Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1998 23:11:39 -0500 (EST) From: "Lynette R. F. Cowper" Subject: USS CALYPSO: Federation and Empire MT 4.1000 [Ready Room] <> "Pellek here. What have you got, Mister Q'nalieh?" <> "I'll take it here in my Ready Room." Li stood and brushed his uniform down and smiled as the UFP logo was replaced by Sullivan's face. "Admiral, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" <> Li's eyes widened in surprise. "I see. I hope there isn't a problem, sir." <> ****** [SSE1, Admiral Gregg's office] Li stepped into the waiting room outside Admiral Gregg's office and nodded to the secretary there. A placard identified her as Lucy Muir. "Captain Lihuan Pellek to see Admiral Gregg." "Go right in. He's expecting you." Li nodded, swallowed nervously and entered. There were several people in the room. He recognised Fleet Admiral Gregg, Admiral Sullivan, and Admiral Shaw immediately. It took him a little longer to recognise Admiral Walker Greye. There were two other men in the room, one a Romulan. Li's heart gave a lurch. Sullivan began the introductions. The man in captain's uniform turned out to be Captain Nate Blane of SFIA. And the Romulan was one Fleet Commander Tresol, formerly of the Romulan Star Empire. Li had started to extend his hand, but jerked it back in surprise. "Tresol?" The Romulan nodded. "I've heard of you." "Yes," Tresol answered. "But I was uninvolved with the invasion of Tahnekk. You have another to blame for that." Li nodded. "Yes. Sorry. It just brought back bad memories." He forced himself to extend his hand and shake the Romulan's hand. "I'm truly sorry for those memories, Captain." "Well, gentlemen," Gregg said, "shall we all get seated? We have one more person yet to arrive." Li was waiting to see how the seating arranged itself, unsure of his purpose at this meeting, when the door once again swished open. He turned, curious to see who it was. And froze. He had seen her through his lover's eyes, felt her through his lover's body, tasted her, smelled her, shared her emotions and thoughts, experienced her joy at the birth of her first child, all through Kalen. He knew her intimately. Yet, they had never met. "Nali?" "Li!" she exclaimed, smiling as she stepped into his arms. The admirals and other men were forgotten as their lips met, as her presence wrapped itself around his loneliness. {What are you doing here?} he demanded mentally. {How did you and Kalen--} {Wait, chama. All will be explained at this meeting.} Meeting. Yes. Li stepped back, feeling his cheeks flush as he realised how unofficerly he had been behaving. Sullivan cleared his throat. "I see you are Ambassador Ketrik have already met." Li turned and flashed a sheepish grin. "Yes. You could say that, Admiral. Ambassador?" Sullivan nodded. "We're opening negotiations with the Tahnekko. We believe they can provide us with considerable intelligence, given their strategic placement in the Romulan Star Empire." ****** [USS CALYPSO, Transporter room] Li stepped off the pad, then offered his hand to Nali Ketrik. She stepped down and smiled at him. "I have a lunch meeting with me First Officer, so I'm afraid we haven't much time for a tour today." "That's all right," she responded. "There will be other times." The entered a turbolift and Li directed it to the officer's deck, where they walked hand-in-hand to Li's quarters. Once inside, with the door safely cutting them off from outside eyes and ears, he turned to her. "Are you and Kalen sure about this, Nali?" "As sure as we can be in these uncertain times. You need an heir, Li, and Tahnekk needed an ambassador to Starfleet." Li nodded, then drew her into his arms. "Well, you certainly surprised me. When I get back home..." He paused suddenly, savouring that phrase. "When I get back home after this is all over, I'll have to thank Kalen personally for it." He felt Kalen chuckle. {For you, shirichama, I would do anything.} ****** [1310] "Ensign, you are dismissed," Li said as they entered the transporter room. The ensign didn't question, but left the two alone. "I wish we could be together longer," he told her. "But we have to leave in... twenty minutes and you have negotiations to get back to." "Now that we are joined and your heir started, a holodeck would do." "I suppose so." He kissed her. "I'm sorry, Nali. I'm already late for my meeting..." She put a finger to his lips and kissed him again. {I understand,} she assured him. {We have plenty of time.} ****** After he had beamed her over, he hurried quickly to the lounge, where Paul Fitzgerald was nervously picking at his food. Li slid into the seat across from him. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I had... something come up unexpectedly." Respectfully Submitted, Lynette R. F. Cowper Captain Lihuan Pellek, CO USS CALYPSO NRPG: Tag, Andrew. Ship leaves dock at 1330 hours. Take us out, folks! --- Lynette R. F. Cowper , INWO Line Editor