Chapter 10 - Trust
The next morning Mei-Wan sat in Akala Wilmarza's office. This had been a scheduled appointment, but after what had taken place between her and Natalie the night before, as well as the dream about Todd, she was glad for once to have the benefit of the counselor's insights. At least that's how she went into the session.
"Do you think this dream has anything to do with your residual anxieties over the divorce?" the green-skinned M'naran asked.
"I don't have any anxieties about that." Mei-Wan said, irritated at the question. She wanted to get back to the dream. "I've moved on with my life." She paused a moment. "You think I'm anxious about it?"
"Are you?"
"No."
"How do you feel when you see Jack and Melissa together?"
Mei-Wan fidgeted in her chair, shifting her weight to the other side. "How's an ex-wife supposed to feel when she sees her hus... ex-husband with another woman?"
Akala's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "We both know she isn't just any woman."
"There's nothing I can do about that."
"But you do feel strongly about it."
"I don't know." She did her best to avoid Akala's persistent gaze.
"How did you feel about seeing Jack and Melissa together in your dream?"
"The idea they'd have a bratty kid was fun," she said, grinning.
But the counselor's face didn't echo her amusement. The only change to Akala's expression was a raised eyebrow.
It took Mei-Wan a few seconds, but she finally got the point. "Okay, so it still pisses me off."
"Who's betrayal is worse for you, Jack's or Melissa's?"
"Does it matter?"
"If you're going to move on with your life, yes."
"I told you, I am moving on." Mei-Wan was becoming irritated with this. "In a couple of weeks I'll leave for my new assignment."
"Then you only have a couple of weeks to find a way to resolve this."
"By then it won't matter," Mei-Wan said, hoping that would end it.
"If you're fine with the idea of carrying around this bitterness for the rest of your life, then it won't matter." Akala paused, apparently waiting for a reaction. "Because you're here in my office, I'd assumed otherwise."
A combination of anger, frustration, and hurt finally broke past Mei-Wan's emotional defenses. Why does this bother me so much? She almost stood from her chair, but caught herself.
"Have you tried to ask either of them what they went through while they believed you were dead?"
"I can't."
"Can't or won't?" After several seconds of no response from Mei-Wan, Akala leaned back in her chair. "We can only move beyond what has been emotionally resolved. If you still have strong emotional reactions to something that's a good indicator you haven't moved on." Her gaze bore down on Mei-Wan. "You can leave this ship and go to the other side of the Galaxy, but you'll carry this with you and it will poison every relationship you have."
"That's ridiculous."
"Is it? Tell me, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of getting emotionally close to someone?"
She knew the answer. It was all she could think about when she had dinner with Natalie the night before--- the fear of betrayal.
"I don't want to be like this," Mei-Wan said, trying her best not to begin sobbing.
Akala leaned forward and took Mei-Wan's hands in her own. "That's the first step to changing it. The question now is, are you willing to do the hard work to come?"
***
Jack pulled two uniform jackets out of a closet and laid them on the bed next to a small travelling case.
"Packing already?"
He looked up and saw Melissa standing on the other side of the bed. "Yeah, I thought I'd get it out of the way." He was about to resume what he was doing, but stopped. Something about the look on her face caught his attention. "Okay, what are you up to?"
"Me?" she said, barely suppressing a grin. "What makes you think I'm up to anything, Captain?"
"Now I know you're up to something."
She couldn't help it. A smile broke free. "You mind if we share that?"
"What?"
"The travel case you're using."
Jack shook his head. "No, absolutely not. You're staying here."
Her smile didn't fade. "Evans said you needed an Ops officer for this mission, who better than me?"
"Negev needs you here on Chamberlain."
"Evans also said you needed an engineer and since I began my career as an engineer..."
"No."
"Jack, you know I'm the best officer for this."
He couldn't argue with that. "Melissa, if you don't believe in what I'm trying to do, you shouldn't come along."
Her jovial attitude was gone. "I won't lie to you, I'm still not sure if what you're attempting is the right thing, but... I do know one thing." She walked up and put her arms around him. "I believe in you Jack, and for now, that's enough."
Jack laughed.
"What's so funny?" she asked.
"A Vulcan deciding to act on faith in another person rather than on the cold facts in front of her."
Her smile returned. "Love has a strange way of changing things."
"That it does."
"And while I may look Vulcan, my heart is human. Always has been." She leaned forward and kissed him. "And now it belongs to you. Where you go, I go."
***
Janus Osmand stood on the command deck of the Skorr cruiser as it sped toward Nybiros and the coming confrontation between Starfleet and the G'voda. His mind was torn between his hopes for what the coming battle could mean for his movement and the lives likely to be lost.
Shaking Osmand from his thoughts, an ear-splitting chorus of screeching calls came from all of the Skorr in the control room. Turning to the source of their upset, Osmand saw a strange creature covered in blue and white fur.
"Not another step," the Vedala told the advancing Skorr.
The winged warriors stood their ground, their talons extended.
"I know what you are," Osmand stated. "You're a Vedala."
"Do not trust this being, Janus!" one of the Skorr cried out. "It knows nothing but destruction!"
"And he should trust you?" the Vedala said with a scowl before turning to Osmand. "Send these creatures away so that we may speak, Janus Osmand."
Osmand had never met a Vedala, but he had heard the hushed stories told by his fellow instructors at the Academy. He knew Starfleet had had dealings with these creatures more than a century before. And more importantly, he knew the power they had at their disposal.
He motioned to the Skorr. "Leave us, my friends. I will suffer no harm from this being."
The Skorr relented, but kept their eyes fixed on the Vedala as they left the control room.
The Vedala finally turned its attention to Osmand. "You must not enter the Nybiros system."
Osmand studied the creature before him, trying to discern its intentions. "We must. The Federation needs our aid."
"We know how difficult it is to stand back, but in this case you must. Your movement is still too fragile."
"But I must join in the fight against the G'voda."
"It is unnecessary," the Vedala told him. "We shall be there."
"All the more reason I should be as well. With our assistance in this battle to vanquish the terror of the G'voda, the Federation will have no choice but to recognize our movement. Finally, the barriers to all humanoids joining together will be gone."
"Those barriers are already coming down, Janus Osmand. You must be patient and let what is to come arrive in its own time."
Osmand wasn't convinced. "Do you intend to force me to obey your will?"
"No, of course not!" the Vedala said with wide eyes. "You are the fulfillment of the greatest dream of the Ancient Progenitors, but if your movement is seen as a conquering force, then strife is all that you will know. You must bring together that which has been cast asunder."
Osmand's face brightened at the talk of his destiny. A destiny he had begun to doubt lately. "Yes, I see the wisdom in what you say."
"You are the second coming of the Progenitors. They will live through you to bring a greatness to this Galaxy that you can barely imagine."
"Yes, I... I know this to be true." Osmand felt as if he were intoxicated. "We must bring peace, not a sword. We must bring knowledge, not heartache."
The Vedala walked up to him. "You have been worried about Ahwi Dasari."
The mention of his adopted daughter broke the trance he had reveled in. "Is she okay?"
"As far as we know, yes."
"Where is she?"
"That we do not know, but we feel confident that she is well."
Osmand let a smile cross his face. "Good."
"Our duty is nearly fulfilled." The Vedala walked to a window and stared out into space. "We have protected the progeny of the Beota. Now the future belongs to you."
"I don't understand. You could be such an asset to what we're doing."
"Whatever the outcome for us, we know you have it within you to create something marvelous. Take care that the future you build is one worthy of those who gave birth to you."
And with that, the Vedala vanished.
Janus Osmand was more certain of his cause than ever before. He would no longer cower in fear at what the Federation might do to stop him.
"Return to the command deck," he ordered over the ship's intercom. Within moments, the Skorr came back to their posts, but each of them entered cautiously, apparently concerned the Vedala might still be present.
"Signal all our ships," Osmand told the Skorr commander next to him. "We are changing course."
"What of the attack on Nybiros?" the Skorr asked.
His destiny did not rest upon the result of the battle at Nybiros. He had worlds to spread his message to. And spread it he would.
***
Jack and his executive officer, Lak Negev walked down a corridor on Deck Fifteen.
"I have not had near as much battle experience as you, Captain." Negev paused to consider his next words. "Perhaps I should be the one to go on the Abdiel, since my previous tenure as a science officer could..."
"Just the two men I was looking for!" a voice bellowed from behind, bringing them to a stop.
Jack and Negev turned to face Kristen Bishop as she stormed the last few paces to them.
"Technically," Negev began. "It is not accurate to refer to me as a..."
"Here," Kristy interrupted as she shoved a PADD at Jack. "Read this!"
Jack smiled at the note of triumph in her voice and examined the PADD. "Exactly what is it I'm looking at?"
"We had another of those damn tachyon bursts at 0214 hours this morning."
Jack found the event noted on the PADD along with the precise frequency and energy level. "And that's excuse enough to come growling at your captain and executive officer?"
Kristy folded her arms across her chest. "I and my engineering staff decided to tear the warp drive apart last night since we were going to be in orbit for another day. You can check the logs, Captain." She grinned and leaned toward him. "At 0214 the warp systems were dismantled and had been offline for five hours."
Jack nodded. "Okay, so we were wrong."
"And?" she asked with narrowed eyes.
Jack's smile widened. "You were right."
Kristy glanced at Negev.
"Considering how our sister ship the Hyperion remains at Delta Ophiuchus Shipyard for an as yet undiagnosed problem, it is still possible the warp drive might have..."
"Negev," Jack said with a stern tone to his voice.
"Captain I don't think we should..."
"Please don't force me to make it an order, Mr. Negev."
Seeing the battle had been lost, "Yes, sir." He looked at Kristy. "We were wrong and you were right, Commander Bishop."
"Thank you," she said with a self assured grin. "Maybe you'll remember this the next time someone tries to blame my engines for a freak occurrence." She spun on her heel and marched away down the corridor.
"Considering the pugnacious tendencies of human females, I am amazed at how the males of your species seem to worship women as they do."
"Those tendencies are part of the attraction," Jack said with a smirk. Seeing Negev's confusion, he decided to change the subject. "So it's not the warp drive."
"Which leaves the question of the tachyon bursts unresolved."
Jack ran the possibilities through his mind. "Talk to Hank Evans and make sure it's not some new form of G'voda communication. I'd hate to think we had another one of their spies aboard."
"Agreed."
"If Hank can't find anything, have Hoffman go over the sensor and main deflector systems." Jack started toward a turbolift. "Even his general ineptitude should be able to handle that."
"Aye, sir."
"And Lak?"
"Yes?"
"I have to be on the Abdiel."
"Sir?"
"There's an opportunity to end this madness that I don't believe we can pass up."
"I hope you're right, Captain."
***
Later that evening, Mei-Wan packed the last of her things and took a final look at her quarters to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. She closed her bag and put it on her shoulder as she made her way to the door.
But just a few feet away from reaching it, the chime sounded.
"I hope it isn't Tim," she said under her breath. She didn't want to stand around while he tried to find the right way to say goodbye.
Instead, it was Natalie Fowler she found on the other side of the door.
"Hey, Mei," the young woman beamed. "I was hoping I'd catch you before you left."
"Another minute and you wouldn't have," Mei-Wan said. "What's up?"
Natalie handed her a bottle. "Something to make your trip go a little easier."
"Natalie, this is part of your collection, isn't it? No, I couldn't."
She pushed the bottle into Mei-Wan's hands. "Hey, you'll be on a ship for several days with your ex-husband and his new..." She hesitated a moment. "What do you call their relationship anyhow?" Before Mei-Wan could say anything, Natalie continued, "You'll need something to bring you a little comfort."
Mei-Wan looked at the bottle in her hands and smiled. "Thank you."
"Hey, what are friends for?" Natalie gave Mei-Wan a quick hug. "You stay safe, okay?"
"You too."
Natalie Fowler left and Mei-Wan was again alone.
She took a moment to pack the bottle of wine in her bag. A few seconds later she exited her quarters glad that she had one good friend on this ship which had been home to so many bad memories.
***
Lee McGuire stood in the Chamberlain's main bay, looking up at the Defiant class starship which his crew had just finished preparing for launch.
"She ready to go?" Paul Falco asked as he ambled over to his friend.
"As far as the ship, yes," McGuire replied. "But that damn thing in her shuttlebay scares the hell out of me."
"Me too, but I didn't get any say over that."
McGuire's gaze switched to the arrivals entering the bay through a door on the other side.
"To tell you the truth, I'm more worried about having McCall aboard again," Falco said with a dour look. "That bastard's likely to get my ship all busted up. Came damn near close to wrecking her the last time I had to take his ass somewhere."
McGuire didn't react. His eyes had found something far more interesting than the Abdiel's commander to be concerned with.
"Hey, I'm talking to you."
"What?"
Falco followed his friend's gaze. He frowned when he realized McGuire was staring at Mei-Wan Lau as she made her way across the bay. "What's going on?"
"Just looking."
"She is a beautiful woman." Falco's stern face softened.
"That she is," McGuire muttered.
"I hear Hoffman's banging her."
"Who'd you hear that from? Hoffman?"
Falco grinned. "I'll admit it did sound a little far fetched."
"Actually, I hear Blackwell's interested, but hasn't gotten anywhere yet."
"Really?"
Falco knew that look on McGuire's face. "I'm all for you moving on after Vargas, Lee. But the captain's ex?"
"You have to start somewhere."
"Is this some sick competition thing?" Falco asked with a frown.
"What?"
"McCall steals your girl, and now you go after his ex-wife?"
"No."
"You sure?"
"Why, are you trying to discourage me?"
Falco shook his head. "Look, I'm your friend. I'm the last guy who'd..."
"You interested in her?"
"You're crazy! You think I don't have enough problems in my life?"
McGuire let a grin creep across his rugged Irish features. "You are going to be on this mission with her for several days."
"Not that Lieutenant Lau isn't an attractive woman, but the only lady on my mind is the Abdiel."
"CO's and their ships." McGuire said with a chuckle. "It's just a piece of hardware."
"One man's hardware is another man's lady."
***
Jack had expected a less than favorable reaction, but the looks he saw on the faces of Paul Falco, Hank Evans, and Mei-Wan went far beyond that.
"You know, you're crazy, McCall." Falco's mouth contorted as if some wild animal were trying to escape. It didn't take long for it to find its freedom. "Taking this weapon to Nybiros is bad enough. At least I can see the point in that. We get to the bad guys and hit 'em hard. But this... this is a crock of shit!" He cast a glance across the bridge of the Abdiel to Hank. "Did you know about this?"
Hank threw his hands up. "I knew something was up, but nothing like this." He stared at Jack. "Is Starfleet okay with this?"
"Grant is," Jack said.
Falco folded his arms across his chest. "An admiral is in favor of a screwy plan? Oh, that makes me feel so much better."
Jack didn't let Falco's sarcasm shake his conviction in the slightest. But there was still one voice yet to be heard, and hers mattered to him. "Mei?"
"Jack, I want to believe there could be a possible way out of what I fear lies ahead, but I know the Ancient Progenitors probably better than anyone else alive right now. They couldn't be the aggressor in this conflict."
"All we know about them has come from the records they left behind. You know from history how that can't be trusted." Jack had one other thing to give strength to the small doubt he detected in her voice. "Don't forget, the Vedala served the Progenitors. Don't you think it's possible their deceptive nature and haughty attitude might have come from those they once served?"
"Of course it's possible, but a possibility isn't much of a reason to risk your life on."
"This feels right, Mei," he told her. "I have to try to talk to them."
Falco turned to Melissa who so far had remained quiet. "You go along with this?"
She stopped to look at Jack. "I don't know what I believe about the Ancient Progenitors at this point, but I do know that if this fight can be stopped, it's certainly worth trying to save the lives of all who are sure to die once it starts."
"Then you're just as crazy as he is!" Falco spat.
"Maybe I am crazy," Jack said with a chuckle. "Maybe all I'll end up doing is getting myself killed, but I wanted you to know what I have planned, that way you can stay behind if you wish." He took a moment to look at each of them. "I know I'm asking a lot. I know too that each of you has good reasons not to trust my judgment based on past experience. But I think we may have a chance to right a terrible wrong here."
Everyone was quiet for almost a full minute.
"Well, I have to go," Mei-Wan finally said. "No one else knows how to operate the weapon." She smiled. "And if by some miracle you do get the Volmvas and the G'voda to agree to some sort of cease fire, I'd sure like to be there to see it."
"Thanks Mei," he said, returning her smile. "Falco, what do you say?"
"I think this is nuts, but this is my ship and I'll be damned if I let her go on some fool mission without me."
"Hank?"
Hank Evans appeared lost in thought.
"You coming along?" Jack asked.
"Might as well. It sounds like you might need somebody to pull your ass out of the fire again," Hank said with only a hint of humor.
"Then let's get underway," Jack ordered.
