Tell Me What You Know

Posted on Sun Jun 14th, 2020 @ 11:27am by Captain Gary Taylor

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Subspace
Timeline: after Elysium returns to 24th Century
2683 words - 5.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Anje Zhukov had had struggles sleeping since she'd received the message from Empress Alena about the Federation Ambassador possibly being compromised and, worse still, that her grandson, Nikita, had gone off with her to her home world and their relationship was progressing rapidly. She knew almost nothing about this Empress outside of the dossier and nothing at all of her cousin, who served as Elysium's Chief Science Officer, but she knew who did know her, and she knew he'd be totally honest and transparent with her as he always had. Dialing Taylor's secret number she waited for him to appear on her screen, nervously tugging at her hair as she did.

She didn't have long to wait. Gary's face appeared on the screen. "Admiral." He said by way of greeting. Then he leaned forward and peered at her image and seeing her nervousness? That set him on edge, the Admiral was never nervous, so this was completely out of the normal way of things. "What's wrong?" He asked and awaited her answer.

"Tell me, what do you know about the an Vantar family?" She asked, "Anything you know about your science officer's cousin would be greatly appreciated. This is not a question of an official nature as it were, Gray Wolf."

Gary leaned back and smiled, "Not an awful lot Admiral." He paused then continued, "So this is of a personal request." He didn't question, he knew. Are we being the nervous aunt?"

"Nervous grandmother actually." Zhukov replied, she felt she could be totally honest with Taylor, "Though why would you ask if I was a nervous aunt? Which of my nieces has involved themselves with this family, too?"

"Well Anje has become quite friendly with Arri. Our chief of science." Gary stated honestly. "Though it appears to be nothing more than friendship."

"Okay, well, Little Anje always needed more friends than she had." Zhukov nodded and smiled, "Though Milla told me something most disturbing, that Little Anje had become involved with... a Q. Please tell me that's not the case." The disgust in her voice was painfully obvious, she made no efforts to even try and hide it, she hated the Q and would cheerfully wipe out the lot of them, too much trouble to be left in existence, time for forced extinction.

Gary nodded slowly, " Wish I could but I cannot. Yes, that is true. Anje and the Q who goes by the name Quinn by the way are quite close and by all appearances their relationship has progressed beyond that of being friends. They are quite taken with each other. Currently Quinn isn't aboard the ship but that can change in a second's notice."

"I know." Anje the Elder sighed, this was even more distressing than Nikita and Alena's running off together, "Damnable creatures, the Q. I've yet to meet one that shouldn't be killed for public safety reasons."

"For the most part I agree with you Admiral. However I have to say in Quinn's defense. She seems sincere in her affection, love for Anje and Anje, well she is head over heels for Quinn." Gary replied knowing that was exactly the last thing the Admiral needed to hear.

'Aww, geez, not this shit again." Zhukov groaned, "You didn't know her when she went all nuts over Cheline Halliwell, or you'd be as distressed about this as I am."

"No, I didn't." Gary admitted. "Though I know Anje does have the um tendency to fall in love rather quickly and totally." He observed remembering Anje's ill fated relationship with Liselle or rather who she thought was Liselle but was in fact her twin sister.

"With invariably disastrous results." Zhukov rolled her eyes, "That poor girl should stick to her cat."

"Admiral." Gary began cautiously, "I know you love and care for Anje a great deal and want nothing but the best for her. I think the world of her. She is a good friend. However you know she is an adult, entitled to live her life as she sees fit. You may not like this current relationship but it is Anje's decision to pursue it."

"I had such high hopes for Anje." Zhukov sighed, "She was to be my parents' first grandchild and I'd hoped she would one day have children of her own, but that seems out of the question. Now, now she's taken up with a Q of all vile creatures. Worried isn't even the word, Gray Wolf."

"You can still have high hopes for Anje, Admiral and not agree with the direction her love life is going." Gary pointed out. "She's a damn good officer and I trust her."

"Yes, and if she wishes to advance her career any further she'll need to start looking for somewhere else to do it." Zhukov replied, knowing command was Anje's next logical step, "And I don't think she'll want to leave you all. She's become attached, especially to your bride to be."

"Yes. She and Lia have formed a quick and tight friendship. They both think the world of the other and there's nothing they wouldn't do for each other. It is a thing of beauty."

"Which might cause Anje to miss opportunities." Zhukov said sadly, "I practically had to push her out the door here."

"It might." Gary admitted. "However isn't more important for Anje to be happy? To be where she is liked and respected?" Gary countered.

"I want her to be happy, naturally, I love Little Anje like she was my own daughter." Zhukov answered, "I just don't want her to get trapped in a lurch with no upward professional momentum like I was for so long." She remembered getting trapped for so long trying to get a command after Enterprise-B was yanked out from under her and how long it took her after that to move up any further, lost years she could never get back, punishment for something she didn't have anything to do with but some people, a Grogan no less, assumed she did.

"I understand that." Gary agreed. "However she has to live her life. You can advise and give your opinion just like I can but ultimately it is her decision."

"I know." Zhukov sighed deeply, "I just worry about the effects dating a Q will have on her career. Not to mention the campaign."

"You worry too much Admiral. I don't think anyone will say a thing about Anje dating a Q even if they know. They don't want to end up on the bad side of Q and be stranded in the past or worse."

"That might be true,but I know people fear the Q, and for good reason." The Queen replied, "And I know nobody wants four to eight years of President Thomas Grogan. Not to mention the thought of Anje missing out on a chance to gain a command of her own."

"Admiral. Just let things play out on their own. If Anje needs help then offer it. But until then let her live her life and make mistakes." Gary countered.

"I just can't stand seeing her crushed and in pain." The admiral said, wiping a tear from her eye at the memory of seeing Anje the day Cheline walked out on her, "I damn near put you all on Cheline Halliwell for what she did to Anje, you know?"

"Admiral, every parent wants the best for their children and you've already said Anje is like a daughter to you. However as a good parent sometimes you just have to take a hands off approach and let them find their way." Gary answered "And I didn't know."

"That worthless bitch." Zhukov swore, "When the game of musical chairs ends in Paris, she might find herself without a seat."

"Now, that would be perfect." Gary agreed.

"Though watch her have a sudden change of heart when I'm elected." Zhukov laughed bemusedly, "I just pray my niece is smart enough not to let that woman use her a second time."

"I don't think you have to worry on that score Admiral. Anje won't be fooled twice." Gary replied with conviction.

"I hope you're right, Gary." The admiral nodded and smiled softly, she trusted Taylor, something she could say for few people, even with her family she trusted him..

Gary returned the smile. Not only did he have immense respect for the Admiral. Like her with him, he trusted her completely and there were very, very, few people that he did. "Tell you a secret Admiral. I hope I'm right as well."

"Well, we're both on the same page at least." Zhukov chuckled, "Long as we've got one goal here, we can't lose."

"How right you are Admiral. We can't lose." Gary agreed with the Queen.

"Now, on to some news of the weird..." Zhukov began, "I received a call from a former pack member, someone who ran with me when Marcia King was in charge. A woman was rescued from the Orions at DS9, claims to be the wife of a starfleet officer."

"Oh?" Gary replied "How'd the Orions get her and who is she?"

"I don't have an answer for either of those questions." Zhukov shook her head, pouring herself a drink and downing it before continuing, "But she claims to be Catlin Taylor."

Gary stared at the screen for several seconds in absolute silence. Then he spoke "Catlin?" His voice both hopeful and confused. "But how? Reports were she died in a hover car accident."

Zhukov cringed when he said that, not even wondering how he got that idea, she knew exactly where that idea came from, it was the official answer in the report on Catlin's death, though it couldn't be farther from the truth on a bet; the time was now for her to be truthful with someone she thought already knew, having assumed the Gray Wolf of all people would have done his due dilligence, "That's SFPD's bullshit story, Gray." She began, she'd been dreading the idea that one day Catlin's death was going to be questioned, "There was an accident in the biomed lab where she was working, a pathogen got loose and Catlin died behind the wheel of her car from a heart attack, she was already dead when the accident happened."

Gary's face was set in granite. No emotion played across it as the Queen revealed the truth to him. He began to speak, "I didn't check at the time, I was too broken hearted when I got the news." He looked at the Queen. "Your sure Catlin died?" Then he answered his own question, "Of course you are. Which leads to another question who is on DS9 pretending to be Catlin?"

"I don't know, but trust and believe that I'm going there to find out, even over Rebecca's vehement objections." Zhukov replied, her voice hard and flat, she meant very serious business about this, "Whoever this woman is, I intend to have her arrested for impersonating a Starfleet officer when I prove she's not who she said she is. Which won't take long as I know where the real Catlin currently resides."

Gary's eyes were cold, "My trust in you has never been an issue Admiral. "However, whoever is playing this sick joke. I want a piece of them as well. They have messed with the wrong wolf." His voice cold, deadly.

"When we discover his identity, I will let you do as you wish with him." Zhukov pledged, "They've called down the thunder, I won't protect them from the lightning when it comes."

Gary inclined his head in a nod. "Thank you. They will rue the day, they thought this sick idea up.''

"I smell a familiar reek here, Gray." Zhukov remarked, raising her head as if she did smell something bad, "The stench of Grogan. He has to be behind this, somehow."

Gary's eyes narrowed to slits, "I can't believe even he would stoop so low but you may just be right Admiral. If you are I feel sorry for him."

"He'll do anything to win this election." Zhukov sighed, "To finish his great grandfather's war against Marcia King, a war that's spilled over onto me. He's a sad, bitter, jealous man who could've accomplished much more had he focused on himself instead of on his ancestral grudge."

"Then that will be his downfall and his biggest mistake." Gary promised. "He'll learn the hard way what it means to tangle with the Queen and her pack. I guarantee it will be a lesson he will never forget.''

"Him, I want left to me." Zhukov said definitively, Thomas Grogan had been a thorn in her side since he became an adult and she was going to be the one to pluck and remove it.

"As you wish Admiral. I won't stand in your way of plucking Grogan. Just pluck him clean." Gary requested.

"And when that worthless bird is plucked, I'll fry him myself." The old admiral replied, she was ready to end this thing, it had been going on over a century between her, Admiral King, and the Grogans.

At that Gary smiled. "I cannot wait to see that Admiral. It will be quite fitting and deserved."

"We'll have to enjoy that together." Zhukov smiled to him, motherly in many ways like she had been to all the wolves over the years since she took the command from the deceased Admiral King, "And we'll need to get Kerri back soon, let her be with us, her family."

Gary nodded solemnly. "I could not agree more. Make the celebration a family affair."

"We'll have to look towards a mass evacuation of Cortic VI soon." Zhukov reported, holding a padd up for him to see, "This is from the geological survey, looks like that planet is going to implode within a few months. We'll need a rescue fleet and officers to command the ships, going to have to pull a lot of ships out of mothballs."

Gary looked at the PaDD. "Good thing the ships in mothballs are kept in pretty much operational condition otherwise, a lot of people would be dying."

"Well, we did learn some things from the Dominion War." Zhukov laughed, "We learned waiting for new ships took too long and to save the present we couldn't wait for the future, we would need to go back into the past, any guns we could put on the enemy, new or old, were guns we didn't have moments before. So, yes, there are hundreds of old ships we can reactivate just like that." She emphasized her point by snapping her fingers.

"And I am all for that. Time is of the essence and those people are Cortic VI don't have much. So the sooner this rescue fleet can get put together the better it will be all the way around. There can't be anymore debate. Those people need to be evac'd as soon as possible." Gary stressed.

"Right, there are even a couple we'll be bringing out of the museum fleet to do the rescue mission." Zhukov added, "Some old favorites of mine."

"Museum ship? Is that wise? we don't want to run the risk of damaging them." Gary replied.

"No worries, my boy, it's a taxi run." Zhukov smiled, "Not like we're going to be going into combat with the Borg or anything."

"Yes Admiral." Gary agreed diplomatically.

"Think I might ask to be given a temporary return to active duty to command the rescue mission." Zhukov said, knowing that was exactly what her protege wanted to hear, "Might plant my flag on Elysium, a family reunion of sorts."

"I think that would be an excellent idea." Gary replied approvingly.

"Well, as soon as I know, you'll know." Zhukov smiled, then looked at her clock, "Well, that says it's time for old ladies to get to bed.Good night, Gray, and thank you for your help easing my mind."

"Good night Admiral. I look forward to seeing you in action once again." Gary replied warmly.