Chapter 13: The Warp 8 Engine

Thy'lek Shran wandered along the corridor in Starfleet's headquarters, looking at the pictures that adorned the wall. One particular portrait made him stop. It showed a human captain, sitting in the captain's chair striking a proud and noble pose. His thoughts went to the Wall of Heroes back on Andoria and he started to wonder whether one day his blood would be buried there or if he would end up here, as a picture on the Human Wall Of Heroes.

Shran's eyes fell on the plaque below the picture. Just days ago he had finished his education in the written and spoken human language and once again he admired the simplicity of it. Just 26 mostly simplistic symbols were sufficient to express every known word and words often consisted of just a few symbols. It had made the process of learning the alien language almost laughingly simple, but in the process he also gained a new understanding of why so many other races were confused by the humans. On the outside they appeared to be nothing more than big children, with technology that other races had developed decades, sometimes centuries ago. Yet, they could be unbelievably efficient – their language was proof of it – and the speed of their progress was enough to strike fear into the stoic Vulcans. Yes, he told himself, it was the right choice to apply for service in the Human Starfleet. Everyone with half an ounce of tactical and political expertise had to acknowledge that the humans would one day become a major force in the Coalition of Planets that was about to be created.

He deciphered the text easily and his thoughts wandered back to the moment, when he and Archer had spoken about the namesakes of their ships. That was shortly before his short-sighted attempt to confront the Tellarites had resulted in Talas' death and the Ushaan with Archer. A cold shiver ran down his spine, when he remembered that he had almost caused the death of the only real friend he ever had outside the Imperial Guard. Not only would he have been responsible for the death of a Human hero, he'd probably be now back on Andoria, jobless, useless, and probably desperate enough to serve on a civilian freighter – the ultimate humiliation for a warrior like him.

"Looking for a place to hang up your picture?" Jon asked, when he caught Shran in deep thought in front of his portrait.

"It would be fittingly placed alongside yours," the Andorian answered. "After all, it's safe to say that the two of us are responsible that our people are now becoming allies."

It didn't need the keen ear of Hoshi to notice the subtle differences of Shran's pronunciation to the scientifically immaculate rendition of a universal translator. Jon grinned. "I see you've been busy learning Standard."

"Of course. Would you want to rely on a UT in battle?"

"Probably not. So, do you think you'll get the commission?" Archer asked with a smile.

"Well, there will probably be some reservations because of what I did to Soval once, but I hope they'll see that I had no other choice at the time."

"I'm sure they will understand. I did some questionable things myself. War is a dirty business."

"Agreed."

"Take a seat, Mr. Shran," Gardner said, pointing to the chair on the opposite side of his desk.

"Thank you Admiral."

"I won't beat about the bush," Garner explained, while looking through the contents of Starfleet's final verdict on a PADD. "There were some serious reservations against your entry into Starfleet service. Many were disconcerted about your attempt to steal the Xindi prototype, but since you acted under orders from your superiors at the time, we couldn't hold that against you. Your interrogation of Ambassador Soval during the Vulcan crisis was a much trickier thing for some members of the Admiralty."

Gardner noticed Shran's accepting nod and continued his explanation.

"You were lucky though. Soval himself absolved you from all personal culpability and assured us that your course of action was understandable in the circumstances. You're lucky that Enterprise wasn't yet too far away for a subspace transmission. That and the passionate lobbying of the crew of Enterprise convinced us to accept your services as the first Andorian in Starfleet."

"Thank you, Admiral. You have my word that such incidents will not repeat."

"We'll need more than your word, Mr. Shran. Are you prepared to take the oath?"

"Of course, when shall I report?"

"We'll do that immediately, unless you require a bigger ceremony," Gardner explained with a smile.

"No, we can do that right now, Admiral. The only person, who I really would like to be present is the pink-skin and he's already here."

"That's a habit you should break, by the way," Gardner explained sternly. "While Captain Archer might accept that moniker, most others will see it as a racial remark."

"Of course, Admiral. I apologize."

"Attention to orders," Gardner announced and watched both his guests stand at attention. "Mr. Shran, do Andorians follow a religion?"

"Some do, Admiral. I don't."

"Then we'll skip the 'god help me' part. Raise your right hand and speak after me."

After Shran had assumed the requested pose, Admiral Gardner began to recite the Starfleet oath, which Shran dutifully repeated in flawless Standard:

"Having received a commission as an officer in Starfleet, I do solemnly swear,"

"that I will support and defend the Constitution of United Earth against all enemies, foreign or domestic,"

"that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;"

"that I will well and faithfully carry out my assigned duties and responsibilities;"

"that I will obey the orders of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Space, and the officers appointed over me, according to Starfleet regulations and the laws of United Earth."

"At ease," Gardner ordered after a short pause that signaled the end of the oath.

Gardner pushed a button on his desk. "Computer, start recording." A short beep announced the machine's acknowledgment.

"On Wednesday, May 21st 2155, 0912 hours, Thy'lek Shran Of Andoria has taken the Oath of Allegiance to Starfleet. The event has been witnessed by Captain Jonathan Archer and Admiral Samuel William Gardner. Computer, stop recording."

"Attention to Orders," Gardner announced and waited until both Archer and Shran were standing at attention again.

"The Prime Minister of United Earth has reposed special trust and confidence in the courage, fidelity and professional excellence of Thy'lek Shran of Andoria. In view of these qualities, and his demonstrated potential for leadership, he is, therefore, appointed to the rank of Captain, such appointment to take effect immediately. By order of the Minister of Space."

"At ease," he ordered and stuck out his hands to his blue-skinned guest. "Welcome to Starfleet, Captain Shran."

"It is an honor, Admiral."

Gardner watched with satisfaction how Archer added his heartfelt congratulations as well. The blue-skinned alien even accepted a hug from Captain Archer. Watching the friendship between the two was a good omen for the Coalition they were building – one as a soon-to-be Commodore, the other as the soon-to-be most experienced star ship Captain Starfleet ever had.

"So, Admiral, may I ask, what your plans for me are?" Shran asked.

"Of course, that's part two of our meeting. Follow me, both of you."

Shran followed Gardner out of the door and a short distance down the corridor. "Conference room 8" said the sign of the wall. Entering the room after Gardner, he saw several human officers, all clad in the standard blue uniform. They all had snapped to attention as soon as the admiral had entered.

"At ease, take a seat."

Looking to Archer for a hint of what to do, he took a free seat, when the human motioned him to do so.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe you all know our two guests, Captain Jonathan Archer, and as of 5 minutes ago, Captain Thy'lek Shran, the first Andorian in Starfleet."

Shran was startled slightly, when all humans started knocking on the table and not knowing the appropriate reply to such a display, he simply nodded towards the center of the oval table. He listened to Gardner's further introduction.

"May I introduce the others – Captain Julia Fletcher, Commander Roy Dunsel, Commander Jeremy Curtis, Commander Wyatcheslav Tcherkassov and Commander Ian O'Shea."

Shran watched as each human officer stood after his name was called, nodded shortly and took a seat again. He committed that to memory as the customary reaction to a formal introduction.

"You all know that, although the waters are calm at the moment, the Romulans will sooner or later come knocking on our door and it won't be a social call. We hope that the founding of the Coalition Of Planets might make them think twice, but for all we know they could also take it as a reason to attack. In reaction to this threat, Starfleet has decided to build up a fleet of 9 NX-class ships with improved armaments and defensive capabilities. You will all be part of that fleet."

"My latest information said 7 ships?" Archer asked.

"The number has risen to 9 last week. After long deliberations, the Xindi-Aquatics have offered to build two NX ships at Azati Prime. I think you know the place, Jon."

"Only too good."

Shran made a mental note to himself to ask the pink-skin, what that place was. It couldn't be a very agreeable one as he had rarely seen such a disgusted expression on Archer's face.

"May I ask what brought about such an offer?" Shran asked Gardner. "Do they think that two ships are a sufficient compensation for millions of dead humans?"

"Not at all. The Xindi are not formally part of the Coalition talks yet, but the primates, arboreals and aquatics have allied status with Earth. Enterprise is currently on a diplomatic mission to New Xindus. The Aquatics have requested this mission and want to return the favor by building two ships."

"Since you said that we will all be part of that new fleet," Fletcher asked. "and since we're all either captains or commanders, do I take it that we'll be the commanding officers of the respective ships?"

"Yes." the Admiral acknowledged. " All of you except for Archer will get an own ship. The three others are absent from this meeting, so I shall tell you, what's what before we go on. You better record that, it's a long list."

Shran saw each of the humans take out a PADD. He directed a thankful nod to Archer when the human gave him a spare one that his friend had obviously brought, knowing that he wouldn't have one with him. Following Archers example, he pressed the 'record' button.

"Jonathan Archer will soon be promoted to Commodore and will take command of the fleet. The NX-01 Enterprise is and will remain under the command of Captain T'Pol of Vulcan. NX-02 Columbia is and will remain under the command of Captain Julia Fletcher. Commander Dunsel will assume command of NX-03 Challenger and you Captain Shran will be CO of NX-04 Discovery."

Shran accepted the news with a nod. He looked very much forward to returning to space in command of a ship. He continued to listen to Gardner's further explanation.

"Both ships will start their test runs in August. Once recovered, Captain Erika Hernandez will command NX-05 Atlantis, which will also be the fleet's flag ship, so Jonathan will be stationed there as well. Commander Curtis will take command of NX-06 Endeavour. NX-07 Buran will be commanded by Malcolm Reed, currently First Officer on the Enterprise. Entry into service for NX-05, 06 and 07 is planned for February 2156. Commander Tcherkassov, you'll command NX-08 Soyuz and Commander O'Shea the NX-09 Intrepid. These two will be the Xindi-built ships and will go into service one year from now. All of you, who are currently in the rank of Commander, will be promoted to Captain at the EIS time of your respective ships. Any questions?"

"Are these ships pure-bred warships?" Dunsel asked.

"No. They will be built as multi-purpose ships, usable for exploration and warfare alike due to improved armaments and defensive capabilities. We have received military aid by Vulcan in the form of engineering crews and the specs of their defensive shielding technology. A prototype installation is currently being tested by Enterprise and Columbia. Andoria has agreed to assist with the development of a Mark IV torpedo technology and Enterprise will bring back some sensor improvements courtesy of the Xindi-Arboreals. That should turn the NX ships into formidable battleships and the last batch of reports from Enterprise indicate that Tucker's latest improvements have gotten us very close to warp 6 and knowing the man, he'll probably crack the warp 6 barrier before the last NX ship is completed."

"What about Standard Operating Procedures?" Tcherkassov asked and Shran noticed that the accent of the man was very different from the rest of the humans. After mentally comparing it to the accents of some of the human instructors in his language training, he identified it as the harsh sounding accent of people, who came from a region called 'Russia', which was said to have regions with a climate similar to Andoria for large part of the Earth year.

"Since all but two ships are still being built, you will all spend the next 2 months working out the SOP's and fleet maneuvers yourself. Captain Archer will lead this project and I hope we can profit from Captain Shran's extensive warfare experience in the Imperial Guard."

"I will speak to the Guard representatives in the Andorian Embassy to find out which information I'm allowed to disclose," Shran confirmed. The human Admiral mirrored his nod.

"Thank you Captain. If there are no more questions, you are dismissed, but I want Jon and Shran to stay for a moment."

Shran nodded again and waited until the other officers had left the room.

"Captain, I've spoken to Starfleet HR," Gardner began. "They think it would be a bit ... awkward to put you in a standard issue blue uniform, so they've suggested to use the dark color of Andorian uniforms on the standard Starfleet design for yours. If that is ok for you?"

"Of course, Admiral. It will show my allegiance to Starfleet, while still honoring my past service in the Imperial Guard. I find that an agreeable compromise."

"Good. That brings me to the big news. I need you both for a special operation on Vulcan. The V'Shar has tracked down former administrator V'Las in his hideout - the caves near the T'Kareth sanctuary. They want us to apprehend him. They made it clear that his demise is not considered a disagreeable result, should lethal force be necessary."

Gardner waited for them to digest this little bit of information.

"What happened to 'this is a Vulcan matter?'" Jon asked in surprise.

The Admiral grinned at Jon's predictable reaction. "Well it still is, but it's also a highly political matter. Minister T'Pau is still preaching the Kir'Shara day and night and she's worried that promoting Surakian pacifism while sending out an assault commando to kill her predecessor might look a wee bit hypocritical."

"So she wants plausible deniability."

"Right Jon. The official story will be, that you briefed a high ranking Starfleet delegation on your time during the Vulcan crisis. During an on-site briefing, you were attacked and acted in self-defense. The fact that the delegation consists of an Andorian and a detachment of trained soldiers will be conveniently omitted."

"Well, some things didn't change. They're still expert liars," Shran grumbled.

"Minister T'Pau prefers to see it as a 'political necessity'," Gardner answered with a smirk to Shran's sarcastic remark, before continuing the briefing.

"According to the V'Shar, V'Las and up to 20 followers are hiding in those caves. You, Jon, are the only human who's ever been in these caves and you, Shran, have the most experience in fighting Vulcans, that's why I want you both on this mission."

"Didn't you just order us to start working on fleet SOP's?"

"Yes, Jon; The others will start without you and Shran. You'll take temporary Command of Columbia, while Fletcher will take your place as the project leader for the time being. This mission is meant to take no longer than 2 weeks, so in your absence, Fletcher and the others can work out the mundane routine details."

"Understood"

"You'll take Columbia to Vulcan, where you'll contact the High Council. The Vulcan liaison is Minister Kuvak, who will provide all necessary details and authorizations. You ship out at 0600 Friday morning. Until then you've got time to prepare."

"Aye, Sir."

Trip and T'Pol entered the bridge and Malcolm got out of the big chair.

"We've located the Illyrian ship. We'll be in communication range in 2 hours."

T'Pol acknowledged the report with a short nod.

"Commander Tucker, assemble an engineering team and brief them on the necessary modifications to the warp coil to make it suitable for the Illyrian ship. It is logical to assume that they wish the installation to proceed with all haste, once we have come to an agreement."

"Aye, Ma'am."

"I suggest that we prepare for a fire fight," Malcolm reported. "I doubt that they will be very happy to see us again."

T'Pol shook her head, unaware that she had picked up that habit. "I do not think so. Their weapons are not powerful enough and unlike during our last encounter, Enterprise is in peak condition. I thought that you would look forward to testing the new shielding technology, Commander?"

She didn't notice Hoshi's smug grin in Malcolm's direction. The introverted Brit had been properly had by their Vulcan friend, who got better at human interaction every day.