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Star Trek: Starjumper Episode 01

By: MeanBlackjack



Disclaimer: All right, this story is not real. NOT REAL! Not to be read by anyone under the age of 18/21 yadda yadda yadda! I'd love to hear some feedback as per usual. please feel free to leave me a comment in the COMMENT Box at the end of the page. You see those big empty stars too? Maybe bump those up to five full ones? We wouldn't want them to be empty now would we? All alone like that? You're not a monster are you? 

*

Newly appointed Captain, Amanda Thatcher surveyed her new vessel the U.S.S. Starjumper from the docking window of Deep Space Nine, a Cardassian space station now occupied by the federation. She had seen the diagrams forwarded to her by Starfleet command but there was nothing quite like seeing it first hand. 

She let out a heavy sigh and folded her arms, only to unfold them again. 

She was nervous. 

This always happened when she was assigned to a new ship. The warp nacelle at the back of the ship whirred to life and was coloured with blue and red as the teams prepared to beam aboard civilians and their belongings. 

It was a smaller ship, a Dakota class, rather than the two standard nacelles it had four thinner nacelles compared to the standard Excalibur class, a ship she had previously served on. The hull and saucer section were one and the same in the ship of a capital 'D'. Looking at the side, it hadn't struck her before but the bottom pair of nacelle were actually in front of the top two and were partly protected by the hull.

She had received a commendation as Captain after she took control of the U.S.S. Hastings, an Oslo-class Escort in a tangle with some rouge Gorn. 

Thinking back to that dark day, the Captain had beamed over to personally aid the Gorn after they had engaged some Romulans. It turns out that the entire thing was a trap concocted by a disgraced Klingon general and his Reman ally. He had only just let out a warning before he, and the away team was killed. She had raised the shields and fought off the Gorn ship. 

She had been summoned to Vice Admiral Norton's office on Starbase 64 and was then promoted to Captain along with the Christopher Pike medal. To say she was overwhelmed would have been an understatement.

She smiled at the thought of how lost she was back then and now she had her own ship. Running a hand through her short golden hair, she was about to turn when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking over at the hand, she saw it was her Commander, Zorah.  

He was a muscular Andorian standing at a mean six foot five, he hadn't shaven and was sporting a goatee that wrapped neatly around his mouth.

"Captain." He said with a goofy smile.

"Hello Zorah." She replied, extending a hand. He shook it warmly as they exchanged pleasantries. His hair was combed backwards, giving it a spiky look. Zorah was clad in the newest uniform styling with the grey shoulder pads, a black base and the department appropriate colouring under shirt. As Zorah was Commander and second in command, his under shirt was red, the same as Thatcher's.

"How's the loading going?" She asked as they walked along the catwalk towards the cargo and personnel elevator. 

"Good. All of the families are on board and now the crew are getting on. All the equipment's good and our chief engineer is just running a few diagnostics."

"Good, good. We'll have to say our goodbyes to Kira and the team here. They've been very hospitable."

"Indeed. Promenade." Zorah said out loud, as the elevator whirred to life and brought them down one level. As they stepped out, Zorah quickly turned on one heel and was about to leave when Thatcher tugged on his arm.

"Commander Zorah! What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing sir, it's just... Oh by the spirits she's seen me..." 

With that a glass tore through the air, narrowly missing Zorah and Thatcher, smashing into a thousand pieces against the gun metal grey wall. Turning to see who the hell threw it, Thatcher was greeted with Zorah getting a slap in the face. 

"You ungrateful son of a!" It was a shorter Bajoran woman with long brown hair that wrapped around her neck and rested on her right shoulder. She slapped him again and then rained down blows until Thatcher pulled her off.

"Easy now!" Thatcher warned as the Bajoran huffed and tossed her hair back. "And just who are you? His latest victory?"

"His Captain. Now can you explain yourself?"

"Oh it's easy. This guy comes into Quarks last night and starts crying. I ask him what's wrong and he says he's dying!"

"Zorah?" Thatcher said, turning to face the blue skinned, white haired Commander.

"Don't let him deny it! He said he was dying and only had a few more weeks to live! So I feel sorry for him and take him back to my quarters then... Well..."

Last night...

Zorah was tugged through the door by Rano Drake, a Bajoran waitress who was wearing very little. She tugged at her hair and it fell loose running over her shoulders. She looked like a Goddess as she pushed Zorah to her bed. Unzipping the top, she drew it over her sexy figure to reveal her... What was the human word for them? Breasts, that was it. He had always had trouble remembering human words as was the problem with being an Andorian. Their words were long and troublesome so everything had to be shortened. He had always believed that if something was worth saying it was appropriate to call it by the correct name. But that was neither here nor there, he was about to have sex.

Rano's breasts were a sizeable 34C, ripe for sucking as she climbed onto his lap. Zorah sat up and took the left breast into his mouth, sucking on the skin, flicking his tongue against her hardening nub.

Rano moaned aloud as she hooked her legs around his waist and put her hands on his shoulders. Leaning back, she moaned to the sky, as he ran his hands up and down her back, admiring her soft skin. Swapping to her right breast, Zorah left the faintest saliva trail as he tasted her other mountain. 

All the while, she had been grinding her lap on his and his penis had been hardening... Or rather his 'dick' had been hardening as one of the human ensigns had taught him. Breaking his lip lock with her tits, they shared a kiss as her hands worked their magic. Undoing his shirt and pants, she had reached inside and exposed his member to the room. It stood at seven inches tall and was proportionatly thick.

Moaning into the kiss, Rano stroked his shaft up and down, the skin creased and straightened as she tugged at it. Reaching down, she parted her lower lips and let the shaft invade her. It pushed past her lips and went deep inside her making both lovers moan with happiness. Lifting herself upwards, she let herself drop again taking all of his dick.

"Oh! You're so big!" She moaned, complimenting him on his size. Zorah had enough sexual encounters to know that she wasn't lying. Smiling to himself, he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her down so she was lying on the bed. Taking control, he started to fuck her at a more steady rate. Sliding his shaft in and out of her, he put one hand over her to steady himself and used the other to play with her tits.

Zorah grunted at how tight her vaginal walls felt. They squeezed at his dick with each thrust, pulsing with life as they were together. He aimed to mix his thrusts, taking long strokes to completely fill her, then switching to short, swift stabs making her moan accordingly.

They kissed again, his hand removed from her breast and now cupping her chin, holding it upwards. Their tongues wrestled together as the sound of skin-on-skin action filled the room. His blue ball sac slapped against her toned, tight ass cheeks as they fucked.

Breaking the kiss slowly, they stared into each others eyes. Zorah leant in and playfully kissed her nose's ridges, which made her giggle playfully. She ran her hands through his hair and eventually past his two antenna which bobbed as she brushed past them. This caused Zorah to laugh, the antenna were a particularly ticklish part to him and it always made him laugh.

"Sorry, I'm ticklish there." He said, almost bashfully.

"It's fine... Let me go on top now." Rano breathed sexily. Unhooking her legs, she regretfully pulled out and let him roll over. Sitting down on his lap again, she parted her lips and slowly teased him. Running the dick over her exposed flesh before slowly letting it enter her again.

"Oh..." She moaned, her voice climbed higher as she was invaded again. She smiled as Zorah put his hands on her breasts and squeezed them. Zorah sat up and sucked on the nipples, pushing the two spongy masses together. Flicking his tongue over the nubs, he playfully moved them together, making the two nubs rub up against each other, which in turn made Rano moan. 

Rano wrapped her arms around his head and pulled him closer to her cleavage. She started to pant more and more as sweat poured off the both of them. She ran her forearm across her head, to wipe away the stinging liquid. She let her head fall back as she moaned to the sky. Her liquids ran from her vagina and onto his legs as she orgasmed all over him. 

Smiling to himself, Zorah decided to push the boundaries. 

"Can I go in your rear?" He asked, referring to Rano's ass.

"Oh... Oh my yes!" She panted, coming down from the high.

Resisting the urge to punch the sky in excitement, Zorah nodded and removed himself from her 'pussy' as the human's call it. He was ready to place himself behind her, when she simply lay on her back and fell backwards even further so her legs were up by her head and exposed her extra hole.

Crooking an eyebrow at the sight, he smiled and nodded. Sliding his slick shaft inside her, they both moaned at the tightness. He grunted and held her hand tightly as he fucked this hole as well. He shut his eyes as the skin tightened around him. Feeling the urge to cum as well, Zorah tried to think of something else but was out of luck. 

His shaft spasmed and he unleashed his load deep inside her. Grunting as he came, they both let out curse words. Regretfully, he pulled at his shaft and let it come out of her. The hole closed up after him, as his cum dripped out onto the bed sheets. 

Rano fell on the sheets, collapsing after the orgasm and high of sex.

"Are you going to stay the night?" She asked as Zorah lay next to her.

"I should get back soon... My carer will wonder where I am." He said reluctantly. "I'm going to Vulcan tomorrow to see what can be done about my condition."

"Right... I really enjoyed this. If... No, when you get better, come and find me. Rano Drake, I'm a waitress at Quark's. If you can't find me, ask Morn."

"If I can get a word in that is." Zorah said with a smile, tugging on his clothing he stood up and walked over to the door. "Thank you Rano Drake. Waitress of Quark's." He smiled at her and left as she fell asleep.

Present Day...

"... I see..." Thatcher said. Letting it all sink in. "Do you intend to press charges?"

Rano thought about it for a second but quickly shook her head. "He's not worth it!" With a huff, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and walked away.

"Well, I can promise you if that sort of thing happens again you will be dead. Are we understood?" Thatcher said sternly. 

"Yes sir."

"Alright. Let's go and find Kira."

After saying their goodbyes, Amanda Thatcher and Zorah Vashton Buckcherry stepped onto the tansporter pad to send them over to the ship.

"Energize." Thatcher said with a warm smile. The blue light swarmed over the two commanding officers and soon their particles were taken away and rearranged into the shuttle bay of the U.S.S. Starjumper.

As they stepped forward, a young blonde ensign stepped forward and announced the captain was on deck. The entire crew was assembled in the shuttle bay and they stood to attention. Clearing her throat, Amanda stepped up to the microphone on the podium. "Captain Amanda Thatcher by order of Starfleet Command you are required to take command of the U.S.S. Starjumper. As of star date 56844.9 signed, Vice Admiral Norton. Thank you very much, now take your posts. We're leaving in the hour."

With that, the crew nodded and dispersed.

"Nicely done. Should we head to the bridge?" Zorah asked as they shared a quick smile.

"Absolutely. This way yes?" Thatcher asked, gesturing towards the left most corridor. Zorah nodded and they walked down the hall towards a turbo lift. Stepping inside, Amanda spoke and ordered the lift towards the bridge. Within seconds, the doors opened and they stepped out onto the bridge.

"Captain on the bridge!" A young ensign said, while working on her computer screen.

"Enough of that ensign. That's not necessary with me." Captain Thatcher said with a smile as she walked onto the elevated plateau for the Captain's chair. The bridge itself was a wide room, it ran in a 'V' shape with it widening out at the front of the bridge. There was two tactical consoles at the very front, behind them and to the left side of the captain's chair were four engineering stations and on the right of the captain's chair was a science station.

Sitting down in the chair, Amanda smiled as she rested in the chair. Turning her head, she surveyed all of her bridge.

"Alright then... Are we ready?" Amanda said, turning to Zorah who was fumbling with the monitor in front of him.

"All stations report ready Sir." Zorah said, looking up from the screen with a big smile.

"Very good. Helm, take us out. One quarter impulse... Engage." She punctuated the engage with a point of her finger towards the screen. The tractor beam released from the Starjumper and they fell free from Deep Space Nine's docking corridor. Turning away from the station, the male Vulcan Turock, the pilot of the ship slid the impulse bar up to one quarter full. The ship whirred with life and eventually they were free of the station and free to explore.

"Alright then. We're required to enter a transwarp portal near Risa to take us through to the Gamma Quadrant. Helm, how long would that take at full impluse?"

"That would take us three days at full impulse." Turock said, turning to face her. Amanda thought it over and nodded.

"Alright. Do it. "Zorah, you have the bridge." Amanda said with a smile. Pushing herself up off of the chair, she walked over to the ready room at the side of the bridge. The doors slid open and she walked in. Admiring the room, it was a moderately sized room with her desk to the left most side of the room. Opposite the desk, there was a large cabinet that was currently empty. Peeking in, she saw that it was for her medals. Smiling, she opened it up and stroked the velvet-ey fabric coating the inside.

Walking over to her desk, she tugged at the seat and sat down. Drawing herself closer to the desk, she picked up an electronic pad that flashed to life. Looking at it, she smiled and saw both her and her best friend and the Doctor of the ship, Dijj Eetal Cam'Ra. She was a very beautiful Betazoid with long blonde hair that ran to the top of her back. It was a picture of them from the Starfleet Academy wearing their cadet's uniforms, they had just passed their exams and were ready to go on their latest assignments.

Smiling, she put the pad down when there was someone at the door.

"Come in." Amanda said aloud. 

The doors wished open and in walked Dijj. She smiled warmly and shook Amanda's hand greatly.

"Captain Thatcher eh?" She said with a big grin.

"Doctor Cam'Ra eh?" The Captain said, matching her grin.

"Please, have a seat." Amanda said, gesturing to the seat opposite the desk.

The two old friends sat down and started to discuss the mission.

"So, what is the mission exactly? It's something to do with the Gamma Quadrant isn't it?"

"That's right. With the newly assembled transwarp corridor we can be there in a manner of days rather than the years it would typically take. We're going over there to assess the new planets over there and possibly colonise them. Also, engage any alien forces over there too."

"Are we expecting any?"

"Well... A lot of factions are gunning for new space. The chess game of the Alpha Quadrant has become far more interesting with this corridor. Reman rebels, the Klingons, the Undine, the Borg and the newly reformed Cardassian Empire are all after this area. So... It's our job to make sure it's for us." Amanda said grimly, looking into her now steepled hands.

"Well, I can't think of a better Captain to lead us in there." Dijj said with a smile. 

"Anyway, enough about the mission. How's sick bay for you?" Amanda said, changing the subject.

"It's great. It's got everything I could possibly need and more. All of the ensigns are well trained. Hell, I'm almost looking forward to some danger to try it out!" Dijj said with a warm smile.

"Well, don't speak too soon Dijj. I hate to say this but I need to carry on with the staff assessments." Amanda said, frowning lightly.

"No, that's absolutely fine. Should I come back later or does this count as mine?"

"You won't get out of it that easily Cam'Ra!" Amanda said with a smile as the Dr stuck her tongue out at the Captain. Shaking her head lightly, Amanda went back to work at her desk.

Slapping her combadge, she asked for the Science officer, Legion.

Legion was a unique member of the team. During a fire fight with the Borg, Ensign Jennifer West was KIA but also fell victim to a new Borg weapon. Her body was destroyed but her nervous system was still alive. Starfleet Intelligence theorized that this was so the newly assimilated victim could be moved into a more powerful body. However, West was saved and taken back to Starbase 66 and was repaired with an android body.

She was connected to Starfleet's medical database and can now access any details needed at the time making her a prime candidate for a Science officer.

"Captain Thatcher to Lieutenant Legion. Can you see me in my ready room please?" Legion walked through the corridors of the Starjumper. The crewmen, busy at work seemed to completely ignore her. 

This was unusual. 

Legion was fully aware that she looked like a human, but ultimately she wasn't She was a mixture of synthetic skin, pipes and a nervous system that may as well have been built with beer mats based on the way it felt inside her. She knew she wasn't human, no matter what the Doctor's said.

She had originally been Jennifer West. A very pretty Ensign, serving on the U.S.S. Shibuya, a tactical escort that was part of Starfleet's Borg task force. They had encountered a Borg Sphere just south of an obscure Starfleet observatory. Engaging them at the observatory they had managed to disable its engines. Jennifer, part of the away team beamed over with her commanding officer Steven Turner, was engaged in a fire fight all the way to the core of the sphere.

With what seemed to be the last of the drones dead, the team went to work on stopping the Sphere and letting it go to waste. Turning her back, Jennifer thought she head a noise, heading over to investigate it, something hit her in the stomach. Looking down, she saw a large burning hole where her guts should have been. Stumbling backwards and clutching at the hole trying to keep her insides in, she groaned in agony as orange beams of her team's phasers fired back at the Borg. 

Wincing in pain, the hole seemed to burn even more so as she was dragged to cover. Propped up against the wall, she could see the hole almost repair itself but with a sick black colouring. Its webbing weaved from the bottom of the wound all the way to the top, like a spider catching its prey. The pain was too intense for her and she lost conciousness, the last thing she saw was her body becoming Borg.

The next time she opened her eyes, she was stuck inside a glass tube with water coating her. Looking around, she saw two scientists arguing over her, there was two of them. A male and a female, both in Starfleet medical uniforms. The female smiled warmly and put her hand on the tank as if to say it was all OK. She then turned and faced the male Doctor throwing a data pad at him. A new sensation washed over her and what could be taken as sleep flushed into her body.


Star Trek: Starjumper Episode 01



The next time she awoke, there was the same female Dr at the foot of her bed. 

"Ensign West... Can you hear me?" She asked calmly, stroking her hair backwards past her ears.

"... Ah..." Jennifer tried to speak but very few words came out. Struggling to speak, she got visibly frustrated.

"That's all right. If you can hear me that's fine, you'll just have to be filled in on what's been going on."

With that, the Dr now identified as Miranda Taylor explained that she had been hit with a new type of Borg weapon that was supposed to cut down the time it took to assimilate people, or so Starfleet intelligence theorized. Jennifer had been tagged with this weapon and was luck to be alive.

"And with that, we managed to use the Borg technology to implant all of the Starfleet database inside it. You've now got a computer inside your body Jennifer." Taylor said with a warm smile, there was no doubt about it she had a good bed side manner.

Jennifer shook her head, not keen on something.

"Jennifer, what's wrong?" The Doctor asked as she shook her head again at being called Jennifer.

"...Ion." She said softly, finding a voice.

"Jen?" Miranda asked, trying to help her speak.

Shaking her head, Jennifer tried again.

"Le.Ion."

"Legend?"

Shaking her head again, Jennifer summoned all of her strength and spoke once more. 

"Legion."

With that, she collapsed into agony and fell asleep once more.

Colour flashed to her eyes and West felt herself waking up.

"'I am Legion for I am many.' You have a sense of humour then?" Miranda asked, standing at the foot of her bed.

A smile crept onto West's face as she nodded. 

"I always liked that book... I can speak?"

"Yes, it looks like the procedure took it out of you. Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes... Do I look OK?" She asked, swinging her legs to the side of the bed, as if ready to stand.

"There was some cosmetic damage but yes, we've repaired everything for you."

Thinking back, Jennifer tugged at the under shirt and scrambled to look at her wound. There was nothing there but a new mole.

"That's new."

"Yes, it's for updating the computer system. You can peel it off and connect yourself to any Starfleet computer. Now Jennifer..."

"No. Jennifer West's dead. I'm called Legion now. The way this computer has been set up it sounds like I should be with the Science Academy. Jennifer West was a grunt through and through. If it's all the same Doctor, could you call me Legion from now on?" 

Miranda was going to say something but thought better of it. She nodded and agreed.

"All right then Legion. Looking through the active duty roster there's a ship heading off on its maiden voyage next week. The U.S.S. Starjumper. Would you like to be assigned there? They're heading off to the Gamma Quadrant to help set up colonies and explore the new worlds."

Thinking about it, Legion nodded her head. "Yes, that sounds good."

Stepping into the Starjumper's turbo lift, she requested to head to the bridge and awaited the usual split second trip to the Captain's office. Stepping out onto the bridge, she passed the ship's Dr, Dijj Eetal Cam'Ra, a Betazoid with empathic abilities.

Curtly nodding, she walked past the bridge and stepped outside Captain Thatcher's office. Pressing the button on the outside, she waited for the Captain to let her in.

"Come in. Ah, Legion. Please have a seat!" Thatcher said with a warm smile, indicating the empty seat in front of her desk. Politely shaking her hand, Legion nodded and sat down. 

"Well, welcome aboard the Starjumper. As Chief Science officer, it will be your job to observe and if necessary, theorize explanations for strange unexplainable circumstances. We do have one of your ensigns on the bridge, responsible for sensor readings. Also, general survey parties require the direction of the science officer. I want you working with Doctor Cam'Ra too, in case of any medical emergency your findings would be invaluable. Also, I'm sure this isn't common practice but I'd like you to serve as a temporary councillor for our maiden voyage. Again, work with the Doctor to see if anything unusual happens with the crew. Some of them are a little green and haven't quite made it out of the academy. Ultimately, I'll be wanting you to always have a better idea. Are we understood?"

"Yes Captain." Legion said, smiling warmly. She had anticipated all of this and was ready for it. "Is there anything else you require?"

"Well, what do you make of Tristram? The Science ensign on the bridge. Is he suitable or should we swap him over?"

Unsure of who the Captain was talking about, Legion let her right eyebrow crook upwards. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage. I was under the impression that Ensign Perry was at the console?"

Smiling, Thatcher nodded her head. "Very good. You've read the roster then. That was a trick an old Captain of mine used to do. Ask everyone's opinion on a Cadet or Ensign in a different position to see who picked up on it. It's a dirty trick but it works." 

Nodding her head, Legion smiled. "Very good Sir. I require no more of your time if you don't need me?"

"That's fine thank you. I'll call for you if you're needed again. You may return to the science lab."

Nodding her head, she stood up and left the room. 

Thatcher smiled as the android... Was that the right term? She pondered for a brief moment before shaking her head, smiling. Her team mate, left the room, she was ready to summon the human tactical officer when her combage whirred to life.

"Buckcherry to Thatcher, apologies for the interruption but we're being hailed by the U.S.S. Vanguard. Admiral Stewart is on board and would like to talk to you."

"Very well, Zorah patch him through to my ready room." Thatcher said, making sure she looked prim and proper for the Admiral. She stood up and walked over to the large monitor, to the side of the ready room near her personal food replicator.

"Greetings Captain Thatcher." Admiral Stewart's big bald head almost filled the screen as he reclined in a large chair.

"Well met Sir." She said with a smile. They had been friends for a while and enjoyed lax communications. While rank existed between the two, it was somewhat blurred.

"I have new orders for you. You're to assist a Starfleet science vessel escorting a high ranking Doctor to one of the new colonies in the Gamma Quadrant. It's going to be a slog, but it will be safe. You're required to meet the ship just by the Beta Ursae sector. It's the U.S.S. Olympus. This all should let you test the Starjumper too. How is it?" He asked, the Dakota class had been 'moth-balled' for a while during the Dominion Wars, when its sister ships, the Stargazer and the Cheyenne were used and upgraded as they were more versatile.

Smiling and nodding her head, Thatcher was confident that they had made a mistake retiring her. "She handles very well for travel. No idea about combat yet, but the ship's ready for it if necessary."

"Confident words Captain." Admiral Stewart said with a grin.

"I'm a confident Captain Admiral." She replied, matching his grin.

"Very well, the Vanguard will be meeting you at the transwarp tunnel. We have all of the other vehicles to transport over too. We're just waiting on the flagship. If there's nothing else Captain? I'd like to go back into hiding. Moore's been hounding me for a commendation!" He said with a hearty laugh. Thatcher joined in, smiling at Captain Ronald Moore, Captain of the Vanguard's misfortune.

"That's fine Sir, we'll see you soon."

"Very well Captain, Vanguard out."

The screen went dead as they terminated the connection. 

Staff reviews are going to have to wait. She thought to herself as she made her way out back onto the bridge. 

"Helm, set course to the Beta Ursae block. We're going on an escort mission."

"Sir?" Zorah voiced a concern, standing up from the Captain's chair letting her take her seat.

"Not much to say Zorah. We're to escort a science vessel to the transwarp tunnel. Then, we're making the jump with the Vanguard to see us off. Should be exciting." She said with a smile, fiddling with the keypad to her side.

"Very good. May I remind you that Beta Watch swaps over in ten minutes. The two remaining high ranking members of staff are coming on then. Would you like me to take command so you can finish off the assessments?"

"That sounds like an excellent idea. Once we find the Olympus we can do the swap over. Helm, how long will it take us to get there?" 

Turock had finished the calculations before Thatcher had finished the sentence. "It will take us approximately twenty hours to get there. With a total of forty hours to get back to the transwarp tunnel, Sir."

"Very good. Let's get to it then." Thatcher said with a smile as the cruiser banked to starboard and they changed course towards their new destination.

Zorah was in the middle of a story when the turbo lift doors shot open and the new set of ensigns and officers walked out onto the bridge. Mid-sentence, Zorah stood up and announced clearly.

"Twenty hundred hours. Beta watch finishes, Charlie watch begins. The next relief will be at zero hundred hours, the star of the next day... As you were."

"Very good. You have the bridge Commander."

"Thank you Sir." He said with a curt smile, sitting down in the big chair, watching the stars zip by them onscreen.

"I'll be in my ready room if necessary."

"Understood Sir."

She slapped her combadge and sat at her desk. Summoning the chief engineer, a Bolian named Fancis Dack. It's pronunciation wasn't lost on her. She had worked with a cadet in Starfleet Academy in San Francisco and learned all about speaking Bolian in the correct way.

It wasn't said as it sounded, Dack, it was Day-Kuh. And she was sure to announce it that way, the last thing she needed was to have that on her head.

"Thatcher to Lieutenant Dack could you come to my ready room please?" 

"On my way Sir, Dack out." Then silence filled the room. Dack had a reputation as being the equivalent of the ship's councillor. He had been born near a warp core drive and in Bolian lore, this indicated that the child would be a happy, jolly individual.

Dack was this, he enjoyed his off time like any officer but would work hard too. He was also quite the pilot, or so the legend goes. The Starjumper was equipped with a very small shuttle craft unique for getting into small places the Starjumper couldn't get to.

There was a beep at the door to indicate that there was someone there.

"Come in." 

The doors whooshed open and in walked Dack.

"Mister Dack, welcome. Please have a seat!"

Dack was wearing a trademark grin, but he was also clad in an engineer's uniform. Starfleet had passed regulations involving uniforms and meant that most people could choose to wear different ones if they felt it was needed. But, most went with whatever the Captain wore. The overalls covered his entire body and was a mustard yellow with black shoulder pads indicating his rank.

"Thank you sir. You'll have to excuse the mess. I've been holed up on an Saber escort for my past two missions. This is the first time I've had chance to see a warp core on a cruiser!"

"And?"

"Well, it's very... Big!" Dack said with a large grin on his face. Bolian's were hairless creatures with a smooth stripe running down the middle of their forehead. It would differ from Bolian to Bolian and with Dack, it ran down the middle but separated at the top of his head so it almost looked like he had a star on his head. The colouring of the lines would usually differ as well, and with Dack it was a dark green colour. His face also had a few white splotches on his cheeks and near his neck. As far as Amanda could recall, this was like a human having freckles, a beauty spot or a birth mark.

"Indeed. I trust you'll be getting well acquainted with it?"

"That's the plan Sir!"

"So, going by your service record you served on the Zephyr, the Summers, the Yokohama and lastly the Sabertooth. You started off as an ensign and was promoted to lieutenant on the Sabertooth. Why were you transferred over here?"

"Well, Captain Freeman felt I was wasted servicing such a tiny ship. So, when we docked at Deep Space Nine for repairs he suggested I look for another ship. He promoted an ensign to cover me as soon as I found the Starjumper was lacking in engineers. So, here I am!" He said with a grin, it turned out that Dack had fantastic teeth and was more than happy to show them off.

"Very good, well I'm sure you'll fit in fine! Is there anything you need?"

Dack looked uneasy for the first time, shuffling in his seat like he didn't want to speak.

"Mister Dack, please. I'm a busy woman, what is it?"

"Well... I could really do with some FBA-6c power couplings. The systems seem fine enough but if I had them then it would really ease up the work load."

"Why don't you have them?" Amanda asked, leaning forward resting her elbows on the desk and making a steeple of her fingers.

"Well, it's probably just a technical oversight, I won't bore you with the details but when you load the emergency power through one of those couplings then it separates the power stream so it takes longer for it to over heat and short out a console."

"Right, so where would we get them?"

"That's the tricky part I'm afraid Sir. Do you know any Ferengi personally?" Amanda shook her head with a smile. "All right then, forget I said I'll try next time we're at a Starbase. I think that's it for me then Sir!"

"Very good Mister Dack. I'll let you get back to work."

"Sir." With that, Dack was gone. He was quite the character and she looked forward to serving with him. She reviewed the personnel file of the next candidate. He was a human male, 34 who had served in the Dominion Wars. He was the tactical officer and chief of security on board the Starjumper.

"Noah Locke Reynolds." Amanda read the name out loud as she looked over the file. He was a battle-hardened veteran that's for sure. He was the second in command of DS9, filling in for Major Kira's role on the station. He held the role of Lieutenant Commander and was the fourth in command of the ship, beneath herself, Zorah and the good Doctor. 

"Lieutenant Commander Reynolds to report to my ready room please." She said again, hitting the combage to signal the Lt Commander.

"Yes sir, be there in a few moments." Dack had barely left the room when there was a beeping sound.

"Come in." Amanda said aloud, the doors whooshed open and Noah walked in. He was a hulking figure of a man, standing at about six foot five and was spread out appropriately. He had a military crew cut and a scar running along the bottom of his square jaw all the way up to his repeatedly broken nose. 'We're in good hands.' Amanda thought to herself as he saluted her.

"Reporting as ordered Sir." He said in a militaristic bark.

"Very good. Please, take a seat."

"Thank you Sir." He managed to squeeze into the tiny chair and held off how uncomfortable he was.

"Well, it looks like we're two peas in a pod. Fought in the Dominion Wars, a seasoned veteran as well... How're you finding things aboard the Starjumper Reynolds?"

"Very well Sir. If I may speak frankly?" Amanda gave a 'go-ahead' reference with her hands and he continued. "It's very different from an escort. You seem to more much slower..."

"But, we pack more punch!" She said with a smile.

He nodded politely.

"Indeed. The tactical stations are suitable enough. I'm going to speak with Lt Dack about upgrading the weapon systems as soon as we can."

"Are they not good enough?" Amanda asked, reclining in her chair.

"Oh Sir, they're good enough. They can just be better. I think the forward phaser banks could be upgraded so they can be fired by the computer while tactical keeps an eye on the torpedoes. I also recommend that we swap over the reverse torpedo launcher to be a mine launcher. We can knock back any pursuers then if needed, giving us room to escape."

"Lt Commander, you're aware that we're on a mission of peace aren't you?"

"Very much so Sir. But with Cardassia back with strength in numbers, the Klingons aren't our friends any more and the Romulan's we haven't heard from since the incident with the Enterprise-E. I don't see why we shouldn't be prepared."

"Well fought Mister Reynolds. I see that you're a keen tactician as well. How do the ground supplies look?"

"Very good Sir. I think we'll be ready to fight off anything that tries to board the ship."

"Excellent, and you say that the tactical stations are good?"

"Indeed sir. I oversaw the installation myself. We have one ready for the torpedoes, fore and aft, and we have one for all of the phasers. I have two highly skilled ensigns on them for the current shift. I'll cover them in Alpha and Charlie watch with two rotating ensigns."

"Very good... So, you aren't on shift now?"

"No Sir, I was going to head into engineering to talk about the upgrades."

"Not necessary Lt." Amanda for the first time referred to the rank at the actual letters L and T. This was something she had picked up on the Hastings, her Captain would call people by their rank as a matter of affection. Well, as much as a Captain could show affection.

"You're already working a double shift. Go and get some rest. I'm in charge of Beta and Charlie so I'll see you in eight hours. Dismissed."

Noah looked unsure for a moment, but nodded his head. Standing up, he saluted and made his way out of the room. Smiling, she thought to herself 'It was like looking in a big, burly man mirror.' Chuckling to herself she was about to make herself a drink when her combadge came to life.

"Buckcherry to Thatcher." It was Zorah, looking at her computer a lot of time had passed since she first entered the room.

"Sorry to interrupt Sir but I saw Lieutenant Commander Reynolds leave. We're approaching the co-ordinates."

"Very good Zorah, I'll be out shortly."

"Very good Sir. Buckcherry out."

'Here we go Amanda.' She said to herself with a grin. Pushing herself up from her seat with the aid of the desk, Amanda walked out to the bridge.

Upon arrival, she saw the faces of a horrified team. Jogging over to her seat, she turned on her heel and was equally shocked. A ship had jumped to warp leaving the Federation science vessel in tatters. There were phaser burns all over the ship's hull and both nacelles had been cut in two. There was a large torpedo shaped hole near the bridge and the ship was rotating in a forward manner. 

"Scan for survivo..." She spoke before the ship exploded leaving little debris.

"Oh by the spirits..." Zorah said sullenly, stroking his white beard. 

"Did we get a trace on the ship?" Amanda asked, pacing down to the helm console which also doubled as a science station.

"No Sir. It had jumped to warp before we got here and the warp particles are too broken up to analyse."

"So, what do we do now Captain?" Legion, the science officer on this shift spoke from the other science console.

"I file a report and we head to the nearest Starbase. Their must be some way of finding out who did this. Zorah, you have the bridge. I'll be in my ready room, I don't want any interruption. Are we clear?"

"Crystal Sir."

"Good. Now, helm set course to Starbase 375, it's a science station manned by Admiral Ross. We should be able to get an idea as to what's happened."

With that, Captain Thatcher spun on her heel and made her way out to the ready room. Not exactly sure what she was going to say to Starfleet, but she needed an answer and with a dash of luck, they could give her one.



Star Trek: Starjumper Episode 02



Star Trek Starjumper: What doesn't kill you

Disclaimer: All right, this story is not real. NOT REAL! Not to be read by anyone under the age of 18/21 yadda yadda yadda! I'd love to hear some feedback as per usual. My e-Mail address at: mean.blackjack(@)yahoo.co.uk If you remove the parenthesis from the @ symbol it'll get through! Please feel free to send me some feedback, I'll delete the room in my inbox just for it. You wouldn't want my inbox to be empty would you? All alone like that. I know you're not monsters out there!

Author's Note: Hey guys, no sex in this part. Pure story, had a lot of fun writing it too! Remember to send feedback to my e-Mail or in the comments section ;)



Hundreds of Jem'Hadar ships lay in ruins, adrift in deep space. After the founders surrendered in the last great war, they returned to the great link and through the worm hole that had been the constant pain in the ass of the space station, Deep Space Nine. However, when they disappeared into the worm hole they took with them the supply of ketracel-white and left the super soldiers to die. 

Feared battleships were left spinning in deep space, their hosts long dead. These desolate vehicles were prime targets for scrap vultures or looters like Ferengi looking for cheap loot to sell on. The fire arms, side arms and any other weapons were sold on, the ships were skeletal.

However, they were also a target for another vehicle. Gul Brull was left well alone on a Ferengi transport vessel that was hovering close to a large battleship. A small runt of a Ferengi made himself known to the large Cardassian military man. Coughing, Brull looked down and nodded without saying a word. Taking hold of the grate above his bunk, he pulled himself up out of the bunk and hopped onto the floor.

"Are we here?" He asked, looking down at the small Ferengi.

"Ah... Yes sir... We're here."

"Good. Both me and your captain have discussed payment. Take me to your transporter." The Cardassian nodded towards the large door, the Ferengi nodded and walked him towards the transporter room. Brull looked down the corridor and saw the rusty colour of the vessel. There were the occasional metal pole that ran from the top of the corridor down to the floor.

They took a right turn to head down to the transporter room. Brull stepped onto the panel and looked at the Ferengi captain.

"Energize."

A light blue shimmered over Brull and beamed him over to the Jem'Hadar vessel. Brull arrived at the battleship and saw it was in ruins. Pipes jutted out of the wall and pumped steam into the room, lighting tubes hung down from the top of the corridor and dangled freely and wires would spark at random intervals as he walked passed them. He had his destination in mind, walking down the corridor Brull found the room he needed.

Rummaging through the crates of stock, left alone due to no one understanding the complexity of the tools. Placing a small homing beacon on the crate, Brull pushed a few buttons and called over to the vessel.

"Brull. Payment ready for collection."

"Understood. A pleasure doing business with you. After all, the." Communications were cut off abruptly as Brull slapped his communicator again, severing the line. Looking over his shoulder, the Cardassian made his way down the corridor to the bridge. As he passed a window, he looked out and saw the mine he had beamed over did the trick. There was an explosion on the bridge that blew the windows open, various debris from inside the ship was sucked out into the vacuum of space. The ship's computer took over and a large shutter came down, sealing the gaping wound but it was already too late. 

Several smaller explosions rocked the vessel as it was destroyed. Dirty work but it was worth it for the restoration of Cardassia. He ran his hands through his small black haircut and licked along his bottom teeth. He stepped onto the bridge and saw that it was still in ruins. Tugging at a chair that had been laid upon the captain's chair, he dusted the chair down and sat down. Surveying the damage, he shook his head at how much damage the ship had suffered. 

Bringing up the ship's computer, he jabbed at a few buttons and the ship whirred to life. It spoke in a foreign language, probably Jem'Hadar, he jabbed at a few more and it turned into Basic. Now that he understood the computer, Brull set about repairing the ship. He smiled at how quickly the ship was repairing itself, the large view screen illuminated and was hailed by another Jem'Hadar ship.

"Gul Brull?" It was his second in command, Molar, a hulking Klingon that had a feral looking beard with long dreadlocks that ran past his shoulder blades. 

"Yes Molar. I assume every thing's going according to plan?"

"Indeed. Wayne wants a mission update immediately."

"Understood. Brull out."

Molar nodded curtly and pushed a button, leaving Brull to himself.

He took a breath and pushed a button, signaling the flagship of this motley crew of rebels... A resistance would probably be a more apt term. Marcus Wayne was a human in his mid-thirties, he was covered in scars and was suffering from a limp due to a slashed tendon. He had suffered at the hands of the cowardly Marquis and he was just the type of leader they needed, soon the Federation would be on its knees and it would all be thanks to Brull and Marcus Wayne.

Little did Brull know that someone who was capable of catching and stopping Wayne was a few clicks away.

The Captain sat at the main seat, a hand on her chin looking through the star screen. Her thoughts were running miles a minute about what could have been happening in the Alpha Quadrant. Drumming her fingers on the side, Amanda looked from one side to the other. She saw lots of worried faces looking at their consoles as they worked.

They had every right to be. 

Starfleet had been attacked by an unknown enemy and it had torn a science ship to pieces. A small fat blob appeared at the bottom of the screen and an Ensign called out.

"Starbase 375 on screen."

"Magnify." 

The small blob soon shot to fill the screen. The Starbase was a larger room with four smaller 'feet' that served as launching pads. It was home to Admiral Ross and was a dedicated Science station. It was close enough to the site that they may be able to analyse the damage. By a stroke of luck, Admiral Ross had contacted them and had been in contact with the Vulcan science ship. They had reports from the ship as it was destroyed. 

With a bit of luck they could piece everything together and see just what was happening. The ship had gotten closer and closer to the Starbase and they dropped out of warp into impulse power. The ship arrived at the orbiting area, Amanda stood up and spoke out loud.

"Signal them Mister Turock." Thatcher said as she stood up and tugged her shirt down, straightening it out.

"Hailing frequencies open Sir." The Vulcan said, turning to face her.

"U.S.S. Starjumper to Starbase 375 requesting permission to dock."

"U.S.S. Starjumper, this is Starbase 375. Permission granted, you can dock at docking station 3. Safe travels."

Amanda looked to Turock and nodded her head. Turock nodded back at her and spun the Starjumper to the port side. Bringing it down to the docking station the Starjumper slid past the blue photonic wave, that separated space and the actual station.

Sliding into the station, Turock aligned with a docking tube and set up a slow orbit.

"Mister Turock, begin docking procedure." Thatcher said, looking at the Vulcan whose hands were hovering over his controls. He nodded and the ship shifted to the side ever so slightly.

There was a large tube that was hovering in the middle of the station. It was thick enough for people to pass through, and as the ship hovered to the side it connected to the ship's side.

"Docking clamps have been engaged. We're safe for departure." Turock said, turning to face his Captain.

"Very good Mister Turock. Attention all hands, this is the Captain. I will be departing for the station in a few moments. Commander Buckcherry will be remaining on the ship as C.O. If you wish to take any time off, now would be a good time. If not, I'll return as soon as time permits me. Thatcher out."

Turning to face Zorah, she nodded.

"Walk with me."

The two commanding officers of the Starjumper left the bridge and made their way to the transporter room. The chief, an older non-commissioned Asian officer, smiled as they entered.

"One to beam to Starbase 375. There's nothing to worry about Zorah, just keep the ship running." She stepped onto the pad and looked at Zorah once more. "And careful with the paint. She's new. Energize!"

A blue light shimmered over Amanda and she was beamed over to the station. Zorah looked at the chief, smiling, he shook his head and left him to work.

Arriving at the station, Amanda looked around and saw an Ensign with nothing to do.

"Ensign."

Jumping out of his skin, he spun and looked at Captain Thatcher. 

"Sir, yes Sir!"

"Easy Ensign, easy. I'm just after Admiral Ross' room."

"Oh... Oh. It's just this way."

The Ensign lead the way to a large turbolift. 

"OK Sir, you need to take this up to deck 34. Admiral Ross' office is at the end of the hall way.

"Very well, dismissed."

The Ensign nodded and departed. 

She stepped into the turbolift.

"Deck 34."

The turbolift whirred to life and took her up to the right level. She took the time to admire her surroundings. The building was an almost sterile white and had several large windows looking out into space.

The lift stopped and Amanda stepped out. Thatcher walked through the sterile environment and nodded as several people recognised her. Before the Admiral's office, she looked over herself and tugged her uniform down tightly. Brushing away at her pants, she took a deep breath and rang the door.

"Enter."

Amanda walked through the door and was greeted by Admiral Ross. He was a larger man, heavy set around the waist with grey hair on his head, he was clean shaven and was still wearing the typical Admiral uniform.

"Ah, Captain Thatcher!"

"Good evening Sir. I trust I'm not too late?"

"No, you're just in time! Please, take a seat."

Nodding, she sat at the chair opposite his desk. Ross turned a computer screen to face her. 

"OK. So, here's the situation. It looks like this was an attack by possible Cardassian rebels." Amanda opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by Ross' large hand. "There's more, we think there was a Vulcan behind it. We have this image that we managed to clear up. There's a viewing station close to where the ship was ambushed. The images we got were... Well, disturbing."

The first image flickered up on the screen, it looked like an old Vulcan vessel. The... T'Pau? She was fairly certain that was the title of it. It was a long almost dagger like ship with a ring that circled the bridge. 

The ship did indeed attack the science vessel. A wave of confusion washed over her face which was duly noted by Admiral Ross. 

"Why would a Vulcan attack one of its allied ships?" He asked, looking at her. When she nodded, he smiled and continued. "Well, we have a working theory. During the Dominion war there was a Starfleet shipyard that was ambushed and a T'Pau class went missing. We assumed the Cardassian's just never got around to finishing it off. We won the war before they use it. And here's who we assume is to blame."

A Cardassian flashed on screen. "Gul Brull. After the Cardassian Empire fell, they needed a leader. Brull stepped up and now they're worshipping him like he's some sort of idol. Cardassia is slowly building back to full power and we're not ready for another war with them."

"But why is he working with the Vulcan's?" Amanda queried, her fingers fell into a steeple as her arms rested on her knees.

"We're assuming they're Vulcan's Captain. We have one image of a possible collaborator. He was a cadet from Starfleet. He left shortly before the Dominion war."

The former cadet's face flashed up on the screen and Amanda audibly gasped.

"Familiar?"

"... Yes... He's an acquaintance." 

He was much more than an acquaintance though. His name was Marcus Wayne. He was thirty years old, similar to Amanda and stood at roughly the same height. He had a short brown military crew cut and deep blue, piercing eyes. Running a hand through her blonde hair, Amanda wasn't sure what to do with herself.

"His name's Marcus Wayne. He graduated the same year as me. Stardate 52-"

Ross cut her off. "We're aware, thank you Captain. We're also aware that you've had a dealing with him before. Is everything in the past?"

"Yes sir. I'm clear minded and able. I will have no problem catching him."

"I'm sure. We do have some co-ordinates for you to start. We believe they're making a run near the Risa system. I want you to leave immediately."

Amanda nodded and stood up.

"Captain Thatcher?" Admiral Ross spoke up one more time. Spinning on her right heel, Amanda turned to face him.

"Sir?"

"They're to be arrested. We have little to no information about this operation. We need answers. If you catch them, I want you to drop their shields and take them alive. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir, but the brig of the Starjumper isn't exactly large enough for a whole T'Pau class ship of prisoners."

"There will be the Star Cruiser, U.S.S. Emissary will be catching up with you to assist in the hunt. They will take the main work force prisoners, I want the Starjumper to take the higher ranking officers. The ship will meet you in the Risa sector. I know you can get it done."

"Yes Sir! I... We, won't let you down."

Stepping out of the office, Amanda's stomach was doing a fine impression of a wind turbine back home. It spun at a rapid pace, uneasy with how the job was to be. Her crew were not bounty hunters. They were supposed to track down this vessel and bring them in? 

She walked down the brightly lit corridor with her mind doing various workings in her head. It would take at least two days travel to get to Risa if they left immediately. Reaching the turbo lift, she took it down several levels to the transporter pad to beam back.

Meanwhile, back on the Starjumper...

"Well, it was supervised of course. The commanders run a tight ship but they know we need to blow off steam. Plus, it was a way of claiming... Bragging rights, I think the human term is? Anyway, I figured he was no match for me."

Back on the bridge...

Zorah ran his hands along his jaw, it ached. That was never a good sign, there was endless reports of things occurring on the ship and he just didn't care. He should be with Amanda knowing what was going on with the science vessel. Sighing, he sat back and looked at is personal computer. A image jumped on his screen, pushing the 'Read' button it was from T'Chunka, a Caitain security officer. 

"Drinks at eighteen hundred?"

Grinning, Zorah nodded his head and pushed a 'reply' button.

"You bet! Need to get debriefed first, get a Saurian ale for me?"

That was a nice touch to the end of a dreary shift. The elevator whirred to life as Amanda stepped back onto the bridge. Standing up, Zorah tugged at his shirt straightening out his uniform, he stepped forward to meet the Captain.

Amanda's face wasn't a jovial one. She looked at Zorah, then at Noah who was manning the tactical station.

"Board room now. Dr Cam'Ra can you meet us in the board room?" She asked, slapping on her com badge as Zorah and Noah made their way past the commanding officer.

"On my way Sir." Came the response, Amanda nodded and followed the two handsome men into the board room.

There was a brief silence as the Captain pushed at a few buttons on one of the screen. The board room wasn't as large as some of the ships she had served on. This one was more like a class room. Amanda stood at the front of the room and there was a smaller desk near the front of the room where the Captain or Commanding Officer could sit. In front of the desk there was an oval shaping for the chairs, there was only five chairs, four chairs were side by side with the last one right at the back of the seating arrangements.

Dr Cam'Ra walked in wearing the typical Doctor's outfit. She had on the longer robes that were the nicer shade of teal and it hung just below her waist. She smiled warmly towards Thatcher but frowned when she saw that it wasn't reciprocated. Shaking it away, remembering her rank, she sat behind Zorah and watched the screen behind the young Captain flicker to life. 

"OK, here's the story so far. Starfleet Command's running theory is that the ship was attacked by Cardassian rebels." That made everyone react in a peculiar fashion, Zorah's bushy white eyebrows jumped up but fell back down. Noah stroked his chin while Dijj simply leaned forward. "During the Dominion War, there was an old Vulcan shipyard that was ambushed by the Jem'Hadar. The Vulcan's managed to hold off the ground force but... When they got around to doing another inventory they noted that a prototype T'Pau escort was missing. Why was it prototype? It included a cloak."

"A cloak? But that's against the treaty with the Romulans!" Zorah said aloud, it wasn't as if he was challenging Amanda. There wasn't enough ferocity behind it as Thatcher's eyes drifted up to meet his.

"Indeed. However, when it was in development we were in a state of war. With that the terms of the treaty becomes null and void. We would never be allowed to use it during our skirmishes with the Romulan's since we were never actually at a state of war with them."

"Captain?" It was Noah's turn, his large hand had raised ever so slightly, almost as if to ask permission. It warmed her heart to know this grunt was so respectful.

"Yes Lieutenant?" She said, looking towards him.

"Do we have an idea on the armament?" 

"Two fore phaser banks, backed up by a single proton torpedo launcher. They've also got a singular rear phaser bank and a proton mine launcher. There's also a free aiming cannon that can move in a three hundred and sixty degree rotation."

That was good enough for him, he nodded and put his large hand down.

"Also, we're looking at possible Marquis resistance. We've been told to track down Marcus Wayne."

It was Dijj's turn to react. She knew exactly who that was. Gasping, the crew turned to look at her, but she quickly regained her professionalism and wiped her face of emotion. But her mind was doing somersaults, they had to track down Amanda's old flame? That was going to be a tricky one. She knew both he and Amanda enjoyed battle sims on the campus holo-deck and he won more than she did.

"He was a cadet in the academy, the same time as me. He dropped out of Starfleet when we were both LT's and he joined the Marquis then. We've no idea on the other resistance. We can wager on them being humans, Bajorans and anyone else. However... There's one more twist to this tale. There's a Cardassian working with them." Another jab at the computer and the Gul's face lit up on screen. "Gul Brull. He's the current leader of the Cardassian National Party. He served in several skirmishes during the Dominion war and was a nice little recruiting tale. The current theory is that he set out to take over the role Gul Dukat left and wants Cardassia to take back its former glory. This obviously isn't going to happen with the current Federation rules with the planet. I'm sure I don't have to stress how important this mission is. Any questions? No? Good. Zorah, take us out of space dock and set us on course towards Risa. We're to meet the Vanguard there. Dismissed."

After the end of the war with the Dominion, the Federation-Klingon-Romulan Alliance had insisted that the Cardassian's were allowed to develop again but they had strictly forbidden any chance of Cardassia being allowed to rebuild a fleet. Even under the alliance's strict supervision, there was no way that Cardassia could gain any form of militaristic power. This had irked some Cardassian's who was still proud of their planet and their people. That was when the Cardassian National Party had started. Gul Brull was a charismatic individual who had ignited a passion inside all of Cardassia and they were willing to follow him from one end of the universe to the other.




Star Trek: Starjumper Episode 02



Nodding, Amanda watched her team leave but saw Dijj hover, loitering close to her. She thought she'd want to talk about it. However, Amanda didn't. Thatcher made her way out of the board room, Dijj jogged up to her and lightly grabbed her arm.

"Captain..." She started, Amanda turned to look at her, showing an incredible poker face. "... I'm sorry." She finished, letting go of her grip on the Captain's arm.

"Don't be sorry Doctor. Just do your job." Amanda walked straight past the main bridge and into her ready room. Walking past the couch in the corner of the room, Amanda sat down at her desk. Wheeling in her chair across to the replicator, she spoke softly.

"Andorian spice milk, dash of Earth cinnamon. Hot." There was a brief pause with a slow whir as the warm drink was being replicated. The tiny metal door slid upwards and she took hold of the drink. It was in typical 'Starjumper' china, a bone white mug with a large handle on the side. Bringing it up to her mouth, Thatcher sipped at the spicy drink warming her stomach. The cinnamon gave it a nice kick as it settled in her tummy. She moved back over to her desk and brought up her own private terminal.

Sighing, she saw that there was a message waiting for her already. She hadn't been in command for more than one month and already she was in demand. Shaking her head, she jabbed her right index finger at the screen, clicking the 'Read' button. Her frown soon came up to a smile as she saw it was a personal message from her fiancé, Izra Jad, a joined Trill serving on a science vessel the U.S.S. Manhattan. Her smile got wider as she learned about her love's day.

***

Sitting at his desk in a dank, dark, depressing area of Cardassia, Marcus Wayne rubbed at his left cheek. His index fingers tracing various rivers of scars that decorated his once handsome face. He fell back in the chair and thought back to the first time his skin was broken.

The left hand had come down and made fresh contact with Wayne's face. He had dropped to a knee and was hauled up to his feet by another Cardassian guard. This was one of the burden's he was tasked with as the leader of the Marquis. A swift knee rose up to his gut and made Marcus double over. The wind was taken from him and he struggled for air, then a hand went around his throat and then he was tossed to the floor. A foot tore through the air and made fresh contact with his face, knocking several teeth loose and filling his mouth with blood.

A cough interrupted his thought process. He looked upwards and saw Gul Brull standing by one of the wall lights. Molar, son of Kutai, was flanking him on his right hand side. Raising an eyebrow, Wayne cast his glance over to Molar, his more trusted ally in the band of freedom fighters.

"Are we done?"

"Yes Commander. We're done. We took the Jem'Hadar ships on a small moon outside of Paciku four."

"Numbers?"

"Five battleships. Fifteen fighters."

"That's a good number. Three fighters can flank the battleships. Do we have any ideas as to the location of the Starjumper?" He asked, moving into the light. Facing his lower ranking officers for the first time in their meeting.

"Heading towards Risa. We assume they're going to enter our part of the Quadrant once they have a back-up vessel."

"Any idea on the back up ship?"

"No. The Doctor is going to remain by Risa monitoring them, Thot Tor is going to meet him there." Gul Brull said, his head tilted to the left hand side for a moment before his head came back up to look at his leader.

"Good... Good... Is Merciless ready to go for another round?" Wayne asked, sitting forward in his chair. 

"Yes Commander." Molar said, stepping into the light to meet his leader's eye for the first time.

"Good. Assemble a bridge crew. I want to go and meet the Starjumper head on."

"Sir?" Gul Brull questioned, stepping forward as if to question his orders.

"You heard me Brull. Do it!" Marcus snapped, he sat back in his chair and spun around in the chair. Turning his back on them, the two other officers looked at each other and nodded. They made their way out of the room and towards the hanger bay where they could take a shuttle up to the T'Pau class ship, The Merciless.

The ship had all of the pristine qualities expected of a Vulcan vessel. The workings and lay out of the ship was logical and allowed the crew to work well and efficiently. They'd need easy if they were going to take back their freedom.

Wayne appreciated the irony of the Marquis working with the Cardassian's. The very same race who had served as captors to the small band of rebels. But, this wasn't about name calling any more, this was about something different. When he went AWOL from the U.S.S. Paschendale, the ship he was serving on as a helmsman to serve with the Marquis, the Federation abandoned him. It wasn't right! It made his blood boil to know all of his ship mates were safe and cozy while these people were suffering. 

Even with the end of the Dominion wars, no one thought to come and look after them. They had been starved, beaten and generally mistreated and no one from the Federation even considered checking on them. They were probably too busy celebrating the win and defeat of the Dominion. As they transported to the Merciless, Marcus Wayne smiled. He was about to go face to face with one of his old flames, Amanda Thatcher.

They had both served in the Academy from Stardate 2330 to Stardate 2335 and had been... Intimate. That still made him smile as he knew it made her skin crawl. Now, she was dating a Trill and he was often left alone with his hand for sheer company. Now, there was Orion women on the crew serving as mercenaries for the new Cardassian Empire and they would be more than willing to serve his every whim but he needed the touch of an Earth's woman.

He made his way up to the bridge, barely acknowledging the crew as they worked around him. He stepped onto the bridge and observed that people were hard at work at their consoles, ready for battle. Sitting on the comfy chair in the middle of the room, it was on a slightly elevated platform. An Orion idea. The CO of the ship needs to be able to see all of his subordinates at work and being a few feet off of the floor gave him such an advantage.

"Helm, set course for the Risa sector. Maximum impulse."

The young Orion at the helm nodded and repeated the order to confirm and then made it so. Marcus sat back in the chair and watched the stars whiz past the view screen, folding his right arm across his toned stomach he brought his left hand up and held his chin up. He started to plan out battle strategies in his head, he'd only have so long before the support ship turned up and the Merciless would not be able to hold up against a Galaxy class ship or even one of the prototype Sovereign class ships that were fresh in production. It would need to be a quick hit and run type operation. 

"Sir, we have our support ships incoming. Two saber class ships and a small selection of Dominion fighters."

Marcus nodded and looked down at the young Cardassian who had spoken to him.

"Good. Tell them to follow us. They're to engage the enemy once we leave but not before. Understood?

"Yes Sir. I'll forward the message now."

Wayne didn't even bother with acknowledging his reply. Simply watching the stars tear past the screen.

***

"Captain's Log: Stardate 52170.6. On our maiden voyage we were originally supposed to oversee a trans warp tunnel that would connect us to the Gamma Quadrant I was personally hailed by Admiral Stewart who was serving on the U.S.S. Vanguard. Our mission was altered and we were told to escort a Federation science vessel carrying a high ranking medical officer. After witnessing the science vessel, the U.S.S. Olympus explode in front of our very eyes we changed course and headed to Starbase 375, manned by Admiral Ross. After a briefing, we were told to orbit Risa and await a rendezvous with the U.S.S. Emissary. We've been holding position for a few hours now and if I didn't know any better, I'd say that LT Cmdr Reynolds was spoiling for a fight too." 

Amanda pushed at the button on her terminal and stopped the personal log. She sipped at the rest of her Andorian spice milk and put the china cup away. The molecules being destroyed only to be rebuilt at a later time. Pushing away from the desk, she stood up and walked out of the room. 

Zorah and the current shift had ended a few moments ago and she bumped into the handsome young Commander as he had walked over to her ready room. 

"I beg your pardon Sir." He said, smiling warmly as he hoped that he hadn't messed up the phrase.

"Not a problem Commander. Can I help you?"

"Nothing to report Sir, still no sign of the Emissary. It's also the end of Bravo watch, so I was going to head off shift now."

"Understood. I relieve you Commander."

"I stand relieved." Observing the time old tradition of many centuries practice, the two commanding officers nodded curtly as Amanda walked to the middle of the bridge and sat at the large chair in the middle of the room.

The ensigns and officers on shift, quickly swapped with other ones as the new watch started. 

"Bravo watch ends. Charlie watch begins." Amanda said aloud, letting the computer make a note in the logs. Standing up, Amanda made her way around the bridge, nodding briefly towards Noah Reynolds who had taken over on tactical. Turock, who was quickly becoming a favorite of hers was at the helm next to a brunette ensign the Captain didn't quite recognize. Walking around slowly, she peered over the shoulders of the officers at their stations offering silent praise as she went on.

As she walked down the ramp and towards the point and main view screen of the bridge she checked her personal watch. A gift from her mother, Hannah, who was Captain of the escort class ship, the U.S.S. Oslo, it was maintaining the peace in Breen-Ferengi space. Amanda had always been a space kid, both her parents served in Starfleet, her father was a none commissioned officer who had met her mother on the Kilimanjaro, an old off-shoot of the Excelsior class cruiser. Dad had taken the time off to raise Amanda while her mother was in space on one mission or the other. They were both so pleased when she passed Starfleet Academy and now she was a Captain!

Smiling to herself, she realized that she had been staring a hole into the back of Turock's head and that would bother even the most disciplined officer. Charlie watch started at six P.M Earth time. The larger hand jolted towards the right of the clock's face as she glanced at it. The time was now five minutes past six. Barely five minutes had passed since she started her inspection! Her stomach was still though. That was a good sign. There was a brief moment in time as nothing happened and the Captain very nearly got herself another warm brew. An ensign's nervous voice broke the silence.

"Captain, sensor's are picking up a vessel heading towards us on an intercept course."

"Class?" Amanda asked, as she sat back down in the chair.

"A T'Pau class Sir. The... Merciless? It's being flanked by two saber class ships... Sir! There are Dominion fighters following it!"

"Shields up! Red alert! Mister Reynolds ready phaser and arm photon torpedoes." Amanda turned her head to the left to Noah's position on the bridge. He returned the glance and nodded.

"Ready Captain."

"Sir," It was Mister Turock that broke the silence. "The Merciless is hailing us."

Crooking an eyebrow, Amanda looked towards the olive-skinned Vulcan. "On screen Mister Turock."

"Hello Captain..." The voice of Marcus Wayne filled the airwaves of the ship as his disfigured face filled the view screen of the U.S.S. Starjumper.

~END~