/||\        -----------------------------------------
       / || \            Starfleet Command, Second Fleet
      /  ||  \             U.S.S. Coronado,  NCC-63100
   .-/   ||   \-.     Fleet Captain Brian Aldur, Commanding
   ./    ||    \.   -----------------------------------------
   .-_-. || .-_-.              Simulation Teaser
   .-_  \||/  _-.

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/ Simulation Teaser                                                             |
/ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ

 Brian Aldur lay on his back on the couch in his quarters, hands clasped behind
 his head, legs crossed.  Wryly, he looked around the quarters and wished for
 what seemed like the 50th time that Constitution class starships had a Ready
 Room.  There were hundreds of times a Captain wanted to be accessible to his
 crew, but for some reason did not want to hang over their shoulders on the
 Bridge.  Spending those times in his quarters was becoming increasingly
 inconvenient.  However, until some news came in, he didn't see that he had
 many choices.

 "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."

 So, for the moment, he lay back, wondering why that particular quote was
 dogging his thoughts lately.  He felt like he should know its significance,
 but it danced just out of his grasp.  It was a feeling he was getting a lot
 lately -- something important that entered his mind as an echo or a fragment,
 and then stayed just out of his reach when he tried to determine why...  He
 supposed he could look up the origin of the quote, but in this case doubted
 that it would help.  Trying to concentrate, he closed his eyes, then opened
 them a few moments later when the door signal chimed.

 Rolling off the couch and onto his feet, he approached the door.  "Enter,"
 he said.  The door hissed open, and behind it stood Lieutenant Wallace,
 looking almost embarrassed to be there.  Aldur half-smiled and gestured.
 "Come in, Lieutenant.  What can I do for you?" he asked.

 "Sir," Wallace replied, taking one step into the room.  "With all of the
 sensor echoes and reports of a Cardassian warship in the nebula..."  He
 stopped, looking uncomfortable, and started again.  His bearing was formal
 and embarrassed to be so.  "Since Martia doesn't show any sign of emerging
 from the nebul--"  Aldur interrupted him.

 "You are now wondering when I'm going to order Endeavour into the nebula
 after her.  Isn't that what you wanted to ask, Lieutenant?" Aldur said.
 Wallace, still looking uncomfortable, nodded.  Aldur turned and pulled his
 uniform jacket off the edge of the couch then turned back to gaze
 thoughtfully at the younger man.

 "And are you asking as a member of this ship's Tactical team, or as a member
 of Section 31, Lieutenant?" Aldur asked finally.  Wallace opened his mouth
 to reply, apparently thought better of it, and closed it again.  Aldur
 nodded.  "That's what I thought.  However..." the Captain paused.

 "You're probably right.  Return to the Bridge and tell Commander Cash to
 prepare to take us into the nebula.  I'll be right there."  Wallace,
 looking somewhat relieved, nodded.  He turned to leave Aldur's quarters.
 Aldur stopped him with his voice three-quarters of the way out the door.

 "And Lieutenant," Aldur said, a strange note in his voice.  "I'll remind you
 again that you work for me right now, not Namimby.  I'm starting to feel like
 an assassin, with you and the Admiral as the pricks on my conscience.  When
 we find Martia, *I'm* taking the lead on how we handle it from there.  Is
 that clear?"

 "Sir?" Wallace asked, looking over his shoulder at the Captain, a somewhat
 confused look on his face.  "I don't understand.  You're the Captain.  Of
 cours--"  Aldur half-snorted, and gestured Wallace away from the door.

 "Don't patronize me, Lieutenant," Aldur said.  "Just remember what I said.
 Dismissed."  Wallace turned back, paused momentarily, then turned stiffly in
 the direction of the turbolift, letting the door close behind him.  Aldur
 watched him go, regarding his back thoughtfully.

\_______________________________________________________________________________
\ End Simulation Teaser                                                         |
 ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ

----------
Ross Glenn aka Jester
Fleet Captain Brian Aldur, U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-63100
http://www.ussrenegade.com/coro2400/