"The Rex Factor."

[FredM 0]

ORIGIN: Task Force BSA QP0 Flagship Tjan

DATE: 11293 12 Yluj

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TIME UNTIL ATTACK: 4 days, 14 hours, 33 Minutes, 22 Seconds

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Everyone aboard the Tjan knew what the transmission days before had contained. While of course the contents were classified, the second the bridge had given orders for security protocol eight to be implemented a baby could have developed a solid understanding for what was going to transpire. If there had been any doubt, it had been eliminated a day later.

 

That had been when, escorted by half a platoon of security personnel, Werin had moved to a weapons storage locker and entered in a series of eight security codes. This had followed a retinal scan, molecular verification and voice print confirmation. Five minutes later, ship personnel were using extreme care as the contents of this massive locker were moved to respective locations throughout the ship. This procedure had been repeated eight times. That had been a day and a half ago.

 

Now, the grim reality of what was about to take place was cast aside as everyone went about conducting their duties. It took a lot of work to prepare the lethal ordnance Werin had been ordered to deploy and one mistake would mean their own annihilation. Most of the crew on the Tjan were well aware of this, as such an accident had taken place not many years prior when a cargo ship had suffered an accident. The entire situation had lasted approximately two minutes before one of the massive AZZ-365 weapon casings, oval shaped devices that were launched onto a planet's surface and caused almost immediate biochemical irradiation of all life forms within a five hundred square mile radius, had detonated.

 

As Fleet Admiral Werin would later recall, the more than twenty ships under his command were preparing for what the Terrans called Armageddon. In less than five days, if someone had the ability to power an artificial light source on the third planet of the Sol star group they would be considered an elite. What bugged the Andorian was the fact it was all over one stupid ship, the signaling of a massive military buildup which would allow the Vulcans to control a puppet state.

 

At the present, the Admiral stood where he normally did. The giant circular sensor diagram before him had changed quite a bit since many had seen it. Around each vessel were several circular rings, most in a yellow or red tint. Their distance from their center points, white dots representing an Andorian vessel, ranged depending on the size of the ship. In the case of the Tjan, no less than eight circles existed. Each represented a different battery of weapon class they were preparing to deploy. With yellow, red, purple and green circles around the ship, they would become brighter as the massive carrier moved closer towards it's target. When the green, the smallest of the four, was bright...the darkness would fall.

 

Werin's analysis of the situation was interrupted by the tall Andorian who moderated all of the activities on the bridge of the massive vessel. Werin glanced up and was met with another clipboard, one he intended to simply put in the collection he had started on top of the sensor diagram.

 

"I would advise reading this one, sir," said the man with his antenna low, "as it seems the Terrans may be aware of our pending attack." The Fleet Admiral's antenna's raised, as did his left eyebrow. It was a rather shocking statement. The deployment for the upcoming attack had not reached the stage yet where Vulcan sensor systems would be able to detect what they were doing. In fact, mixed with the jamming Detailed Scout Battery Group JM4/7 and Fleet Captain Tervain's efforts, it wouldn't be until the day before the attack anyone within the Sol star group would be able to have any indication something had changed. Even then, the information one's sensors would detect could easily be mistaken for the prefiring sequence for the fleet's warp reactors.

 

Werin took the document and squinted his eyes as he read it. "Alert Fleet Captain Tervain to perform a full analysis to ensure no unauthorized transmissions have originated from our vessels...", he muttered softly as he read the first few sentences. The tall Andorian nodded, "You suspect a sleuth?" His fifty year old superior didn't reply, only tilted his head and turned...leaning against the sensor display.

 

He glanced at the figure to his left, "They know of our lack of involvement in the destruction of the Vulcan ship..." Werin was speaking out loud more than actually creating solid sentences. "Yet the Vulcan High Command continues to press the matter..." he continued. The tall blue skinned man folded his arms, "It could be a trick, Admiral. They know full well we have denied responsibility, now they somehow are aware we are prepared to strike, anything will be said. Surely if their claims were real, the diplomatic avenue would have been exhausted."

 

The Fleet Admiral shook his head slightly, lowering his antenna, "Normally I would agree, but unofficially we are no longer in diplomatic discussions with the Terran government. Rear Admiral Morval said they did not see any resolution to the situation without conflict and we all know Andoria does not need another major conflict." Werin rubbed his chin with his left hand, feeling the white hair he had removed many hours prior starting to resurface.

 

Werin shook his head, "Send no reply..." The tall Andorian nodded and started to move to the Lieutenant at the communications alcove. As the Admiral turned he raised an eyebrow, "However, order Fleet Captain Tervain to focus efforts on intercepting transmissions from this Ambassador Neptune Rex. I want to see anything he picks up, regardless of how pointless it may appear." There was a nod to the order and it was promptly carried out.

 

Werin knew Andoria was stuck between a super nova and black hole. It had been the circumstances which had led to this very situation. The Fleet Admiral had accepted the surrender of many before, but their intent had never been to conquer the pink skins. It was probably true this Neptune Rex was simply firing off a communication in a last second attempt to divert their attention elsewhere.

 

Yet, the Andorian of fifty tilted his head back and peered down at the sensor diagram...the third rotating blue and green ball from the sun. Rear Admiral Morval's private communication a week earlier rang thru his head. "I agree with your analysis that a future relationship with them could potentially be beneficial, similar to our standing with the Alpha Centuri..." the message had said. Yet, in the same message the Supreme Commander of the Andorian fleet had also stated "However, we cannot allow the Vulcan High Command to corrupt these Terrans and use that potential against us."

 

However, if this Neptune Rex was not attempting a diversion and actually accepted the fact the Andoria had not been involved in the destruction of the Vulcan heavy cruiser, it would mark a clear separation in their line of thinking from that of the Vulcan High Command. If a rift had been formed, it could possibly be exploited. Werin's antenna dropped to the base of his skull...was it real or an illusion?

 

He was running out of time to find out.