Behind the Scenes 3 - Moves by the Innocent

Posted on 15 Sep 2010 @ 12:37pm by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal

925 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: M6: Blood of the Innocent
Location: Altar 4 – The Larucian Home world
Timeline: MD 2 1900

It was like an class reunion, but a reunion of former terrorists. Though the discussions had been heated at times the answers from each was the same; that none of them nor any of their people had had anything to do with the attack on the Federation ship.

Looking up he glanced to Jwento, as it was his faction named in the transmission. “Jwento, you are certain the none of your cell…â€

“Any of them capable of pulling something like this off are either dead or accounted for. None of them were off planet when all this took place nor have they been off planet in the last month.â€

Rolkash knew better than to ask if he believed them or not. Their organizations had had to learn long ago to trust each other with their lives…that kind of trust wasn’t something that you just laid aside like a disruptor.

“OK – do any of you recognize the voice in the recording?â€

Once again he listened to the claim of responsibility. ‘We are Member of the Larucian Liberation Front! We will no longer tolerate Kyarian oppression…nor will we trade one oppressor for another! The mighty Federation has felt our sting and it will again until they leave this system and sever all ties with the Kyari!’

Jwento leaned forward. “That almost sounds like Yarin Tibrilan…but he execute by the Kyari almost two years ago. Replay that.â€

As they listened again Jwento began to nod knowingly and he wave to have the recording stopped. “That Yarin; I’d swear to it!â€

Turning to an aid. “Get our best people on this. If this was forged I want to know now!â€

“Yes Chancellor!â€

Jwento stood. “I’ll help, Yarin was one of mine.â€

Reaching out Rolkash stopped him. “No my friend. It’s that very reason that you can’t help. For the finding to stand they must be impartial.â€

Jwento shook his head. “No matter what WE find the Kyari will say we are trying to blame them in some way. “If we can prove it a forgery…certainly the Federation can confirm it for themselves.â€

After a brief moment he nodded in agreement as he patted his friend on the shoulder, “Very well…get on it.â€

Rolkash addressed the rest of the assemblage as the door to the room closed after Jwento’s departure. “What about the ships?â€

Everyone looked to one another shaking their heads or gesturing in frustration. “Rol..there is now way to be certain. Over the years, ships had been destroyed, lost or captured. When our factions stood down several ship were surrender or converted…some were even sold as recently as 6 months ago. One thing we know for sure is that there are none missing from the current inventory in either active or auxiliary status.â€

“Has that been verified?â€

“…Visually.â€

Rolkash stood, pacing his office. His role as a former ‘patriot’ had gotten him elected as the current head of state but there were time that his office felt more like a prison cell. He knew these men and women…fought with them; not to believe them was to go against every instinct of his being. But there was a Federation Starship, a very powerful one at that, on its way to his planet.

The relief ship that his Prime Minister had dispatched had returned, their assistance turned away. And from what information that had been gathered the Kyari aid had also been refused, as neither ship had been allowed to enter the exclusion zone the USS Achilles had established. He knew that the Federation relief ship had left…escorting what remained of the USS Ballard back to….well wherever they went. He also knew that this USS Achilles was still in the system, it could have warped to the planet in no time but it was dawdling around at impulse. Why?

He stopped his pacing, ran a hand through his grey hair, retook his seat at the head of the table and again glanced at the information on the ship he would soon be dealing with. Captained by a Klingon… A Klingon would understand what it meant to fight, but would he be seeking revenge for his fallen fellow officers? What were his orders? How could he prove his peoples innocents when it was the Laruc that had the history of fighting?

Turning his chair slightly he stared out the large window he remembered back to the earlier negotiations, had spent a lot of time with the Ballard’s Captain, he had been a skilled negotiator. It really had been their discussions that had help bring the last of the fringe cells into agreement almost 8 months ago. When the Ballard had returned to help complete the treaty he had looked forward to meeting with him again afterward, but now that would never happen. How could he honor his memory? ~Honor…that’s it!~ he thought.

The whole time he had been lost in thought the eyes of his old friends, his governmental aids and staffers had been on him.

“Prepare my official ship for departure! I want to meet this Federation Captain personally.â€

"WHAT! Rol..you can't be serious."

"OH yes." He looked to his staffers that were still in the room. "You heard me! I want to leave first thing in the morning."

"Yes Chancellor."

Several of the staff scurroed from the room to make the needed preparations. One took an different route and after glancing behind him took out a communications devise.


TBC

 

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