The Road Less Traveled

Posted on Mon Oct 30th, 2017 @ 4:26am by Fleet Admiral Donatella Figueroa

Mission: S01E02 D-8 With the Devil
Location: USS Musashi | Captain's Quarters

As much as Donatella wanted to just shake it all off and continue her day fresh and reborn, she could not. There was simply no way for her to just ignore Kel's request to see him. It was not that she was interested in actually seeing the man so much as it was she was snagged by his pleas for an audience to discuss this 'intel' he was said to have come by or made aware of. Though he did not reveal anything in his attempts to contact her except that it was a matter of Federation security, the Federation was in grave danger, and that it involved the Klingons. Any threat from the Klingons was one that Fig took quite seriously. There were just several problems. One, Kel was locked away for being a danger to himself and others, he was legally and clinically deemed criminally insane, and he was seeking out Fig because she was probably the one who would give him the time or day. Everyone else probably brushed it aside as the meanderings of a crazy mind and the dribble of a pure lunatic.

Sure, others may have simply found a way to ignore him and shrug everything off. Not her. Not Fig. She was a woman with a strong relationship with this man, at least the shell of the man that sat in a protected cell. They were once engaged to be wed and she had been his right hand serving under his command for sometime. They were veterans of the Four Years War together and fought alongside one another at the Battle of Axanar. So, it was difficult for her to entirely tune him out. So, Fig sought to find someone who would actually listen to her former fiance, and if she could not find anyone to willingly listen, she would make them hear her out. She felt like deep down she owed Kel at least that much against her better judgment.

Captain Figueroa found herself going down a road she had thought was long ago in her past, a road she never thought she would return to. Now, fast approaching was a fork on that road and it split off into at least two directions. Trust Kelvar enough to listen to what he had to say, hear him out and proceed from there, or take the high road and ignore everything that deep inside was screaming 'do not ignore,' to do so would go against everything she believed in when they gave her the Captain's stripes. This is not a decision you have to face alone she thought to herself. She turned to a friend, a mutual friend who knew both Fig and Garth well: Captain Sonya Alexander.

Fig had not talked to Sonya since the Four Years War came to a rather hushed and disputed end. “Peace” with the Klingons was reestablished and many of the veterans kept to themselves. She had not even seen Sonya at Garth's court martial though considering what had happened, it was not surprising. Captain Figueroa made an attempt to track down Sonya's last known posting and the whereabouts of her starship only to find the last command she knew Sonya had was no longer listed under command of Captain Sonya Alexander. It took Fig some time but she did eventually track Sonya down. It just happened to be the last damn rock she ever expected to find Sonya under.

Donatella Figueroa shook her head at the screen, looking at the woman who's silver hair and piercing blue eyes made her look quite intimidating. The Klingons had come to hate Sonya about as much as Fig albeit Sonya always said more. The two women constantly disputed that one. “Captain Alexander” said Fig with a smirk.

“Commodore Alexander if you must” interjected the woman. “And that was a sometime ago, Donnie. Now it's...”

Fig had already poured herself another glass of wine and raised it toasting the woman. “Here's to you Mrs. Robinson” said Captain Figueroa. “I never expected you to get married again let alone leave Starfleet” she said to the woman.

“And I never thought I would live to see the day that I welcomed retirement. However, after they promote you into admiralty things get far too political and everything is simply a glorified desk job. So, I left two months after they promoted me and I decided..”

Fig nodded. “You decided 'hey, if you are going to stick me behind a desk, I'd rather have my choice of desk'” concluded Captain Figueroa.

The other woman simply nodded and sighed. “Exactly. Now, I am teaching these civilian kids at the Federation War College” Sonya said shaking her head. “You must have spent at least an hour tracking me down for something, Donnie. What is it that you need?”

“Kelvar” stated Fig simply.

“No” replied Sonya. “Whatever it is, just no. I am retired and I may complain about it, but I am not getting dragged into anything that has to deal with that man” she said taking a deep breath.

Fig scoffed. “And to think I am the one that almost married him. The thing is, he's tried to contact me. He wants me to visit him and he's sent me this...cryptic information talking about some big...”

“Big giant new Klingon battlecruiser or warship that has the consequences of being the destruction of the Federation should the Klingon Empire and the Federation go to war” Sonya interrupted. “Yes yes yes. I have heard. He tried to contact me, but I did not bother looking at it. I deleted it as soon as I saw it was from him, but Marcus did not. Marcus had a look at everything and Starfleet Command came to the consensus that it was the ridiculous ramblings of a mad man, and that is all it is, Donnie” explained Sonya making her point clear.

Captain Figueroa opened her mouth to respond.

“MAD MAN” said Sonya looking right into the screen with her eyes as cold and blue as Andorian glaciers. “Don't let him manipulate you. You know as well as I do that the man you once love is gone and whatever replaced him, killed the Kelvar Garth we both knew. The Kelvar Garth you were betrothed to would have never turned his back on the Federation or Starfleet, not like that. He would never turn a phaser set to kill on members of his own crew, Donnie.”

Figueroa knew what the other woman was saying was entirely true. “But what if there's some truth behind it all. What if the Klingons are building this battlecruiser from hell. Can we really just turn a blind eye and let it fall on deaf ears?”

“Look, I am not saying it is not possible, but really, Donnie? Garth is insane...criminally insane. I am not even sure he knows the war with the Klingons ever ended. You know how much I hate the Klingons. You know how much Marcus' blood boils at the near sight of them. If there was even a shred of merit to be found in Garth's ramblings...Marcus would send a starship to at least investigate. He didn't and he won't” said Sonya swiftly. “And you should get some sleep. You look like hell” added Sonya with a small smirk.

Fig could not say a word about the child in her womb. “You do not even know the half of it. Was there not even one person who thought this was worth looking into?” asked the Captain.

Sonya winced and reluctantly nodded. “Some, a very small few, but most of them were young Captains. None of them are going to so much as flex a muscle. Marcus has too much pull for anyone to risk their career and pull out of line expect for...no, I have said enough.”

Fig glared and set her wine glass down. “Who?” she asked. “Who is willing to break formation and fall out of line?” Fig continued to ask.

“You did not hear a damn thing from me. Commodore Cartwright. He's a a hot shot, Donnie. Some say he's gunning for a top brass position . “L. James Cartwright, he was a Captain during the Four Years War, but was too far away on assignment to see any action with the Klingons. He's an intelligent man and highly ambitious, Marcus doesn't like him. He was promoted to Commodore not too long before me and honestly, I've heard murmurs that Starfleet is eyeing him for promotion to Rear Admiral as soon as they can justify it” Sonya stated. “But I behoove you, Donnie...just stay out of it” said Sonya cautioning Captain Figueroa.

Fig nodded and looked at the screen. “I will, Sonya” she said to the woman.

Sonya shook her head. “No you won't, but please stay safe...Sonya out” she said and quickly the image of the woman was gone and replaced with the Federation symbol.