Intersection Point

Chapter 23 of Starfighter! The Iconoclast

 

By: Tom Sczepkowski

 

With editing and clean-up by: Frederick P. Kopetz                                                                   

 

Copyrights: STAR TREK is © 2004 by Paramount Pictures, Inc. STAR BLAZERS is © 2004 by Voyager International, and, STAR WARS is © 2004 by Lucasfilm, Ltd. GARGOYLES is © 2004 by Disney Entertainment. The Technomugar Empire is © 2004 by Frederick P. Kopetz and is mentioned here by the author's permission. All original elements of this tale are © 2004 by Tom Sczepkowski. All rights reserved, not to be copied without the author's permission.  


 

Queen Starsha was awakened by a beeping on a small console by her bed, as her hand reached from the covers to shut it off.

 

She looked over to see if Alex was there. She was thankful on this day of days he was not. He followed her suggestion and went on some kind of sports outing with Volgarr. What was they called it again she wondered?

 

“Playing golf,” she whispered to herself remembering what the game was called.

 

She was glad that the former Gamilon General and the former Earth space destroyer Captain had befriended each other although the pairing of the two would have seemed somewhat odd to most. However her mind quickly changed to what the planet wide proximity wide warnings were alerting her to, as she entered the main observatory of her castle. She hadn’t been in there since her last communication with Desslok. To her, this was a room of dread and today was no exception. She sat in a large comfortable lounge type chair that looked up at the huge glass ceiling, which was actually a gigantic lens. Then, Starsha looked into the sky and saw a peculiar looking ship pass.

 

 

 

Starsha sighed as she saw on the chair’s console that the ship was attempting to make contact with her. She flipped a small switch as she opened the channel. A small visual came up as the bridge crew, looking somewhat astonished, looked to their right at something or someone not in view. Then, a familiar face came into view. She immediately stood up and gently split her fingers in the form of the Vulcan Hand Salute Ambassador Spock returned the Salute and put his hands behind his back.

 

“What has happened to your neighbor world, Gamilon?” Spock asked.

 

 

“Only what was due her,” Starsha said.

 

“And Iscandar, as well?” Spock asked.

 

“Yes,” Starsha said sadly.

 

“I would like to discuss that portion of your problem,” Spock said.

 

Starsha narrowed her eyes.

 

“Am I to assume that is the only purpose of your visit here?” Starsha said.

 

“No,” Spock said dryly.

 

“I did not think so,” Queen Starsha said, as the bridge doors on the ship opened and Admiral Necheav stepped onto the bridge of the Starship Enterprise and walked in front of the view screen.

 

Necheav gave her an evil glare. The Admiral just wished that she could choke her through the Force as she had seen Vaught do so many times.

 

Queen Starsha could tell the woman’s anger, as did Commander Troi, as she straightened in her chair uncomfortably. She looked at Starsha Corsair who never once raised her head from the ops station.

 

“What are your intensions?” Starsha asked.

 

“I think discussing these matters in person would be in the best interests of all concerned. I know you do not like to leave your world…,” said Spock.

 

“Nor will I, Ambassador Spock,” Queen Starsha said. “We will look forward to having you as guests here.”

 

Queen Starsha ended the transmission before Spock could say anything else.

 

“That’s a problem,” Necheav said, “She’s hiding something.”

 

“Perhaps she is just frightened of us,” Spock replied, “We have to prove to her that we are not going to threaten her.”

 

“She has every reason to be frightened of us, Ambassador,” Necheav retorted,  I intend to make that perfectly clear.”

 

“To provoke her would only make her an enemy,” Spock said, “That is exactly the situation I hope to avoid.”

 

“So your next step is to wait?” Necheav asked incredulously.

 

“We will at least listen to what she has to say,” Spock said.

 

“She’s a threat, Spock,” Necheav said.  “While you are having lunch together…. I’m conducting an investigation.”

 

“If your investigation proves correct?” Spock asked.

 

Nechaev glanced at Starsha Corsair and gave a slight sinister smile. Then, she turned and left the bridge of the Enterprise. Spock turned to Starsha Corsair who was busy at the tactical station and raised an eyebrow.

 

“There is more to this then stolen technology, isn’t there?” Riker said.

 

“Perhaps,” Spock said as he looked again at Starsha. “May I speak with you and Commander Troi?”

 

“Commander Data, you have the Conn,” Riker said as the three walked off the bridge. The three of then walked into the briefing room. Riker did not like to use Captain Picard’s ready room despite his temporary absence. 

 

“I believe your concerns are justified, Commander Riker,” Spock said. “Admiral Necheav has ulterior motives.”

 

“Her involvement with Lt. Corsair’s father, for one,” Troi said. “I sense great rage and jealousy floating around that relationship.”

 

“The two have a long history,” Spock said.  “Since the Battle with the Borg of Wolf 359…I think it has had a detrimental effect on him, and according to my research the mystery of Darth Hawk’s history begins almost at the same minute that Wolf 359 was over. If  Necheav has created this, she…”

 

Troi and Riker looked at each other.  “We know all about it,” Troi said.

 

“Some think of him as a hero,” “Riker said. “He’s routed out a lot of Changeling founders. And it is rumored that he only answers to only one Admiral in Starfleet who also is an operative in Section 31.”

 

“Necheav?” Troi asked.

 

“Logical.” Spock replied. “And with Vaught Corsair missing, Necheav cannot deal from her usual position of strength. With Corsair missing, she does not have an iron hand present to enforce her edicts.”

 

“She’ll need someone else,” Riker said. “Namely, someone with the same abilities as Vaught.”

 

There was a moment of silence when Troi exclaimed, “Starsha! The Marine! She couldn’t possibly be…?”

 

“No?” Spock said as he sat down in a chair, “Nechaev knows, just as I do that without Vaught Corsair at her side she doesn’t have the iron in the fist. That is why according to Creighton; Vaught did not want Necheav and his daughter to meet.”

 

“So that why we’ve been babysitting her all this time,” Riker said. “She never did seem to need it, however.”

 

“Admiral Destine believes that Necheav has already made contact with Starsha Corsair and has given her instructions.”

 

“What sort of instructions?” Riker asked.

 

Spock stood in silence for a moment. Then, he said, “Instructions to find evidence of stolen Federation technology. If she does, she is to eliminate Queen Starsha and all persons involved.”

 

“Would she kill her own family member?” Riker asked. “It would be like killing Dr. Selar!”

 

“Selar is her father’s sister,” Troi said with a nod. “Her father’s side of the family is the only family she knows. But, her anger with her mother is so intense that she just might do it,” Troi said.

 

“Astra,” Spock said. “According to Selar, Starsha Corsair feels that Astra seduced Vaught in order to get the technology.”

 

“Wait a minute!” Riker cried. “ I thought Starfleet gave the Cosmo DNA and Wave motion technology to Iscandar! Are you saying that wasn’t the case?”

 

Spock sighed, “It was not. I…. distorted this fact in order to keep the Dantes family at bay…If they learned too quickly about what transpired 18 years ago, they may have done something about it.”

 

“Maybe they should do something about it!” Riker exclaimed.

 

“Will!” Troi shouted.

 

“Look, we’re just about holding our own in this war!” Riker snapped. “Sharing technology is one thing but it being stolen? Iscandar had its hands on some very critical hardware. In the wrong hands it could overwhelm us!”

 

“I am aware of that, Commander,” Spock said.

 

“You’re also aware of General Order 24!” Riker said. “Well, Spock, I have my orders, too!”

 

Spock glared up at him as Troi, with a look of astonishment on her face, also looked at him.

 

“Her planet is already doomed,” Spock said. “She will not leave it even though it means her death…they were trying to save Earth in this dimension. Astra gave her life for people she didn’t know. This is how they are repaid …to have their own world destroyed by the very species that she helped save?”

 

“The world that they saved just had a mutiny where a starship was stolen,” snapped Riker. “That ship is being escorted by one of our own ships, a ship that has enough firepower to destroy a starship. How can that be justified?”

 

Spock merely looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

 

“The facts are not all in,” Spock said. “Perhaps it is time to evoke what your Captain Picard regards as Cowboy Diplomacy.” 

 

 

Although Starsha dreaded the order to report to the transporter room, she did not argue; she straightened her dress uniform and attached her light saber to her belt as Belinda followed her out of her quarters. Then, she went to sick bay, where she dropped the timber wolf off with Selar, who agreed to watch her while she was on Iscandar. Dr Crusher grimaced at the Wolf for a minute. However, she said nothing as she went back to calibrating a scanner.

 

“I’ll be back in a couple of hours, Aunt Selar,” Starsha said.

 

“I think it would be logical to assume that your Aunt Starsha would want you to stay at the castle while the Enterprise is in orbit,” Selar said .

 

“Don’t assume a damn thing!” Starsha said angrily. “That bitch isn’t family to me!”

 

Starsha was totally taken off guard by what happened next, as Selar slammed closed the door of the small storeroom that they were standing in.

 

“Now you listen to me, young lady,” Selar scolded. “I’ve lost my family, namely an older sister whom I have never met, and my brother Vaught, who is into a possible fight for his life. I will not lose his daughter. You have a very special power that your father did not want you to waste killing people!”

 

“The same people that have pissed all over him---and treated him like…“

 

“That’s between your father and them,” Selar said. “Think! If your father wanted them killed would he have relied on you to do it? Given that he is someone who has killed so frequently; he would have taken care of it himself…. No, Starsha…He wanted you to embrace your family and heritage on Iscandar…. He didn’t make you enemies with your mother, Astra. You did that yourself and I know that broke his heart.”

 

Starsha said nothing as Selar gently grasped her shoulder.

 

“Forgive my outburst it is not the way of a Vulcan,  Selar said. “Promise me that you will just keep an open mind.”

 

Starsha nodded as she opened the door and left quietly while Dr. Crusher stared.

 

Crusher looked back at Selar who never took her eyes off of Starsha as she disappeared around the corner.

 

“She even walks with his stride,” Selar said.

 

“She’s a lot like him?” Crusher asked.

 

“In many ways,” Selar said trying to hide the great concern in her voice. “In far too many ways…”

 

 

Scotty and McCoy were waiting outside the transporter room just as Starsha turned the corner.

 

“Hey Scotty…. Bones,” she said cheerfully.

 

“Ah, our armed escort has arrived,” McCoy said.

 

“Ye’ve got no phaser, lassie?” Scotty said jokingly knowing full well that her light saber was her only weapon.

 

“All right kids, the sooner we get there the sooner we can leave,” Starsha said. “Am I to assume the main contingent left?”

 

“Aye. About a half hour ago,” Scotty said as they walked into the transporter room.

 

“How do you guys want to handle this?” Starsha asked.

 

“Good question,” McCoy said sarcastically to Scott.

 

“Well you are the ranking officer,” Starsha said.

 

“Well isn’t that a hoot,” McCoy said. “I wonder what Jim would’ve said.”

 

“Probably would have laughed his ass off,” Scotty chided.

 

“Yes, he would’ve, at that,” McCoy said. “But actually, Miss Corsair, you are the boss when we get down there.”

 

“You gotta cut off those Mint Juleps, Bones,” Starsha said as her Southern accent slightly peaked out more than usual when she spoke with Dr. McCoy.

 

The two broke out in laughter as Starsha quietly said, “OK; I’ll bite; why will I be in charge?”

 

The two looked at each other then chuckled than sarcastically bowed saying at the same time, “Princess Starsha.” Then they broke into laughter. It was a little funny even to Starsha, who did not laugh. She just rolled her eyes and muttered to herself, “This is like a damn cadet review,” as she stood on the transporter pad.

 

Upon materializing on the surface of Iscandar, Starsha immediately took an aggressive stance. She quickly brought her light saber over her head and activated it; and then brought it down in front of her.

 

The humorous mood that McCoy and Scotty were both in quickly diminished as they saw  Starsha spin around quickly looking for attack. Scotty and McCoy didn’t laugh at her, and they didn’t dare make fun of her.

 

“I’m glad you’re on our side,” McCoy said nervously. Starsha then deactivated her light saber and took a deep breath.

 

“You were on Argielus?” Scotty said.

 

“Yes,” Starsha said.

 

Scotty nodded as if he understood. McCoy looked at Scotty and shrugged, as Scott waved his hand as if to say, “I’ll tell you later.”

 

Calming down, Starsha Corsair took in the atmosphere of Iscandar. She was surprised to find that she was on a hot tropical world. There was a cool ocean breeze coming in off the ocean as Starsha closed her eyes and took in the sensations. She felt that there was something familiar about where she was.  She walked ahead of Scotty and McCoy. The old doctor was on a form of electronic scooter so that he could keep up.

 

“Why did you beam us down so far away?” McCoy grumbled as Scotty shushed him.

 

“I wanted to take a look around,” Scott said. “I hate beaming into buildings.”

 

“I hate beaming period! Getting your damn molecules scattered around space; who knows where they’ll end up!” McCoy snarled. Starsha chuckled as she opened her tricorder and began scanning.

 

“This just doesn’t add up,” Starsha said.

 

“What?” Scotty said as Starsha tossed him the tricorder.

 

“Look,” said Starsha. “Right there.”

 

“Traces of dilithum?” Scotty said. “Maybe remnants of that crystal island over there?”

 

“I can’t localize the source,” Starsha said.

 

McCoy shook his head, “This makes no sense. You did a scan from the Enterprise and came up empty.”

 

“We had a feeling that Queen Starsha might be shielding Iscandar from the Enterprise,” Scotty said.

 

“I see points starting to form on your ears, boy,” McCoy chided. “I’ll bet your blood will go green, next!”

 

Scotty gave McCoy a stern look.

 

“I’m going to say this but I’ll probably hate myself in the morning…,” McCoy began. “If she was hiding something and shielding it from us, isn’t it a little illogical for her to invite us down here? We’ve run into this before, Scotty.”

 

“Planet Gideon,” Scott said.

 

“Gideon?” Starsha said. “I did a portion of my basic training there…they have a mock-up of a Constitution Class starship that we used for anti-boarding training.

 

“Well it wasn’t back in our time,” McCoy said. "They had a severe overpopulation problem and their people had extreme longevity. They wouldn’t get sick; the entire planet was almost immortal.”

 

“And?” Starsha asked with interest.

 

“They wound up making an application for entry into the Federation,” Scott said. “They only wanted Captain Kirk to beam down and negotiate the treaty. But they shielded themselves from our sensors.”

 

Starsha laughed aloud. “And, let me get this right; you let him go down alone?”

 

“Well to tell you lass,” Scott said, “Captain Kirk went on almost all the away missions personally.”

 

“A real hands-on kind of guy, huh?” Starsha quipped.

 

“He would have liked you,” McCoy said.

 

“Oh I could imagine,” Starsha said.

 

“So could he,” McCoy retorted.

 

“I take it there was a damsel in distress as well?” Starsha asked.

 

McCoy and Scotty looked at each other and smiled. “Yes. Odonna,  they said together, looking up at the sky.

 

“Do tell,” Starsha said with interest.

 

“Well these laddies really pulled out all the stops on this one,” Scotty said as they all sat down on a green well-maintained grassy field.

 

“Well your training mock up…,” said McCoy. “Scott said it was used to trick Captain Kirk into thinking he hadn’t left the Enterprise when he beamed down to Gideon.”

 

“What did they want him for?” Starsha asked.

 

“Well like I said,” McCoy began. “They had this overpopulation problem. No one got sick and almost no one died. But Jim a week prior had struggled with a disease called Vegan choriomeningitis. The infection is fatal, and the Gideons hoped to spread it across their world to reduce the population.”

 

“So of course the lady is there to see if she can get infected,” Starsha said, “Did Ambassador Spock bail him out?

 

“How did you know that?” McCoy asked.  

 

“How else could it have ended?” Starsha asked, as for the moment she had a troubled look on her face. She stood up and walked away a few steps forward, with her eyes darting from side to side. It wasn’t the Force sending warning signs it was her ears as she heard something rustling in the grass. She unfastened her light saber as McCoy and Scotty stopped talking.

 

Then she thought she heard some yell the number “Four!” as a small rounded white projectile headed straight for her. She quickly activated her light saber and cut the object in half with a single strike.  Scott walked over and picked up the remnants.

 

“Nice going,” Scotty said. “I feel safer already since you rid the galaxy of invading Golf balls.”

 

“Maybe the PGA joined the Dominion,  McCoy said, “Everyone else is.”

 

She turned again to see two men wearing almost 20th century golf shirts along with a small hovering platform caring two bags of golf clubs. The first man that she saw was a blue-skinned older man that almost looked like Scotty’s age. The second was a younger man of Japanese descent.

 

“Is that going to cost me a stroke?” The older blue skinned man asked in a strangely accented voice.

 

“I think that’s the game,” replied the Japanese man.

 

As they both looked at Starsha, they stopped walking dead in their tracks with a look of astonishment.

 

“I’m Alex Wildstar,” said the Japanese man, as he gestured to his golfing companion. “This is my friend Volgarr of Gamilon.”

 

“I’m Montgomery Scott,” Scott said. “This is Doctor Leonard McCoy…And Lieutenant Starsha Corsair of the Starfleet Marines.”

 

Alex and Volgarr looked at each other as Alex looked back at Starsha.

 

“Starsha, huh?” Alex said, “My wife’s name is Starsha. That’s not a common name.”

 

“My father’s name is Vaught,” Starsha said, while folding her arms. Her stare was like hardened ice. Alex nodded as if he understood her threat as Scotty and McCoy both stared at her.

 

Her stance didn’t seem to faze Alex, nor was he threatened by her as he walked right up to her. His stance wasn’t threatening nor coarse and Starsha was immediately disarmed, as she felt no anger or malice towards Alex.

 

“I guess that would make me your Uncle,” Alex said.

 

“I suppose it would, sir,” Starsha said.

 

“Uncle Alex.” he said, correcting her. Then, the three men chuckled as Alex gestured towards the Grand Castle of Iscandar. “Come. We have much to talk about.”

 


 

Next Chapter: “ANOTHER FINE MESS”

 

To Return to the Introduction to Starfighter: The Iconoclasts, click here