Apprehensive Transitory Moments

[Cptn Corizon 0]

The coffee had already gone cold. Corizon put it down and sighed. The last eight hours of his life had involved getting drug from one briefing to the next. Exasperated, and feeling more pain in his side and leg than he was willing to admit, he collapsed into the leather chair of his quarters and closed his eyes. Perhaps he’d gotten too used to being in command of a starship over the last year and a half. Perhaps he’d just gotten older, but in either case he’s forgotten exactly how taxing a major intergalactic crisis was from an administrative stand point and at the moment all he wanted to do was sleep. Instead, he know found himself facing a thousand different questions about what do when the other shoe fell, because the other shoe always fell – especially in this godforsaken quadrant.

 

Just as the white-haired Dameon captain had started to nod off into a restless slumber, his communicator chirped. The annoying, digitized sound forced him awake. Half-lucidly, he fumbled around until he found the gold and silver device that was the source of his annoyance. Mentally, he made yet another note to remind his crew that ‘didn’t hear the chime’ was not an acceptable excuse, ever.

 

Refocusing his thoughts and wondering just what the hell it was now, he attempted not to sound annoyed. “Corizon here.”

 

“The Admiral would like a moment with you,” Abronvonvich’s personal yeoman said in soft tone. “He wanted to know if you could come by or if he should make a house call?”

 

Like I am invalid all of a sudden. Sighing and deciding that it really would be better for him to be off his feet a while, he tried for a patient tone lacking indignation. “It really would be best for him to come by.”

 

“Of course. I’ll let the Admiral know, expect him shortly.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

A few minutes later, his door chimed. The two men glanced at each other, taking the other in. The Admiral’s wavy, white hair was mussed more than normal and his heavy set blue-eyes were wrapped in wrinkles and stress. All of the problems in the world seemed to be carried on his shoulders, yet they did not slouch or droop.

 

Abronvonvich leaned forward in chair opposite Corizon, examining him carefully. It was clear why the Captain was both feared and respected by his crew and by his enemies. The Dameon’s yellow orbs were as stern and severe as they were expressive. With one intense look, Abronvonvich was able to get a sense of the man’s feelings, thoughts, and desires. Corizon was a man driven by a sense of duty, and he carried that in his every expression and anything else that was there was just that – extra.

 

“Captain,” Abronvonvich said. “I know I told you that you could take your time in deciding what you wanted to do, but…”

 

“But?”

 

“There’s always a ‘but,’ it seems in these situations, doesn’t it?”

 

Corizon nodded with an expectant look.

 

“But I am afraid the situation won’t allow us that luxury.”

 

“Alright…”

 

“The Dominion has setup a blockade around Ganra Minor,” the Admiral said gravely. “Mostly, I think to scare the wits out of the locals and also to make it clear they’re not fooling around. Ostensibly they’ve said they’re doing it to prevent leaders of the rebellion from escaping ‘justice.’”

 

“So are they letting people out then?”

 

“From what we can tell no one has tried to run the blockade, that doesn’t mean they won’t the longer this goes on, but so far no. The Dominion has given the Federation assurances that they will not take lethal action against anyone, but will instead detain anyone trying to run the blockade until this is over with.”

 

“Lovely.”

 

“It’s a start,” Abronvonvich said pointedly. “Anyway the good news is that the locals have asked the Federation to mediate negotiations between them and the local Vorta Functionary.”

 

Corizon arched a brow and lifted an ear. “What did the Vorta say?”

 

“The Dominion,” the Admiral said with a slight, and to Corizon melodramatic, pause, “have agreed to allow mediation.”

 

Agape, Corizon ears stood up and his mouth opened and closed a few times. “That’s surprising.”

 

“To say the least. I am sure they’re up to something, but my people have a saying…”

 

“Don’t look a gift-pony in the mouth?”

 

“Something like that.”

 

“So where is this little ‘mediation’ happening?”

 

Nodding and producing a PADD, Abronvonvich leaned back into his own chair. “The Federation would have preferred a neutral site, preferably here on Avalon, but the Vorta Council was afraid that would, in their own words ‘draw more attention to this than they felt was required.’”

 

“They didn’t want caught looking soft.”

 

“Basically; so all parties have agreed to conduct the negotiations aboard a Federation starship in orbit of the planet.”

 

“So you’re sending Excalibur?”

 

“Yes, but the negotiations will not take place aboard her. I am sending the Excalibur, Cape Horn, and the Valorous as escort and support. The actual negotiations will occur aboard the Orpheus. I would have preferred to send a single ship, like the Columbia or the Roosevelt, but the window we have to work here isn’t long enough, and while the Excalibur is certainly capable of holding her own in one of these situations, the Captain of the Orpheus …”

 

Knowing that the Admiral was trying to dance around the fact that neither of the men who could be commanding the Excalibur were particularly suited to diplomacy, Corizon decided to save him the trouble. “He’s a fine man, besides the Norway’s were designed for just this sort of mission. Just why the heavy load out, then?”

 

“Well if things go badly, and this gets messy or if the Dominion is up to something, I’d rather not get caught with my shorts down and my people in the middle of it, either. The Dominion has already posted three battleships and two squadrons of attack ships to the blockade and the Klingons have spotted a few more ships.”

 

“Understandable. So the Excalibur is going to be baby-sitting and waving the flag?”

 

“More or less, and I know that’s not an ideal mission for you, but as much as I don’t want to push the issue, you’re going to have to make a decision sooner than later because if this does turn into a situation I am not going to up and pull Varen out of command. On top of that, if you don’t take Excalibur I need to go ahead and assign you.”

 

Corizon sighed. He knew this was coming.