Things Left Undone - Chapter 10

Three days later…
First Officer's Log
Stardate 59117.01

I'm pleased to report that trade negotiations with the Reezan's for mining access in their system were a success. Our Diplomatic officer, Lieutenant Laura Stevenson, expertly obtained a vital trade treaty that will greatly benefit the reconstruction and relief efforts.

To celebrate the occasion, the Reezan government has invited some of the senior staff for a formal dinner.

The Reezan Minister of Education has also extended a personal invitation for the Endalla's resident school teacher, Ms. Sarah Elbaz. Lieutenant Stevenson is briefing her on federation diplomatic protocol before tonight's festivities.

Now I just hope my dress blue's still fit, the collar has always been a little tight…

End log.

"You know, your official logs should be more professional…" Akira said with her trademark amused smirk crossing her face while tossing the Padd from which she read the log back onto the coffee table where she found it and leaned back on the couch next to James.

"What and yours aren't?" James said playfully, nudging her on the shoulder with his elbow while he polished his dress uniform boots. "Or did you forget that it's my job to read them all?" He continued, turning his head to find her staring at him with a smile from ear to ear. "What?" he asked.

"I'm just happy." She responded.

"Oh; what about?" James asked, putting one boot down on the table, and moving on to the next.

"You… me. Us. I'm just happy. You make me happy." She said, resting her head on his shoulder. "The last month has been great." She admitted, and then paused. "Bet you didn't know I thought you were a hunk at the academy, did you?"

"Uh… no." James said, slightly flabbergasted.

"Oh, it's alright. I never let on. Personally, I thought you and Amanda were together."
"You needn't have worried, we weren't. Least not then."

"What? James, we shared a dorm room, she thought the world of you." She said quickly. "Wait, what? What do you mean not then?"

James put the boot he was polishing and leaned back, letting out a sigh as he did. "The night before Orias, just after we got our orders, we spent the night together." James said, wincing at the memory. "Leaving them there was the hardest thing I've ever done. Anyways, after we retook the planet, Amanda had to spend a lot of time in the hospital, for what I don't know. She didn't take any visitors, not even her sister." He continued, getting up and walked over to his dresser. "Four months later, I get a letter. An honest to goodness, hand written, paper letter." He said, taking the letter out of a small keepsake box, handing it to Akira.

Jimmy, I don't know what to say, other than sorry.

Sorry for not talking to you.

Sorry for keeping things to myself.

Something's come up, S.I. wants me to do something, and I can't say no. Not to this. It's way too important, and I can't explain why.

Hell, I shouldn't even be writing this letter.

Just, please understand.

I don't know when I'm going to get back, but I promise when I do, I'll explain things.

Thanks for understanding,

Mandy

"That was five years ago. I haven't been able to get anything out of my Intel contacts. You'd think someone with an Intelligence Star commendation would be able to get something, anything." James said, downtrodden, sitting down hard on the couch.

Akira looked at the piece of paper in her hands. She noticed the mended rips in the paper, and the flattened wrinkles from when it had been crumpled. She could only start to guess what had gone through James' mind when he got this letter.

"Hey, we both know how tough Amanda is. I've never known her to quit. She'll turn up." Akira said, putting an arm around him while swinging her legs across his lap, embracing him in a hug which was returned. "It'll be ok…" She said softly.

They stayed this way for a time.

* * *

"And here she is, the lady of the hour!" Jon said, beaming with pride when Laura walked into the small transporter room followed by Sarah, which was quickly filling up with people wearing dress whites and elegant evening gowns.

"You did an amazing job, Laura." Lindsey Reynolds said, shaking the young lieutenant's hand. "Oh my…" Lindsey said with a small gasp that made everyone in the room turn towards the door.

"You can say that again." Sarah Elbaz quietly.

There, with a look resembling a deer caught in a ground-car's headlights, stood James in full Marine Corps dress blues, holding his Cover under his right arm, and resting his left hand on his ceremonial Mameluke sword's hilt.

"What?" James finally said nonchalantly after recovering from the awkward silence his entrance created, only to let a slight grin slip onto his face.

This only caused Akira to shake her head and laugh, who had been waiting outside the transporter just out of sight.

"You couldn't help but show off, huh fly-boy." Akira said, chuckling to herself as she made her way down the corridor for the turbo-lift. This left the room in an awkward silence, which was thankfully interrupted by the transporter chief.

"The Reezan Parliamentary Palace has signaled that they're ready to receive us." The young red headed petty officer stated; the name of whom was escaping James at the moment.

"Thank you, Chief Williams." Jonathan said, stepping up onto the transporter platform while helping his wife up the steps in her evening gown.

"You know Major, I don't think Halee will mind if you escort me this evening." Sarah said with a smile, walking up to James, who was already on the platform, extending her hand for help up. She took it then pulled him closer so she could whisper without being overheard. "Although, I think Akira might." She said knowingly with a wink.

"Aki is going to have a field day when she hears that I've been used as arm candy." James groaned quietly, taking his position on the transporter Pad.

Sarah just smiled.

"Energize Chief." Jonathan ordered.

The small group found themselves standing on the rear steps of the Palace, overlooking the expansive garden below. It was filled with carefully sculpted trees and bushes, many of which covered in blossoming flowers in color combinations James didn't think were possible.

"Would you look at that…" Sarah said, hooking her arm in James' after he donned his cover. James looked up and saw a stunning star field, accentuated by the Reeza's two moons wreathed by a purple and pink nebula. "Seeing this from the ship just doesn't do it justice…" she said, stunned. "It just seems brighter down here."

"My wife tells me it's because of the excess ionization in our atmosphere from our frequent oceanic storms. Acts as a lensing effect, intensifying the colors." Minister Shack said walking up the stairs to greet them.

"You must be Ms. Elbaz, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Lynn'zyn, Minister of Education." The woman next to Shack said with a formal curtsy, which Sarah emulated quickly, having been caught off guard.

"Captain! This must be your wife." Shack said enthusiastically.

"Lindsey Reynolds, It's a pleasure Minister." She said, emulating the same curtsy she had just seen.

"Your husband told me the wonderful news. May your child be as beautiful as you." He said smile, placing his hand on his chest and bowing his head. "Now, enough with this formality! This is a celebration! Let us go toast to the future of our two peoples!"

* * *

"Team one and two, are you in position?" Shackaza said. On the console in front of him, he saw notifications that the teams he had infiltrate the Military's space-dock facility months ago, where the Reezan Flagship was docked, undergoing routine maintenance, where ready.

He swiveled his chair to face the heavily armed team assembled on the small craft the human had called a "Runabout".

"We're going to use this ships 'transporter' to place you on the Steadfast Valor's bridge." He told them. "There should only be maintenance teams on board. Kill them, then let the strike teams aboard and get the ship ready to leave dock."

"Sir!" the team shouted in reply.

Shackaza smiled, then turned to activate the transporter, and the team was on the Valor's bridge.

* * *

"Commander, I'm picking up what looks like transporter activity on the Reezan space station." Ensign Li reported.

"I thought they didn't have transporter tech, is it us?" Akira said, turning the bridges center chair to face ops.

"No sir, and they don't. These readings are clearly Starfleet transporter signatures." Li said, double checking her console.

"Sir, the vessel docked there is leaving the station." Halee reported from tactical.

"Li, hail the away team. I got a bad feeling…" Akira ordered.

"Scott here." James responded.

"Sir, something hinky is going on up here. We're reading Starfleet transporter activity on the Reezan space station, and a vessel is leaving it."

"Major, what's going on?" Shack said, his voice being picked up over James' comm-badge.

"I'm not sure Minist---" James managed to say before being cut off. Akira quickly turned to ops.

"We're being jammed, scanning for source… It's the Reezan ship!" Li reported with shock in her voice.

"They're firing on us!" Halee reported, her hands racing over her tactical station to bring up shields, automatically triggering the red alert.

"Marion, take us out of orbit, evasive maneuvers!" Akira ordered, just as the ship was hit, causing the deck to buck under her feet, sending her flying out of her chair.

* * *

James ducked under crimson phaser fire behind an overturned table. He returned fire when he could with the miniature type one phaser he had hidden in his boot. Turning to Shack, whose face was contorted in rage as he returned fire from the pistol he retrieved from a fallen guard. James saw that rage's source several feet away. Shack's wife was lying motionless, a smoking burn smoldered in the center of her chest.

They had been cut off from the other guests at the party, the gunmen had managed to flank James and Shack and went after everyone else, while another group kept them pinned where they were.

Then the worst happened, everyone who had beamed down with James from the Endalla were transported away, leaving the two of them to fend for themselves.