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Forwarded by the ASC-VSO 
Posted: Tue, 03 Feb 2004 18:38:02 -0500  
In: alt.startrek.creative 
From: quills the_quill_pen@yahoo.com 
 

Title: Uneasy Alliances
Author: Quills
Contact: the_quill_pen@yahoo.com
Series: ENT
Rating: PG-13 
Disclaimer:  Paramount owns Star trek and I derive no financial gain
from this story.
Codes: A Captain Soma Adventure
Summary: The crew of the U.S.S. Argo, under the command of Captain 
The starship Argo had remained motionless for twelve hours after
arriving in the Dynarius Cluster. Her crew had received orders from
Starfleet Command to proceed at maximum warp to the coordinates
supplied and then to await further instructions. No explanation given.
No further information supplied. 

"Mr. Beltane?" said the man in the center command chair, addressing
the ship's science officer.

Beltane, a senior lieutenant in a blue Starfleet tunic with a full red
beard he wore to cover his boyish features, looked up from his
instruments. The expression on his face almost made it appear as
though he had just been startled. In truth, like the rest of the crew,
he was simply getting tired of waiting and watching for nothing.

"Still nothing Captain Soma," replied Beltane shaking his head. "If
they're out there, then their damn good at hiding...begging your
pardon, sir."

Soma shook his head as he shifted in his seat. "It's alright
lieutenant. We're all getting a little tired of this waiting game
Starfleet has sent us on."

"I just don't understand," said a woman seated in front of Soma.
Lieutenant Commander Allysa Vemanova, was the ship's navigator and
first officer. She turned around in her chair, looking at Soma. "Why
all the secrecy. There's nothing out here worth keeping quiet about."

Soma smiled at the dark haired navigator. She never was one for
mysteries. Soma had often wondered why she ever joined Starfleet if
she had no sense of the mysterious. He had finally come out and asked
her point blankly. Her response had always amused him.
Where else can I pilot the fastest, most technically advanced ships in
the galaxy!

"Allysa, where we are may hold little interest for the rest of the
galaxy," smiled Soma, "but who we're supposed to meet is another
matter."

"So it's a person?" asked a voice from an aft bridge station.

Soma glanced back. Tav, his Tellerite Security Chief was leaning with
his back against a bulkhead, his gold tunic Starfleet tunic hugging
against his ample frame. Tav was the first Tellerite to graduate from
Starfleet Academy and Soma felt a special kinship with the man, as he
had been the first Vulcan to graduate from that same illustrious
institution.

"Undoubtedly," replied Soma. "Why else send us out here to wait unless
we're waiting for a rendezvous."

"I say, that's clever!" replied Tav humorously.

Soma gave him a small grin. "That's why I'm a captain."

"Ok," said Allysa. "So if it's a person then who?"

Soma gave the dark haired navigator a slight shrug. "If I knew that,
I'd be an admiral."

"Hmmm, I wonder who our mystery person could be," said the Tellerite.
During this time, with Earth and Starfleet's heightened tension with
the mysterious Romulans leading to what most in the fleet believed
would be war and the recent first contact with the predatory Kzinti
the possibilities of whom their contact could be proved both
tantalizing and frightening.  Tav was about to voice several possible
individuals he believed their mysterious rendezvous might involve when
Ensign Calvert addressed Soma.

"Captain, we're receiving a signal sir," said the stocky blonde man.
Tav and Soma had been trying to get the Tom Calvert to transfer over
to security. He had all the requirements for a first rate security
officer, but the ensign had repeatedly declined, telling the captain
and Tav that he was a 'communications officer...not a bully boy'.
"It's scrambled and encoded sir."

"On screen ensign," said Soma as adjusted his posture, straightening
his gold tunic for good measure.

"Aye sir," replied Calvert. "Coming through."

The view screen shimmered as the image of empty space was replaced by
the face of a woman. Soma's brow shot up. She was a remarkably
beautiful woman. Hauntingly so, but it wasn't her beauty which caused
Soma's reaction; it was her deep blue skin and pure white hair which
culminated at the top of her head with to slender antennae. Andorians

"Captain Soma," said the woman, "I am Sub-Lieutenant Thala of the
Andorian Imperial Guard."

"I take it you're the person who we've been requested to meet,
Sub-Lieutenant."

"No Captain," the woman responded in an almost icy tone. "I am
escorting the person you have been ordered to rendezvous with." 

Soma noted the stress she gave the word 'ordered' as if the person in
question were the Andorian regent himself. "Well Sub-Lieutenant, my
crew and I are here...we've been waiting for twelve hours...why don't
you drop the pretense and tell us exactly who it is we came all this
way for."

Thala glared at Soma. The Vulcan captain annoyed her; that much was
plain. For Soma;s part he gave the Andorian woman a congenial smile
which seemed to only increase her annoyance with the Vulcan. Glancing
off screen, she nodded her head and slowly stepped out of the frame of
the viewer. Within a few moments another Andorian replaced her. This
one was clearly a male and much older than Thala. His skin was the
traditional deep powder blue of all Andorians, but it was wrinkled and
worn from a lifetime of activity. He moved with a slight limp that
further belied his age or possibly some old battle wound. 

"It's good to see you again Captain Soma," smiled the elderly
Andorian. "It's been a while."

Soma's brow furrowed as the Andorian greeted him. He recognized the
man immediately. And he was correct; it had been a long time, but for
Soma, not long enough. 

"Shran."

TBC...


--
Stephen Ratliff
ASC Stories Only Forwarding

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Date: Sun, 02 May 2004 14:46:59 -0400
Subject: [ASC] NEW ENT Uneasy Alliances  Chapter 3  : A Captain Soma Solo Adventure (Action, Romance, Adventure) PG13
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Forwarded by the ASC-VSO 
Posted: Sat, 01 May 2004 22:11:07 -0400  
In: alt.startrek.creative 
From: quills <quills@thequillpen.net> 
Part: 3/? 

Title: Uneasy Alliances
Author: Quills
Contact: quills@thequillpen.net
Series: ENT
Rating: PG-13 
Disclaimer:  Paramount owns Star trek and I derive no financial gain
from this story.
Codes: A Captain Soma Adventure
Summary: The crew of the U.S.S. Argo, under the command of Captain 
Chapter 3

Mission log, supplemental: It's been six hours since we left the Argo
and the Andorian cruiser Tellar. At maximum warp, we expect the reach
the Anteus system in just under ten hours; then our work will begin.
End log entry.

Soma tapped his finger against the console. The computer made a low
beep, signaling that the log entry had been recorded. Looking up, he
glanced around the cabin, studying the layout of the small Andorian
fighter. It was definitely cramped, but Andorian vessels were not
renowned for their comfort. Still, he admired the industrial look of
the ship. It was simple and clean. A stark difference to the Starfleet
vessels he was used to.

Turning in his chair, he looked towards the pilot seat at the front of
the compartment. Thala had insisted that she be the one to pilot the
ship. He hadn't seen any point in arguing the matter, but that was six
hours ago. He was getting restless. Something Soma never quite
developed a discipline for. Boredom easy got the better of him. 

Standing up - or rather hunching over - he moved towards the forward
section of the ship; carefully navigating the narrow space between the
storage compartment and the cockpit. When he reached the pilot's
chair, he leaned over, looking down at Thala.

"I need a change of scenery. Let me take the controls for bit."

"I would prefer to stay here," she said, keeping her attention focused
on the star field outside.

Soma frowned at the Andorian. Did she intend to be difficult the
entire trip? Closing his eyes, he reminded himself what his father had
always taught him about being a gentleman towards a lady. Dad never
met Thala, he sighed.

"Look, I'm trying to be amiable, but I'm getting bored out my skull,"
said the captain in exasperation. "That's the fourth log entry I've
made since we left."

"Yes," she said.  "I know."

Looking up at the view port, he could see her reflection in the
forward window. He could also see the smile firmly planted on her
lips. She was enjoying his annoyance. Two can play at this, he
thought.

Leaning close, he let his lips hover over her left cheek. "So, why
don't you let me pilot for a bit," he said in a low husky voice, "and
you can go get something to eat. You do eat, don't you…Thala?" He let
her name roll of his tongue with a hint of sexuality. He was certain
if that didn't annoy her, nothing would.

Thala swallowed reflexively as she felt his warm breath against her
cheek. The sensation made her skin tingle and she gripped the control
stick tightly. He knows how revolting I find his presence, she thought
angrily. He's trying to antagonize me.

Still, she had to admit that Soma was right about one thing; she was
hungry. She had eaten before they left, but that had been ten hours
ago. Although she wasn't comfortable turning the controls over to the
Vulcan, she realized she would have to be cooperative with him; at
least for the duration of their mission.

Swiveling the pilot seat around, she started to rise only to find Soma
standing in her way.

"If you wish me to vacate this seat captain, you'll need to get out of
my way."

Soma didn't move. He focused his attention on Thala's eyes. He had
found them hauntingly beautiful when he first saw them and this time
was no different. He also knew he was making her uncomfortable.
Deciding not to press his luck, he bowed his head, stepping aside.

Thala moved forward, but the cramped space of the shuttle barely
afforded room for one person to maneuver, let alone two. Moving past
Soma, her hip butted against the captain, knocking her of balance. As
she fell to one side, Soma reached out, grabbing her by the waste as
he pulled her too him. 

"Careful sub-lieutenant," smiled Soma. "I wouldn't want you to hurt
yourself."

Thala glared at Soma. She could feel his arm holding her tightly. She
could tell he was enjoying this. "Kindly let go of me, Captain."

Soma smiled and slid his hand from Thala's waist. Moving forward, he
settled into the pilot's seat.

Moving to the rear compartment, Thala took the seat Soma had
previously occupied. Leaning down, she pulled a small locker out from
under the short worktable. Sliding it into the walkway, she unfastened
the latch, and pushed the lid open. Looking down at the contents, she
was greeted by a number of gray food packs with Andorian writing
printed on them. Moving the packets around, she read the contents,
debating what she was in the mood to eat. After reading several of the
packs, she decided on Andorian Tuber root; deciding to stick with
something simple. She always found complex food packs unsettled her.
Looking up at the pilot's seat, she contemplated whether to offer Soma
a food pack. She wasn't overly concerned about Soma's welfare, but she
also realized that she didn't need him passing out on her from lack of
food.

"Vulcan…are you hungry?"

For a moment she listened, but didn't hear a response. She was about
to call out again, when she heard Soma's voice.

"What do you have?"

"Several food parcels."

"Andorian field rations?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes."

Thala couldn't see Soma's expression, but she heard his very audible
groan. 

"You don't have to eat it, if you don't want," she hissed.

"Thank god for that," he said. "I had my fill of Andorian field
rations when I visited the outer territories of your home world."

Thala looked at the back of the pilot's seat. She was surprised -
shocked really - by Soma's comment. She wasn't aware that any Vulcans
had ever been outside the main capital of Andoria. Then again, Soma
wasn't a typical Vulcan.

"When did you visit Andoria?" 

Soma glanced back. From her tone, he could tell she doubted him.
Shaking his head, he let out a sigh. 

"I was a young Lieutenant, attached to a Starfleet cultural exchange
program. We spent six weeks living in Andoria's northern territory."

"You were assigned to this exchange program?"

"I volunteered."

Thala's eyes widened in surprise, once again; she was genuinely
astonished that a Vulcan had volunteered for anything concerning an
Andorian. 

"Then you were most fortunate," she said with a genuine smile.

"How do you figure?"

"You have seen the beauty that is Andoria," she replied proudly. "Few
off worlders…particularly Vulcans have seen our majestic planet."

Soma's brow furrowed. Turning around in the pilot seat, he looked
directly at Thala. 

"We are talking about the same planet aren't we?"

Soma noticed Thala's antennae rose, a clear sign of heightened emotion
in an Andorian.

"You were not impressed by the wondrous sites?"

"What sites?" he said. "It's a frozen wasteland."

Thala's eyes widened and her jaw dropped open in disbelief. 

"I should have expected as much from a Vulcan!" she snapped. "You
cannot possibly appreciate my home world."

Soma shook his head. "Oh yeah…I particularly didn't appreciated waking
up each morning and having to defrost my toothpaste with a blow
torch."

Thala scowled at him. "No doubt you prefer the dry heat of your desert
world."

"Actually, I never cared much for that climate either," he quipped.
"You've seen one sand dune, you've seen them all. I was always partial
to my father's home on Earth, a place called Florida. It's a tropical
environment."

"Oh, that's right - you're a half breed, aren't you," she said with a
sly smile.

Soma's brow went up slowly. He wasn't sure if she was baiting him or
purposefully insulting him. One thing he was certain of, he never
cared for the term half-breed. He'd heard it enough times as a child.
It had become a word, which provoked a heated response from him. If
Thala were a man, Soma would have responded in an appropriate manner.
However, Thala was not a man …a fact he was well aware of. His father
had always taught him to never hit a woman …even if she deserved it. 
 
Soma relaxed, sitting back in the pilot's chair. If she wanted to play
rough, he could more than accommodate her. "You should know all about
half-breeds - considering you're one yourself."

Thala leapt up, anger filling her face. "How dare you!" she yelled,
balling her hands into fists.

Soma held up his hand, pointing a finger at her. "Thala, daughter of
Shran and Marta," he said reciting. "Approximately twenty seven
standard years ago, then Commander Shran of the Andorian Imperial
Guard married artist, scholar and pacifist Marta of Tenla province. A
marriage that raised more than a few antennae. As I recall, Andorian
society doesn't look favorably on its citizens fraternizing outside
their respective classes, let alone marrying outside of them."

Thala gritted her teeth. She was very close to strangling Soma. It was
taking all her resolve not to wrap her hands around his throat.

"Andoria abolished the caste system over thirty years ago."

"Yes," nodded Soma. "I remember reading something about that. I also
remember reading that although it's no longer officially endorsed,
it's still commonly practiced."

Thala straightened. Her antennae were up and her cobalt blue eyes
burned with anger. Soma was quite certain that if he had been any
closer to her, she would quite probably have killed him - or at least
tried. Her noble Andorian honor had been smeared. 

"A sub-lieutenant?" remarked Soma "You should be a commander by now.
But Andorian society doesn't look favorably on 'dorme' - untouchables;
that's what your people refer to you isn't it. Your by your father's
side because no other self respecting Andorian captain would have a
'dorme' on his ship."

Thala's lip trembled at the word - dorme. The anger she had felt was
overwhelmed by shame. She wouldn't let Soma see her this way. Turning,
she looked away from him.

"Why are Vulcan's so cruel?"

Soma looked down. "Why do you hate me so much?" he asked.

"I do not…hate you," she replied hoarsely. "But I do not trust your
kind. Vulcan's are duplicitous and without honor."

Soma laughed in spite of himself.

Thala turned back, looking at Soma angrily. "You find that humorous?"

"I should introduce you to Tav. He's my security chief…a Tellerite. He
said the same thing about Andorians." He said smiling at her. "I'm
sorry…I shouldn't have laid into you the way I did. But you shouldn't
have called me a half-breed. I don't like the word anymore than you
do."

Thala looked at Soma blankly. He was right. She had been equally at
fault, calling him something she herself loathed and despised being
called.

"I-I apologize…captain," she said in a respectful tone.

Soma stood up and walking over to Thala. Looking into her eyes, he
gave her a warm smile. "Apology accepted…sub lieutenant."

They both locked eyes, staring at one another. For long moment, the
compartment was filled with only the pulsing sound of the ship's
engines. Soma wondered what was going through her mind. He knew damn
well what was going through his own; that was one direction he needed
to steer clear of for both their sakes. 

Clearing his throat, he moved the conversation to more pressing - and
safer matters. "So what do you think we will find?" he said moving
back towards the pilot's chair. 

Thala gaze followed his movement. She wasn't certain, but she believed
she had caught the redoubtable captain in an awkward moment. He
certainly was making an effort to put some distance between them.

"I do not understand."

"Don't be coy with me sub-lieutenant," said Soma. "I didn't buy your
father's story about needing to retrieve some forty year old military
probe for the good of the Federation. If you know what your government
really wants from that probe then I suggest you tell me now and not
later; for both our sakes."

Thala studied Soma for a moment. From what she had read about him,
Soma was not prejudicial about Andorians. It hadn't made her trust him
any more than other Vulcans, but she found his animosity curious. 

"Why do you distrust my father so?"

Soma looked at her. He wasn't sure if she was genuinely ignorant or
just wanted to hear it from him. "Because of your father, a man I
cared about died…needlessly."

"Admiral Archer?" said Thala. 

"Yes," he replied flatly.

"My father was cleared of any wrong doing by the Federation Council.
Have you chosen to place your own view before the wisdom of the
council."

Thala waited for an answer. She wanted to know why Soma still held her
father responsible for the Admiral's death. Although she had never met
Archer, she had heard her father speak of the human on many
occasions…always with respect and affection. 
The fact that someone would hold him responsible for Admiral Archer's
unfortunate death seemed to border on the absurd. 

Soma's silence was all Thala needed. The man had deep issues, which he
wasn't going to share with her. And why should he? She was a stranger
and worse…the daughter of the man he blamed…rightly or wrongly…for his
mentor's death. 

"To answer your question," she said. "No, I do know any more than you
regarding the probe."

Soma looked back at her with a hard stare. "Then you better hope your
father doesn't count us as being as expendable as Admiral Archer."

TBC….


--
Stephen Ratliff
ASC Awards Tech Support

http://www.trekiverse.us/ASCAwards/commenting/

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