Strictly Business (A War of the Masters Side Story)

knightraider6

The 1 shines
And people forget
The spray flies as the speedboat glides
And people forget
Forget they're hiding
The girls smile
And people forget
The snow packs as the skier tracks
And people forget
Forget they're hiding.

Behind an eminence front
Eminence front - It's a put on.

Come on join the party
Dress to kill
Won't you come and join the party
Dress to kill.

The drinks flow
People forget
That big wheel spins, the hair thins
People forget
Forget they're hiding
The news slows
People forget
The shares crash, hopes are dashed
People forget
Forget they're hiding.

Behind an eminence front
Eminence front - it's a put on
Come on join the party
Dress to
Come on join the party
Dress to
Come on join the party
Dress to
Come on join the party
Dress to kill
Dress yourself, dressed to kill.
The Who “Eminence Front”

USS Raven, Starbase 39, June 18, 2412

The damage to the ship was less than minor. Cosmetic even. The damage to the ships morale...that was a bit harder to quantify. Captain James Randall was past furious, down to a cold calm by now as he sat in the briefing room, listening to the reports from Starfleet Intel.

"It's suspected that the merchant ship that met with the Breen was possibly carrying protomatter. Now I don't need to tell you just how dangerous that stuff is. We also don't know if they were even aware of what they were carrying at the time."

"We do know though sir, that they were spooked enough to risk ramming my ship." Randall growled. "And that a civilian ship has a Slipstream drive, which even most of the fleet doesn't have yet-no civil ship should have them."

"I agree with you," the Admiral on the viewscreen replied "But untill we have more solid evidence, he is just a person of interest in this case. That said-do what you can to apprehend him Captain. I have a feeling once JAG goes over this, there will be warrants soon enough."

When the transmission ended Randall let his temper loose "more solid evidence!? What the hell more do they want, we've got a fracking dent on our hull from the TRIBBLE!"

"I know Sir" Lt Commander Zee, the Andorian first officer replied. "but on the bright side, Mr Evans is a public figure. He'll show up sooner or later."

Captain Randall nodded, leaning back in his seat "and when he does...we'll bring the boom down on him."




Quark-Hyatt resort, Risa, June 19, 2412

One good thing about paying this much for staying here - little to no reporters. At least on the private island. There were always paparazzi that followed the 'rich and famous' that came and went from here - but all they could see was from the transit area at customs. Tri-dee actresses, politicians, and in his case, billionaire-playboy musician and media magnate. Not that there were many billionaire humans anymore, but Jake Evans was a throwback in many ways.

He was sitting by the pool, annoyed as he had been since arriving on Risa. 'Grab your family and get ready to run' Schrodi had said. Hard to do when your sister is off trying to stop a border war, and his parents refused to leave. Then there was the border war, an unimportant one in the grand scheme of things. Things were not looking good for the Confederacy, he was heading to Earth in the morning - while it was a bit dicey for him to go there, especially after recent events - he couldn't sit by. Plus his lawyers were there, and from what he was hearing, talking to them might be a very good idea.

A shadow fell over him, though with the resort security, and his own security staff, the chance it was a threat was slim to none. She was leggy, brunette, and holding a horga'hn. He smiled and sat down his drink, to anyone watching it looked like Aldebaran Whiskey, but it was actually just Mountain Dew - more for the image than anything else.

He smiled up at her as she offered him the statue, then getting to his feet followed her into the suite by the pool. shutting the door behind him, the door sealed, and walking over to the entertainment console, hit 'play.'

As the melodious bass of the music filled the room, the woman started laughing so hard she fell over, landing on the bed. "Really? Barry White?"

Jake just grinned. "Hey it's not just his soulful tones, it's also got top of the line subsonics and jamming for every known bug, even though we've swept this room four times a day," he replied, sitting down on the bed next to her. "We've got to stop meeting like this, it's just too weird."

Michelle Schrodinger just grinned. "Why, cause you're like my kid brother I never had? Besides, this is Risa. No one will even raise an eyebrow, well other than your choice of music maybe."

He laughed. "New skin tone looks good on you, couldn't even tell it was you."

"That is the idea. Anyway, have you been keeping up on the news?"

"What news? It's all the same, every network, at least the human ones, just parroting the Federation's talking points. Ya know, I think maybe I should buy a newspaper - they still have those right? Or maybe a network."

"It would be nice to see other points of view for a change," she agreed. "And it would come in useful, to have someone do actual, reporting."

"Yeah. Nora says the Ferengi coverage is more based on the economic impact, which reminds me - a lot of Ferengi companies are going out of their way to not do business with the Taxi's."

"Can't say I blame them. Their Empress is, well lets just say, Ghost Widow was easier to deal with than her. And she's trying to strong arm Moab into bending over for them - and using the threat of the Feds taking over if that fails."

"Lovely..." He stood up, pacing. "I believe in what the Moabites are trying to build. Hell I believe in what you're all trying to get done out in Denali. Maybe it's because, after what happened back home, whenever someone comes along and says 'we've got a utopia just ready for you...' it turns out to be just another Gulag."

"'Sugar coated fascism' is how Miska calls it," Michelle replied. "While the Federation is the best bet for getting all the races together... there are days I wonder if we should just up and leave - let the Feds find an empty world when they finally decide to turn their eyes our way again."

"Speaking of leaving, being I haven't heard anything from Schrodi, I take it things went well in Cardassian space?"

"I wouldn't go that far... we paid a heavy price, and I'm not sure the cost has been fully counted yet. But yes, things are stabilizing. That said," she said as she sat up. "I've got some data for you to get to Earth."

"Do I want to know who it's for, or what's in it? I may be in hot water for the proto matter your sister had me get from the Breen."

"Who it's for, well, it's for your law firm, Cogley Shaw and Mason. What it is - well it should clear you of the charges, once Starfleet realizes just what happened. I'm betting it takes them at least another month to track you down, so by the time they do you'll be in the clear. Also, there is info on the Moab ambassador's case, from the Terran Empire files recovered by Denali. The Federation classified them, but..."

"But Denali did not - meaning they'd be admissible, and there isn't squat the Feds can do."

"Exactly."

"Anything else you need me to look into when I'm on Earth?"

"Check in with the Denali ambassador, I think he's going to offer to pay for a lawyer for the Moab ambassador."

"If he doesn't, I will. Was considering it already, but, well, that would be like waving a 'Hey, I'm being suspicious' flag to Fed intel. But I think I have a way around that."

"You be careful. Schrodi's already planning on martyring herself over this, and won't let us get her out. If it goes south, there's going to be a lot of pissed off people. We don't want to lose you too, if your knight in shining armor temptation kicks in."

"Me?" he replied innocently.

"You. I remember, well not my memories, but you know what I mean. Going in to a Terran base trying to fool them last year, then all the times back in Paragon. How many times did you almost get yourself killed over that girl?"

"Cindi? Oh... couple, uh, hundred, maybe." he said sheepishly.

"She was invulnerable, and able to turn into titanium. You're not."

"I'm not stupid either. I know my limitations, I have good people that I can trust, yes I'm a bit impulsive, but it's part of my roguish charm."

She just smirked and shook her head. "Sometimes, I think it is too bad I know you as well as I do - cause you do have that going for you."

He sat down on the bed next to her and grinned. "Well then, since we should be in here for a while to make things look good for any watchers, I guess i get to show you my second most favorite thing in the universe.

gulberat

While we only get a small glimpse of what's going on on Randall's ship, I like that you stopped to think about what the effect of the ramming would be on the crew's morale.

takeshi6

Looking forward to seeing more of this.

/subscribe

knightraider6

Who's watching?
Tell me who's watching
Who's watching me?

I'm just an average man, with an average life
I work from nine to five; hey hell, I pay the price
All I want is to be left alone in my average home
But why do I always feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone, and

I always feel like somebody's watching me
And I have no privacy
Woh, I always feel like somebody's watching me
Tell me is it just a dream?

When I come home at night
I bolt the door real tight
People call me on the phone I'm trying to avoid
Well, can the people on TV see me
Or am I just paranoid?

When I'm in the shower
I'm afraid to wash my hair
'Cause I might open my eyes
And find someone standing there
People say I'm crazy
Just a little touched
But maybe showers remind me of
"Psycho" too much
That's why

I always feel like somebody's watching me
And I have no privacy
Woh, I always feel like somebody's watching me
Who's playing tricks on me?

Who's watching me?
I don't know anymore
Are the neighbors watching?
Who's watching?
Well, it's the mailman watching me, and I don't feel safe anymore
Tell me who's watching
Oh, what a mess I wonder who's watching me now
(Who?) the IRS?

I always feel like somebody's watching me
And I have no privacy
Woh, I always feel like somebody's watching me
Tell me it is just a trick

I always feel like somebody's watching me
And I have no privacy
Woh, I always feel like somebody's watching me
Who's playing tricks on me?

I always feel like somebody's watching me
Woh, I always feel like somebody's watching me
Tell me it can't be
I always feel like somebody's watching me Rockwell “Somebody’s Watching Me”

June 24, 2412... St Louis, Earth

One nice thing about working with this law firm - they had offices everywhere, and one in the middle of the North American continent didn't draw near as much attention as their main offices in San Francisco or London. The same with coming in from Mars. Everyone coming in from off world went to a major city - St Louis, there wasn't even direct flights out system. The Tradecraft was old school - but then, so was he in more ways than one. The only possible hitch was his pilot was a Moabite - fortunately her cover ID was pretty much as solid as could be made.

That said, they were taking no chances. Tan stayed with the leased shuttle, while Nora and Jacob met with the lawyers, in a tower overlooking the Mississippi River. "These are quite the allegations on this memory chip," Areel Cogley, one of the firm's senior partners herself had come to meet with them. "None of this was released by the Federation."

"No, but it was recovered by a joint Klingon/Moab/Denali raid which secured the Terran Empire starbase, with its data intact," Jacob replied. "Instead of being a choir boy, the younger Mr Cave is linked to murders from Risa to Paris, as well as many other crimes, extortion, torture, ****, such as his assault against another cadet during his first year of the Academy, which was hushed over due to who his uncle was and so forth."

"If even half of this is true, of him being an assassin for the Terran Empire, then there should be no problem having the Ambassador's murder charge thrown out. It would be straight self defense - especially considering her wounds she sustained as well."

"So, can I hire you to take up her defense?"

The lawyers just looked at each other, then Cogley just shook her head. "Unfortunately, you can't - such an act would be like a beacon calling Federation Security down on your head, involving yourself with Moab that directly. You already have enough attention on you already - besides, it is not like Ambassador Cu'ong doesn't have representation."

"If you mean a public defender-"

"Hardly," James Shaw said, shaking his head. "I have taken her case, pro bono. You're not the first one who has seen something rotten in Denmark." The old man got up, walking over to the window, looking out at the four hundred year old arch. "Maybe I'm getting old, but I remember when the Federation was about letting people have freedom to live how they wished. When no one who wanted to leave was forced to stay. Things started changing though, back during the Dominion War... and has kept going the same direction ever since. It's all about security now, making people feel safe. A gilded cage, is still a cage."

Jake nodded “one reason why I got out as fast as I could get my feet under me when I got here. Don’t get me wrong Mister Shaw, the Federation is great-on paper,and in a lot of ways it is the best game in town.” he shrugged “Maybe coming from where and when I did, I was a little spooked with the promises of utopia.”

“The ideals the Federation was founded on are worth defending, and fighting for” the old lawyer agreed. “while we may not care for it’s increasingly heavy-handed control, I can see you feel the same” he said as he sat back down, looking over the information Jake brought with him. “if you felt the Federation was an enemy, this news network you’re setting up wouldn’t be going through so much trouble to be balanced. I see you’ve bought stations and hired reporters who are both pro and anti Federation policy. You also wouldn’t be paying us so much money to make sure that none of this violates Federation law if you didn’t care.”

“People are smart, individually” he replied. “give them facts, and treat them like rational adults, they’ll weigh them and make up their own minds. FNN and others of late just repeat whatever the government tells them. As for the latter…” Jake walked over to the window, he’d never been to St Louis when he was growing up, but some things between worlds were the same, looking out at the Arch and the muddy Mississippi flowing beside it. He was quiet for a moment, then began singing something softly. “We pray for one last landing/ On the globe that gave us birth/ Let us rest our eyes on the fleecy skies/ And the cool, green hills of Earth.”

“It may not be home, but it is still home, if you know what I mean. My home now is in the sea of stars-but that doesn’t mean I’ll harm my homeworld, even if I don’t agree with how they’re doing things.”

Areel Cogley smiled, the gray haired woman nodding “I know just how you feel Mister Evans. With the information we have now, we should be able to get any charges against you lifted, I’ll make an appointment with the FSI this afternoon, I would recommend keeping your head down in the meantime though. While there isn’t any warrants for you as of yet, you are listed as a ‘person of interest’ in the Schrodinger investigation.”

He looked out the window again at the stages being set up on the arch grounds “Well as much as I would love to stay for the Fair, we’ll be lifting pretty much as soon as we’re done here.”

“A wise decision.”






As they were heading out of the offices, Jake caught a glimpse of one of the building maintenance staff working on what looked like one of the fire sprinkler systems. He nodded politely as he and Nora got onto the elevator, then once the doors closed, leaned in close to her. One big advantage to having a Ferengi business partner... they had very good hearing.

"We've got a tail, it seems." he whispered "Maintenance tech back there was at the port when we landed. Which honestly didn't surprise him, a place like this probably wasn't as well covered as the major cities were, so they might not have as many security people - though the only question - was he FedSec, or Media?

She didn't react, simply nodded. The two of them weren't carrying weapons, but that did not mean they were helpless. Not that getting into a fight on Earth was a good thing. Maybe it was just someone who wanted an autograph - she snorted, fat chance of that. If it WAS FedSec, there would be another one at the ground floor, now only six floors away.

Still, he didn't seem concerned, even as the elevator slowed and stopped on the 5th floor - but then all the floors were lit, Jacob having pressed all the buttons. He just winked as he stepped out of the car, confused Nora followed him - straight to the stairwell.

"Come on, don't have much time," he said with a grin as he rushed down the stairs. She followed him, muttering about how she wasn't as fast as he was. Still they were faster than the elevator, and annoyingly he was barely breathing hard by the time they reached the ground floor.

"S... so now what?" she panted. He just quietly opened the lobby door and peeked through it-only one person it looked like that was waiting obviously right in front of the elevator door. either it was the backup for the man upstairs or it was someone late for a meeting.

Agent Steve Davis frowned with annoyance. It would have been nice to have more than one other person here, but the hit on Evans when he came through the shuttleport here was surprising. There just weren't that many assets here in the middle of nowhere - everyone in the FSI was tied up hunting down the Moab 'embassy' personnel, so the two of them were all that was available to hunt down a probable wild goose. The lobby of the building was busy, there were a lot of people here for some music festival down by the monument to native genocide, that huge steel arch that dominated the skyline. As the elevator doors opened he tried to look casual - hard to do when it was empty. TRIBBLE - where were they -

"MIKE! Great to see you!" He nearly jumped as the voice almost shouted right behind him,as a hand landed on his shoulder. Agent Davis went pale as his target was standing right behind him, smiling like an idiot - or not an idiot, as everyone in the lobby was looking in their direction.

"I'm-" he started to say only to have his target slap him on the back

"It's been a while, how ya been? Listen babe, can't stay long, we've got to lift for London soon, but definitely gotta chat up again, mind if I get a pic of us?" Evans said as he put his arm around the agent's shoulder, his companion snapping a pic of the two of them. "Great seeing ya, look me up sometime!" By the time the agent regained his composure the two of them were getting into a cab outside.

Once in the cab Jake's jovial mood seemingly vanished. "Airport, fast," he said, swiping his chit in the scanner. The driver just nodded as they pulled off, as Nora was already sending the image back to the law firm, asking 'who is this guy?'

The answer just took a few moments before they were a kilometer away, thanks to the fact just about everyone was tracked, and look-up able on Earth... "Damn, your friend 'Mike' is FedSec, assigned to the local office."

Jake didn't seem surprised. "What do they recommend?"

"They haven't even had a chance to file the info we gave them - and said that while public transporters are monitored, private ones are not... if the timing is right."

He just grinned.

Back downtown...

"What do you MEAN they just took your picture and left?"

"I dunno what happened - it shouldn't have been that hard." Which was true, the target was a civilian. Usually all they had to do was flash the FedSec ID and they'd go along meekly. "He said he was headed for London..."

His supervisor who had been upstairs was already pulling up data from the traffic feeds. "Got him, and yeah he's headed for the Lambert Shuttleport. I'll call in some assets, and we'll just pick him up there."

Lambert Spaceport, St Louis, Earth

It was busy inside, as the two of them made their way to the counter, picking up tickets for the next departure to London. Security seemed heavier than normal for some reason, though they didn't seem concerned. "Be right back," he said as he stepped into the men's room, Nora nodding and going into the females facilities.

Once inside, he locked the stall then raised his right arm. His sister had teased him about the 'pip boy' he wore on his wrist... but it was more than a communicator, a fully functional tricorder built into it as well. "Hit it, Tan," he whispered into it, then there was a hum, as he was beamed from the restroom onto the shuttle.

"This is risky," Nora complained as she materialized next to him. "they could have detected that."

"Unlikely - the public transporters are on the same floor, and used all the time," he said, flashing a grin "We ready to get out of here?"

His Moabite pilot just grinned from the pilots seat of the shuttle, for some reason still wearing that silly leather flight helmet and goggles she'd gotten out of the props bin on the Heart of Gold from one of the many musical acts they sometimes carried. "Traffic control is none the wiser about anything from Fedsec, we’ve departure clearance. Of course booking yourselves coming into town here on an overland train trip may have thrown them off long enough."

"Finestkind" he grinned, strapping down in the copilot seat. "Get us out of here before they realize they're about to storm an empty bathroom."

She had already pre registered their flight plan, seconds later after confirmation from the tower they were airborne and heading orbital. "Where we headed?"

"Get out to sector space and rendezvous with the Heart, then Risa. They should be just about ready to commission the Frontier, then we've got a meeting in Cold Butte with the Governor."

"I hope they've got that ship ready, it's not making any money sitting in the docks while they polish the fittings and find new things to charge us for." Nora grumbled as they left the atmosphere and went to warp.

Back on the ground, there was a commotion outside the mens' room on terminal A..

"What do you MEAN you lost him?" came over the com loud enough to echo through the terminal, now filled with an embarrassed looking Fed Sec tac team.

Agent Davis sweated despite the air conditioning. "He was tracked going into the restroom -no one came out and we hit the door less than two minutes later-it was empty except for a Caitian business traveler."

He couldn't see him, but he could hear the commander's temper rising over the com. "Did you check for unauthorized transports?"

"Kind of hard when the restroom was right next to the Transporter pads for the terminal, Sir."

"Damnit. I don't care what you have to do, I want this guy caught and I want him caught yesterday!"

marcusdkane

Excellent stuff :cool: I really hope the boom gets brought down on Jake hard... I don't like him or what he's doing one bit :cool:

hfmudd

Finestkind indeed.
(Make a do!)

gulberat

hfmudd wrote: »

Finestkind indeed.
(Make a do!)

Bit confused on the last part?

knightraider6

gulberat wrote: »

Bit confused on the last part?

http://kosmosflot.blogspot.com/2008/08/eclipse-comics-fusion.html My age is showing what can I say

gulberat

I didn't see what was supposed to explain it there...

knightraider6

gulberat wrote: »

I didn't see what was supposed to explain it there...

best link I could find i'm afraid. I might have some issues still in a basement, somewhere. one of the few comics I never threw out, that and Albedo, both are semi hard-sf stories from the 80s. Basically 'make a do'='Make it so', and 'finestkind'='Shiny', as Kaylee would say.

knightraider6

You get up every morning
From your 'larm clock's warning
Take the 8:15 into the city
There's a whistle up above
And people pushin', people shovin'
And the girls who try to look pretty
And if your train's on time
You can get to work by nine
And start your slaving job to get your pay
If you ever get annoyed
Look at me I'm self-employed
I love to work at nothing all day
And I'll be

Taking care of business (every day)
Taking care of business (every way)
I've been taking care of business (it's all mine)
Taking care of business and working overtime
Work out

If it were easy as fishin'
You could be a musician
If you could make sounds loud or mellow
Get a second-hand guitar
Chances are you'll go far
If you get in with the right bunch of fellows
People see you having fun
Just a-lying in the sun
Tell them that you like it this way
It's the work that we avoid
And we're all self-employed
We love to work at nothing all day
And we be

Taking care of business (every day)
Taking care of business (every way)
We be been taking care of business (it's all mine)
Taking care of business and working overtime

BTO “Takin Care of Business”


Wetrock city, 11KM Northwest of the Goose Bay Joint Naval station site, Cold Butte, July 11, 2412

It was cold. Not the Brass Monkey level of cold of Denali, though with the damage from the Terran bombardment last year, the average temperature there was actually higher than normal. But still damn cold - part of that, was that it was a wet, humid, miserable sort of cold. Wetrock was named for a geothermal vent that heated part of the Glacier here, creating a fairly large ‘dry’ area around a huge puddle of always-boiling water melted from the Glaciers themselves.

The town grew up around this little ‘oasis’, so it wasn’t as cold as Vancouver had been, but the cold here was that bitter, nasty-damp cold that works into everything, right through fur, and woolens, and there was a sort-of-permanent “Softpack” of crunchy crustal snow at the upper elevations of this sunken town. The Glacier itself loomed several hundred feet over this pocket of warmth, kept there by piped steam from the vents, splitting and sliding. Above it, was a flat plain, where the real climate of the area froze the air and water vapor into razor-like particles, and a constant wind blew from the northeast.

The average temperature, as a result, hovered just above freezing year ‘round here, some 42 degrees north of the Equatorial temperate zone. Wetrock existed for one reason - it had existed for that reason under the Federation, and briefly, the Klingons.

Wetrock sat on a vein of Dilithium that stretched under the glacial cap and down, survey scans suggested several hundred kilometers of 22% pure ore - just below the open market’s 25% purity standard, too expensive to fully exploit by the major powers, but close enough to be worth it for small operators. What post-independence surveys showed, was that there was another, even more valuable mineral here.

Rubidium. Lots of it, just below the seven hundred meter depth of the dilithium, pressed and heated by ongoing volcanic action, and closer to 41% pure in pockets, with a higher-than-average occurrence of the most valuable form - the isotope Rubidium-n, the form the raw material was usually processed into, when manufacturing components for advanced starship weapons systems, warp cores, and sensor suites.

Tungsten, Tantalum, and good old fashioned magnesite was also in abundance here.

Wetrock was turning into a boomtown with the promise of naval contracts, and thousands of wildcatters were sinking core-shafts and digging out claim-sites, some right into and under the Glacier that loomed over the tiny city like a sword of damocles. Reinforcement structures were going up now, though - structures to hold and melt the moving ice, to keep it from collapsing down and burying Wetrock under a mountain of ice pressured to azure blue clarity.

It was an interesting little town, with the potential to make a lot of profit. Mining wasn’t something he’d done much with so far, but he knew that selling music and culture, while a good money maker, well it was better to diversify. Especially as much as he’d been spending on pet projects.

Still they were well enough in the black, and the income was going up now that peace had broken out between the Empire and the Federation that it was a good time to spend some money to make some money. Hence the trip out here.

“Well, Mister Evans, what do you think?” Governor MacAulliffe asked her guest, as they stood on a ledge, cut into the near-kilometer high edge of the ice, looking down into the valley below.

“It’s ****ing cold is what I think,” he told her. “But I already knew that when I came…” he said with a grin.

“Your company’s looking to get into dilithium processing, the ores here are only about twenty-two percent on average, but there’s a lot of it under the ice,” she said. “You’ve looked at the wildcatters’ rigs, you’ve seen the Assays and the accident reports.” She crossed her arms. “And you’ve seen what we’re doing to keep the glacier off.”

“I thought you didn’t like socialism,” he chided her.

“I don’t, but the Defense Force is a guaranteed customer, assuming we keep the mines open - and keeping them open, as much as anything, means putting in some kind of regulation, and getting a processor willing to crack twenty-two percent ore,” she told him. “That means funding and tax breaks, since the galactic economy says twenty-five is the lowest percent grade quality that can be processed profitably, and the Defense Force can only afford it if we don’t go too far over market price - which in turn, means subsidies.” She made a face. “Whether I like it or not.”

“It’s the oil market all over again,” Jake said. “Back on my Earth, Canada had lots of oil locked in tar-sands, which weren’t profitable to do extraction on without a bump up in oil prices and subsidies. The same problem they had with shale processing...”

“Exactly,” Debra said. “So... you think your guys can manage it at the numbers I gave you?”

“I’m a little bit worried about the accident rates in the smaller mines,” he said. “Cave-ins, fires...”

“I’m working on that,” Deb said sincerely. “It’s tough to do when it’s not a massively centralized system - we don’t have a mining guild here, hell, half the rich claims are small operator stakes - no unions because of it, and lots of people who don’t know how to do the work the safe way, or don’t care.”

“The Feds could do something about that...” he prodded, gauging her reaction. “Though simpler, is to put the training docs out free, and tell folks only safe operators will get business.”

“**** the Feds,” she said. “You know and I know that their answer to everything is government control OF everything.” She shook her head. “Can your guys process the ores profitably once their gear is in or not?”

Evans shrugged. “Probably,” he said. “It’ll be tight, and as you pointed out, there’s going to be a need for capital investments, improvements, and as much as you and I hate it, some kind of real regulation - but once the operation is going, the tech testing could definitely hit the Dilithium markets and drive down the pricing... it’ll be tough to balance it.”

“Well... if you think that is going to upset applecarts...” she handed him a PADD. “This is going to the Consumer Devices Expo on Ferenginar next month.”

“Looks like a PADD,” he said.

“Yep... but it’s got a quantum entanglement transceiver in it. Untraceable communications, real-time, interstellar range... turns out the ‘No Clone’ paradigm was wrong.”

“Interstellar?” he asked, hefting the device.

“Interstellar range. It doesn’t use subspace, data-pipe’s still a little narrow - you can’t send hard-light holograms or transporter signals through, but two-dimensional vid and compressed datapackets move through just fine... Don’t suppose you’d be interested in trying it out?”

“How do you know it works?” Jake asked.

“You should ask my science advisors about that - though a bulkier set’s in use by certain Confederacy agencies right now - specifically in the intelligence and military side. These’re civilian spec - they can’t withstand being shot by a phaser set to ‘kill’.”

Jake stood there for a moment, thinking... “Ya know, during the riots last week on Moab, the only news that got off planet pretty much the straight Federation Pravda. I’ve been setting up a news network of my own, but everything was jammed.” Looking down at the device in his hand, he began to grin. “Knowledge, like air, is vital to life. Like air, no one should be denied it,” he said, quoting a story he read when he was younger. “While the mines are a good investment, and we’ll be buying into that, this is an even bigger deal.”

He thought for a moment. “How hard would it be to integrate something like this into a standard media transmit rig?”

“What are you thinking?”

“History is written by the victors. It’s also full of liars - who right now, are lying their asses off about the situation here - amongst other things. The events on Moab III, Eta Etrandi, Betazed, Denali, Goralis... The truth never gets out. Those who are manipulating things for no other reason than to expand their power base on Earth... don’t have anyone able to shout back the truth. The Federation wants people quiet, docile, good little sheep. Personally, I aim to misbehave.”

“The rest of it’s pretty much a Sony Teltouch Forty-six,” she said. “They were willing to let the rights to that model go for cheap.”

“Ok, who do I need to talk to to get camera crews equipped with these before the end of the week? The Fed propaganda is getting thick enough to walk on, time to get past the jamming and get the truth out there.”

Deb shrugged, an awkwardly exaggerated shrug in her bulky parka. “Let me check...” she pulled out a similar device, and punched in a series of numbers. “Hal? It’s Deb, You were worried about that public distribution problem... yeah, I have a client...” she held it down in a gesture as old as telephones. “You can meet him today?” she asked Jake. “Because Hal’s company owes me money...”

He grinned. “When and where? Not that I’m expecting to make money on this at first to be honest, but it’s more for the principle of the thing. Plus the more information can flow freely, the less chance the future will end up being a jackboot to the face.”

Deb grinned. “Hal? Yeah, listen, can you be at Tim’s on forty second around eight? ...you can... great. I’ll send him over to ya with Carla... uh-huh... yeah, serious buyer, Hal, be nice.”

She hung up, and put hers back in her pocket. “Carla will make introductions, you’ll be meeting him at the Tim Horton’s on Forty Second street in Yellowknife, it’s about three blocks from Ngo Industries’ headquarters building.” Deb smiled. “Now, if we can finish inking the mine deal?”

Jake just reached over and thumbed the spot on the PADD. “Done and done. And I think I’ve been to that one the last time I was here...”

“I know where that is boss,” Tan replied, the girl’s pinkish hair peeking out from under the leather flight helmet she was still wearing. Normaly Nora would have gone with him to make a deal like this-but it was just too cold for the Ferengi.

“Good, well, we’ll go meet with Hal and make the arrangements then for the coms. The fun part will be setting up a receiver station to send it onwards, but that can be worked out easy enough, especially with it being black box tech-don’t have to worry about nosy people.”

Getting back into the shuttle, Nora started grumbling. “I was freezing my lobes off out there. I hope you’re not planning on coming around here much.”

“Nah, I don’t know anything about mining to be honest - which is why I hired some folks who do know a great deal about it to brief me - and run operations here.”

“I should argue more,” Nora muttered a she strapped in, while Tan brought the shuttle’s engines up. “But I know you better, and as the 45th rule says ‘Expand or Die’.”

“We’re not expanding, we’re diversifying. Music, mining, and now,” he said looking down at the PADD that the governor let him keep. “Technology. Let’s go, Tan, I could really use some coffee right now.”

At the pilot’s station, the pink haired Moabite just grinned, taking off for Yellowknife.



Yellowknife Air Harbor, Cold Butte, 15 minutes later...

‘Carla’ turned out to be a fifty-something woman with straight, graying hair and that washed out ‘Norther’ look Jake remembered from television shows about the Yukon. She could’ve fit right into the ‘Ice Road Truckers’ cast with nothing more than a costume change. “Heya, Mester Evans, I’m Caaar-la, I’m s’posed to drive ya down to Timmys on Forty-Third.” she stuck out her hand in pretty manly grip.

“Nice to meet you,” he replied as he shook the offered hand. Tan stood behind him, looking down the street for a moment

“Ey boss, if you’re not gonna need me for a bit - I’ve got a cousin that lives down the block that I haven’t seen in a while.”

“Sure, it’s gettin late, we’re gonna take care of this business and then get some dinner. We’ll probably be here for a bit.”

Carla just chuckled. “Hey, Hal may be long winded but he ain’t that bad. But they do have good food there.”

The pink haired girl just grinned. “Thanks, just gimme a call when you need me, won’t be too far away.” She left her boss as he got into the groundcar, then zipped up her jacket, it was colder than she remembered. At least it wasn’t too far.

“What’s this guy look like anyway?” Jake asked.

“Oh, Hal’s a big guy, oh yah... but he’s not that scary when ya get to speakin’ wit’ him, oh No...” Carla put the truck in ‘drive’ and off they went.

Jake caught a glimpse of pink hair headed toward the east side as they passed, and a couple blocs of what looked like apartments.


Three Oaks apartments, fifteen minutes later...

“Hey, Joanne! it’s TANNY!!” Nola Tan heard it before she was fifty feet from the building, and then, running footsteps. Detta, Caston, and Frenton tumbled down the landing. “She’s back!”

To Nola, they almost looked like... kids? All excitement and grins and smiles... except for Joanne Caston. She had the permanent worried look, and wasn’t smiling. “You didn’t get fired or somehting, did you?” Joanne asked.

“Nah, he’s just having dinner with a client, and we were close by, and to be honest, Ain’t that hungry right now, so...” she grinned. “Rather than sit around listening to business deals that bore the hell out of me, figured I’d stop in and see how you all were doing.”

“Charlie’s got some shrumtee brewing, and Detta picked up a digifile from Polecat Industries called ‘The Wall’, we’re gonna bake to some music.”

“Uh. No thanks on the baking part. I might have to lift before too long, I never even touched it before, and definitely am not going to now, not with what he pays me to fly him around.”

“Oh,right... y’all got a sugardaddy...” Detta never had tact, Nora remembered, and here she was having no tact again. “So, you tumbled him yet?”

“No - and he ain’t a sugar daddy. He pays every one that works for him damn well, if you’d shown up for that interview I got for you you’d know that for yourself.”

Detta flushed - which was a bit of an accomplishment with her dark skin. “Sorry about that, Nola, but I was way too trashed for a job interview...” she said. “Anyway, we’ve all got jobs now, which was how Charlie could get the shrumtee.”

All got jobs? Miracles never cease... ”Really? Whatcha doin nowadays then?” she throught, a few of them... well the Marines was their life before getting removed due to age... some of them didn’t take it well. At least she had a skill she could work in as a civilian, even Evans didn’t have her flying assault shuttle profile landings.

As the girls walked back to the flat, “Mostly call-center stuff, canvassing, signature gathering... you know, getting the message out - but it pays pretty good an’ we’re off the Dole now.” Joanne said, “It’s easier than post cleanups.”

“What kind of message?” she started to ask, only to stop, openmouthed as the door open,and one of her ex squad mates walked past wearing a red shirt of the Rec party.

“Winger?” Nola found her voice. Formerly-Lance Corporal Todd Winger looked over, and his face split into a huge, goofy grin.

“Hey! Tanny! You’re here! Sam’s been saying you might be on-world….”

She paused before replying... how the hell did he know that? “Boss man had a meeting, and was going off to dinner for another meeting,” she replied carefully, not like she didn’t work for a public figure, could have just been paparazzi.

“Well, you’re just in time, we’ve got the candles, some booze, the girls have been brewing shrumtee...” he said, “and we got Linnet back.”

“Linnet?” Nora remembered Linnet - they’d been friends. “Where is she?”

“Jar on the mantle,” Todd told her. “You made it to the wake, at least.”

“Oh ****... how did it happen?” Damnit, this wasn’t the kind of reunion she wanted at all.

“They sent her as part of that ‘labor draft’ to the penties, and she ate her sidearm in a game of russian roulette... or so I’m told.” Charlene “Charlie” Wickham came out of the kitchen in a red shirt that said ‘**** the Government, I’ll take a Federation.’ when she turned to light the candles, Nora could see the back said, ‘at least they don’t send our people to die.’

Charlie turned to Nola. “Hey, at least you could make it, I didn’t know your new P-mail...” she held out a brown bottle. “beer? it’s just synth, but it’s cheap.”

“I might gotta fly soon,” she said, tho reached out and took the bottle anyway being it was synth. “hell I didn’t know about Linnet till you told me or I would have been here sooner... Jake’s a good guy, would have given me time to come.”

“It’s okay. Jimmy couldn’t make it, he’s on the way to K-7 to join Starfleet, Carol’s somewhere out in Cardie space and nobody’s heard if those guys are alive or dead.” Charlie ticked fingers. “Ben’s in rehab after ripping off a store on Alpha Cee, Dinh’s dead - we’re still waiting for the body, Cogsley couldn’t get back for the party because he’s in school... so it’s just damn good you made it.”

She thought for a second while taking a big gulp of the synth beer. “I think Carol’s ok - we’re setting up competition to FNN and all the other biased reporting, and one of the reports we had from one of the Cardassian bureaus was a known casualty list, the Cardassians are through about things like that. Didn’t see her name, so she’s probably stuck in the god damned internment there.”

Todd grinned and gave Nola a playful hug, “Then we’ll see her when the Election’s over and they have to let her go...”

“Why would they let her go? Every MCDF member and former member are considered Terrorists by Starfleet! This election goes wrong, she just goes straight to New Zealand.”

“I have it on pretty good authority that once the government’s dissolved and the Federation moves in, they’ll pardon everyone but the bigshots,” Joanne said. “THOSE guys, Cham, Mulvaney, MacAulliffe, they’ll go to jail.”

“And we all get to live like we did before, cut off, with no support? Do you not have any long term memory left due to your drug use? The Federation abandoned us before independance! And now you want to join up with the same group that welcomes the Taxi’s with open arms?”

“Hey, I thought tonight was ‘no politics!’ Sandra Wong said from the doorway. “It’s... HEY, TANNY!!!” Sandra was clearly still stoned - but Nora remembered she’d started getting-and-staying stoned the day after discharge, beginning with the wake for her adoptive parents. “How’ve you been?” Mind, it takes a LOT to keep a Klingon stoned, But Sandy Wong managed it. What she didn’t seem to be inclined to do, was stay decently clothed. Among other things, Bluerock makes your body temperature increase if you’re Klingon.

Charlie flinched. “Sandy, your shirt?”

“Oh... right... Hey, seriously, we’re here for Lin, let’s leave work at work, guys?” she ducked back into her room and came out wearing a shirt.

“Where’s Gordon then?” Nola asked, and several of her friends just... looked away. Charlie’s face turned to a hard set, and she started to say something.

“NO POLITICS,” Sandra growled, then she looked over at Nora. “They broke up,” she added. “Some stupid argument or something, anyway, Gordy couldn’t come - Charlene won’t let him in the door.”

“How baked are you?” Nora asked.

“Um... about normal now,” Sandra said. “I think it’s got long-term effects... but I’m straight enough to keep the peace tonight.” She dramatically cracked her knuckles. “Even though I told Mister Stebbins I was too ****ed up to go doorknocking for the Rec... come on, guys, stop acting like this, Tanny’s been gone, and she got a good job in the offworld, she hasn’t been seeing this **** go down here.”

Todd took Nola’s hand, and led her into the kitchen.

“What ****?” Nola asked.

Todd let her go. “Jobs’re tight, a lot of civilians won’t hire vets, especially after what went down on... ****ing can’t pronounce it, that planet the Pentaxians said was theirs, Stebbins started doorknocking the Dole Housing, he pays in Lat, sometimes Quatloos, butcha gotta attend the meetings and the rallies, some of us bought in deeper than others. Gordy didn’t buy in at all - he went and hired on with a wildcat outfit up at the Glacier, digging Dilithium. Last time he was here, him and Joanne got into it pretty heavy, there was shouting and she had a knife out, but Sandra took the knife away from her and Charlie gave him the boot.” He took her empty bottle and tossed it in the cycler, then offered her a cup of Ca’phe. “It’s clean, no fun chemmies.” he told her.

“So... you’re all working for Stebbins, who’s organizing for the Reconciliation party?” Nola asked.

“Well... they are. I’m making part-time with the Reserve Constables, and volunteering for the Rec - it’s how I got the Constable job.” He leaned back and crossed his arms. “Stebbins is a sleaze,” he added. “Offworld, hell, anywhere with proper law officers and proper laws, he’d be in jail, I think Detta’s slept with him a couple times, and I know for a fact he’s taken over as Sandy’s dealer...” he spread his big hands. “But I can’t touch him - he pays their wages, and I don’t want to end up like Gordy - locked out.”

Nola looked up at him. “DO you believe in it? Any of it?” she asked.

“I believe the government screwed us all over,” Todd said. “I believe that if I want to stay with Joanne, I’d better talk the party line or some dude like Stebbins will be using her for a sex-doll, because he will talk the party line...” he looked at the doorway to the living room. “And I believe someone has to be here to take care of them.”

“What’s your take, Todd?” Nola asked.

“Rec’s gonna lose here,” he told her bluntly, “MacAulliffe’s popular, and she’s bringing in work for them what can do it. Election day here’s gonna be tense, and a lot of people I care about are going to be upset by the result... but things are going to get bad before then... Sandra was EOD, right? Stebbins has... been having her teach some classes... to civilians... when she’s straight. I can’t prove he’s setting her up, but you’ve seen the newsies.”

“And what will you be doing if you’re right?” Nola demanded quietly.

“Trying to keep the peace,” Todd told her. “Trying to stop the violence I’m pretty sure is coming, and if I fail that, trying to hold enough together that the normal people can make it.” He laid a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s go say good bye to Lin, and pretend for just a little while that everything isn’t totally f*cked up.”

marcusdkane

Glad to see Linnet got home :cool:

knightraider6

Money, get away
Get a good job with more pay and your O.K.
Money it's a gas
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I'll buy me a football team
Money get back
I'm all right Jack keep your hands off my stack.
Money it's a hit
Don't give me that do goody good bull****
I'm in the hi-fidelity first class traveling set
And I think I need a Lear jet
Money it's a crime
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie
Money so they say
Is the root of all evil today
But if you ask for a rise it's no surprise that they're
giving none away

Pink Floyd “Money”

Tim Horton’s...

Carla hadn’t been kidding, Hal was big. To Jake, the man looked like a mix of stereotypical biker, and ancient Viking, even in his slightly-ill-fitting tweed and wool suit, and the glasses didn’t change it.

“Heya... So’s Deb says you’re wantin’ ta buy inter da Quantex PADD?” Hal said, extending a huge hand. “Harry Long, everybody calls me Hal, an’ you must be Mister Evans.” Even Hal’s Teeth were big when he grinned.

“Not just into them... I’m wanting to put the tech into use in a news gathering and reporting network.” he said, his own hand dwarfed in Hal’s. “ As it stands now,” he said taking a seat, “if something big happens on Earth for example, you won’t hear about it here for possibly a week or more. This could change that.”

“Dam, yer makin’ my sales pitch for me!” Hal said. “So...how many units you lookin’ ter pick up, eh?” he folded his hands. At this angle, Jake could see that one of “Hal’s” fingers sported a ring showing the ‘face of anonymous’ - like something from back in Paragon City. “You figger, what, fifty, hundred units?”

“For use in the Confederacy initially, yes, so far we’ve hired about seventy reporters on staff just for the major worlds here - a bit much I know, but some will rise, others may find themelves better use as camera operators and the like.

“Let me write a figger down for ya, then, you tell me if you can afford it..” HAL took out a PADD of his own, and a number scrolled up, he showed Jake the number. “Think you can do that per unit, ey?”

He looked at the number, it would make a sizeable dent in the on hand latinum - but for a worthy cause, that could conceivably make double or more back, especially if they got in first... “It’s doable, but like everything, prices do tend to drop in volume - and there are a lot of reporters I want to be able to broadcast whatever happens across the entire quadrant.”

“Well... here’s what we’ll do...” Hal said. “You’re familiar with leasing? I can lease you three production runs’ worth, plus extras. End of the year, you like ‘em, you keep ‘em, if ya don’t, you send ‘em back, no further charges, mind you, by the year’s end, you’ll pay more than buying outright, but the immediate dent is smaller, and it’s amortized over time, eh?” He showed Jake the new numbers. “And I’ll knock off five percent if you agree to demonstrate it for us to new customers, not a bad deal, eh?”

“Not bad at all,” Jake agreed. “Though tell me, has FNN been nosing about for this technology?”

“FNN turned me down,” Hal said. “Somethin’ aboot Federal Coms Regulations an’ their multicast licenses,” he snorted. “Buncha pansies over dere.”

“Well we’re not set up through the Federation, so that doesn’t really apply - besides, the plan is to send it to central studios - which then use the standard networks to relay to each world. Slows things down a bit, maybe an hour -but makes it nice and legal for everyone, which keeps my lawyers happy. And they cost enough I want to keep them happy.”

“I hear dat, oh yah... okay, we got a deal den, I’ll call Missy an’ get her ta clear the first two runs, you okay with waitin’ a couple a’ days?”

“I’ve got to pick up some cargo on Moab that won’t be ready till Tuesday for a special project, so we’ll be around.” He grinned. “My pilot’s from this area, so she’ll like the chance to check in with old friends for a bit.”

“Yah, friends are important,” Hal mused. “Anyhoo... sign here, read it first.” he handed his PADD and a stylus over. “never know what you’re gettin’ if you doont read da contract.”

“Oh I learned that the hard way when I was a kid,” Jake replied with a grin. “Always read everything, twice if you have time before signing anything.”

“I like helpin’ da Media get out da troot. Information vult liber esse,” Hal told him.

He grinned. “I like the way you think,” he said, as he signed.

After several hours talking non-business topics with Hal, mostly music. the big man had most of the albums Polecat Records had re released, or in some cases covered-though Hal had seen through the disguise Jake used when they were doing live shows. But then Jake never tried to hide it-he just didn’t want all the attention on him. They usually backed up local acts, to get them exposure. Finally it was late enough that they all needed to sleep, with promises to keep in touch the next time he was in town, as well as good seats for the next show that Jake produced in the system.

“Frinx, it’s even colder now,” Nora muttered as they stepped outside of the restaurant.

“Well, it is... I think three in the morning, at least if you’re going by the time zone we started in this morning.”

“Next time you go meet someone over ‘mysterious galaxy changing tech’, we’re doing it on a nice warm tropical island or something.”

He just grinned as he punched in a code on his wrist com. There was a few seconds delay, then Tan answered. “You called, boss?”

“We’re done here, and about to head up to the Heart to thaw out. How’s things going on your end?”

One reason he liked this over the smaller communicators, is that it actually had a video feed as well - though from the noise in the background, someone was arguing about something. “Uh, well about that... My friends have a few problems, and, well if you need me I’ll come back immediately-”

“Well, you have already had a whole three days off in the last two years...” he said, then at her look he couldn’t hold the disapproving expression on his face and laughed. “So don’t worry, take as much time as you need. Friends are important. You got enough cash to cover things?”

She made a face and stuck her tongue out at his image on her own wrist com as he teased her. “I’ve got plenty, and the company credit chit you gave me. This shouldn’t take too long - just want to try to patch up some things for some folks.”

“Sounds good, then, we should be back in system around the end of the month. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me direct - got it?”

“Got it - and you be careful boss.”

“You too. I’ll see you when we get back.” Shutting off the transmission he turned to the shivering Ferengi. “Lets get out of here before you freeze in place.”


Merchants Hall, Consumer Devices Expo, Feringar, July 23, 2412

It was the opening day of the show, and already two things had the entire expo all wound up. The Teller Datasys Quantum Com’s hitting the market was enough of a shock, the second was the practical demonstration of just how fast they were. There were reporters there interviewing people, as well as talking to reporters real time on Earth, when subspace transmissions from Ferenginar usually took several hours, instead of a few seconds lag time, able to hold real time conversations on the huge screen. To Moab, it would take only about about ten seconds, Qo’nos a minute, and even Denali at the TRIBBLE end of the alpha quadrant could be reached in under fifteen minutes - slow, but far better than anything else had ever been seen.

Teller Datasys was looking to make latinum hand over fist with this product, and had in fact already been in talks with several of its competitors in licensing the technology - better to get royalties, then have someone eventually reverse engineer it. Either way, there would soon be a large amount of money pouring into Cold Butte, a fact one of the reporters at the Expo was currently discussing live with ‘Good Morning Earth’s’ morning anchor.

“...even if the ruling by the Federation supreme court does stand Bob, Teller is a private business, and under Federation law, should that be applied, they would still be able to keep in business. The Federation’s quarrel with the Confederacy is with the Confederacy’s government, not its people or businesses.”

Jake watched from the sidelines amusedly as the Anchor and news readers on earth were still coming to grips with the implications of the tech. The reporter here at the expo was one of his, while he did have his own news organization broadcasting as well, sharing breaking news with other networks built good will, and also showed off the new technology. Of course, being he got in on the ground floor, FNN would have to wait a bit... or more likely, pay him to use his reporters to cover events live, like the old Associated Press from his time.

On the screen the story shifted from the business aspect to international news, the FNN Good Morning Earth anchorman speaking live, two way, with a reporter from his own RTN, or Real Time News on Moab III. Simple name, but effective.

“This is amazing, Gabriella,” the Anchor was saying again to chuckles from the audience. “I’m talking real time with you from Earth.” He shook his head, his carefully coiffed hair not even deflecting a millimeter. “So what’s the situation there this morning?”

The reporter on Moab just nodded, a dark haired human woman about 80cm tall. “Well it’s just before sundown here, people are nervous at what may be another night of violence. There have been protests, both pro- and anti-federation, though so far, most of the injuries and a few deaths have been on the Nationalist side.”

On the screen, the Anchor frowned... that didn’t fit what FNN had been saying. “Most of the injuries have been Nationalist?”

“Yes Bob, as you can see behind me, these burned out buildings with their tattered pro independence banners sill flying, where they haven’t been painted over by pro-Federation propaganda. Just the other night, a mother was pulled out of her car and beaten to death, as her two children burned inside. No arrests have been made, but both sides are blaming the other in this particular case. There have been other developments, several murders of prominent business leaders-”

Jake tuned it out as he wandered back towards the exit. He’d already seen some of the data, and while it may be his company - he didn’t run it, an ex-FNN newsman out of Alpha Cent had agreed to come out of retirement for a chance to do news his way, showing both sides of the story. He’d found that the secret to his success so far was when he didn’t know something, find someone who did, hire them and turn them loose. Worked so far.

Still, as much as he’d want to hang around for this, he was on a tight schedule. The last of the units he had been trying to track down was being loaded, and his first mate had signaled him that they were ready to leave when he was. True, they’d all love to spend some time with the new stuff, but his crew had already had a day or two on leave for the show down here. Those who wanted to see it, had seen it by now. He, however, had to be here for this, due to the agreement with Nora’s father. Being he had bankrolled them when they started this six years ago, it was kind of necessary to keep him informed and happy, he was still one of the major shareholders as well.

Just a few more feet - damnit. “Mister Evans? Cassie Rivera, with Entertainment Interstellar,” she said with a far too white smile for normal humans - some things never changed, he thought. Tabloid reporters, the scourge of the universe. Still, definitely didn’t want to TRIBBLE them off as she continued. “How are you liking the show so far? Are you going to start touring again? And are you still seeing that tri-dee actress from Alpha Cent?”

I don’t think she was even paying attention to the presentation earlier, he fumed silently - but then she was an entertainment reporter. Just smile and be pleasant and she’ll go away soon.



USS Raven, July 24, 1130 hours

“You’re never going to guess what I just watched, Sir,” Lt Damir said as the Captain waved him into his Ready room.

“What’s that Lieutenant?” Captain Randall replied. He was a bit annoyed, ok very annoyed. He’d had a sighting of his quarry on Earth, only to have him be lost by Federation Security in an almost comically embarrassing manner. Now it was like he’d vanished into empty space. There were unconfirmed reports of the Heart of Gold being sighted in Confederacy space, and there was the Risan cruiser that supposedly was owned by Evans... but Denali flagged and carrying refugees. He couldn’t even board it to do a cursory safety inspection as it passed them in international space.

Lt Damir just handed the captain a PADD. “I was watching the news feeds from the CES show on Ferringar.”

“I saw that, that new communications technology is troubling, it would be incapable of being intercepted or jammed from what they’re saying.”

“Oh I wasn’t watching that,” the young officer admitted. “I was watching EI... and one of their reporters cornered someone for an interview.”

Randall was only glancing at the PADD then stared at it. “When was this taken?”

“In the last twelve hours on Ferringar.”

Finally - they were getting close. He stood and headed for the bridge. They were going to get this guy once and for all.

knightraider6

I feel unhappy
I feel so sad
I lost the best friend
That I ever had

She was my woman
I loved her so
But it's too late now
I've let her go

I'm going through changes
I'm going through changes

We shared the eve's
We shared each day
In love together
We found a way

But soon the world
Had its evil way
My heart was blinded
Love went astray

I'm going through changes
I'm going through changes

It took so long
To realize
That I can still hear
Her last goodbyes

Now all my days
Are filled with tears
Wish I could go back
And change these years

I'm going through changes
I'm going through changes

Black Sabbath, Changes









Cold Butte, Icewall, Claim 233, 15Km northeast of Wetrock… July 24, 2412

Polymerized slag was the main building material holding the claim open, and fans pushed air in, and dragged it back out again to keep the mine site’s atmosphere from going stale.

Everything down here was damp, chilly, and suffused with a bluish darkness.

Nola was walking on the ‘footpath’ next to the conveyor pulling unprocessed ore out of the hole. she’d covered about six miles so far.

the tunnel opened on a chamber.

“WHOZIT!!” someone shouted, and Nola tan saw a couple of people with disruptors out manning a half-TRIBBLE barricade.

“Hey! I’m unarmed!” she held her hands up.

“Tanny?” one of them said, and the lighting increased.

“Hey, Gordy... what’s with the guns?” she asked.

“You know this chick?” the other person inquired loudly over the rumble of the mining machinery.

“YEAH, I know her...” Gordon Wolvett safed the disruptor and slung it. “Sheila, she’s not a threat and not a jumper - unless you lost your job or some’at?”

“Still employed.” Nola said, eying the other person, who looked dubious as they put their own weapon away.

“We’ve had a couple run-ins with guys from the Blake dig.” Gordy said, “Let me lookitcha, eh?”

He was still tall, but he had a stoop to him, from living and digging in a place with low ceilings, and his voice, now she was closer, had a rasp it hadn’t had when they were in the Marines.

“Damn, Nola girl, you’ve grown up.” Gordy told her.

“We’re almost the same age!” she reminded him, “Who’s that?”

“This is Sheila Ryerson, she’s my co-owner, silent partner, and boss,” Gordy told her.

Sheila looked like she was sixty, maybe even older by Moab standards. Gray hair, puckered lips, wrinkles, on a heavy, but lean frame wrapped in wet-gear and covered in rock-dust.

“Um... Ma’am?” Nola extended a hand. The old woman grabbed it and shook with a crusher-grip.

“Meetcha... well, if you gots visitors, Gordy, I’ll go ahead and look over that digger drone in the number four shaft... take her to the shed, air’s clean there, and get her a filter mask, the dust down here is toxic.”

“So...who told you where I was?” Gordy asked when they went into the ‘shed’-a prefabricated pressure unit with air-scrubbers and an airlock.

“Who do you think?” She asked.

“It wasn’t Sharon,” he told her. “I know that... Amanda maybe?”

“You missed Linnett’s wake,” Nola said. “I wanted to know why...”

“Oh... right... ’why’... because I don’t think un-doing everything good we ever did will fix things?” he said. “Because I have a stake and I don’t want to sell my soul to ColDev again?” He took off the wetgear and the filter mask, and poured two cups of Ca’phe. “Or maybe it’s because I don’t want to spend my income buying Shred and Shrumtee, Bluerock and Sezzanine... you still clean, Tanny?”

“As the day I sobered up,” she said. “I don’t even touch soft-drugs now.”

He licked his lips. “Good... me either. I got fired by Redwin and Sons, Shiela pulled me out of a literal gutter and made me sober up - a condition of my stake is, I stay clean and she tests when she feels like it.”

“You got fired?”

“I got high,” he told her. “Of course they fired me - baked on a monitor shift?”

“Oh, wow...”

“Yeah. I’m clean now... at least, off the pharma,” he told her. “And being off the pharma I’ve actually been using my brains, instead of just my feels, you savvy?”

“I savvy... how’d you get to be co-owner?”

“I didn’t quit when Blackwell threatened to run us out of business,” he told her. “Blackwell’s big with Rec, they have a squad of ‘enforcers’ they’ve been using to jump claims. A couple of the Governor’s people have had accidents after run-ins at the Assay office.”

“SO...” she paused. “My boss is planning to build a refinery...”

“Good. I’ve been recruiting people, we’ve about got enough to handle Blackwell’s enforcement agents, and we’ve been paying in to Justice Incorporated, you know them?”

“Um, they’re a Pinky outfit, right?” she asked.

“More than Pinky outfit, they’re armed response,” he said. “So far, they’ve stopped three jump attempts in the last month, and they’ve got the Constables on their side - they hire Vets, but they wouldn’t hire me since I’ve got a record as a Junkie.”

“What was it?” she asked.

“Sezz,” he told her. “I was turning into a Sezz-head, Shiela’s put that right to a stop and full reversal.”

“SO... I should probably tell the boss not to deal with Blackwell then…” she said.

“Nope. Deal with ‘em - they’ve got a good strike on their own claim, just don’t feel bad about gouging a little,” he told her. “Sooner or later, the investigation on those mine inspectors will come back, and then, Blackwell’s gonna need every slip of lat to cover the judgements, assuming they aren’t disincorporated and their officers arrested for criminal conspiracy... in the meantime, they do employ honest guys... and putting honest guys out of work is bad.” He frowned. “Sorry, business is boring...”

“It’s the life of my friend,” she told him. “But... you gotta say it hurt being froze out when they brought Linnet’s ashes back...”

He grimaced. “Yeah... but I said good-bye to her my own way,” he told her. “And they can’t block the gravesite forever.”


FNN “Startech Tonight”, July 24, 2412…

“...Nokia collective today filed a request for Injunction against the Tellar Datasys corporation for violating their Federation Patent on Quantum Tanglenet technology. T’Pak, what’s that going to mean for our viewers?”

The Vulcan science analyst raised an eyebrow. “Well, certainly it means that an injunction is likely to be filed blocking importation and sales of the technology so dramatically demonstrated at the Consumer Personal Devices Expo on Ferenginar this year, which will logically result in the creation of a new technological ‘black market’.”

“A black market? It’s not like you to suggest a doom-and-gloom prediction like this. Tell me more…”

“Well, Willem, it is obvious that there is a desire for high-speed communications, and more desire for it daily, but this system was not developed by, or for, Starfleet, nor for the Federation infonet Authority, making it a private venture, private ventures are subject to Federal Regulation when they cross Interstellar boundaries. As of yet, there is no way to regulate or control QT communications without having physical possession of at least one half of the devices involved. Federal Communications law requires transparency, but QT communications is, by it’s nature and principle, opaque to regulation. This status makes it an attractive target for Federal Regulators to institute bans and controls on ownership and importation.”

"You mean federal communications law requires that the Government has access to all communications... how is this good for civil liberties?"

The Vulcan shrugged. “Those laws are not about civil liberties, they are, in their statement form, specifically about the security and safety of the Federation,” the analyst stated. “Civil Liberties, according to the Federation Council ruling of 2371, are subordinate to the safety of the majority of Federation Citizens, as further ruled in 2372 and the Dominion War Emergency provisions of 2373, which provisions are, at this current time, still actively on the books.”

“Wait... backup. What? Freedom of privacy is enshrined in the Federation Charter!”

T’Pak shrugged. “The Federation council’s clarification is that said privacy is for Member Races - a collective, as opposed to individual right, much like the rights to self-defense, freedom of travel, the individual governments of the Federation have the right to apply boundaries, or to maintain privacy from those outside the Federation. The law is quite clear based on rulings in the Federation Council - your rights are privileges granted by your representatives, whom oversee the rationing of those rights according to the greater needs of the Federation as a whole - witness the test case involving the So’na vs. Starfleet Command, or the Maquis Laws, or the existing state of emergency - which has been in continuous operation since the twenty-three seventies.”

The human looked stunned, as he processed that. “But... that’s not right. That’s not what the Federation is supposed to be about.”

T’Pak didn’t even blink, as she stated. “The needs of the many, Bill, outweigh the needs of the few - as is enshrined in Federation and even Earth legal thinking. The many demand security, so laws are enacted to promote it, even at the cost of Liberties gladly given up by the majority.”

The anchor looked sick. “Cut to commercial,” he said, audibly, before the feed switched to an infoholo on Tourism to Risa.

knightraider6

Well, I went home with the waitress
The way I always do
How was I to know
She was with the Russians, too

I was gambling in Havana
I took a little risk
Send lawyers, guns and money
Dad, get me out of this

I'm the innocent bystander
Somehow I got stuck
Between the rock and the hard place
And I'm down on my luck
And I'm down on my luck
And I'm down on my luck

Now I'm hiding in Honduras
I'm a desperate man
Send lawyers, guns and money
The **** has hit the fan
Warren Zevon, Lawyers, Guns and Money

Unnamed planet, Unaligned space near the Federation/Moab border July 28, 2412


The Elder looked at the oddly-dressed, well, outsiders. "You wish nothing in trade for these wondrous gifts?"

Across the table from the squid-like alien, Jacob Evans just shook his head, then remembered that this new species had never met humans, so they probably wouldn't get the meaning of that. "No, nothing at all. Your people are dying from fallout, Elder - the purification plants are self contained, and will remove the poison from the waters, air, and land."

"That is true - after the accident with the power generation, the cursed radiation not only killed many, but poisoned all it touched." The, well, squids, Jake couldn't pronounce their species name, were a pre-warp, hell barely spaceflight civilization that was making it's first attempts in atomic power - one that ended quite badly. The Federation had noted it of course being this world was close to their borders, but they also hadn't done anything about it, other than study it from afar and figure out universal translator programming for the language. But someone needed to. Took him time to run down enough atmospheric processors, but it was worth it.

"Still, the technology involved in such wondrous devices... it must be worth something!"

"I was raised never to take advantage of people who needed help Elder," Jake replied. "While it is true I am a trader, I also can't sit by when people are dying and needing help. Once your people are safe, the damage repaired, then perhaps we can discuss trade between our peoples."

"That may take some time, the revelation that there is other intelligent life in the universe has caused a bit of, well, unease among some. Myself, I even believed that we were the Blessed Eggs only spawn."

"Most people felt the same when they realized that Elder, if it makes you feel any better. And we're in no rush - we've given your communications people the means to contact us again when you feel you are ready."

"Then I thank you again, on behalf of all my peoples." The Elder bowed, well it was technically more of a tentatcuar shimmy which Jake returned as best he could. As they returned to the shuttle, his companion stayed sullenly silent until the hatch was closed.

"You had them over a barrel, do you have any idea how much latinum that processor alone is worth? Much less a dozen of them?"

"Enough to buy a couple or three new D'kora Marauders," he replied as he strapped himself into the pilot's seat "Or another one of those big Risan luxo-barges. Money’s only worth what you can do with it after all. Besides,” he grinned “A customer you help in an emergency will be a customer for life. One you cheat when they're down goes to the competition when they're back on their feet."

Nora mock glared at him then sighed. "Don't go quoting rules of Acquisition at me," she muttered. "I just hate giving away all that latinum for nothing."

"It wasn't for nothing - it was to save a civilization, millions of lives, and millions of future customers."

That got a laugh out of the Ferengi woman. "True I suppose, guess I need to keep my eyes on the long term," she said as the shuttle broke atmo. The rings of the mostly water planet were rising majestically ahead of them, reflecting light from the systems twin suns making it easy to see their destination - as well as the fact they had company.

Flanking the gleaming white, vaguely running shoe shaped Risan corvette that he'd whimsically dubbed the 'Heart of Gold' after a ship in one of his favorite books, were two Federation ships that weren't there when they went down. One was a Nebula class, probably the Science team that had noted the tragedy unfolding on the surface, the other... "I thought they would have repainted that by now" Nora muttered, as the shuttle rocked from tractor beams locking onto them.

"Guess with all the hubbub over Goralis last month, they didn't get around to it," Jake replied. true enough, there was still a white smudge over the markings for the USS Raven, where they had traded paint with them months ago on an errand for Dr Schrodinger. "Well, this should be interesting."

sander233

I was just rereading this for continuity checks, seeing as how Crossroads is still lagging behind this a bit, and I noticed something a couple posts up that I missed before. That is the singular irony of a bunch of pro-Federation redshirts listening to The Wall.

...Mother should I run for president?
Mother should I trust the government?

knightraider6

sander233 wrote: »

I was just rereading this for continuity checks, seeing as how Crossroads is still lagging behind this a bit, and I noticed something a couple posts up that I missed before. That is the singular irony of a bunch of pro-Federation redshirts listening to The Wall.

...Mother should I run for president?
Mother should I trust the government?

I don't think they get it-or the irony that if they were in the federations, their recreational drugs of choice would land them all in jail and into drug treatment. And one of the reasons we've been going slow with this is not to give things away that are happening elsewhere about the same time.

knightraider6

There's trouble on the street tonight, I can feel it in my bones
I had a premonition that he should not go alone
I knew the gun was loaded, but I didn't think he'd kill
Everything exploded, and the blood began to spill
So baby, here's your ticket, and the suitcase in your hand
Here's a little money, now do it just the way we planned
You be cool for twenty hours, and I'll pay you twenty grand
I'm sorry it went down like this, but someone had to lose
It's the nature of the business, it's the smuggler's blues
Smuggler's blues

The sailors and the pilots, the soldiers and the law
The payoffs and the ripoffs and the things nobody saw
Don't matter if it's heroin, cocaine or hash,
You've got to carry weapons 'cause you always carry cash
There's lots of shady characters and lots of dirty deals
Every name's an alias in case somebody squeals
It's the lure of easy money, it's got a very strong appeal
Perhaps you'd understand it better standing in my shoes
It's the ultimate enticement, it's the smuggler's blues
Smuggler's blues

You see it in the headlines, you hear it every day
They say they're gonna stop it, but it doesn't go away
They move it through Miami and sell it in L.A.
They hide it up in Telluride, I mean it's here to stay
It's propping up the governments in Columbia and Peru
You ask any D.E.A. man, he'll say there's nothing we can do
From the office of the president right down to me and you
Me and you
It's a losing proposition, but one you can't refuse
It's the politics of contraband, it's the smugglers' blues
Smuggler's blues

Glenn Fry-"Smugglers Blues"

USS Raven, July 28, 2412

Captain James Randall was in a very good mood, and it showed. He'd been after this trader, or traitor as he preferred to think of him for months - ever since the Raven was literally rammed by the criminals in their escape. But the evidence was out now, with the arrest of Dr Schrodinger (he'd heard from a friend at ESD that it was taking an entire team of JAG lawyers weeks just to compile a full and proper list of charges for her) it was looking air tight.

This case, the list of crimes wasn't as long, but it was thorough enough that Mr Evans, who was sitting calmly in a guarded interrogation room would spend the rest of his life inside Facility 4028. An example to others who might seek to emulate his outdated ways. He couldn't help but keep smiling as he entered the room, though annoyingly, his prisoner continued to serenely look back at him, even smiling? Captain Randall's own smile faded, as he switched back to the matters at hand. "It has been a long time Mr Evans, but you have finally been brought to justice."

"Have I?" Jake replied calmly, no smugly. That irritated the Starfleet captain.

"We have proof of your violation of the Prime Directive - you've been selling to pre warp civilizations banned technology."

His expression didn't change. "Actually, we sold nothing. We gave them the materials and technology needed to save their race and civilization from extinction. The Saving of life is a worthy goal, would you not agree captain?"

"Not when it violates the Prime Directive."

"I see. Better to watch innocents die then from orbit. Fortunately for the people of this world then, we heard about this."

"And gave the Federation the evidence it needed to make sure people like you go away for a very long time Mr Evans. I really hope you don't have a problem with confined spaces, because you will be spending the rest of your life in Facility 4028."

The Captain's good mood was gone. Evans just sat there calm, no impassively. "This is what you believe?"

"It's what's going to happen. and if this isn't enough, we've got you for the Protomatter, the attack on a Federation Starship, and possession of restricted technology with military applications."

That actually got him to change his expression - though he went from calm, to confused for a moment, then back to smug calm. "Restricted tech - oh, you mean the Slipstream drive. Dr Schrodinger TRIBBLE our replicators when she communicated with us and set it up remotely. I also believe that being she held the patents on that modular version of the drive, and released it open source right before her arrest, that it is currently being built and used by almost every race in the Alpha and Beta quadrants?"

"Uhm... one moment." Captain Randall searched through the PADD he'd brought with him into the interrogation room, his frown intensifying... he ducked out of the room for a few moments consulting with legal before coming back in, definitely looking much unhappier. "All right - we can't charge you for the drive, or the," he growled, as if trying to choke the words out, "Attack on my ship, according to fleet JAG - that's been lumped in with Schrodinger's charges, as there's no way to prove you had control over your vessel with the changes she made remotely." He looked like he'd been handled a dead weasel as he looked at the PADD again. "And even though it's possession carries a mandatory life sentence in the Federation, the possession of Protomatter charge is also claimed by Dr Schrodinger - she has told investigators that you had no idea what she sent you to get."

Jake just nodded, still calm. "This is true," he said, not knowing why she was throwing herself on a sword meant for him, but in her last message she told him she'd handle it... he knew her well enough to trust that she had some plan to get herself out of the mess.

"But that doesn't matter, because we have you dead to rights on the Prime Directive charges. you're still going away for a very long time."

His prisoner just sat there serenely, while Randall felt a twinge, damn ulcer was acting up again. "I don't think you appreciate the situation you're in."

"Tell me, will the Federation go down and remove those purifiers we left, to make the inhabitants of that world 'not avoid escaping the negative consequences of their own actions'? Will the Federation condemn millions to a slow death by radiation poisoning, to the extinction of an entire species, because their ‘rules’ were bent?”

Randall actually looked uncomfortable at that for a moment. Jacob just leaned forward. "Let me save some time, and tell you what is going to happen. You'll get a call shortly, and a hail or two. The call will be from an Admiral or Ambassador on Earth. He'll congratulate you, and tell you what a good job you've done for the Federation. Then, he'll sigh, and tell you that you'll have to release me, my crew, and my ship, and go on your merry way."

"You're delusional."

"Am I? One thing you have overlooked Captain Randall. Let me ask you this - where was I born?"

The Captain looked down at the PADD in confusion. "It says Tallahassee, Florida, Earth.

"Not quite - Tallahassee Florida, United States of America. I was born in another dimension, in the year 1994. In 2004, when I was ten years old, we moved to Rhode Island, a town called Paragon City. When I was nineteen, my sister who had been thrown into this timeline by our universe's Dr Schrodinger, and became a starship Captain in your Federation, managed to come back and rescue myself and my family. My parents settled on Risa. I however, am not, nor have I ever been, a citizen of the United Federation of Planets."

"Impossible - you're human, you were born on Earth, that means you're a Federation citizen."

Jake just leaned back, and smiled, as Captain Randall's com badge beeped. "Bridge to Captain Randall."

"Randall here," he replied automatically

"Sir, we're being contacted by Starfleet Headquarters, and we’re being hailed. There are two Ferengi D'kora, correction, three D'kora cruisers that have dropped out of warp. They wish to know why you are holding the Ambassador."

"The what? Who?"

"That... would be me." Jake smiled.

Captain Randall's face began to get even redder, as his first officer spoke up again. "Also sir? you have Ambassador Jiro on a priority alpha call."


Twenty minutes later...

Captain Randall watched in fury as the Ferengi ships, along with the Risan corvette jumped to warp. He had to let them go. All that interference, all the work... gone. Evans was laughing in their faces, Randall thought, as the light trail from the three ships faded out, the third D'kora was remaining in orbit, to make sure the 'hew-mons didn't try to undo the good the Ferengi Alliance had done' as the Daimon of the D'kora smugly informed them when hailed.

"Thank you for reporting this, Captain," The face on the screen of his ready room replied, looking just as unhappy as Captain Randall felt.

"It's just so frustrating, Admiral. I mean, he's human. It was a slam dunk case, he should be held to our standards, our laws. Not buying his way in with the Ferengi."

"I understand your frustration," Admiral Jorel Quinn replied. "Rest assured, I'm going to meet with some of the Federation council soon. With luck and a little work, we can make it so that the law replies to all humans, and other races of the Federation."

worffan101

Gotta admit, Evans is highly unsympathetic here.

Yeah, Mr. Arrogant Smirker--I mean, Mr. Evans, you're not a citizen of the UFP. You're still violating their laws in their space and the fact that it's a bloody stupid law doesn't change the fact that it's their space, their rules.

You never should have gotten away with that stunt you just pulled, and it makes you look like a smarmy jerk, too.

Otherwise, good to see that Quinndine is still sticking its fingers in the right pies.

knightraider6

worffan101 wrote: »

Gotta admit, Evans is highly unsympathetic here.

Yeah, Mr. Arrogant Smirker--I mean, Mr. Evans, you're not a citizen of the UFP. You're still violating their laws in their space and the fact that it's a bloody stupid law doesn't change the fact that it's their space, their rules.

You never should have gotten away with that stunt you just pulled, and it makes you look like a smarmy jerk, too.

Otherwise, good to see that Quinndine is still sticking its fingers in the right pies.

It's not the federations space-technically, the Fed doesn't have jurisdiction at all in this system. And yeah, he's unsympathetic in this-but not every interesting character wears a white hat and rides a white horse. He's out to grow his business-and he has very good lawyers to give him very expensive legal advice. The Federation is not the only, or possibly even the biggest market in the galaxy after all. That said, I don't think he'll be going back to anywhere that is fed controlled any time soon. or will he? Wait and see.

worffan101

knightraider6 wrote: »

It's not the federations space-technically, the Fed doesn't have jurisdiction at all in this system. And yeah, he's unsympathetic in this-but not every interesting character wears a white hat and rides a white horse. He's out to grow his business-and he has very good lawyers to give him very expensive legal advice. The Federation is not the only, or possibly even the biggest market in the galaxy after all. That said, I don't think he'll be going back to anywhere that is fed controlled any time soon. or will he? Wait and see.

Then he's subject to laws of whatever state whose territory includes that system. Which also begs the question of what, exactly, the UFP is doing going after him in (Klingon?) space.

marcusdkane

Nicely written :cool: I hope something bad happens to Jake :cool:

sander233

"Let me save you some time and tell you what's going to happen. You're gonna get a call..."

Man, you didn't even try to hide that you were ripping off Lord of War there did you?

Love that movie. And this.

knightraider6

sander233 wrote: »

"Let me save you some time and tell you what's going to happen. You're gonna get a call..."

Man, you didn't even try to hide that you were ripping off Lord of War there did you?

Love that movie. And this.

Well being he is from the early 21st century, he may have seen that a time or two. glad someone got it, it is an awesome movie.

knightraider6

I've got a livin' that's rough, a future that's tough
You know what I mean
Blankers and boasters, all the bluffers and posers
I'm not into that scene


You can tell me that I got no class
Look around, you'll see who's laughin' last
Don't give me speeches 'cause they're oh so droll
Leave me alone, let me rock and roll


Got an itchin' to rock, a hate for small talk
I'm funny that way
Got my sights on the stars, won't get that far
But I'll try anyway

I just like to please, I don't like to tease
I'm easy like that
Don't like long rests, I must confess
I'm an impatient cat

You can tell me that I got no class
Look around, you'll see who's laughin' last
Don't give me speeches 'cause they're oh so droll
Leave me alone, let me rock and roll

I do the best that I can
I'm just what I am
I do the best I can
Well, I know what I am

Got an itchin' to rock, a hate for small talk
I'm funny that way
Got my sights on the stars, won't get that far
But I'll try anyway

Rock and rollin's a scream, makin' millions my dream
Well, I do that a lot
I'll just give it a try, won't let good times pass me by
They're all I've got

Rush-The Best I Can


’DMS’ Heart of Gold, approaching blockade line, July 30, 2412

Kei was nervous. While what they were doing wasn’t technically illegal, ‘flag of convenience shipping’ hadn’t really been used much since the 21st century. It was rarely used in modern times when merchant ships were hired by various governments, as a way to show that the operation was legitimate, and they were still on contract with Denali. So running as a Denali Merchant Ship was legal - but how many on the Starfleet side of the blockade knew that?

She knew from her own time in Starfleet that a lot of them tended to look down on civvie spacers. She did as well, when she wore the uniform. But after being out running without a net as a civilian out in the black for a few years now, her own view on starfleet had changed. The Arbitrary inspections, enforcement of rules that made no sense, and the way laws were applied that weren’t supposed to be… she was glad she was kicked out at this point.

“Coming up on the line boss, and we’re being hailed.”

She looked over at the man in the center chair. Jake wasn’t a starship captain - he’d be the first to tell you that. But he was the ship owner, and to be honest, the most important thing about being a captain, was knowing you didn’t know everything, not trying to be a tin plated dictator with delusions of godhood, and listening to advice given you by the people who were experts. And he was good at that.

The news story that had dominated the channels the last few weeks y had put people on edge as well-though that the last few days had been pushed to a back burner, by protests on Earth over the revelations in the huge dumping of classified data onto the nets. A lot of the crew were from the Confederacy as well, which was another reason why they were running the Denali registry - though how long that would last getting them through the blockade, who knew. Still it had worked so far.

Jake straightened up in his seat. “We got a name for the fed ship?”

“Yeah, USS Heinlein.”

“Oh ****… onscreen.”

She didn’t look happy to see him, but then again she didn’t look unhappy either. Probably she was as conflicted about this as a lot of people were. “Heard you almost got yourself into a lot of trouble a few days back.” his sister, Captain Rhonda Evans said.

“Almost only counts in horseshoes and nuclear weapons,” he replied, which got a chuckle out of her, as she remembered that was one of Professor Megaton’s usual gripes when he was defeated back in their spandex wearing days. “Seriously though, I do try to make sure i’m on the right side of the law.”

“That ain’t what rumors been sayin - but JAG agrees with you to be honest, and so do I. Though, you do know that you are attempting to enter a blockaded system, right?”

He just held up a PADD, transmitting the contents to the Heinlein. “We’re contracted to the Denali government, we’ve already got a couple of our ships running civilians out system who don’t wanna be here if things go pear shaped, and we’re on standby in case they need anything else.”

“Fair enough, and since the Denali orders are legit, you get to go through in an hour or so. Would be sooner, but the Admiral is in a meeting, and he’s got to ok it.” She smiled. “In the meantime, you want to show me what you paid all that latinum for like you talked about the last time I saw ya?”

Jake just grinned. “Sure, come on over, we’ve even got real food instead of replicated. I can have some sent back with ya if you like.”

”Replicated isn't… bad, but it ain’t the real thing. Deal, see ya in a couple minutes.”


The screen went back to the view, and he let go the breath he had been holding. “Well that could have gone worse.”

“You sure it’s a good idea letting a Starfleet Captain nose around boss? We still haven’t put everything back from when the Raven’s crew tore things apart looking for contraband.”

“Heh, she grew up with me and remembers what my room looked like. I don’t think she’ll find it near as messy as I was at fourteen.” He laughed. “Besides, it’s my sister. She’s not gonna go snooping anymore than we’ve already had people going through things.”



USS Heinlein


“I don’t like this Captain - you shouldn’t go over there. He’s a known enemy of the Federation-”

Rhonda shot her new operations, well newish, she’d come on board a few weeks ago, a look. “He’s my brother - and I read the report. He hasn’t broken any laws-”

“He’s spreading tech all over the galaxy - stuff that’s banned Sir.” The Lieutenant had her orders, and they weren't from Captain Evans, but someone higher… with a better grasp on the big picture. True, getting into medical records was probably something that could get them in trouble somewhere… but Admiral Huntington knew what he was doing. Evans was rather suggestive to telepaths, due to both trauma when she was still in her teens, as well an incident several years ago when she was captured by the Tal Shiar. Her orders were to make sure Captain Evans did what the Admiral wanted. Technically what she was doing was banned by laws on Betazed, even for those only half blooded like her. But breaking those rules meant nothing in view of their long term goals.

“But it’s not banned outside the Federation. My brother may be a bit money hungry - but he ain’t stupid, Lt Summerfield.”

The Lieutenant nodded, while ‘leaning’ on her a bit more. “You shouldn't go there alone, though, Captain, General Order 15. The Admiral would insist if he was here.”

Damn, her stubborn streak had kicked in. Sometimes she was able to get her to go the way she should… other times… “True - but having lunch with my brother hardly counts as a hazardous situation. He may tap dance on the edge from time to time, but he ain’t a criminal.”

Lieutenant ‘Cynthia Summerfield’ just nodded… then played her last card. “Aye sir… I was just, well. I was hoping to get to meet him…” she had perfected the look, and the fact that she inherited her human mother’s eyes helped as well. Plus the best stories did have a nugget of truth in the middle, her fondness for ancient terran music was well known on the ship.

Rhonda just shook her head and chuckled. “Fine, when ya put it that way you can come - but don’t go all fangirl on me.”








Heart of Gold

It was smaller than she thought it would be. True the Corvette was technically classified as an escort ship, not exactly what you’d expect to be used as a merchant ship, those tended to carry larger cargo. unless the rumors were right… contraband didn’t take much space she thought to herself as she followed her brother from the transporter room to his office/cabin. “Ah thought you’d use something bigger than this, being a free trader and all.” Rhonda said, as Lt Summerfield followed along behind. True to her word, the Lieutenant didn’t gush too much when she met him-of course, that was also because she was carefully testing for any telepathic defenses. He seemed a bit less vulnerable than his sister, but still just a norm. Easy to manipulate if she played her cards right.


Jake just grinned. “You forget, most of what I deal in is information. Music, culture, that sort of thing, carrying data files, or transporting opera singers or a band, that doesn’t take much space. Now that your folks and the Klingons stopped trying to kill each other, we’re back on to hit Qo’nos, later this year,” he said as he led them inside. “We’re doing a bit of Wagner, some Who, and even some stuff by Elton John.”

His cabin did not look like the typical starship captains - for one it was still trashed from when the Raven’s crew swarmed through looking for ‘evidence’. The walls were also covered by musical instruments - mostly guitars, though there was a Vulcan lyre, and a few other things here and there. Seeing a full size piano Rhonda smiled “wish I had room for one of these” she said, sitting down at it. Both of them knew how to play several instruments, their mother had insisted that they practice, even after the move to Paragon City and their after school crime fighting. She peered at the sheet music on on the piano, and played a few of the notes, while trying to read the Klingon lyrics before bursting out laughing when she realized what it was. “You’re doing the Lion King stage show… in Klingon.”

“Hey it’s got all the basic elements of a Klingon opera - honor, betrayal, redemption, the good guy fights the bad guy at the end, and the bad guy dies an honorless death, in this case devoured by hyenas. The Operamaster we’ve been working with on the lyrics says they’ll love it.”

“They probably will,” she agreed with a smirk. “You do realize what this means though. You fly around playing music, and going from planet to planet. you’re Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space.”

He shot her a look that could have melted neutronium. “I will END you!” he growled, before losing it and almost falling over from laughing. “Ouch, that burned, Rhonda.” he said, as Lt Summerfield just looked on in confusion.

“I don’t believe I’ve heard of them..”

Rhonda just giggled as one of the cooks came in, carrying trays heaped with fresh out of the oven food. “It’s just a kids show, before my time even. Oh, that smells good… so nice having real food. I know replicated is technically the same, but ah swear ah can tell the difference.”


“I know, one of the benefits of going to as many places as we do - though to be honest, sometimes the choices of the local stuff… well I still haven’t gotten the hang of gagh. And don’t get me started on poiled slurgs.”

“Do I want to know?”

“Not while you’re eating, no.”


After they ate, it was time for business Rhonda thought, putting her fork down, “Look, I don’t know what you got going on in the Moab Colonies, but things may be getting a bit tense in there.” Lt Summerfield just sat quietly...easier for her to telepathically nudge without having to say anything.

“May be? They’re already tense, and this idiotic pronouncement from the Federation is doing exactly zero to calm things down.”

“That’s what we’re here for, David I mean Admiral Huntington wants us to help stabilize the situation, make sure people don’t get hurt.”

“Rhonda, it’s none of the Federations business what those people do. You, well, not you but the government, they abandoned them. So they went their own way, and now you want to force them back in?” He shook his head. “Besides, if your Admiral was serious about a peaceful solution, then he’d have you in there talking to them, not out patrolling a blockade.”

He was getting annoyed..which was easy to push towards anger. While part of her didn’t want to, she was truthful in her admiration of his music-all of that paled before her duty to the Admiral, and the Masters. The Admiral wanted Captain Evans on his side...which meant getting her away from bad influences. She leaned a bit on the Captain, reinforcing the talking points the Federation was using.

Rhonda frowned, feeling a bit fuzzy for a moment then shook her head as if to clear it . “We’re letting them hold their elections - once it’s over, we’ll go in and help re establish links with the Federation,” she said… subconsciously repeating what Lt Summerfield continually pushed at her.

“And if they vote no? Is your admiral just going to turn around and go home?”

“They won’t… the polls show they want the Federation-”

“Bull, FNN says that. My reporters, the Imperial News Service, hell even the Lurians have a 30 hour non stop news channel where they never shut up about the upcoming elections, they all say differently. What then?”

Now the Captain was annoyed, just a slight push…

Her face hardened. “We’re trying to stop the violence, to bring peace to these people - they NEED us to take care of them, I mean look at them! They're starving, killing each other in the streets, the Federation can help them.”

Jake stared at her for a moment. “Who are you and what the hell did you do with my sister? The one who put her hands on her hips and told Longbow to their face before you even had your drivers license that their invasion to ‘bring peace’ to people who didn’t want anything to do with them was wrong.”

“I was young, naive. Jake, people are being killed over this - we can stop it,” she said

“Like the government is trying to stop people from finding out what's going on and being able to communicate without someone from FedSec listening in?”

“That’s different, there are threats out there that FedSec needs to be able to find out about.” Rhonda looked worried. “Your being tied up with Tellar Datasys is a bad thing, they’ll end up coming after you if you keep this up.”

“They can’t stop the signal Rhonda. Hell, I heard from the Tellar folks this morning - they just signed an agreement with the Romulan Republic for public sales, and license building the tech for the Romulan Republic government. They don’t fear their own citizens. The tech’s out, just like Schrodingers slipstream drive. the fed can accept it, or stagnate.” The Republic adopting the tech also made his shares of the company worth even more, but he figured mentioning that wouldn’t be good at the moment.

Lt Summerfield managed not to show her reaction to that bit of news-that was considered bad as far as she knew. She’d need to report that to the Admiral as soon as possible. But first...as angry as the two of them were getting, it was easier to get into their heads, and suggest the perfectly wrong things for them to say...

“Look, I agree with you in principle” Rhonda sighed “but the needs of the many are more important. Those people are living on a planet that’s a living hell - they deserve better, and we will bring that to them.”

“So when are they fitting you for your jackboots? Lord Recluse would be so proud of you. ”

Even half expecting it, he’d forgotten that while she may not have powers anymore, she still was faster than most humans. Fortunately he was expecting it, though the slap stung and hit hard enough to rock him back in his seat.

”******n you I’m trying to save lives! What the hell have you done since you got here other than try to make as much money as you can!?”

He didn’t raise his voice in response, but his tone was definitely cold. “Yes, I’ve made tons of latinum - and I’ve put my money to work. Two fully equipped medical ships for Doctors Without Borders Interstellar, Cultural exchanges with dozens of worlds, to get people to actually learn to appreciate other beings instead of try to kill them for being different, expanding trade, as well as annoying the Federation by helping push tech that will help people communicate freely, to try to prevent wars from starting in the first place. And just in the last week we saved close to a billion people by giving them what they needed to avoid extinction, while your precious Federation just sat there watching them die. All because ‘they didn’t have warp travel’.”

“The Prime Directive is one of the most important laws we have!”

“Yeah, better that people not as advanced as you die off on their own. Less competition for planets to colonize, the Federation needs its lebensraum.”

He was ready when she tried to slap him again, blocking it easily. The two siblings glared at each other. “I think we’re done here,” Rhonda growled to Lieutenant Summefield, who got to her feet “You just sit here till the Admiral decides if you can go or not - I’ve half a mind to tell him to keep you out.” She tapped her combadge, and the two of them beamed out.

Jake stood there dumbfounded for a moment once they had gone, his anger cooling rapidly… how the hell had everything gone so pear shaped so fast? And why the hell would he have thrown Recluse in her face? He knew what they did to her… hell he nearly died getting her out of that trap. He’d figure that out later as he quickly exited his cabin, getting back to the bridge.

“Boss, what the hell happened? Could hear the shouting all the way out here,” Kei remarked from the helm.

“I’m...I’m not sure. Is the stream up?”

“Well, yeah,” she replied, double checking the ready status on the Slipstream drive, “but I thought we were going to get clearance.”

“I don’t think we’ll get it. Set course for Cold Butte, and hit it.”

USS Heinlein

By the time she got to the bridge, the Heart of Gold was already gone. “Captain, what happened?” Maureen asked.

“WE had a fight, bigger than the one that ah had with that @##hole at my wedding.” she muttered darkly “I’ll be in my ready room letting Admiral Huntington know what happened. Jake’s off the reservation, someone may have to take him down….”

The XO managed to simply nod in confusion. “Ok, Captain,” she replied… what fight? She was at the wedding, she’d have known if there was a fight. As soon as she was off shift she headed back to her quarters to double check, fortunately it was recorded…

Half an hour later, she was even more confused. There wasn’t a fight at the wedding… the closest there even was to conflict was during the reception her brother had asked her to join him and his band on stage, and she had grumbled good naturedly about ‘making her work on her wedding day’, grumbling that vanished instantly when he offered up his 1965 Stratocaster for her to play- prompting laughter when she said “gimme’ and snatched it out of his hand. So what the hell really happened over on Jakes ship?

Deck 4, USS Heinlein

’I’m not here, you don’t notice me… probably one of the easiest mind-jimmies to work..especially when no one really had a reason to pay close attention to ‘Lt Summerfield’. Ducking into her cabin she entered the head-while the ship did have an AI, there wasn’t any active monitoring in there unless she called for help. It only took a few seconds to send the handshake signal on the encrypted com she kept hidden on her. Oddly enough, the Admiral was the one that answered.

“What do you have for me Commander?”

Commander Nilissa Kalan got to the point. “I’ve managed to put a wedge between Captain Evans and her brother as you requested Sir.”

On the small screen, he nodded. ‘Hated to do it… but he’s a disruptive influence, and too close to the rebels. Have you found out anything more about the ships AI or it’s temporal abilities?”

“No Sir, the computer acts like a standard AU-25 to everyone but the captain… but I’m not sure he’s bound by the commandments, and I have no idea how TI missed it when they went over this ship before releasing it for use.”

The Admiral shrugged. “We don’t know, all I can tell you is that it’s imperative that she stays on our side. That AI answers only to her according to my source at TI… and that ship may be the key we need to ensure the return of the Masters.”

“Understood sir. I won’t let anyone stop us this time.”

knightraider6

Bridges burning gladly,
Merging with the shadows,
Flickering between the lines.
Stolen moments floating softly on the air,
Born on wings of fire and climbing higher.
Ancient bonds are breaking,
Moving on and changing sides.
Dreaming of a new day,
Cast aside the other way.
Magic visions stirring,
Kindled by and burning flames rise in her eyes.
The door stands ajar,
The wall that once were high.
Beyond the gilded cage,
Beyond the reach of ties.
The moment is at hand.
She breaks the golden band.

Burning Bridges, Pink Floyd

Space Station K-7, Moab Task Force assembly point-July 31, 2412

Captain James Randall was annoyed. True, this had been his usual state of late, in fact he’d even begun having issues sleeping, especially after the last incident a few days earlier. He’d had that smuggler dead to rights...but some weasely lawyer on earth had gotten to Starfleet and ordered him to let them go. Staring out of the viewport at the USS Raven taking on supplies for the upcoming mission, he could still see the marks on the hull where he was rammed by that smuggler in the Heart of Gold. And all he could do, was watch Jacob Evans fly off, probably laughing his TRIBBLE off.

Fortunately he knew a few JAG officers himself, who he’d asked right after that to find something, anything he could use to nail that TRIBBLE Evans to the bulkheads. Commander Cathy Bell may have been his ex wife-but she was also a damn good lawyer and legal mind, and the two of them did part on more or less amicable terms. So she wasn’t too opposed to his request to look into the Evans case for him, to find something to use. She’d find something, he just knew it. Whistling, he headed deeper into the station towards the JAG office.

She didn’t look exactly happy to see him-but then she was his ex. “You’re looking well Cathy.” He said as he entered her office, though curiously she wasn’t in uniform. Probably caught her off shift.

“Wish i could say the same Jim, but you look like you could use a vacation.”

He just shrugged his shoulders “After I throw that mutt Evans into 4028, and toss the key away - I can take all the time off I need to celebrate. So what’cha got for me, what can I pin on him?”

She pondered sugar coating it, but… “Nothing.”

“Wait what? What do you mean nothing?”

“I mean, nothing. Under Federation law, he’s committed no crime-”

“BULLSH*T! We saw him commit a prime directive violation right in front of us! He didn’t even deny it, hell he was proud of it! Yeah, the natives were in a bad way, but it’s not our place to interfere. Not to mention his questionable dealings with this Moab company-I bet he was involved with that data breach” Randall muttered, running his hand over his hair, a few strands coming loose. “Selling banned technology, running under a false flag, claiming Ferengi citizenship - there’s half a dozen right there!”

Cathy brushed a strand of greying hair out of her eyes, remembering one of the reasons why she divorced. “Lets start with the first one. The prime directive is for Starfleet. Even if he was a Federation citizen, it does not apply to non-starfleet personnel.”

“That’s got to be wrong - just in the last 18 months we’ve busted a half dozen freighters for PD violations-”

“I looked into those cases. Yes you impounded four freighters, one transport and a former Orion pleasure barge turned into a flying house of ill-repute - but None of those cases ever made it to trial. There were deals offered, the ships and company assets were seized, and the crews fined and released. But those deals even were illegal… because those crews did not break the law. The Prime directive does not apply to civilians.”

“Then why the hell would they take the deal if they were so innocent?” Captain Randall replied, feeling his migraine begin to come back.


“Because people have been taught to believe that it’s illegal for everyone. It isn’t. Other than some temporary executive orders signed by President Jaresh-Inyo in 2372, the Prime Directive only applies to Starfleet or Federation personnel, or civilians working for Starfleet for the Federation.” She shrugged. “Maybe it’s because Evans isn’t from this universe, he hasn’t grown up with the Prime Directive being taught from elementary school forwards.”

He shook his head. “I don’t buy it.”

“You don’t have to ‘buy’ it,” she sighed. “it’s the law. I ran it both through JAG’s system, cross referenced through some of that massive data dump that’s been released-”

“You shouldn’t even be looking at that you know, that’s treasonous-”

She rolled her eyes. “-if you’d let me finish-I cross referenced his name with the data dump, and civilian resources. Jacob Evans did not break any laws in giving atmospheric processors to the inhabitants of Sigma-429. The second thing, the data dump of classified material? So far it looks to have originated on Bynaus. There was a burned out warehouse where they think it came from, and Evans has no ties to there.”

“They just haven’t found any yet, it has to be him.”

“Everyone leaves traces Jim-he’s never been there.” Cathy continued, “ The smuggling banned equipment charge-yes the Federation has placed an Injunction against Tellar Datasys-but he hasn’t sold any of them inside Federation space-so you can’t get him for that. His news network uses repeaters right outside the border-the Federation gets interstellar news after everyone else does because of it-but it stays within the law in Federation space.”

He glowered more. “What , next you’re going to tell me that a human claiming Ferengi citizenship is legal, or his running a Denali IFF?”

“Yes.” She ignored his angry look. “The Ferengi merchant alliance is made up of almost all Ferengi - but if one was to be sponsored, which Evans was by his business partner’s father, and have enough latinum and business expertise to impress the Nagus, who is by Ferengi standards very open minded, then you’re in. Evans is the only human - but not the only non-ferengi. The IFF… well even the Federation lets a private ship on Federation business run Federation ident codes - and Evan’s company has a long-term contract with the Denali Republic.” She shrugged. “So like it or not - he’s jumped through a hell of a lot of hoops to do it - but it’s all legal.”

“I don’t CARE if it’s legal, it’s wrong! Now are you going to tell me how to get this guy or not?”

“Jim… the only laws that have been broken here, if you want to get down to it… have been by the Federation.” She shook her head sadly. “You always did have this superiority complex, how you knew better than everyone else.”

He found himself almost growling. “Watch your tone Commander - I’m still your superior-”

“Not anymore.I resigned my commission a half hour before this meeting. I only agreed to meet with you as a favor for old times sake while waiting on my transport off station. I won’t be a part of what they’re doing, what they’re covering up anymore.”

He almost hit her - that was more of a surprise to him than her. She sighed as he lowered his hand, looking confused at himself. “You were a good man Jim - you deserve better than what they’re putting you through, what they’re making you do. If you want to enforce the law… I’d start on Earth if I were you,” she said, before turning and leaving the office, picking up her bag on the way out.

For the second time in six months, he watched her walk out. It was all going wrong…

sander233

I do like Captain Randall, but I really like what you've done to him.

A great example of the writer's right to make bad things happen to good people.

knightraider6

Election Night

It falls, apart,
from the very start,
it falls apart,
seems like everything i touch, falls apart,
everything around me, falls apart,
when i walk away from you.

i wish i could but i dont,
always keep the promises i've kept,
i wish i could, but i can't,
always give, whatever i have left,
and now its all so clear,
doesnt anyone see whats happening here?

It falls, apart,
from the very start,
it falls apart,
seems like everything i touch, falls apart,
everything around me, falls apart,
when i walk away from you.

I know i should but i don't
always say, what you want me to say,
i know i could but i don't
always act, like everything's ok,
and now its all so clear,
doesnt anyone see whats happening here?

It falls, apart,
from the very start,
it falls apart,
seems like everything i touch, falls apart,
everything around me, falls apart,
when i walk away from you.

Everything I, have ever been made of, hates who i am,
I'm so glad you waited, can't get my mind,
off how you could love me, i'm so behind,
you're so far above me,
and you'll always be
the wind under my wings, above me

I will not let it go to waste,
I'm takin all,
i got, and leavin' this place,
and i, will not, be takin' up space,
i'll take my best shot,
i'm pickin up the pace

It falls, apart,
from the very start,
it falls apart,
seems like everything i touch, falls apart,
everything around me, falls apart,
when i walk away from you.

Thousand Foot Krutch, It Falls Apart




Yellowknife, Cold Butte, August 1, 2412. 8:49 pm

She didn’t know why she came here to watch the election coverage. Other than the fact that they were the closest thing to family she had left… at least here. Tan looked out the window of the apartment at the stars shining through the clouds, wondering what he was doing right now… then shook her head. He was her boss… not someone she should be thinking about that way.

so far, her friends were pretty happy with how things were going. The returns on Cold Butte were still running low, but Moab was trending to Reconciliation by a fairly wide margin, especially in the major cities, and the trends reported from Berun’s World were looking good for Rec as well, which, Tan reflected, made Joanna happy, at least.

“Hey, they’re showing the numbers for Wetrock and Ragnar’s Landing…”

Well, happy is a relative term.

“GOD DAMMIT!” Joanna barked. “What the f*ck’s wrong with them? Everywhere else knows the drift!”

After all, for every bit of news from off-world that made Jo happy, there was one from the districts here on Cold Butte, and on Arluna, that set her to cursing at the holovid like an angry sports-fan.

“Jobs,” Norah said. “Jobs. There’s work in Wetrock, and Ragnar’s landing too, a lot of it. People vote their cred-accounts.”

“How’d you vote?” Joanna asked.

“How do you think? Absentee,” Norah told her bluntly. “the Nunya party.”

“Nunya?” one of the others asked.

“Nunya bidness,” Tan said. “How in hell you think I’d vote?”

“Blindfolded, with a dart board.” Todd said, defusing the tantrum that was about to explode out of Joanne’s mouth. “I bet you didn’t even look at the parties before you voted.”

Charlie giggled at that. “Nola Tan, care about politics?”

Even Joanna shook her head. “Damn you, baited me…”

“Like I said, I voted absentee,” Tan said, as the tension ebbed for the moment. “I wouldn’t have even bothered, the only politician that isn’t lying is one who’s not talking, no matter who wins, it’s the little folks that always lose.”

“It’s okay, Tan,” Todd said, and started passing out sandwiches. “I don’t think you voting - or not voting - is going to have much impact.”

Joanna perked up. “What the **** do you mean by that?” she demanded.

Todd gave her a long-suffering look, “Jo, think about it. Tan’s about as apolitical as anyone we know, right?” He looked Nola in the eyes, “DID you even bother to cast your vote?”

Sandy came to her defense, “Of course she didn’t.”

“Actually, I did. Bossman insisted on it. He believes that if you don’t vote, you don’t get to complain how things are run.”

That perked Joanne back up. “See!? Someone agrees with me!”

Tan just smirked. “Voted rec - tho the way I figure it’s gonna end up, Cold Butte will stay indy, most people want it that way, and they can survive just fine on their own. Moab needs the help the Feds will hopefully give, assuming of course they keep their promises this time, other worlds will either stay or go. It’s a confederacy, worlds can join or leave as they want.”

Joanne had a victory-grin on, “Pay up, Todd!” she said.

“Here?” Todd asked.

“Here. You lost, pay the penalty!”

“Lost?” Tan asked.

“Joanne bet Todd you’d vote Rec, he has to pay up, he thought you’d vote indy.” Sandy explained.

“What’s he got to-” Todd’s shirt hit her in the face.

“Strip and serve in the nude.” Sandy said with undisguised relish.



SDF base Cold Butte, August 1, 2142. 9:23 pm


They watched the news quietly, though truth be told, most of them hadn’t even been here a full week yet. Most of the base had been built by local contractors, many of whom had put in for permanent positions on the base (and more than a few of them, Denali citizenship applications.)

True, they had come here to help build, they were an engineer unit mostly, with administrative support as well as family members along-even with slipstream drive, it was a long run back out to Denali. Though things weren't this bad when they left weeks ago, Major Nohar Bachchan thought darkly as he viewed the results live via RTN.

”Polls are closing in Nah Tranh, with exit polling showing clear majorities for the Reconciliation party, allready there are thousands of people in the square, it sounds like the Federation anthem they’re singing Ellen.”

“So, what’s this mean for us, Major?” Sergeant Singh asked “I mean, if they go back to the Federation..”

“Doesn’t mean a damn thing. We’ve leased this land from the planetary government. Cold Butte isn’t ruled by Moab, it’s a confederacy. So they didn’t even technically have to ask Nah Tranh for permission.” He sipped his tea, his ears back as he frowned. “Just because some of them are idiots for ever trusting the Feds again, doesn’t mean all of them are.” Which was true as the reports switched over to the local results, showing a much different outcome than on Moab III.

“Plus the KDF wants us here as well, being they get to use the facilities. So if Starfleet doesn’t like it… tough.”

The young NCO nodded, going back to watching the news. Nohar didn’t let them see he was worried - but should Starfleet try to press the issue, right now they had little more than harsh language and construction equipment to reply with until the Vikrant or someone else got there, hopefully soon. He had a meeting first thing in the morning with his MCDF and KDF counterparts… that promised to be an interesting meeting.

Kinsley Park Amphitheatre, Yellow Knife, Cold Butte, 10:33pm local time…

The park was crowded tonight, bonfires and music and food vendors all around. Election Night, and Tan was here with the crowd. On a world like Cold Butte, any reason to have a party was all the excuse anyone needed.

The final election tally was going to be announced, and despite her own misgivings, they were here, down-town, shivering in -10 degree weather.

“Got the cocoa?” Nola asked, and Todd nodded. He’d been able to get dressed for this, because Joanne wouldn’t miss it.

“Gimme,” she said, holding up her cup. He unscrewed the thermos and poured. “Where’s Sandy?”

Todd sighed. “She’s haggling with a vendor for sausages,” he told her. “Charlie’s keeping an eye on her… where’s Jo?”

“She wanted to get closer to the stage,” Nola said.

“Who’s with her?” Todd asked.

“Um… why would she need someone with her?” Tan asked.

“Because I think your prediction early tonight’s dead-on, and she’s gonna freak,” he told her. “Here, take the thermos, I’m gonna go find Jo.”

“Todd…” Nola said, “one thing, just in case...how did you vote?” she asked.

He looked around, as if checking. “batlh qorDu' je,” he almost whispered. “Do not tell Joanne… EVER.”

“Lips sealed,” she said.

He handed her the thermos. “Did you really vote Rec?”

“Yeah,” Nola told him.

“Wasted vote,” he told her. “I’ll be back.”

Todd voted for the Honor-and-Family party? she filed that silently away. Huh…

He disappeared into the crowd as the lights came up on the band-shell of the Amphitheatre. the music petered out as the local comedy holo-star Jerista K’Logh stepped up to the podium and acted as Emcee.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the Governor of Cold Butte, here to announce the final vote tally for the Special Election, Lady Debra MacAulliffe!!”

The crowd applauded politely - well, as polite applause on Cold butte got, anyway.

From here, the Governor was tiny, over-lit,her red hair standing out over pale skin in a bulky overcoat.

“Heya. It’s been a hell of a month, eh?” the Governor said. “Well, it’s about over, yah… and we got the results counted in the general elections, so here’s what’s what…”

A holoprojector lit the stage. “Final tallies are, batlh qorDu' je pulled fifteen percent in the final elections, with three seats on the Assembly, Good Government pulled ten percent, an’ the Independence Party polled ten percent. Reconciliation polled out to fifteen percent. For y’alls at home tonight, not shiverin’ in the colde out here with me, that’s fifty percent of the votes counted. The Social Dems pulled another five percent…” she straightened up, “and the National Party got the rest, at forty-five percent. Per the planetary charter, proportional representation and second-choice voting, I guess I’m stuck in this job for another seven years.” Nola couldn’t see the governor’s face very well. “But… after thet, Yer all gonna haveta find somebody else! Ya can’t make me run again!”

And the crowd (mostly) applauded.

“Thanks for turnin’ out! Get some snacks an’ enjoy the show!”

Oh **** me, Jo’s gonna freak indeed…

“Tanny!” Charlie showed up with Sandy in tow.

“We need to find Todd and Joanne, right now.” Nola said.

“Yeah, we figured that, I’ve got Todd’s number…” Sandy said, holding up a PADD, it was flashing.

“Message Sandy - how ****ing stoned are you?” Nola wasn’t in the mood anymore, Sandy caught her expression, and handed it over.

She checked it. “Todd’s with Jo, we’re supposed to meet them at the apartment.” Nola said, “Let’s go.”

“But I want to stay for the Party!” Sandy whined.

“You’re ****ed up on something, Sandy, no… now let’s Go.”


They weren’t the only ones with the idea that somewhere else might be a good place to be - while it seemed the majority of the crowd was happy with the results - the food and cheap adult beverages might have had something to do with that, there were others, who were rather upset by the turn of events.


”Get down!” Tan hissed to the others, who thankfully were paying attention - except for Sandy, who was pulled back out of sight by Tan.

“What is it?” Charlie asked, one hand under her jacket.

Tan peered around the corner carefully. She was right in not drinking tonight - a group of Flatheads, their flattop buzz-cuts styled after the Optimum movements troops from the late 21st century, human supremacists and pro-federation, at least by the red armbands some of them were still wearing. Their ‘Human First’ candidate didn’t even poll enough to get mentioned in the results..

“Bunch of flatheads trying and failing to break down a store’s security gates,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Come on, sounds like the cops are inbound, really don’t think we need to be hanging around here.”

“Ey… I recognize him,” Sandy said as she looked around the corner as well. “Wonder what he’s up to?”

“Trouble, now lets get the hell out of here, ok?” Tan muttered, as one of the angry humans started trying to light a molotov. “They see Sandy they’ll try to light her on fire, and I don’t wanna deal with the paperwork from kicking their asses. Let the cops handle it.”

As they went down another street they could hear the shouts and glass breaking, the crackle of flames starting to spread. Damnit, why the hell did I come back here? Tan muttered to herself as they half carried their stoned friend to safety.

As they rounded the corner off main street onto third, the burning store exploded. “****inhell… that was a gun-store…” Sandy muttered. “I liked that place…”

“They’re insured.” Tan said.

Police cars rushed past them as they staggered up the street, and fire-suppression vehicles swept through the darkened skies, strobes lighting the night.

At the apartment complex, things were quieter.

“Help me get Sandy to her room,” Charlie told Detta. “She’s too baked.”
“Right…” Detta had stayed home tonight, “you guys see the riot?”

“Snuck past it,” Tan said. “How’s Jo?”

“I had to tranq her,” Todd said, coming out of Joanne’s room. “She lost it out there.”

“Dammit… how bad?”

“We’re all lucky she didn’t have a sidearm, let me put it that way,” he told her. “She’s asleep now. I’m taking first watch.”

“First watch?” Nola asked.

“Yeah… when they got back, Todd hit the head, she got into the cooking knives,” Detta said. “Cut herself up pretty bad, but I think I stopped the bleeding, the Ambulances are all tied up with the Flatheads little temper-tantrum.”

“You’re a good medic, Detta,” Tan said. “You were straight when you were working on her?”

“Sober as a judge,” Detta said. “I was afraid of something like this… who’s got second watch?”

Nola looked at them. “There’s three of us, who’re straight,” she said. “I’ll take mid-shift, you get some sleep for the morning.”

“Thanks.”

Warehouse district, Yellowknife Cold Butte, 2310 hours


Damnit, what went wrong? They had more than enough people out to get the vote-their internal polls had said they had just enough, and just enough was all they needed. Yeah, the outlying districts would vote independent-but honestly, Lt Commander Wilson didn’t care about them. Get the capital, get the planet. Cold Butte had too much in the way of raw materials to not be in the Federation, drug back in kicking and screaming if necessary. “So what do we do now?”

“We call everyone in,” Captain Stebbins replied, looking at the map of Yellowknife ominously. “yeah we got 15 percent of the vote-but that fifteen percent was a lot of angry combat veterans.”

Wilson shook his head “This isn’t like most Federation worlds Sir, most people here are armed. It will get messy fast.”

“Fortune favors the bold Mister Wilson. We hit hard and fast enough, the populace won’t have time to respond. We’ve got enough hardware, and enough of the locals on our side-if we don’t win the vote, we take it instead. “

knightraider6

Well, there's a hot wind blowing tonight in the east
And I heard that the park is filled tonight with police
On the radio there's nothing but a man saying
To stay inside

Well, I remember what you said on the telephone
That you didn't feel like it was safe to stay alone
And you would get yourself to me if you could find
A way across the line

But there's fire tonight on your side of town
Orange light in the sky without a sound

Well, there's a faint sound of sirens tonight in the air
And I heard that the downtown streets tonight are bare
On the TV here they're telling me the roads now
All closed down

You said that if you couldn't take the car you'd walk instead
It was the last thing you said before the line went dead
And now I'm waiting by the window holding all the things
Of yours I've found

But there's fire tonight on your side of town
Orange light in the sky without a sound
Fire tonight on your side of town

I watch and wait for you to come around
I know we always said that we were free
I know we never thought this would succeed
But now your face is all that I can see

And there's fire tonight on your side of town
Orange light in the sky without a sound
Fire tonight on your side of town
I watch and wait for you to come around

Fire Tonight, Information society

0423 Hours…

“What’s going on?” Tan said sleepily. She wasn’t a light sleeper-but the noise from the other room woke her up.

“Party rally,” Detta told her. “Stebbins wants everyone there.” She was getting the others moving. “You don’t have to come, you’re not registered or anything.”

“Rally?” Charlie was as arsed-out as Tan was, and Sandra looked rougher than normal.

“Yeah, you didn’t pawn your goodies did you?” Detta asked.

“No… still got some left, you worried about riots?” Charlie asked, rubbing her eyes and trying to straighten her blonde hair, which was still pillow-tangled from sleeping off her high last night.

“Yeah, riots…” Detta didn’t sound convincing, “Hey, Tan, mind popping out to the store, we’re out of coffee.”

“mmmwhat’s goin’ on?” Joanna stumbled out of the room she shared with Todd. “Rally?”

“Stebbins thinks the Governor might invoke Chapter Twelve,” Detta said.

“Nobody’s ever invoked a Twelve…” Joanna countered.

“Get your go-bag anyway, we’ve got like thirty minutes to show,” Detta told them.


“So what if she does?” Tan asked. “I mean, it’s overwhelming that they want to stay independent here - if you wanna live in Fed space, hell I can talk to the boss and get you to Moab - anywhere you want to go. We’ve got plenty of space on board.”

Detta gave her a hard stare. “Tan, people are killing each other in droves on Berun’s world right now, it’s probably just to make sure nobody starts shooting here.”

“Which just proves my point how stupid they all are,” Tan grumbled. “Politicians never did anything other than cause problems.”

“You gonna go get the coffee or not?” Detta argued. “If you’re not, I’ll have Todd get it and he’s not in much shape to drive.”

“Fine fine, I’ll be back in a few.” She muttered under her breath as she got her coat and gloves - fortunately it wasn’t too far to the store, assuming they were open. It would be just like Sandra not to make sure they had enough supplies, let alone coffee - and sandy was in charge of the kitchen in the apartment. “Anything else you need?”

“Hey…” Sandra said, “see if they’ve got some Panodryl or O-Complex in the pharmacy… nurg my head hurts…”

She gave Sandra a half smile. “Sure, I’ll bring back some orange juice too if they have it,” she said as she left the apartment, mentally adding under her breath, ‘And if it gets you to stay sober, it will be worth the cost…’

Tan’s week on Cold butte, she’d gotten to drive Detta’s car a handfull of times, it was cheap, rattly and rusted, but everything worked-Sandra’s good at keeping things running when isn’t baked out of her mind… it started on the first crank, and rolled out onto the frozen street.

The store was open, it took all of five minutes to get everything - and wouldn’t have taken that long, except that the lady in front of her insisted on arguing with the cashier.

When Tan reached the apartment, Todd’s truck was gone, and the door was locked. she tried the key and it opened.

Inside, everyone was gone.

There was a note on the coffee table.

Tanny-

We’re going to get this election overturned. Stay inside, keep the lights off and lock the door, no matter what you hear outside, stay secured until we’re done.

-Jo.

“Oh… ****!!” If she knew where they were, she’d have gone after them. As it was… wait. she did know someone who might know…


Tim Hortons, Wetrock, Cold Butte, 0520

The restaurant was full of people both worried and in a very good mood. The miners had voted almost to a being for the Nationalist party - while the election results for Cold Butte was good for their businesses, now the question is what would the Federation do?

That was the topic of the conversation as Tan walked in, looking around. He said he could get here before he went up the mountain - there. “Gordy! Damn am I glad to see you,” she said, slipping into the booth.

He looked happy to see her - until he saw the look on her face. “Damn, you look just like you did when you saw where you had to fly us on Son Tay”

She just slid the note over. “I got rooked by Sandy wanting me to pick up some stuff from the store. They’d split out to hook up with that Stebbins guy.”

Gordon read the note and swore. “Gawddammnit! I knew he was trouble!”

“Who the hell is he anyway?”

“He said he was ex mil, like us, got dumped from the Navy because the Klingons didn’t like him, and wanted back in starfleet…” He slammed his fist into the table. “Damnit! Come on.” He got to his feet and scrambled towards the door, Tan throwing down some money and following him.

“Where are we going?” she asked as the cold morning air hit them.

“Justice Incorporated’s offices, it’s only a few km from here - and they’ll know who to talk to.

She was already in Sandy’s car, wincing from the unhappy whine of the turbine bearings, but it caught after a few dozen revolutions and they were off.



Justice Inc. Office, Wetrock, Cold Butte, 0535…

Gaxnox looked human. He found it was an asset in his work, to be mistaken for human as often and completely as possible. But… he wasn’t. He was from Beta Iotia, and grew up on stories about how the Federation had instituted the Syndical system, organizing the Mobs into a working, albeit unusual, planetary government.

“You do realize I voted for Reconciliation, young lady?” Gaxnox said, “What’s to keep me from siding with this Stebbins guy?”

Gordy prodded Tan, she said, “So did I - but that’s not what more than fifteen percent here wants. Would the Federation take a planet that’s in the middle of a civil war?” she asked. “Your experience, Mister Gaxnox?”

“Not when I was in Starfleet.” the tall man said, “No, they’d quarantine it, if it’s a world applyin’, but they wouldn’t accept it…”


“Stebbins is recruiting hitters,” Tan said. “He’s got my friends in his little orbit, he’s going to use them, and others, to start a civil war… and that’s bad for business.”

Gaxnox nodded. “Very true,” he said. “How much can you pay?”

“I work for one of the richest men in the Ferengi Alliance,” Tan said. “he’s given me an expense account…”

“Cashy-money, how much you got in your pocket?” Gaxnox asked.

Tan fished into her pants, and pulled a small puddle of coins and latinum slips, she laid it on the desk.

“What do you know? we’re running a special today, and…” the Iotian counted quickly, “That’s just enough, Miss Tan… I have to make a vid-call, and you’ll have the support of all sixteen Justice Incorporated regional offices to help you with your riot suppression and cult deprogramming needs,” Gaxnox told her. “When someone accepts a law to live under, he damn well better keep his agreement - if nothing else, your word’s gotta be good - I voted in good faith and the election was clean - the votes were counted in public, I had poll-watchers hired by Rec and the Nationalists, and I don’t like it when someone tries to welch on a deal.”

“Who’re you calling?” Gordy asked.

“The Governor - she’s an easy first target after the murder of First Minister Mulvaney.” Gaxnox said, “If Stebbins is what I think he is, he’ll make a play for topping the local government first… Oh, and I need to call a few colleagues-they’ll work on credit, by the way, Miss Tan, get ready to write some cheques-some of these guys are greedier than me.”



Highway 4, enroute to Yellowknife, 0740

It felt strange to be in a groundcar without air guards out, Major Bachchan thought - though while Cold Butte had predators, they were nothing like the megafauna of Denali. Still, they were armed as per local custom, plus they were going to meet with the small KDF contingent who was still on the planet. Klingons were always armed, and would consider it odd if their visitors were not. Even though the Empire had publicly withdrawn from the Confederacy, such moves take time. Heh, he thought, some of the KDF equipment had just gotten there before the announcement that they were withdrawing. Which is why he was meeting with them, the local Army reserves and the MCDF at the army’s weapons storage facility-it was cheaper for the Empire to sell it as surplus to the SDF and MCDF than transport it all the way back to Klingon space.

“Major?”

His musing was cut short by one of the NCO’s. “What is it?” he asked, looking up from his PADD, over the hill up ahead smoke could be seen billowing into the sky. “Isn’t that where the Reserve base where we’re meeting the locals and the Klingons s Sir?”

“…son of a motherless goat…” his driver muttered.

As they came around the corner, someone had been there in the pre dawn hours. They stopped clear of the smouldering security barrier, everyone having their weapons out and ready.

“Looks like commercial grade explosives,” the Major said with an experienced eye. “Standard mining charges-but how the hell did they get in close enough?”

“Yesterday was a national holiday, Sir,” Sgt Bizal replied. “Maybe they were short staffed-”

“Or maybe they had inside help…” Nohar replied, seeing the dead bodies inside the gate house. Checking the com panel, it had been destroyed rather clumsily. “Kumar, can you get this back online?”

The Tech climbed out of the vehicle. “I’ll see what I can do sir, hoping there’s some record of who did this?”

“Hopefully.” He stepped back out side, the bad thing about stronger senses… was that unpleasant ones were worse - and the stench of death was one of the worst. “Bachchan to Cold Lake,” he said into his com, calling back to the SDF joint base. There was no reply, which caused him to frown even more. Pulling out a tricorder, he checked the coms’ operation then did a frequency scan.

Major Bachchan was a devout man, who no one had even heard swear. Thus the string of profanity coming from him surprised and shocked the squad. “What’s wrong, Sir?”

“Military grade jamming… worse than that, Starfleet type modulation in the jamming.”



Yellowknife, Cold Butte, 0731

“…and remember, if they put up resistance, don’t hesitate to do what you have to to make sure they can’t mess things up.” Todd felt more and more ill the more he listened to Stebbins briefing. This was going to be a slaughter, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He looked over at Joanne, who was almost glowing in her excitement… if he kept her safe… then… he could do what had to be…

There was a buzzing from his com. He togged it without thinking, it was the party com given to him by Stebbins, so it had to be official business. He had felt sick when he realized how many of the constables were in with Stebbins team - but then it did make sense in a perverse sort of way.

“Todd, it’s Tan.”

He blinked and looked at the com again, muting it more and turning away. “Tan? How the hell did you get this number? ”

”Sandy left her phone out, and I copied the numbers so I could call you later.”

Well that seemed harmless enough. “Listen, this is a bad time-”

“Todd, it’s over. The Governor knows, they’re taking steps now, and I hired Justice Inc as well as a bunch of mercs. You guys need to get clear of there-”

“You did WHAT?”

“I hired people that can stop this. Justice Inc, Pranger’s Bangers, and the government is notified too-along with the KDF, and possibly the SDF and the local Militia base.”

“I thought the boss said we had the base? And who’s that talking about the pinkys?”

Damnit..Todd swore. He forgot how good Sandra’s hearing was-fortunately no one was paying attention to them. yet. “Not now Sandy-”

She was sober long enough that what she had heard started to penetrate “Wait-they KNOW? Well there goes the f*cking element of surprise!”

“Sandy, calm down-”

“What’s going on Constable?” TRIBBLE, Stebbins.

Sandra scowled, “Your plan has already ****ed up-you’re made and they’re organizing resistance right, bloody now.”

“She’s baked.” Todd said.

“The **** I am!” Sandra snapped, “Hung over, not high. BIG difference…” she turned to Stebbins, “You’re really going to start a ****ing war, when Reconciliation already has the government on Moab, already has a First Minister, in place...you’re going to just give MacAulliffe a reason to declare Paragraph Twelve?? Are you Stupid?” she jabbed a finger into Stebbins’ chest, “Did your mom drop you on your head as a baby? We lost one election, out of FOUR…and you’re going to do it right in front of Starfleet?” she drew herself up to her full height, “Right in front of the press, in front of the Denali, and the Romulans, you’re going to kick off a civil war-and get us kicked back out of the Federation before we even get in?” she reached up and pulled the red material of her shirt, “I’m done, I’m not going out to fight on the word of a P’taq who doesn’t have the brains of a rabid fursnake.”

“Sandra-” Todd started. she ripped the shirt off-revealing, among other things, that she hadn’t bothered with a bra, tossed it at Stebbins’ feet, and, “Todd, don’t be an idiot-this guy not only doesn’t have a plan, he doesn’t have a clue, I’m gone.”

she made it three steps before Stebbins shot her in the back, “Anyone else feel like deserting?” he asked quietly, as several men brandished rifles, leveled at the rest of the group.

Todd snarled, and his hand dipped for the 11.25 mm handgun that came with the constable’s job-it made it halfway out of the holster before he was speared in three directions by concentrated phaser fire.

“There...the rest of you, are in the vanguard, we’re taking the capital.” Stebbins snapped.



Justice Inc offices, Wetrock, 0814

She stared at the com in her hand. “That...son of a ...” Tan hissed. “That f*cking son of a goat is dead!!”

she turned to Gaxnox, “How much for the shuttle?” she asked.

“um…” he answered

“NO, I want to buy the thing, and all the ordinance you can put on it.” she clarified, “I’m going to nuke that son of a *****.”

“Right in the middle of the most populated city on the planet?” Gaxnox replied “I know you’re upset. Hell I’m pissed-here I thought that Stebbins could be a reasonable man. But the Runabout isn’t for sale-because we need it to get boots on the ground to stop him. We also need a pilot. Mine, well that empty space out there next to it? We had a fighter as well, seems Steve was more political than I thought."

her eyes narrowed, “I’ll make him see the light, I’ll make him reasonable...the light and the end of his path...I swear it.”

Gordy reached over, and slapped the back of Tan’s head, “Stop it.” He growled, “you’re going to do it right or I’ll stop your clock myself.” he turned to Gaxnox, “Tan’s a pilot-she flew shuttle fourteen during the Son Tay mission, give me a minute and we’ll shuttle your guys ah-ny-where that’s called Yellowknife.”

She seemed to calm down-but it was more just pushing the emotion aside. Flying angry often caused your number of landings not to equal the number of takeoffs. “fair enough-yeah, I can get your folks there. Afterwards though...”

“Assuming I don’t kill him myself” Gaxnox added darkly “or someone else doesn’t get a lucky shot off. Revolutions can be dangerous.”

“I’ll pay extra for him alive.” Gordy said, “Delivered somewhere private, for...discussions-Tanny’s not the only one with money here...and Tanny, I’m calling bortaS tay on this one-Sandy and I were close...and I owe Todd for pulling me out of that ambush in Xiao Loc.”

“Assuming he survives-though something tells me he’s the type that will courageously ‘lead from the rear’. bortaS tay is legal here” Gaxnox nodded “so I’ve no problem if we do get him in one piece.”

“Right…” Gordy said, “I already have a fencepost in mind for him, fifty bars of Lat, him, alive, and intact enough to scream. another fifty if he’s in perfect health on delivery, and twenty five if he dies to the man that kills him.” Todd was taking out a handbill, “Who’s your favorite escrow?”

“Transom Sisters.” Gaxnox said without hesitation, “I don’t like bounties like that, but it is money...and it’s at least marginally legal.”

“Great...here’s my writ.” Gordon said, “You can check with Kara Ch’dar, I’m good for the bounties.”

“Um, you included a Testament here…” Gaxnox said, looking at the writ.

“I’m going in-people get killed doing that, it verifies payment if I don’t survive.” Todd told him, “Tan, I’ll be back in ten, I need to get into my storage.”

He didn’t look happy, but he also needed the people. “good enough, it will take at least fifteen to get all of my folks prepped.”



Half an hour later, airborne…

“It’s a good thing you got this one with the nav system intact.” Tan said. She was in the control-pilot’s station, and Gordy was running the Ops panel beside her. “Traffic control’s a mess, no ATC signal, and the beacons are down.”

“Tan, I’ve got a fast-mover coming in on our course, definitely intercept vector, I’m reading a green IFF, but his approach is definitely hostile.”

“Green IFF?” Gaxnox leaned forward to look over Gordon’s shoulder, “That’s Steve…”

“Skin it?” Tan asked.

Gordon nodded, “Skin it, I’ll start bumping freqs on our sheilding, see if we can’t spoof his target-locks.”

“Easier said than done” she muttered to herself, a Danube wasn’t exactly maneuverable in atmosphere-no shuttle really was, while fighters were designed to be both space and air capable.

“bringing weps on line.” Gordon said, “Gaxnox, you rated to run guns on a shuttle?”

“all we got is forward facin” he replied “The turret was removed to be upgraded, was supposed to be back tuesday.”

“Right…” Gordon muttered, “Routing power to manuevering thrusters then, this tinkertoy has weaker shields than a B’rel, and a Tu’doj can KILL a B’rel if it can hold angle...say...” Gordon started to grin, “this was a tug model for a while, you still have the tractors installed.”

Glancing at the threat panel Tan had a sly grin “Stand by on those tractors..Gordy. Ever wonder why I was grounded for a month?”

“I was THERE.” Gordon said, “remember? I was your second-seater.” he looked back, “Seatbelts gentlemen, it’s about to get rather turbulent.”



Tu’doj Serial Peacemaker

This wasn’t hard at all. Part of him hated firing on these guys-they were his coworkers, and Gaxnox did pay well. But evidently-he wasn’t as smart as Steve thought he was. Must be flying it himself, straight and level into a combat insertion? Fortunately Stebbins had gotten info that JI had turned before he could hire them. Oh well, lie with dogs,get fleas.

It wasn’t even a fair fight, those runabouts wern’t manuverable and blew up like firecrackers on new years with just a few hits. he dropped down, dead astern behind them, knowing that there wasn’t anything they could do to-

His first response was ‘no freaking way!” as even going over 500kph, the danube spun 180 degrees, flying backwards?? Before he could even break away he was locked in a tractor beam, and his shields were being hammered by the phasers in the nose of the runabout. Steve’s hands tried to bank away, but something held him, before the shields failed and hot charged energy blasts filled the cockpit.



Danube Pretty Dinky

It was, Gaxnox thought, what riding inside one of those rock grinders must feel like as everything shook hard, the runabout not having been designed for those kinds of stresses. He was glad that he had strapped in, even so anything loose had flown about the cockpit during that insane maneuver. as his last XO had said before he retired, ‘if it’s stupid, but it works, it’s not stupid.’

“FLUSHING COOLANT!!” Gordy barked, “Target down...can we reorient now before we run out of freezerjuice?”

She was already bringing the nose back around, the shaking even worse when she rotated vertical for a moment, the inertial dampers in the old runabout not sure for a moment just which way was up..Gaxnox was very glad at that moment he hadn’t had time for his usual breakfast. Finally the dampers and gravplates caught up, and just the view forward was upside down, and not his stomach.

He could look up, and see suburbs, thankfully, they started rolling right as the pilot brought the runabout back to level.

“I’m getting hostile pings.” Gordy said, “Range to insertion point is four kliks…definitely hostile pings! Weapons Lock Warning!!”

“well either we got hit by the fighter or the ground fire” she replied “at least these guys won’t be firing photons at us.” She could see the locks , and the computer helpfully plotted out the sites on her display-which would be helpful if she had torpedoes to throw at them.

“Pushing all emergency power to shields...Tan, we need to lose altitude…”

the shuttle bucked hard as something detonated far, far too close.

“Port Nacelle’s down, compensating.” Gordy said, “We can’t take another hit…”

“Well...we’re losing altitude anyway.” Tan said, straining on the controls, “engine power’s flickering.”

“I can’t fix that here, we need to land.”

“I’m on it” she said, very calm. Just like Vacaville...there “coming in hot , right on the capital grounds-”

the shuttle shuddered again, and the interior lights went out.

“Ladies and gentlemen, crash positions.”

On the ground, the gunner crew’s cheers turned to confusion...as somehow, instead of impacting , the smoking runabout managed to bleed it’s speed, hitting the far end of Faulkner avenue, it bounced and skidded, shedding external parts down the street like a deranged garbage truck, one of the armored “Air Defense” cars took the starboard nacelle (now detached) at sufficient velocity to destroy both vehicle, and nacelle. the resulting explosion was eqiuvalent to 500 pounds of blastex.

The shuttle’s hull bounced again, the nose tipping on a streetlight, it completed a roll by landing, flat, angular momentum spent, between a damaged city bus, and someone’s compact car. It rocked once, and settled.

“nobody could’a survive-” a Flattop named Fulton was about to say-when the rear ramp dropped and a group of armed men tumbled out, firing as they came.

It took the Justice Incorporated mercs about three minutes to secure the west side of the capitol complex, in the process of doing so, they found themselves in possession of two very young children who’d been in the process of being hustled into the rear of an armored personnel car by red-shirts and a single Capitol Police officer.

Gordy squatted down, meeting the taller child’s eyes, “What’s your name?” he asked.

“Gwendolyn MacAulliffe.” the girl said defiantly.

“Well, Gwen, where’s your mum?” He asked.

“She’s in-side.” Gwen told him, “Officer Pates said he was taking us somewhere safe, but then he brought us to the Redshirts.”

“Well, I’m not Officer Pate, I’m Gordon, and I’m going in there to help your mom…” Gordy told her, “can you be really brave?”

“Uh-huh.” Gwendolyn nodded.

“Okay, here’s what I need you to do, I need you and your brother, to Hide, okay? Don’t come out unless you can see your mom, find a good spot...you’re good at hide and seek?”

“yep.” the girl said.

“Great, it’s like a game of hide-and-seek, you need to hide, until your mom comes for you...and take this with you.” He handed her a PADD, “Keep it close...now off with you-hide good.”

he straightened up, and looked at the group of survivors from the snatch team.

“Detta.” he said, “you were there and you’re still with these people?”

“we were under duress.” Detta said.

“Bull****. He gave you live weapons.” Gordon raised his pistol, “I could blow your ****ing brains out you backstabbing TRIBBLE...but I won’t.” He looked at Gaxnox, “You got someone who can hold these pukes under guard?”


“No, but we do” They turned at the new voice, a squad wearing stained and scorched armor, Cold Bute Militia MP insignia on the shoulder. “Nice landing by the way.”

“That was Tan.” Gordy said, “I just ran the engineering board.”

“Hey give me a break-these things fly like a duck with a lead plate tied to their butt with the engines out.” She muttered from where she was covering them from the wreckage.

Gaxnox just laughed as he wiped a bleeding cut on his forehead “Thats why he called it a nice landing-we survived.”

“You know this one?” the trooper asked.

“Detta Walker, formerly 1st Marines...she was in my squad once.”

“Detta Walker, you are bound by law, you have the right to legal representation, you have the right to humane treatment as a Prisoner of the State. Do you understand these rights?” the armored trooper asked.

Detta nodded, “I understand.” she presented her wrists crossed. the NCO took her, and the other three-Tan noted that Joanna wasn’t among them, into custody.

“I need to make a call.” Tan said. “we’re going to need more reinforcements to stop these guys.”

“Well...you’ll have to use the Governor’s panel to do it...which means we need to push these *******s out of our house.”

The counter-attack on the Executive building didn’t take long-the Reds were still tied up at the south barracks by the rest of the 1st Cold Butte Militia, which was receiving support from Justice Incorporated.

As they reached the safe room, comms chatter revealed that the South Barracks was now in enemy hands. “It’ll take them a few minutes to get back here.” the Army Leutenant said, “Longer, since we mined the direct route up Gresham and sixteenth-they’ll have to make their approach by either trying to drive light vees through buildings, or trace a route through alleys and secondary streets.”

the doors hissed open-power was still on in the executive building at this level. “Where are my kids, Leutenant?” Governor MacAulliffe was wearing a torn blue parka, zippers open, and a gray wool suit-jacket underneath, and her hair wasn’t as neatly styled now.

“They’re safe.” the Ell-Tee said, “Hiding out until you’re able to collect ‘em...I’ve got a team of reliable men on it.”

“make sure.”

the check didn’t take long-the Militia had determined it was safer for the kids to hide in the saferoom. Tan carried the younger one, while Gwen didn’t want to let go of Gordy’s hand until she saw her mother, the two kids running to her side.

The Governor dropped down to her knees, holding them both tight, sobbing for a moment with relief. “thank you” she said, standing back up “what of the ones that took them?”

Gaxnox cleared his throat, “They’re in Militia custody Governor-I didn’t have people to watch them myself.”

“Mister Gaxnox! nice of you to drop in, sorry the place is a wreck.”

“I’m not here to lobby.” Gaxnox said, gesturing at Tan, “She hired us to render assistance to you..I may be pro Federation-but a deals a deal, and the majority voted for independence. My employer needs to use your comm panel if that’s alright.”

“We’re going to need more help” Tan explained “and I think my boss can get that for us.”