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A Man Out of (His Own) Time [WARNING: CONTAINS AoY REFERENCES/SPOILERS]
sharpie65
Member Posts: 679 Arc User
This is intended to be a fairly short story using elements and characters that are not currently ingame (hence, spoilers). If anybody would like to pitch in with their own ideas/stories, feel free to do so. 
This is my first attempt at creative writing for some time. I just ask one thing: please do not use any of my characters (M'Kowo, S'Rass, or Logan - plus any others I add at a later date) outside of this thread without first asking here. If anybody would like to offer any feedback relating to this, you are more than welcome to do so.
This is my first attempt at creative writing for some time. I just ask one thing: please do not use any of my characters (M'Kowo, S'Rass, or Logan - plus any others I add at a later date) outside of this thread without first asking here. If anybody would like to offer any feedback relating to this, you are more than welcome to do so.
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Lieutenant Commander Logan Aubrey - or Adam Lonegan, as his new identity stated - forlornly stared at his reflection in the tailor's mirror. Ghemik Telur was a man who respected the privacy of his clients, and made no effort to hurry the temporally-displaced Starfleet officer as he and his crew changed their uniforms.
Logan was, in fact, supposed to be dead along with most of his crew - his previous ship, the Pioneer-class U.S.S. Reed (named for Admiral Archer's former tactical officer) had been destroyed in orbit of Caleb IV by a Klingon squadron - led by Captain Kor of the I.K.S. Klothos - after covering the escape of Admiral Garret's task group. The last words words that his former captain said during the retreat still echoed in his mind: "Thanks for everything, Logan; you won't be forgotten. Give 'em hell, my friend."
Logan's mind then drifted to his fiancée, pregnant with their unborn children..what happened to them, he wondered? Feeling a large hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Earth Spacedock's resident Cardassian smile apologetically.
"Give it time, Lieutenant - the pain never goes, but it does get better. That jacket you asked for is ready..unless I'm mistaken, you wanted the Odyssey variant, right?"
"Y-yes, I'm sorry..I was lost in the past for a moment there. I'll just try it on..a perfect fit, although it's a little different to what I'm used to; my compliments, Mr...?"
"Telur, but please - call me Ghemik, all my other regulars do. Anything else I can help ya with, or will that be all for now?"
"That's all for now, thanks for the service..and the time, I needed that more than anything."
"Sure thing. Now you're lookin' sharp, I think the Admiral wanted to see you - out this door, turn right up the ramp. Take the next right into the rotunda, and you'll find Admiral Quinn's office on your left."
"Many thanks, I've a feeling I'll see you again sometime." With that, Logan left to go speak to the Admiral.
The Office of Admiral Jorel Quinn, ESD - Federation standard year 2410
"Lieutenant Commander..Adam Lonegan? The Admiral will see you now", Quinn's adjutant told him.
It took a few moments for Logan to register she was referring to him - 3 months of temporal readjustment training, and he was still getting used to the new identity his temporal liaison - a man named Daniels, who had actually posed as a newly-assigned security ensign - had assigned him. He could only imagine the confusion his surviving bridge crew felt when they had to use the new consoles and equipment for the first time.
"Thank you, Lieutenant. Adam Lonegan, I'm assigning you and your crew to the Constitution-class training cruiser U.S.S. Melrose. I've a feeling you'll do well in her. Captain M'Kowo, it's good to see you again! I'd like you to meet Adam Lonegan, the young officer before you - he's just received his first command, shortly before you came in. Speaking of which, I've a new ship and assignment for you: the U.S.S. Condor, a Bellerophon-class long-range explorer. "
"Is that so?" purred a tall, dark-furred Caitian in a white medical uniform. "Pleasure to meet you, and congratulations on your new command - perhaps you'd like to join me in Club 47 to celebrate?"
"The pleasure's all mine, sir. I think I'll take you up on that offer of a drink some other time though - I need to see the Dockmaster before I go and check on the S.S. Azura - she hasn't been heard from for more than 20 hours, and I'm told that that's very uncharacteristic of her captain."
"I understand; in the meantime, I'll be waiting on Spacedock for a few days - my mate is due back from assignment somewhere in the far side of the quadrant. I worry for her, but she assures me that the Valhalla can handle it. Did I mention that she also outranks me? Commodore S'Rass can be a pain to argue with...."
TO BE CONTINUED...
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My forum single-issue of rage: Make the Proton Experimental Weapon go for subsystem targetting!
U.S.S. Valhalla, Somewhere in the Agrama Sector
Whilst her mate was yammering on about her to Admiral Quinn and some newly-assigned officer, Commodore S'Rass led her security team through the darkened hallways of her ship - whatever they were looking for, it somehow managed to shut down the warp core and lock the senior staff out of the main computer; however, in doing so, the quarry had shut off all power. Caitians could see no better than most humanoid species in the light, however they more than made up for that with their hearing and superior night-vision.
Due to the vital nature of their objective - capture and contain the threat if possible, kill if necessary - they could not afford any mistakes. As a precaution, all personnel had been ordered to return to their quarters (the Commodore did not want to be filling out any paperwork regarding the death or injury of any of her crew). Because of the the somewhat delicate nature of the situation, the other two ships in S'Rass' task group - the Arbiter-class battlecruiser Pennant and the Hestia-class destroyer Urquhart - had beamed over some of their own MACOs to assist.
S'Rass tapped her combadge "All teams: report. Have we found the intruder yet?"
"Deck 2 - nothin' yet ma'm. We--wait, we have an uniden'ified heat sig comin' from near yer position. Yer orders, Commodore?" drawled the southern American woman on the other end.
"Send Team 7 to assist us - we may need it. Keep all turbolifts and Jefferies tube access points covered. S'Rass out."
"Commodore, why do you think that..creature would take out our power, but not internal sensors?" asked the young Andorian beside her.
"I don't know. Perhaps it enjoys the thrill of the chase? Either that, or it's figured that the system works both ways..." S'Rass trailed off, lost in her line of thought. That's it! No wonder the creature had managed to find them - if it had some way of seeing the locations of the security teams, it could evade each and every one of them before picking it's next target.
U.S.S. Argent Thunder, Flagship of Captain George Aubrey - Position Unknown
"...and now you're telling me that that green-skinned pirate, Jeron, and his crew, managed to escape because you thought your engineering team would be better served fixing the holodeck for your hoverball tournament rather than the forcefield emitters in the brig?! Add that to the fact they stole our entire supply of starboard power couplings, twenty-four antimatter injectors, our only dilithium crystal matrix, and six assault packages? And to top it off they managed to get back to their ship! You'll be lucky if Captain Aubrey doesn't court martial you and your team himself when - or even IF - we get back to Alliance space!"
The engineer gulped nervously, brow shiny with sweat, choosing her words carefully before engaging with the ship's XO.
"I'm terribly sorry, Commander..it won't happen again ma'am..." she mumbled.
"I didn't quite hear you, chief petty officer Morales! And I don't think the captain or the Chief Engineer heard you either! Stand up straight, eyes front and head up!"
"It won't happen again, ma'am!"
"Too right it won't - you're dismissed, unless your department head and the CO have anything to say?"
"Nothing from me, Commander..Chief, what about you?"
"Only that I'll be taking note of the crewman's mistake - and revoking holodeck and movie night privileges for all engineering teams for two months, effective immediately. For the careless team and leader, shore leave is also suspended. As department head, I'll also be subject to that ban as per my own rules. That's all, sir and ma'am. Morales, you're dismissed."
The pale-furred chief engineer and his engineer turned towards the turbolift, calling for "Deck 17, Main Engineering". The captain and first officer made their way to the next turboshaft on the corridor.
"Deck 12, Mess Hall", instructed the captain. He looked at his first officer, concern shadowing his face. "That's the fourth time today I've heard an outburst like that, and they've all been from you, Cas - that first one was something as trivial as your Maze Runner holoprogram going awry. Is there anything you want to tell me - anything you NEED to tell me?"
"Sorry, George. I've been a little..edgy..lately. I'm not sleeping too well either, and nothing H'Rirre has seems to help. Short of Vulcan meditation and shore leave, I don't know what will help..." George could see despair on his friend's face, and became overwhelmed with the urge to embrace her gently - which to both of their surprise, he did. It only lasted a few moments, but it felt like an eternity - by the time the turbolift stopped, he felt her 5'10" frame shudder with quiet sobs. Anybody looking to enter gave them both plenty of space; it took the bartender to usher them out of the lift and into a quiet corner of the mess hall, and a further 20 minutes of waiting from the enlists, before anybody else dared to enter (lest they incur the wrath of Commander Cassie Colclough).
At approximately the same time as the two officers were guided into their seat, the second officer gave the order to give them their privacy - the Iconian War and prior conflicts with the Klingons and Borg had taken their toll on all of them; the normally cheery and chatty captain was left dumbfounded when he saw his normally-stoic XO fall apart like she was...nothing. The bartender - an El-Aurian by the name of Rulian Mazan - kept watch over the pair, all through the night.
U.S.S. Valhalla, Agrama Sector
"Security Team 1, activate your stealth modules. Team 7, do the same - bring your ambush field generators. We'll meet up at Intersection 3-Juliet, and spring the trap there. Maintain radio silence, S'Rass out."
After waiting for what felt like hours, the unknown entity finally appeared - a group of Romulan..children?! Armed with disruptor pistols, rifles, and even grenades of apparently-Tal Shiar origin, the two security teams kept their weapons set on kill. The first shot ended up being fired by the Valhalla's shrouded Jem'Hadar contingent. A second entity appeared, this time revealing it's true appearance of an Undine Psi-Lord - all three teams fired in tandem, defeating the creature as quickly as it appeared.
The gruff voice of a Tellarite male sounded over the comm "Engineering to Commodore S'Rass."
"Go ahead, Lieutenant Commander."
"I've discovered the source of our power failure - an Iconian probe. Nothing too serious though, I can get our systems back up and running within 20 minutes. It'll take more time to purge the computer core though. If you want, I can contact one of your friends from the Academy..wasn't her name Tern..Tarn, or something like that? Cute Trill, pale skin, dark hair?"
"Tairn, and yes - she's a little more careful and experienced in dealing with computer core purges than yourself, Tol..isn't your idea of a "core purge and restoration from archives" taking a big hammer to it, and then putting it back together anyway?"
"Something like that, S'Ra..after all, it's not as if you haven't just wrought havoc on the corridors of my pride and joy in an attempt to stop our ship from going down in flames..I can see the headline now: 'Starfleet Commodore Breaks Own Ship Breaking Intruders'." Toleg laughed, causing the present security teams to laugh with him.
"Too damn right, Toleg..too damned right!" S'Rass replied with a low growling chuckle, as she could picture her XO's eyes widen in shock and the colour drain from her face at the state of the Valhalla's interior.
TO BE CONTINUED...
The Office of Admiral Jorel Quinn - ESD, Federation standard year..2500?!
It had been nearly 90 Earth-years since Logan Aubrey had stepped into Quinn's office to receive his new command - in all of that time, the Caitian captain had talked his ear off about his mate and their journeys together. Aside from that, he felt pretty good for 260 year-old human with chronic arthritis. The office was thick with dust, and the combination of the dust and cobwebs had jammed each of the doors shut. The skeletonized corpses of the former Spacedock inhabitants were a nice touch as w--
The Office of Admiral Jorel Quinn - ESD, Federation standard year 2410
Logan shook himself out of his boredom-induced trance. "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt you, Captain, but I must be going. The S.S. Azurais missing, and I believe my ship is desperately needed to assist with the search and rescue effort."
"Of course, Lieutenant. I too need be on my way, the former Romulan Neutral Zone won't patrol itself..and Admiral T'Nae is a stickler for schedules and timekeeping. If you ever find yourself in that area of space, don't hesitate to stop by Starbase-39 - the bar is very good, not as good as Club 47's, but it still beats that synthetic crud from the replicator!" replied M'Kowo with a grin.
"Err..I'll..keep that in..mind?" Logan said, as he threw a salute in the direction of the Admiral. 140 years may have passed, but the Starfleet he came from still paid compliments to senior officers - and he insisted that his own crew did the same.
Once more, his mind drifted to that of his long-deceased fiancée, and his possible decendants..
"Lonegan to Melrose. I want all possible data on the family of Logan Aubrey - have it ready by the time I return..I'm off to drown my sorrows in Club 47."
"Tarsi here..understood, sir. Do you want me to have a medical team standing by for when you return?"
"Yes, have a security team standing by as well..I may get rather violent on my return. Remember that data, Chief."
"Yes, sir. I'll have it ready on your return. Tarsi out," the young Andorian replied.
**One hour and two empty bottles each of Aldebaran whisky and Saurian brandy later, an inebriated Logan was guided to the transporter pad by station security, where Tarsi and the pre-requested teams were waiting.**
"I hope it was worth it, boss," muttered Tarsi through a forced smile, after accepting him from the three bewildered security ensigns - one Betazoid, and two Saurians. "I'll give you that data you asked for when you're back on your feet."
Turning to the medics, she asked "How long will it take to '"dry him out", so to speak?"
The Vulcan, a medical officer who joined the Reed's crew after 'that incident' at Deep Space K-13, replied - in a typical manner for Vulcans who complete their Kolinahr training - "There is a 68.43% chance that the captain will be unable to perform his duties for the next 44 hours. As Chief Medical Officer, I strongly advise that we become acquainted with the station and it's amenities during that time."
"Understood. Ensign Tarsi to U.S.S. Melrose, five to beam up - myself and Doctor T'met are going to have a look around Spacedock. We may be a couple of days."
"Acknowledged Chief, I'm guessing the captain is less than "OK" after speaking to his good friends?"
"You got tha--" Tarsi began, briefly being interrupted by Logan's vomiting over her. "..thanks, sir. As you probably guessed, Mr. Warren, he needs a full system cleanse when we get back...ugh, I need to change..."
U.S.S. Argent Thunder, Flagship of Captain George Aubrey - Vesper star system, Pheben Sector (Klingon Imperial Space)
Rulian Mazan, having kept watch over Captain Aubrey and his First Officer throughout the night, had decided to make them both breakfast as soon as the Vesper star stretched her warm fingers over the planet below. Despite the engineering debacle the evening before, Cassie was much calmer after a favourable breakfast of poached Taspar egg and avocados, mint raktajino, and a croissant; George had a Traditional Full English breakfast, with fresh-squeezed orange juice.
"Sir, I'm sorry about last night..ever since that incident three months ago, things just haven't been the same. I'm thinking of leaving Starfleet for a few months, just to get my head sorted - I'm just --I need to know what you think I should do."
"What I think?" He swallowed and wiped his mouth, before continuing. "I think you should stay, Cas - thanks to that fracas last night, Chief M'Zawo is running himself - and his teams - ragged in an effort to get this ship back up and running; I've just got word that one of the U.S.S. Eagle's Callisto frigates performed a joint operation with our Aquarius craft to retrieve the stolen gear, as well as return Jeron and his crew to Starfleet custody. Our friend in the KDF, General Aranor, and her acquaintances Commander C'Rasu and the privateer Firetec proved vital in finding them - thanks to the intelligence they provided, the Argent Sceptre brought us our dilithium matrix back, and the principal engineering team reintegrated it a few minutes ago."
"That's good to hear sir, bu-" Cassie was interrupted by the starship going to red alert, and the subsequent call for senior staff to go to the bridge.
"That's our cue. I know you've still got your reservations, but I give you my word, when this is dealt with I'm ordering everybody to Risa for the next 6 weeks - that includes the engineering teams..and yourself, before you get any ideas about gallivanting around the known galaxy in *my* ship," smirked George.
The pair entered the turbolift opposite the mess hall, each giving the El-Aurian bartender nod of thanks before rapidly ascending the remaining 11 decks to the bridge.
"Captain on the bridge!"
"As you were, status report."
"We have multiple reports of casualties across all decks, sir. Nothing serious for the time being, but we were hit by a volley of torpedoes and cannonfire - it appears to be a Klingon ship, bearing the markings of House..Torg."
"House Torg?! They were dishonoured and removed from the High Council after trying to kill both Ambassador Worf and and Chancellor J'mpok - frankly I'm not surprised that they've opened fire," Cassie's sister, and the Argent Thunder's Ops Chief, Willow bitterly said.
"Sound battle stations, I don't think they're interested in talking; contact sickbay, tell the good doctor to stand by for casualties. Arat'iklan, standby your teams - if they try to board us, I want them gone the moment they land. Mr. Amikk, evasive manoeuvres, Pattern Aubrey-8."
The Saurian helmsman, having recently completed his advanced pilot training, relished any opportunity he could get to send the Yorktown-class behemoth into a dance that would give even the most nimble ships a run for their money. "Aye-aye, skipper. Everybody hold on, things are gonna get bumpy!"
"More renegade Klingons de-cloaking - sire, they're targeting our starboard nacelle; recommend we standby the emergency systems!"
"Tactical: Attack Pattern Delta-Phi, fire all phasers at will. Cassie - neutronic torpedoes, full spread; get somebody down in the armoury as well. Engineer Mipau; power to weapons, see if you can't do something about those shields while you're at it."
The bridge was rocked by another volley, with several engineering consoles shorting out.
"Engine room to bridge: sir, we just lost shields in the aft dorsal quadrant. The Klingon flagship is sending boarding parties, recomm--". Chief M'Zawo was cut off before he could deliver his recommendation.
"Either that last hit took out our internal comms, or the Klingons are already aboard. Security teams, defend all access points to and from from the bridge, sickbay, and main engineering. Guard other critical systems and areas as you go. Lieutenant, send a distress call to any allied ships in range. Torg sure as hell is determined to destroy us today!"
The R.R.W. Tabodus, Current Command Vessel of Subadmiral Sal'is Arrai - Gamma Eridon system
The Romulan subadmiral was sleeping in her quarters on the Shamshir-class dreadnought warbird - despite the relative comfort, she was soon awoken by the nightmares that had plagued her since her ever-loyal crew had rescued her from Hakeev and the Tal Shiar.
"Subadmiral - sorry to wake you, but-- ah, you're already awake..I'm guessing it's the nightmares again?"
"Yes, Subcommander Khev. What was it you wanted me for?"
"We've received a distress call, from the U.S.S. Argent Thunder - they're under attack by some of the Klingon Torg's ships in the Vesper system, and we're the closest ship in range."
"Understood. Notify main engineering to get under way, maximum slipstream - I'll join you on the bridge as soon as I'm able."
Sal'is turned the lights on, before moving to the washroom. She ran water into the sink, and quickly washed before getting her Republic uniform on - despite the trials of Fire over the 18 Earth-months since she joined Proconsul D'Tan's cause, Sal'is knew her place was by her leader's side. After all, the purpose of Fire was to temper the body and soul; if that included suffering at the hands of that monster Hakeev, then that suffering would make her stronger for the next time they faced each other.
A few moments later, she walked with her Starfleet liaison, chief science officer Commander Ilana Eadie, to the bridge.
"..so, have we had anything else from Captain Aubrey, or his crew?"
"Nothing yet, ma'am. I'll keep trying to reach them on the comm, but their communications array might be damaged."
"Understood. Tell Lieutenant Rotka to prepare sickbay for casualties - bridge - and tell Subcommander Karina that I want all the intelligence reports we have on Torg - his House strength, how many ships are loyal to him, everything we have on him."
Concern flickered briefly over the subadmiral's face - concern over the fate of the man who both petitioned and sponsored her allying with the Federation, back when they were at war with the Klingons. D'Tan had wanted to remain as neutral as possible after Khitomer, however they still needed allies to help rebuild the new Romulan - and Reman - homeworld on Dewa III.
TO BE CONTINUED...