Stardate: 70211:1043
Title: The Skeleton in My Closet
Author: Captain Khavok
Time: After "Decades of Regret"
Scene: Captain's Ready Room


Khavok sat thinking in his ready room as Abby continued her conversation with the Admiral. Alex could sense his XO's discomfort as she continued her conversation and he placed his arm on her shoulder, one warrior to another. He was content to listen and think as the two discussed the ramifications.

The Captain found his mind rapidly changing. At first Alex was a bit nonplussed by the realization that not only did Admiral Foster know about the bomb but intended to use it. As he listened to the two Starfleet officers converse, he began to remember decisions he'd made and the skeletons in his own closet. He found his mind changing, and he realized that this universe's Libby was close enough to his own and he felt a curious empathy mixed with sadness.

He rapidly made some decisions and, waiting for a lull in the conversation, he announced what they were.

"Admiral, I have to inform you that being from a universe other than your own I cannot act under your command. This ship and its crew will act instead as a first contact vessel between our respective universes."

The Admiral's face clouded, but she did not speak, Alex's logic being sound.

"We have indeed interfered, albeit unknowingly, when we answered the 'Solar Winds' distress call. I am sorry to report that we did witness the destruction of your Relentless with all hands. We did recover the 'black box' and relevant logs and I will have them sent to you at once."

"Thank you, Captain," Admiral Foster said.

The Admiral sighed, having Alex decide to act as a first contact vessel and remain outside of her command was a blow. That blow compounded on learning that her crew was gone. She was quite surprised at Alex's next statement.

"I know of a certain Captain in Starfleet history who was of the opinion that the Prime Directive was more of a guide than absolute law. Our Ambassador is busy with another task and so it falls on me to make these decisions as Captain of this vessel. We are in possession of certain technologies that may enable you to turn the tide of the war, or at the very least give you protection from the polaron weapons of the Dominion and give you a fighting chance."

"Captain, I must object, we need to consider…" Commander Winters interjected.

Alex forestalled his Executive Officer with an odd gentleness.

"Abby, I understand and there will be no hard feelings regardless of what your logs have to say."

"Of course, Sir," Abby returned.

"It's a gut feeling I have and the best I can do without a clear Prime Directive."

"Admiral, if you will excuse us for just a moment," Alex asked.

The Admiral gave her leave and Alex escorted Abby into the privacy of his quarters. "Speak freely, Abigail," he said to her then.

"Alex, I'm not sure it's a good idea to be sharing this technology. We don't have a right to interfere in this universe. I know we've already interfered but shouldn't we keep the damage to a minimum?"

"You have a point, but I find that I can't just stand by and do nothing. I will give them the technology for the shields and the ablative armor generators but not the torpedoes and iso-kinetic cannon. Their own engineers will have to find out the rest."

"It doesn't feel right to me."

"Was it right when we were given the technology?"

Abby thought for a minute, it did make a certain kind of sense when presented in that light.

"Okay. You're the boss and you have my support."

"Good," Alex smiled. "Any word on the bomb?"

"No. Thess is with Relly and appears to be having some success with her. Ops is coordinating with Engineering and Science to see if we can't find how it was smuggled out of here and see if we can track it on station."

"Good. I want it found. I feel better with it in our possession - I don't want to risk it being deployed and stopping us from jumping home. While the rules on assisting fellow Federations are somewhat unclear, the orders concerning the Omega particle are not."

"Yes, Sir," Abby said feeling a bit better.

The pair returned to the Admiral and Alex discussed his plans to transfer the relevant technologies to Libby's people. He was careful to leave out any mention of how they actually managed to get into the universe in the first place. He also gave his XO the high sign letting her know he wanted to be underway and prepared to jump home very soon.


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Captain Alexander Khavok
Commanding Officer
USS Relentless
NCC-11966
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