New Arrival

Posted on Thu Aug 28th, 2025 @ 3:21pm by Colonel Danny Lennox & Tom Vercetti & Major Arlen Reacher

1,150 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 120 - Guardian at the Gate
Location: Starbase 400
Timeline: Concurrent with 'Harmonizing Harmonics'

ON:

K'Temoc was walking through the Promenade staring at a PADD. Things had been quiet around Starbase 400 since the task force departed for the transwarp conduit singularity. However, some of the intel from Starfleet Command had broken the day's quiet.

After eleven years, the Cardassians had ended their alliance with the Federation and Klingons. While a non-aggression pact was still in effect, a youth movement over the last few years in the Cardassian Detapa Council believes it would be in the best interest of the Cardassians to focus on their own people and the inner workings within their own borders instead of the Alpha Quadrant as a whole. The Cardassians would continue their exchange program with the Federation, but in a scaled down format. Glen Koval would still be assigned to Starbase 400 in the Intel Department and Gul Mavek would also stay as a Cardassian Union Liaison Officer but other ships and other officers would return to Cardassia.

In truth, this really wouldn't affect the day-to-day operation of Starbase 400, with Cardassian in the Alpha Quadrant and SB400 in the Beta Quadrant, but it would some operations within the Alpha Quadrant and specifically at Deep Space Nine more vital to the Federation again.

K'Temoc stopped for a moment as he deactivated the PADD. The hunger he had left Ops with had faded some during the trip down to the Promenade, mostly due to the news on the PADD.

"Lost?" A voice from behind K'Temoc asked.

K'Temoc turned around to see Tom Vercetti walking toward him, bottle of wine in one hand and a small box in the other.

"What's that?" K'Temoc asked.

"Oh, just a few Varon-T disruptors I smuggled, I'm just waiting for the buyer. We're going to share this bottle of wine after the sale." Tom replied with a smirk.

K'Temoc smirked back, half-believing what Tom said was true.

"It's a box of tartufo Tony C picked up on Earth for me and a bottle of Barolo he sent along. Want to try some?" Tom asked.

"No, thank you." K'Temoc replied, "Actually I had an odd craving for one of your capicola, provolone, and vinegar peppers sandwiches."

"Ah, gabagool...I knew you'd like it." Tom smile.

"I am part Human you know, I'd had Italian foods before meeting you." K'Temoc replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Sure, there's Italian, but then there's good Italian." Tom laughed as he headed toward his restaurant.

K'Temoc stood for a moment and watched the activity around him. Zark's was extremely busy and the Ferengi walked passed the door to his bar. Ever since he went into business with Quark and his bar had become an officially licensed Quark's franchise, Zark's profits had boomed. It also meant there was more "scum" around the Promenade and it kept security and even marines busy. Still, the other restaurant, store, bar, and shop owners were happy with the increased business.

As he turned to walk to 'Good Fellas' to get is lunch, K'Temoc saw Colonel Lennon walking toward him. 'Now what?' He thought, thinking a bar fight had occurred.

"Admiral, I wanted to catch you. A Starfleet transport just beamed over some crew replacements. Some Cadet named Taggert and the new 22nd Marine Regiment Commander, Major Reacher were among them. I sent word for everyone to report to their duty officers but asked Reacher to meet me here on the Promenade while I did a sweep, might as well get his feet wet. I think the Cadet was also coming since the Starfleet Academy SB400 Campus doesn't resume session for another week or so." Lennox explained.

"Sounds good. Have the Cadet meet me in 'Good Fellas'. K'Temoc replied.

"Aye Skipper." Lennox replied with a smile.

K'Temoc just shook his head. Like his brother, K'Temoc wasn't overly fond of the Marine use of the term 'Skipper', but he respected the tradition.

Reacher hadn't been on the station long enough to even breathe before he was told to report to Colonel Lennox in the Promenade. Which could only mean they were throwing him right into it. Which was fine by all accounts on Reacher's end. But he'd meet Marines who hated it, and even despised it. After entering the Promenade, it didn't take long. Marines weren't the type to just blend in; they were trained to stand out. The Reacher walked up to Colonel.

"Major Reacher Reporting Colonel," Reacher told Lennox as Reacher stood at Attention.

"At ease Major." Lennox extended his hand. "Colonel Lennox, you can call me Dan. I'm the 4th Marine Regiment Commander standing in for Colonel Bagwell. He's off with the Fleet Admiral and others at the moment." How was your trip in?

"It was all right sir," Reacher replied. Arlen looked around for a moment, studying the area. "Are there certain people who are always around that cause problems or are they always new?" Reacher asked.

"There's a few we always keep an eye on." Lennox replied as he eyed Zark's. "The Ferengi that owns that bar and his brother, while they themselves don't really cause trouble, trouble seems to find them from time to time. There's an Orion, Gerfoil Carsia, he's rather new to the station but he'd been known to smuggle. We also get a few Klingon ships in, and even a Romulan vessel from time to time, we try to keep a few extra Security and Marines around when they're here."

"Seems like I'm gonna be busy when not blowing stuff up or destroying things," Reacher said with a laugh. "So Colonel, what's first on the doc today?"

Lennox smirked, "There will be plenty of time for that around here, but first, after a walk through here I'm heading down to Level 41, the Marine Armory. Corporal Schmidt was taking inventory. You'll like him, he enjoys making stuff go boom too."

"Understood," Arlen replied as he looked around again. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why is Colonel Bagwell off the station?"

Lennox stopped, took a breath, and looked over at the Major. "Did you read reports of that, well, weird Borg stuff in the Alpha Quadrant with the Stargazer a couple of years ago? Not the Frontier Day stuff, the weirder stuff a few months before that?"

"Sir, it was mandatory for Marines to review the Stargazer incident," Arlen told the Colonel.

"Well, that's where they are. Redacted information aside, Starfleet asked SB400 to send a task force to support the Borg Singularity Ship guarding the gate. That's really all I know at this time." Lennox explained before turning his attention to a Yridian that was walking away from the Skyline Lounge and toward Profit and Gains, a giftshop owned by the Ferengi Mar'g, brother of Zark.

"Understood Sir" Reacher replied.

Lennox stopped, "It's rather quiet here right now, why don't you go to your quarters, getting settled in, look over your Regiment's roster then meet me on Level 41."


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