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STC: Bangkok Down: Chapter 7

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7

Open Space, S.S. Calypso
January 24, 2269

Cera Rigel was not only the captain of Calypso, but the freighter’s chief engineer as well. The entire crew helped out as best they could with ship maintenance and repairs (with Jan Koor wearing the hat of engineer’s mate as well as transporter chief) but Cera was the one who handled the bulk of the serious repair work.
    “You see what I mean, Captain?” Jan stood beside Cera in main engineering, the two of them looking at a readout on the primary control panel.
    Cera sighed, rubbing her forehead. “I do, Jan. That plasma injector’s shot.”
    “Hmm… maybe it’s just clogged?” the Orion suggested.
    “No, Gar scrubbed all the injectors last week, remember?” she said, shaking her head. “There’s no way it could be clogged. It needs to be replaced.”
    “Do we have one in stores?”
    “Yes, we have one left. Which means we’ll have to restock as soon as we can.”
    Jan winced. “Plasma injectors are expensive, Captain.”
    “Maintenance before profits, Mr Koor,” Cera told him with a smirk. “A pocketful of credit chips is useless if your ship is stranded in the middle of nowhere.”
    “Aye, Captain,” he said, sighing. She had a good point.
    “Risa won’t have any. We’ll have to wait till we get to Coridan.”
    “Gouging bastards,” Jan cursed. Coridan had some of the finest shipyards in known space, and made some of the best starships. But they also charged a lot more.
    “Can’t be helped, I’m afraid.”
    “Bridge to engineering,” came T’Prin’s voice over the ship’s intercom.
    Cera activated the speaker on the control panel. “Engineering.”
    “Captain, we are receiving a transmission from Starfleet Headquarters,” T’Prin informed her. “It is Admiral Morgan Rigel, Retired.”
    “Uncle Morgan?” said Cera in surprise.
    “Yes, Captain. The transmission is in real-time.”
    Cera exchanged a look with Jan. Something was up. “Patch it down here, please.”
    “Affirmative, Captain.”
    Cera walked over to a display monitor at an engineering substation and sat down. Jan stood beside her, just out of view of the monitor’s camera. Cera activated the viewscreen, and was greeted by the smiling face of her mother’s eldest brother. He was handsome and distinguished, with just the right amount of grey in his dark hair and beard. Cera had always imagined he would’ve made a perfect captain on a tall ship of bygone days.
    “Uncle Morgan!” she said happily. “It’s great to see you.”
    “It’s good to see you too, Cera,” Morgan told her affectionately.
    “How’s Mom?”
    “Your mother is doing quite well and sends her best,” he replied.
    “How about Aunt Tasha? Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Babs?”
    Morgan chuckled warmly. “The whole family’s fine, Cera, right down to your nieces and nephews. But an update on the Rigel clan wasn’t why I called.”
    “All right, what’s up? Why are you at Starfleet Headquarters?” Cera gave her uncle an amused look. “Are you bored between hands of poker?”
    “Cera, my weekly poker games are on Friday. Today’s Sunday,” he told her.
    Cera shrugged. “Well, you lose track of the days in deep space.”
    “Yes, which brings me to why I called,” he said with a glint in his eye. “You’ve been rather busy since you took command of Calypso, haven’t you? Restoration of your ship at Vega, hiring a crew, helping your cousin run out on her wedding, getting chased down by the Newton, transporting cargo from Orion, of all places; more cargo from Risa and Xarantine. And oh yes… fighting Klingon warships and rescuing the Bangkok. Yes, very busy indeed.”
    Cera didn’t know what to say. When he put it like that…
    “Okay, so I’ve had things to do,” she said, shrugging again. “So what? You were doing a lot more when you were captain of the Arcturus.”
    “Those were good times. Now listen, Cera,” he said, a bit more serious. “I know you’ve had a rather… chaotic relationship with Starfleet to date. But what you and your crew did for the Bangkok is being talked about across the fleet.”
    Standing beside Cera, Jan Koor got a very smug look on his face.
    “Captain Howard has described you as heroes to not only Starfleet Command, but in an interview with the Federation News Service,” he told her, and Cera gaped at him in complete surprise. Morgan grinned. “Needless to say, your mother is extremely proud and talking the ear off anyone in Charlottetown who’ll listen.”
    Jan laughed and slapped Cera on the shoulder. “How ‘bout that, Captain?”
    “Who’s that?” Morgan asked, cocking his head.
    “This is Jan Koor, my transporter chief,” Cera explained, and the big Orion leaned over and grinned at the viewscreen, giving a wave.
    “Hello there, Admiral.”
    “Nice to meet you, Mr Koor,” Morgan replied, and Jan leaned back out of view. “I’m very proud of you as well, Cera. The whole family is. And given the actions of you and your crew, Starfleet Command has decided to grant you the Starfleet Award for Valour.”
    Cera stared at the viewscreen, speechless.
    Jan leaned over her shoulder again, raising an eyebrow. “Say again, Admiral?”
    “The Starfleet Award for Valour,” Morgan repeated. “Normally this is only given to Starfleet personnel, but Captain Howard was the one who put you in for the commendation, and made a lot of noise about it. Starfleet Command agreed that an exception needed to be made in this case. Everyone I’ve talked to concurs.”
    Jan straightened up and ran a hand over his scalp. “How about that.”
    “Congratulations, Captain Rigel,” said Morgan, looking very pleased. “Inform your crew. When you get to Risa, a starship will be waiting for you. The U.S.S. Azrael is already en route from New France with Rear Admiral Montgomery on board. He’ll be the one awarding you and your crew the commendation.”
    “Starfleet is giving me a medal?” Cera finally blurted out.
    “Yes, the irony isn’t lost on anyone,” he said, smirking. “Accept it with grace, Cera. You’ve earned it. I’ll give your regards to your mother. Morgan out.”
    And with that he ended the transmission.
    Jan laughed and hooted, slapping his hands together. “Oh, I can’t wait till we get to Risa! Can you just imagine it, Captain? A Starfleet admiral pinning a medal on the chest of an Orion like me? Like Nessa? I’ll want pictures of that.”
    Jan’s amusement was infectious, and she couldn’t help but smirk. “Just don’t sell it, all right? That would be in really bad taste.”
    “Sell it? Are you kidding?” Jan laughed. “I’ll make sure to wear it in every Starfleet port we make, to ensure that every Starfleeter who sees me, squirms. Something like that is priceless, Captain.”
    “Well, before we get any medals, we have to replace that injector,” Cera told him with a chuckle of her own. “Then I’ll call a meeting and inform the crew.”
    Jan beamed. “I can’t wait to see the look on Nessa’s face when she finds out.”

                                                                          *****

Given the informal nature of Cera’s command, there was no dedicated conference room aboard Calypso. Before the ship’s renovation at Vega Colony there had been one, but Cera had had it converted to a storeroom. Her crew was so small that they didn’t even have assigned duty shifts. What was the point in a conference room? If there was a need for a meeting, then they usually got together in the mess hall.
    “You have got to be kidding me,” said Nessa, disbelievingly.
    Cera smiled, taking a sip of her coffee. “No, I’m not. Starfleet is giving us the Starfleet Award for Valour for coming to the Bangkok’s aid.”
    “How about that, eh, sister?” Jan laughed, slapping his hand on the table.
    “Dude, watch it,” Kona complained, lifting up his mug of beer. Some of it had sloshed onto the table from the force of the blow.
    “Sorry, brother.”
    “This information is accurate?” T’Prin asked, raising a delicate eyebrow.
    “Uncle Morgan told me himself not long ago,” Cera confirmed. “That’s what the subspace call was all about.”
    “Most intriguing.”
    “Hey, we’re heroes,” said Kona, giving the Vulcan his best charming smile. “Cavalry riding in to save the day and all that.”
    “In your case, Kona, on a surfboard,” Garadun remarked, and Kona chuckled, raising his beer in salute.
    Nessa shook her head. “It makes no sense. Starfleet doesn’t do things like this. Their goal is to oppress free traders, not reward them.”
    “Starfleet is at odds with the Orion Syndicate, yes,” Cera acknowledged. “But I think it’s unfair to say that they oppress free traders.”
    “They’re not the Klingons,” Garadun interjected, looking at Nessa, and then looked at Cera. “On the other hand, they’re not exactly benevolent, either. Any free trader working in Federation space has got the threat of a zillion regulations hanging over their head. Fees and taxes everywhere, to say nothing of corruption the Federation never wants to admit exists. One wrong move and they impound your vessel.”
    Jan nodded in agreement. “Well said, brother.”
    “And the Syndicate isn’t corrupt?” Cera countered defensively.
    “Of course it is,” Garadun replied with a roll of his eyes. “But at least in Orion ports I know what I’m getting myself into. I know how the game is played. At Federation ports I’m never really sure what the game is.”
    Kona snickered and sipped his beer. “And here I thought I was the only Federation citizen who had a problem with the system.”
    “I’m not a Federation citizen,” Garadun stated, with an edge to his voice that got the young Hawaiian’s attention.
    “But you’re Human,” said Kona, confused. “From Earth, right?”
    Garadun shared a look with Cera and T’Prin before answering. “I was born on Earth, yes. But I’m not a Federation citizen. Never have been, never will.”
    “Lot of Humans ain’t,” Jan remarked with a shrug.
    “In any case, Starfleet wants to show its appreciation for what we did for the Bangkok,” said Cera, trying to get back on topic. “We’ll be given the award when we get to Risa. The Azrael will be there waiting for us.”
    “Full ceremony and everything?” said Kona excitedly.
    Cera smiled. “Even an admiral to pin on the medals.”
    “Cool! I’ll have to write my folks. Dad nearly went nova when I quit Starfleet, but getting a medal for bravery and stuff? That should square things.”
    “What if I don’t want the medal?” Nessa asked stiffly.
    “Show a little class, woman,” Jan told her in their native tongue, suddenly serious. “You think this kind of thing happens every day? Orions being given medals by Starfleet? I bet this admiral will be choking when he pins them on us, but he’ll do it because he’s got orders. Shove his pride down his throat. For most Starfleeters it’ll be a slash on the belly to see an Orion wearing one of their medals. Help make those cuts bleed deep.”
    Nessa paused before answering. “You have a point, friend, and no-one likes the idea of embarrassing Starfleet more than I. But what of my Captain? This is an honour for her. I would not spoil her moment. Nor that of our shipmates.”
    “Who said to do that? It is an honour for them, and well-earned. Our revenge does not take anything away from their honour. Use a stiletto on Starfleet, not a sword.”
    “I hear you.”
    “Uh, Gar, d’you know what they’re saying?” Kona asked.
    “I’m gonna be smart and say no,” Garadun replied. Jan gave him a wink.
    “And I’m going to take this opportunity to say meeting adjourned,” Cera added, getting up from the table. “I still have some things to do in engineering.”
    “Actually, I need to run a diagnostic on the transporters,” said Jan.
    “I will do the same for communications,” said T’Prin, nodding.
    Kona cheerfully raised his mug. “I’m gonna finish my beer.”
    As everyone apart from Kona filed out of the mess hall, Nessa slung her arm across Garadun’s shoulders and gave him a smile. “Thank you for the privacy.”
    “No problem. Besides, Cera not like hear what you say.”
    Nessa guided him along the main corridor and into a side-junction, to make sure they wouldn’t be overheard. “How much did you understand?
    “Almost all. Since being with Jan again, and with you, Orion getting better. I also practice for Sajeen. She like that I speak Orion.”
    “And what did you think of our conversation?
    “I am not…” Garadun sighed and switched to English. “I’m no fan of Starfleet, Nessa, you know that. You wanna stick it to them, then more power to ya. Just watch what you say around Cera. She doesn’t like them much either because of personal differences; but she was raised in a Starfleet family. In her heart she’s a loyal Federation citizen. She’s what the Federation is supposed to be: open, accepting, liberal. She believes in the values of the Federation, believes in the ideals of Starfleet. That’s why she gets so hurt and upset when they don’t live up to their own standards.”
    “She’s an honourable woman,” said Nessa, nodding in agreement.
    “The best. That’s why we have to look out for her.”
    Nessa smiled and caressed the side of his face and neck. “Sajeen is lucky to have you, you know. You are a good and honourable man.”
    “Uh, thanks,” he said, feeling a heat and thrill run through him from her touch. He was far more used to being around Orion women than the vast majority of Human men, and sort of had a handle on their pheromones, but they still affected him.
    “You really didn’t have sex with her?” Nessa asked in a husky tone.
    Garadun shook his head.
    “Just you wait,” Nessa told him, her voice low and sensual. She leaned in, lips almost touching. “None are better than we. And when we truly love with our hearts, as I do with Cera, our lovemaking is all-consuming.”
    Nessa caressed his manhood, which was hard and pulsing, and he let out a groan. She brushed her lips against his. “Sajeen is going to give you such ecstasy. And you will pleasure her, trust me. Give her your heart, and she will be yours forever.”
    Nessa gave him a slow, passionate kiss. Then she let go his needy manhood and sauntered away with a playful, wicked smile; leaving Garadun breathless and aching for her. It took a while for his head to clear, and even longer for his body to calm down.
    Orion girls. Wow.

                                                                          *****

Captain Darrin Yates looked around what until recently had been Captain Weller’s office, and wondered who was being sent to lay claim to it. After years aboard the Cassini as its first officer, he had finally been given the promotion most Starfleet officers aspire to: the rank of Captain. But Cassini wasn’t to be his. Instead, he was being given the Lupus. The Hermes class starship was ideal for galactic exploration.
    Seeking out the wonders of the galaxy was why most people joined Starfleet, and Captain Yates was thrilled that he was finally getting a chance to do just that. And do it while being in command of his own vessel. He was going to miss the Cassini, however. Not for the cargo and transport missions the ship performed, to be perfectly honest, but because of the crew. They were a good bunch of people, for the most part, and he hoped their new captain would inspire them to achieve their best.
    The intercom buzzer went off and he answered. “Yes, what is it?”
    “Crewman Sajeen is here to see you, Captain,” Yeoman Aldridge told him.
    “All right, thank you, Lily. Please send her in.”
    The office door slid open, and Sajeen walked in and stood at attention before her new captain. She was wearing her Starfleet uniform; yet unlike most women on the Cassini, she had foregone the miniskirt version in favour of the standard tunic and black pants. Yates privately thought this did nothing to reduce the young woman’s attractiveness, which was exceptional. Shipboard scuttlebutt said that none of the crew had been able to get anywhere romantically with the Orion, much to their disappointment.
    “Please, Sajeen, at ease,” Yates told her with a smile.
    “Thank you, Captain,” she said and relaxed.
    “So what can I do for you? You’re still on leave, you know.”
    “I know, Captain. And I know I speak for the entire crew when I say thank you for that,” Sajeen told him. “Everyone’s in need of it. I also wanted to say congratulations on your promotion. It’s long overdue, and the crew of the Lupus are very lucky to be getting you as their captain.”
    “Thank you, Sajeen, that’s very kind of you,” he said, genuinely touched.
    “It’s the truth, sir.” Sajeen took a breath. “But that’s not why I’m here.”
    Yates sat on the edge of his desk and folded his arms across his chest. “Go ahead.”
    “I’m here to inform you, Captain, that I’m resigning from Starfleet.”
    Yates sighed. He was disappointed by the news; but it was understandable and he’d seen it coming. The young Orion had been treated very badly under Weller’s command, and the deplorable incident with Ryan hadn’t helped one damned bit.
    “Are you sure about this, Sajeen?” he asked. “Weller’s gone, and I can assure you that his replacement will be nothing like him.”
    “It’s not that, Captain,” she told him. “After what happened I wanted to quit, yes. You were there. And thank you again for your support. It’s just that, well, Starfleet’s not the place for me anymore. I’m going to miss Alicia so much; she’s my best friend. But this isn’t where I belong.”
    “I understand. We all have different paths in life.”
    “Yes, sir. My path is taking me to the Calypso,” she supplied.
    “The Calypso?” said Yates in surprise. “The freighter that rescued the Bangkok?”
    Sajeen lit up with a warm smile. “Yes, Captain. You see, I met the Calypso’s first mate when we were at Risa, and we’ve been ‘subspace dating’ ever since. I’m going to join the crew and be with him at last.”
    “Then I’m very happy for you, Sajeen,” Yates told her sincerely. “Starfleet’s loss is the Calypso’s gain. I hope this man knows how lucky he is to have you.”
    “I’m the lucky one, sir,” she said, and Yates recognised the glow about her. This was a young woman in love. “Garadun’s the finest man I’ve ever known.”
    “Have you worked out how you’re getting to the Calypso?” Yates asked her curiously. “Freighters are always on the move.”
    “Gar told me they’re going to be at Risa around the start of February. After that, they go to Coridan, and then to Andoria to make more deliveries. I’m hoping I can find a transport that can get me to one of those worlds in time to meet them.”
    Captain Yates nodded thoughtfully. “Tell you what. I’ll look into this for you, see if there’s any ship that’s making a stopover here that can get you where you’re going. I think Starfleet owes you that, at the very least.”
    “Really, Captain?” said Sajeen excitedly. “Oh, thank you! That would mean the world to me! Thank you so much.”
    “If you can get me the Calypso’s flight plan, that would be a help.”
    “Yes, sir. I’ll get that for you right away.”
    “Very well, then.” Yates stood and offered his hand. “Good luck, Sajeen.”
    “You too, Captain Yates,” she said, shaking. “Thank you again for everything.”
Star Trek Calypso is set during the TOS era. Characters use the FASA Star Trek RPG for game stats.

Bangkok Down is an original story, and all characters appearing are copyright by me. I do not consider this fanfiction, but simply an unofficial novella set in the Star Trek universe. I do my best to stay as close as possible to canon.

Since STC is set in the TOS era, warp speed uses the old scale drofdemonology.deviantart.com/…

For a map of the Federation and its neighbours Star Trek Map 1


You can find all the chapters of the novellas here drofdemonology.deviantart.com/…

Based upon Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry.
© 2014 - 2024 DrOfDemonology
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Nuclear-Fridge's avatar
Yates as Archer... okay, I can go with that. I cheered when he stood up to Weller, and when he realised the idiot wasn't going to do anything, Yates went above him.