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[Battle Bridge]

Will had made haste but found Ian exactly where the computer said he was.

"Cadet Galloway" he said making his way to where the helmsman was. "An urgent matter has arisen that requires your immediate attention."

His face was emotionless as he stood, hands behind his back. Ready to deliver the news.

Ian managed not to jump out of his skin when he turned to see the First Officer standing over him, but only just. Ian stood and faced Commander Waring like a man facing an executioner.

"Aye Sir! At your service Sir!"

[Shuttlecraft De Gama Á¢â,¬"œ 2399]

[Shuttlecraft De Gama Á¢â,¬"œ 2399]

He laughed as he offered to punch him in the face.  He smiled and said "Fair Enough, if you are successful in your mission, I will let you punch me in the face"  He face turned serious.

"I knew you would be brave enough to see the importance of this mission.  I am asking you to make this sacrifice because I have too.  Think about this way...with the selected crew you should have a fighting chance...and technically we left for the mission 2365, but you can leave whenever you are ready...you can't bring any technology that did not exist on 2365...I bet you are anxious to meet the rest of the crew"  He said

Ian arched an eyebrow in a disturbingly Vulcan-like manner, then nodded as if settling something that Ferguson was not privy to know.

"Computer. Maintain heading for Deep Space Nine. I should be absent for no more than five minutes. If I am gone longer than that. Come to all stop and send a distress to the station."

In it's typically dispassionate female voice the computer responded.

"Acknowledged."

Ian turned to Ferguson.

"Then it's a date, my fist and your nose whenever this is over. No use sittin' around pinin' fer the fjords or summat. Let's go and let's meet the rest of the cast of idiots of the USS Clowncar."

[Shuttlecraft De Gama Á¢â,¬"œ 2399]

[Shuttlecraft De Gama Á¢â,¬"œ 2399]

Agent Ferguson sat next to the pilot's chair.  He smiled and gave a small chuckle as he observed the Lieutenant process the information given to him.  The fascinating thing about time travel and historical figures is that they appeared to be larger than life in books and in the holodeck.  However, meeting them in person you can observed that they were no different than most individuals, heavily flaw and real.

He handed a PADD over to Ian and gave a smile.  "I am indeed in your perspective the future, in the future I work for a Department that is similar to Temporal investigations, the reason why I am talking to you directly is because I don't have enough time.   Before you accept you need to know Lieutenant, that this mission is almost completely suicidal.  I am recruiting a crew to go back in time to the year 2365 and correct the timeline.  You will be the Chief Helmsman of an Excelsior class vessel under the command of Captain Hawke, you will be alone with no backup, no help, outgunned, outmanned, the odds of success are low and if you fail the U.S.S. Enterprise would encounter two Borg Cubes instead of one which would lead to their destruction.  The Borg would conquer Earth.  No one can know about this mission.  This might be one of your most important mission in your carrier and you are risking your life in a mission that no one except for us in the 31st Century know of your bravery. "  The agent gave the PADD which contained the details of the ship and the mission.

The stakes were high but, he was selected because he was important to this mission.  But he needed heroes for this mission or rather legends...

As Ferguson spoke, Ian's face grew more and more incredulous until the agent from the future stopped talking and handed him the PADD.

"I'd ask if ya were daft, but no one what wasn't serious could spin a yarn like that who wasn't serious and keep a straight face. And here I thought my little trip ta the ruins of B'Hala while waitin' for the USS Nez Pierce ta take on new crew was goin' ta be the highlight of my time in the Bajor system.

"So the real question is now am I the one that's nuttier than squirrel droppin's ta still be talkin' ta ya. You seriously think, we're supposed ta meet a Borg Cube in an Excelsior, an antique class of starship I might add, alone and accomplish summat other than givin' the Collective a fresh new set of Drones? I think even the Borg would laugh at that scenario, if'n the Borg knew how ta laugh."

Ian snorted and sat down as if the wind had gone out of him suddenly.

"I can tell ya one thing, you lot from the 31st Century surely don't think small and don't ask much. I'd tell ya ta go bugger yourself with a splintered rake, but ya had me at 'Savin' the Federation' and I think ya knew that ya bloody wanker.

"Well, if'n this is how I am ta meet my end, let it not be said in this or any other century that a Galloway shirked his duty when he was needed. You have a deal Ferguson, but if we don't end up Drones or rapidly cooling plasma in the void of space. I might just punch ya in the nose for this when we get back. I guess this is a stupid question when time is just a tool for you lot, but when do we leave?"

[Shuttlecraft De Gama]

[Shuttlecraft De Gama - 2399]

Agent Ferguson was transported into the Shufflecraft.  It was a temporal transport with 31st Century Technology.   He knew the legend that he was meant to recruit: Lieutenant Galloway.  He was a great pilot by this period.  Historically speaking he was one of the best and did not give up.

Agent wearing his black uniform from the 31st Century walked up to the front of the ship and said  "I might be able to help with that Lieutenant..."

He finished the statement with a smile.  He gently walked  next to a living legend.  He was trained to treat historical figures normally but he could not help but feel a little gitty.  "Seems like a pretty boring flight, Lieutenant...".

The agent broke protocol and extended his hand "I am sorry, I am just excited to meet you...my name is Agent Ferguson, I am from the 31st Century.  You have two choices, you can either keep on your flight or you can help me save the Federation from destruction....interested?"

He looked at the panel and said "You are not going anywhere any time soon, so might  as well listen to me right Lieutenant?"

Ian blinked as Ferguson spoke and found himself shaking the man's hand absently without even remembering moving his arm. Ian opened his mouth, but no sound came out, then he shook his head started again.

"T-T-thirty-first Century? Yer goin' ta have ta give me a moment ta catch up Laddy. Save the Federation? Excited ta meet me? If'n yer excited ta meet me, you lot have got a low bar fer excitement."

Out of the blue, Ian chuckled.

"I guess that sayin' about bein' careful what ya wish for is truer than Gammer knew."

Ian shook his head and ran his hand through his hair to gather his thoughts, then his expression became serious as he met Ferguson's eye.

"Save the Federation ya say? Well, when ya put it that way, who am I ta turn down that sort of offer? I'm in, but yer the one that's goin' ta have ta explain things ta the Department of Temporal Investigations."

[Shuttlecraft De Gama - 2399 en route between Bajor and Deep Space Nine]

Lieutenant Ian Galloway looked at the helm displays and saw that he was just past the halfway point to DS9 and sighed.

"Three ruddy hours! You'd think with all the bloody technology of two bloody quadrants that there would be a way to shorten this bloody trip."

Ian was about to stand up to go to the replicator for something to drink when a voice behind him stopped him dead in his tracks.

"I might be able to help with that Lieutenant..."

[Battle Bridge]

Ian was idly running through maneuvers he would like to take the Tempest through when the Red Alert klaxon began to sound and snapped him back to reality.

"Bloody hell! Since when does a transport mission need a red alert on a ship as powerful as a Galaxy-class?"

Ian thought as he brought his station from standby to ready. Regardless of his minuscule role in operating the ship, he took his responsibilities very seriously and was ready should the unlikely event of him needing to pilot the ship occurred.

"Ya do the holodeck sims a hundred times and ya think yer ready, but nothing is like hearin' a real red alert for the first time. Ya have the trainin' and ya have the skills Laddy. Time ta shine."

He muttered and waited for orders.

[Battle Bridge]

Ian strained his ears and finally heard the ops officer and the lieutenant in charge of the Battle Bridge mention 'prisoner transfer' and this made Ian's eyes open wide.

"This must be one royal wanker of a prisoner ta rate a Galaxy-Class starship ta get tasked as a warp shuttle. Bloody hell, what a bloody let down."

Ian kept his thoughts to himself though and went through the motions of verifying the status of his station, because, he had little else to do when on duty now that his Academy courses were complete.

"I'm goin' ta have ta come up with a hobby project ta keep me occupied or I'm goin' ta be a regular visitor with the ship's bloody counselor."

[Ten Forward]

Ian was just finishing his second drink in celebration of his pending promotion to ensign with a crewman named S'Murr when he saw the lights behind the bar indicate yellow alert.

"Bollocks! There goes the celebration, looks like duty calls. My regular station is on the battle bridge. Ta fer drinkin' with me S'Murr and best of luck ta ya crewman!"

Ian then raced out of Ten Forward for the nearest turbolift.

[Battle Bridge]

Ian slowed from a full run, to a more dignified rapid walk just as he reached the sensor that opened the door and moved quickly to his station at the auxiliary conn's backup station. He sighed as he sat down.

"Back ta the arse end of the queue fer you lad. Things have ta have gone beyond hell in a hand basket fer me ta be pilot in command again from here."

He sighed again.

"But tell me if'n it wasn't glorious while it lasted eh lad?"

Ian then began looking surreptitiously at the ops station to see if he could figure out what was going on.

[Ten Forward]

Ian tossed back his own drink and smiled at S'Murr.

"Aye, now that's a toast I can get behind."

Ian's face clouded momentarily again as he replied.

"Tis far too true. Families are.... complicated."

However, before Ian could ask if S'Murr wanted another round, he saw the lights indicating yellow alert.

"Bollocks! There goes the celebration, looks like duty calls. My regular station is on the battle bridge. Ta fer drinkin' with me S'Murr and best of luck ta ya crewman!"

Ian then raced out of Ten Forward for the nearest turbolift.

[Ten Forward]

Ian reached the bar along side S'Murr and signaled to the bartender to bring two more. As he waited, he smiled as he scanned the room.

"You know Lad, when you think about it, the Federation tis truly an amazin' thing. Time was when humans couldn't get along among themselves because of differences in culture, religion, or even because of summat as daft as havin' another skin tone! Can ya believe that? I can see hatin' a man because he'd done something to ya, but because of  the color of his skin was different than yours? It boggles the mind, but before I get too side tracked, my point was, after a background like that, here we are, you and me havin' a drink together even though we'd be hard pressed to be two different sorts of folk. And that's what's so amazin' about the Federation in general and Starfleet in specific."

Ian paused as the bartender returned with the drink order.

"So here's ta dreamin' big Mister S'Murr, chief engineer of the USS summat or another!"

[Crew Quarters]

"Computer, begin personal log."

Ian was lounging on the couch in his room in his cadet uniform with an enormous smile on his face.

"I've just received the best bloody news ever and am so chuffed, I'm not sure there enough words in Federation Standard ta say all I have ta say.

"First off, the Exec called me into a meetin' of the seniors regardin' an encounter with a USS Tempest from a timeline where our ship crashed in the past. Fer my first chance ta interact with the seniors, I have ta say I don't rightly know what ta say. Fer experienced officers, they took ta bickerin' like one of Grand's quiltin' bees over what ta do. Half were hell bent ta save our ship and timeline, the other half just as hell bent ta save the timeline of the others. It got so heated that even I got ta have some input tryin' ta shoot down some bollocks regardin' a bloody predestination paradox.

"Despite all that wiffordil, after the meetin', the Exec actually had me take over as helmsman on the main bridge! Imagine that? Me, a cadet pilotin' a Galaxy-Class explorer. I even got ta maneuver fer battle when the alternate Tempest fired on us ta keep us from collapsin' their timeline. There was another row on what ta do next when a ship from the bloody future Temporal Investigations branch showed up and dragged the other Tempest back ta wherever the hell the damn thing needed ta be.

"However, the best part of the day, despite all that I already mentioned, is that I got my results from my Starfleet finals, and I am now an Ensign! There's goin' ta be a ceremony later ta make it official, but I've done it! After all the heartbreak from Gaffer when I chose Starfleet over the company, I've taken the first step towards the center seat that is my ultimate goal. Maker knows how long that will take, but I am now actually on my way."

Ian paused and took a deep breath before continuing as he had spoken almost with a break once he started talking.

"I guess that's enough for a first entry, but I just couldn't hold today's events in any longer. I'm still not certain I believe it all myself, and I was there, but it happened, and now it's part of the ship's log."

Ian leaned back with the same beaming smile he'd had on his face since leaving the bridge, but couldn't think of anything else to add that didn't sound either egotistical or repetitious, so he simply added.

"Computer. End log."

Ian then stood and headed for Ten Forward.

"Now ta celebrate!"

[Bridge]

Will let out an internal sigh. K'lizh was right, Temporal Investigatons would be here regardless. "Very well, Mister K'lizh, prepare a Temporal Shield Core. Tactical, stand down. Mister Galloway, return us to our previous position."

"Computer, go to Yellow Alert" He said as he settled back in the chair, for now.

"Return to our original position aye Sir."

Ian replied automatically as he was still keying inputs to the helm to slowly back the Tempest to where the future version of the ship had fired.

"Sure seems ta be a lot of thinkin' and far less doin' on the main bridge than I would have thought, but I wouldn't be anywhere else in the galaxy right now."

Despite being fascinated by seeing how the command structure of the ship functioned, Ian's mind wandered once it became apparent that combat was not going to happen.

"I wonder when the results of the academy finals will post? If I get at least an eighty-five percent, I'll complete my field training and will finally be an ensign in Starfleet."

[Fleet Applications - Join Here!]

Ian Galloway is imaged by Justin Chambers

[Bridge]

Ian listened to yet another disagreement break out between the seniors with half an ear as he focused on keeping the future Tempest centered in the viewscreen to make targeting easier for tactical.

"Is this what movin' up the chain is all about, a never endin' row of what we can and can't do? One might think that stayin' below decks might not make life easier."

[Briefing Room]

Will had just watched the Cadet leave when he felt the ship shake and klaxons sound. He had a pretty good idea of what was going on and he wasn't about to let it continue.
[Bridge]

Will entered the Bridge and made his way to the center of it. "Tactical, please inform the Torpedo Bays to prepare a full spread, maximum yield. I don't intend to be shot at again without being ready to give it back."

He directs his next orders to the Helm, where he found Ian. "Cadet, please align us as to provide a clear line of fire to the other ship's Engine Room."

[Bridge]
"Maneuvering for clear line of sight to engines aye!"

Ian barked and felt the Tempest respond to his commands with all the grace of a ballerina.

"Aye Lass, sweet as ye please."

He murmured as the ship pivoted and he waited for the next command.