Cptn Jack DeChevel

Author's Note: This log occurs before last week's game The holo-image flickered slightly as it materialized in the Ready Room of the ISS Agincourt. Captain DeChevel found himself unprepared for the menacing specter that materialized in his private sanctuary—Lord Regent Koshic N’Dak. “Greetings Lord Regent,” DeChevel hid his apprehension. “Spare me the useless repartee,” Koshic’s voice echoed coldly, even though he was not physically in the room. “Of course,” DeChevel tipped his head slightly, “What can I do for you?” “You can start,” the holographic image seemed dangerously real, “by telling me why I was not immediately informed the moment your lackeys found an Iconian ruin.” Taken aback, DeChevel reeled. How did the Lord Regent know about that? It’d been less than an hour since the device, item, ruin—whatever you wanted to call it—had been discovered and already the Lord Regent was calling to know why he hadn’t been informed; DeChevel smelled a rat. “Honestly,” DeChevel knew better than to lie to the telepath, “We’ve barely had a chance to examine it ourselves…authenticate it if you will.” The hardness on holographic Regent’s face didn’t flicker. “Unacceptable,” he said. “Almost as unacceptable as your inability to locate the Romulan Resistance cell on the planet.” Definitely a rat. “I have marine teams scouring the planet for them now…” “We’re drowning in the excess of your stupidity, Captain,” Koshic didn’t let DeChevel continue his thought. “While you prattle on and let your incompetent Marines wander about like lost children on the planet, those pointy-eared bastards are no doubt hatching a plan to slip between your fingers.” “I assure you that won’t happen,” DeChevel’s resolve hardened. “Not on my watch.” “I know it won’t,” Koshic countered quickly, locking his gaze onto the captain of the Agincourt. “I will be returning ahead of schedule to oversee the transport of the ruin to my vessel, as well as the capturing of the Romulan cell.” “As you wish, my lord.” “Do not think that if I am forced to take matters into my own hands your career will be spared, Captain.” “I…” Telepaths. “I suggest, Captain, that you deliver to me the head of the Romulans upon a platter when I arrive…” “My Lord, they are deeply entrenched…” “I did not ask for excuses,” Koshic extended a hand in the direction of DeChevel’s throat, and closed his fist. “Agh…” DeChevel felt phantom thoughts of long repressed memories of childhood as an outcast return to his mind. The constant beatings the other children put upon him, the insecurities of his own impurity rising to the surface. It was as if the faults of his entire life surfaced at one time to haunt him now. Smiling imperiously down on the captain, Koshic released his hold upon him. “As I said, I will not tolerate failure…Captain.” And with that, the holo-image vanished into thin air, leaving DeChevel to grasp at his throat. “Pompous...bastard…” he managed between gasps for breath.

Captain Jack DeChevel sat in his Ready Room looking at the monitor which had faded back to the LCARS screen. As a half-human, he'd worked twice as hard as most of the crew of his ship to reach his position, and he hadn't done it by being uninformed or fool-hardy. He wanted to know everything about Regent N'Dak that he could, especially with the less than idle threats the Elasian hurled at the commander of the Agincourt. Harper stood a few feet away from him, reporting as ordered. She glanced at the captain, looking him over; the communiqué with the Lord Regent had obviously upset him. He motioned to the chair opposite him. "Have a seat, Colonel." Charlotte settled herself comfortably in the seat, crossing her legs and letting one hand dangle languidly over the armrest. She worked hard to repress a smirk. It was always good to have the non-humans and half-breeds reminded of their true place in the scheme of things -- tolerated at best, obliterated at worst. "Something I can do for you, Captain?" Jack looked her over a few times; she was a typical pure-blood. Disdainful of half-breeds like himself. That very word annoyed him, and it had become a death sentence to say it on the Agincourt since he took over. "What do you know about the Lord Regent?" "Quite a bit, actually," Harper replied, "but I assume you studied the Empire-Elasiaan Treaties in school just as I did." She smiled disarmingly. He nodded. "I was actually assigned to the Danteri Sector shortly after conquest, but I only heard of the man in rumors, and the one time I met him, it was little more than a passing handshake." "Ahh..." She leaned back in her chair, exhaling in pleased memory. "Then you've missed a spectacular sight, Captain. Spectacular." Lifting an eyebrow. "Really?" "You heard about Remus, naturally." "I heard about it," he said. "But at the time I was aboard the Gideon, out past the old Gorn Empire." He paused for a moment. "You were there, weren't you? At the Battle of Romulus?" A rare true smile lit her face. "I was. And I was on an orbital warship long enough to watch the bombing begin." "That must have been... amazing." A note of true interest in his eyes. "Awe-inspiring." A hazy look entered her eyes as she thought back. "We discussed it at the briefing, of course. The Elasian fleet was to obliterate Remus first, then lay down orbital bombardment of Romulus with more conventional weapons. But until you see..." "Mass Drivers," Jack said detached. "I've always wanted to see that in person... my mother was a weapons engineer." "At first," Harper said softly, momentarily feeling a kinship to the man, "it seems so flat. Disappointing." She glanced out the viewport as though she could see it there. "A flash of light from the kick-accelerator, and a blur you can barely see without scanners that's the asteroid. But then... oh, then there's a bright light, like a comet, in the planet's atmosphere, and a dark plume behind it. And as another falls, and another, the whole globe becomes a ball of roiling smoke and flickering fires... 'Nothing besides remains,'" she quoted softly. With eyes of a child at Christmas, Jack looked a bit hazy. "A once in a life time chance indeed." "Indeed." For a moment Harper looked at him with the eyes of a comrade, and smiled. "Well," he said finally. "We'll have to make sure we don't draw his ire to much. From what I could tell, we'd be no match for the Soltok, would you agree with my assessment?" "Absolutely," she replied at once. "Agincourt is a match for the average Elasian cruiser, but the Regent's flagship is a floating weapons platform." Another nod. "So I can see. He seems a bit..." She waited, lifting one brow curiously. He couldn't find a word. "Jumpy? No..." Harper chuckled. "The Regent has a well-developed sense of healthy paranoia, Captain," she said. "He earned his position on it, after all." Jack laughed slightly. "I suppose... or kept, anyway. I was recalling what he did to the Danteri. He has no mercy, that's for sure." A one-shouldered shrug. "Mercy has no place in leadership." Holding a thought back. "I suppose not, a lesson I'll have to keep in mind in dealing with him." "Wise," Harper agreed, inclining her head gravely. "But so long as we complete this mission quickly, we should have no trouble with them." "Agreed," he finally said. "I want the Marines on the planet ASAP. Find out what the bloody hell is going on down there. Kill every one of those stinking lizards if you have to." "With pleasure, Captain." A wicked grin danced on her lips. He waved his hand dismissively. With an easy grace, she stood and saluted before leaving with a light step.

The dim lighting of the Ready Room contrasted sharply with the bright monitor on the Captain’s desk. Though he’d had the pleasure of meeting the Lord Regent, it had only been more than an idle handshake at some diplomatic function or the other when Jack was serving as the coordinator for an Archeological dig on the Danteri homeworld, which in Imperial speak, meant the one cracking the whip. He’d spent much of the trip to Psi Velorum studying what he could about the Regent from the Imperial Database, glancing out the window he looked towards the starship approaching his own. The Soltok. The very name sent shivers up his spine. “Captain,” the cool voice of the communications officer chirped into his solitude. “The Lord Regent is signaling you.” Subconsciously smoothing the dreadlocks, he pressed the reply button on his desk unit, “Put him through to the Ready Room.” “Aye, Captain.” The screen turned from a LCARS screen to the glowing red-yellow eye of the Elasian Prefecture. It was an ominous symbol, one DeChevel felt sure was intended to only add to the cult of fear the Regent seemed to propagate. Moments later the screen filled with foreboding image of the Lord Regent. “Captain DeChevel,” Koshic’s voice sent a cold shiver, even through the speakers. “Your honor,” DeChevel tipped his head in a slight bowing motion. “The Imperial Star Ship Agincourt greets you with the respect and honor you deserve.” Placated for the moment, Koshic let a small smile cross his lips before continuing. “I assume that Starfleet informed you of your orders?” DeChevel nodded slightly, “That would be correct, though…” “Though you’re not quite sure why you’re here…” Telepaths, Jack avoided letting that thought escape into his scanable thoughts. “Quite simply,” Koshic continued before Jack had time to respond, “Because this planet has taken on a very important…” “The possible Iconian ruins…” Koshic lifted a brow not used to being interrupted, let alone by some half-breed upstart Captain. “That would be correct…” “Have your men had any luck confirming that?” “Would you be here if they had?” Jack scowled slightly. “No.” “Then don’t waste my time with inane questions.” Koshic glowered. “I will have them send what information we have to you.” “Thank you.” Jack was quick to take on apologetic tone. “Have you any further commands for us, Lord?” “Only that I will not tolerate failure Captain,” Koshic’s voice was commanding, rising several decibels. “I am not a man to suffer the inadequacies of others, and if I am not pleased with how you carry out the orders, I will not hesitate to arbitrate as I see fit, Captain.” “As you're entitled to do.” Jack fought every urge in his body to close the communiqué and launch a salvo of torpedoes at the arrogant bastard. “I do not anticpate that being a problem.” “See to it that it doesn’t.”