A Night Alone and a Transfer of Command
Posted on Tue May 9th, 2023 @ 2:28pm by Fleet Captain Maxwell Culver & Commander Vianola Paxidor & Colonel Galen s'Khev
1,187 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Good Will Tour: Mountain Home [Part Two]
Location: Mountain Home: Wells House
Timeline: MD25: 2130 hours
Max was already cold, his nose growing pinker with the dropping temperature. The Wells House, the Consul had called it, was his “home” for the night. He’d been disallowed anything more than he already carried in his pack and the clothes on his back. He suspected a long, cold night; probably a few hours of chopping wood before bed.
"This is almost unbearable." Vi chittered as her teeth rattled against each other. "Can we go back? I miss the beach?"
Max nodded. “You can go back,” he said seriously. “The Consul has made it clear that if we are to meet tomorrow morning, I’m to stay here, in this glum, bare a step up from their prison rooms. At least, here, they provide you some blankets and a stove to burn wood in.”
Max’s eyes smiled. Do you remember that first cold flash I got in Golden Towers? Those cursed little bugs attaching at a submoleculular level to capture heat?! What if someone engineered them for the opposite?! he suggested but said no more.
“And the light will shine so warm in that stove, even the neighbors will complain,” he added. If he had the strength to break the power cell in his tricorder or some other way of heating the stove.
“It goes without saying that you’ve got control over Starfleet matters, Commander. That might put you in an awkward situation with Colonel s’Khev, but let’s hope that situation doesn’t come.” Max left the sentence hanging. “Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?”
Galen was a little cold, but nothing that he could not handle. The wintery weather was actually a welcome change for him. He stepped into the room which already had Captain Culver and Commander Paxidor in it. "Evening my friends. I trust yours was as interesting as mine."
Max settled his rear end against a cold surface. “Nothing a little antacid wouldn’t help,” Max answered. “I’m actually more interested in your evening with the Senator?”
"It was like old times. A pleasure to be treated with a little elevated status. However, I am sure that is not what you wanted to know." Galen began and then took a seat. "I can tell you that the Senator let the idea that the city states were created slip. It seems to me that at some point they sat down and drew up borders. Killik is not happy with where he is, believes it to be something akin to punishment."
The word ‘created’ sat badly with Maxwell. He couldn’t place it, but the map of the planet flashed through his mind before it was evacuated and then upon Starfleet’s return. There were major changes between the land masses, but he couldn’t put his finger on the why or how. Something they’re stuck in his craw.
“It’s dropping a degree a minute, Colonel. I can see how the cold would make him feel like this was a punishment. Other Senators get warm sand and sunny skies versus the cold and blustery weather he’s been presented with.”
Max crossed his arms over his chest with a dissatisfied look on his face. “I’ve already put in a request to speak with the Senate at their earliest convenience. I’m sure it won’t be until about no one tomorrow, but at least I’ll get some warmth of the day to sleep a couple of hours.”
Max looked from one to the other. “Alright. Colonel s’Khev, I’m leaving you in command of Triton Seabase while I’m sequestered here for the night. I’ll hope you can make it into the Senate meeting, but since we’re doing this through multiple holoprogramming, there’s only going to be so much the systems will sustain.”
Outside a commotion began to arise as the locals sounded alarmed. The trio of command rushed the door to the freeing outside only to be met with a city of Romulans staring up at the sky.
As the watched, the McCall class fighter heaved into the sky, spinning in controlled circles, but not flying properly, obviously. The course took them over the next ridge, out of sight until a huge fireball exploded on the other side of the ridge. The shuttle had crashed badly and as Max felt with his El-Aurian senses, the four people in the craft had died in the crash. He gave them a small moment of quiet prayer to the Gods.
“Commander Paxidor, get back to Triton Seabase and get those tactical submarines out and around the coastline to begin scanning for life signs, but I can tell you now that we probably aren’t going to find any. The way that shuttle that shuttle went down, this will be a recovery and not a rescue mission.”
Turning to look over the edge at the tiny light below, he could hear Vi beam out. “This is Captain Culver, cancel the second shuttle launch. If that means our people go down by transporter, then by Hells get them home that way,” he ordered the launch crews.
There would be no more shuttles launching until he knew the reasons for the crash of the first fighter. Cold engines, thin oxygen for the rotors and any other of a dozen problems, not excluding sabotage.
“Colonel s’Khev, go home and initiate red alert. I want all systems running and as much information being exchanged as possible. Try to keep me information dark until we can begin a full investigation. Unfortunately, if we send any more people out in this weather as night, we will just be losing more lives.
“Pull the SS Triteia back into the main base. We don’t need to be showing power and strength now, we need to be showing cooperation.
“See to it everyone is returned to base. Stay at red alert throughout the night. For all we know, this could have been the first attack from someone we don’t know,” Max paused as he looked up at the white tower that Senator Killik lived in, “or someone we do.
“I know you’ll do what’s best for the base and the crew, Colonel. You worry about them. Let me worry about me. I’m not going to die in this tiny shack,” he said, suddenly feeling the cold of being out with just his uniform jacket on.
“We get through tonight and we can begin to get through tomorrow.” His teeth started chattering. “I’m going back inside to get some heat going,” he finished grimly.
As he passed inside the door, he could see the colonel directing people back to their transport positions as he moved up the stone stairs quickly. Max gave a short wave and a nod of his head as he ducked inside.
He pulled on his field jacket and a black winter cap just about the time his combadge started chirping.
With a huff and a roll of his eyes, he grabbed his combadge.
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