Chapter 3 - The Edge Of The Abyss
Janus Osmand wandered aimlessly down the dull red corridor on the tenth deck of the Skorr cruiser which had been his home for the last three years. He had met with success beyond his dreams in his crusade to unite all the humanoids of the Milky Way, but at this moment only one thing was on his mind: where was his adopted daughter, Ahwi Dasari?
The teenager had disappeared numerous times before, but she'd always returned shortly thereafter. This time she'd been gone for nearly eight months.
Osmand was worried.
But his concern wasn't just for her well being. His movement needed a successor in case something happened to him and he'd been grooming Ahwi to fill that void if and when it ever came to pass. He couldn't allow everything he had built die with him.
What kind of man did that make him?
He kept telling himself it made him practical, but it didn't make him feel any better.
The chiming comm system brought the debate in his mind to a temporary pause.
"Yes?" he spoke into the panel on the wall.
A Skorr voice came from the speaker. "Janus, we are receiving several reports of Federation ship movements."
Osmand let out a sigh. They received such reports on a constant basis. "And what about these reports necessitates bringing them to my attention?"
"Three of the Oceana class ships have been called to the Kel-j'na Region."
That was worthy of note. The last time Starfleet brought its largest ships all to one place was... "Has there been any recent activity in the vicinity of Nybiros?"
"I will check."
"Let me know what you find." He switched off the intercom.
If what he suspected was true, Janus Osmand would finally get the opportunity to prove the worth of his movement to the Federation. He was certain they would have to embrace him if he brought Starfleet its final victory against the G'voda.
***
Jack watched the faces around the conference table, and to his surprise, the response wasn't nearly as bad as he'd expected. At least no one had resigned yet.
"Maybe this time we'll finish the job," Hank Evans grumbled.
"Perhaps the G'voda will finish us." Lak Negev's Andorian antennae had been twitching since Jack had mentioned how their mission would take them back to Nybiros. "Sir," he said turning to Jack. "Surely the Federation Council cannot allow Starfleet to pursue this course."
"It was the Council which insisted we undertake this... mission." Jack had almost added 'foolhardy,' but thought better of it.
"I certainly hope my fighters will be allowed to participate more than we did last time," Kadan Loftus said. In contrast to Negev, she seemed thrilled at the idea of hitting Nybiros again. "Who's commanding the attack force, Captain?"
"Admiral Grant," Jack answered. "He's recently been assigned command of the Third Fleet."
"I served under him during the Dominion War," Loftus informed him. "Trust me, he won't let us down, sir."
Jack's only response was a quick nod.
"How much of a heads up will I get this time if you decide to commandeer the Abdiel for this insane mission?" Paul Falco asked. The commander of the Defiant class starship currently housed in the Chamberlain's main bay kept his gaze fixed on the center of the conference room table.
"At this point, I haven't received Admiral Grant's specific plans for the attack, but I'll let you know as soon as I hear, Commander." Jack turned to Negev. "Anything else?"
Negev paused to look down at the PADD which had been in front of him the whole time. "This morning at 0423, we detected what appeared to be a tachyon field surrounding the ship."
Kristen Bishop jumped in before Negev could get any further. "Captain, I've gone over the warp drive and contrary to Mr. Negev's suspicions, my engines aren't the source of the problem."
"However, all other possibilities have been eliminated," Negev countered.
Jack wasn't in the mood to hear these two get into an argument. He cast a glance to their science officer. "Mr. Hoffman, did we come across any spatial phenomenon that could explain what our XO is reporting?"
Doctor Preston gave the seemingly oblivious Hoffman a nudge. The science officer sat up in his chair. "Sir?"
Jack shook his head. "The tachyon field? Are you aware of what Mr. Negev is talking about?"
"Uh, yeah. I know about it." Hoffman mumbled. "My department detected it this morning."
"And?" Jack's patience was growing thin.
"It has to be the warp drive."
Bishop rolled her eyes. "That's right, when all else fails, blame the engineers."
Jack raised a hand to stay any further eruptions of his chief engineer's wrath, though in his heart of hearts he wished he could let her tear into the sniveling Hoffman. "You've excluded everything else?"
Hoffman nodded. "Yes. I could check it again, but..."
"Please do so," Jack ordered. "If that's all, dismissed."
Jack remained in his seat as all but two of the others shuffled out of the conference room.
Hank Evans walked toward Jack. "I hope you didn't take what I said as a dig against you."
"I figured it was just the frustration of a tactical officer who's itching to see some action again," Jack said with a smile.
"Something like that," Hank said with a nod, then left.
Melissa stared absently at the door. "Does Evans look okay to you?"
Jack stood and made his way toward her. "He looks fine." He leaned against the edge of the table. "What's up with you?"
"Me?"
"I think that's the quietest I've ever seen you during one of these meetings."
She grinned. "So you're saying I usually talk too much?"
"No, not at all."
Melissa leaned back in her chair. "Sorry, I just didn't know what to say after our encounter this morning. I figured bringing up the Vedala wasn't a good idea."
"To say the least," Jack said. He watched her a moment. "Meeting them can be intimidating."
"I'm a little surprised you don't feel the same way."
Jack looked out the windows at the rear of the room and watched the stars streaking past. "I've learned not to trust the Vedala. They've held back important information too many times."
"But they've been around for billions of years, don't you think they know what they're doing?"
"I think the Vedala have been looking for a way to defeat the G'voda for so long that they'd risk almost anything for an opportunity to put an end to them." Jack walked toward the windows. "But I intend to find a way to stop this madness before everything's blown all to hell."
Melissa swiveled her chair his direction. "What are you going to do, Jack?" she asked with an apprehensive tone.
"Since this is an ongoing operation, I can't exactly go public with Starfleet's plans. I'd be bringing on the very disaster I wish to avoid."
"That doesn't leave you with many options other than resigning."
"I have considered it, but that only avoids the problem for me on a personal level. It doesn't stop what's going to happen."
She got up from her seat and joined him at the window. "Are you going to violate your orders?"
"I... I hope it won't come to that."
She took his hand in hers. "But what about your father? If this mission is successful, you might get him back."
Jack exhaled. "I can't let that..." His words trailed off.
"But..." Melissa stopped, seeing the smile now on his face. "What is it?"
"My father..." Jack whispered.
"What is it you're thinking of?"
"Perhaps a way out of this."
And Paul Falco's ship, the Abdiel, might be just the vessel to pull off what Jack had in mind.
***
"There were so few sentients on that world!" screamed a voice in the wind. "All we had to feed on were lower animals! We are too weak!"
Setacvas stood, watching the wisps of glowing energy dance in the air just off his balcony. "We must be careful not to attract the attention of the Vedala."
"You can afford to think so since you inhabit the human's body," one of the voices insisted. "We must feed!"
"No!" came a shout out of Jeremiah McCall's mouth.
"You have been far too careful since we have returned. The Vedala cannot harm us!"
If he had been able to construct a new version of the original device which had been stolen from them so long ago, instead of the poor copy he had produced on Folam, events would have transpired very differently. He mourned the opportunity he had missed.
But Jack McCall's attack on Folam crushed what few hopes Setacvas had dared in the past to entertain.
Now the situation had worsened. He was being pulled from so many competing directions, each beckoning him to follow a path which would result in complete disaster.
Let me talk to Jack. I can convince him...
No. Setacvas pushed away the mind of the man whose body he inhabited.
"I shall find another world for you," he finally told the assembled beings of energy. No matter the risk, he could not stand by and let them perish. He would not allow their struggle to end that way.
"We should never have allowed you to change what we were."
"You know..." He was going to tell his fellow Volmvas how "necessary" it had all been, but the earlier accusation about that word from Jeremiah echoed in his mind. "We all did what we thought we had to at the time."
"Then do so again and find us a world we can feed upon."
Setacvas watched them soar away into the night sky of Nybiros. Everything was balanced on the edge of an abyss that he could see no way of avoiding, but for the sake of his people, he had to find it, and quickly.
