Honor

Posted on Fri Sep 6th, 2019 @ 7:03pm by Commodore Jacob Kane

Mission: In the Family
Location: USS Lakota
Timeline: One Month Ago
606 words - 1.2 OF Standard Post Measure

“You guys completed the Perseus Cluster survey already? Nice work.” The face of Lieutenant Commander Jim Jerrod grinned at Kane on the small monitor in front of him. “Looks like I’ve got some catching-up to do.”

“Jealous?” Kane’s eyebrow raised marginally.

“Not in the slightest. I just feel really sorry for the Captain lucky enough to have you as his XO,” Jim chuckled.

“Captain Rutherford. She’s...a fine officer,” he noted. “Not exactly my kind of Captain. A scientist, who’d rather be in a lab than-” He stopped mid-sentence as the ship shuddered and the screen winked-out. “Jim?” he frowned. The screen didn’t come back up. Instead the red alert klaxon blared. He slapped the badge on his chest. “Bridge, report. Bridge?”

No response.

There was chaos in the hallway as crewmen charged about. Some seemed relieved to see him pass, others terrified and confused. Kane’s face was set as he approached the bridge. If the corridors were chaos, then the bridge was something else entirely.

He almost tripped over the unconscious crewman sprawled just inside the doorway. There, standing tall in the middle of the bridge - *his* bridge - an overweight Orion was partially through monologuing over the crumpled form of Captain Rutherford.

Kane didn’t hesitate. Not even for a moment. Instinct took over, refined by years of disciplined effort. He had to protect these people. It was his responsibility.

He scooped-up a fallen phaser, levelled it at the Orion’s henchman standing nearby, and downed the first intruder without breaking stride. He was within reach of the leader a heartbeat later, the phaser almost touching its oily green skin.

“You’ve got five seconds to get off this ship with all your men,” he barked forcefully. The Orion captain, alarmed, turned to face him.

“Oh?” he motioned to the main screen, where a pair of Orion cruisers were prowling. “What about your crew? You’d sacrifice them all?”

“No. I wouldn’t.” Kane didn’t flinch. “But I just took out your number two guy over there. And I’m willing to bet that if I call up the next one in line and promise to finish you off if he leaves, then it’s probably an offer he’d be willing to take over running your little crew over there.” He inclined his head. “No honor among Orions.”

The threat drew real hesitation from the Orion. In that moment, Kane knew he was winning. “You’re Starfleet. You don’t kill in cold blood.”

“You mean like the blood dripping out of my Captain’s nose?” Jacob fired back. The Orion glanced down.

“Nothing worth taking from your ship anyway…” the Orion scowled, reaching for his communicator. A command later and he was dematerialising, along with his cohorts.

As Kane dropped to the deck to check on Captain Rutherford, a young Ensign appeared out from behind his console. “You let them get away?” the young man asked.

Kane glanced over as he checked the Captain’s pulse. “We’re outnumbered, probably outgunned, and we have injured,” he replied. “Consider yourself lucky you’re not about to become a slave in some Orion ore mine somewhere.” He felt momentary relief as he found a weak pulse in the Captain’s neck. She’d live. Probably reprimand him for the way he’d dealt with the Orion. Wasn’t strictly protocol, but it was the only way he’d been able to think of.

“Take the helm and get us out of here, Ensign. I don’t plan on being here when that Orion changes his mind.”