Eight
Stardate 59432.8, USS Aegis, in orbit of Romulan Moon Lleiset
The cursor on the holographic screen of his terminal blinked non-stop and Theus could not think of the words to move it forward. Everything had happened so fast, and without warning. He replayed his security procedures in his head and found nothing lacked. Scans from the ship had found nothing that would suggest an attack. There was a small military base south of the city, but even that proved to be nothing more than training for reserve forces. He was about to replay the events of the day in his head once again when the door to his ready room/quarters chimed.
"Yes." Theus said exhausted.
Major Bullock entered in her normal strong gait, and stood in front of his desk.
"I've spoken with the Doctor regarding how to handle his remains sir. She assured me that the stasis pod fields won't fail."
"How long?"
"The funeral detail I dispatched is set to rendezvous with the Io in about five days. We'll be a shuttle and three MACOs down for about 11 days total." She said.
"I see, thank you Major."
Bullock remained. She fixed her gaze and said, "It never gets easier sir. You learn how to go through the motions while maintaining your composure but that feeling is just as strong each time."
"As it should be." He tilted his head to each side and cracked his neck. "Did you complete your analysis?"
If she was surprised at his response, Bullock didn't let it show. "I-I did sir. Scans of the area show impacts from a massive mortar attack."
"Mortar?"
"Crude explosives launched as indirect fire weapons utilizing chemical propulsion. Normally they move at much slower velocities, but with the elements and chemicals we have access to in these modern times, they're just as deadly as a photon grenade when used properly."
Theus nodded. "And because they're just explosives encased in metal, they're difficult to detect unless you're looking for them."
"That they are sir."
"zhNon to Captain Eridos, daise C'Ulos has beamed aboard."
"Thank you, Commander. Escort him up." He nodded to Bullock. "Prep the Wardroom."
"Yes sir." She said and turned to leave. As the door opened, she passed the Romulan leader and gave a cold stare.
"Come in please." Theus said impatiently.
He entered and took a seat when it was offered while zhNon walked around the desk to stand at her captain's side.
"Commander…" C'Ulos started, but zhNon cut him off.
"On this ship, he is the Captain, daise."
"Forgive my lapse of decorum. Captain, I cannot begin to apologize for yesterday's unfortunate events."
"Try anyway." Theus said.
"I understand your position. As a leader myself; one who has also loss those under my charge, I know how difficult this time must be for you and your entire crew."
"I don't think you understand our position daise." zhNon said.
"Are you suggesting that those in the Federation are somehow capable of feeling loss greater than a Romulan? Or that we are not capable of feeling emotions like you do?" C'Ulos accused.
"Don't!" Theus shouted. "The fragility of your ego, or your hurt feelings are of no consequence when compared to the fact that we have to deal with a man who has just loss his life!"
"An action that neither I, nor my people had anything to do with, Captain."
"I'm sorry, but did we miss something?" zhNon asked. "You said this was your republic."
"But they refuse to join."
Theus pinched his brow and massaged the area. He saw where this was going and didn't like it.
"Are you saying that there is a sperate political group on your planet that refuses to recognize your government as the legitimate authority?"
"I wouldn't give them that much of a classification but yes."
"And you didn't think it prudent to at the very least warn us?" zhNon asked.
He ignored her. "Captain, I know this has been a difficult time, but I would ask that you not let recent event…this recent tragedy influence your decision. We still have many people down there that could use your help."
He held up his hand. Theus did indeed have much to think about, but as it was, daise C'Ulos was too much of a distraction. It angered him to no end that his crew was put in danger, that one had died, simply because one man did not consider it worth mentioning.
"You'll have my decision later." Theus said.
"And approximately what time will that be at?"
He didn't answer. Instead Theus touched a panel on his desk and a security crewman entered.
"Please escort the daise back to the transporter room." Theus said.
C'Ulos gave him a searching stare, but did not object to leaving. Theus stood, and paced about his medium sized cabin a bit before turning to zhNon.
"This complicates matters." She said.
"Commander, you have a gift for understatements." He sighed. "Assemble the senior staff, Major Bullock has the Wardroom ready."
"Aye sir." She said.
The Aegis was a technological marvel not only for the advanced weapons and sensor packages she held, but also from her utilization of space. While the ship looked extremely compact and cramped from the outside, the complete redesign of the internal space of escorts vessels had come a long way.
Cargo bay space was limited on the ship, but with the improvements in miniaturization that Admiral Harris had spoken of, they were able to fit more into practically the same amount of space. The areas of bays 1 and 2 had been increased and held most of all the items Starfleet needed. Bay 3 had been split with the MACOs. It was the smallest rec room in the fleet that held a gym and a few lounge tables. Wall mounted barriers prevented anyone from inconveniencing the other, but that left bay 4 completely to the MACOs.
All of their equipment, vehicles, weapons, and anything else they desired was stored here. It also housed what they had affectionately called their "stack". Three long cargo containers that stretched the length of the bay that were stacked right atop one another. They were so large that they left barely 10cm of space from the wall and ceiling.
Each one could be accessed via a center door, and a small scaffolding ladder allowed access to the different levels. The first stack held personal equipment; armor, shield generators, scanners, and the like. The second; a dedicated armory that contain any and all weapons that a ground troop could want. The final at the top served as Major Bullock's office. She handled administrative and disciplinary issues on one side. On the other, a secure room with state of the art holographic projectors and an imaging system interfaced with the main computer for mission planning.
"Captain on deck." Bullock said as Theus entered.
"Are you going to do that every time he walks into a room?" zhNon asked.
"My house, my rules."
zhNon rolled her eyes as Theus took his seat. He tapped a few commands into a PADD and took a sip from a glass of water before starting.
"Good morning everyone. I wish this first official meeting included all of my senior officers, but unfortunately, he is one of the reasons it had to be called. We will have time to mourn his loss, but for now, we must continue on. Lt. Meynush Noor literally gave his life to protect mine. A debt no man can repay, I for one, will not see his sacrifice given in vain by not doing everything we can to make this mission a success."
"Here, here." Bullock said as everyone nodded.
"Before we begin discussions, I've had our resident Xeno-Culturalist work up a profile on these Romulans. Ensign?"
Contreras stood and delicately maneuvered through the cramped office toward the exit. He brought up a holographic window, and began inputting commands directly into the screen, the holographic sensors detecting his movements and thus providing resistance.
"Meet the Lleisetians, a designation we'll use to keep things from getting confusing. We received a pretty thorough cultural database from them, just before the…the attack." He said. His voice was starting to crack, and he looked embarrassed.
"It's okay Sergio." Dr. Utan said reassuringly.
Theus was proud to see his crew there for one another. They had known one another far longer than they had known him, but seeing the camaraderie was welcomed. He knew that Contreras, a young man of only 19 years, had just been commissioned by Captain Williams after completing his final requirements on the Bozeman. This was his first experience with the realities of service, as his prior ship only flew routine supply and courier mission.
"Excuse me." He said, and gathered himself. "As I was saying the database contained a complete detailing of their history. There are a little over 15,000 citizens and they are growing at a slow, but steady pace."
"Considering their life spans, and the fact that they aren't in direct conflict with anyone, that's a given." Goritan said.
"Yes, but one of the more interesting things I discovered was that this outpost was originally for bruchonis."
"Didn't R'Navta call Keln that during the attack?" Mok asked.
"Close. From what I can tell, it's a conjugation. If bruchon means traitor, then bruchonis literally translated means 'fallen' or 'disgraced'."
"Like Klingon honor codes?" zhNon asked.
"No Commander, it would be more accurate to compare them to someone who has failed in their duties to the Empire. They aren't traitors in the classical sense, more they are social pariahs, and the status is reflected in their daily lives with financial and political interactions."
"That's a bit much isn't it?" Carver asked.
"That's a bit light. If you don't believe me, ask the Commander here what Andorians used to do to those who failed the Imperial Guard." Bloss said with a snort.
"The same you Tellarites used to, only with less talking."
"This shouldn't come as a surprise." Theus said to Carver. "Earth was not immune to similar practices. Well into the Information Age when we were sending small probes and rockets into space, many militaries still used physical punishment for discipline. Administrative discharges could follow former service members for years."
"And that doesn't hold a candle to criminal charges." Bullock said. "While some of the laws were understandable, the punishments rarely focused on rehabilitation. When they were released, the felonious charges interfered with their ability to find work, housing, and prevented certain rights like voting.
"Exactly," Sergio continued, "the Lleisetians were in a sense exiled here. They were out of sight of the 'good' acceptable Romulans, while still providing a much-needed service."
He tapped the screen again.
"They also have some pretty progressive ideas and laws when compared to what we know of Romulan society. While Romulus had a senate, they were still imperialistic with an Emperor. But we know from our intelligence reports that the Emperor and Emperor's Legate were mostly just heads of state, while the Praetor was the one with true power."
"Like Earth nations with Monarchy's and a Prime Minister." Carver said.
"Indeed. They are incorporating aspects of chief executive officials and more voting. Most notably, they seem to be expanding their definition of civil rights in the form of freedom of speech and privacy."
"Hang on Ensign." zhNon said while trying to comprehend. "Are you saying that the Romulans…the Lleisetians are trying to establish their own version of the Guarantees that Federation citizen are entitled?"
"That's the best way to put it ma'am." He confirmed. "However, there are those that do not agree with these changes. A small group of a vocal minority has been calling for a return to the ways of the Empire. They call themselves, Children of the Wing. And they have shown that they are willing to go to any length to be heard."
"Thank you, Ensign." Theus said. "So as everyone can see, we have a legitimate issue that puts us at direct odds with the goals of our mission."
"Forgive me sir, but I don't see the issue you speak of." Goritan said. "We came to help, they've attacked us. Twice now. And in the process, one of our own was killed. I believe we should move on."
"I concur Captain." Mok said. "That torpedo was more than close enough, and the radiation damage to our shields and sensors will take time to repair. We are expending resources and time unnecessarily the longer we remain."
"I hope I'm not sounding too in character when I say I believe would should stay and help in whatever way we are able." Dr. Utan said. "The tragedy of a life being taken from us should not be answered with allowing them to suffer needlessly."
"Help has to be desired Doctor." Bloss said. "If you want to dodge mortars for your workout regiment, be my guest. But I'll keep my snout, and my crew safe from their cruelty!"
"Chief?" zhNon asked.
"My team was able to do an analysis on the fragmentation pieces we collected from the site with the Major. They weren't normal ordnance, they were make shift improvise explosives. The metal they used was coated in various other liquid metals in order to linger in the body. It was meant to poison and kill slowly if it didn't extinguish your life outright."
"What kind of people are these?" Bullock asked in revulsion.
"Is there a way we can split the difference?" Carver asked. "We don't have to beef up their military or restock their coffers, but we could take care of their immediate medical needs. For all their people."
"I'm afraid that might risk our people to unnecessary danger again." Bullock said. "Even if my guys transport down in full battle gear, we would more than likely agitate the locals to the point of not being effective. They've just thrown off what they consider an oppressive government, we don't want to come in and be seen as more overseers."
"More to the point, does the Prime Directive even allow us to do anything in this situation?" Contreras asked.
Theus and zhNon looked to one another and he nodded for her to proceed.
"The Prime Directive does and also does not apply in this situation. On one hand, they are certainly a warp capable species that has made a direct request for our help."
"On the other," Theus said, "they are also an independent state not recognized by the Federation Council. While it would be one thing if we just found them while exploring, we are in recognized Romulan territory. The Federation has no plans for a sector grab, so we are honoring their borders."
zhNon continued. "Still, borders only exist so long as a nation can enforce them. With the Romulans occupied with internal matters, Starfleet has limited approval to travel their space only with the intent of delivering relief. If they don't consider themselves citizens of the Empire, then we're not supposed to be interacting with them."
"And there's the matter of the Children of the Wing. Even if I did allow for relief efforts to proceed, we would still have to contend with a dissident faction that doesn't approve of us helping who they consider traitors to the Empire."
"They're terrorists sir." Goritan said emphatically.
"That's subjective." Theus said back. "But what is not up for debate is that they have engage in violent extremism in order to effect political change."
"Isn't that the textbook definition sir?" Mok asked.
"Centuries ago, Nelson Mandela, a man Earth recognizes as a freedom fighter for his efforts to end the perfected racism of institutionalized discrimination called Apartheid, used violence to get the attention of people and effect change in his nation."
"Sometimes I forget just how violent and backward you Humans used to be." Dr. Utan said. "They're using violence to return to a more oppressive way."
"Oppressive to us, Dr." zhNon said. "Andorians have also had their issues with social justice. Not only did we marginalize the Aenar, their ideals of pacifism were considered so revolting and weak that they were treated as a sub-species."
"Denobulans were no better. Our bigoted views toward the Antaran made it easier to develop policies against them as well as justifying military campaigns." Goritan said.
"Their way is theirs alone Doctor." Theus said. "Until they decide to change, and ask for that help, it's not our place to interfere."
"So we're leaving then?" Carver asked.
"Not exactly." Theus shook his head. "I've been in contact with Starfleet Command and they agree that this is one of those gray areas. After consulting with Captain Williams, he has given me authorization to make the call myself. His assessment of my and Commander zhNon's interpretation has given him confidence.
He stood, signaling that this meeting was about to be over.
"As far as I'm concerned, this is an internal matter that the Children of the Wing and the Lleisetians need to work out for themselves. At the very least, we will leave medical supplies. But won't be able to make a determination to do more without talking to all sides."
"Captain? You don't plan on going back down there do you? You can't" zhNon said.
"For once, I'm in complete agreement with the Commander." Bullock said.
"Is that all it took?" Theus gave a half smile. "Unfortunately ladies, we don't have a choice. Major take whatever security precautions you feel are warranted, nothings off the table. Commander, contact C'Ulos and see if he can arrange a meeting. Lt.'s Goritan and Carver, I want you two to coordinate an over watch for the landing team. See if you can find a way to increase sensor resolution to detect the metals found in the explosive. If you're successful, then we can use an orbital strike as leverage.
Lt. Mok, Chief, I want you two on countermeasures for any more cloaked vessels. It may sound paranoid, but I wouldn't put it past the separatists to have acquired their own vessel for less than diplomatic purposes. Doctor, start replicating medical supplies. Specifically, tissue regenerators, treatments for burns, and the like. Also if there's a way to counteract the poisons in those weapons, I want them to have ample supply."
"Yes sir." They chorused.
"You have your order, dis…was there something else Ensign?" Theus asked when Contreras raised his hand.
"Sorry sir, but did you have a specific task for me to accomplish?" He asked.
"Um…continue to work on you culture profile. Inform the proper department head if you find anything and assist where needed."
Theus didn't say anything, but he noticed that zhNon's antennae twitch in anger. He knew she would have a discussion about chain of command with him soon, and it was probably for the best so that the young man didn't forget that despite their past work, there was a new structure to adhere to.
"Aye sir." He said. "…sir? Would it be alright if I tracked the mortar launches down to their source?"
"Ensign?" Theus asked.
"Well, the Romulans…the Lleisetians included planetary weather data with the information package they sent. The Romulans left them one orbital satellite for communications, but they've been using it themselves for multiple tasks, including meteorological studies. Lt. Noor said that the ordnance broke supersonic speeds. Combined with our own passive scans, I can look for those disruptions in the atmosphere. I'm sure there will be multiple locations, but we would at least know where they are launching from to have an idea of where to look for them."
Everyone was silent, shocked at the incredible suggestion.
"Y-Yes Ensign…that would be fine." Theus said in a stunned tone.
"Right away sir!"
Still closest to the door, Contreras left. Theus looked to his officers, who were trying their best to suppress their smiles, but with little success. After a few moments, Contreras ran back in, winded from having made it all the way out the cargo bay and having to run back up the stairs.
"Sir! I wasn't dismissed!" He said looking horrified.
"No you weren't Ensign!" Theus shouted. He saw the young man swallow hard. "…okay now you are."
Contreras ran from the office, and Theus strolled out smoothly with the hearty laughter of his officers at his back. He wondered if the Ensign would ever realize just how much he had given them all during a time when they needed it the most.