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Previously on Star Trek: Eagle Star “Captain!” Sandarklan called, from a nearby rise. Bruce, Kevin, Dana came up to where the scouting crew had stationed. They’d sunk down and when Bruce followed suit, he realized what Sandarklan and the others had saw: a small group of young men. Bruce waved at Kevin to hold the crew back. He’d hoped that the scouting party hadn’t yet seen them. He should have figured that there might be some contact between his crew and developing humans. “We’ve got a bigger problem, don’t we?” AJ asked. “Yes we do, Chief. Yes we do.” BJ took the captain’s chair on the bridge, still reveling in his triumph. Na’ila was sitting in the first officer’s chair, but as soon as BJ took his place, she moved to sit in his lap. While he had been on the surface, she had taken the time to change out of the Starfleet uniform she had been wearing for so long and into something much more appropriate to her position as the captain’s woman. He kissed her deeply, and said, “Am I wrong?” “No, we now have the ultimate power. No one will be able to stand against your might. The Alliance will be destroyed and you will take your rightful place as Emperor.” “Emperor Bruce Jeremy Space? It has a certain appeal doesn’t it?” “I’ve always wanted to be the consort of an emperor.” “Very well then, my dear. Lay in the reverse timeshot, then prepare for the return to our universe. It is time that the Alliance knows the might of the Terran Warship I.S.S. Eagle Star.” And Now the Conclusion In their search for shelter, Kevin found an outcropping of ice, which he almost passed over, but chance made him go back and double check. He called, "Captain!" "What have you found?" Bruce asked, coming up to his first officer. "It might be a cave. Notice how the ice darkens here," he banged on the ice hoping for a crack, but nothing happened. He pulled out the hand phaser which their guardian angel— Xanthus—had provided them before BJ's thugs herded them off the Eagle Star, pointed it at the ice and fired. Examining the hole created by the blast, Kevin said, "Definitely a cave." "Good," Bruce said, "At least we can get some shelter." He turned to Dana, and added, "See to it that our non-human crew stick around here. We’re going to have to minimize the timeline and cultural contamination as much as possible. The Prime Directive has to apply here." "Got it, Bruce," Dana replied. Bruce said to both of his senior officers, "I'm going to be relying on you both to keep the crew's hopes up. Dana, I'll need your translation skills." "You've got it." Kevin said, "Since you're likely to interact more with the people here, Captain, you should take the combadge. They might view it as a symbol of authority." "Good thought." AJ and Cammy walked up at that moment. AJ said, with a smile, "We got a bit of luck, Cap'n. There's a clearing over the next ridge that is flush with vegetation. Sandarklan and Tariq are leading a gathering team now to get us something to build a fire. We're hoping that this might get us to some food." "Excellent, Chief. Right now, I'd rather we settle for keeping hydrated. Food will have to come later. Cammy, I'd like you to go back and relieve Mr. Sandarklan. Tell him to report back here with any other non-human crewmembers in the group. Also bring with anything which we can start using to make some tools. AJ, that's going to be your department." They both replied, "Aye, Sir," and headed for Sandarklan. Bruce thought, So far, so good. The question is, will our luck hold?
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EPISODE #301 “ICE AND FIRE” WRITTEN BY MICHAEL A. SLAGENWEIT-Coffman Captain’s Log, I.S.S. Eagle Star We’ve returned to our own universe using the timeshot device and a dimensional rift. We rendezvous with the attack fleet in three hours. I have been looking forward to this day for many years. Xanthus' knees ached with all the grating he'd crawled over since the Eagle Star had been hijacked. A crick was forming in his back, though he determined not to attempt going to Sickbay. Any use of the EMH would likely get him caught; which he didn't need. How come the Corps of Engineers made theses damn Jeffries’ Tubes so small? The purpose which drove him at this moment was to stay invisible. He gave his combadge to Captain Space, along with a hand phaser, in the hopes that they would be helpful until he got control of the ship back. It was a lofty order considering he was alone, but he'd escaped a Dominion science facility as a cadet. He'd outsmarted the Dominion, he could outsmart these bastards. Right now, he needed to get to sensor control. At least that way, he'd have an idea of what was going on. The main sensor control, located on Deck Fourteen, was dark when he entered through the emergency hatch on the wall, save for a couple monitors which ran constantly. He read the display: Sector 439, the McAllister C-5 Nebula. He thought, Where are the bases? Then he remembered, Not the same universe, Xanthus. That sparked a new thought, Near Cardassian space. If this was the same universe that he'd heard about, the Klingons and Cardassians had overrun an empire created by Terrans. That situation wasn't likely to have changed. Klingons, were nothing if not stubborn—Cardassians were just plain vicious. Na'ila Al-Rashid said, "The attack fleet has arrived, BJ." She had taken the opportunity to change into something more comfortable--meaning by this, more accessible--and now stood at the Operations station. "Excellent. Open a channel to the Excalibur." BJ too, took the time to shed the leather he'd worn earlier and put on his old uniform. For BJ, he felt most comfortable in the uniform of nd the Empire in the 22 Century; a time when the Empire was facing trial, but also at the point when it had taken one if it’s greatest prizes: the starship from the other side. Now he’d accomplished the same, by going to the other side and taking it. Na'ila worked the console and a moment later the face of a severe woman with strawberry blonde hair appeared on the viewscreen. Dana said, "Took you long enough, BJ." BJ, majestically, sat down in the captain's chair, indicating the bridge about him, "And you said I couldn't do it." "Still doesn't mean this plan of yours is going to work." "Are my people ready?"
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"Ready for transport." "Good. Beam them over. Attack planning in one hour." It was beginning to grow dark, when Bruce recalled the survey teams. Sandarklan and the rest of his non-human crewmates returned to camp with several tree branches, a couple which were now being honed into spears, the rest going as kindling for a fire. Kevin, luckily, found the materials to take care of that. AJ and Cammy brought back a few leaves and roots, which they hoped a botanist in the crew might identify as edible. Things did look good, for the most part, Bruce thought, but he also knew about paying the piper eventually. The senior officers sat together in a circle, taking a moment to watch as people took turns warming themselves at the fire. Dana said, "So far, so good." "Question is," AJ asked, "can it hold?" "It will have to, Lieutenant," Sandarklan said, "There is no means for us to be rescued." Bruce broke in, "I don't want to hear that again, Mr. Sandarklan. Lieutenant Talkart is still aboard the Eagle Star. That means there is a means for our rescue. I don't want this crew giving up." "Yes, Sir." Bruce looked to Cammy and AJ, "Where do we stand on the food front?" Cammy replied, "No one could identify what the leaves and roots we gathered were. We decided not to take the chance." "I'm going to send another survey team in the morning," AJ added. "Joe found a fresh water spring toward the back of the cave, so at least people can get some thing to drink without sucking on snow or ice. Right now, I've got a patrol at the entrance, just to keep a watch for wild animals and our neighbors," Kevin said. "Speaking of which. I need to be joining Tariq in a moment," Cammy said. Bruce said, "All right. Meeting adjourned." BJ reclined in Bruce's desk chair, Na’ila massaging his shoulders, reading over his battle plans, when the ready room doors opened. He looked up as his three allies walked in: Dana, Kevin, and Erik Diabolus. He rose to greet them, saying, “Pretty impressive, isn't it?” Dana’s uniform consisted of parts of two different eras: 22nd and 23rd centuries. Kevin opted for an olive drab tank, which showed off the large tribal tattoo on his left arm, and dark jeans. Diabolus too had opted for simpler dress. All were armed in the manner of the Empire’s earlier days. Dana said, “Let’s cut to the chase, BJ. We've got a battle to win and the Alliance to overthrow.” “To the point as ever. I loved that about you.” “Too bad you didn't love the rest of me.” Both she and Na'ila shot nasty looks at each other. BJ smiled icily, “Touché.” He turned to Diabolus, “Erik?” Diabolus turned the computer monitor around so that Dana and Kevin could see the display. He said, “Alliance forces are spread fairly thin across the border—” “If the data your concubine provided is accurate, Kevin,” BJ interrupted. Kevin’s consort, Annika Hansen, was an expert in intelligence gathering and a former agent of the Cardassian Obsidian Order. Kevin shot back, “I don’t question your associates, BJ. Don't question mine. The information is accurate.” “Good. Our first target will be Minos Korva. It’s a small shipyard that's relatively unprotected.” “It will give us time to determine how best to utilize these Spires,” Diabolus added, “My team is working at siphoning the energy radiating from them, but it is a slow process.” BJ turned to Diabolus, “Channel that energy to the phaser systems. If Kevin’s projections are accurate—” “They are,” Kevin said. “Then they should double the phaser output capacity. We’ll punch through their hulls like tissue paper.” Back in the Jeffries' tube, Xanthus scrambled; he needed to get to engineering. Despite 3
his resolve to keep his head down and be invisible, knowing that the Eagle Star might be going up against a combination of strengthened Cardassians and Klingons, it was a prospect which made his blood run cold. Engineering, I need to get to Engineering, he thought. Instinct spurred him on, not reason. Somehow, Engineering held his answer. Weapons? Power systems? The thoughts were disjointed and incomplete, but purpose carried his flight. Shields? Yes! That's it! The shields! While BJ may have thought to post guards outside Main Engineering, he didn't think about posting them inside. Xanthus would've spent a moment giving thanks if he knew who to give it to when he slipped inside. He thought: Time to see if you still have your guts, Talkart. Tactical systems, the only monitor which was completely active, stood like a sentinel. Xanthus slipped across the room, past the warp core, and accessed the console—a bad move as an alarm began blaring. A phrase slipped into Xanthus' mind, one that Commander Doran occasionally used: oh shit. He worked fast. First, he worked out a critical change to the shield system, second to the main weapons controls. He'd just locked it in when the guards poured in. Xanthus, as much as his instincts pushed him to fight, couldn't anticipate every circumstance that came his way. The first couple of guards tried to tackle him away from the console, which he fended off easily. However, the next line at him included someone he never in a million years would've anticipated seeing: himself. Not himself as he was now, a wolf-human hybrid, but as he had been a long time ago—human. The shock was enough for his assailants to get the upper-hand, even when the other Xanthus Talkart momentarily lost his head in seeing something of himself in this creature. They got Xanthus in a hold, quickly searching him for weapons. The counterpart said, "Oh, BJ is going to love this." "Good," Xanthus growled, "Let's get this over with." The night passed very restlessly for Bruce and instead of being waked by the computer, he was waked by a violent shaking from his wife. He croaked, "What?" "Cammy and Tariq are gone?" she reported. Bruce swiftly woke and demanded, "What happened?" Dana reported, "From what AJ said, Cammy and Tariq weren't at their posts when he went to relieve them this morning." "Shit," Bruce muttered under his breath. He wasn't one given to vulgarities, but he was afraid that this might happen. He replied, "Get Kevin. Tell him to see what direction they went. We're going after them. Tell AJ, Joe, and Sandarklan I need them here yesterday." "Right." His chief engineer and his pilot showed almost immediately, Joe a moment behind. Bruce prefaced, "Lieutenants Spencer and Al-Rashid have been taken by our 'neighbors'. Commanders Doran and Space will be accompanying me to negotiate their release." Sandarklan said, "Captain, these humans are completely primitive. We have nothing to bargain with. What makes you think you can secure their release?" "Gee thanks, Mr. Optimism," AJ snapped. "Knock it off, AJ. Sandarklan does have a point. However, as Commander Space has a strong knack for the intricacies languages, I anticipate we'll quickly have an understanding of their language. Otherwise, I have to appeal to their humanity." "Uh, Cap'n? What am I doing here?" Joe asked. "You're Mr. Optimism. I'm recruiting you for our morale officer." Joe smiled, "Got it, sir." "Good. AJ, you're on patrol. Choose a fast runner in case you need a messenger. Sandarklan, maintain your post with the non-human crew." "Yes, sir," Sandarklan replied. "Good luck, Cap'n," AJ added. "To us all, Chief." That said, Bruce strode out of the mouth of the cave, meeting his wife and first officer, and headed off to find his missing crew. 4
Xanthus was hauled into the captain's ready room. BJ laughed at the scene of the Starfleet stowaway being dragged into the office by his guard. "Well, well. This is indeed a pleasant surprise. I anticipated Bruce would leave someone aboard to try and wrest control of the ship away from me, but I didn't think it would be you that he'd leave." "Captain Space is a barrel full of surprises," Xanthus replied. "Indeed. Still, it hasn't helped you from evading me. I did anticipate that if someone tried to sabotage the ship, they would start with the weapons systems.” Xanthus said, somewhat sarcastically, “Guess you got the better of me.” “Still,” BJ replied, “This might not be all bad for you. I could use someone of your resourcefulness with me.” “And why should I help you? You already have ‘me’ working for you.” BJ chuckled again, “True enough. Yet you have instincts and strength my Xanthus Talkart does not possess. I would make it worth your while.” “I don’t need wealth.” “I’m not speaking of wealth. I know the people of this universe, wealth has no place. I intend to restore the Terrans to their rightful place in my universe. The once proud and great Terran Empire. Once I have defeated the Alliance, I will ensure you a place in that Empire.” “You think I am interested in power?” Xanthus grinned wolfishly, “You would never give me such a position. Once you have access to the systems I’ve disrupted, your henchmen would simply kill me. In that regard, it would be a waste of time for me to cooperate.” BJ squared off before Xanthus, “It’s not wise to be so hasty in your decision, young man. Remember, I am holding your future in my hands.” Xanthus set his eyes on BJ’s, “The last person who said that to me, I killed. I’m not intimidated by you.” Now it was BJ’s turn for a wintery smile. He said, “Very well. Still, I will be generous and give you a little time to think it over.” He turned to his own Xanthus: “To the brig with him.” The search for Cammy and Tariq ended up taking less time than Bruce thought it might. They'd no sooner climbed over two rises, following the tracks left by group, when they found the full encampment of the humans who'd been watching them since their first moment on the planet's surface. Bruce stopped Kevin and Dana. “Opinion, Number One?” Bruce asked. “The direct approach may be our best option. Go in, explain what we want, and leave.” “Dana?” “They’re likely very curious about us. Technically, there’s not supposed to be anyone here. They’re the first human beings to cross into North America. The whole situation is unique. There are many unknowns they have to discover here. If we’re going to have to live with them a while, it may be better to present them with something they can understand and relate to.” “We can still act directly with that in mind,” Kevin said. Bruce thought it over for a moment, then took the combadge off and opened the casing on the back. Dana asked, “What are you doing?” “I’m disabling the simultaneous translation. Hopefully, it’ll translate for you but not for them. We need to grasp their language, without them hearing ours.” “Got it,” Dana replied. “Good. Then follow my lead people,” Bruce said. They strolled down the rise into a makeshift village. The people had situated their dwellings around a central common gathering area, which the found Cammy and Tariq at the center. The people had surrounded them, staring, with looks of wonder or amazement. Any talking was in hushed tones. Both of the captured officers remained silent. The Eagle Star senior officers stepped into the gathering, which almost caused a panic. Bruce put up a hand, quieting the group. He asked Cammy, who was closer, “Are you all right?” “They haven’t hurt us, Captain.” “Can you tell which one of these people is the leader?” Dana asked. Tariq pointed, “He is, I think.” 5
Bruce turned to face a man dressed in furs. He was pale, with dry skin, dark shades beneath his eyes, and a weary countenance. A necklace of stone beads and feathers marked his office as the leader of the people. The man’s blue eyes, though, were what made Bruce mentally take a step back. Despite being tired, they shone with a determined fire. Gently, Bruce said, raising his hands he said, "We come meaning no harm. We wish only peace. Listen to the sound of my voice, because I know that we cannot understand each other, yet." The man looked away, momentarily, looking for help, but in finding none, returned his gaze back to Bruce. Bruce continued, “I am called Eagle Star. Eagle Star.” He indicated himself as he said the name. The leader said something, indicating himself. He repeated it, as Bruce had, “Blue Fire.” Bruce took it as a positive step, and continued, now indicating Dana, “This is Flowing Wind. She will help us to understand each other.” Blue Fire made a statement then, replying in words and gestures. Glancing at his wife, Dana replied, speaking normally, but using her hands to emphasize her words, “Say it again, slower, please.” He did and by the movement of her eyes, Bruce could tell the translation matrix of his wife’s mind was at work. Dana listened as Bruce’s combadge instantly translated, but she was careful not to respond right away as her trained ear picked up on the language he spoke. She was able to determine that the leader was demanding to know who they were. She relayed it and Bruce said, “Tell him we mean no harm. We are stranded travelers.” Dana translated and the leader communicated his confusion about the fact that they didn’t look like any people they’d encountered before. Dana improvised a response—that they’d come by a different route—and reiterated their desire to be reunited with Cammy and Tariq. Bruce said, his own blue eyes never wavering from Blue Fire’s, “We must take our people, so that we may care for them. We ask nothing in trade.” Dana replied, after a translation exchange said, “They will let them go, but they have asked that you, with my assistance, meet privately.” “I agree to the meeting,” Bruce said. He turned back to Kevin, “See to it that our people are taken back to camp and given treatment for their injuries.” “Understood.” Xanthus swore seven months ago that he would never again see the inside of his brig. Fat lot of good that did now, he thought. He spent the first few minutes pacing back and forth, thinking of how he might break out a cell he’d modified to avoid all the ways he could think of to break out. When nothing came, he sat down on the bunk and stared at the wall opposite, his mind still churning. That’s when his eyes fell on his counterpart, sitting at the guard station. Xanthus leaned against the frame of the force field and asked of his counterpart, “So do you actually get to do anything? Or are you just an errand boy?” “What do you care, freak?” the other Xanthus Talkart asked, not really looking at his counterpart. “Xanthus smiled, “Just trying to make conversation.” He thought, Gotcha. “Make conversation with the bulkhead. I’m not interested.” “We really are a lot alike… well except for the fur. Stubborn, hard-working, trying to impress the boss…” “Cap’n BJ knows a good man when he sees one.” “And he saw it in you,” Xanthus said, quietly, “But he doesn’t appreciate your talents. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stuck you on guard duty; either in Engineering or in here.” “Maybe…” Talkart now started looking over at his counterpart. He definitely was different, with the fur, wolfish features; but the light blue eyes, those were still their own. Xanthus dropped his eyes to the floor a moment, then he decided to take the risk. He looked back to Talkart and said, “You know, Xanthus, your captain’s plan to use the Spires as weapons won’t work.” That caught his attention, Xanthus thought. Talkart said, “What?” “I’ve been helping my captain study the Spires—” this was half true, he had helped initially, but in all the to’ing and fro’ing the spires had done over the last seven months, they hadn’t made much progress, “—and our findings at current hadn’t revealed anything to suggest 6
weaponry.” “What do you mean?” “The energy they give off is more or less a byproduct of their ability to well… produce an image of memories.” Talkart gaped at Xanthus. This had to be some kind of trick, he thought. This couldn’t be right. The weapons that they’d heard so much about from Na’ila were nothing more than an archive of memories? Ridiculous. He replied, “That’s too incredible.” “I can’t say with any certainty, but I think your captain is barking up the wrong tree.” “We’ll see.” Bruce and Dana followed the band’s leader into a tent, which to their surprise, the temperature felt quite comfortable thanks to some coals glowing in the center of the space. Bruce said, “Thank you.” They sat and the Blue Fire said, “You are strange people. So unlike us—that dark young man. And the way you can communicate with us. Do you possess magic?” When Dana finished translating, Bruce laughed a little. He replied, “No, we’re not magicians. Just travelers stranded. We’re hoping that fellow travelers who were separated from us will find us soon. Until then, we’re trying to do what we can to survive.” “As are we.” “Then let us help each other. We know nothing of these lands. We have found shelter and some food, but not enough to last until our companions come.” Blue Fire thought it over a while. In his many years of academics as well as in his Starfleet career, Bruce learned to observe people. He counted himself a good judge when reading what another thought or might be thinking. Blue Fire, he observed, wasn’t at all sure what to make of him. He didn’t blame the leader a bit. If another group of people suddenly appeared in a land that you knew to be devoid of humankind, you’d be suspicious too. Bruce said a silent prayer that Blue Fire would believe him, just enough to help. Finally Blue Fire said, “I have difficulty believing you. However, I believe you to be honest people. Yet I need some proof of your sincerity.” Bruce gave Dana a long look after she finished translating. They had nothing to barter with, nor anything else to prove themselves. He asked, “How can we do this?” “Often we prove to one another sincerity by engaging in a hunt together. In our beliefs, this demonstrates willingness to help the stranger. Our scouts have found Mammoth a day’s travel from here. If we can bring down one or two, that will provide all of us with enough to last a long travel from here. Again Bruce hesitated. They possessed no weapons—well a phaser would do the trick, but they couldn’t use it—and this wasn’t exactly going to be a cake walk. Killing something that large could get him or someone else killed. Still, if the Eagle Star crew was going to survive until Xanthus came back, which Bruce did not question, then, they had to help. Besides, wasn’t that part of their duties as Starfleet officers? “Very well. On behalf of my people, I accept. We shall gather our hunters and some people to help with the gathering and return here tomorrow to begin the journey.” BJ and Na’ila strode into Science Lab to find Thompson and Spencer immersed in work, Diabolus supervising. The minute Spencer saw the kind of energy the Spires produced she put herself to work in finding ways to convert that to weapon-grade power, enlisting Thompson as her right-hand man to build the transfer system. While everything was based on Na’ila’s reports, Spencer did her own research to check up and concluded similarly. As soon as they were able to board the Eagle Star, they set to work building their transfer machine; now nearly completed. BJ couldn’t help but admire the work his people put in. Sometimes it was more devotion to his plans—the reward of the restoration of the Empire—but Spencer and Thompson proved time and again, their loyalty to him remained strong. Thompson said, “Final adjustments are being made now Cap’n.” “We’ll be ready in less than an hour,” Spencer added. “Excellent,” BJ replied, “You’ve done well.” BJ stepped over to inspect the device. All the acquired Spires rested on the scanning 7
table, where the first one had been since found. Thompson constructed a unique holding tank over the entire scanning table, isolating them from the rest of the room. The crystal he’d used was very effective and tests indicated the energies the Spires emitted could not reach beyond the isolation. A siphoning tank sat to the side. Thompson finished adjusting the siphoning device and hooked the connection to the holding tank. BJ asked, “How long until the energy can be transferred to the weapons?” “Not long, Captain,” Cammy said, “Just a few last adjustments.” “Good, I—” BJ found himself in a corner, looking at himself, from a year prior, sitting at the desk in his barracks, running through the plans for the coming attack. His greatest achievement to that point was taking the Klingons’ hidden base in the Badlands and making it his own. Now, greater things were on the horizon for the Terran Resistance. Greater things to restore the Empire. He studied the star charts of the system, reread the intelligence reports, plotted the course, and calculated the need for more weapons. He prided himself for being a master planner—no matter what universe. Na’ila confirmed that information. The BJ from the future smiled thinking of the work he put forth. The door signal chimed. He said, “Come.” Erik Diabolus came into the barracks. He said, “The timeshot device works like a charm. No flaws at all.” “I expected as much.” “As you ordered, Captain.” Diabolus sat on the bunk across from BJ’s desk. His eyes did not leave his Captain. BJ didn’t look up from the padds and computer terminals. He went on, “I have calculated the exact coordinates that you will need for Phase One of the mission.” BJ finally looked up, “And did you calculate the return trip?” A little flare showed in Diabolus’ red eye, as if BJ didn’t believe him. He knew what was in his interests. Disappointing BJ was not a wise idea. He said, “Naturally. As well as returning to our universe. This was more difficult than anticipated; however, I have compensated and calculated the return trip.” BJ dropped his padd, stood, and moved to the other side of the desk. Leaning against it, he said, “You’ve done well, Erik. One of my most trusted associates.” Diabolus rose from the bunk, closing the space between himself and BJ, “I serve my Captain faithfully.” “And you will be rewarded.” Taking another step forward, Diabolus said, “Let us speak plainly. There are things I can do for you which Na’ila can’t.” “Indeed. Your work with the timeshot device is evidence.” “I was not speaking of the timeshot or the crossover devices.” “Then what were you speaking of?” BJ’s older self, looked away, too angry at himself for what was about to happen. Diabolus, before BJ’s younger self could react, stepped forward, grabbed BJ on either side of the head, pulled him in, and kissed him. BJ wrenched away, and swiftly shoved Diabolus back. The older BJ brought his eyes back, wanting to rush over and beat Diabolus within an inch of his life. His younger self was more civil: “Don’t ever do that again! You may like to fuck around with the boys, but don’t think you’re going to get me in bed! Do what you’re ordered! Do you understand me?!” “BJ? BJ are you all right?” Na’ila asked. She shook him a moment, trying to bring him out of the vision. He snapped back saying, “I’m fine.” “You stopped—” “It was a vision,” he shifted to Spencer, “Check the energy readings, now!” Spencer had a nearby tricorder. She grabbed it, opened it, and scanned. She said, “The energy is off the scale!” “Begin the procedure, Thompson!” Thompson banged the console on his siphoning device, activating the process of 8
gathering the energy. It worked a while then Thompson said, “It’s working. It’s siphoning the energy!” Diabolus looked over the scientist and engineer’s work. He thought, Of course it’s working. I designed it. Nothing could cause this plan to fail. As much of master planner as BJ was, he held even greater planning credentials. “Excellent work. Alert me when the process is complete.” He grabbed Na’ila by the arm and dragged her out into the corridor. “What?” She demanded. “Nothing. I just need your help.” “Anything.” “Captain’s quarters. Five minutes. And don’t be wearing anything.” Na’ila immediately understood. After meeting with Blue Fire, Bruce and Dana returned to base camp, carrying some supplies and furs. Blue Fire explained that the gifts were a goodwill gesture for their assistance with the mammoth hunt. Bruce wanted to reciprocate somehow, but Blue Fire assured him that their help was enough. He checked on Cammy and Tariq who were with Dr. Crowson, being checked for injuries. Dana brought Kevin up on the situation. “They’re quite healthy, Captain,” Crowson said, “No damage that I can find and ready for duty.” “Thanks Doc. You’re sure you’re not interested in being CMO?” Bruce asked. “Nope, Captain. I’ve got a nice little cabin in the mountains of Japan waiting for me from the wife on condition of retirement. I’m not about to let her down.” Bruce smiled. His own wife set him a couple of ultimatums like that before. He told Cammy and Tariq to join him as he re-gathered his senior staff for a conference. Explaining what he’d discussed with Blue Fire, Bruce said, “I’m only taking volunteers on this. People who can run and throw are what we need right now.” “Too bad Xanthus isn’t here,” Cammy said, “He was a long-distance sprinter at the Academy. But I’d like to volunteer, Captain.” “Ditto, Cap’n,” AJ added, who’d come over to check on Cammy. “Good you two. I’m calling a staff meeting in ten minutes,” Bruce said. After making love, Na’ila often fell into a sound sleep. BJ, his mind still racing with the plans about to come to fruition, dozed lightly and looked at his consort, when the door signal of the Spaces’ quarters sounded. He heard the chime, looking into the darkness of the main room from the bedroom. Irritated, he found a pair of trousers as the door rang a second time. Feet slamming onto the deckplates, he went into the main room and answered the door. Talkart stood in the doorway, a confused look on his face. He said, “Sorry to disturb you, Cap’n.” “This better be important, Talkart.” “It is.” “What?” “I’ve… I’ve just been thinking… What if this weapon doesn’t work?” “It will. Are you questioning the plan?” BJ’s eyes narrowed in skepticism. He disliked it when his orders were questioned. He hadn’t rose into high positions in the Empire by accepting waffling support. He commanded respect; the embodiment of authority. Failure to submit to authority was out of the question. Talkart looked taken aback, “No sir! No… It’s just that, I was talking with the prisoner and…” “That’s your first mistake, Talkart. Don’t make another.” BJ saw the look of fear that instantly sprang up on the young man’s face. He gave him a smile that was, at least to him, reassuring. He went on, “You know he is trying to wrest control of the ship away from me. This war will be won. With our new weapon we will prove to all Terrans that freedom will be won. The Alliance will be destroyed.” Talkart glanced down to his boots for a moment, then back to his Captain, “You’re right, sir. I just…” 9
“It’s all right, Talkart. Get with Diabolus, go to engineering and get around that freak’s sabotage. I need the weapons and the shields at top efficiency.” “Understood, Captain.” Once the Eagle Star’s senior staff assembled, Bruce and Dana explained what they discussed with Blue Fire, including the coming mammoth hunt. Sandarklan looked as surprised as a Jem’Hadar could look, while the rest maintained a stoic appearance. Dana asked, “You seem surprised, Sandarklan?” “I had no idea the early history of humankind was so… difficult.” “Difficult is putting it mildly, Sandarklan,” Bruce said, “Yet, our whole history is filled with difficulties. These people overcame difficulties by leaving the lands they knew and crossing into a new continent. We are currently facing a great difficulty, but I have confidence we will overcome it.” “I have confidence we will as well, Captain.” “You have no idea how glad that makes me, Sandarklan.” “So what’s the plan?” Kevin asked. “I’d like to form two groups of six to seven people. I will lead one team and I was hoping you’d lead the other, Kevin.” Dana broke in, “Just for your safety, sir, I’d rather Commander Doran remain with you. I volunteer to command the other team.” “All right,” Bruce agreed, “Sandarklan, Joe, I’m leaving you in command of camp. I’ll get Tariq Al-Rashid to assist you.” “Got it,” Joe said. “Kevin, Cammy, and AJ, you’ll be with me. Dana, your team is going to be our backup and assistance should it be necessary. I’ll want Dr. Crowson and anyone else with medical knowledge on hand to handle injuries should they arise.” “There’s going to be injuries,” Dana said. “We gotta hope our… friends are good teachers,” AJ said, “Otherwise there’s good chance we could get stomped on. These critters aren’t gonna be easy to take down.” A silence lingered a moment as they thought about it. Finally Bruce completed the thoughts on their minds, gravely, “Above all, I want everyone to be careful. AJ is right, there is distinct possibility someone can be seriously hurt or die.” Kevin spoke up, “I think I speak for all of us, Captain, when I say that we’re all willing to take the risk. This is a matter of survival.” While it didn’t take Talkart long to find Diabolus, it took more than he anticipated to get him to engineering to reverse Xanthus’ sabotage. When Xanthus didn’t see himself come back, initially he assumed that he got to him, but when another guard appeared and said that Talkart was in engineering, he knew what happened. He mentally kicked himself for not thinking of things sooner and locking out the system. While all it took were a few commands to disrupt the system, he’d hoped that the sabotage would last long enough for him to break out. Not meant to be. Talkart, on the other hand, was irritated. Finding him, then getting his help—all a pain in the ass. He could’ve just done it on his own, but he did want to please his captain. After all, BJ could have just killed him when he went to him with doubts. What Diabolus brought to their crew in smarts, he lacked in people skills, Talkart thought. Ultimately, Talkart did the work while Diabolus was off in his own world. “What do you think of the Captain’s plan?” Talkart asked, trying to break the annoying silence of engineering. “The captain’s plans bring us much success. You’ve seen that before. Why question it now?” “I was as asking an opinion, Diabolus. The captain already accused me of questioning his orders.” “Then don’t talk about it.” Talkart worked the console some more and finally cleared his counterpart’s work. He said, “That’s done it.” 10
“Good. Report back to the brig. The prisoner may attempt escape while we are in battle.” “What about you?” “I have some modifications I want to make to the shields. Go.” The Eagle Star crew arrived after first light at the camp of the First People. Bruce suggested the name be used since it did describe them, somewhat, and honored their historical significance. Weapons were provided and prayers spoken to the deities watching over the hunt. While some in the crew didn’t understand the need for such rituals; Bruce gave orders that the customs were to be respected, even if not understood. On the march to where the mammoth were, Blue Fire’s scouts appeared and alerted him that they’d found a smaller herd much closer, only a short distance away in an ice valley. They were small and young, but could still give the people much fresh meat, according to Dana’s translation. When Blue Fire asked Bruce’s opinion, Bruce agreed that this would be a better course of action. The scouts led them to the valley to find four young mammoth, two of each gender, grazing. They must have wandered in after being separated from the herd, one of the scouts said. Nature favored this hunt, as the valley naturally afforded very few escape routes, if they could seal it off effectively. Bruce gave a couple orders to have a couple teams help block some of the exits. Dana and Dr. Crowson would hold back to help the wounded if needed. BJ sauntered onto the bridge in the morning, feeling rested and refreshed; filled with confidence. Na’ila followed, taking the helm. Diabolus stood at tactical. He took the captain’s chair and asked, “Have the preparations for battle been made?” Diabolus replied, “Yes, Captain. Shields and weapon systems are fully restored. Captains Space and Doran have transported back to the Excalibur and the Cerberus. They signal that they are also ready.” “Very well then. Na’ila, set course out of the nebula, then kick it to Warp Six and the Alliance base on Minos Korva.” “Got it,” Na’ila said and started to work the console. “Diabolus, order the Excalibur and the Cerberus to cloak and follow. All ships to battle status. It won’t take the Alliance too long to learn we’re in their territory.” “Too late. We’ve been spotted, Captain,” Diabolus said, looking off the tactical console, “A Bird-of-prey and a Galor-Class cruiser.” A pause, “They’re in pursuit.” “Punch it to Warp Nine, Na’ila. We’ve got to make it there before they have a chance to shoot us down.” “Speed increased to Warp Nine.” “Sensor scan, Diabolus?” “They’re matching Warp Nine, but we still have the distance between us.” “Maintain it Na’ila,” to Diabolus, he continued, “Charge weapons and begin the energy transfer.” Soon he would show these Alliance bastards the power the Terran resistance commanded. Very soon. “What do you think, Kevin? Think we can take them?” Bruce asked. “There’s only a few down there, Captain,” Kevin replied, “We should be able to surround them pretty easily. We get in, take a couple down, minimal fuss. Especially with our new friends’ help.” “I hope,” AJ broke in, “It’d just be easier to use the phaser.” “Remember where we are, AJ. And who we’re dealing with. Sure a phaser would be easier, but then we’ve done more timeline contamination than has already occurred.” “I know, Commander. It’s just trying to take down something that big with rocks and sticks…” Cammy said, “Think of it as an obstacle to be overcome.” “Agreed,” Bruce said, then “Blue Fire is moving. Let’s get going.” The scouts led the first charge, coming in hard and heavy at the mammoth’s legs. Then a second charge came in, made up of First People and crew from the Eagle Star, targeting the 11
animal in a similar way in order to weaken it. The hope was that the remaining mammoth, even though spooked by the attack, wouldn’t be able to escape due to the valley’s topography. Taking down one mammoth would be a challenge; a second even more so. The teams from the Eagle Star moved into position, taking their cues from the First People. When the charge sounded, Bruce felt the surge of adrenaline carry him out onto the field. All the anger of his counterpart getting the best of him, the loss of the Spires once again, Diabolus taking the upper hand in the race to discover the Spires’ secrets, burned through him like a brush fire. He threw his spear with all his might—the sharp point striking solidly above the mammoth’s hind knee joint. The sound of the creature bellowing in pain and rage echoed throughout the valley. Spears flew through the air with sharp whistles, and the thump of a stone striking flesh beat with the steady drum of racing hearts. As predicted, the other mammoth scattered about, though held confined in the valley. Some of the First People went after the other creatures; Bruce ordered the crew to stay after the one they’d wounded. Still that didn’t mean that they were safe. Kevin retrieved a spear from the ground and caught a couple of the First People stuck on the ground. One of them, one of the young scouts, was hurt while another tried to help. A mammoth charged at them. Ensign Carson was next to him and he said to her, “Come on!” They dashed toward the First People—Kevin giving thanks he’d been a sprinter all his life. He managed to knock the wounded scout out of the line of the charge, while Carson barley managed to give the other man a push before the mammoth came through. The powerful beast was swinging its trunk to and fro, and caught Carson, sending the ensign flying back into the snow. Kevin watched as she landed terribly, knowing that she’d likely not survived the impact. Incensed, he hurled the spear at the mammoth. It caught behind the animal’s right knee and it dipped. More spears flew as he and the other man dragged the wounded scout out of the line of fire. Dana’s team descended on the mammoth, striving to take it down. In the end, the other mammoth escaped. Still shouts and cheers rose as Bruce and his senior officers surveyed the scene. Dr. Crowson and his medical teams tended to the wounded. Ensign Carson was dead, as Kevin thought, and he lead a couple crewmembers to handle burial. Blue Fire came up to him as the women and children began to work with the mammoth, conducting sacred rituals honoring them for their lives which would live on in the People. He said, “We give you thanks, Eagle Star. Few of the other People would give of their lives to save one of ours. You are indeed honored People.” “It is a part of who we are as a people,” Bruce replied. “Captain, I’ve got a clear sensor lock on the Minos Korva base,” Diabolus said. “And?” BJ replied. “Five Galor-class cruisers. Eight Vor’Cha-class attack cruisers. We’re definitely outmatched and maybe outgunned.” “And the ships following us?” “Still there.” Shit, BJ thought, Damn the Alliance. He said, “We attack. Reverse course and target the ships behind us. Order the Excalibur and the Cerberus to hold for now. I want to pull them in after we have shown the weapon.” The Eagle Star made a graceful arc and with phasers firing at maximum power, shot a volley at the Klingon and Cardassian ships that pursued them across the border. The Klingons, naturally, were the first to fire back. Resistance ships often had a difficult time standing up to Klingon weapons, relying on hit-and-run attacks, but with the new technologies brought in from the other side, ships were beginning to be bolder, with strengthened shields and weapons. BJ, knowing as well as his counterpart how to command his ship, was able to do some damage before Cardassians got fully into the fray. He asked Diabolus, after a few parries with their targets, “Are we ready?” “Transfer is complete. Ready to fire at your command.” “Target the Klingons… Fire!” The phaser fire momentarily glowed an acid green color as it smashed into the Klingon 12
ship’s shields, before becoming the Federation’s standard gold. For a minute, the Klingon captain didn’t quite know what to make of the Terran ship’s unusual attack, but the effects caused negligible damage and he immediately ordered to return fire. Back on the Eagle Star, more than one jaw had dropped seeing the results. In his mind, BJ shifted between stupefaction, rage, and horror. How could he have been so wrong? In his hesitation, the Klingons and Cardassians shifted to a tag-team attack, which Na’ila was unprepared to pilot through. Bruce regained himself to order a return attack, but complications continued to increase. Spencer, at sensors, reported ships coming in from Minos Korva—too many for them to handle. “Shall we order the Cerberus and the Excalibur to decloak?” Na’ila asked. “No, I want to hold them until the last moment. Shields?” “Sixty-two percent. Damage to the ventral phaser array.” “Stand by emergency power. Continuous fire.” Xanthus mentally smiled, despite being continually rocked about his cell by the ship. He needed to improve the food and install seat belts. Still these thoughts, he felt, were nothing more than a distraction. A ship and crew needed to be saved. He was the only one left to do so—and it couldn't be done from inside this cell. He saw his counterpart outside the force field, twirling a knife in his hand. He seemed to be unaffected by the jolting of the ship. “You’re sweating, boy,” he said. “I am not,” Talkart said. “Something’s wrong. You know what it is.” “Screw you.” The mutate rose and leaned against the frame of the force field. He said, “I know what went just wrong.” Talkart swung his head to Xanthus. That got his attention again. He asked, “Seriously? No tricks?” “No tricks. My Captain Space has been studying those artifacts and he long determined they weren’t weapons. Even though they emit a unique energy, it can’t be used to attack another.” “I need to tell the Cap’n.” “He may not believe you. And if he doesn’t, he may need another hand to help him out of this mess. If he’s anything like my Captain Space, it takes him a while to admit he needs help. Even from a possible enemy.” On the bridge, BJ’s battle was proving less fruitful. The first wave of Cardassian and Klingon ships had proved easy enough to handle, but a collection of three birds-of-prey decloaked to join their friends in the fray. With three more ships in the fight, plus another thirteen on the way, BJ, for once, found himself fighting a losing battle. He could believe being outmatched, or even outgunned, but to be outthought… it grated at his nerves. This never happened… Only one way this could’ve happened, and he hated to think it. “Reverse course! Maximum warp! Get us back to the nebula!” Another arc and the Eagle Star began to race out of the system. On BJ’s order, the Cerberus and the Excalibur decloaked to lay down cover fire. “Captain!” Na’ila interrupted over the noise of the battle going on about them, “There’s something wrong. Our ventral shields. They’re—” A volley of phaser and torpedo fire smashed into them and sent the crew flying about the bridge. Picking himself up off the floor, BJ just noticed Talkart come onto the bridge with the mutate prisoner. Then he saw Diabolus’ face—a look of triumph creasing his features. He demanded, “What the hell, Erik?” “You’ve lost, Captain. Give up this fight and accept that Terrans will only know true freedom with the mercy of the Alliance.” “Never. Never! Do you hear me?!” Diabolus reached into his pocket and pulled an emergency transport unit. Before activating it, he said, “Farewell, old friend.” And he was gone. “I’m detecting a large number of ships decloaking ahead of us,” Talkart said, taking the 13
vacated tactical console. “What the hell? Friend or foe?” “There’s a transmission coming in as well from the Cerberus," Xanthus added, stepping next to his counterpart, “It’s garbled, but still strong. Visual.” “Put it up,” BJ said. Kevin’s image appeared on the viewscreen. He said, without preamble, “BJ, make way for the ships to get through. They’ll cover while you make your escape.” “What is going on here?” BJ demanded. “Dana and I contacted the Romulans... with Annika’s help. We asked them to provide cover for us in case something like this happened.” “You knew?” “That Diabolus was a traitor to our cause? No. I suspected Na’ila more. But my suspicions were aroused enough to take measures. This battle is lost to us BJ, but we can win another. Use the timeshot and send the Eagle Star back.” BJ closed his eyes a moment. He’d planned so carefully, only to be betrayed. Curse that fucking Diabolus! He should have seen it. Should have done more. Now it was ruined... but maybe Doran was right? Live to fight another day. “No. I fight. Stand by for transport, Captain Doran.” He signaled to close the channel and rose, turning to face Xanthus, “You have won. I'll show you how to use the timeshot to retrieve your crew and return to your time.” Xanthus said, “Na'ila should remain. She has committed crimes in my universe, which need to be brought to justice. Though the Spires aren’t weapons, but perhaps I can give you something that will assist your fight.” “What could you possibly offer me? I have the ship,” BJ said. “If you hand over the ship, the timeshot, and Na’ila to me, I will give you a copy and access to all the technical data and materials on every ship in the fleet. You can use this material to build your own fleet, using means which Terrans do not have access to right now.” “Your offer is tempting, Mr. Talkart.” BJ turned from the mutate to take a long look at the ships on the viewscreen. The offer was strikingly appealing—no more scrambling for raw materials, bases which could properly defend themselves, a real chance against the Alliance. Indeed, with proper ships, the Terran Alliance could finally retake their place in the universe. “Very well. I accept your terms,” Xanthus quickly found a padd and transferred the data. He handed the padd to BJ, who accepted it saying, “You know your Captain well. I underestimated you.” Na’ila came up to him. BJ wrapped her in an embrace, whispered an apology, and then kissed her. She stepped back and watched with tears in her eyes as transporter beams whisked away her lover, as well as the rest of her friends. She turned back to Xanthus and said, “We can use the timeshot to get out of here.” A few moments later, the Eagle Star vanished in a tunnel of chronometric particles. Following their successful hunt, the women of the First People came to assist with offering the necessary blessings for the slain mammoth and to begin cleaning the animal. Thankfully, only a few were wounded with Ensign Carson being the one death. Bruce vowed that there would not be another, should he be able to come to reckoning with his counterpart. Tales of the mammoth hunt grew about as meat was cooked and shared around fires. While a successful hunt was a cause for rejoicing, Blue Fire knew that his people’s ordeal had just begun. Crossing into the new land and finding a way through the Great Ice may yet prove his undoing as a leader and the downfall of his people. Yet, hope still remained that perhaps they would find a way. “We would be honored,” he said to Bruce, “If you and your people would join us. Together we may yet survive.” Bruce thought about it for a while, but then replied, “No. You and your people are the ones to lead the way into the future. We must remain here for a time; we wait for a remnant of our people.” “You and your people are formidable hunters and warriors. We will leave you with enough provisions to last you a while.” 14
“I wish you peace and a safe journey, my friend. You have my thanks, Blue Fire.” A day later, Bruce stood looking over the hillside, watching after the camp where the First People had left the morning previous. It felt a little lonely without the company they made over the past few days, but Bruce trusted that anymore interaction would alter the timeline further, something he couldn’t risk. The “almighty” Temporal Prime Directive. Still, as an historian, he appreciated it and worked to uphold it as much as possible. Kevin and Dana joined him a moment later. Dana had just stepped up when her combadge beeped. They all glanced at each other for a moment. The Xanthus’ voice sounded, “Eagle Star to Captain Space. Please respond.” The bridge was still a mess when Bruce stepped back onto it. Despite all the damage done, Bruce still thanked God she’d come back to him with his tactical officer’s help. Xanthus rose from the command chair and said, “Welcome back, Captain.” Bruce replied, with a smile, “I think you’re on the fast track for Lieutenant Commander.” “Just doing my duty, Captain.” Xanthus returned the smile. “Where’s BJ?” “It’s a long story, Sir. But needless to say, we can get back to our time and place before the timeshot device burns out entirely. And I have Dr. Al-Rashid in custody.” “All right. We’ll talk later. In the meantime, let’s go home.” Five Years Later Inferno Base – The Badlands “May I be the first to congratulate you on your promotion, Grand Admiral Space?” Captain Kevin Doran asked, “The Lord Marshall is clearly pleased with your work.” “The Lord Marshall had no choice but to accept the proposal I gave him or see the empire fall back into the Dark Ages.” BJ replied. After their exploits with their counterparts from the other universe, BJ had taken the database the mutate Xanthus had given him and built an impressive defensive position in the Badlands. This position became Inferno Base, where BJ had not only constructed a base, but shortly thereafter begun building a fleet of starships to restore the Terran Empire as he had hoped. “I have to say it was worth the efforts,” Kevin added. “I could not have done it without your cunning, Captain.” “And my working with the Romulans,” Dana replied, coming up to them. She went on, “And now we have these.” BJ stepped forward and looked down on the ships in various stages of construction. He said, “It’s our time now. Though the frontier may well be dark, we shall rise out of the shadows.”
Star Trek: Eagle Star Episode #301 “Ice and Fire” Written By Michael A. Slagenweit-Coffman 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 CBS Studios, Incorporated. All rights reserved. No infringement is intended. No profit whatsoever is coming from the use of "Star Trek" by this fan fiction. No part of this fan fiction may be reproduced or otherwise copied without express written permission of the author.
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