Alexander looked at Wayne, "She is your daughter. Are you sure she will be able to handle this?"
Commander Madison looked at Alexander,"Its time."
"Clarissa has provided the information. What do you think the Ferengi will do?", Alexander looked at the Independence First Officer.
"Without the source of Latinum, they will withdraw. Cheron IV will become little more than a spec of dust in the neutral zone.", Wayne smiled.
"Branson and her little band of wannabes will be finished.", Paige grinned, thinking of the epic battles between him and the King's Fleet in the Beta Quadrant. He thought of Admiral Vincent Viceroy and what would go through his mind without the Dilithium to protect.
"Agent Paige, can you confirm the enriched Dilithium Signature?", Alexander smiled as he looked at his daughter, suddenly having dropped her rebellious punk haired image used to coerce Colonel Acrylos Teero into a love affair and into his mind to access the Dilithium signature.
"I have.", Clarissa smiled. Caitlin walked in behind the former USS Washington Chief Medical Officer turned rebel and now turned traitor.
"There is enough room in the mighty Ambassador Class for the haul?", Clarissa looked at her father.
"We have made the modification necessary to remove the entire Enriched Dilithium Reserves.", Lt. Richard Madison smiled.
"Does Colonel Teero know yet?", Alexander really wanted to see the look on the mighty Bajoran's face when he was bested by Clarissa and the Agents of Section 31.
"No but he soon will. His beloved COAL facility will go cold, like his heart.", Clarissa looked sternly at her father.
"He will be ruined just like this place.", Clarissa smiled.
"You have done well, my student.", Caitlin grinned kissing Clarissa on the cheek.
Alexander walked around the bridge, "This ship is named in honor of the legendary battle to stand alone. In its honor, I hereby grant the colony of Camelot... Independence."
"Lt. Madison, withdraw the enriched Dilithium.", Paige gleefully ordered.
Paige gave an evil cackle. He had been disgraced as head of the Starfleet Task Force designed to blockade the Phoenix Colony in the Beta Quadrant. He had his status as a Commodore broken down to Captain of the Independence from the former Task Force Commander position on the USS Washington. Today, December 6, 2392, he extracted his revenge. Camelot, the new home of Branson and her band of cronies was left with nothing. Left in the neutral zone with nothing to offer the universe. She had finally been broken.
Colonel Acrylos Teero walked into the colony complex dumbfounded, "Its all gone... All of it."
Branson stood up, "All of what?"
Daimon-Ress Komol came storming into the conference room, "What is the meaning of this? All of the Dilithium has been teleported off our ships. This was not our deal."
Branson looked at Komol, "I am just learning of the incident myself."
Avril Sunshine, the Vorta came walking into the conference room, "Nothing. The mines are empty. There is just rocks and nothing else. Where did the Dilithium go?"
Admiral Lissan Shran entered the conference room, "The United Federation of Planets has determined that the King's Fleet, the colony of Camelot and its civilian government could no longer be trusted with the precious Dilithium that the Kng's Fleet leadership has held hostage and sold to the highest bidder. The incident involving the City State of the Grand Monarchs only served to demonstrate the status quo could not be maintained under King's Fleet Authority."
The words Status Quo haunted Nicole. She knew exactly what it meant. SECTION 31.
Vincent looked at Lissan, "This is an invasion. This is an act of aggression."
Admiral Shran looked at Viceroy, "We agree, but what can you do about it. There are only 4 ships in your precious fleet or should I say squadron. Starfleet has as many ships serving as cargo escorts on the parameters of the neutral zone. You are not going to change the facts."
Acrylos looked at Nicole, "We are ruined."
Nicole looked at the Bajoran, "We are not ruined. We need to refocus. New Cyndrial could still be a destination. New Cyndrial could be something."
"And what would that be?", Acrylos looked at Nicole.
"The Cheron System remains a beautiful place. We could offer asylum to Romulans who support democracy. We could offer a home to others. We could be a place where people would want to come to start something special, something different. Our original creedo still holds, 'we can provide a place to call home'", Nicole thought of Admiral Tim Veltkamp and those immortal words of so long ago.
"And why the hell would anyone want to come here", Acrylos looked at Nicole.
"I wanted to come here.", Monica came walking into the room.
"As did I.", Pacriac Prang'Laar came walking into the room.
"Me too.", Angeliss slithered into the room.
"I gave a Starfleet Commission to serve here.", her father, Admiral Deveniss smiled as he walked into the room.
Nicole looked around the room and smiled, "Home."
She took the hand of Monica and walked out into the streets. Things may be bleak, but they are not lost. This is Camelot.
The pair walked outside. They knew they were going to be okay.
Posted by:
Colonel Acrylos Teero
Professor - USC
Camelot
King's Fleet
Governor Nicole Branson
Camelot
King's Fleet
Admiral Vincent Viceroy
Commander in Chief
King's Fleet
