Covert Mission 4 - Log 6

[John Randall 0]

OFFICIAL LOG

LIEUTENANT JOHN RANDALL

USS CHALLENGER

 

(Personal Log Stardate 11601.08)

 

John and Martha were ushered into a room with glass walls. The Romulan guards then withdrew, and took up positions outside the room. They could see every move that the two Starfleet officers would make, but they could not overhear the conversation about to take place.

 

Braxton walked immediately to the chair in the northwest corner, and sat down heavily. She shook her head as John approached her, and waved him toward the other chair in the room. "Sit down, Johnny," she said. "I know you have questions, maybe even accusations, for me. Let's talk."

 

John pulled the chair over in front of her, and sat down. His eyes were chips of ice as he stared at her. "All right, Martha," he growled, and Braxton's head came up immediately, shocked by the anger in his voice. "I've heard Starfleet's side of the story, now I want you to tell me yours. And, it better be good, lady," he said onimously.

 

Braxton stared at him, tears in her eyes. "My stars, you remind me so much of Marcus," she quavered. "He had the exact same scowl you do. Oh my heavens, where to begin? Johnny, you may hate me for saying this, but your father and I once were more than friends," and Randall sat bolt upright in his chair.

 

"That's a lie!" he shouted. "My father was never unfaithful to my mother! How dare you!" Braxton looked at him steadily, not cowering this time. "It never got that far, my boy," she said quietly. "Marcus wouldn't allow it. We were very good friends, he would confide in me about things which he couldn't tell his wife. It was intimate talk, but that's all it ever was.

 

"Your father loved your mother dearly, Johnny," she went on. "He hated being away from her and you kids. The mission he was killed on was going to be his last. That afternoon, Marcus told me he had found the Romulan guilty of smuggling contraband into the Federation. He was going after him. I couldn't allow that to happen. The Romulan and I were partners," and John's eyes went wide. "What?" he whispered, shocked by the revelation.

 

Braxton nodded. "There was some major money being made, Johnny, and I needed every credit I could get my hands on. I was indebted to some very bad men, and if I didn't get them their money, they were going to kill me. So, I couldn't allow Marcus to find my partner in crime. I panicked, and made the worst decision of my life. I told the Romulan who Marcus really was, and later that evening, he and his partners cornered Marcus outside the Martian spacedocks. The rest you know."

 

John nodded, his eyes chips of ice as he stared at her. "Somehow, Jason, Admiral Baldwin to you," she continued, "found out about our illegal doings. He tracked the Romulan, and I was told he brought you along on the mission that SI undertook to find him, and you killed him." John nodded again. "I knew then my days were numbered, and I sent the Romulans a message via their secret network, or whatever it was they had. They came and got me, but somehow, Jason found out about that as well, and now, here we are."

 

John stared at her for a few seconds, then abruptly shot to his feet, and walked a little distance from her. He took a deep breath, and turned to face her. "Why didn't you just tell Dad what was going on?" he asked bitterly. "He would've helped you, you must have known that!" Braxton nodded, tears coming to her eyes. "As I said, I panicked," she quavered. "I made the worst decision of my life, Johnny, and I'd give my life to reverse it. There's nothing I can say to you, nothing I can do. You want to kill me, I can see it in your eyes. I won't resist you, Johnny, if you want to kill me. Lord knows I deserve it," and tears rolled down her cheeks.

 

"I was responsible for taking your daddy away from you," she sobbed. "Now, I beg of you, end it for me. I'm tired of all this, Johnny, I just want it to end." She buried her face in her hands and sobbed loudly. John could do nothing but stand and stare at her. He had the person responsible for his father's death before him, but he was powerless to do anything about it.

 

Braxton arose from the chair and slowly made her way over to him. She put her arms around his waist and sobbed into his chest. John found himself putting his arms around her in return, and he was shocked that he was doing it. But, a few moments later, he felt a tug on his holster that housed his phaser. Braxton pushed herself away from him, the phaser in her right hand. She hurriedly adjusted the setting, and turned the phaser on herself.

 

Randall watched in horror as Braxton's body disintegrated before his eyes. He knew she had adjusted the phaser setting to "kill". He ran over and grabbed the dropped phaser just as the two Romulan guards burst into the room. John never hesitated, he fired at both guards, and their bodies winked out of existence.

 

Randall burst into the corridor as alarms sounded everywhere in the building. He reset the phaser to stun, and began firing at the Romulans that came pouring out of their rooms. The Starfleet personnel came charging from their rooms as well, and all hell broke loose in the building. The fight was vicious but brief; the Starfleet team fought their way out of the building, scrambling toward the stolen Romulan shuttle.

 

The team made it aboard, and the pilot began warming up the engines. John scrambled aboard, and made his way to the engineering section. He went through the procedures, and a few moments later informed the pilot via comlink that the engines were ready to go. The shuttle lifted off from the base and made its way through the atmosphere of the planet into space.

 

Once they were in space, the pilot activated the warp engine, and the shuttle streaked into hyperspace. The team had lost only five members, four of which were security guards, and one of the technicians had been hit by a disruptor bolt squarely in the back. The tech died shortly after takeoff.

 

John leaned against the wall in the small engineering department, his mind replaying the final moments of Braxton's life. He felt someone sit on the bench beside him, and he opened his eyes to see the green eyes of Amanda Richards watching him. She sighed and laid her head against his shoulder.

 

"I'm so glad you didn't get hit," she whispered. "And I you," he replied. She snorted and showed him her right arm, which was heavily bandaged. "Hate to disappoint you, but," she grinned, and John was instantly concerned. "How bad is it?" he whispered, and she shook her head. "Nothing a few hours in a regen tube won't fix," she answered. "I'm sorry," he replied, and she swatted him with her good hand.

 

"Now you hush," she said, and smiled warmly at him. "That was the most fun I've had in ages. It was my own fault I got hit, got careless for a second, and some idiot actually got me. So don't you be apologizing to me, hear?" John smiled. "Yes, ma'am," he said, and she smiled at him again.

 

"Will you be going back to Challenger when we get back?" she asked, and he nodded. "This is my last covert mission," he said. "I'm officially retiring after this one." Amanda nodded, biting her lip. "So I'll probably never see you again," she whispered, and John turned to look at her. "We could find a way to stay in touch, I think," he replied, and her eyes brightened.

 

"You mean that?" she asked, and he nodded. "I'd like that, John, I really would," she continued. "I don't have many friends, and I definitely don't have any like you. Let's work out a code or something where we can send each other messages." John nodded. "I'd like that, Amanda," he said, and they talked the rest of the way to Federation space.

 

The shuttle arrived at the Avenger a few hours later, and the team exited the shuttle. They made their way to the conference room to be debriefed, then they all reported to their cabins, or to sickbay, depending on their injuries. They all got some sleep as the Avenger made its way back to Starbase 179. Baldwin called John into his ready room before the Avenger docked.

 

"Well, John, it was good to have you along for the ride again," he said. The Challenger engineer nodded. "This is the last time though, Admiral," he said. "I'm done here. My place is on Challenger. I do want to thank you, though, for helping me finally put this episode of my life behind me. My father is now truly avenged, and it's time for me to move on."

 

Baldwin nodded. "I'm sorry to see you go, John. You are a natural at this. But I understand you want to carve your own path. I will do everything I can to not call upon you anymore." He stood up and extended his hand across the table to John. "Good luck to you, Lieutenant Randall. Maybe our paths will cross again on more peaceful terms." John nodded. "I'd like that, sir," he replied. "I've learned a lot from you. Safe travels to you."

 

Baldwin nodded. "Dismissed," he said, and John left the room, making his way back to his cabin. The Avenger docked a few hours later, and John was strolling down the corridor toward the transporter room when Amanda Richards caught up to him.

 

"Hey, sailor, hold up a sec," she called, and Randall laughed. She linked her arm through his. "You didn't think I was just going to let you go without saying goodbye, did you?" she said. John smiled. "The thought never crossed my mind," he said. "I was just wondering where the goodbye would take place." Amanda looked around as they neared the door of the transporter room. They were alone in the corridor for the moment, so she quickly threw both arms around his neck, and kissed him soundly on the lips.

 

"You watch yourself, Lieutenant John Randall," she whispered fiercely into his ear. "You'll be hearing from me." She kissed him again, then strode swiftly away, not looking back. John watched her go, then entered the transporter room. As he ascended the dais, he told the operator to beam him directly to the Challenger. The operator nodded, and seconds later, Randall shimmered out of existence.

 

END LOG