Watching the Captain's Address (Part 1)

Posted on Wed Apr 19th, 2023 @ 11:13am by Commodore Tohru Honda & Captain Maho Takahashi & Commander Elisabeth Churchill & Lieutenant Terrence "Terry" Johnston & Lieutenant JG Takumi Fujiwara 'Tak' & Lieutenant Commander Brennyn Scott M.D. & Lieutenant Karen Kujo 'Union Jane' & Senior Chief Petty Officer Victoria Aries
Edited on on Wed Apr 19th, 2023 @ 11:20am

1,155 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Insurrection

When Takumi was finally done powering the ship down after their arrival at Spacedock, Commodore Honda had arrived on the bridge, and broadcast on shipwide comms that the Myogi was being declared a crime scene, and that nobody was being allowed on or off the ship. Knowing that there was not much else he could do, Takumi headed to the aft lounge, setting up a place where the remaining crew could come to continue watching the events at Starfleet Headquarters unfold. He didn't know who would come, but he figured it best to keep the aft lounge open, especially with Five Forward being in the state it was in.

Lieutenant Commander Churchill, Lieutenant Kujo and Lieutenant Johnston made their way into the aft lounge. The three of them settled in at the bar, which had a view of the big screen that just a few nights ago had been used to display the hockey final, and now was being used to display a live broadcast of the situation at Starfleet Headquarters.

"You nervous?" Lieutenant Kujo whispered, her hand clutching Lieutenant Commander Churchill's tightly.

"Nervous?" Elisabeth asked. "Nothing like this has happened in Federation history. Wouldn't you be concerned as well?"

"Am I," Karen sighed. "I got a pilot on the ground right now, as we speak... Lord knows what she's getting herself into..."

"So, what's it looking like down there?" Terry asked.

"Not good." Takumi responded. "Frankly, I look at those images and wonder how much of a damn difference we're actually going to make. I mean, the Myogi is a small ship. She only has so many people assigned to her, and to put them against this?" He motioned to the screen.

"We ain't the only one here though." Terry countered. "More and more ships are showing up here by the minute. They won't be able to keep this up."

"I hope you're right, Johnston..." Takumi sighed.

"So, I heard that the captain is supposed to be addressing the Federation soon." Elisabeth mentioned. "Not Commodore Honda, but.."

"Captain Takahashi." Terry said.

"Yeah, FNN is saying they're going to broadcast it live when Captain Takahashi arrives to speak." Takumi said.

"I wonder how this is going to go..." Elisabeth muttered.

"I just wish we could do more to help." Victoria said after taking a drink of her cola, "The ship isn't in great shape, but we're working to get her back to normal, aren't we sir?" She referred to Terry.

"So long as the Good Commodore allows repair work to continue;" Terry responded. "By the way, make sure the work on Five Forward gets done according to the work order that Captain Takahashi placed. I don't care what excuse Lieutenant Reno throws our way, if it ain't the way the captain wants it, she'll tear us all new assholes."

"Of course, sir, I'm not one to go against the book unlike some of the officers aboard. Still, I think it's a shame that the new equipment she'd brought in got trashed." She shrugged, "And the Commodore shouldn't have a problem with it. After all, we're putting Myogi to rights and getting her back into shape. We'd probably have more problems if we didn't get her fixed, sir."

"You know, I don't think you fully grasp the concept of a crime scene:" A commanding voice boomed from the entryway.

It was Commodore Honda. She had come down to watch the speech Captain Takahashi was supposed to be giving shortly. And she had walked in in time to hear a petty officer talking about repairing the ship which, if she remembered her orders correctly, was an active crime scene.

However, before either of them could speak, the news coverage switched over to the pending press conference, and the news anchor was cutting off their correspondent to inform both them and the viewers that Captain Takahashi was about to speak.

Maho approached the podium in front of the cameras.

"I'm sorry," Maho began. "Not just for the inconvenience, but I'm sorry for the reason we've delayed, I've delayed coming out to speak to you. I initially was going to address the recent threats from the Klingon Empire, but all of you... All of you have been watching what I've been watching... At this hour, our democracy is under unprecedented assault: Unlike anything we've seen in modern times: An assault on the citadel of liberty; Starfleet Headquarters itself. An assault on the people's representatives and Starfleet Security, sworn to protect them, and the public servants who work at the heart of our Federation. An assault on the rule of law like few times we have ever seen it. An assault on the most sacred of Federation undertakings; the doing of the people's business."

"Let me be very clear:" Maho stated. "The scenes of chaos at Starfleet Headquarters do not reflect a true Federation. Do not represent who we are: What we're seeing are a small number of extremists, dedicated to lawlessness. This is not dissent, it's disorder. It's chaos. It borders on sedition, and it must end: Now! I call on this mob to pull back and allow the work of democracy to continue. You heard me say before in different contexts; the words of an admiral matter: No matter how good or bad that admiral is. At their best, the words of an admiral can inspire... At their worst, they can incite."

Maho stared directly at the cameras and took a breath. This was the point she was leading up to, and she was hoping Miyahara, wherever he was, was watching:

"And therefore, I call on Tanaka Miyahara; to go on Federation television now: To fulfill his oath to defend the constitution, and demand an end to this siege!" She declared. "To storm Starfleet Headquarters; to smash windows, to occupy offices, the floor of the Federation Council, rummaging through desks. On the grounds of Starfleet Academy, threatening the safety of duly elected officials, it's not protest; it's insurrection!"

"The galaxy is watching." Maho continued. "Like so many other Federation citizens, I am generally shocked and saddened that our Federation, so long the beacon of light and hope for democracy, has come to such a dark moment. Through war and strife, the Federation has endured much, and we will endure here and we will prevail again; and we'll prevail now! The work of the moment, and the work of the days, weeks, and months to come must be the restoration of democracy, of decency, honor, respect, the rule of law. Just plain, simple decency."

To be Continued...

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