Ahhh... the great fear of every author... I can't seem to find my stories anywhere. To refresh your memory here is the final installment (The only one I can manage to find.) I know they were all posted on the Taldren Forums, AND on the old ladder boards. Anyone have access to them?
Here is the last installment. Please private message me if you can help.
GE-Raven
The Inquiry
Observer’s Log
Commander Satherswait
United Federation of Planets
I was in my second day of hard drinking when Raven walked into the bar I had claimed in the name of the Federation. I had become fond of a strong spirit that had a name that I could barely pronounce sober, let alone after have “a few”. It was similar in its taste to Earth’s Single Malt Scotch, it had an “earthy” peat taste and was smoky. When Raven walked in he said little as sidled next to me. He looked at me and my glass, and then nodded to the barkeep who had been waiting to take his order. The bartender brought him what I was drinking and Raven took a drink and looked at me again.
“I am not certain that is good for your health to be drinking our liquor, Commander.”
I looked at him with my drink in hand, “It was the least poisonous thing on the menu!”
I then grinned wryly at him and he nodded and finished his drink. Raven laughed quietly and then became a bit more serious.
“I have been looking over the logs and I think I am ready for the Inquiry in two days.”
I set my drink down, “Don’t worry, old friend, you will not have to worry about me.”
I then continued, “This is my last drink.”
He helped me out the door and we spent the rest of the evening talking about “old times” and how much we had seen.
Two days later I was sitting in the Gorn Confederation’s Headquarters listening to the log entries as they recited of the events of the battle Grassskinusss. Raven and I were in from of a Gorn commission that consisted of three Rear Admirals and an officer of the state. Admiral Kensington was there as well due to the fact that I was required to be there as “the next highest ranking officer that survived the battle”. The Admiral seemed to be upset that he “had” to be here due to my involvement in the battle. I called my mind back to the matters at hand as the log entries stopped.
The officer of the state was the one who seemed to be running the questioning as he stood up an addressed Raven.
“Captain, why didn’t you contact Confederation Headquarters before engaging the Romulan?”
“Upon entering the system we assessed that the attacking vessel was still a threat and moved to repair the base while buying it some time.”
He then continued, “I did not wish to take the chance that Romulan could intercept the signal and realize that we were alone.”
This seemed to satisfactorily answer the question because the inquisitor now changed his tack.
“Captain, why did you feel it was necessary to engage the Romulan at all?”
Raven stared unblinkingly and answered in almost machine like fashion.
“The base station was too damaged to survive another attack, to flee meant certain destruction for those on the base.”
“However, I felt confident that if I bought them some time that I might be able to save the station and possible the Romulan might withdraw rather risk damaging his vessel in Enemy territory.”
“I see,” the officer then moved from behind the table and strode towards our table, “So you felt that you could handle a Romulan Dreadnaught ‘all by yourself’ and wouldn’t need assistance?”
He now leaned down and spat his text a few inches from Raven’s face, “It is that kind of arrogance that cost the confederation a heavy cruiser as well as an excellent First Officer!”
Raven stared directly back at him.
“I realized the cost of my decisions, sir, it was my judgement that the risks to my crew were acceptable if we could save the base and drive off the enemy.”
The inquisitor now stood up and coolly turned to face the other four.
“So at what point did you feel it was prudent to use your heavy cruiser as a battering-ram?”
Raven inhaled deeply and then looked directly at the each of the Admirals before continuing.
“As the logs indicated I was somewhat surprised by the mauler on this particular ship, this enabled the Romulan to severely damage us and I decided that I could only ensure the safety of the battle station by destroying the Romulan Dreadnaught.”
Raven paused slightly, “It was obvious to me the Romulan was not going to disengage.”
The inquisitor now leaned down and spoke quietly to Kensington. He then stood up and turned back to Raven and I he approached me and spoke in a softer tone.
“Comander Satherssssswait, how would you assess the performance of the Captain over the time you spent with him?”
I glanced at the stern face of Kensington and then back at large Gorn in front of me. I knew what Kensington thought, and I knew that I would be ensuring the doom of my working with Raven ever again. But, I also knew that I would never be able to live with myself if I did not tell the truth.
“The Captain has not only served well, sir, I believe he is an exemplary officer that has saved countless lives and performed as well, no… better, than any Federation officer I have ever served with!”
Kensington looked like he was about to explode, but I no longer cared,
“Furthermore, I think that anyone who think that a Captain should just sit by and condemn his people to death and sit idly by while it happens should prepare to lose this war, because if you have Captains like that would fail to act as this one has done you have no hope of winning this war.”
Well, I had done it! I had managed to end my career in one hundred words or less.
The Gorn Admiral at the end of the table now stood up and asked the court guards to lead us to a small conference room near by while they deliberated.
As I walked out I could almost feel the heat of Kensington’s glare on my back. But I felt so good to have finally ‘been heard’ after so long of listening. As we entered the conference room I paced as Raven calmly took a seat.
“Commander Satherswait?”
I turned to look at Raven, “Yes?”
“I can not thank you enough for what you have said… I will not insult you by saying I wish you had not said those things.”
He stood up and walk towards me and put his large hand on my shoulder.
“However, I wish you had not been so outspoken on my behalf, if I lose my command that is a small price, but for you to risk your career for me…”
“Is what you would have done for me, and you know it, “I interrupted him.
“Frankly, Raven, I told the truth as I saw it, I am an Observer, and now I have made my observations.”
Raven now turned slightly away and spoke quietly, “You are a good man, Satherswait, I only wish I could be sure that you knew that.”
It was now my turn to be quiet. I sat down and thought about the past days. It was all so much to take in. It seemed like only a few minutes before the door opened and the guard appeared to take us back out. I looked at the small computer tablet at our table as we were seated and realized that they had been “convening for over 2 hours”. Now if I only knew if that were good or bad.
After the various formalities of the rules of order of this inquiry were read to us by the officer of the state Admiral Kensington stood up and began to speak.
I tried to not look surprised but I could not fathom why he would be speaking formally in a Gorn inquiry.
“Captain, it has been the finding of this board of inquiry that your actions in the loss of your ship were justified and that no formal blemish should appear on your record.”
He now stepped away from his table, “However, the war has caused great strains on the Confederation’s ability to produce ships that would be commensurate with your level of experience.”
“This commission has decided that your next commission will be aboard the U.S.S. Vicksburg.”
He continued, “You will be commanding a Federation ship with a Federation crew, you will also have a Federation First Officer.”
“Commander Satherswait, you will report to the U.S.S. Vicksburg as her First Officer and prepare her crew for the changes that will be necessary to accommodate their new Captain.”
I sat their in complete disbelief as Kensington went on to outline why a Gorn captain was wanted for this ship. This ship was a new prototype, further advancing on the BCF class of Battle Cruiser. Instead of two “F” type plasma torpedoes she had a single forward firing “S” type torpedo and in place of her Anti-Drone Defense she had the new plasma “D”. She was to be the Federations answer to the new threat posed by the Romulans and their new use of pseudo fighters. It was felt that it would be best to have a Gorn Captain to help utilize these Gorn weapons to their fullest ability and it would be a good test of this new age of multiple technologies.
Raven was given two days leave to see some of his family and I was ordered to make the Vicksburg “deep-space ready” in one week. I poured over her specification on my way the space dock. I also reviewed her history. She was in a Gorn space dock following an incident in which she came to the aid of a Gorn freighter and was severely damaged by an ambush of several Romulan “King Eagles”. The Captain managed to escape but he as well as his first officer and one third of the crew failed to survive the mission. The Crew we would have was made up of half of the original Vicksburg crew who were coming back from extended leave as their ship was refitted by the Gorn/Federation team that worked on her. The other half of the crew would be recent graduates from Starfleet Academy. She was a odd but beautiful ship and I looked forward to my position as First Officer of a prototype ship.
I was filled with a new hope for our cause in this war, and with a new respect for an Admiral that I had obviously misjudged. I promised myself never to do so again.
Topic: Anyone have the "Raven" series saved? (Read 3185 times)