Welcome to Star Trek Simulation Forum

Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to contribute to this site by submitting your own content or replying to existing content. You'll be able to customize your profile, receive reputation points as a reward for submitting content, while also communicating with other members via your own private inbox, plus much more! This message will be removed once you have signed in.

Sign in to follow this  
Followers 0
Cptn Corizon

Are You Sure This Is A Good Idea?

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

Corizon had asked himself that a dozen times. Maybe more if he were willing to be honest with himself. Each time, the answer had been the same. “Of course it’s not a good idea. But you know you have to do it.”

That was how he found himself on the bridge of the Ardent, flanked by a Romulan Enarrain waiting for a cloaking device to be calibrated before they left Camelot on a mission that was, almost certainly, going to end with Corizon back in self-imposed exile, or worse. The worse part actually didn’t bother him. It was the thought of going back to a civilian job. Not that he would admit that.

So let me get this straight, Misha. Admiral Alana Norris, who had recently been appointed as the Commander of Starfleet Expeditionary Forces, had said when the two requested Corizon’s formal reactivation. You want me to sign-off on letting him run off with a starship and some Romulan officer to look for some Senator’s son?

Yes. Misha had said, stone faced as ever. That does pretty much cover it Alie.

I know you’re on your way out, but good grief Misha. Corizon actually respected that she was saying this with him, clearly in view. I was willing to allow you some difference in keeping him around as a tactical operations specialist -- given his extensive experience. But this?

I am sorry, but I don’t know if I can, in clear conscious do that. With all respect, Captain. She turned cold, brown eyes on Corizon. You should be in a prison facility. The little stunt you pulled...

She paused, collecting herself. No I am just not convinced that this is in anyway in the Federation’s best interests. You have an entire fleet of ships and literal thousands of personnel to choose from to assist our allies -- and to be clear, I am not even sure that is a good idea.

What this looks like -- what this reeks of -- is an opportunistic, ambitious exile taking advantage of a situation to regain his former position. A position he lost by being a reckless, unthinking, cowboy. And that’s to say nothing of the mess he made of the damned quadrant in the first place.

Admiral, Corizon said, stoically. Permission to speak?

She wrinkled her nose. Clearly she wasn’t fond of the idea. Very well.

You’re right. There are hundreds of officers that we could choose for this mission. I would venture a guess none of them would come with the baggage that I do, either. But, on the other hand, just how many officers do you have with my experience in clandestine operations?

I understand your reservations. One of the first things I taught cadets was to remove unstable elements whenever possible. And I am aware that I represent an unstable element. But with due respect, I am the best suited officer for this task.

Captain, I frankly don’t care if you’ve spent the last three decades in clandestine operations. That’s not what this is about. It’s about the fact that you are a reckless, impulsive officer with a history of making situations worse. Particularly when given free-reign. I am sorry that you don’t like being put out to pasture. I am sure you resent the hell out of me. I don’t care.

Ma’am, Corizon said. I think there’s more here than meets the eye. I think --

How many times to do I have to tell you? I don’t care what you think. This is exactly how lost your commission in the first place!

Misha coughed, just loudly enough to get both of their attentions. Alie, I am the first person to tell you that Corizon is impulsive, but he has a point. The Romulan officer who brought this request to him -- I think he did it for a reason.

And just what reason is that?

There’s something going on here that’s bigger than just a senator’s son. If it were that simple or that important -- he’d find a way to use his own forces to recover him. Or he’d come to me. He doesn’t know Corizon very well -- and I’ve made it clear he doesn’t have any real decision making authority.

Then why do you think he picked Corizon.

His mother?

Whose? She was incredulous, for sure.

Enarrain N’Dak. Corizon said, calmly. His mother was the former Ambassador to the station. We worked together on numerous issues during our shared tenure and... well... she was my source for information inside the Romulan government about the smuggling.

Lovely. Just lovely. She paused again. So you think there’s more to this than meets the eye and that the Romulan picked you ... personally because his mother and you are besties? Do I have that right?

Misha frowned. Alie, how long have you and I known each other? What thirty, forty years?

I wondered when you’d pull that card.

I am serious. If I thought there were a better solution -- I wouldn’t be here. Corizon has caused me more than enough trouble for one lifetime. Hell, he’s in no small part responsible for my impending retirement, but damnit. He’s right about this. N’Dak almost certainly sought him out for a reason and I don’t know why. I could give this to someone else, but frankly, he’s the best person for the job.

So you think this is a good idea?

The question rang in Corizon’s head again as the Ardent’s chief engineer, Fruella Jalo, appeared out of the turbolift, a mixture of annoyance and relief plastered on her face. “The cloaking device has been calibrated sir,” she said to Corizon. “Bypassed like an octogenarian Nahal’s heart, but calibrated. I wish we had more time to do some tests. The schematics from the Defiant weren’t that useful. The cloaking device they were provided with was a different model, and the EPS units on the Defiant-class have been reworked since then.”

The Dameon nodded, casting a glance to N’Dak. “Thank you Chief. I am confident in your abilities.”

Frowning, she took the compliment for what it was worth and excused herself. Corizon turned to N’Dak again. “Well, Enarrain, are you ready to get underway?”

“Ie,” he said cooly from the railing. “The sooner we leave -- the better.”

Corizon nodded his agreement and turned his seat to face the viewer. “Helm, ahead at full impulse. Once we’ve cleared the outer navigational beacon, take us to warp bearing 103.5 mark two. “

“Yes sir.”

“Once we’re out of sensor range, we’ll activate the cloak”

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!


Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.


Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  
Followers 0