Oooh, so many things that I like in here. I like the difficulties that a smaller, older ship are going to cause. I like that this isn't a "Starfleet's finest" sort of situation, but rather a "this is who we could throw together with limited time and resources." I love the resentment and conflict between CO and XO.

Something tells me smooth sailing isn't in Gibraltar's future... at least no time soon.

I am struck, however, with an urge to sneak on the bridge, set up a bunch of holoemitters and make it look like it's 23rd century incarnation.

Author's Response:

But actual buttons and switches would bruise their delicate, 24th century fingers! ;-)

Good way to start your series Gibraltar. Opening with Point Station Epsilon in the Allied-Occupied Cardassian Territory was pure genius. I really liked how you described the station Epsilon in great detail, telling how it wasn’t the best built station and that it wasn’t completely planned out like the other better built stations by the Starfleet Corps of Engineers. Then you go on to describe the planet of Lakesh. How it was attacked and that the crew was helping with water purification. This story fascinates me. Now I’m ready to move onto chapter 2 to see what happens next. I cannot wait to see where you take this and how it ends. Thanks for sharing this and keep writing.

Author's Response:

Thank you for the review. :) I'm pleased you're enjoying the tale.

I almost cried...I am so very angry and heartbroken by this plague you've created. PLEASE tell me there is some happy ending for that crew (well, DON'T tell me, but you know what I mean.) UGGH!

Author's Response:

The neuropathogen is a truly terrifying weapon, being as its so much more sinister that simply killing someone outright.

I have a feeling I'm going to like Ramirez, lol.

Author's Response:

She's a firebrand when she feels she's been backed into a corner.  ;-)

This was a good story that got into the meats and bones of the Allied occupation of the Cardassian Union. There was no dithering around at the beginning with introducing crew members, neither did you expand upon every main character which is a good thing as it leaves some mysteries, interest and questions for later stories.

That was one tight plot with twisted villains, dubious characters, heroes and learning-the-ropes captains (and more) all thrown in. You know how to write a good plot I'll give you that. I presume from this story the big three are Sandhurst, Ramirez and Lar'ragos. Nice work with Lar'ragos as I feel he is the strongest character of them all. A mixture of Guinan, Kira Nerys and Odo all lumped together. Guinan because Lar'ragos is El Aurian, Kira because Lar'ragos has been a soldier and committed some terrible things, and finally Odo because he's sort of like the outsider. He knows things and has had a long life. Lar'ragos is like the exact opposite of Guinan.

I feel sorry for the Cardassians though, they are really screwed and fighting back against the Federation and Klingons (especially those turtle-headed maniacs) is only going to send them further into misery, despair and great loss. Your Cardassian Union is literally like Germany post World War 2, except the Cardassians have one government however weak whereas the Germans had two: one for West Germany the other for East Germany.

For one snazzy plot, ballsy topics, interesting characters, cool features (and props like those hoverbikes), descriptive writing that left some images in my mind, bad-ass Klingons, Lar'ragos, moxy and intriguing politics, I give this story 4 and a half stars.

A good way to start off this series!

Author's Response:

I'm very pleased that this story was so well received by you. My intent was to show how complex and messy the situation in the Alpha Quadrant was immediately following the Dominion War, seen from the eyes of a Starfleet crew who were not the best and brightest.

Cool! Starfleet TacNet, 24th century Facebook for Starfleet officers? A nice touching moment with Ramirez and Lar'ragos, I liked that lull after all the battle and death. Good to see Ramirez is not some obsessive arrogant prat looking for promotion and she has a heart and a conscience.

Really digged that village battle scene to. It was like something out of Indiana Jones or one of those action movies... Cool idea using hoverbikes; reminds me of the zoomers in the PS2 game Jak 2.

Hmm... Sandhurst pretending to be something he is not by actively engaging with his injured subordinates. Lar'ragos was right about captain's keeping a cool head and trying to sell it to the crew that everything will be alright. But I think Sandhurst should find his own style of command and just have more faith in his abilities; bonding with the crew can come later.

Author's Response:

Sandhurst's trying to find his own command persona under less-than-ideal circumstances, to be sure. Here's hoping he lives long enough to settle into one. ;-)

Urlak is insane. He really underestimates the Klingons in that they will probably wipe out most of the Cardassians given half the chance. Especially if the Cardassians fight back (which a few of them are). Urlak's strategy will probably mean the death of most surviving Cardassians. Urlak presumes the Federation and Klingons will go to war over Klingon atrocities. I think the Federation is just going to sit back so as to replenish its tactical assets. It will avoid a war at all costs, especially with the Klingons, and if a few million Cardassians are killed. Well I don't see the Federation taken some serious action to prevent such an extermination...

Question; just how many surviving Cardassians are there? Millions? Tens of millions? Hundreds of millions?

Author's Response:

There are billions of surviving Cardassians on Cardassia Prime, and millions more are still eeking out a living on their shattered colony worlds throughout the Union.

Ho ho! I didn't realise Lar’ragos was part of Guinan's race! That explains Lar'ragos' comments on serving as a soldier for some empire 400 years ago.

Author's Response:

Yes, Lar'ragos is a Listener of Guinan's El Aurian species.  He's quite a bit older than he appears, and a good deal more dangerous than he appears as well.

'arclight shoulder-fired missiles' ; a rather cool little weaponry feature! Honestly the occupied Cardassian territories sound like Iraq or Afghanistan with insurgents lurking around everywhere, and numerous terrorist attacks. Very modern and rather clever I think in mimicking such topical features of the 2010's (war on terror and so forth) into your story.

I also like Sandhurst's down-to-Earth approach (very Sisko-like) and the fact there are more older faces in the senior crew. Too many times in Star Trek did the senior crew look young or too youthful; so your senior staff characters are a nice little break from Trek tradition...

Author's Response:

Indeed, Iraq and Afghanistan served as my inspiration behind the situation in post-war Cardassia.  A proud, militaristic people are not just going to roll over and accept Federation and Klingon 'supervision' without putting up a fight, despite the fact that crews such as those aboard Gibraltar and Sojourner are genuinely trying to help.

That scene with Sandhurst and Ramirez is sort of reminiscent to Sisko encountering Kira for the first time. Both Kira and Ramirez don't want to be in their respective posts, but I'm not sure how much Ramirez hates the Cardassians (so there the similarities end).

I'm glad to see we're off and not going to be bogged down with more crew or main character introductions. Even so I wonder if the Cardassians could really wage another war against the Federation giving that most of their planets were brutally attacked by the Dominion/Breen and most of their people slaughtered.

Also would the Romulans take such a hostile approach to managing their portion of Cardassian territory when there is the Federation between such territory and the Romulan Star Empire? Surely strategically the Romulans would be fools to cheese off the Federation and Klingons as there position in occupied Cardassian space could be so easily cut off...

Author's Response:

Ramirez definitely does not want to be aboard the ship.  She had her career mapped out, and this little detour wasn't on it.

just finished the last few chapters and what I can say is wow. As I said before, one of the best treks out there. I love that it isn't a winning scenario as well.

Author's Response:

Thank you for the terrific feedback, David.  As you've seen, not every first mission can be a success story, but there are lessons to be learned from what the crew has endured.