Tigershark Mission: Beyond The Call Of Duty

[Deleted]

Luke watched as the Senior Staff filed out, greeted by two Security Officers at the door. T'Brel looked less than impressed by that detail however J'Leera had a bland look on her face. Luke could tell she was trying to process all that had happened.

In fairness so was he.

"Of all the stupid, idiotic, senseless, obtuse... I'm running out of adjectives here... I expect crazy stunts like this from me, but not from you. Why?" KezTrek asked.

Luke stared at his CO... Something was different between them. Luke could almost feel resentment towards her. He knew that she had nothing to do with the Tiger Shark theft... And he knew that she had been away on personal business... Yet he felt angered that she could ask questions of him in such a manner, he had acted as she would. Perhaps that was it... He was involved and had led the potentially lethal mission and she hadn't...

"Well?" She snapped.

Luke turned his head away, a frown on his head. "You weren't there." He said simply.

"Excuse me?" KezTrek replied.

He turned back to face her, this time he hid no emotion. His eyes burned with all that he had kept pent up over the last few dreadful days.

"What I did." He said, making sure to emphasise every single syllable with venom. "May not have been the best course of action but I saw it as essential."

"Why Luke, I want to why?" She asked almost pleading.

"I don't know." He replied, staring at KezTrek, his eyes now cold.

"That isn't good enough Commander!" KezTrek yelled. "You stole a Defiant Class Escort, destroying half of Bellicose's Secondary Hanger and shorting out the power for over a day. You then proceeded to blow up said Starship and steal a Shuttle from the Shuttlebay, taking several serving crewmembers hostage. You allowed Mr. Fitzpatrick to fall into a critical condition. You failed to hand yourself into the proper authorities and continued to make your way to the Tiger Shark's present location with no thought to the safety of your crew or what the results of your actions may be. You have acted disgracefully Commander."

Luke exploded, the rage ripped through his mouth and his body gestures like a Tornado through a field of corn.

"HOW DARE YOU!" He screamed. "I HAVE THOUGHT OF NOTHING BUT THE SAFETY OF OUR CREW SINCE WE LEFT BELLICOSE, HELL, EVEN BEFORE WE LEFT, WHEN WE ALL ORIGINALLY AGREE ON WHAT TO DO! I KNOW MY ACTIONS HAVE NOT BEEN TO STANDARD BUT HANDLING THIS SITUATION THE WAY COMMAND WOULD HAVE WANTED IS NOT THE BEST OPTION, YOU AND I BOTH KNOW THAT!" He stopped, panting slightly.

KezTrek looked mildly stunned at Luke's outburst but she soon controlled herself. "What do you mean by all this Luke?" She asked quietly.

"You haven't seen the transmission have you?" Luke asked.

She shook her head, confusion apparant.

Luke opened his mouth to speak but was interupted by sirens.

=^= RA KezTrek to the Bridge =^=

KezTrek responded and turned to Luke. "This isn't over." She said. "You will be escorted to your secure quarters."

"The hell I will." Luke snapped back. "I'm betting that those sirens are telling us that the Tiger Shark is breaking off to attack. Whoever is over there has had enough of waiting and so have I."

KezTrek started to respond but Luke cut her off. "I'm seeing this through."

[KezTrek]

"I'm seeing this through."

"You do anything to endanger this ship or the people on it, I will personally see you spend the next thirty years in a very small space," KezTrek warned her eyes dark with anger.

She was at once angry and scared. Not scared for herself, she'd seen so much very little scared her anymore, but for Luke. He was out of control she could *feel* it, she should keep him confined, force him to take a good look at what he was doing, but she didn't.

The bridge was dim, backlit in the red glow of the alert lights. Rosticovich stood up from his chair. "The Tigershark is approaching."

"Let her get closer, Kurn..." KezTrek paused and turned to the Klingon who had arrived on the bridge just after her, giving him a slight nod. "Hail them." KezTrek added.

"The Tigershark is replying."

KezTrek moved to the centre of the bridge. "On screen."

It took everything for KezTrek not to show the shock she was feeling when the screen flickered to life. The face was older, battle scared and the eyes tired, but there was no doubt who it was. Luke.

"Hello Admiral," Luke said.

"Commander..." KezTrek said, looking him squarely in the eyes.

[lex]

Lex paced the Bridge nervously. He had waited for this moment for so many years, ever since the day he realised that the future was all wrong.

"The Tiger Shark is hailing us Lex." Thir reported.

Lex strode over to the centre of the Bridge and brushed the long, magled hair away from his eyes.

"On screen." He ordered. The shock that greeted them was apparant. The Bridge of the Sekhmet was stunned into silence, the only sign of life the blinking flashes of the Red Alert.

"Hello Admiral." Lex said simply.

KezTrek stared at him squarely and responded. =^= Commander... =^=

Lex shook his head. "No..." He replied. That person you knew, or know should I say, is no more. I am Captain in Protectorate Lex Drago of the Starfleet Resistance Core and I require an audience with your FO."

Luke's ears picked up at this point and jumped in front of KezTrek. =^= What do you want of me? =^= He asked.

"Merely your time and a promise that you will listen, but I can guarantee you will. I mean, it's not every day you see your face staring at you from something other than a mirror now is it?"

Luke stared at Lex, it was an odd sensation for Drago. Staring into your own eyes... although not quite your own... a lot younger.

=^= I need to speak to my FO =^= KezTrek said.

"We have very little time Admiral. If I do not speak to Dowding in half an hour then I will have to resort to my Plan B, and trust me that does not go well for any of us."

The comm was cut rather abruptly and Lex slumped into the centre chair. He was tired... oh so very tired, he needed rest but he had to complete this final mission. Years had led to this.

"The Sekhmet is requesting a comms link again." Thir said.

"On screen." Lex replied, standing to his feet.

=^= Stand by to beam me over =^= Was all Luke said before the comm was cut once more.

"Lower sheilds and transport our guest to the Ready Room."

"Sir..."

"They won't attack whilst Luke is in transport, raise sheilds immediately after he is onboard." He retorted. With that he left the Bridge and entered KezTrek's Ready Room. Luke was standing there, staring at Lex who promptly stared back.

"Who the hell are you?!" Luke exclaimed.

[Deleted]

"Setting course for the Tiger Shark." Kirk said as Thirteen was working hard on the sensor glitch.

It was going to be a tough job getting on board the Tiger Shark, especially in a shuttle that isn't supposed to have anybody on it. Kirk feared that the shuttle might be destroyed instead of allowed to get close enough for the two former Borg drones to latch onto the hull like a leech.

"Sensors ready." Thirteen replied.

"Alright, course engaged. One half impulse power." Kirk announced.

The lights went dim as the shuttle began to move. With any luck the ships, would have picked up that the shuttle had an unexpected explosion on board and various space debris was now being thrown around.

"We should arrive to the Tiger Shark in a matter of minutes." Thirteen reported.

"We both know the shields frequency for the Tiger Shark, all we need to do is match it with the shields on the shuttle and we should sail through unnoticed." Kirk said.

The shuttle continued to drift close to the Tiger Shark, the main view screen in the shuttle showed the shuttle getting closer to the ships nacelles. It was getting close to do or die time.

"The Tiger Shark's shields are being lowered." Thirteen reported.

There was no better time than now to make their move, "Lower the shields and we shall beam directly into engineering." Kirk said.

"Agreed." Thirteen replied.

In a matter of seconds the shuttles shields went down and Thirteen and Kirk had used the very last of the shuttles power to beam themselves to a remote section of the Tiger Shark. Looking around Kirk didn't spot anybody.

"Alright, we're in." Kirk said to himself.

Sorry guys for not posting sooner, I sort of got lost with where this story was heading. I think I am back on track now.

[Deleted]

"Surely you aren't that ignorant Commander." The man replied. "I already told you who I am."

Luke swore loudly. "Not your name, I want to know who you are! I mean you look like me, but then you don't! How can you possibly be me?!" Luke slumped into one of the chairs in the Ready Room and ran his hands through his hair. "Who are you?" He repeated.

"My name is Lex Drago... or Luke Dowding a long time ago..." He glared at Luke who looked like he was going to interupt. "If you want me to explain all this to you then you are going to have to shut up. We have very little time and I have a lot to tell you."

Luke frowned but nodded in silent consent.

"Right... In under a days time a Romulan Envoy will request a Starfleet escort to the Vulcan System. If I had not arrived and stolen the Tiger Shark then she would have been dispatched to do so."

"How do you know this?!" Luke cried out.

"Commander, if you do not keep your mouth shut I will throw you into the Brig and open fire on the Sekhmet. Whether this ship gets destroyed or not is of no consequence although I would rather prefer it didn't..."

Luke glared at Lex but remained silent. Lex nodded his appreciation and continued.

"Right... The Romulan Envoy is actually an attempt on destroying the Vulcan homeworld... in fact the Vulcan system. Thus destabalising the Federation as a whole..."
Luke looked as if he was about to interupt but he stopped himself.
"The Tiger Shark, carrying an old SFI agent would be blamed for the whole situation, extremists claming that it was an SFI-Romulan plot to remove the Vulcans and make way for the more, shall we say, "battle-ready" Romulans.
KezTrek is relieved of her Command and the whole Tiger Shark crew is reprimanded, of course there are people that would not be happy with this punishment and so protests are filed etc but nothing seems to come from it. You receive Acting Command of the Tiger Shark and the you will be dispatched to intercept what appears to be a number of Breen vessels moving in the direction of Sector 001. Starfleet assumes they became aware of the political instability and so decide to take advantage of the situation. The Breen vessels are destroyed but not without severe losses to out Fleets.
You are then transferred to Squadron 001 - Fighter Protection Unit and change your name, you tell people that it is a sign that the old is gone. J'Leera Laika, or Jaris Lisha, was promoted to Captain of the Tiger Shark, two years later the Tiger Shark C under the Command of Lisha is also destroyed, the last ship to come out of the dockyards before they close due to lack of resources.
Later that same year, you and Lisha are reassigned to resolve border disputes around the Klingon Empire who seal their borders. This mission lasts for two years and is a complete failure, the combined Breen-Romulan forces storm the Empire and she crumbles. Klingon, Vulcan and Andoiran refugees flee to Sector 001 where all remaining Starfleet vessels and Fighter Squadrons have been pulled back to. You are assigned to lead the Lunar Defence.
Approximately two years after this the old Senior staff of the Tiger Shark abandon their posts at the Battle of Sol. The Peacekeepers are hence formed, a miliant group, a breakaway from Starfleet that is slowing crumbling." Lex stopped and took a deep breath, tears in his eyes.

"There's more isn't there." Luke said.

Lex nodded. "We fought on for ten more years, I watched everyone I love get injured or die, I saw the Federation collapse around our feet and yet we kept on going. A year after the murder of KezTrek we began our search for a myth, our only hope rested on a spacial anamoly, one that could send us back to before all of this happened."

Luke opened his mouth and then closed it, then he opened it again, ready to speak this time. "You found it, that's where we are now. Sinti, is the subspace anamoly."

"Indeed." Lex replied simply.

"So... you're me..." Luke said, it all finally sinking in.

He nodded. "Yes, this is what you become in 20years time. A scarred wreck that has been fighting a lost war for over 15years. This is why I have come back, no one deserves to go through what we did. By stealing the Tiger Shark we assured the fact that the Romulans would not be escorted by an old SFI operant and so, even if Vulcan were to be destroyed the blame would fall souly on the Romulans. However, I believe by us coming back then we may have avoided this whole terrible mess completely."

Luke looked at Lex hard, that was what he had become because of the duty he had to the uniform. What Lex had shown was well beyond the call of that duty. What all those in the future had done was well beyond the call.

"Are they here?" Luke asked.

"You mean the other Senior staff?" Lex replied.

Luke nodded.

"Yes, they're on the Bridge, it has not been easy for us to be back on a Ship that bares so many memories, good and bad, for us all.

"May I see them?" Luke asked.

"I do not think that is best, do you? The timeline is already polluted enough. I will transport you back to the Sekhmet and we will set the Tiger Shark to auto-destruct, flying her into Sinti, allowing the subspace anamoly to be destroyed and thus setting the timeline straight."

Luke rose to his feet sharply. "No." He said.

"Excuse me?"

"I have to go." Luke said. "I now know why I've been drawn to this place over the past few days. It's not just to rescue a stolen ship, it's to complete the destiny that has been laid out for me. If the future really is as bad as you say it is then they need young help, young fit help, which I am afraid to say you are not."

"By us being here the future has changed!" Lex said.

"You can't know that for sure."

"So you are willing to end your life on a possible hunch?!" Lex exclaimed.

"I am willing to end my life for the sake of exploration, which is after all what I signed up for."

"This is absurd!"

"But it makes sense, you know it does. You know that your place is here now, you've made such a difference in the future but it is the here and now that needs you, just like it is the future that needs me. We both know this, I can feel it."

"KezTrek will not let this go ahead on a feeling!!" Lex yelled.

"She has no choice." Luke replied simply. "I will contact the Sekhmet and get KezTrek and the Senior Staff over here." He paused. "This is going to take a lot of work."

<TAG All>

[Deleted]

Thirteen had left Kirk to scout around the ship alone. Thirteen mentioned it had been because at that moment they neither had weapons or all that much personal power for hand to hand combat, and it would have been best to lurk through the shadows instead of getting into combat. Kirk couldn't agree more.

Working one of the side wall console's Kirk found the amount of life signs on the ship were only enough to run the bridge, the rest of the ship was empty. Kirk let out a loud sign of relief knowing this would make the job of getting to the bridge much easier. The computer beeped one last time letting Kirk know that a scan had been completed to identify the life signs on the bridge.

"How can that be?" Kirk said to himself, shocked at the information that sat before his very eyes.

[T'Brel Peers]

T'Brel's level of comfort was the lowest it had ever been. He was being treated as a traitor and he didn't like that at all. His parents were Ambassadors to the Federation and this could only bring shame to his name and honor. It was a very Klingon way to see things, but right now his Vulcan and Trill sides were not giving him anything to work with.

The security officer's were eying him with distrust and it took all of his control to stop himself from trusting his hand and ripping out their throats.

"Get in." the security guard said as he pushed T'Brel inside the crew quarters. T'Brel immediately turned around to face him, his anger to much to hold back. Without even thinking he took hold of the man's arm and invaded the man's mind. He cringed in pain and fell to the floor. The only thing that saved him was the fact that J'Leera had stopped T'Brel from going any further.

"Lt., Lt. Peers, T'Brel!" J'Leera screamed making him stop," Lt. control yourself!."

T'Brel stopped, horrified that he had let out his demons on another person. His mind was racing with the thoughts of his host, his own, and the security officers. J'Leera made her way to help the security officer, but he refused her help.

"I'm just glad to know that you will be spending the rest of your lives in the stockade," the security officer said as he left. T'Brel could feels J'Leera's eyes on him and it made him want to hide even more. They had been serving together for a while now, but they didn't know each other very well. The only thing that they held in common was the fact that they still had in their possession the two rings.

It was not regulations to wear jewelry so T'Brel didn't, he kept the ring safe in his quarters.

"Commander I would like to apologize for my outburst," T'Brel said finally looking at J'Leera for the first time," I just...."

"T'Brel, there is no need to call me Commander, as we know it we've already lost our commissions," J'Leera said," it's J'Leera."

"J...J'Leera what are we going to do?" T'Brel asked.

"I know Luke, he has betrayed us all, but he will find a way out of this," J'Leera said sitting down on the plain chair next to her. T'Brel looked at her and read her body language. She was also tired, she had gone threw the same experience as them and somehow T'Brel had forgotten that.

"J'Leera I would like to apologize, I have been treating this as it has only affected me, but it has affected all of us," T'Brel said knowing that after KezTrek, J'Leera was Luke's closest confidant.

"T'Brel it does not matter now," J'Leera said," all we have to do is wait for the Admiral and for Luke to convince her of what he knows."

"I suppose....." T'Brel started to say, but stopped when he felt the presence of other minds approaching.

"We have company."

A few seconds later four security officer entered the room and told them to stand up.

"Why, where are we going?" J'Leera asked going immediately into a defensive mode.

"Admiral KezTrek needs you on the bridge immediately," the security officer said as he ushered both of them out of the room and into the corridor.

The trip was quick and were not met with any prying eyes of Sekhmet crew members. They quickly made their way towards the bridge and they were full of questions not seeing Luke anywhere.

"Commander Laika, Lt. Peers you will go with me to the Tigershark, Commander Dowding tells me that our presence is required on the ship," KezTrek said.

"For what reason, Admiral?" T'Brel asked.

"That is what we are going to go find out," KezTrek said as she motioned for the operations officer to transport them to the Tigershark. The transporter did its job and the three of them found themselves on the Tigershark. Jonathan, Luke, and Thirteen were already there, which surprised T'Brel. Some words were said to Admiral KezTrek and J'Leera, which T'Brel paid no attention to as he walked up to his friend.

"Who are they, Jonathan?" T'Brel asked.

"Luke tells me your angry T'Brel," a familiar voice said," I should of known."

"Who are you?" T'Brel asked looking into the shadow and darkness of the ship.

"I'm your mentor and friend," the voice said as he came into the light.

What T'Brel saw couldn't of been real because he what he saw the body of Luke Dowding, he was aged and scarred but T'Brel knew that, whoever had just spoken to him was Luke Dowding.

<Tag everyone>

[Deleted]

The information Kirk saw before his very own eyes did not seem to make any sense to him. There were two identical life signs on the bridge, both belonging to Commander Dowding. How can that be possible, Kirk thought to himself. It did not really matter, Kirk still had a job to do and this new development would not stop him from trying to take the Tiger Shark back.

Walking quickly Kirk made his way to the nearest turbo lift. He felt odd sneaking around the ship, everything was familiar, it was home, but at this moment Kirk viewed she ship as hostile. Every turn could put him in a dangerous situation, so he proceeded with caution.

"Lt. Commander Kirk, would you please report to the bridge." Kirk heard over the COM system just as he approached the turbo lift doors.

The voice sounded familiar, it sounded like Luke but darker. His first initial reaction was shock, how could Luke have told them he and Thirteen had infiltrated the Tiger Shark to capture it. Luke had been acting rather strange recently, he had lied and betrayed the trust of the senior staff of the Tiger Shark, this new situation almost fit the circumstances perfectly.

"There is no use in hiding Jonathan, the rest of the crew is on it's way back and we have you on the internal sensors now." The voice continued, "Just step inside that turbo lift and make you way up here."

Kirk cursed at himself for not removing his COM badge while in the shuttle. Taking another step closer the door hissed open to reveal an open turbo lift. Stepping inside Kirk gave the order for the lift to head up to the bridge.

As the turbo lift opened in the back of the bridge Kirk was faced with a situation he was not expecting. In almost the same instant both Dowdings turned to face the opening of the turbo lift as if they were mirror images of each other.

"It's good to see you again Jonathan. it's been a long time." The older Dowding said.

"Commander," Kirk said looking around the bridge as he stepped off the turbo lift, "What the hell is going on?"

<Tag Commander Dowding>

[Deleted]

Luke and Lex now stood side by side, arms folded in exactly the same manor, eyes securely fixed on the confused looking faces of the present Tiger Shark crew. Twins from another time.

Luke had purposefully ignored the question from Kirk and the questionning glances of the others.

"Invite them in." He said.

Lex tapped his comm badge once and the doors to the Ready Room hissed open. J'Leera gasped and the others tore their eyes away from Lex and Luke for a moment to see who else had arrived.

"J'Leera, T'Brel, Jonathan, Thirteen. Meet Jaris, Tring, Jung and Thir."

"They're..." J'Leera started.

"You..." Finished Luke.

KezTrek spun round, appearing to gather he wits. "Would someone please explain to me what is going on here?! NOW!"

Lex smiled. "It is so good to hear that bark again Admiral. And if all goes well I will be hearing it all whole lot more."

Luke frowned. "I need to have a private conversation with my CO. Can I trust you not to say anything?" Luke asked.

"Can you trust yourself?" Lex replied.

"Sometimes I'm not sure." Luke muttered quietly before leading KezTrek to the Ready Room, leaving behind the confused crew of the present day Tiger Shark and forlorn looking crew of the future. He wondered what on earth they would talk about.

<TAG KezTrek>

[T'Brel Peers]

"J'Leera, T'Brel, Jonathan, Thirteen. Meet Jaris, Tring, Jung and Thir."

"They're..." J'Leera started.

"You..." Finished Luke.

T'Brel just stood there speechless. He was looking at himself and he didn't know how to react.

"How is this possible, how is....?" T'Brel asked out to everyone, but he was stopped as he felt a familiar, but foreign presence in his mind.

~T'Brel calm down, you will need to learn how to control your emotions more~ T'Ring said in his mind. T'Brel immediately turned his attention to the Vulcan/Trill in front of him. He was exactly the same, nothing had changed except for a scar on his neck. His Vulcan side had kept him younger longer.

~I look good don't I, if you didn't know any better I could pass for you~ T'Ring said laughing.

"No you couldn't," T'Brel said out loud which caused people to turn and see what he was talking about. T'Brel just ignored them and walked up closer to T'Ring.

"What is your father's name?" T'Brel asked.

"T'Reed of Vulcan fore child of T'Pol of Vulcan," T'Ring said.

"Who is my best friend?" T'Brel asked.

"On the Tigershark, Jonathan," T'Ring said," look if you want I will just show you."

Show me, T'Brel thought. It dawned on him what he must be thinking. By now everyone was talking to their counterparts, it just couldn't be helped. Curiosity was just to strong to overcome in this case.

"Okay, but I have to have control enough to stop it," T'Brel said as he got closer to T'Ring. T'Ring acknowledged this and proceeded.

"My mind to your mind, my thoughts to yours, our thoughts are now intertwined, we are one," T'Ring said as he firmly placed his hands on T'Brel's face. T'Brel had only experienced a mind meld once before and it was not a very pleasant experience, but this time it seemed more peaceful and easier.

T'Brel almost immediately started to see flashes of light and then of people. T'Brel knew that he was seeing T'Ring's life.

T'Brel saw flashes of a Vulcan marriage ceremony, births, promotion, death, destruction, war. There were so many images, yet T'Brel understood them all. He understood the life that T'Ring had and he understood the importance of this mission.

"Stop, there is no need to go one further," T'Brel said, but T'Ring didn't stop, he would show T'Brel one more thing.

~I slowed this image so that you can really understand why we are doing this~ T'Ring said.

~You see them there, the four kids and that adult~ T'Ring said pointing at the group. ~That was....~

~That was your family~ T'Brel said already knowing.

~They all died, they died in this idiotic war~T'Ring said,~they died on my ship T'Brel, I couldn't save them.~

T'Brel felt as though the air was immediately knocked out of him as he realized that the meld had ended. Keztrek and Luke had reentered the bridge and were ready to speak. Luckily for T'Brel he was not facing anyone while he was performing the meld, so no one could see him wipe the tears away from his eyes and face.

<Tag Everyone>

[Deleted]

Luke stared at KezTrek hard in the face.

"I don't suppose you are too comfortable with things at the moment." Luke said.

KezTrek snorted. "Comfortable? Comfortable is sitting in my quarters with a pot of coffee and a good book. This is far from that Luke."

"I see there is little I could say to help relieve that discomfort."

"Do you have a pot of coffee or a good book?" She asked a little flippantly.

Luke shook his head.

"Then no, there isn't." She paused. "What I don't understand Luke is how you seem to be relatively calm about this. The man I sent over here just under an hour ago is not the same man that stands before me now. You seem..."

"At peace?" Luke said questionningly.

"Not the word I would've used, but yes. Strangely 'peaceful' with the whole situation." She paused. "I mean to say, that's you out there."

Luke nodded. "Which is why I hope this is going to be slightly easier for you to accept."

"Oh this is going to be interesting." KezTrek said, sitting down stiffly in the chair behind her desk.

Luke took a deep breath. He decided honesty was the best policy. "I'm going to replace my future counterpart in the future... as it were..." He frowned at himself, well put as always...

KezTrek laughed mockingly and then stopped suddenly. "You cannot be serious Commander. Apart from it being plain stupid it's against all the laws in the book, not that you appear to have any concern for that said book." She rose to her feet. "But then of course you're serious." She added, glaring.

"More so than I have been about anything before." Luke replied wit gritted determination.

"And what of... what of the other you?"

"He has agreed to it, but he needs to know that you also agree and that he is secured the XO position on the Tiger Shark."

"Impossible!" KezTrek yelled. "I don't even know the man! And even if I agreed Command most definately would not!"

"You could work it, I know you could."

"That's not the point, the point is what you are suggesting is absurd!"

"But you're going to agree with it." Luke said. He continued before she could speak. "I can't explain why I have to do this, but I do. Surely you have enough faith in me to accept that. Surely the years we have worked together is enough?"

<TAG KezTrek>

[Deleted]

Kirk stood looking out across the bridge, the figure looking back at him mirrored his movements almost exactly. It was an odd sensation for Kirk to look at himself in the eyes. It appeared to Kirk that his future self had some external growth of his visible Borg implants.

I remember this day as if it was yesterday, A unknown voice rang out in Kirk's mind.

It took a few moments for Kirk to finally realize that it was the future version of himself speaking to him. The idea that this had happened before sent a cold shiver down Kirk's back. It seemed it was his fate to travel back in time, steal the Tiger Shark with the former crew and travel back in time. It was an idea that broke the most protected directive of Starfleet, the Prime Directive.

No matter how small the change, any temporal change in the time line would effect the universe in unknown ways. Millions of lives could be lost, saved, never born because a particle of dust was misplaced because of a starship that never should have been there. He could not understand what would cause his older self to agree to such an action. Then again, he and the other members of the ship stole a Defiant class starship earlier. Where they already walking the same path as these older versions of their selves with out even knowing it?

I know how confused you are right now. Trust me, this is the only way.

"I do not believe you." Kirk replied out loud.

You are young and full of optimism still, I do not expect you to be able to understand what we have gone through.

Optimism, it was a concept Kirk felt he was anything but full of. From his salvation from the Borg, Kirk had lived everyday of his life with a narrow outlook. He punished himself mentally for the lives he had stolen, the people he had killed and the family that now resented what he had become. Kirk felt empty almost all the time. Optimism was the last thing from Kirk's mind.

Do not over analyze everything. Life is rather simple if one just takes a second to step back and look.

"I do not need you to tell me how to view my life." Kirk replied with a hint of anger in his voice.

Why are you blocking my up link?

"I do not want to know what you know. This is my life and I will not have your memories influencing my choices."

Look at T'Brel, right now he is being shown everything that has happened to us. He is being shown our cause, you want to know. I know you do because I stood in your place many years ago.

Kirk hated to admit the fact that the man that stood before him knew his feelings, his thoughts. Kirk wanted to know what was to come, but as a Starfleet officer it was his duty to protect the future, even if that means being blind to what lies ahead. He would be strong, he would hold out and refuse the information this future version of himself wanted to pass on.

Is he pushing me to receive this information because he too refused? Is he pushing because he must complete the cycle for his time to exist? Kirk's analytical mind began racing, computing and calculating the possibilities. What he needed more than anything right now was somebody to break up this conversation to give Kirk a chance to completely block out the older's connection with him.

OOC: Alright, I am back now. So lets get this mission back into high gear.

[T'Brel Peers]

T'Brel's relapse in emotional control had finally passed. It was not a proud moment in his life, but he knew that it has shown him something more profound than anything he had ever experienced.

T'Brel had seen a life where he had found love, family, accomplishment, despair, anguish, and death. It was everything that he could wish for and more. Yet he knew know that this would never happen. The fact that he knew of this future meant that it would never happen. It saddened him once he realized it, but if he could he would try to find the women that T'Pring had fallen in love with.

As T'Brel stood up once more he realized that Admiral KezTrek and Luke had not in fact come back to meet them. it must of been a sound that fooled his usually superior senses.

T'Brel saw as every member of the current Tiger Shark senior staff talk to their counterpart. T'Brel couldn't feel anything negative coming from his friends, except his best friend Jonathan Kirk.

"Excuse, may I speak with Jonathan for a moment?" T'Brel asked knowing that Kirk didn't want to be there at that moment. T'Brel could feel his confusion, but he would not go any deeper than that. He knew that he and everyone else here was fighting with their conscience. T'Brel had already fallen to temptation, but his friend was working hard not too.

"It's okay, Jon," T'Brel said as he sat next to him. There were many questions to be asked, but T'Brel felt as if Jon had the most. T'Brel knew that Jon suffered from his experiences as a Borg. Could it terrify him that much, could he be afraid that after all this time he still had not atoned for his past misdeeds?

It was a question that only he could answer, but T'Brel already knew the answer. Jon had long ago, made up for his mistakes. He had saved Admiral McCormick on the Hanson, he had saved his life on many occasions, and T'Brel knew without a shadow of a doubt that his friend would save even more lives in the future.

"Jon its okay to be afraid," T'Brel asked hoping that this simple statement would let him know that it was okay to feel.

[Deleted]

"Jon its okay to be afraid," T'Brel asked hoping that this simple statement would let him know that it was okay to feel.

"It is not fear," Kirk replied quickly with out giving a second thought to T'Brel's comment, "I am disgusted with the actions of these people."

Kirk took a step away from T'Brel, not as a sign that he did not want the company of his friend but because he needed a second to relax and clear his mind. It took enough effort to keep the older version of himself out that he really did not take a second to really think things through.

"Look at them T'Brel," Kirk said only loud enough for T'Brel to hear, "We took an oath, they took an oath; To protect the Federation at all costs and these actions, these words, these conversations are violations of that oath. I plan to keep my side of the oath even if my counterpart does not want to."

[Deleted]

They locked eyes again.
Neither had spoken for minutes but it seemed like hours.
Luke waited expectantly for KezTrek's reply.
Then it came.

"I am not authorising this." She started. "But if you were to resign your commission, what can I do?"

Luke frowned. "Is that you telling me that you are willing for this to go ahead?"

"Of course it isn't Commander. I think it is absoultely absurd, you have no idea what could happen if you do this nor do you know that all this is true, but what can I do?"

"I need to know that you are OK with me doing this."

"I can't give you that Commander, because I never will be, but you are of course a free man and are able to choose your own path. I only ask that you think about this seriously before you go any further."

"I have thought about it Admiral, I know there has been little or no time but sometimes time isn't needed, especially when you're dealing with time..." Luke trailed off, realising he was making little sense.

"Do this and you can't come back. We will be forced to destroy 'Sinti' so this cannot be used against the Federation. You will be stuck in the 'Future'."

Luke smiled. "I know, it's the one adventure that probably won't have a happy ending. But what an adventure it will be."

"When do you plan to do this?" KezTrek asked, attempting to ignore what 'this' actually was.

"I need to set a few personal affairs straight first, but when that's done then ASAP."

KezTrek nodded but said no more, Luke left the Ready Room without a word and ignored everyone on the Bridge, stepping into the Turbolift and beginning the familiar journey to his quarters on Deck 2 for the last time.
The Turbolift came to a halt and Luke walked the short distance to his room. He entered slowly and quietly, turning the lights on to a dim level.
Silently he began to bag up all his belongings and place the full bags onto his bed. He would of course not be taken them with him but things had to be put to order.
When this was done he sat down heavily at his desk and opened his console. He typed in his password and opened up the Text Comms channel.
Staring at the blank screen he began to type;


Admiral KezTrek

I don't intend to became an emotional wreck writing these things, after all, if you really think about it I'm not really going anywhere...
Please ensure that Commander Fitzpatrick is given the best of medical attention.
You have given me so many opportunities, sometimes I have let you down, sometimes I've succeeded. But it is because of you that I have the courage to step forward and do this today. It is because of the chances you gave me to prove myself in Command that I am the man I am today.

Thank you, I truly count you as a admirable Commanding Officer, and beyond that, a friend.

Luke


"Computer save program to PADD 22, code to Admiral KezTrek's authorisation."

=^= Sent and Coded =^= The computer replied.

"New Text." Luke said, the screen went blank again.


J'Leera

Who would've that after all this time the thing that would finally seperate us is ourselves?
You have been my rock in times of trouble, often the only one I could ever turn to.
Since the days of the Academy you have stuck by me, no matter what the situation and I am beyond greatful for that.
You will always be my friend, no matter where I am, no matter what challenges I face.
I have left the bag on the far left for you, it contains some things that I'm sure you would like.

Luke paused and stared at the bag. Inside was a holo-photo of the Academy class, a picture of J'Leera and Luke at the after party, Luke's dress uniform and medals and finally, the remaining Star charts that Luke had kept hidden away. It was up to J'Leera to decide what to do with all of them.

I don't know what else to say friend.
There‘s just one last thing, I‘m sorry.
I‘m sorry that you got dragged into all this and I hope that you can forgive me.

Your friend,

Luke


Luke repeated what he did with the message for KezTrek and once again stared at a blank screen.

Thirteen,

I feel I have never properly explored the possibility of a friendship between us and for that I am truly sorry.
You are a fine Officer and I have never know anyone to stick to regulations in quite the way you do.
I wish you all the best for your future and find the peace that we are all looking for and which I believe I am finally beginning to find.

Luke


And again Luke was staring at a blank screen, the pile of PADDs growing.

Jonathan,

I don’t think I have ever met anyone quite like you. I am afraid I have very little to say, I just never got the chance to know you the way I would’ve liked.
I know you, like many others, are haunted by the demons of your past - Just don’t let them destroy your future.
Continue to wear that Uniform with pride and never allow anyone to tarnish it the way I feel I have allowed.

Luke


T’Brel

I know this past week or so has placed a great strain upon what I believed to be a growing friendship between us.
When you arrived on the Tiger Shark, I was determined to give you a hard time, not out of malice, but out of concern. The Tiger Shark’s Helm had been my place and then it was no longer, I struggled to accept that and so I apologise.
You are one of the most skilled pilots I have had the honour to come across.
Fly her well Lieutenant.

Luke


Luke sighed and saved the second to last message, now for Max’s.


Max,

Sorry that I don’t get to say this in person dude!
Well I’m off, I’m not going to get all emotional on you, you’d hate it, so would It.
So thanks.
Keep an eye on the Tiger Shark for me, Oh and there’s a blue bag in my quarters for you. It’s underneath my desk.

Live well mate,

Luke


The console shut down on Luke’s command, leaving the FO standing alone in the dark. He sighed and removed his comm badge, followed shortly by the three gold pips. However he decided to keep the Uniform on. He felt comfortable in it.
Stepping out of his quarters for what would be the last time he stared at the unlocked doors. There was no point in activating the security code.

Walking onto the Bridge gave him an odd feeling. He realised that this place for the last few months hasn’t had the same feel. Almost as if he’d outgrown it.
It was definitely time to move on.

“You can’t leave with that Uniform.” Lex said. Luke ignored him.

“Luke!” J’Leera called. “What is going on here.”

Luke turned. “KezTrek will explain, there are a number of PADDs in my quarters. Make sure everyone gets the one labelled for them.

“But…”

Luke interrupted her by hugging her tightly. “Goodbye…” He whispered before pulling away and straightening the jacket of his Uniform. KezTrek approached him, her lips pursed, brow furrowed.

“Last chance to end this madness.” She said.

Luke smiled. “Nah, the madness has only just started.” He stretched out his arm, offering his hand. KezTrek took it and smiled. “So this is goodbye.” Luke said.

KezTrek said nothing and turned to stand with the senior staff. Luke approached Lex and nodded. Lex walked over to stand next to KezTrek.

“Don’t get too comfortable…” She muttered to Lex. “This is far from over.”

Luke turned to the future J’Leera. “Er… Jaris, isn’t it?” He asked. She simply nodded, apparently the future crew were also less than happy with the current exchange of events.

“How do we get to the…erm… ‘future’?” He asked.

“We have prepped the Captain’s Yacht. We’ll fly into Sinti, giving Lex a two minute warning until he blows the entire area into space dust.”

“Excuse me?” KezTrek interrupted, stepping forward. “No one is taking my Yacht anywhere.”

Krimp smiled and tapped what appeared to be a remote signaller. Luke opened his mouth to speak but his words were lost in a swirl of blue mist. He appeared, seconds later on the small and cramped Bridge space of the Yacht.

“Take us out.” Jaris ordered.

[lex]

Lex moved swiftly.
He knew that for this part of the plan to work his timing had to be perfect.

The stunned Bridge remained silent. KezTrek sat down heavily in the centre chair, massaging her forehead with her fingertips.
The other Officers remained standing, staring at each other, their faces confused, some upset.

Lex strolled over to the Tactical console, his mind racing. He had just saw the last of 'his' crew.
He hadn't even said goodbye. However, years of practice had trained him to ignore his emotions in times of need, and now was such a time.
As he stood at Tactical the console flashed a warning. The others appeared to not hear it, or in any case did not care but that reaction soon changed when the viewscreen flickered to life.

"A Klingon Vorcha Class Attack Cruiser." Lex said, more to himself than anyone else.

"It's heading towards the Yacht!" J'Leera exclaimed.

Lex hit the console in frustration. "I thought we had avoided that this time! I can't do this again!"

"Again?!" KezTrek said, standing up, brushing a lose strand of her away from her face. She looked tired, they all did.

"Later Admiral." Lex said, staring at the viewscreen. "Come on..." He muttered. "Come on, just a little longer."

The Bridge had an eerie feel to it as all eyes stared at the viewscreen. Lex knew what he had to do if it looked like the Yacht wouldn't make it in time, trouble was, he wondered if he could actually do it.
The Cruiser would make it to Sinti before the Yacht, he had to act now.

He loaded the forward torpedo launchers and waited, wishing they would just move a little faster.

The target was locked, everything appeared to move in slow motion.

"Please, don't do this." J'Leera had appeared next to him without Lex realising.

Lex said nothing.

"If you're really Luke then you wouldn't be doing this."

"He died a long time ago J'Leera, the sooner you accept that the better you will feel. We are all here for a reason, Luke knew the risks. I have to do this."

"Please..." J'Leera said, grabbing Lex's hand, attempting to stop him from pressing the fatal button.

Lex's hand moved away and with one swift motion pressed the button.

"No!" J'Leera cried, hitting Lex on the shoulder. Lex pushed her away and stared at the viewscreen."

"They can still make it..." Lex willed.

The viewscreen lit up with the explosion of the unstable Sinti.
The Tiger Shark was filled with a deathly silence. Lex leant against the console, tears in his eyes...

They would never know if Luke made it through...

[KezTrek]

KezTrek watched the screen with something of a morbid disinterest. It was entirely out of her control now, had been perhaps for a lot longer than she realized.

"J'Leera, retake your station," she ordered the science officer, who still looked at Lex Drago with shock and anger in her eyes.

"Admiral..." J'Leera started to protest.

"Commander, there is nothing we can do for Luke now. Retake your station. Mr. Drago," KezTrek attempted to get the attention of the stranger who looked just enough like her friend that it almost hurt, just looking at him.

"I won't apologize Admiral, I have too many regrets, to start apologizing for them now," Lex said, his voice filled with a resigned kind of pain.

“I don’t expect you too,” KezTrek said. It was almost ironic; this should all be… more… somehow.

She should be angrier, more upset, have protested much more than she did, but it was all so wholly out of her control that to fight it seemed pointless. She’d never backed down from any fight in her life, but this one had seemed fruitless. Since she’d seen, ‘Lex Drago’, appear on the Sekhmet’s viewer, she just knew somehow… the story was already written and all she could really do was watch.

KezTrek shook her head, resisting the urge to hit something. She hated being out of control, but she’d be damned it she’d be out of control and out of the loop. Looking Drago square in the eye, she gave him a look that brooked no argument. “Now, I believe you promised me an explanation ‘later’… consider this as later and explain what you meant by again?”

RA KezTrek

[Deleted]

Kirk found himself sitting alone in the crew lounge, it was not the first time this had happened and it would not be the last. As he sat he watched the star trails fly by in the near by window, sitting on the table was the PADD that contained the good bye letter Luke had composed. He had read the letter more than once and tried to understand the actions Luke had taken during this mission. The idea of the future was something Kirk had always been aware of, but the idea that everything was already planned out bothered him.

Kirk was raised with the belief that life was whatever the individual made it and his time as a Borg drone reenforced that feeling. Life was something Kirk never took for granted anymore, he understood the subties, and the frailties of life. Nothing burned hotter in Kirk's soul than the idea that nothing is scripted, there is no such thing as destiny. People are not born with strings attached to them and with a experation date stamped on the back of thier heads. Life was unique, and ever changing.

"You made the wrong choice Luke." Kirk whispered to himself.

If Kirk would have been told his life would end that day if he did not walk a certain way to the bridge he would have still walked his normal path. Knowing too much about ones future had unmeasurable side effects to the outcome of the universe. Millions of lives were at stake if somebody was not strong enough to accept what the future held for them. It was an interesting balancing act Kirk was faced with. His own personal beliefs about life, the future verses somebody who had traveled back through time.

The idea that people travel through time showed Kirk mathmatically that there are paths to be taken with direct outcomes. With mathmatics there was also an infinate amount of possibilites.

"Nevermind." Kirk said shaking his head trying to let his throughts escape him. His eyes feel once again on Luke's letter.

Jonathan,

I don’t think I have ever met anyone quite like you. I am afraid I have very little to say, I just never got the chance to know you the way I would’ve liked.
I know you, like many others, are haunted by the demons of your past - Just don’t let them destroy your future.
Continue to wear that Uniform with pride and never allow anyone to tarnish it the way I feel I have allowed.

Luke

Kirk chuckled for a second as he read the letter. He found it strange in his case that his demons were also his guiding light, his moral center. He knew deep down inside he would never have been the same person if not for those demons, his unwanted brotherhood, the Borg.

"Luke, where ever you are...good luck." Kirk said still speaking above a whisper.

Looking down at the PADD Kirk eyed a few certain key strokes. Shrugging his shoulders Kirk slowly pressed a sequence of commands and the messge was deleted off the PADD. Slidding the PADD across the table Kirk took comfort in watching the stars pass by the Tiger Shark on it's way back home.

[lex]

Lex slumped into the FO's chair. It felt so wierd. He shouldn't be here. Had all they been working for been a mistake? Had he caused the loss of unnecesary lives, yet again?

"I do owe you an explanation, you're right." Lex started. "You see, this is not the first time we, as in my crew and I, have attempted to make it back to this part of the timeline." He paused, sighed and then continued. "There were many attempts, each time failing due to small problems that just got bigger. Usually it involved the Klingons turning up, we are ridiculously close to their space. At one point it was the Breen. We thought that this time we had got it right."

"But you didn't did you?" KezTrek snapped, she paced the Bridge impatiently. "Luke would never have been so rash! I cannot accept that the man who is slouched before me is the same as the friend I just lost!"

"I'M NOT THE SAME!" Lex yelled back, running his hands through his long dirty hair. "THE SOONER YOU AND THE CREW REALISE THAT THE BETTER!" He rose to his feet and approached KezTrek. "Things change people, I changed, we all changed. But I am still Luke, just a whole lot older, in more ways than one. Accept it or not, it is up to you."

KezTrek opened her mouth to speak but was interupted by Thirteen.

"Admiral, I have a scrambled message arriving on frequency 4."

Lex jumped at the mention of that specific frequency. "That's the one that I told Jaris to broadcast any problems on!"

"Put it on!" KezTrek said, spinning round to face the viewscreen.

A fuzzy, crackled image appeared on the screen. Lex swore. "Can we clear it up?" He asked.

"I am attempting to do so." Thirteen replied.

The image cleared up slightly and Luke's face was clearly seen.

=^= We're nearly though... ou can lo... pons.... ire no... Kez...k... Thanks... Jaris and the crew say goodb.... L... J'Leera get the messages to eve...ne.
God's speed =^=

"That's all we have." Thirteen said.

"Does that mean they made it though?!" J'Leera asked, excitement in his voice.

"Who knows... I hope so." Lex replied.

[KezTrek]

KezTrek looked at Drago... she hated it, hated to see Luke in him and she did, even if she tried to deny it. She saw Luke in this man, worn down by age and so much pain yes, but Luke was still hidden there somewhere underneath, protected the only way he could be. She knew this pain better than he might think, but he didn’t need to know that.

It didn't really matter anyway, if Lex Drago was to survive in this time, he would have to adjust to being Luke Dowding once more.

"Set a course for Starbase Assailant. Mr. Drago, my ready room," KezTrek instructed him.

Lex started to say something. "Admiral…"

"Sit down and shut up Mr. Drago, I can tell one thing the future clearly didn't teach you was the value of silence!" KezTrek said before he could argue.

Lex sat on the sofas on one side of KezTrek's ready room, startled, a flicker of something indefinable in his eyes, something so like Luke it almost made KezTrek want to hug him.

"You have suffered, what you went through no one here can begin to understand, those you cared for dead and dying around you. Pain, anger, perfectly normal reactions and let me tell you… suck it up! You made your choices, you and Luke decided to swap places and against every bit of better judgment I have I didn't stop you and I should be, but its too late now. Your stuck here and Luke… well maybe he made it and maybe he didn't, but we can't change that either. If you expect to survive in this time then you *can't* let that future control you. You stopped it, you've torn yourself apart to do it, but you did and now you need to put yourself back together again. Lex Drago won't survive here, but Luke Dowding might, if you'll only let him out." KezTrek started hard and heavy, but she finished softly, her eyes softening with her words.

"I can't ever be him again..." Lex said.

"You *are* him. Older, wiser, but he's still there, I can see it in your eyes," KezTrek said, resting a hand on his shoulder, looking down on him, directly into his eyes.

Rear Admiral KezTrek

[lex]

Lex sat in darkness in the quarters he had assigned himself. He had no desire to return to Luke's quarters... or his quarters... or whoever's they were.

His thoughts drifted back to what KezTrek had said to him in her Ready Room.

"You *are* him. Older, wiser, but he's still there, I can see it in your eyes."

Could she be right? He had always thought as that part of him dying a long time ago, or at least going far, far away. Was it possible that Luke had never left, that Lex was just a facade?

He was pulled away from his thoughts when he felt the Ship drop to impulse. They must be coming into Assailant. Lex felt a sense of dread at the bottom of his stomach, this would be where his fate would be decided. He hadn't felt nervous in many years, Lex had always seen it as a weakness, Luke an advantage. Who was he? How would he play this?

=^= This is Assailant security, the Senior Staff of the Tiger Shark are to remain on the Bridge until further notice. Please await for further orders =^=

Lex sighed and stood to his feet. Time to face the music, but this time a different tune was playing.

[Magellan Lin]

Magellan was stood impassivly in the centre of Ops. Around him a myriad of actions were taking place. Officers swirled like waves breaking around a rock. A rock whose centre was in as much turmoil as the chaos of the universe.
It had been two months since they had returned from Trill and he had finally been given the memories of his former hosts, two months since he had nearly been killed by the parasites infiltrating his home and two months since he had felt...quite himself.

By now most of his senior staff had got used to his far away looks and his accidental uses of the wrong tense. Until he could get straight in his mind where he and his other hosts met and separated he was unsure he could ever by termed Magellan - for now he was both and none.

Lin, his symbiont had retreated deeper in the psychosis the troubled symbiont had and barely kept the joining whole.

To compound his own private struggles he still had the public ones - The Debrune Rebels and their Romulan Allies, the appearance of the Vaadwaar and other Delta Quadrant races in the nebula and the USS Tigershark.

The Tigershark, if ever a ship matched both its design and crew this was it. Like its captain this ship had teeth. The crew was still new to the First Fleet but had been settling in well. Had being the operative term. First the ship had gone AWOL and then her crew had apprehended other ships to see to its return. He had been recieving complaints for weeks. Now she was back in dock he wanted some answers.

"Have the senior staff been apprised of my request?" he asked,
The stiff Regulan turned and with curt nod replied,
"Yes sir. The senior staff have been asked to remain at station."
"Good. Zoilip your with me. F'Rras cancel my appointments if anyone needs me I ll be on the Tigershark - I do not want to be disturbed."
Magellan and his Bolian Aide departed ops and headed for the nearest internal transporter.

They appeared in the main transporter room of the Tigershark.
"Can I show you to the bridge sir" a Chief asked,
"I think we can find the way" Magellan snapped.
Magellan and Zoilip stepped into the turbolift.
"Bridge"

The doors opened to reveal a somewhat subdued bridge. It felt as if someone had just died. Most of the senior staff were at their posts and other NCO's bustled about. In the centre seat sat Admiral Keztrek and beside her someone that looked for all the world like Commander Dowdings father.
Magellan turned to Zoilip and with a whisper said,
"I thought Luke was FO, find out who this is." then loudly to the others "Welcome Back"
Keztrek stood up to face the Admiral,
"Sir."
Magellan nodded in greeting,
"Last time you came to Assailant you arrested my First Officer Paul Drew, this time it looks like I m going to have to arrest your first officer" he gave a glare at the strangely familiar person sat in the FO seat, "I trust Mr Dowding will be available to explain his actions."
Keztrek opened her mouth to speak but Magellan held up a hand,
"In your ready room perhaps" he suggested coolly, "I think we best have a chat before I speak to the rest of the crew." He strode across the bridge and into her ready room, at the door he paused,
"well... come on. Commander Zoilip. You have the Conn secure stations and disembark all crew save the senior staff."

[KezTrek]

KezTrek considered what exactly she was going to say, as she followed Admiral Magellan into her ready room, there was no sane sounding way to explain what had happened and even if there was, her crew had stolen a ship, a ship that had been destroyed under their 'care'. Only years of practice kept her from snorting aloud, here she was, more than enough rule breaking under her own belt to earn demotions all the way back to cadet and a crew who'd apparently learned too well form what was probably a poor example.

"You know this might almost be amusing, if I wasn't an inch from having your entire senior staff thrown into Assailants brig," Magellan said, standing, cool, composed, looking out the windows of her ready room to the activity of his starbase beyond.

"It would be well within your rights to do so," KezTrek said, almost agreeably.

"But you're going to ask me not to," Magellan surmised.

"I'd have done the same thing if I'd been there, I can't condemn them for actions I'd have taken myself," KezTrek said.

Magellan sighed. "They stole a ship, a ship that by account of Captain Rosticovich was destroyed, what message do we send to people in the fleet if they walk away from this unscathed?"

"Unscathed Admiral? That man out there *WAS* Luke Dowding. A Luke Dowding who lived through hell and came back from it to save the entire future of the federation! Every one of them understands the seriousness of what they did; every one of them went in to it knowing they could lose everything, with no real idea what for, until they came face to face with a friend looking at them with a strangers eye! If you asked them, I guarantee you they'd say it was worth it, that they'd do it again and I do believe, if you were them, you'd do it too." KezTrek said.

"I'm not in the habit of stealing starships. Even if what you say about that man out there is true, it comes back to that, they stole a ship, put their lives and the lives of others in danger!" Magellan said.

"They helped save the future of the entire Federation," KezTrek told him.

"And whose word do we have on this? A man who claims to be Luke Dowding, a man who claims that the federation was destroyed in the future. He might not even be who he says he is," Magellan argued.

"He is," KezTrek insisted.

"How can you know that?" Magellan asked, looking at her.

"Because I've seen inside his mind and his heart. Luke was... is... a friend, a comrade, this crew is family! Lex Drago has had a long time to forget that, but I haven't, I know him as well as I know myself…" KezTrek paused, a slight smile on her face, "even if he doesn't want to admit it."

"None of this excuses them," Magellan told her.

"No, it doesn't and believe me they will be punished, but putting them in a holding cell, throwing them up before a judge and jury, that doesn't solve anything, short of having one of SFI's telepaths go traipsing through Drago's mind forcibly, there is no way of proving or disproving his story about the future and like it or not... and believe me I'm on the knifes edge myself on this point, what they did, helped Drago's cause, helped him complete his mission. To save us all, I can deal with this, just let me do it my way," KezTrek asked.

"I just don't know. I need to speak to them, let me do that and then... then we'll see. Command will have a fit if I let them go, you know that." Magellan said.

KezTrek smiled. "Yeah, well I've never exactly been known for doing things just to make Command happy."

"How you've kept a ship, I'll never know," Magellan said, almost amused.
"Because I'm brilliant of course," KezTrek replied.

The room filled briefly with an uneasy silence. "I'll talk to command, but if they push this, if they are determined to make an example of these officers, I won't be able to stop them," Magellan said.

"I know," KezTrek replied softly, but an unspoken gratitude was there in her voice.

"They are confined to the Tigershark until further notice, in fact, it might be best if they were confined to quarters, but I'll leave that to your discretion... and you know I'll have to take Drago, Command might be willing to let you deal with the others, but they won't let him remain here, if he really is who he says he is, he will have tactical knowledge they will want," Magellan told her.

"I know... give me an hour?" KezTrek asked.

Magellan looked dubious. "One hour, then I want him at Airlock two; I'll have a security team ready to meet him there."

"He'll be there," KezTrek promised.

Magellan left, taking his people with him, a last glace before the turbolift doors closed spoke a lot. If Drago wasn't there in an hour, all bets were off.


"Mr. Drago, my ready room, now," KezTrek told him.

"They want to interrogate me?" Lex said as the doors closed behind them.

"You have knowledge they believe might be useful, you didn't honestly expect to be allowed to remain on the Tigershark," KezTrek said.

Lex shook his head. "I'd hoped... but not really. You went to bat for them didn't you, even after all they've done."

"We're a family," KezTrek said.

"I'd forgotten how close... I'll go wherever the send me, but can I have time to say goodbye first, to the others?" Lex asked.

"Admiral Lin gave you an hour, which gives you about 50 more minutes. I'll meet you at airlock two then. Don't be late," KezTrek warned him.

Lex nodded. "I won't."

Rear Admiral KezTrek

[lex]

Lex found himself wandering the corriders of the Tiger Shark not for the first time but probably for the last. For him, it all seemed like a dream as his Tiger Shark had been destroyed years ago... or had it? Should he listen to KezTrek? Was this his time now? Was this his Tiger Shark?

He had been given an hour - that was twenty minutes ago. He didn't know what to do with himself. How could he talk to all those he wanted to, see all the things he needed to see in an hour? For Lex, seeing Earth bustling and happy was a must, sitting down and talking to J'Leera, his father, his mother, his siblings, Giga... everyone... it was all just too much in so little time.

He strode over to an access terminal to the side of one corrider and requested the location of J'Leera. However, the computer would not allow him access to system. He tried access codes, voice recognition... everything. It just wouldn't let him in.'

"The system is locked out to Senior staff." A voice said from behind. "For obvious reasons."

Lex recognised the voice almost at once. It was so similar to Jaris' but yet calmer... more at peace... if you could even tell that from a voice.

"I'm surprised you even want to see me." Lex said, turning round.

"I'm not sure I do." She replied.

Lex looked to the floor. Something about seeing J'Leera made him feel uncomfortable. Could it be more guilt?
They stood in silence for what seemed like hours before Lex spoke again.

"I haven't got long." He said. "Could we go talk, somewhere quiet?"

<TAG J'Leera>

[laika]

J'Leera was on her way from her quarters when she happened upon Luke near engineering No, Lex she corrected herself, trying to use an access panel. She walked up behind him. "The system is locked out to Senior staff. For obvious reasons," she said.

He turned around."I'm surprised you even want to see me."

"I'm not sure I do," she answered honestly. Lex looked down at the floor and stared at his shoes. Moments passed and J'Leera waited quietly until he decided to speak again. Truth be said, she really didn't know what to say to him. The silence started to become even more awkward, but finally Lex spoke up.

"I haven't got long." He said. "Could we go talk, somewhere quiet?"

She considered his request for a moment. "Sure," she said softly, "we should." She paused, wondering where they should go. The holodeck? No, that's were I would have gone with Luke. Their quarters? No, I don't know this person. Then she decided. "Let's go down to the science lab. There's nothing going on right now, so it'll be quiet."

Lex nodded, not quite sure why she chose that location.

Before long they were inside the lab and sitting down at one of the tables. "You're not Luke, but yet you are," she quickly said. "It's all very confusing right now, so I'll ask you to forgive me for being rather suspicious right now."

Tag: Lex