Unexpected Arrival

Starfleet Command Hearing Chamber: Earth

There were not many people in the stark room; five to be exact, on what was actually a very nice day in the city of San Francisco. Two human males, and one Vulcan woman, all wearing the uniform of Starfleet admirals sat at the podium in the front and arrayed behind them were the flags of the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet Command. On the left side of the room in front of the podium sat Commander Lorek, another Vulcan and, on the right, senior year Starfleet Cadet Aron'Son.

Everyone in the room knew why they were there. This hearing would decide the fate of the cadet and his future in Starfleet. In many ways, Aron'Son was like any other Starfleet cadet; he was intelligent, ambitious, and driven. The thing that set him apart was his appearance. Aron'Son was very tall and powerfully built, his skin grey and scaly with short spines framing his bald head and stern flat face with a large flat nose and small slanted piercing eyes.

He was Jem'Hadar.

Rescued by a Starfleet vessel from a drifting shuttle, treated for his ketracel white addiction and thoroughly interrogated by Starfleet Intelligence, Aron'Son had an interesting history to be sure. Still, there were those who wanted him kept in a cage like an animal and that is why these people were assembled in this room. 

Aron'Son did not resent those who wished him incarcerated. In fact, he understood them. He was their enemy... or at least, he had been bred to be their enemy. The Dominion would have not allowed an enemy soldier to walk free among them and so it surprised the Jem'Hadar that he had been permitted to walk freely on Earth. When they told him he'd be even permitted to attend Starfleet Academy as he requested, he assumed he would be under guard the entire time; but he had not been. As awkward as it had been for his classmates, Aron'Son had walked freely on Academy grounds and anywhere else he wished. he had been told this was the Federation way.

Now the beings in front of him would determine if he would remain free. 

"This hearing is hereby called to order," the Vulcan woman, Admiral T'Penn, stated. "Cadet Aron'Son; do you know why you are here?"

"I do, Admiral." 

T'Penn nodded.

"Very well; where is your representative?" 

"I do not know, Admiral." 

"If the cadet has no representative, he will have to represent himself," Commander Lorek said. 

"You would like that, wouldn't you, Commander," One of the older greying Humans, Admiral Marshall, asked. "Just like your boss..."

Aron'Son respected Marshall as the high-ranking officer had been on his side from day one.

"It is irrelevant what I or Admiral Redding would like, Admiral," Lorek replied. "It is stated in the process that the cadet..."

Just then, the door to the hearing room opened and a human man walked in. His clear cut angular clean-shaven features, large clear eyes and salt and pepper black hair were well known to everyone in the room.

"The cadet will not have to represent himself," the new arrival said matter of factly. "Doctor Julian Bashir for the, hum...defense, Sirs." 

"You are well known to this panel, Doctor and this is not a trial, only a hearing," Admiral T'Penn said. "Very well, we will proceed. Commander Lorek, please state your position." 

Lorek stood, and without moving began speaking.

"It is the opinion of Starfleet Intelligence that the cadet should remain on Earth following his graduation and not be permitted to insert himself into Starfleet. We are not convinced that his arrival is not simply a Dominion attempt to subvert the Federation and Starfleet."

T'Prenn nodded.

"Doctor?"

Bashir stood nervously and straightened his uniform top before speaking.

"Yes, hum... well... Admirals... Aron'Son has done nothing but prove himself loyal since he was released from my care. He has passed every test and answered every question asked by Commander Lorek and his colleagues. He has attended the Academy with exemplary behavior, not missing a single day and scored exceptionally high in all of his classes. His instructors speak well of him every chance they get. We have here a unique opportunity to study what was once an enemy, to get to know him and to benefit from his knowledge and intellect. If Aron'Son was planning to subvert Starfleet, why would he have not done so by now? He has been moving freely at the very heart of our endeavors for four years now. He could have blown up Starfleet Command, or assassinated the Federation President, or..."

"We get it, Doctor," Admiral Marshall interrupted. "We will confer and return when we have reached a decision." 

The admirals departed into an antechamber and Aron'son turned to Doctor Bashir.

"You were late." 

Bashir smiled the charming smile he was quite known for.

"Only a little; How are you feeling?"

"I am fine, Doctor. What do you believe they will decide?"

"I'm confident you'll be permitted to remain in Starfleet. They will be going against all that the Federation stands for if they keep you here without reason." 

It was only ten minutes before the three admirals returned and the others stood as they entered the room.

"Cadet Aron'Son," Admiral T'Prenn stated; "It has been decided that you will be permitted to graduate from Starfleet Academy with the class of 2411. Furthermore, you will be permitted to accept a provisional assignment of Starfleet's choosing with a provisional rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade as per the excellence of your academic results and Cadet Cruise in accordance with Starfleet Academy rules. Should you serve in Starfleet, with a clean service record for two years, your rank will become permanent and no further inquiries will be made of you. Do you understand?" 

"I do, Admiral."

"Very well; you will be assigned to the USS Horizon of Lotus Fleet under the command of Captain Kheren. Doctor Bashir... you will accompany the cadet to his new posting upon his graduation, this hearing is adjourned."

Bashir turned and smiled again at Aron'Son.

"See? I told you." 

*     *     *

Eleven weeks later: Starbase Lotus

The transporter officer engaged the transporter beam and waited for the two forms to materialize in front of him. When they did, the human's jaw dropped almost to the floor as he stared at the hulking form wearing a Starfleet security uniform and the human man beside him wearing a medical uniform under a white lab coat. It was the human who spoke to the incredulous operator

"Hello; I am Doctor Julian Bashir from the General Surgeon's Office. Can you tell me where I can find Fleet Captain Samji?"

The officer stammered.

"I... that is... I can call him for you, Sir."

The officer slowly tapped his combadge, not moving his eyes off the Jem'Hadar standing quietly beside one of the most legendary medical officers in the Federation.

"Transporter room 4 to Fleet Captain Samji... Sir, you have... visitors." 

The firm, clear voice on that answered sounded not at all surprised.

"Have they completed all routine security measures?"

"Ah... affirmative, Sir. ID transponder confirmed; transporter subatomic scan conclusive; personal possessions scanned, separately transported to security for direct examination and resent to temporary allocated quarters; official orders verified and approved; voice and sensory scans validated; forcefield in place during materialization with two guards in the room and two outside with no incident to report."

Aron'Son's stony face didn't register anything, but in his mind he had to be genuinely surprised; such... routine security measures made even his own coming to Starfeet intelligence look like a security check in a shopping mall.

He had heard that Lotus Fleet was the elite division of Starfleet, created after the Dominion War... but this was far beyond what he would have expected from any Federation facility; even the best Jem'Hadar shock troop would have been stopped dead in it's tracks, easily neutralized, disarmed and sent straight to their brig before they would have even rematerialized on the starbase. Even a Founder would have been detected, identified and dealt with, whatever disguise it would have assumed.

As he realized this, the forcefield around the transporter shimmered off and the pair of guards, a stoic Vulcan and a lithe Caitian, positionned themselves to let them pass to the exit of the large room. More than several quick stares were aimed in his direction from the other nearby pads but the eyes of both sentinels never even blinked away from them.

Over the comm system, the authoritative voice that had answered the operator resounded again.

"Send them to my office, will you Mister Koranksi?"

"Aye, Sir."

With a nod, the transporter chief made the two guards escort the Doctor and his astounding companion out of the area, where the two guards on the other side of the door replaced as another pair came in to take over their former post. The swiftness, smoothness and efficiency of even this casual changing of the guard left no doubt that this was indeed an elite division of the policing arm of the United Federation of Planets.

Despite the impressive security measures he could discern everywhere on the station, Aron'Son found that this was far from a mere military installation. Starbase Lotus was truly a place of living, a home for thousands of individuals from hundreds of worlds and species, a kaleidoscope of shapes, colors, movements, sounds and smells that was even more overwhelming than what Starfleet Academy had been. Oh, here there were mostly Humans as it had been on Earth, by far the most dynamic and adventurous species in this multifaceted spacefaring civilization; but here, there were many more representatives of other sentient species than the Jem'Hadar had even imagined existed in the universe, even after four years at Starfleet Academy; and they were all working and living in perfect harmony, a harmony that needed none of the artificially or military forced religious subservience to one single species like had been the Dominion.

It was indeed a marvel to behold, even for those born within it; and it said much about how this United Federation of Planets had succeeded in defeating the much older, much more powerful Dominion.

Those thoughts were cut short when, coming near the central hub of the starbase were sat the huge elliptical command center, the guards stopped, pressed achime and waited for a verbal response to "enter" before nodding to Bashir and his charge and standing aside to let them go through the door. But Aron'Son nodded that they stayed by the entrance.

He knew now that it was not just for his sake; nevertheless, to be so respected as a potential threat still touched an old chord of pride in him.

Beyond the door, they were met by a middle-sized golden-skinned man with greying well-cut hair and beard wearing the pips of a Fleet Captain on the red collar of his black and grey-shouldered standard Starfleet uniform. he offered a firm handshake to the both of them, his dark eyes straight at their own.

"Welcome to Starbase Lotus; I am Feet Captain Allen Samji, commander of this facility."

It was a credit to the man's discipline and experience that he did not show his genuine surprise, not only at recognizing the famous doctor, but even more who was accompanying him.

After offering them a seat and refreshments, even guessing that the Jem'Hadar in the junior officer uniform would in all probability decline to both, he went to sit behind his large transparent aluminum desk. Again, to his credit, he took the unexpected arrival in stride and came straight to the point.

"May I ask, Doctor, what is the purpose of you and your friend's visit to Starbase Lotus?"

Bashir cleared his throat "Yes, of course..I am escorting the lieutenant here to his new post. This is provisional Lieutenant Aron'Son and he has been assigned to your USS Horizon."

Oh, Kheren is going to just love this, instantly thought the base commander, knowing full well how parcimonious the Andorian captain was about his personnel.

But he also knew that Kheren himself, at one point, had been imposed by Fleet Command on the late Captain Kevin Froud as Exec of the also late USS Artemis. So he was hardly in a position to balk... well, not as much as he could have been.

Bashir fumbled in the pocket of his lab coat for the PADD bearing their orders and placed it on the desk.

"The orders were given by Starfleet Command, and approved, begrudgingly I might add, by Starfleet Intelligence. I won't be staying of course, but as I have been with the lieutenant since his arrival on Earth due to my extensive research on Jem'Hadar physiology during the Dominion War,  those in power thought it best that I accompany him here."

Starfleet Intelligence involved in this... getting better by the second, Samji mused silently in a bittersweet manner.

Truth be told, the flagship's commanding officer's history with Starfleet Intelligence was not such a good one.

Bashir went silent to allow the base commander to read over the orders and Aron'Son stood silently by as well trying to process everything he'd seen as they'd moved through the giant facility. He had begun to gain a respect for these Humans and their ingenuity and cognitive process. His Jem'Hadar mind was still superior of course, but he could now see why The Dominion had been defeated when they attacked the Alpha Quadrant initially. These mammals were much more intelligent than The Founders had given them credit for. Even the Breen attacking their home world had not daunted them; only hardened their resolve. Aron'Son believed he had a future among his former enemies. He certainly could not go back to The Dominion; they would simply execute him.

So really, if he wanted to live, here was where he had to be.

"Well... orders are orders," finally said Samji, apposing his own command approval on the PADD. "I'm due to meet Captain Kheren soon to debrief him on his next mission; I'll inform him of these orders then. In the meantime, Lieutenant Aron'Son, you will be assigned temporary quarters here on the starbase, until you have met your new commanding officer and received his approval to board his ship. As Captain of the Horizon, he still has a final say on the matter. Be ready to answer his summon or that of Commander Redding, his first officer, momentarily."

Both Bashir and Aron'Son blinked at Samji. But only the doctor voiced their obvious surprise and confusion.

"Commander Redding? Is he related to Admiral Neil S. Redding of Starfleet Intelligence?"

"It's... complicated... and classified, Doctor," the Hindu man answered. His attention went back to the Jem'Hadar; "Do you have any question at this time, Lieutenant?"

"No Sir, I do not. I will wait until I am called to serve." 

"Well then," Bashir said with a smile "it seems we are set. If you don't mind Fleet Captain I'll be taking my leave. The captain of the supply vessel that delivered us assured me he was departing as soon as he was done unloading his cargo and unless I wanted to walk back to Earth I had better be aboard."

Samji stood up and offered his hand to the famous hero of the Dominion War.

"I'm sorry to see you go so soon, Doctor. Please come by anytime."

Then he turned to formally address the new recruit of Lotus Fleet.

"Lieutenant, your Academy record is outstanding and your personal record clean and certified. You are as fit to serve in Lotus Fleet as anyone here. I will confirm and record this momentarily for Starfleet Command. You will be contacted soon to report to your ship; in the meantime, you are free to enjoy the facilities of this station as any other junior officer of the fleet... although I heard your kind do not  as a rule "enjoy" themselves; one of the many new challenges this new life of yours will offer."

A small smile crept at the corner of his mouth.

"You should also find Captain Kheren a... stimulating challenge as well."

Aron'Son nodded.

"You are correct, Sir, Jem'Hadar do not...recreate. I have found your holodecks useful for maintaining my combat skills. Though I would like to find a way to procure a genuine kar'takin. The replicators do not make an accurate representation, and I have read Captain Kheren's unclassified personnel file...it is...interesting." 

"That he is, among other things," smiled Samji. "And if you read his file, then you are aware that he is, among any commanding officer this side of the Dominion, the best one to work with you; not only is he Andorian, in all the Federation the one people that share anything with your own, but his own... early personal History is rumored to be much like your own as well... And he does not... recreate... either."

The Commander of Starbase Lotus nodded to the unique junior officer standing before him.

"Temporary quarters are available for you until you get settled on your ship. Your personal things are already waiting for you there. Just ask the computer and it will guide you. Unless there is anything else, Lieutenant, you are dismissed."

"Yes Sir."

Aron'Son turned and exited the Fleet Captain's officer bound for the quarters reserved for him. As he stepped into the outer officer Aron'Son noted the human Commander seated in a chair and acknowledged the superior officer with a word

"Sir." before moving on.

* * *

Commander Redding made his way down the corridor towards Fleet Captain Samji's office. He had arrived on station the day before and standard operating procedure would have been to check in within an hour of arrival, but in Redding's case it was decided he should should get updated with his last memories first from his, hopefully, recovered memory chip from his latest mission.

He disliked running into people that he might have worked with for days or even months and not have a single memory of them, so he would stay undercover until the procedure was complete.

This time regaining his last memories had been something of a treat, he knew not only how he had died and why, but that for once it had nothing to do with the devastating loss of his ship and/or its crew.

And seeing as the Horizon and its crew were both back in port, his idea must have worked.

It was an outcome that made him nearly giddy with cheerfulness.

As he approached the starbase commanding officer's office, he passed a slender man wearing a white lab coat and gave him a respectful "Sir" as he did so, the man just nodded in return but stopped a few paces afterwards and looked back at him opening his mouth to speak.

Then he sighed mumbling "classified.." and continued on his way.

Redding entered the Samji's office and spoke to the receptionist.

"I don't have an appointment but I was passing this way, if the Fleet Captain has time to see me, I'm Commander Redding from the USS Horizon." he said with a half smile.

"I know who you are, Commander." She smiled back. "He's in with... someone... at the moment, you can wait if you want, I don't think it will be long."

The way she said it piqued he curiosity. "Someone you say?" 

She leaned in close "It's a Jem'Hadar!" she whispered. "It came in with a Doctor Bashir from the surgeon generals office."

Redding simply went "huh" and giving her a nod as he went and sat down to think about that while he waited.