For Gene Roddenberry – Who created a universe where we could spread our wings, like an eagle. In 2375, the Dominion surrendered to the Federation, Klingon, and Romulan Alliance. After a costly and bloody war, peace was ready to return to the Alpha Quadrant. Unfortunately, tensions in the Quadrant would still remain. Stardate 56844.9 – Shinzon of Remus attacks the Enterprise-E, under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Though Shinzon’s plans were thwarted, the Remans would not go back to their planet peacefully… In the Romulan Neutral Zone… “Damage report!” Captain Bruce Jeremy Space shouted over the racket of explosions and burning fires on his bridge. The bridge of the Starship Fearless looked like a literal hell. Between the intermittent explosions, falling debris, smoke, fire, and so forth, Bruce pulled himself back into the captain's chair. “Severe damage to the warp drive. Power coupling in aft phaser banks has been destroyed.” Lieutenant Dana Space, Bruce’s wife, said off the Operations console. “Shields at forty-six percent and failing!” Lieutenant Commander Kevin Doran, the Fearless’ tactical officer said. Outside, a squadron of Romulan warbirds and Federation starships swung and swiped about each other engaged in battle with a squadron or Reman assault ships. Bruce remembered that the Romulans had agreed to a cease fire after the Scimitar incident, but the Remans, still loyal to Shinzon’s ideas of liberation and conquest remained bent on stopping the proceedings. Now it had come to battle… The boom of the explosions and the violent rocking of the ship brought Bruce out of the memory. “Captain, the Titan’s hailing. Captain Riker is ordering all Federation ships out of the area. The Romulans will cover for us.” Dana said. “Acknowledge the signal, Lieutenant. Helmsman, reverse course. Bring us about.” Bruce replied. “Aye, Sir.” The Federation ships all swung about and begin to retreat, but being at a greater distance than the other ships, the Fearless had gotten itself stuck in a firefight deeper into the battle than the other ships. Having a harder time escaping, the Reman ships turned to gang up on the Fearless. “We've got five Reman ships on our back, Captain.” The science officer, Lieutenant Pearl Gates said. Bruce looked at the image on the view screen. “I see it, Lieutenant. Tactical, target weapons and fire,” Bruce tapped a couple of controls on his chair and then added, “Warp speed, Helm. Any course.” “Warp drive is off-line, Captain!” Lieutenant Tricacious said, off the helm console. “Maximum impulse power! Get us out of here!” Another volley of Reman shots rocked the ship again. “Aft shields at twenty-eight percent! One more hit like that and they're gone!” Kevin said. “Hull breaches on Decks five, seven, ten, and twelve. Massive casualties.” Dana said. “Damn it! Helm, do what you can to get us clear!” Bruce muttered, dejectedly. In all of his years as a Starfleet officer, all the battles he’d served in over those years, none of that prepared his for a moment. He’d found himself utterly helpless. Pearl shouted, “Captain! The Titan and the Romulans are coming in to lend a hand!” “It may be too late, Captain, shields have collapsed.” Kevin said. “Intruder alert!” the Computer blared. “We've got Reman troops on decks ten, eleven, and twelve! They're converging on Main Engineering!” Kevin said, over the computer warnings. “Seal them off, Commander!” Bruce shouted. “I can't, Captain!” Kevin said, and after a beat, dejectedly, “They're headed for the bridge, engineering, and sickbay.”
Bruce hit the comm panel on his chair, “Bridge to sickbay!” No response. “Bridge to sickbay! Sickbay respond!” Still nothing. Shocked expressions manifested on everyone's faces. Bruce slumped back in his chair, not relishing the thought of losing his ship, but somehow he knew he'd lost it. “Abandon ship.” Bruce said, slowly. “Captain?” Dana said. “All hands abandon ship! Get to the escape pods.” Bruce said, louder and forceful adding to Dana, “Dana, tell Captain Riker we’re abandoning ship. Prepare for emergency transports.” “They're already on it, Captain. They’re prepped to lower shields,” Dana said. Bruce worked the inter-ship communicator, “Captain to all hands, abandon ship! Repeat, abandon ship!” He closed the system and the said, attempting to hold his emotions in check, “Computer, initiate autodestruct sequence. Authorization: Bruce Space-10279-Alpha-Blue. Set at five minutes.” “Computer, Lieutenant Commander Kevin Doran, acting first officer, confirm autodestruct sequence. Authorization: Doran-Gamma-550.” “Autodestruct sequence has been initiated. Four minutes, fifty-five seconds to warp core overload.” “Let’s move it! Abandon ship!” Bruce shouted. People all over the Fearless began dashing for the turbolifts, heading for the escape pods, some helping wounded crew, others just running as fast as their feet could carry them. “Dana, lock on and beam the bridge crew directly to the Titan’s bridge,” Bruce said, quickly. “Aye, Captain,” Dana replied, “Captain Riker has dropped his shields for transports.” Bruce dashed to the wall, tearing off the ship's dedication plaque as he took one last, longing look at his ship in flames. Thoughts swam through Bruce’s mind: the day he’d first got riding a bike right, the moment he and Dana had first gazed into the other’s eyes, his graduation from Starfleet Academy, his promotion to Captain, just those real, happy, memories which stick in your mind and won’t let go. Now, the Fearless, the first ship he’d become attached to, as some captains were prone to do, was about to be overtaken by Remans and destroyed by his decision. And that decision bugged the living hell out of him. “Transport ready. Energizing.” Dana said. The entire bridge crew dematerialized from the bridge as another series of shots from the Reman ships still targeting the Fearless, tore the bridge apart. A moment later they materialized on the Titan’s bridge. The first thing Bruce saw, after transport, were the faces of Captain William Riker and his wife, Counselor Deanna Troi. Though, the expressions given were sympathetic, they held no comfort for Bruce; he turned back to the viewscreen as Riker was informed that the Fearless crew was aboard. The order to come about and to retreat came. Bruce looked back as the Fearless’ engines finally let go and the ship became consumed in a fireball. The worst day of his life.
Episode #101 “Like An Eagle” Written By Michael A. Slagenweit
Three Years Later – Stardate 59002.4 Bruce watched the droplets of rain bouncing off the leaves of the corn stalks as they swayed in the Iowa night wind; the intricate patterns the water made as it exploded on impact with the leaves, enough to make you remember the old days when farming was less of hobby and more of a means of survival. He’d grown up around farmers, and still admired them. His family had once been farmers, many years ago. Ah, the subsistence life of long ago; there were times he wished he could be back there. This was not one of those times; he actually enjoyed the idea of going into an uncharted frontier. What disturbed him that the uncharted frontier lay at the edge of Dominion territory in the Gamma Quadrant. The Dominion. Next to the Borg, the greatest threat to the Federation remained the Dominion. He knew that, and the Dominion would not be content to remain pacified in the Gamma Quadrant. Sooner or later, that pacifism would break and the Alpha Quadrant would again be plunged into war. This mission was to achieve more than exploration of an unexplored section of the galaxy, but also to prevent a new Dominion war. Bruce never heard the study door open and close when his wife strode in, his dark blue eyes fixed on a point somewhere out the window. He stood a shade less than six feet tall, a possessor of a lean, somewhat muscular body. His face, a rather dark complexion, was narrow with a defined jaw, deep set eyes, and a rather thin nose. Some thought him a picture of a politician rather than the captain of a starship, but then you saw that Bruce Space still wore his sand brown hair long and tied back, enough to make you dismiss that picture. “Thinking about the mission?” Dana asked. A woman with a gifted ability to read his face and body language; she knew what he felt sometimes before he knew he knew it himself, though she was not a telepath. Dana had sleek strawberry blonde hair, a strikingly attractive face, broad shoulders and a tastefully curvaceous figure, though that was not what had attracted Bruce to her. It had been her intelligence as an exolinguist and communications specialist. She was a loving, passionate wife and mother; Bruce couldn’t imagine a day without her. “Aren’t you?” Bruce asked, “We’re going to be sitting practically on the Dominion’s front porch.” “Sure, but I thought you’d jump at this opportunity to explore again.” “I am jumping at this opportunity, Dana. I missed those days. Ever since the end of the War, the whole quadrant’s been on edge. Even that defensive technology from the future the Voyager brought back from the Delta Quadrant hasn’t brought this mentality down. It’s like waiting for the other shoe to drop. But Starfleet is ready to go back to what it had been chartered to do. Seek out new life and explore space.” “And that‘s what we will be doing,” she put her arms around him; “We’ll be all right, Bruce. We have each other and our courage.” “I never thought you’d be the one counseling me. I thought that was Counselor Peterson’s job.” “Officially, yes. That is her job, but I’m your wife, so it’s my job too.” Bruce grinned.
Personal Journal, Captain Bruce J. Space. Stardate 59002.5 The Starship Curry is conveying my wife and I to the newly established Deep Space Fifteen, located in the Gamma Quadrant. Recent negotiations with the Dominion have allowed Starfleet to set up a base in the Quadrant. Once there, I will join up with my new command, the SovereignClass U.S.S. Eagle Star. I still have some reservations about exploring near Dominion territory, but the opportunities of discovery which await us, far outweigh those concerns. Bruce strolled onto the Curry bridge. A quiet day, he thought, as he watched Captain Ra’zir’s crew strolling about performing the normal functions of a starship crew. Normal functions? Where the hell had he gotten that terminology from? Starship crews didn’t perform
normal functions; it was a duty, not a function. God, he’d spent too much time listening to psychiatric psychobabble. Captain Ra’zir looked up from the padd he’d been reading and noticed Bruce admiring the work of his bridge crew. A member of the Caitian race, Ra’zir possessed jet-black fur and beautiful amber eyes. He said, with the cat-like purr of which Caitians are famous for, “May I help you, Sir?” “No, just taking a stroll. Hope you don’t mind, Captain.” Bruce replied. “Of course not,” Bruce sat down in the empty first officer’s chair and asked, “So do you anything about this new starship? The Eagle Star?” “Not much more than you do, Captain. A Sovereign-Class starship; supposedly a stateof-the art refit completed on her at Earth Station McKinley, but not much more than you do.” “I never liked flying blind into something. It always felt better to know what you were getting into beforehand, that way you could come up with a few angles on the problem before going in, just in case things went into the toilet.” “I know what you mean. A starship captain cannot live in the dark when sailing into the unknown.” “Agreed, but looks like I don’t get that luxury, this time around,” Bruce said. “Captain Ra’zir?” the helmsman asked. “Yes, Ensign?” “We have been cleared by Deep Space Nine for approach to the wormhole,” “Drop to impulse power. Take us in,” “Is this necessary?” Ninth Sandarklan asked. “Yes. If we are to find out who is behind the recent attacks in our space, we will need the assistance that the Federation Starfleet can provide.” “But of the Federation becomes suspicious of us—” “Remember Ninth Sandarklan, whoever is attacking us is also seeking a powerful energy source. We must learn what that energy source is.” “If we do, we will have to share it with the Federation.” “Yes, we will, but at the same time, during the war with the Federation the Dominion nearly drove itself into extinction. If we do not acquire this energy source in cooperation with the Federation, we will become a forgotten power. We cannot allow that to happen.” “I understand.” Back aboard the Curry, the helm officer said, “We have cleared the wormhole, Captain.” “Alter course of the Idran System. Maintain full impulse.” Ra’zir said, then to Bruce, “We’ll be arriving at DS-15 soon.” “Well then I better tell my wife to start packing.” A short while later… “Starship Curry requesting approach to Deep Space Fifteen.” Ra’zir said to the dock control of the newly established starbase. “Permission granted, Curry. Welcome to Starbase Gamma. Approach portside docks, Bay 22. Give Captain Space our welcome.” “Understood. Curry out.” Bruce and Dana stepped out of the Curry’s airlock into a pristine corridor, their jaws dropping nearly to the floor. Dana said, “Holy cow.” “My thoughts exactly,” Bruce replied at the same time a young officer strode up to him. Bruce continued, with a smile, “Oh my god, he’s got a third pip on his collar.” Lieutenant Commander Tricacious, the new first officer of Deep Space Fifteen said, returning Bruce’s smile, “Good to see you again also, Captain.” “So, you’re my escort to the Eagle Star?” “No, Captain. My orders are to escort you to Ops first.” As they walked across the station’s promenade, Bruce asked, “How have you been holding up with your new assignment, Tricacious?” Tricacious, a former Borg drone, was young
and athletic. In many ways, Tricacious was like Bruce in the respect that he remained eager to explore the galaxy, even though times remained perilous for the Federation. “Quite well, Sir. We’ve been finishing construction of the secondary docking ports and cargo sections. After that we’ll put more work into the habitat sections.” “Any trouble from the Dominion?” “Believe it or not, Captain, no. They seem to be allowing us to go about our business. We still keep our eye on them though. Odo’s reforms really seem to be going forward, but Starfleet Command has ordered that at the first sign of trouble, we be prepared to defend ourselves.” “I understand. I’ve had a couple of doubts about taking this command and the Dominion has generally been the heart of this hesitation.” “If I may be so bold, Captain, allow Admiral Bolter to assuage these doubts. I am certain that you will find what he has to tell you when he arrives quite interesting.” Upon arrival in Operations, Bruce and Dana reunited also with Tricacious’ wife, Pearl Gates, now the Science Officer of Deep Space Fifteen. She welcomed Bruce and Dana to the Gamma Quadrant and then said, “Admiral Bolter will be arriving shortly. He has requested you monitor the viewscreen.” Bruce and Dana looked up as a pristine, Sovereign-Class starship slowly came into view. Across the ship’s forward hull was painted the ledger: U.S.S. Eagle Star, NCC-77209. Bruce stared, thinking, she’s just like the Fearless. Dana said, “She’s beautiful.” “Yes she is,” Bruce replied. Admiral Karl Bolter was sitting in the captain’s chair on the Eagle Star bridge when Bruce and Dana strode on to it. He rose when Bruce appeared out of the turbolift. Sitting in the first officer’s chair, sat Commander Kevin Doran who had traded his gold tactical uniform for a red command one. Kevin was a tall individual. He had sandy brown hair, worn down to the middle of th his back, deep green eyes, and wore an earring on his left ear. Back in the 20 Century, he would have been the high-school rebel, but now he was an accomplished tactician and command officer. He seemed to relish his promotion to full commander and new job as Bruce’s executive officer. “Commanding officer, U.S.S. Eagle Star, arriving. Attention to orders!” Kevin said, loudly. Every crewmember dropped what they were doing and stood as rigid as statues. The Eagle Star’s bridge was designed much like an Intrepid-Class starship’s bridge, with the exception of the tactical station behind the captain and first officer. The science station was at the right when Bruce came off the turbolift, operations opposite. A yeoman handed Admiral Bolter a padd, to which he began to read from, “From Starfleet Headquarters, Office of the Admiralty, to Captain Bruce J. Space, Attaché Starfleet Command. Stardate 59002.9: You are hereby requested and required to take command of U.S.S. Eagle Star as of this date. Signed, Admiral Karl Esteban Bolter, Starbase Deep Space Fifteen. Computer, transfer all command codes to Captain Bruce J. Space. Authorization: Bolter-Alpha-22642.” “Command codes accepted. U.S.S. Eagle Star now under the command of Captain Bruce J. Space.” “I relieve you, Sir.” Bruce said. “I stand relieved.” Bolter replied. He shook Bruce’s hand vigorously, and added, “She’s a damn fine ship you’ve got Bruce. I almost envy you.” “Thanks, Admiral.” “I’ll see you in a little while, aboard the station for your mission briefing, Captain.” “No problem, Karl.” Bolter nodded and then headed for the turbolift. Bruce took the captain’s chair, while Kevin resumed the first officer’s seat. Bruce said, “All right people. I’m a man of few words, so no speeches here. Let’s get to work.”
Commence Captain’s Log, Captain Bruce J. Space, U.S.S. Eagle Star. Stardate 59002.9
1.8 hours from transfer of command. Launch in 2.2 hours. Meanwhile, I am becoming better acquainted with the Eagle Star. I am sincerely impressed with this vessel, a big step for me, since my last command was an Excelsior-Class starship. I am anxious to take her out and see what she can do. Right now, we await the arrival of our Chief Engineer and Chief Medical Officer. Karl Esteban Bolter carried more weight than he would have cared for, but on him the weight looked good and enhanced his dark, chiseled facial features. When he was a commodore, Bolter had commanded the Second Fleet during the Dominion War; the lines of stress he’d experienced still showed. When Bruce walked into his office, Bolter studied a holomap of the sector. “Plotting your next move, Admiral?” he asked. “Not completely, Captain. Have a seat.” Bruce sat and Bolter said, “The exploration mission is going to have to have a slightly different edge to it.” “How so?” “You’re going to be exploring Section AC-21. This section of the sector has been known to be relatively rich in minerals and resources. We’re going to need them.” “The Dominion or the Tholians?” “The Tholians. I received a report from Starfleet Command this morning. More Tholian and Breen ships are massing near the Briar Patch and the Federation border. If war does break out, we’re going to be in a very troublesome position here. Your job in AC-21 is to secure some of these resources, just in case our problems with the Tholians escalate.” “Understood, Admiral.” “Starfleet has also made a few changes in your personnel.” “What type of changes?” “You will have an exchange officer on the Eagle Star, but not from the Gorn Hegemony. He will be from the Dominion. He’ll be serving as your Conn.” “What?” Bruce rose from the chair, “I thought I had the Tricacious’ son as my Conn. Officer.” Bolter raised his hand, “It wasn’t my decision, Bruce. You’ll also have to select a new Chief Engineer. I’m sorry, Bruce. I know that you were really looking forward to working with the Gorn and Commander Tricacious’ son.” “Well, Admiral, now I have something new to look forward to.” Bolter looked Bruce straight in the eye, “Captain, you are to treat the Dominion officer with every courtesy. The improving relations with the Dominion are what got us here in the first place. Don’t jeopardize it.” “Where are his loyalties, Admiral?” “Representatives from the Dominion have assured Starfleet Command that if you give him an order, he will follow it. Besides, we wouldn’t have gotten the information about AC-21 and the surrounding sectors we’ve gotten with out making a few concessions.” “This sounds just like the NX-01 mission when it got started.” “What?” Bolter wasn’t up on his history. Bruce, an historian, said, “When the Enterprise NX-01 launched from Earth in the middle nd 22 Century, Captain Jonathan Archer received stellar maps for their first mission to the Klingon Empire from the Vulcans in exchange for Starfleet’s concession to allow a Vulcan officer to serve on Enterprise.” “I see, but it doesn’t change things.” “I understand, Sir.” “Let me know when you’re getting underway.” While Bruce was aboard the station, Dana took the liberty of taking her own tour of the Eagle Star. She and Bruce would run the ship tonight, but she wanted to get a head start on learning the ship. Her tour took her past sickbay and by some strange impulse she decided to walk in. A Vulcan nurse walked up to her and asked, “May I help you, Commander?” “Has the Chief Medical Officer reported in yet?” Dana asked in reply. “She is in the medical laboratory.”
“Thank you.” Dana strode though into the medical lab and found a woman working over a collection of Petri dishes, beakers, and test tubes. What surprised Dana was that there was not a replicator sitting nearby, but herbs and plants scattered throughout the room. She said, “Wow.” “Try not to touch anything,” the woman replied, with an Arabic accent, “I am running a rather critical experiment right now.” “I don’t plan to.” The woman looked up from her work and said, “I’m sorry, Commander. I am Dr. Na’ila Al-Rashid, the Chief Medical Officer.” “Lieutenant Commander Dana Space. I’m the Operations officer.” Dr. Al-Rashid paused for a moment, a little surprised. Dana said, “Yes, I’m his wife.” “I didn’t know the captain was married.” “It’s in our service records, but we don’t make a huge deal out of it. Somehow, you just don’t want to be the most famous couple in Starfleet.” “I see.” “What’re you actually doing, Doctor? Are you a botanist also?” “No, but a good doctor makes use of all remedies available to her. You never know when modern technology might fail you, so it’s better to have some alternatives on the ready. This experiment I am working on is a possible cure for Rigelian Fever.” “Ah,” Dana said, “Well, I will leave you to your work.” “Commander,” Dr. Al-Rashid said as Dana was about out of the room. She turned back and the doctor continued, “I didn’t mean to be rude earlier. I guess I am just used to the idea of single captains.” “Most are, but then again, Bruce has always been an exception to the rule book, Doctor.” Bruce sat behind the desk in the ready-room, flipping through the pages of some of the books he’d brought with from home; his set of histories by Will Durant, the Collected Works of William Shakespeare, and a few novels. Bruce couldn’t imagine a future without books and was determined to have a library full of them, to which he’d succeeded. A half full cup of Darjeeling tea sat on the desk’s surface, a wedge of lemon on the saucer. The china was excellent though what the replicator produced lacked something to be desired. Nothing that the Chief Engineer or the Operations officer couldn’t fix later, he thought. The door chime sounded and Bruce said, “Come.” Two men walked through the ready room doors, one in a gold uniform with a Lieutenant rank on his collar, the other a Jem’Hadar, in his Dominion uniform. The Lieutenant looked like a reincarnation of the wolf-man, with a more pronounced nose and mouth and grey fur covering his whole body. His ears perked right up at the ceiling when he saw Bruce. He said, with a low voice, “Lieutenant Xanthus Talkart, reporting for duty, Captain.” “You’ve already reported in, Slash, you didn’t need to do it a second time when I got here,” Bruce replied. “I was in phaser maintenance during the transfer of command, Sir. I wasn’t satisfied with the pre-fire temperature. It seemed a little off balance.” “I see.” Talkart indicated the crewman standing next to him, “This is Ninth Sandarklan, our exchange officer from the Dominion.” Bruce rose from the desk and shook the Jem’Hadar’s hand, somewhat reservedly. He said, “Welcome aboard, Mr. Sandarklan.” “Thank you, Captain,” he said. Bruce continued, “I will be frank with you, Mr. Sandarklan, I expect that when I give you an order, you follow it. You will follow Starfleet’s directives and principles to the letter. Understand?” “Yes, Captain,” a pause and then Sandarklan said, “Now may I be as frank with you? My orders are not espionage. I am here because I know the territory better than you do.” “This is good; we’re all on the same page, then. See Commander Doran for you duties and to be issued a combadge. Also, please find some different attire. I don’t want someone
mistaking us for taking a Dominion prisoner.” The latter part of this was a lie, Bruce noticed that Sandarklan had caught it, but didn’t care. “Understood, Captain.” “Dismissed, Crewman Sandarklan.” Sandarklan nodded, turned and walked out of the ready room. Talkart looked at Bruce. Bruce said, “Keep an eye on him, Xanthus. Don’t treat him like a criminal or a prisoner, but the minute he steps out of line—” “I will deal with it, Captain.” Bruce sat down again and took a drink from his tea and then said, “It’s good to have you aboard, Lieutenant. I can’t think of anyone Kevin has recommended more than you.” “Commander Doran was an excellent teacher. He still is. I don’t intend to let him, or you, down, Sir.” “I trust you won’t, Lieutenant.” “There’s a unique star system. Bearing 036. Mark 149,” Kevin Doran said, reading off a padd, “Binary system with twelve planets. The sixth planet has some unique ruins on the planet’s surface that might be worth investigating.” He and Bruce sat in their respective chairs on the bridge. Bruce asked, skeptically, “You’re interested in exploring some ancient ruins, when our mission is to locate resources that the Federation might need?” “Oh, once in a while something like this piques my interest. And you never know. We might just find something we can use.” Bruce smiled, “Sounds like fun. Let’s go.” Kevin said, “Crewman Sandarklan, lay in a course. Commander Space, clear our departure with Operations.” “Course set, Commander,” Sandarklan replied. “Station Ops has cleared us,” Dana added. “Ready thrusters,” Kevin said. “Thrusters to ready.” “Initiate launch sequence.” “Launch initiated.” Bruce said, settling back in his chair, “Engage.” The Eagle Star slid back from the docking port and Sandarklan brought her gracefully about. Another pass across the console and the ship snapped into warp.
Captain’s Log – Stardate 59004.7 We’re on course to Section AC-21. Prior to entering the section, I have called a briefing with the senior officers. Though I am still lacking a chief engineer, a problem I will remedy later, but for now, I feel I need to get better acquainted with my crew. “The captain rarely pulls a surprise briefing on us,” Talkart said. “He’s got good reasons,” Kevin replied, “The majority of this crew is new and Captain Space has always wants to feel his senior staff out before going headlong into a mission.” “Sorting out the weakest links in the chain?” “I wouldn’t put it that way, Lieutenant. Captain Space picks his crew with three criteria in mind: creativity, integrity, and spirit. There are no weak links in the chain.” Bruce walked in a moment later, trailed by Dana and Dr. Al-Rashid. They took their respective chairs at the conference table. Bruce said, taking his chair, “We’re about a half hour from AC-21. Just in case we meet something unexpected, I would like to entertain ideas for some extra tricks to put up our sleeve.” “More like if we meet a Dominion force opposed to our being here, Captain?” a female voice with an Australian accent said. A young, blonde woman entered the room from the other side. She wore a blue science uniform and an ensign’s rank on her collar. She sat down next to Talkart, who stared at her.
Bruce replied, “Everyone, this is Ensign Cammy Spencer, our new science officer, who is also correct. I would rather be safe than sorry.” “Sandarklan has assured us that the Dominion will give us a wide berth, but at the same time, there may be other species we do not know about.” Kevin said. Bruce broke in, “We’re taking no chances. I don’t want to meet a hostile species out there and be unprepared.” “I have been looking at the weapons systems and been thinking of a few modifications,” Sandarklan said, then a moment later, “I will give my proposal to Commander Doran and the chief engineer, as soon as we have one.” “Much appreciated, Crewman,” Bruce said. Suggestions and talk continued around the table for nearly an hour. During brief exchanges, Talkart and Spencer glanced at each other from across the conference table, embarrassed and sometimes resentful. When the briefing broke up, they remained behind, staring at each other. Finally, Talkart broke the intense silence, “What are you doing here?” “Don’t start with me, Xanthus. Starfleet assigned me here and there’re no strings you can pull to get me off. I want this assignment and you’re going to have to live with it.” Another pause, and then she said, sheepishly, “How have you been?” “Fine. You?” “Fine.” “Damn it, Cammy.” Talkart said, exasperated, “I can’t do this.” Cammy replied, “I’m not brooding about it, Xanthus. Unlike you. I’ve moved on and I suggest you do the same. If you’ve got a problem with it go talk to the ship’s counselor. Otherwise, get over it.” Bruce, Dana, and Kevin met in the captain’s ready-room to warm up for their “deck run”. The run had been one of Bruce’s habits, ever since he had gotten his first command; he would start on the bridge and run to the last deck of the ship, not using turbolifts or transporters, just running through the corridor and crawling through the Jeffries’ tubes. After he and Dana had gotten married, she’d joined him. Kevin joined them as a means to learn the layout of the ship. The run was just what he needed, Bruce thought, no chance to think about the past, the Fearless, and whatever else the counselors had said in their psychobabble. Just a steady thump, thump, thump of feet against deck plates and the ladders in the Jeffries’ tubes, like a properly running warp core; it calmed him. Kevin, a jock since high school, loved the feeling of the run; the sweat running down his face and between his shirt and skin. The trio had just reached Deck Ten of their run when Talkart paged, “Bridge to Captain Space.” They stopped in their tracks and Bruce tapped his combadge, “Space here. Go ahead, Lieutenant.” “We’ve reached AC-21, now entering the star system.” “We’re on our way. Space out.” Upon reaching the bridge, Bruce gave orders to enter orbit of the sixth planet following Kevin’s suggestion from earlier in the day. Kevin assembled an Away Team of himself, Talkart, Spencer and Sandarklan. The planet, M-Class, lush with foliage and plant life. A botanist’s dream, Spencer said. “We’re here to search for usable resources, Ensign,” Kevin said, “Not for a vacation spot.” “Then, I’m detecting an energy source about sixty meters due east.” She replied. They walked, coming upon the ruins from the reports they’d received before their departure from Deep Space Fifteen. Cammy continued bouncing looks off the ruins and her tricorder. Sandarklan pulled out his tricorder and followed suit, albeit slower. Talkart drew his phaser, but his hand remained relaxed. Cammy said, “This is fascinating. These ruins are over 20,000 years old, but they are preserved in nearly perfect condition.” Another couple of steps and then at a pile of rock fragments, Cammy added, “I’ve got the energy source, Commander.” Kevin and Sandarklan walked over and helped Spencer remove the rocks until they uncovered a spire-like object. No more than a foot in length, the object glowed with a fain green
light. All three glanced at each other, confirming that no one had seen anything like this before. Spencer tried to use her tricorder. “I don’t understand, Sir,” she said, “All I am getting is energy readings. No sign of anything physical her.” “Try adjusting your tricorder to a different frequency.” She did so, “No effect.” Sandarklan tried his to the same result as Spencer. Kevin reached down and pulled the spire from the rocks. Turning it in his hands he said, “What in the hell kind of artifact is this? We may have uncovered one of the greatest archeological discoveries the Federation has ever seen.” “Perhaps then, it is best that we leave it alone until a science team can be brought here to investigate these ruins. They may be able to explain this object,” Sandarklan suggested. “You may be right, Crewman, but I want the Captain to take a look at this. He is an historian and archeology is one of his hobbies. He might have an idea or two.” Kevin handed the spire to Cammy and said, “Let’s keep looking and see what else we might find. Something around here seems awfully familiar.” “Have you been here before, Commander?” “Doubtful, Ensign. This is my first mission to the Gamma Quadrant.” “Captain, there is a Dominion dreadnought entering the system,” Dana said, off of her console. “On screen,” Bruce replied. The image of the immense battleship popped onto the viewscreen, the sight of it making Bruce’s blood run cold. Somehow, he prayed, that this would not take him back in time to the loss of the Fearless. He tensed in the captain’s chair, but didn’t allow his voice to show it, “Yellow alert. Bring shields and weapons to ready. Let’s see what they want first.” “They’re hailing us.” Dana said. “Put it through.” The image of the dreadnought was replaced by the image of a man, a human, wearing an unfamiliar uniform. It was not that which made Bruce short of breath, it was the man’s face; half covered by a silver metallic mask, the other side with a deep scar about the eye. He said, in a low growl, “I am Commandant Erik Diabolus.” Bruce rose from the captain’s chair and strode toward the viewscreen, “Commandant Diabolus, I am Captain Bruce J. Space of the Federation starship Eagle Star.” “Your presence in here is a violation of Avkar territory. You have one hour to leave the system peacefully.” The screen blanked back to the image of the dreadnought slinking closer to the Eagle Star. Bruce sat down in the captain’s chair, thinking. “Captain,” Dana said, breaking his reverie, “They’re raising their shields and powering their weapons.” Bruce tapped the communications control on his chair, “Eagle Star to away team.” “Doran here, Captain.” “Stand by for transport back to the ship, Commander. We’ve got a problem.” “Understood, Sir. Request permission to bring an artifact aboard, Captain. It has some unique properties that we can’t identify here.” “Request granted. Eagle Star out.” Bruce closed the channel and said to Dana, “Get them aboard, Commander. Helm, set a course out of the system and engage once the away team is aboard. I’ll be in my ready-room.” Bruce left the bridge and entered the ready-room. He knew what his presence met, confrontation. How could he have gotten a Dominion dreadnought? Stolen it, probably, but then who were the Avkar? None of this was making any sense! Then again, if Erik Diabolus was here, it meant trouble of a kind that Bruce did not want to let his imagination conceive an image of. He pondered his next move in silence.
To Be Continued…
Star Trek: Eagle Star Episode #101 “Like an Eagle, Part I” Written By Michael A. Slagenweit Based on “Star Trek” Created By Gene Roddenberry Star Trek®, Star Trek: The Next Generation®, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine®, Star Trek: Voyager®, Star Trek: Enterprise®, and all associated marks are registered trademarks of Paramount Pictures Incorporated. All rights reserved. No infringement is intended. No profit whatsoever is coming from the use of "Star Trek" by this fan fiction.