Ad Astra :: Star Trek Fanfiction Archive ^{Beam me up, Scotty.}

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The Star Beagle Adventures                                                
Episode 2: Astral Traveller
Scene 12: Ho Lan Thao

2.12
Ho Lan Thao

“Nice brass, sir.”

Captain Yui Song had risen when her commanding officer entered the banquet room. At the moment it was just the two of them. 

Vice Admiral Ho Lan Thao was, in build, similar to Captain Rhonda Carter, if even a little smaller and with very nice, womanly curves. But her features, dark skin and gracefully demure demeanor were those of a Vietnamese woman. “An assignment I have always wanted,” she said. “I was seriously considering retirement until they offered it to me.” Even though she was nearly 70, there was only the slightest hint of gray in her long, thick black hair. 

Yui Song found herself envious of her commanding officer’s graceful aging. She looked like she might be in her 40’s. 

“I’ve been thinking about retirement too,” Song offered. “My commission expires in two months.”

“You’re 83? That’s rather old for a captain. At least for a human,” Vice Admiral Ho observed. “Nearly 50 years in the service, two tours at the helm of a starship. 15 years as a professor at the academy.”

“The Cardassian War and the Dominion War,” Yui Song said. “I signed up to be an explorer. I’ve been a soldier, and I’ve been a teacher.”

“That’s the nature of service, Song,” Ho rejoined. “We answer the call. And you acquitted yourself exceptionally well in both roles. One of our best fighters. One of our top teachers. Hundreds of people owe their lives to you. Thousands. Some because of how you led them. Far more because of what you taught them. So what will you do with your retirement?”

“I really don’t know.” Yui Song sighed. “My family was on Fender Marsh. There’s not even an atmosphere there anymore.”

“None of them survived?” Ho asked.

“One of the most egregious of the atrocities of the Dominion. The banality of evil…”

“We were concerned that you might go on a vengeance tour,” said Ho. “But you only became a better soldier.”

“I didn’t want to kill them,” Captain Yui responded. “I wanted to defeat them. Utterly. Our way. I wanted them to truly be sorry for what they did. If we just savagely killed them…” Yui fell silent for a moment, then: “I wanted to prove our way is better. To win the peace. I wanted them to learn contrition.”

“You would have made a great admiral,” Ho observed. “Are you certain I can’t talk you into staying under my command? I could use another five years. We lost a lot of high quality officers in this war.”

“I want to fly a ship, sir, not a desk.” Yui’s voice had the firm sound of resolve.

“Skip Howard adores you, you know,” Ho rejoined. “He had very high praise.”

“He’s unique. And he’s a Howard born and bred. Doesn’t walk like one or act like one, but he has that Howard charm. He is a little on the green side, though.”

“My thoughts as well,” said Ho. “He acquitted himself really well on the ferengi mission, but I’m not really comfortable sending him out there in that bizarrely advanced ship by himself.”

“Out there… where?”

Vice Admiral Ho gave Captain Yui a direct look - for the first time truly seeming like a Star Fleet Admiral. “Since first contact with the Dominion went so horribly wrong, United Earth Governments and the Federation Council want an expeditionary force outside of Federation space to identify potential threats. A voyage of discovery, which is what the Beagle was built for. But they don’t want that high technology out there by itself with a green, freshly promoted captain at the helm. Even if he is a Howard.”

“You’re not going to try to supplant him?” Yui asked. “I think that would be a mistake, especially now. That crew is invested in him.”

“Agreed,” said Ho. “I want to send along a strong, right arm. Some muscle for him to rely on.”

“Captain Carter would jump at the chance,” Yui observed.

“And I want to send along a mentor. Someone whom he respects and will listen to. What do you say, Commodore Yui? Care to leave it all out there on the field? Five years to explore outside of Federation space? Strange new worlds and new civilizations? To boldly go where no man has gone before?”                                           

2.12