Prologue: Taking Command

“The accused are found guilty of all counts, sentencing will commence in forty-eight hours. The accused are remanded to the custody of starbase security. This court thanks all officers involved, especially Commander Oseno, who took time away from his duties aboard the Horizon to provide his account of the events in question.”

Jureth nodded in response to the recognition from the court trying the former governor Sufra for her crimes against not only Starfleet, but the Federation and her own people. It was highly likely that she was going away for a good long time in a facility with a large security contingent. The request for him to accompany Sufra aboard the Phoenix back to Starbase Lotus had come just prior to the ship’s departure, and had been more of a summons than a request. Starfleet wanted a first-hand account of Sufra’s actions at her trial and they couldn’t very well pull Captain Kheren away from the Horizon. Oseno’s testimony along with several of her own people who had made deals with the prosecution was enough to drown out any of the governor’s protests regarding her treatment or Captain Kheren’s extra regulations on the colonists.

Now, as Oseno filed out of the courtroom along with the rest of the participants, a voice stopped him in his tracks just beyond the entrance.

“Commander Oseno, a moment if I may.”

The voice was one the Jureth immediately recognized and he smiled as he turned toward its source.

“Captain Siduri! Good to see you, Sir.”

“And you, Oseno. Look at you, a full Commander. Seems just yesterday you were a green security chief on his first assignment.”

“And arguing with my commanding officer to boot.”

Now it was Siduri’s turn to smile, remembering the young Bajoran taking him to task for “modifying” a security drill.

“So you did,” Siduri’s face then turned serious “I tracked you down because I wanted to be the one to give you the news.”

“What news, Sir?”

“Well, it seems that Starfleet’s resources are stretched quite thin these days, and they are in need of ships. So Command are recommissioning several vessels that were recently retired. I’ve seen the list and…the Alsea is on it.”

“That’s excellent, Sir. Will you be taking her out then or Captain Rivers?”

A smirk crept back to Kalten’s face.

“Neither; both Captain Rivers and I have been reassigned, which leaves the Alsea without a captain, and brings me to my next piece of news. Fleet Captain Samji would like to speak with you.”

“Me?”

“Immediately.”

Oseno tried to think what he could have done to warrant the Fleet Captain’s attention. He hadn’t been insubordinate, recently anyway, he hadn’t violated any regulations that he could think of…then the realization of what Captain Siduri was saying hit him.

“Surely the Fleet Captain doesn’t intend to give her to me?” he exclaimed.

“And why not, man? You brought her through that Azimuth Horizon business, saved my life, saved Rivers life, faced down Empress Sela, and helped make peace with the Undine. You’re plenty qualified, Oseno. Take a pat on the back for once! Samji asked me for my recommendation and I offered him you. Now go see him, and get yourself on that bridge.”

***

Jureth made his way through Starbase Lotus taking the turbolift up to the level where the office of Fleet Captain Allen Samji was located. Oseno had met Samji on several occasions but he couldn’t claim to know the man well. As a security officer he had always tried to stay out of any spotlight that would have put him in front of a senior officer like the fleet captain, but events of the last few months had made that virtually impossible. In fact it seemed like almost everyone he met these days already knew who he was. This was confirmed for him as Oseno entered the reception area outside Samji’s office.

“Commander Oseno,” the receptionist said with a smile; “he’s expecting you Sir, but I’ll announce you.”

She touched a command pad on her desk.

“Fleet Captain Samji, Commander Oseno to see you.”

“Send him in.”

When the Bajoran entered the spacious yet spartan office of the commander of Starbase Lotus, the brown-skinned, dark-haired Hindu fleet captain was already up from behind his large real wood desk with an extended hand towards him.

“Glad to see you back from the other side, Commander,” he said in greeting. “Would you like something? I was just about to get myself a raktajino... Hate the stuff but it does wonders to keep you awake and alert.”

The glint in the dark eyes was as plain as the meaning of his words; this was a time to be awake and alert... and he expected Jureth to be.

“No thank you, Sir, I’m fine. I’ve had plenty to keep me on my toes lately, including the woman whose trial I just left.”

He shook his head slightly, both in frustration and in regret that both he and Captain Kheren had been right not to trust Sufra.

“I had a bad feeling about that one from the start, but that aside, Captain Siduri said you wanted to see me, he gave the impression it was rather urgent.”

Oseno assumed that the fleet captain knew full well how much Kalten had divulged to him, but deferred to the senior officer to deliver the news himself. 

“Have a seat, Commander.”

Once Jureth was seated in front of him, Samji lost no time with further pleasantries. Somewhere from his desk, he manipulated controls that turned the wall behind him into a tridimensional representation of the entire Federation. The image moved at a dizzying speed towards the right end where the blue-tinted stars representing the member worlds of the United Federation of Planets met two thick lines, one colored in red at the top and one green on the right. The red one was labeled “Organian Peace Treaty Zone” while the green one read “Federation-Romulan Neutral Zone.”

“Commander, the impossible has happened; out there, a world petitionned the Federation for admittance, support and protection, formally giving solemn oath to abide by the Federation's charter, articles and laws. That world is called Unroth IV... in Romulan space.”

Letting that sink in, Samji remained silent while behind him the starchart went beyond the green line to light up a star system. In the Onias sector, the Unroth star system flashed barely a couple of light years away from the one light year thick treaty zone coreward from Starbase 23; so close yet so far.

“It's been barely twenty-three years since the Hobus subspace supernova shattered the Romulan Star Empire, destroying both Romulus and Remus, it's capital worlds. Since then, several self-appointed Praetors and even Empresses have vied for control and power over the surviving Rihannsuu; but, as of now, there is no central government that can speak for the whole people beyond the Neutral Zone or ensure the peace and prosperity that was once  theirs... but they still all have their taste for conquest.''

He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder to the pulsing light on the projected map.

“We know little if anything of the exact situation. Those Romulans out there are most probably under the crossfire of several factions wanting the rich ressources of their star system.; gas giants rich with methane, hydrogen and helium, rocky asteroids overflowing with mineral deposits including dillithium crystals, huge ice comets full of water and organic compounds, a large M class world with a still thriving culture and industry that was spared the worst of the catastrophy and the ensuing civil war... until now. The Empire is still reeling with no central government... and with the Klingon Empire nearby smelling the blood of a wounded prey, no wonder such a world desperately seeks allies. But to ask forour help, now that is more than desperate, to say the least.”

He crossed his hands on his wooden desk to look straight in Oseno's eyes.

“Morally, the Federation is bound to offer help and assistance to anyone in need... but that would mean crossing the Neutral Zone, a peace treaty that had prevented war for the last three hundred years; a treaty clearly stipulating that any ship or instrument crossing the zone, for whatever reason, would instantly put both powers into a state of declared war. War is not a moral endeavor... but is the Treaty still valid when there is no official Romulan government to uphold it? Diplomats are still debating the point... while, maybe, cloaked Romulan warship may already be inside Federation Space.”

Samji sighed.

“Politically, the Federation cannot ignore either a call for membership, especially from there. Having a Romulan world join us would possibly entice others to do so. Territorial gain here is not the real issue, but rather convincing the Romulans to finally sit down and talk seriously about peace and possibly collaboration between us; an end at last to centuries of mistrust and tension. Unroth IV might very well do for us and the Romulans what the Praxis disaster did to open relations between us and the Klingons, back in the mid twenty-third century. But, on the other hand, the territorial dispute is certainly going to come up with a Romulan world asking to join the Federation. Wars have started for less.”

He stood up, turning to face the image and look at the display, hands at his back.

“Strategically, Unroth is the ideal foothold inside Romulan space to monitor their activities... as well as the Klingon Empire. Us being there in force would be a powerful deterrent for any faction with belligerence on it's mind... even the Klingons  with border worlds now in striking distance of us from two fronts. But the Romulans, those who do not ask for an alliance with us, might now see this as an advantage for them...”

The starbase commander suddenly turned to face the Bajoran again.

“Not responding to this situation would risk antagonizing any other would-be allies within the remnants of the Empire and kill any hope of a future rapprochement between our two people. But response will also antagonize those who already eschew that possibility among them. And it might just be a trap to lure us into conflict. We would need to send a task force there with a full diplomatic corps so that all eventualities could be adequately faced; alas, Starfleet is still slowly rebuilding from the Last Borg War and is stretched pretty thin between the Romulan shattered empire, Klingons making aggressive encroachements, Kzinti warclans wanting to go on the hunt again, Cardassian terrorists prowling the Ferengi Alliance,  the Dominion stirring up...”

Samji sighed again.

“We must send a ship out there, but we can only send one ship... and we must send with it a an experienced, resourceful crew... and a captain well-seasoned in diplomacy as well as warfare and able to know the difference and necessities of the two; one that can get the right results the right way.”

As he finished, he bent over to put his hands on his desk. Behind him, the starchart and the whole wall disappeared and became a transparency showing the vast interior of the immense starbase. Right in the foreground floated a sleek, arrow-shaped starship with no less than four warp nacelles. On the top of the triangular bow stood out in bold letters her name.

USS ALSEA.

“We hope you would accept to be that starship commander... Captain Jureth Oseno.”

Jureth looked at the vessel with a glint of both familiarity, and fondness in his eyes. The Alsea had been for all intents and purposes his first command. He had been forced into the role somewhat reluctantly by events during the Azimuth Horizon crisis. Then on top of that, he had been forced to face down not only the Romulans, led by one Empress Sela no less, but the Undine and, in the end, the Klingons as well. Some would say he had done the job admirably, even superbly, though he attributed his success to the help of the officers around him and a timely rescue from Captain Tom Paris then in command of the Horizon.

All of that aside, the Prometheus Class vessel had been his, for a time, and in the end he had been disappointed to have to give her back to Captain Rachelle Rivers. Now, he was being offered command of her again, and the chance to take her on a mission of vital importance to the Federation, one that could usher in a new era with a long time enemy just as the Azimuth Horizon mission had done with the Undine.

What was it Kirk had said? “Don't let them promote you. Don't let them transfer you. Don't let them do anything that takes you off the bridge of that ship, because while you're there... you can make a difference.”

Right here, right now, this was his ship, and his chance to make a difference.

“I accept, Sir,” Oseno replied. “I couldn’t very well let anyone else take her out there. Has the rest of the command staff been assigned or will I need to select them as well?”

If Samji was releived or expected the Bajoran's reply, he gave no sign. But he nodded appreciatively.

“As Captain, it is of course your prerogative to assemble the crew you feel best suited for your ship. However, any transfer of currently assigned officers has to be approved by me. Shuffling personel is not conductive to building up the sense of camaraderie and belonging starship life and duty require. So please look over available personel before thinking about cannibalizing the fleet.”

He wanted the comment to make it light but the seriousness of it prevented that.

“I must tell you also that we are not overflowed with experienced officers for key positions, especially with several commanders like you being so swiftly entrusted with a captaincy. I have therefore personnaly selected who would best act as your first officer.”

He tapped his combadge.

“ Would you care to join us, Commander?”

On the other end of the comm channel, a deep, rocky voice answered with a grunt.

“Hmmmpff, no... but I don't want to give you the excuse to remove my pips so...”

There was a shimmer in the air and the telltale tone of a transporter confinement beam, followed by the materialization of a stout, dark shape in the black and grey uniform of Starfleet. A red collar gleaming with three golden pips was barely visible between the thick, curly dark mane fusing itself with the large bushy beard devouring almost all the black leathery face lifted towards them, making the squinting grey eyes flash like photon blasts.

“Captain Jureth Oseno, allow me to introduce you to your Executive officer, Commander Marksus Sangliar. Commander, this is Jureth Oseno, captain of the USS Alsea, your new commanding officer.”

The dark Tellarite walked over to them with the typical rolling gait of his portly species, the four thick fingers of each hand intertwined at the small of his back as he stopped to stand right in front of the Bajoran to look him up and down as he rocked on his heels.

“Great, a kid. Is your mommy okay with you going out to play... Captain Sir?”

Oseno had heard both of Sangliar, an officer of superior reputation, and of the manner in which Tellarites communicated so the insult didn’t faze the Bajoran much though coming from anyone else it might have. Jureth wasn’t one to hurl insults, but he did his best to reply in the spirit of the discussion.

“Probably not,” he admitted with a smirk remembering his mother’s pointed objections to his desire to join Starfleet; “but I thought I’d see what kind of trouble I could get into anyway. Perhaps you can lead the negotiations with the Romulans XO.”

“Why, don't have the stomach for it?”

“Been there done that, besides the Romulans can be rather disagreeable, so you’d fit right in.”

For a moment, it looked as if the stout alien would burst with anger like an exploding grenade, eyez becoming mere slits, teeth gnashing, skin turning darker if that could even be possible... and then, a huge smile spread on his face.”

“I like you. You've got a bigger belly than your skinny frame and soft face would let anyone believe. I heard of you, about how you faced Romulans, Klingons and Undines. I wanted to know if you were just lucky; now I know you are that good.”

He stood straight, but this time with no hint of his demeaning attitude showing anymore. He spoke as much to him as to Allen Samji.

“Commander Marksus Sangliar, reporting as Executive Officer and Captain of Engineering, Captain Sir.”

Oseno returned the smile, “Welcome aboard, XO,” he replied before turning again to Samji. “Sir, unless you have additional information on the disposition of possible Romulan assets in the area, the commander and I have some work to do.”

“That is exactly part of your work and why we are sending you out there,” the Hindu man retorted with a frown. “Romulans have always been most elusive and not just because of their cloaking technology. They are masters at feint, deceit and covert action, even among themselves. And with the state their empire is, or rather what's left of it, is not only unclear and confusing, but unknown as well and not conductive to analysis from afar.”

As he spoke, he showed the starchart again. The vast expanse of space that was defined as Romulan space had starkly less data on it than even what appeared in the galactic sector labeled Klingon Empire.

“If nothing else, your foray to this Unroth star system will allow us to check their current stand regarding the Treaty, the current state of their forces and whatever we should know about them that could prove crucial for the safety of the Federation worlds nearest to them.”

He walked to the projection and his finger traced a line from a glowing dot identified as Starbase Lotus in the sector nearest to both Klingon and Romulan empires.

“We however should be mindful of the Treaty; not just as a moral and legal stance, but in case they do mind still themselves. Starting a war over one star system is certainly not our goal. Thus, as far as we can figure out, the best way for you to reach this defecting star system without violating the Treaty would be for your ship to follow this flight path.”

The line he made went to the very edge of the Neutral Zone and went in a tight arc back inside Romulan territory crossing the adjoining edge of the Klingon border.

“Contrary to the Treaty of the Neutral Zone, the Organian Peace Treaty Zone between us and the Klingons do not forbid either faction fron entering this light-year wide border. It does however forbid any act of violence while within this zone. This will now serve us well, as it will allow you to cross over into Romulan territory from the Klingon side without the Klingons able to interfere... until you reach starbase 234; but then, you will have to cross two sectors into their space, skimming the Klingon-Romulan border before coming back into the far away part of our own space  near starbase 173. Beyond Delta Doradus, two more sectors away, the Neutral Zone officially ends... That is where you could enter Romulan space, from the far side... with three sectors inside to come back towards us and reach the Unroth star system.”

Sangliar snorted outloud, his short thick arms crossed on his barreled chest.

“Ten light years to the Klingon border... forty light years inside Klingon border into the most contested space of the Beta quadrant... forty light years more back into the far corner of Federation space... then sixty light years inisde Romulan space... We're talking no less than seventy days of travel at a sustained speed of warp 9. Sir, if you just wanted me to leave your base, you had only say so...''

''I am, shortstuff,'' Samji shot back. But the playful banter was sobered by the seriousness of his expression. “”We need a way to justify your presence in Romulan space without an obvious violation of treaty from our part. How you actually do so is another matter... but we need a way that will do even under the exceedingly effective scrutiny of the most paranoid Romulan investigator when they will come out screaming warcries accusing us. So, mind what you will be doing out there, gentlemen; don't underestimate them as Commander Benjamin Sisko once did.”

Samji was reminding them of one of the darkest hours of the Dominion war, when the loosing Federation-Klingon Alliance had wanted to force the then neutral Romulan empire to side with them against the overwhelming Dominion, Cardassian and Breen forces. The commander of Deep Space 9 had attempted such negociations in a nebulous and never clarified process that ended up with the death of a Romulan admiral at the hands of alleged Dominion agents. The murder had brought the Romulans to their assistance, but it was clear the negociations had not gone well... and heavy suspicions of foul play had remained afterwards.

Trying to trick Romulans was always difficult at best.

“A lot may happen in seventy days, I admit, good and bad,” Samji continued. And I don't have to tell you how dangerous such a journey is, not only with warring Romulan factions but with Klingons trying to snare pieces of the shattered Romulan empire and angry at us for not joining with them in their glrious conquest against their most hated enemy. They would not look fondly at one of our vessels deep inside their own territory... but at least, this flight path will allow leagl entry into Romulan space.”

He looked at each one of them in turn.

“That is why I need you, Oseno. If one man can find a way to do this, or even maybe a better way while keeping in mind all that is at stake, it is you. And if one grease monkey can keep your ship up and running and battle ready for so long and in so much troubled waters, it is you, Marksus.”

He walked back to them.

“This is a most delicate mission and will for sure require a lot of courage, dedication, focus and above all ingenuity. Mind the crew you will select for this odyssey. You have all are currently available roster at your disposal. You need, we need the best we have out there.”

“Aye Sir,” Oseno replied already not liking the prospects of spending so much time in Klingon territory, given the most recent hostilities between the two factions. He would have preferred a direct approach of simply hailing the Romulan colony world from the Federation side of the Neutral Zone, but he suspected that either what was left of the Romulan Imperial Navy, or worse the Tal Shiar, were likely already on station and would likely not permit such action.

“If there is a way to approach the colony more directly we will find it. Let’s get to it, Commander. Makes me wish we could borrow the Spectre's camouflage system.”

“Always looking for the easy, sneaky way, hey?” The Tellarite mocked.

But something in his tone said he was not all that reproacheful as he wanted his words to be.

“Security officers prefer a direct approach,” Oseno replied “we don’t have time to play around like you engineers. Besides, nothing with Klingons and Romulans involved is ever easy...and it usually involves disruptors.”

Oseno was already considering alternatives to tiptoeing through Klingon space, but he was short on them at the moment. Without a way to conceal their approach, they couldn’t cross into the Neutral Zone.

Just then, he had another thought. The species which they’d recently brokered somewhat of an unofficial peace with, the Undine, could appear at will from fluidic space. Jureth wondered if they could somehow make contact and negotiate passage to the colony. The Romulans wouldn’t like it, but the Alsea wouldn’t be directly crossing the Neutral Zone and it would get them to the colony far faster than their planned flight path.

“Perhaps our new friends would allow us passage through fluidic space,” he mused aloud. “that wouldn’t technically violate the treaty…”

For a moment, both Samji and Sangliar looked at him with blank expression. The Tellarite was the first to finally react with a loud, rough laugh.

“I like this guy! I think he'a as crazy as that Andorian out there with the mobile starbase...”

“Moving through another universe and back in our own would certainly shorten the trip and abide by treaty stipulations,” Samji agreed with a more sober smile. “The trick now would be to get the Undine to cooperate. And I'm not sure it would be all that safer. According to the Horizon's mission logs, Fluidic Space is also torn apart with civil war since last contact with them, between those who would change their way of life because of that contact and those who would not.”

There was a short moment of silence between them as they all pondered risks and implications. Then, the starbase commander sighed.

“Do as you think best, Captain. The Alsea is among the most powerful and versatile ships in all of the entire Federation... and even beyond. If one ship only can do the job, it is the Alsea, especially with you both aboard.”

He stood straighter at attention.

“We are Starfleet; when someone asks for our help, with do not play deaf. But let's play by the rules... even if we need to change a few. Assemble your crew, prepare your ship and leave as soon as you are ready. Our hopes and best wishes goes with you, Captain.”

“Thank you Sir, I’ll get to it immediately.”

Oseno came to attention and turned to exit the office “I’ll see you aboard ship XO.”