USS Odyssey Chapter II: Lert Negotiations

Previously on The Odyssey: " Sir there are four unknown vessels approaching. Their hull plating does not match any know materials."

"We are the Lert Conferderates. We have extended our empire accros the Gamma and Beta Quadrants. We are technological more advanced than your pathetic Alpha Quadrant."

"Sir their Flag ship has been disabled." Said Wallwood "The other ships are retreating."

"We have your 'Lert' prisoners, and it appears that more Lert ships are approaching. The thing is, these are transport vessels. They have no weapons. They want to negotiate. I want you to come and be apart of the negotiations." Said the Admiral.

And now the contunuation.

"Why me Rosaline?" I protested "Why not Admiral McGannaway? He is a Betazoid."

"He will be joining us." She replied. She took off her glasses as she let out a heavy sigh "Look Gefferin, you have dealt with the Lert before."

"That was once and it resulted in a loss of 20 men!" I snapped back at her. The Admiral gave me a warm look. I knew that this was nothing campared to losing half of your crew to the Tholians. That look Comforted me, Like a mother does to her child. Just like that my mind was at ease.

"Gefferin, I want you on this negotiation. I will make sem'hal stew just the way you like it with an extra bottle of Kanar and some fresh tojar." she offered.

I thought about these foods. Sem'hal stew and tojar with a bottle of fine Kanar. The Federation had not programmed them into the replicators yet. I longed for the tojar especially. It is impossible to replicate properly. "Okay but do we know what they want?"

Rosaline smiled. "No they refused to disclose any information until we meet on Deep Space 11."

"What if this is a meeting of alliance? They will be most dissatisfied to find that they will have to wait until Starfleet Command approves it." I tried to argue, but it was no use.

"If they want to join forces with us , they will wait if they have to." she shot back.

"Ok we are fifteen hours away at warp seven." I said "We are changing our course now."

"Thank you Gefferin, I look forward to seeing you there." She said "May peace and love never leave you on your journey."

"Same to you Rosaline." I said as I closed the channel. If anyone else had witnessed that conversation, they would believe that there is a strong love between us. Though a valiant guess, it would be wrong. I was married almost a year to the most beautiful woman in the quadrant. Yes my ever loving Sara. And to think that only a year before we were married she had belonged to one of Starfleet's most trusted families, The Hill family. They had been loyal companions to Starfleet since its founding in 2123. They had single handedly funded the first Deep Space Starship the USS Pheonix. Her family had been close friends with the original signers of the United Federation of Planets Charter. Starfleet owes them a lot.

"Sir we are about fifteen hours from Deep Space 11." Janson's voice came through the com unit. "Commodore, Doctor Mkhlian has ordered to tell you to see her immediatley."

"Very well, I am on my way." I did not want to go. She is a Xindi – Primate. I had been told that the Xindi - Primates had been the ones who had killed my parents. So I have hated them ever since. She was a good doctor though, she graduated top of her class. She has been in high demand since she had saved a member of starfleet command from an unknown, genetically engineered, disease. She was a kind person, raised by humans on the planet where Sara and I have a home, Retrous III. We have met a couple of times before her comission. Sara loved her, so I could learn to like her. Sara would force me to if she were here. I should try and listen to her advice, even though she is back home.

I made my way to the turbo lift, when everything went dark. I had passed out in front of the turbo lift. I was not sure how long had passed before Leiutennant Mansour had found me. I had heard her shriek of pure terror, but could do nothing about it. I could not arouse myself. She tapped her combadge, and said with an obvious waver of fear "Emergency Transport three." And like that I was on my way to sickbay.

I woke in the unfamilliar sickbay of Deep Space 11. The doctor there was a good friend of mine. His name was Matcen. We had met while in the Cardassian Militia. We served in the same ships and enjoyed working together in engineering. After we left the Militia we turned our attention to Starfleet. We parted ways at the academy though. He pursued a medical career, and I pursued one of command. He said to me "Gefferin You are lucky to be alive. Someone had poisoned your stash of Kanar. You had enough to kill you."

"But I am not dead, right?" I said Jokingly

"No Gefferin you are not dead." He said trying not to laugh. "How are relations with you and Sara going?"

"We are married now." I replied with a hint of confusion. "I sent you an invitation"

"So that is what that was." he said "I thought you wanted your fity bars of latinum."

"I do but it is not important now." I said sarcastically "Have you ever been to Retrous III?"

"No, I do not think so. Why?" he asked

"Sara wanted to know where I always went before we got married, and now we have a home there," I said "Remember before the academy I did some solitary work. It was there I studied the principals of the Federation."

"Then from there you contacted me to do this."

"Exactly. So can I go now Andmiral Kate needed to see me."

"Yes hold on." he said as he pulled out a hypospray from the cabanet "This will help, you will feel really bad for the next hour or so."

"Thank you." I said.

Matcen was right I did feel horrible. I headed for my quarters when I saw Retan arguing with Janson. I decided to step in. "What is going on here!" I shouted which was quickly followed by rush pain in my head.

"Janson authorized an entire warp core replacement." She said with an annoyed tone

"Talk to T'ral she will help you out." I said. I made my way further down the corridor to my quarters. I walked over to the replicator, "Kanar" I requested. The computer processed my request and responded "Selction not found"

I was irritable, Sara hates Kanar. She wants me to get off of it. I have tried but it is very hard. I sat at the communications console and Plugged my data pad into the port and sent a message to Sara. I proceeded to the stations bar. The bartender was a Vulcan man, about 6'3". I ordered a whole bottle of Kanar. The bartender reluctantly geve it up. The side effects were wearing off. I started to feel better with every drink. I was half way done with the bottle when a familiar voice came through the combadge. It was the ever friendly voice on Admiral Ryan McGannaway one of the other negotiators.

"Sir the Lert have arrived and negotiations will begin in one hour."

To be continued . . .