(This text has already been published in synopsis of Dovarnis Initiative, but is placed here as well for the sake of consistency.)
Dovarnis III, T’Ong Nebula
It was a foggy morning in the outskirts of Aurek One, the administrative centre of Dovarnis III moon. Four days had passed since the Archive crisis had been resolved. Tall grass was standing upward still, there was no breeze. Insects had been buzzing around and an occasional rodent could be heard running somewhere.
L’Vor was sitting on a rock which emerged from the otherwise green sea. There was no vista, nothing to admire. Once the fog rises, the green field would stretch far towards the eastern forests, L’Vor knew. He was grateful for this curtain of gray dullness. No visual distractions, as far as he was concerned. He’d been contemplating what happened over the past several days. He welcomed the joint Federation-Klingon colonisation initiative, first one since the turn of a century, but once again, L’Vor cursed himself for getting involved with Starfleet. The frontier always was and always would be dangerous, but the innocent civilians died because, in his opinion, Starfleet did not properly survey the planet.
He wasn’t blaming Captain Zohl. The veteran Andorian was simply on the implementation end of this. However, he had to agree with Lukara: “Starfleet was getting sloppier and sloppier over the years.”
His ponderings were interrupted by the familiar whine and crackling noise of air ionised by a transporter beam. He turned his head slowly and, looking over his shoulder, he saw a Ferasan, wearing a gray uniform with a golden collar of the Khitomer Alliance and its Allied Fleet Service.
“You’ll have to forgive me, N’Rat.”, L’Vor said, gesturing lazily. “But I am in no mood for the usual officer salutations. But please… have a seat. Make yourself comfortable.”
The Ferasan nodded and sat down, crossing his lower limbs and placing his tail tip in his lap. “What a dreary place for meditation.”
“I’ll bet our Archive beings messed up the weather to discourage us from further intrusion.”
N’Rat purr-chuckled. “Perhaps.”, he said absent-mindedly, studying the fog around him.
“What’s it like?”, L’Vor asked, prompting N’Rat’s confused look. “Inside, I mean.”
“Hmmm.”, N’Rat almost purred. “Remember those consumed and then restored by C’Qer say they had no memory in that time of being digitised?”
“Some. Why?”
“This is different. The Archive is very much like Federation’s holodecks but…”, he paused. “Internalised yet dynamically thriving. To be fair, my senses could not discern that from…”, he paused and gestured around with his upper limbs. “This. It makes you doubt what is a real reality, so to speak.”
“Makes you ponder the metaphysics of existence.”, L’Vor added.
“Precisely.”, N’Rat continued. “So when you ask me how it feels, I can only say: as normal as everything else.”
They both fell silent. L’Vor could notice N’Rat’s complete stillness as Ferasan closed his eyes. Not a single follicle on him moved. He was as still as the scenery itself.
“What happens now?”, L’Vor interrupted the stillness.
Eyes still closed, N’Rat said: “I am returning to Camp Khitomer. Captain Kagran informed us that Director Hugh has a plan to engage Aetherians and wants the Allied Fleet Service to provide support.”
“I meant the colony.”
“I can’t answer that.”
“Oh, come on, N’Rat.”, L’Vor insisted.
N’Rat sighed. “The Dovarnis colonisation initiative is a bilateral matter between the Federation and the Empire. Alliance does not interfere on that level.”, he answered diplomatically, causing L’Vor to roll his eyes. “However, there are potential issues where Alliance diplomats might get involved. Given that the moon has been inhabited, in whatever form, prior to the colonists’ arrival, Federation colonisation authorities may give up on Dovarnis III altogether. Inhabited worlds are not to be colonised. That much is clear in Federation law.”
“But?”
“But on the other hand, if the Federation abandons this whole attempt, the Empire might see it as an uncollaborative approach, which would yield an effect opposite of what was intended. Furthermore, if the Federation withdraws, the Empire might bring the Archive’s residents and whatever technology they have under their military boot. Something that the Federation Security Council and Starfleet Command will certainly not allow.”
L’Vor shook his head. “So it will transpire just as Lukara warned Zohl in the beginning. Shooting all over again.”
“I would not agree with you.”, N’Rat answered calmly and finally opened his eyes, looking at L’Vor. “Lukara may be an old-fashioned warrior from an old-fashioned house, but she knows there are more ways to conquer someone than just with disruptors and blades. She is a skillful and cunning diplomat when it suits her.”
“What about this Romulan affair then?”, L’Vor continued. “This Tal Shiar thing is concerning. The fact they had three Vesta-class counterpart vessels at their disposal speaks volumes of the resources they still might possess.”
N’Rat nodded. “On that, I have to agree, unfortunately. Surhuelh-class vessels are not easy to come by, even within the Republic and these Tal Shiar… if they were Tal Shiar, had three. All well armed. But Commanders Khev and VanZyl are looking into this matter.”, N’Rat concluded. “And what about your own journeys?”
“Well, Miss Tallar has temporarily suspended all merchant activity. I completed my contracted runs, got paid. Now, I have enough to finish some upgrades on Frain. Then taking a shipment at Starbase 157 to be transported to Deep Space 9. I will go through Azedi space to cut on some time.”, L’Vor said without any hesitation.
“Former Azedi space.”, N’Rat corrected him. “Risky. Is it worth it?”
“It could be. I have some leads I’d like to check.”, L’Vor said. “After that, the far side of Zenas Expanse.”
“A long journey ahead of you. Wouldn’t it be easier…”
“With a Starfleet or Navy vessel?”, L’Vor interrupted him. “Of course it would, but it would also attract a lot of attention. Or distractions, depending how you put it.”
“And your secretive patrons?”
L’Vor shook his head. “Nothing. I am pretty certain it is not Krian herself. I found a tracking device in the warp governor compartment, but I don’t mind being monitored by SFI. I am not into illicit activities so having a tracker like that actually makes me feel comfortable.”, he said. “But interestingly, it is just a homing device. Chic and I turned every bulkhead upside down and inside out several times, but haven’t found any listening devices, nor monitoring algorithms in the computer system. Krian simply knows where I am, but she can’t hear me. Or she did not bother to.”
“Then who is this Jade?”
“I am not sure, N’Rat. But whoever she or they are, they are not…”, L’Vor paused, tilting his head a little while looking at N’Rat. “They are not hiding their vulnerabilities. They seem understaffed and lacking in material resources, but they are incredibly well informed about all that is happening within the Alliance.”
“I was contacted only once by this Jade, so I can’t give you any more informed impression. One particular point this Jade has made is that their group has been around since the time of the original Khitomer Accords, but that is all I know.”
“Self-proclaimed guardians of peace?”
“Perhaps and perhaps not.”, N’Rat said. “But for now, I will play along with their secrecy.”
L’Vor nodded and looked around them again. Fog began to lift slowly and the local star was visible, rising above the horizon. He stood up and N’Rat followed the lead. “Then I guess it is time to continue our adventures.”, he said and smiled.
“Then I wish you all the luck, L’Vor.”, N’Rat said, grinning.
“The same to you, my friend.”
