Chapter Title: Never Look Back
Chapter Synapses: Talara returns to Andoria only to face a ritualistic fight to the death that threatens to quickly becomes an interstellar incident, drawing Hyperion's attention.
Written by: Seraph Koji
The snowy landscapes of Andoria surrounded Talara and another Andorian, this one a male.
"Starfleet has made you soft, Talara!" the man smiled, wielding a small ice-cutter.
Talara wielded one herself, "We'll see, Savan."
They locked eyes. They moved in for a swift strike, clashing the ice-cutters.
"Not bad, Starfleet." Savan smiled, "But not good enough!"
Alderman reported after a bleeping on his console, "Captain, we are being ordered to Andoria at once, it seems Talara and a man named Savan got critically injured during a sort of fight to the death."
"Damn!" VonBach cursed, "If somebody else kills her, I'll be pissed."
"Ensign Ivano, set course for Andoria, maximum warp." Starwind ordered to a human ensign, Quatre Ivano. "Collins, Winters, Sen, and Alderman be ready to beam down to Andoria. Grab warm clothes." Starwind issued further orders.
"Not me?" VonBach said, sounding slightly offended.
"If I send you, I never get my helm officer back." Starwind explained.
"First Officer's Log. Commander Talara has gotten into a bit of trouble on Andoria, and myself and an away team are being sent to prevent an interstellar incident. Should Andorian isolationists catch wind of this, a vital planet to the Federation may withdraw it's support, and perhaps even gather allies to declare war. This is the value of two lives."
The Away Team stood in the Andorian infirmary, hovering over the half-conscious Talara.
"Sen, help the Andorian doctors. Winters, you and Alderman secure the facility. Be sure word of this doesn't leak and no one storms the infirmary." Collins issued orders, she then turned to talara, "What the hell were you thinking?"
Talara forced a smile, "How else to escape a betrothal?"
"This is over a fiancée?" Collins asked, appalled.
"The old chestnut; boy meets girl, boy and girl get engaged, boy and girl kill one another with ice-cutters in a ceremonial fight to the death." Talara smiled, "He challenged me, and had his ice-cutter in hand, in case I refused. The least I could do was take him with me."
Collins gave a disapproving glare, "You know, if he dies, Andorian radical isolationists will get a lot more respect." Collins paused, "Pray that either he gets better or you don't, because if he dies, the Federation will be very unhappy with you." Collins explained.
"So why do you hate Commander VonBach?" Alderman asked Winters as they stood guard.
"I don't really." Winters shrugged, "Not personally. I'm a warrior. A revolutionary. I learned every facet of military starship operation back in – back home." She paused, holding back classified information as best she could, "And some soft Feddie, born on a peaceful Earth, who has never understood what it is to be a real warrior with a real cause can outfight me. Its an embarrassment to Ze- my family. I resent his fighting skill, not hate his personality."
"If you ask me, Commander VonBach has a sort of one-dimensional personality. Guns, explosions, and the lot. That's all the character he's got." Alderman expressed his view.
"You don't know him like I do." Winters explained.
Alderman rose an eyebrow, "And just how is that."
Sen poured over computer results on the two combatants while Collins and Andorian doctors stood around him.
"I've done what I can to stimulate healing," an Andorian doctor explained, "but I fear it wasn't enough."
"You've already operated to repair the damaged organs?" Sen asked.
"Of course."
Sen shook his head, "So now they are in the hands of the Prophets."
"Somehow I doubt Andoria has a Bajoran orb we can go to for their help." Collins said, cynically.
Starwind sat in his ready room reading Talara's sirvace record. "Rank of Commander, praised highly by her C.O. and X.O., decorated with two Christopher Pike Awards of Valor, and a number of Andorian awards. Considered a 'war hero' for the Dominion War… she's a great officer… so why? Why now?" he paused, "More importantly, what are the reparations?"
Talara regained consciousness briefly to see Sen scanning her. "You crazy Bajoran." She muttered, "I'm dying. And at least my last actions were in the snowy plains of Andoria."
"No talking like that. No one will die here today." Sen vowed.
Talara lost consciousness again.
"So what about the Captain?" Alderman asked, "Are he and Commander Collins…?"
"Who knows?" Winters replied, growing annoyed with this man.
Alderman sighed, "I think they'd be a good couple. Too bad rank is in the way, I mean how weird is it to be romantically involved with your direct superior."
"Not that weird." Winters replied instantly.
"What about her?"
Winters paused, "Dorian is crazy about him. Stupid lovesick girl."
"What was that, Lieutenant?" Collins' voice came from behind the two guards.
"Commander!" Winters smiled uncomfortably.
Collins folded her arms, "So, I'm a stupid lovesick girl, am I?"
Winters' rebuttal was cut short by a large pile of snow exploding just outside the compound.
"The isolationists?" Alderman looked outside as about thirty Andorians charged the building.
"You two take them. I'll lock down the infirmary." Collins ordered, running off.
"Send help!" Alderman called after her.
Winters pulled her hand phaser out, "I knew I should have brought more guns."
Alderman pulled his weapon as well.
"Lockdown mode initiated." The male computer voice responded as blast doors sealed the infirmary.
"Status of Savan and Talara?" Collins asked Sen.
"Savan will make a full recovery. Talara will too if I can get her back to Hyperion. I don't know if you noticed, but she was short one antenna, and on Hyperion I have equipment to stimulate it's growth. Here that equipment is in a sorry state of disrepair." Sen explained.
Collins turned to the Andorian doctors, "Can we beam out through this lockdown?"
"No in here, this room is protected by a shield." The doctor explained.
Collins sighed, "I already know the comm.. is dead so we can't call reinforcements from Hyperion…"
Sounds of phaser fire scorched the cold Andorian air as Winter and Alderman exchanged blasts with a large group of Andorians. A blast bound for Winters instead hit Alderman, who blocked her.
Alderman fell to the ground, fatally wounded. He looked at Winters, "I suggest… falling back…"
Without another thought, Winters quickly moved off.
"You blue-skinned devils." Alderman gasped. He reached over as the large crowd stormed forward, setting his phaser to overload.
"Sensors indicate that a large portion of the isolationists are dead. The living are retreating." Collins reported with releiv, "Stand down lockdown." She ordered.
The blast doors rose to reveal an injured Winters, "Alderman didn't make it. He saved my life, and his dying act was to blow the terrorists to hell." Winters said, a sort of quiet sadness in her voice.
Collins nodded, "Collins to Hyperion, four to beam up."
Talara, feeling better, though a little off balance as she awaited her new antenna, stood in Starwind's ready room.
"You, Commander, were reckless, and learly lost your life and risked giving a terrorist cell control over a planet for purely personal reasons." Starwind began, sitting calmly behind his desk, "The Federation plans to uphold your exile from Andoria. In addition, your holodeck privileges will be revoked until further notice. Also, for actions unbecoming of a Starfleet officer, you will be hereby demoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Moreover, you position at Helm will now be filled by Ensign Quatre Ivano, the pilot of the USS Broadway. You are our new Operations officer. Fitting, since the old one died on a mission your carelessness caused. Be thankful the Federation and the Andorian government chose not to try you for attempted murder." Strwind paused, "I'm disappointed in you, Talara. You have been a model officer since the Dominion War, you are decorated and praised… as much as I want to know what happened, I don't really care. I am, of course, putting this on your record. And that's an awfully large smudge on a rather clean record." Starwind said, showing great disappointment, "Dismissed, Lieutenant."
Talara exited.
Collins sat in her quarters in dress uniform, preparing to address the family of Alderman, "Computer, begin video recording." She paused, "Mrs. Alderman, I am Commander Dorian Collins, the First Officer of the Federation starship Hyperion. I regret to inform you that your husband, Ensign William Alderman, has died in the line of duty. His sacrifice saved a few dozen lives from an attempted terrorist attack, including my own. His heroism is an inspiration to us all. His time on Hyperion impressed me greatly, and I'm sorry his life was cut tragically short. We have, in accordance with his wishes, prepared a Starfleet memorial service later today. I assure you, Ensign Alderman will not be forgotten." Collins paused, "Once again, I extend my deepest sympathies."
Later that day, a large portion of the crew stood in the Observitorium, near the large forward-facing windows.
Winters got up in front of the crowd, "Ensign Alderman was an inquisitive man. Always wondering about the emotional status of the crew. I think he would have made a good counselor. No offense, Amy, no one can top you. But he also saved my life. That's why he died. Because he jumped in the way of incoming fire to protect me." Winters paused, "Thanks, Bill."
Collins stood up, "He protected all of us." She stepped in front of the crowd, "I recorded a message to his wife back on Earth, and I told her how the Ensign died saving dozens of lives from some group of terrorists. He died a hero."
The third speaker, now Lieutenant Talara, stepped forward, "The Ensign was on Andoria because of me. The terrorists attacked because of me. Hyperion got involved because of me. And still, to protect me, as well as the doctors caring fro me, Alderman died." Talara fought tears, "Rest in peace, William Alderman."
A crewman played the naval flute as the casing holding the remains of the Ensign shot into space.
Talara watched it drift out of sight, "Rest in peace."
