NewStar Trek: Fortitude Season Five, Episode Five - “I Now Pronounce You…” By Jack D. Elmlinger PROLOGUE The disguise was holding. Her unaltered face was too well-known around these parts. Well, not only that, but the very nature of her race would make her a target. Still, she decided to steer clear of any crew members that she recognized, especially members of the senior staff. Luckily, Starbase 499 was large enough to get lost in the crowds. How well she knew that fact, considering that she had been undercover here for what seemed like forever. It was her final big chance to prove herself. The failure on the L’Rakan planet, last year, had angered her superiors. There was nothing more fear-inducing than standing before an unpredictable Tal Shiar admiral. Things were supposed to go smoothly, especially since those things were never meant to be widely known… but a failure? A failure had lasting consequences that could be seen by others and broadcast by others. She had been lucky. The situation on L’Raka had been manageable. It still remained a secret operation and it would be for the rest of time. Besides, she had taken something away from that incident to cherish. Traversing the length of Club 499, brushing shoulders with civilians and Starfleet officers alike, she felt the constant surge of adrenaline that one received when acting undercover enhanced by the memory of his face… His anguish, his terror, and the sheer pain at having his left arm severed. She had waited years for such a chance, but when it came, it had surpassed all expectations. She would take that little gem to her grave. Reaching the bulletin display, she paused to take stock of the coming events. Some big fancy tour for a dignitary… No, not interested… Velocity tournament tryouts? How pathetic! Ah… yes, there it was! The wedding of Captain Ewan Llewellyn and Commander Valerie Archer is to take place aboard Starbase 499 on Stardate 53647 in a ceremony presided over by Rear Admiral Edward Blackmore. Club 499 is proud to be hosting the reception to all who are invited. Congratulations to the happy couple! She barely managed to contain the maniacal laughter within. This was perfect. She would do it then. Naketha would break cover and kill Ewan Llewellyn at his own wedding. ACT ONE “Erica? Hello? Erica… are you in there?” It took a short wave of a hand across her face to bring her eyes back from the middle-distance into which they stared. Satisfied to have brought her back to reality, Gabriel Brodie gave his trademark grin and gently kissed her forehead. There was nobody else about at this late hour. With Starbase 499 shut down for the evening, the Station Master’s Office was empty. For that reason alone, Erica Martinez didn’t mind the sign of affection. It was nice to have Gabe back in the Santrag system after all. “Hey,” she breathed, standing and giving him a proper welcoming kiss. “You act like you weren’t expecting me,” Fortitude’s tactical officer observed, taking a seat beside her. “I would have thought that you would be the first to see our return, being in here and all. Is something the matter?” Erica chuckled at the question. Gabe had been away, and he couldn’t be blamed. “I’ve got a gremlin running about my starbase.” “Is that some kind of euphemism?” “No! Seriously… from time to time, unidentifiable biosigns keep fluctuating across the internal sensors and I can’t, for the life of me, pin them down! And it’s not like we’re dealing with an innocent stowaway anymore. Whoever or whatever, the gremlin is, has stolen a phaser from the armory and eaten its way through a sizable chunk of our organic food stores, not to mention three lockers of rations!” The black man whistled. This was a serious situation. He had heard Captain Llewellyn mention something about this on the Bridge of Fortitude, saying that Erica and Rear Admiral Blackmore were worried about it… and the Latina woman hadn’t been keeping in regular contact with him lately. Subspace chats were limited and short, at best. It was certain that this hunt was one major preoccupation for her. “Okay, so he’s armed and potentially dangerous,” Gabe nodded. “What’s next?” “Next, we have to draw him out,” Erica said with a sigh. “Do you need any help coming up with a plan?” “Oh, I’ve got a plan. Don’t worry about that… but it’s very dangerous. Knowing that this gremlin now has a phaser, I would feel terrible if everything backfired and somebody ended up getting hurt or worse. That is what’s keeping me up at night, Gabe. I’m risking the lives of two very good friends of mine.” Gabe understood her dilemma. Despite the onslaught of recent events, he and Erica still retained their basic characteristics. He would have no problem, whatsoever, putting lives on the line to stalk and capture a potential security breach. However, the Station Master was a different breed of Human, one who had more in common with today’s society. Peaceful thoughts filled her head that were, at times, overridden by a survival instinct but otherwise intact. Whatever this plan of hers was, whoever it endangered, it would be keeping her awake. Sighing deeply, the tactical officer placed a reassuring arm around his lover’s shoulders and drew her in tightly. “Why don’t you tell me what’s gonna happen?,” he suggested. “You’ll think it’s insane,” she protested. “I think it’s insane too… but I’m at a loss!” “I know… Come on. Tell me what’s going to happen…” * * * * Naketha continued to move through Starbase 499 undetected. So far, everything had gone smoothly. Sneaking aboard had been child’s play for someone so well-trained and so skilled in the art of deception. For one who was so Romulan… It reminded her of her brief tenure as Doctor T’Verra, chief medical officer, and a cold, emotionless Vulcan. At least now, she could smile. She wasn’t playing a Vulcan this time. This time, her ears had been blunted and her cranial ridge repressed. This time, she was playing a Human… and she was enjoying it. Reaching inside of her green jacket to remind her of home, he slowly patted the phaser that she had procured weeks beforehand. Bringing a disruptor aboard 499 would have been a futile attempt. She would have been detected before she had even placed a steel-heeled boot aboard the starbase. No, she had to call upon her memory. She knew her way around, after all. Stealing the phaser had been a tricky but rewarding experience. Naketha paused for a moment of reflection outside her guest quarters. They had been her home for too long. Soon, her quest for revenge would be complete. She would almost miss this place. However, the one thing that she wouldn’t miss, she vowed, would be Ewan Llewellyn. * * * * “You know, I think I’m having second thoughts…” “Pre-wedding jitters?” “Don’t joke, Ewan. this is a damned risky idea if you ask me.” “Risky, sure… but I think that the plan is inspired. Besides, it’s been a long time since I’ve acted in anything. This is all just so outlandish that it just might work out. I’m just sorry that I didn’t come up with the idea myself.” “Oh…?” “Not the marriage idea. You and I both know that we’re not there yet.” “Ah, you mean the idea to stage a public event…” “... to draw out the gremlin, yeah. Erica definitely pulled this stunt out of a hat.” “She’s obsessed with catching… well, whatever it is.” “Or whoever it is.” “Now who's got the pre-wedding jitters?” “Okay, okay… come on. I had better get my dress uniform ready for the big day.” “Ewan…” “What is it, Valerie?” “Do you think that we’ll ever be here again? Getting married, I mean?” “As much as I would like to make you a promise, darling, I’m not going to. We’re grown-up enough to realize that our jobs aren’t exactly the safest in the Galaxy. Perhaps, if we were behind desks somewhere, I would say yes, but in our line of work? A Starship Captain and a First Officer, serving together? Let’s just be thankful for the days that we share. I’m sorry if that wasn’t the answer that you wanted.” “Don’t apologize. It was the answer that I expected. “Ever the realist… Is that why you love me?” “It’s why you love me!” “Touche…” ACT TWO Captain’s Personal Log, Stardate 53646.9; The construction of tomorrow’s fake wedding is proceeding quickly. Station Master Martinez is, obviously, wrought with worry and potential guilt. She fears that her plan to ensnare the 499 gremlin will place Commander Archer and I in extreme danger… and of course, she would be right. Nevertheless, there’s an unidentified being somewhere, within striking distance of innocent civilians and they have a phaser. While the actual wedding ceremony itself will not be taking place, I still feel butterflies in my stomach… but they’re not butterflies of excitement, but rather of apprehension. Rear Admiral Edward Blackmore had done some crazy things in his servitude with Starfleet, but to preside over a fake wedding? This was certainly a new one of those life experiences that he would remember for years, or at the very least, laugh about for a good week afterwards… That was providing that everything went smoothly, of course. Putting Ewan and Valerie up on the center stage was similar to painting a gigantic bullseye on each of their chests and parading them around the crawl spaces. It was inviting them to become targets, and inviting the gremlin to a nice, juicy clean shot. That was providing that the gremlin was a hostile being, though. Blackmore had to admit that they knew nothing about this thing. Only that it was hungry and that it had stolen a phaser from a security locker in the armory. What did it all mean? Well, the only way to find out was to capture the thing, and that meant that bait was needed. Erica had certainly come up with an impressive lure. With everybody at Club 499 for the reception, the gremlin would be weeded out. Rounding the apex of the corridor through which he marched, the Rear Admiral came to the quarters of Captain Ewan Llewellyn aboard Fortitude and rang the door chimes. Upon being beckoned inside, he looked up to see the Welshman standing in his full Starfleet dress uniform. The crisp white tunic was at odds with the jet-black hair that neatly swept back from his tanned, young face… but somehow it all came together to make Ewan look even more dashing than usual. Blackmore had to smile. Even though this was all a gigantic hoax, he felt a twinge of pride for the man that he considered his very own son. Of course, Llewellyn noticed that pride and winced. “That bad, eh?” “On the contrary, you’re making this old man jealous!” “Stop it,” the Captain said, blushing. “If this plan is going to work, then everything needs to be flawless and I don’t know how many weddings you’ve been to, Boxer, but the bride and the groom are usually the most important components.” “Hey, it was only a compliment,” the Rear Admiral surrendered. “It doesn't take a Betazoid to notice that you’re a little tense about this whole thing.” Ewan shook his head. “Faking my own wedding to ensnare a potentially dangerous unknown? Tense doesn’t even quite cover it. Damn, I just hope that this goes, according to plan. Valerie had her own doubts yesterday too. Now that I’m actually going through with this madness, I’m beginning to see where she was coming from. I mean, bloody hell, Boxer, Club 499 is going to be heaving with almost every single man, woman, and transgendered being in the entire sector! That’s quite a crowd! What if the gremlin manages to evade the security forces, or worse, doesn’t even show up?!” “Then we’ll backtrack any embarrassment later,” Blackmore growled,” after we finally catch the bastard. Look, this was never going to be easy for you and Valerie. I respect you for going ahead with it. I respect that I didn’t have to make it an order.” “You wouldn’t have,” Ewan gasped at the idea,” would you?” The older man present just scratched at his beard in silence, his answer being self-evident. “Ah… I see…” “Besides,” Blackmore picked up,” any excuse for a party, right?” “Well,” Llewellyn admitted,” I could certainly use a drink.” * * * * Naketha had a newfound respect for Humans and their allies. Standing as part of the murmuring crowd in Club 499, all of them awaiting the arrival of the happy couple, the disguised Romulan spy was impressed at the natural formality that descended over the gathering. Despite the ridiculous number of people crammed into such a relatively small gathering space, she had barely so much as rubbed shoulders with anybody… which was so much the better. With everyone being so kind and attentive to one another, she would have no problem with making her way forward through the vast throng of innocent people and taking her shot. The phaser was set to maximum. It would vaporize Ewan Llewellyn in an instant. She would have preferred to make him suffer. The lasting suffering of Valerie Archer would have to make do in that regard, Naketha wasn’t stupid. She knew that as soon as she arrived at Club 499 that something wasn’t right. Finely honed by years of Tal Shiar training, her instincts told her that this wasn’t an ordinary wedding reception. Casting her piercing emerald eyes around the assembled crowds, she recognized several Fortitude security officers in plain clothes… then several more… and several more after that. It was a number that was far too great to simply be a coincidence. They couldn’t all be off-duty at once, could they? No… this felt like a trap. But she had come this far” Killing Ewan Llewellyn was all that mattered to her now. Her entire life had been given over in service to the Empire. This would be her final act, whether shot dead on sight as a result of her treacherous action or incarcerated in some drab Starfleet prison until time stole her life away from her. She didn’t care anymore. For too long, that sniveling Welsh fool had stolen victory from her grasp. For too long, he had interfered in her assignments and in her affairs. After today, he wouldn’t be meddling in anything. After today he would be dead. There he was now, grinning from ear to ear. On a crescendo of applause, Captain Ewan Llewellyn entered Club 499 with Commander Valerie Archer beside him. Everybody was complimenting the First Officer on her beautiful silken dress, each thread was interwoven with sparkling Eastlean crystals. Her rolling blonde hair cascaded over her bare shoulders, many people commenting on how rare it was to see her wear it down. All the while, Valerie just smiled and nodded, clinging to her new husband’s right arm. Naketha noted that little detail with a snort. No artificial appendage for her, eh? How she had loved giving him that lasting reminded of their previous encounter. She had enjoyed the potential anguish and psychological damage that it had caused him. Watching with a neutral expression that concealed the storm of emotions raging within her, she started to move. Would there be a speech? Not yet… The happy couple was still shaking hands. With faith in her Human appearance, Naketha held her head high as she strode towards them. Slowly, she clawed at the phaser hidden beneath her green jacket. The surging crowds were preparing to make a toast, their glasses lifted skywards. The perfect note on which to take her shot… Naketha stopped, digging her boots into the deck plating. She drew her phaser and aimed right for Ewan Llewellyn’s smug face… … and then her world went dark. ACT THREE It was utter anarchy. Panic-stricken chaos broke out. Turning around on the crowd, Captain Llewellyn only caught the after-effects of the phaser blast. The ever-spectacular lance of burning energy had come from somewhere deep in the recesses of Club 499 and slammed into one of the guests. It was a woman, by the look of things, who had collapsed mere meters away from his position. Leaving the side of Valerie Archer, he rushed forward. The victim was face-down on the floor, stunned or, even worse, dead. Curse this insane plan! He knew it would end up like this! Screams and thundering footsteps drowned out the attempts of security officers to reign in some kind of order to the gathering. Nobody could blame the poor, frightened civilians for their frenzied rejoinder. There was live fire at the wedding reception. Live fire! It had only been a matter of months since the Battle of Four-Nine-Nine since every person present had been at risk of extermination. As one, the masses pushed towards the exits, and Club 499 was cleared out quicker than during that awful Klingon Opera karaoke night… Only this time, nobody was laughing at the Captain of a visiting Saber-class starship. He was Caitian. Ewan reached the victim’s side and froze. There was a discarded phaser at her side. The readout said that it was on the maximum setting. She wasn’t one of the security officers. Who was she? Who had been hit?” When the Captain turned her over, he felt sick. To anybody in passing, she was just another Human female. Sharp, hawking features, and a definite vicious edge to her appearance, but just another female nevertheless. However, to him, she was a face that he would never forget, no matter the amount of cosmetic alteration could disguise. Recoiling in shock, he backed into Valerie, who stumbled to catch him. “Naketha…,” he whispered to her. “Oh, my God,” gasped his false bride,” was she the gremlin all along?” Ewan didn’t answer her. He couldn’t answer her. The panic that had gripped the reception guests, moments beforehand, was now gripping his very soul. The last time that he had seen Naketha, she had been standing over his beaten body with a white-hot sword, preparing to amputate his left arm. Seeing her again, fallen at his feet, lifeless, was too much of a blow to his system. His breathing quickened and his heart raced. What in blazes did this mean? * * * * Erica Martinez chastised herself and the plan. For all of the manpower that she had spread out across Club 499, for all of the security that she had carefully intertwined with the guests and for all of the angles that she had covered, a phaser was nevertheless discharged. The Latina woman felt absolutely rotten. It had gone terribly wrong and it had been her stupid fault! Well, she told herself, there would be time to wallow in regret later. Right now, she had a job to complete and results to gather. “Come on, people. Speak to me,” she barked into her combadge. “This is Matthews,” a flustered voice answered her. “I saw the shooter. They were humanoid, disheveled, and definitely not one of our own people, ma’am. I didn’t get a clear look at their face, whoever they were. It could have been anybody!” “Can you track them?” “Negative, ma’am. I’m sorry. They made it into an access tunnel.” An access tunnel… The crawl spaces… oh, no… “Are you absolutely certain that you saw what you saw, Matthews?,” Erica confirmed with him. “One hundred percent, ma’am,” came his reply. Brilliant! All of this effort, the planning, the preparation, the security, and the gremlin showed itself long enough to shoot some poor woman in the back, and once again became part of Starbase 499’s bulkheads! It wasn’t until the Station Master was told just who exactly that the poor woman was that her mood brightened and she went from complete self-loathing to sheer confusion. “Run that by me again, please?” * * * * They were collected around the Observation Lounge table aboard Fortitude. The mood over on Starbase 499 was one of defeat. Rear Admiral Blackmore had joined the entire senior staff for the meeting and he was beginning to regret doing so. The nature of the events that were being discussed was making his head spin. Slowly, not quite grasping the words himself, Captain Llewellyn tried to explain. “The gremlin is still at large,” he began again. “He, she, or it was the one that fired into the crowd during the reception. The victim of that shot was Naketha. She was disguised as a Human and she was armed with a phaser set to kill.” “She was trying to assassinate you,” Katherine Pulaski pointed out,” but why?” “Surely she must have known that it would be her final act,” Valerie chipped into the conversation. “That may be so. I’ve looked into her eyes on more than one occasion,” Ewan ventured, feeling out a possible answer. “Naketha is a woman of extreme emotions. While she managed to keep them well-hidden during her time as Doctor T’Verra, it made them all the more fierce and shocking when they’re exposed… and I’ve been the one to expose them the most. The bitterness, the rivalry… the hatred that exists between us is galactically strong. I know that several times over the years, I’ve battled with my own violent urge to… well, I think you can imagine.” “Smash her face in,” Gabriel Brodie spelled it out for everybody. “Sorry, sir.” “Well,” you’re right, Mister Brodie, in your own unique way,” the Captain said, smiling weakly. “How did she get aboard?,” Jason Armstrong wondered aloud. “Not only that, but how did she get a weapon?,” Arden Vuro added, backing up his shipmate’s own musings with a point that nobody had yet to mention. “Starbase reports show that only one phaser was stolen from 499’s armory, correct? That obviously ended up in the hands of the gremlin. So, where did Naketha get her weapon from?” It was yet another aspect of the aftermath to ponder. Rear Admiral Blackmore had pondered enough for one day. He stood, and on doing so, dragged the rest of the officers to their feet. Waving them down in defiance of the rules of rank, he turned to Ewan and sighed. “I should return to Erica and see if we can piece this mystery together.” “Thanks, Box… err, I mean, Rear Admiral.” “Don’t sweat it, Ewan. Oh, and congratulations. You’ve just survived your wedding day.” Indeed, he had, but it hadn’t been through his own virtue or skill. He had been saved by the quick reactions and precise aim of the gremlin… Whoever or whatever it was. Despite the capture of Naketha and that tiny glimmer of hope, there was still one hell of a mess to clean up, and the gremlin was still at large aboard Starbase 499. Ewan really didn’t know whether to celebrate or not. EPILOGUE She just sat there and watched him talk. “What was your mission?” Naketha almost laughed at the ignorance of the question. Bathed in the azure glow of the Brig’s force field generator, her newly-restored Romulan features twisted into a dissatisfied smirk. It infuriated him, she could tell, and that was why she kept doing it, morphing the smirk into a snarl. Despite her ignominy, she would remain a silent prisoner for the glory of the Romulan Star Empire, the Tal Shiar, and as a testament to her unparalleled espionage training. Standing on the other side of the force field, Ewan Llewellyn just continued with his interrogation. “Were you here to assassinate me? Finish what you started, last year, with my arm? Perhaps, take another piece out of me… or was it revenge? Seeing as I’ve beaten you… three… no, four times in the past, I couldn’t blame you.” Nice try, Naketha thought, but it wasn’t enough to make her talk. Silence reigned. Only the hum of the Brig could be heard. Ewan wondered why he had come down here to face her. It was the last thing that his temperament had told him to do. Just letting his eyes rest on her wicked visage was enough to turn his stomach and bring back the trauma of the incident at the L’Rakan village. Yet, he stood there, attempting to question her, attempting to find some kind of resolution to the day’s wild events. There was nothing to be gained here. It was like interrogating a targ or pulling teeth from a Ferengi. “Fine,” the Welshman finally spat at her,” sit in silence. See if I care.” Turning away, he shot one last look of absolute daggers into Naketha’s soul. “You’ll rot in here forever, you bitch.” The End.