided for slaves." Sam was a little startled at Apollo referring to her by her former rank, but she remained quiet.
LaBrel backed away from the advancing admiral, and suddenly looked over toward a nearby cliff. "I should warn you, I'm not alone."
Apollo snorted. "That's fine. I don't care."
"Ah, but you should, mon admirale."
Apollo whirled at the sound, and saw a Cardassian leaning against the cliff. But he recognized this Cardassian. "Q."
"I'm here. Time for your decision."
LaBrel tried to get the jump on Apollo. Seeing him as the only threat to him, the Cardassian was taken by complete surprise when Sam moved between them and slugged LaBrel as hard as she could. There was a loud crack, as his jaw was already weakened by the punishment inflicted by it from Apollo. He slumped to the ground, holding his mouth. Sam was shaking her hand. "Owwww..." she whined, flexing her fingers to make sure she hadn't broken her hand. Without even glancing in their direction, Apollo faced off his own adversary. "Kinda short notice, don't you think, Q? I've been a little busy."
Sam was puzzled. "Who is this 'Q', Apollo?"
"Ah. Greetings, Madam Racer," Q said, and made a stately bow in her direction. "I am the being who currently holds your mate's fate in the balance." He turned back to Apollo. "What will it be? Embrace the gift we had given you so long ago, or die, forever wondering what it was you passed up."
Apollo scowled. "Well gee, Q. I think you already know what I'm going to say, seeing as you're so powerful and think you know so much."
Q sadly shook his head. "That isn't a choice here. You must choose between what you've been given. And if you make no choice, then one will be made for you."
LaBrel again tried to take advantage of the fact he was being paid no attention. He had picked himself up off the ground and grabbed a rather large rock. Sam was about to cry out a warning when LaBrel hurled it toward Apollo. However, instead of making the sickening crunch he expected to hear, Apollo's forcefield winked into existence an instant before the rock reached him. The mini-boulder bounced off, and nearly crushed its thrower instead if he hadn't had the thought to move out of the way.
When Apollo turned toward him, he had an evil grin on his face, a type LaBrel had only seen in his worst nightmares, and hoped he would never see again. When Apollo spoke, his voice echoed. "So, little man. You want to play with rocks."
LaBrel suddenly noticed that while Q was in sunlight, Apollo was in sunlight, the shuttles and everything else around him were in sunlight, the spot he was standing in was the only spot in shadow, and he was certain that wasn't the case a moment ago. He looked up, and saw the source of the shadow. He had just enough time to look at Apollo with utter despair before a ten-ton boulder dropped on him; no splat, nothing showed of the Cardassian, just a resounding boom when the boulder struck the ground.
"Apollo, how could you?!" Sam shrieked.
"That is what being a Q is, Samantha," Q said, "the ability to do whatever you want, because any other race in the galaxy is insignificant in comparison."
Apollo heard those words, and realized that he was repulsed by what he did. To take a life in such a casual manner violated every belief he had. He had already made such a grave mistake when he left Starfleet before. Now maybe he could atone. "No Q. I won't... I can't... become something like that." With a flippant gesture of his hand, LaBrel appeared with his back against the boulder, very much alive and looking for all the world as though he soiled his pants. Apollo continued. "I may be a Q, but I am also a Starfleet officer, and I will stand for what I believe in."
Q shook his head sadly. "I'm truly sorry it must come to this, then."
Apollo went into a defensive crouch and beckoned to Q. "Bring it on, I can take whatever you can throw at me."
Q merely looked at him sadly. "It's a pity, actually. You were our best hope."
A glance behind Apollo was all the warning he had before something slammed into Apollo's back, throwing him to the ground. There was an ugly, smoldering black spot between his shoulder blades. He got painfully to his feet and turned... to find Captain Belanger there, with what appeared to look like a lightning bolt in her hand.
"My God. Athena?? You're a Q??"
"Why so surprised, Admiral? Did you think you were the only Q in Starfleet?"
Q chimed in. "And that's not an ordinary lightning bolt in her hand. It's a Q-weapon, probably the only thing in existence that can kill a Q. And unless you're in the Continuum, only a Q can handle such a weapon."
"But WHY!?" Sam cried out. "He's not doing you any harm by doing what he does. He certainly wasn't posing any problem all these years. Why kill him now?"
"Because it must be done, otherwise chaos would take over the universe." Q nodded to Belanger. She let loose another bolt, but Apollo erected a shield in front of his arm and batted it away.
"Athena, don't do this! For God's sake, you were doing the same thing I was. Why are you being spared?" Apollo pleaded.
"There's a difference, Racer. I was assigned to watch you, see what you would do, if you would embrace being Q. Now that you've made your decision clear, I have no choice. Please know that this is nothing personal. You were an exceptional officer." Belanger actually had a sad, pained look on her face. She hurled another bolt. Apollo deflected it, but barely.
"It's no use," Q said. "With each defense you successfully make, the bolts will only get stronger until they overcome you."
As if to punctuate it, another bolt flew toward him, it destroyed his "shield" and knocked him flat on his back. Belanger was about to send the killing blow when Apollo raised his hands. "All right all right, already. I give up. I change my mind." They allowed Apollo to stand, and he faced Q. "If I have no other choice, then I guess... I'll become a full Q."
Q instantly brightened. "That's the spirit!!" He nodded to Belanger, who lowered and extinguished her weapons with a visible sigh of relief. "Trust me, you're going to love it in the Continuum. There's so much to do, so many..."
Apollo held up a hand. "Just... a cotton-pickin' minute. Let me get this straight. I'm a Q, right?"
"That's right," Q replied.
"And we can do anything we want."
"Yes."
"Omnipotent."
"Quite nearly, yes."
"Well then, I want to stay here."
"Absolutely corr... what!?"
Apollo glared at Q. "That's right. I want to stay here. As a Q, I am using my rights, and I choose to continue in the capacity that I've been serving. I am remaining in Starfleet, in command of the Highlander."
Q started sputtering. "But... but... you can't do that!!"
"Why not?"
"Because it's simply not done! It's against the rules!"
"But I thought Q's had no rules."
"Well they don't, but..."
"So now you're sounding like Trelane."
Q was shocked to hear that. He stopped, thought about it, and concluded, "you know, you're absolutely right. I am sounding like that fop, aren't I?"
Belanger came up to Q. "He's got a point, you know. Wasn't it you who chided Quinn? He wanted to die because it was the only thing a Q hadn't done." She glanced at Apollo. "Well, one of the things, anyway. And then wasn't it you who realized that it was the very same attitude you once had? The rebel who went through the Continuum, doing all sorts of outrageous things to try and get some life back into them?"
Q was completely at a loss. For the first time in his existence, he didn't know quite what to say. Belanger turned to Apollo. "And you know, Racer, you may even be more than a Q."
"What?!" Q, Apollo, and Sam exclaimed, all in unison.
"Well, I don't think a normal Q would have been able to shrug off those bolts, could they? I mean, they're Q-weapons, so wouldn't they negate any Q-defense?"
Q had a sudden flash of realization. "Then perhaps he is something else."
Apollo dared to speak. "Something more, perhaps? Maybe what humanity is destined to become?"
Q pondered that. "And maybe even what Q is destined to become. I'll be right back. Don't go away." With that, Q vanished in a flash of light.
Apollo turned to Belanger. "I want to thank you for coming to my defense."
She shrugged. "I meant what I said. You are a good officer, and I would have hated to kill you. But if we're right, I may not have been able to do it even if I wanted to."
Sam spoke up. "So... where does that leave me?"
Apollo turned, startled that he actually forgot she was there. He held out a hand, and she went to his arms, holding him close. She looked up at him, then took his face in her hands and kissed him. He blushed. "What is that for?"
"Ohhh, just something I promised myself I would do," she replied, basking in a smile that she hadn't seen or felt in so long. She glanced over Apollo's shoulder. "And, uh... where does that leave LaBrel?" Sam continued.
"I'm sorry. I just don't feel that way toward him... he's not my type." She took his head in her hand and turned it to the spot that caught her attention.
As he was forced to look in that direction, the shuttle's engines exploded into life as they carried it off the ground and up towards orbit. Apollo gave Belanger a knowing glance, and they both smirked. He reached out toward the shuttle, closed his fist, and yanked hard. The shuttle, as though attached to an invisible string, jerked back to the ground and slammed down for a crash landing. The hatch popped open – fell off, actually – and LaBrel was dumped unceremoniously to the ground. Apollo looked at LaBrel and snapped his fingers. A tribble appeared where LaBrel had been laying.
"Let him stew like that for a while," Apollo said. Sam chuckled at the sight.
At that moment, Q reappeared. "The Continuum has decided that it would not be in their best interests to have you killed. Apparently, there is something to your theory of being an advanced human/Q, though the idea almost disgusts me. They feel that having been a human for so long, you will have developed certain mental blocks to keep you from using your powers to their full potential. Therefore, it was decided that your decision may stand. Though why you would want to coexist with these primates is completely unfathomable to me."
Belanger stepped toward Apollo to stand with him. "Well then, it may 'disgust' you further to know that I wish to remain with the humans as well."
"You, Athena? But why?" Q said, totally exasperated.
"Because, I admire their spirit. And I enjoy my duties as a starship captain, too." She smiled at Apollo, who returned the favor. "Who knows? Maybe we'll start a trend, and more Q's will want to join Starfleet."
"They'd have to go through training like everyone else, though," Apollo remarked. "Although it would bode well for us in the war against the Dominion."
Q raised his hands in defeat. "I give up!" With that, he disappeared again. The three of them grinned broadly, and Sam reached down to pick up the tribble. "Are you going to keep him this way?"
He glanced back at them. The tribble seemed not to like that idea, and chittered wildly. "He could learn some humility that way. But as fitting as it may seem, he needs to pay for his crimes."
Athena smiled and plucked the creature from Sam's hands. "I'll take care of LaBrel." She studied Sam a moment, then turned to Apollo. "It seems you have a problem of your own to work out." As he raised an eyebrow, she called her ship and was beamed away.
"A problem of my own? What did she..." he trailed off as Sam started wandering away. "Sam? What is it?"
She didn't respond at first... taking a few steps further, she turned and faced him. "Apollo... what happened to me? How am I here?"
"Sam, can this wait until we're back on the ship?"
"No!" She took a couple of steps back. "No, you don't understand... 'back' on the ship? I haven't been there. I've..." Sam paled slightly. She stared at nothing for a moment, her eyes glazing over, until she looked at him again. "I was dead, Apollo. Why am I here? If I died, then why am I here?"
He looked forlornly at her. "I... It would take some time to explain. I would much rather do so aboard the Highlander."
"I don't belong here, Apollo."
He couldn't believe his ears. "Sam... you can't mean that."
"I don't belong here. And... I think you should go."
"Sam..."
"Go! Just leave me alone!" With a sob she ran off. He took a couple steps in pursuit, but stopped.
"Sam..." he said, reaching in the direction she headed.
~ * ~
Personal log, stardate 51869.3:
I am reminded of the story of King Midas from Greek mythology. Midas was given an incredible power by the gods... whatever he touched transformed into gold. He was excited at the prospect of easily becoming the richest man on the planet. However, he soon discovered that he couldn't touch the food he ate, for it turned to gold in his hands. And ironically, he lost his most valuable treasure to this power... he touched his daughter, and she became a golden statue. His blessing became a curse.
In a similar manner, I find my abilities are becoming my curse. I've figured out that my Q abilities had somehow resurrected Sam, though why she turned up on Fremma is unknown at this time. But in doing so, I may have deepened the pain between us, and what I thought a simple solution... that she would return with me and to Starfleet... is turning out to be not so simple. I could have lived with myself if she were still dead... but now that she's alive, if she decides our paths separated with her death... I don't know what I'll do...
Apollo never went back to the ship. He had sat dejectedly against the boulder in the center of the clearing. To deal with Sam's death was one thing... to deal with her rejection was another. Right now he'd trade all the power he had if he could only hold on to her.
Sam had run until she ran out of ground. She stood watching waves lap at the shore of a lake. Suddenly a voice behind her said, "Pathetic... so pathetic."
She turned to see Q standing behind her. "What do you know about it?" she said.
"Silly question, considering who you're asking." When her scowl at him only deepend in response he continued. "I know more than you think I do. I know that you don't realize the gift he gave you."
She stared sadly out over the water. "I was better off dead."
He snorted. "Oh, sure. You could see it that way... your meaningless existence was over. You had no more worries, no more fears, everything was just peachy... meanwhile he was tearing his soul apart mourning over you."
"Without me, he could have gone with you to your Continuum. He might have been better off."
"Oh, trust me, he set forth these events long before I came to him... in fact, it started just as you and your shipmates met your untimely fate."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why are you telling me all this? What do you get from this?"
He shrugged innocently. "My motives for this are far beyond your comprehension. Suffice it to say that you have been given a wonderful gift, and throwing it back in his face is hardly what I would consider gratitude. Of course, I've noticed that you humans wouldn't know gratitude if it bit your posteriors."
"What, you think I have to throw myself at his feet because he brought me back to life??"
"Well... the thought would have occurred to me."
She was starting to realize that this being truly revulsed her. She gave him her best glare and stormed past him to return when from where she came. Q watched her go, then looked at the sky. "Whaaat? Every now and then I have to be unpredictable... keep you on your toes. Even if it means..." he shuddered, "performing selfless acts." He grinned impishly as he disappeared in a flash.
Sam walked around the bend, then ducked quickly back out of sight. Apollo was seated against the rock he dropped, his knees drawn up with his arms draped over them. His head was bowed low, as though deep in thought. But she knew, after the years she spent with him, could tell it was different. As much as she hated to say it, that Q was right. She had been given a second chance... could she do the right thing with it?
~ * ~
He started thinking in circles... despair closed in on Apollo, threatening to shut his mind down. I guess it's over... I may as well accept it, he thought. He slowly got to his feet, figuring he'd better go find Sam. I'm sure we'll be able to find a place for her. Maybe if she wants, we can take her back to Fremma. It hurt him deeply to think he'd have to let her go. But if she were happier without him...
"I'm sorry."
Apollo looked up. "Huh?"
Sam was peeking around the bend at him. "I said I'm sorry." She walked out to face him. "I've been doing some thinking... and I realize... you can do so much with the gifts you have. How you've managed to remain true to yourself is amazing."
He snorted. "You'd be surprised."
"Let me finish... please." She slowly approached him. "Like I said, you can do so much... and one of the things you did was bring me back. It took me a while, but I know now that you must have gone through a lot in order to do something like this."
"More than you know," he replied, wondering where she was going with this.
"What I'm trying to say is... if you're willing to do so much to bring me back... then I suppose I can stop acting like I'm still dead."
Apollo closed the remaining distance to Sam. He brought his hands up, hesitating a moment before gently cupping her face. She closed her eyes, leaned into his hands, having missed his touch. "Are you saying you want to come back to me?"
Sam opened her eyes, gazing into the light and warmth held there. She smiled and nodded, then Apollo drew her into an embrace and they held each other tight, neither wanting to let go.
~ * ~
"Well, Admiral, it's been a real privilege working alongside you," Belanger said.
"And you as well, Captain," Apollo replied. Together, the two ships and the Cardassian freighter were able to carry the refugees to Starbase 147, where transport ships would return the people to their respective homes. The Highlander and the Scarlett were assigned to different sections of the war front. "With any luck, we'll meet again."
Belanger laughed. "Luck, Admiral? We're Q's. Count on it. I'll see you around. Scarlett out." The transmission ceased, and Belanger's image was replaced with that of her ship, heading off into warp. Apollo tapped some commands into the controls in his chair.
Ship's log, Stardate 51870.3:
Having found and shut down a major source of ketrecel white production, the Highlander and the Scarlett have split off to continue their respective searches for information and measures to take that will further hinder the Dominion's capacity to wage war. Hopefully, someday, we will receive word that they will finally get through their thick heads that it's not worth taking the Alpha Quadrant, and they'll leave us alone. Of course, such a move will leave the Cardassians completely open to repatriation from the other races of this Quadrant.
He looked up as Sam entered, formally attired in a Starfleet uniform. They shared a smile as she walked over to Ops. For the past two weeks, Scotty had been giving Sam a crash course in 24th century starship operations; Ops was the closest bridge post to her past position as science officer, so he made her familiar with that. As time went on, she would gradually become more proficient in her duties, as both Scotty and Apollo had. Circe stood and while Sam relieved her, she took her proper place over by Tactical. He didn't miss the look Circe gave Sam, or the look she gave him. Shortly after they returned to the ship, he had a talk with Circe about the situation. She had told him she completely understood, and she wouldn't interfere, but she would still set up regular training sessions with him and other members of the crew. Apollo returned to his log.
Starfleet has given me word that Commander Racer will have her status of "Lost in the Line of Duty" changed on her record to "Missing – Presumed Dead," and that status will then be upgraded to reflect her as having been reactivated for duty. She will retain the rank of Commander... temporarily... until her record is fully reviewed and it is shown that a promotion is well deserved. She will be on my crew as Ops officer, thereby completing my bridge crew roster. She will also be my first officer, if she'll accept. Other ships would separate the two posts, but I see no need to waste the manpower.
The Highlander is now en route to Sector 401. It is understood that the Romulans have been steadily pressing their way through Dominion fronts there. It is our duty to both give them whatever help they need... and to ensure that they don't take too much territory, encroaching on Federation space.
He saved his log and transmitted it to Starfleet. Taking a moment to slowly look around the bridge, he transferred the stardate from his ship's log to his personal log and opened a new entry.
Perhaps Belanger was right. As far as being a Q is concerned, there is no luck. If that were the case, then I would chalk it up to an unconscious manipulation of my powers. I have a fine ship, and I've been reunited with two people I have always held dear to me. Scotty alone was a godsend to me, but Sam...
When she died, the bond was severed... but there was never any closure. The sensations I had been feeling over the past couple of weeks were from the bond gradually and subtly resituating itself. It's also why Sam kept having the visions of me that she told me about. With time and patience, I'm sure we can work the bond back to its original strength. I see her looking at me, and the love in her eyes is as fresh and as alive as that day so long ago. She's slowly coming around to the 24th century, and I, for one, am glad to have her here. Her presence makes dealing with this time more... fulfilling.
As though to provide evidence of his discovery, Sam turned her head to look at him, knowing she was on his mind. She smiled, and he could almost feel the bond strengthen that much more. He deactivated his log and stared out over steepled fingers at the viewscreen. Though it didn't have to be on for them to travel, like it did with past starships he served aboard, he always felt it added color and scenery to the bridge, even if currently all there was to see were the effects of warp travel. He sat back, listened to the sounds of bridge activity, and smiled.