U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-97901

/||\ ---------------------------------------------
/ || \ UCIP Starfleet Command, Fifth Fleet
/ || \ U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-97901
.-/ || \-. Fleet Captain Tebrun Lora Kor, Commanding
./ || \. ---------------------------------------------
.-_-. || .-_-. Simulation Teaser
.-_ \||/ _-. -[ SD 240104.02 ]-

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The funeral of Captain Jarod Bentall turned out to be a relatively simple
affair.

Lora Kor stumbled through most of it, almost in a daze. He could remember
the public ceremony in Coronado's arboretum, but couldn't seem to attach any
emotions to the memory. He remembered most of the crew gathering in the
large open space, trees under starlight. He could remember speaking... but
not what he had said. The crew had turned to the large ceiling bay windows
as Bentall's coffin had drifted out of the upper shuttlebay and overhead...

Lora Kor felt a bit like a zombie. People came to him and thanked him for
his words, told him how gracious they had been and how they had gained some
comfort from them. The Captain wished he could remember what he had said.
He did his best to be strong for his crew, and though he had lost people
under his command before, Bentall's death seemed to be shaking him more than
most...

One final duty to perform... Lora Kor entered the ship's main holodeck and
turned to those gathered there. Lt. Colonel Ironside, standing with his
arms crossed, his dress uniform and bearing still laser precise from the
funeral. Commander Dejat, with his arm around Lieutenant Oswald. Commander
Daren, still looking a little stunned.

"Commander Bentall left personal messages for many of you," the Captain
said, "but he had one message that he wanted to leave for this group as a
unit. A copy has been placed in each of your personal data files, along
with whatever messages or items that the Exec..." The Captain paused,
swallowed, and started again. "...that Jarod wanted you to have." Without
another word, Lora Kor activated the recording, letting it speak for itself.

A holographic image of Bentall shimmered into view, and looked at the
assembled crew.

"Greetings crew of the U.S.S. Coronado. If you're watching this, then I have
fallen in the recent battle to take the destroyer. I took the time to
record this message because from the moment the mission was announced, I had
a bad feeling about it.

"I have no regrets about my life or my career. Though it would have been
nice to have made it to Captain... but I digress.

"Fornan, you've been a good friend. You and I haven't always agreed on some
of your tactics but I always knew I could trust my life with you when we
were in a tight spot. I wish your marriage to Ms. Oswald is a long and
happy one.

"Speaking of Ms. Oswald... my seeming disappointment with you all the time
was nothing more then an attempt to try and make you the best damn officer
you could be. Recently, I think you've been filling that role.

"Colonel Ironside, not much I can say to you really. We served together.
We weren't what most would call friends but I have a great deal of respect
for you. Next time you get a chance to go up against the Romulans.... give
'em some for me.

"Commander Daren, you're a fine officer... an officer who I think will be
going places. Not much else I can say to you really.

"Captain... you, I respect a great deal. You taught me what it meant to be
a commanding officer of a starship... you are a great leader and a good
friend when ship Captains aren't supposed to be friends with their crew.
You've always taken the time to share your knowledge without making us feel
stupid. I thank you for the past two years, my friend.

"Lastly to the good Doctor Dalton... I doubt he's at this proceedings, but
if someone can get a message to him for me... Doc, despite our arguments
and despite my surface feelings for you, I think deep down I'm going to miss
you the most. You're a rascal and always should be, but despite all of that
somehow you still manage to do the right thing... most of the time anyways.

"That's all I can say. Those I've spoken of have served on this ship with
me the longest. The rest of you are in capable hands. Always remember that.

"Oh... and one more thing. If your new XO happens to be an outsider from
the crew? Do me a final favour. Be kind to them: I was in their shoes
once."

With those final words, Bentall's holoimage vanished. Lora Kor paused,
exhaled, then turned to those assembled. "The gathering is concluded," he
said simply.

----------------

Vice Admiral Brian Aldur rubbed his eyes and turned off his viewer. The
Task Group, minus Pearl and Fearless, was only two hours out of Camelyn now,
bearing its prize, a still cloaked Romulan Ra'Kalen class destroyer. It had
taken a full six days, but the prize ship was now under some kind of
control. Aldur had been informed that the name of the ship was "Sienov
Temarr" which was apparently the name of a sword made of stars from a
Romulan folktale. One of Stirling's tactical officers had taken to calling
the ship "Blackrazor," after a similar "sword of stars" from Celtic myth.
The English name seemed to be sticking.

Though the capture plan had been successful, most of the task group ships
were suffering damage sufficient to keep the group out of combat for a
while. Camelyn had been selected as a good regrouping point for the task
group since the planet was close to Romulan lines and its population was
rabidly anti-Romulan... the planet called Romulans as a whole "the green
dragon." The nickname wasn't complimentary; dragons existed on Camelyn and
often preyed on the planet's villages.

And yet now, Aldur would be forced to ask for escort ships to help see to it
that the Romulan destroyer reached Starfleet R&D intact. He wasn't sure
what the Camelynians would say. Although he knew the entry for the
Camelynians in the Federation database by heart -- and had in fact written
most of it -- he recalled again what he had read on the screen.

Camelynians are humanoids of technical development equivalent to about the
late 23rd or early 24th centuries. However, the directions their technology
have taken are very different from Federation technology. Camelynians are a
warp-capable civilization whose engineering tends toward the
"push-hard-until-it-moves" variety. Their ships are generally larger than
necessary and over-powered and over-gunned for their size. As a result,
their ships are sometimes harsh on their operators, fragile, difficult to
maintain, or all three. Camelynians compensate for much of this through the
use of extensive genetic reengineering of their species -- the typical
Camelynian is twice as fast, agile, strong, and intelligent as the average
human.

Camelyn is also interesting for being one of the galaxy's only technological
civilizations which is still run as a feudal monarchy. Serfdom is still
very much in effect despite the advanced technology, and the overall culture
of Camelyn mirrors Renaissance Spain or France, complete with Knights,
tournaments, and jousting (though with a technological edge). Language and
ritual are extremely elaborate, combat training is quite common, and
chivalry is regarded very highly. Personal honor is regarded above all
things.

Aldur had known the Camelynians for a long time... 25 years prior, one of
his Executive Officers had been a Camelynian named Lan DuLac. DuLac had
gone on to become King of the planet after retiring from Starfleet following
the Dominion War.

Aldur thought back to his last conversation with DuLac about the Romulans.
It had taken place on Camelyn on the day of the man's coronation and
wedding. Among other celebrations, a tournament had been arranged in which
one of Aldur's other officers, Ensign Jennifer Wildman, had fought.
Wildman, whom everyone had called "Mouse" had spent months training with
DuLac, learning swordplay from the Camelynian man... Aldur thought back to
the conversation... the Federation had been working toward a lasting treaty
with the Romulan Star Empire at that time. The Dominion War had been over,
and it had seemed that anything was possible... even lasting peace with the
Romulans.

"Thy Federation is foolish to trust the dragon," DuLac had said. His voice
had been completely without rancor, without anger, Aldur remembered. He
said it as if it were a fact that everyone knew.

Aldur had glanced over at DuLac, then shrugged very slightly. "Even the
dragon wishes for peace... to be left alone," the Captain said, then smiled
slightly as Mouse landed a very solid hit on her opponent. The Camelynian
Knight recoiled, as if not believing the tiny woman could land such a blow.
Aldur wasn't surprised at the man's reaction: Wildman had endured much in
her short life, and sometimes looked as if life had beaten her down.
However, the Knight should have remembered that the finest swords were
well-hammered.

"The dragon dost wish for peace to birth its young," DuLac had allowed,
nodding, "but will soon return seeking thy flesh with which to feed them."
Mouse chose that moment to finish off her opponent with a high reverse blow
that Aldur had heard DuLac call "mist over mountains." The Camelynian
Knight lost his grip on his sword, which flew out of the circle.
Forgetting, he took a step out of the circle to retrieve it, then turned
back to Wildman... only then remembering the battle was in a tournament.
Saluting stiffly, he granted Mouse the victory. Mouse had crossed to DuLac,
who was already standing to congratulate his squire...

Aldur had never spoken to DuLac about the Romulans again, but he doubted the
man's opinions had changed, even over 25 years. And the last time Camelyn
had been faced with an enemy interested in domination, Camelyn had turned
its entire economy and peoples to genocide...

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Crew Roster:
Commanding Officer: FCapt. Tebrun Lora Kor (Jester)
Executive Officer: Available (---)
Marine Commandant: LCol. Jeremy Ironside (Fraser)
Command Liaison Interface: Savant (Savant)
Chief of the Boat: MCPO Olme Tlaloco (Tlaloco)
Chief Tactical: LCdr. William Daren (Daren)
Intelligence Officer: Ens. Kariasa Ma'Aru (Kari)
Squadron Leader: Maj. Thomas Wayne (Masters)
Chief Flight Operations: Cmdr. Fornan Dejat (McC)
Chief Engineer: Lt. Zunite Oswald (Sonya)
Assistant Engineer: Lt. (JG) Aramis Skylooker (Skylooker)
Assistant Engineer: Lt. (JG) Jack C. Farley (CCC)
Chief Science Officer: Lt. Kathryn Janeway (Kath)
Assistant Medical: Ens. Ungtae Brie (Aggie)

On Extended Leave of Absense:
Chief Medical Officer: Lt. Dalton (Heiwa)
Assistant Tactical: Lt. (JG) Norton Cavanaugh (Trooman)

Positions Available:
Executive Officer
Company Commander
Squadron Leader

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Ross Glenn aka Jester
Fleet Captain Tebrun Lora Kor, U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-97901
http://www.jestertrek.com/coro2400/