Dark Spirits in the Corners of Chaos

[NDak 0]

Shortly before Excalibur left for t-Rogora

 

Captain Ty Montiar watched the viewscreen carefully. It’d been just over a month since the Aida had launched from Adalenne. Their shakedown assignment had been blissfully a quiet one—patrol the Federation-Sheliak border.

 

The Saber-class Aida cruised along cutting through the cosmic clouds of the R’tarej’ Nebula. Montiar had thus far been extraordinarily impressed with the ships’ crew. Lt. Marish exceeded his expectations as a Chief Engineer. The Vulcan S’Kel had wowed him at science, and every one else for that matter. Indeed all of his Senior staff had functioned well.

 

Today figured to be no different. The border had been quiet for over a year now. So quiet, there were only three Starfleet vessels assigned to the entire border. The Sheliak rarely bothered themselves with the Federation…or anyone else for that matter. So patrolling the rather desolate border was an easy and welcome assignment for a crew that was still getting their sea legs.

 

Picking up a cup of coffee, he leaned back into his chair, thoughts wandering else where. He’d heard his old friend Ah-Windu Corizon had finally been drug out from behind his desk and shipped off to the Gamma Quadrant—about time. He’d known Corizon for nearly 20 years, almost their entire collective career. He’d always thought he’d make a fine Commander some day. That was half the reason he took Sheng-Ji on as CENG. Every Dameon he’d ever knew had been a loyal, hard worker—Ah-Windu and Sheng-Ji were no exception.

 

He could just see Ah-Windu in the second seat, never letting the Commanding officer go on away missions. That thought made a small smile crease across his face.

 

Something caught his attention though—the tactical officer—he was young, fresh out of Academy and prone to be overly cautious, likely a good thing in Ty’s opinion. The Arzaban was tracking something unusual, and immediately was calling it to the Captain’s Attention.

 

“Yes,” Ty said turning around coffee cup in hand. “What seems to be the problem, Ensign?”

 

The Arzaban looked worried. His blond locks falling loosely out of the cap he wore. “I am tracking something…unusual in along the border.”

 

Ty lifted his brows. They were currently in a nebula that straddled said border. “What kind of something.”

 

“I am not sure,” Zeno Link said continuing his assessment. “It almost looks like…”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Like a Romulan Shuttle…”

 

“Come again…”

 

“Confirmed…” Zeno said tapping. “A Romulan shuttle entering Sheliak space.”

 

So much for the nice quite shakedown cruise. “Operations,” he said giving a slight nod to Zeno. “Did the Romulans register a flight plan with anyone?”

 

The young human female tapped quickly brining up the requested information. “Not that I can find.”

 

Ty tapped his commbadge, “Commander DiNazo…report to the bridge.”

 

DiNazo’s accented Italian voice chirped over the comm. “Yes Captain on my way.”

 

Montiar turned once more to face the viewscreen. Why the devil would a Romulan ship be out here, let alone crossing into Sheliak space. As far as he knew, the two weren’t friends. Even so, why wouldn’t the have at least filled a flight plan with Sector Command. True relations between the Federation and the Empire could be better, but that didn’t mean that the conventions of space travel should be ignored entirely.

 

“Ensign,” he said directing his voice towards Link. “Short range or long range shuttle?”

 

It occurred to him that there might be more of the pointy eared ones hanging around somewhere. And given their recent aggression in the Gamma Quadrant, that wouldn’t likely be a good thing.

 

“Long range shuttle,” Link said, causing a slight sigh of relief to pass over Montiar as his first officer strolled onto the bridge.

 

“Something wrong Captain?”

 

“Not yet…”

 

“Oh?”

 

“We’re tracking an unregistered long range Romulan shuttle entering Sheliak space.”

 

“Oh,” DiNazo didn’t pretend to know if that was good or bad. “And we care…why?”

 

“You’ve read the reports.”

 

“You’ve got a point. Have we tried to contact them?”

 

Link chimed in. “I don’t think they know we’re here sir. They’re traveling uncloaked, and that shuttle model is equipped with one.”

 

“Interesting…I think we should keep it that way,” Montiar said as he drummed his fingers off his chair…a nervous tick he sometimes had when was unsure of a course of action.

 

“I agree Captain…”

 

The drumming stopped. “How long can we track them for?”

 

“In the nebula,” Link said as he calculated. “Another 30 to 35 minutes. If we stay on our side.”

 

“And if we…accidently cross an imaginary line?”

 

Link smirked, “That’d give us an extra 60 minutes…if we weren’t detected.”

 

Montiar turned to look at his First Officer. DiNazo looked at his Captain for a few moments then nodded his approval.

 

“Are there any Sheliak ships in the region that could detect us?”

 

“None that we’ve seen, sir.” Link said almost looking down to check to be sure, but he’d been watching the sensor screen for over three hours, and he knew that answer was correct.

 

“Keep tracking them,” Montiar said after a few moments. “Helm…Coordinate with Ensign Link to keep us parallel to that shuttle.

 

The helm officer, a young, energetic Bolian nodded quickly. “Aye sir.”

 

Montiar and DiNazo were both pleased that S’Kla was currently buried in her work below decks, no doubt she’d lecture them for hours about how irresponsible this move was, and how dangerous it could potentially be to the crew and relations with both the Romulans and Sheliak.

 

~~~

 

The Aida continued to shadow the Romulan shuttle for over 50 minutes before anything productive was accomplished. Patience. Corizon had always stressed that to Montiar. Patience. Apparently the Dameon had something right.

 

After 20 minutes of nothing, Montiar had been ready to simply hail the Romulans and get it over with, but Ah-Windu’s voice kept telling him to wait them out, and they’d eventually reveal their nature.

 

“Captain,” Link’s voice broke the eerie silence that had engulfed the bridge of the Aida. His voice was peculiar as if something had startled him.

 

“Yes,” Montiar said as he swiveled in his chair, eye brows at the tone of voice.

 

“Apparently they’ve been expected.”

 

DiNazo replied first. “What do you mean?”

 

“Three Sheliak warships are intercepting them.”

 

“Tactical status?”

 

“Friendly. They’re been communicating something back and forth between each other. It’s all coded though.” He knew they’d ask.

 

Montiar and DiNazo simultaneously groaned. “On screen.”

 

The view screen flashed momentarily. The nebula caused a bit of interference but not enough to block out the picture. And there it was….a Romulan shuttle and three Sheliak warships. Everyone watching blinked…were they…they were…the Romulans were being escorted. Then…before more reaction could happen…the four ships jumped to warp.

 

“Heading?”

 

“Unsure for certain, but it appears to be towards the Sheliak Homeworld.”

 

“So much for the pleasure cruise.”

 

~~~

 

Three days after the occurrence in the nebula. The Aida began observing even stranger occurrences. The Sheliak, while formidable, weren’t known to be overtly aggressive…assertive sure…but never down right aggressive towards anyone. However, three days after the mysterious Romulan incident, the Sheliak began moving along the border. At first, it was in small groups of 5 to 10 ships. Now it was larger 25 to 30, even groups of 50 or more had been spotted by the three patrol ships.

 

It was all very unsettling. So unsettling, that Sector Command had dispatched another 5 Federation vessels to the boarder. Which, was the only good news as far as the Aida Captain was concerned.

 

Something was certainly amiss here, but what? He had no idea. As the movements had grown larger, the proverbial Federation brows began to lift higher. Causing even more alarm.

 

A few days ago, there were only three Federation ships and a handful of Sheliak ships in the entire area. Now…there were god knows how many Sheliak ships and eight Federation vessels with another fifteen arriving within the next two days.

 

In another three days, if the Fleet Movements continued, as Montiar expected, the Federation was going to open communications with the Sheliak… an arduous and precarious maneuver considering the circumstances. The Sheliak were…infamous for their anal retentiveness regarding treaties and intergalactic agreements. And in all likelihood, they could stall the Federation in negative agreements long enough to act out what ever perfidious plan they’d cooked up with the Romulans.

 

~~~

 

Freshly back from the Gamma Quadrant, Colonel Maec tr’Aieme stood erect on the flagship of the Sheliak fleet. His ever watchful eyes and ears examining the territory around him, thus he wasn’t even startled when the High Director spoke behind him.

 

“Colonel,” the Sheliak said flatly. “You’ll be pleased to know the Federation has began to dispatch more vessels to the border.”

 

“Excellent.”

 

“They have yet to contact us,” the Director said moving into view. “However, we anticipate they will do so soon enough.”

 

“And when they do?”

 

The Sheliak let out a small chuckle. “We will make sure they’re…occupied.”

 

“Mehnka.”

 

“And for your part?”

 

“I just spoke with Galae Command and Tal’Shiar Headquarters. Everything is going according to plan. Ambassador N’Kedre has secured cooperation from the Klingons should the Dominion become involved.”

 

The Sheliak, had he been able to, would have frowned. “And in this Quadrant?”

 

tr’Aieme smirked. “Patience,” he said. “Patience. They will be dealt with soon enough my friend.”

 

“And the Federation?”

 

“They too will feel the might of our two empires united.”

 

“Long have we watched as the Federation has taken the Sheliak for granted. Long have we watched as they spread their substandard pestilence across the quadrant and now the Galaxy.”

 

“Yes…yes we have. They suspect something, but they have overreached their bounds, and with their allies unable to assist them…they will be unprepared for the storm, and when it crashes upon them…we will sweep over them and they will lay in ruin beneath our wave.”