Chapter 8: Maximum Response Butterbar was still waiting in the transporter room when Akers and Katerine finally arrived. Katerine had a satisfied look in her eyes, and Akers the slightest grin under his beard, but his eyes warned Butterbar not to say a word. Not that he had any intention of doing so! "The General and I already handled the bulk of this mornings agenda items," Katerine informed Butterbar primly. "I do have some business to take care of, first, and we can continue with lunch?" She asked. He nodded, and waited patiently while she beamed back to the surface. She’d no sooner completed transit when the klaxon went off. "Red Alert, Red Alert! All hands to Battle stations!" The lights changed, and the red alert siren went off. Akers and Butterbar were out the door in tandem, racing for the turbolift. As the turbolift raced forzoomed to the bridge, it seemed like an eternity to Butterbar. Akers strode onto the bridge, where Chief Engineer LCDR Cypher Pentangle was on duty as Officer of the Deck. On the view screen was an orbital view of the Slobadan Parliament building, obscured by clouds of dust and smoke, and with computer enhanced overlays showing a massive crater had collapsed the Rotunda of the building. "Report!" Akers snapped as he stepped closer to look at the screen. "Shortly after the Admiral’s speech, the bomb went off. All Jaguar Personnel are accounted for except for Admiral Thomas. He was in the area where several floors collapsed near the main entrance." Pentangle shook her head. "There were thousands of people in the central plaza, General." "Show me the explosion." ," Akers ordered, . and Cypher tapped on the control console, and the image flickered. Starfleet insignias overlaid the view, showing the location of the Jaguar’s crew members within the building. The scrolling time index slowed as Cypher detailed the action. Butterbar noted with relief that S’lek’s icon was on the far side of the building from where the bomb went off. "The Admiral was delayed leaving Parliament after his speech, otherwise…" Cypher noted softly, as the explosion began to grow like some obscene bloom of fire and death. Figures nearby collapsed and disappeared as the explosion grew, and then with sickening slowness, the corner of the building began to crumple and collapse. Immense columns of stone went sprawling into the plaza as Thomas’s icon flickered and disappeared in the edges of the building collapse. Butterbar turned away; , unable to watch the scurrying figures meet their doom. "Medical teams?" Akers asked, sighing heavily. "Preparing to beam down now. Fifth Squad is suiting up for SAR ops"," Major Myers replied. "The ship is secure," Myers added. "Lower shields and take us to yellow alert. Commander, cobble together some Damage Control teams and prepare them for readiness if we are asked to help." Cypher nodded and left the bridge. Akers settled into the command chair and shook his head sadly. "There’s nothing we can do now but sit and wait for Wallace to give the all clear." Butterbar resisted to the urge to call his wife, but he kept one display at the Mission Ops station firmly focused on the Parliament building, and watched the icon showing her movements very closely. * * * Dust filled the air, soaking onto flesh and uniform like rain. Members of parliament, emergency workers, civilians, and Enforcers worked together seamlessly. Wallace was impressed at how fast they recovered from the shock and quickly organized for search and rescue efforts, and to support those efforts by keeping the areas nearest the explosion as clear as possible. Wallace and S'lek found themselves a useful purpose helping to tend to the wounded. There was a shortage of medical personnel, and by watching those who were there, they were able to help triage and bandage the more minor injuries. It was potentially hazardous treating for them to treat somewhat foreign physiology, but Wallace was confident that bandaging bleeding wounds and giving comfort would not be overly harmful until the victims could receive qualified medical attention. S'lek's presence, in this regard, seemed to be especially helpful as faces brightened at being tended by an actual Vulcan. Nuanzi found him and smiled grimly, . "My thanks, Admiral, your help is appreciated!" "My crew is standing by if you need any additional assistance," Wallace offered. "We shall suffice, this is not the first such attack, and while it's been nearly ten years since an attack on the capital, we are prepared as you can see," Nuanzi said, gesturing at the relief work that had sprung up almost instantly. "Would you people have any interest in observing the investigation? We already have some quit promising leads, and one of your own is still un-recovered," Nuanzi offered grimly, "Thank you, that is very generous," Wallace replied. * * * Several hours passed by, with members of the Jaguar's crew beaming to and from the surface as needs dictate. Butterbar was finally released from bridge duty to find his wife and asked her to accompany the General on an errand to track down those responsible for the blast. " In minutes, Butterbar was on the surface on the opposite side of the Parliament building at Starfleet’s designated beaming point for the emergency. What struck him first was the smell--glycerides and dust filled the air and coated everything with a fine grime that was in stark contrast the squeaky clean Slobadan architecture. The Parliament building cast a faint shadow from where the debris and dust had landed; close to the building it was perfectly clean—typical Slobadan spit-and-polish. As he rounded the building, homing in on S’lek’s position, it got worse. So very much worse. Entire floors of the building had collapsed. He could see SAR search and rescue workers carefully wading through them, balanced on hovering platforms to keep from adding any weight to the already half collapsed structure. The large crater in the plaza was partially filled with rubble, and revealed layers of offices and facilities built underneath the plaza, which had also collapsed. Crews were lifting rubble out and ferrying it to a nearby region in the plaza where forensics teams were sifting over it. Butterbar found S’lek in the triage ward, hastily improvised along a shady stretch of the parliament building that was still intact. She saw him and practically flew into his arms, giving him an incredibly tight bear hug. "Such destruction…" She she whispered. "It serves no purpose. If the Eologian wanted to interfere with our visit—why this?" Butterbar shook his head at the carnage around them. "To get our attention, perhaps? A chance to get Nuanzi like they did Slobadan Wyer years ago?" He shook his head. "It doesn’t have to be logical, S’lek. Terrorism seldom is." She refused to accept this. "Behavior has reason, Caleb. Always—there’s always a reason." She shook her head. "I just cannot deduce what it could be." "Any word on Thomas?" Butterbar asked and the her mask of stoicism she wore seemed too tighten. "We found the location of his communicator, but we cannot reach it yet. There are several life signs nearby, and several corpses. We will know in the next hour." He squeezed her tight one last time, . "The General is asking for you," he said, and she handed her bandages to an attendant. “ Together they waded through the crowds as thousands of people were milling around, busy on various errands to support the rescue effort, or analyze the cause of the blast. They found Akers and Chipper at a temporary command post, consulting with Katerine. She was visibly shaken, and almost trembling with rage when Butterbar made eye contact with her. For a moment, a flash of hatred, then softening as she recognized him. "Ensign, if you'll accompany us?" Chipper asked, gesturing to a hovercar nearby. S'lek, Katerine and Akers followed. Butterbar looked around as they left, realizing he had no assigned tasks for the moment. In a numb state of shock, he started wandering around the capital complex, just taking in the chaos and struggle for order that had enveloped the otherwise immaculate city. * * * Katerine walked Akers to a nearby hovercraft. "It is unfortunate General, we tolerate a diversity of views and opinions, and all the Eologian want to do is exploit our generosity." "You do allow protests then? Against the government?" "Of course, once a month the plaza here is dedicated to allowing any and all to speak their minds freely—as long as it is non-violent and civil." She gestured at the still smoking crater. "This… this atrocity cannot be excused." Katerine shuddered as they settled into the hover car. “For years we’ve been free…", she said spat angrily, gesturing wildly, "…free of this madness!" Akers looked closely at her—her eyes burned in fury. "The Eologian have gone too far, this time, too far!" "Have they taken credit for the blast?" Akers asked softly. The Inspector snorted. "Not yet, but they really don’t have to. Historically the only ones to set off bombs in the capital are Eologian Terrorists." S'lek and Akers exchanged a look but said nothing. * * * "Hello Caleb," ." the The voice was familiar, and Butterbar for a moment didn't realize he was being addressed. He turned around, and there, in the uniform of a Slobadan aide worker, was a man he'd believed dead for the last eight years. Professor Hiram Thornberry. "I read S'lek's thesis on warp shell integration recently--fascinating stuff," Thornberry offered casually, and for Caleb Stein, the pieces fell together with frighteningly cold precision. "How many Starfleet vessels did you help the Eologian steal, Doctor?" Butterbar hissed, aware of the crowded square around them--a part of him not wanting to care. Thornberry's eyes darted around them, . "not Not here!" He replied, and gestured for Butterbar to follow him. Butterbar's heart sank--Thornberry didn't deny the accusation. They moved to the shelter of an administration building--farming--where there was little activity and few to overhear them. "Do you know what is really going on here, Caleb?" Thornberry asked, and Butterbar couldn't get past the fact his mentor and former teacher was now armed. "Do you know what the Slobadan are really like?" "Obviously not, Doctor," Butterbar replied. "Then let me show you!" Thornberry said, walking around the building. Butterbar looked at him for a moment, looked around to see if anyone was watching, and then followed. He couldn't have been more obvious--but the crisis at the Parliament building made them invisible. In the back of the farming building were large craft--heavy lifters parked near immense doors. Carts of glossy bags about 2 meters in length were being loaded into the lifters, as a line of peasants--clearly from the cultural preserves, were being marched into the building. Thornberry let him look but didn't let him linger and kept them going until finally the grisly sight was no longer visible. Butterbar managed to keep from retching until they reached an alcove, but even then he nearly caught some woman and her child with his stomach eruption. Gasping for breath, he hunched over as Thornberry held put on hand reassuring handly on his shoulder. Butterbar swiped it away. Thornberry handed him a bottle of water. "Sip it, slowly," he offered and Butterbar blinked back tears in his eyes, and noticed for the first time the Bajoran wrinkled nose applied to Thornberry's face. Thornberry smiled, wiggling his nose, "Amazing what you can do with a little cosmetic putty." He held out one hand to pull Butterbar off the ground. "What do you say we go back to your ship, we have a great many things to discuss." Butterbar nodded weakly as Thornberry Hiram led him back to the Parliament building and the beam-out point. "What are you doing here?" Butterbar whispered, suddenly aware of how close the people in the crowd were as they passed all around them. "Same as you, Ensign, helping with the relief effort," Thornberry said levelly. Thornberry Hiram deftly navigated Butterbar in such a way as to avoid concentrations of Slobadan Enforcers, but it wasn’t completely possible, either. They’d almost reached the beam out point when a Special Agent noticed them. "You there, halt!" "Now or never, Caleb,"," Thornberry whispered and Butterbar reached for his combadge. "Halt!" The Enforcer ordered, and several others raced to join him. They were just reaching for ThornberryHiram, weapons drawn, when the beam locked and they faded out of view. * * * Butterbar stepped off the transporter pad, and angrily turned to his former mentor. "What is going on here, Hiram?" Thornberry sat down on the steps and cleared his throat. "You saw what was being... farmed, Ensign. On any other day I could get you inside one of the interrogation chambers, or even the forensics room"," he spat the words out. Butterbar said nothing "Those who embrace Slobadan society enjoy the many fruits it offers. Those who don’t… are systematically exterminated. There’s things I need to show you, show your Admiral. Can you summon him from the surface for me?" At that moment Chief of Security Myers entered the transporter room, looked at Butterbar and raised one eyebrow at Thornberry. "Ensign, who is this man?" "Major, this is Professor Hiram Thornberry, presumed lost in the early fighting of the Klingon conflict some years ago. Now, apparently, a member of the Eologian nation." "Not just a member, I’m afraid," Thornberry said ruefully. "Can I speak to your Admiral?" The transporter chief’s comm panel chirped and he tapped it. "Wallace to Jaguar, four to beam directly to sick bay." Butterbar turned to Myers. Rear Admiral Steve Thomas! They’d found him alive! "Professor, Ensign, with me." ," Myers ordered, and led them out into the hallway. They shortly arrived at sick bay, where a battered, bruised and bloody Steve Thomas was under the CMO’s care. He was conscious and complaining in a steady stream of invectives. Wallace grinned at this, then noticing their arrival, turned to face them. "Yes?" He asked. Thornberry didn’t give Butterbar a chance to answer. "Admiral, my name is Professor Hiram Thornberry, and I request both asylum and that you place me under immediate arrest for high treason against the Federation, destruction of Federation Property, kidnapping of Starfleet and Federation civilians, release of technological secrets to a foreign power, illicit crossing of restricted interstellar borders, violating the Prime Directive and perhaps even manslaughter. You see, it is I who am responsible for the theft of nearly a dozen Starfleet vessels over the concluding years of the Dominion war, and twice that number of commercial and civilian craft." Every jaw in the room dropped. Even Thomas stopped complaining. "Oh, you might want to recover your personnel from the surface, I suspect the Nuanzi may have some idea I’m aboard. Their not above taking hostages to effect my release to their tender mercies." Wallace tapped his Com Badge. "This is the CO, I want all personnel to return from the surface immediately." He turned to Myers, "Major, see to it that they all make it back." He then looked to Butterbar, arms on his hips, a disbelieving expression on his face, shaking his head. "Ensign, what have you stepped in now?" Chapter 9: To Draw Out the Inevitable The rebel enclave was located in high desert of Eologia's southern continent. They'd had arrived by flyer just after the kinetic energy weapon strike had demolished all signs of any habitation. Scattered craters, and a few grazing animals nibbling on the green leafy vegetation that provided ground cover were all that remained. Despite this, nearly a full company was deployed scouring the region looking for possible survivors. Transporter scramblers would ensure they did not quietly beam out. Akers found tThe blackened soil near the strikes cruncheding under his boots. "Damage estimates?" he Akers asked Katerine sadly, looking at the distribution pattern of craters stretching out for several kilometers on the rolling slopes. "25 Twenty five Suspected or confirmed rebels, some 300 collateral damage from local farmers." She she answered gravely. "An unfortunate loss, General, but there are those who felt it was necessary to restore order." "And you?" he asked her coolly. She did not answer him. Akers did his best to hide the disgust he felt, and all things considered, was surprisingly successful. "What are your superiors trying to accomplish? Stop the terrorists or supply them with new recruits?" She put one hand on his shoulder, and answered in a soft voice only he could hear. "I would not have ordered this myself, however it does serve a greater purpose." Akers was struggling for a reply when his combadge beeped. "Yes?" "Lt. Commander Dumar, report to the Jaguar." Akers head snapped up, Dumar wasn’t a crew member—this was their notification for a covert security alert, --all hands return to ship. Akers looked around, ; the transporter scramblers were too close. * * * S'lek had joined several Enforcers examining some buildings that were only partially collapsed. The facility had once been a good sized farming residence, now it was a set of random piles of timber--knocked down by the force of the nearby blasts. S'lek pulled out her tricorder and began scanning for survivors. She found them--huddled in a cellar that was now blocked from the surface. The Enforcers had started examining something at a nearby building when it suddenly it exploded. Some kind of fuel system for equipment inside the collapsed rubble had ignited, blasting both Enforcers back a dozen meters. S'lek was smooth in her rush to two women's side. The first one had been killed, but the second was alive--if bleeding badly. S'lek, without hesitating, put her com badge on the Enforcer's uniform and tapped it. "Ensign S'lek, one to beam out from my location directly to sick bay." "Acknowledged," came the reply. Because her com badge was beamed up with the wounded Enforcer, Ensign S'lek did not hear Major Myers recall order. She was just turning to go back to rescue the trapped farmers when the debris pile exploded a second time--catching her full in the back and sending her flying across the farm yard. * * * "Excuse me a moment General," Katerine said, her own com link beeping. She walked a ways away to, answerring it, ; and Akers noticed that Chipper had received the same summons. They were talking agitatedly in agitated voices, and. Akers knew he was in trouble as Chipper flashed him a triumphant look. She kept turning to Akers, with alternate longing and horror in her eyes. Chipper motioned to some of the nearby troops to come over to join him, and started pointing at Akers. Something had gone terribly wrong. "General, I apologize," Chipper began said with a false modesty that failed to conceal his glee, . "We are going to have to take you into protective custody." Katerine followed at his side, her face a mask of conflicting emotions. The two guards moved casually behind Akers to escort him back to the flyer. Akers reached out with two brawny arms, grabbing the stocks of the weapons the guards were holding, and yanked them together in a sudden jarring impact. Stunned, one crumpled, and Akers back handed the other one. Chipper started to raise his weapon, but missed as Akers chopped his gun away. Chipper rolled after it, snatched it up, raised it to aim, and then fell over as Akers deftly slapped his boot knife through the air and into the Slob's unprotected arm. Akers balanced upwards on his feet, turned, and found a laser pistol two inches from his nose, a sad and pained look on Katerine's face. "I don't want to do this," she said., as hHe relaxed and took one step backwards, hands out stretched. "It doesn't have to be this way, Katya." "I am, first and foremost, a patriot, General." With that his heart sank, the use of his rank could only mean one thing, she was prepared to fire. At that moment, tTwo Starfleet Marines, in full power armor, came bounding across the countryside. The rush of air caught Katerine's attention,. aAs she turned to see one, the other neatly stunned her,. and Akers leaped forward to catch her before she could land on the ground. He gently checked for her pulse, and then laid her neatly on the grassy loam. "Thought you might need an assist, General," came Major Myers' voice from inside the power armor. "S'lek?" He asked. "Beamed aboard just moments ago," Myers answered. Akers said nothing, taking the Marine emblem off his beret, and replaced it with one of Katerine's insignia, the stylized Dragon and IDIC. He then tucked his emblem onto her uniform, reached down and gave her the gentlest of kisses on the forehead. "This isn't over, my love." ," He he whispered. Cookie came over, wiping Akers boot knife clean and handing it back to him, ignoring the moaning Chipper at his feet. " Sergeant, your weapon please." ," Akers asked. He, and took the phaser rifle, aimed it at the flyer parked nearby, and fired repeatedly. The explosion was no less spectacular than it was loud. "Transporter scramblers down, sir." Myers reported and Akers nodded sharply, tapping his com badge. "Three to beam out," he called to the Jaguar. As he sparkled out of existence, it seemed that even unconscious, Katerine seemed to be staring at him, calling him back. Soon, my love, soon. * * * They assembled in one of the larger briefing rooms on board the Jaguar, the entire ship’s senior officers, plus Butterbar, and Hiram Thornberry. S'lek wasn't there, but the computer reported she was in sickbay. Wallace did not want to wait. Butterbar had already recounted, in what surprised him as a calm and even tone of voice, the events that led up to his encountering Thornberry. Akers then recounted his encounter with Chipper, and Wallace rolled his eyes. "You two are both alike," he muttered. The worst shocks, though, were yet to come. "Admiral, High Commissioner Nuanzi is requesting an immediate audience.," Chief of Operations, Senya Kinyin offeredsaid. "Tell him I’ll be with him shortly," he Wallace turned to Thornberry. "All right Professor, you have our attention. Now as to these charges you have…filed…against yourself, please explain to us what exactly is going on." "It’s best that I start at the beginning, although I’ll be brief…" With that Thornberry described how he was on anthropological expedition caught behind the lines when hostilities with the Klingon's broke out. Forced to work their way beyond Cardassian territories to get back to the Federation, they stumbled upon the Eologian. The plight of the mixed Cardassian/Bajoran's immediately stunned them—they arrived just as the Slobadan used relativistic bombs to destroy an Eologian colony world. "Relativistic bomb?" Butterbar asked. Thornberry looked at him. "Take an asteroid about 1 to 5 km in size, accelerate it to 96% speed of light, then slam it into a planet. The first strike usually leaves a crater the size of North America, and half as deep. The planet belches its guts out, covering the rest of the surface in miles of ejecta blanket. Further strikes will crack open the planet like an egg and smash it to bits." Akers looked at Butterbar. "Your asteroid distribution patterns." Thornberry nodded. "We didn’t intend to get involved, but we were attacked by a Slobadan vessel, and Eologian Authority ships fought them off, but not before we were so badly damaged we had to abandon ship." "If we wanted to get home, we had to trade. Federation technology for a ride home. We intended just to give them things that weren’t cutting edge, and hijacking starships was never mentioned. But things somehow spiraled out of control." He looked down for a moment then back at the assembled staff watching him. "I won’t make excuses, in the process of returning us home somehow we ended up hijacking a full blown, state-of-the- art Cargo Freighter, fresh from refit for convoy duty. That’s when it started…" Thornberry shook his head. "For the next two years I walked a knife’s edge with the Eologian. They were determined to acquire more Federation technology, preferably Starfleet vessels. We were determined that they do so in as safe a manner as possible to Federation personnel. We did our best to see that no-one was injured." "What happened to the crews?" Akers asked sharply. "Some actually decided to join us. The Federation was loosing the Dominion war, and this seemed like a good place to take a stand against an enemy that was easier to fight. Others… I’m afraid they were imprisoned." "For the last six years?" Akers demanded. Thornberry nodded, . "It is regrettable, and don’t think those of us that fight with the Eologian haven’t agonized over it every single day, but it was necessary." Akers snorted disdainfully. "Treason can always be justified if the cause is right," ." Thornberry looked up at him sharply. "AND And if you don’t leave any survivors to tell the tale!" "Simmer down, General." !" Wallace ordered. "Professor, please continue." "We nabbed a half dozen Sabers, almost as many Miranda’s and even one Akira." There were gasps at this and Thornberry felt it necessary to explain. "The Eologian and Slobadan both have better transporter technology than us and, for the most part, the hijackings were relatively bloodless." "Relatively?" Akers barked. "Scott…!" Wallace whispered harshly. "Anyway, we held them off—but that was all. There were three Eologian systems left 7 years ago, and there are three today, but without assistance, all three will likely fall within the year." "Why the bomb at Parliament?" Wallace asked. "That wasn't ours," !" Thornberry denied hotly, but Butterbar looked at him the professor closely and saw doubt and uncertainty there. "After your speech this morning, Admiral, High Commissioner Nuanzi must have felt comfortable that the Federation wouldn’t intervene on our behalf. He could have easily ordered the bomb, both to sour the Federation to his side, and give his Enforcers a logical reason to continue purging the Cultural Preserves." He looked around desperately at the assembled officers. "Think about it, we try to capture another Saber for the first time in years. Until they caught us in the act, they suspected we had covert Federation assistance, a misconception we encouraged at every opportunity. Once they realized that wasn’t the case, they extended you an invitation—for the first time in thirty years(!) —and once sure that you had no interest in being involved… They strike." Wallace’s com badge beeped. "Sir, Nuanzi’s on the line again, he really insists on meeting with you. Two Slobadan Cruisers have also shifted orbit and are maneuvering to take up position alongside." "The gloves are coming off,"," Thornberry breathed. "Before it goes any further, there’s something I have to show you—on the surface." "You’re not going anywhere." ," Wallace snapped. "You need to see what’s really happening!" Thornberry demanded. "Major Myers, please escort the prisoner to the brig, and change the charge from Manslaughter to Murder Two." Thornberry looked at him. "The deaths were caused in the commission of another crime, Professor. Manslaughter does not apply," Wallace said matter-of-factly, and looked to Myers. "I’ll be up on the bridge momentarily to answer the High Commissioners questions, join us there when you’re done." Thornberry was being escorted past Butterbar. "Please, Caleb, you have to convince them, let me show you the caverns!" Butterbar turned away, shaking his head. After Thornberry was gone, Chris Wallace turned to him. "Is this the man you knew at the Academy?" Butterbar shook his head, . "He’s changed, . hHe wasn’t ever this…" Butterbar searched for the words. "Fanatical?" Akers offered. Wallace nodded. "Get with S'lek, write up what you know about him, contrast it with what we saw today. How much can we believe him?" Butterbar looked away without answering. "I don’t know,. nNot any more." * * * Wallace strode onto the bridge. Out of force of habit on his old Galaxy command, he headed for the place between Ops and Con, before he realized that on an Intrepid class, they were one and blocking his way. "On screen," he ordered, as he stood just behind Lieutenant Steele. High Commissioner Nuanzi appeared on the screen with a glower on his face. "Admiral Wallace, I protest this…this kidnapping of one of our citizens and demand that you return him to our custody immediately!" "That is an interesting charge, Commissioner Nuanzi, considering your people tried to kidnap my Executive Officer and who knows how many more of my people?" Wallace asked. "Mr. Thornberry is a Federation citizen, Commissioner, and has asked for asylum onboard our ship." "And you’re granting it?" Nuanzi cried. "That man is an Eologian terrorist! They are responsible for the bombing and the attempt on your life and the lives of your fellow officers!" Pausing He paused for a response, and when he didn't get one, Nuanzi continued. "I cannot believe you are going to protect him from justice! Return him to us and I assure you I will get those responsible for this cowardly act!" "Commissioner, Mr. Thornberry has admitted to a variety of extremely serious crimes, including murder, and I can assure you that these charges will be vigorously investigated and, if found true, he will be tried and punished.," Wallace stated. "If after the conclusion of his term of punishment we have successfully negotiated an extradition treaty, we will be happy to turn him over to your custody." "This is completely unacceptable, Admiral," Nuanzi said, calming down. "If this Mr. Thornberry had anything to do with this bombing, he is looking at dozens of counts of capital murder. At the very least, he will be charged with conspiracy. Now turn him over to us and we will deal with him in such a way that I think will satisfy both of us," he added with a wicked grin. "Commissioner, the Federation does not have a death penalty. And as a Federation citizen, no matter his current legal status." "Mark my words, Admiral. It would be most unpleasant if this situation were to sour disrupt what were looking to be the start of positive relations between our two governments," Nuanzi said in a thinly-veiled threat, then he cut the channel. * * * Butterbar found himself in the brig without really knowing how he got there. He was upset by Thornberry, and found he couldn’t concentrate, and went out for a walk. Next thing he knew, he was standing in front of his former professor, the hum of a security force field separating them across an emotional abyss. "I don’t even know what to say to you," Butterbar said. "You betrayed everything you believed in." Thornberry remained silent. "S’lek and I even joined Starfleet because of you." Butterbar gestured wildly. "Do you know how many died on the Claymore? Do you?" Thornberry spread his arms in apology. "I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were involved." "I was there when we retook her!" Memories of the smoke, the carnage, the blood— came rushing back. He looked at his former mentor in the eyes. "Tell me you, or your friends, didn’t plant the bomb this morning." Thornberry turned away, his hands in his pockets, shoulders slumped. “You don’t know what I know, Caleb, you haven’t seen what I’ve seen. I’ve been here for nearly eight years, helping these people, fighting with them to save their homes. I’ve done things, Caleb, terrible things." He looked back at the Ensign. "It’s not that simple, but if you’d give me a chance, maybe you would understand why." "You didn’t answer my question." "I gave you the only answer I could give, Caleb." Butterbar shook his head. He was used to listening to Thornberry—he had even enjoyed doing so—once. He found he couldn’t focus on the man’s word’s, his own anger carried him along in its own current—out of reach from his mentor and friend. Almost weeping he leaned against the edge of the cell. "I don’t understand you, Hiram, how you could do this?" "Take me down to the surface, Caleb, I’ll show you." "Why, what’s down there that we haven’t already seen?" Akers asked, having slipped into the brig without Butterbar’s noticing. Butterbar turned to him in shock, but Akers put one gloved hand on his arm in reassurance. The General was in his power armor. "More than Nuanzi would ever admit. Logically," Thornberry spat the word out, "it would make no sense to risk alienating the Federation and get genuine support for the Eologian Authority by showing you the whole truth." "What of your truths, Professor? You haven’t been exactly straight with us on everything here today.," Akers asked. but Thornberry did not answer. He didn't have to--he was compromised and everyone there knew it. Akers reached over to the controls and deactivated the force field. "Very well, you can show us. Ensign, get your armor and meet us here in ten. We’re going to the surface." Butterbar nodded once, and raced out of the brig. * * * Five of the wicked looking Slobadan cruisers were now in "formation" around the Jaguar. Shields were not up, but could the moment weapons were locked. Wallace looked up in surprise when his XO paged him on his com badge. "Wallace, I need a favor," Akers asked. Sensing what was coming, Chris was prepared to say no--this wasn't the time for an away mission. "Are you sure?" Wallace asked. "No,." came the reply. "Very well, permission granted," Wallace answered. He turned to his conn officer. "Lieutenant Steele, I'm not pleased with the warships currently bracketing us. Loose them. Keep us within transporter range, but I think the Slobadan need a demonstration in our maneuverability." "Yes sir!" * * * The chamber they arrived in was immenseenormous, rivaling those Butterbar had seen in Carlsbad. Immense pillars, rippled curtains of rock, massive stalactites overhead, the colors were impressive, and under other conditions, Butterbar would have sat down and just taken it all in. If it wasn’t for one thing--. Decay and death owned these rock filled chasms. Despite the power armor, and sealed helmet, the first thing that hit Butterbar was the stench of the caverns. Bodies, dDesiccated , shriveled, bodies and wearing contemporary Slobadan clothing were everywhere. Stacked like cordwood, the otherwise magnificent chamber resembled some rotting vision of hell. Butterbar fell to his knees, trying not to wretch. "What is this, Professor?" Akers asked. "A logical conclusion to lives that would not embrace the teachings of Slobadan Wyer," Thornberry said bitterly. "I take it High Commissioner Nuanzi didn’t give you a tour of this facility?" Akers snorted and Butterbar wondered how he could be so calm. "No, he most certainly did not." "Why?" Butterbar asked, barely above a whisper. "Why this?" Thornberry looked at him, and he managed to continue. "Why leave the bodies here? Slobadan society is efficient, they could dispose of them without leaving any evidence. This… this is so untidy," and, Butterbar thought, uncharacteristic of the Slobadan. Thornberry shook his head. "But that wouldn’t be quite the reminder this would be, would it? A lesson to those who don’t follow the rules, or who make monumental mistakes. Come, I want to show you something else." They followed Thornberry down a paved path. "How long before they detect our arrival, Professor"?" Akers asked. "Not long, they already know we’re here." He gesturedpointed. "This cave system goes for miles, and its filled to capacity with bodies. Fortunately the civil war is almost finished, and the need for it will be less." Butterbar knew him well enough to recognize the bitter sarcasm in his words. They rounded a corner, and there, sprawled out, shot in the back with an energy weapon, was Inspector Fawkan. Near him was what appeared to be a family, a women with one arm around Fawkan’s leg, several small children and a pair of elderly couples. "The Slobadan punish treason with execution of the individual, as well as all members of that individuals family for three generations in either direction. It isn’t done often, but it is done. Fawkan qualified not because he was a traitor, but by risking bringing the Federation in on the Eologian side of the conflict." Thornberry sighed, "he always was too aggressive for his own good." Akers knelt down and put one hand on Fawkan’s shoulder. When he stood up, Butterbar had never seen him look so angry. It wasn’t an expression of the face or gesture so much as the eyes. They burned with rage. Butterbar turned to Thornberry, clutching his former mentor in a powered grip that clearly hurt—but Butterbar didn’t care. "Why? This isn’t logical? There’s no point to this!" He gestured at the corpses wildly and in the process shaking Thornberry like a rag doll. "Why!?!" Thornberry put one hand up to relieve the pain frombreak Butterbar’s grasp and he let go of the Professor, who stumbled backwards. "The fundamental dictates of logic, Caleb. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. And these few...," he He nodded to the grisly scene around them, . "opposed Opposed in some fashion or another the transformation of Slobadan society. Slobadan herself started filling these caves to hide her bloody work. She ended centuries of bloody internecine conflict with a civil war that transformed the energy her people spent slaughtering each other into something more productive. Make no mistake Caleb, IDIC and Kolinahr have done wonders for the Slobadan people who embraced them. As for the rest…" He gestured around. "Logic provided a perfectly acceptable foundation to justify this ruthless and merciless instrument of Social Darwinism." Butterbar slumped and looked to his former mentor. "I hate you…" He he whispered. Akers stepped forward. "You’ve made your point Professor," he said to Thornberry, tapping his combadge. "Akers to Jaguar, three to beam up." Wallace came over the speaker. "We’re a little busy up here right now Scott, hang on." In the background the red alert klaxon roared and they could hear sounds that the Jaguar was under attack. Akers nodded. "Well gentlemen, looks like we’re going to be here for a…" He was interrupted by an energy blast which bounced off his shoulder and splashed against a hanging curtain of folded rock. The rock shattered, and rained down on them, . Akers already in a crouch, phaser rifle drawn. Butterbar dived used his body as a shieldon Thornberry to protect Thornberry him as more blasts whisked overhead. Akers gestured, indicating they should retreat further down the path, careful to stay below the piles of corpses and out of sight. * * * The Jaguar rumbled, the deck briefly tilting ever so slightly, then righting itself just as quickly. "Status report," Wallace ordered. "Two Slobadan cruisers are trying to bracket us," Senya reported. "Our shields are holding. Should I return fire?" "Negative. Can we beam the away team up yet?" "No. The transporter scramblers are still operating. I’m trying to compensate." "Get Dr. Tsai up here to help you. Bridge to Engineering." Wallace called, as the ship rocked again, this time more sharply. "Engineering, Pentangle here." "Cypher, I need you to try and alternate our two shield generators to minimize the time we have them down when we beam." "Aye, sir." Dr. Tsai appeared in the turbolift. "Admiral," she said. "I think we can jacket the transporter’s targeting scanners to main sensors and crack through the jamming, but it is seriously going to impact our range. We need to be within five kilometers of the planet’s surface at the beaming point." "You heard the lady, Lieutenant Steele," Wallace said. "Evasive maneuvers, while youryou're at it." "Aye, sir," Jenna said from Con. She typed in the commands and the Jaguar started a dive for the planet, the pair of Slobadan cruisers in hot pursuit. * * * "Tricorder’s useless!" Butterbar announced. "I’ve got ghosts on all sides, but no idea how to get out of here." Akers grunted and fired several times. "Professor, do you know the way out?" He nodded and pointed to where the heaviest concentration of Slobadan Enforcers wereconcentration of Slobadan Enforcers was located. "About ten klicks that way." "Wonderful." ," Akers commented, tossing a stun grenade—his last—in that general direction. "Pick a direction with the least ghosts, Ensign." Stalactites shattered and showered them with bits of stone. "This way!" Butterbar pointed and started crawling between the rocks and stacks of bodies. Thornberry was close behind. Butterbar saw movement ahead, and ducked low as a blast of energy sizzled overhead and struck Thornberry full in the chest. "No!" Butterbar screamed, firing at the assassin even as he skidded back to his mentor. He felt for a pulse, careful not to crush the man’s windpipe, and found it—faint but present. "Jaguar to away team, prepare to beam out.," Wallace’s voice announced, and Butterbar had never been so happy to hear his CO’s voice. With that tThe cavern shimmered, and they found themselves on the floor of the transporter pad. Without a word, Butterbar and Akers picked up the Professor and departed immediately for sickbay. "What is that stench?" The the transporter chief asked as they exited into the hallway. Butterbar ignored him, and concentrated on watching Thornberry for signs of continued life. * * * "Transporter room reports we have General Akers and his party aboard," Commander Kinyin stated. "Very well. Set course to depart the Eologian system, jump to Warp 6 immediately," Wallace ordered. "Sir, Commissioner Nuanzi orders us to heave to or he will turn the defense network upon us," Marine Captain Bill Tillman relayed. "Charge phasers and arm photon torpedoes," Wallace ordered. "Sir?" Second Officer Fleet Captain Kora Shishugiinsa said from beside him. "I may not fire on their ships, but unmanned drones are fair game in my book," Wallace replied. "Final warning from Commissioner Nuanzi," Tillman reported. "No reply," Wallace said. "We are now entering the defense network," Tillman informed themsaid. "Steady as she goes, Lieutenant," Wallace ordered. "We are through the defense grid," Tillman reported. "Slobadan vessels are in pursuit." "Admiral, we’re picking up increased jamming from within the Slobadan system," Senya commentedsaid. Wallace and Akers looked at each other, their expressions mirror images of bewilderment. “I have a bad feeling about this, sir,” Senya added. "Very well. Ahead Warp Factor 9," Wallace ordered. "I doubt the Slobadan can keep up with that pace. I’ll be in Sickbay. Captain Shishugiinsa, you have the Con." * * * Akers and Wallace stepped into sickbay, and found Butterbar at the side of the diagnostic table as Chief Medical Officer T’Peg Gray Wolf tended to Thornberry. She saw them come in and walked over to them quietly. "He suffered massive internal trauma to the chest. We need to perform surgery immediately, but the patient refuses." Wallace and Akers looked at each other,. and Wallace answered her. "Do whatever you need to, but we need him alive, Doctor,." Wallace said. "No surgery, Doctor, not yet." ," Hiram begged from across the room. Gray Wolf shook her head in annoyance, and then gestured to Cookie who was standing discretely near the diagnostic bed. "Do you think he could at least wait outside. The Professor isn’t going anywhere, regardless." Wallace nodded. and Cookie took that as his cue, snapped to attention and marched cleanly out of the sickbay. The three officers moved over to the diagnostic bed. Thornberry tried to sit up and failed. "Admiral…" he gasped. Butterbar assisted him back down, but put one hand on the Professor’s shoulder in comfort. Wallace saw fit to give their guest a brief synopsis. "We’ve escaped the Eologian system without straining ourselves too much. More than a dozen Eologian cruisers are in pursuit, but we will outrun them,." Wallace said. Thornberry struggled to continue, . "Admiral, we’ll give you back your ships. Those that are left." "Why now?" Wallace asked. "Call it a gesture of good will. The Eologian are doomed without the Federation." ," He he gasped, and started coughing hard. Gray Wolf brought him a cup of water, which he drank gratefully. "There are 800 officers, crew and citizens… imprisoned. We will turn them over as well." "Where are they located?" Wallace asked. "I can show you…" Thornberry replied, and sipped some more water. Butterbar took that as his cue, picked up a spare PADD, and pulled up a star map of the Slobadan star cluster handed it quietly to Thornberry. The Professor queued up a system on the far side of Slobadan space. "There, three systems… All that’s left… Eologian Authority." He smiled. "It’s ironic. In fighting Slobadan Wyer, the Eologian were forced to unify for a common purpose—the very thing she wanted to accomplish in the first place." He shook his head. "Too little… too late." He closed his eyes. "When we get to Alm system, wake me. I can get you through the security perimeter." With that Thornberry faded from consciousness. "That’s enough, I’m afraid." Gray Wolf ordered, shooing her senior officers out into the passageway, muttering how difficult it was to take good care of her patients. Outside Wallace turned to Butterbar. "Ensign, plot us a course for the Alm system, and try not to run us through the Slobadan task force chasing us." "Yes sir!" Butterbar replied, and started for the bridge. Wallace and Akers followed. "Well, Tig," Akers commented dryly, "at least we know who the players are. Still think this is a hornet’s nest?" "No, I’ve upgraded it to tarpit first class." Wallace replied ruefully. "Um,... gentlemen," Butterbar said, turning to face them,. "where Where is my wife?" he asked, looking significantly at the doors to sickbay. * * * Blackness--she could make out shapes, black on black, formless and without detail. S'lek struggled to open her eyes but it was of no use. She was on some kind of rough bed, and it was rocking from a motion that she couldn't identify. Voices-distant and subdued, whispered but the words made no sense. She lifted one hand and found she was in a closed space lined with some kind of metal mesh. Fine-soft-it was by no means a prison. She could easily pull the mesh apart with her fingers. The effort exhausted her. S'lek struggled to retain consciousness, but slid back into blackness and the welcoming warmth of a healing trance. * * * Major Myers apologized to Butterbar personally for loosing his wife. It had been a chance thing--and if they hadn't been forced to rush from orbit around Eologia--easily compensated for. As it was--Wallace clearly agonized over the decision to go back for her or not. If they tried to return and failed, it would only alert the Slobadan to her presence. As the number of Slobadan cruisers pursuing them continued to mass, the chance of successfully going back to find her--at that particular moment--diminished. It was a calculus Butterbar could derive all too easily--that did not mean he accepted itthe answer. The Slobadan Cruisers seemed in no hurry to close the gap between them and the Jaguar. For the half-day’s journey to the Alm system, surviving capital of the Eologian Authority, they remained a discrete distance behind. They did actively engage their jamming systems, and while they were primitive, the sheer weight of numbers from the fleet following them provided an effective screen from the Jaguar’s sensor suite. After being thwarted several times, Butterbar solicited Akers help, who only concluded that the renegade Starfleet officers had given the Slobadan years of practice and improved their ability to counter most efforts. He encouraged Butterbar to keep trying though, as they would need all the spoofing they could get to retrieve S'lek. Upon Arrival arrival at the Alm system they found another defensive network, this one paper-thin compared to what the Eologia system enjoyed. The system itself contained a few over-sized piles of rocks flying in close formation which masqueradedmasquerading as planets, and one marginal M class world, the second planet, on the outskirts of the systems free- water zone. Butterbar took a close look at it with a full sensor sweep, it was gray-ish blue, cold and hard. Still, upwards of a 150 million inhabited the planet, clustering close to protective domes and the all too sparse temperate zones. Thornberry, weak and tottering, made his way to the bridge and gave the pass codes to allow them entry past the Eologian pickets. It wasn’t hard, a new Federation starship entering Eologian space would have been refused. They had dropped out of warp and we’re preceding to the Alm 2 at full impulse. Butterbar played with his sensors until he found what he was looking for. "I have the Convoy Admiral." "Put it on, Ensign." ," Wallace replied. Butterbar shifted the main viewer to a long-range image of the Federation starships in orbit over Alm 2. A half dozen vessels were clustered tightly together, a small flotilla of Eologian craft rising from the planet to dock with them. Nearby was an Akira class vessel, the USS Wilkinson, which was missing one warp nacelle. A blackened and twisted mess, hastily patched, marked the vessel’s loss of half its warp capacity. Thornberry, who’d been quiet since they had arrived in-system, turned to Wallace. "If it helps any, we lost more than a dozen hijacking teams to the Dominion. The Jem-Hadar cared little if a Federation vessel carried Federation crews or not." Akers eyed him. "It does not help, Professor. Not one bit." "Sir, we’re being hailed." ," Butterbar announced as they began final approach to the planet. Wallace waved one hand to put the signal on the viewer. "Greetings! This is Supervisor Bryceen in charge of the Eologian Authority. We welcome you to the Alm system." Bryceen was, even on the viewer, a small man, scarred, and wearing a uniform that was more gaudy and tattered than anything else. "Supervisor Bryceen, this is Admiral Chris Wallace aboard the Federation starship Jaguar. I believe you have some property and personnel which belongs to us?" Bryceen nodded. "Yes, your crews—those who wish to leave, and your ships are being readied even as we speak." He shifted his eyes to the ailing Thornberry. "Excellent work Hiram, you brought them home!" Wallace waved Hiram silent before he could reply. "We will be in orbit in five minutes. I expect a full roster of returning crew. We’ll also want to conduct interviews with those who wish to stay, and a full accounting of those who have perished while in your custody." Bryceen nodded. "We’ll be uplinking the data to you shortly, and we can accommodate your request for interviews. It will take about a day…" Bryceen looked off camera for a moment, his face dropping in horror. Then the transmission abruptly blanked and Wallace looked at Butterbar for an explanation. "Cut off from the source sir," Butterbar said, then added. "Sir, I’m picking up an increase in military and civilian traffic--c…." "Admiral," Myers interrupted him, fingers flying over his tactical consoles. "T"Admiral, the Slobadan have stepped up their jamming, but we’re getting signs of fighting in the outer system. High probability of massive warp signatures." He looked paused to look at his display "Great Bird of the Galaxy… No!" Myers transferred a display up on the main viewer. "We’ve got close to a thousand objects inbound at warp two, crossing the outer system, five waves of them over the next hour. At least 75 Slobadan heavy cruisers in escort." "Relativistic bombs." Thornberry whispered. "Red Alert! All Hands to Battle Stations!" Wallace barked. The civil war is almost finished… Katerine’s words from a state dinner years away echoed through Butterbar’s soul. The viewer continued to display new flashing dots as the Jaguar was able to penetrate the jamming fields and enumerate the depth of the Slobadan assault. The silence on the bridge was punctuated by a dull roaring in Butterbar’s ears and Katerine’s voice whispered to him endlessly. The civil war is almost finished…

"Do you have enough defense platforms for an assault this big?" Wallace softly asked the ailing Professor softly. He nodded sadly. , "No, this is the largest they ever mounted. Last time they tried, it was less than a five hundred bombs, and we had a fleet of fully functional Starfleet ships then." Thornberry seemed to slump, visibly aging in his posture. Wallace looked to Myers, who shook his head sadly. “We don’t have the assets to stop the inbounds.” Wallace sighed, and stood, watching the display show ever more cruisers and bombs materialize on the edge of the Jaguar’s scanning envelope. “We’ll evacuate as many civilians as possible, and get out of the way.” “No!” Thornberry said, rising and lunging forward. Akers stepped up and easily restrained him, plopping him back down into his seat. “At ease, Professor.” Myers interrupted him, fingers flying over his tactical consoles. "We’re getting signs of fighting in the outer system.” On the edges of the Slobadan system… Eologian defensive platforms were coming to life, launching cluster-packs of relativistic spears—high velocity weapons designed to shatter an incoming asteroid before it could reach Alm 2. Suicide ships launched as well—for given the size of the assault, this was not the time to hold back. The best weapons were ones that could disrupt the warp field before the asteroid reached position for terminal acceleration. This was typically done with a small ship that was little more than warp engine and mini-photon torpedo launcher. What the craft lacked in complexity they made up with sheer numbers. Even so, this particular assault left the defenders vastly outnumbered. Slobadan heavy cruisers laid in wait behind clusters of asteroids. Eologian vessels would make their attack runs, often shattering several of the inbound bombs. They would be unable, or unwilling to react in time, though, as Slobadan cruisers slid out from behind their protective screen and decimated the defenders virtually unopposed. This was the final battle, to return the Slobadan fire meant one more relativistic bomb might get through. Eologian ships destroyed bombs, and Slobadan cruisers destroyed the Eologian ships, and still the bombs kept coming.

Flashes of yellow fire marked the Eologian attacks, and green pulses of energy the Slobadan response, ending in fire for the Eologian vessels. Even as the Jaguar orbited above Alm 2, Eologian defenders had begun to fight, and just as quickly, begun to die. "Sir," Butterbar announced, "Two two of the Miranda’s are powering up, their weapons systems coming on line." Wallace stabbed his console. "This is Admiral Chris Wallace. Federation ships, you are ordered to stand down and prepare for immediate evacuation from this system. You are not, I repeat, you are not to engage the Slobadan vessels." The view screen shifted and a woman in Starfleet uniform appeared, frayed and tattered but somehow still worn but carried with dignity. Wallace exhaled sharply, recognizing her. She smiled at him, a lopsided gesture with a somehow fatal resignation. "Sorry, Chris, can’t do that. These people are fighting for their lives, and we can’t sit idly by." Wallace swore softly. Fleet Captain Sylvia Stingray—presumed lost early in the Dominion War, along with the others aboard the USS Wilkinson six years ago. Now she was here, alive, and ready to sacrifice herself and her ship. "Sylvia, I’m ordering you…" She smiled sadly and Wallace stopped. "I’m downloading a tactical package for you, Chris. Everything you need to know about how to stop a speeding asteroid traveling at .96c. You can join us, we could use your help." “We’ve got a 225TACAR on board,” Wallace commented softly. “Always the latest toys, Chris?” Stingray asked rhetorically. “Use it to help us buy time for the evacuation Wallace. You can always return before the end—they’ll be more to rescue than you could possibly hold.” Wallace turned to Akers. “Every instinct I have says load up with refugees and run. We can’t win this fight, Scott.” “No, but we can fight it well,” Akers replied. “All right Sylia, you win,” Wallace said. Stingray smiled and broke the connection as the Jaguar’s deck plates hummed softly, pent up energy quivering, ready to break the ship free of orbit. “Makes you wonder how many starship crews are really dead, or just off someplace playing possum.” ,” Akers commented, standing to take over the security station. Myers stood aside and Akers nodded him towards the turbolift. “Put Cookie in the Aerowing, you take the Avon, Tillman in the Coventry” Butterbar looked at Myers and Akers, and despite the seriousness of the moment, he detected a glint of anticipation in both of their eyes. They were going out to blow things up, and clearly the Marines were going to be enjoying themselves at some level. Wallace turned to Jenna at the helm. “Set course for the closest wave of bombs.” “Closest wave of relativistic asteroids, aye,” Jenna muttered, in disbelief clearly in her voice. Senya Kinyin stood up to leave, . “Wallace, I’m going to head down to engineering, see what we can do to replicate some photon torpedo shells and guidance packages to give to the Miranda’s." "Don’t drain us dry of anti-matter, Senya," Wallace replied. "I’ll leave us just enough to get home with," she answered. "Look at that, two klicks across, and its one of the smaller ones!" Akers breathed to Wallace , as Wallace they both stood next to him at tactical. "Captain Stingray’s squirt includes instructions for bypassing ECM and defensive systems. We also have to knock them out at least one-hundred million kilometers away to prevent debris from penetrating the planet’s atmosphere." Five assault groups invaded the Alm system, and in the time it had taken for them to decide to engage the attackers, the outer defenses had begun to crumble and crack. The Slobadan bombs were being smashed steadily, but at a distance to Alm 2 that was shrinking too quickly for Butterbar’s comfort. “They’re slaughtering them!” Akers breathed, catching Butterbar’s eye. On the edges of the Alm system…

Eologian Light Cruisers aligned themselves at the first waves of inbound asteroids. The triple battery of their main gains drilling down on the warp cores of the asteroids. The bombs offered little in defensive systems, too much energy was devoted to lowering the inertial mass of the asteroid to allow warp travel in the first place. The Eologian had armed their vessels well for taking out the bombs, at the expense of their own defensive armament. The Slobadan would not even bother to take cover behind the asteroids, casually escorting them and picking off the Eologian vessels as if there were no hazard at all. At the last instant, Eologian Cruisers would launch fusillades, in a desperate attempt to stave off the Slobadan assault, but to no avail. Asteroid after asteroid tumbled and shattered as the inertial fields collapsed, and Eologian Cruiser after Eologian Cruiser shattered under the remorseless Slobadan assault. The outer edges of the system began to fill with relativistic debris as the remains of relativistic bombs dropped out of warp, and continued with their pre-warp momentum, which was already a significant fraction of the speed of light. Even if the attack was broken off now, Alm 2 would be in extreme danger of collision with relativistic debris for years to come. Back on the Jaguar... A tattered squadron of Eologian Cruisers and fighter screen were 500 million klicks off Alm 2, struggling against an overwhelming number of asteroids and Slobadan cruisers, who were steadily picking them off. Butterbar watched as two Cruisers evaporated while trying to destroy a pair of asteroids. Akers deftly dropped three photon torpedoes as the Jaguar raced past the expanding debris fields, and Jenna banked the ship hard towards the next target. The rest of their tactical net had expanded, the Jaguar coordinating each vessel's targets to plug holes torn open in the Eologian defense. Butterbar did little more than watch as the Version 225 of the Tactical Acquisition Center Accelerated Response system (Version 225) automated the process of the battle. He just made sure that the data inputs from the sensors were as clear and clean as possible. A task that was becoming increasingly difficult with the zipping clouds of relativistic debris increasingly filling the system. Butterbar found himself playing with the data from his sensors and came up with a horrifying conclusion. “Admiral, I’ve analyzed the evacuation vessels, and we’ll be lucky if we can get even 1% of the population on board.” “Any suggestions, Ensign?” Wallace asked. “What if we dump the computer core?” Butterbar asked. “We can use the extra space as a transporter pattern buffer. Slave the holodecks in as well.” “Are you nuts, Ensign?” Cypher asked rhetorically. “We have protected backups of critical data,” Akers noted. Wallace turned to his science officer, “Candy?” “He’s nuts, Admiral.” Candy said, scowling at Butterbar. “Can it be done?” She pauses, and scowled at Butterbar again. “If you’re nuts!” “Call me nuts,. mMake it so.” Akers nodded approvingly, a toothy grin spreading wide. “How will that affect our rescue efforts Butterbar?” “Stand by…” Butterbar replied. As Candy and Cypher huddled together, Butterbar recognized some of the dialects of what they were muttering, but didn’t quite catch the entire context. Or pretended not to. “We need 30 minutes,” Candy announced. “You have 20,” Wallace replied. “No, you don’t, not even that long,” Akers answered. “Candy, you clear the core, Cypher, you fill it with people. Senya, get as many of the renegades to join our tactical net and work point defense for the planet.” Cypher rubbed her chin, “Admiral, we can use the Coventry and Avon as pattern buffer relays. We could start evacuating right now.” “Make it so. Any other bright ideas, Ensign?” "Sir, the relativistic bombs are using inertial dampeners to lower the mass of the asteroids. We might be able to disrupt that field and throw the mass out of alignment," Butterbar offered. “Collapse them without firing a shot?” Akers asked and grinned in that feral way of his, . “I like it!” “I’m surprised!” Wallace quipped, and turned to Butterbar. "Time to accomplish this?" Wallace asked as the Jaguar jinked towards the next target, the inertial dampers not quite keeping up with Jenna's acrobatics. "Next target in 15…" Akers announced as Jenna was already probably already plotting course for the third asteroid. "Stand by..." Butterbar answered, and started running the calculations. “ItsIt's going to take a little bit, Admiral.” “Get on it, Ensign!” The Jaguar’s inertial dampers failed to fully compensate for the wild gyrations (insert Jag Bridge position here) Jenna Steele subjected them to. Even so, it wasn’t enough, and the range at which they were destroying the inbounds steadily decreased. Sometimes the asteroids would split apart from antimatter containment breach, other times, the rocks would just drop out of warp and continue zipping through the system at the same velocity they had when entering warp—96% the speed of light—but without any ability to engage in terminal guidance, crossing the system at "harmless" relativistic velocities. "Range to planet, 325 million klicks, Slobadan Cruisers ahead, do we engage?" Akers commentedasked. "Negative." Wallace replied. "I’m not interested in starting a war between the Federation and the Slobs." "Sir, the relativistic bombs are using [tech babble from DS9 pilot], we might be able to disrupt that field and throw the mass out of alignment," Butterbar offered. "Time to accomplish this?" Wallace asked as the Jaguar jinked towards the next target, the inertial dampers not quite keeping up with Jenna’s acrobatics. Wallace asked. "Second target in 15…" Myers announced as Jenna was already plotting course for the third asteroid. "Stand by..." Butterbar answered, and started running the calculations. And so it went. Even the Jaguar’s inertial dampers failed to fully compensate for the wild gyrations Jenna Steele subjected them to. Even so, it wasn’t enough, and the range at which they were destroying the inbounds steadily decreased. Sometimes the asteroids would split apart from antimatter containment breach, other times the rocks would just drop out of warp and continue zipping through the system at the same velocity they had when entering warp—96% the speed of light—but without any ability to engage in terminal guidance. They proceeded to cross the system at "harmless" relativistic velocities. "Sir, the planet!" Butterbar. Even from this long distance, they could see that Alm 2 was burning. An asteroid has been called—rightfully so—a large collection of tumbling rocks and gravel flying in close formation. This was apparent from the damage done to the bogies by the improvised defending fleet, as asteroids shattered and crumbled. Too many, though, were doing so at dangerously close positions to Alm 2. Even gravel, moving at relativistic speeds, releases staggering amounts of energy as it evaporated in the atmosphere, some even landing on the surface. The newly formed meteor streams were numerous, and were beginning to impact the their target, steadily heating the atmosphere, and igniting immense Forest forest fires in the process. "Wilkinson is sending out a distress call…" Butterbar announced and put it on speakers at Wallace’s behest. "…all we can, Chris… Your turn now!" Butterbar reset the main viewer to display his long range of the Wilkinson—the Akira class vessel was locked on an intercept course with the largest remaining inbound asteroid. They watched silently as the two intersected in a flash of light and fire--then both faded from view, the cloud of debris barely missing Alm 2. The ship rocked as Akers launched another volley of torpedoes at the warp drive of a relativistic bomb. Jenna twisted the ship around a second nearby asteroid and a second pair of torpedoes flashed towards it. “Cluster of bombs ahead, Jenna,” Akers said. “I’m on it,” she replied, focused on her conn station. As Butterbar watched, a pair of Eologian cruisers disintegrated from repeated hits before they could destroy a trio of incoming bombs. The Jaguar deftly slid between the two expanding debris clouds and launched a set of photons that impacted the warp installation of each asteroid, vaporizing it. As the subspace field propelling the asteroids collapsed, each of the immense rocks tumbled madly out of control Butterbar counted a swarm of another 50 directly ahead. The renegade fleet had was broken up into several units, with the Jaguar providing tactical coordination. Phasers and photon torpedoes criss-crossed the skies, filled with flaring lights as asteroid after asteroid was destroyed or knocked off course. The skies was were also filled with the light of Eologian vessels as they were destroyed or suicided into the oncoming rocks. “We’re almost done with the core purge, Admiral. But do you still want warp drive?” Candy asked. “Very funny.” “What about life support, or should we just hold our breath?” Cypher added. “Just make room, dammit!” Wallace snapped. “What a slaughter,” Akers remarked, shaking his head. “50 ships gone, and they’ve bought all of two minutes of time before the…” He paused, looking at Thornberry’s ashen face. Even as the Federation vessels systematically destroyed the next wave of inbounds, the last of the nearby Eologian Cruisers evaporated under the Slobadan assault. Tattered wings of fighters joined them in formation, but more often than not, would suicided into an asteroid at the first opportunity. Butterbar noted with grim precision it took on average precisely 13.2 fighter impacts to shatter or otherwise disable a relativistic bomb. The ship bucked from a near miss from one of the bomb’s defensive systems. "It’s getting thick out here!" Jenna said. "I’d give my commission to have Bright Star and her Aegis system here right now," Wallace muttered. The Aegis fleet fire-control system was designed specifically for large- scale engagements against multiple targets. “Avon and Coventry in position, Chris. Starting beam-in.” ,” Akers announced. “About time!” Wallace replied. Butterbar watched on his consoles as the Jaguar was filling up with refugees. Many confused and panicked by their sudden arrival. The ship was rapidly becoming a sardine can, but it was nothing to the compression Candy and Cypher were pulling with the transporter pattern buffers. Akers frowned, . “The two Miranda’s are running out of torpedo stocks, Chris.” “Senya! You have more torps ready?” Wallace asked, tapping his communicator. “Not many, but some, we need more time.” “You don’t have it. Prepare for them to be delivered to the renegades.” Wallace shook his head, and grabbed a hand rail as the ship rocked sharply. "What a tarpit." ," Wallace commented and sighed loudly. Akers grunted. "Actually I’d upgrade it to a Charlie Foxtrot" "Da," Wallace said in agreement. A tattered squadron of Eologian Cruisers and fighter screen were 125 million klicks off Alm 2, struggling against an overwhelming number of asteroids and Slobadan cruisers, who were steadily picking them off. Butterbar watched as two Cruisers evaporated while trying to destroy a pair of asteroids. Akers deftly dropped three photon torpedoes as the Jaguar raced past the expanding debris fields, and Jenna banked the ship hard towards the next target. "No joy, Admiral,. iIt would take 5 minutes to disrupt the inertial field," Butterbar said. “It was a good effort, Ensign,” Wallace answered. Butterbar nodded. Sub-atomic particle physics was not quite as appropriate in the fluid tactical situation they were in as they'd said it would be back at the academy. "Range to planet, 175 million klicks.," Butterbar announced.” The brunt of the Slobadan assault had still yet to penetrate inner system defenses—and the Jaguar was being steadily driven closer to the planet. Even so, they’d destroyed nearly 75 inbounds. Just as Butterbar was starting to think they might have a chance of beating back the Slobadan assault, it all fell apart. "Admiral, Eologian defenses have collapsed in system quadrants four. eight, and seven. 350 Three hundred fifty inbound bogies." Thornberry looked at him, and Butterbar turned away, unable to meet his gaze. Wallace noticed and put one hand on Thornberry’s shoulder. "I'm sorry Professor." Thornberry only nodded wordlessly. Cypher interrupted, looking pleased, “Admiral, we’ve managed to successfully compress the diagnostic routines maintaining the buffers. I think we can squeeze in a few thousand more.” “It’s now or never, Admiral,” Akers announced. “Reciprocal course back to the planet,” Wallace announcedsaid. As the Jaguar neared the planet, the first strike by an intact bomb smashed into Alm 2. Close to two hundred meters kilometers in diameter, it punched a massive hole in the atmosphere, impacting in a shallow bay near the northern polar cap. In a matter of seconds, a thousand square miles of ocean was turned to steam and with the computer enhancement available to them, they actually saw the seabed exposed as it disintegrated upwards above the atmosphere. A fireball rose a hundred kilometers in diameter and ten times as high--as if a sun had suddenly appeared on the surface of the planet. The crew watched in a mix of awe and horror as a shockwave rolled through the atmosphere, physically pushing the seabed and atmosphere outward, compressing them into what looked like a massive white smoke-ring. Molten ejecta was already raining down in a growing bloom across the planet. Every single fault line, big and small, simultaneously let-go. The amount of tectonic energy released was added to that imparted by the impact of the asteroid, and a massive crack the size of Mariner Valley on Mars appeared on the largest continent, splitting it in two. Electronic emissions from the planet began to dwindle and flicker as Alm 2 rang like a bell from small yet repeated surface impacts. “Debris impacting the planet, Chris,” Akers announced softly. The defense was surprisingly successful at stopping the asteroids, but it was impossible to stop the clouds of rubble that were still on an approximate heading for Alm 2. “Focus on the continent busters, if it’s nuke sized or less, they’ll have to take their chances,” Wallace answered. The end, though, was never in any real doubt. Alm 2 leaped into focus on the view screen, and they could all see it was already dying. Large gushers of magma were erupting from dozens of impacts, like some kind of obscene pox. The power to destroy a planet had been in the Federations arsenal for centuries, but this was the first time the idea had achieved any sort of reality for Butterbar, and the rest of the shocked officers watching. Thornberry let out a moan of agony, and shook his head in his hands. The ship bucked as Tillman launched a spread of torpedoes at a set of bombs that had slipped past the defenders. They were annihilated, but from the far side of the planet there was a flash of light, and just as quickly, an obscene flower of fire began to rise and fall back onto the surface. Moments later, a fountain of destruction erupted on the near side at a point exactly opposite the initial impact. The atmosphere was on fire, dust clouds savaged the atmosphere, and a transporter lock even from geosynchrnous orbit was impossible. The Jaguar would have to fly near the surface to perform any rescues. “Southern continent, there are a number of cities still…” Candy said, unable to use the word intact. “Hurry!” she finally breathed. “Jenna!” Wallace breathedbarked. Akers continued to fire, but the end was inevitable now as impacts, large and small, began to multiple profusely across the planet. The Jaguar weaved an erratic course between growing clouds of ejecta. “Can we lock?” Jenna asked, after an especially harrowing near miss with clouds of molten debris. “Need to be within 50 kilometers, 5 targets, downloading to your console now,” Candy asked. “Now who’s nuts?” Jenna replied, fingers flying over the console. Entire continents were rising off the surface from the energy release of asteroids several kilometers across impacting at near light speed. They watched as a relatively intact region of the planet suddenly shattered upwards, and an ocean rolled off its bed, and splashed into space. “Target two obliterated, beaming up target one now,” Cypher announced. “2500 Twenty five hundred locked., wWe lost the rest,” Candy announced. Jenna had them low over the surface now, ; the sky above them was filled with competing walls of magma, smashing into each other and splashing in all directions. The Jaguar lurched and bumped from Jenna’s piloting and the occasional impact. “Hull breach on engineering deck, integrity fields holding,” Tillman announced. “Target Five destroyed, target three completed,” Candy announced. “Just a little longer, Jenna,” Wallace said softly. She just muttered at him in response, in several new dialects Butterbar hadn’t heard before. "The planet's shifting!" Jenna announced as pieces of Alm 2 began to slip away, causing whole continents to suddenly lurch. The planet was tearing itself apart and the Jaguar was in the middle of it. "Transport complete!" Akers announced, and Jenna did not wait for the order, she piloted the Jaguar away from the surface--only now the surface was apparently in pursuit! “Shields up!” Wallace announcedbarked. The planet lurched, and nearly swatted the Jaguar out of the sky. Only Jenna’s skills, her hands flying across her console, working furiously to keep them from impacting any large pieces of matter. “Shields just collapsed,” Tillman announced as a large globe of matter sloughed off the Jaguar’s hull. The surface below them broke up in a fractal pattern into of a billion pieces, each of which erupted outwards. Jenna and the navigation system yanked the ship hard to stay ahead of the storm, but clouds of magma roiled ahead of them. Alm 2 wasn’t a planet any more, it was a tempest of molten rock. “I need shields!” Jenna demanded, running out of room to avoid the flying debris. “Shields back to 48%,” Cypher said triumphantly. Jenna grunted and dived for the thinnest patch of material. The ship’s hull rang with multiple impacts. “Shields to 12%,”, Cypher reported. “ We’re clear!” Jenna replied, as the Jaguar leapt into clear space. Behind them, the remains of Alm 2 continued to immolate themselves as more bombs impacted into it. "Get us to warp!" Wallace ordered and Jenna nodded. “We cleared out as much of the space as we can,” Candy announced,. “Bbetween us and the renegades, we’ve got half a million people in the buffers, another 3,000 crowding the ship like sardines. The Renegades are a little behind us.” “Half a million…” Wallace notedmumbled. Butterbar reset the main viewer to give them an aft view as a dozen or more bombs impacted, pulverizing the already broken remains of the planet. Gouges the size of continents marked previous impacts on debris that was crumbling even as they tumbled away from Alm's former center of gravity. The planetary core, no longer compressed by thousands of miles of mantle, belched itself in all directions, further eroding the remaining continental plates. Then, just like thatsuddenly… Alm 2 was no more. Wallace slowly returned to his seat and activated the comm. "Wallace to Fleet. All ships, form up on us and prepare to return to Federation space. Any vessel without warp drive, prepare to be towed." "The remaining weapons have slowed," Butterbar reported. "It looks like they may try to husband them and take them back with them." "How many?" Wallace asked. "Over two hundred, at least." Thornberry, who had been silent for the entire battle, stood up, looking wildly about and staggered over to Butterbar’s Ops station. "Caleb, don’t let this happen again…" "It’s all right Hiram…" Butterbar whispered, knowing it wasn’t true, and might never be true for him again. "No it isn’t. Now you know what they are capable of. We have two more systems! With a population in the tens of millions! We—" He suddenly grimaced and clutched his shirt. "Hiram!" Butterbar yelled racing around the console, catching Thornberry as he slumped. "Medical emergency on the bridge!" Wallace barked as he leapt out of his chair and helped Butterbar lower the professor to the floor. Doctor T’Peg and a trauma team appeared. They broke out their equipment and went to work. “You don’t get off that easily, Doctor,” Akers commented as T’Peg slowly brought him back to life. Butterbar pressed closely "You… you were right… we planted the bomb… trying to get Nuanzi… failed there too." Thornberry confessed. "Two more systems, Caleb…" Then his strength faded and the fingers slid from their grasp and Hiram Thornberry passed into blackness. T'Peg worked furiously, and her efforts remained in doubt even as she and her aides carried him back to sick bay. Chapter 10: To Prevent a Greater Catastrophe It would be a mistake to immediately discount Slobadan behavior as a natural consequence of their decision not to include the emotional discipline of Kolinahr. Even a casual survey of pre-Slobadan history reveals a people with violent tendencies frequently reaching atrocityacts of violence and genocide. It is more likely that Kolinahr brought discipline and focus, allowing them to hone in on a single socio-political target. For a time, that target would be the surviving elements of the Eologian Authority, and subsequently, anyone who aided the Eologian’s. Starfleet Intelligence Briefing, Submitted by Ensign S’lek Stardate 57903.1 "Opinions?" Wallace asked after the turbo lift doors had slid shut on Thornberry's anti- grav gurney. "We have to try and destroy those bombs," Akers said over the com system from the Captain's Gig, prompting Butterbar to vigorously nod his head in agreement. "There are hundreds of them," Senya exclaimed. "Not to mention a fleet of starships guarding them. It would be suicide." Wallace rubbed his chin and starred at the tactical display. "Target the ones closest to us and farthest from the Slobadan vessels. Inform the other ships to follow those orders." The Federation and Slobadan ships discreetly stayed away from one another, even at the expense of giving up shots on the bombs. The Eologian were under no such compunction, and a significant percentage of the Slob task force did not survive to return home but at losses for the Eologian that continued to horrifytake their toll. The operation was a success, with less than 5% of the relativistic bombs able to reverse course in time and escape the gauntlet Wallace and the surviving Eologian platforms erected. From Stingray’s tactical squirt, this assured Wallace that it would be a while—a short while likely—before the Slobadan could attack another Eologian system. After things settled down and the convoy formed up on the Jaguar, they made their way into warp. Butterbar, still on duty, watched as Wallace clearly wrestled with a decision. The CO paced the bridge, displaying a wide variety of facial expressions and gestures giving clear indicators of the turmoil inside. Finally he stalked to his ready room, ordering Butterbar to bring up a com link with High Commissioner Nuanzi. * * * "Admiral, my congratulations on a stunning, if ultimately futile performance," Nuanzi said. "Truly, a far superior effort than those we’ve seen in the past." Wallace’s eyes narrowed. "You haven’t been up against a top-of-the-line, fully armed and staffed Intrepid before." "Obviously not," Nuanzi said, smiling thinly. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this conversation?" Nuanzi asked. "Will you accept a cease fire and treaty recognizing the sovereign rights of the remaining Eologian systems?" "Is that the Federation’s position? We have to stop now that we’re so close to finishing this bloody conflict once and for all?" Nuanzi scoffed. "I don’t think so Admiral. Here’s my counter proposal. You follow your own procedures and the Federation minds its own business, the remaining Eologian systems surrender, the military stands down, and we’ll only execute…" He waved one hand magnanimously, . "15%Fifteen percent of the population in addition to those found guilty of war crimes." At Wallace’ look of revulsion, he raised one eyebrow. "It is’s a generous offer, Admiral, as my own staff wanted 25%. I’ll give you a few million lives bonus." Nuanzi’s eyes narrowed. "I’ll even let you keep your Executive Officer. All charges, as well as the order for his summary execution, will be dropped." "Is this your best offer?" Wallace asked--no mention of S'lek. Perhaps she was safe...? Nuanzi smiled. "It is my only offer, Admiral. I think it a generous one, given that this is an internal matter, and you said yourself the Federation is quite specific on the handling of such issues." Now it was Wallace’s turn to grin. "You forget, Commissioner, that I also said that, when requested by the parties themselves, the Federation may involve itself in such matters. And the Eologian’s have made just such a request." Nuanzi seemed taken aback for a moment, then recovered, but before he could reply, Chris quietly stormed on. "Understand this, Commissioner. In the interests of diplomacy, I have taken great pains to not engage your vessels during this conflict. However, it is not my intention to stand-by and allow you to commit genocide. I have already sent a full report to my superiors. I suggest you re-consider your stand. You know how to contact us." Then he fairly punched the console, closing the connection. This wasn’t over, and in his heart, Chris knew it hadn’t really even begun yet. He thought back to the loss of the Odyssey and tried to tell himself it was different this time. * * * Butterbar was in the Captain's mess for the informal post-mission debriefing, which had taken a decidedly somber-turn this time. He kept staring at the General, something was wrong with his uniform, but he couldn't quite spot it. Then he finally recognized the stylized IDIC and Dragon emblem on the General's beret, neatly tucked under his right shoulder epaulet. Wallace must have seen his look of surprise as he leaned over and whispered. "Are you going to tell the General he's out of Uniform?" Wallace asked and Butterbar shook his head quickly. "Where's my Klingon Latte?" Akers demanded and Wallace walked back over to his table. "Right there in front of you." ," Wallace answered, pointing at the elaborate steel and glass cup. Wallace turned back to Butterbar. "Damn jarheads are blind as posts," he said. "and And about as bright," he added, winking at the Ensign. "And half as smart, I know, I know," Akers muttered, pulling the glass to drink it. The moment was light, but Butterbar looked at the General carefully. There was something hard there--in the eyes--which belied his attempt at humor. Akers was beyond feral. He was hard and dangerous now. Very, very dangerous. Butterbar was beginning to understand the feeling. Ensign Caleb "Butterbar" Stein stood up and walked to the nearest window, the Doppler shifted stars reaching behind the Jaguar as she returned to Federation space, was one a palpable reminder that his wife was receding ever further from him. He saw his own face reflected in window, and for a moment he saw not his own features but the visage of the General's own dangerous anger. S'lek, where are you? * * * High Commissioner Nuanzi sat in his office and watched the Jaguar depart Slobadan space on the wall display. "They'll be back," Katerine offered. "Of course," Nuanzi replied. "We don't have the strength to hold them off," she continued, hoping against hope that he would see reason. "No, we do not. Which is why we shouldn't even try--at least not directly." He smiled and turned off the display, stood up and walked around his desk to pace across the immense office. "We escalate things, Katerine, as quickly as possible. It is time for a final solution to this conflict that has torn our people apart for too long. Once matters are settled, the Federation can scream and stamp their feet all they want. We'll have won and they’ll be powerless to change that fact." He walked over and put one hand reassuringly on her shoulder. It took every ounce of discipline not to flinch. "Start scattering the seeds, Katerine, its time the Federation learned just what exactly how far we can reach, and what ruin we can sow for them…" Katerine recognized she was excused, and left to set Nuanzi’s plans in motion. Scott, forgive me... * * * "The Federation is extremely alarmed by reports of an escalating pattern of Slobadan attacks on Eologian civilians, both within and external to the Hegemony. All attempts to come to a diplomatic solution have been rebuffed by the Slobadan government, who views this matter as an internal conflict between themselves and the Eologian people. While this may be true, the Federation cannot and will not stand by and permit genocide to occur. The Slobadan government continues its brutal repression of Eologian nationals and preparations for a final assault on the remaining two Eologian worlds. This we cannot allow. "Therefore, it is with great reluctance that the Federation Council has voted today to authorize a deployment of Starfleet vessels and personnel to the Eologian systems to provide for their defense. Only firmness now can prevent a greater catastrophe later. We must act now to stop the violence and bring an end to the humanitarian catastrophe now taking place. It is our moral duty to do so. "We will have three goals in the coming conflict. We will show our determination to gain peace in Eologian and Slobadan sectors of space, to make the Slobadan Hegemony pay for violence against ethnic Eologian, and to diminish the Slobadan Hegemony’s ability to wage war and terror on the Eologian peoples. "Ending this tragedy is a moral imperative, and one we cannot turn away from." Excerpted from Speech by President Jaresh-Inyo, Stardate 57526.2