It was January of 2377. Captain Grasmick had just celebrated his 36th birthday. However, he was wondering where he was going in life, whether or not he was running out of time. He was wondering if he would ever get that family of his own that he always wanted. He did become at starship captain, something that he has always dreamed of. But, he thought something was missing.
"I don't know Tac," Grasmick said to his tactical officer, "Starfleet wants us to go to Starbase 979, but to do what? Bennett said that we just go there and wait."
"Admiral Bob didn't say for how long?" Tac asked.
"Nope. We just go there and sit on our ass." Grasmick replied.
"Captain Markston commands 979, he always wanted a ship to go with his Starbase, you don't think he's apt to taking the Sovereign, do you?" Tac said.
Grasmick replied, "Probably, Markston always has held a grudge against me for some reason or another, I think it goes back to the Academy. The whole lower classman beating an upper classman at the biggest contest between cadets ever thing might have an effect on it."
"Could be, you sure embarrassed the hell out of him," Tac checked the time, "Got to run, I've got get ready for the new security personnel that come aboard when we rendezvous with the Paramount tonight."
Grasmick chuckled, "I hate crew rotations just as much as you do. Hell, at least we give our people a choice if they want to stay, go, or 'will go wherever we send them.'"

"Paramount to Sovereign, we're ready to begin simultaneous transport," an officer on the Paramount said.
"We're beginning transport, Sovereign out," Tumok said,
"Tumok to Grasmick, the new crewmembers are beaming aboard."
"Acknowledged. Have them all report to the crew lounge, I'll brief them there." Grasmick replied.
Wilson chimed in, "Skipper, do you think we'll be able to cram 100 people in there?"
"Tac, well, perhaps, maybe, yes we will. Don't confuse me please."

The new crewmembers made it all to the Sovereign's lounge. Most of them had never seen a Sovereign-class starship before, let alone been on one. A lot of them met each other for the first time, others would just comment on the sights.
Two of them began a conversation, "My sister helped build this ship."
"Really?" someone replied.
"Yep. These ships are so, well, big. I've been on bigger, though. I just transferred here from the Venture."
"Galaxy-class, those are rather big."
"Not as long as this USS Sovereign, but thicker. I heard our new captain has been on two different Galaxy's."
"He has. The Enterprise and the Galaxy."
"How'd you know that?"
"I went to school with him for a couple of years."
"Really now? Is he easy to get along with?"
"Yeah, but he is rather crazy."
"Is that good or bad?"
"That depends on you. He's one of my best friends."
"That's good. Oh my, where are my manners? My name is Talia." Lieutenant Winters extended her arm to shake her new friends hand.
Her new friend returned the gesture, "Melissa."

Grasmick and Ryan walked into the lounge. "Attention on deck," Ryan shouted out. The new crewmembers, with Talia and Melissa in the front row, jumped to attention. "Carry on," Grasmick said, "Welcome aboard the Sovereign. I'm Captain Brandon Grasmick, I'm your new commanding officer," Grasmick noticed a familiar face sitting in the front row, "I feel it necessary to inform you all that we get the toughest missions that are available. We see combat, diplomacy, exploration, first contact, water balloon fights with the Mystic, snowball fights with the Leeds, baseball games with DS9, and paintball wars with the Akaria. Don't take your assignment here lightly, it will be a challenge, but I do firmly believe that all Starfleet officers and enlisted personnel need to have a little fun. Does anyone have any questions?"
A few hands went up, including Talia's. Grasmick pointed at her.
"Yeah?"
"Sir, may I ask what our current mission is?" Lt. Winters asked.
"We're on our way to Starbase 979, we'll find out there." Grasmick replied.
Grasmick was about to take another question when the intercom interrupted him, "Bridge to Grasmick, you have an incoming priority one message from Admiral Bennett."
"Put it through down here, Tumok. Grasmick out," Grasmick turned towards Commander Ryan, "Alex, set up a secure commlink with the Admiral in the anteroom," Grasmick turned back towards the crowd,
"Ladies and gents, I have a phone call. If any of you have any questions, speak to your department heads, Commander Ryan, or try to get in to see me if you would like. Dismissed."
Grasmick knew that that friend of his in the front row was Melissa Teahon.

"Their not acknowledging any of our hails, let alone following protocol for this type of situation. Markston is a good officer, so something must be wrong." Bennett said.
"What do you suspect, Bob?" Grasmick asked.
"As of now, nothing. There have been suspected Shadow scouts intercepted by perimeter police ships, but nothing more." Bennett replied.
"Natural phenomena?" Grasmick asked.
"Something similar to the energy ribbon that you and the Enterprise-D encountered before destruction. Hell, it may even be the same one." Bennett said.
Grasmick pondered that thought for a minute, "If it is the Nexus, and a stone-hearted Shadow operative gets in, ignores the enchanting experience that he would be subjected to, and goes back or even forward in time to change history, it could be a disaster for the Federation."
"Picard had a hard enough time leaving his experience. I'll brief him, he may have information to contribute. In the mean time, good luck. Bennett out." Grasmick watched the Federation symbol appear on the monitor.
"The Nexus?" Commander Ryan asked.
"It is an energy ribbon, if a ship approaches it, chances are it will be destroyed. Although, it can take a life form and phase it out of our space-time continuum. Jean-Luc described his experience as incredible, like being wrapped in joy. Time has no meaning there, which explains how he met Jim Kirk." Grasmick explained.
"Kirk?" Ryan exclaimed.
"Alex, remember how the Enterprise-B rescued passengers from a transport ship on her maiden voyage? Kirk..." Ryan interrupted Grasmick.
"Kirk modified the main deflector, and the ship was hit by an energy tendril, opening the hull, and taking Kirk with him. I always wondered how that happened." Ryan said.
"Yeah," Grasmick tapped his commbadge, "Grasmick to bridge, increase speed to Warp 9."
"Acknowledged, Captain. ETA to Starbase 979, 6.59 hours." Tobin said.
"Thank you, Emony," Grasmick turned back to his first officer,
"Simply the thought of the Nexus and Shadows together makes this mission 10 times the difficulty it needs to be. That, and two other things."
"And those would be?" Ryan said.
"A friend of mine who just transferred in out of SSOS, and you." Grasmick said.
"Brandon, I agree with Sam. Sometimes I think you lost whatever friggen marbles you ever had." Ryan said.
Grasmick laughed, "Alex, you tell Tac that I want them back. Moving on, what the hell are you still doing here?"
Ryan was stunned, "Sir?"
"You've been offered the Springfield." Grasmick said.
"I've chosen not to accept promotion to captain at this time." Ryan replied.
"Slow down, they offer you the Springfield, a ship if I'm not mistaken is named after the city on Earth where you live, and you turn down the chance to become Captain Alexandra Ryan? There are tons of the younger set that are roaring up, and snatching command positions. Myself included, I am a tad younger then you. I can't order you to take your own ship, but I do order you to reconsider." Grasmick said.
Ryan sighed, "Aye, sir."
"Good. Go brief the rest of the senior staff, you need practice if you ever are going to command your own ship. I have a friend to play with, she needs to learn what the real Starfleet is like, and there is no better way to initiate a former SSOS agent into mainstream then to play with their head." Grasmick said.

Lt. Winters and Teahon were eating snacks in Teahon's quarters, "So anyway, what do you think our mission is? I mean, you've obviously been in Starfleet longer then I have. I thought you might know something." Winters asked.
Teahon replied, "Talia, I've seen so much crap, I don't know what to expect for one moment to the next."
Winters chuckled, "I guess I've been spoiled all my life. My dad is the captain of the Lakota, I hear a little of everything from him."
Teahon was about to say something when the doorbell chirped, "Come in."
Grasmick walked in the door, "I trust I'm not disturbing you Commander?"
"Oh no, Captain, you aren't. I was just eating with the lieutenant here." Teahon said.
"I see," Grasmick said, "Lieutenant, can you step outside for a minute? I need to speak with Lt. Commander Teahon in private for a moment."
"Aye, sir." Winters stepped outside Teahon's quarters.
"Brandon, if you are here to drive me on SSOS, now isn't..." Grasmick interrupted Teahon.
"That's right! Now isn't the best time," Grasmick handed Teahon a PADD which she began reading, "I know you're here as a regular assignment, I could use your SSOS analytical skills. What do you make of our situation, Melissa?"
Teahon read over the PADD, "Anything involving the Shadows makes me suspicious. You do know that Markston is former SSOS?"
Grasmick was shocked, "No, I didn't. That factoid could throw a monkey wrench in the whole operation."
"You think Markston is a Shadows sympathizer?" Teahon asked.
"If I were a Ferengi, but I'd nearly put money on him somehow being involved in Starbase 979's disappearance. We get there in 30 minutes; I want you on the bridge. You work in Mr. Wilson's department, and he'll get you assigned to a station. He has at least 3 other people, not counting himself, on the bridge at all times. He knows you will be there." Grasmick said.
"Right. Well, the two of us have sure come a long way from Gering High School Track." Teahon commented.
"To far sometimes. Hell, I really don't know. I've got so many piles of PADDs on my desk it isn't even funny. Remind me, we need to play with RJ's head next time we make it by Earth." Grasmick said.

"Entering the Tounlati system, sir." Tobin announced.
"Thank you, Old Man. Tac, hail the Starbase." Grasmick said.
"Hailing them," Tac tried for a minute, "No answer sir."
"Tumok, tell me about Starbase 979." Grasmick ordered.
Tumok replied, "Starbase 979 is a modification-4 Spacedock, meaning it is a modification of the original design enlarged to the size that can support Galaxy-class starships. Other then that, there is nothing fascinating about this facility."
Grasmick paused for a minute, and then asked, "What about natural phenomena in the system?"
Tumok pressed a few buttons on his panel, "Fascinating. The energy ribbon known as the Nexus is due to pass through this system in 3.67 hours."
"Oh, fun," Grasmick thought to himself.
Tac interrupted, "My scans are complete, and you won't believe this."

"How the hell is that possible?" Admiral Bennett asked.
"Don't look at me, Bob. Tac's scans first found it, and then the away team proved it, the Starbase is completely abandoned."
"How many people do you have on the station?" Bennett asked.
"Just my chief engineer and a few security people. I have them investigating ops to find out where everyone went. There weren't any ships docked here, and all the escape pods are in place," Grasmick was interrupted by the doorbell chirp of his ready room door, "I'll get back to you, I've got someone knocking on my door. End transmission,"
Grasmick waited a moment, "Enter."

Peterson walked into Grasmick's ready room, "You won't believe this."
Grasmick looked at his chief engineer, "What did you find, Aaron?"
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Their sensor logs for the past 7 weeks have been erased." Peterson said.
"Erased? Damn. Tumok took a shuttlecraft to Tounlati 4. His scans indicated something under construction. It didn't surprise me at first until I checked with the Starfleet Corps of Engineers. We aren't building jack shit on any planet near here for a radius of 18 light-years." Grasmick said.
"Which means?" Peterson asked.
"Shadows. Has to be," Grasmick tapped his commbadge, "Grasmick to bridge, move us into an orbit of Tounlati 4, half impulse."

"Captain, answer me this, who had the dumb idea to put the Starbase on the outer edge of the system, instead of close to the planets like they should have?" Tac asked.
"Someone who had been drinking, I'd guess. Tumok?" Grasmick said.
"The Nexus ribbon is approaching, Captain." Tumok said.
"Tobin, full stop. We'll watch this spectacular looking bundle of energy before we continue on to Tounlati 4."

"Have they spotted us?" Louis Torvan asked.
"We're cloaked, moron. AND hiding just out of reach of the Nexus." James Markston said.
"Hey, you ARE the 'former' Starfleet officer, Markston." Torvan said.
"AND an avid hater of Grasmick." Markston commented.
"True. Let's stop for a minute, do you think your crew had any indication that we were going to execute them?" Torvan asked.
"No, I only told them," Markston said, "Let's destroy the Sovereign, shall we?"

The ribbon was passing over the Sovereign, "Captain, I am detecting something which might be a ship stuck in the ribbon." Tac said.
"Red alert, Tobin take us in." Grasmick said

Markston chuckled, "Like lambs to the slaughter. De-cloak, open fire."

"SSOS battleship! They're firing," Tac announced as the Sovereign took a hit, "They're leaving, but we aren't."
"We're caught in the gravimetric distortions, aren't we?" Grasmick asked.
The Sovereign was rocked by a distortion, "What ever gave you that idea?" Tac said sarcastically.
"Lucky guess. Tumok, can we break free?" Grasmick said.
"Not without creating a disturbance in the distortions." Tumok replied.
Grasmick thought for a short moment, "Photon torpedo. I'll be in the aft torpedo bay. Number One, try to keep the ship intact until I get back."

Grasmick grabbed and engineering kit and got working on a torpedo,
"Bridge, can you hold this ship relatively steady?"
"I don't think so, Skipper." Tobin said.
"Try to old man, I'm almost finished with this torpedo." Grasmick said.

"Forty-five seconds till structural collapse." Tumok announced.
Ryan was starting to worry, "Bridge to Captain Grasmick."
"Alex?" Grasmick said.
"I don't know how much longer I can hold her together." Ryan said.
Grasmick finished modifying the torpedo, "Alright, let's go!"
"Tac, load that torpedo and fire!" Ryan ordered.
"Firing!"

The explosion behind the Sovereign sent Grasmick flying into a bulkhead.
"Grasmick to bridge, did it work?"
"Like a hot knife through butter! We're breaking free!" Tac said.
Their celebrations were to be short lived, as the Sovereign was rocked by a blast.
Ryan was startled, "What the hell was that?"
Tumok spoke first, "We were hit by an energy bolt from the Nexus."
"Any damage?" Ryan asked.
Again, Tumok spoke first, "We seem to have taken some damage to a few of our weapons arrays," Tumok brought the list up on his console,
"Port/Aft Phaser on the saucer section, Starboard/Aft on the stardrive section, and..." Tumok was purely shocked even in the midst of his Vulcan logic, "and Aft torpedo."
Tac was more shocked then anyone, "Wilson to Captain Grasmick. Captain Grasmick, please respond," Wilson was close to tears, "Alex, have Peterson meet me in the aft torpedo bay. Tobin, Teahon, come with me."
Tac, Tobin, and Teahon ran to the turbolift.

The three of them walked into the aft torpedo bay, or what was left of it, and stared out into open space.
"At least the force fields are working," Tobin thought to herself, "I don't plan on being sucked out into space."
Peterson joined them a moment later, "My God, was anyone in here?"
Tac was in tears, "Aye."
The four of them knew that their old friend and Captain was dead. All they could do is watch the stars go by, as they still had a job to do at Tounlati 4.

Grasmick was dizzy; someone or something was spinning him around in a circle. He couldn't see because he was blindfolded. He for a strange reason felt no fear.
"What is this? Where am I?" he said.
He took off the blindfold. He was still spinning, but he could see light and what looked like two people. He finally came to a stop, and two people, teenagers he thought, came running up to him.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS, PAPA!" they screamed as they ran up and began hugging him.
"Is this the Nexus?" Grasmick thought.
Grasmick didn't care, these were his children, and although he had never seen them before, he knew all about them; their names, their age, everything.
"Merry Christmas to you too!" Grasmick hugged back. He had two kids, a boy and a girl, that looked high school age.
"Daddy, I hope you aren't mad that I invited my boyfriend over for Christmas dinner?" his daughter asked.
"Stephanie, how many times have a told you that it was my idea?" Grasmick said.
His son was tearing open a present, "Dad, this is a PADD. We have tons of these."
"Read it, Gary." Grasmick told him. He thought of how it came about that he named his son after his father.
Gary began reading the PADD, "From Captain BM Grasmick to Gary Grasmick, this message is to inform you that your application to the Starfleet ROTC unit at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln has been accepted. Congratulations! HOLY CRAP! I made it!"
Grasmick heard a voice coming from the other room, a woman. "Calm down, Gary."
The woman walked into the room, "Steph, go answer the door, your boyfriend is here. Dinner is ready everyone!" Stephanie went to answer the door and Gary ran to the kitchen.
Grasmick stared at the woman, whom he knew was his wife. He recognized the face from his own high school days. They took each other's hand.
"You look thirsty, Brandon. We do have that bottle of Chateau Picard," she said.
"That would be perfect." Grasmick said.
As Grasmick's wife went to get the champagne, he began sipping on a glass of a cola he had been working on. He stared at the Christmas tree, and heard a knock on the door. Noticing no one was answering it, he did.
"Sammy, what the hell are you doing here?" he said to Tac.
"You and your wife told me to come, remember? Excuse me a minute, I gotta use the toilet." Tac said as he ran off.
Grasmick looked outside a window at snow glistening on a tree strung with lights He said to himself, "This is not my time, I shouldn't be here."
"At least you shouldn't be here yet, Captain," someone said.
Grasmick was startled to see his friend, Jean-Luc Picard.
"Jean-Luc, what are you doing here? Last I knew you were..." Grasmick said.
Picard interrupted Grasmick, "On the Enterprise? No, what you see is an echo of myself that was left behind."
"After you left the Nexus."
"Exactly. Brandon, there are people on the Sovereign who need your help."
"I want to stay here, I have a family."
Grasmick's wife shouted out from the other room, "Dinner's ready, Brando!"
"See what I mean, Jean-Luc?" Grasmick said.
"Yes, but look at Tounlati 4 and see what I mean. You don't need to leave the Nexus yet, just look." Picard then vanished.
Grasmick's wife walked up to him, "Aren't you hungry?"
Grasmick kissed her on the cheek, "I'll be there in a minute."
She smiled, and went to the dining room.
Grasmick thought to himself, "You are one sick bastard for leaving this," he then went to Tounlati 4. He didn't leave the Nexus, but saw what would happen if he didn't. He saw what looked like a planetary energy transmitter, transmitting energy to something in orbit. Jem'Hadar that the Shadows had bought from the Dominon heavily guarded the transmitter. He saw three ships in orbit, the Sovereign and two Shadow cruisers. He knew that the cruisers shields were practically invincible because of the energy from the transmitter. He saw the Sovereign be blown apart.

"Sammy, I need to know that you will be able to continue with your duties." Ryan inquired.
"I don't know. How would you feel if you just lost one of your friends?" Tac said.
"Tac, if you want time off, I'll give it to you. But I need your help on the bridge. Brandon trusted you at Tactical, and so do I." Ryan replied.
Tac sighed, "Ok, Alex, you've got me. Any response from Admiral Bennett yet?"
"He went into a damn near panic when I told him, after that, nothing." Ryan was interrupted by the intercom.
"Bridge to Commander Ryan, we are entering orbit of Tounlati 4."
"I'm on my way Tumok."

"Markston, the Sovereign is entering orbit." Torvan said.
"What? HOW THE HELL IS THAT POSSIBLE?" Markston said in a near panic.
"Your old friend Grasmick is how. The seem to have taken massive amounts of damage from the ribbon."
"Should be an easy kill then. I'm activating the power transmitter, and having it send its energy to the cruisers shields."
"I'll order them do de-cloak and begin attacking."

The Sovereign was shook by several weapons blasts.
Ryan screamed, "SAMMY?"
Tac replied, "Our weapons aren't doing jack squat," the Sovereign took several more hits, "Even our torpedoes aren't putting a dent in them. They're reinforcing their shields from somewhere on the surface."
Ryan made the decision to retreat, "Tobin, plot an escape course, Warp 5!"
"Warp drive is offline, we aren't going anywhere soon." Tobin replied.
"Tac, how did Grasmick pull off those miracles?" Ryan asked.

Grasmick left the Nexus for the reality of Tounlati 4. The Shadows had placed at least 500 Jem'Hadar around the energy transmitter. Grasmick wondered why the Shadows had bought Jem'Hadar from the Dominion
"Too chicken to fight for yourselves, eh?" Grasmick said to himself, "Had to buy these things from the Dominion, and probably made some of your own too."
Grasmick snuck through their patrols, and made it to the transmitter. He quickly found a power node. He knew he could probably pull it out, as this kind was hot swappable, but he thought of something different. He placed his commbadge on it and tapped it.

"Transporter room 3 to bridge, we're detecting the Captain's commbadge signal on the surface."
"What the devil?" Ryan thought, "Beam him up!"
"Standby," the transporter chief energized the transporter, "What the hell?"
Teahon and Tac were getting jumpy. Teahon spoke first, "What's going on down there?"
"No real problem, except what looks to be a power transfer node with the Skippers commbadge on it."
Tac got exited, "Alex! The shields are down on those cruisers!"
"FIRE!" she said.
Tac let loose with everything they had, blowing the two ships apart.
"Tac?" Ryan said.
Tac said, "I've located the power transmitter. It is surrounded my about 500 Jem'Hadar. There are also around 30 human life signs. Give me a minute to see if one of them is the Captain."

Grasmick realized they found him. He started to run, but realized they had him cornered. He wasn't shocked, however, when Markston and Torvan approached him out of the crowd.
"All cornered up and nowhere to go," Markston said.
Torvan said, "Killing you will be almost as fun as killing your father."
Torvan raised a phaser. Grasmick knew that there was no way out. He stared down the emitter of the phaser. Then, to his and everyone else's shock, he was picked up by a transporter.
Torvan dropped the phaser,
"NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Grasmick was sitting on an exam table in the Sovereign's sickbay when Commander Ryan, Teahon, and Tac walked in.
"What the hell was that?" Teahon asked.
"Something that took me to the gates of hell and back." Grasmick replied.
"I take it your Nexus experience was not a pleasing one." Ryan said.
"Alex, every time someone goes in that thing, they see something cool. I just saw what kind of life I, in theory, could have had if I wasn't so damn lazy and fearful of rejection my senior year of high school." Grasmick replied.
Tac was about to say something when the intercom interrupted him,
"Bridge to Wilson, you have an incoming subspace message for you from your father."
Tac said, "I've gotta go. Just you know Brandon, I know exactly what you're talking about."
"And what would that be then, Tac?" Grasmick asked.
"Something that you said not to reveal or you would have me shot." Tac replied.
"Get out of here, all three of you. I leave you alone for five minutes, and you put big holes in the hull of my ship." Grasmick said, and then they left.

Grasmick walked into his quarters, and sat down, staring out the window. He was tired of being alone.
"This has to end," he said.
He continued staring out of the window. He decided that it had to end.
"I'm tired of kicking my own ass for not doing what I should. This will end."
He got up and walked towards the window.
"I shall start with music, and figure out how this works," he said, "Computer, music, twentieth century Earth, FFH. Play selection "One Of These Days."