Star of the County Down
Chapter One
Fleet Admiral O'Shaughnessy stood in a darkened briefing room with three other men who were in his close confidence. He paced, as was his natural habit, with his hands behind his back in a rather neat and well-bred manner. His right hand, Admiral Pallin, was informing him on the latest developments in a classified project known as the Ultimate Starfleet Officer.
"I didn't think the former Maquis Chakotay would come so easily," Pallin said, "but once a traitor, always a traitor. At any rate, he's done his job commendably, and the biohazard has been contained, for the time being. But we'll have to take new measures to protect it I'm afraid."
Admiral Montoya, a man of generous proportions, also rose from his chair and gazed pensively out the window at the glowing lights of the Starfleet base.
"Perhaps we were wrong to choose Alpha Walker as our safe ground," he said in a thoughtful tone.
"And why is that?" snapped Fleet Admiral O'Shaughnessy, walking metrically closer. "Are you thinking of that little racing club?"
Montoya raised a thick eyebrow. "That little racing club," he said, "has over a hundred members if I recall. And they might have become curious since we raided their station in search of our wayward officers. Some of them have even come into contact with the biohazard."
O'Shaughnessy frowned. "I seem to remember a time when half of Apocrypha's racers were officers on our side, keeping up the pretence of a playground for the daredevil. Has so much changed since then?"
"It would seem that Apocrypha has become stronger under Margaret Thorpe's leadership."
"I see." His eyes took on a misty quality. "Margaret Thorpe is an excessively stupid woman," he said. "She'll wring her own neck eventually."
"Oh? And Captain Janeway? Is she also an excessively stupid woman?"
O'Shaughnessy smiled, in the refined way he had of smiling when he really wanted to snarl. "Well no, I can't say that she is," he said softly, sounding amused. "But of course I can't say that she's a Captain anymore either." His heavy boots clicked toward the door. "Can I gentlemen?"