Winston Chronicles: Qob/Tranquility Universe

[Mitar Precip 0]

2413

 

The Homefront still....

 

Vesta, Planet-side Starfleet 57 Personnel Housing, Winston Residence

 

“Okay, let me get this straight again. You got hit in eye trying to break up a fight?” Daniel Winston looked closely at the shiner his son was now sporting below his right eye. “And you were trying to break up a three-on-one. You got guts son. Gees... maybe you’ll be a policeman someday, but I’d call for back up next time.”

 

“Ouch!” Mark flinched as his dad applied a bit of pressure to the bruised area. “I didn’t have any backup until faculty arrived; the rest of the kids were just cheering it on or watching! That Andorian... I think his name is Zelak... a grade lower than me... he nearly lost an antenna the way the big guy was stepping on it! I couldn’t see that happen Dad!”

 

“No you shouldn’t have had to see that or the whole situation. Don’t worry; you’re not in trouble. The school-cams caught the entire incident on file. I was told by the superintendent that he was proud you stepped in and saved that kid from getting severely hurt. Problem is, the superintendent is not sure what the fight was about. He asked me if you heard anything you might recall that would lead three soon-to-be graduates from your school beat up an Andorian schoolmate. Do you remember anything, no matter how... stupid it may seem to you or something you didn’t quite understand that was said?”

 

“They were telling him it was his people’s fault the war started, and he was a blue skinned greedy sack of... well I can’t...” Mark hesitated.

 

“Continue Mark, please; don’t leave anything out. Curse rule overruled here, this is important.”

 

Daniel tweaked the recorder as his son basically laid it all out. And, not to his surprise, it did have something to do with the war. Parents on different sides harboring deep feelings that bled onto their children. The Federation Civil War, although nowhere near as disastrous casualty wise as the Coming of the Beholders or the Dominion war, had left deep scars inside Starfleet and the rest of the Federation.

 

Lines were drawn. Racism, something the Federation decades ago had for the most part stamped out, had reared its ugly head from this conflict, and was rampant, especially against Andorians and Vulcans. Engineers engaged in sabotage at spacedocks sometimes costing lives. And the war stamped the end, in Daniel’s mind, of the Federation’s greatest principle, the Prime Directive. “Unofficially” debate still divided the Federation into camps despite resolution to the sabotage and combat.

 

Some didn’t see that the Federation’s problems completely were solved with the end of the civil war. Daniel was one of them. When he repaired starships during the war he didn’t put alliances above his job; he just got the ships ready or repaired to serve so personnel would not get killed. He was, in effect, neutral.

 

But the eventual erosion of Federation core principles during and after the war Daniel could not tolerate. In his view, the Federation was now in a slow spiral of decline, forgetting certain ideals that made it so majestic in its prime, just like all empires and powers of old. He had to wonder if Mark was aware of this, given his historical interest in matters. Perhaps he should talk to him when they visit the boneyard and see what remained in pieces from the more glorious days of the Federation.

 

“So does this mean we aren’t going to visit the yard this weekend, Dad?” Mark asked. “I spent so much time preparing for Commander Baxter’s “mongo” exam, and passing it was a major relief. His exam was very... tough.”

 

“Yet you surprised him and prevailed.” Daniel paused. “Okay, let’s get your eye checked out again at Starfleet Med. Then I’ll drop this...” Daniel raised the recording PADD “...to the superintendent. He’ll need this to determine what to do with those three that beat up Zelak.”

 

“Thanks Dad,” Mark finished.

 

Daniel rubbed his son’s hair into a mess while looking at his son’s eye. “If given no other choice but to fight.... Instead of trying to go toe to toe with someone, next time aim for the knees on a larger opponent. Physically it’s their weak spot. Now let’s get going son. You got an EVA in your future other students would dream about.”

 

2420

 

Present Day

 

Tranquility City, “Unspeakable District”

 

“So, ever suppressed a riot kid?” The elder Lawman grinned then gunned the accelerator to where trouble lay ahead.

 

“A small one in school years ago, but never dreamed of doing this.” Lawmen Mark Winston replied loudly to his partner as the the sirens blared and the speeder raced down the dusty lane towards the chaos ahead.

 

“No... never dreamed of this,” Lawman Mark Winston muttered again - to himself this time.

[Joe Manning 0]

Very nice look after the war's aftermath from the Federation side, Precip. Keep the great logs coming!