Apollo

The science laboratory areas of the ‘new’ Republic were buzzing with activity, the side effects of their current mission. In the small, walled off cubicle that passed for his office attached to main science, Apollo Link took a drink of kagura root tea, letting the spicy, bark flavored liquid pour down his throat before he turned his attention to the stack of PADD’s that had cluttered his desk. It had occurred to him that this had exactly been why he’d given up the position of Chief of Sciences once before and he wondered exactly how long he was going to last in his current stint. It wasn’t that he minded administrivia, in fact, like most Arzaban, he enjoyed the routine; it was that he tended to disappear into it and totally miss anything else going on with the rest of the ship, or his research for that matter. Sighing, he put aside the PADD he’d been working on that covered approvals for a couple dozen pet projects for various officers, approvals for sensor array time, requests for usage of the main deflector dish, and department evaluations. Instead he pulled up the mission logs, lifting his brow he tapped his finger on the console absently. Though he’d never had more than a passing interest in geophysics or geology, the particulars of the situation made it slightly more interesting. “A high energy explosion on the surface of a planet with a Starfleet Research Facility? Sign us up for intrigue!” he thought almost out loud. Putting down the PADD and picking up his tea he headed out into the main lab area, deciding he should check in with the locals and see if they needed any help or direction -- not that he’d expected them to, really. To be entirely honest, the crew of the Republic were all brilliant, gifted officers and in the case of science, excellent scientists that excelled with or without his micromanagement. Outside of his office, the main ‘hub’ area for the science labs (a design choice he would like to find and thank whoever made it) included a ‘reception’ area manned by an enlisted officer with a large MSD behind a desk with the status of all the labs, the main computer and a half-dozen other ‘packages’ of information. “Good morning... or is it afternoon,” Apollo said, glancing toward the Petty Officer who’d ‘won’ the opportunity to serve at the ‘reception’ desk of science. “We’re in space,” Petty Officer Daron Jakal said with a dubious look towards the Arzaban. “Isn’t it basically always night?” “I suppose,” Apollo said musingly. “But then we’re in orbit of a planet, so technically we’re experiencing a night-day cycle too.” Daron groaned. Science geeks with pips. “Of course, sir. Something I can do for you?” Smirking, Apollo nodded, taking a drink of his tea, “What’s our status, mission related?” Sobering, Daron pulled up the latest status of the labs and put them up on the MSD. “Bridge has asked us to focus on the source of the explosion. Ensign Knight has the computer chewing on some data. She reconfigured the sensors to ping the surface for energy signatures matching the initial explosion. You’d have to talk to her for more on that,” he said deferentially. “They've been coordinating with the bridge as they're basically retasking the sensor arrays..” Apollo nodded. “Thank you, I’ll go talk to Mister Knight then. Carry on.” Daron nodded and pretended to be busy, which meant pulling up a game of ka’lo he’d been playing with Petty Officer Gagan down in weapons control. Oblivious, the Arzaban tapped the computer console on the wall for the location of Tory before heading her direction, cup of tea in hand. This time, he thought, he wouldn’t let himself get so buried in paperwork that he’d be absentee from missions.

“Computer, run program 46-2, begin scan of sample thirty-nine…” Link placed the small dish of dirt with brown-blue sprouts under the scanning unit in the Republic’s main botany lab and hit the round purple button that activated the scanners on the bulky piece of equipment about the size of a replicator. As the device hummed, Link leaned back into his the back of his ‘high’ lab stool. He had to admit, he rather liked the current arrangement. His position as senior researcher meant he spent most of his time either in the labs or overseeing people in the lab working on his project, and he didn’t have to worry about the hassles of being department head, which meant not really worrying about whatever new trouble the Admiral had found the ship into this week. It was actually very liberating. At first, when he and the Admiral decided it was best for someone else—namely Joy—to take the post as Department chief, he’d considered returning to the Academy and working on his doctorate and masters there. It was a nice opportunity, not only for him career-wise, but it would have put him in closer orbit to his mother and brother. In the end though, the chance to do field work on Republic, with all her amenities, and work towards the degree won him over and he started working on his thesis project. The initial work had been excruciating and tedious, taking nearly three months of intensive work. The hardest part was finding enough secondary research to do a primary lit review and start his basis to build his hypothesis, primarily because he was doing studies on the thaerin grain. Found only in the Gamma Quadrant, it had been nearly ten years since anyone had done any research on it, and even then those records were shaky. Indeed, as he’d discovered, his research would be the first extensive study of what he felt could become one of the most useful plants ever harvested. Similar to terran wheat, thaerin was a bountiful, useful and hearty grain that could grow in low-pressure atmospheres with a minimum of oxygen, water and sunlight. Low gravities actually seemed to cause it to bloom even more fully, making it extremely robust. The scanner beeped and he removed the dish and placed it aside, placing another dish with a slightly healthier looking plant in the scanner and repeated his earlier steps. It was the fortieth sample of the day. Normally his lab assistants would be doing such work, but they found it boring, so he’d given them a more amusing task of cleaning the laboratories, and it kept him well away from the bridge… and thus trouble. So far, the newest variety of thaerin was proving most interesting. One of the major problems to mass production, was that thaerin had proved most difficult to grow in high-iron soils, which ruled out one of the locations being targeted as a primary location for the grain’s use—Mars Colony. In all they were doing nearly ten different experiments on thaerin, some of which would be used in his report, some of which would only serve as background information and could be used in later studies on the grain. Though he wondered if it was more interesting than what he would have gotten into on Earth with all the goodies he would have had at his disposal, he doubted that any project he would have started would have been as satisfying or important. Not to mention, other than the occasional report to Joy, and his weekly reports to Amazon University and Starfleet Science, he was essentially his own boss—something that would have never happened on Earth. As he waited for the computer to beep, signaling him to start again, he sighed happily. This was his dream job.

The air in the camp seemed crisper than it had anytime before now and there was a scent of leaves dying and falling off the trees surrounding the camp. Apollo Link took in a breath of the autumn air as he packed the last of his supplies in the brownish-yellow satchel made of animal hide. As a child an adventure like the one he was preparing for would have filled him with excitement as he and his twin brother Xeno would have doubtlessly managed to get themselves into mischief beyond compare on an alien world such as the one they currently occupied. But that was a long time ago and his brother was no longer with him. Instead his brother had been replaced by David Johnson. The pathetic excuse of a Starfleet officer who'd done nothing but whine and mope for the past several months about his missing wife. Which was to say nothing of his zealotry in pushing that crap 'Kai Kania' peddled as a solution to their conundrum. Even thinking about the situation that the crew of the Republic had managed to get themselves into—or rather had been thrown into by the wormhole aliens—just made him angry all over again. For heaven's sake, he couldn't even enjoy being out in the wilderness because every time he turned around, someone was trying to convert him to peace, love and happiness. Or telling him that he needed to change his life to fit the wormhole aliens view on proper behavior and attitudes towards the world. How in the name of the One that the Bajorans were able to accomplish anything with such narrow world views, was beyond him. Seriously, did they not realize that Prophets were little more than aliens who were getting kicks out of watching an entire race slavishly worship them as gods? At any rate, the ever cooling air was a sign that winter was fast upon the group and they needed to find a better place to hold out the winter. Hopefully, he and Dave would find someplace down river that would be better suited to making a more permanent and more climate friendly base. With any luck a larger proportion of the crew would survive. He hadn't said anything yet, but he had begun to worry for Jax and Will's unborn child. If the winter was harsh, there would be a frighteningly good chance the baby would not live through the winter—not to mention Jax's own health could be at risk. Sighing he tied shut the satchel and heaved it into the canoe. The sun was setting and in the morning Apollo and Dave would be heading down river. Soon he'd find his way to bed earlier than normal, he'd need all the rest he could get...not to mention patience. And that was in short supply.

Your display name may be different from your regular user name, Lo

As his shuttle prepared for landing, Apollo Link found himself on an away mission for the first time in what seemed years. The Lieutenant Commander and Chief of Science for the USS Republic had mostly been relegated to sitting at a consol watching while others ventured out into the unknowns as of late, not that he’d always minded—away missions had a way of being dangerous, but it was good to be active once more. Glancing towards his android companion he smiled to himself; Joy probably needed this mission as much as anyone—she’d seemed distant as of late, drifting away from her normal self-assured personality. Something made him want to ask if she were okay, at least from a programming stand point. He doubted that she could actually feel any real emotions that weren’t programmed directly into her matrix, but could it be possible for her programming to be corrupted? That’s exactly what they needed on away mission—a depressed android. Apollo pushed that thought to the back of his mind, there more important things to worry about, like finding anyone alive, or more likely the remains of a slaughtered populace. Despite what he’d said to the Admiral on the bridge, he really didn’t think that the Dominion would leave anyone alive. More succinctly, he didn’t think the Cardassians, unbridled by Dominion rule would let any humans live when they could have the land for Cardassian expansion—of course that left a small problem, where were the Cardassians? Perhaps slaughtered by the Dominion at the end of the conflict? Which of course left them with the same problem: there should still be a colony here, and there didn’t seem to be anything left. Apollo sighed to himself, something gave him a sinking feeling in his stomach about this mission—and it wasn’t Will’s driving.

Lower decks was one of my all time favorites. As was the Voyager Episode.

Apollo wandered back into the seclusion of the botany labs of the Republic. With all the hubbub of the Romulan adventure, he could get some work finished—uninterrupted. Granted all he’d done since the whole Wadi game disaster was keep locked up working on his precious plants, it was still more constructive and less dangerous than venturing out. At times he really thought this crew, and this ship was cursed. At least for the moment though, all was quite on the northern front. Famous last words. He thought to himself as he turned the corner into expansive rows of plants; the scent of various exotic flowers filling his nostrils with the sweet smell of nature. One in particular caught his eye. A flowering violet from the moon of Indiris VII, it grew tall and iridescent, save for the in the rays of a fourth sun of that system. Something in the soil reacted with the light from a very specific sequence-star and caused the violet to burst into an array of colors unparalleled by even rainbows. Among the most rare in the galaxy, they’d been amazing difficult to keep alive, even in Apollo’s expert care. But he’d managed to coax four of the plants into flowering, and now as he walked into the bay, the simulated light bathed the pedals and the sparking prisms formed. Apollo’s own eyes glimmered as the light danced off his face. It was moments like this one, a simple, pure moment where time seemed to stay still, where the waters of time stopped flowing, that he most enjoyed himself. Alone and secluded. His mind untroubled by the affairs of others, or even his own troubles. As a child, growing up with his twin brother, he could have never imagined getting so much joy out of seclusion. They had always begin together, he and Xeno, as if they were joined at the hip. But when Apollo got into the Academy, and Xeno had not—things changed. And so did Apollo. Until then, he’d never been alone…ever. He’d never finned for himself. Always he had a faithful companion to share in whatever trouble he got himself into, but after that…he found himself in exile. Alone and confused. The Academy had been almost unbearable in that respect. He’d longed for home, far away on distant shores. Yet he knew his path lay before him. Destiny led him to that place. But all of his fears stayed deep inside. And he’d grown so far apart from Xeno. There was a time, when he and Xeno were inseparable. When they told each other everything, but now they barely spoke. And that was on the rare occasions that they were in the same Quadrant. The last Apollo had heard, Xeno was stationed somewhere near the Sheliak border on the USS Aida as a tactical officer. That had been had for everyone to swallow. A Link…serving as a…tactical officer? But it was he’d wanted to do, and supposedly he was good at it. He’d even heard that Xeno had earned a few medals, and was the pride of the Captain. Apollo tried to imagine himself being the pride of the Captain, he simply shook his head. Xeno had always been the follower of the two brothers. As he went deeper into the botany lab, he pushed those thoughts out of his head, the peaceful and serene moment of the violet long since passed. It was back to work. He much of it to do, and reports to file. Not to mention a few new crewmen. He supposed he should go introduce themselves, before they started thinking the blob was the department head.

Updated :P

Since coming aboard the Republic, Apollo Link discovered that Shoreleave was an invitation for trouble…absolute trouble. So to avoid such trouble, he’d learned to stay shipside and bury himself in work. And there was plenty to do. They’d taken on some new crew at the New Bajor base…once again, and he was busily assigning them tasks. There were literally hundreds of experiments and surveys that the Republic had been supposed to conduct while on assignment to the Gamma Quadrant, but for one exploding reason or a Holly, just hadn’t got done. And so now, as the reached the homestretch this mission, Science hurriedly tried to catch up. Link for his part, when he wasn’t giving someone an order, remained isolated in Astrometrics recording all the spatial data they’d gotten from the Nebula explosion. And if wasn’t in astrometrics, he could be found in the biology lab, dissecting those nasty bird-creatures. Seriously, those things creeped him out, but if the Federation were to ever encounter them again, they would need every last piece of data possible. He couldn’t help but be fascinated with them though. They were highly evolved, designed for war and conquest. And though he hated them with every fiber of his being, he barely knew anything about them. Standing in the lab, he poked at one of the mid-sized ones on strapped to the table. There was a certain immorality about dissecting these things that made Apollo uneasy. This was a sentient being, that would have grown into an adult…a person just like any of the crew members of the Republic. Yet some how, he could justify ripping it open and seeing what made it tick. However, if his enemy had been a Klingon or a Jem’Hadar…would the order to dissect it came so easily? Wouldn’t that be in violation of about a dozen treaties? Link sighed as he continued to dissect the poor creature. The last few months and weeks had been exhausting on him, and now faced with this moral issue—he found himself lost. He’d read a memo that the Republic had gotten a Counselor transferred aboard. Link detested them…absolutely detested them. He was a private person, a person who liked to keep things under the cuff and to himself. His problems were his own, and he’d sort them out by himself. But if he’d learned anything from his time on Republic, and from Rian, it was that sometimes you had to just give in to pride and let someone else help you. So facing a moral dilemma about the creatures, and physically and mentally exhausted from this wretched Quadrant…Link gave in and made an appointment with the Counselor.

Link couldn’t help but ask himself, how many times could this crew…and himself…get into trouble before someone finally killed them and did the galaxy a favor. Not that he could really blame Will this time…shoot…it was all he could do not strangle that stupid Wadi. Link shook his head as they got carted off to where ever the Wadi were taking them…probably the brig. Link sighed deeply. He should have listened to his father and stayed home. But on the lighter note…they were out of that stupid game. Suddenly, everything began to come to perspective. In the maze he’d had a lot of time to think. Before he’d got jerked into that blasted place, he’d felt so…not part of the group. Afterwards…well he certainly felt a little closer to everyone. The current situation for example: Sure it was bad…but together as a crew..they’d find a away out it. Somehow they’d come out better than they were before…and not because of anyone individual…but because they’d worked together. Kwai’s wisdom now seemed to make sense to him. It was indeed a lesson he’d learned the hard way. Despite himself…he smiled broadly…uncharacteristic for the normally surely Arzaban. “Hey guys…at least we’re out of the game!”

Apollo made his way to the Stellar Cartography lab to work begin inputting the data they had been collecting from the Nebula Explosion into the database, which would be disseminated to the entire Federation Astronautical Database when they made their next data-dump. He sighed to himself as he ran back through the vents on the bridge a few hours before, how were he to know that Blu would react so angrily towards a harmless joke. His mood, fouler than usual by this, was soured even more by the comments for “Lt. Commander” Ki’Rok in the turbo-lift. There were days he found himself wishing he would have listened to his father and stayed on Kokori, this was one of them. He turned a corner and entered the Astrometrics lab. The room was dark and star filled. The tension in the Arbazan’s body eased as he made his out across the gang-walk to the central hub. He tapped in his access codes and began to input the data manually. A few moments later the room flashed and displayed the area of space the Republic was currently in. Directly in front of him was the a before display of the nebula. He ran his fingers over the consol in putting command lines. After he input several command lines, the Nebula exploded, sending graphic shockwaves across the giant screen. “Interesting,” Link said watching results. “I didn’t realize the affects were so…reaching.” He noted all of this on a PADD he held in left hand. “Space travel in the entire area has been affected.” He mad noted of the gravity wells that had been changed, as well as the climate changes to the very near by systems. “Computer,” he said whilst typing on the PADD. “Display grid 9-5BxD.9…index 456.67H magnification 200.” A few seconds later, the screen blipped again and the room was filled with what used to be the Nebula. Making notes here and there. “Computer, begin analysis for proto-planet material.” “Beginning now,” the soft voice of the computer replied. “Complete Analsysis will take approximately three hours.” Link sighed softly. He hadn’t rested since before they found the Bolians, and it was about time he took a break, he told himself and there was nothing else he could do here. He tapped a button on the consol locking in the commands, and headed towards his quarters for a bit of rest. And despite the fact they were docked, he had no intention of leaving anytime soon, he'd rather not get into any more trouble with Blu--which tended to happen every time they took leave. Somberly, Link made his way to his quarters.

The O’Kanii Expanse Stardate 0504.20 >Begin< Location: The O'Kanii Expanse 42 Light Years from the terminus of the Bajoran Wormhole, 18.9 Light Years from Dominion Space One of the most mammoth warships ever constructed cruised slowly through the O’Kanii Expanse. The Expanse filled the void between 6 systems deep in the Gamma Quadrant nearing the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Stretching a distance of 58 kilometers, the vessel housed millions of Drakna Bird-Warriors, ready to unleash upon who ever they encountered. The vessel was surrounded by literally hundreds of smaller warships and much larger ones that themselves would dwarf most vessels in the known galaxy. A small shuttle, looking more like a flower than anything else, streaked out of transwarp and made its way towards the leviathan. On board the shuttle we’re to very familier characters tp anyone who had been on the bridge of either the Hatfield or the Republic—a very surely general and one very unpleasant shapeshifter. Once inside the giant vessel the two began making there way to the command center. “That did not go as expected,” the founder said crassly as they made their way to a lift. “My associates will not be pleased.” General ha’Kan’Nar frowned. “I do not care if they are pleased or not,” he said sharply showing his distaste for the shapeshifter. “You are lucky that we do not turn our eye upon the Dominion—yourselves included.” The Shapeshifter looked at him for a very long moment. “Excuse me?” ha’Kan’Nar didn’t blink. “From what I have seen,” he said flatly. “None of you could stand before us, and thus you are in no position of...leverage.” The Shaeshifter blinked. “Now jus…” “I will not,” ha’Kan’Nar said as the lift began to come to a stop. “We entered into this…agreement because we thought you could provide us with something.” “We can still provide you with what you wish for.” “Yes,” ha’Kan’Nar said, “but there is nothing that will stop us from taking it by force.” The shapeshifter paused for a moment, carefully considering his next words. “Are you saying you no longer wish to continue our association.” “No,” the bird said as they entered in a large conference room. “Oh?” “We’re just changing the nature of our relationship.” ~~~ Nearly 30 Drakna Generals and one founder sat in the large conference room looking at a holographic display. “My fellow Drakna,” ha’Kan’Nar said. “It has been long since I have been on Planetship.” The crowd nodded. “Our plans have gone afoul,” he said. The shapeshifter started to smirk at the pun, but let it go, not wishing to anger his allies. “As such,” he said. “I am suggesting to the council that we continue with proposed plan B.” The room of birds nodded to each other. Another of them, one looking very much like ha’Kan’Nar only older stood. “Thank you General, your recommendation has been noted.” The elder Drakna paused a moment looking to the hologram floating above him. Then he motioned to it with a wing. “Here you can see what currently makes up the Dominion’s far territories.” “They are sparsely populated, and even more lightly protected. General t’He-Kel has told me that he feels we could easily control this area with in a few weeks of any initial attack. From here we could launch any numerous actions against the rest of the Dominion.” The Shapeshifter watched all of this intently. It had not been his idea to conquer the Dominion and hand it over to the Drakna, instead the deal was going to be that in return for destabilizing the Founders and helping the Hundred to gain power, the Drakna would be granted control of the outer territories. “Which will allow our allies, the Hundred,” he said pointing to the shapeshifter, “to gain control of the Dominion.” At this the shapeshifter grinned ever so slightly. “Tell me,” he said directly to the shapeshifter. “Are your…people ready to move against the Dominion openly?” The shapeshifter cocked a brow. “To be honest,” he said considering his words very carefully. “I am unsure as I have not been in contact with the rest the Hundred for some time. However, if I may be allowed to…meet with them and discuss your new plan, I will return to you inform you of our level of readiness.” The elder Drakna nodded. “If it pleases the council, I will allow him to return to the Hundred.” One of the other spoke up. “Can we trust him not to warn the Dominion?” “What purpose would that serve,” the shapeshifter said quickly. “The continued control of the Founders of the Dominion does not serve any of my goals, I can promise you I will not warn them.” “Besides,” ha’Kan’Nar said quickly. “Even if the did know what we are planning, they wouldn’t stand a chance against our full force.” These two statements seemed to calm the room. “Very well then, if no one else has objections—General ha’Kan’Nar see to it that our friend has the transportation he needs.” >End<

Updated with my new...demotion. <_<

::sigh:: I really hate to be the negative one around here, but I am sorry to say that I doubt Viacom (a multi-billion dollar company) is going to re-think canceling the show. Sure they've came up with $3 Million, but at best, that's buying what, another season. What about the next season, or the season after that...you get the picture. And in all likely hood, I am sorry to disappoint you, I'd say the Paramount execs haven't shed one tear or lost sleep over it, nor have their bosses at Parent-company Viacom.

The Ashari Nebula Stardate 0502.24 >Begin< As the cosmic swirls of gasses in the Ashari nebula wrapped themselves around the Dominion Warship Heliago a much more sinister and imposing ship sailed into view. Before the Heliago could react, it was destroyed. In a dark room aboard the marauding vessel, the reaction was more tempered. “A pitty to destroy such a ship,” a tall bird-like figure said to someone standing in the corner of the room. “I do hope that it was not one of yours.” “It wasn’t,” the darkened figure said from the shadows. “But it will only arise more suspicion if a capitol cruiser has gone missing.” “All the better,” the bird-like figure said, folding his wings behind him. “We’re adding it to our ‘graveyard.’” A light beeped on his wrist communicator and he stepped outside the room for a moment, and then returned. “We’ve had a delay…” “What?” “The Republic…” “She should be here by now…” “Apparently they have neutralized the brood we planted on the Bolian bait.” The figure in the corner was visibly upset. “I thought you assured me that the vessel would either be destroyed…or at…our disposal?” The bird-man turned. His face was not quite as birdlike has his body; the eyes were centered front, and in the place of a beak was a much flatter snout, brimming with sharp teeth. “Do not forget who is making this venture possible…” For a moment the two seemed to stare the other down, waiting for the other to make a move. After a few long moments, the silence was broken again. “So what are we going to do?” “Plan C…as the humans would say.” “And what is that,” the figure in the corner said. “Take it by force.” “To risky,” the bird like figure said returning his gaze to the window. “They will come straight to me. Have you forgotten their lost vessel?” “Of course,” the figure said. “And the other vessels, have you…acquired them?” “All of the pieces are in place now,” the birdman said, “All I need now is the Republic…” >End<