Episode 2:

Ambassador Presently

“Red alert!” Waters yelled, “Paktan fire phasers!” The ship rattled as the Romulan disruptors hit the side of his shields. The phaser fired on the Romulan vessel, making it pull back. The new 15 type phasers were more powerful than either Picard or Waters had thought they would’ve been. The ship jolted as the Romulan’s ship cascaded into flame and a concussive wave of air floated through the vacuum of space.

A rebellious group of Romulans were very upset at the Romulan’s entrance into the United Federation of Planets. This rebellious Romulans were now patrolling the part of space that was known in by gone days as known as the Romulan Neutral Zone.

“Commander S’Shal you have the Bridge,” Waters said as he stood and started to walk towards his Ready-Room. “Lt. Jenson, get Starfleet Command on the line. I’ll take it in my Ready-Room.”

He exited the bridge.

Waters sat at his desk in his quarters. It was a very nice desk, the most beautiful he had ever had the pleasure to sit at. He went over his logs for the past couple weeks.

Captain’s Log, Stardate 103198.8, we have just launched from the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards over Mars. We are on our way now to DS-13. It will be a pleasure to see Capt. Riker again, as well as Capt. Crusher. I remember when he rejoined Starfleet. It was exciting day for all of us. Not too long afterward they gave him command of the USS Enterprise (NCC 1701-F) the latest ship to bear the name of Enterprise. We are about thirty minutes from dropping out of warp and I look forward to this grand event.

Captains Log, Stardate 103212.3, we arrived here at DS-13 yesterday. It was quite a reunion. I was a junior officer under Capt. Riker during the induction of the Romulan Star Empire into the UFP. He had a lot of time to work on the way he would command his ship, while under Admiral Picard, then Captain. Capt. Crusher was one of my teaches of at the academy before they gave him the Enterprise. He was my hero when I was younger and then I got to be taught by him. It was nice to see him again. We met in a silent room On DS-13. They, Captains Riker and Crusher, were waiting for me when I walked in. Riker opened…

Captain William Riker opened a bottle cognac and started to pour a drink for his fellow captains. “Here’s to commanding your own ship,” he said raising his tumbler in the air. Crusher and Waters did the same.

“How long has it been since we saw each other last, Wesley?” asked Waters liking the cognac very much. “That is excellent cognac Captain Riker. What year is it?”

Riker answered his question first, “It’s 2226 exactly two hundred years old this year. It was given to me by an old friend at my wedding.”  The gray haired man smiled as his memories flooded back.

Captain Wesley Crusher now answered the question proffered at him, “It’s been about ten years Jack. You just now got your captaincy? I thought you would have had it years ago.”

“I started working on the blue prints for the Interpreter years ago and vowed I would not take command of any other ship except her.” Waters paused to take another sip of cognac, “Well when I was transferred back to Starfleet Command from the Titan, I was amazed.”

“Yes I remember that,” broke in Riker. “I had seen the blue prints on your PADD and had sent them to Admiral Picard.”

“Yeah, and he agreed to help me build her.”

“And she just ran her first warp ride huh?” Crusher asked.

“Yeah we topped off at Warp 9.995,” Water said proudly. “The four nacelles were synchronized completely; it was a very smooth and uneventful ride.”

Waters didn’t know what was going on, her didn’t know he was about to meet another old friend. Waters should have noticed the wink that Riker gave to Crusher, but he didn’t. He should have thought Crusher clearing his throat so loudly funny, but he didn’t.  The door slid open and Ambassador Worf, a noble Klingon warrior from the house of Mogh, walked through the door. When Waters had served on the Titan one of its missions was to pick up the newly pronounced Ambassador Worf and transport him to the Romulus. Worf had apparently been a Security Officer before becoming an Ambassador because he had started tutoring Waters, then the second in command of the USS Titan Security force, on how to do his job.

Waters never minded in fact her was quite fond of the Klingon for all his help. His jaw dropped. “Ambassador? I never expected to see you again,” he said a little shakily.

“Well you better expect to see me sometime. You promised me dinner on your ship when you got it as well as you were going to treat me to a whole bottle of blood wine,” said the aging Klingon. His Federation Standard had become highly accented in his years on Cronos.

“I remember, all I want to know is what you are doing here?” asked Waters.

“I take it this means no one has told you yet,” Worf answered. Riker smiled, but Crusher looked guilty at not letting Waters know.  “I see,” said Worf surveying the room. “Your orders, are to take me to the Iglarins for diplomatic purposes. I would like to leave as soon as possible, because the Gamma Quadrant is a long ways away.”

“Your in luck though Ambassador, you will be the first to ride on the new USS Interpreter, the newest ship in the fleet.”

“As long as it runs and we get there I’m fine. Nice to see you two again, Captains Riker and Crusher, I will hope to see you again soon, before I go to Sto-Vo-Kor.” Worf waved and walked out of the room.

Riker winked at Waters and said, “You better catch him or you may be the one left behind.” Waters drained his tumbler of cognac and put it on the table. After saying his goodbyes he left the room on his way toward the tranporters.

He tapped his COM-Badge and said, “Commander S’Shal, get the guest quarters ready. We have an ambassador coming aboard.”

Waters tapped a button to start the recording for a new log entry. “Captain’s log Stardate 103221.6; we have just been attacked by a Romulan rebel ship. It is suspected that they are only one ship of many, though we do not now know. We were forced to destroy the ship because of how fierce the attack was. They would not answer our hails and would not stand down.” Waters felt a little sick as he now realized what had just happened. He had just killed approx. 150 Romulans. Even if it was in self defense it didn’t make him feel any better about destroying them. “We have left DS-13 and are now en route to the Gamma Quadrant and Iglarin people. Ambassador Worf has come aboard and is staying in the guest quarters on deck 12. I am waiting for a communiqué from Star Fleet command at the moment to notify them of this attack… Computer end recording.”

The computer bipped the incoming message and Waters put it up on the screen in the wall. “Hello Admiral,” he said.

“Please tell me you have good news, Captain,” returned Admiral Walter Keense.

“I’m sorry to report sir that I have bad news and good news, The good news we have gotten to have a test run of every system except the Quantum Slipstream Drive. The bad news is that includes the phasers.”

“You were attacked?” the Admiral looked very disturbed by this news. “By what?”

“By Romulans sir, we have reasons to believe that is was a coordinated Maunti attack,” Waters always gave his reports to the point. He hated beating around the bush it always took to long.

“OK, I will notify the rest of the UFP about this. Continue on your mission.”

The screen went black as waters turned back to his desk.

He stood up and tapped his COM-Badge, “Waters to the Bridge.”

Commander S’Shal’s cool Vulcan voice answered, “Yes Captain?”

“I’m going to have a word with our guest. Let me know if there is any problem.”

“Yes sir,” she said.

A few moments later, Waters already had the entire layout of the ship memorized, Waters stood out front of the Ambassador’s quarters. He pushed the ringer to let his guest know he was waiting. He heard the Klingon’s strong voice answer, “Enter.”

Waters entered the quarters and looked around. Worf had already set the quarters up to his own tastes. A Klingon bat’leth hung on the wall as well as other knives and weapons.

“I see you’ve settled in nicely,” remarked Waters as he looked over at his old friend.

“I had no great difficulty. Do you have a lounge or someplace I could get food and be with other people?” asked the meditating Klingon.

“The Mess hall is always open. I don’t know if the Interpreter will ever have anything like the Infamous Ten Forward like the Enterprise did. But you never know.” A smile split across Waters face. “Are you ready to join me over a bottle of Blood Wine than?”

******

“You’re the same Klingon warrior you always were Ambassador.” Waters said as he drained another cup of the potent alcohol. Both Worf and Waters were in very good moods. Together they had almost consumed an entire large bottle of blood wine.

“Well I’ve been having a lot of time to take care of myself while on Kronos,” Warf’s voice had changed over the years. The years on his home planet speaking only the native tongue of his people had given him a very thick accent. The older Klingon was able to hold his liquor better then Waters could and Waters was getting ready to sleep off this hang over that was pushing itself into his brain.

He slowly rose to his feet and wobbled. He quickly dropped back into his chair. Warf gave a hearty laugh.

“Do you need help, my friend, making it to your quarters?” Warf asked. Waters sloppily nodded. The Klingon helped him to get out of the chair and walked him to his quarters. Waters dropped into his bed and slept soundly for the entire night.