Star Trek TFL E-Mail Role Play Entries, Page 6

Subj:	Homecoming - Part 15 (Supplemental)
Date:	1/18/99 11:01:21 PM Pacific Standard Time
From:	VAdm Quan
To:	Angel Swan, DrKrisMLyn, Amatuli, Caelin R, BCrew
To:	Beacus, CaptAlexis, Capt speed, Capt Raven
To:	Aron Wago, Cmdr TVect, CmdrQShell, Cpt TZyr
To:	CtJLPicard, DMacCullum, FireDncerX, Jol tLiss
To:	Joy Mudd, KelCaraidX, Love Robin, LtjCMoriah
To:	Lt SilverI, Moondnce, Trochilus, Vzardag
To:	Wrongjas22
BCC:	VAdm Quan

:::aboard the privately owned vessel Millennium:::

	Shots echoed loudly in the room. They pleaded, cowering at his feet. 
They even voluntarily offered themselves to him. What they wouldn't do to have 
the lives of their children spared. Existence for them was secondary. The lives 
of the children, that's what truly mattered. He knew this too, that they'd do 
anything to insure their safety. He was even willing to go along, just for the 
sake of appearance. The children's lives would be spared, in exchange for 
their parent's cooperation. So, he accepted them, the adults, as his willing 
slaves. After all, a deal was a deal.
	He would've kept them alive anyway. This was what he did. Dead 
children were worthless. Children had their own special place in the scheme 
of things. You'd be surprised to know how much people were willing to pay for 
the whelps. Why should he care what they did with them after the transaction 
was complete? It was a simple exchange of goods for money. He was, after all, 
a simple businessman and they were only pieces of merchandise.
	Several more shots rang in the air then silence and then... metallic 
tinkling. Tinkle, tinkle... tinkle, tinkle, tinkle. More silence and then a 
hollow thud. The flame of another life had been snuffed out by his hand. With 
an even stride he stepped over the shiny hollow metal cylinders, the casings 
from spent rounds. "Poor devil." He said as he knelt to examine the results 
of his handiwork. "But fret not. Your death was not in vain. You served well, 
as a reminder." He stood and stepped over the lifeless body, careful not to 
soil his shoes in the spreading pool of blood. "Get someone to dispose of 
this... mess." He strode out, a cold smile spreading across his face. As he 
passed a reflective display panel he paused to admire his reflection. Near 
golden olive complexion, dark brown eyes and thick jet-black hair accented 
by streaks of grey at the temples. Chilling laughter reverberated down the 
corridor. His laughter.
	Vice Admiral Corey Quan bolted upright, gasping for air. 
Perspiration dripped from his forehead. "Lights, thirty percent." His voice 
was a hoarse whisper. He flung the covers off as he swung his legs over the 
edge of the bed. Unconsciously he made his way to the replicator, ordering 
up a cup of tea. He sipped quietly as he stood in front of the rooms full 
length viewport. Nothing but large chunks of rock as far as the eye could 
see... and his reflection.
	Quan looked into the reflections eyes. Even now he tried to 
reassure himself of the fact that it was only a dream. "That was my face." 
He whispered softly. "But it wasn't me. That laugh, the voice." His eyes 
closed tightly as he struggled to comprehend the nightmare "ngoh m-ming. 
Help me so that I may." He opened his eyes, willing the answer to come 
forth. It didn't appear. His gaze again fell on countless chunks of rock 
outside... and his reflection.

----------

	"Damn it! I told you to get that conduit reinforced before energizing 
the injector assembly. Now the whole friggin' thing is toast. You're lucky 
it didn't cause a cascade failure in the rest of the transfer systems. Get 
that area flushed and do it *right*."
	"Yes, ma'am." A frazzled ensign stammered before he ran off.
	Allison cursed under her breath. "And these people are supposed to be 
the best in the fleet? Like hell." She turned on her heel as a loud crash 
came from behind her. "Careful with that!"
	"Problem, Commander?"
	"Admiral Dad, to what do I owe the honor?" Allison bowed theatrically.
	"Walk with me."
	Commander Allison Quan blinked. "Sounds heavy." She glanced over her 
shoulder, to one of her officers. "Take over for me. I'll be back in a bit."
	"You seem perturbed." Quan noted as they walked down the length of 
the repair bay.
	"No thanks to the incompetence of me crew."
	"Perhaps you're holding the reigns too tightly."
	"Maybe, you know me. But I have a feeling that isn't why you wanted 
to talk."
	The Admiral glanced at his daughter briefly then refocused his gaze 
straight ahead. "I've been instructed to take a vacation."
	Allison blinked a few times. "Huh?"
	"Our employers have graciously granted me a temporary leave of 
absence. Apparantly this type of work doesn't agree with me, so they say."
	"Must be some kind of test."
	"My thoughts exactly. I requested permission to have you accompany me."
	"And they said no way." The Commander added as they paused at a 
relatively quiet corner of the bay.
	Quan nodded slightly. "It's obvious they don't trust us fully."
	"Heh. They'd be stupid not to." She looked at her father. "Nothing you 
can do except go." She winked. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
	"Are we still going to have dinner?"
	"Sure! Girls gotta eat, right?"
	The Admiral chuckled lightly. "In that case, carry on, Commander." And 
he disappeared down a corridor.

To be continued...

Subj:	Homecoming - Part 15 (Supplement b)
Date:	2/2/99 8:08:35 PM Pacific Standard Time
From:	VAdm Quan
To:	Angel Swan, DrKrisMLyn, Amatuli, Caelin R, BCrew
To:	Beacus, CaptAlexis, Capt speed, Capt Raven
To:	Aron Wago, Cmdr TVect, CmdrQShell, CtJLPicard
To:	DMacCullum, FireDncerX, Jol tLiss, KelCaraidX
To:	Love Robin, LtjCMoriah, Lt SilverI, Moondnce
To:	Trochilus, Vzardag
BCC:	VAdm Quan

Welcome to yet another installment in the Ten Forward Lounge: Homecoming 
saga. In our last episode we saw The Admiral struggling with his 
conscience. To him, doing nothing at all to prevent the terrible horrors 
he was witness to made him just as much responsible as if he performed 
the acts himself. And what's the deal with "Ron" forcing him to take time 
off? Could it be another part of his evil plan to take over the Galaxy? 
You'll have to stay tuned to find out. And now, on with the show.

:::aboard the privately owned vessel Millennium:::

	"You called for me, Master?"
	"Ah, thank you for coming so quickly, Admiral."
	"I live to serve."
	There was a cold chuckle. "Of course you do." He leaned back in his
plush chair, gaze centered on a display terminal. "Escort wing gamma has 
reported hit and run attacks in their route. They've been instructed to 
remain with the transports no matter what. Dispatch a few cloaked cruisers 
and have them rendezvous with the convoy. Your ships are to insure the 
complete destruction of these pests."
	"I will make the necessary arrangements."
	"Good." There was a pause as the man looked up from the terminal, 
leveling his cool grey eyes on Admiral Caulden. "Before I forget. You've 
seen to the matter concerning Quan?"
	"Yes, the Becquerel is tracking his runabout. At last report it was 
traveling roughly parallel to the Romulan Neutral Zone. Approximately two 
light years from it, to be exact."
	"Excellent. You've done very well, Admiral. Very well." He swiveled 
around in his chair so that his gaze fell on the scene outside the viewport. 
This vantage point of his multilevel office afforded a view of the massive 
Millennium's internal docking system. A handful of Black Operation 
starship's, along with a few of his own vessels, lay dormant, undergoing 
varying levels of repair. He glanced at Caulden's reflection. "You may 
go, Admiral."
	He glanced over his shoulder at the departing Black Ops officer. He 
had been so disappointed in him. "No, my dear Admiral. You're not the one 
who'll be standing by my side. You're much too weak." He whispered. 
"However, there is another."

----------

	This was all so familiar. The stone path laid across a bed of sand, 
shade provided by large palms and parasols. Even the comforting smell of 
ocean air and the distant sound of rolling surf. Everything was familiar. 
Except... humming? He carefully navigated his way through brush and creamy 
rose bushes, towards the source of the music. He stopped for a moment and 
leaned against the trunk of a pear tree, catching his breath. In the 
foreground stood a modest two story brick house. This was more than 
familiar. This was home.
	He squinted as he looked up. Sunlight rained down from a clear sky, 
filtered through leaves by the tree tops. He refocused his attention on the 
humming as the melody changed. He continued on until he reached another stone 
path. At the end stood a plum tree with an elderly woman picking fruit from 
its lower branches. The humming ceased.
	"Well, well, well. Look who's come home to visit." The woman 
grunted softly as she knelt and deposited an apron full of plums in a bucket. 
"Tell me, why is it you visit only when in turmoil?"
	"I'm not certain. Perhaps it's because this is where I'm rooted? 
Where everything I am comes from?"
	The old woman let out a long cackle then abruptly cut it, causing 
the man to arch an eyebrow in response. "No. That's not why." She pointed 
at him then pointed to a spot half a meter or so away from her. She smiled 
with approval as he stood where indicated. "You come here to freshen the 
delusion."
	He shook his head. "I'm aware of no such thing."
	She crooked a finger at him. He responded by sitting on his haunches. 
She immediately smacked him upside the head once he was low enough. "Don't be 
so obtuse, Chet Wa."
	"I am most certainly *not* being obtuse. Our history is very 
important to me. I'm honored by what it represents. It's my obligation to 
cherish what our line has accomplished." He answered while rubbing the back 
oof his noggin.
	"Cherishing it is good, I agree." She sighed softly. "But reliving it 
is not."
	"I don't know what you're talking about." Chet Wa, known to everyone 
else as Vice Admiral Corey Quan, replied in a grumble. The elderly woman 
smacked him upside the head again. "Aya!"
	"History is there to remind us of how things use to be. I hoped you 
would not follow in your father and grandfather's footsteps. A life is too 
precious to let slip away. It must be lived to the fullest possible extent." 
A pause. "Maybe that's why you're still a bachelor."
	"I've almost been married. That must count for something."
	Another loud cackle then abrupt silence. "No." She went back to 
picking plums. "What happened to that auburn haired Commodore you were 
interested in? Rebecca, if memory serves me correct."
	"Things..." He hesitated. "didn't quite work out."
	She glanced over her shoulder at him, brow raised ever so slightly. 
"I see." She turned back to the task at hand. "What about that Ambassador of 
yours? How many times were you engaged?"
	"Two."
	"Like I always say, third times a charm."
	"I highly doubt we'll get back together. There were too many 
conflicts in our cultural beliefs."
	"Hmm, just as well, I suppose. At least you don't have to worry about 
her beating the crap out of you now."
	The Admiral herumphed. "Thank heavens for small miracles."
	"What about that rich blonde haired girl? She seemed worthwhile and 
your children would've been well cared for. I thought you and she would've 
made the cutest couple."
	"I sort of ruined things with her prier to engagement number two. 
We're still good friends, though."
	The old woman wiped her hands on the apron. "Tisk, tisk, Chet Wa. 
You're not getting any younger. I *would* like to see at least three new 
grandchildren before you pass on." She held up a finger. "If you speak of 
your need to fulfill destiny as the excuse for not marrying I'll smack you."
	"I won't speak of it again, even though I do believe that I'm nothing 
more than the culmination of our families history."
	"Don't even speak such drivel in my presence! Nothing is written in 
stone, ever." She poked a finger into his chest. "Your life is whatever *you* 
make of it. You are the result of the experiences *you* are part of."
	He sighed softly. "Not having someone to share experiences with *is* 
growing tiresome. I just don't want anyone to suffer because of their 
association with me."
	The elderly woman pinched his cheek. "Owww. You're completely 
harmless, Chet Wa. You give yourself more credit than you should." She pated 
the spot that was pinched moments ago. "You listen to your nging-yen. Think 
about what we've discussed. I know what I'm talking about." She wrinkled her 
nose. "Now, you have important things to tend to. That mechanical hussy you 
created is calling for you."
	"Coreeeey, wake up." HANAH urged.
	Quan slipped out from under the covers wearing a tasteful pair of 
pajamas adorned with a prancing pony embossed over the breast pocket. "I'm 
awake. Report."
	"I've detected a vessel one light year from our position, bearing 
zero two zero mark one eight two."
	The bed, along with the rest of the furnishings, disappeared as he 
stepped through the door separating the aft compartment from the engineering 
section. Quan glanced at the pulsing warp core as he passed by, rubbing the 
back of his head. Why was it so damned sore? He pushed the question back into 
the recesses of his mind as the door to the Tarim's command cabin slid open. 
The Terran Admiral settled into one of the four cloth covered station chairs. 
"It has a Starfleet signature. Definitely one of the good guys." He mused 
while consulting a tactical display. He cocked an eyebrow at the background 
music filtering into the cabin. "What is that?
	"I picked it up while roaming around the personal crew files in the 
Millennium's computer. Thought it sort of suits you."
	Admiral Quan shook his head slowly as the lyrics sunk in. "Slow to 
warp two."
	"Slowing to warp two." HANAH cooed. An alarm sounded at nearly the 
same time the runabout began to slow. "Flow disruption detected in port 
nacelle."
	"What?!" The Admiral leapt from his chair to the engineering 
console. "That's impossible."
	Every console and display along the port side of the craft erupted 
in sparks as the affected nacelle was blown away from its strut in an 
intense explosion. "Warp field imbalance in progress. Structural failure 
imminent." HANAH informed.
	"Great." Quan muttered as he struggled to get the Tarim back under 
control.

To be continued...

Lyrics to the song HANAH stole
"Man In Me"
Composed by Joseph Williams and Paul Gordon
Performed by Peter Cetera

There's a man in me who's lost his way
And he searches for his pride
He's confused by who he's told to be
'Cause he feels the beast inside

He is troubled by the changing times
And he fears his dreams have died
There's a man that's waiting
Hoping to be liberated

{Chorus}
There's a man in me who I wanna save
Revive his dignity and free from his cage
And release the man in me who cries for the day
He will be let out and show us the way
I believe- there's a man in me

I have lived inside my mothers eyes
I have felt my father's heart
I am torn between the dark and light
But I wont be torn apart

'Cause there's a man in me who's unafraid
Who only now can feel his rage
He's been taught to hide it but he can no longer fight it

{Chorus}

Here we are
I didn't think we'd get this far but 
We were overdue
When it's time to understand the man
Then I can love
The woman in you

There's a man that's waited
Hoping to be liberated

{Chorus}
There's a man in me...
There's a man in me...
{Repeat}

Subj:	Homecoming - Part 16
Date:	5/8/99 4:08:31 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From:	VAdm Quan
To:	Angel Swan, DrKrisMLyn, Amatuli, Caelin R, BCrew
To:	Beacus, CaptAlexis, Capt speed, Capt Raven
To:	Aron Wago, Cmdr TVect, CmdrQShell, CtJLPicard
To:	DMacCullum, FireDncerX, Jol tLiss, KelCaraidX
To:	Love Robin, LtjCMoriah, Lt SilverI, Moondnce
To:	Trochilus, Vzardag
BCC:	VAdm Quan

	In our last episode of STTFL: Homecoming, our hero found himself up 
the creek without a paddle, so to speak. By some freakish accident, had it 
been an accident?, one of the Tarim's warp nacelles had been blown off. This 
leads us to the next chapter in the Homecoming saga, Part Sixteen. Enjoy!

:::aboard the Federation Runabout Tarim:::

	"Injector bypass is off line. I estimate a core breach will occur in 
one minute and thirty-seven seconds."
	"If I ever design another propulsion prototype, remind me to install a 
core ejection system." Replied the Admiral as he feverishly worked the controls 
in front and to either side of his seat.
	HANAH responded with her characteristically silky voice. "*If* we live 
to get another chance I will."
	By now the plasma flow to the runabouts remaining nacelle was in the 
process of being flushed and, as a result, the small vessel began to drop out 
of warp. On the opposite side of the Tarim plasma meant for the other nacelle, 
the one blown away from its support strut, encountered an obstruction where the 
venting valve used to be. The result was a steady backup of plasma that 
threatened to reach the reaction core. Unfortunately, the very same buildup 
of plasma caused the reactor's injectors to seize open, creating exponential 
increases in pressure.
	"Conduit pressure has increased by nineteen percent."
	The Admiral's hands danced across console keys quickly. "The back 
pressure is interfering with the injector bypass systems. Diverting plasma 
to the venting nacelle and increasing flow to the primary EPS."
	Alarms sounded from nearby consoles. "EPS approaching ninety-seven 
percent of maximum tolerance levels. Systems are overloading."
	Maintenance panels blew open as power systems overloaded. Sparks 
showered from above as overhead consoles exploded. Quan urged the vessel's 
systems to hold together for a few more seconds. "Come on, I know you can to 
do it. I know you can-" The cabin was suddenly bathed in bright light as 
several consoles blew out simultaneously. The Admiral managed to bring a hand 
up to his eyes in a vain attempt to shield them from the barrage of bright light.

---------------------

	"Captain, sensors are detecting a small vessel entering the sector at 
high warp."
	"Hail and advise them to slow down and observe the Federation speed 
limit."
	"Contacting them now- Wait. It just slowed to warp two." An alert 
sounded from the tactical officers console. "Captain! It just exploded!"
	"What? Scan for survivors."
	"Correction, Sir. It was a mild explosion. The bulk of the ship is 
still intact. I am reading a massive power buildup in its warp core." The 
Tactical officer looked up from his console. "It looks like an overload is 
in progress."
	"Alter course to intercept."

---------------------

	Smoke curled around the currents of air the backup ventilation system 
labored to circulate. The interior was bathed in barely adequate console 
illumination. There was an audible exhale of relief followed by a few 
labored coughs. A faint sigh followed shortly after. Quan looked around 
slowly, coughing every now and then because of the smokey air. He located a 
functioning console and consulted its display. With the exception of the 
communications system and backup life support everything was dead. From the 
changing orientation of filtering starlight through the forward viewports 
it was obvious the small craft was engaged in a lazy tumble. The Tarim was 
adrift.
	Admiral Quan swiveled and stumbled out of his chair, intending to 
check on HANAH's condition. Fortunately, her supporting systems were 
independent of the Tarim's so the damage was minimal. After a quick 
reinitialization of a processor here and a subprocessor there, HANAH awoke. 
"That certainly wasn't fun."
	Quan masked a smile. "Welcome back."
	"Sooo, is it me or are we drifting out of control?"
	"It's not you." He peered inside one of the many exposed maintenance 
panels, assessing damage. "Do you think you can help me compile a damage 
report? I have a rough idea but I want to make sure channeling that much 
power into the deflector array hasn't affected ship's systems in ways I 
can't see."
	There was the slightest of pauses as HANAH conducted tests and checks 
on her components. "Yes, I think so. Stand by."
	The Admiral glanced over his shoulder, catching sight of a flashing 
incoming signal indicator. He made his way over to the blinking console and 
called up the hail's header data. He muttered softly as he recognized the 
Starfleet signature. "This gets better and better." He toggled the channel 
open.
	Static laced audio crackled over the cabin's speakers. "This is 
Captain Saedra Alexis of the USS Defiance. Do you require assistance?"
	Quan muted the channel but HANAH commented. "We're adrift here 
and she asks if we need help. Sheesh."
	"I'm wary of accepting their help. They may be aware of my situation 
with the authorities."
	"Eighty percent of my systems are gone. I don't even have a 
thruster to counteract our momentum. If that doesn't constitute needing help 
I don't know what does." There was a pause. "You still have those authentic 
Fleet ID forgeries, right?"
	"Yes."
	"Just use those. The comm. system is still up so I'll be able to 
intercept any queries they send to SFHQ about you."
	The Admiral unmuted the channel. "Captain Alexis, I'd appreciate any 
assistance you can render."
	"Acknowledged. We'll be tractoring you into the main shuttle bay. 
Defiance out." The static filled channel closed with a dull chime.

---------------------

	The Tarim's hatch opened allowing a ramp to descend slowly. The 
Admiral carefully stepped down the ramp, eyebrow arched in characteristic 
Quan fashion as his gaze fell upon a team of security officers. He looked 
over each one in turn, searching for their senior officer. He noticed a 
lieutenant among the handful of ensigns and made his way over. The Cantonese 
Admiral nodded slightly. "Lieutenant, may I speak with your Captain?"
	The Caitian lieutenant, along with the ensigns in the security 
detail, came to attention after noticing the rank insignia of the newcomer. 
"Lieutenant Caramis, Chief of Security, Sir."
	"At ease." Quan responded with just a hint of amusement. "Your 
Captain?"
	"Follow me, Admiral."
	He followed Caramis all the way to his Captain's ready room. "Sir? 
Vice Admiral...?" He looked at Quan, hoping for a prompt.
	"Vice Admiral Corey Quan." He extended his hand.
	She took it and gave it a shake. "Captain Saedra Alexis." She motioned 
for him to sit. "You have a way for us to verify your identity, I hope?"
	Admiral Quan hid a smile. She certainly cared a great deal about 
security. Then again, who wouldn't be cautious these days? Smart Captains 
were always concerned about their ship's security. He couldn't help but be 
impressed. There'd been many a Flag officer that pussy footed around The 
Admiral simply because he was, well, The Admiral. But this Captain Alexis 
was nothing like that.
	He reached into his 3/4 length coat, produced an isolinear opti. 
chip. and handed it to Captain Alexis who, in turn, handed it to her chief 
of security. "I assume there's a blood test you need me to take as well?"
	"I take it you've done this before, Admiral?" She motioned for 
the medic to come over and administer the test. The technician pressed a 
hypo against the Admiral's neck, drawing a small quantity of blood into a 
vile. He stood back and popped the small plastic container off of the 
hypo. Alexis and a pair of security officers watched as the medic shook 
the container vigorously. Nothing happened. It was only blood, after all. 
"I'm sorry about that, Admiral. We can't be too careful these days."
	"Understandable, Captain."
	Lieutenant Caramis reentered the ready room and handed the opti. 
chip back to Quan. "Everything's in order, Sir. The Admiral is who he 
says he is."
	"In that case, welcome aboard, Admiral. I'll assign an engineering 
team to repair your runabout."
	Admiral Quan stood. "No offense meant against your crew, Captain, 
but there is some highly sensitive experimental equipment aboard the Tarim. 
If it's all the same to you, I'll conduct repairs myself."
	Alexis nodded slightly. "If you wish. Anything else we can do?"
	"There is, actually. The missing nacelle needs to be retrieved. 
There are components inside of it that can't be replicated."
	"I'll order the initialization of a search pattern."
	"Thank you Captain. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get to work 
on my runabout's repairs."
	Captain Alexis smiled and nodded. "Inform our Chief Engineer if you 
need anything."
	Vice Admiral Quan nodded slightly and left the ready room, heading 
back to the Defiance's main shuttle bay. As he stepped aboard the lift he 
muttered under his breath. "So far so good."

To be continued...

Subj:	Homecoming - Part 16 (Supplemental)
Date:	5/9/99 10:12:29 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From:	VAdm Quan
To:	Angel Swan, DrKrisMLyn, Amatuli, Caelin R, BCrew
To:	Beacus, CaptAlexis, Capt speed, Capt Raven
To:	Cpt TZyr, Aron Wago, Cmdr TVect, CmdrQShell
To:	CtJLPicard, DMacCullum, FireDncerX, Jol tLiss
To:	KelCaraidX, Love Robin, LtjCMoriah, Lt SilverI
To:	Moondnce, Trochilus, Vzardag
BCC:	VAdm Quan

:::aboard the Federation Starship USS Defiance:::

	She looked almost as good as the time he first saw her. He ran his 
palm lightly over her skin, tracing over the subtle contours of her form. 
He was extremely satisfied right now. Hell, to him, it didn't get much 
better than this.
	"Shall I leave you two alone?" A voice queried from behind.
	Admiral Quan glanced over his shoulder. "Pardon me?"
	There was a quiet, almost musical laugh. "I asked if I you wanted 
some privacy. It appeared to me like you were involved in something intimate."
	The Terran admiral ran his hand over the smooth hull of the Tarim 
one last time then turned around to face the speaker. He chuckled softly. 
"No, Captain. That won't be necessary."
	"Alright." Saedra nodded. "I thought I'd let you know we'll be docking 
at Starbase 101 within the hour."
	"Thank you for keeping me apprised. You and your crew have been most 
gracious." Replied Quan as he picked up various tools and returned them to 
their respective cases.
	"I'm glad we were in the right place at the right time to help. Some 
of my people still don't believe you were able to avert such a powerful warp 
core breach."
	The Admiral's lips curled into the faintest of smiles. "I'm lucky the 
deflector array held up under the excess load. Chalk it up to having good 
equipment."
	There was an awkward pause. Captain Alexis broke the silence. "Well, 
I'd better get back to the Bridge. Perhaps we'll bump into each other on the 
station."
	"Perhaps." He watched as she departed, letting out a quiet exhale once 
she was gone. "Steady as she goes." He muttered.
	"I'd be very careful if I were you, Corey." HANAH's voice cooed over 
his subdermal communicator.
	Quan arched an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"
	If HANAH had eyes, you could bet real money she'd be rolling them. "Oh 
puhlease." HANAH responded. "She's tall, five foot nine if I'm not mistaken, 
she's attractive, is in a position of authority, obviously intelligent or 
else she wouldn't be in said position, is a brunette AND she's young. Oh, 
and did I mention she obviously finds you interesting enough to personally 
come down here and talk to you?"
	"Ever the observant AI, eh?" He chuckled softly. "I'd be lying if I 
said I didn't find Saedra Alexis attractive. But circumstances dictate I 
concentrate on less pleasant things. I still have a mission to accomplish. 
That's if I ever make it through this vacation. Besides, since when did you 
make it a priority to monitor my love life?"
	"Umm, I hate to break it to you, Corey, but your track record with 
women isn't all that great. Someone has to look out for you."
	Quan's eyebrow arched slightly. "I beg your pardon?"
	"Do the names Stephanie, Angel, Rebecca, Angel, Kristie, Angel-"
	"Egad! Point well taken."
	"You don't want me to go on?"
	"No" Quan answered crisply. "I get the idea."
	"Is it me or was there a yo-yo pattern between you and the women 
you loved?"
	"It's not you." The Admiral ascended the Tarim's access ramp, 
eventually settling in one of the Command Cabin's plush cloth seats. 
"There's a definite pattern."
	HANAH's voice migrated from Quan's communicator implant to the 
runabouts internal speakers. "I never could figure out your relationship 
with Angel."
	The Terran admiral smiled faintly as he reminisced. "You and half 
the Alpha Quadrant, I imagine." He started working with control consoles, 
the smile fading. "It took me heaven knows how many years to realize the 
social and cultural boundaries between us were insurmountable." Audible 
confirmation of console keystrokes slowed and eventually stopped in time 
with his fingers. "It was a mistake for her and those other women to want 
to be associated with me. Waste of their time, as well." The controls 
started beeping again as he began to enter new commands. "Consider it 
selfishness. I thought I could cheat the fates."
	"Fate? I thought humans believed their futures were unwritten and 
that the individual had sole control over his life."
	"Quans have always been nonconformists."
	"Still. Sounds like a lonely existence. From what I understand of 
humanoids, the desire to find a partner is one of the driving forces behind 
life."
	The Admiral nodded. "True." His voice grew soft. "To have someone to 
share experiences with, someone to fill the void..." His voice trailed off 
as he looked out the forward viewports, to the door Saedra Alexis had 
walked through only minutes earlier. He exhaled silently and commented to 
HANAH, his voice tinged with bitterness. "I can't continue to tempt the 
fates now, can I? Besides who am I to go against three centuries of Quan 
tradition?"
	HANAH sighed softly. "Corey..."
	He cleared his throat. "Core pre-startup diagnostics are complete. Prime 
the injectors and prepare for low output startup."
	"Of course, Corey. Stand by for priming."

To be continued...

Subj:	Homecoming - Part 17
Date:	5/12/99 12:03:39 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From:	VAdm Quan
To:	Angel Swan, DrKrisMLyn, Amatuli, Caelin R, BCrew
To:	Beacus, CaptAlexis, Capt speed, Capt Raven
To:	Aron Wago, Cpt TZyr, Cmdr TVect, CmdrQShell
To:	CtJLPicard, DMacCullum, FireDncerX, Jol tLiss
To:	KelCaraidX, Love Robin, LtjCMoriah, Lt SilverI
To:	Moondnce, Trochilus, Vzardag
BCC:	VAdm Quan, CapnKate

	Welcome to another episode of STTFL: Homecoming. As a reminder, 
our last episode left our hero struggling with the realities of 
loneliness because of the kindness of a certain Starfleet captain. Was 
he suffering from the Florence Nightengale syndrome or was it merely 
because he hadn't been laid in ages, his last sexual encounter being 
with Kristie Lyn? Eh, let's face it, how can someone go on after having 
sex with Kristie? It's often said that sex with Kristie is like dying 
and going to heaven. Ack! The producers are giving me "The Look". No more 
adlibbing. Heh. Without further ado we present the next installment in 
the Homecoming series, Part 17!
Note: Past episodes of Homecoming, along with episodes from other 
players, can be found at the following URL: 
"members.aol.com/sacexeccq/esim1.html" or the link...
STTFL: Homecoming

:::aboard the privately owned vessel Millennium:::

	Time continued to crawl at a snail's pace. A month and a half had 
passed since The Admiral's rescue by the USS Defiance. It was later 
determined that a thermite explosive caused the unexpected severing of the 
Tarim's port nacelle. All that remained was finding the saboteur. But this 
wasn't the reason why Admiral Quan's days flowed so slowly. He was easily 
capable of dealing with the fact that someone was trying to kill him. He 
was aware of what was wrong, even if he didn't want to admit it.
	He felt regret. Regret for not trying to pursue something, 
anything, whether it be a friendship or... something more, with the Starfleet 
Captain who commanded the ship that rescued him. He had known there was some 
sort of connection between them, a chemistry. But he let things run their 
own course, knowing full well that that woman would've been the recipient 
of untold suffering. All things proceed as the should. He was meant to 
bear the burden alone. Not even the daughter he had grown so close to could 
share in this. It was safer this way, for everyone. Still, little comfort 
could be found in such a noble way of living. Through the remaining years 
of his life he would walk and stand alone. The cycle would end with him.
	"Sir?" Silence responded. Brief pause. "Admiral?"
	Vice Admiral Corey Quan turned away from the viewport to face the 
person who addressed him. "Hmm? Yes, Chief?"
	"I'm sorry, Sir. I have the components you requested." The Chief 
offered her PADD to Quan.
	"Ah." The Admiral accepted the device and checked to make sure 
everything on its list had been brought. As soon as he was satisfied 
things were in order Quan acknowledged receiving the items by pressing his 
thumb against the PADD's signature scanner. "Thank you, Chief."
	"If you don't mind me asking, Admiral, what are these items for?"
	He began unloading the pieces of equipment from the box. The first 
thing to come out was a spherical housing. "I'd tell you if I could, Chief, 
but you know how our Chairman values secrecy."
	"Oh. Of course."
	"You're dismissed, Chief."
	"Aye, Sir."
	As soon as the woman had departed he began to work, assembling the 
bits and pieces of circuitry and what not into the spherical housing. For 
the more complex areas of circuit splicing and rerouting he positioned a 
high powered ocular magnifying device over one of his eyes. It was similar 
in form to the eyepieces Ferengi tradesmen used when appraising gemstones. 
He continued to work in silence, manipulating the specialized tools of his 
trade with expert precision and accuracy. So attuned to his work was he 
that he almost failed to sense her entrance. Almost being the key word. 
If he had been someone else, chances are he would've missed his visitor's 
arrival.
	"Comfortable?" He asked as tiny flashes of lightning erupted from 
the confines of the spheres hollow. 
	"Yep. I wondered when you'd finally notice me." She replied, 
amusement evident in her voice.
	"I noticed the moment the door closed." He paused, flashes of light 
from inside the sphere casted highlights across his features. "You waited 
for a few seconds outside when the door opened then you crept in, waited a 
few more seconds then tiptoed over to the chair and sat."
	Allison Quan's nose wrinkled as she made a face. "Hey, I didn't 
want to make you mess up or something. Thought I'd be, you know, 
courteous." She leaned across the desk to inspect the object of her fathers 
attention. "Field inductive couplings? A high range pattern recompiler?" 
She whistled softly. "Lots of fancy gizmos in there, Dad. What're you up to? 
Does it have something to do with the project?"
	The Admiral set his tools down and unstrapped the eyepiece's harness 
from behind his head. He nodded slightly. "Insurance."
	"Enough said." She responded with a somewhat knowing look.
	"How are you holding up?"
	Allison shrugged. "Pretty good, I guess. I aint cut out for this kind 
of work, though. Prolly because I need to be my own boss." She shrugged 
again. "I'll manage." She settled back in her chair, deep brown eyes coming 
to rest on the man seated on the other side of the desk. "How've *you* been 
holdin' up?"
	"I'd be lying if I said I've never been better." He glanced at his 
daughter, marveling at what a good parenting job her mother had done, 
without his help, too. This was one of the other things he regretted, 
not being there for her when she was growing up. He smiled slightly. "Not 
to worry. I'll manage."
	"Oh, so now you're stealin' my lines?" Allison grinned then blinked, 
noting the direction of her fathers gaze. "What's going on?"
	Admiral Quan nodded towards a growing group of people who seemed to 
be congregating around one of the Millennium's large wall displays. "It 
would appear that our illustrious master is making an announcement." He 
swiveled around in his chair and activated his personal wall display.
	The combined crests of the Millennium Foundation and Black Operations 
winked off the screen, replaced by Ron's face. His lips were curled slightly 
in a smile. "The time grows near. After years of preparation and hard work 
the moment of truth will soon be upon us. We will be successful in our 
endeavors because of your loyalty and hard work. Granted, something of this 
magnitude would never have made it off the drawing board if it hadn't been 
for your teamwork, but we must acknowledge the contributions of one 
individual. Specifically, Vice Admiral Corey Quan. It is because of his 
ingenuity and insight that the defects in the initial design of the 
Tembler Oscillator were addressed and corrected."
	Allison quirked an eyebrow at her father, and mouthed the words 
"Tembler Oscillator?"
	"Accomplishments of such caliber deserve proper reward and I 
believe Admiral Cauldin has a few words he wishes to share with his 
colleague regarding this matter. Admiral?"
	Admiral Steve Cauldin smiled and nodded. "Corey, you and I are not 
strangers to hard work. In fact, I feel we share many other things. I see 
qualities in you I have only seen in myself. Your dedication to duty and 
willingness to sacrifice for the sake of your beliefs are your best 
traits. It's because of these traits that I willingly hand over my 
position to you, as Flag Commander of Black Operations and Executive 
Officer in joint Millennium and SEOps affairs." Cauldin grinned and winked. 
"No getting out of this promotion, Corey."
	Quan's eyebrow remained arched all through Cauldin's speech, up till 
the point Ron's face replaced Stephen's. "With that said, I wish you all 
the best of luck. The first stage of our operation will commence shortly. 
No longer will the Federation live in fear of being conquered! What we 
accomplish will pave the way for a more respected and enlightened Earth. 
And after that stone is dropped, the ripples of our influence will reach 
across the Galaxy." The monitor blinked off and that was the end of it.
	"Sheesh. Talk about someone being in love with himself." Allison 
quipped.
	Her father merely nodded, his thoughts drawn elsewhere.
	"Speaking of promotions. Now that you're the head honcho what say you 
give me a promotion to Captain and a big, juicy raise in pay?"
	Quan glanced at his daughter. "Have you seen Stephen since I was 
brought back by the Becquerel?"
	Alley thought for a second then shook her head. "Nope. Can't say that 
I have. Why?"
	"It may be nothing but I believe Stephen would've informed me of my 
promotion in person. He's usually not so composed when speaking over the 
holovid." Quan paused, thinking. "Did you notice he specifically said he 
*willingly* gives me his commission? He seemed to be reinforcing the fact 
that he voluntarily stepped down."
	"Well, you know him better than I do." She shrugged.
	Admiral Quan nodded. "Would you please go down to the Tarim and 
implement the changes we spoke of?"
	"Sure. What're you gonna do?"
	"There are still one or two things I need to do to the Oscillator. 
I'll catch up with you. Go." He watched his daughter leave, brow furrowed 
slightly. The task at hand wasn't complete. Not by a long shot.

To be continued...

Subj:	The Heart of A Swan
Date:	5/12/99 9:42:23 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From:	Angel Swan
To:	FAdmBRiley, VAdm Quan, SinjnHawke, FAdmrPhil
To:	DrKrisMLyn, Amatuli, Angel Swan, ADumas1826
To:	Alley Quan, ARBoss, Aron Wago, BCrew, B M Bowden
To:	BradBaumn, Caelin R, Capt speed, CaptJoker
To:	Capt Raven, Cezzane, Clnl James, Cmdr TVect
To:	CmdrQShell, Cpt TZyr, CtJLPicard, DMacCullum
To:	FireDncerX, Flexidisk, Josef McQ, Joy Mudd
To:	KelCaraidX, LCdrDau, Love Robin, LtjCMoriah
To:	LtCdrAnora, Lt SilverI, Moondnce, MrHBond009
To:	Shaarna, ShaunaSkye, Trochilus, VinceOdin
To:	Wiz Soong, W OConner, Wolenczak, StrainSop
To:	CaptainJT1, RazerJerik, Love Wren, KitKat1701
To:	Gul Adras


"Mistress! Mistress!"

Angel Swan crept through the dense underbrush toward the voice. "Keep 
your voice down, Adras; they could be anywhere."

"Thank the spirits! I thought that I would be left here to die!"

In the light of a double moon, Angel could see the prone form of her 
Cardassian Helmsman ahead in a little open area. She unzipped the black 
leather catsuit and pulled out a miniature tricorder worn as a pendant. 
Scanning the area with the short-range device, she detected nobody but 
Gul Adras and crept closer until she was touching him.

"Where are you injured?" she whispered.

"She used her knee on my throat. Hard to breathe."

Angel began dragging Adras into the cover of vegetation. "Easy now. I 
have a regenerator on my holster. Here, can you use this on yourself?"

"Y-yes. Oh, Mistress, I thought she was my friend." He coughed up some blood.

"She's a Quan, Adras. Use that regenerator and point me in the right 
direction." She withdrew the dagger from her boot and took off stealthily 
in the indicated direction.

"Angel? Is that you? I'm over here." Allison Quan's voice in the dense 
foliage. 

Dr. Swan knew enough not to answer but, instead, circled the point from 
which the voice seemed to come, fixing its location.

"Angel? It was his own fault. He flirted with me. I don't like it when 
men flirt with me. I don't like being touched. Are you out there?"

Angel was closing in.

"Angel, Father would not approve if you hurt his daughter."

Now Swan was upon the precise place where the voice had emanated, leaping 
in, dagger ready, senses acute, muscles coiled to react quickly. All she 
found, though, was a communicator! She wasn't here at all! Of all the 
tricks to fall for...

"But he won't mind if his daughter hurts *you!*"

The voice had come from behind her, but she'd barely turned when Allison's 
boot connected with her jaw. "Umphh!!" was all she managed to say as she 
went flying backward and down, landing hard. The dagger, meanwhile, had 
remained in her hand and she clutched it tightly as her head cleared. It 
would take only a microsecond to be ready for the next assault, but a 
microsecond was all Alley Quan needed to be stepping on the wrist holding 
the dagger, grinding at it, until Angel let go.

The daughter of Admiral Quan carried a bat'leth, the traditional Klingon 
sword of honor. "That's better, 'Step-Mother.' Did you think Father would 
agree to marry you again? After all you've done to him over the years? 
After you persist in being a thorn in his side? Do you think he ever loved 
you? Oh, he put up with you. He had his fun and bore his discomfort. He 
even thought you might make a nice decoration for a while as his wife - 
maybe a means to greater influence in the quadrant. But then he would have 
disposed of you. He used you as it pleased him, and now it pleases me to 
put an end to..."

Odd, that Allison should be so loquacious. That wasn't like a Quan at all, 
but it gave Angel the additional moment she needed to kick up and into 
Alley's backside, bruising her backbone and causing her to lose balance. 
Even as Alley was falling, the Ambassador was springing up and pulling 
off a long leather glove. She landed atop Allison and quickly wrapped the 
glove around the girl's neck, twisting it tightly. Closing off the girl's 
air. Angel felt a tug at her hip and then the muzzle of her own pistol 
against her abdomen. One shot. Two. Three. The bullets ripped through her 
and her face registered a mix of surprise and agony at the realization of 
what had happened.

Allison managed to kick Angel back now, choking as she unwrapped the glove 
from her throat. Angel, meanwhile, felt someone's arms catch her. "Nei ho 
mah, E'lev." said a male voice quietly.

"C-Corey?"

Alley was holding her injured back as she got up, still coughing and choking.

"Yes. Your Chosen One, remember? You injured my daughter's back, Angel. 
Turnabout is fair play." Then she felt the katana slice into her, severing 
her spinal column. As she lost all sense of her lower body and her legs 
gave way, she gazed down horrified at the tempered metal protruding from her 
lower chest. The katana was all that held her up as Admiral Quan backed 
away, then quickly made one quick slice, removing the blade through the side 
of the Ambassador's body.

Angel Swan fell to the ground, her life's blood spilling quickly out of a 
body nearly severed in two, the world growing hazy.

"Alley? Do you remember what I told you about how Angel killed her First 
Officer on Massada?"

"That's why you wanted me to bring the bat'leth, Father?"

"Yes. Let's put my E'lev out of her misery."

"But father, don't you have it backward?" Allison giggled. "First you must 
steal her heart, then you must stab her in the back."

Vice Admiral Corey Quan laughed. "I've already done it that way, Daughter. 
But the heart of Angel Swan will be a fine trophy for my bookshelf." He 
tore open the front of the catsuit and stepped back.

Allison Quan raised the bat'leth and paused a moment above the Human/Romulan 
hybrid, studying the dying woman. "You're not so pretty anymore, Angel," she 
smiled, then sliced downward...

"No! NOOOO!"

Angel sat up in bed, shivering. "Computer. Lights. 10%."

There was a stirring beside her and a sleepy voice said, "Angel? What is it?"

"N-nothing. It's nothing. G-go back to sleep."

"It was that dream again, wasn't it? The one you won't tell me about." He 
sighed.

"I need a drink of water. Please. Go back to sleep. I-I'll be fine."

She stepped out of the bed and wrapped a sheet around herself, then left 
for the replicator in the living room.

Behind, in the bedroom, her companion let his head drop back upon the 
pillow and wondered what it was that had her screaming in terror each night.

At polished metal of the replicator, Ambassador Swan sipped shakily at the 
glass of water, watching as the reflection of a ghost of The Admiral faded 
behind her own. "Goddess," she whispered, "Goddess help me."

Subj:	Homecoming - Part 18
Date:	5/24/99 6:44:39 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From:	VAdm Quan
To:	Angel Swan, DrKrisMLyn, Amatuli, Caelin R, BCrew
To:	Beacus, CaptAlexis, Capt speed, Capt Raven
To:	Aron Wago, Cpt TZyr, Cmdr TVect, CmdrQShell
To:	CtJLPicard, DMacCullum, FireDncerX, Jol tLiss
To:	KelCaraidX, Love Robin, LtjCMoriah, Lt SilverI
To:	Moondnce, Vzardag
BCC:	CapnKate, VAdm Quan


:::somewhere in neutral space:::
	"Resonator launched. T-minus sixty seconds until activation."
	"Yellow alert. Back us off, Helm."
	Alert status panels flickered yellow as ship-wide condition 
switched from green. Shields were brought up to moderate power levels 
and weapons to standby. Admiral Quan glanced up from the miniature 
display housed in the arm of his chair to the main viewscreen. He could 
see the metallic sheen of the Tembler Resonator grow more distant as 
the Yamashiro backed away at full impulse. He could feel his adrenaline 
start to pump as the time neared. He lived for events like these. It was 
almost like he was back on his starbase hard at work or aboard the 
Excelsior testing heaven only knew what kind of newfangled piece of 
technology. If circumstances were different he'd probably enjoy this. 
Too bad they weren't.
	"Link verified. Receiving a clear signal from the Resonator."
	"Are we clear of the anticipated event boundary?"
	"Yes, Sir."
	"Resonator holding station and beginning to saturate. Twelve 
seconds till activation."
	"All stop. Full power to the shields." The Admiral's eyes darted 
from the main viewer to the miniature display. Subspace flux around the 
Resonator rose exponentially, albeit at a slower than anticipated pace. 
Space began to distort more and more as a faint bluish fog like effect 
enveloped the Resonator. The center of the artificial disturbance flared 
brilliantly as energy was released in one big burst, causing a shockwave 
to ripple out. The Yamashiro was well out of harms way.
	"Flux stabilizing. I've lost the link to the Resonator and our 
subspace field has been compromised."
	Quan eyed the main viewscreen, watching as a subtle blue fog 
formed around the irregular distortion. "It's probably gone. Launch a type 
nine probe into the center of it." He paused as the item on the 
viewscreen flared angrily. "Helm, increase our distance from its outermost 
event boundary." The Admiral peered at the tiny display at his 
fingertips. "Probe status?"
	"It's entering the disturbance." The Operations officer paused as 
he manipulated his console's controls. "Receiving probe telemetry. Wait. 
Signal's gone. I've lost it."
	"Sensors?"
	"Unable to penetrate the events boundary."
	"Helm, bring us about and engage at warp one."
	The helmsperson nodded slightly. "Aye, Sir. Coming about one 
hundred and eighty degrees." She frowned. "Engines are unresponsive, sir."
	Admiral Quan rose from his chair and made his way over to the helm. 
"Engines are working fine." He said as his gaze drifted over the 
readouts. "The Tembler Disturbance is interfering with the formation of 
our warp field." He addressed the science officer without turning 
around. "How's subspace, Ensign?"
	"I can't distinguish it from normal space, Sir. The effect is 
slowly spreading in all directions."
	"Full impulse, helm. Notify me the moment we're clear."
	"Understood sir."
	The Admiral nodded to the Lieutenant Commander situated at 
Tactical. "You have the conn., Commander."
	The Commander nodded as she watched her superior officer head into 
his ready room. "Aye, Sir."
	The Cantonese admiral settled into the chair behind a vast black 
surfaced desk, keying sequences into a recessed control pad. He swiveled 
the desktop display to face him as a secured channel was established. "I 
trust you have good news for me, Admiral?" Came over the display's speaker.
	"We've just completed final testing. The Resonator performed 
within expected limits."
	The man on the other side of the comm. nodded. "Very good. Were 
there any more problems with the emulation of the Tembler Module?"
	"Negative. I was able to rewrite a few of the lower subroutines 
to counteract the deficiencies in the emulator."
	"Excellent. I look forward to hearing your complete report once 
you return, Admiral." The display winked off as the channel closed.
	"Sir, we are finally clear to engage warp."
	Admiral Quan glanced away from the viewport as the Commander's 
voice filtered through the ready room's speakers. "Engage the cloak and 
take us to the rendezvous coordinates."
	"Aye, Sir."

---------------------

	*cack*, *cack*, *cack*, *whiff*, *shuffle* "Stand still so I can 
hit you, damn it!" *cack*
	Muffled chuckle. *cack*, *shtick* "You were the one-" *cack*, 
*whif* "who said I shouldn't take it easy on you."
	The younger Quan, Allison, growled under her breath as she spun 
quickly and struck at her fathers ribcage with her shinai. At least, 
that's what would've happened if he hadn't twisted his torso just so and 
brought his own shinai up to deflect hers. She recovered quickly and 
pivoted in the opposite direction, intent on striking the other side of 
his ribcage. Her aim was perfect but only came in contact with more air as 
her father ducked and rolled behind her. *whif*
	The Admiral nudged his daughter in the back with the tip of 
his shinai. "I think that's enough sparing with me for now. You're 
not focused enough." He pulled his men, or face mask, off. He motioned 
to Allison to give him her shinai. "Making contact should not be your 
focus. Ending a confrontation quickly with as little inflicted damage 
as possible should be."
	"I'm focused." The young, jet-black haired woman assured as she 
tossed him her bamboo practice sword. She took off her own men while 
following her father over to a table covered with candles. "What good 
is knowing how to fight if you don't use it to inflict damage?"
	"We learn and practice our arts to perpetuate the positive 
internal power within us." He took her hand and placed it high above 
the flame of a candle. "Extinguish the candle's flame without blowing 
on it."
	Allison looked at her father as if he were crazy. "You can't be 
serious." Her father arched an eyebrow in response. "You want me to 
burn my fingers?"
	"I want you to try to put out the flame."
	"He is serious." She mumbled as her hand slowly descended over 
the steady orange flame of the candle. She gritted her teeth as the 
heat against her palm began increasing then quickly brought her hand 
back as the pain became too intense. She shook her hand and its pain 
away. "I'd like to see you do it."
	The elder Quan focused his gaze on the candle and positioned 
his hand a few inches above the flame, his fingers curled slightly. He 
slowly brought his fingertips closer to his palm, the candle's flame 
growing smaller in response. Once his fingers had curled into his palm 
all that remained of the flame was a little trail of smoke that rose 
up from the candle's wick. He brought his hand up and showed his 
daughter his palm, which was clean of any burn marks.
	"How in the hell-"
	"Try again. This time, picture the candle going out in your 
mind and don't think about any of the pain."
	Allison looked skeptical but gave it another try anyway. She 
took a deep breath and placed her hand over another burning candle. 
The flame flickered and began to die as her fingers drew towards her 
palm. "Hey! I did it!" The candle flickered back to life. "Ack!"
	The Admiral chuckled. "See what happens when you lose your 
concentration?"
	"I *almost* had it." She tried again but was unable to make 
the candle flicker let alone die out. "Frag!"
	"Don't worry. You'll be able to regain that tight focus soon 
enough. But for now, I think it's time we work on your slice 
accuracy." He prepared a few bundles of tightly bound straw along 
with fruits of various sizes.
	Allison unsheathed her practice katana and began to hack away at 
the straw and fruits, making cleaner and cleaner slices as she progressed 
and regained her focus. Her father smiled faintly as he watched.

To be continued...

Subj:	Homecoming - Part 19
Date:	6/1/99 5:25:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From:	VAdm Quan
To:	Angel Swan, DrKrisMLyn, Amatuli, Caelin R, BCrew
To:	Beacus, CaptAlexis, Capt speed, Capt Raven
To:	Aron Wago, Cpt TZyr, Cmdr TVect, CmdrQShell
To:	DMacCullum, FireDncerX, Jol tLiss, KelCaraidX
To:	Love Robin, LtjCMoriah, Lt SilverI, Moondnce
To:	Vzardag
BCC:	CapnKate, VAdm Quan

<Author's note: After seeing a recent Voyager episode where Janeway and 
crew encountered another Starfleet vessel, the Nova class Equinox, in 
the Delta Quadrant, I've decided that the Excelsior B is an alpha variant
of the current Nova class starship. Consider the Excelsior and Nova 
predecessors, if you will, to the Equinox. This should explain the size 
difference between the Excelsior B, which was Nova class, and the 
current Nova design, the Equinox. Think of the Equinox as a beta 
variant, the design Starfleet finally decided upon. The Excelsior B was 
a fairly large starship, almost as large as a Galaxy class vessel, and 
included a detachable primary hull. A very pricey piece of equipment. 
I gather Starfleet deemed the alpha variant of the Nova design too 
costly to manufacture and settled on the smaller, less expensive beta 
variant that we now see as a Nova class starship. I felt I needed to 
explain this deviation from given Treknology. Okay, I'm done. :D>

:::lower commercial subspace band frequencies:::
	"... and don't think we've forgotten about you, the people who 
commed in about our exclusive Admiral of Vices story, because we haven't. 
Here with an update on the renegade Starfleet Flag officer is Calista 
Anden. Calista?"
	"Gemma, as you and our viewers may recall, the Federation, 
under advisement from Starfleet, had issued a reward for Vice Admiral 
Corey Quan's capture. Not since the early part of the Federation's 
history has such a form of incentive been recorded. Through several 
underground sources, I have confirmed that Starfleet not only 
suggested the Federation post a reward for Admiral Quan's capture, 
but pressured the Federation President into declaring Quan a 
traitor, justifying the existence of the steep reward even more. 
Sources also suggest that the pressure applied to the former 
president by Starfleet stems from an internal power struggle, one 
that has been going on for several years.
	"Although the reward for The Vice Admiral's capture was 
recently revoked by the Federation Council, there still remains 
a warrant for his arrest, issued by Starfleet's Judge Advocate 
General. Despite the JAG's best efforts to apprehend him, Quan 
remains in hiding. However, several rumors hint that Quan is 
currently involved in a top secret military operation, his 
disappearance serving as a convenient cover story. Starfleet 
adamantly denies Admiral Quan's involvement in any of its 
projects, public or otherwise. Keep tuning in to FNL as we 
continue to share details of The Admiral of Vices story. Back 
to you Gemma."
	Gemma Carlton nodded and smiled. "Calista, I've heard it 
mentioned that Quan has been spotted somewhere on the fringes of 
explored territory, namely the space occupied by non-Federation 
planets. Is this true?"
	"It is a possibility. The only truly verifiable recent 
indicator of where he's been comes from a Pakled trader passing 
through Sector 75890. But that information was obtained quite 
some time ago."
	"Hmm. Thank you for adding fuel to our curiosity's fire, 
Calista." Gemma returned her gaze to the cameras. "We'll be 
right back with the latest Parrises Squares scores right after 
this."

---------------------

	Everyone was showing signs of fatigue. They'd been 
taking a beating for the past ten minutes. They couldn't hold out 
for much longer. "Shields are falling again!"
	Quan squinted through the increasing smoke that permeated 
the bridge of the Yamashiro. "Are the transport signal 
scramblers still offline?" He clutched the aft deck's safety 
railing as the starship shuddered under intense weapons fire.
	"They're more than offline! Those systems are toast!"
	"Heavy casualties reported in the secondary hull. Reactor 
cooling systems are going offline!"
	"Alert all decks to ready phasers and prepare for close 
combat!" The Admiral yelled as the ships alert klaxons signaled 
the trespass of intruders. "Commander Quan, take Lieutenant 
Tholwyn and prepare the Tarim for departure!"
	Allison nodded to her father as she followed Tholwyn to 
the turbolift. "Understood." She paused before entering the 
lift, tossing something in his direction "Admiral!"
	The Vice Admiral turned around and caught the cylindrical 
device she'd passed to him. It was her tsuka, the hilt of her 
katana. As soon as the tsuka's kashira was twisted a blade would 
materialize, thanks to an integrated microreplicator, making the 
katana whole. The Admiral nodded slightly. "Be careful."
	"Hey, aren't I always?" She flashed her father a grin and 
unslung her energy weapon of choice, a forced pulse rifle, from 
her shoulder and activated its emitter chargers. The brief whine 
of energy transfer punctuated her earlier remark. "See you later." 
With that said she joined Lieutenant Tholwyn in the turbolift.
	"Sir! Enemy transport into Main Engineering and Auxiliary 
Weapons Control under way! We're being boarded!"
	Quan made his way over to the Bridge's main computer 
terminal. "Initiate self destruct sequence, core overload. Five 
minute delay, silent countdown."
	The remaining bridge crew looked at each other in shock as 
the Yamashiro's computer verified Admiral Quan's destruct codes. 
The computer gave one last audible warning. "Destruct sequence 
initiated. Four minutes and fifty-seven seconds remaining. There 
will be no further audible warnings."
	"Look sharp, people. We can't let this ship fall into enemy 
hands." Quan glanced at the ceiling. "This is the Captain. All 
hands abandon ship. I repeat, all hands abandon-" At that instant 
several heavily armored EV suited people materialized on the Bridge. 
Weapons fire erupted everywhere. Quan dove for cover, narrowly 
escaping being hit by energy bolts. He rolled out of the dive, 
managing to activate the katana at the same time, and sliced into 
the nearest enemy torso he encountered as he exited the roll, coming 
to rest on one knee and a firmly planted foot. The blade's shine 
became tainted with his victims blood as the slice cut three quarters 
of the way through. The Breen's environmental suits were fairly 
impervious to low yield energy weapons and hand attacks but they were 
like hot butter being cut with a knife when confronted by a katana.
	Quan wasted no time in getting to his feet as phaser fire and 
disruptor bolts streaked through the air. He immediately kicked the 
nearly severed Breen into one of his comrades and spun around as one 
of his crew yelled out a warning about a Breen behind him. He guided 
Allison's katana with precision, cutting a deep diagonal slash from 
the Breen's shoulder to the opposite leg. He automatically pivoted in 
the opposite direction, blade held high and parallel to the deck, and 
decapitated the Breen that had recovered from having his friend's 
body kicked into him.
	The Admiral looked around quickly to see how his people were 
doing. They seemed to be holding up fairly well which was to be expected. 
They were the ones already established in defensive positions and 
weren't the ones being beamed into the middle of hostile territory. 
But that didn't mean they were invincible. Some of the dead bodies 
strewn across the Bridge were his crew-mates.

---------------------

	"Hurry the fuck up and open the damned door, Tholwyn! I can't 
hold them off for much longer!" Allison yelled as she cut down one more 
Breen intruder with her rifle. The pile of bodies continued to grow as 
Breen after Breen came charging around the corner with disruptors 
firing. To Allison, it was almost like shooting fish in a barrel, 
except these fish shot back. She ducked back into the doorway she 
was using as cover as several disruptor bolts impacted with the 
nearby wall. "Any day now!"
	Tholwyn remained silent as he worked furiously to reroute 
power to the dead doorway that stood in their way. He did work his 
best when under pressure but he never thought it'd be like this. 
They weren't supposed to be fighting. This wasn't the job he was 
promised after graduating from the Academy. He expected espionage 
and intelligence gathering, not mass destruction and bloodshed. 
These people were trying to *kill* him! What had he ever done to 
them? "Got it!" He yelled as the door powered up and slid open.
	"Lay down some cover fire for me so I can cross over!" 
Allison yelled as disruptor bolts zoomed by.
	The Lieutenant was not a very good marksman, but, in this 
case, that was a good thing. Tholwyn's aim with his phaser pistol 
was so wild and off center it provided for more than effective 
cover, causing the Breen to hide behind the corner. "Go!"
	Allison ran to the opposite side of the corridor and 
motioned for him to give her his pistol. I'll handle these wannabes 
while you get the Tarim ready." She turned her attention back to 
the Breen down the corridor, firing off a half dozen rounds from 
the phaser pistol. Her rifle's power cell was only good for a few 
more shots. "Better make it count." She mumbled to herself as she 
blindly fired the pistol around the doors frame. "Maximum 
discharge burst! Point eight second dwell!" She yelled. In response 
to her verbal commands the rifle's emitter charge indicators lit up 
as the remaining power was forced and held inside the prefire 
chamber. The weapon began to emit a low decibel whine, something 
akin to the sound antique SLR camera flashes made during charge up.
	Allison fired a few more rounds with the hand phaser and 
yelled out. "I got a present for ya, Bucket Heads!" She stepped back 
into the corridor and leveled the rifle on the opposite wall, 
trigger pressed just as she took position. "Merry Christmas!" A 
half dozen Breen began to round the corner as the weapon discharged. 
A burst of intensely bright blue light flashed from the weapons fire 
chamber. Allison had been ready for the recoil and braced herself 
appropriately. The resulting discharge of pulsed energy collided 
with the opposite wall and ruptured its integrity, sending jagged 
shards of duranium alloy shrapnel everywhere. By this time, Allison 
had ducked back into the doorway, protecting herself from the 
deadly debris. The EPS conduit behind the blasted wall exploded, 
spewing a stream of superhot plasma down the corridor before a wall 
containment field erected itself. If the energy from the forced 
pulse hadn't killed the Breen the shrapnel did. If, for some reason, 
the shrapnel failed to do the job the plasma more than made up for it.
	"Plasma bonus!" Allison yelled to Tholwyn as she tossed the 
fully discharged rifle to the floor. She tucked her own pistol neatly 
at her side, under her tunic jacket, opting to continue to use the 
Lieutenant's sidearm.
	Tholwyn could see Allison jabbering something from his 
vantage point inside the Tarim. The door she was using for cover was 
directly opposite the Tarim's two forward viewports. He poked his head 
out of the access hatch to see what was going on. A well placed Breen 
perched against the wall on a maintenance scaffold made little work 
of Tholwyn, killing him instantly with a shot to the forehead.
	Allison saw the direction the shot came from, ran and jumped 
on an antigrav sled, landing on her back. As her momentum propelled 
the sled forward she fired a number of shots at the Breen, killing 
him, as she rolled out from under his position. The Commander got off 
the sled and tossed the now empty phaser pistol away, intent on 
checking up on her fallen crew-mate. She never saw the Breen at the 
door behind her. His first shot missed, impacting with one of the 
Tarim's nacelle struts. That was the only shot the Breen soldier got 
off. Allison spun around quickly, already reaching under her jacket 
for her pistol. By the time her spin reached one hundred and eighty 
degrees her pistol was already out and aimed at the Breen. In a blink 
of an eye the Breen was no more. Allison had vaporized him. Rarely 
did anyone get a second chance at her. She quickly pulled Tolwyn's 
lifeless body out and boarded the Tarim, securing the door behind her.

---------------------

	The Breen kept coming and coming. Admiral Quan's team now 
consisted of only a handful of Bridge crew. They'd fought their way 
off the Bridge and into the crew lounge. Let the Breen try to 
disengage the auto destruct. They'd never be able to do it in time. 
There was little more than thirty seconds left and everything would 
be over. The Admiral and his crew would die fighting. This would be 
an encounter the Breen would not likely forget; two of their most 
sophisticated warships destroyed by a measly little Nova class 
science vessel. They would never forget the name... Yamashiro.

---------------------

	The core breach was as brilliant as they came, the energy 
released in this uncontrolled matter and antimatter reaction a 
stark contrast to the more benign controlled matter and antimatter 
reaction used to power warp flight. The explosion destroyed the 
two Breen vessels that hovered nearby with the resulting breach 
shockwaves destroying any escaping lifeboats. It was as beautiful 
to watch as it was deadly. They never had a chance.

To be continued...

Subj:	Homecoming - Part 20, The Final Chapter
Date:	8/1/99 10:04:29 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From:	VAdm Quan
To:	Angel Swan, DrKrisMLyn, Amatuli, Caelin R, BCrew
To:	Beacus, CaptAlexis, Capt speed, Capt Raven
To:	Aron Wago, Cpt TZyr, Cmdr TVect, CmdrQShell
To:	AdamPicard, DMacCullum, FireDncerX, Jol tLiss
To:	KelCaraidX, Love Robin, LtjCMoriah, Lt SilverI
To:	Moondnce, Vzardag
BCC:	CapnKate, VAdm Quan

:::somewhere in the Alpha Quadrant::: 

	"So he just ordered the ship destroyed, just like that? No 
concern for the well-being of his crew?"
	The woman herumphed softly. "It's not like that at all. He 
had standing orders not to let the ship fall into enemy hands. That's 
why he ordered its destruction."
	"What about the lives of his shipmates? Weren't they worth 
something?"
	"Of course they were. And you know as much as I that he 
valued each and every member of that ship's crew. Almost three 
quarters of the Yamashiro's complement was saved."
	The man seated across from her took a moment to sip his 
coffee. "That's hard to believe. The escape pods would've been picked 
off one by one by the Breen's energy weapons. It's their standard 
practice. No prisoners."
	"That's right." She nodded in the affirmative. "In fact, he 
hoped they would target the escape pods. It bought the survivors the 
time they needed to get away."
	"A diversion?"
	She nodded again. "While the Bucket Heads concentrated their 
weapons on the escaping pods, the Tarim slipped out unnoticed. Then 
came the boom." She clapped her hands together, punctuating her 
statement "And no more Breen."
	"Uh-uh. I don't buy it. Their sensors would've picked up a 
power spike of that magnitude."
	"You keep forgetting the ship was designed to operate 
covertly. The core was shielded and emissions from all the other 
power systems were masked."
	"Very slick. I guess he wasn't a half bad tactician after 
all. I get it now. That's when he died. He stayed with the sinking 
ship."
	The woman shook her head. "Not quite."
	"Not quite?" The man blinked twice, confused. "He did die, 
right?"
	"Well, yes. But- hey, are you telling this story or am I?"
	The man sighed softly. "You are, of course."
	"That's right. Now where was I? Oh yes..."
	
---------------------

	He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before bringing it up to 
his lips for a kiss. Her smile was soft and adoring. As his gaze 
met hers he felt it again, that intense feeling in his chest that 
seemed to swell and reach his throat. The same feeling he had felt 
the very first time they'd met. Everything started to come into 
focus. The questions, the confusion, all the doubts he ever had 
started to melt away.
	This, this was what being alive was all about. The answers 
would come to him, he knew that now. And where could he find them? 
That was deep within the person right before him. Yes, he could 
feel the moment near. All he needed to do was take that final step. 
Just one step forward and everything would make sense. He knew he 
could do it. He wanted to do it. No, he *needed* to do it.
	So he started to. But just as the step neared completion 
chaos broke loose. Everything around him began to blur and streak 
together. The bond to her was broken and he began to get sucked 
away, along with everything else, until he, too, began to blur.
	He tried to cry out. "No! Not again! Please, no!" Silence. 
Even his words were being denied to him. The confusion, doubt, all 
the questions, returned. And then there was blackness and, far off 
in the distance, a voice. It ever so slowly got louder, as if his 
ears were finally being freed of the imaginary cotton stuffed inside.

---------------------

	"I also hear you'll be getting a new ship. Not sure what 
class, though." Allison's eyes followed every blip of the vital 
signs monitor. She blinked as the blip spiked and settled to a 
higher rate. Was he coming out of it? She stood quickly and hovered 
by his side, her hands clutching his. Her voice was barely above a 
whisper. "Dad?"
	His eyes slowly fluttered open and came to rest on the 
features of his daughter's face. "Nako?" His voice was raspy and 
barely audible.
	Allison shook her head slowly. "No, Dad. It's me, Alley." 
Something was different about him. His eyes reflected something. A 
loss, maybe? And why mention Her name now?
	The Admiral closed his eyes, seemingly composing himself. 
Whatever emotion reflected in his eyes seconds ago was gone as he 
refocused his attention on his daughter. No, he knew she wasn't 
Nako. But for a brief moment, it was like she was standing there 
next to him. Or had she? He pushed the thought away. Still, she 
did resemble her mother in many ways. "Where?"
	"Starbase five two three. It's been three weeks since the 
destruction of the Yamashiro."
	He winced as he tried to sit up, a sharp pain lanced 
through the upper right side of his chest. "Aya." He muttered.
	"Slowly." The younger Quan instructed as she helped her 
father into a sitting position. "A Bucket Head tagged you in the 
chest. You're lucky to be alive."
	"Nonsense." He responded. "You, of all people, should 
know that I'm immortal." He frowned slightly. "Other survivors?"
	"Thirty-one." A pause. "Some would say acceptable losses." 
	Allison watched her father as he peered at the opposite 
wall in silence. She sighed softly, all too aware of his thoughts. 
She knew that, to him, no loss was acceptable, not even one. He 
felt this way about all living things, even his enemies. If 
possible, he would run away from confrontation. If fleeing was not 
an option he would forcibly subdue. If that didn't work he would 
inflict moderate injury on his attacker and if that was ineffective 
then he would maim. If all else failed, he would take his 
assailant's life. But that was always a last resort, one he seemed 
to be exercising often since the beginning of his association with 
Black Ops.
	"Perhaps."

---------------------

	"Wait a minute."
	"What now?"
	"You're telling me he survived a wound created by a Breen 
energy weapon?"
	"This is what I'm saying."
	The man let out a low whistle. "Sure sounds like he was a 
hard man to kill."
	The woman's expression grew distant, her tone lowered just 
a bit. "He had a reputation for that kind of thing, you know, as a 
survivor."
	"So he was pretty much immortal?"
	"Not in the traditional sense, no. But it seemed like he 
was." She paused. "Do you want me to continue or not?"
	"By all means."
	"Then stop interrupting me."

---------------------

	Admiral Quan glanced up from his desk's display terminal as 
the door chime sounded. "Come." He quickly switched off the device 
once he saw who his visitor was. "To what do I owe the honor?"
	"Come now, Admiral. Must there be an occasion for me to 
visit you?" Ron's smile was broad.
	"One usually accompanies when you visit."
	The slaver laughed coolly and pointed a finger at his 
second in command. "Astute as ever, Admiral. And yes, there is 
one." He paused as he moved around Quan's desk to gaze out the 
viewport. "We've arrived and the moment of truth is nearly upon us."
	"You intend to carry out the operation?"
	"Galactic purification must start somewhere, Admiral." Ron's 
body was silhouetted inside the viewports frame. "And when the Galaxy 
is purged of the unworthy, Earth and Her inhabitants will take their 
rightful places in the Universe, as the sole race deserving enough 
to inhabit the heavens." He spread his arms out wide. "The way 
things were meant to be, before gene pools were tainted." Ron 
looked over his shoulder. "No more humanoids with green or blue 
blood. No more fur, feathers, or scales. The-" Ron paused as he 
searched for the proper word. "master race will finally have the 
breathing room it rightfully deserves." He clapped Quan on the 
shoulder. "And part of the credit goes to you, Good Admiral. We 
would never have reached this point so quickly without your 
expertise. I'm glad I chose so wisely. You have indeed proven that 
you want nothing but the best future for the Federation and Earth."
	The Vice Admiral nodded curtly before responding. "I did 
make a promise to protect the Federation from its enemies when I 
joined Starfleet. It's a duty I do not take lightly." He bowed 
his head slightly." I appreciate the praise. However, the bulk of 
it should go to the officers. Things would not have progressed as 
smoothly if it had not been for their team work and effort."
	Ron laughed softly. "Ah. Spoken like a true commanding 
officer." He wagged a finger at the Terran Admiral. "I can see 
why they hold you in such high esteem. Loyalty like that is rare 
these days, especially from members of the "new" Starfleet 
Academy." A chime sounded from inside his expensive suit jacket. 
"Ah. I have an errand to tend to and-" He paused. "I think you 
have a date with your new command. Get familiar quickly, 
Admiral. We depart for the Axanar system at oh-six-hundred 
hours tomorrow." Ron paused before stepping out the door. "In 
the morrow you and I will be responsible for a new beginning. 
Take pride in that, Admiral." And with that said he stepped 
through the door.

---------------------

	Alert klaxons blared down every corridor of the Century. 
Riots were erupting as slaves rebelled, freed from their prisons 
by unknown saviors. Even the vessels of Black Ops had turned on 
their former ally. The Millennium Group and Black Operations 
partnership dissolved instantly. Chaos held center stage right 
now. That is, except in the launch bay that housed the Tembler 
Resonator.
	Quan's hands worked swiftly inside the opened service 
port. Relays and nodes were in the process of being switched 
over. These kinds of modifications could be implemented via 
the Resonator's control console but software could easily be 
reset in a matter of seconds while manually adjusting hardware 
could take up to several hours. There was just an added amount 
of security in hardwiring the changes.
	HANAH's voice came over his subdermal communicator. 
"We're all set up here, Corey. All we need is your final go 
ahead." 
	Normally he would've heard the door open behind him but 
not this time. "I had a feeling you'd be here. True to your 
reputation, a perfectionist through and through." 
	The Admiral silently replaced the maintenance lid and 
keyed in the standby command before turning around to face the 
visitor. He knew who the person was before their gazes even 
met. "There is no such thing as too many equipment checks."
	"Ah. Of course." A phaser pistol was expertly trained 
on The Admiral. "Step away from the device, Admiral." A side to 
side gesture with the weapon made the order all the more urgent. 
"Bravo, Admiral. Bra-vo. You managed to deceive me for quite 
some time, not an easy task, I assure you. I'll ask you once 
more to step away from the Resonator." Ron laughed coolly as 
Quan complied.
	Admiral Quan's brow arched slightly. "I am not sure I 
follow what you mean"
	"Now, what should I do with you? I could disintegrate 
you right where you stand. No, that wouldn't be any fun. I 
know." He knelt slowly and slid one of the items he had been 
holding over to The Admiral, phaser aimed unwaveringly at 
his head. "Pick it up."
	HANAH's voice came over the comm. again. "Corey, do 
you need more time?"
	Quan bent down to retrieve the slender cloth wrapped 
item. "It looks like I won't be joining you." He answered 
just above a whisper. "Continue without me."
	There was a moment of silence over the comm. channel. 
"Good luck, Corey."
	"Unwrap it."
	The Vice Admiral carefully unwrapped the package. His 
brow quirked slightly. It was his katana. The fragile string 
used to tie the swords tsuba to its wooden saya was still 
intact, a symbol and reminder of the Terran's promise to 
himself never to use the deadly weapon against another soul 
again. But how did the slaver get his hands on it? The last 
time it had been in Quan's possession was when he took 
sabbatical in the Oregulan system, some three or four years 
ago. Since then the relic of Japanese swordsmithing had 
been safely locked away, until now.
	"Originally, I intended it to be a surprise, 
Admiral. A gift, for all your hard work. I even took the 
liberty of having the blade resmelted and recast." He held 
up his hand. "Not to worry. More than ninety-seven percent 
of the original blade material is present. I know how much 
you believe in superstition." His tone grew somewhat mocking. 
"The spirit of the your katana has been preserved. Its 
magical properties are still there." His raucous laugh 
reverberated off the launch bays metal walls. "Really, 
Admiral! I thought you were better than that, a man of 
science, of technology." Ron let out an exaggerated sigh. 
"Then again, I was wrong in thinking I could trust you with 
my vision. And the penalty for betraying my trust, Admiral, 
is rather unpleasant."
	In the time it took Ron to traverse the few meter 
gap between them he had unsheathed a lengthy bladed weapon 
from behind his back. Quan saw the flash of metal and 
reacted by raising his katana above his head, blocking 
Ron's downward blow. The force behind the slavers attack 
was so great it split the wood saya of the Admiral's sword. 
	The two men remained locked in this position, Ron's 
excessive strength literally pushing Quan backwards. "You're 
old, Admiral. Stale and weak." The Vice Admiral's attacker 
maneuvered quickly, disengaging the contact between their 
respective blades and striking out with his elbow, all in 
one smooth motion. Admiral Quan's head snapped to the side 
from the impact of the elbow. He staggered away, eventually 
colliding with the wall.
	"Tisk, tisk, Dear Admiral. I'd thought you'd be much 
more of a challenge than this. Killing you won't be half as 
enjoyable as I anticipated it would."

---------------------

	"The comm signal was lost after that. Interference 
from the Tembler Resonator." The woman grew silent.
	"That's it? You're just going keep me on the edge of 
my seat?"
	"No one knows what happened in the launch bay. What I 
do know is that most of the slaves, along with Black Ops, 
rebelled and fought against Ron and his men."
	"What about that doohickey, the Resonator? What was 
the purpose of it?"
	"Total annihilation. What else is a weapon of mass 
destruction used for?" She shifted in her seat. "It was 
supposed to cause a disruption in subspace that would 
eventually spill into normal space, disrupting the atomic 
cohesiveness of all but the most minuscule of matter. If 
deployed near a star the effects would be magnified a 
thousand times."
	"It never reached its intended target?"
	"Right. It detonated light years away from where 
it was meant to, inside unoccupied territory. The Century 
was empty by the time that happened, with the exception of 
two individuals."
	"Ron and The Admiral?"
	The woman nodded an affirmative as she silently 
watched the summer's moonlight reflect off the surface of 
her tea. "Today is the anniversary of that event."
	The man watched the woman for a moment. She'd been 
through a lot yet it rarely showed on her face. He admired 
her. In a way, she was part of a legend he could only dream 
about. But this wasn't his time. This was her time. He made 
up his mind and gulped down the remains of the coffee in his 
cup. "I think it's time I call it a night." As he stood he 
touched her shoulder gently. "You should do the same."
	She glanced up at him, managing a smile. "I just 
might. You know the way out, right?"
	"Sure do." He made his way out the opened set of 
french doors. He paused and glanced over his shoulder 
before moving down the steps. "Thanks for sharing. I know 
how hard it must've been for you."
	The woman motioned with her hand, as if to say it 
was no big deal. "Good night."
	"Night."
	She listened to his footfalls as he made his way over 
the paved path until the sounds of rolling surf drowned them 
out. Her eyes were drawn heavenward as she noticed the emerging 
sparkle of a distant star. It was the same pinpoint of light 
that burned on this, and only this, day. And in a way, it 
lessened the feelings of loss. For she believed, no matter 
how childish the thought be, that He was somehow connected to 
that solitary glitter of light and that, in some way, He was 
watching over her.

The End

Authors Note

	This was a long time coming. People change and, 
unfortunately, I suppose I changed along with everyone else. 
It's with a heavy heart that I commit the character of Vice 
Admiral Corey B. Quan to the blackness of oblivion. He was, in 
many ways, a part of me. I enjoyed weaving tales about him and 
the various kinds of interaction he had with other characters. I 
hope you all enjoyed reading about The Admiral's adventures as 
much as I did authoring them. I thank you for the many 
opportunities we shared in creating a private universe in which 
we could all escape into. I wish you all prosperity and success. 
joy gin and doh jay.
							Corey

The story continues on page 7...