Chapter 3 - The Opportunities Of Friendship
Jack McCall and Anthony Donato walked out of the conference room together an hour later. Admiral Simmons had gone over the specifics of the mission, but it did little to reassure anyone.
"What do you think?" Donato asked Jack.
"Do you really want to know?"
Donato gave a half-hearted chuckle. "That bad, huh?"
"Worse," Jack answered. He thought his and Donato's ships could probably handle what they'd face, but the smaller ships didn't have the same shield system.
He turned as K'lremi approached them.
"Hey Tony," she said to the CO of the Oceana. "Jack."
"Congratulations," Jack said with a smile.
"Thanks," she said.
"Which ship did they give you?" Jack asked.
She frowned. "You really have been out of the loop, haven't you?"
"Starbase construction," Jack said.
"Oh," she said with a nod. "I've got the Venture."
"But what about Captain Gann?"
"He took a year of extended leave," she said softly.
"Was it the situation with Cajma?"
"Only in part," she said, looking to see who was nearby and might overhear. "There was something more to it. Something he wouldn't tell me about."
Jack and K'lremi stood silently for a moment, neither knowing what to talk about next. She was afraid to say what she felt and Jack was worried he'd have to hurt her feelings... again.
Sensing their discomfort as a desire for privacy, Donato broke the silence. "Well, I need to get back to my ship," he said. "I'll talk to you later, Jack." He walked off leaving the two of them alone as others slowly made their way into the hallway.
Still, they stood in silence.
Finally after a minute, K'lremi built up enough courage to ask what was on her heart.
"You want to come over to my ship tonight?" she asked with a slight purr.
"I'm seeing someone."
K'lremi paused a moment, but then smiled. "Good for you, Jack," she said. "I was half expecting you to be holed up in your ready room day and night."
"I tried that, but my counselor was very persuasive," Jack said.
"She threaten your command?" K'lremi asked with a her ears extended.
"Yep," Jack responded. He grinned. "Am I really that predictable?"
K'lremi purred loudly and stepped up to him, her mouth only a few inches from his ear. "All human males are, my dear Jack," she whispered.
Jack nodded as she backed away.
"I'm glad you've decided not to let Mei-Wan's death end your life too," she said. "If you ever need to talk, call me, okay?"
"Thanks."
Jack felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned to find a smiling ambassador next to him.
"Well, Jack," Cyrus Wakernaggle said in a deep, creaking voice. "It's good to see you again, my boy."
K'lremi's ears flattened as they did every time she was around someone she didn't trust, and Wakernaggle was definitely one of those people.
"I'll see you later, Jack," she told the Chamberlain's captain as she turned to go.
Wakernaggle seemed lost in thought as he watched the Caitian leave them.
"Walk with me, Captain?" the ambassador asked. Though for some reason Jack felt it sounded more like an order than a request.
They had gone down several corridors of Starfleet's Headquarters on Kel-j'na without either of them speaking. Jack didn't at all like what that might imply. He knew Wakernaggle could be devious... and dangerous.
Captain Gann had stood in Wakernaggle's way. Now Gann was gone.
"I want you to know how everyone on the Council, including the President regrets what happened to your dear wife, Jack," he said in the slow, lyrical cadence Jack knew was an attempt to make him feel at ease.
"Thank you, Ambassador," Jack said.
"That's one of the reasons we wanted you to be a part of this mission."
Jack gave him a suspicious glance, but didn't respond.
"Some in the admiralty had voiced concern about having you be part of the mission to attack those who were responsible for your wife's death," Wakernaggle said. "But Admiral James himself insisted you be included." He paused. "I got the impression the two of you know each other."
"Yes," Jack whispered. "His daughter and I were close."
The older man nodded. "Ah, yes... Larissa."
Jack took a deep breath and stopped walking. "I don't need a favor like this, Ambassador. I've never asked for preferential treatment because of my own father's position or that of anyone else. If I don't belong on this mission, I shouldn't go."
Wakernaggle turned to face Jack with a wide smile. "It was nothing like that, you can be sure, Jack."
"Then what?" Jack asked with more than a little curiosity.
"Let's just say you have friends who understand what this opportunity might mean to you," Wakernaggle explained. "We understand the need for accounts to be settled." His smile widened to almost sickening proportions. "Consider it a gift."
"A gift?" Jack asked.
"You should reach Nybiros sometime around December 25th, Jack," Wakernaggle said with a broken smile. "Merry Christmas, my boy."
He walked away leaving Jack to wonder what might be asked of him one day as compensation for this "gift."
***
Kristen Bishop ran for the turbolift on Deck Nine. She saw the door start to close and decided to make a run for it.
"Hold that lift!" she called out to whoever was inside.
A hand reached out at the last second and caught the door. Three seconds later, Kristen rushed through the doorway and into the car.
"Thanks!" she said, nearly out of breath as she turned to see who she owed for the help.
Melissa Vargas smiled at her friend. "You know, if a certain chief engineer would put the five extra seconds delay into these doors a certain operations officer asked for more than a year ago, she wouldn't have to risk life and limb to get from deck to deck."
Bishop frowned. "It's on my list."
"How far down?"
"You don't want to know," Kristen said with a grin. "So, what's this meeting about?"
"How should I know?" Melissa asked.
"Silly me, I thought maybe you and the captain talked... when you're not occupied with other activities."
"We talk."
"And?"
"Kristy, are you going to needle me every time there's something of an even mildly classified nature going on?" Melissa asked, tilting her head to one side.
"Well, duh!" the chief engineer blurted out. "You think I'm going to pass up an opportunity like this?"
Melissa turned to face the turbolift doors. "I don't think that's a very friendly attitude."
"Are you going to tell me you never asked Mei-Wan about something she knew only because she shared a bed with the CO?" Kristen asked.
Melissa rolled her eyes. "That was different," she said half-heartedly. "I'm the operations officer. I needed to know that stuff."
"Really?" Kristen asked sarcastically.
Melissa started to laugh. "Okay, so I'm seeing it differently now that I'm the one being asked."
"Hypocrite," Kristen accused playfully.
"And proud of it," Melissa shot back.
"So, you're not going to tell me, are you?"
The turbolift stopped and the doors opened. Melissa walked into the corridor beyond.
"Hey, you know I could have been the one Jack fell for!" Kristen said chasing after her friend into the hall on Deck One.
Melissa shook her head. "You came on too strong."
"Jack told you about that?!" Kristen asked, stopping in the corridor.
Smiling wide, Melissa continued to the main conference room.
***
"Who thought this plan up--- a couple of Pakleds?" Hank Evans asked with a shake of his head.
No one around the table laughed. They were still too surprised at what their captain had just told them.
"From the looks of this," Kadan Loftus began. "There's no intention to use my fighter wing."
"I did ask about that, Commander," Jack told her. "You and your pilots will stand ready in case we find ourselves in over our heads."
"Then they better saddle up now," Hank said with a smirk. "We’re already in over our heads."
Jack turned to his tactical officer. "I called this meeting more to hear opinions than anything else." He looked around the conference table. Neither Falco or McGuire had even as much as glanced his way since they'd arrived. "I'm sure Hank isn't the only one with something to say."
"The modifications to our weapons will damage the G'voda hulls," Kristen Bishop said, trying to bring a note of optimism to the discussion.
"Are we supposed to continue on with the mission if their ships engage us?" Melissa asked.
"If that happens, the four Oceana class starships will keep the G'voda vessels occupied while the smaller class ships finish with the orbital emplacements," Jack said.
Celeste Purcell leaned forward. "While I think we are taking a very large risk, I tend to agree with the Council's thinking on this one, sir."
Jack turned to his chief staff officer. While she didn't hold a position within the chain of command aboard the Chamberlain, Jack had learned to trust her advice and point of view.
"You think taking on a planet which has been described as a fortress is a bright idea?" Hank asked with a frown.
"If we show them they are vulnerable, we might stop their attacks on Federation worlds," Purcell said. "That would make it well worth the risk."
"And if it only makes them that much more determined to attack us?" Kyle Hoffman asked, finally speaking up. "Then what? How much are we willing to risk?"
Purcell looked at Hoffman. "Would you suggest we just let them continue attacking Federation planets?" She took a deep breath. "I had family on Starbase 514. For me it's not a question of risk, but of lives."
She turned to Jack. "The G'voda have devastated five worlds, destroyed the U.S.S. Balthazar, and show no desire to stop."
"So we're doing this just so we can say we're doing something?" Hoffman asked.
"If it works," Negev began. "It may give us time to find other weaknesses in the G'voda technology."
"Which is what I want the Science Department to spend every waking moment working on," Jack said to Hoffman. "Have your people go over everything Kristy's engineers learned about the G'voda shuttle and the data we have on their appearance at Parxula."
The science officer nodded.
"We need every advantage we can find," Jack said. "I doubt we'll get a second chance at this one."
***
Twenty minutes later, most everyone else had left the conference room. Jack handed a PADD to Purcell who then exited the room.
Jack walked back to the table where Paul Falco sat alone.
"Thank you for remaining, Commander," Jack said as he took the seat across from the sour faced Falco.
"I assume you've got some special mission for me and my ship," Falco said.
"Something like that," Jack replied. "Though I'm a little surprised you didn't speak up during the meeting. Is there a problem?"
Falco thought a moment. "Nothing concerning the mission, sir."
"Something else then?" Jack inquired. "I am listening, Commander."
"Permission to speak freely, sir?"
Jack nodded.
Falco looked down at the table and shook his head. "Are you really that stupid, McCall?"
Jack held back the first reply which came to his mind. "Is this something personal, Falco?"
Paul Falco looked directly at Jack with a fierce look on his face. "Lee McGuire is my best friend. He didn't deserve what you did to him."
"Commander..."
"You stole his girl," Falco said. "There's no excuse for that. I bet you didn't like Hoffman making a move on your wife about a year ago, did you?"
"I didn't steal anyone," Jack said, his own anger rising. "Melissa isn't a piece of property to be stolen. She makes her own choices."
"Call it whatever you want," Falco said. "It doesn't change a thing."
"We're not going to discuss this. My personal life is frankly, none of your damn business."
"You think your crew isn't talking about this, McCall?" Falco asked, his anger growing. "Lee McGuire..."
"Melissa told me she and McGuire had ended their relationship," Jack said, cutting him off. "And that ends this discussion now, Commander."
Falco sat, breathing heavily, uncertain if he should risk his career by telling Jack McCall what he really thought of him.
He decided to hold off... for the time being.
"You had orders for me, Captain?" Falco asked abruptly.
Jack waited to make sure his own anger was back under control. "You will take the Abdiel and lead the other Defiant class ships in the first wave of the attack," Jack said.
Falco fought hard to suppress a grin. "Why the big secret?"
"You may remember Mr. Zachary," Jack said, referring to their former science officer. "Starfleet is worried about other G'voda spies. While it would be impossible to hide this fleet of twenty-four ships on it's way to Nybiros, our tactics are something we can keep hidden."
"I can't argue with that," Falco said, now all business.
"You will fly in quick, hit as many of the orbital weapon emplacements as you can, then fly out as fast as you can," Jack told him. "In case Bishop's weapon modifications don't work, we'll be able to pull the fleet back before engaging the enemy."
"It'll be nice to be the first one to get a crack at these mechanical bastards."
Jack glanced toward the windows as stars streaked past. "A part of me envies you, Falco," he whispered.
***
When he exited the conference room, Jack found Hank Evans waiting for him.
"He bust your balls about you and Melissa?" Hank asked.
Jack shook his head as they made their way down the corridor. "Did you listen in to our conversation?"
"No point," Hank said with a grin. "I figured he'd have a burr up his ass about the two of you since he and McGuire were close."
"You know, you could have warned me about that," Jack said. "I suppose a good part of the crew thinks I 'stole' Melissa from McGuire too."
Thinking a moment, Hank raised his right brow. "It's running about thirty-seventy at this point."
"Which side of that ratio favors me?" Jack asked as they neared the stairs to his ready room.
"The seventy," Hank said. "I think most everyone was happy to see you enjoying life again after what happened to Mei."
Jack stopped at the foot of the stairs. "Yeah."
Hank handed him a PADD.
"You know, I have just about had it with people handing me these damn things at all hours of the day and night," Jack said as he took the device.
"Occupational hazard," Hank told him with a grin.
"What is it this time?"
"A list of potential candidates to replace me," Hank said flatly.
Jack did his best to not look at Hank, but pretended to read the list. "So, you're still going through with this resignation?"
"You think I belong in Starfleet?"
Jack didn't answer.
"I came up with fifteen names I thought could handle the job and also might fit in well with your command style," Hank said. "You've still got five weeks left. That should be plenty of time to select someone."
Jack turned to his old friend. "Is Kadan leaving with you?"
Hank hesitated a moment before answering. "No, she and I... well, let's just say that relationship has pretty much run its course."
"You don't have to burn every bridge, you know," Jack told him.
"I'm not," Hank said. "You'll still talk to me."
Jack smiled. "I hope, despite everything, we can remain friends."
Hank patted his captain on the back. "Don't worry about that, kid," he said with a grin. "I'll probably have to come back to pull your ass out some fire after too long."
Jack shook his head. "Don't be surprised if you have a long wait."
"Don't tell me those sessions with Akala are really doing you some good," Hank said. "Here I've spent all this time in Starfleet and never knew a couple of times a week on a counselor's couch could be worth something more than a waste of a good hour."
Jack raised his brow. "It probably wouldn't hurt you."
Hank's expression went blank. "Some pain is better left buried, Jack."
