Subject: SB EPSILON: Allan's last post

SD 80812


Angus had scarcely finished his drink when someone sat down next to him, 
When he turned to see who it was he recognised the man from the ship that 
had brought him to the base.

"There's been a slight change of plan," he said in a conspirational
whisper.

Angus frowned, "What d'you mean."

Leana, not knowing of Angus' and Luther's arrangement was somewhat 
bewildered, "What's he talking about."

"Hold on one minute," said the man. "He'll explain it to you once he knows 
what's happening." Then he turned to Angus again, "Our contract arrived 
earlier than we expected so we have to leave tonight.  And if it makes any 
difference to your decision, tomorrow you're going to get assigned as
flight control officer of the USS Golding."

"How do you know?" Angus asked.

"We've been monitoring every subspace communication to and from the station 
since we arrived."

Angus hesitated but finally asked, "The Golding, isn't she a freighter?"

The man nodded, "I'm sure that you agree such an assignment would be a
waste of your talents, you would be much better appreciated on the
Nostradamus."

Leana looked increasingly confused, "Tell me what's happening Angus."

Angus held up his hands in surrender, "Okay, what's happened is my brother 
has offered me a job on his ship."

"You're going to leave Starfleet?"

Angus clenched his fists on the table, "I don't know." his voice suggested
a growing stress, "How long before you leave?"

"Half an hour."

Angus started, "Half an hour!"

"Thirty minutes."

"That doesn't give me long to decide."

The man slouched in his seat, "No it doesn't, does it?"

"You're kidding right?"

He shook his head, "Nope.  And it took me about ten minutes to find you so 
it's probably more like twenty."

Angus sighed, "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

The man chuckled, "You don't.  You can either come with us tonight and
never know for sure or you can wait until tomorrow and when you receive
your billet we'll be long gone."

"You're a cruel man."

"Of course I am, I'm a professional assassin.  The best in the business for 
that matter."  He looked at Leana for a moment, "You're welcome to come 
along as well you know.  It seems the two of you are inseperable anyway."

Silence reigned.  Eventually it was broken as the man in a carefully 
measured tone said, "Time is running out, I need an answer."

"Just tell me, If I go what am I letting myself in for?"

The man crossed his arms and seemed to be mentally summarising something, 
"To put it briefly you'll be joining the biggest and best organised 
mercenary resource in the Alpha Quadrant.  I'll tell you this though, you 
will be an illegal just like the rest of us.  We're not just some private 
army, we attack unarmed merchant ships, we destroy undefended installations 
and we murder in cold blood.  No doubt your heads are still full of the
fake ideals that Starfleet wants you to believe.  You'll find it difficult
to adjust, but it's either us or a more covert corruption."

"You mean Starfleet?" Leana asked, the expression of perplexment still 
present on her face.

The man nodded, "The Federation is far too big to be governed effectively
or fairly.  Despite what they claim to stand for there are too many parties 
for them all to like each other, there are friction points and it's only
the fact that none of them are allowed to maintain their own military that 
stops the whole Federation crumbling into anarchy.  As it is, whenever a 
conflict does arise Starfleet is available for hire, and may the richest
man win."

"I can't believe that it's as bad as that." Angus retorted.

"You don't have to believe it, just know that it's the truth.  Hell, not 
even Admiral 'I'm on a mission from God' Eddington's immortal crusade 
against corruption had any hope of succeeding.  As soon as he came close to 
making a breakthrough his principal advisor poisoned him.  So he went to
his grave knowing that it was a futile struggle."

He saw the deep contemplation on the two young officer's faces and he shook 
his head in a resigned manner, "You need to talk, I'll be back in two 
minutes and you can either come with me back to the ship or not." With that 
he stood up and walked towards the bar.

Angus put his hand to his forehead as if checking his temperature, "Oh man, 
this is real bad, we've got two minutes so we'd better talk fast.  I want 
whatever'll make you happy so do we stay or go?"

Leana gaped, "What?  Your just casually dumping all this on my shoulders?  
Why should I have to decide alone just 'cause you can't face it yourself?"

Angus waved his hands defensively, "Okay, Okay."  He rubbed his chin in 
thought for a moment, "I say we go."

Leana took a deep breath, "I don't like what he's proposing."

"You heard what he said, if we don't go we're going to get separated."

She buried her face in her hands, "I can't make a decision like this on 
impulse, I need more time."

"We haven't got time Leana!  Go with your guts, just pick one or the
other!"

"Alright!  We'll go!"

Angus let out an explosive breath, took off his comm-badge and flipped it
onto the table, Leana followed the gesture and they stood up and hand in 
hand walked to where the man stood.


NEXT DAY
PATRICK SIMONY'S QUARTERS

Patrick returned to his quarters at about ten hundred hours, he was feeling 
very content at just finishing the best breakfast he'd had in more months 
than he could remember.  Tracy Hugill, the young Lieutenant he'd spent the 
night with was quite simply the most attractive woman he'd ever met.  Not 
the most beautiful maybe, but there was something in way she smiled, and
the way she looked at him, she held him totally encaptivated.

In fact the previous night was the first time he hadn't been in total
control of himself and his partner, he usually found women in his grasp
were fairly malleable, easily controlled with subtle hints and gestures.
This technique had served him well over many years, but last night he'd
lacked his familiar sophistication, he'd let himself be led, and it left
him feeling very differant.  He knew for sure that he wanted to see Tracy
again, many, many times.

A frantic bleeping from his computer which signalled and incoming message 
tore him from his contemplation.  He tapped the display button on the 
console and the text scrolled onto the screen headed with the words;

ADVANCE NOTIFICATION OF REASSIGNMENT

He read the text and couldn't help but let a grin spread across his face, 
he was being assigned as Security officer/instructor on this very station, 
which suited him just fine.

He wondered where Angus and Leana had been posted to, he remembered them 
leaving Mallory's in a hurry last night with a man he didn't recognise.  He 
thought about calling Angus but decided not to bother, after all, he was 
bound to see him eventually.


                       Respectfully submitted;
                                   
                        **********************          
                        *  Allan MacLennan   *
                        *                    *
                        * [Lt.] Angus Murray *
                        **********************

          "Put your faith in God and keep your powder dry."
                           Oliver Cromwell