All the King's Men

Captain's Log Stardate 87174.85

Seeing the Undine rescue Lotus Fleet and Starbase Ten from what was most certainly going to be a devastating defeat was....sobering to say the least. To have them credit myself, the Spectre, and the Aegis with changing their view of the Federation was surprising though I would submit that the credit belongs more to the telepaths on the Aegis than anything. Without them I would not have had the foresight to change my strategy and we might very well be in an open war with the Undine as well.

As for the Alsea, I'm afraid that it will take more than time to heal the wounds that our battles have left. I am reminded  very much of an old Earth children's poem about a character that falls off the wall and it takes "all the king's horses, and all the king's men" to put him back together. I suspect though that the Alsea may have seen her last battle in service to the Federation. The structural damage is severe, and her warp cores are nearly burned out, but if this is her last fight then she will be remembered as having given everything she had and then some in defense of those things we all hold dear. Her crew has done the same, and there will be awards for all, and memorials for a few, but none will forget what has transpired in these last few days.

My future is somewhat less clouded then the Alsea's. As we prepare to dock at the base my field promotion will likely end, and I will go back to doing what I was trained to do, being a Starfleet security officer. That would suit me just fine, though after being in command of a starship it may seem mundane to some. To me, it is what I am, but if I ever find myself in command of a ship again I will not have the same reluctance to embrace the responsibility.

Jureth closed the terminal on his ready room desk as the door chime rang.

"Come,"

The doors parted revealing his old friend Cat Steele. She was back aboard the primary section along with the rest of the crew as Jureth had ordered them all beamed back and had slaved the other two sections to the primary via the main computer.

"Cat, welcome back."

"Thanks," she said with a smile "It's definitely good to be back. That was one hell of ride..Sir."

Jureth nodded "Yes, yes it was. Hopefully things will be quiet around here for awhile."

Cat shook her head "I doubt it..Lotus Fleet doesn't seem like its a quiet place."

Jureth smiled "You know, you're probably right."

"The base is asking about docking, they want to know if we can reassemble for docking procedures."

Jureth laughed "Tell them we'll need three bays."

"Aye Sir," she said with a smile "You know you did good out there, better than I would have."

"Thanks Cat, it wasn't easy."

"It's not supposed to be Oseno, you know what we used to say in the Marines? The only easy day, is yesterday."

"That has more truth to it than most people know."

"C'mon, let's go home."

The old friends shared a quick hug and stepped together onto the damaged bridge of their ship. Cat moved to the tactical station, but Jureth stopped and took a look around at battered nerve center of Lotus Fleet's most powerful ship. Sure, it was damaged, and broken, but...it was home.

"Captain," Ensign Wynn said from Ops as Jureth sat down "Starbase Ten has cleared us to dock, bays seven, eight, and nine."

"Understood Mister Wynn, thank you. Mister Hunter, initiate docking protocols, and take us in."

"Aye Sir, docking protocols initiated."

The Alsea slid through the doors of Starbase Ten, with her three sections in single file formation. The angular saucer section led first and glided into place near the battered USS Republic, and then her other sections under the precise control of the ship's computer followed suit. After several minutes Shawn Hunter announced

"Docking sequence complete Captain, we are moored."

"Thank you Mister Hunter, and thank all of you for your hard work," Jureth said to the bridge crew "Dismissed."

One by one the officers filed out until only Jureth remained.

"Computer power down bridge stations, and lock all command functions authorization Oseno Six One Delta Sierra."

"Authorization acknowledged, bridge stations secure, command functions locked."

Jureth nodded and his combage chirped "Doctor to Captain Oseno."

"Yes Doctor,"

"You asked me to let you know when it was time."

"Thank you doctor I will be there shortly, Oseno out."

Jureth closed the comm channel, took one last look around the bridge of his ship, and then initiated a site to site transport that sent him to the Alsea's Sickbay. As he materialized he was met by the ship's holographic doctor.

"She is stabilized and ready for transport Sir."

"Thank you Doctor,"

Jureth took his place next to the stasis unit and the Doctor gave the order "Computer, two to transport to Starbase Ten infirmary."

The computer beeped and the transporter beam swept the Bajoran and the inert human woman away. When they reappeared in Starbase Ten's medical bay a doctor and two nurses moved instantly to the stasis unit containing the inert form of Rachelle Rivers. Jureth stepped out of their way and watched as they moved her to their main trauma bay. Knowing that his commander was being well taken care of Jureth stepped over to the nurses station where a young trill lieutenant was making notes in patient files.

"Can I help you Sir?" she asked

"Yes Lieutenant, I'd like to talk to someone about this scar..."