Chapter Text
The Star Beagle Adventures
Episode 16: And You And I Part I - Cord of Life
Scene 15: Reasons to Call
And you and I reach out for reasons to call...
16.15
Reasons to Call
“Captain Howard to the bridge.”
Captain Ronald Howard, XIV was instantly flustered. He had just thrown on his uniform and exited his cabin, bound for the transporter. He stopped in his tracks. “What is it, Lieutenant Commander? I’m on my way to the transporter.”
“No, you are not, sir,” came the voice of Lt. Cmdr. Gregg Clark over Howard’s communicator pin. “Commodore’s orders. The holy landers have made contact and you are needed as our ambassador to them.”
“But T’Eln…” Howard started.
“We are already aware, sir. You cannot go down there. You’re needed up here.”
Skip Howard stood for a moment, breathing deeply, wrestling with his emotions.
“Captain?”
“On my way,” Howard responded. “Patch me through to Commander Carter.” He turned and re-entered his quarters.
As Howard was making it to the back of his quarters, Commander Rhonda Carter’s voice came through his communicator. “Captain Howard? This is Rhonda Carter.”
“Rhonda, you are aware of what just happened to Governor T’Eln?”
“I’m just now getting up to speed on it,” said Carter.
Howard stopped for a moment to check his appearance in the mirror. He ran a comb through his thinning, red hair and touched up his forest-green eye shadow as he as he was talking. “I need you to go down to the colony and take charge. Make sure they install a new civilian leader to serve in T’Eln’s absence. Try to give everyone confidence that we expect she is safe and will return to us. And take care of Spike. Take her with you wherever you go. She was there when T’Eln was taken and it shook her up.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Rhonda, I think Rock had something to do with all this,” Howard said as he stepped to the back of his quarters, through the back door and stepped onto a lift that took him down into his office. “I think somehow she created a telepathic link between me and one of those… um… cthulhuloids. I’m going to have my hands full with these holy landers. Can you reach out to Rock and see if she can give you more insight?”
“I’ll handle it. Good luck with the holy landers, Skip,” Carter said.
“Never rains, but it pours. Thanks Rhonda. Howard out.” Skip Howard strode through his office and onto the bridge of the U.S.S. Beagle.
Lt. Cmdr. Gregg Clark rose from the command throne and stepped aside. “Commodore Yui wants you to conduct negotiations from this chair.” He patted the side of the throne. “She likes the way it looks.”
“Hail the Mako,” Howard said as he assumed the Beagle’s oddly regal throne.
“Frequency established, sir,” said Sergeant Tammy Glick, seated at one of the twin rear stations.
“U.S.S. Mako, this is the U.S.S. Beagle, Ronald Howard, XIV, commanding,” Skip Howard said.
Commodore Yui Song, in the far more comfortable looking center seat of the Mako’s bridge, appeared on one of the wall-sized monitors of the Beagle’s bridge.
“This is the U.S.S. Mako, Yui Song commanding. Go ahead, Beagle.”
“Commodore, I am assuming you are aware of the abduction of Governor T’Eln,” Howard started.
“I am aware of the situation and it appears you have assigned Commander Carter to master that situation,” the elderly Chinese woman responded.
“Her time there is limited by the outcome of these negotiations,” Skip Howard replied. “Can you spare Lieutenant Commander Senek to assist her and take over in her place when she needs to return to helm the Escort’s tactical launch?”
In response, without looking behind her, Commodore Yui pointed over her right shoulder at the gorgeous vulcan, currently standing at the tactical communications station at the back of the Mako’s bridge. She then turned her hand and pointed with her thumb to the rear exit to the bridge. In response, Lt. Cmdr. Senek locked his station and exited the bridge. Moments later, a female bolian lieutenant took his place.
“You’re not sending Gregg?” Yui asked.
“I need my first officer by my side,” Howard replied. “You have Shadow and Pel to advise you. Lieutenant Commander Clark has been working closely with them to gain the best possible understanding of the holy landers. I will be relying on his expertise.”
“What is your plan?” Yui asked.
“I plan to invite them to the founding ceremony for the ASA 4 colony on Rattleroot Island. We will not try to negotiate for ASA 2 until we are face-to-face with them. I would like to have Lieutenant Commander zh’Kathar join me for that discussion to discourage them from attempting to dominate us using their sub-sonic vocalizations,” Howard said.
“Are you not confident of the communicator adaptations that are supposed to protect you from their songs?”
“I’m reasonably confident that those counter-measures will work,” Howard replied. “But I would prefer to avoid alerting them that we have developed those counter-measures for as long as possible.”
In response, Yui Song nodded her head sagely. “I like your thinking. Lieutenant Oroht, please replay the message we received from the holy landers.”
In response, Lt. Kykena Oroht, the bolian who had taken over the tactical communications station, activated a control. A very garishly made-up female alien appeared on the viewscreens on the bridges of the U.S.S. Beagle and the U.S.S. Mako.
“I am Queen. One of your ships has contaminated this galaxy with a very dangerous infestation, an invasive species your ship brought here from the Great Wheel. By my decree, your ships are confiscated and will be destroyed. All traces of the infestation are to be destroyed. Your people are quarantined locally under my supervision. Any additional federations who may arrive will be subject to my ruling. Respond with honor, and no punishment will be added to this order. That is all.”
“Well, she told us, didn’t she?” Howard observed.
“So how do we respond to this, Captain?” asked Commodore Yui Song. “Her decrees do not put me into a particularly diplomatic mood.”
“We follow the plan,” Skip Howard replied. “With your approval, I will invite her and her court to the opening ceremony on ASA 4. Instead of rejecting her decrees, I will contest them, which will, hopefully, require some sort of trial, which will, hopefully, give Captain Phloxx time to arrive and even the odds.”
“Very well, Captain Howard,” Yui responded. “Prepare your transmission and provide it to me for review. You will be the face of our task force. I will be the authority behind you." Yui Song's expression hardened, if that was possible. She looked and sounded cold and regal. "That queen will have to earn the privilege of talking to me.”
And You And I Part I - Cord of Life