Civilians

Posted on Sep 07, 2015 @ 7:51pm by Captain Siobhan Reardon
Edited on on Sep 07, 2015 @ 7:52pm

Mission: Civil War

“Civilians”
(Continued from “Catching Up”)


=/\=

“Everything is negotiable. Whether or not the negotiation is easy is another thing.”
-Carrie Fisher


=/\=

Location: USS DEMETER
SD: [2.15]0830.1349
Scene: Ready Room

The French Canadian woman calmly sipped her coffee, a vista of stars keeping her company as Sardak’s ship hurtled towards Starbase 21. The events of the past several days hadn’t been easy to digest. Edgerton had endeavored to wrap everything up in a nice little package. However, with a stroke of resourcefulness and a pinch of luck, the whole mess had fractured in a few key places. All he could do was call foul on the people who had done him wrong. His threats were real enough, but there was still doubt about the length of his reach and the totality of his rule. And it gave Marie-Claire Martine the feeling of freedom, however dangerous it might be.

Sardak entered, his face unintentionally showing consternation, his brows furrowed in his most logical stare. He appraised his traveling companion. “Back to normal?”

She had unburdened herself from the trappings of trying to place nice with Richard Edgerton. Her navy blue pantsuit traced her body lines with simplicity, and the matching shoes were closed in, plain, and completely practical. Her hair had been restored to its pepper and salt color, the silver and white strands shining like new age highlights against the more sable locks. “I wouldn’t say that- just back to myself.” Martine paused, thinking of the upcoming meeting. “Do you think it’s a trap?”

“We will prepare as though it is. The ship’s cloak will provide a means of escape.” The DEMETER was not a state of the art vessel, but its cloaking technology had been deeply enhanced.

“How are the guests doing?” She spoke of the assemblage that had been pulled from the internment camp, and Mister Nikitin who had been stolen from the Martian Colonies.

“Despite close quarters they appear to be behaving in an appropriate manner. My scientists, on the other hand, are not favoring as well.”

“I can’t blame them. They’d rather be holding tricorders than phasers. But war doesn’t understand that.”

“Starfleet Officers take an oath.”

“True. But some of us are far removed from our oathing days, my friend. And if you listen to Admiral Edgerton, we’re all civilians now anyway.”

“I do not listen to... that man.” It was the closest to an angry statement MC had heard out of Sardak, but it was still delivered with typical Vulcan calm.

“I had an idea. Why don’t I go to the Starbase alone?”

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?”

Martine nodded solemnly. “This ship needs a CO, and that would be you. If things don’t go well, I want the DEMETER to have the best possible chance of making it safely to Elandipole.” The name of their final destination sounded like it was an imaginary place; right now it didn’t feel real to her.

Sardak stared at the deposed woman. Her experience was important to them, but her suggestion was completely logical.

=/\=

Location: Starbase 21
Scene: Promenade
Time Index: 8 hours later

The former Secretary of Starfleet adopted the most neutral expression she could as she walked the promenade with determination and nonchalance. While she was in favor of simple garments, the charcoal colored long, hooded tunic and pants she was wearing was bland even by her standards.

Sardak had reluctantly agreed to her going solo to meet with the Romulan contingent. She wasn’t armed in the obvious ways, but she had technology on her to try and prevent her disappearance if ‘la vie d’Enfer’ broke loose.

She scanned the crowd, her blue eyes hardened in seriousness as she peered out from the shadow created by the material covering part of her head. Better disguises had been discussed, but in the end it felt like they would have attracted just as much attention as a middle-aged human woman wandering the starbase would.

“My dear cousin, well met,” a deep voice from behind startled her. She turned to see a tall Romulan man with broad shoulders.

Martine slowed the unnecessary panic in her body and took a breath. Obviously he was the contact. “The moon is as full as my heart,” she finally responded.

“Shall we?” He offered her arm and tried his best to smile.

Marie-Claire mirrored his uneasy grin as they left the area for a more private location.


=/\=

Scene: Unknown
Time Index: about 45 minutes later

It felt as though they had been walking forever, going deeper and deeper into the structure. Martine wondered if the area below decks was always this deserted, or if it had been arranged for this meeting. They hadn’t seen another person for at least thirty minutes. She kept staring at her companion, unsure as to what to say or ask. Since he did not seem particularly forthcoming or offer to share anything with the woman, except the occasional directional cue, she eventually decided silence was the best policy.

The man stopped at a door labelled as a storage room. “Here,” he grunted. He entered a code on the keypad and the door swished open.

“Thank you,” she said, first thinking he was going to accompany her, then realizing he was staying outside. He was now flanking the doorway, arms down at an almost ‘attention’ stance.

She pulled the hood back as she entered, running her hands through her sweat-soaked hair. The air was stale and further movement into the small room was almost completely blocked off with a stacked row of unmarked industrial gray crates. There was a space between the crates and the wall on the right, which MC followed that led to an open area. Sitting there, on top of yet another crate, was a Romulan female wearing the uniform of an Admiral of the Star Empire. “Welcome. You came alone?”

The muscles in her stomach clenched as she decided not to answer the question. It didn’t matter. If they wanted her prisoner, it would probably be pretty easy despite the measures they had taken. But other than that, Marie-Claire decided on honesty. “I was led to believe that this was a splinter faction of non-supporters.”

“I assure you, that means nothing compared to our assumptions of Starfleet since the beginning of this crisis. So bear with me, Ms Martine as I shelve my indignance, as I ask you to put aside yours.” She crossed her arms in annoyance.

“Who are you?”

“I am Admiral Delora Radaik. I have been sent here on behalf of the Romulan Senate.”

“Am I a prisoner of war?”

The question was met with mild amusement. Radaik smiled halfway, nearly smirking. “It would not be in our best interests to kidnap someone who has been deemed an enemy to Starfleet and the Federation. The Federation Council might see that as a means to further provoke us.”

“Then why are you here?”

“It has come to our attention that the circumstances that led to our involvement in this conflict have been based on deception.” The Admiral stood and began to pace.

“Obviously, I could say the same thing. The carnage along the neutral zone is not imaginary.”

Radaik turned and raised her voice in anger. “We were attacked *first*- that was merely our swift and righteous answer. You would have done the same, had you been sucker-punched by a group of cowards. But... both sides were manipulated.” With the last statement, the Admiral once again became more subdued.

Martine sighed. She still felt that way… manipulated. “Go ahead, Admiral.”

“The Starships that attacked us were manned by Neo-Essentialists, their sole purpose eliciting a Romulan response.” The younger woman sat down, looking disgusted and a little embarrassed.

The Canadienne’s facial expression grew more grim. That would explain why it looked like an unwarranted attack on their side from the Romulan faction. They truly had both been duped. “That would have given Richard Edgerton the perfect smokescreen to gain control of the Council. But where did you receive this information?”

“A dossier was presented to me by Captain Kane of the PHOENIX. After review, even though I still had doubts, I presented it to the Senate.”

It was encouraging to hear the ship hadn’t been stopped yet for all the threats that had been made against it. But how had they obtained evidence so sound that it convinced the Romulans? “Can you tell me anything about the PHOENIX or its whereabouts?”

“They were at the space station LIMBO, but they could be anywhere by now. They’re on the run, the same as you.”

"What does this mean for relations between the Federation and Romulan space? That is still the crux of the matter, isn’t it?”

“As far as the Council, and more importantly, Edgerton, are concerned, nothing has changed. I am telling you, a representative of the loyalist movement, that we will be immediately withdrawing to ‘status quo ante bellum’ borders and not actively pursuing conflict.”

A measure of relief eased the older woman’s mind. That would be one less worry. “Mister Kane was a great deal more persuasive than I imagined him capable of being,” Martine mused.

Irritation flashed in Delora’s eyes. “Do you think we did this at the request of a Starfleet Captain? A dismissed one, no less? We do only what is in the best interests of the Empire.”

“I apologize, I did not intend to imply-”

“Not necessary,” Radaik dismissed MC’s attempt to make amends. “But it would serve you well to remember, our best interests can change.”

“We are busy being threatened from the inside,” Martine snapped back.

“I know, hence our decision to remove ourselves from the matter at hand. I have nothing further other than to wish you and the resistance luck in eliminating the Neo-Essentialist threat from your ranks.”

Marie-Claire stood and bowed stiffly. “Thank you, Admiral, as well as the Empire for their discretion in this matter.”

Delora Radaik watched the woman leave with the satisfaction that they had completed something. It was tempered with the doubt that the Neo-Essentialists could be defeated with the overwhelming odds and resources in their favor.


=/\=

Location: USS DEMETER
Scene: Ready Room
Time Index: An hour later

Sardak, the one time Secretary of Temporal Investigations, listened intently as Martine gave him a blow by blow account of her meeting with Admiral Radaik. She was also recording her discussion with him in order to compile as detailed a report as possible for anyone who should need it upon their arrival at Elandipole.

She cradled a small snifter of Grand Mariner in her hands as she recounted the events on Starbase 21. When she was done, she downed the rest of her drink and looked to Sardak to make more sense out of something she felt wasn’t too far out of line to begin with. “Your thoughts?”

“While it is possible they are lying, it is highly improbable.”

Her gut was telling her the same thing. “Please explain your reasons for this hypothesis.”

“There are three. First, though the Neo-Essentialists struck them by surprise, the Romulan counterattack heavily damaged Starfleet along the Neutral Zone, giving them full strategic advantage, even with their withdrawal. Next, as you noticed in your conversation, the Romulans dislike being manipulated by anyone, least of all a fascistic Federation organization. Finally, they recognize that if Edgerton and his sympathizers take permanent control of the Federation, they will heavily militarize Starfleet, thus threatening Romulan interests in the future.”

“So they are on our side?” Marie-Claire asked.

“Yes, it would appear that way,” Sardak replied, “but other than an unannounced retreat, they’re not going to help us.”


=/\=

Susan Ledbetter
Writing for

Marie-Claire Martine
former Secretary of Starfleet