In the Den of the Wolf Queen

Posted on Sun Mar 3rd, 2019 @ 7:25am by Captain Gary Taylor

Mission: Season 2: Episode 3: Determination is not always a good thing
Location: Subspace Link
1886 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Anje Zhukov was sipping her nightly vodka, she allowed herself one glass, an hour before bed, every night, when her console began beeping, "Kerri, dear, be a lamb and get that for me?" She asked. She knew that wasn't Col. Tate's job, but her old bones simply didn't want to leave her chair at that moment, ~Need to hire Little Anje's replacement soon, can't keep working Kerri to death.~

"Of course, Madam Ambassador." Tate sighed, the old woman never hesitated to ask for anything, not that Kerri minded, though, she would also be glad when the Ambassador found the next unfortunate schmoe to be her new aide. Tapping the console to life, Tate found herself face to face with a man of Zhukov legend, his gray eyes gave him away, "Well, I'll be damned, the Wolf Queen's favorite pup has returned."

"Been awhile Kerri or should I say Col. Tate now? Congratulations on the promotion. Long overdue." Gary replied a smile creasing his face as he looked at her via the console. "Your looking remarkably fit. The Queen isn't working you too hard Is she?" He bantered lightly as his eyes peered deep into hers. He continued on, "I apologize for the lateness of the call. However I need to speak with the Wolf Queen it's rather important." He thought the Wolf Queen might be surprised by his call it had been awhile then he shook his head, the Queen was never surprised by anything at least not that he could remember.

"Thank you. And if the Dominion, Cardassians, Romulans, and my brother haven't finished me off yet, the Queen won't." Kerri laughed, "Though not for a lack of trying on her part, rest assured. Madam Ambassador, Cdr. Taylor needs to speak to you."

"Well, that's a wolf of another color." Zhukov joked, taking her seat in front of the console, "Well, look at you. I see shipboard life is treating you well. How is your.... Lia, was it?" She paused for a second, looking Gary over, he wasn't surprised at all that she knew, "You see, Kerri, he'd have been more surprised if I hadn't known."

"I understand that feeling." Tate shook her head, she'd known the Wolf Queen since she was twenty and somehow the woman still managed to surprise her.

"Well, clearly you wouldn't be calling on an old woman at this hour if it wasn't serious, so we're obviously not here just to catch up on old times and new beginnings." Zhukov said, directly to the chase as was her style, "So, what's on your mind, Gray Wolf?"

Gary allowed a full smile to grace his features. He wasn't surprised in the slightest that the Queen knew of his relationship with Lia and his posting. Hell. she probably could recite his postings from memory. Nothing slipped past her. "Absolutely right and yes its's Lia. She is fine, thank you for asking. Old woman my behind. You can run rings around people a fraction of your age." Gary replied honestly,then his face transformed, grew serious, the muscles in his face became firm and resolute. "As usual you are correct. It is serious. I'm sure you know we're orbiting Cortic VI." He paused to let the Queen absorb the information. "We're involved in in assisting the local populace in providing medical aid as well food relief." However a member of the crew was abducted by some local thugs. We'll get her back. That is a given." He said confidently "However in planning the rescue, something unexpected cropped up." He paused for several seconds, "I found Zhukov's windchime." He grew quiet, letting the Queen to fully digest the information.

"Well.... damn." Zhukov sighed, "And since we're here, this one obviously is not in the right hands. Things like this, I warned them it was going to become a problem, but we needed weapons to combat the Dominion, then other 'coming threats.' So I gave them the windchime, they spread them everywhere, then suddenly we get this new group in talking about it being peace time, so they start tearing them down, or, in places like Cortic VI, they just abandoned them. How many are we talking about? Just the one?" The Ground to Space Heavy Defensive Cannon Model M-1, known better as Zhukov's Windchime in honor of it's designer and the melodic sound it made when firing, was a formidable weapon to say the least, capable of destroying a Jem-Hadar gunship with one well placed shot.

"They should have listened to you but as usual they didn't however that's a discussion for another time." Gary agreed and pressed on. "That's what happened here. It was abandoned, some pissant criminals stumbled upon it, saw what it represented as well as the power and prestige it would give them and took it for their own. Their carrying the big stick now." He nodded, "Just the one. We can't take it out from orbit. The destruction destroying it would cause would be catastrophic to say the least. So we're going to neutralize it from the ground."

"Means you're going to have to land a team on it and take it out manually." Zhukov sighed, the stress of the past coming back to haunt her expression, "Hopefully you've got some engineers that have some balls, since they're basically going to have to disassemble this thing under fire."

"Exactly and I'll be leading a small ground assault team with a second team providing a diversionary assault. Have just the engineer and someone else, one I know you are familiar with...he paused as he divulged the information he had gathered. "Anje Brett is going with us."

"You're going to take Little Anje into the line of fire." Zhukov mused, a grin coming across her face, "I see the man still knows good stock, I was worried you might have begun to fade. If you plan on taking grenades, give them to her, she's got quite an arm on her."

"She can put one of those grenades in a vole's ass at thirteen meters." Tate interjected, "That should take the starch out of their spines."

Gary gave an answering grin. "I know the Zhukov brand." He bantered. "You were worried?" His tone switching to jesting, "About me fading? I don't know whether to be complimented or insulted." He nodded at Kerri, "Good to know about the grenades and Anje's arm."

"Nah, just a crazy old woman needling you a bit." Zhukov laughed, "So, what do we know about the people who have my gun?"

"You're neither crazy or old Admiral and as far as needling me, you continue to go right ahead." Gary had enormous respect for the Wolf Queen. She was smart, tough, could and did make the tough decisions and she always stood up for her people. You didn't have to worry about being left to hang in the wind with the Admiral. "Third rate thugs. Like kids with their daddy's gun. They don't know what they have just that it's a big gun." He observed.

"Lovely." Zhukov sighed, "Dumb and dangerous. So, our best hope is that they don't know what they can do with it, otherwise there's going to be serious trouble. The windchime won't knock down your ship with a single blast, but if they can fire enough times they can do some serious damage, though they were designed, as I'm sure you know, for low orbit or in-atmosphere combat, so have your Captain keep her distance until you can take that damned thing down."

"Do you know if the defensive countermeasures are up?" Tate interjected; that was an important question, "Because if they are, your people's phasers won't work."

"Damn it, that's right." Zhukov shook her head, "If the defensive countermeasures are up you'll need ballistics. We put them in place to prevent the Jemmys from doing exactly what you're going to attempt. The odds of these morons knowing how to engage the DC's, or even that they exist, are phenomenally low, but better safe than sorry."

"Right on both counts Admiral." Gary knew she was an Ambassador but he to him she would always be Admiral. "Yes, I remember the briefing on them. Designed for troop drop ships or atmospheric fighters. Don't worry the Elysium will stay out of the fray." He assured the Admiral and Tate. He looked between them both. "No mention of the DC's being operational. I doubt these clowns know anything about them and that's fine with me. Let them stay in the dark awhile longer. We'll take ballistics with us to be on the safe side." He paused. "I think the biggest use they have is the threat that they will use it. I'd be surprised if they knew how to fire the cannon."

"Probably not." Zhukov laughed, "But, I know you'll handle it properly. Oh, and also tell your Captain Lalor... tell Princess Phoenix that she does have friends in the Diplomatic Service; friends who would be willing to help her with her domestic issues should circumstances allow. When this is done, maybe we can all have a little conference, see if we can't find some new areas of opportunity."

Tate remained silent, though she approved, ~Cowboy diplomacy never goes out of style.~ A smile came across her face, knowing that if the Ambassador did become President her term would be a very busy one for Tate...

"I'll be sure to pass the message on to the Captain. She'll be happy to know she isn't alone and has friends in high places. A conference would be nice." Gary replied earnestly. "As far as handling it properly. Truer words were never spoken Admiral." He smiled at them. "You know this is going to feel good. It's been awhile since I had to do anything like this."

"Which is a damned shame." Zhukov said bluntly, "You've got a natural talent for it that's nearly unrivaled. Between you and her," she jerked a thumb towards Tate, still silent and stoic behind her, "I'm relatively sure I could topple any government in the quadrant."

"I consider that high praise indeed to be placed in the same company as Kerri." Gary said honestly a smile coming to his face. "You know if you need me, I'm just a subspace call away. You just have to say the word. As for these yahoos, they won't know what hit them."

"They never do." Zhukov laughed, "Not if you do it right." And that was one thing she could guarantee, that they always did it right, there was never a time when she sent the wolves in that their enemy knew what happened before it was too late, ~Damn I'm proud of those kids....~

"They won't this time either." Gary promised "Had a great mentor who showed me not only how to do a job but how to do it right. In addition to teaching life lessons that I still use." He smiled at her, "Thanks Admiral."

"You're welcome." She smiled back to him, "Now, go show these fools the error of their ways, do it just the way I taught you."

-End

Ambassador Anje Zhukov
Federation Diplomat/The Wolf Queen

Cdr. Gary Taylor
XO, USS Elysium/Gray Wolf

Col. Kerri Tate
Ambassadorial Protection Detail CO/White Wolf