Stardate: 61121:1937
Title: The Big Bang
Author: Captain Khavok
Time: During/after "Lending A Hand"
Scene: Various locations on the Relentless


=/\= Captain's Ready Room =/\=

The Deltan Ambassador stood as the Captain entered the room, though protocol did not demand it. He was dressed in command red, the purple trim designating his office. The Deltan studied him then, assessing him, neither man speaking. Thessyr let his senses expand and he felt the battle hardened man standing before him. The Ambassador felt for a moment, he thought, a sense of loss and some pain. He noticed also a careful guardedness well disguised in the Captain's seemingly relaxed manner.

Khavok crossed the small room and shook Thessyr's hand formally but with some warmth, "Ambassador, I'm pleased to finally meet you."

If the Deltan was having any effect on the Captain, the man was controlling himself exceptionally well.

"I understand that my posting here is somewhat unusual," Thessyr said cautiously.

"There is very little about this ship that is usual, Mr. Ambassador," Khavok returned with a wry smile.

"So it would seem."

The silence did not stretch long, Thessyr was one of the best, and Khavok had grown in the diplomatic environment. The conversation went smoothly until the Captain asked about Tal's quarters.

"Adequate," was the Deltan's reply, he being too much of a gentleman to inform the Captain that adequate translated to barely tolerable.

[Sir, we have a lock on the Relentless' black box. We also have an inbound Dominion fleet. I am reading multiple battle cruisers.]

"Yellow alert."


=/\= CSO's Office =/\=

The jovial mood between the two women and Relly's chosen incarnation evaporated when Relly shifted her image that of an old balding man with a white mutton-chop beard, wearing a monocle.

"I am the very image of a modern major general!" the image said in an exact copy of the Captain's voice.

The two women were about to laugh but the image was replaced with the yellow alert.


=/\= Bridge =/\=

Maxine took science, and Abby her chair. Alex paced his nerves dancing.

When the two were seated Alex spoke, "we have an incoming fleet, at present speed they will arrive in under twenty five minutes. If you thought we were out gunned before…"

The bridge crew waited for the Captain to continue.

"I want several antimatter warheads loaded, low yield and dirty."

"Sir, I have a question," Maxine asked.

"Yes," Khavok said by way of acknowledgement.

"In our previous engagement, why the transphasic torpedo?"

The Captain had a pretty clear idea of where she was going with the question, as a scientist she could calculate weapon loads, damage aspects and a whole host of other things in her head. Alex thought for a minute, deciding on which answer to give. The Captain realized then what a gulf separated them fundamentally, one the one hand peaceful exploration and first contact, and on the other tempering in the fires of relentless combat. Both were necessary and would have their place. Alex sincerely hoped that they would spend more time in exploration. He did not want to be responsible for tempering the young men and women under his command the way he was. In the end he gave her the simple answer.

"I wanted to see it work."

"I see. Sir."

Turning to the viewer which currently displayed the haphazardly spinning SS Solar wind the Captain opened a hail to both his Chief of Ops and Captain Merdock.

"Gentlemen, we have an incoming strike force of a considerably larger nature than the one we previously encountered. You have twenty minutes to have your crew back onboard the Relentless."

[Captain, I demand answers, I have the right…]

Khavok cut him off, "you have the right to get your people aboard this vessel." [What about my cargo?] Merdock demanded.

"We will salvage what we can," Alex replied in an irritated tone.

[The loss! Starfleet will owe me!]

"You can take that up with the authority at Starbase 9, we will salvage what we can."

Realizing that this was the best he was going to get Merdock asked, [start with cargo bay one, sir if you please.]

"As you request."

The Captain cut the link and hailed Yoni, "make sure your team is safe, your order of priorities are, the personal safety of your team, the evacuation of the crew, and recovery of what cargo you may. Engineering is standing by for beam out."

[Understood sir, Yoni out.]

Alex tapped his badge again, "Vilmer, I need that black box."

[Yes sir, I'll inform you the minutes its aboard]

"Captain," Abby asked, "doesn't it strike you odd that a single civilian transport has attracted so much attention? Even if the Dominion doesn't take prisoners why are they investing such a large force?"

"I wonder the same thing. We'll have to find out."

"Mr. Tal if you could be standing by, when Captain Merdock beams over."

"Of course, Captain," Tal responded.

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Captain Alexander Khavok
Commanding Officer
USS Relentless
NCC-11966
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