Chapter 04: The Reason and the Cause
The bridge was alive with conversation, most were cadets who were having their first-time anxiety and second thoughts. Capitaine looked around, seeing Elisa, T'Vrell, and Anne at their stations. Catching Taggart's eye, he gestured her over, giving a brief reintroduction of himself and herself to the bridge crew. Capitaine already knew most of them, but it was reassuring that Captain Taggart took the time to introduce her.
Capitaine hadn't had the time to review her captain's records, but she could tell he had a long history of experience. From his mannerisms, as he explained, he served under Admiral Picard and had time with Admiral Janeway as well as Captains La Forge and Data. Capitaine was curious why someone with such an illustrious career still commanded such a small, little ship. The USS Miranda was a Miranda-class frigate; nothing extraordinary and definetly nothing new. The design had been around for more than a century, and although once considered a cruiser, it was now considered one of the smallest workhorses in the fleet.
Anxious about giving her first order, it was only to ask Earth Space Dock for clearance to leave. But Capitaine stumbled over her words nonetheless; she sat down next to Captain Taggart, a little embarrassed about her anxiety. She hoped she wasn't blushing or sweating from all this, but still held herself together to make a good impression on this training cruise.
...
Their flight path having nothing challenging or even difficult of any kind, small talk soon broke out among the bridge crew. Capitaine knew she couldn't do that very well, but trying to discourage it wasn't an option. Being the First Officer meant she had to interact with the crew and help *know* them to keep operations and duties at their best.
Time passed and Capitaine was beginning to wish she was down in engineering with Zarva. But behind another cadet, an urgent message was received, a distress call. Receiving, it was a Ferengi freighter, SS Break Even, that had tried to cut through an asteroid field and had suffered heavy damage, to the point of an imminent warp core breach. Feeling comfortable now that she had work to do, Capitaine looked to Captain Taggart, who nodded and gave the go-ahead to proceed.
Arriving, the frieghter seemed better on the outside than on the inside. Being the engineer, Capitaine guessed that a meteorite had gotten a lucky hit with several critical systems. Scanning the freighter seemed to confirm Capitaine's thoughts as there was little external damage, although many compartments couldn't be scanned. Taggart mumbled something about Ferengi contraband and nudged Capitaine to ignore it until the ship wasn't in danger.
Now reporting to have casualties, Taggart lowered the shields and informed the Medical Bay, while giving Capitaine authority to start beaming them aboard. Although not necessarily that interesting or involved, Capitaine greatly perfered managing wounded than to trying small talk. The ship suddenly jerked as a disruptor blast hit the warp engines, Capitaine was sitting in her chair but Taggart was not and he fell hard on the console infront of him. Helping Taggart up, he insisted he was fine and T'Vrell confirmed that he had only suffered some 'external bruising'. Sitting Taggart down in his chair, Capitaine seemed to have a natural instinct for command, quickly delegating both ship power and crewmen where they would be needed.
Hearing several others at once, the Miranda had been boarded by Klingons and they had already seized control of the transporters and cargo bays. The warp nacelles had been damaged just enough to knock out warp travel but with the shields down, they could have easily destroyed the ship. Weapons were still operational but external sensors were down, but the Klingons cloaked as soon as they fired; this whole distress mission had been a ruse. Internal sensors showed the Klingons were moving through the ship killing anybody they encountered. Being taken unawares, most of the crew were trapped at their duty stations.
"Number One, take Cadets Flores and Razkii, and a security team to help Commander McMary. ... I should have seen this comming ... "
"Yes, Captain.
Flores, your with me.
First Officer to Razkii, assemble a security team, we are going to the transporter room. Prepare yourselves!"
"We're having fights across the ship, Commander McMary and I are pinned down in the Armory. Rosark's team is the closest, he'll meet you outside the bridge."
Entering the turbolift, Elisa stood shaking next to Capitaine. Silently conversing, she was afraid, she didn't want her career to have been cut short so soon. Capitaine tried her best to reassure her, but couldn't do much besides a friendly smile. The doors opened to a burning hallway, Rosark and his team lay on the ground. By the lack of any disruptor fire, Elisa guessed that they were caught in grenade explosion. Trying to call again for help, they were met with static as internal comms were being jammed.
Now just the two of them on their own, Elisa convinced Capitaine to head for the armory, which on a Miranda-class was just a bunch of lockers in a crowded room. The path was short, and luckily with no Klingons. Arriving at the armory, they found McMary and her team surrounded from both sides by enemy fire. Having picked up some functioning pistols from the dead security teams, Capitaine and Elisa still couldn't hope to help but only to distract the Klingons and hope McMary could clear them a path.
Unable to get the attention of McMary's team, Capitaine gambled on her life as she overloaded her phaser pistol and threw it at the Klingons. The damaged pistol didn't explode as spectacularly as she had expected, but it did get everyone's attention. Elisa managed to shoot a couple of shots before they were forced to duck behind debris and rubble. As the disruptor fire stopped, Elisa peaked out, pulling Capitaine up with her, McMary's team had cleared out the Klingons on their side and now were easily focusing on the others.
Walking up to the pair, McMary was a battle-hardened brunette with short, round hair. Bearing the scars from past experiences and now the burns and bruises from the current encounter, she smiled and helped them up as she rushed them into the armory.
"Don't have time for an intro, Number One, but I'm Commander Mercedes McMary, callsign 'Mercy'. But don't think I'm a softie, I didn't get that nick by playing it easy. ... Where is the rest of your team? I know the captain didn't just send the two of you!"
"Dead, killed by a grenade ... "
"That's a shame ... but *that's* for later, I can handle this here. Take some people and head to the Transporters. I'm going to start routing the rest of them there, you'll cut off their escape."
Nodding in agreement, Capitaine accepted Mercy's phaser rifle while she then proceeded to pick up a minigun. Elisa found herself handling two phaser pistols, nudging Capitaine that she 'felt more confident'. The two of them leading a team five, Capitaine thought back and realized she and Elisa had never actually checked their Rosark and his group *was* all dead.
The fire fight to the Transporters was fortunately thin, the Klingons had spread themselves through the ship and only encountered small groups of them at a time. They found others along the way, but most were either dead or wounded. At the outside of the Transporters, Capitaine saw another security team there, but saw them just long enough before they were exploded by a grenade.
Seeming to have taken the Klingons by surprise, Capitaine found that she was the only on her team not disturbed by all the violence. Elisa almost seemed to enjoy it, but still hesitated before pulling the trigger. Reviewing the dead, Capitaine found Wright slumped over by his station, he had died in a flurry of disruptor shots that had also destroyed his station. Deactivating the dampening field and the Klingon's pattern enhancers, Capitaine reported her situation to the bridge, only to be met with silence. Instead trying to contact Mercy, she *did* respond, reporting that they should be there in about five minutes. Trying again for the bridge, Capitaine was still met by silence.
Concerned, Capitaine took Elisa as she headed to the back, informing the rest of the team to wait for Mercy. The path back to the bridge was quiet, fighting seemed to have stopped but the damage and dead were still all around them. Finding again the bodies of Rosark and his team, Capitiane stopped Elisa in order to make time to scan the bodies. Finding that they were all dead and have been dead for quite some time, The two felt relieved that there wasn't anything they could have done the *first* time either.
Arriving at the bridge, they were greeted by a squad of surprised Klingons who were in place of all the cadets and officers. Both groups hesitating a moment before opening fire, Capitaine grabbed Elisa to keep her inside the turbolift. Activating to escape back to the lower decks, Capitaine felt furious, 'her captain and the rest of her friends had been killed by the Klingon's' suprise!' Seeing Elisa's concerned look, brought Capitaine back to herself; she found herself about to evacuate the atmosphere from the bridge .
"What was *that* look! Capitaine, you alright?"
"Sorry, Elisa. I think I just got too ahead of myself. I promise, I'm fine!
Cadet Capitaine to Commander McMary! The Klingons have taken the bridge! They've set up a dampening field around themselves. I need assistance."
"WHAT! ... Damn it, damn ... I'll be there with a team as soon as I can. Don't do anything fool-hardy, Cadet! Mercy, out."
"Capitaine ... I've don't think ... I've *ever* seen you *that* angry before, even when I pretended to be your girlfriend ... or the time I almost got both of us expelled ... or the ... "
"Elisa! Not now! ... Sorry, I've never had that kind of anger either. I'm sorry ... "
"Don't be, Capitaine, we'll ... we'll talk about this later ... Let's get ready for Commander Mercy."
Frightened and now down from the sudden rush, Capitaine sat back against the scorched hallways. Watching Elisa trying to hack into the Bridge, Capitaine knew she could never do it, but it was encouraging to watch Elisa try ... and fail ... but continue trying nonetheless. Feeling back to her normal self, Capitaine held herself still amid the destruction, listening for incoming footsteps. Silently promising herself and Elisa to have that talk later, Capitaine slowly stood up as she heard a crowd coming around a corner.
Mercy rounded a corner in full combat armor, and two full teams in close-combat gear. Elisa smiled as she stepped aside, Capitaine nodded as she let Mercy take control. Watching Mercy take the first team as the second took the other turbolift, Capitaine sat next to Elisa, still feeling let down after her emotional surprise. After a small hug, they readied their phasers and stepped into the turbolift.
Arriving on the bridge, Capitaine saw some startled security officers as she stepped out. Mercy nodded back to her as she returned to the view screen. The Klingon captain of the IKS Chot, laughed as he saw Capitaine step into view. By his side was Captain Taggart, badly beaten, with a disruptor to his head, and a knife to his neck.
"Tell your crew to surrender, captain, and on my honor they will be treated *fairly*."
"Don't surrender, Capitaine!"
"Do you want these *children* to die, captain?"
" ... Very well, ...
... First Officer Capitaine, go to the sensor's control panel ... and, lock-on-to-my comm-badge-and-FIRE!" jerking and falling to ground with a sword in his chest, Taggart rasped out, "... make me proud."
The bridge of the Miranda froze as Taggart collapsed. Many unused to combat, some were shocked by his sudden order. His last words, not one of apology but one of encouragement, they found strange.
Capitaine seemed to pickup on Taggart's scheme faster than most. Already she was entering in the coordinates into Elisa's console, who stood back and waited quietly. Mercy was still crossing the bridge but was obviously becoming eager and impatient; Capitaine nodded to her and fired.
Everyone on the bridge turning to the viewscreen, they saw a crimson torpedo flying out into space, with no apparent target. Everybody knew that if they torpedo missed, the Klingon's retaliation wouldn't. It seemed minutes the seconds as it flew and spectacularly exploded, revealing a Klingon dreadnought. Jumping to the opportunity, Elisa confirmed the sensor lock and fired the ship's phasers, furthering the damage to the dreadnought. The phaser struck a brilliant ray through the hull of the ship, Capitaine hoped it was enough, but it wasn't. With another final swearing of vengeance, the Chot cloaked, leaving the Miranda alone.
...
Reviewing the sensor logs with Zarva, Mercy, and Elisa, it was found that the Chot had lost warp drive and had taken damage more seriously than the Miranda. The Chot must be an older ship, a raider with a captain that had been forgotten or exiled by the Klingons, at least officially. Being an engineer at heart, Capitaine helped Zarva get the ship underway, so much as the scavenge from debris and ruins of other nearby ships. Her methods unorthodox, but they got the job done and would hold long enough to get back to space dock.
Although not yet underway, T'Vrell found emissions from the Chot, suggesting that not only had it not gotten very far, but it was still watching them too. Mercy and Elisa wanted to purse, Zarva was concerned about the ship, but being the First Officer, Capitaine had the final say. Mercy was her senior in practically everyway, but respected Taggart's choice, yielding to whatever Capitaine decided. Deciding to go after the Chot, the subspace array was repaired and shields were a priority, with weapons already functional.
...
The only nearby ship was the USS Renown, a Typhoon-Class battleship captained by Vo'Lok. As best as they could, they sent Chot's position so that the Renown would be ready when it dropped out of warp. It arrived alone rather than with support ships, yet his timing was impeccable. The Miranda and everybody aboard it was holding together by luck and fate; by all means the Renown would have arrived to late.
Working with Zarva to coax the last out of the Miranda's aged hull and cores, Capitaine almost jumped out of her seat as a barrage of torpedoes dealt the killing blow to the Chot. With an emotionless vulcan hello, Vo'Lok greeted Capitaine, and began transferring repairs to the dying ship. Confirming with the Miranda that the Chot was destroyed and all-hands-aboard were killed, Capitaine agreed it was best to return to space dock, as it had been quite enough adventure and action for one day.
But apparently it was not. Almost out of the sector, a distress call came from the USS Khitomer. Captain Vo'Lok, knowing the volatility of the Khitomer's research, gave a field promotion to Capitaine from the rank of cadet, past ensign, and to the rank of lieutenant. His reasoning so that Capitaine would have an actual claim to captaincy and that her peers would have a leader that was their senior rather than just from prior choices. Subtly giving Vo'Lok a bow, Capitaine now sat in the captain's chair, with Mercy and Elisa next to her. While Mercy was still much more professional than the other two, she did join in their enjoyment and curiosity.
...
The USS Khitomer was a heavily armed research vessel, able to survive alone and away for a considerable length of time. But the Renown and Miranda found it barely holding together. Not needing to explain, the bridge came to a silence as they realized the Khitomer was working with Borg technology, technology that had gotten out of hand.
Beaming with a security team over to the Khitomer, Mercy stayed aboard the Miranda, overseeing final preparations for effectively fighting the Borg. It was unlike her to openly refuse a fight, but she was planning something.
Capitaine, along with Elisa, Zarva, and T'Vrell lead a team to the Khitomer's bridge while the Renown's teams secured the rest of the ship. Contact with the Borg was rare but it very traumatizing, even to those from the Khitomer or those who had stayed behind. Her away team shocked through and through, Capitaine returned to find the Renown was now engaging small Borg vessels which had dropped out of transwarp. The Renown could handle these without help, but the Miranda was now needed elsewhere.
A gargled distress signal from the Vega System, made a fear into a reality. Although a couple hours away it was still the closest habitable system to the Khitomer; it was now being assimilated by the Borg. Beaming aboard additional crew and supplies to the Miranda, Vo'Lok ordered Capitaine to the Vega System while he would see the Khitomer back to space dock and assemble a fleet to Vega.
Capitaine wished their roles would be switched, but having a Cadet trying to convince a fleet go to Vega would be difficult. The Borg arriving in the Beta quadrant with no prior evidence would be treated as whimsical at the most. Knowing what she had to do, Capitaine readied her crew. With Mercy's help, they were ready, shaken up and disturbed, but they were ready for what they were about to do.
Arriving at Vega, it was already too late. A unimatrix was already being setup and the majority of the planet was already assimilated. However, it was found a hole in the Borg blockade, and on closer scans, resistance was still present. Some of the crew upset by T'Vrell's persistent scans, yet they didn't voice their objections, their fear still overcome by their duties.
Fighting her way to the capital, Capitaine found a resigned chairman, Administrator Willa Post, who had already given in that she and her planet would be assimilated. Having explosives throughout the city, she intended to "make the Borg pay" for every citizen they assimilated. Seeing a Starfleet team and hearing of a ship in orbit, she was still wasn't very enthusiastic, but now sounded the evacuation order to retreat. Her personal guard, a Saurian named Kolez, obviously disagreed with everything she had done up until Capitaine's arrival and enthusiastically escorted her throughout town helping the final citizens escape.
Capitaine wasn't the only team to beam down, almost a dozen others did as well. Mercy lead a strike team to try to slow down the Borg, while many others evacuated the last pockets of resistance. From the capital, Capitaine and Administrator Post were the last to beam out of the city, and they left with a 'bang'. But they were not the last to leave the planet, some teams didn't return, but the last *to* return was Mercy's.
Having to help refugees to Sick Bay and seeing Morek overwhelmed with patients, Capitaine and her team stayed while confirming that all saveable teams were rescued. Sitting on the floor, Capitaine saw Mercy holding her neck and cradling a broken arm. Briefly checking on her, Capitaine was saddened to see her skin was graying and her voice was horse and mechanical. Personally prioritizing Mercy ahead of the refugees, Capitaine did what she could, but Mercy wasn't so hopeful. Having no medical experience, Capitaine tried injection after injection, horrified to see several mechanical implants protrude out of Mercy's arm, effectively 'unbreaking' her broken arm. Suddenly being shoved across the room, Capitaine readied Elisa with a high-yield phaser rifle. Mercy, however, didn't head towards others but hobbled over to the medical replicator and injected herself with something. Collapsing to the floor, Capitaine cautiously ran over and found she had replicated a potent neurotoxin, enough for ten people, and had injected herself with it.
Wanting time to mourn, Elisa had to pull Capitaine back up to her feet. Silently motioning to the other crewmen and refugees, who stood horrified that Mercy had been assimilated, Capitaine and Elisa helped resume the flow of things within Sick Bay. Confirming that Mercy's assimilations wasn't complete, the overcrowded buzz and mumble soon forgot to focus on the situation at hand. Before leaving, Capitaine carried Mercy's body out into the hallway, covering her up and placing her off to the side.
Knowing they had both lost a friend, Capitaine and Elisa returned to the bridge. Zarva and T'Vrell were configuring a series of warning beacons, which would be launched as they escaped. Distracted by the loss of Mercy and the ever-increasing danger of the Borg, Capitaine didn't give it much attention, wanting to get the ship and all of its passengers away as sood as possible.
The first and second beacons were deployed without incident or without damaging resistance; the third was not. Immediately activating the third, a cube jumped out of warp, blocking their flight to open space. Potter veered to the side and Capitaine could feel everybody jerking to the inertial dampeners lagged in effect. Now escaping instead of retreating, the ship shuddered to a stop, now being caught in a tractor beam. Everybody immediately feeling and fearing the worst, they readied their weapons, expecting drones to transport aboard by the dozens.
"Lieutenant, I recommend we go out with a *bang*. I think speak for all of us; 'we don't want to be drones!' "
"Anne s'right, Capitaine."
Looking around to everybody, and all of them looking sadly back at her, Capitaine started the self-destruct countdown sequence.
"Well, roomie ... T'Vrell doesn't believe much in hope, but when she's lost it, its time to call it quits. ... I-I ... I love you, roomie, ... you were my bestie, Its been a good run ... "
Collapsing down to her chair, Capitaine didn't feel like making any last announcement or words of goodbye, she looked up lovingly and thankful at Elisa words, but she couldn't find any words at all to say back to her. Trying to open her mouth to say something in thanks and congratulations to a crew, Capitaine knew she should say they had performed their best to the end, despite a career cut so short. But it had taken her entire attention just to give a statement back at the academy, and putting together a word of goodbye would take just as long if not longer. Finally opening her mouth to speak, Potter shouted out so the whole bridge turned their attention to the viewscreen.
A volley of torpedoes struck the cube, disabling its tractor beam. Before having time to smile, Potter engaged the engines as the Miranda flew past the Renown and its fleet.
"Captain Vo'Lok to Lieutenant Capitaine, it was fortunate I was able to arrive when I did."
"You're telling me! I wish you came became *before* we lost hope!" shouted Elisa, above Capitaine's voice.
"Captain, I,* as well as* my officers and crew are thankful that you did arrive nonetheless." Capitaine repeated as she tried to set Elisa back to her console.
Stifling what Capitaine thought was a Vulcan smile, Vo'Lok nodded to her and cut the screen. The fleet flew past the Miranda, covering its escape. Before they could confirm or say thanks to the rest, Capitaine soon saw the light-trails as the Miranda went to warp.
...
Sitting nervously, Capitaine felt herself shivering as she sat in anticipation of Admiral Quinn, Captain Sulu, and Lieutenant Linnea as they decided her fate. It wasn't cold and there wasn't anything she could do about it, but she wished they would just tell her outright. Capitaine was convinced they had already decided beforehand and now was just a formality. Several days ago had been the most engaging and thrilling of her career, although her career had only been several days long.
Standing outside his office, Linnea finally called Capitaine in, setting herself down by Admiral Quinn's side and Capitaine in a chair across the table.
"'Cadet Capitaine'? Is it?"
"Yes, Admiral. That is me."
"I must say, this is the most unusual report of a cadet I've ever read! I am very impressed by you and your classmates' performance with the SS Break Even, the USS Khitomer, and at Vega colony."
"Thank you, Admiral."
"... all in one afternoon, too. That is something!
Captain Sulu, do you have anything you want to add?"
"Yes, Admiral.
Cadet, I've correlated reports from the USS Renown, Khitomer, Defiant, Armitage, and Chimera, all the other Federation ships that you encountered that day. The SS Break Even will face penalties, no doubt, but we were able to get information from them as well. The Chot has been a problem for about two years ... and you've solved that problem in only several hours!" Handing Capitaine a PADD, Captain Sulu continued, speaking not only to her but now to Admiral Quinn and Linnea as well. "What you did with the Miranda is, as the admiral said, very impressive. Honestly, I would not have expected that kind of luck or ingenuity from a graduating cadet!"
As Captain Sulu finished, he looked at Linnea, who handed Capitaine another PADD. Smiling, Linnea congratulated Capitaine and glanced over to Admiral Quinn, who now wanted silence to speak.
"*Lieutenant* Capitaine. I'm making your field promotion official. As well, as Linnea handed you, I'm giving you command of the USS Miranda; as you two've been through so much together."
"My own *command*, sir?" Capitaine spoke in disbelief, not believing what she was hearing. Glancing down at the PADD Linnea had given her, it contained requisition forms as well as duty officer rosters and ship equipment authorizations. Looking back up, Capitaine found she had been staring at the PADD for long than she thought. Standing up, she didn't know what to say or what to do.
"Thank you." was all she could say, followed by a small bow and she turned and left to find her friends. However, just outside the office, Capitaine saw out of the corner of her eye a man waving her her over. Discreetly, but she had picked up enough social oddities from Elisa and the Academy to recognize it for what it was. He looked like a middle-aged black man with a full beard and mustache. Despite that, he was only an ensign.
"Welcome, Capitaine?"
" 'Welcome?' Hello to you, ensign." Capitaine slowly approached him, remembering that discretion required patience, but she was still confused by his question. Repeating his question with a better explanation, she told him her rank and asked again.
"I am Philip Crey, I'm part of the Temporal Intelligence Agency. Do you have anything you might what to share with us?"
Knowing what he was implying, Capitaine plainly brushed it off; instead, she reintroduced herself as the 'lieutenant-captain' of the USS Miranda. Crey was not amused, instead he repeated his question, but with more authority. " 'Lieutenant-Captain', then? ... We have information that says you had an 'encounter'. I remind you that it is protocol and we don't mean you any ill-will, but it would be easier for all of us if you volunteer that information. ... Its much harder than you think to get intel unwillingly."
Although the last part sarcastic, Capitaine didn't feel any more conformable talking to him. Taking a long moment to consider everything, Capitane looked up from herself to find that Crey was still awaiting an answer. Shyly taking out the Device, Capitaine presented it to Crey. Capitaine had little logic to trust the admiral but kept it close only because of the sentimental and personal reasons: curiosity. She was ready to snatch it back at any moment, but Crey instead took out a small tricorder, explaining that he was scanning it for chroniton radiation.
Briefly glancing up to her and back and forth between the Device and his tricorder, Crey slowly put his tricorder away and handed the Device back to Capitaine. "You were exposed to someone from the ... future, but not too far. I'd say about eighteen months maximum."
"'Eighteen months'!?" Capitaine was shocked, and had trouble hiding that. She knew her curiosity had gotten the best of her, but now she *had* to know more. "But I, they, ... she was an admiral!"
"So it was your future self, ... and although statistically unlikely, during wartime, its not entirely out of the question. There's been a pretty stead flow of new captains and field promotions in the wake in the crises of the galaxy. ... Think about it, you've been on active-duty for less than a week, and already you command a starship!"
Settling down, Capitaine couldn't think of much to say. Wanting to think his words over, she motioned to leave. Crey simply thanked her, but also reassuring her that his organization wouldn't cause her any trouble, but would like any updates. Settling for that, Capitaine quickly exited, wanting to resume returning to her friends.
- END OF CHAPTER -