ACT III
With the Enterprise nestled inside a docking bay, workbees began to work on the minor battle damage the mighty starship has taken in the last mission. Meanwhile, onboard the Enterprise, Lieutenant Commander Harry Kim has his hands full, as he is currently in command while the Captain and Commander Madden are onboard the station.
One of his many, many items on a long list of things to do, Kim has to get a report from La Forge in Engineering. The veterine engineer worked dilligently, checking the warp drive with a tricorder, as Lieutenant Steve Fletcher, and Ensign Karl Fielder worked on a damaged regulator assembly inside the dilithium chamber.
When La Forge got good readings on his tricorder, he nodded. "Okay guys, that's good. Reinitialize the starboard interlocks. Let's see if these new regulators will hold or not."
Kim walked in, just as the engineers began to screw around with buttons and switches inside of the matrix. Kim nodded to La Forge, who noticed him walking in. "Report."
"The primary flow regulator was damaged in the attack," La Forge reported. "We've been working on it, but still nothing so far. By the way, thanks for taking command. We're really busy down here."
"No problem, Geordie," Kim said. "You owe me big time for this."
Kim turned around in place, and found Captain McGawan standing behind him. "Mister Kim, do you have a moment?"
"No," Kim said bluntly. "How can I help you, Captain?"
"I need your help, Mister Kim."
"I'm really busy now, Captain," Kim said. "I've got a ship full of things to mana-"
"Sickbay to Kim," Doctor Bashir's voice interupted.
Kim hit his combadge, without taking his eyes off of his padd. "Kim here."
"A power surge just started a small plasma fire inside the bulkhead behind the primary surgical chamber."
Kim sighed in frustration, and ran quickly to the nearest diagonstics console. "Which EPS relays ruptured?"
A pause. "I think relays twelve-twenty-two and twelve-thirty-five."
"You 'think'?"
"I don't know!" Bashir said. "I'm a doctor. Not a damned engineer!"
"Stand by, Doctor." Kim initialized a shutdown sequence. However, he realized something – the EPS relays that were in danger were the ones that regulated gravity and life support on the entire medical deck. There were unused auxiliary conduits to use to transfer power, but as to not indanger anyone on deck five, the power needed to be transferred similtaniously.
"Captain," Kim called. "How good are you at engineering?"
McGawan gave Kim a strange look. "The extent of my engineering experience is taking a phaser, set to kill, to a locked door."
"That'll do." When McGawan came to Kim, Kim set everything to a single button. "When I give the word, press this button." It was blinking red. "That's all I need you to do."
McGawan nodded.
Kim ran to another station, calling La Forge. "Geordie, I need a redirection of power flow on deck five."
"Which conduits?"
"Twenty through forty."
"That's life support and gravity on deck five," Geordie argued. "You'll knock out sickbay!"
"There's a plasma fire in progress," Kim said. "If we don't redirect the power flow, that plasma fire will kill everyone on that deck faster than one second of failed life support."
La Forge nodded, crossing engineering, and taking a station next to Kim. "I'm openning the auxiliary EP flow junctions," La Forge said. "You'll have to shut down the relays and power the auxiliaries at the exact same time. Otherwise, either life support and gravity will go out, or you'll overload the primary conduits and blow the entire deck into space."
"On my mark, Captain," Kim shouted.
La Forge initiated a protocol. "Junction openning in progress."
"Initiating shutdown protocol," Kim said. Just before the screen showed a yellow line going on a redirection path, Kim shouted, "Now, Captain!"
Right on target, McGawan shut down the plasma feeds to the primary EPS conduits. The yellow lines to the primaries stopped, like a train going onto another track.
Also, the readings on the plasma fire stopped as well.
Kim still held his breath as he announced, "Sickbay, report."
"All is well, Commander," Bashir reported.
"Acknowledged. Kim out." Kim tapped his combadge. "Do you have people we can spare to repair those primaries?" Kim wondered aloud to La Forge.
Geordie nodded. "I can spell Weller and Jonas."
Kim nodded. "I'll be on the bridge. Inform the Captain when the warp drive is ready to go back online."
La Forge nodded. "Aye, Commander."
McGawan grinned.
Kim turned to McGawan, and took his padd back. "I'm really sorry, Captain. I'm really busy right now."
McGawan nodded. "It's fine, Commander. I'll get you when you're free."
"Aye, Captain."
"This is total bullshit!" shouted a very frustrated Nakajima. Her human side has clearly defeated her Vulcan sense of control, and she was clearly angry. But, she had to blame herself. "Those pathetic sons of bitches had control of Minas the entre time!"
"I sympathize, Commander," Picard said, while he, Nakajima, and Commander Madden met up in Nakajima's new office, off of the lower level of the operations center. The viewport offered a graceful view of Morias Four, the shining class M planet that, at this time of year, was in view of the station. Nakajima was looking at the planet as Picard was making his statement. "But right now, we have more problems to deal with."
"Yeah, like telling twenty-two star systems outside of the sector that they're no longer on the primary Federation trade route," Nakajima said. "Do you have any idea how that will affect those twenty-two worlds?"
Picard could only imagine. Madden had no words, except "I guess Starfleet's going to be very busy with those worlds."
"Four of those twenty-two planets are old Earth colony worlds," Picard said.
"The Minas Supply Depot was an important base on the trade route," Nakajima said. "It was a way-point for traders, and it headquartered several shipping companies affiliated with Starfleet and three other major players in this quadrent, including the Klingons."
"The Empire is not going to be happy," Madden guessed.
"The nearest way station between here and Ceti Alpha is..." Nakajima trailed off, realizing where that way station is. "No, we can't do it. This station isn't equipped to handle the massive amounts of activity associated with the trade route."
"Perhaps that was the terrorists' plans all along," Offered Captain McGawan, who just freely entered into the office. "Sorry, Commander. Your door was open."
"We were waiting for you, Captain," Nakajima said, gaining some control back. She sighed heavily. "Sadly, I am forced to agree with Captain McGawan. The terrorists know that we can't handle the activity that is associated with a way station like Minas. We'd have to withdraw on the basis of space and demand."
A comm signal sounded. "Wing to Commander Nakajima."
Nakajima hit her combadge. "Go ahead."
"A convoy of Tarkelian Freighters has just dropped out of warp. They're requesting for all ten ships to be resupplied."
"I can't believe this," Nakajima said. "It's starting already."
"We don't have the space to support ten Tarkelian freighters," McGawan said. "The Tarkelia Freight and Supply Union is going to have a field day with this one. What ships are still here?"
"The Enterprise, the Detroit, and the Gulfstream. We have the Gertland and the Mukaihara coming in in a few hours with supplies to be transferred to the Detroit, before they head to Bajor," Nakajima said.
"How far is Bajor?" Madden wondered.
"Five days away at warp seven," Nakajima said.
"And warp seven point two is the fastest the Tarkelian freighters can travel," McGawan said. "They'd never reach DS9 in time before their provisions run out."
"The Enterprise can pull out—"
"Sorry, Captain," McGawan said. "The Enterprise is still undergoing scheduled maitenence. We can't release her."
"How about the Gulfstream?"
"It's still that many fewer ports for the Tarkelians to dock," Nakajima said. "Ever if all docking berths were free, they would still be four short."
McGawan sighed. "How many haulers are left?"
"Nine," Nakajima said. "But we only have two pilots on duty."
"Have them report in," McGawan said. "Captain, can you spare anyone from the Enterprise?"
Picard hit his combadge. "Picard to Enterprise."
"Kim here."
"Commander, can you spare seven engeering and flight-qualified personell to report to the starbase?"
"I can spare me and maybe four others," Kim said. "I'll give command to Commander La Forge."
"Make it so, select your four," Picard ordered.
"On our way, Captain. Kim out."
"I'll go too," Nakajima said. "Lieutenant Wing?"
"Yes, Commander?"
"Have the Tarkelians transfer their needs list, and have them sent to the hauler bay for immediate loading and departure," Nakajima ordered. "Tell the lead ship that two, and no more, can dock. And ask Captain Daniels if he can move his ship."
"I already asked him while I was on hold," Wing said. "He said he's ready for departure protocols."
Nakajima nodded. "Always one step ahead of me. Thanks. Nakajima out."
"I'll prepare a report for Starfleet Command, in the meantime," McGawan said. "Before it, Captain Picard, may I have a word with you in private... in my office?"
"Of course," Picard said. "Commander, return to the Enterprise and assume command. Commander La Forge must have his hands completely full right now."
Madden nodded. "Aye, Captain."
Within the hour, all nine haulers launched from the massive hauler bay dome of the starbase, and headed towards the waiting fleet of Tarkelian freighters. The good will operation was underway.
On the haulers, each pilot was paired with one other crewmember, assigned by need of the Tarkelian vessels. Dallas was assigned Wing, Dallas thinks, because Nakajima needed someone to watch his back. And Wing would be that person who could do it.
"So, what's the new captain like?" Dallas wondered.
"He seems like a decent man," Wing said. "But he's a little bit brazen."
"Just what we need, a commander with a big mouth," Dallas said.
"I believe the phrase is, 'it takes one to know one.'"
"That wasn't funny," Dallas said. "Coming up on our ship now."
"Let's do it."
Station Log,
First Entry. Captain Bruce McGawan, recording.
Stardate 60024.8
Repairs to the Enterprise are complete, and is ready to get under way. Starfleet Command has given us the charge of ascertaining this situation, while the Enterprise has been ordered to resume their assignment to Sector
441. Meanwhile, I have a few decisions to make...
Kim handed Picard his report while Enterprise was in dock, and on the Tarkelian situation. "We've had some problems, but she held together."
Picard tapped on the padd and just skimmed the report. "Excelent work, Commander. Well done."
"Thank you, Captain."
Picard put his padd down, and examined Kim. "Captain McGawan has made an inquiry to me, about you."
Kim's heart began to beat faster. Ignoring a sector commander is almost like spitting on the captain's shoe. You just simply don't do it. But, Kim did. "I-I'm sorry, Captain. I was busy, and—"
Picard held up his hand. "According to him, you were focused, deturmined, and you went the extra mile to even help out during the Tarkelian situation. He's really impressed with you."
"Could you please thank him for me?"
"I have a better idea," Picard said. "Why don't you thank him yourself?"
"Sir?"
"He has requested that you be transferred to the base as base manager," Picard said.
"Captain, with all due respect to you and Captain McGawan, I would much rather remain here on the Enterprise," Kim said. "I feel my services as science officer would be better suited here."
"Starfleet Command disagrees with you," Picard said. "Captain McGawan requested you before he realized that Command had already ordered your transfer to SB248."
"I see."
"I'm entering into your record," Picard said, "six comendation recommendations, and entering your name into the record for promotion to full Commander. It will take some more time before it goes through, so be a good boy, Mister Kim."
"Is that supposed to be an insentive?"
Picard nodded. "It is."
"It worked," Kim said. "Thank you, Captain Picard. It was an honor to serve with you."
"The honor was mine, Commander," Picard said, shaking Kim's hand. "You still owe me a few more Voyager stories."
Kim smiled. "Tom can tell you far many more interesting stories than I can."
McGawan emerged from his office, and stepped onto the operations center. "Report, Commander."
"The Enterprise has gone to warp," Nakajima reported.
"And Lieutenant Commander Kim?"
He emerged from the turbolift, almost on cue. "Here, Captain."
"You're late, Commander."
"Sorry Captain," Kim said. "I had a rather long goodbye on the Enterprise."
"Save your excuses for someone who gives a damn," McGwan said, with a cocky smerk. "Welcome aboard. Now, we have a terrorist situation to settle, I suggest we get to it."
"Sir," Kim said, as he logged in. Once he got to a main screen at his console, it came to life with comm activity. "We're receiving a message on all subspace bands."
McGawan nodded. "On main screen."
The huge IMAX-like screen came to life. There was a masked man standing behind a person, blindfolded. There were also some other masked men, holding phaser rifles and photon grenades. There was also a flag behind them, in alien writing.
One of them also had a Klingon d'artag, pointed at the blindfolded person's neck.
Another masked man came forward, wearing a red mask. He also had a padd in his hands. "The destruction of the Minas Supply Depot was one of many victories, aimed at supporting our cause," said the terrorist. "This man is a member of the Elani Confederacy, which is currently a member of the evil beast, the United Federation of Planets. We urge the Elani Government to consider that their child is about to die. If you wish to see your child again, we demand that, in two days time, your government withdraw from the Federation. Or, you will receive the head of your child covered with maggots in two days time. Long live the Negarani!"
As the others cheered "Long live the Negarani" a few times over, Kim shut the screen off before he was ordered to.
Another moment later, the station's proximity sensors sounded. Kim, coming back to reality, read the new readings. "Captain, an Elani Warship has just dropped from warp." That followed a comm signal. "They are requesting docking clearance."
"Give it to them," McGawan said.
More information, in text, came into Kim's console. "Prime Minister Soliel wishes to meet with you, Captain."
"Does she really?" McGawan blinked. "Have her sent to my office when she comes board."
"Aye, Sir," Kim replied.
"Commander Nakajima, please join me."
Nakajima nodded and followed McGawan into his office.
After they disappeared, Wing crossed the center, and came to Kim's side. "So," Wing said, "you served on Voyager, I hear."
Kim nodded, as he worked. "Why do you ask?"
"Then you must know Admiral Janeway, right?"
Kim nodded, again. "Of course. Why?"
"She's the new Command Chief of Operations," Wing said. "I just wanna know what kind of woman she is?"
Kim smiled, and turned to Wing. "Then you'll just have to read her book. Everything about her is there."
"Mosaic? I was never one for reading."
"Then you'll just have to get to know her for yourself, Lieutenant. Right now, I'm tracing the source of that subspace signal."
Wing smiled. "No problems. Need a hand?"
"Sure," Kim said. "Can you start by analyzing the logs from that comm array over here?"
Wing nodded. "No problem."
Prime Minister Soliel, gracing the captain's office in her beautiful white suit, pierced McGawan with her passionate blue eyes. "Captain, you must understand my position."
"I understand perfectly," McGawan said. "May I be blunt?"
Soliel nodded. "Certainly."
"I think you're too chicken-shit to see the true problem you have," McGawan said.
"My people have sruvived through two thousand centuries of conflict and wars through diplomatically resolving crisis, such as this," Soliel said. "What my government decides or does not decide to do is not for the Federation to dictate."
"Don't you see," McGawan urged, "they're going to kill your Son!"
"I know—"
"If we don't do something about it now, they're going to behead him, and broadcast it on subspace!" McGawan said.
"I am aware of that, Captain," Soliel said. "That is why I have decided, in the best interest of my people, to withdraw our Federation membership."
"You can't be serious," McGawan said. "Do you realize what giving into these terrorists will do? It will strengthen their cause. They won't stop with your people. They'll move on to the next helpless system. Then the next. And then another. Until so many governments have rallied to their cause that they'll destroy the very foundation of power in this sector. Worlds will be economically devistated without Federation support."
"My people can survive without the trade route."
"Can it? Can it really survive? Can you ensure it?" McGawan said. "Because you do realize that if it wasn't for the Federation, twenty-eight years ago, your planet would have been in total economic decay, like a set of bad teeth. Your species would have been extinct if it wasn't for the Federation and our help."
Soliel could see McGawan's point. Her planet's economy's foundation is the Federation. Without them, there would be no jobs for her people. There would be disease, famine, and death. Everything she came to know about her world would be lost forever. Was her son's life worth the lives of over a trillion people? To Soliel, the answer was yes. But... "What do you propose we do?"
"I don-"
"Ops to Captain McGawan," Kim called.
"I'm in a meeting, Harry," McGawan called. "This had better be important."
"We just completed a trace of that transmission," Kim said. "It's coming from the Lambda Epsilon System."
"Lambda Epsilon?" Soliel wondered.
"It's a Federation Terraforming Project," Nakajima confirmed. "There is a small station in orbit of the only remaining planet. They're trying to see if they can successfully terraform a planet orbiting a white dwarf star."
"What was your son doing in the Lambda Epsilon System?" McGawan wondered.
"I don't know," Soliel said. "He said he was assigned to an interesting terraforming project last year, but he never told me where. I thought you would know that, Captain."
"We don't have a list of every single Starfleet Officer. There are simply too many of them to keep track of all at once. We're not God, Sister," McGawan said. "Commander, have Wing devise a logical rescue plan, and order Daniels to head to the Lambda Epsilon System. Let's tell those bastards that they can't mess with the Federation anymore."
Nakajima nodded, with a small smile on her face. "With pleasure, Sir."
"I hope you get my son back," Soliel said. "For the sake of our people, please get my son back."
"We'll do what we can," Nakajima said. "I promise we'll bring him home." She hit her combadge. "Wing, Kim, meet me in my office, on the double. We've got work to do. Nakajima to Captain Daniels, report to my office on the station. Let's get this show on the road."
END OF ACT III
With the Enterprise nestled inside a docking bay, workbees began to work on the minor battle damage the mighty starship has taken in the last mission. Meanwhile, onboard the Enterprise, Lieutenant Commander Harry Kim has his hands full, as he is currently in command while the Captain and Commander Madden are onboard the station.
One of his many, many items on a long list of things to do, Kim has to get a report from La Forge in Engineering. The veterine engineer worked dilligently, checking the warp drive with a tricorder, as Lieutenant Steve Fletcher, and Ensign Karl Fielder worked on a damaged regulator assembly inside the dilithium chamber.
When La Forge got good readings on his tricorder, he nodded. "Okay guys, that's good. Reinitialize the starboard interlocks. Let's see if these new regulators will hold or not."
Kim walked in, just as the engineers began to screw around with buttons and switches inside of the matrix. Kim nodded to La Forge, who noticed him walking in. "Report."
"The primary flow regulator was damaged in the attack," La Forge reported. "We've been working on it, but still nothing so far. By the way, thanks for taking command. We're really busy down here."
"No problem, Geordie," Kim said. "You owe me big time for this."
Kim turned around in place, and found Captain McGawan standing behind him. "Mister Kim, do you have a moment?"
"No," Kim said bluntly. "How can I help you, Captain?"
"I need your help, Mister Kim."
"I'm really busy now, Captain," Kim said. "I've got a ship full of things to mana-"
"Sickbay to Kim," Doctor Bashir's voice interupted.
Kim hit his combadge, without taking his eyes off of his padd. "Kim here."
"A power surge just started a small plasma fire inside the bulkhead behind the primary surgical chamber."
Kim sighed in frustration, and ran quickly to the nearest diagonstics console. "Which EPS relays ruptured?"
A pause. "I think relays twelve-twenty-two and twelve-thirty-five."
"You 'think'?"
"I don't know!" Bashir said. "I'm a doctor. Not a damned engineer!"
"Stand by, Doctor." Kim initialized a shutdown sequence. However, he realized something – the EPS relays that were in danger were the ones that regulated gravity and life support on the entire medical deck. There were unused auxiliary conduits to use to transfer power, but as to not indanger anyone on deck five, the power needed to be transferred similtaniously.
"Captain," Kim called. "How good are you at engineering?"
McGawan gave Kim a strange look. "The extent of my engineering experience is taking a phaser, set to kill, to a locked door."
"That'll do." When McGawan came to Kim, Kim set everything to a single button. "When I give the word, press this button." It was blinking red. "That's all I need you to do."
McGawan nodded.
Kim ran to another station, calling La Forge. "Geordie, I need a redirection of power flow on deck five."
"Which conduits?"
"Twenty through forty."
"That's life support and gravity on deck five," Geordie argued. "You'll knock out sickbay!"
"There's a plasma fire in progress," Kim said. "If we don't redirect the power flow, that plasma fire will kill everyone on that deck faster than one second of failed life support."
La Forge nodded, crossing engineering, and taking a station next to Kim. "I'm openning the auxiliary EP flow junctions," La Forge said. "You'll have to shut down the relays and power the auxiliaries at the exact same time. Otherwise, either life support and gravity will go out, or you'll overload the primary conduits and blow the entire deck into space."
"On my mark, Captain," Kim shouted.
La Forge initiated a protocol. "Junction openning in progress."
"Initiating shutdown protocol," Kim said. Just before the screen showed a yellow line going on a redirection path, Kim shouted, "Now, Captain!"
Right on target, McGawan shut down the plasma feeds to the primary EPS conduits. The yellow lines to the primaries stopped, like a train going onto another track.
Also, the readings on the plasma fire stopped as well.
Kim still held his breath as he announced, "Sickbay, report."
"All is well, Commander," Bashir reported.
"Acknowledged. Kim out." Kim tapped his combadge. "Do you have people we can spare to repair those primaries?" Kim wondered aloud to La Forge.
Geordie nodded. "I can spell Weller and Jonas."
Kim nodded. "I'll be on the bridge. Inform the Captain when the warp drive is ready to go back online."
La Forge nodded. "Aye, Commander."
McGawan grinned.
Kim turned to McGawan, and took his padd back. "I'm really sorry, Captain. I'm really busy right now."
McGawan nodded. "It's fine, Commander. I'll get you when you're free."
"Aye, Captain."
"This is total bullshit!" shouted a very frustrated Nakajima. Her human side has clearly defeated her Vulcan sense of control, and she was clearly angry. But, she had to blame herself. "Those pathetic sons of bitches had control of Minas the entre time!"
"I sympathize, Commander," Picard said, while he, Nakajima, and Commander Madden met up in Nakajima's new office, off of the lower level of the operations center. The viewport offered a graceful view of Morias Four, the shining class M planet that, at this time of year, was in view of the station. Nakajima was looking at the planet as Picard was making his statement. "But right now, we have more problems to deal with."
"Yeah, like telling twenty-two star systems outside of the sector that they're no longer on the primary Federation trade route," Nakajima said. "Do you have any idea how that will affect those twenty-two worlds?"
Picard could only imagine. Madden had no words, except "I guess Starfleet's going to be very busy with those worlds."
"Four of those twenty-two planets are old Earth colony worlds," Picard said.
"The Minas Supply Depot was an important base on the trade route," Nakajima said. "It was a way-point for traders, and it headquartered several shipping companies affiliated with Starfleet and three other major players in this quadrent, including the Klingons."
"The Empire is not going to be happy," Madden guessed.
"The nearest way station between here and Ceti Alpha is..." Nakajima trailed off, realizing where that way station is. "No, we can't do it. This station isn't equipped to handle the massive amounts of activity associated with the trade route."
"Perhaps that was the terrorists' plans all along," Offered Captain McGawan, who just freely entered into the office. "Sorry, Commander. Your door was open."
"We were waiting for you, Captain," Nakajima said, gaining some control back. She sighed heavily. "Sadly, I am forced to agree with Captain McGawan. The terrorists know that we can't handle the activity that is associated with a way station like Minas. We'd have to withdraw on the basis of space and demand."
A comm signal sounded. "Wing to Commander Nakajima."
Nakajima hit her combadge. "Go ahead."
"A convoy of Tarkelian Freighters has just dropped out of warp. They're requesting for all ten ships to be resupplied."
"I can't believe this," Nakajima said. "It's starting already."
"We don't have the space to support ten Tarkelian freighters," McGawan said. "The Tarkelia Freight and Supply Union is going to have a field day with this one. What ships are still here?"
"The Enterprise, the Detroit, and the Gulfstream. We have the Gertland and the Mukaihara coming in in a few hours with supplies to be transferred to the Detroit, before they head to Bajor," Nakajima said.
"How far is Bajor?" Madden wondered.
"Five days away at warp seven," Nakajima said.
"And warp seven point two is the fastest the Tarkelian freighters can travel," McGawan said. "They'd never reach DS9 in time before their provisions run out."
"The Enterprise can pull out—"
"Sorry, Captain," McGawan said. "The Enterprise is still undergoing scheduled maitenence. We can't release her."
"How about the Gulfstream?"
"It's still that many fewer ports for the Tarkelians to dock," Nakajima said. "Ever if all docking berths were free, they would still be four short."
McGawan sighed. "How many haulers are left?"
"Nine," Nakajima said. "But we only have two pilots on duty."
"Have them report in," McGawan said. "Captain, can you spare anyone from the Enterprise?"
Picard hit his combadge. "Picard to Enterprise."
"Kim here."
"Commander, can you spare seven engeering and flight-qualified personell to report to the starbase?"
"I can spare me and maybe four others," Kim said. "I'll give command to Commander La Forge."
"Make it so, select your four," Picard ordered.
"On our way, Captain. Kim out."
"I'll go too," Nakajima said. "Lieutenant Wing?"
"Yes, Commander?"
"Have the Tarkelians transfer their needs list, and have them sent to the hauler bay for immediate loading and departure," Nakajima ordered. "Tell the lead ship that two, and no more, can dock. And ask Captain Daniels if he can move his ship."
"I already asked him while I was on hold," Wing said. "He said he's ready for departure protocols."
Nakajima nodded. "Always one step ahead of me. Thanks. Nakajima out."
"I'll prepare a report for Starfleet Command, in the meantime," McGawan said. "Before it, Captain Picard, may I have a word with you in private... in my office?"
"Of course," Picard said. "Commander, return to the Enterprise and assume command. Commander La Forge must have his hands completely full right now."
Madden nodded. "Aye, Captain."
Within the hour, all nine haulers launched from the massive hauler bay dome of the starbase, and headed towards the waiting fleet of Tarkelian freighters. The good will operation was underway.
On the haulers, each pilot was paired with one other crewmember, assigned by need of the Tarkelian vessels. Dallas was assigned Wing, Dallas thinks, because Nakajima needed someone to watch his back. And Wing would be that person who could do it.
"So, what's the new captain like?" Dallas wondered.
"He seems like a decent man," Wing said. "But he's a little bit brazen."
"Just what we need, a commander with a big mouth," Dallas said.
"I believe the phrase is, 'it takes one to know one.'"
"That wasn't funny," Dallas said. "Coming up on our ship now."
"Let's do it."
Station Log,
First Entry. Captain Bruce McGawan, recording.
Stardate 60024.8
Repairs to the Enterprise are complete, and is ready to get under way. Starfleet Command has given us the charge of ascertaining this situation, while the Enterprise has been ordered to resume their assignment to Sector
441. Meanwhile, I have a few decisions to make...
Kim handed Picard his report while Enterprise was in dock, and on the Tarkelian situation. "We've had some problems, but she held together."
Picard tapped on the padd and just skimmed the report. "Excelent work, Commander. Well done."
"Thank you, Captain."
Picard put his padd down, and examined Kim. "Captain McGawan has made an inquiry to me, about you."
Kim's heart began to beat faster. Ignoring a sector commander is almost like spitting on the captain's shoe. You just simply don't do it. But, Kim did. "I-I'm sorry, Captain. I was busy, and—"
Picard held up his hand. "According to him, you were focused, deturmined, and you went the extra mile to even help out during the Tarkelian situation. He's really impressed with you."
"Could you please thank him for me?"
"I have a better idea," Picard said. "Why don't you thank him yourself?"
"Sir?"
"He has requested that you be transferred to the base as base manager," Picard said.
"Captain, with all due respect to you and Captain McGawan, I would much rather remain here on the Enterprise," Kim said. "I feel my services as science officer would be better suited here."
"Starfleet Command disagrees with you," Picard said. "Captain McGawan requested you before he realized that Command had already ordered your transfer to SB248."
"I see."
"I'm entering into your record," Picard said, "six comendation recommendations, and entering your name into the record for promotion to full Commander. It will take some more time before it goes through, so be a good boy, Mister Kim."
"Is that supposed to be an insentive?"
Picard nodded. "It is."
"It worked," Kim said. "Thank you, Captain Picard. It was an honor to serve with you."
"The honor was mine, Commander," Picard said, shaking Kim's hand. "You still owe me a few more Voyager stories."
Kim smiled. "Tom can tell you far many more interesting stories than I can."
McGawan emerged from his office, and stepped onto the operations center. "Report, Commander."
"The Enterprise has gone to warp," Nakajima reported.
"And Lieutenant Commander Kim?"
He emerged from the turbolift, almost on cue. "Here, Captain."
"You're late, Commander."
"Sorry Captain," Kim said. "I had a rather long goodbye on the Enterprise."
"Save your excuses for someone who gives a damn," McGwan said, with a cocky smerk. "Welcome aboard. Now, we have a terrorist situation to settle, I suggest we get to it."
"Sir," Kim said, as he logged in. Once he got to a main screen at his console, it came to life with comm activity. "We're receiving a message on all subspace bands."
McGawan nodded. "On main screen."
The huge IMAX-like screen came to life. There was a masked man standing behind a person, blindfolded. There were also some other masked men, holding phaser rifles and photon grenades. There was also a flag behind them, in alien writing.
One of them also had a Klingon d'artag, pointed at the blindfolded person's neck.
Another masked man came forward, wearing a red mask. He also had a padd in his hands. "The destruction of the Minas Supply Depot was one of many victories, aimed at supporting our cause," said the terrorist. "This man is a member of the Elani Confederacy, which is currently a member of the evil beast, the United Federation of Planets. We urge the Elani Government to consider that their child is about to die. If you wish to see your child again, we demand that, in two days time, your government withdraw from the Federation. Or, you will receive the head of your child covered with maggots in two days time. Long live the Negarani!"
As the others cheered "Long live the Negarani" a few times over, Kim shut the screen off before he was ordered to.
Another moment later, the station's proximity sensors sounded. Kim, coming back to reality, read the new readings. "Captain, an Elani Warship has just dropped from warp." That followed a comm signal. "They are requesting docking clearance."
"Give it to them," McGawan said.
More information, in text, came into Kim's console. "Prime Minister Soliel wishes to meet with you, Captain."
"Does she really?" McGawan blinked. "Have her sent to my office when she comes board."
"Aye, Sir," Kim replied.
"Commander Nakajima, please join me."
Nakajima nodded and followed McGawan into his office.
After they disappeared, Wing crossed the center, and came to Kim's side. "So," Wing said, "you served on Voyager, I hear."
Kim nodded, as he worked. "Why do you ask?"
"Then you must know Admiral Janeway, right?"
Kim nodded, again. "Of course. Why?"
"She's the new Command Chief of Operations," Wing said. "I just wanna know what kind of woman she is?"
Kim smiled, and turned to Wing. "Then you'll just have to read her book. Everything about her is there."
"Mosaic? I was never one for reading."
"Then you'll just have to get to know her for yourself, Lieutenant. Right now, I'm tracing the source of that subspace signal."
Wing smiled. "No problems. Need a hand?"
"Sure," Kim said. "Can you start by analyzing the logs from that comm array over here?"
Wing nodded. "No problem."
Prime Minister Soliel, gracing the captain's office in her beautiful white suit, pierced McGawan with her passionate blue eyes. "Captain, you must understand my position."
"I understand perfectly," McGawan said. "May I be blunt?"
Soliel nodded. "Certainly."
"I think you're too chicken-shit to see the true problem you have," McGawan said.
"My people have sruvived through two thousand centuries of conflict and wars through diplomatically resolving crisis, such as this," Soliel said. "What my government decides or does not decide to do is not for the Federation to dictate."
"Don't you see," McGawan urged, "they're going to kill your Son!"
"I know—"
"If we don't do something about it now, they're going to behead him, and broadcast it on subspace!" McGawan said.
"I am aware of that, Captain," Soliel said. "That is why I have decided, in the best interest of my people, to withdraw our Federation membership."
"You can't be serious," McGawan said. "Do you realize what giving into these terrorists will do? It will strengthen their cause. They won't stop with your people. They'll move on to the next helpless system. Then the next. And then another. Until so many governments have rallied to their cause that they'll destroy the very foundation of power in this sector. Worlds will be economically devistated without Federation support."
"My people can survive without the trade route."
"Can it? Can it really survive? Can you ensure it?" McGawan said. "Because you do realize that if it wasn't for the Federation, twenty-eight years ago, your planet would have been in total economic decay, like a set of bad teeth. Your species would have been extinct if it wasn't for the Federation and our help."
Soliel could see McGawan's point. Her planet's economy's foundation is the Federation. Without them, there would be no jobs for her people. There would be disease, famine, and death. Everything she came to know about her world would be lost forever. Was her son's life worth the lives of over a trillion people? To Soliel, the answer was yes. But... "What do you propose we do?"
"I don-"
"Ops to Captain McGawan," Kim called.
"I'm in a meeting, Harry," McGawan called. "This had better be important."
"We just completed a trace of that transmission," Kim said. "It's coming from the Lambda Epsilon System."
"Lambda Epsilon?" Soliel wondered.
"It's a Federation Terraforming Project," Nakajima confirmed. "There is a small station in orbit of the only remaining planet. They're trying to see if they can successfully terraform a planet orbiting a white dwarf star."
"What was your son doing in the Lambda Epsilon System?" McGawan wondered.
"I don't know," Soliel said. "He said he was assigned to an interesting terraforming project last year, but he never told me where. I thought you would know that, Captain."
"We don't have a list of every single Starfleet Officer. There are simply too many of them to keep track of all at once. We're not God, Sister," McGawan said. "Commander, have Wing devise a logical rescue plan, and order Daniels to head to the Lambda Epsilon System. Let's tell those bastards that they can't mess with the Federation anymore."
Nakajima nodded, with a small smile on her face. "With pleasure, Sir."
"I hope you get my son back," Soliel said. "For the sake of our people, please get my son back."
"We'll do what we can," Nakajima said. "I promise we'll bring him home." She hit her combadge. "Wing, Kim, meet me in my office, on the double. We've got work to do. Nakajima to Captain Daniels, report to my office on the station. Let's get this show on the road."
END OF ACT III