Previously on Ark Royal - With 'Friends' Like These

Posted on Thu Jul 30th, 2026 @ 4:06pm by Vice-Admiral J.T Carlson

2,254 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: 1x01 - Homecoming
Location: U.S.S. Ark Royal - Captain's Office
Timeline: 1x04 - All the Friends we can Get

Captain’s Log, Stardate 8966.1.

The Ark Royal has left orbit of Kannok. We are rendezvousing with the Tigerfish-A; Admiral Carlson should arrive imminently.

Our eventual destination is Neumenedes III, though I have ordered a lengthy patrol route. Mr. Erickson has suggested a course which loops through Drenkul space and then hugs the Klingon and Pydrian borders, keeping speeds relatively low to maximize sensor resolution. Mr. McCray is confident he can maintain this course and has already brought us to warp five. Ms. Novotná has orders to scan anything even slightly out of the ordinary. Perhaps she will find something of scientific interest, even if we find no Klingon intrusions. And it will be useful to keep our attention on the Drenkul.

Mr. Erickson and Mr. McCray report that this course will take nearly three months. Good. I want us to benefit maximally from this new treaty. Though I will not be authorizing shore leave on any Drenkul worlds.

I am planning on naming Ensign McCray as our Chief Helm Officer. Through his fast reactions piloting the ship during the incident over Kannok, he has proven he is up to the task.

I expect that Counselor Johnson’s calendar will be filled by those wishing to discuss what happened on Kannok. My report to Starfleet on the subject has been submitted. It contains additional details regarding the brutality we witnessed by their security forces. Yes there were extremist elements present in that demonstration, and their actions resulted in the deaths of several Drenkul security personnel and one of my own crew. But the people of Kannok… they did not deserve what happened to them. It is crucial that Starfleet understands the nature of the Drenkul Republic.

Apparently the Federation Council feels that an ally of convenience right along the Klingon border in this troubling time is more important than the values we in the Federation share closely. We are willing to side with a state which would kill many innocents in order to stop a few criminals.

We have our orders to work with the Drenkul, but my crew and I do not have to act as if we like it.

The USS Wozniak will reach Drenkul space in two days and be put to work repairing and upgrading their border sensor satellites. The USS Kip’s Bay will take over diplomatic and political duties. Her Captain, Tholon, is a friend. We can trust him to be watchful of our new ‘allies’.

I have notified Petty Officer Chatterjee’s next of kin. His remains and personal effects are to be transferred to the Tigerfish-A for onward transport to Earth.

He died in defense of a state that brutalizes repression. We did not realize this at the time, but we know now.

And while we now benefit from this relationship, hopefully in a manner that saves countless lives…I want it recorded in my log that I am ashamed. I—


The Captain was interrupted by her office door chime. “Computer, pause. Enter,” she called out.

The door opened and in walked Ensign Larose, followed immediately by two guests. "Captain," she reported. "Vice Admiral JT Carlson and Captain Alice Zuberg."

"Very good, Ensign," T'Kal replied. "Dismissed."

The Ensign formally turned on her heel and left the Captain's office.

"Welcome to the Ark Royal, Admiral, Captain," T'Kal said. "May we offer you anything to drink?"

“Some coffee would be lovely. Thank you Captain” J.T nods as he gestures to his companion. “You remember Captain Zuburg, my medical chief of staff” he introduced her to the Vulcan.

"I do," T'Kal said, nodding to the Admiral's companion.

Dr. Alice Zuberg had been a medical officer since right before the Klingon War of the 2250s. She stood the same height as T'Kal, and her long blonde hair, mostly tied back though with long strands coming down in front of her ears and temples, reached halfway down her back. Though she'd recently passed her sixtieth birthday, an impeccable care routine (and some light-hearted suspicions that she was an artificial being) had her looking twenty years younger. Her most distinctive trait, however, was the black eyepatch covering her right eye, which she lost defending Axanar from a Klingon attack in '56.

She still wore the light green of Medical, but maintained a command rank. She could have been given a hospital ship years earlier, but remained by Carlson's side.

"A pleasure to see you again, Captain," she said to T'Kal. "Coffee would be nice, thank you."

T'Kal put in a request to the evening watch yeoman for two coffees and a tea, and invited her guests to sit on the sofa she kept along one wall of her office. She took a chair on a ninety degree angle to it.

"You read my report," T'Kal said, matter-of-factly.

"You didn't mince words," Alice observed.

T'Kal raised an eyebrow. "In your experience, are Vulcans known to do that?"

Alice chuckled at that. "I suppose not. But it seemed even more direct than usual."

The door chimed. "Enter," T'Kal ordered. The door opened to admit Chief Summers, carrying a tray containing two cups of coffee and one of black tea. In the middle were bowls of milk, cream, sugar, and sweetener. "Many thanks, Ms. Summers. Dismissed." The quartermaster left without a word, so the conversation could continue. "I assessed the situation to require a less diplomatic tone," she said to the Admiral.

“To be blunt, the situation with the Drenkul is a touchy one. I personally objected to allying with them but the Council feels we need every ally we can get. I grieve with you on the lost of your crew member. The Federation Council also received a formal protest and complaint against your Chief of Security.” J.T began as he accepted the offered cup.

“What the hell happened there?” He asked bluntly.

T'Kal sipped her tea and took a moment to put her response together.

"Treaty negotiations were straightforward," she began. "The Drenkul did what they could to force as many concessions from us as possible. Our instructions from the Federation MFA were clear: a treaty at not quite any cost but close to it. We reached an agreement on the use of Drenkul space and sensor data to monitor Klingon activities in exchange for defense and technical assistance."

"And then?" Alice asked, her cream-and-three-sugars coffee in hand.

"During the second day of negotiation, a crowd began to form outside the government plaza's shield perimeter. They were peaceful, merely standing and shouting or chanting. Sometimes singing. As far as we could tell they were protesting certain quasi-authoritarian and classist practices. The Drenkul Chief Negotiator requested our assistance in maintaining security. It seemed they were testing us. I agreed to assist." T'Kal sipped her tea. "At the same time, a well-armed extremist group attempted to attack the negotiations. My chief engineer and chief navigator had been taken hostage and were used to disable parts of the shield surrounding the central plaza. The extremists attempted to storm the plaza but were fought back by one of our security teams. Another group attempted to fly shuttles into the unshielded plaza and toward my ship, but the Ark Royal stopped them."

She took a deep breath. "We did not anticipate that the Drenkul leadership would declare all participants in the demonstration as accessories to the violent acts of the extremist group. The Drenkul thanked us for our assistance and instructed us to leave. I... staying would have destroyed everything we had done. But... Admiral, after we left they opened fire on the crowds."

“And Starfleet would had been party to committing a massacre if you had. You made the right decision to leave.” J.T commented.

“I will be advising Starfleet to use caution when dealing with the Drenkul. No shore leave except for official business will be authorized. I do not want them to use Starfleet as outside muscle”

"In cases of medical emergency, Starfleet vessels in Drenkul space will be directed to return home at best speed," Alice added. "Only in extreme cases should attempts to seek aid at a Drenkul planet be authorized."

T'Kal nodded. "May I ask about the complaint against my Chief of Security?"

“The Drenkul minister of Security reported that Mr. McEntyre pulled a phaser on him when the Minister ordered our forces to assist them. I assumed that when he was asked to open fire on the civilian crowd”

"Mr. McEntyre," T'Kal explained, "withdrew his phaser from its holster when the advisor to chief negotiator and the Drenkul security forces on-site chief were readying to fire. He did not aim it at anyone or threaten anyone. When directly ordered to leave, he did so. Sir, he tried to defend an unarmed crowd." She sipped her tea again. "Nevertheless, I expect the truth does not matter in this case."

“Given the reports of what happened, Starfleet is of the opinion not to engage further with this issue. Mr. McEntyre will not be charged in this incident due to the fact that Starfleet personnel were safely evacuated and any possible involvement was avoided.” Carlson commented.

“Good,” T’Kal said. “I was wondering, however, if Starfleet Command could see to sharing something with the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs.”

She stood and walked to her desk, where she inserted a data card into a slot near her computer screen. “This should be annexed to my report,” she explained, “but encrypting it could make it appear that we modified it in some way, so I have instructed that the file be kept unmodified on the storage device and delivered physically to Command.”

The Captain pressed a button, and an audio message began to play over the comm system in the office. A panicked woman’s voice could be heard in front of faint sounds of battle, including explosions and weapons fire, could be heard in the background.

“This is Kannok making an emergency broadcast. We are being slaughtered. The Drenkul murder of Kannok has begun. As I say these words, dozens of murdered beings, Drenkul and alien, lay dead in front of the Kannok Government Plaza. Hundreds more on the streets. More every minute.

We’re being destroyed!

This is Kannok reaching for any open channel that can hear me! If you can… if you can hear me… if you believe in truth, if you have any faith left in truth, please, please mark this message and pass it forward.

This is murder! Drenkulo built this fire. They made us live like this and now they expect us to die resisting it.

Drenkul ships are landing… (sounds of explosions; screams; a different speaker calls out ‘No!’ before a phaser silences him) Is there no one who can help us?! Is there—”

The final sound was another phaser shot.

“It is my professional assessment, Admiral,” T’Kal said firmly, “that cleared Councilors should hear this. It should not be buried.”

"I'll have it sent with all due haste to Earth." J.T nodded solemnly.

"I assure you, your reports will inform my dealings with the Drenkul. The Drenkul will only get the bare minimum so long as I am in control of this sector."

J.T leaned back in his seat on the couch. "And if it was up to me, I'd pin a fucking medal to Clay's chest. I'd probably had pulled my weapon on them too. We're not mercenaries and will not be a private army for hire." he said candidly.

Alice couldn’t hide a smirk at the Admiral’s reaction.

T’Kal nodded. “In these difficult times… I am pleased to hear Starfleet Command take this stance, Admiral.” She set down her empty tea cup. “As you’re returning to Earth, I would like to transfer to your ship the remains and personal effects of Petty Officer Chatterjee. His husband has requested they be returned, and it will be more efficient with you than if we wait for a resupply ship.”

Alice nodded. “Admiral, with your permission, I’ll make the arrangements.”

“Permission Granted. Captain Zuburg will conduct the body back to Tigerfish. I’ll also try to smooth things over with Admiral Cartwright but I doubt he’ll disagree with my position here.” J.T nodded.

The Captain of the Ark Royal nodded once again. “Thank you, Admiral. Captain. When we are finished here, I am taking us on a course along the Drenkul border, to see what we can detect in Klingon space from the very edge of it. If we are to be allies with the Drenkul, I would see us extract every benefit possible from it.”

"Tigerfish will be remaining here for a few days to finalize everything before returning to Starfleet Headquarters. I want reports on what you find, if anything."

“Understood.” T’Kal stood. “If there’s nothing else, Admiral, I will make arrangements with Captain Zuberg and we will be on our way.”

J.T stood, extending his hand out for T'kal. "Thank you captain. Please keep me apprised of any developments"

“Yes, sir,” T’Kal replied, firmly shaking his hand. She shook Alice’s hand as well and then walked them to the door. “Ensign Larose will escort you to the Transporter Room. Be well, Admiral. Captain.”

“You as well, Captain,” Alice replied.

———

Vice Admiral J.T Carlson
U.S.S. Tigerfish, Commanding
Starfleet Command

Captain T’Kal
Commanding Officer, USS Ark Royal

Captain Alice Zuberg
Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer, USS Tigerfish-A; and Adjutant to Admiral Carlson

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