Restoration

Posted on Nov 16, 2016 @ 12:19am by Captain Michael Turlogh Kane

Mission: Aftermath

"RESTORATION "

(Continued from "Endless Sorrows")

******************************
******************************

Captain's log, supplemental - as the dust continues to settle in the wake of Starfleet's victory in the Battle of Earth, much work remains to be done, not least of which is taking care of our dead...

********************************

Location: Spacedock, Earth orbit
Stardate: 2.161115.2030
Scene: Private Annex


Michael Turlogh Kane was a little late for his appointment, and he quickened his steps through the corridors of Spacedock, anxious to get to his destination as quickly as possible. It had been somewhat short notice when he received this invitation, but once he had seen what it was for, he had had no hesitation in accepting it.

This part of Spacedock was quiet, a mostly-residential area with several built-in amenities like gymnasiums, holosuites, and several meeting rooms. It was in one of these rooms that this morbid business was to be concluded.

Rounding a corridor in the corner, Kane spotted the door he was looking for. A Vegan military officer was standing outside it - an seven-foot tall man with red-purple skin underneath his black uniform. He was wearing a kinarra - a small white flower from the mountains of Dekaan province on Vega, worn about the throat as a symbol of mourning. Kane had no such flower, but he was wearing his dress uniform - his long command red coat over black collar and pants.

When he saw Kane, the Vegan stood stiffly to attention. Although a Federation member, the Vegans still kept their own military force that usually served alongside Starfleet when it came to conducting any sort of mission that affected their homeworld. "Welcome, Captain."

Kane nodded and stepped inside the room. In the centre, mounted on a bier and covered with kinarras, lay the closed coffin of Dexter Marxx. Draped over the casket was the flag of the United Federation of Planets. There was a candle at the head of the coffin, casting a warm glow. As befitting Vegan custom, there was nothing else in the room - no seats, no food, no drink.

There were people there, too, mainly Starfleet officers and several older civilians that Kane did not recognise. They were speaking in hushed tones. Every so often he heard a chuckle as someone shared an anecdote.

Kane moved to the bier and plucked a kinarra, affixing it to the centre of his collar, and looked up to see Siobhan Reardon in front of him. Siobhan did not look well, as he supposed was to be expected. She was the closest thing that Dexter Marxx had to a widow, but she wasn't alone. A tall young Vegan man stood beside her, strong of jawline and covered in rust-red skin, dressed in a fine suit of clothes with a kinaara at his throat.

"Captain Kane," said Siobhan. "Thank you for coming." She gestured to the young Vegan. "This is Kaari Marxx, the Admiral's oldest son. Kaari Marxx, this is Captain Kane of the starship Phoenix."

Kane reached out and shook the younger man's hand. "My sincere sympathies on the death of your father."

"Thank you," said Kaari Marxx. He seemed to be bearing it well. "It is good that children should mourn their parents, and not the other way around. Shortly, we will say the prayer for the dead and beam the casket to our waiting transport."

"Dex will be going home to Vega," said Siobhan with a sad smile.

Kane noddedin understanding. "Your father gave his life in the service of others," he told Kaari. "There are millions of people on Earth who are alive today because of him. Generations will be born and grow up in safety because of his sacrifice."

"It is a comfort," said Kaari. He looked at his wrist chronometer. "Forgive me, Captain, we are almost ready."

He stepped away, leaving Siobhan and Kane alone.

"You're alright?" Kane asked her.

She smiled like she was making the best of it. "A lot of it is going over my head. The family have stepped in, they've arranged everything." She shrugged somewhat ruefully. "They've been kind enough to keep me informed, but it's not been all bad. Lots of Dex's old colleagues have been dropping by all day. There are some very old friends in this room right now, people from the Century, the Odyssey, and more."

Kane read between the lines and decided to keep quiet. Whatever the internal politics of the Marxx family were, they were none of his business, and whatever their personal relationship had once been, or was at the time of his death, Dexter Marxx and Siobhan Reardon were divorced. He knew that Dexter Marxx had children, who were probably his next of kin.

Instead, he changed the subject. "I'm pleased to be able to be here. I was supposed to be in a meeting with someone from the Admiralty, but they cancelled it on me." He paused a moment, choosing his words carefully. "This is likely to be a hard day for you, what with this service and our appointment on the Anubis later." He wanted to ask her if she was up for it, but held his tongue, not going that far.

"I'll be fine," she said, quietening down as she saw Kaari approach his father's bier and lift up the candle in his hand. "This is the prayer for the dead. I think this part is beautiful."

Everyone in the room had hushed up and was facing the bier. Kaari Marxx extended his arm in front of him and slowly walked around the bier in a circle, letting the light from the candle play over his father's casket. "The All-Father has taken Dexter Marxx into his embrace," Kaari intoned solemnly. "Where there was once life, there is none. Where there was once a soul, it has departed."

Kane glanced to his right, where Siobhan was mouthing the words in unison.

Kaari stopped at the head of his father's coffin. "Fare thee well, Dexter Marxx. Fare thee well, father. Fare thee well." He paused a moment, then brought the candle to his lips, blowing it out with a quick breath.

Kaari stepped away from the bier of kinarras as the familiar whine of a transporter engaged, filling up the room with a haze of white light that dissolved the casket of Dexter Marxx. When the light faded, the casket had disappeared, and free of its weight, the flowers had fallen to the floor.

"My father's journey home to Kesir-Tosharra has begun," said Kaari. "Remember him in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you all for coming."

As the younger Vegan began to move around the room, thanking people individually, the meeting drew to a close. One by one, the mourners, including Kane, filed out and back to their lives.

***********************************

Location: USS Anubis, near-Neptune orbit
Scene: Main Bridge
Time Index: A few hours later


Kane had managed to grab a quick lunch and put in another request for a meeting with the Admiralty before moving on to his next appointment. At fourteen-hundred hours he beamed up to the USS Anubis, to be greeted by a diminutive dark-haired woman with black eyes, wearing the rank pips of a Lieutenant Commander.

Kane eyeballed her. "Permission to come aboard?"

"Permission granted," she said. "I'm Commander Shar'El, the Anubis' First Officer. I'll escort you to Captain Morningstar."

Kane nodded. "Let's be about it. Is Captain Reardon aboard?"

"Affirmative, sir. If you'll follow me?"

Commander Shar'El didn't say anything in the couple of minutes that it took to get from the transporter room to the bridge, and Kane didn't feel like talking anyway. While they were making their way up to the bridge, the ship was making its way through the solar system to Neptune, there to bear witness to the last moments of the USS Century. It was something that was weighing on Kane's mind - he had started off his Starfleet career aboard her nearly twenty years ago as a junior science officer, a position he was spectacularly unsuitable for, before finally getting his desired post in Security and Tactical. Eight years a SecTac wasn't something you forgot easily, and the Century held a lot of good memories with old colleagues now moved on - Jon McLean, Daxton Young, Erik Reding, and Selyara to name a few.

The bridge of the Anubis was as spectacular as he had imagined, and it was difficult to take it all in at first glance. Kane saw Siobhan Reardon waiting with Erik Morningstar and one of the Anubis officers in the centre of the bridge. Commander Shar'El gestured him forward and he walked down to meet them.

Erik Morningstar turned to greet him. "Captain Kane." The two men shook hands, and Erik indicated the tall, dark-haired woman to his side. "Lieutenant Eve Dalziel, ship's counselor."

"I have one just like her," said Kane darkly.

"Sir?" said Eve in confusion.

"Nothing," said Kane.

From the rear of the bridge, a red-haired young woman practically bounded down towards Captain Morningstar. "Can I make it go boom? I like to make things go boom," she said cheerily.

Kane was outraged. With enormous effort, he steadied his voice and turned to Erik. "Your Tactical Officer, Captain?"

"No," Erik replied with a subtle shake of his head. "She's my Chief Engineer. "

Ahead on the main viewer, the hulk of the USS Century lay adrift near Neptune. Her exterior damage had not been repaired, nor was it going to be attempted to repair it. The damage was extensive, true, but more than that, the Century had been irrevocably tainted by the thaleron radiation, and there was no salvaging her. Spreading the thaleron could not be risked, so here they were, preparing to scuttle her.

There was a certain procedure to be followed. After all, the Century had been the home of thousands of Starfleet personnel over the years, and she had accomplished dozens of missions on behalf of the Federation. It was a tritanium-hulled inert *thing*, but she had a spirit that infused all who served on her over those years, and it was that spirit that needed to be thanked and given honour.

Kane and Siobhan were observers here. Both of them had served on the Century at various points in their careers, and it was important to commemorate the passing of a famous starship with witnesses who knew what it felt like to be aboard her.

Erik turned to the Anubis' Tactical officer. "Ready torpedo." The Century had no shields or defensive weapons systems, and one torpedo hit on her main warp reactor would be the end of it.

Erik turned to Kane and Siobhan. "Would either of you care to give the order?"

Siobhan shook her head, and Kane followed suit. "No thank you, Captain."

"I understand." Erike turned to his bridge crew. "Attention on deck."

As one, the bridge crew of the Anubis got to their feet to the sound of a bo'sun's whistle. This was the moment, and it needed to be marked with respect. Kane found himself remembering evenings carousing with Daxton Young, his on-board love affair with Haruko Yamaguchi, and a myriad of other incidents - the Thal attack on Ocu'ranes Prime that led to the death of Captain Cameron Locke, the battle with the Klingon pirate Targon, the time when his shuttle fell into the corona of the Taramp star. It all seemed so long ago, another life. With a pang of sorrow, he remembered laughing a lot more back then.

Goodbye, he thought to the Century. You were a fine ship. I won't forget you.

Erik gave the nod. The dull thump of a torpedo launch sounded, and a white-hot quantum torpedo spiralled away from the Anubis, crossing the distance to the Century, striking her in her remaining nacelle. The end was quick - the torpedo's detonation set off a chain reaction in the Century's main reactor, and before the eyes of the assembled witnesses, the USS Century, NCC-10000, splashed fire in the void of space, exploding in a fireball that burned up the poisonous thaleron, obliterated the starship, and made her immortal.

Kane watched the fireball fade and shrink down. Nothing was left when it was gone. The starship Century had passed into memory.

Erik seemed to sense the feelings in him, and gently faced him and Siobhan. "My condolences to you both."

"It's been a day of them," she said.

****************************************

Location: San Francisco, Earth
Scene: Candlestick Auditorium
Time Index: That afternoon


Kane hadn't been out of his dress uniform all day, but this final appointment was worth it. Along with several hundred other Sarfleet officers and dignitaries, he was making his way to his pre-appointed seat in Candlestick Auditorium to witness the restoration of the Federation Council. There were literally dozens of holo-cameras floating around, both for security and to transmit the data to the assembled throng of media dotted around the building.

It had all been arranged like the layout of the old Council building in Paris. There was a small dais at one end of the auditorium, upon which sat a desk with a regular, unremarkable seat - this was where the President or Vice-President sat when the council was in session. The rest of the room was laid out like ripples from a stone splashing into a lake. Immediately before the President's dais was a semi-circular desk, a replicated wooden piece that was supposed to resemble the real Council table, with fifteen places. These seats would be occupied by the fifteen Council members - four permanent and eleven elected - and were laid out with PADDs and jugs of mineral water.

President Sardak had chosen the location well. Two hundred and seventy years ago, in this very building, the Federation Charter had been signed by representatives of Earth, Vulcan, Andor, and Tellar. San Francisco had been chosen because of its links to previous global diplomatic events, and so it was that Earth had become the capital world of the Federation, administered by the government in Paris. With that city's destruction this summer gone, a new seat of government had to be chosen, and Sardak was making a powerful statement by choosing this spot.

As well as the media and various aides and diplomats, there were hundred of witnesses. Many of them, like Kane, were starship captains and flag officers - he recognised several surviving starship commanders from the recent battle - but there was a large number of off-world officials present too, all here to witness the first public step in the restoration of the civilian government of the United Federation of Planets.

Kane found himself sitting down in the Starfleet section, flanked by two Human captains he didn't recognise, one man and one woman. Both of them were also wearing their dress uniforms, and the three of them made polite small talk while waiting for something to happen.

The murmur of the crowd subsided as President Sardak appeared from a nearby corridor. The Vulcan was wearing his brown kolinahr robe, hands tucked into the sleeves, and he moved slowly but surely up onto the stage. From where Kane was sitting, Sardak was about the size of his finger. Not the best seat in the house, he mused, but not the worst either.

As silence fell, Sardak began to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, citizens of the Federation, foreign dignitaries - you are all welcome to San Francisco on this historic day, when the government of the United Federation of Planets is reconstituted."

A ripple of applause appeared, and turned into a wave. Kane clapped along with the everyone else as Sardak continuned to speak.

"Two years ago, the lawful government of this organisation was subsumed by an illegal fascistic organisation. These Neo-Essentialists promised many things. They promised to make Earth great again. They promised to remove off-worlders unless they sent their best. They created division and discord, seeking to break the bonds of unity that bind every member world together. They provoked a foreign power into attacking us so that their leader could be declared an effective dictator.

"It is important to remember why that happened. At the time, it seemed like the thing to do, like a good idea. Here was a strong man who could protect us. A Starfleet Admiral, a man of charisma and plain speaking, who hid a terrible secret.

"The Neo-Essentialist movement was the greatest threat that this federation has ever faced, and it was all the more dangerous because it came from our midst. Many were carried along in its wake, and some gave in to their baser desires for power and personal aggrandisement. For two years they ruled this federation like an empire, but several days ago, the orbital Battle of Earth finally delivered us from our long nightmare. Let us take a moment to remember the thousands who gave their lives in that battle, so that we might be here today."

A great silence settled over the auditorium. Hundreds of men and women from every species in the Federation bowed their heads as one, in respect to the memory of the fallen. Kane thought about the death of the USS Monarch, the sudden sweeping arrival of the Anubis and her fleet, the final act of the Century and her commander. But he also remembered the bravery of those who fought on the ground, putting themselves in harm's way to strike a direct blow against Richard Edgerton and his neo-fascist regime.

"On this stardate," stated the President, "I declare the Council of the Federation of the United Federation to be restored and in session. Tomorrow, the Federation Assembly will also reconvene here. Our government will be one of the people, for the people, once again."

Another round of applause, and Kane clapped along with it. The Council members were on their feet now, approaching the stage, ready to take their places in their seats.

"Delegate T'Pau, representing the planet Vulcan," said Sardak, obviously beginning with the permanent members. T'Pau was an experienced, if ageing, Vulcan diplomat who was adamant in her opposition to the declaration of martial law two years ago. It was good to see her back, and the assembled crowd applauded politely.

"Delegate Gaavr, representing Tellar Prime." Silence greeted the Tellarite's name when the President spoke it. Gaavr had voted in favour of allowing Edgerton to take over the Federation, and there were rumours of a conflict of interest with the shipping consortium that he was a major player in. The days of Gaavr's political career might well be numbered.

"Delegate Kevak, representing Andor." The crowd began to applaud again, but it was measured. Kevak had only reluctantly agreed to Edgerton's appointment as a dictator, declaring it was because of the Romulan invasion. He was also old now - already aged two years ago, now he looked positively ancient. Humbly, Kevak took his seat at the Council table.

"Delegate Marie-Claire Martine, representing Earth." Although her appointment was on the prrogramme, Kane was still surprised to hear Martine's name. Hers was a temporary position pending a new election, and in the meantime she would have to balance her role as Council member with being the Secretary of Starfleet. Nevertheless, the assembled throng broke out in loud applause, many rising to their feet as she sat down. Marie-Claire Martine had been one of Edgerton's most implacable enemies and had Sardak's ear.

One by one, Sardak continued to call on the other representatives from other Council planets. The next eleven were elected from the Assembly to their Council positions, unlike the preceding four, which were permanent Council members.

"Delegate Drass, representing Bolarus." Drass looked shame-faced. When the Romulans had begun the Siege of Bolarus early last year, he had been so desperate to enlist political assistance for his besieged homeworld that he strongly supported Richard Edgerton.

"Delegate Fenna, representing Trill." The young dark-haired woman was still strikingly beautiful. Two years of exile on her homeworld did not seem to have changed her much - she too had been an opponent of Edgerton's.

"Delgate Kala, representing Bajor." The tall, middle-aged Bajoran man had supported Edgerton, but there didn't seem to be any hard feelings against him now.

"Delegate Rennan, representing Betazed." Rennan had also voted in support of martial law, remembering his homeworld's occupation by the Jem'Hadar during the Second Dominion War. Still, he seemed suitably contrite as he took his seat.

"Delegate Clarze of Delta." The thin Deltan was known for his pacifism, and his opposition to Edgerton's appointment was also on record.

"Delegate Geley, represent Benzar." The paunchy Benzite was also one of the ones who had supported Edgerton. The crowd gave scattered claps as he sat down.

"Delegate Soliss, representing Cait." The long-limbed Caitian woman had also voted to install Edgerton as a dictator, fearful that a Romulan offensive that conquered Bolarus would attack, as its next step, her own homeworld. That had never happened.

"Delegate Horak, representing Efros." Kane couldn't remember what way the Edfrosian delegate had voted the last time around, but it musn't have affected his reputation any, because the crowd gave him a polite clap.

"Delegate Moriah, representing Zakdorn." Kane couldn't recall seeing too many female Zakdorn over the course of his life, but he saw one now, as the short, pudgy Moriah waddled her across the stage to take her place.

"Delegate Jix, representing Edos." The male Edoan was the most alien-looking of all the Council members. His species was tripedal - he had three legs, three arms, and three fingers on each hand. His burnt orange skin stood out starkly against his green robe, but he seemed popular, because the crowd applauded him warmly.

"Delegate Quom, representing Denobula." The chubby Denobulan was the final Council member to be called, and he walked across the stage to loud applause.

Fifteen Council members from fifteen different worlds, representing the inner circle of the ruling body of the Federation. It was good to see them all in the same room again for the first time in years. Sardak applauded along with the crowd, and the holo-camers whirred around, trying to outdo each other for the best view.

Finally, the President spoke again. "With the reconvening of this Council, the Federation is restored. Our first business meeting will take place here in three days' time. We will discuss the future of the Federation Presidency, new elections to the Federation Council, and take votes on an important new resolution that will be submitted at that meeting. And with that, our business is concluded. I declare this Council to be in adjournment."

The crowd got their feet and began to applaud heartily, while the media rushed to their portable holo-cameras to break the news and begin analysis of what had happened. Nothing controversial, Kane knew, but a powerful statement had been made. The Federation was back, and the trappings of democratic government were back with it. It was a glad day, an historic day, and he was glad to applaud the assembled politicians along with everyone else.

Life, it seemed, was returning to normal.

*************************************
*************************************

NRPG: I wouldn't call them loose ends, but these are some things that needed doing. You might remember these delegates from the post "From The Ashes", where the Federation Council, terrified as the Romulans blew apart Starfleet's defences in the Neutral Zone and advanced on Bolarus, voted to suspend the Federation Charter and declare martial law across the quadrant, in effect making Edgerton a dictator. The wheel of history has turned full circle, and now the legally-elected politicians are back in charge.


Jerome McKee
the Soul of Captain Michael Turlogh Kane
former Commanding Officer
USS PHOENIX


"He speaks an infinite deal of nothing!"
- Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice", Act 1, Scene 1.117
*****************************
*****************************