Chapter Five -
In the "Admiral's Aerie", a section of the Starbase set aside for visiting Admirals and other top brass, Vice Admiral Nick Ryder looked out the window of his office and watched as the USS Seraph slowly moved away from the station. Workbees and engineers in space suits were still working on removing hoses, wires and conduits as the ship pulled away from the external docking berth. A somber expression reflected back the Admiral as he touched the window.
"I sure hope we made the right decision Admiral." he said as he saw the door open
"What's this 'we' talk? It was my order, just be happy I let you be the one to give the Seraph to Captain Ryder." Takamura said non chalantly as he walked to the replicator. "Green tea, cold, two squirts honey."
"I was meaning to talk to you about that." Ryder said, still watching his daughter's ship in the near distance. "Why send a new ship out there, with a half temporary crew? And don't give me that line of caca that the Seraph was the only ship that was ready and capable."
Takamura sipped his tea and smiled, "Because, my old friend, like it or not the Cardassians know too much about us. We need to surprise them. Secondly, your daughter was up for a command of her own, she's a bright young woman. You do realize she beat you by about six months in getting her captaincy?"
"Really? Huh... never really thought about it. I was just proud my daughter got four pips even though she was stuck doing escort duty." Ryder deadpanned and turned to face Takamura "Look Admiral, I know there's more to this "simple" mission than you've told my daughter and her crew. Secondly, I know SI IS more involved in this." he threw a padd at him. "You do realize this is still my sector of space. I also have a high Intel clearance. Higher if I make a single call to an old friend."
"I know, that's why I requested the Ryders." Takamura took a seat and looked directly at Ryder, with an air of cool superiority he added, "After all, if it wasn't for my recommendations, your daughter would still be stuck here. Your fleet would be still be half under construction and your wife would be miserable."
"Oh so I'm supposed to thank you for pulling her out of her semi-retirement." Ryder pounded his desk. "I was working on getting her regular work as an investigator."
"That's funny, you've told her that for the past three months. No one was biting Nick, admit it, who wants an investigator who's pushing sixty?" Takamura shook his head, "They'll think she's too out of the loop. You know it, I know it, your wife knows it."
"So is that why she's about nine decks below us spying on my daughter, probably readying herself to beam over and hide away until its time." Nick told him point blank, his hands gripping the back of his desk chair. The blood rushing to his face. "Admit it, we're running two maybe even three operations here and the Captain of the ship doesn't know jack shit about the real story."
"And you won't say a word." Takamura smirked
"Damn you, you know I won't." Ryder pushed his chair into the desk. "That's why I got out of Intelligence, I hate the secrets, the lies. It ruined my marriage. You have any idea how many times Julie and I had split? How many times I had to literally beg her to come back, how many times she had to do the same?"
"Talk to the hand Admiral. I'm divorced three times over. You were a damn good Director back in the day." Takamura said as he put the tea down and folded his hands "Even to this day, you're still doing what you were taught. I bet even Angel doesn't know everything you did."
"And she won't." Ryder pointed his finger at Takamura. "You tell her, I'll tell Starfleet just what you did to the USS Sarra."
"You wouldn't dare." Takamura winced
"I would. I had to fix that damn ship after you thought you could pilot it. You're lucky no one was onboard." Ryder said and pulled his desk chair out and shook his head at the other Admiral. "You owe me so many."
"Same to you." Takamura winked
"Just don't kill my daughter or her crew. I know RAGE gave you a bloody nose, but that's why you sent them to deal with them. I just hope you can work your charm on the Cardassian Provisional government." Ryder said as he sat down, "Garak is still working on the council, but he needs more from you."
Takamura made a face and chugged his iced green tea "Garak needs more than just more information. Sometimes I hate dealing with spies."
"Former spies and watch it." Nick chuckled, "Remind me to tell that to Admiral Vince Piers." he looked at the chrono on the wall, "I think you're going to be late for that conference over holovid."
"I think you're right. Care to join me?" Takamura said as he got up and straightened his jacket. "Jacket straight?"
"Looks fine. I'll pass. I've got engineering reports to send Scotty and I promised Captain Nora that I'd meet her here to discuss some of the upgrades I'm going to have installed." Ryder shrugged his shoulders. "I take her favorite Exec, least I could do is give her a hand."
"More than a hand right?" Takamura chuckled as he turned to leave. "I remember you two during the Academy."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ryder said with an innocent expression on his face. "We were study partners."
"Uh huh... " Takamura nodded his head "Right. She's model beautiful, smart and can fix things without reading an instruction manual. Sounds like the perfect woman for you."
"But she's no Julie." Nick said as he picked up a padd and attempted to look busy, "Look Admiral I'm busy here..."
"See you around Admiral." Takamura said as he left the office and walked down the corridor to his own office. Once the room was secure, he tapped his comm badge. "Sigma Delta Alpha Theta. Attention all agents, you have five minutes to get aboard. Flawless execution people. No contact protocols. Standard capture protocols. Execute." a smile crossed his lips. "All going just as I planned it."
Agent Lei and her agents smiled at the order. "About damn time." she told her men and women, "Alright people, get the gear, leave no trace we were ever here." Julie ordered "Scramble codes on the transport beams. Move it!" she barked
As the numerous agents buzzed around the small cargo bay, Julie crossed her arms and smiled, this was what she was meant to do. For the first time in years, the fire was back. Pulling a small padd out of her pocket, she transmitted a message to her husband's terminal, set to pop up when they were away. Reading the message one last time, she knew she was doing the right thing, at least for her.
"Nick, it's never going to be right with us so long as I'm unable to do what I was born to do. I love you dearly, but I'm an agent. You knew this when you dated me, married me and when we raised our children. I told you that I want to return to the field more times than I could count. I have no more reasons to stay behind the lines. So accept this or I will understand if you consider our marriage over. I will not go to my grave knowing that there was still so much I could have done. I am also protecting our daughter as much as I can, I failed to help her during the war and I will not let the Cardies hurt her again. Good bye Nick, if I make it through this mission... we'll have much to discuss. That is, if you're willing to accept this. Otherwise... then this is good bye. Don't reply to this message."
She slipped the padd into her pocket and once it had notified her of the message's transmission, she erased its memory. The equipment and personnel that once filled the room, was soon gone. Taking her wedding ring off, she left it on a crate near the door.
"That's the last of it ma'am." a young agent told her with a smile
"Excellent. Then let's go." Julie tapped her wrist band and dematerialized out of the cargo bay with the last of the agents. Re materializing aboard the Seraph in a room they had previously set up in the unfinished section of Deck 12, she looked around and gave her agents a smile, "Very good work people, now... get our eyes and ears installed and open a link to our agents behind the lines in RAGE space, the mission has begun."
End Chapter Five
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment