JP: Captain Karrod Niac & Commander Toryn Raga - A Legacy In Starlight (Part 2)
Rameses
((A few minutes later, Deck 7, Holodeck Main Level, USS Ronin))
Standing behind the lectern and lit by the faint glow of the stellar phenomena floating all around them, Karrod looked out towards his officers and felt a renewed surge of pride as faces new and old lit with wonder at their surroundings. Officers and crew crowded the ships largest holodeck, some standing on the observation platform a deck above and appearing to hover in place while others had formed around him in a semicircle, looking towards him and glancing over at the tidy lines of ribbons on the adjacent table. He cleared his throat and the polite din of friendly conversation died down as all eyes turned towards him. Tapping a control embedded into the lectern he began the simulation, the focus point of the holodeck slowly shifting until a miniaturized recreation of the Bajoran system, complete with slightly askew space station and nearby wormhole, settled perfectly in front of him.
Just offset from Karrod’s right side, stood Toryn, arms held behind his back in the casual stoicism he’d acquired from so many officers in his career he’d modelled his image after in some way to make it his own. Though faint, the smile on his face was proud. Proud of every face that stared back at them.
Niac: Today is a day for celebration, ladies and gentlemen and non-gendered beings, and it’s a celebration I am proud to share with all of you. It has been more than a year now since we came together to launch this ship and in that time we’ve faced the unimaginable more times than I can count. We’ve faced enemies whose savagery was equaled only by their complete contempt for life. We’ve even run across people who are so desperate to change the present that they would risk meddling with the past to bring about their twisted vision for the future.
The holographic representation of Bajor changed and instead of the blue green jewel it had become, a lifeless rock stripped to its core took its place. The wormhole vanished and the station which had grown so famous over the last three decades returned to its position in orbit of the planet, a disused and forgotten relic of a strip mining operation that had long since suckled the lifeblood out of the world below.
Niac: Your efforts against the Pah Wraith cultists prevented this brave new world and while there are some lurking in the shadows who feel we should’ve stepped more lightly in the past, I proudly celebrate this victory and your contributions to it. With that in mind I am awarding the Defense of Temporal Flow ribbon to the whole of the crew for your selfless protection of the timeline and, in addition, awarding each of you with the United Federation of Planets Medal of Freedom, for your service in protection of a Federation member world. Congratulations to you all, these were hard earned and well deserved.
The hologram of Bajor returned to its brilliant, verdant state as the crowd applauded. Applause transformed to chuckles as the off kilter space station snapped back into existence and returned to its position at the mouth of the wormhole. Karrod shook his head sheepishly, wishing the computer hadn’t included that particular detail in the information it had compiled, but with a small grimace he moved on. The room shifted around them as the Bajoran system shrank in size and suddenly they had a view of several sectors across the Federation frontier. Spheres of influence bloomed into view with Federation assets marked in blue as others were filled in with darker shades of amber and orange.
The Al-Leyan’s head shifted slightly as he gazed around at the changing surroundings. The ‘galaxy eye’ view of the frontier of the Federation settled into place.
Niac: This map shows the status of various power blocs as they existed when the Ronin launched…and this is how it looked shortly thereafter.
He tapped a few commands and a pinprick of red deep within the Alpha Isles exploded outwards, consuming system after system like a wave of fire that grew stronger at each step along the way.
Niac: This is the territory that the Lattice Alliance annexed…nearly four hundred independent systems across three sectors, many uninhabited but full of valuable strategic resources. Other systems, populated systems were…not so fortunate.
The wavefront moved closer to Federation territory, consuming everything in a vast uneven sphere. He saw a planet labeled Grus Beta 3 turn to a holographic cinder as the flames spread outwards and let out a small sigh. They’d saved many lives there but the world itself had been lost forever. The wave spread and spread and spread until it lingered on the borders of the Federation like a tsunami of flame and the hologram shifted again, the miniature recreation of Deep Space Thirty Three coming into focus with the wall of flame looming just beyond.
A somber, yet steadfast scowl wrinkled Toryn’s brow momentarily as that fiery wave consumed more and more of the Isles. A wince of pain as Grus Beta 3 succumbed. A loss of a world, but the people survived. A bitter victory, that.
Niac: We didn’t know it at the time but we faced enemies on several fronts, gnawing at Federation from within and weakening us as our opponents grew stronger and bolder. Then…Frontier Day…and our enemies pounced on us, expecting easy prey they could easily sweep aside.
The simulation of the Federation border collapsed as the flames rushed inwards, towards populated border worlds like the Twin Sigma colonies and their home base, Deep Space Thirty Three. Intelligence reports and sensor readings compiled from the deep space network filled in blanks, showing where Tholians had darted towards the USS Constitution in an attempt to take advantage of the confusion. Even knowing what the simulation contained Karrod found it difficult to watch, his heart rate rising as the desperation of those moments echoed in his memory.
Toryn felt a knot in his gut as he watched that all consuming wave burn into Federation space, right up to Thirty Three. The ache and pain of that day-long battle thrummed throughout his being in that moment. The pressure of the torpedo that detonated inside the station as a parting gift from the Alliance was remembered as his chest tightened. And then seeing the wave push towards the Constitution, brought up the image of Commodore Rajel and her eye-patch. A wound unfortunately earned in that moment.
Niac: These were some of the most difficult moments in my career…moments of desperation and loss and fear as we struggled not only for ourselves, but for our friends, our colleagues and all the defenseless Federation citizens who rely on us as their shield. We fought tirelessly, without hope of relief or quarter, and against all odds…we pushed back the tide.
Suddenly the cloud of red that seemed to be on the verge of consuming the whole room halted, shimmered, then shattered like struck glass. Everywhere the Alliance’s influence receded even as the blue of the Federation began to swell again as ships returned to their positions or bases were restaffed. The holo settled on an overview of the Alpha Isles as they stood today, the sphere representing Alliance controlled territory a small fraction of what it had been.
Toryn noted the crushing silence of the room as the holodeck displayed each moment Karrod had planned. The only sound that filled his intensely keen hearing was the varied breathing and heartbeats of every being assembled before them. Shared struggle. Shared feelings. Shared Solidarity. Shared strength.
Niac: This is what you have accomplished…this is what your dedication to yourselves and to your duty has earned us. Worlds liberated and made safe. The borders of the Federation secured once more. An intractable enemy reminded that while we do not favor violence as a solution to our problems…we will meet theirs with a steadfast ferocity which has staggered empires and dominions for centuries. It has bought us…and billions of Federation citizens…a chance for a better, brighter future. That is why we celebrate today, my friends…because we have brought hope where there was none. For their tomorrows…we sacrificed our today. Our sacrifice…your sacrifice…deserves to be honored…and for that I have a few small bits of recognition to dispense before we find our way to the 47 Lounge. Mr. Raga, if you’d please.
[TBC]
================================
Captain Karrod Niac
Commanding Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
V239509GT0
&
Commander Toryn Raga
First Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
Writer ID: A239410TR0
https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Toryn_Raga