[Galaxy] [ND] 28 Aug 2161 ::Remote Comms Station, New Darwin Colony :: Admiral Thomas Garroway & Adavarre' Rahndi :: "Awaiting the Troops"

[Kate Nicholson]

~~~~

// On the way to Remote Comms Station //

It had been raining for a full three hours, a light but steady drizzle that
seemed to get a little more intense the further into the forest Varre' went.
The communicator vibrated in the pocket of her dark green cargo pants as she
hustled through the damp trees at dusk. She snatched it from the pocket and
squatted down on the ground. The newest models of the communication devices
included a small message screen to be used to send silent messages.

* Two Klingon ships destroyed in orbit. Confirmed by Aurora. Suspect
Romulans. Warn Starfleet. Be careful. *

A tiny touch screen keyboard that took over the screen on a command allowed
her to reply with a succinct "OK." She dropped the phone back into the cargo
pocket on her thigh and continued to zig zag her way through the forest.

It took her approximately an hour to get to where the remote comm station
was hidden in the bank of the dry gulch. With a quick look around, she
listened to the sounds of the forest. All was normal. Gik'lee's were
chirping, a strangely happy complaint in the rain. The little monkey-like
creatures made their way into their nests in the treetops. Birds and insects
chattered and wheezed their way to their roosts in the darkness.

She hopped down the bank and covering her tracks in the sand behind her, she
quickly opened the rock-faced entry panel and stepped into the darkness and
shut the door again. She found the light switch string by the hatchway and a
dull glow filled the tiny room. There was perhaps 1.5 meters square of open
space, the walls on two sides contained equipment, but the only part of the
station she was concerned with lay along the back wall: an automated
transmitter. She punched in the code for Starfleet and the unit swelled into
action. A gray glow lit the computer monitor. It gradually became Starfleet
blue and the Fleet logo emerged from the previously solid color screen.

The image flickered, then switched to a familiar face.  "This is Admiral
Thomas Garroway, Earth Starfleet Command.  Is that you, Varre'?"

"Vai, vai, Garroway. Vah kanna. Stah inntah Klong tonaii," she sputtered in
DaKee before realizing she was blathering in a language Garroway probably
was not getting the meaning. "Sorry sorry .... Um um um, two Klingon ships
in space are destroyed. Aurora is thinking Romulans doing it. Be telling
your starship to be careful."

"Romulans?"  Garroway repeated as he processed the information. "Romulans
destroying Klingon vessels?"  His eyes squinted slightly as his head cocked
a little to the side.  "Interesting, but I doubt they're there to help.
Whatever their game, it's to their benefit and not ours. I'll inform Captain
Kurisawa.  His ship, Constitution, is en route, and has the codes that will
allow her to speak to you on this channel once she's in orbit.  Just hang on
a little longer."

"Okay," she said, using her fall-back word for everything. She realized she
was so tense her entire body was shivering, and her jaw clamped together
until her teeth hurt. She patted a hand over her mouth to stop her lips from
quivering. A ragged breath and she spoke again, more slowly and stiffly.
"Lutent Hickey's people fixing my communicator so only they can be hearing
me. I can be talking to them and to you and your ship. Aa, that ship being
here very soon? Or maybe I having time to go back to Safe Site? ...stop.
Mon, mon. Sorry, sorry." Her frightened dark golden eyes drilled into
Garroway's strong, ice blue ones. "I am missing you, Garroway. I mon can be
going back to serving some bloody alien bastards. My children will not being
slaves... cannot..." She quavered on the verge of tears. "I being so
scared." The honesty of that admission seemed to strengthen her and with
extreme effort she pulled herself back under control. "Aa, that ship being
here how soon?"

"Varre'," Garroway said slowly and soothingly, "the ESS Constitution is an
Earth Starfleet warship and will be in orbit of Oonah Lotmah in 12 hours.  I
have full faith in her commanding officer, Captain Kurisawa, who fought at
the Battle of Juipiter's Ghost with me and the rest of the fleet.  He's also
got a team of MACO soldiers who have done plenty of fighting against
Nausicaans and Klingons, all the way back to the assault on the Romulan
outpost that started all this.  And do you remember the Intelligence
operative you, me, and Blokpole rescued from GSIII?  He's leading a team on
Constitution, too, and I'm sure he's interested in returning the favor.
These people don't mess around, Varre'.  They'll do whatever is necessary to
make things right.  If you want to be scared for someone, be scared for the
Klingons and Romulans, because they sure as Hell don't know what they've
gotten themselves into."

Garroway's pep-talk worked. She had always trusted the man, always looked to
him as a mentor and friend. She believed him now. She nodded emphatically,
the fear banished once again. "Okay! I will be staying here and be ready
when Constitution is coming. Telling them I will be here. This silly
Daliwakan woman will not be afraid and she will be cheering when she is
seeing the fear on the Klingon faces." Her face grew colder, "and watching
with open eyes when those Klingons be dying."

Garroway was glad his own fear wasn't playing a part.  Varre' was currently
Starfleet's only contact with New Darwin, so he had to get her head in the
game.  He knew Constitution was a capable ship and crew for this mission,
but he was realistic enough to know it wouldn't be as easy as he made it
sound.  The Colony was still in danger for the next twelve hours, and after
that it would still be a hard fight to uproot a Klingon ground force with an
unknown and now unpredictable Romulan space force. But even though he was
afraid for his friend and the people on New Darwin, he believed what he
said.  He had to.  "Just hold out until they get there, and prepare to
support them when they do.  Keep working on communications, because that's
going to be critical.  We'll get through this, Varre'.  Just keep the faith
and stay focused."

"Vai. KeeteNah Garroway. I knowing my job. I doing my job too," she assured
him. "I will being here when Constitution calling me."

~~~~
Adm Garroway, Thomas R.
Commander, Earth Starfleet

Adavarre' Rahndi
Dali Shireev [Leader]
New Darwin Colony