When you leave the Nexus a piece of you stays behind. What part? And what happens if it gets out?One should never cross path with a dead man. Especially if this man is Jim Kirk.
Powerful story. Powerful imagery.
Thank you for sharing.
2384: As the Alpha and Beta Quadrants continue to recover from the Dominon War, Starfleet moves ahead with the launch of a very special ship, the USS Pearl. Based on the unique design of the Enterprise-C, the Pearl is assigned to Captain Henry "Hank" Harrison and dispatched to a colony on the outskirts of the Federation, New Haven, to investigate a suspected Maquis plot.
What Hank and his crew discover is something far more dangerous ... and destructive.
LOL! This is an intriguing beginning! A willing but unwilling captain... Fresh Cardassian bodies and an assignment which no one else wants -- that screams fun. ;-) As great a teaser as they come. ;-)
Author's Response:
Much thanks Anna. The story only gets more fun from here.
Ouch! And the intrigue is building up! Great increase in tension, you write it so well. And I just loved the description of the Pearl! I can tell she's a beauty even from here. ;-) Very hooking chapter. On I go...;-)
::gasps:: I'm with Chris there. I'd be shocked, too! LOL. Love the brothers already, and Harrison keeps surprising me! 'Run it like a circus for all I care...' I think if Picard had heard that, he'd fall out of his chair. ::grins:: On I go, impatient to see how it develops... ;-)
This is really establishing some ground rules. First of all, we get to see Hank a little closer and more defined. He has a strange record, he has some issues. So does everyone around him. You can tell already that these people, all of them, need each other because they all have some demons to exorcise. Then, there's an established to a degree at least captain/XO rapport. I loved the friendship note, I missed it in TNG.
There's also a great tribute to your writing that the dialogues sound so natural. What's more, I can hear different characters speaking, with their respective features and attitudes coming through. It's amazing, and it makes the tale so much more enchanting. I mean no one has even opened fire yet, and I can see this family of crew already. Nicely done.
And just how does one misspell Klingon?;-)
Author's Response:
Klingon...ah...well...umm....
Too much Blood wine that night I guess :)
::cackles:: I think it's the first ever Starfleet vessel to have such a *rocky* launch. :-D This story rocks! ;-)
LOL. So, the captain seems to have a unique approach to his ship and crew. It's very refreshing. And I was thoroughly amused reading about the doctor's confusion. Don't think one could blame him though. ;-)
Poor Riker! I wouldn't want to face Picard after such a performance. ::giggles:: What a devious bunch of people!
Wonderful story!
Author's Response: My inner TNG cast pull this stuff on each other a lot. ;)
Thank you!
In 2376, Cardassian ambassador and freelance journalist Natima Lang reflects in the new op-ed column of the Cardăsa Star-Sentinel on the life and influence of late dissident Tekeny Ghemor. Through the words of Ghemor's family, friends, and colleagues, she reveals the man to Cardassia as he truly was, not as the Obsidian Order would have it...Wow. I don't know at once in which way this is best -- as journalism or as a story. ;-) The answer is, I believe, that this is one phenomenally touching and deep story, masterfully wrapped in the form of an article.
Last bit with Kira was incredible. Thank you for sharing this.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much for reading...I'm glad it could touch you. :-)
With the very last scene, with Kira, I took my cue from "Ties of Blood and Water" itself: just as Tekeny's very last moments were kept offscreen and became so incredibly powerful for what we did NOT see, I wanted the message to come from Kira's silence.
But if you look closely (and I'm sure you've already noticed this), there are still reflections of "Ties of Blood and Water" throughout the rest of it.
As to the journalistic aspect of it...just a random note: I based the format on the way editorials appear on FoxNews.com, though compared to FN, I kinda "overdid" the reminders up at the top that this is an opinion piece--reason being that I figured if Cardassia is just developing a free press, they're going to kinda over-disclaim it (at least by our standards) when an article is opinion.
Anyway, that's probably more than you ever wanted to know about my writing process; once again, thank you so much for reading. :-)
Part One of the Star Trek: Gibraltar series
The aging starship Gibraltar is brought out of mothballs to assist in Federation humanitarian relief operations within Cardassian territory in the immediate aftermath of the Dominion War. The crew quickly discovers not everyone shares the Federation's vision for Cardassia's future.
This is intriguing and exciting! Admittedly I have a soft spot for moments when a new team is formed. People roughing in, evaluating each other... And here you present such an unusual complement! An overweighed captain, who never wanted captaincy, an outdated vessel, a crew consisting of veterans and ensigns, and a lot of people who don't want to be there, plus an annoyed XO and Pava -- what a mix! Now send the Cardassians in and this simply gotta be good! :-D
Great job, and I adore the fluent flow of your prose.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much. My goal was to present an atypical Starfleet crew, a more average group thrust into situations over their head. I hope I've pulled it off.
I LOVED this! A beautiful moment, and so true for the characters, every word, every gesture.
Thank you!
Author's Response: Thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed the story.
This was sweet. A really touching and caring shot of the TOS family. Neither light, nor dark, but a little bit of both and more. Just like life. ;-)
Thank you for sharing this.
Author's Response: Thank you so much! I'm glad the mood of the story came through so well. :)
I was re-reading this, and a thought occurred to me. You mothers have an edge over the rest of us, which kinda makes it an unfair competition. ;-)
Still love your Spock here... :-)
Author's Response: I know you don't like my Sarek. ;-) But on the upside, this isn't my typical fare. Still, I'm very glad that you like little Spock, who in retrospect seems to jive with your own version as being (for those first few years or so) a happy baby. Or, at least, a very loving one. Thanks for the note!
(2238) - A young Scott raids a junkyard on an unknown planet.
I admired this piece the first time I read it, when I knew nothing yet of the Mirror Arc storyline. I got caught up in the potent dark imagery. And I thought that this was some way of explaining his scar.
Now, as I was re-reading this, I kept asking myself what I am doing in this business. ;-) The attention to every little detail is astonishing, especially as it doesn't come in an overly descriptive kind of way. Rather it's several well-chosen, well-balanced words trigger an intuitive image. The history of things. The scenery. Amazing.
And of course, the terrific characterization. He has so much of Scotty here, and yet so much he doesn't. The passion they share at this point, the sympathy for broken things and the conviction that nothing was unsalvageable. Not without trying to fix it first. Scott's wonder at having struck gold is moving. To think that he could still get lost in his fascination of this 'treasury'... And yet, always alert, always reacts with light speed to danger. So *him.*
This is one mesmerizing story. Dark. But no that dark. Yet.
Great job.
Author's Response: Aw, don't sell yourself short. The details in this story are based on what would be an ideal boy's adventure story - a dark setting, a cautious but curious male lead and a strong undertone of the unknown. I wanted to work with that because it's such a sharp contrast to the settings in the Mirror Arc later one; there's a sense of youthful innocence in place here.
Thanks for the review! This is one of my favorite fics, so I love to hear what people think about it.
LMAO! Thank you for that gem, Terilynn, I haven't laughed like that in a while! Both characters are perfectly authentic, Q and Archer. I swear I could hear John de Lancie speaking. ::grins:: Routine a la Abbot and Costello was perfect. A lot of lines in there cracked me up, this was one of them:
“You just appeared in my bed, scared the living daylights out of me, made my dog vanish and you think I’m being defensive? You haven’t seen the beginning of defensive bub…”
Oh, but he could, if I know Archer. LOL. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Author's Response: Anna: Thanks so much and I'm really just thrilled you enjoyed it. I had a ball writing it and Q is just one of those characters I can't seem to shake. Archer has his faults and I used to be very unforgiving of him, but I appreciate that side of him now. It took me awhile to get used to it (being a Picard fan) and I have to admit it's fun to play with his reactionary style...thanks again for reading and reviewing!
It's a rather bittersweet look on the aftermaths of the series. I enjoyed reading it immensely. Thank you for sharing. :-)
Author's Response: No, thank you for reading. This is the 2cnd thing I ever wrote in ST and I was happy with how it came out-I'm even happier that y'all like it!
This is a truly unusual perspective of the events in Generations. You provide here a profound look into Guinan's soul, which feels unnervingly real.
A very solid piece. Thank you for sharing.
(2239) When you're on a spaceship and have two kids, it's hard to find private time.
That's one great moment of light! ;-)
Author's Response: Isn't it, thought? The MU needs more, but alas, the storyline doesn't allow for them.
(2245 - 2254) This is a very intense first-person POV story from the perspective of the free agent who acts as the go-between from Scott to the rebellion while he's stationed on Earth. Starting with the free agent's twisted one-sided obsession with a shadow, this story's very dark in the beginning, but it certainly isn't all dark and misery -- as time goes on, things change. This story is a heart-breaker. There's no easy way to sum it up, but if there's one thing you can call it, you can call it very human. Pay attention to my warnings, though, please.
As masochistic as it may be of me, I never tire of re-reading this story. You used tears and blood for ink to write it. It is unlike anything else you have ever written, it stands alone and it is undoubtedly the gem-stone of the Mirror Arc. It has almost supernatural inevitability to it, while still remaining an inherit tragedy of a human heart. It is dark, and it is truthful, and it slices to the bones.
I can't even say thank you. But if anyone wonders whether they will be sorry they have read this, I can only say one thing.
I'm not.
Author's Response: Thank you, Anna.
Data begins to understand, thanks to Molly O'Brien and a little thing called an emotion chip.Lovely! Data must spend more time around kids, definitely! ;-)
Thanks for a wonderful oneshot!
Author's Response: Thanks Anna!
LOL. I loved it. Always loved those two, in whatever combination, and it was a neat move to see them through the eyes of someone else. Thanks for sharing!
Author's Response:
So glad you liked it!
This is beautiful. Tragic and beautiful. I love the pairing and where you've taken them. Thank you.
Author's Response: No, thank YOU! :o)
(2245) A very dark look at Andy when he's still a much more messed up individual, as he was in Part I of One Minute. At his drug use, at sex (not gratuitous in writing, though it is in his life), and finally at his obsession. Very rough piece.
::sighs:: Good one. ::sighs::
Author's Response: ::laughs:: Why are you sighing? You're making me feel like I'm killing people!
Yeah. Well, Regarding Kirk's original 'solution' for the episode, I'm with Spock there. ;-) No logic in endorsing an already corrupted society. Janeway was right, in her times, such actions would have get him kicked out of Starfleet. And in this story, you explore just how far this carelessness might eventually lead. I just hope that if they indeed recreated the Third Reich in this reality, they wouldn't have forgotten to recreate everything that led to its fall, either.
Thanks for the story!
I loved Major Hayes and this is certainly an original and touching tribute. Accept this from a Reed-fan. ;-)
I loved the way you gave 2 perspectives to one encounter. And Michelle's narrating intermixed with letters is top notch indeed.
Thank you!
Author's Response: Anna, thank you so much. I'm a fan of both Reed and Hayes which is why it was so important for me to acknowledge what I thought Hayes' ultimate respect for Reed was laid out within the context of the tale...I really do believe Reed learned quite a bit about himself during his experience with Hayes and that he would have used those lessons in his future relationships with the MACO after Hayes' death.