Starbase 47 ◇ Thread Concluded SD: 2408.1129

[Calli Valente]

USS Raven-C
Hard-dock ::

"Keep up the scans, Lysia, Harry, we must know about any other movements of Klingon vessels in this sector beside the NuQ'Duj. Fortunately, perhaps, the Yattho area is somewhat neglected; if there's to be any civil conflict within the Klingon Empire, it'll presumably take place closer to Qo'nos, even Rura Penthe would probably see more action than this backwater..." Andae mused.

"The military has wholeheartedly accepted his authority, Andae, I don't see how ....." Lysia was saying as the Comm chirped to life, she listened as the Exec' spoke with the Chief Engineer:

=^= .. .. that's where the meeting was sched .. .. Oh .. Never mind =^= Blakus finished as he headed for the turbo-lift, handing the conn to Calli.

"I still don't see how there can be any further unrest within the Klingon Empire," Lysia finished to the now-empty center seat before returning to her duties ..... Calli had been stood in front of the viewscreen during the conversation but now moved over to Tactical where Lysia was busy checking the recent configuration upgrades to her console.

"Let's face it, the Klingons are always falling out with themselves, it's a wonder they have time for anyone outside their 'Empire' if you ask me, which you didn't," she said with a wry grin, "Lysia?" she said as the Tactical Officer frowned.

"For a second..." T'Seng said, reviewing the data from the last two minutes before continuing, "Sorry, for a second there I thought I picked up something close to the Starbase... Must be this new config' maybe they sensors picked up something adrift, likely one of the worker-bees left something outside," Calli looked at the woman, who didn't look entirely convinced of her own explanation, which made Valente cautious. She moved to one of the vacant stations and called up the Tactical screen then began scrutinizing the readings: There, for a fraction of a second, Raven's scanners had picked up something outside, small, approximately one thousand meters off the hull at Level one six seven four!

"Lysia, concentrate scans on these co-ordinates will you," Valente ordered, moving over to the Tactical Officers' station. Both women watched the screen intently for several minutes, but nothing popped up out of the ordinary, two worker-bees were moving around the circumference of the Starbase, one towing something almost eighty meters in length, presumably another section being used to make repairs to the Lower Antenna Arrays, but other than that there was nothing.

"Can we access Starbase external views from here?"

"I'd need confirmation from Command, but, I don't see why not," T'Seng confirmed. Calli moved away and tapped her Comm badge:

=^= Commander Valente to Admiral Torek .. .. =^= A moment later she returned to Lysia:

"The majority of the Levels we're scanning have bee decompressed and systems were taken off-line pending the need to reactivate, but Admiral Torek has instructed the Command Center to bring external sensors online and give us remote access. They will monitor our findings if any, otherwise we're free to look around from here," T'Seng ran through the external sensors along with all visual components, but could see nothing, she was beginning to think it had been a simple 'glitch' in the ship's sensors and asked Commander Valents if she could begin a 'Level Four' diagnostic, Calli agreed but still eyed the readings with trepidation, they had no way of knowing at this point who may or may not be out there waiting for their opportunity, the Klingons, Romulans, Ferengi, even the Yattho, no-one was one hundred percent sure of their technology. Hell, it could even be someone from the aCen System! ..........

IRK Gecius ...
One Thousand Meters off Starbase ::

CLOAKED ::

"Commander. The Federation appears to be scanning the immediate area around their Starbase!" Sub-Commander Siror said from the Weapons Console.

"Have we been detected?!" M'Sak asked quickly.

"No Commander, but they have activated systems on the Levels we previously believed inactive," Kavik confirmed quickly.

"Two of their maintenance craft are operating close to the hull, it is possible they are checking their own people," Sub-Commander V'Sil commented.

"Monitor. If there is any change notify me immediately!" M'Sak said, leaving the Bridge.

"YES, Commander!" the three Officers replied as one ..........

[Simon Clark]

USS Enzio, relay position, 4800km from Starbase 47.

"Commander."

"Yes, Ensign?" Simon replied, turning to Anya at the Engineering station. He was being more formal than he normally would be.

"M'Rell and I do not believe we will be able to further increase the distance between the Enzio and the Starbase, while maintaining a stable communication channel." Anya told him.

"Ah." Simon replied. He could not imagine that there was anyone on the starbase who did not have someone in federation space they wanted to let know they were alive. "That's unfortunate".

"Yesss," M'Rell said "The radiation from the wormhole isss not dissssipating. It doesss not appear that it will."

"Interesting. You'll keep looking into that?"

"Yesss, sssir. Ensssign Hurel requesssted it, sir."

"Good. Good." He scratched the back of his head, trying to think of something else to try. He felt the weight of the silence while the bridge crew waited. Conscious, he put his hand back on the armrest and sat up straight. What else could they try? They'd tried using probes as relays already, their antennas weren't powerful enough to penetrate very far, and a probe could power itself for only a few weeks. They needed something bigger, and more powerful, and longer lasting. "Anya, I mean, Ensign; do we have sufficient resource on board to assemble a subspace relay?"

"I'll check, sir."

He itched to check this himself. He was pretty sure it would be there. Rory would know. Communications was very much his ballgame. But he was in command, and he had to show confidence in the Gamma bridge crew to do their jobs. Especially as Anya's speciality was also in communications. Plus, Rory was off shift, and he didn't want to wake him. "Petty Officer M'Rell; if we were to position a subspace relay here, can you estimate from the radiant energy field density the additional range we might get on our communication link to the Starbase?"

"Yesss." He listened as she tapped the controls on the console, "perhapsss another forty thousssand metresss."

"And if we had another at that point? How many would we need to chain get a link into the nearest subspace relay network?" Simon asked.

"Four, sssir." M'Rell replied.

"Display on screen?" Simon asked.

M'Rell did so, showing the positions required, to connect them to the relay links that ran between Starbase 234 and Klingon space.

"One of the positions is a lightyear outside of the exclusion zone." He said, "We'll have to negotiate for that one."

"Commander, we can produce a half dozen subspace relays, if we need to." Anya said, "Lieutenant Marin estimates it will take a day to make each. Couldn't we have the Starbase make them for us, sir?"

"Ensign, how much experience do you have working with Starbase logistics?" Simon asked, remembering a time, amongst several others, when they'd wanted a torpedo tube replacing.

"None, sir."

"Would you like some? It would be convenient if we could pick some up."

Anya hesitated, appearing uncertain.

Simon was in command. He needed to give clear direction. "Apologies Ensign. Please make contact with the duty works order controller in Director Morton's team, and find out the lead time and earliest finish date for an order of four deep space subspace relays. Oh, and contact Starbase operations, and notify them that we are planning to construct a communication link to the local subspace network. I'm sure they'll advise if they want us to do otherwise."

"Yes, sir."

Communicating to the starbase was normally an operations function, but the operations station was unmanned. In normal times, this would have violated regulations. In recent weeks following their return from the opposite end of the wormhole, many of the crew had been given shore leave, and even if they hadn't, not one of the Section 47 starships was running a full complement. Simon sat back in his chair. So as not to break the exclusion zone, they'd need permission from the ships patrolling the perimeter to place that fourth relay, and given the exclusion zone was set, presumably, by someone much higher up in the organisation, that was probably a call an Admiral needed to make.

"Ensign, belay that last order. Open a channel to the Starbase, I need to make a request of command."

<Tag an Admiral to discuss agreeing subspace relay positioning outside of the exclusion zone>

[Gheskori]

"You'd like us to communicate with Captain Ogawa and pass on the message that the Enzio would like to travel outside of the exclusion zone for a distance of one lightyear to place a subspace relay," Gheskori said from the command platform in the centre of Ops.

"That's correct, Admiral," Simon replied to his CO from the Enzio bridge.

Ghes nodded sagely, feeling quite the impostor in these matters, "I'll see what I can do. Whoever made the decision will be amenable I'm sure, if it means the Section can begin to penetrate the wormhole's radiation." Gheskori looked about him as his attention was gained from the floor below, he absorbed what he was told and turned back to Clark's image on one of the panoramic viewscreens, "Ensign McCarthy has already contacted the works order controller, so you should be receiving your estimate on time to completion of the four relays soon. In the meantime I'll make contact with Ogawa and hope he can give the go ahead."

"Thanks, sir."

Ghes acknowledged and congratulated his joint second officer before the channel was closed.

He stood back and allowed himself to absorb the activity of Ops, sights and sounds... He saw that several of the Starbase's department heads were still absent, in the meeting about the final testing of the subspace antenna, being presided over by Reynolds and Kletchley. He heard the by-now customary exchanges regarding the USS Raven's linking with the Starbase's local imaging and sensor data and about how the Raven crew thought they'd detected something in very close proximity to the base, towards the lower levels. If there was something out there, so small it was hard even for the Starbase's eyes and ears and the Raven's new sensor grid to detect, or perhaps invisible to sensors because it was cloaked... it was obviously of paramount importance to identify it.

"The Maracanda has a state-of-the-art sensor grid, same standard as the Raven's but with differing capabilities," the deputy Ops officer said, "Combined, the two would be thorough, to say the least. Have the Maracanda train her sensors on the same set of coordinates and exchange information with the Raven?"

Ghes looked about him at others who nodded at the suggestion; they put it into effect.

He made contact with Ogawa as Torek emerged from his office after speaking again with the officers on the Raven. Ogawa's visage appeared on a small screen inlaid on one of the command platform's consoles, "What can I do for you, Admiral?" The Denobulan explained their plans and requirements, Ogawa immediately looked troubled, "I'll try, Gheskori, but Admiral Tyrrell at Starbase 234 - he was the one who advised Starfleet Command on the exclusion zone and superintended its placement before we got here - is notoriously difficult. Even a one lightyear violation, well, that'll place the USS Enzio well outside of the zone."

"Then allow the ship to send you the fourth relay, I'm sure it can be launched from the Enzio. Intercept it," Ghes winged it, "And tractor it the rest of the way to the coordinates. Those that will allow a link with the local network."

"That sounds promising," Ogawa said after an initial frown, a further pause, "Yes... I'll contact Tyrrell just in case, but I'm almost certain he will accept. No violation is being made. Technically."

"Excellent," Ghes began returning to his office and handed over Ops to Carl who was climbing the steps to the command platform, "Have your officers picked up the reading again?" he asked Torek apprehensively. Dealing with the lack of comms and the limitation of the exclusion zone was distressing enough, "Do you believe it could be..." he hardly dared say it, "A cloaked vessel?"

<Tag Torek>

He tapped his commbadge as he walked through the door of his office, =/\=Gheskori to Ops. Communications, contact the Enzio and inform Lieutenant Commander Clark the James Clark Maxwell is contacting Starfleet. The go ahead is almost certain... The Maxwell herself will tractor the last relay into place. Further instructions and information from logistics to follow.=/\=

<Tag Clark

As the comms officer replied, =/\=Aye, sir,=/\= Ghes started in horror as he saw in the anteroom to his main office Commander Burr on his knees, his face hot with tears. Burr's hand held a phaser to Burr's throat.

"Desist, Commander!" Ghes barked before yelling inarticulately.

"Sorry, sir, there's no time... no time for anything anymore." Ghes dived at his ADC and batted the phaser away just as Burr was pressing the firing control - the beam fizzed into the vestibule wall scoring it with a half-metre arc. The aide was knocked over by the admiral's impact and Ghes rose over him, placing his frame between Burr and the phaser,

"Get a hold of yourself... What's happened?!"

[Carl Torek]

Carl had only been half-listening to the Section Admirals' conversation with the Captain of the Maxwell, he was still mulling over the readings from the Raven, wondering if the Technicians sent to the ship to recheck their upgrades had found anything to help explain the anomaly.

"Have your officers picked up the reading again?" Gheskori asked Torek apprehensively, "Do you believe it could be... A cloaked vessel?"

Carl had continued to stare into the middle-distance.

"Goodness... There appear to be two Targ mating on my desk!" the Section Admiral said.

"Sorry?..." Carl said, realizing he was being addressed, "... Sorry, I was miles away there, you were saying, about the ....." he fell silent, grinning.

"I was asking your opinion of this possible anomalous reading, a cloaked vessel?" Gheskori repeated.

"Possible, who knows who's come to take a look. We're somewhat of a novelty out here. The Klingons and Romulans have cloaking technology, we've no idea if the Yattho have anything workable, and that's not to mention the other races within high warp distance of the Starbase," Torek answered, hoping the Federation would lift the quarantine sooner than later, "I'd like to have the Maracanda patrol our little bubble of space. If they coordinate with the Maxwell, Vicksburg, and Schrodinger we should have an effective blanket,"

"Agreed," Gheskori said, entering his office, leaving Torek of the Mezzanine Level.

"Admiral..." Carl turned to see the Operations Officer stood close by, "... We've just received word, the USS Charleston is rendezvoused with the James Clark Maxwell and will be inbound within the hour,"

"Thank you, Commander..." Carl said, dismissing the Officer then calling out, "... Commander, could you contact the Maracanda, ask Captain Manley to come to my office?"

"Right away Admiral,"


~~~~~~~~~~


Carl was at his desk when Grant Manley was shown in:

"Ahh, Captain, take a seat," Torek said, moving several PADD's off his constantly cluttered desk, "That forth pip looks good on you Grant, not before time,"

"Thank you Admiral, the promotion was a welcomed surprise, same goes for Commander Scober," Manley replied then waited for Torek to continue.

"OK, you're first assignment... I want you to take the Maracanda out, I want you to position yourself one million kilometers from here, circumnavigating the Starbase at a 'leisurely' pace, nothing to attract undue attention kind of thing. I want you to scan the area around the Starbase continually,"

"Mind saying what I'd be looking for Admiral,"

"Cloaked vessels, or at least one cloaked ship," Carl replied.

"You believe we have uninvited guests?" Manley asked, leaning forward.

"It's possible, did you run the scans the Raven requested?"

"Yes, but we found nothing, not even any residual displacement..." the Maracanda Commanding Officer replied, frowning, "... It's possible they knew they could have been detected and changed location or left entirely,"

"Indeed, but I'd rather not be caught unawares. If 'someone' is hanging around it's possible they are trying to find a means to board the station covertly," Manley stood:

"I'll leave immediately Admiral," Carl nodded then looked up again as Manley remained, "... Sir, what are your orders should we confirm there is a cloaked vessel?"

"Triangulate with Command, along with our ships on the parameter. If we can get a precise location we will at least know where they are, what we do with them is dependent on their actions."

"Aye, Sir," Manley said. Leaving Torek's office he tapped his Comm badge and ordered the Maracanda made ready for departure.

Ninety Minutes Later ::

Grant walked onto the Bridge:

"How're we doing Frank?"

"The Dockmaster has just confirmed we're ready to go, Captain, Umbilicus detached and we're on internal power,"

"Very well, Helm, back us away from the Dock then come about," Manley sat in the center seat, the first 'official' time since his recent promotion ..........

[Nia Lemond]

SD: 2406.04.0822 .. 15:00 hrs ...
Security/Intelligence Briefing
Conference Room One - Mezzanine Level
Command Center ::

Nia was sat at the table, Matt Reynolds beside her, Erin Paquin, Nia's Adjutant, was sat away from the table taking minutes. Also present were her Senior Intelligence Officers along with three senior Security Personnel .....

"OK, last couple of items before we call it a day ..... Where do we stand regarding personnel?" Nia asked.

"I've recalled all Security personnel who had been assigned to assist in repairs to the Starbase and our ships. Commander Vines will be assigning personnel to all high-level locations pending the arrival of the Vice President..." Admiral Reynolds began, moving from one PADD to the next before continuing, "... I'm happy for the Promenades to remain open, but I'll be posting additional Security to hopefully stem any malcontents should 'VP' decide he wants a tour,"

"David, have we recalled all our personnel?" Nia asked her Deputy director.

"We have, I've also had several people taken into custody, and rescinded access to several levels on the Starbase to all but official perso ....." David Tan stopped speaking as the door slid silently open, the Security Officer stepping nimbly aside as Carl Torek entered:

"Mind if I sit in?" he asked.

"Feel free," Lemond replied, motioning to the seat at the opposite end of the table, "... You were saying, David?"

"..... Yes, I've restricted access to all the previously evacuated levels along with anything needing Security Access, all Security personnel have been given the required access, as have Intel personnel and a handful of Starbase personnel,"

"How long is the Vice President expected to stay?" one of Reynolds' men asked.

"You're guess is as good as anyone's Commander," Matt said, "With luck, he'll want to confirm we are who we say we are, get all the information he can then head back to Earth, but let's see shall we," his Officers nodded, making notes.

"Anything else on the Klingon Scout Ship?" Lemond asked.

"It's still holding outside the one light-year exclusion zone, moving back and forth, no doubt trying to intercept any and all Comm traffic," the Starbase Chief Operations Officer informed the group.

"And these anomalous readings?" the Intelligence direct continued.

"If I may?..." Torek asked, continuing after Nia nodded, "... I've dispatched the Maracanda to basically patrol within the quarantine zone, she's going to maintain scans of the area immediately around the Starbase. Between Command, Maracanda, Vicksburg, Schrodinger, and the James Clark Maxwell, I'm hoping that if we pick anything up we'll be able to pinpoint their location and act accordingly,"

"You believe its possibly a cloaked vessel then Admiral?" one of the Security Officers asked.

"It's possible... We still have thirteen hours before the Charleston is due here. If it 'is' a cloaked ship I'm hoping our intensive scrutiny will at least move it away from the Starbase," Carl said.

"Does anyone think whoever they are they may be trying to infiltrate the Starbase covertly?" Elena asked the room.

"I don't see how they could without their ship being detected when it decloaks," Commander Helesen commented.

OK, unless you have anything else, Admiral?" Nia asked Carl, who shook his head, "Anyone else?" no-one had anything to add.

"Let's reconvene when the Charleston is two hours out for final instructions," Matt Reynolds ordered. Everyone around the table stood, picking up whatever PADD's they had come into the meeting with and began to leave the room. Nia asked the Operations Officer, Commander Helgesen, to hold back:

"Commander, what is the viability of sealing all emergency bulkheads on levels that have been evacuated prior to the Vice Presidents' arrival?"

"Easily done Admiral, we can also seal all Jefferies Tubes and ladder access points so no-one can move between levels without a lot of work," Erik confirmed.

"What about anyone working on those levels?" Carl asked.

"Not an issue, we can have all work suspended for the duration of the visit... If he decides to stay around we'd need to revisit,"

"Good, OK I'll leave the arrangements in your hands, Matt, Nia, I'll be in my office or on the Raven if you need me," Carl said. leaving the room. Nia Lemond and Matthew Reynolds sat back down and began working through assignments working alongside the Vice President's Security personal Security Detail during his visit ..........

[Gheskori]

Six hours until USS Charleston arrival

Gheskori was fresh from visiting John Burr in the main medical bay, still severely ruffled from having witnessed the man's near-successful suicide attempt. He was under observation for the next two days, to ensure he didn't try anything like it again and help him on the way along what was psychologically evidently a long road to recovery.

"The night before, I'd dreamt I was on the Borg cube I told you about previously, after being ejected into vacuum via an airlock," Burr had told him in the medical bay, "One drone on the cube was disconnected from the Collective, it ushered me into a cul-de-sac in the labyrinth of passageways, it had something to show me in a box: my father's medals - Burr, Sr. was a Starfleet Captain. In the lower part of the container, the drone showed me, was a written note from my favourite lecturer at the academy... An informal recommendation to Starfleet Security on my behalf. I realised the dream's semantics... I'd let down my lecturer, my father, everybody! with, my, actions..." he'd laid back mentally exhausted.

The arrangements for receiving the UFP Vice President were being made rapidly; not only in how they welcomed the man but in their preparations for his arrival, they were showing how unbeaten they were as a Section and as a population - both Starfleet and civilian - of a Starbase.

That population wasn't unified, however: Ghes understood there were a few potential discontented persons on the base which for the last three and a half years had become their permanent home, persons whom may voice their unhappiness to the Vice President - or at least about the Section in his presence. The deputy C-in-C would thus become aware they were ill at ease under Starfleet rule (for that's effectively what it was); some might perhaps be ready to revolt, and Ghes didn't want to experience all that again after Serova et al.

Areas through which the Vice President may pass had been prepared for the event. The promenades could be cordoned off within a minute, but plenty of space would be left to allow for pedestrian access allowing also for pedestrians who wanted to protest. The brass couldn't very well shut the mouths of civilians; the Starbase may be under military-exploratory authority but it was also under the aegis of the civilian-controlled Federation and its body of laws.

Ghes had to guide matters to find a middle way between the two extremes; consultation with Torek, Lemond et al was thus of utmost importance.

Entering Ops, he found Ogawa from the Maxwell was requesting his attention. He nodded and entered his office. About the subspace relays to connect the base and its surrounds with the local interstellar comm network, he understood logistics had contacted the Enzio again and given them a fair estimate on time until construction of those relays.

The screen on his desk lit up, Ghes sat back, "Captain Ogawa, glad to see you again."

Ogawa nodded and smiled, "Section Admiral, I've received back word from Admiral Tyrrell on Starbase 234. He isn't wholly happy, but has given the go ahead for the Enzio to launch the fourth relay in the chain across the exclusion zone boundary. Either my own ship, or the Schrodinger, will pick up the relay and place it in position, if the Enzio doesn't intend to launch it direct towards the target. If she does so intend, we can fine tune its position if needed."

"Thank you. And if it works, we'll be hearing from Starbase 234 and others in nearby sectors soon, I'm sure," Ghes nodded. Ogawa smiled again and the channel was closed. He returned to Ops, informing the officers in charge that the Enzio had its go ahead and that they should pass the message onto Clark, V'Maz and Yarwood.

<Tag Enzio>

He asked about the current location of the Enzio - it was apparently about halfway towards the boundary of the exclusion zone; Maracanda would orbit the base within that, while the Maxwell, Vicksburg and Schrodinger continued their skirting round the edge far outside it, the latter like three perturbations rippling round the surface of a drop of mercury. "Admiral Gheskori," a controller contacted him on the command centre loop, "Commodore Savot on the El Salvador is enquiring whether we are ready to receive the Alarodian and Halanan he has prisoner."

"Send word back: if he intends to send via umbilical walkway, a security detail will be there in 15 minutes to receive charge of the two prisoners; if by transporter, have him signal we would like them beamed to transportation centre 5."

<Tag El Salvador>

Now it had to be hoped the Raven and Maracanda could get a lock on whatever ship may be out there (if it was still out there). "If we detect a ship, cloaked or otherwise," he said over the loop, "Unless there's perceived to be an immediate danger to the Starbase, we're to give no sign to them they've been detected, at least not straight away. If they prove hostile, showing them they've been revealed may force their hand." And they'd do what? he thought worriedly. "We'll await our moment to let them know they're discovered."

<Tag Raven>

The USS Charleston was now being detected by mid-range sensors. Gheskori hoped the discontented peoples on the Starbase would have little reason to be unhappy much longer, for if the Vice President was satisfied with things here, and potential threats from nearby powers - tentative allies the Klingons and suspicious neutrals the Romulans - were accounted for, the exclusion zone would be lifted and those discontented could leave if they wished.

[Carl Torek]

IRK Gecius ...
One Thousand Meters off Starbase ::

CLOAKED ::

"It is clear Commander!" the Sub-Commander was saying whilst trying not to arouse the attention of others on the Bridge.

"You have confirmation that they have located us?" M'Sak asked dangerously.

"They attempt to deceive us, Commander. Their vessel begins to circumnavigate the Starbase while using only passive scans, but with the aid of the others we will be detected quickly!" Kavik said, losing patience with his Commanding Officer.

"Then we will enter the Starbase," M'Sak said.

"We ..... Cannot!" Kavik said, eyes widening as M'Sak spun, the tip of his blade already drawing blood as it was pressed into the man's throat, "..... Commander, you must see the logic, if we have been discovered, entering the Starbase will hand the Gecius to the very people we are against. The Proconsul is, in error. We should withdraw and await our opportunity. The new vessel approaching has been identified, it is the 'Flagship' of the Federation President himself!"

"The President comes here?" M'Sak asked quietly, the blade never wavering.

"..... We have no means of saying Commander, but the ships' presence is unfounded in my opinion, why would the leader of the Federation come here personally, unless they have 'other' uses for the Starbase?"

"A Base so close to the Klingons, and ourselves would give them advantage over us. Our listening posts along the Klingon border, along with those close to Cestus and Antede could be detected," Sub-Lieutenant Siror said from Tactical.

"Suggestions!" M'Sak prompted as he slowly lowered his blade from Kavik's throat.

"I agree with the Sub-Commander... We should withdraw, await an opportunity to strike ....."

"If we bring drives on-line our position will be detected," Sub-Lieutenant V'Sil said nervously.

"We will wait, when the Federation vessel travels around the far side of the Starbase we shall use thrusters to begin moving away. They cannot detect what they cannot see..." M'Sak said, his tone changing, he pointed at the tactical view on the screen, "... There, we will lie in wait five hundred thousand kilometers away and 'watch' as the Federation play their games,"

"You wish to inform the Proconsul of our actions Commander?" Siror asked.

"You crave favor from our illustrious Proconsul, a bonding perhaps?..." M'Sak asked the sarcasm obvious as the Tactical Officer began a cold sweat, "... Attend your duties Sub-Lieutenant, allow those above you to make the decisions,"

"YES!, Commander," the younger man replied, eyes snapping to his console, knowing that he would never feel the blade that killed him should M'Sak wish to take his life. He watched as the Federation vessel continued her circumnavigation. Not daring to directly converse with M'Sak, he informed Sub-Commander Kavik when it disappeared behind the massive Starbase.

"Thrusters, five-second burst ..... Now!" the Exec' ordered. almost imperceptibly, the Valdore Class Warship began to move away from the Starbase, all eyes were on the Federation insignia hoping none made a sudden course change which would surely mean they had been detected. The thrusters shut down a second before the Starfleet vessel reappeared, moving at a mere one hundred meters per second, the Romulan ship slowly put distance between itself and the Starbase ..........

Bridge
USS Raven-C ...
Docked ::


"Commander?"

"Yes?" Duty Bridge Officer, Harry Wedlerson replied walking over to Lysia T'Seng.

"There ....." she pointed at an almost invisible deflection of the track reading on her screen, "... I've narrowed the scan but whatever it was has disappeared.

"Has the Maracanda reported anything?"

"Nothing, but it appeared while they were round the far side of the Starbase, so it may not have registered?" Lysia speculated.

"It might have been emissions from one of the worker-bees, but better safe than sorry. Send the readings to Maracanda, ask Captain Manley to scan the area." Lysia nodded as he returned to the center seat and tapped the Commlink. A moment later he had informed the Executive Officer of the anomalous reading ..........

[Carl Torek]

OOC :: Posting as Captain Grant Manley ...

USS Maracanda
Zero Point Eight Light-Years from Starbase ::


Grant was in his quarters, reading up on the numerous upgrades the Defiant Class Starship had been given during her time in Dock ..... He had to admit, he was somewhat impressed ..... Despite their trials over the last three years, Engineers and Science Personnel had managed to ensure the Fleet didn't fall behind, or at least as much as they could without access to the Design and Development Labs on Utopia Planitia and other locations.

The door chime sounded and Manley looked up:

"Enter," he said, seeing his Executive Officer enter he waved the PADD, "... Have you seen these schematics, half of this is 'double-dutch' even to me, and I used to pride myself in believing I was a competent Engineer,"

"Which is exactly why I don't read tech' manuals," Frank Scober said, sitting opposite his Commanding Officer, "... Just wanted to let you know, we're closing with the Charleston, they are approaching the Starbase at full impulse,"

"Why the delay?" Grant asked, puzzled.

"Beats me... Maybe the Vice President is enjoying getting out of the office, so to speak," Scober said, the sarcasm obvious.

"Have they contacted us?"

"No, but they know we're here, we got the standard warning regarding the Flagship otherwise nothing," Frank shrugged.

"Fine, but send our compliments to Captain Gray, let him know we are in the area if required,"

"Will do," Scober said, leaving the Captain to his reading .....


~~~~~~~~~~


Grant entered the Bridge, Scober vacating the center seat, rather than sit down he moved from station to station, glancing over the shoulders of his Bridge Officers before moving to the rear approaching the replicator. Frank walked over, whispering something about it being someone's genius idea to install the piece of equipment. Manley handed his Exec' a coffee and requested a second for himself:

"Where's the Charleston now?" he asked.

"Approximately two million kilometers off our Port, en route to the Starbase. Captain Gray returned our compliments adding it was good to see us back,"

"That it?" Grant asked.

"He didn't seem in the mood for casual conversation," Scober replied.

"You know he turned down promotion no less than 'FOUR' times, even threatened to resign his Starfleet commission if they forced a Flag Rank on him ..... He was the Commanding Officer of the Michelangelo, one of the deep range exploration vessels ..... He was one of only ninety-two survivors following what Command believe was a Xindi attack, though that was never confirmed. It took almost eight months before their escape-pods drifted back into known space and were picked up. Despite 'discrepancies' in his reports, no-one had a negative word to say about him. In fact, the other survivors testified that he went back into the ship more than once to drag the unconscious crew members to safety, before finally throwing himself into the only remaining pod with the last three alive. Two of them died during the journey,"

"Bloody hell!..." Frank said, shaking his head, "... Can't imagine what it must have been like,"

"His record was required reading once..." Manley said, returning the empty cup to the replicator, "... Though mentally and physically fit, there were always rumors that he was a little 'unhinged' ....."

"So they gave him the Flagship?" Frank asked, bemused.

"He was never going to take a promotion, I suppose they knew that," Grant shrugged.

"Why are they approaching so slowly?" Commander Wilkes asked as the two Senior Officers returned to the middle of the Bridge.

"Exactly what I'd like to know," Scober said, handing his empty cup to one of the Bridge Staff.

"He's the Vice President, he can go as slow, or as fast as he wishes," Manley said, completely unconvinced, turning to his Tactical Officer, "Lieutenant Jarves, any signs of the anomalous readings we picked up close to the Starbase?"

"No Captain... The Raven, Vicksburg, and Schrodinger have inconclusive readings also. I'd say if it was a cloaked ship it's moved out of range."

"Or so close to the Starbase it's readings are indistinguishable," Onizuko commented. Grant pondered his Chief Operations Officers' comment for a second.

"Helm, adjust our speed to ensure the Charleston remains in sensor range,"

"Aye, Sir."

"Can't hurt to keep them in sight ..... Right," Grant said to his Executive Officer, Frank agreed ..........

[Savot]

[Starbase 47: Operations]


Lieutenant Commander Alexi Tamarov served his duty shift at one of the monitoring consoles in Starbase Operations, the dark-gold collar of his time serving in both Operations and Security, as well as infrequent dabbling in Engineering back aboard the El Salvador, poking up from underneath the dark-grey shoulders of his duty uniform.  The tasks themselves were simple enough to perform with the relevant memories all duplicated from the original subject as well as the fact that the new tenant of the physical body was used to operating technology more advanced than this on an almost exponential scale.  If anything, he began to experience a grudging respect; however minimal, for just how much this Federation had been able to accomplish with only these tools at their present disposal.


It was mildly interesting observing the flurry of activity that had resulted from Starbase 47 having returned... near home, if not to its exact original spatial coordinates.  It kept the days feeling as though they passed quickly, and what off-duty time he had, Tamarov spent settling into his newly assigned quarters on the Starbase.  He'd brought a small duffel with a spare uniform with him when he'd originally shuttled over from El Salvador, and in the downtime since the wormhole transition the original host's few remaining personal effects had been sent over from his former ship.


The Lt. Commander's mental routine was abruptly derailed as he heard the Section Admiral's alarmed voice yelling out over the tail end of a communication he had opened to the Duty Officer.  Bolting towards the SA's offices, the doors whooshed open to admit him into the antechambers just in time to see the scoring marks blackening the bulkheads from a recently discharged phaser.  Taking in the situation with a rapid analytical glance, Tamarov concluded the Section Admiral was not in physical danger, Commander Burr did not appear to be resisting any further, and due to the noise-proofing of the bulkheads and door seals no one outside the antechambers had heard the phaser blast itself although anyone seeing the walls wouldn't need a great deal of extrapolative creative reasoning to discern the source.


With no immediate threat present to the SA, Tamarov tapped his commbadge speaking firmly but calmly, =^=Operations to Infirmary.  Discreetly send a medical team to the Section Admiral's offices at your earliest convenience; suggest sedatives, Commander Tamarov confirming. Out.=^=  Able to discern that this was a sensitive situation, Alexi attempted to err on the side of non-imposition, waiting long enough for the SA to catch his eye in case he intended to overturn Alexi's intention to step back outside the offices and ensure no one else entered until the medical team arrived so as to give Commander Burr as much freedom from station gossip as was possible.  Upon stepping back outside the offices, Tamarov nodded to the Duty Officer, "Situation normal, sir.  SA's in a personal conference."  Then he assumed a parade-rest stance halfway blocking the antechamber doors until the pair of med techs arrived without drawing undue attention to themselves and by extension, the situation as a whole.


<Tag: Section Admiral>


**********************************************************************************************
[El Salvador: Holodecks]


Wanting to address the entire crew of the El Salvador at once, Savot had given orders for the crew to occupy the Holodecks designed for Academy Simulation Training due to their extensive customization capacity.  They easily generated auditorium-style seating for all crew members while routing a visual broadcast of the vulcan Commodore to each Holodeck, "Crew of the El Salvador; Vulcans are typified by a prevailing tendency to display little to no emotion.  We are also the beneficiaries of widely-held belief that we cannot knowingly state a falsehood.  While there are exceptions to each of these, I do not lie when I convey to you that you have made the former increasingly difficult for me at every stage of the crisis we have faced over the past 2 years."


Savot clasped his hands behind his back as he addressed his crew, "Your conduct and behavior en masse have consistently inspired emotions of pride within me.  Given every excuse to succumb to despair or allow the performance of your duties to suffer under ever-incoming adverse circumstances... you opted instead to make each of those adversities an excuse to find even more character within yourselves.  You have found deeper reserves of stamina and determination at every turn.  Even seasoned officers would not have been looked down upon for faltering under the burdens you have all faced... but in particular our Cadets are to be commended beyond measure for the way in which you've conducted yourselves since our abrupt exile.  You have faced fear, uncertainty, and death to a truer degree than any participant of the Academy's Kobayashi Maru exam."


His hands unclasped from behind him as he handed a small placard holding 3 golden circles to his First Officer, Commander Deis Irae, who set them next to her on a small podium as she awaited the names to be called by the captain.  Turning his gaze to a trio of Cadets standing nearby off to the side, Savot increased his vocal volume moderately, so as to give the event appropriate gravitas, "Cadets Zhegras, Karysta, and Linayra step forward."  The young female Tellarite, Vulcan-Romulan female, and Suliban female each walked over to stand facing Commander Chester Delbridge, Commodore Savot, and Commander Deis Irae respectively.  Each officer took up 1 of the golden circles, reaching forward to affix them to the youths' uniform collars, "In the fields of Engineering, Operations, and Medical, I hereby confer upon each of you here before us the rank of full Ensign.  It is my honor to serve with each of you, congratulations."


The Cadets not receiving promotion held back not one iota of exuberance in their applause for the 3 receiving the honors.  Commander Delbridge gave his protege Zhegras a wink as he affixed her pip, Savot took no offense at Karysta's lack of desire to look him full in the face as that still happened from time to time, and Irae affixed Linayra's pip in its proper place as well.  Turning back to his podium, Savot spoke again, firmly and clearly, "I know there is the urge in all of us to immediately seek contact with people we left behind in the wake of the nebula explosion, and I assure you we will all receive that opportunity.  But there is a period of uncertainty I'm confident you can all understand as we settle into the aftermath of our return.  We are dozens among thousands of displaced citizens of Section 47, and we will not fail to overcome impatience after managing to overcome so many more potent adversities.  Focus on your duties, as you've been doing, and everyone will receive the chance to communicate with their families and friends.  For my part... I can think of no beings with whom I would rather be or serve.  My gratitude to each and every one of you... you are dismissed."

[Andae Blakus]

Blakus had returned to the Raven now sure he was being shadowed by the civilian-garbed man he'd encountered in the quarters on deck 1490. After first of all helping security take the malcontent at O'Toole's to the brig levels - breaking away from the Intel officers who'd witnessed the scene - he'd made for the docking ring, and had caught sight of the cultic man in his periphery. Something gave him the strong impression, nearly a certainty, that he wouldn't have such direct experience of that man or his group for a while, that he'd perhaps missed an opportunity for... for what?

He was summoned to the bridge where Wedlerson and T'Seng informed him of their loss of the anomaly about a kilometre from the Starbase's lower levels.

"We're no longer detecting the anomaly," he nodded pensively, sitting down, "Then we believe it was either a worker bee or, perhaps more or just as likely, it's moved off. Does it no longer exist, or have we just lost it?" Little did he know that at this time the person who'd been shadowing him slipped aboard the ship via the main umbilical walkway.

It definitely seemed strange and a little too coincidental that the reading should disappear while the Maracanda was on the other side of the Starbase to it, and also that it should vanish shortly after the Maracanda had been launched.

"It's as if 'they', or the reading, knew we were on to them," he mused, Wedlerson agreeing as he settled back into the Ops console chair, "Thus the Section Admiral's plan of not revealing to them they're detected is out the viewscreen."

"Aye, sir," T'Seng agreed.

"Go back in the sensor logs for that set of coordinates. At the point in time the reading vanished, hypothesise and map possible courses a cloaked vessel could've set that would leave it least likely to being detected by any one of the starships in the area or by the base itself."

A quarter of an hour later, T'Seng and the duty science officer had a result, "Five such possible courses exist, Commander. Assuming the theorised cloaked ship were cunning enough to choose such a hidden path."

"Let's assume they were." Blakus tilted his head, "The hidden path doesn't remain so when we subject it to analysis like this after the fact. Plot on screen." A plan view of the local volume materialised on the viewscreen, the Starbase and six starships (Enzio, Maracanda, inbound Charleston; Maxwell, Schrodinger, Vicksburg) popping up first before five dotted lines were slowly plotted spiralling out from the base's vicinity to the edge of the exclusion zone. "Study each of those courses and try to uncover evidence of tachyons, any sign at all of a cloaked vessel, or if nothing else at least a recurrence of the same anomalous reading."

Nearly an hour passed before T'Seng and Svensson were ready, "Well, Commander, the third of our hypothesised courses seems to be correct." One of the dotted orange lines on the viewscreen was made to blink scarlet. "The same reading has been found at eight points along the path; no tachyons or anti-protons, but then cloaking tech of recent years has found a way to eliminate those residuals."

"That doesn't mean what we have is a cloaked starship," Andae objected; still, whatever was out there was either extremely small or cloaked. "But very well, hail Starbase and let them know." He considered a moment on what ships may be available to track after it; Maracanda was keeping pace with the Charleston, but Enzio was attempting to establish a link with local subspace comms.

"Recommend Starbase that Maracanda is sent to the vicinity of the last reading detected along the anomaly's course." Something like a friendly message and warning broadcast along that plotted course might be enough to rid themselves of whoever was around, he thought.

<Tag Maracanda>

---

Bridge, USS Charleston

VP Drake entered the bridge and looked about, thinking it wouldn't be difficult to make himself noticed. He'd just donned his most expensive outfit, his Federation Council insignia emblazoned on the left-side lapel. In his opinion he looked quite the catch; unfortunately he'd not had time to whiten his teeth before departing the 22 Gould system - the ship's last port of call after Vulcan - but such lack was inconsequential. "Captain Gray, why is the Charleston crawling?"

The aging captain and Starfleet hero looked round in surprise, "This velocity is standard for approach to Starfleet installations of SB47's size, Mr Vice President."

"But we're still nearly a lightyear away!" Drake erupted before suddenly giving a dazzling smile and taking out his timepiece, noting the chrono reading before repocketing it. "Ah, let's hurry ourselves a little shall we? Jump to a high warp factor and disengage 500 metres from the Starbase Dome, Captain Gray."

"But, sir -" the veteran began, as if the VP had ordered something monstrous.

Perhaps he was being importunate but Gray's caution was ridiculous by anyone's standards. "Nearly a lightyear, Gray? No, no, this won't do. Helm, set a course, engage!" After conferral with her CO, the nav officer complied, and minutes later the Charleston dropped out of warp 350 metres away from the Dome, sending base authorities into a panic. "Hail them," Drake nodded, smiling.

[Carl Torek]

USS Maracanda
Zero Point Eight Light-Years from Starbase ::


"Sir... Communication from the Starbase: Thay are ordering us to change course, we're to move to the original coordinates of the anomalous reading and try to track out from there," Grant looked at the viewscreen, and the USS Charleston, still moving at three-quarter impulse. He couldn't fathom why they were moving towards the Starbase at such a low velocity.

"Very well, confirm orders, helm, bri ....." Manley began when his Tactical Officer interrupted him!

"SIR, the Flagship has gone to warp!"

"WHAT!..." Grant said, head snapping round to the viewscreen, "... Do we have a lock on them?"

"Yes, Sir," Onizuko confirmed.

"Bring us about, intercept course, NOW!" Manley ordered. The Helm Officer was already turning the Intrepid Class Maracanda when the Charleston reappeared.

"They dropped from warp, bloody hell, they almost ran over the Starbase!" Onizuko said in astonishment.

"What the hell are they playing at?... Contact them and ask for an explanation. In the meantime move us up astern of the Charleston, leave enough room in case they decide to bolt again," Manley sat down, wiping the bead of sweat that was making its way down his temple ..........

Command Center
Mezzanine Level
Starbase Forty-Seven ::


Carl had just left his office with Nia Lemond and was stood on the Mezzanine Level. Suddenly, shouts of astonishment rang out below them and several Officers moved away from the windows behind them. Nia's mouth opened as her hand covered it, her eyes wide in shock, Carl turned, his heart almost missing a beat as eyed the bow of the Presidential Flagship, little more than three hundred meters from the liquid aluminium windows! ..... He leaned over the railing, seeing the Chief Operations Officer for the Starbase watching the massive vessel:

"Commander... Contact the Charleston, instruct them to move away to one thousand meters... Immediately!"

"What the hell was that man playing at, he'll be lucky not to be charged for that," Nia commented.

"Commander Helgesen, why is that ship still practically in my office?" Torek asked as Gheskori came out of his office, having missed the 'unexpected' arrival of the Vice President.

"Sir, the Captain says he was ordered to appro ....."

"I don't care who gave the order, instruct him to move now, or I'll board the Flagship and move it myself!" Carl was fuming and losing his temper rapidly. No-one, no matter who they were, breached the one thousand-meter inner marker without clearance. The slightest miscalculation from the Helm Officer on that ship and it could have ploughed right through the Command Center killing countless. Torek was about to order he be transported over to the Charleston when it began to back away from the Starbase. Crossing the ten meters from the rail to the windows, he glared at the retreating Flagship as if whoever was responsible could see his anger.

"Sir, Captain Gray sends his apologies, the Vice President wanted to make an entrance, apparently," Erik Helgesen said from Opps.

"He can save his apologies for their Courts-Martial," Carl muttered.

"Admiral Gheskori, the Vice President sends his compliments, he has arrived," the Operations Chief informed the Section Admiral.

"Bloody Lunatic!" Carl mumbled before turning away from the window to walk over to Gheskori and Lemond ..........

[Simon Clark]

Conference Room 4, Level 8, Starbase Operations

Admiral Kletchley leaned forward, drumming his fingers on the table, his face as passive and neutral as it had been throughout the meeting. There was a reason he was the liason to the diplomatic corps. She marvelled again at how expertly Campbell had cornered the Logistics Director.

"Director Morton, kindly elaborate on what it is you mean by scheduling difficulties. With the technical and operational resources available to us just in this room, I am sure it would be possible to find some compromise." Admiral Kletchley said, with significantly more calm than Sasha suspected he felt.

The director, as Sasha could have predicted before they even entered the room, floundered under the scrutiny of not one, but two admirals.

"Well, it's irregular that such a large order should be made to such a timescale. My team are working hard to ensure the final assembly for the equipment will be ready, but the schedule proposed is, shall we say, optimistic. Perhaps in a week, should the replication matter storage issue be resolved for the halide group. We do only have two operational replication bays, and we have a full team only for one."

Sasha was not the only one uncomfortable with Director Morton's response.

"Director, if halide metals were undersupplied, how did your team accept, approve and schedule the production of four subspace relays for delivery to the USS Enzio within the next thirty-two hours?" Admiral Reynolds asked.

Geoffrey Morton's hesitation was only brief, and yet added another edge of uncomfortable pressure to the room. Lieutenant Gibson was very carefully studying his PADD, avoiding the conflict. Ensign Fox was tight lipped, as if refraining from speaking his mind to his direct manager. The depth of the politic was surfacing.

"Admiral, the priority call was given with the order-"

"Not over that of functional communication for the Starbase itself!" Admiral Reynolds responded, his voice rising, just a little. "Tell me, what is being manufactured at this time?"

Morton's eyes flicked to one side. Then, with all certainty, he said, "Ensign Fox, if you would."

"Sir." Vishall's reply was terse, but controlled, "The supply of halide matter to Rep Bay five was repaired yesterday afternoon, and a supply was transferred from the tanks in bay six, which is under vacuum."

"I would like to have been informed of that, Ensign."

"Yes, sir. It was in yesterday's daily report, sir."

Morton didn't reply. He obviously hadn't read it.

"Continue, Ensign." Admiral Kletchley said.

"Mat. Rep. bay five is on schedule to complete the starbase tranceiver core assembly over the next three or four shifts - that's a day and a half on a two swing shift. The final assembly is completed by hand, and the early reppers are most experienced for that work, and I thought it would be good for the lates to come in early and learn the process. The dark shift are building the subspace relays for the Enzio in rep. bays two and four. It's a two-shift job, each unit has a five point eight hour production time on two pairs of industrial replicators, and while the subspace tranciever core components for those can be transported into position, the manual connections... sorry, that's too much detail, isn't it?" he smiled, perhaps at himself, and seemed to relax as he continued "Anyway, two successive night shifts over two days is a thirty-two hour delivery for four units."

"You mentioned bays Two, Four and Five. I thought you only had staff for one bay, and only two operational bays?" Sasha asked.

"As director Morton says, we have a full staff for three shifts on only one bay. We have three operational bays, we commissioned bay four a few weeks back, but it has not made operational sense to utilise it until now. The subspace relays are a medium size, so we can pair the replicators, and split the dark shift across two bays, rotating a couple of the more experienced from the swing-shifts for extra support."

"Pulling some smart time'o'yo're own?" Campbell asked.

"I help where I can." Vish replied.

"Reckon. That's clear enough. Any questions?"

There wasn't. Though from the looks that passed between the two admirals, Sasha fully expected that there would be further questions for director Morton in a following meeting.

Sasha presented a brief overview of the damage sustained as the starbase had traversed the wormhole, and where the structure had been replaced and rebuild to support the mass of the antenna structure under various loading conditions. "In this first phase, the structure will be around thirty percent weaker on this axis, until we are able to repair this section on these levels." She indicated a diagonal cross section where the antenna connected to the lowest ring, "I believe repair is scheduled, but until then, the computer will limit rotational and translational forces from the starbase's drive systems in those directions. My understanding is that we are not expecting to go anywhere for a little while, so the supporting structure will handle the antennas mass within those defined tolerance limits."

"Agreed," Commander Lek said.

"Keeps the base together, gives us a solid comm. Any questions?" Campbell asked.

There wasn't. Jack was up next. He didn't preamble. He didn't know how.

"The transciever in this location in the upper third of the array will facilitate a greater signal integrity through the radiation from the tunnelling anomaly. Simulations conducted using sensor data from the fleet show we should reduce the SNR by eighty percent over the distance set to the first subspace relay to be positioned by the USS Enzio, through the volume of greatest radiative field density. The testing will be conducted in three phases, first with the USS Enzio at various positions within the exclusion zone, second with the subspace relays as far as the USS Schrodinger, and thirdly with a subspace connection to Starbase 234. Testing is expected to be completed in full within nine hours of the completion of the tranciever installation. Further use of the array will be monitored with Starbase Operations, and the tranceiver team will be fully available to optimise both transmission and receipt of subspace signals for six days following release to operational use. The tranciever will then move into a standard operational mode."

Jack immediately turned off the display and returned to his seat.

"Forty hours, plus fitting, plus nine. How long was fitting? Did we cover that?" Commander Atkinson asked.

"We allowed eight hours to commission the tranciever core into the antenna assembly." Sasha told him.

"Forty-eight, plus nine, plus any delay in positioning the subspace relays" Commander Atkinson said, "that's subspace communication in just under three days. How confident are you in those timescales?"

"Eighty percent, give or take any more circumstances outside of our control." Sasha replied.

"Reckon you can control the uncontrollable by now. We've had plenty of practice." Campbell said, "Admiral, what'd'ya say we get the message out, get people excited about being able to phone home, as they say?"

Admiral Kletchly looked pensive. "We will consider it."

"Right. Any questions?"

<Tag all; for questions or additional discussion>

"Okay, we're done." Campbell stood, and Director Morton made a very unsubtle beeline for the door.

"Director," Commander Lek said, "If you have a minute?"

"Commander, I have another appointment just now, could we schedule sometime tomorrow?"

As Sasha and Commander Campbell left the room with Jack and Vishall ahead of them, she overheard the start of Commander Lek contacting the logistics office to cancel whatever his next appointment was. The Admirals had not moved from their seats.

"Oh, that's a shame," Ensign Fox said, with no real conviction.

Jack looked confused.

"Drop it, Ensign. You're obviously doing a good job. Get back there and do it. This cocktail doesn't need any extra stirring." Sasha told him.

"Yes, Commander. Commanders. Understood." Vishall inclined his head with no small measure of respect to them both, and headed for the turbolift.

"Reckon y'made a friend today, Gordon, eh?" Campbell said, after Jack had moved away.

Sasha sighed, "I'm just doing my job, I don't need the politics."

"The politic'll be needin' you, eh? It's there mate. You're good at readin' it. You better accept that, and use it, or the brass'll take you and stick yer donga in the diplomatic corps. Now, go deliver me a telephone, I gotta stoke up the ol' mallies down under."

"You what?"

"I gotta call the codgers, and tell 'em we're not cactus poopus, eh?"

Sasha looked quizzical.

"Mate, you've never been in Oz? I want. To talk. To my ol' dad. Go and make it."

"Yes, Sir." Sometimes, Sasha thought, Engineering was a very odd place to work.

[Gheskori]

Starbase 47

Two days had gone by since the arrival of the Vice President of the UFP, his unwelcome entrance having - exhaustingly for all involved - been the main talking point for most of the first day, that was from that evening until the following afternoon.

Drake had claimed that as deputy C-in-C - with the combined civil and military jurisdiction that was the administration's new privilege since the late 2380s - he had a right to execute his decisions however he wished and expect that Starfleet would accept them as they'd accepted civilian control of the military. Base authorities had countered that such decisions shouldn't run contrary to Federation and Starfleet regulations and rules of conduct. Eventually both parties had let the matter lie to rest and an uneasy detente had followed, until Drake had disarmed most of them on the third evening of his visit with his polite talk at the reception offered for him, in the largest function room available to the Starbase.

The space was decked out with Federation banners and general regalia, the Starfleet seal alongside the symbol of the Federation - deep blue next to brilliant scarlet - in a large design imprinted into the function room's floor.

Four large banqueting tables had been set out, waiters and other personnel quickly and quietly preparing it while the officers, dignitaries, diplomats and other high-level personages stood round tables laden with buffet food and champagne the other end; waiters wended their way through the crowd holding aloft metal plates with more glasses of golden liquid.

Ghes was divided in his time between making small talk with groups of diplomats and their families - including notably the Klingon Ch'Lor and his two sons - and receiving updates (as few as possible ideally, for biscuits had to be eaten) from Ops personnel and others regarding operational matters. He couldn't decide which was more tiresome, but with the diplomats and others, at least, he could expound on his numerous topics of interest, often - it was sometimes later pointed out to him - boring his interlocutors beyond belief.

He slipped through three circles of conversation, doing his affable best to charm some of those whose faces he hadn't seen so much of - had they really all been in the Omega Centauri cluster with him and the rest? - while warding off the persistent questions of those who had an agenda.

"Captain Miak, and Lieutenant Commander...? Bligh. Ah, yes, how do you do?" he greeted the two distractedly, "Captain, your son's doing an excellent job on the Enzio..."

He approached one corner of the room, noticing as he looked out across the space that Torek was still keeping his distance from the VP. The latter had just made his homecoming speech from the raised platform at the head of the room, congratulating and welcoming Section 47 back to familiar territory, and was now roughly in the middle of the space, surrounded by a large circle of officers, dignitaries, civilians, some of them fawning over the man, others doggedly asking questions of him about how things were in the core of the Federation, trying to make themselves heard above the others.

The VP's speech had in fairness been grand and sincere, though any idea that it'd been spontaneous was out of the question. It seemed to Gheskori the result of much rehearsal: deliberate pauses, well timed sweeping gestures, appeals to pathos, perfectly pitched expressions of empathy. Thus incredibly artificial, but that much preparation did at least let them know the VP meant it.

The Denobulan noticed Ch'Lor attempting to approach him again; he pretended he hadn't noticed the Klingon, began a slow starboard rotation as if it was a natural movement and headed off in the direction of Torek as well as Valente visiting from the Raven. He greeted the Section XO and attempted to hide himself behind him, as Ch'Lor continued in their direction.

Ch'Lor was gruff as he improvised, "Fleet Admiral. A fine reception. Would you be willing to direct me towards..."

<Tag Torek>

The reception had gone on into the small hours, while in the cold silence at the ventral end of the Starbase the transceiver core had finished being installed into the newly fitted array of antennae.

There would now begin a nominal nine hours of testing before the subspace transceiver could be used to communicate with anything the Section needed it to throughout the subspace comm network of Federation space.

The Enzio had received its subspace relays and had already laid the first two, now heading out towards the specified coordinates for the third and fourth drops; the Enzio itself and the relays were respectively the articles for the first and second test of the SB's subspace transceiver.

With the impending connection to the wider Federation - if everything went well - those responsible started recording a comm to Betazed. Contact had already been made via the James Clark Maxwell, but SB47 authorities were getting ready move Admiral Basirov, officially on ELOA, to Betazed's main psychiatric institute to better treat his psychosis.


Gheskori's office, 0750 hours

Ghes walked into his office the following morning, he understood the night's subspace comm testing had gone well for the most part though had encountered a slight hiccup and remained uncompleted. "Three more hours, I understand, sir," his ADC Barton let him know from a side-desk.

"What went wrong?"

"The base's new subspace transceiver successfully communicated with the Enzio, but the second test ran into problems. The third of the four relays positioned by the Enzio malfunctioned and requires a manual repair via EVA. The Enzio's doing it now. Everything's been fine with the base transceiver itself so far; no problems communicating with Starbase 234 are envisaged, once the relays are repaired and second phase testing is completed."

"Is there anything further?" Ghes asked lightly as he swung into his seat behind his desk and drank the rest of his northern continent-grown Denobulan coffee. He'd noticed Barton's discomfiture.

"Maracanda has tracked along the route supposed to have been taken by the anomalous reading and confirmed Raven's readings. They're now preparing to comm to warn the 'reading' off, if such a thing is possible," Barton sifted through more PADDs, "Morton is threatening to complain, the VP is asking for a larger wash basin, and... I thought you should know Burr has been discharged from the main sickbay. He says he has been told there was nothing he could've done to prevent his actions taken alongside Adams... I have to say, sir -"

"I know, Barton, I agree!" Ghes was severe, replacing his cup, "From my point of view the worst that can be done is to tell an officer in Burr's position that there's nothing he could've done, or can do. That's one way of ensuring he believes there is no way out. And believing there's no way out is what drove him to attempt what he did."

[Simon Clark]

Main Bridge, Deck One, USS Enzio.

"The subspace relay has cleared the cargo bay, sir." Ensign Alison Rivers told him from the operations station. Simon liked having her on the bridge, her competence at her job took a lot of the stress out of sitting in the centre seat.

"Great. Let it drift for a bit while Ensign McCarthy and Ensign Heath run the standard launch diagnostics. Ensign Rac'anne, line up the forward tractor emitters with the trajectory we need to send it on. Aim it for the Schrodinger to catch." Simon told them.

This was Simon's sixth shift in the centre seat, and he had started to become accustomed to the perspective that it allowed; of being able to think around the detail he would normally be engaged in. He glanced at the operations station. This wasn't her normal shift. She had swapped one. He was fairly sure everything he said and did was being carefully analysed by Alison, who would probably provide him with some astutely phrased written observations for him to review afterwards, and she would expect him to think about them. He knew it was good experience, and yet, it wasn't entirely comfortable.

Anya McCarthy held the engineering station, doing the work that, three years ago, he would have been doing. This was good experience for her, and Rory... well, he'd been given some subspace relays to play with. He was happy.

"Sheap een poseesion, Aye Coumandear." Ensign Rac'anne nodded at the viewscreen, which showed a magnified view of the relay.

Simon tapped the comm panel on his chair. "Ensign Heath?"

=/\= She's good to go, Chief. =/\=

"Engage tractor beam."

The translucent ray of gravitons shimmered onto the viewscreen.

"Proceed to the exclusion line, Ensign."

The Enzio accelerated gently, shunting the subspace relay ahead of it at a fixed distance. As they closed on the edge of the exclusion zone, the tractor beam was released.

"Okay. All stop."

The relay moved away without them, slowly closing the gap to the other starship.

"Notify the Schrodinger." Simon ordered.

"Schrodinger responds that they are tracking the relay, and are matching speed." Alison told him.

A few minutes later, the Schrodinger had captured the relay, brought it aboard, and set off at warp eight, eight and a half hours away, to position the final piece of their link to home in the void between the stars. With just twenty minutes left on the shift, Simon hoped he would be asleep when that next part happened. It had been a long week. And now, a three hour journey to a location a fifth of a light year away to monitor the connection authentication request to the subspace network.

"Ensign Rac'anne, set course for the observation position. Warp seven."

[Gheskori]

Later the same day, 2000 hours, Gheskori's quarters

Gheskori had entered the second hour of his dinner break, as he liked to call it, easing himself into evening studies and perusals of PADDs in the office section of his quarters while eating a small second course. Half an hour ago the Schrodinger had laid its subspace relay received from the Enzio and had helped establish the link to the wider network throughout the Federation, a link which now indeed had been formed and was stable.

Before long they were able to communicate with Starbase 234 using the Starbase's new subspace transceiver, this forming the final part of the test, and all seemed go for operational status. 234 told them after expressing delight at being able to make contact with 47 that base CO Admiral Tyrrell - the official more than any other responsible for the exclusion zone precaution - was currently off-station, returning slowly aboard his ship the SS Last Caracole; he'd comm Starbase 47 upon his return to discuss lifting the zone restrictions, assuming VP Drake was happy to proceed.

<Tag All if wish, for the above on the next morning>

Those revelations lay in the early hours of tomorrow, though, tonight he was reading on the matter of the El Sal's prisoners, after spending time with Mwv'mci over dinner. The young Denobulan consort was eager to revisit the homeworld and visit their extended family, mainly Ghes's in-laws through her but also the relatives of Ghes's late first wife.

He was trying not to remind her too frequently that the last subspace tests as well as a threat evaluation on the Klingons and Romulans and other Beta quadrant species still needed to be completed, but as he'd find out the next morning those things wouldn't be long in coming.

There was a chime at the door; surprisingly, it was Burr. Ghes asked Mwv'mci to make them tea but she was already up and about it, before she excused herself to give the troubled aide to the admiral some space and privacy.

Ghes sat mostly in silence at first while John Burr haltingly began to speak about his ordeal, once again about what'd led him to that point and how thankful he was that Gheskori had stepped into the office then and prevented his hasty action. "The doctors say I can return to work the day after tomorrow, with your approval of course," the man said.

Ghes nodded, "That sounds good to me, if you're ready for it, John. I should tell you though, Barton will be 'laying down the law'. All this time off you've had, and his having to take on most of the duties himself have left him in a thoroughly bad mood... Cranky, I think you call it."

Burr nodded appreciatively and laughed a little, finally reaching forward to pick up his tea, "You've missed Adams as well," Burr said, "He was good in the past, quick and efficient when he wanted to be. Unfortunately he was never contented with what he had, he was always driving me onwards to something, even when he wasn't using mind control and criminalising the both of us."

The Denobulan spoke to his now junior aide a while longer before excusing himself because of work, Burr acknowledged and shortly after Mwv'mci returned. She said someone had told her to pass a message to him, Admiral Basirov was aboard the USS Oxford ready to be taken to Betazed for treatment, which would be a port of call for the ship on its impending mission once the exclusion zone was lifted, whenever that may be.

A while later on, Ops patched him through to Vice President Drake's quarters; the VP wished to tour the SA's vessel if it was available. Ghes decided he could once it returned, and with the Oxford's impending business on mind, resolved to return for a while to the Enzio once it was back in dock, he commed the ship to let them know and make things ready.

<Tag Enzio>

[Carl Torek]

Three Days Earlier ::

Carl had stood on the Mezzanine Level of the Command Center as the USS Maracanda approached the Presidential Flagship... He had instructed the Charleston twice now to back away after it's criminal approach ordered by the Vice President. He was about to order the Maracanda to tractor the ship away when it began to move of its own accord, Carl wondered if Captain Gray realised his precarious position, Torek would certainly be pointing it out!

The shimmer of a transport in progress signified their arrival:

"Pardon the unscheduled arrival gentlemen..." the Vice President said, smiling down on the Officers on the Man Command Floor, none of which seemed overeager to return the compliment, "... I do believe that one should 'make an entrance' it rules out any fanfare, any misconception of superiority does it not. Section Admiral Gheskori ....." Drake said, extending his hand. Carl meanwhile had turned to the Charleston's Commanding Officer.

"Would you mind explaining your reckless approach, Captain?"

"My apologies Admiral, but I was overru ....." Gray began, but the Vice President interrupted:

"I gave the order to approach so close to the Starbase, Admiral, erm, Torek, is it not..." the man said, holding out a hand which Carl pointedly refused to accept, undaunted, the Vice President continued, "... I believe I explained my arrival adequately a moment ago, maybe you were busy and didn't hear?"

"I heard, and my 'opinion' still stands, it was reckless, with a wanton disregard for the lives aboard the Starbase and the Charleston..." Gheskori tried to intervene but Carl continued unperturbed, "... If I had my way, both of you would be in the Brig pending numerous charges for endangerment!"

"Who do you think you are addressing, Admiral!?" the Vice President snapped. Carl took a moment, looking at those on the Main Floor watching proceedings, then continued.

"These people have lost friends, family, colleagues ..... We have lost over TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY THOUSAND PEOPLE, MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN, yet you choose to 'showboat' your arrival, by this adolescent stunt!" he turned away before he physically struck the man before him, striding towards the nearest turbo-lift. The Vice President spun and demanded he return, but Carl continued.

"ADMIRAL TOREK I HAVE NOT FINISHED ..... COME BACK HERE NOW! ..... I HAVE NOT FINI' ..... I WILL HAVE YOU BROKEN FOR THIS TOREK ..... MARK MY WORDS YOU ARE FINISHED!" Drake screamed, his Aide's trying to calm the man down as several people began to applaud on the Main Floor ........

Banquet Room - Level Twenty Three
Vice Presidents Reception ::

Following his tirade, Carl had retreated to the Raven, then, when Drake had insisted on a tour, he had gone to the bowels of the Starbase to ensure the two didn't come face to face. He had been 'summoned' to Gheskori's office, where he had been subjected to an hour of, well, reprimand, he supposed, though it was his opinion that the Section Admiral may not have wholes disagreed with Carl's diagnosis regarding the Charleston and the Vice President. Despite Drakes' insistence he should be manacled, Gheskori had been able to persuade the man not to have him summarily executed there and then. Despite this, he did insist Carl attend the reception.

Earlier, he had stood in his quarters running a finger around the collar of his dress uniform, Elise had slapped his arm away several times and was now fussing over Bethan and Vanessa, who had also been invited. They were sat at their table following a very extravagant meal, apparently overseen by Drakes own Chef no less. Then the Vice President had risen to make a speech, long-winded and in Carl's opinion doing nothing to recognise those lost in the last four years. Both his daughters had made comments about the man, his 'girly' hair, the way he walked, his somewhat 'girly' voice when he spoke. Elise and Carl had both admonished their children but had struggled to keep their faces straight whilst doing so .....

Now, the tables had been removed, allowing for a large dance floor, a band had taken up position on the stage and was running through an enjoyable repertoire from soft jazz to classical and other genres. Carl meanwhile was doing his utmost to keep out of the proverbial limelight, much to Elise's amusement. She walked away to speak to someone as Gheskori approached, Carl watched as the Section Admiral tried to move behind him.

"Fleet Admiral. A fine reception. Would you be willing to direct me towards..." Carl turned to see the Klingon Diplomat, Ch'Lor, stood behind him. The Klingon hesitated when he saw Torek's expression but decided to finish speaking, "... You look somewhat perturbed Admiral, you are not enjoying the reception?" Carl glanced at Gheskori, who seemed to be surreptitiously backing himself out of the conversation.

"What can I do for you, Ambassador?" Carl asked, returning his attention to Ch'Lor.

"I was wondering if the resentment of your Vice President's earlier comments had subsided? For a time there, I was sure someone from the Federation might actually decide to do harm to the little man... He does seem to have a penchant for, what is the term you Humans use, ahh 'faux-pas' doesn't he?... You have to wonder sometimes about the procedures regarding higher appointments," Ch'Lor mused, with what passed as a grin for a Klingon.

"I didn't vote for the man..." Carl said before he could stop himself, "... You wanted something?"

"I believe there are tours of the President's vessel, I wondered where I might join one of these tours?" the Klingon replied. Carl couldn't tell if the man was being sarcastic or just Klingon.

"See one of the Stewards, they will help, now, if you will excuse me, I need to find my family." Carl turned and walked away before Ch'Lor could reply, but as be moved around the dancefloor he could see the Klingon deep in discussion with another man who Carl couldn't identify. It was clear Ch'Lor wasn't interested in the Charleston, no doubt the Klingon High Command already had extensive blueprints of the Excelsior Class Starship, so what was he really after he wondered. Elise tapped him on the shoulder, handing him a drink as he turned. She pointed out Bethan and Vanessa, dancing together next to Diplomats, High-ranking Starfleet Officers, and other Dignitaries, despite their ages, both were acting very maturely and both Elise and Carl were very proud of them.

"I think you should ask me to dance," Elise said, taking his glass then his hand, before leading him to the dancefloor.

"This collar is too tight," Carl moaned, running a finger around the rim yet again.

"Undo it... Hell, you're already on death row," Elise said, trying not to laugh too much ..........

[Simon Clark]

Briefing Room, Deck One, USS Enzio

"We will dock at Starbase 47 in just under fourteen hours," V'Maz told the senior staff, "Soon after docking Admiral Gheskori intends to come aboard, and the Enzio will host the Federation Vice President John Drake who will tour of the vessel."

"The Vice President is coming here?" Simon asked, trying hard not to yawn. V'Maz had called this meeting at the end of Yarwood's shift, and the start of Tavik's. For Simon, it was basically the middle of the night, and it felt like it.

"Correct, Commander."

"Well... what does he want to see?" Simon asked.

"Anything and everything, in a whirlwind, from what I've heard of him," Paul told them, "He'll want to see anything with visual appear, anything with a reputation to impress; Bridge, Warp Core, Shuttle Bay, Astrometrics, Sick Bay."

"The Vice President may occasion the tour to dignitaries and associates. This could pose a risk to the security of the vessel." V'Maz told them, "I want primary systems secured during the visit."

"I'm not sure having armed guards will give the right impression."

"You are correct," V'Maz nodded in Paul's direction, "I suggest we restrict access to areas outside of the itinerary, and have security teams posted casually. I will coordinate with Lieutenant Miak."

"If it's visual impact he wants, Astrometrics could show an overview of the starbase's path through the wormhole, and then one of the holodecks we could simulate an external viewing of the Enzio separating into MVAM and firing on a shielded asteroid." Simon suggested.

"What would be the purpose?" V'Maz asked.

"Visual Impact, V'Maz," Paul said, "This is a man who likes to see things. We can give him a good show, tell him a bit about the ship, point out some interesting features; and if they are in the holodeck, then they aren't being a security risk anywhere else."

"That is... logical." V'Maz conceded. "Very well. I will distribute a proposed itinerary to you this afternoon. Meeting adjourned."

Tavik and V'maz left the room, and returned to the bridge. Paul sat for a moment longer, watching the warp field effect through the observation window.

"You all right?" Simon asked him.

"When we dropped that fourth relay..." Paul took a deep breath, and pushed it free, "have you thought about who you might contact when the subspace channels come online? Family? Friends?"

"My father, and my sister, first. I'd want them to know I was alive. And I want to know if I'm an uncle. I've a few friends in England, and some in San Francisco. Why do you ask?"

Paul turned away from the broad windows, rotating his head to Simon, one hand supporting his chin, elbow on the table. His expression was grim, and he looked away as soon as he met Simon's eyes. "I... don't want to face Lisa's family. I don't know... I mean... that I survived Betreka, and she didn't..."

"Ah," Simon said, more for something to say than anything else. "It's not your fault."

"I know. And I know it's survivors guilt. I've spent enough time with a councillor in the last three years. There wasn't anything I could have done that I didn't do at the time. But understanding what it is, and why you feel something is very different from feeling it and having to deal with it. And having to explain to your parents-in-law that their daughter is never coming home... I don't want to have to have that conversation. And I know I have to... We chose to serve together in Starfleet, and that choice... I helped her make that choice. Maybe if I hadn't, she'd still be alive."

Simon didn't know what to say. He'd never been very good at this sort of thing. He let the silence pan out for a bit. It wasn't awkward as such, there was barely anyone who hadn't lost someone in the Betreka event, or after it. His thoughts strayed to Brexxon, the Bolian technician who'd been killed in a power conduit explosion when the Enzio's computer systems had been hijacked, and forced to attack the rest of the fleet. It was a stupid, pointless, death.

"Do you know. I would have resigned my commission if we hadn't been stranded in the far reaches of space. I didn't want to continue as an officer... without her."

"You didn't." Simon said, after a moment.

"True. Maybe I didn't think I had anything to resign to."

"What do you mean?"

"What would I have done? I'm a command officer. I'm not a cook, or a technically skilled person like you. I don't have much in the way of practical skills. I didn't resign, because I don't know what I would have done instead. I still don't."

"You're a good leader, a good manager." Simon told him, "I'd not have learned half as quickly how to run a good engineering department without watching your running an efficient bridge."

"I'm not Gheskori." Paul said.

"I'm not V'Maz. But I don't feel like I have to be. I'm me. And I'm the sum of all of the experiences I've had, and all the people I've learned from. I watch Anya McCarthy on the Engineering station while I'm on the bridge. I see how nervous she is sometimes. Just like I was. Just as M'Rell is still sometimes. I've come a long way since then, and that's in no small part to the support I've had from you, and V'Maz, and Gheskori, and all the other officers on our teams. I never thought I'd end up running a department. I never thought I'd end up covering the centre seat on the bridge of an advanced starship. I never really planned for any of it, and I don't know what's coming next."

"Is this the part where you tell me to take each day as it comes?"

"Would that help?" Simon asked.

"Perhaps."

They settled into another few moments of contemplation. Simon watched the tops of the nacelles from the window. The powerful warp technology, propelling them forward through space. It was both awesome, and inspiring. And probably contained something needing maintenance, or replacement. There was always a long list of things to do.

"Thank you, Simon." Paul said, "I appreciate you listening to my... fears, I suppose."

"You are very welcome." Simon replied, and surprised himself by how strongly he meant it. "Did it help?"

"Maybe. I think I always knew that if I were ever faced with the need to have such a conversation, that I would never shirk away from it. I owe them that. But... after that... I think I'd like a bit of a break, you know? To go back to Earth, visit a coffee shop, see a mountain, ride a surfboard."

"You're a surfer?"

"Windsurfer. Lisa grew up by the coast. She loved..." he paused, and drummed his fingers on the table for a few seconds, considering some significant thought, "... windsurfing."

Paul stood, and gathered the pair of PADD's he'd brought into the meeting. He seemed to Simon to be just a little more energised; with slightly less slouch in his posture. That was good, right?

"Shouldn't you be in bed, Commander?" he asked, moving toward the door.

"Er... sure... I mean, Yes. Sir. I'd like to get a few hours before my next shift."

"Sleep well, then. I'll see you later."

Paul stepped out of the room, leaving Simon alone.

[Gheskori]

15 hours later, Gheskori's office

The Starbase's subspace transceiver was now in operational status, though it was still using the subspace relays dropped and positioned by the Enzio and Schrodinger. It would remain in that mode for the next two weeks, nominally, until base staff considered they were ready to move to using the transceiver by itself with the intervening relays as back-up. <Tag All for beginning of messages to Earth, Vulcan, etc, if wish>

=/\=Admiral Gheskori, receiving communication, SS Last Caracole directed via Starbase 234.=/\=

Ghes turned in his office's chair, =/\=Patch me through,=/\= he activated his monitor screen, it taking a miniscule amount of time longer than we was used to to establish a subspace comm link, as the channel was opened through the four relays positioned from here to a couple lightyears out. "Ah, Tyrrell, it's good to see the face of a member of the admiralty outside of our Section," he said to the Starbase 234 CO.

"Gheskori, excellent," Tyrrell replied from his chair on his personal vessel's bridge, and went into a monologue on various matters. Ghes interjected at one point to ask about current affairs on Earth, but Tyrrell said that was better discussed in person. With that in mind, he went on to say how plans were being made to have more ships head to within one lightyear of Starbase 47, as so far the Charleston was satisfied that things seemed under control and that SB47 seemed the real article. "I am sorry about the exclusion zone precautions, Gheskori," Tyrrell said, "And yes, I'm responsible for them. Command appreciated the suggestion. It'll be lifted once Charleston has reported back."

"I understand. We'll make contact again," Ghes nodded, and the channel closed.

He sighed, finding he was mildly surprised that someone on the Charleston was pleased enough with things here; Tyrrell had to have been referring to the Vice President, which was the strange thing, as Drake's arrival here had not been without its problems. He thought again of the altercation and the subsequent meeting with Torek a couple days ago. There were many things about Drake that were unsavoury, but he'd asked Carl to remember that physical violence was a last resort... at least when in the command centre.

=/\=Admiral Gheskori, receiving message from dock, USS Enzio has made its moorings and wishes to notify you of its readiness, for something.=/\=

Ghes turned in his chair, =/\=Thank you, Lieutenant,=/\= he activated his monitor screen and tapped the comm panel on his desk, "Mr Vice President, this is Admiral Gheskori. I trust I'm not disturbing you, will you please turn on your screen?" Drake's face appeared against the backdrop of his state-level quarters. "The Enzio is waiting, sir."


USS Enzio

They were gathered at the head of the vestibule, the visitors having just disembarked from the walkway. Gheskori breathed in the air of the Enzio... Recycled atmosphere, slightly more stale than the more naturalistic station air, a smell of sterilised duranium and fresh sealant invading his senses - superb. He was where he should be once again, for the first time since before the stand-off with the Alarodian Coalition and their Halanan allies.

He inhaled again and looked about with the appropriate amount of pep, "Commander V'Maz, may I introduce Vice President John Drake, Andorian ambassador Sairal, Alpha Centauran Regent Gaston Malthus and Deltan representative Lupa Nec - who have come here on the Charleston, - and Dimok Bennett, Jr, Section 47 Diplomatic Corps. Sirs, my first officer Commander V'Maz, Chief Engineer Simon Clark, Ensign Alison Rivers and Ensign Paulo Hurel."

"Mr Vice President, by reputation, of course," V'Maz gave way in the Vulcan displeasure of physical contact and shook Drake's hand.

"Well, of course!" Drake smiled brilliantly and looked about at the other Enzio officers present, Ghes all the while smiling a Denobulan smile, as Drake with an attempt at magnanimity shook hands with Clark, Rivers and Hurel and commended each of them in flowery language. Then he looked about in pretend amazement, "Is this really the interior of a Prometheus class tactical battlecruiser?"

"Where to first, Admiral?" the Andorian Sairal said.

Drake looked round feigning surprise and slapped the Andorian on the back, "Patience, Sairal, patience!" he laughed uproariously. Ghes kept Clark, Rivers and Hurel with him for technical commentary while allowing V'Maz to return to the bridge. Yes, they would have to enjoy the tour with him. "We shouldn't keep Sairal waiting, Admiral. Lead on if you would," Drake suggested.

"Very well. First stop, astrometrics. Yes, it maps surrounding space and can provide a useful visual guide for..."

[David Tan]

Level One One Five One...
Tactical Secure Holosuite ::

David walked through the doors, surprised to see an ornately furnished living room .....

"Admiral..." Tan said, nodding his approval of the decor, "... Is your office being decorated?"

"Take a seat, David, I have a little 'favour' to ask you..." Carl Torek said as he poured two glasses of cognac before handing one to his life-long friend and taking the plush leather chair opposite. He sipped at the warm liquid, enjoying the warmth of the open fire. Tan waited patiently, knowing Carl would get to what he had on his mind in his own good time, "... You know about the anomalous readings we're been picking up sporadically?"

"Yes, a possible cloaked vessel?"

"We believe so, yes, but without any proof, or an overt act by the cloaked ship, there's not much we can do ..... My issue is that they may have already managed to get operatives onto the Starbase ....."

"Where is it now?" David asked.

"The Vicksburg picked up anomalous emissions, only for a fraction of a second, they believe the cloaked ship is hiding right beneath them, it's likely they feel they can go undetected so close," Carl said, finishing his glass and placing it on a small table as he stood. David followed suit as Torek approached tapping his comm-badge:

"Computer .. Initiate transport .. Authorisation: Torek Alpha-Two-Two-Epsilon," before Tan could ask where they were going the two dematerialised, reappearing in a laboratory, presumably, elsewhere on the Starbase. Two white-coated gentlemen approached, nodding to Tan before addressing the Admiral.

"Sir, there's no way we are ready, it hasn't even been tes ....." one of the two Scientists began, but Torek interrupted him easily as he walked over to a device on a workbench:

"We're out of time Doctor Naylor, we are confident we have one cloaked vessel surveilling us, there could be more. How long before you can incorporate the device into a working transporter?"

"Weeks, months! ..... We haven't even prepared a report for the Federation Science Directorate yet, they will have to approve any further testing..." the clearly annoyed Scientist said, "... I cannot condone any furt ....."

"Then I will have you removed from the project and held incommunicado until such time as the secrecy of this project is moot," Carl said, motioning to one of the Security Personnel, but the Scientist held up his hands in submission.

"What is this, it doesn't look like Federation tech?" David asked, eyeing the tech'.

"It's Alaro-..." the second man began, seeing the first Scientist glare at him as he finished speaking, "... -dien transport technology,"

"How long before the device can be installed?" Torek asked.

"Six hours, but we would need to test it, and withou ....."

"Then make arrangements to have it retrofitted to the main transporter aboard the USS El Alamein immediately, please," Carl said with a smile of dismissal.

"The El Alamein! ..... Are you INSANE!" the Doctor said, losing the last vestige of his patience.

"Officer, please secure this man, he is not to have contact with anyone without my permission..." the Security Officer grabbed the mans arm pulling him protesting across the Lab and out of sight, and thankfully, earshot, "... Doctor Vernos, I assume you can accommodate my request with all due alacrity?"

"Yes, Admiral, but I can't do it on my own, I need Doctor Naylor,"

"You'll manage... The El Alamein has been evacuated, you and one Technician will transport aboard with the device and fit it. You will not leave the El Alamein or speak to anyone under 'ANY' circumstances. Is that understood?"

"Yes, erm, yes, Admiral, understood," the man said, turning to one of the Senior Technicians before nervously asking Tan to move aside while they begin. Carl and David stood off to one side for a long moment before Tan felt he could ask a question:

"Alarodian technology?"

"It's part of their transporter system, allowing them to transport to and from their refinery platform within the event horizon of the wormhole... It was thought that we might be able to adapt the technology to suit our purposes,"

"..... And that would be?" Tan asked guardedly.

"If it works, we 'should' be able to transport onto, and hopefully off, a cloaked vessel, undetected," Carl replied. David just looked at the man wondering if this was some practical joke, but Torek seemed perfectly serious.

"Pardon my asking Admiral, but who else knows about this?"

"Section Admiral Gheskori, Savot, Nia Lemond, Matt Reynolds, Captain Komin, Myself, the small group working here ..... and now you ..... Captain Komin and the crew are currently enjoying drinks in the holosuite we recently vacated. Komin has been told to await my arrival, nothing more..." Torek answered, moving towards the doors, "... We'll take the leisurely way back up I think," he stepped out of the Lab and walked along the corridor to a secure turbo-lift. Entering, he requested the Command Center, the two rose in silence before stepping out on the Main Floor. David followed the Fleet Admiral as he walked up the ramp to the Mezzanine Level and into his office. as Carl sat behind his desk he activated a tab to secure the doors and isolate the office:

"I want to put someone aboard the cloaked ship, David..." he said finally, "... Iorte, Elena, and yourself to be precise. Once aboard you will find out everything you can, hopefully without being discovered or captured in the process,"

"The Doctor said we would need to test the system, how do you propose we do tha ......" Tan began, silently answering his own question before falling silent. He walked over to the cabinet and poured himself a larger than usual glass, downing it in one as Carl looked on in silence. Refilling the glass, he took it back to the Admiral's desk and sat down opposite ..........

[Simon Clark]

Corridor 3A, Deck 12, USS Enzio.

"The Enzio has six personnel transporter rooms, and two cargo transporters, spaced throughout the ship. On this deck we have training facilities, access to the main deflector, and a small industrial replication facility and the associated matter storage." Simon told them as they moved through the corridors. "After the USS Voyager returned to the alpha quadrant in 2378 many of the astrometrics facilities on new vessels were remodelled to encorporate the holodisplays designed by the voyager crew, and others were refitted to encorporate this modern design."

Inside astrometrics, Paulo took over the presentation, and gave an overview of the events that started with the Betreka nebula explosion that hurtled the Starbase across the galaxy, and the area mapped by the Enzio and other ships of Section47.

As Paulo took his turn, Simon found himself feeling hot, and perspiring, in the face of the ambient conditions inside the room. It was an odd sensation, a feeling of a slight pressure in the ears, and an uncomfortable, and out of place, feeling of... desire. He glanced around the room. Alison was looking away from him, her brown hair tied neatly behind her. She'd let it grow longer in the last three years. It looked nice. Simon looked down at the floor. This wasn't right. These were not thoughts for an on duty officer. When he looked up, the Deltan Representative Lupa Nec was looking at him. Simon visualised a momentary twist of memory, a memory he didn't think was his, like a half remembered dream of a sensual encounter. Of course, Deltan Pheremones. Simon tried to push the sensation from his mind, and focus. This whole tour business had just gotten that little bit more complicated. Lupa Nec looked back at Paulo, who stuttered a little in his presentation. The perspiration on his own forehead strongly suggested that Simon was not the only one feeling the effect.

"And then the starbase mated with the wormhole, sliding through the event horizon, and on... deeper... through," Paulo took a deep breath, "and out into Yatto space."

"That must have been some adventure! And to come back through an as yet unknown wormhole! How exciting." John Drake commented, with a great deal of enthusiasm.

Alison frowned at Paulo, obviously unimpressed with the imagery of his presentation, and then to Drake. "A hundred metre section of the docking dome was vapourised in the transition. Thirty-two lives were lost in an instant." Alison told him.

"Such is sometimes the cost of progress," Sairal replied, "For the knowledge you have gained. Don't you agree Admiral?"

<Tag Gheskori>

Dimok shuffled a padd in his uneasy hands, "And now, an experiential demonstration on the holodeck. I understand it is quite nearby?" he asked toward Simon.

Simon led the way to the turbolift at the end of the hall, and with nine of them crowded into the space, he found himself wishing he'd climbed a jeffries tube instead. Not that the turbolift was particularly small, nor were they on board for more than a fifteen seconds to climb to deck eleven and exit.

Outside holodeck two, Simon tapped the panel, "Computer, activate program Clark-forty-seven, wormhole transition one." They stepped inside what was a replica of the briefing room on board the Enzio.

"Beyond the windows here, we have simulated a view from the sensor data taken inside the wormhole." The cerulean-maroon tint to the tunnel seemed to rush past them at speed, and great swathes of glowing energy rippled around them. "Ahead of you, is an exterior view of the dorsal section of the docking dome of Starbase forty-seven. The transition took just under five hours, this point in the simulation is approximately fifteen minutes after we crossed the event horizon. As you will have seen in your itinerary, this simulation has an experiential element, and we will take you onto command platform in the starbase operations through the first few minutes of the wormhole transition. The simulation has been rebuilt from the logs, and you may find it... er... a little tense. Feel free to step back through that door in to the briefing room at any time."

Alison elected not to view the simulation, and took a seat on the briefing room table.

...
The base shook underfoot, the USS Raven on the main screen, drifting freely inside the docking dome. Around the command platform, officers worked their consoles yet more frantically to help keep the Sovereign vessel stabilised. "Activating three more tractor beams, two for the Raven stardrive, one for the saucer."

"What was that?" Ghes asked his aide. Barton requested an update on the vibration.

"something in the base's impulse exhaust was reacting with the rare elements of the wormhole."

"The reaction has caused damage. Shields in quadrants 1 and 4 are down to 86 and 84 percent respectively," a console operator on the lower deck called over the Ops intercom.

"Redistribute shield energy evenly in those sections. Divert power from weapons systems and environmental control in uninhabited sections."

"Recommend we advise the Raven to power up their impulse engines at a low level along our flight vector, that should relieve stress on both set of tractor beams stabilising the vessel, and keep it away from the observation deck - like relieving tension on an elastic band," Commander Sasha Gordon at the auxiliary engineering station suggested. "Any backwash from the exhaust can be dissipated by EM dampening fields and by aiming it off the plane - as long as we exert a force into the Dome and away from the edge."

Aide Barton glanced at the simulated Gheskori, who nodded his agreement . "Execute," Barton said, and Gordon contacted the Raven.

A console operator called urgency "An emergency docking pylon has torn free is approaching the Raven."

"Now, Commander!" Barton virtually roared, "If the Raven receives only a glancing blow it'll make all the difference."
...

The simulation lasted several minutes, and at the end, Simon had programmed it to fade out to darkness, muffled and quiet, like an old-style theatre, leaving the open door back to the conference room a shaft of light onto the command platform.

"You're right, that was tense." Paulo commented as they came back into the briefing room. "I'd rather not live through that again."

"Lieutenant Commander, that was quite the event. Credit due where it's due. You have shown yourselves the model command staff under such conditions. The added spice of the vibration through the deck was a great embellishment." Drake said.

"I assure you," Gheskori's reply was terse, "it had been toned down. I was under the impression we were to view an MVAM separation?"

"Commander V'Maz suggested this would, logically, be of a more topical interest, sir." Simon replied.

"And the approval for access to the station's operational logs?"

"Admiral Torek, sir." Simon told him.

<Tag Gheskori>

Dimok, who had paled following the few minutes of the simulation, checked his PADD, "Next... er... Main Engineering?"

[Simon Clark]

Main Engineering, Deck 8, USS Enzio

"The USS Enzio is a Prometheus class vessel, which means it can separate into three fully functional independent starships. While this decreases the defensive capability of each individual section verses the combined configuration, the tactical advantage of being able to combat an opposing vessel from multiple positions significantly offsets this," Simon told the group assembled around the upper level of the primary warp core, "This multi-vector assault mode is rarely used on board the Enzio, the majority of our missions are peaceful, scientific, or exploratory, and the offensive capability of the Prometheus-class in it's combined configuration is usually sufficient for any situation we might encounter."

"Did you encounter many situations requiring offensive capability in the Gamma Quadrant?" Sairal asked.

"An unfortunate few," Gheskori told him, "Diplomatic solutions are always our preferred course."

Gheskori nodded for Simon to continue.

"The line that separates the Primary and Secondary engineering hulls exists between deck eight, where we are standing, and deck nine below it. The centre of the warp core crosses this line, and when the ship separates, the warp core is separated into two independent cores, and the two access stairwells between Primary and Secondary Engineering are closed off. Engineering have prepared a demonstration for your observation, of what happens here when an MVAM request is made from the bridge."

"Proceed, we are all intrigued as to what your team can do," the Vice President said, with somewhat less enthusiasm than he had earlier shown on the tour.

"Thank you, sir." Simon nodded to Ensign Rory Heath, who was working at station nearby. Lieutenant Almir Marin was on the deck below.

Rory tapped the comm panel on his console. "Heath to Engineering. Warp core separation drill. Fifteen second countdown. Mark." The light spectral output in the engineering section shifted from white to blue. A low, continuous chime sounded. "Stairwells fully retracted to deck." Rory said. The light dimmed as the output from the warp core reduced in intensity. "Beginning reaction separation."

=/\= Magnetic containment stable, AM reaction separated. =/\=

There ware a series of three clunks vibrating through the decking.

"Reaction vessel has been split. Conduits separated. Hull ports are secure." Rory said. The warp core ahead of them resumed it's normal light output. "Alpha core online. Ready. "

=/\= Bravo core online. Ready =/\=

Simon turned back to the delegates, noticing the Sairal was attempting to conceal an Andorian tricorder in his palm. "At this point, Engineering systems automatically notify the bridge that we are ready for the MVAM separation."

"Fantastic!" The Vice President said, with mock-enthusiasm, "In just fifteen seconds. Incredible. My sincere congratulations to your team!"

"Thank you, sir." Simon replied. However, John Drake's attention had already wavered, and he'd gone into a conversation with Dimok about the next section of the itinerary. Simon let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding, and instructed Rory to reset the core separation. Next there would be a tour of the shuttle bay, and then on to sickbay, before going to the bridge, with a small reception in the main briefing room. He glanced at Sairal, who had turned his back to the group and appeared to be concealing something. Possibly the tricorder? Simon thought. Why would the Andorian Ambassador need to carry, or use, a tricorder on a ship tour? He'd have to mention it to Gheskori later.

[Iorte Clancy]

You want us to do what? Iorte had nearly said. Instead he managed to say, "I understand, Director. Indeed?"

Lemond sat bemused behind her desk, "Yes. Tan was going to inform the both of you himself but he's been kept by Fleet Admiral Torek after a classified meeting, who I believe has taken him in to see Captain Komin and her senior officers on deck 1151. You'll join them in a moment. I thought I would let you know about the operation, seeing as you were up here anyway."

Clancy turned momentarily to de Luca, both surprised about the planned assignment and its odd perhaps risky nature; Elena asked, "You mean there was something else, Director?"

"Yes, please sit down. I'm sending Intelligence Officer Rosa Noon and Petty Officer Iezelda Iezeld along with you on this assignment. They likely won't join you on the cloaked ship itself but will remain aboard the El Alamein; still it will be useful additional field experience, which is to the purpose. You're familiar with Noon's talents already; Elena, I understand she's been something of a protege of yours. And same with you and Iezelda, Clancy."

"What will be their role, if they're not to join us on the cloaked ship itself?" Iorte asked.

Nia nodded, "Tan and the both of you will be expected to make a decision in the field about whether to take Noon and Iezeld onto the cloaked ship. I believe both are ready, but the choice is yours, Fran Komin may appreciate their advice while you three are away."

"Or she won't," Elena was blunt, raising a laugh.

Clancy nodded, saying he'd go and brief Iezelda, if she didn't know already. Lemond acknowledged and told them to direct steps to the holodeck on deck 1151 after informing their proteges.

He headed out onto the mezzanine level and looked briefly over the command centre before making double time for the turbolift. He thought about what was currently occupying the base... They'd established comms with the wider Federation via a chain of buoy-like relays; many would have contacted friends and loved ones by now, but he had not, for he had no one to contact; Carpoln his former ally was dead and gone, his colonial homeworld was a blasted, desolate hell... there was no one in the Federation who would've missed him, there was nowhere to turn.

He returned to his quarters then headed down a couple levels to Iezeld's quarters. "Petty Officer?" he spoke as the door retracted, Iezelda Iezeld had called from wherever she was in the room for the computer to grant entry. He headed into the cramped sitting space where she was nearly doubled over an array of PADDs. "Put those down, Iezelda."

"Iorte, I didn't expect you."

"It's time for an assignment." They headed to deck 1151 and entered lavishly appointed living quarters in a series of interconnected rooms. In the central and largest room, at a table and three adjacent couches, were the El Alamein senior staff along with Tan and the Section XO. "Admiral," Clancy and Iezeld stood simultaneously to attention. As Torek replied he noticed de Luca and Noon just entering the room.

"We've been informed of the mission by Admiral Lemond, sir," Iorte said and was told about the emptying of the El Alamein while Dr Vernos and a technician installed the experimental transporter tech. The Defiant class had to be flooded with baryonic radiation outside of the transporter room itself during the installation, so nothing could contaminate the new matter buffer or perturb the Heisenberg compensators during realignment.

"Is there any indication at all who the cloaked vessel may belong to, if it is a vessel?" he asked.

<Tag Tan, Torek>

[Andae Blakus]

On the bridge, T'Seng was reporting on the likely route the anomalous reading had taken out towards the exclusion zone perimeter, "To the eight readings we detected first of all after identifying this course, we can add another 15. The 23rd and last reading is extremely weak, located some 0.12 lightyears outside of the third subspace relay laid by the USS Enzio and roughly on the same radial axis. The predicted place of a 24th reading returns no results, and the 25th and 26th places lie outside the exclusion zone."

"Estimating the reading's velocity along its trajectory - if it can be said to have a velocity - it appears it would've been carried past the 25th position at roughly the future coordinates of the USS Vicksburg, once the latter makes its way round its perimeter patrol," Wedlerson said.

Andae nodded and turned to T'Seng and Marionette who were doing the rest of the calculations, "That may be intentional. Send word to Starbase that Vicksburg should be informed about the possible proximity of the anomaly."

Not long after, the Vicksburg verified with the Starbase she was detecting the anomaly some hundreds of metres from her ventral surface. Blakus decided the Raven had done its work on the reading, they would pass back to the base the Dome visual and sensor data and free up some real-time computer memory. He hoped Operations had a solution, as he hoped he had one for himself.. he knew he was being followed again.

The tap loosened, jets of hot water gushed over his hands, he let them rest for a while til he was on the verge of being scalded and then lifted his hands to his face and took a moment to appreciate the sudden heat; he washed away the afternoon's grime. "Computer, increase quarters illumination, 20%."

Taking a real shower and donning a recycled uniform he prepared to connect - via the subspace relays - with the subspace network throughout Fed space, calling Earth. Many messages had been passing back and forth already.. he needed to see, hear and feel Rome.

Not realising he'd been followed to his quarters by the civilian-clothed man from deck 1490 - who stood outside the door - listening, he found a message lying waiting on his console, something visual pre-recorded; his hand hovered, trembling slightly as he recoiled from the shock, the sender's name showed in spindly letters, Dacian Blakus Peractio.

His cousin, much longer out of contact than any other of his family, who last he'd heard in 2403 was tiring of his job in Earth's civil defence unit and was on the verge of moving back home to the family estate on the borders of the old Italian capital. He activated the screen, registering immediately the green uniform,

"Commander Andae Blakus. I'd heard you'd returned, thought I'd lodge a subspace comm to be sent ASAP and wait for your scrapheap station to be cleared by Starfleet Command. Your brother Lucius is well. He and Praestans have started a theatre company." Praestans.. that was Dacian's own brother, Andae remembered, someone he barely knew. "As you can see, I've joined the Federation Marine Corps. 4th Amphibian Brigade. Received my commission last year. The wretches had to do it didn't they, they assigned me to a blasted starship," Dacian grunted, everything would give the stranger the impression he was disgruntled, cantankerous, but Andae recognised the rich humour behind his eyes. Still his character burnt through.

"I would say, don't worry," Dacian went on, "My assignment is a ship that's part of the fleet protecting Barnard's Star and nearby systems, but I've managed to be given leave... I'm heading out in the direction of Starbase 47 aboard a privately chartered runabout; once the exclusion zone is lifted, I'll be there. There's news. Contact me."

He hurriedly readied a new subspace channel and patched the Raven through via the Starbase's transceiver and the quartet of relays, one of dozens of lines being shot back and forth now that the subspace comm system was online; it was his first contact with someone who'd remained in Fed space, and with someone not seen for so long, "Open a channel, computer." Dacian was answering from his runabout, seemingly some 30 lightyears away.

"Ah, Commander.. it's been a while, a long while..." Dacian grunted in amusement, as if continually suppressing a laugh.

"Peractio," he nodded and smiled and drank his coffee, "It's good to see you."

They caught up for a while but Dacian cut it short, "You wanted to know the news," he assumed this. Andae nodded. "Since you've been gone, our cousin Benjamin has died in an accident - his freighter burnt up in the atmosphere of a gas giant 18 months ago. Childless, his father's disinherited himself from the family's substance, and it's passed to you, and to my mother." Blakus sat frozen as Dacian let the words fall heavily, "That's why I'm heading out to you, to decide how to settle this business. Your aunt didn't want the property, she is wanting to pass it to me. I told her you may object - you know our ways as well as any. You have inherited, but you didn't know it; I may inherit, and don't want it."

"Well neither do I," Blakus eventually said.

"Then we have a problem, Andae."

[Calli Valente]

Twenty-Four Hours Earlier ...

USS Raven-C
Bridge ::

Calli had been telling Carl for weeks that he was working too hard and needed to spend a little time with his family ... Carl in response had told his stepsister that between duties as the Starbase Exec' and overseeing the refits to the Fleet, he had little or no time for recreation ..... She, of course, knew about Carl's argument with Vice President Drake on his arrive after the man's antics, and also knew that Carl had been making sure their paths didn't cross again whilst he was here. She had been told that the Fleet Admiral had practically dove into a workshop on the Dock when he thought he saw the VP leaving one of the offices. He denied it obviously, but Calli couldn't help but laugh.

She had spoken to Elise, and they agreed it would be nice to spend some time without interruptions, so Calli had suggested she take the girls off their hands for a day so the parents could have some time together. Elise had immediately agreed, as had Bethan and Vanessa. Calli had booked two holosuites on Alpha Promenade, one for her and the girls, the other for Elise and Carl ... She knew the girls loved anything exciting, tallest rides, fastest, scariest, they would try anything, despite almost giving their parents collective 'heart attacks half the time, but this time they had chosen somewhere a little different - Sea World, San Diego, on Earth ... It still had rides, but as the name indicated, it was water-based. They agreed Calli would 'coax' Carl into compliance and would pick up the girls after breakfast the following morning ..... It was agreed she would do some 'arm twisting' to get Carl to take the time off .....

She had begun by making her plans known to Andae, given he would be in charge while Carl was away. Blakus had grinned, saying 'good luck' but Calli had a plan, she had information and in true Intelligence style, planned to use it ... On the Bridge, she had casually brought up the Vice President and his 'antics' on arrival, she knew Carl was still annoyed, not because the man had threatened his career, but because he hadn't landed a right hook on the man's chin. As Torek was leaving the Bridge she spoke:

"Oh, don't forget the 'VP's visit," she said as the turbo-lift doors closed, reopening a fraction of a second later as Calli grinned inwardly.

"Visit?"

"Well, I believe he voiced an interest in taking a tour. Apparently he hasn't been aboard a Sovereign Class Starship before, and well, the Raven's here..." she said with a shrug, trying hard to keep her face expressionless.

"You knew about this visit?" he asked Harry Wedlerson, who suddenly found himself in the firing line.

"I believe it was a last-minute change of plan, Admiral,"

"Great!" Carl said, sighing.

"You could, of course, be, otherwise engaged when he arrives, I suppose," Calli said innocently.

"YES!..." Carl said, suddenly realising that the Officers and Technicians on the Bridge had turned at his apparent enthusiasm, he hurriedly removed the smile, "... I may actually have duties that would, unfortunately, keep me off the ship during the Vice President's visit, but I'm sure he will understand... Commander, if you could join me in my ready room,"

"This is all you're doing isn't it," Carl said as the doors closed.

"Well, no, the 'VP' does want a tour, and no doubt he'll be more than happy to tell you again about his plans to have you shot at dawn, so to speak, but yes, Elise and I were talking, and we agree..." she held up a hand as Torek tried to interrupt, then continued, "... There's a holosuite booked all day tomorrow, I'm taking the girls, so you two can do as you please whilst 'hiding' from Drake," Finally, Carl had to agree, he did need a break, and he knew just the place: He would program the holosuite to show Sato's ancestral home in Akita Prefecture on Honshu Island, Japan. It's very isolated, on the shore of Lake Tazawa, Elise loved it there the last time they visited and had enjoyed the hot springs. Now he'd decided where to go, he was actually looking forward to it and pondered the idea of possibly extending the visit for an extra day ..... The following morning Calli had gone to Carl's quarters to pick up Bethan and Vanessa. When the door opened the girls were already ready to go, both dressed in shorts, t-shirts, training shoes, and baseball caps with the USS Raven-C on the logo .....

Later that Day ::

Calli, Vanessa and Bethan left the holosuite, having spent a day at Sea World Orlando ... Bethan was still towel-drying her hair as they meandered along the Promenade.

"Can we get something to eat Calli?" the youngest asked, towel still flapping around her head.

"Eat, you've practically used up the Starbase replicator rations in there, those 'hot dog' things, Ice cream, it's a wonder you have space,"

"We did do a lot of running around," Vanessa said innocently.

"Don't remind me, next time physicals are due I'm sending the crew to you..." Calli said trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably, "... OK, where do you want to go?"

"Let's go see Sean," Bethan said, running ahead before Calli could comment. With a clearly exaggerated sigh, she and Vanessa followed her to O'Tooles Bar & Grill. It was still relatively early so there wouldn't be a problem having children in the bar. Calli could see Bethan run and leap into Sean's arms as they entered:

"Well now, my little Princess, where have ya been to be gettin' all wet?" the owner and life-long friend of Carl's asked as he pealed Bethen from around his neck.

"Water World..." Calli said, "... Thus the soaking," Sean laughed as Kara, Sean's 'other half' as he called her, walked over.

"So, are you eating, or is it the entertainment you've come for?" she asked, receiving hugs from both girls.

"We're eating, and possibly dancing," Bethan said, looking around for a booth.

"Right, food it is then," Sean said as they sat down ..........

[Gheskori]

The tour had continued with each visitor in good spirits, apart from Sairal who was resolutely stony-faced as they visited the ship's various specialised centres. Gheskori found himself enjoying proceedings more than expected; he felt he too was taking a tour, having not seen some of these places much longer than since he was last on the ship itself.

They explored the shuttlebay, where one craft - as it happened, that returned by the former El Sal officer Tamarov, who'd also been first on the scene after Burr's attempted suicide - was made to levitate and rotate 90 degrees one way and then the other, before lowering to the deck and ejecting multi-shaded exhaust fumes. Drake stood at an observation window, looking out on the air-evacuated bay and the shuttle, "Wow!" he managed, waving his arms in mock excitement.

Dimok Bennett bit his lip and Lupa Nec in her immaculate form rolled her eyes, as they filed out towards sickbay. Ghes led the way and ushered in the visitors first before himself and the three officers. He looked expectantly at the latter, surely they'd prepared something, as they had for astrometrics, engineering, the shuttlebay?

"Ah!" Clearly Paulo Hurel had only now seized on an idea, "Computer, activate the EMH."

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency... Ah, I had heard there were visitors. How do you do?" The EMH Sam tirelessly answered questions from the visitors, Regent Gaston Malthus doing most of the talking on a few obscure subjects, until he veered into what Ghes would call interesting territory. Surprisingly it was Sairal who cut across the Regent, suggesting sharply that didn't he think he'd said enough? Malthus glanced at the Andorian and it seemed to Ghes for an instant there was understanding between the two, but what about?

To conclude the tour there was an hour-long reception in the conference room, after the bridge tour where the VP had continued at his insufferable best, even beginning to chat up Ensign Rac'anne or so it'd seemed, before beginning to talk at inordinate length to Alison Rivers as the company had left the bridge. Ghes made some brief remarks and toasted the visiting company, and they fell into conversation. He'd looked on in amusement as Simon Clark had spoken to Dimok Bennett while in close proximity VP Drake had continued his conversation with Rivers, the engineer frequently glancing their way. Clark asked to speak to Gheskori in his ready room. Ghes said this had better be important and nodded, leaving V'Maz and Yarwood (who'd joined the company) to continue the reception.

They crossed the bridge and stepped through the door, Ghes taking his seat, relieved to be seated the first time since leaving his Starbase office that morning. "Sir, it's come to my attention... Did you see Sairal's tricorder? He seemed to take readings of the warp core, the antimatter injectors' control interface, equipment in sickbay and several bridge stations."

"No, I didn't," Ghes's face was white with surprise, alert as if he'd been punched, "I saw him exchange a look with Regent Malthus, though. I was wondering what was going on. Do you think we should have them searched, Commander?"

Simon thought for a moment, "Discreetly, perhaps, yes. We should be able to give a fair reason why a search should be conducted. Perhaps a medical check up - we'll say... they passed through a zone where there's been a recent EPS conduit rupture."

"Did they?" Ghes sat up in surprise, before berating himself quickly, "Ah, of course."

"I object to these proceedings," the diplomat Bennett, another former Vice President of a quite different organisation, entered the ready room, clearly he'd heard some of the conversation before the door had closed, "Gaston Malthus and Sairal exchanged a look? They are friends. And a search, Admiral, a search? These are dignitaries from the Federation, in company with the Vice President of the -"

"And this is the USS Enzio, a Federation starship," Ghes said abruptly. "Mr Bennett, I'm surprised at you... What do you expect to get out of this? An Andorian ambassador has been taking covert readings of critical ship's systems. However innocuous his motives may or may not be, safety measures have to be taken."

"Ok, I just thought I could get through this day without upsetting the Andorian. You don't know Ch'Lor as well as I do, he asked me not to rile Gaston or Sairal during -"

"Ch'Lor? What does he have to do with this?" Bennett began to explain the apparent concord between Ch'Lor of Qo'nos, Sairal of Andoria and Malthus of Alpha Centauri, as Ghes commanded Clark to return to the conference room and ask Sairal and Malthus to submit to a check up and scan.

<Tag Clark, Tavik if about>