Star Trek: Voyager - 042 - Protectors by Kirsten Beyer

Author:Kirsten Beyer
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy
ISBN: 9781439103982
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 2009-09-29T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

UTOPIA PLANITIA

“Commander Drafar, how nice to see you again,” Admiral Janeway said, extending her hand to the Lendrin captain of Achilles and craning her neck upward to meet his eyes. He was actually taller than Admiral Akaar, and Janeway didn’t think that was possible.

“And you, Admiral,” he replied, skillfully hiding the surprise he must have felt when he received her orders.

Turning to a Voyager comrade, Janeway extended her hand to Lieutenant Vorik. She had seen him at the memorial service, but they had not spoken. “Hello, Vorik,” she said warmly.

The hand that grasped hers was cold, but his voice was colder. “Admiral.” He nodded, clipping the word to two harsh syllables.

Janeway was surprised at this. Although they had never been close, she had followed Vorik’s progress in Voyager’s engineering section and felt the same proprietary regard for him as for all who had served under her in the Delta Quadrant. She could have been misreading Vulcan discipline for anger, but she didn’t think so.

Letting it go for now, Janeway turned to Captain Regina Farkas, the only reunion she had anticipated with any trepidation. “Captain Farkas, you’re looking well.”

“Thank you, Admiral,” Farkas said, taking her hand firmly. Janeway read considerably less anger than she had expected, along with a healthy dose of curiosity.

“If you will all follow me, I’ll explain your orders,” Janeway said, leading the trio down a long flight of stairs to the holding area, a vast space of necessity, given what it housed.

When they had settled themselves in the dimly lit area, Janeway said, “Computer, maximum illumination.” The computer acknowledged the order with a trilling beep and soon the room was aglow as light reflected off and gently caressed thousands of pieces of starship, only a few large bulkheads still intact.

“Captain, Commander, Lieutenant, meet the Vesta,” Janeway said.

Drafar and Vorik exchanged confused glances, but Farkas’s eyes met hers with approval.

“What’s left of her,” Vorik said softly.

“Obviously, she has seen better days,” Janeway acknowledged. “The Vesta was the test ship for the class now named in her honor—the first Starfleet vessels equipped with combined warp and slipstream drives.”

“If memory serves, she was decommissioned after her test runs were complete,” Drafar noted.

“She suffered many well-earned bumps and bruises,” Janeway said, “a fate not uncommon for trailblazers. At the time, when Starfleet’s resources were more plentiful, it was decided that she would best serve our future as a template for Quirinal, among others.”

“She’ll never fly again, Admiral,” Vorik said, clearly sensing where this was going.

“Sure she will,” Farkas corrected him.

“The Full Circle fleet cannot safely complete its mission in the Delta Quadrant with the resources left to it, and Starfleet does not currently have the resources to build a Vesta-class ship for the mission. Apart from Commander Torres,” Janeway continued, “the crew who resurrected Quirinal are here in the Alpha Quadrant and have now been assigned to extend the same courtesy to the Vesta. I believe what you did once, you can do again, particularly when you have the resources of Utopia Planitia at your disposal.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.