File #2
#2 of Star Trek: Warrior - Atlantis
The Second Chapter
File #2
"You have violated my standing orders!"
Greyfell had heard this far too many times as he sat across the conference room, looking over the human Fleet Admiral that sat across from him.
"Admiral..." replied Greyfell, with a calmness to his voice that permeated the room. "I would like to remind you that had we not done so, the Romulan who planted the explosive device would be safely back in Romulan space."
Fleet Admiral Jonathan Hartman was not convinced as his older hands clenched the beverage that Greyfell had replicated for him when he arrived. He was a man, in his forties, with no visible hair on his head and a small, slowly greying beard covering the lower portion of his face. He wore the white flag uniform afforded to the officers that had achieved sufficient standing in the Fleet.
Starfleet Command had handpicked Admiral Hartman to take overall command of the 12th Expeditionary Fleet, a small task force of starships which were assigned to Starbase 248 on the Federation side of the Triangle Sector.
The Triangle Sector, a name which sounded mysterious yet also sparked curiosity, was a region of space intersecting the three major powers of the Beta Quadrant, the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Star Empire. This area of space was established via a treaty between the three major powers due to an increased number of archeological sites in this particular region.
So far... no one empire had chosen to invade the Triangle for its own gain.
"Had you followed my orders...!" called Admiral Hartman in a sharp tone. "We could have petitioned the Romulan Government to release the terrorist to us. Your aggressive charge across the Neutral Zone has already made that an impossibility!"
"But sir... with all due respect, the Romulan Government has never cooperated with Starfleet in the past... even less so after the Hobus Supernova..."
The Hobus Supernova occurred in 2387 and had acted as a catalyst for the years of moral decay with the Romulan state. The supernova had wiped out Romulus, the homeworld of the Romulan Star Empire however the aftermath proved to be just as devastating.
After years of oppression, a little known Romulan subclass, the Remans had rose up against their oppressors and threw the Romulan Imperial Navy into disarray with the Romulan state dividing into two opposing powers, both seeking control over former Romulan space, the Romulan Star Empire and the Imperial Romulan State.
Due to the chaos on their borders, the Romulan Star Empire cut off its diplomatic ties with the other major Beta Quadrant powers and quietly retreated into their own space. It had been many years since they have been seen since.
"You don't know that, Alex!" replied Admiral Hartman, still seeking some kind of diplomatic remedy. The Romulans had been insulted that the Warrior had charged into the Neutral Zone after them, even if they had laid a careful trap for the ship. Greyfell's actions had given the Romulans all the cards as well as played directly into their hands.
Hartman was reminded of whatCaptain Jean-Luc Picard had famously said about the Romulans.
It was always a game of chess with them...
"By doing this... you have played right into the hands of the Romulans."
"But sir... I don't th--"
"That is exactly my point..." interrupted Hartman. "You don't think! And now your actions will have far reaching consequences for the Federation."
"I doubt the Romulan state is in any condition to start a war with the Federation."
"That is not the point. Starfleet is attempting to establish diplomatic relations with the Romulan Star Empire and your actions may have derailed that."
Greyfell took a moment to think about what he had done. Yes. He had left the relief ships around Starbase 248 in order to follow the Romulan Warbird, in full defiance of Admiral Hartman's orders. He was not so sure...
Maybe Admiral Hartman was correct and he had irreparably damaged relations with the Romulan Star Empire. However there was one potential benefit, the saboteur and his ship, had been captured in the ensuing battle.
"Maybe so..." Greyfell replied, his equine head rising from looking down at the table. He had felt all this time that he was a schoolchild again, being bought before the headmaster. Something about it made him feel incredibly uneasy and filled him with shame. "But we also managed to capture a Warbird and bring the saboteur back for questioning?"
Admiral Hartman let out a short, embittered sigh. "Subcommander Teraal has already been released from custody and is on his way back to Rator III." Greyfell let out a grunt of annoyance. How could Starfleet allow somebody that caused the deaths of so many people and the destruction of the Starbase 248 Academy Annex go free?
"What?" replied Greyfell, trying to hide his obvious contempt for this decision, albeit not very well. "But Admiral..."
"In exchange for overlooking this incident..." replied Admiral Hartman, talking over Greyfell. "The Romulan Star Empire demanded the return of their captured ship and crew."
Why?
Why had Starfleet allowed this? They had allowed an obviously dangerous criminal with Federation blood on his hands walk free... for what? To save face with the Romulan Star Empire, who had planned this attack in order to get their hands on the Warrior in the first place?
Greyfell wanted to shout, he wanted to scream inside and single handed fight the entire Romulan Star Empire in order to see justice done for the hundreds of people that lost their lives.
Everything his crew... his family had suffered through... Everything he had suffered through at the hands of the Romulan forces that boarded the Warrior in an attempt to seize the ship...
All of that...
Had been for nothing...