Diclaimer: It's all Paramount's, cept for Verla, T'Valk, and Rachel. Maybe
a few Maquis.
A/N: Eh, figured I'd upload the whole thing in one day. Have a ball.
Chapter One – ARK-7
"Captain, we are being hailed by Starfleet Command. Admiral Blackmann is requesting a private channel," Worf reported.
"I'll take it in my ready room." Picard stood and adjusted his uniform. "You have the bridge, Number One."
As Picard left, Riker moved slowly to the Captain's seat. He glanced over at the ready room nervously.
Councilor Troi frowned and looked Riker over. He seemed overly stressed, she thought. "Imzadi?" she whispered.
"Hmm? I'm sorry, just a little distracted today." She nodded slowly, but couldn't help sensing that he felt something was wrong. "I'm fine, okay?!" he snapped when she didn't turn away.
"Get some rest, Will."
"If I have the time," was Riker's answer. He turned to look out of the viewscreen at the magnificent starscape.
But Deanna couldn't help but feel something was still wrong.
Sela was awakened again by a knock on the door of her apartment on ch'Haveran. She wished, once again, that Picard had failed. Wished that the invasion of Vulcan had been successful. Her room was too small, nothing like the luxurious quarters of a ship's captain. Thanks to Picard and his pet robot, her ship belonged to another lucky Commander.
She stumbled to the door, and hit the lights' pad, brightening the room. The door slid open at her command, revealing a subcenturion.
"Commander Sela," he said timidly, "you have been ordered to appear before Proconsul Neral at an Interval after Dawn to discuss a matter of some urgency."
Sela rubbed her eyes slowly before asking, "And what is the Interval, subcommander?"
"Uh . . . Half after Dawn, Commander," Morak stuttered.
"What the hell do you think you were doing, scheduling a meeting that early?! And why, may I ask you, didn't you tell me that before I fell asleep?!" By the time she'd finished her short reprimand, her face had turned a deep shade of red, which wasn't an easy feat for a normal Rihannsu. Then again, Sela couldn't really be considered an average Rihannsu citizen.
Subcenturion Morak flushed - a normal, healthy, light green. "But Commander, I was only just informed -"
"Just leave, Subcenturion," Sela said, exasperated with the young officer.
"But . . . But Commander!" Morak exclaimed, clearly frightened of what his commanding officer's response would be.
"You have five seconds to disappear, or I'm selling you to the Ferengi. One . . . Two . . ."
Before Sela had even reached three, the subcenturion was halfway down the hall. She turned around and leaned against the wall, letting the door slide closed behind her. The commander allowed a seldom seen smile to appear on her lips.
It had taken Sela since she had joined the military to earn her reputation of not making idle threats. Her first years away from her home, without her father to protect her, had been bitter ones for Sela. She remembered the endless teasing, because of her Terran half. She had always been different then everyone else. Because of that, she had been the prime suspect in a terrorist bombing when she was a centurion. More than once, people had accused her of spying for the Federation - which caused her to hate her mother's people even more. They had made her life miserable!
But now, she had to put those memories behind her. After years of that torture, she was finally respected. Well, somewhat. She just hoped that, whatever Neral had planned for her, it wouldn't have anything to do with the Enterprise!
Picard sat down and swivelled his little desktop viewer to face him. He pressed the button, and the familiar Federation emblem popped onto the screen. Then the face of Admiral Blackmann appeared.
"Hello, Picard."
"It's good to hear from you, Admiral," Captain Picard said.
The Admiral shifted slightly in his seat. "Picard, I'm afraid I didn't call for small talk. You're being pulled out of your current mission for a more urgent one."
"Isn't witnessing the birth of a star important?"
"Not like this, Jean-Luc. Intelligence reports that a Romulan space station has been drifting across the Neutral Zone. Apparently, it was attacked by an unknown force. We want you to investigate, and help any survivors," Blackmann ordered.
"But, sir . . . How do we know it's not a trap?"
"We don't. That's why we're sending you."
Picard frowned. "Thank you so much, Admiral."
"You're welcome. I'm sure you've heard rumors of the treaty for a cloaking device we're working out. If it wasn't for that treaty, we would never send you over there. We believe that they have no reason to deceive us," Blackmann reasoned.
A smart expression about not trusting Romulans ran through Picard's head, but he kept silent. "Of course, sir," was his only reply.
"Good luck, Captain. Starfleet out." The Federation logo flashed at Picard again, and the screen went blank.
Picard stood up with a sigh. He walked over to the door and out onto the bridge. "Set course for Galorndon Core, helm. Warp factor 5, engage."
After his shift, and before he went to his quarters, Riker went to visit a . . . friend. He walked down the corridor glancing nervously at everyone. He stopped at a certain door, and buzzed for its occupant.
"Who's there?" a pleasant, woman's voice asked.
Riker waited for an Engineer to pass by before he answered, "Me."
"C'mon in and sit down. I'll be out in a minute," the voice responded.
He went in as a nurse and a botanist passed by and grinned at each other. He reddened, and sat in one of the chairs.
A woman in a security uniform entered the living area, and kissed Riker on the head. "What brings you into the bowels of the ship, oh high and mighty first officer?"
"Not now, Rach! We're going to the Neutral Zone to investigate the unfortunate attack and disappearance of a Romulan station called ARK-7! The Federation knows, Rachel! You've got to warn the colony!" he whispered in a panic.
She caressed his cheek. "How far away are we?"
"Just under two days at Warp 5!" Riker said with worry. "If we don't warn them soon, it may be too late!"
"We can wait just a few hours, don't you think?" Rachel said, and kissed him again.
A/N: Eh, figured I'd upload the whole thing in one day. Have a ball.
Chapter One – ARK-7
"Captain, we are being hailed by Starfleet Command. Admiral Blackmann is requesting a private channel," Worf reported.
"I'll take it in my ready room." Picard stood and adjusted his uniform. "You have the bridge, Number One."
As Picard left, Riker moved slowly to the Captain's seat. He glanced over at the ready room nervously.
Councilor Troi frowned and looked Riker over. He seemed overly stressed, she thought. "Imzadi?" she whispered.
"Hmm? I'm sorry, just a little distracted today." She nodded slowly, but couldn't help sensing that he felt something was wrong. "I'm fine, okay?!" he snapped when she didn't turn away.
"Get some rest, Will."
"If I have the time," was Riker's answer. He turned to look out of the viewscreen at the magnificent starscape.
But Deanna couldn't help but feel something was still wrong.
Sela was awakened again by a knock on the door of her apartment on ch'Haveran. She wished, once again, that Picard had failed. Wished that the invasion of Vulcan had been successful. Her room was too small, nothing like the luxurious quarters of a ship's captain. Thanks to Picard and his pet robot, her ship belonged to another lucky Commander.
She stumbled to the door, and hit the lights' pad, brightening the room. The door slid open at her command, revealing a subcenturion.
"Commander Sela," he said timidly, "you have been ordered to appear before Proconsul Neral at an Interval after Dawn to discuss a matter of some urgency."
Sela rubbed her eyes slowly before asking, "And what is the Interval, subcommander?"
"Uh . . . Half after Dawn, Commander," Morak stuttered.
"What the hell do you think you were doing, scheduling a meeting that early?! And why, may I ask you, didn't you tell me that before I fell asleep?!" By the time she'd finished her short reprimand, her face had turned a deep shade of red, which wasn't an easy feat for a normal Rihannsu. Then again, Sela couldn't really be considered an average Rihannsu citizen.
Subcenturion Morak flushed - a normal, healthy, light green. "But Commander, I was only just informed -"
"Just leave, Subcenturion," Sela said, exasperated with the young officer.
"But . . . But Commander!" Morak exclaimed, clearly frightened of what his commanding officer's response would be.
"You have five seconds to disappear, or I'm selling you to the Ferengi. One . . . Two . . ."
Before Sela had even reached three, the subcenturion was halfway down the hall. She turned around and leaned against the wall, letting the door slide closed behind her. The commander allowed a seldom seen smile to appear on her lips.
It had taken Sela since she had joined the military to earn her reputation of not making idle threats. Her first years away from her home, without her father to protect her, had been bitter ones for Sela. She remembered the endless teasing, because of her Terran half. She had always been different then everyone else. Because of that, she had been the prime suspect in a terrorist bombing when she was a centurion. More than once, people had accused her of spying for the Federation - which caused her to hate her mother's people even more. They had made her life miserable!
But now, she had to put those memories behind her. After years of that torture, she was finally respected. Well, somewhat. She just hoped that, whatever Neral had planned for her, it wouldn't have anything to do with the Enterprise!
Picard sat down and swivelled his little desktop viewer to face him. He pressed the button, and the familiar Federation emblem popped onto the screen. Then the face of Admiral Blackmann appeared.
"Hello, Picard."
"It's good to hear from you, Admiral," Captain Picard said.
The Admiral shifted slightly in his seat. "Picard, I'm afraid I didn't call for small talk. You're being pulled out of your current mission for a more urgent one."
"Isn't witnessing the birth of a star important?"
"Not like this, Jean-Luc. Intelligence reports that a Romulan space station has been drifting across the Neutral Zone. Apparently, it was attacked by an unknown force. We want you to investigate, and help any survivors," Blackmann ordered.
"But, sir . . . How do we know it's not a trap?"
"We don't. That's why we're sending you."
Picard frowned. "Thank you so much, Admiral."
"You're welcome. I'm sure you've heard rumors of the treaty for a cloaking device we're working out. If it wasn't for that treaty, we would never send you over there. We believe that they have no reason to deceive us," Blackmann reasoned.
A smart expression about not trusting Romulans ran through Picard's head, but he kept silent. "Of course, sir," was his only reply.
"Good luck, Captain. Starfleet out." The Federation logo flashed at Picard again, and the screen went blank.
Picard stood up with a sigh. He walked over to the door and out onto the bridge. "Set course for Galorndon Core, helm. Warp factor 5, engage."
After his shift, and before he went to his quarters, Riker went to visit a . . . friend. He walked down the corridor glancing nervously at everyone. He stopped at a certain door, and buzzed for its occupant.
"Who's there?" a pleasant, woman's voice asked.
Riker waited for an Engineer to pass by before he answered, "Me."
"C'mon in and sit down. I'll be out in a minute," the voice responded.
He went in as a nurse and a botanist passed by and grinned at each other. He reddened, and sat in one of the chairs.
A woman in a security uniform entered the living area, and kissed Riker on the head. "What brings you into the bowels of the ship, oh high and mighty first officer?"
"Not now, Rach! We're going to the Neutral Zone to investigate the unfortunate attack and disappearance of a Romulan station called ARK-7! The Federation knows, Rachel! You've got to warn the colony!" he whispered in a panic.
She caressed his cheek. "How far away are we?"
"Just under two days at Warp 5!" Riker said with worry. "If we don't warn them soon, it may be too late!"
"We can wait just a few hours, don't you think?" Rachel said, and kissed him again.
