Georgetown: The Mission to Qo'Nos

[Cdr Zareh 0]

The sleepy town of Berchtesgaden loomed in the distance as the early morning sun rose over lake Königssee. Mostly retired Captain Alessandro Zareh plodded down the stairs from his small alpine home that he'd acquired nearly ten years before to the small dock that stuck out into the crystal clear water of the glacially formed lake in the German Alps.

 

Ten years ago he'd bought this place at the suggestion of an old friend who'd rented it for a long summer leave, and for the first time Zareh was really beginning to enjoy it. His ship, the Georgetown, remained in a holding pattern a few hundred miles above, docked at starbase where it waited in line for formal decommissioning. That more or less put Zareh and a large portion of the crew on furlough with the caveat that should they be needed, their vacation would end rather swiftly.

 

It seemed odd, apparently, to most of his friends that Alessandro would want to spend what was shaping up to be the dawn of his retirement on Earth when he had a sprawling guest house on Risa attached to his family owned resort on the island of Sal Caprice which his cousin Fantein had taken to running after the death of his father. As he reminded them, though, it had been years since he lived on Risa and he had very little interest in running the hotel, though he did plan on spending several months a year on his native world. Still it was mornings like this one that reminded him exactly why he enjoyed this better than Risa, for all the sun and warm green waters of his homeworld, breath taking sunrises over snow covered mountains weren't something that his homeworld offered in large supply.

 

Moving out on to the dock, coffee cup in hand, Zareh stood for a long moment as the gentle winds carried the light mist away as the sun rose above head. In the far distance the St. Bartholomä church and the eastern face of the Watzmann. He took a sip of his coffee and stood basking in the morning light for what seemed hours.

 

“I thought I'd find you here, Captain...”

 

Zareh turned hearing the voice, unsure of how much time had passed. Behind him stood Rear Admiral Taeko Nzbuck in his red service uniform wearing a rather amused look. “Quiet the view...”

 

“You know,” Zareh said with a smile. “You should have called and let me know you were coming... I would have had breakfast for you...”

 

The Admiral smirked and ambled down the wooden dock to come alongside the Risan captain. “Breakfast? It's almost midnight in San Fransisco...”

 

Feigning ignorance, Zareh batted his eyes. “Really? Oh... right...”

 

“You never change Alessandro...”

 

“I don't make it habit, no...”

 

“So what has you up at such an ungodly hour?”

 

Nzbuck remained silent for a moment, taking in the view. He himself had started living in a small villa in Northern California, but it paled in comparison to this place. “I am afraid,” he finally said. “I am going to have to cut short your little furlough and get you and Georgetown back into space.”

 

“Oh,” Zareh said with a mild frown. “Lovely.”

 

“Well,” Nzbuck said, “it's a mission of some delicacy and we don't want to hand it over to some wet behind the ears Captain and his hot-shot crew...”

 

Zareh started to open his mouth to speak but stopped himself. After a moment he finally did, “So what do you want me to do?”

 

“I need you to go pick up an Ambassador and deliver him to Qo'Nos.”

 

“Lovely.”

 

“Does it soften the blow if I tell you that you get to go to Risa to pick up your Ambassador?”

 

“You know,” Zareh said pointing to the small marking on his forehead, “I am a Risan... that doesn't particularly hold as much weight with me as it would some people....but yes.”

 

A small smile crept across Nzbuck's face, “I thought so...”

 

“So who is this ambassador who warrants me leaving this gorgeous view and heading to the lovely acid rains of Qo'Nos?”

 

“I am sure you've heard of him,” Nzbuck said. “Curzon Dax.”

 

Zareh snorted for a moment. “Does Curzon know I am picking him up?”

 

“He asked for you personally,” Nzbuck said with a wide grin. “How did he put it... oh yes, 'if I am going to have to leave my vacation, at least send that blasted Risan to pick me up from Risa.'”

 

“I'll be sure to thank him. When do we leave?”

 

“As soon as possible,” Nzbuck said, growing serious. “The situation on Qo'Nos is depreciating rapidly. Chancellor Azetbur is losing control of the situation and more radical elements of her government are moving quickly to amass power, Ambassador Sarek and Captain Spock fear that if something isn't done soon the entire government could collapse and the Khitomer Accords scuttled.”

 

Frowning Zareh nodded. He had some contacts in the diplomatic corps who'd been telling him that the situation was tenuous at best, and this only confirmed what he'd been hearing. “I understand. Most of my crew is on leave on Earth or Mars, I assume you can handle the call up order from your office, Admiral?”

 

“Already underway, I sent the orders our just before I headed your way, but I wanted to tell you personally. Captain, all joking aside this may be the most important mission you've ever undertook. Curzon has the respect of many Klingons and might be able to bring the situation to a peaceful solution... and the men who want a rebellion know that. Once you enter Klingon space, you'll be a target. Not to mention they might send someone to off him before you arrive. Security around the Ambassador is paramount.”

 

Nodding his understanding, Zareh looked at the clearing fog once more before returning his glance to the Admiral. “I understand Admiral,” he said. “We'll take every precaution. One question though.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“If we're fired upon by Klingon vessels?”

 

“Then you have permission to defend yourselves, but don't get in a shooting war. Starfleet has a dozen or vessels in the area, lead by the USS Challenger. I know you're a senior commander compared to Challenger's captain, but they have point on this...”

 

“Of course Admiral,” Zareh said. “And once we've delivered Curzon safely to Qo'Nos?”

 

“You'll remain in the system to lend whatever aid is needed until new orders are issued.”

 

Back on active duty, Zareh thought but didn't comment.

 

“I know you were up for retirement Captain, but I think you understand the severity of this crisis.”

 

“Absolutely,” he responded. “I know as well as you do that too many peopled worked too hard and too many lives were lost to have come this far only to have that peace destroyed in a blaze of power-mongering glory.”

 

“Yes,” Nzbuck said with a nod.

 

“Well then, how about that breakfast I offered?”

 

The Admiral laughed. “I suppose we have time...”