The phaser range was set up with holographic images of Jem'Hadar, each snarling soldier aiming his phaser up at the sole occupant of the room. The Jem'Hadar stood motionless in their angry poses, awaiting a phaser beam to their chest or head to make them dissipate into nothingness. But most of the projections would have a while to wait, because Owen Russell was no phaser marksman.

Russell had only recently been retrained for infantry purposes, serving in the artillery for most of his career. In training back at the academy, he had just barely passed his marksmanship tests, and now it was no different. Owen had fired numerous times, but quite often he would miss, or hit a less vital body area such the arm or stomach. Only once had he hit a Jem'Hadar in the chest, forcing the image to dissolve into thin air. Scowling, the Major lined up his sights with his static enemy, and prepared to fire again.

Entering the range, Vara paused for a moment, not wanting to disturb the Major as he took his shot, watching him closely to assess his stance and form. Even from where she was, she could tell he wasn't a marksman by far. Perhaps today wasn't a good day to check her tactical targeting systems...

Lining up his sights, Owen pointed his phaser at a crouching enemy soldier. Holding his breath, Owen fired, and a beam of light shot out of his phaser... only to hit his target in the arm. Swearing under his breath, Owen turned around, noticing another presence in the range. Facing the security uniformed woman behind him, he said "Good afternoon."

Nodding to the marine, Vara grabbed a phaser pistol off of the rack and headed to the line next to the man. He noticed her so there was no backing out now. "Hello, Major. Mind if I join you?" As much as she wanted to, she didn't want to correct him on his shooting - she didn't know how he'd take it yet.

"No, I don't mind, I just hope you have better luck than I've been having." Owen gave Vara a wry smile, flashing a set of pearly white, well brushed teeth. "I don't believe we have met before. I'm Major Owen Russell, commander of the marine detachment. And you would be..."

"Ensign Cho'ren, tactical and security." Vara paid little attention to his charming smile, offering a brief attempt of a smile of her own before leveling her phaser pistol at her waist and firing off half a dozen shots in quick succession, each shot hitting a holographic enemy square in the face. Nodding in satisfaction, she lowered her phaser and turned back to the Major. "Do you require assistance with your weapon?" she asked in an attempt to be polite. Social graces were far from her strong suit but with all the recent happenings, she needed to try to be more... Human...

Sputtering, Owen stammered "Well... Eh... Er..." It shocked him that the Ensign could be so accurate with her phaser, when he, a Major in the Marine Corps, could barely hit one target. It hurt his pride, but nonetheless the fact remained, he was not a good shot. Bowing his head in resignation, he said "I suppose I could, Ensign."

Taking his rifle, Vara looked it over for a moment and popped the front cover off to fiddle with the insides a bit. "These rifles are relatively accurate, but I'm not fond of the emitter arrays they use in them. They have too much flare at the muzzle and can cause the user to jerk a bit when they fire. One of the reasons I fire from the hip, actually." Closing the weapon back up, she handed it back to the Major. "Take your stance but don't lean into it and breathe normally. Don't aim, just stand there and feel the rifle."

Taking back the rifle, Owen made sure to keep breathing as he would, but he still was a bit puzzled. "How do you not aim? That does not make sense."

"I do aim. I'm Lagashi. The only one in this universe..." Vara was getting a bit melancholic again and had to shake it off. "Anyway, think Borg assimilated Khan Singh."

"Roger dodger." Owen tried 'feeling' the phaser, as Vara said. It just didn't add up for him. "Look, pardon me for being a bit slow, but could you show me how it's done?"

Pausing for a moment, Vara realized she didn't really know how to show him. She could move his body or she could grab a rifle as well but she just wasn't sure. Opting for the latter for professionalism, she grabbed a similar rifle to his off of the rack and leveled it downrange. "Your stance tells me you're expecting it to do something and you're too tense and trying too hard. Don't. see how lightly I hold the weapon? Treat it like you would your own hand or your foot." Flexing the fingers on both hands, she showed him she was supporting the whole thing with the front pads of one hand and her wrist with the other. "I'm not even pressing it against my shoulder. Just breathe normally as if you were reading a book or something. Keep both eyes open. Focus on your target and just let the rifle follow your gaze. When it feels natural, slowly pull the trigger with the expectation of nothing to happen."

"All right." Owen held the rifle up, loosening his muscles and using a light grip on the weapon. Breathing normally with both eyes open, Owen aimed, and fired at one of his targets. The beam hit the enemy in the stomach, right below the chest. Better, but still not great. "So I just continue doing that, and I'll get good at it?"

Vara nodded, satisfied with the results. "Keep it up until the weapon feels like it's a part of you rather than something you're holding. At that point it'll come naturally to you and you'll reflexively hit anything you want to in combat without thinking about it."

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Owen asked "How are you so accurate with a phaser, if I may ask? Anyone in security should be good with a phaser, but you're better than any security officer I've met, and the many marines I've served with."

"I'm Lagashi," Vara said simply as if that explained everything. "I have augments and radar and a supercomputer grown into my brainpan. I can calculate the trajectory of my weapon based on the feel of it in my hand and the trajectory of the enemy." Still looking at Owen, she raised the rifle she held with one hand and fired, striking a holographic enemy in the head. "I really just come here to make sure everything is still calibrated perfectly and how to shoot normally."

Owen turned and gawked as she so perfectly fired her phaser rifle into the enemy's head. "Just... Damn. That's ridiculous. A platoon of you Lagashi could wreak havoc on a battlefield."

"My people fought 6 wars against the Breen and live in pirate infested space. About half of our population is literally engineered for war." Vara said, setting the rifle back on the rack and turning back to Owen before she realized she was talking about them as if they still existed, a sadness flashing across her features for just a moment.

Owen took notice of her momentary change of expression. "I'm sorry, did I bother you?" If the subject was something she didn't want to talk about, so be it.

"No, it's ok..." Vara started saying with a slight quiver in her voice. "It's just a reminder that my people don't exist here in this parallel universe... They never left Earth during the Eugenics Wars."

"I understand. Don't think about it, it might help. Ignorance is bliss, you know what I'm saying?" Owen hadn't looked for news of his family in this reality, and he didn't want to. The knowledge might have been too much to bear.

"Family was everything to me though... I was having problems with contact with them before because I'm in Starfleet but now..." Looking a little lost, Vara took a deep breath and tried to renew her vigor. looking over the weapons rack absently.

"Gotcha." Noticing her glancing at the weapon rack, he asked "If you'd like, I can grab some of the marine weapons from the armory for you to test out here."

"No, that's ok," Vara said, picking up a random weapon - one of the few blast assault rifles Starfleet used for crowd control - and hefted it, pointing it down range. "None of the weapons I want to fire exist anymore."

Pointing his own weapon down range, Owen raised an eyebrow. "And which weapons are those?"

"Lagashi phased pulse weaponry. Specifically, the autorifle." Vara said as she looked over the rifle she was holding. "It may sound weird, but it was always my favorite and I was a bit sentimental about it."

Frowning, Owen asked "When was the last time you saw one of those?"

"During my weapons training when I was young on Lagashi Prime." Vara said somewhat wistfully. "The computer has the specs but I doubt you could properly make one from them."

"No, I wouldn't think so." Smirking, he asked "What made you go into security, besides the magic targeting computer in your head?"

Vara shrugged at the question, an uncharacteristic motion for her. "I was trained and augmented to fight the Breen and pirates, just like a lot of Lagashi women. As for why I joined Starfleet, it was more of a political and diplomatic thing involving a low but guaranteed continual income for my family. Anyway, I need to get back to work. Laters." And without another word or glance, she left the range.

Wandering into Main Engineering with a small case, Maica looked around for the blue skinned Chief Engineer, passing several people as she looked for him. Stopping a passing engineer she asked about Ari. "Excuse me, can you direct me to Lieutenant Zhuri?"

The young woman looked around for a moment, standing up on her tippy toes to try and see over the sea of people who were all milling around the room. "He's over there," she stated, pointing to the far side of the Warp Core where the man was signing a PADD and handing it back to an Ensign.

Not seeing where she had pointed, the shorter android just rolled with it. "Ah, thank you." she said, making her way towards the indicated area. Eventually, she made it to Ari, waving and smiling to him.

Arivek scrunched his forehead in confusion as he slowly waved back at the woman. "Good afternoon, Commander," he stated, unsure why the woman was down here.

"Do you have a minute?" Maica asked, holding the small case up and smiling. "I have something you might find interesting. Your office perhaps?"

"Of course," Arivek replied, shooing away another Ensign who was approaching him with a PADD. The man led the green woman through the crowd and into the office that sat to the side of the large doors that led out of the room.

"What's in the case?" he asked once they were both in the room and the doors had shut.

Opening the case and handing the blue crystalline device and a neural interface to Ari, Maica couldn't help but smile. "Something I hope you find interesting. It's an Orion Lightbee. It can create a holographic remote copy of a person for a few hours at a time. I figured you might find more uses for it than I ever did."

Arivek hesitated before he wrapped his fingers around the devices. "I don't understand," he said, bringing them close to his face for inspection. "They'd make a holographic copy of...me?"

Maica nodded. "Basically, the idea behind it was to be there for sex without actually being there. No pheromone contact and all that. It has a decent range so you could theoretically use it to go on away missions. I mean, Andy might have to modify it a bit to work with you, but you're a thinking breathing being so it might work straight out of the box..." Maica was rambling nervously. This was a gift to her from a special someone during a mission that never officially happened and the tech was still classified as far as she knew... but if it helped Ari out after that fiasco meeting, Maica considered it worth it. Besides, she had a favor to ask him later.

"So...my program would stay here," he said, holding up the crystal, "but a projection of me could exist away from the emitters?" he then asked, holding up the neural interface device.

"Correct," Maica confirmed, holding her breath and waiting for his reaction to finally settle in. Did he like it or did he not?

"How far can the two devices be away from each other but still hold the link? What happens if the link is broken? What happens to my matrix that's back on board? Does I just stand comatose in the middle of the room?" Arivek had so many questions, and he was turning the devices over and over in his hands.

"Range is about half an AU, there's only enough storage in it for physical representation data but it'll transmit the full range of senses for the most part. I've... I've used it to kinda have sex with myself..." Maica had to blush at that one, looking away. "I'm sure you could control your main body and it at the same time after a while. It's confusing at first..."

Arivek stood there in silence. It had been months since he had stepped outside of a Starfleet installation. And here in his hands was the closest thing he had to freedom. A single tear rolled down his cheek, and then another, and then another, until his entire body was shaking with sobs. He collapsed back into his chair and placed the items on the desk, covering his face as he wept.

"Umm... Are you ok? Do you need a moment?" Maica asked, genuinely worried now.

He held up his hand, shaking his head, "I'm ok," he said, taking quick breaths to calm himself down. "This is honestly the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. It's...freedom." He looked up at her, wiping the moisture from his face. "Thank you, Maica," he stated, standing and wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

Hugging back, Maica had to smile happily. "You're very welcome. Just don't spread word about it too much, ok? I'm sure the Orion Syndicate of any universe would hunt me down if they knew I had gotten that."

"This will be our secret," he said, glancing back at the two devices that sat on his desk.

"Thank you." Maica said happily. "I do have a favor to ask though. Do you remember those old environmental personal shields they used back in the 2250s?"

"Vaguely. Weren't they abandoned because the power requirements for a device that small?" Arivek took a deep breath. "Also, the filters could only protect against known threats, so any alien planet could still pose a threat to the user as it opens them up to a symphony of unknown elements."

"Exactly. It was either that or a severely limited air supply. Can I talk you into making one for me for this away mission? The known threat is Federation phaser fire." Maica spoke calmly and with a straight face as she asked this of Ari.

Arivek nodded. He knew what the away team was walking into and this request wasn't surprising. "Is that the only threat that you need to be protected against?" he asked, picking up a large PADD from his desk and began to write down notes to himself. "Are the phaser frequencies the same here as in our own universe?"

Maica nodded slowly. "I've calculated the probabilities of me being attacked or injured in any way and it comes down to me being shot. The phasers are from our universe. They're the ones we'll be taking with us. If things go poorly, there's about a 98% chance the Talosians will trick the others into firing on me."

Ari's hand stopped in mid-air. The realization of what the woman was saying finally hit him and it was shocking. "You don't honestly think..." but he didn't complete the thought. "You're right." He continued to type into the PADD. "How long until we reach Talos IV? This isn't going to be easy to create."

"Just under 2 days. And I might need 2 of them." Maica replied, still serious.

"Consider it done," Arivek replied, "I'll just need a full diagnostic of your body and I need to know who the other user will be." He looked up from the PADD. "The devices will need to be configured for each of your physiology."

"Both will be for me and all the data you need should be in the main computer." Maica said. "Any idea how well they would hold up against our explosive charges and grenades?"

"I can try my best with those, but I can't guarantee." Arivek leaned against the desk, "Why do you need two if they're both for you?"

Maica shrugged at the question. "Always have a backup? Can you guarantee one will be enough to protect me from half a dozen people firing on me with phasers set to kill? If so, one is enough."

"I never give guarantees. You'll have the devices before we reach the Talos star system."

Reaching up and leaning in, Maica kissed the blue man on the cheek. "Thank you. You're a lifesaver."

A half smile spread across the man's face. "Anything I can do to guarantee that everyone comes back safe from this suicide mission."

"Any chance of it not becoming that is worth it to me." Maica said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get several hypos and load them up with some alcohol and pepper juice."

Arivek nodded, heading towards the door. "Thank you again for the gift. I will treasure it."

"You're very welcome," Maica said happily as she too headed out of the office.

Aila had been by to see the Quartermaster, who promptly directed her to visit with the Captain. Apparently, there was a complication with her request to be provided single occupant quarters. The complication? There were none available. It wasn't that Aila was completely adverse to sharing quarters, she'd had a roommate during her first year at the academy. The options, so much as they were, were limited and none of which sounded all too appealing. Aila had a suggestion, but not one that the Quartermaster was willing to act upon until such time that she'd cleared it with Captain Kristopher Kerouac. So, leaving behind the excessively heavy canvas duffle in the corner of the Quartermasters office, Aila went in search of the Captain. He wasn't in any of the usual hiding spots; neither the bridge nor ready room, and she'd struck out at both the mess hall and gym. In an attempt to simplify the search, she'd relented and finally asked the computer for his current location, only to be directed to his personal quarters. In the academy, when it came to proper Starfleet decorum, she'd been instructed that there was always a time and place for all things. The commanding officer's quarters didn't seem like the place to have this discussion, but unfortunately the Quartermaster hadn't given her much time to seek out the Captain's approval. Now standing just outside the man's private escape from the rigors of duty and command, Aila extended a tentative hand, pressing the chime while an apprehensive sigh escaped between rose-stained lips.

Captain Kristopher Kerouac had just got out of his sonic shower. He was now freshly clean and feeling quite refreshed, and smoothly clean shaven. He had known that he was getting several new crew members as well as a mild resupplying. Drying off himself and his hair, the chime to his quarters rang and Kris quickly bent down and picked up some articles of clothing. It took him a couple minutes to make himself a little more presentable. "One moment" Kris said as he passed by the entrance to his quarters and slid an olive green shirt on. He zipped up and buttoned his pants but didn't bother to get socks on.

He headed back towards the door, unlocked it and pressed the control panel to open the door. Standing before him was a very young woman with red hair and rose-stained lips. It was not a face that he recognized, and though there were close to two hundred personnel serving aboard the Katana, the Captain made it an effort to try and get to know a significant portion of them. "Good evening" he said with a pleasant smile.

Aila returned the smile, "Hello!" She replied jovially, "Are you Captain Kerouac?" In most social situations, Aila did her best to refrain from making assumptions. From a cursory observation, this person could be either the commanding officer of the Katana, perhaps his exceptionally attractive (and hopefully) single son, or maybe his partner. In honesty, Aila hadn't the opportunity to research the Katana's senior staff; for all she new, this person was the executive sous chef. Although, if that were the case, engineering may need to be contacted to help fine-tune the computers' locator service. And, well, to be fair, the man was dressed in civilian clothing, which made a final determination all the more ambiguous. Rank pips were a perfect indicator of, both, title and position. This situation, however, warranted a hopeful guess.

"Kristopher or Kris will be fine" replied Captain Kerouac with a small yet warm smile. "I'm off duty and out of uniform. Formalities can be left on the Bridge" he added stepping aside and gesturing for the woman to come in. He had no idea who she was but she looked awfully young and acted as though she was a ball of energy. Hell, for all he knew she could have been a ball of energy taking on this form of a red haired young woman.

"Please, come in" he said politely. "If you are looking for the Captain...you've found him" he added softly.

Aila deflated slightly, her engaging smile faltering. "Oh..." There went the hope of a single son. Oh well. That was probably for the best, becoming romantically involved with the commanding officer's son was more than likely frowned upon. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." She extended a hand toward Kerouac, not quite certain of how to avoid pretense, even at the specific request of the commanding officer. As much as he may have preferred she refer to him by informal terms, her academy training prohibited such conduct, regardless of circumstance. "I hope that I'm not inconveniencing you by, um, visiting your personal quarters, sir." She took a tentative step forward, over the threshold and into the confines of the cabin, but just so.

Kris examined the girl's behaviors, her body posture, and how she chose her words carefully. Academy runt he thought after taking a few moments to study the woman. She's either an ensign freshly released from the confines of the Academy, or she's still in their. A Cadet? he pondered. "You are not intruding at all. My quarters are welcome to any and all. I just was not expecting a visitor with the crew on shore leave" he said with a small smile. "May I get you something to drink? What brings you to my quarters?" he added.

Aila paused, considering Kerouac's offer while at the same time taking a few steps further into the cabin. "Actually, yes." It was kind of him to invite her in, especially during shore leave that he was certain to have preferred spending elsewhere, or so she assumed. It wasn't that she wished to delay him from enjoying well-earned downtime, but she felt parched and a drink did sound rather nice, and, well, he was offering, hopefully not obligated by social convention. "That would be nice, thank you. A raspberry lemonade?" In the time it'd taken to reply, Aila had wandered into the living room area. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize the crew was enjoying shore leave." She remarked, eyes falling on a picture of Kerouac and another man. It was evident in the way they held one another, that the men were personally involved. "Whose this?" She asked, reaching for the frame and pulling it close so as to study it better. She'd completely forgotten Kerouac's latter question, finding that she was becoming increasingly immersed in the pictures and knickknacks and personal mementos that started to tell an intimate story about the man who was to become her commanding officer.

Kris had placed the request for a raspberry lemonade, and returned to find the young woman was making herself at home. She had picked up a picture that had been sitting displayed on a piece of furniture. Kris recognized what she had picked up and was examining. Her inquiry about it took Kris aback slightly, but he simply sat her cup down on in front of her on a table and smiled slightly. "His name is Uri Brennan. He was my fiancée, but that picture was quite some time ago" commented Kris, a small gleam of sorrow in his eyes for sure.

He shook it off and pushed on. "Uri and the starship that he was on went missing during the Dominion War, shortly after he asked me" explained Kris. Not wanting to really go into the subject matter too deeply, Kris proceeded onward. "Now, what brings you to my quarters?" asked Kris.

She remained silent for perhaps a second too long, uncertain of how to recover from a dreadful social folly. It was a heartbreaking situation. Death, that was difficult in-of-itself, yet finite in the way it provided an opportunity for the deceased's loved ones to move on with their respective lives. Yet, to have a loved one become literally lost, offered no closure what-so-ever. Loved ones would grieve and come to terms with the absence, but there would always be a small glimmer of hope that their loved one may return some day and it was that hope in-of-itself that was unbearable to cope with. It would allow an emptiness to fester over time, the uncertainty of the unknown feeding its ravenous complexity. "I-I'm sorry, sir, I didn't realize." She didn't push it further, hoping that her ignorance would be forgiven. Not even an hour on board and you may have already reopened delicate wounds... nice one, Aila. She inwardly chided, retrieving the proffered glass of lemonade and walking around the nearest chair. "My name is Aila Gilmore, sir, I'm the recent transfer from the Adelaide." She knew this introduction didn't exactly answer Kerouac's question, so she elaborated. "Ensign Colletare encouraged me to visit with you before making any final decisions on crew accommodations as, well, to be quite honest, sir, I'm having a bit of difficulty deciding what might be best and thought you could help to figure it all out." She finished, nervously sipping the sweet beverage.

"Ah yes, Cadet Gilmore" said Kris with a small smile. "I remember reading something about you coming aboard. It was something that Commodore Larkon had arranged with someone. I am afraid that I was not informed on much about you or your time aboard Adelaide. However, I would be more than happy to help you find your place here aboard my starship, Cadet" added Kris who had taken a seat and gotten comfortable.

Aila offered an apologetic expression, "My time on board the Adelaide was brief, sir." She started, "And, well, not necessarily an experience that I care to remember. An error made by the Department of Personnel and, thankfully, corrected rather quickly thanks to the help of this Commodore Larkon." She wasn't aware of whom the Commodore was, but exceptionally appreciative of their efforts in helping her to be reassigned so expeditiously. "In truth," she paused, exhaling deeply while visibly deflating, "I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a bit scared. So far, this great experiment hasn't turned out so well." She referenced the academy's distance learning pilot program. "I'm afraid that, if I should be sent away from a second assignment, they'll rethink my participation and recall me to Earth." A shaky hand placed the half-consumed beverage aside. "I'd hate to be such a disappointment." She shifted nervously in the chair, confused as to whether such a confession was meant to help or harm.

"You are not going anywhere, Cadet. I promise you. Whatever misunderstandings, poor communication, or past transgressions that you may or may not have had aboard the Adelaide or at the academy, you are safe aboard the Katana. I will not turn you away and I will not send you back to Earth" replied Kris. He shook his head. "It is alright to be scared, but I do not give up on my crew, and you are now a part of this crew. So, let's work together to make your time aboard memorable and educational" said the Captain with a warm smile. "You are part of this family now" added Kris.

Still weak, and a bit drained from the experience of waking up, Konora was dealing with her new side...personality and everything. There were a lot of questions in her mind, both about the universe, and about what happened to cause this polar shift in her, but one thing was clear. Konora was too...foreign to her now. Too alien. She needed to change her first name.

And, since it had been a while removed from her seeing the Captain, the man she'd help save before, she figured it was time for a visit. Now, was he home? or otherwise occupied? The female paused outside his door before ringing the chime.

Kris was still trying to figure things out. So much was going on and it all seemed to be dumped on his all of a sudden. He needed to figure out where he and his crew stood in this place. His crew was still his crew and he was still their Captain. It was just that their home was so far gone, out of reach and potentially, they would never get home. Can we really make this place home? Kris rose to his feet and headed towards his door, answering it himself at the ringing of the chime.

"Lieutenant Storm?" said the Captain, taken aback slightly. "Please, come in. May I help you with something?"

"I'm sorry to intrude.." Konora mumbled, nodding softly as she stepped inside. "Kind of..I need someone to talk to, but not a counselor..and I'm wondering if you'd know what I needed to do to change my first name? I'm thinking about that, haven't decided for sure.."

Kris looked at the woman and smiled. He was sure his facial expression showed his surprise, but now he was just curious. "Oh? A name change?" he said genuinely interested. "Are you on the run from Ferengi debt collectors? Orion pirates, or Flaxian bounty hunters?"

"Would that it were so glorious.." She muttered, leaning against the wall. "I think I'm on the run from myself. Since the incident..I've felt such a revulsion from my other side. Perhaps the trauma brought out my human side, but put it simply, I'd thought of changing it to something more...human."

"We have counselors for that" replied Kris though he knew all too well that she had come to him to avoid having to go to Lia. "I'm sorry. I am feeling a bit on edge as of late. I never changed my name, but I understand running from yourself" said Kris. "I am still running to be honest."

"I know." She murmured, brushing her hair out of her face. "I won't pry. But I'm just feeling rather bad about the whole incident. And I think it brought out my human side a lot. So now I'm all confused and shit.." she mumbled.

"You aren't prying" replied Kris. "I spent most of my life before Starfleet Academy on a horrible planet, a lost Federation colony. It was a place of crime and murder, drug use and life...it was rough" explained the Captain.

"Times were hard here too...only having one parent to raise you and being torn between two paths. I did my best but at some point in my life I thought little of emotion or weakness..being a veteran of the dominion war doesn't help either."

Kris smiled just a little as he looked at the woman once again. The War thought Kris with a sigh. "There's a human expression...very old and dated. Preaching to the choir" commented Kris with a nodding motion. "I know how being a veteran of the Dominion War is like and I know that being torn between paths can be quite difficult."

The Captain looked at the woman who was clearly a little emotional and frustrated. "Come, have a seat and let's talk. I know you and I are similar. We aren't really the counselor type" he added.

Aila was running late, well perhaps not so much late. Rather, she wasn't as early as she would have preferred. The result of snoozing the alarm one too many times, Aila was tasked with speeding through her morning routine. Thankfully, after a shower the night before, she forwent that specific task on the list, which went a great deal in allowing her to focus on the others. She'd had enough time to press a clean uniform, polish a pair of boots, tame her mop of fiery red locks, and even go so far as to apply a small amount of make-up. All-in-all, she'd done quite well under the circumstances. Unfortunately, this hadn't left enough time for her to grab a bite to eat. Instead, she made a rather hasty trip through the mess hall, if but only to fill two metal thermos with fresh coffee. She wasn't sure if her training officer even liked coffee, but thought the gesture would be appreciated none-the-less and, if not, at the very least, one of the other security officers on duty would be able to enjoy it.

Entering the security offices, the activity level was of stark contrast from the day before. Several crewmen had gathered in the main cabin, a culmination of gamma and alpha shift personnel that were preparing for the change-of-shift debrief. Aila sidled past a trio of whom were gossiping about some sort of entertaining exchange that had occurred the night prior at something called the "Captain's Ball". She merely offered a polite smile and innocent shrug of shoulders in reply to their curious expressions, trying to blend into the background slightly, which was a bit difficult to accomplish with hands grasping a handle to either thermos and, well, the cadet's uniform was a prominent giveaway to the peculiarity of her being there.

Noticing the entry of the Cadet, Vara moved to intercept her new charge for the day. "Cadet Gilmore, I assume? I'm Ensign Cho'ren. You'll be with me today." Vara was a bit gruff this morning. She wasn't entirely happy about being put on light duty for the day, but she'd still be ready in case anything happened none the less. Looking the cadet over, she wondered just how good this newest cadet would end up.

"Hello, ma'am." Aila was a bit taken aback, not by Vara's brusque greeting, but more so from the strikingly captivating copper-color of the woman's eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She extended one of the thermos's toward the ensign. The gruffness she was accustomed to, it was a regular occurrence most cadet's encountered on a daily basis during their time at the academy. Aila was quite astute when it came to the ranking of cadets in the overall hierarchy of things, those on the Adelaide had taken a perverse pleasure in reminding her of such as often as was possible. She hoped this experience was going to be vastly different. "Whats on the agenda for today?" She wondered curiously, sipping a swallow of warm liquid from the steaming mug of coffee as her own grey-colored eyes glimpsed what may have been a mechanical device protruding from the woman's neck, just above the collar. Aila didn't recognize the species, which wasn't at all surprising considering how very diverse the Katana's population was turning out to be. The color of the woman's eyes and now the epidermal fixture were enough to compel her to ask. "Your eyes are radiant and beautiful, do many from your species share a similar attribute?" Her question was diplomatic, sure, but seemed oddly out-of-place after quickly following the first.

Vara carefully watched the cadet look her over, taking the offered thermos. Did this cadet normally drink this much coffee in the morning? "Many Lagashi do for the simple fact that that's the optimum color of our forward combat oriented optical implants." Pulling her hair back, she showed off the black translucent radar array on the back of her neck. "I also have eyes in the back of my head and no I'm not Borg. I'm Lagashi." Letting her hair drop, Vara motioned towards the door. "Our first task is the security check of the ship. It's a good chance to familiarize you with everything as well so it'll take a lot longer than usual."

Her jaw literally hung loose. She'd heard of the Lagashi species, if only through rumor and speculation; they were a recent member to the United Federation of Planets, although treated with a certain level of distrust due to their affinity for integrating technologies into their physiological and biological construct. That was all she knew and now that Aila was standing less than a meter away from a bonafide Legashi, she could hardly conceal her excitement. "Eyes. In the back of your head. Seriously?" The young cadet tilted her head, trying to catch a glimpse of the woman's posterior orbits. The gesture was less than inconspicuous and relatively bold, yet Aila could hardly be restrained. "Are they the same color? Are they organic or biomechanical? Where you born with them or did you have them, um, installed? Oh!" Her eyes widened with excitement, "How do you keep your hair from obscuring your vision?" A passing security officer chuckled, offering Vara a sympathetic smile. "So, like, they must really help you in the field, don't they?" Aila wasn't intentionally trying to be rude. Under most circumstances, she was diplomatically urbane in social situations. Vara, however, was the singular representation of what had compelled her to consider joining Starfleet in the first place, to learn more about and better understand the unknown. At present, Vara was the unknown and Aila was thirsty for knowledge.

Vara stared at this rather hyper cadet as she rattled off all these questions, resisting the urge to just turn off her auditory senses. This was seriously going to be a long day. "It's a figure of speech. I have a tactical omni-radar built into the base of my skull. I have a question for you, if you have time to answer it between your own questions." Holding up the thermos she was holding, Vara raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Do you normally drink this much coffee or is today just special?"

"Oh!" Aila giggled, "You were speaking metaphorically, well, I mean about having actual eyes in the back of your head. I thought you were being serious." She took another sip of coffee, pretty certain she wasn't making the best of first impressions, yet not completely failing at it either. Aila glanced from the thermos to Vara, confused for a moment until realizing that the Legashi had only been holding the mug and hadn't yet sipped its contents. "Oh goodness no, I'd be buzzing about like an annoying little mosquito if I drank this much coffee in a day. That one's for you." Her eyes were telling, completely engaged in the exchange between she and the more experienced Ensign. "Unless you don't like coffee, in which case, I'm sorry... I just thought it'd be a rather pleasant way to start the day, especially if you've not had any yet this morning. Unless you have, in which case you may not want another or maybe you'd prefer tea?" Aila bit at her bottom lip, brow furrowed with uncertainty. "Sorry, I tend to ramble a bit when I'm nervous. And, I'm nervous... if you couldn't tell." She ground her teeth together, an expression of apprehensiveness.

Vara was starting to become really annoyed at the rambling of this cadet, her own teeth grinding a bit. Pushing the thermos back into the cadet's hand, she gave up on this day being easy. "Coffee doesn't agree with me and I've already had breakfast. Thank you for the thought." It was a struggle being polite but somehow Vara managed it. "And yes, I can see you're nervous. Elevated heart rate, moistened and flushed skin, slightly shaky movements... You're buzzing."

"Like a mosquito." Aila deflated, her apprehensive expression darkening to one of worry. She took a deep breath, "Perhaps we should get the shift started?" She suggested, not wishing to compound however Vara must have been feeling at the moment. If Vara was tasked with showing her the ropes and helping her to get settled in, Aila would do her absolute best to absorb all that Vara was willing to share. The last thing she'd wanted to do was to annoy and disrupt. The latter of the two was only marginally in her control. Aila had already disrupted the Lagashi's routine, as it was doubtful the Ensign had been prepared to undertake a trainee until reporting in and checking her orders this morning. As for the annoying part, Aila could reign in her behavior. If there was one such quality that she'd been complimented on time and time again, it was her ability to adapt quickly. She surmised adaptation was going to be her key to success when it came to working with Vara.

"I agree." Vara said simply as she headed out of the security offices, not waiting to see if Aila followed or not. Glancing at her PaDD, she started the log for her security check. "How familiar are you with Intrepid class ships?"

Aila was close on Vara's heels, handing off either thermos to a very confused looking security officer on her way out. She had enough time to mouth I'm sorry and gesture to the Ensign as way of explanation, before leaving the office altogether. "Interior-wise, I'm relatively familiar, sir." She replied, "Although, I do understand that the general interior configuration remains the same among most sister ships, there are subtle variations depending upon the needs of that specific vessels mission parameters. For example, we're to undertake a marine detachment, which will require the reconfiguration of key locations throughout the ship to accommodate for this need. Yet, not all Intrepid-class starships have a marine detachment permanently assigned to their personnel manifest." She concluded, falling a step behind the Ensign.

Most of the other security officers were used to Vara being odd so they didn't think anything of the coffee. Vara on the other hand, paused in her step as Aila called her 'sir'. "Please address me as either Ensign, Cho'ren, or ma'am." Marines? She hadn't heard about that. Just more inept fools for her to protect and to nearly get killed over. On the bright side, at least they hopefully had some decent strength to them. For now she'd just have to hope this Cadet does a bit better than she was expecting based on initial impressions. "Are you familiar with the deck plans? We'll be setting foot in every corridor today during a basic security check."

"Aye, I believe so, ma'am." Aila was still familiarizing herself with the internal layout of the ship, but most of it was similar to what she'd been exposed to while on board the Adelaide. "There are key security areas located on decks one, five, six, ten and eleven." She reported, extracting a data PADD from the cargo pocket of her uniform. "When a heightened level of security warrants additional measures to be taken, security personnel are dispatched and posted to the bridge, main engineering, sickbay, the brig, the armory, and other areas deemed sensitive and restricted to unauthorized parties." She concluded.

"Well put. We'll be checking all of those as well as internal monitors and for open panels and doors." Vara tucked her PaDD back into her pocket as she walked. "Since this is your first time, we'll be checking in everywhere rather than my normal routine of scanning the areas as I walk by. That will give us plenty of time to get to know each other."

"You want to know me better?" Aila asked, the tone of her voice disbelieving of Vara's sincerity. Although they'd not had the opportunity to become well acquainted, Aila was certain she'd done a sufficient job of annoying the Ensign, to the point that the older, more seasoned security officer may have preferred to concentrate on the task at hand, focusing on the job rather than socializing. Aila was by no means adverse to the idea, as Vara intrigued her greatly. It had merely caught her off guard. "What is it that you'd like to know?" She wondered as they approached the turbolift.

Pausing at a weapons locker control panel, Vara activated it, checked the locks were secure, and deactivated the panel again. "Whatever you feel is interesting."

She studied Vara's actions carefully, taking detailed notes on the data PADD. "Um, well, I grew up on Earth... in Ireland. Did you ever have a chance to visit there while at the academy?" She was well aware that cadets were afforded very little time for personal adventures during the academic year, taking full advantage of returning home to decompress and visit with family and friends during breaks, but there was always a small chance that the Lagashi had done a bit of sight-seeing of her host planet when possible.

"The only place I visited was the remains of the launch site for the ships that took my people into space." Vara hadn't enjoyed her time on Earth, though at least she was able to get real food there now and then. Too many people staring at her and too different of a culture.

"The Lagashi were Human at one point?" As the pair approached a jefferies tube access port, Aila took the initiative to check the hatch and ensure it was secured with no evidence of tampering. "I'm sorry if that sounded insensitive..." She glanced over a shoulder toward Vara, "I don't know much about the Lagashi people, so I may sound a bit ignorant at times." She confessed.

"During the Eugenics Wars, my ancestors left Earth to start a colony where we could be free to use genetic augmentations and cybernetics freely. Tempered with wisdom, we've survived quite well, even with the Breen and pirates trying to wipe us out." Vara explained patiently, moving on to the next checkpoint.

Aila followed closely. "I'll study the Eugenics Wars this year, actually, among others." The chirp of the data PADD was near continuous, "Your homeworld must be close to Breen space? What is your planet called? Do you have a large family?" The questions were fired off in rapid succession, Aila reminding herself by the third to ease back and allow for Vara to respond, if only to stray from being an annoyance.

"Lagash." Vara said stoically, opting to ignore the other 2 questions. Her family was a sensitive subject at the moment.

For a moment, she wondered how they came to call themselves Lagashi. It was a piece of trivia she was content to stow away for the time being while concentrating on their rounds. A silence crept between the two women, not due to an awkward discord, but more-so because Aila had been waiting for Vara to answer the other two questions. When the silence persisted, it occurred to Aila that the Ensign was intentionally not answering. She wouldn't press the subject, certainly not if it was to cause unease. Instead, she redirected the conversation. "My parent's weren't entirely thrilled when they learned I was interested in attending the academy." They rounded another corner, finally arriving at the turbolift. Aila pressed a finger against the call button and the pair waited. "My extended family is rather large and not a single member has ever served before now. It came as quite a shock when they found out I was training to become a security officer." She explained.

Stepping into the turbolift as it opened, Vara gave in a little. "As far as I know, I'm the only Lagashi from my particular colony that has even worked with Starfleet directly. I'm sure I would have been better off as a tactical commander in the Navy. I'd probably be second in command of a patrol ship, earning lots of money for my family so they wouldn't have to eat replicated food and sell Federation Diplomatic provisions for a living." Looking down at her PaDD, she tapped at it almost in a frustrated fashion.

"Federation Diplomatic provisions?" Aila repeated questioningly. "If you had that future on Lagash, why did you join Starfleet?" She followed Vara into the turbolift, standing beside the woman as the Ensign announced their next destination.

"My family and the Ambassador pitched a good recruitment ad." Vara said grumpily. "Now I can barely get a letter from my husband, wife, and three kids."

"You mean, they won't let you talk to your family?" Aila was in complete disbelief. "I don't understand..."

Vara looked Aila in the eye, a fire in her eyes few had seen. "My family stopped talking to me. What is there to understand about that? Just go back to security. I'll finish the rounds myself." With that, Vara headed off and left the Cadet behind.

It was late when the Arboreal Shira fluttered into Sickbay, almost time for the night shift to start, and she was tired, more tired than she should have been at this hour. She had thought herself acclimating to ship life well, but the past few days had seemed to be wearing her a bit thin. She looked positively wilted as she took a seat on a biobed and waited for someone to tend to her. She wasn't expecting anyone right away, she understood by now that shift changes could be hectic, so she lay down and closed her eyes, just for a moment...

Sickbay was its usual bustle of activity, but it wasn't long before an orderly pointed at the wilted-looking forest dweller on a biobed. With the more senior doctors busy with compelling tasks, Chandra grabbed a tricorder and went over to where Shira sat, careful not to approach her too quickly, lest he scare her off. He hadn't personally met her yet, and he had no desire to make a bad first impression. "Hey there. What can we do for you?"

Shira startled awake then looked up at Chandra. She rubbed at her eyes with a yawn. "I have been very tired as of late," Shira said timidly, sitting up straighter. "I have not been working any longer or harder than usual, but I am always tired... a-and thirsty."

"Tired and thirsty, huh? Let's take a look." Signalling for someone to bring Shira a glass of water, Chandra started his scans, setting the tricorder to compare them to Shira's known base values. "When did this start? Today, yesterday, sometime before that?"

"I do not know when this started," Shira said, then yawned again. "At first, it was simply difficult to get out of bed in the morning, but lately it seems all I want to do is sleep. And I thought I had adjusted to the dryness of the air on the ship, but I can't seem to drink enough to stay sated for long."

Chandra took the glass of water an orderly had brought over and handed it to Shira so she could drink it while he finished his scans. "I'm sorry if this question seems too personal, but are you seeing anyone?" He'd barely asked when he realized that English wasn't Shira's first language and she might not understand the phrase. "I mean... are you... intimate with anyone?"

"Intimate?" Shira asked, pausing a moment to think about that word. "Yes, I have been spending much personal time with Lieutenant Verak," she admitted candidly. Her people were very open, so it was only natural for her to be so forward about this information. "He took me into the woods, but we had a disagreement so I have only seen him while on duty since then."

Not expecting her to be so open to such questioning, Chandra paused for a moment. "When you are intimate with him, does that include sexual activity?"

"I said he took me into the woods," Shira repeated as if that explained everything.

"He took you into the... oh. I'm sorry... I didn't even think that you might say it that way." Chandra grinned a little at his misunderstanding of the words, suddenly realizing what the phrase meant. Finishing his scans, he set the tricorder down on the small table next to the biobed. "I think you will need to talk with Verak. About something very important."

Shira released a heavy sigh. "It worked, didn't it?" she asked the doctor. "When we were on my world, I tried to explain to him what it meant for my kind, but I don't think he understood..." She looked away sadly. How was she going to tell Verak?

"Your world and your people are very different from what most people on this ship understand," Chandra said gently, carefully putting his hand on her shoulder. He kept his touch very light, knowing from her file how sensitive to touch Shira could be. "What did you and Verak fight about?"

"About family, about the Gathering and going into the forest..." Shira looked up at him and paused to collect her thoughts before explaining. "He didn't seem to understand that the Gathering is a fertility ritual, but I told him we go out into the forest to make babies, it's not that hard to understand!" Shira huffed slightly, then calmed a little. "All he knew at the time was that I was missing out on an important rite of passage because I joined the crew, and he was just trying to help me feel at home. But then we both got so mad at each other over silly little things, misunderstandings... I was getting frustrated with the language trouble and how different family life is out here. This was sparked by a call from his mother, if that helps any."

"Oh boy, the parent phone call. Never good." Chandra gave her a sympathetic smile, sitting next to her on the biobed. "Shira, you and Verak are from different worlds. Things you think are simple and easy to understand might not be so easy for him. And things he thinks are simple may not be as easy for you. But you'll have to find a way to understand each other if you're going to raise this baby."

Shira nodded with another sigh. He was right, of course, but things had been awkward between her and Verak and this was a heavy burden she would have to drop on him. Before their fight, he'd never given any thought about children. "I had hoped that it didn't work because it wasn't a real forest," Shira said, her voice quivering as tears welled up in her eyes. "But it felt real, and... and now..." Oh, what was she going to do now? And it wasn't like she could go home to her people for help either, they were in another reality! "Can I stay here tonight?" she asked the doctor. "I have a roommate, and I don't want to disturb her, she does a lot of studying."

"Of course you can. There's even a private room next to Doctor Cohen's office, if you want to sleep there rather than out in the open." Shira might be different from other people he'd dealt with, but Chandra recognized the shock and distress that was universal to nearly all new mothers. "I know it's scary. Give it some time to sink in... you'd be a great mom."

"Thank you," Shira said, her wings fluttering and lifting her off the biobed. With her glass of water in hand, she headed for the private room the doctor mentioned. Normally, she wouldn't mind being around all the other people, but in this moment she did just want to be alone.

"You're welcome." As Shira went to the private room, Chandra found a piece of paper and made a quick 'do not disturb' sign. Finding a bit of tape in a drawer, he tacked the handwritten sign up on the door to the private room, ensuring that Shira would not be bothered while she rested.

[En route to New Sydney]

The USS Princeton's cool low ambient lighting created a calming affect on the night watch Bridge crew, but they were a bit more focused and on top of things than they typically were. Their Commanding Officer, Captain Tau of the planet Bynus rarely ever took command of the gamma shift known more informally as night watch. He always had command during alpha shift, took lunch during beta and worked on matters off duty before turning in before the gammas came on. Tonight was different. Tau had turned in early and woke up to take over for the scheduled watch commander.

At the helmsmen seat, a young ensign with dark brown hair and a crew cut turned his seat and looked at the Bynar. “Approaching the rendezvous coordinates Captain, eta two minutes at present warp speed” announced the helmsmen. “Awaiting your orders, Sir” he added with a nod.

Captain Tau did the calculations in his mind. “At present warp speed, ensign, we should arrive at two minutes and seventeen seconds as of fourteen seconds ago” corrected the Captain. “Make a note in the ship's log for the navigational sensors to be examined for precision” added Tau. “Reduce speed to warp factor 1 and ease use down to a quarter impulse and hold position at the station” directed the Bynar Commanding Officer.

“Aye Captain” replied the ensign, turning his seat and concentrating back on flight controls. Less than two minutes went by and the ship began to slow to a crawl. “We've arrived at the coordinates, Captain” announced the helmsmen.

The operations officer, Lieutenant H'rissa, a white and orange stripped Caitian twitched her tail and danced her claws across the metallic casing of her console. “Purrrrrfect” she purred observing the readings at her console. “The USS Monarch, USS Katana and USS Hera have arrived” Lieutenant H'rissa confirmed.

Tau was pleased to hear that the two starships had arrived as directed. “The USS Solstice... report?” asked the Bynar as he stood up from his seat and headed up the ramp to stand near the Caitian.

H'rissa let out a deep purring sound and then looked down at her Commanding Officer. “Delayed, Captain. They were held up by a Ferengi merchant vessel in need of some repairs. Captain McCarthy reports he and his starship will be here momentarily” she added.

Momentarily thought Tau with a sigh. Humans and timing he thought to himself as he shook his head. “Tell Captain McCarthy that I look forward to seeing him” said Tau as he began to walk away and head to his Ready Room. As punctual as a Human, as nagging as a Bolian, and as interesting as a Vulcan thought the Bynar making an inaudible noise to express his dislike of having to have dinner with the man.

Captain Tau had been summoned to these rendezvous coordinates by Starfleet Command and Admiral Phillip Bryce of the Starfleet's Judge Advocate General. Bryce was a passenger aboard the Monarch. A Court Martial hearing was soon to be held aboard the USS Hera. The relieved Commanding Officer of the USS Katana, Captain Kristopher Kerouac was going to be on trial for violation of General Order 7. Captain Tau and Captain McCarthy were to be two thirds of the court. The whole situation was odd to say the least. This USS Katana was not from this universe or time and the USS Hera was a starship that traveled from the past and ended up in the here and now. Temporal Investigations were soon going to be underway as well, but the Kerouac and General Order 7 matter was separate and was to be treated as such.

“Captain Tau” called out one voice. Tau turned and saw his Chief of Security standing at the tactical station, having just relieved a Bolian. The woman was an elegant sight. American Indian heritage, born on the planet Trebus and still held true to her heritage. Her long black hair decorated with braids and feathers. “Admiral Bryce wishes to see you in your Ready Room” she said.

Tau looked at her with a peculiarly perplexed look. “Lieutenant?” he said questioningly.

“He asked to be transported their directly, Sir. I did not want to question the order” she confessed. Tau simply nodded and proceeded into his Ready Room where he found a tall man in an Admiral's uniform standing near Tau's desk, waiting for him.

“Captain” said the Admiral with a nod.

Tau stood straight, saluted the man and looked at him inquisitively. “Admiral Bryce” replied Captain Tau in a very formal tone and a high pitched almost mechanical sounding voice. “You must have something urgent on your mind to come see me so soon and in here no less” added Tau.

“Urgent maybe, but important, yes” said the Admiral. “It's about the Court Martial and this Captain Kristopher Kerouac. I assume you have been made aware of the charge, his admission and inevitable guilt” added the Admiral.

Tau hesitated for a moment, but soon nodded. However, he did make a note “I am aware of the charge, partial details of the act, but I have yet to fully analyze the Captain's logs or the crew logs on the matter, and I do not believe Captain Kerouac has entered a guilty plea nor have I and the other jury members heard everything as of yet.”

The Admiral stood there looking steely eyed. “The man is as good as fucked, Tau” said the Admiral. “Pardon the language, Captain. I do not mean to dirty your cozy little shit, but Kerouac clearly violated General Order 7. He and several members of his crew by his own admission in logs stepped foot on Talos IV and he has taken full responsibility for it. His only chances are to plead not guilty to insanity, alien influence, or navigational error and let's face it what are the chances of a ship or shuttle entering the Talos system and landing on Talos IV by navigational error?”

Tau ignored the apology and cut straight to his education in probability mechanics. “Given the technology aboard the USS Katana at the time and the aeroshuttle taken, there would be a .1001 chance of a navigational error leading to Talos IV” replied the Bynar calmly.

The Admiral looked at Tau. “.1001... really? You don't say” said the man.

Tau looked up at the Admiral and simply blinked. “Indeed, I said” countered Tau.

“Hah. Imagine that 1001, That's binary. How ironic” added the Admiral letting out a chuckle.

The Captain shook his head. “Binary yes, ironic it is not. There is no sense of irony in the probability number being .1001% it was simply a coincidence.”

Admiral Phillip Bryce shook his head. “Ah. Well, apparently English was not my best subject. Never did understand the difference” he admitted.

“Evidently not, Admiral” said Captain Tau even toned. “I recommend that we forgo this discussion for another time, Admiral. I cannot be influenced to vote one way or the other on this matter until presented with all evidence and testimonies from both sides, and further deliberation with myself and the two or more others assigned to serve as the court” added Tau.

Bryce looked at Tau and then pointed out to space where the USS Katana was in view. “That's the USS Katana, Captain Tau, and Captain Kerouac regardless of the outcome of this court martial, will not be returning to the USS Katana” said the Admiral firmly.

Tau nodded. “Reasonable assessment given the situation. I believe Commander M'rayr or Commander t'Dharvanek will serve as suitable replacements for Captain Kerouac” commented Tau.

Admiral Bryce shook his head “No, that crew needs leadership, discipline, and by the book decisions. It needs logic and probabilities over emotions and risks” said Bryce. “It needs you” he said looking at Tau “And you it will have” added the Admiral.

[ON]

They told him to go back. To turn the ship around.

He ignored them.

The Intrepid-class USS Katana was positioned approximately three light years from the near-lifeless world known as Talos IV. In order to limit the amount of risk to the ship and its 200-person crew, Captain Kristopher Kerouac, Provisional Commander M’rayr Eisovo, and what was left of the fractured senior staff prepared to embark down to the surface using the Katana’s Aeroshuttle. Whether they’d succeed, fail, or even return, was a matter left to the fates.

Being the first to enter through the Aeroshuttle’s docking port, M’rayr found the transport console and beamed on board a large black tote containing phaser rifles, pistols, tricorders, medical kits, pattern enhancers, and anything else he believed might help the away team to survive. Whether any of these would have an effect on mind-controlling beams was another question. But as much as the Commander’s revulsion against violating Federation law and Starfleet protocol besieged him, he felt that it would be better to have these weapons and tools at their disposal and not need them, than need them and not have them.

Cannon to the right of them, cannon to the left of them, cannon in front of them. Volley’d and thunder’d; storm’d at with shot and shell, boldly they rode and well, into the jaws of death, into the mouth of hell rode the six-hundred

It was an old earth poem; one that M’rayr had read several times, particularly during challenging moments in the Dominion War. As much as he hated that war, a part of him would rather face a thousand Jem’hadar foot-soldiers than a single Talosian.

But the poem, ‘the Charge of the Light Brigade’, held a meaning to what they were about to do. It was about lions being led into combat by incompetent sheep into a massacre. While the Talosians surely wouldn't been arming themselves with artillery, M'rayr was sure the experience would have its equivalences. The unknown was ahead of them. Their past to their left; the future to their right. Like those six hundred, would these six ever live to return home?

The Caitian drew in a deep breath, held it, and exhaled.

They would find out soon enough.

Stepping into the Aeroshuttle, Maica looked around at the various containers of weaponry, her PaDD enabled glasses on her face once again and a belt of various hyposprays and vials at the ready around her waist. She even had 2 tricorders on that belt, just in case - a medical and a science model. "I hope we neither need these, nor use them on one another." Maica said worriedly as she made her way towards the front of the craft.

M'rayr admitted her same concerns with a curt nod. Maica had been the last person he'd spoken to about another matter -- Jenni Matthews. The last time they saw each other, Maica told him to announce his feelings to Jenni. And he had, albeit not quite in the way he'd hoped. That nightmare, or act of possession by the Talosians, was a matter that he was still unwilling to discuss with any other member of the senior staff. "As do I," he said, monitoring his station and running pre-flight diagnostics.

Jenni stepped through the airlock as an entire gamut of feelings wretched within her stomach. It'd been more than six months since her last Away Mission, but that wasn't the cause. As a Starfleet officer who'd seen a lot in her years of service, never had she been faced so with her own mortality. Even aboard her lost Katana, Jenni knew she'd make it. She knew her ship, her parameters, the risks...

But this was it. Today someone would fail. If it were Kris, he'd face a court martial. If it were her...

She didn't want to think about it. Today was about survival.

Jenni paused just inside the airlock, spotting M'rayr and Maica already inside. She noted the weaponry and tech already handy around the Aeroshuttle. Jenni had brought a phaser and a tricorder as well, hoping she'd only have to use the tricorder. "Looks like we're either going to war or survival training," she commented, taking a nearby console to run some diagnostics. Based on how the senior staff meeting had gone and knowing the Aeroshuttle didn't have holoemitters, Jenni was likely the resident engineer for the mission.

Captain Kristopher Kerouac entered and looked around at who had arrived and who had not yet. Kris looked at Jenni "What the hells the difference these days...you go to war and live, there's your survival training" countered the Captain.

Jenni deliberately chose not to respond. She'd fought for her own life recently when her Katana fell. And she'd do it again today to prevent her from dying all those weeks ago. Oy... Time travel...

Kerouac looked around and looked at Commander Eisovo. "Where is Lieutenant Tonkin?" asked Kris, noting that his Chief of Security had yet to show.

M'rayr opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as he heard the click of the docking hatch opening.

Nathan entered the shuttle next with a back pack slung over one shoulder, a rifle over the other shoulder and a belt with two phaser pistols on both hips. He would have brought more but a good portion of his armory had been checked out by M'Rayr. So he just brought along his weapons and figured the first officer would handle the rest.

Nathan didn't say anything as he entered, stoic as a Vulcan. He simply stood his gear and took a seat at the rear of the shuttle.

Anxious and not entirely certain she wanted to be a part of this expedition, Jhu was slow to arrive. She carried her usual hidden weapons - the small phaser and assortment of blades - as well as a pulse rifle she'd had stored in a locked cabinet in her office. It was an older model, one she'd carried on several missions for Section 31, and it bore obvious scars from heavy use in troubling situations. Jhu didn't care; as long as it fired she planned to keep it.

Despite the cool temperature inside the shuttle, Jhu swept her sleeve across her hairline to wipe away beads of sweat that had gathered there. This is a terrible idea. What are we doing?

The Captain watched as more of his top senior officers began to show. I don't like this he told himself. Practically half of this ship's most senior officers and the whole command staff is going with me. This is a very bad idea and goes against every damn thing they teach you in command school thought Kris. His eyes met Jhu's "I assume you are armed to the teeth" commented the Captain.

Jhu managed a small smile. "Always, sir. Now let's get going before I change my mind."

The engines came to life as Jenni finished her diagnostic. "Just about ready," she reported, moving to the back of the Aeroshuttle for a quick inspection of the impulse manifolds.

M'rayr moved to one of the auxiliary consoles and brought it online. "Aeroshuttle to the bridge, we are ready to detach."

TAG: Kerouac

Hayley boarded at the last moment and took her seat at the pilot station. Her mind had been preoccupied with the maneuver she was about to pull off. If she couldn't pull this off, it was over for them. As she double checked all of the flight systems, she let out a slow breath. "Let's do this, " she turned to the others with a smile.

"Excellent!" Maica exclaimed, both nervous and excited to be going. She'd be the first ever from the Diplomatic Corps to meet a Talosian if all went well. If things went poorly... Just in case, she opened up the nearby away team phaser drawer and clipped one of the hand phasers to her already overburdened belt. "I identified several potential landing sites just outside what I believe to be a settlement of some sort. I hope one of them is useful."

"Shut up, Maica," Jhu said dryly. Normally she was amused by Maica's excitement over new places, but not this time. In her mind, Talos IV was a place better visited in holo-simulations.

"Isn't this so exciting though? We'll be meeting a race that we've had no contact with for over a hundred years." Maica said excitedly, looking to Jhu wide eyed and smiling so brightly she almost looked insane.

"And for good reason," M'rayr surmised as he tried to focus more on his controls than the direction of the conversation. He managed not to cast another frustrated glance towards Kerouac, whom he blamed more than even himself for pushing this mission so hard. A tremor and a shudder indicated that the Aeroshuttle was now clear of the Katana. The Caitian looked to Hayley. "Let us hope we are able to return in one piece, and history intact. Take us to Talos IV, Lieutenant Collins. "

"Aye, sir, " Hayley replied, as she laid in the course, and took the shuttle to full impulse.

"All systems are green," Jenni said, sliding back into her seat. "Warp drive is ready." With those announcements, there wasn't much for her to do until they arrived. All things considered, there was one thought that made her glad about this mission: Jenni would get her first breath of fresh air in months.

Hayley saw the warp engines were warmed up and ready. She engaged the warp engines, pushing the shuttle to its maximum speed. "Take all non essential systems offline. Life support to minimum. Sensors to passive," she told Jeni.

Jenni's hands worked the console for a couple moments. The cabin went quiet as the air circulators switched off, leaving the crew alone with the sounds of each other breathing and the occasional beeps from the console panels. "Done," she reported.

Hayley kept a close watch on her flight sensor readout. Disengaging the warp engines. The Aeroshuttle still traveled at warp speed as the ride became increasingly turbulent as the inertial dampeners worked overtime to smooth the ride with the sudden loss of the warp field.

Jenni shifted what power she had left to the dampeners. It would just be damned ironic if the Aeroshuttle tore itself apart on this crazy mission. The shudders in the deck plating slowly disappeared, but not before the crate of phaser rifles M'rayr brought on board fell off the transporter pad.

The Caitian turned out of the corner of his eye and saw the toppled crate of equipment, but thought little of it. He looked to Kerouac. It was possible that Kris had some sort of plan building in his head, but M'rayr considered it more likely that he was acting on the seat of his pants. With that thought, M'rayr looked to Jenni. He'd made her a promise to protect her. He'd honor that promise, even if it meant defying the Captain.

Kris sat towards the back. He was nervous about how things would go down on Talos IV, half expecting to die, half hoping that he did if this did not go well. He looked around at the others. Oh what brave and stupid souls you are to accompany me on this doomed flight thought Kris as he opened a bottle of beer and took a few sips.

The turbulence caused some of the beer to spill on Kris' uniform. "Gentle, Collins, gentle! This isn't the the synthetic shit" commented the Captain as he soon continued to down the bottle.

"I told you this would be a difficult ride, sir," Collins commented, keeping her eyes on the controls.

Kris tossed the bottle aside, stood up and walked up grabbing onto the back of a seat. He looked out and saw the planet ahead. "Collins, take us down. Find a good clearing and try to make it smooth" directed Captain Kerouac.

Collins grinned as she rolled the shuttle and pulled it into an inverted dive, aimed at the planet into a steep entry angle.

Letting out a tense sigh, Kris' eyes took a glance at a console displaying environmental readings. He placed a hand on Lieutenant Tonkin's shoulder and gave it a pat. "Good to have you with us, Nathan" said Kris with a small smile. He deserves the promotion. I do not know what this ship would do without him. He keeps this family safe and together

Kris looked around "Reads as an M-class planet. At least for the time being" commented Kris. "Gravity 0.9 that of Earth standards. Not reading any signs of life... but that's to be expected. Hell, anything is expected. Everyone be alert."


The Captain moved about the craft and looked at Maica.

"Maica, keep an eye on navigation. I don't want the Talosians trying to screw with what Collins sees on her navigational sensors" added Kris

"If the navigational displays were on, I would..." Maica said nervously, glancing over at Kris.

Captain Kerouac did not like the sounds of that. "What?!" he had a look himself. The navigational display was displaying nothing. "Matthews, is this a malfunction?" asked Kris.

Jenni ran a quick diagnostic. Before the process was complete, one of her screens went dark. Then another. "I'm losing engineering controls!" Main power began to flicker throughout the cabin, and the deckplates rattled as the inertial dampeners began to weaken.

"Why are you turning things off?" Maica asked. Her question was ignored though - either lost in a Talosian induced illusion or over the sound of the Aeroshuttle screaming through the atmosphere towards the landscape she didn't know. She did know one thing though. They were going down. Holding on to her massive boobs for dear life, she prayed they would survive the crash.

Kadan had been in sickbay, checking on his girlfriend..and his sister. Both were in pretty bad shape, and he sighed, saying a silent prayer for both. But then the most remarkable thing happened...

-----

Konora laid there, still rather weak..not having opened her eyes at all. But in her mind, the sides were still squaring off. Her eyelids were batting back and forth, which led the brother to assume that she was dreaming. What he wouldn't give to be telepathic..

...but he wouldn't need it. Her eyes snapped open and she began coughing a bit. In an instant he's at her side. "Sister..you okay?" he asked, giving her some water. "I'm...okay, yet not okay.." she murmured, dazed.

"What do you mean?" her brother asked

"I feel..different, somehow." came the reply, a hand traveling to her temple to massage it.

"Different? More..human?"

"Maybe. Look, I uh..I can recover okay as I go.. But I need to see the XO about the engineering situation." Konora told him. "And I feel like my current name seems so foreign to me. The first name." she clarified.

"I'll call him down here." Kadan asked, but her hand reached up and gripped his arm before he could tap the combadge.

"No. Walk me there...I'm tougher than I look." The tone and the language used surprised Kadan. Usually there'd be something about being Klingon in there, or something dramatic like her Klingon side, but...nothing.

"...okay." he murmured, quietly, helping her to her feet. "Easy sis...I have a feeling that all isn't as it should be.."

-----

The trek to the bridge was a long one. Filled with many twists and turns, but after a while, they stood outside the Ready Room door, and rang it, to see if the Cat was in there.

There was an electronic chime at M'rayr's ready room door. The Caitian looked up, but felt little desire to know what was on the other side. "Enter," the Caitian announced, setting a PaDD aside. When the doorway parted, he saw the two Klingons. Well, half-Klingons. "Lieutenant Storm," M'rayr said, noticing the first sibling. "Why aren't you still in sickbay?"

"Part stubborn, all heart sir. I figured you'd be the best bet for an update on any engineering issues, since Zhuri is probably still reeling from this whole thing and I need factual data I can study during my recovery.." the sister replied. "This is my brother Kadan, It appears this is our first meeting, so.." she nodded quietly. "It's nice to meet you, though I wish it were under better circumstances sir." The tone of her voice was more somber and measured than it had used to be.

M'rayr grunted an acknowledgement to both junior officers. "Have a seat."

Kadan helped his sister sit down, and then he sat down next to her. "So what's gone on, sah?" Kadan asked in a different accent. "One minute we're doing fine the next minute there's fires and injuries everywhere."

"I was down in engineering. Got thrown straight into the nearest wall. I thought we had everything right, but..there was something in me that just said this was wrong" Konora added.

So neither Klingon hybrid seemed to be fully aware of their situation. Given that Konora had spent the past few days in a coma, it wasn't at least partially surprising. M'rayr interlaced his digits and leaned forward against his desk using his elbows for support. "Putting it simply, we have left our universe behind, and are now in a different space-time parallel. The attempt to use the Borg singularity device for near-instantaneous transition to the Delta Quadrant failed, although we are still trying to understand how and why."

Konora was the first to speak, afterwards.. "I guess we're not in Kansas anymore. Sorry, old Earth saying. Um..how are people taking it?" Her brother remained in thought. "A new space-time parallel..that sounds rather forboding." he murmured afterwards. The sister was the one who could probably understand it the closest..but neither of them were scientists..

The fact that even a half Klingon was mentioning Earth slang surprised the Caitian. But he was reluctant to go into the full details as to the effects their present circumstances were having on the crew, particularly as neither Kadan nor Konora were senior officers. "The crew is resilient, Ensign."

Kadan stared at him for a long moment, "As you say, sir. But everyone's hurting in one form or another." Konora bit her lip slightly, nodding at his words. "Well I guess once I get the data I need from you sir, we'll be done."

[ON]

Provisional Commander M'rayr Eisovo crouched next to a small fire with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. Using a meditative stance he once learned from a Vulcan, he interlaced his digits against his chest, keeping his index and middle finger extended outward. According to Vulcan beliefs, this was supposed to allow him to shed all energy and emotion through those digits.

With the room darkened and the only sources of light being candlelit fires, it was almost easy for him to imagine all of the emotional turmoil inside him melting away from him and into the bulkhead.

Almost.

In an instant, the image of t'Dharvanek's face fell into his mind. There was an expression of visible shock and resignation in the way she looked at him, as if she had just recognized the fact that he intended to kill her at that very moment. M’rayr turned his eyes downward, and saw his paws wrapped around her throat, squeezing the life from those eyes.

The calm meditative stance was broken. M’rayr stirred from where he sat and found himself panting. Willing his lungs into cooperation, he tried to slow his breathing and resume his meditation. But there was an interruption at the doorway. Looking up to the chronometer, he realized that Lia Grae was likely standing outside his quarters.

Aside from Kerouac's unnegotiable recommendation that M'rayr Eisovo take some personal leave while the situation between him and Jhu blew over. M’rayr needed to get his house in order, and properly address matters he’d been ignoring for two decades now: Survivor’s guilt and post-traumatic stress from a lifetime of losing ship after ship, crew after crew, of murdering someone he didn't mean to. Traumatic damage that could only be remedied with the help and aid of the ship’s counselor.

“Enter,” M’rayr said. His voice sounded uncertain.

Lia walked into M'rayr's quarters, her eyes quickly catching the flickering light of a candle flame. "All this time, I was worried about Kerouac snapping, I should have focused that attention on you." Her voice came out colder than she intended but that didn't affect the truth behind her words. She was informed of what happened, and she was surprised that he wasn't thrown into the brig.

M'rayr exhaled a breath of frustrated air, but appeared otherwise unperturbed. Somehow, making a quip about how most of the senior staff had major personal issues seemed in bad taste. But the fact that out of everybody on board, M'rayr's actions had done the most damage to a fellow crewmate. Had Kerouac not insisted on keeping the matter as quiet as possible, so that the rest of the crew was not alerted to his actions, the impact to his ability to lead as the Katana's first officer would have been irrevocably damaged. With nothing to say that he thought might contribute in a positive manner, M'rayr simply nodded and then gestured towards a pillow on the floor across from him.

Lia eyed him skeptically before moving towards the pillow. She sat down and stared at the large feline in front of her. She remained quiet as she studied him.

"Is there something you wish me to say before we begin?" M'rayr asked dejectedly.

"Are you half Vulcan?" She asked, as she recognized the candle base.

M'rayr looked around his setup. While most of the objects were Caitian, the arrangement was distinctly placed in a way that reflected Vulcan meditative preparations. "Obviously not. But I do find Vulcan techniques... beneficial."

Lia nodded, "Yes...the proverbial kicking the can down the road. Very effective until the road ends." She commented shaking her head.

"You do not approve, then?" Asked M'rayr.

"It doesn't work. All it does is repress the feelings and build up until the pressure gets to much to handle. Why do you think there is the Pon Farr? It's about letting out the suppressed emotions. Did you incorporate an outlet date to vent all of these...emotions... you were trying to suppress or were you just doing the meditation thinking... clean slate?"

M'rayr remained motionless, although it was clear he was articulating a response in his mind. "The Vulcans might disagree with you, Counselor. And I have found the technique to be a beneficial way of centering my thoughts and emotions." Even as M'rayr said it, he noted exactly how Vulcan he was sounding at the moment.

Lia arched her brow, "Oh. Is that what you are doing? Regulating your emotions." She didn't move or take her gaze off him. "I beg to differ. But how would you explain what happened between you and Jhu?"

The mention of Jhu's name stung, and the Caitian winced as a result. "I became angry with her," he began, not wanting to skirt responsibility over his actions despite the fact that Cohen had been rather adamant that it was his physical response to severely elevated adrenaline levels that caused him to lash out at the ship's Chief of Intelligence. The last time he'd felt that way had been just after a Gorn halfway succeeded in plunging a dagger through his skull. "And I lost control." There was a lot of remorse in the sound of his voice.

Hearing the deep regret in his voice, Lia's expression soften and she relaxed a bit feeling the tension fading. "What was going through your head at that moment?"

The Caitian shrugged. But it was not because he didn't know. The problem was the fact that what he was thinking when he decided to attack her made no sense to the reality of the situation. "She was dangerous; a threat. I postured for dominance and she retorted. So I attacked her."

Lia can tell he wasn't being completely honest with her. "What was going through your head at that moment?" she repeats.

That stopped M'rayr. He looked more and more uncomfortable, even though the telltale signs were relatively mute considering "I thought of the R’toroa, the Cushing, the Axanar, and the San Jacinto," he turned to look at Lia. "That I've lost enough friends. That I took a life undeservingly on board the San Jacinto." M'rayr had no idea if Jhu had filed a report or, if she had, what was in it. But she knew what had happened aboard the San Jacinto, and what he did.

"The San Jacinto. That was your longest assignment, correct?" Lia asked softly.

M'rayr nodded, his voice still quiet. "A comrade and a friend encouraged me to return to the fleet. Until the San Jacinto, my service to the Caitian Sky Navy and to Starfleet had been the preservation of the Federation. I resigned after the war. I was ready to put it all behind me. Or at least I thought I was." His face tensed as thought it were straining, but only for a moment. "With the war over, I thought the San Jacinto would be different. We weren't fighting a major enemy; we were explorers. And I could afford to make friends without having to worry if they'd be dead in a week."

"But it didn't end that way, did it?" She asked. Lia knew what happened, she reviewed his file, but it was important for him to answer.

Turning his neck, M'rayr sighed audibly. He was brooding. Looking up to Lia, he replied. "It did not."

"What happened?"

Sitting no longer felt comfortable. M'rayr felt the need to get up, to walk around. He did so.

"We were attacked," he said, facing the view port and the open sea of stars ahead. "We anticipated the threat, but in the end, were unable to counter it in the way we had hoped to. The enemy boarded us."

"How many of your friends died that day?" Lia asked in a soft voice.

M'rayr took a deep breath, held it, and exhaled, keeping his eyes closed. "Too many, counselor." But there was one life in particular he felt for. Adrianna Malcolms. Compared to all the others who'd been killed by the enemy, she lost her life because he took it. Reluctantly, the Caitian turned to face the amaranth eyed alien. "I would consider it likely that Commander t'Dharvanek filed a full report in regards to the... incident," he asked after a moment.

"If I wanted to read the report I would have done so, but I haven't. What happened that day? Who's death hurt you the most?" She asked, not wanting him to change the subject.

Lia was not making it easy for him. She was making him go through everything that happened, step by step. These were things he did not want to talk about. Even if he knew that she probably had good reasons in forcing him to. But as far as debriefings or mental health sessions went, he'd rather write down a full report for her to read. "A woman. Her name was Lieutenant Adrianna Malcolms."

Lia nodded, "Were you close to Adrianna?"

"We were friends." M'rayr admitted.

Lia didn't break eye contact with him and it dawned on her, "What happened?"

There was perhaps one of the longest and most uncomfortable of pauses. Maybe Lia knew what he was about to say... maybe she didn't. Either way, the Caitian looked into her eyes, his own gaze narrowed. "I killed her."

"Did this happen the same time you lost the eye?" She asked.

M'rayr nodded again.

"M'rayr. You killed your friend. You didn't intend to, but that is the fog of war. I don't think you should continue punishing yourself as penance for Adrianna's death."

"I should have never lived so long as to kill her," He said, the obvious ping of survivor's guilt roiling him. He'd been on board four vessels; four vessels that were attacked with critical casualties. And yet the worse thing to happen to him was to lose an eye. The Caitian shrugged, not quite certain what to say or how to say it, but he knew that the feelings were there. It was all about deciphering them. "So many ships, so many people. They die and yet I continue to live. Why?"

Lia remained frozen for a while, letting his question linger in the air. She licked her lips before replying. She knew he had PTSD, she read his file. Survivor's Guilt was always the hardest. He heard all of the cliche's, he heard all of it before. Lia knew with M'rayr she'll have to take a different approach. "In the end, you'll die too."

Her approach caught him by surprise. It was excessively blunt, but perhaps that was what she sought to accomplish. Turning away, he resumed his gaze out the star port. "It is ridiculous to believe that I am somehow cursed; that it is because I was present during each of those attacks that they are dead. And yet, it is a belief I have difficulty shaking."

"If you have a belief you were cursed, why can't you accept the notion perhaps you were spared for a reason?" Lia asked cautiously. "Were you the sole survivor every time?"

"Not the sole survivor," M'rayr clarified.

"See that, if you were indeed cursed, you would have been."

M'rayr's brows furrowed themselves at the purple-eyed alien, not entirely convinced of her logic. Then again, arguing with her logic mandated that he examine his more closely, and the notion of him somehow being cursed was as far fetched now as it had ever been. But when consumed by the amount of guilt he carried, it was easier to blame something. "What is your recommendation, counselor? What do I need to do?"

Lia pressed her lips together and stood up. "Follow me."

After her stay in Sickbay, Shira decided to take the the day off to rest some more and think things over. She was wondering how she would tell Verak the big news. It would be easier if she didn't have to tell him at all, but he would find out eventually and she didn't want him finding out from someone else. Eventually, Shira pulled herself from the biobed and went in search of Verak.

Lieutenant Verak, having once been the Chief Flight Controller for the USS Katana had found himself temporarily back in the helmsmen seat on the Bridge of the USS Katana. It was a smart decision by acting Commanding Officer Arivek Zhuri. Though Verak was not entirely sure how he felt about the Captain and several key members of the Senior Staff, and nearly the whole leadership of the Chain of Command being on Talos IV, he knew that Lieutenant Zhuri was intelligent and a good officer.

The Katana was staying within communications range, and trying to be within a reasonable distance to rush in and get a transporter lock if need be. Letting out a deep breath as he piloted the starship, his mind was also on Shira. He was not sure where they stood.

Upon asking the computer for Verak's location, Shira learned that he was on the bridge. She was hesitant to bother him while he was on a bridge shift, but she had already worked up the nerve and she didn't know if she would find the courage again later. So she took a deep breath and hopped a lift to the bridge. But as the doors opened to let her out onto the bridge, Shira suddenly felt paralyzed. She was so nervous, she couldn't do this!

Verak heard the turbolift doors open and turned in his seat to see who had come. The Bridge was sparsely manned. Arivek had 'gone' to Main Engineering to continue work and had left Verak in charge of the Bridge until he returned. Vara was at the tactical station. The science station was unmanned, and Andy was filling in at her own old station, Ops. Verak wondered how she was holding up with Maica being with Kerouac and the others.

Verak saw the Shira was in the turbolift. "Shira? What are you doing up here?" asked Verak. "Were you asked to take the science station?"

"No, I took a personal day, I was not feeling well," Shira said nervously, almost trying to hide in the doorway. "Verak, if you have a few minutes, there's something I need to talk to you about."

The half-Vulcan looked around. Uh I'm kind of busy he thought looking at the Arboreal. However, he could tell that she really had something on her mind. I can't use the Captain's Ready Room, that would just be weird and wrong he thought. Then he looked in the other direction the old small Briefing Room which had been converted into the Yeoman's office. She wasn't presently there, so Verak nodded. "Sure, we can talk in there" he said directing her over to the door.

Shira nodded and fluttered to the door, entering the office and taking a seat to wait for him to join her.

Before leaving his station, he looked at Andy and then at Vara. "This won't take long. Lieutenant, the Bridge is your for a few" he said to Vara who had recently received a promotion.

Nodding, Vara moved from her tactical station to the helm, leaving the tactical station empty. As soon as she sat down, she pulled up the telemetry on the away team, hoping they were going to return safely. She also pulled up a basic weapons control system, punching in her authorization to use it at a station other than tactical.

Inside the office, Shira wrung her hands nervously, wondering where to start. She looked to Verak, then quickly glanced away. "Verak, I know the last time we were together, there were a lot of misunderstandings, things have been awkward on duty...." she started, then suddenly started to lose her nerve.

"No, not really" said Verak warmly. "The communication was awkward and I apologize for the misunderstandings, but work has been fine. I have just been worried about the Captain and everyone" added the half-Vulcan.

"Oh," Shira said softly, looking down at the floor. "Well then, I have felt awkward on duty. And things have been so crazy lately, we haven't had much opportunity to talk." And she had been kind of avoiding him... But she couldn't avoid him anymore. Shira sighed and looked up at Verak. "Do you remember what I said about the Gathering?"

"Yes" he nodded understanding. "I remember Shira and I remember that I love you and I don't see that changing anytime soon, if ever" he added. He took a deep breath and reached out taking her hand. "You do understand now that we are very far far far away from your home, even from my home, and that we may be stuck here?"

"Verak, I'm going to have a baby," Shira blurted out, then blushed deeply and looked away again. There it was out, now all she had to do was wait for the rejection.

"Marry me?" he said dropping to one knee and pulling out a ring that had been traveling in his pocket for the past week, too nervous to ask. He had not even registered what she had said to him before he was down on his knee asking her. "Baby?" he looked at her, his heart racing. His human side was defeating the Vulcan. "Baby!" His eyes wide. "You and me? I'm going to be a....father?!" Lieutenant Verak felt light headed and looked at Shira... seeking confirmation and a response to his own question.

Shira looked at him with wide-eyed surprise. "But... you said..." During their fight, he had said he'd never given any thought about children, and he had sounded so angry when he said it, and he was so upset when she clarified the misunderstanding about going into the forest. Surely, she had thought that meant he didn't want children and that he would not want to have anything to do with her now that she was with child.

Shira literally flew from her chair and into Verak's arms, hugging him tightly with a euphoric cry of relief. "I thought you didn't want children..." she said softly.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just wasn't ready for them" he said with a small smile. "But we're out here and so far away from home. I have no family and neither do you here. So, we just have each other. We can start our own family, Shira."

"That would make me very happy," Shira said, her wings vibrating happily. Then she pulled away slightly to look at him seriously. "You are not ready for children, but this still makes you happy?" she asked, just to be sure. She didn't want him doing anything that didn't make him happy.

Verak stood up and leaned in, kissing Shira on the forehead. "It makes me very happy, Shira. Usually people aren't ever ready for children. They may think that they are and may want them, but they eventually learn that they weren't ready. That doesn't matter though. Being a parent is about growing and adapting, just being supportive and loving...and discipline at times."

Shira smiled brightly. "And what is this 'marry' thing you asked of me?" she asked.

"Look it up" he said to her with a smile. "It is a unionization between two people...or more in some cultures that love each other and want to be seen as a couple, a family. It is a bonding to be seen by others and recognized."

"I understand, my people have something similar," Shira said with a shy smile. She would have to ask Maica for another lesson so she would not do this 'marry' thing wrong. "I do not know how to acept this offer of unionization in a way that is appropriate for your culture. Will a simple 'yes' suffice?" she asked.

Verak smiled and nodded. "Yes, a simple yes more than suffices, Shira" replied Verak. "What would be the right action for me to take in your culture?"

"Well, you've already brought me flowers," Shira said, recalling that time he brought her flowers in Sickbay after the incident on Kendi. They barely knew each other back then, and she had enough sense to know he didn't know what that meant in her culture, but now that they were to do this 'marry' thing, she could tease him about it. "Although, I suppose I could make you fight other suitors in an attempt to gain my attention," she added playfully. But he already had her attention; Verak was the only one Shira wanted.

Verak playfully pretended to think about that for a moment. "Well, I guess that would mean having to fight the Captain. He seems to closest to you... or perhaps Maica? Though I think Maica could knock me out with those weapons of mass destruction she calls breasts."

Shira laughed and shook her head. "Kris is like a brother to me, and I have no interest in Maica; she doesn't make me sing like you do," she said, that last part whispered sweetly into his ear as she hugged him tightly. She was so relieved that he was no longer upset about their argument and that he was happy about the baby.

"I love you, Shira. I love that I make you sing and I love that every day, I wake up and have you in my life" replied Lieutenant Verak. "Shira, I don't know if you understand exactly what is happening down on that planet, but it is very dangerous and very important that I am at my station. Can we talk about all of this exciting news together later tonight?"

Shira nodded seriously. "Yes, of course. I only just found out about the baby last night, and I was nervous you were still upset about that argument... so I wanted to tell you while I had the courage, but now I see I was just being silly. I will go to your quarters and rest, we can talk more later."

"Actually, don't" said Verak with a small smile. "Lieutenant Zhuri is probably going to be a while in Engineering and that is going to leave me in charge of the Bridge while he's busy" explained Verak. "Shira, you've been working in the astrometrics lab for a while. We're a bit short staffed in the Science department. Lieutenant O'Connor is getting some rest and isn't scheduled back on duty for a while. Can you take over the science station on the Bridge for a while?"

"I-I don't know," Shira stammered, then thought about it. She didn't really know anything outside of Astrometrics just yet, not to mention she was still feeling under the weather and she had taken today as a personal day. But this was really important or Verak would not have asked. "Maybe... just until Lieutenant O'Connor reports for duty," she said. "I am very tired and Medical cleared me to take the day off, but I think I manage until she can replace me."

Verak took Shira's hand and held it gently. "Don't worry about it, honey. It isn't much different than Astrometrics. There are various screens at the science station, you'll be monitoring atmospheric conditions on the planet, and keeping an eye on the life signs of the away team, and just like in astrometrics, you will be watching stellar activity" explained Verak.

"Okay," she replied with a nervous nod. The way he said, it didn't sound that bad. She squeezed his hand in affirmation. "Just for a while," she reminded him, then rose to follow him back out to the bridge.

It was dark, very dark. As Merith slowly came to, she immediately recognized that she was not in her quarters, they were not so dark, and her bed was not so hard. She tried to sit up to look around, but was stopped by something above her. A low ceiling? Perhaps a bunk? She began to feel around to gain a sense of her surroundings. Wherever she was, she was in a small, enclosed space.

"Computer, where am I?" the Ba'ku woman asked softly, but received no answer. "Computer, give me my current location," she tried again, but was only met with silence. She reached for her commbadge, but found only the well-tailored fabric of her duster. It was then that she began to panic.

"Help! Is anyone out there?" she called out, beating on the walls around her. Merith wasn't all that claustrophobic to begin with, but she felt like she was in a coffin and that was more than enough to make the already confining space close in on her even further. "Someone, please help!"

Commodore Krull Larkon had come to several minutes before Captain Merith. He had remained calm and assessed the situation, but his focus was broke by Merith's panicking. Krull was in the locker beside her, a thin metallic barrier separating them. "Not quite out there" replied Krull in gruff agitated tone. "Mer, it's Krull. I am next to you in one of these damn things too. Try not to panic, but it appears we are in the morgue" said the Commodore.

Merith stopped beating on the walls, but his words did nothing to stop the rapid beating in her chest, her heart racing in her desperate panic. "Too late, panicking," she replied, trying to calm her breathing. "Krull, why are we even in here?! And please tell me you have an idea to get us out."

"Need I remind you, Merith that you are a Starfleet Captain, formerly though briefly a Commodore yourself, and a Commanding Officer. Captains don't panic" he countered letting out a sigh. "Get your shit together" he added as he wiggled around on the slab. Why are we here? "Kerouac" added Krull. "We were having dinner and Kerouac came by. We had heard about his Talos IV ramblings... that punk ass Kerouac must have done something to us" explained Krull.

The Cardassian was not pleased. He hated being one upped by anyone since he himself had been in the Intelligence field for years. "I am working on something" he added.

"Krull, Captains and Commodores don't usually wake up to find themselves in the MORGUE!" Merith shot back, but then took several measured breaths. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. Captain or not, at heart I'm a scientist, this is not something a scientist should have to deal with," she insisted. A few more deep breaths and she started to calm.

"Darling, we're not on Pandora anymore" retorted Krull shaking his head. "Captains and Commodores do not usually end up in the morgue aboard a typical starship. This, however, is the USS Katana. So, you can take typical and toss it" added Krull.

"I knew Kris was getting desperate, my words weren't reaching him, but I never thought he would ever stoop to this level," Merith added, considerably more calm now. Krull could still hear the hint of panic in her tone, but she was much more in control of herself now.

The Cardassian began to punch the thin metallic barrier to his side. "Well, nobody ever claimed Kerouc was a logical or orthodoxical man" counter Commodore Larkon. "A man will do anything for his family, kill if necessary. Let's face it, you know Kris. Hell, you were apparently crazy enough to be romantically involved with the man."

"Every time I think I've got a handle on who Kris is, he surprises me," Merith replied, feeling around to try to find some way of getting out.

Krull heard Merith move around and, kicking a bit. "You are alone in there, correct? You wouldn't happen have a science officer in there with you, would you? I mean, the turbolift was bad enough..." said Krull trying to make light of the situation.

"You are never going to let me live that down..." she grumbled, tears springing to her eyes. Back when Krull had been her Executive Officer on the Pandora, he caught her in a compromising situation with her Chief Science Officer who later became her fiancé, and now she was separated from her ship, her crew who had become her family, and her love. If anyone had motivation to follow along in Kris' madness, it was her, but she tried to talk him out of it. Oh, how she longed to be with Will again, but she had accepted and was grieving. "You know, I think there should be an emergency release in here somewhere," she said, wiping away the moisture in her eyes and resuming her search of the space.

"I'm already working on it" he replied with a chuckle. "I'll have us out of here in a few moments. I have found a panel. I'm going to short circuit the locking mechanism, it should unlock the doors and we can push ourselves out" added Krull. "Also, nope. It isn't everyday you walk in on that."

"It was the middle of the night, we had the sense to lock the doors, it wasn't like there was all that much to see. Yet..." Merith said, feeling around the wall behind her which she hoped was the door. "And if you wish me to remain level-headed for the foreseeable future, please stop reminding me of Will. I miss him dearly and I'm not done mourning the loss of him."

Krull caused a few sparks that flashed near his face but he heard what he wanted to hear. The locking mechanism shifted. "I got it" he said and then pushed off with as much force as he could with his legs, the slab slid backwards and hit the 'door' causing it to open and allowing his slab to slide out. "I'll get you out, Mer" he said as he jumped off his slab and opened Merith's unit, pulling her slab out.

"Welcome back to the land of the living" he said, his dark Cardassian eyes adjusting to the light.

Merith grasped at his arms as she sat up, almost hugging him but Cardassians weren't exactly the hugging sort, so instead she settled for just holding onto his arm for a moment as her eyes adjusted to the light. "Thank you," she said quietly. She was so glad to be out of there! "We need to get to the Bridge," she said, pulling away from him and straightening out her duster in an attempt to find her composure. "Kris is probably up to his neck in trouble by now, we need to do what we can to minimize the damage from here."

"I agree, but I don't want to go in blindly" commented Krull. "For all we know, Kris has caused a mutiny of some sort. He may or may not have control of the Bridge, and I would like to know what we are walking into before hand. We may want to come in brandishing weapons."

"How utterly barbaric," Merith said, but she wouldn't stop him from arming them. "I'd like to avoid unnecessary injury. If the need arises, I can freeze the Bridge."

Krull sighed "You take the fun out of everything" he said shaking his head. "This is the one time I wish it were Janet here and not you. She would have let me pick out a phaser rifle, but you're right. Let's avoid unnecessary injury."

"Grab a rifle, it would be irresponsible to go in unarmed, but lets try to keep it to stuns, not kills," Merith replied. "I am not familiar with the Security on this ship, where would the nearest weapon's locker be in relation to our path to the Bridge?"

Krull thought for a moment. "There's an armory on the deck below us. However, there should be a weapons locker on deck two in one of the storage centers."

Merith nodded. "Lets not waste anymore time. I'll follow your lead, but please let me do the talking if they wish to be diplomatic." It was no big secret; Cardassians weren't exactly known for their diplomatic persuasion.

The Cardassian took the lead stepping towards the door and heading down the corridor with Merith. "Oh yes yes yes. You can handle that whole peaceful motherly calming Ba'ku bull shit that you are so good at."

Merith followed without hesitation. "And yet it never seems to work on you," she commented with a smile. And that was probably why she liked Krull so much.

He stopped in his tracks for a moment and turned to face her. He looked at the woman and pointed to his head. "I'm a spoon head. Peace doesn't come easily for me."

"Move it, spoon head, we've got a Bridge to take over," Merith added with a laugh.

Maica knew Andy would be upset with her. Her reaction after that staff meeting was evidence enough of that. Considering she actually argued FOR the mission in a way, and Andy had been so adamantly against it she walked out... Well... Maica feared the worst...

Heading into their quarters, Maica plopped onto the couch and looked around for Andy. Her preparations had been exhaustive, but with any luck, she'd not need a single one of them. "Andy, are you home?" she called out.

"Dunno, am I?" Andy called from the bedroom. She was standing in the spot where her alcove used to be, really wishing she could still regenerate. She was feeling a lot better since the doc's treatment, but after the incident with the Staff Meeting and then Kris' pathetic excuse for an apology, Andy had a headache the size of a Galaxy-Class starship and she wanted it to go away, now!

Getting back up, Maica headed to the bedroom to see Andy standing where her alcove was. "I'd like to think so, since you're here... I'd also like to ask if youre ok, but I'm betting the answer is no."

"How did this get so fucked up?" Andy asked, not really expecting Maica to answer. She stepped away from the empty wall space, running her hands over her face as she briefly paced the small space of their bedroom. "This is just so... gah! I can't believe the idiocy of that man!"

"I'd like to say I've met worse... but I think this tops pretty much everything I've seen." Maica said softly. "At least it sounds like a sane enough plan, other than the whole idea of it, that is."

"Sane enou- Oh please don't tell me you're going along with this plan?!" Andy said, turning on Maica.

"Going along with... Yeah, and I'll be down there with them. I might be their only chance of coming back alive." Maica replied sourly. She knew Andy would hate that part the most but she had to do it. Not just out of her own curiosity, but for the safety of the crew.

"Maica, you can't do this," Andy replied, shaking her head slowly in disbelief. "Think about this, if you go down there and it actually works... Think about Jenni and the others from this place, what will happen to them, Maica?! If the Gate just takes us away, then they'll be here either waiting to die or waiting for a court marshall! And if it makes it as though we were never here, then they are dead anyway! Can you really do that to them? Can you go look Jenni in the eyes and ask her to die for this plan?!"

"Honestly?" Maica began, finally looking up into Andy’s eyes. "I don't think it'll come to that. That guardian may not be able to do anything for us at all. As for the mind bending Talosians... well we may all die anyway and since there's no stopping the captain when he gets like this..."

"You don't think, but there's no way to know," Andy said, crossing the distance to her fiance and hugging her. She felt all kinds of sad and vulnerable and she didn't know what to do with all those emotions. "Please don't go, Maica..."

Hugging back, Maica wanted to say she wouldn't but something else was driving her now. Something she didn't understand herself. "I have to go, Andy. So I can make sure they come back alive and for myself. Something inside me says I need to do this."

"It's that empty data, isn't it?" Ever since that night when Maica had woken up strangely, Andy had been wracking her brain trying to figure out what was up with this empty space in Maica's memory engrams. She scoured Maica's data logs, there was a suspicious lack of data. No dream processes had been recorded, no experiences, nothing. She could see no evidence of tampering, but there was simply no data. No signs of erasure either, which was even more confusing! "What if you dont come back?" I don't know if I could go on without you...

Placing her hands on either side of Andy's jawline, Maica pulled her face in line with her own so she could look Andy in the eyes. "Not even death could keep me from you." With that, she passionately kissed her lover.

Andy held Maica's wrists as they kissed, then rested her forehead against Maica's forehead once their lips had parted, a sorrowful sigh escaping her as she tried to convince herself that everything would be alright. "I just can't help but feel this is a terrible idea and nothing good will come of it," Andy said quietly. Maica's mind was made, so andy wouldn't try to dissuade her any further, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"You're probably right. It seems we have gut instincts that go against each other. Since I never had one before you built my new body, I'm inclined to trust your's more, but this... I can't ignore this feeling I have that something interesting will happen if I go and that everyone will die if I don't. You know?"

"Maica, you got free will, I ain't gonna stomp on that," Andy said right away. "I don't want you to go, but I won't stop you because this is your choice to make. I don't know what this feeling is that you're having, so maybe you do need to do this, but that don't mean I gotta like it. I will, however, man the bridge so I can do my part to see that you and everyone else comes home safely. And you know how much I hate bridge duty..."

"Thank you, my love." Maica said, relief washing over her and a bright smile coming to her face. "You don't know how much that means to me. And though I know you hate bridge duty almost as much as seeing the doctor, I feel better knowing you'll be up here on the ship watching out for us."

"I will always watch over you and protect you," Andy promised quietly, caressing Maica's cheeks with the backs of her metal-plated fingers. After another tender kiss, Andy grew more serious. "But when you get back, you and me are gonna have a serious talk about you doing dangerous shit like this." Although there was a high degree of probability that there would be very little talking and a distinct lack of clothing in addition to a whole lot of moaning when Maica got back...

"I look forward to that talk then," Maica agreed wholeheartedly. She had a pretty good idea what kind of 'talk' Andy was referring to.

Kadan and his partner in security were off-duty at present. They hoped to ride out the transwarp storm. He sighed a bit as he fiddled with a drink, standing near to her. "I wouldn't know a thing about what's going on up there...I just hope it works out." He remarked, before the ship shuddered and began to shake...

Leryssa shot a worried glance at Kadan when the ship shuddered and began to shake, "I'm no engineer, But I don't think whatever that was, Is a good sign." She told him anxiously as she quickly glanced around at their surroundings; Just as various items were tossed around, or knocked out of place off the tops of a few tables and several shelves when the shaking started to increase in greater strength.

"Yeah..I'm starting to become...look out!" He sprang into action, jerking her out of the chair as it flew out from under her, pulling her close to him without noticing the shelf that was sent flying, hitting him in the back and sending the two of them towards a wall. Thinking fast, he managed to turn them around in mid-air so his back hit the wall, and his body cushioned her fall...

Leryssa had no time to think as she was suddenly yanked out of the chair she'd been sitting in just seconds before Kadan reacted in order to protect her. The last thing that Leryssa remembered before she and Kadan had hit the wall; Was him pulling her close and turning in mid-air so the impact wouldn't become a fatal one, and both her head and left shoulder hitting the corner of a table, Leaving a bleeding gash on her forehead, and her left shoulder began aching very painfully. Though the impact was not hard enough to knock her unconscious, but it did make her feel very dizzy and disoriented.

Kadan on the other hand took the full force of the impact, grunting underneath the strain. He was shaken up all over, and there was a bruise on his back..but strangely he managed to remain conscious, for the moment. "That was rather..unpleasant.." he gasped out, his hands reaching for her. "Leryssa? You alright?" he called, rather disoriented as well, and in pain.

"I think so...., I'm just a little rattled." Leryssa grunted in response as she blinked several times and shook her head in attempt to relieve the dizziness and exhaustion that started to overtake her, "Though, My left shoulder hurts, I feel slightly dizzy and I have one hell of a headache. But I think nothing's broken." She added shortly afterwards, Covering the bleeding gash on her forehead with her hand for a second, Letting a pained groan escape her lips as she glanced at the blood that covered her palm when she removed her hand from where it had rested against her forehead in that same second, "What about you, Kadan? Are you alright?" She asked as she turned to face him.

He lay still...not able to move much. "I feel like I've been hit by a moving transport. One of my legs hurts a little and I feel sore all over..." he managed to rattle off his injuries. "Think I might have a cut on my back too." Kadan reaches up and tears off a long strip of his shirt. "Come closer, I've got enough left in my arms to try and wrap that gash on your head.."

Leryssa grunted in pain when Kadan started to wrap the strip of his shirt around her head after she'd scooted herself a little closer to him, "Ouch! By the Prophets!! That really hurt...!!!" She half-complained, and half-cried out after he'd finished.

"Sorry love.." he mumbled out, "but it's bad if you lose too much blood. We need to hang in there until the rescue teams come..."

"And what if they don't come? What if no one really knows we're in here?" Leryssa asked worriedly as she huddled closer to Kadan, Practically fitting herself carefully into his arms, and snuggling up against him.

Kadan held her close against his body, letting her head rest near his heart, so she could hear his heart beat. "Then I'll make sure to get their attention." he replied confidently, smiling at how easily they fit together. Then he began thinking about something important. The outcome here wasn't 100% set in stone...and maybe there were some things that he should say.

Leryssa listened to Kadan's heartbeat as her head rested near his heart, She silently counted the beats. One, Two, Three, Four. She thought to herself without saying a word, Though her eyelids felt heavy suddenly and wanted to close, However, She'd fought to keep her eyes open. As one should after suffering a head injury. "Kadan?" She fell silent, Waiting for him to respond to her.

"Yeah love..I'm here.." He gave, nodding softly. "I feel like we have a unique opportunity to talk.."

"About what?" She asked curiously while still resting her head against Kadan's chest. The exhaustion Leryssa had felt, Was beginning to take its toll on her. Though, Her curiosity kept her attention focused on what it was that Kadan wanted to talk to her about; The exhaustion that she was still feeling was temporarily forgotten, If only for a little while.

"Us. I haven't done a formality that I should have yet, and with this...incident, it might be better to say things that should be. So Leryssa...I want to ask you. Will you go out with me?" Kadan asked softly.

Leryssa fought to keep herself conscious, but her exhaustion was becoming much stronger, "Yes, I'll go out with you." Was the only answer that managed to be said before she added, "I feel so tired right now..., I...I can't keep my eyes open any longer." She laid her hand on top of Kadan's as she blinked once or twice.

"Don't nod off just yet...you've taken a head injury, Leryssa... Try to stay awake.." His tone of voice indicated that he was worried about her..

Leryssa nodded, "Okay, I'll try... For you, Kadan, My love." She managed to say before she let a pained groan escape her lips, "Just promise me you won't leave my side, Even for a second. Not even if I asked you to?" She requested as she looked into his eyes.

"I promise." he replied, looking into her eyes. "I love you." It was the first real time that it was said, and how befitting for it to be on the edge of disaster.

"I love you too." Was the response she gave Kadan. "How long have we been trapped in here?" She asked as she wrapped her arms around him, "Do you think the rescue teams have even made it down here yet?"

"Don't know.." He trailed off. "This is the greatest crisis we've faced since coming aboard..so I imagine things might be a bit slow. Everyone's probably still in shock, or shaking off the cobwebs.."

Leryssa managed raising an eyebrow in curiosity at Kadan's statement about cobwebs, But decided it was best not to inquire about it, Seeing as she figured he'd explain it to her later since now wasn't really a good time for it. Instead, She lowered her head and gazed right at Kadan's communicator that rested against his chest. Then she glanced to her own communicator, which rested in the same spot as his did, but on her own chest, "I just remembered something." Leryssa gave as an idea formed in her head and she tried to sit up, but didn't quite manage it very well, Since she had very little upper body strength in her weakened condition, for the moment, "At the Academy; In situations like this, It could be possible to set up a homing signal with a communicator if there wasn't any usable, damaged, or absolutely no communications equipment nearby whatsoever." Leryssa yanked off her communicator from where it rested on her uniform, "I don't know why I didn't think of that sooner, If only we had some proper tools..." She trailed off.

"Mmm.." He watched her remove it, and nodded. "I have more upper arm strength at present, if you can walk me through it, I can try to use my fingers to set up one homing signal between our two communicators. Sound alright?"

With a slight nod, Leryssa observed as Kadan took her communicator from her, and had pulled the top casing off of it, "If I remember correctly, You have to press here." She gestured to a section of the communicator near the top point of it, before suddenly letting a pained groan escape her lips, She glanced at Kadan as he gave her a worried glance, "I'm fine." She lied as confidently as she could manage, "It's just a sore muscle in my left shoulder from not having moved it in a while." Her lie almost sounded convincing enough even for her to ignore it. Much less having Kadan ignore it himself, "Now where was I?" She gave as she watched as Kadan was working on her communicator, not really noticing that he was still looking at her with great concern upon his face.

"Easy.." Kadan murmured, very concerned about her. But, he kept his cool as well. Trying to reassure him was only half-working, as he pressed where she told him to, and then worked on changing the communicator protocol from active transmit to the emergency homing signal. He was focused, but still managed to tell her, "We're going to make it out of this together."

"I hope you're right about that.... If not, Then I should probably start teaching you the words to perform the Bajoran Death Chant; and the prayer that follows it, for me." Leryssa joked with a bit of morbid sarcasm underlying in her tone.

"Let's just hope that isn't necessary." Kadan replied, not finding too much humor in that, focusing more on the present. "But..if it happens, I will learn the right rituals. Don't worry, though. We'll be fine."

Leryssa nodded silently without saying anything to Kadan, She tried to focus on keeping herself awake, But it was getting more and more difficult for her to do so with each passing second. She felt really exhausted now, and it was taking all her strength and will to keep herself from losing consciousness, Though both were slipping slightly as the time passed. "Kadan?" Leryssa half-mumbled, Half-called out his name, Hoping he'd answer her. "Are you still here with me?" She asked curiously and worriedly at the same time as she reached out and grasped Kadan's arm to reassure herself that she wasn't dreaming, and that he really was there with her.

"Y-yeah.." He too was starting to feel the effects of it now.. despite his best efforts. An arm muscle moved just enough to finish the project that he had started with the combadge. "I...I don't think we'll be able to stay awake much longer...but I finished the beacon." With an emphatic press of a finger, it activated as he leaned his head back. "I love you.." he trailed off..

"I love you too.." Leryssa answered Kadan rather sleepily as her head drooped and rested against his chest. No! I can't go to sleep, N-not now....!She thought to herself as she tried weakly to force herself to stay awake, But to no avail, Her exhaustion was indeed winning its war against her. With her last ounce of strength; Leryssa finally managed to fight off her exhaustion, Move her upper body upwards into a sitting position, and move both her arms, and she tried her best to rouse Kadan- Who had already closed his eyes and was starting to fully lose his consciousness, "C'mon babe." She spoke as loud as she could manage. Hopefully, It was loud enough for Kadan to hear her, "Kadan, C'mon honey. Please, Don't go to sleep." She tried to shake him again for the second time, "You have to wake up, Kadan... We can't go to sleep now.." She added a little louder as she continued trying to shake him, and gave his face a gentle slap or two to try to grab his attention and wake him up.

The effort was enough to rouse him momentarily, blinking his eyes as he was a bit bewildered. "Leryssa?" he questioned lightly, looking at her with the look of a man who wouldn't stay awake for long, reaching his hands up to hold hers..

Leryssa grasped Kadan's hands in her own as she spoke to him, "Yeah. I'm here, babe. We have to try to stay awake until the rescue teams come and find us." She sighed as she added, "I know we're both very tired; But if we go to sleep right now, There may be a chance we won't wake up at all."

He was about to respond, but heard noise at the door instead. "That was quick.." he murmured, smiling a little. "No sleep..not yet. Once we're transported..then we sleep.." There was a banging on the door, the locking mechanism was jammed, but an engineer working with the SAR team managed to open a hole in the door.

Leryssa jumped slightly and let a surprised squeal escape her lips when she heard the sudden banging on the door; She did not really expect the noise to startle her, but it did. She blushed, Then hid her face deep in Kadan's chest since she felt a little embarrassed for her reaction. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to squeal like that." she apologized to Kadan, "That banging noise at the door just startled me. That's all."

"It's alright." He smiled a bit. "If anything, it helped jar me awake a little." He pats her head. "Easy now. We're saved.." he gave. The following events would be like a blur as they were scanned and secured for transport to sickbay...the old-fashioned way.

And that was the last thing that Leryssa remembered seeing, Right before she finally closed her eyes and lost consciousness.

Ensigns Kadan Storm & Leryssa Kiska
Security Officers
USS Katana

The holodeck was marked as open, though the doors were shut. An unidentified program ran, having been recreated from the mind of the creator inside. Were it to be opened or entered, one would recognize the fact that the "floor" was translucent..having stars beneath it as well as above it. In what could be termed the "center" of the room, knelt a man in quiet meditation. Starfleet Marine Tier One uniform, fundamental difference from normal being the thicker fabric and the light weight beneath it, being a form of light armor, with a skull patch on the left side.

The man's back is to the entrance, and his head is black, because it is covered in fabric. A balaclava rests over it, concealing Derek the El-Aurian, the traveler. Here, in the quiet blackness, he is the Kingslayer. the Last Ghost. And he is at peace with the memories within.

Lia Grae received a vague yet direct message for a counseling appointment in Holodeck 2. While normally she would have countered the message with a formal location like her office, however she made a note to be lenient with the crew. She walked down the corridor and stopped at the foot of the large door that mark the entrance to the holodeck. She was a few minutes early from the requested time however that didn't prevent her from pressing the wall console to open the door.

As the door parted open, she walked inside and was amazed by what she saw. Stars all around them, and it took Lia a moment to convince herself she wouldn't fall before taking a few more steps inside. When the door closed behind her she noticed a figure at the "center" of the room. "Nice program." she called out.

Early. He could respect that. "Thank you for coming." his voice intoned through the program as he stood and removed the balaclava from his head, stuffing it into his uniform pocket as he turned around to greet her with piercing blue eyes. "I figured that since no doubt you'll want to see the survivors as part of your duties, that I'd make it easier on you."

"I appreciate that." Lia replied as her pink eyes met his piercing blue eyes. She would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous seeing him in his mask, but was relieved when he removed it. "I'm Lt. Commander Lia Grae," she introduced herself and extended her hand, "I take it your a Marine."

"1st Lieutenant Derek Gordon. I've been assigned as Marine XO on this ship due to being qualified for the job." He replied, shaking her hand firmly. Technically, he was over-qualified, but he didn't inflate such details. "Pleased to meet you."

"Like wise, Lieutenant." Lia smiled at him before looking around at the stars. "This is a beautiful program, was it in the ship's library or is it yours?" she asked.

"Mine. Recreated from memory, since I lost everything but the tools of the trade with the other ship exploding." Derek replied with a small nod. "I'm pleased to know you like it."

Lia smiled and nodded, "So how are you adjusting to life on this Katana?"

"Fine, thus far. I don't have a counterpart in this universe, and it seems for the most part to be a time of great sadness for the stories of so many.."

Lia blinked, "Don't you mean, you don't have a counterpart in my universe? We maybe on my Katana, but we are very much in your universe. And don't let it get to you. Several members of this crew discovered they don't have a counterpart either."

He chuckled. "I am many things. But count me out when it comes to temporal dimensional topics." The man shrugged. "You're right. But it doesn't bother me, about the counterpart thing."

"Well that is good. Most people get jealous over their counterpart's success, or get proud for their own. Me... I have a counterpart and her path differs greatly from mine." She confessed but shrugged her shoulders. "Did you lose many friends on the other ship?"

"One." he admitted, "And several before that. But they knew what they were in for." Truth be told, he hadn't really thought about the other people that had perished aboard that ship. But his friend and team leader had been there, and now he was gone.

"I take it you are all to familiar with losing a loved one. If you don't mind me asking... what species are you?" She asked. He looked human, but then again so did she.

"El-Aurian. And...Vulcan." A hybrid as it were. And as he looked at her his blue eyes went from being vibrant, to faded, and back..recalling the truth of what she said. "Yes. I am more familiar with that than I would like to be. But it is what it is."

"I don't think counseling will help you for that one. Longevity can be a blessing as well as a curse." Lia commented, her eyes never leaving him. "I will be here though, as long as I can for you."

"It's not something I require the help for presently." Derek nodded in understanding. "I appreciate it. But how I come to terms with outliving my peers is simply chronicling their stories. So that when they are gone they may be remembered for how they lived."

"So you are not only the Marine XO, but the defacto historian? That is interesting." Lia smiled.

"Yeah." Derek looked at her. "And more than that." They were approaching a line that he would respectfully advise her of the..uniqueness of his work...

That comment and the way he was looking at her caused Lia to tilt her head, "Oh?"

"I was part of a special unit that was formed to fight the Breen, after being experimented upon for augmentation. As part of that unit we had to do some things that weren't pretty. I'll speak of some of them if you wish, but this is me being considerate for your emotions, should you be telepathic or the like."

Lia shook her head, "I'm not telepathic, though people on this ship tends to think so. Do you wish to discuss your combat role?" She asked him, "From my end you seem perfectly self-aware and I don't get you're hiding anything from yourself. So is there more you don't want to admit to?"

"Just the incident that started a legend." Derek said. before shrugging slightly. "Combat role? My team was Tier One, best of the best. Specifically targeted to deal with threats like the Breen or other marauders. It worked out great for a while until we were sent to a planet in the Unity sector, along with 54 marines, thus beginning that incident." He wasn't unwilling to talk about it, but it was a bitter spot with him because of how Starfleet reacted to it.

"You will have to forgive me... I don't know much about the history of this universe..." Lia frowned.

"It's fine. The incident...well." Derek produced a padd from his uniform pocket, and tossed it to her. "Here."

Lia caught the padd in her hands and proceed to read it. "This...is definitely different from my Universe. Section 31 is infamous for missions like these from where I'm from. Honestly with what this crew has been through, I think you'll find many would actually approve of the actions of Tier One."

"Maybe so. I don't know. It's not going to be a central talking point when I meet new people, however. It's about the people I document, not me, the last Ghost." Derek replied. He was thankful for her sentiments, at least.

"Were you close with the last...Ghost?"

"I am the last Ghost, but I was close with the team leader. He was a good friend, assigned to the Katana with me. Didn't make it out, but died as he had lived, a hero."

"A hero Starfleet and the Federation refuses to honor?" She asked.

"Yes. Officially, we do not exist. And that is a position that I doubt will change." Derek gave, signifying that he was content with it, even if he didn't like it.

"Assholes." Lia shook her head, "The worst thing any government can do is ignore the sacrifices of those who died protecting it. I know it's not much but, Thank you."

"Well.." he trailed off, nodding softly. "Not used to hearing that, much. It means a bit more than you know." Something else comes to mind though, that makes him frown just a bit.

Lia noticed the frown. "What is it?"

"I fully respect the chain of command in most cases..but the man that passes for the Marine CO here is some cause for concern, to me." Derek decided to be truthful.

"And what evidence do you have for that reasoning?" She asked.

"He hasn't seen combat, his specialty was artillery which implies quite the distance from the front line and his attitude leaves a lot to be desired. Does not take constructive criticism well, either." Derek replied. "I can only hope that he will be up to the task of our defense, should it come to that."

Lia nodded, ''I will keep that in mind during his next evaluation." She smiled, "was there anything else?"

"Yeah. I've refused promotion thus far in my career. I prefer to be in the field, on the front line, doing the most good. A promotion would take that away from me. That's how I feel about them." Derek stated, he was quite resolute in his view on that.

"I don't see how being promoted to Marine CO would constitute a change in your career. You would probably be dealing with the same type of assignments."

"Promotions where I came from constitute moving up in the ranks, and with that comes more paperwork. More responsibility and more importantly, assignments at a desk or a starbase." Derek explained, so she would understand his view.

"I understand, there were days my desk would be filled with data padds but overall I didn't see much of a difference between being a department head over an assistant."

He paused for a moment, shaking his head. "Never mind." he would give, sadly. It was something similar to what a legendary starship captain had said to another. Don't let them promote you, don't let them transfer you. Stay in the position where you can do the most good. Plus, now that he was the last of his team, he would be something of a lone wolf, in the field.

Lia frowned with his dismissal. "If you do not want to be promoted, you can always decline the offer. You could offer recommendation who would be best to fill that role to the Captain."

Derek sighed a bit at her frown. He hated to see women sad. But he shook his head. "I cannot offer a recommendation about that because there is no one else capable. I know that you will likely make your report to the Captain at one point or another. Should you recommend my promotion, and he approves it, then so be it. But I will not ask for it."

Lia blinked, "Well, I wouldn't be the one making such a recommendation." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Regardless." Derek brushed the issue aside effortlessly, taking a pair of steps forward, his blue eyes focused on her now. "Times have changed, and perhaps my role should expand as well. But enough about me! Tell me about you, Counselor...something simple to start off with, the beginning of your story."

Lia stared into his blue eyes for a moment, "Well... I was born on Sigma Iota V. Father was the Federation Ambassador to the region. I always had a thing for psychology, so I pursued a career in Clinical Psychology and eventually given the position here."

"Mmm. So you've used this gift to help people. Was there any one instance that really drove you or motivated you to keep going on that path?"

Lia looked at him and almost chuckled. "I actually published paper titled, When to Yield to Blissful Ignorance: The Negative Effects of Psychiatry."

"I see. And what was the point you were driving at there? Though you seem really well-learned." He chuckled a little, his eyes never leaving her.

"The fundamental point I was making is there is such a thing as too much counseling. I also learned there is a higher-rate of healing when the patient wants the counseling and isn't forced."

"And that makes you better than 90% of the counselor types I have encountered in my one hundred and fifty-three years." He grinned a little at this, before looking at her again. "And how have you found your assignment on this ship to be?"

Lia smiled at the compliment, "Thank you, and well... this ship has been full of surprises."

"Seems the name of this ship is destined to make surprises no matter which universe its in." Derek chuckled a bit. "And what are your opinions of the crew that you've met?"

Lia looked at him, "It's a good crew. They all work well with one another. Each have their own personal 'demons' however that doesn't make any of them incompetent. I personally feel this crew is one of the bests in Starfleet... at least back in my universe."

"Hmm.." Derek shook his head a bit. "I agree. But great care should be taken with these demons. If they should arise again we will need to work together to survive and help those affected.."

His words hung in the air for a moment as Lia observed him. "You're right." she responded, and then added, "it is also important for you to know, right now you're not alone."

Derek nodded his head quietly, heading forward and placing a hand on her shoulder as he stands to her right. "Same for you. Truthfully, I don't have a good feeling about the immediate future. But I have no evidence to back it, so..there's that. I think I will express an interest in promotion, too. Whether it is granted or not..is another story."

Lia glanced over at him and nodded. "We'll take this one day at a time. Just like we always."

"Yeah. Lia...I appreciated this talk...truly. Thank you." Derek said, squeezing her shoulder just a little before stepping past her a couple of steps, close to the exit arch.

Lia turned on her heals and followed him out. "It was nice chatting with you Derek. If you ever need someone to vent to, my door is always open." She smiled.

"You too." He replied, a smile on his face as he walked off. Somehow, he felt better after speaking with her. But there were things yet to come that would try him..and his patience.

1st Lt. Derek Gordon
USS Katana

Lt. Commander Lia Grae
Counselor
USS Katana

Captain Kristopher woke up on the floor of the aeroshuttle. There had been so much noise before they crashed, but now there was silence except for the ringing in his ears. However, the ringing quickly subsided and Kristopher found himself struggling to his feet in the smoke filled cockpit and cabin of the aeroshuttle. There was definitely a fire and the emergency systems were not putting it out. Fuck thought Kris as he felt a sense of panic come over him but he had to push that off.

"Jhu, Jenni, Maica anyone?!" called out Kris as he choked on some thick smoke. "Everyone, let's go... this baby is burning. We need to get some fresh air" added the Captain.

If she'd thought she was having trouble breathing before, Jhu imagined this must be what drowning was like. Instead of air, her lungs were filled with smoke, and she coughed and sputtered through several ragged breaths as she tried to disentangle herself from the mess of equipment and torn seats inside the crashed shuttle. The smothering feeling of the smoke on top of the tightness in her chest made it nearly impossible to move, but with a gargantuan effort she hauled herself free of the small avalanche that had partially buried her and tried to move toward Kris's voice.

Kris had heard Jhu's coughing and already was heading right for her, knowing that some of the crew had been strapped in when the aeroshuttle began its harsh dive. He had reached for his waist and pulled out a tactical knife. He came across Tonkin first who was strapped into his seat. Tonkin slouched over, his head having hit hard against the console.

The Captain had feared the worse when he checked Nathan's neck. Fortunately, the guy was fine. He was just knocked out cold and trapped and tangled in the straps and belts. Kris used the tactical knife to cut his Security Chief free. "I've got ya big fellow" said Kris as he tried to pull Nathan out of his seat and towards the hatch. However, Kris was not strong enough. He couldn't move Tonkin on his own.

He saw Jhu staggering towards him through the thick smoke. "Jhu!" called out Kris struggling with his breathing. "Jhu, help me with Nathan. He's out cold. We need to get him out before he breaths in too much of this shit."

Nathan. Jhu found Kris and Nathan through the smoke. Whatever was on fire had an acrid smell to it, burning not just her throat but her eyes... even her spots tingled in it. A quick check showed that Nathan was free of the entangled safety harness; Kris just wasn't big enough to pull him free. "I've got him," she managed in between coughs, handily dragging Nathan free of the seat he'd been strapped into. She'd carried him once before, so dragging him out of the shuttle would be easy... as long as she could figure out which way to go.

Kris was glad to see Jhu was fine, well as fine as she could be. He knew that she was still mental. At least that's how he described her jokingly in her last personal log. "Thanks, Jhu" replied Kris trying to catch his breath.

Captain Kerouac looked around but the smoke was making it hard to see anyone. "Maica!" shouted Kris. "Maica, where are you? We need you. Get to the hatch and get it open. You're the only one that can see through this smoke" added Kris.

Maica was already up and trying to get the side door open, to no success. She had paused her breathing so she couldn't say anything without filling her own organic lungs with the smoke. Crossing to the emergency hatch, that one too refused to open, but it at least didn't seem to have much blocking it as it at least unsealed. Punching in the emergency codes, she popped the tiny explosive bolts keeping it attached to the shuttle and pushed it free, the outside light streaming in through the smoke. After poking her head out a moment to make sure it was safe enough outside, she went back in to start helping people out, first grabbing Jhu by the shoulder and guiding her towards the open hatch, then Kris.

Once Maica had guided her outside, Jhu dragged Nathan a short distance from the shuttle before collapsing into the grass next to him. The fresh air burned nearly as much as the smoke before, but she checked to see if Nathan was still breathing before dissolving into a harsh coughing fit that lasted a minuted or so before subsiding.

"No" said Kris shaking off Maica's hand. "I'm not going anywhere until the others are out" added the Captain. "Get M'rayr and the others" he said to the green skinned Android.

Kris was putting himself in extra danger now? Maica wasn't surprised. Even through all this fiasco, he still worried about his ship and crew. She just needed him out of the freaking way so she could get to Jenni and Hayley. Pushing him aside, she latched onto the back of both women's uniforms and started pulling them out of the shuttle, her stronger muscles barely straining at the effort. Getting them outside a short ways, Maica thought a blessing and a thank you to Andy as she headed back in for the rest.

M'rayr's eyes fluttered awake. He'd been knocked aside by the impact, having no idea how the gentle plains had turned so suddenly against them. Prying himself up, the Caitian checked to make sure he could feel all his arms and legs (and tail). A quick glance around the cockpit told him that everybody else was either out or on their way out... minus Kerouac. "Everybody else is accounted for, Captain. It's time to go." Finding out exactly what went wrong could wait until they were out of imminent danger.

Kris nodded. "Alright. Let's grab weapons and essential equipment, but don't take too long. We need to get away from this chemical smoke before it destroys our lungs" added Kris.

Hayley moaned as the pain in her head throbbed. Hearing, the captain's order, she sighed, struggling to her feet, feeling blood run from her head, she tenderly touched the gash on her upper right forehead. She looked at the wrecked aershuttle recalling an old earth quote that many pilots knew. 'Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. ' Obviously whoever said that, had never crashed, she thought.

A loud cough forced its way out of Jenni's lungs as she came back to the land of the conscious. She could smell smoke, but her vision was blurry and her hearing quiet except for a soft whine. She blinked several times, but squinted as she came to. She sat up to see smoke billowing out of the open hatch on the Aeroshuttle. For her, it was an ominous sign. Several weeks ago, it was a sign of hope when it came to rescue her from a downed starship. Now, it lay broken, cementing proof that they had done wrong.

Jenni staggered to her feet and checked her belt. The phaser was missing, but her tricorder was still there. After this crash, that was all she cared to carry.

Three Talosians were walking towards the crashed shuttle, slowly making their way towards the survivors. They had already taken over all their minds so they'd see what they wanted to see and not the Talosians themselves. Mumbling to each other, they were genuinely surprised at the survival of these unexpected visitors. This was the first time since the Enterprise that anyone had lived to see the planet's surface. They wouldn't live long though. The ship had crashed right next to a rather steep cliff and already, the Talosians were weaving illusions to lure the survivors over it to the jagged rocks below.

Having finally dragged the remaining crew from the wreckage, Maica glanced up and looked around. she had the distinct impression that they were being watched. Not only that, but it felt like something else was watching the landscape through her eyes. There she saw the Talosians, walking towards them and nodding to each other as if in conversation. Finally resuming her breathing, she called out to the rest of the team. "Captain, we have company. Three Talosians, by the looks of them. Captain?"

Hearing those words from Maica caused Kris to turn sharply and his eyes scanned the landscape. "Welcome to Talos IV ladies and gentlemen" commented Kris. The Captain shot a look at his First Officer.

M'rayr saw the Talosians and had a sudden bad feeling. He withdrew his tricorder from its holster and opened it. "I am detecting chronometric readings bearing three-two-six degrees, distance two-hundred and twenty-seven meters." The Caitian pressed a few buttons on his tricorder. "I believe it is the Guardian of Forever," As M'rayr put the tricorder back into its holster, he gave a weary look towards the Talosians in the distance. "We should attempt to avoid a direct encounter with the Talosians. I suggest we move for the Guardian, Captain."

The Captain listened to the First Officer's report. However, he also knew from the insistence of his Chief Diplomatic Officer that the Guardian of Forever was not on this planet. His visions, however, argued this point. Kris still firmly believed that Maica had to be wrong, or something had to lead to the Guardian.

Jenni looked around, and pulled out her own tricorder. As she confirmed M'rayr's scans, Jenni looked around. She couldn't see anything besides the wreckage. "Location confirmed, Captain," Jenni said, keeping her tricorder out to use as a compass, and pointing in the direction her tricorder indicated.

"Let's be cautious" said Kris. The words coming out of his mouth sounded so foreign. Cautious? Me? he thought shaking his head. He looked at his First Officer and the woman he wanted to make his Chief Operations Officer. "I do not want to take too many unnecessary risks" added Kris.

"And coming here was an unnecessary risk?" Jenni asked under her breath. She scanned the horizon with her eyes and saw nothing of importance before looking down at her tricorder and facing the direction it indicated. Jenni took a couple steps in its direction and came to a stop, studying the readings for a moment.

Captain Kerouac looked at Maica. "Commander Maica, can you confirm their reports?" asked Kris, knowing that Maica as an artificial intelligence would probably be more reliable than himself or the other biological members of the crew. "Should we proceed in that direction?" added Kris.

Looking at her tricorder, the group heard Maica say "Yes, the Guardian of forever is just over that rise." What she actually said was, "No, I'm picking up a 100 meter drop to sharp rocks and some underground creature with a giant mouth that looks like a massive vagina with millions of sharp teeth."

Kris studied the Talosians for a moment. Were they really that far away or were they standing a foot in front of him. Were they even there at all? Illusions could be deadly. "Maica, as Chief Diplomatic Officer, would you advise avoidance or making contact with the Talosians?" asked Kris.

Again, the group heard something different as Maica spoke. "Just ignore them for now." Is what they heard, but in reality, she was saying, "I'll deal with them. Just stay away from that cliff of doom."

"Stupid telepaths, " Hayley mumbled as she followed the group.

"Let's go!" Jenni called out to the Away Team, compelled with a sense of urgency. The sooner this was done, the sooner she could get back to her life, if she'd still have one when this was over.

"Careful, Hayley" said Kris with a smile. "Some of your fellow crew wouldn't be too found of hearing that" added Kris. He then looked at Jenni and nodded. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Matthews. By all means, lead the way" said Kris.

M'rayr grumbled something incoherent as he pulled his tricorder again.

"Nobody likes a sour puss" said Kris placing his hand on M'rayr's shoulder. "You know, some days, you are like a giant grumpy tribble" added Kris.

"That's because he is a giant grumpy tribble." Having a long track record of random equipment failures that didn't make sense, Jhu opted not to use a tricorder, instead relying on her eyes to tell her what was around them. There were certainly enough people using tricorders to determine their path anyway.

Jenni started to walk based upon her tricorder directions. She hadn't used a tricorder much since before the destruction of her Katana and Jenni was still adjusting to the extra ounce and a half inside the antiquated unit. She really needed to request Starfleet's up-to-date schematics for the replicators. "Two hundred meters to go," she told them.

The Captain marched onward, a phaser in hand. At his side, his Chief of Security. Both men were armed and Kris felt that they both were on high alert. It was the thought of the Talosians and their abilities that terrified Kris. He had read the reports from the Enterprise crew, more specifically those of Captain Christopher Pike and his first officer, Commander Robbins. "Two hundred meters" he echoed back in response.

Kris then began to move quicker, cutting off Jenni and the others, asserting himself ahead of her and taking point. This was much to the dislike of Lieutenant Tonkin who Kris heard a small grunt from. I'm not going to be babysat like some child thought Kris as he continued onward.

Hearing Nathan's noise of disapproval, Jhu quickly caught up to him, resting her hand on his arm. "Let him go," she said quietly, echoes of her recent frustrations with Kris tinging her voice. "Fighting with him doesn't do any good. I would know."

The three Talosians were ever observant of what was happening, mildly entertained by the actions and thoughts of the humans. They were so easily confused and were manipulable as if they were cattle. One talosian looked at the others. 'That short skeletal looking one appears to be the leader' it observed. 'Too weak physically and mentally. That other one with the weapon looks stronger, a much better specimen.'

The Talosian nodded. It looked among the others of the Katana crew, noticing Jhu. 'That one with the spots... a physically unappealing specimen. Her thoughts are too violent.' it added.

As Maica made her way quickly towards the Talosians, she felt that watching presence behind her eyes intensify its gaze on the bulbous headed aliens. What exactly was it that it was looking for? And why through me? Or am I just imagining things? Maica wondered as she finally came up to them. Scanning them over with her tricorder to try and find a weakness or something, one of them looked at her curiously.

Strange... This one has no mind. It may be a mechanical creation of its masters. I wonder what it was programmed to do. the lead Talosian thought to the other 2.

Maica glanced up worriedly to the others to make sure they weren't too close to that cliff... but they were. Nathan was about to step into a crag of that cliff that would land him straight into the belly of that ground creature. The green skinned android didn't have much time for a diplomatic solution. She'd have to use somewhat hostile negotiation practices. Pulling out her phaser, she began linking and programming it to do something specific that she hoped would at least disrupt the Talosians' control.

"On behalf of the Starfleet vessel USS Katana, I greet you in the name of peace. Unfortunately, since you seem bent on killing my fellow crewmates under that flag of peaceful exploration, I have no choice but to try to disable your telepathic abilities by any means possible." Pressing activate on her tricorder, the phaser and tricorder power supplies resonated together, creating a horrendous shrieking noise that anything with an organic brain would feel to the depths of their core. In essence, Maica was trying to give the Talosians migraines the size of their massive heads.

Unfortunately, it seemed to have the opposite effect... The Talosians were seemingly unaffected but the crew was... Turning the setup off, Maica instead went for Option 6 immediately, hoping the auditory distraction at least stopped her friends from walking over that cliff for the moment. She pulled her phaser free of the tricorder and turned it all the way up to disintegrate before pointing it at one of the Talosians. "Cease and desist your illusionary trickery or I will be forced to terminate your lives one by one. We came here for help and advice, not for death."

A most curious automaton. It seems it might even try to harm us. one of the Talosians thought to the others as it idly looked the threatening android over.

At the sudden rush of what would be deafening noise for human ears, Jhu gave an involuntary cry of pain and put her hands over her ears, stopping in her tracks and looking back to see what had just happened. She could see Maica talking, but thanks to whatever that sound was, she couldn't clearly hear what was being said. All she captured was something about illusionary trickery. What sort of trickery is she talking about? I don't see any-- The thought was cut short when she looked toward the others, resolutely marching toward the edge of a cliff. "Hey! You idiots are going the wro

Jhu was out of it? Maica was relieved she might at least have some help now. "Quick, stop the others!" she called out to her pointed ear friend. If she didn't act fast, Nathan would... She didn't even want to think about it...

It dawned on Jhu then just how close they were to the cliff's edge... Kris and Nathan were nearest the drop, and she took off after them. With no time to come up with a plan, she improvised, physically throwing Kris to the ground as she ran past him to catch Nathan. She was just within arm's reach of him, but as she reached to pull him back, he tumbled over the edge. "Nathan! No!" Dropping to her knees on the cliff, she searched for him on the ledges below. "No, you can't...."

Pulling her tricorder up to track Nathan, Maica hoped for a moment... but no, his lifesign blip just vanished...

Looking back up at the Talosians, Maica was pissed. She was outraged. For the first time in her existence, she was livid with anger and it showed on her face. "Your lives are now forfeit." she growled as she pressed the fire actuator on her phaser. The golden beam lanced out, quickly burning through the first Talosian and turning his head into atomic dust. The rest of his body followed soon after. To her eyes, it all happened in painfully slow motion, the look of surprise on the alien's face burned into her memory. In reality, it took less than a second.

Moving her aim to the next Talosian, Mica paused long enough for them to realize what was going on. They looked to be in a panic. "Still want to play games?"

Holding their hands up, both remaining Talosians surrendered, fearing for their lives. Finally speaking aloud so Maica could hear them, there was a tremor in their voices. "We give up! See? Your friends are no longer under our illusions. Please..."

"Good. Captain Kerouac came here hoping for your aid. You will render it." Maica said with finality, her aim never wavering.

Back at the mouth of the cliff, M'rayr woke up half a second too late. His left foot was planted on solid ground, but his right had extended towards an abyss. The Caitian felt a rush as the solid plains vanished before him, and he began to fall.

Hayley covered her ears from the high pitched noise. She blinked in disbelief at seeing Nathan go over. She stumbled into the XO in front of her, who was next to the edge. She felt herself falling andseeing the ledge, she grabbed hold and nearly let go as a stabbing pain ran up her leg with slot of weight. She looked down to see M'rayr grasping her leg. She bit her lip as she grabbed the ledge with her other hand. " Hold on! " she told herself more than M'rayr.

Jenni had dropped her tricorder when her ears screamed in pain. Her footing faltered for a moment before she could regain her composure. Her eyes darted everywhere, noticing first that the Away Team's numbers had been cut in half, then people on the ground, and finally a very frightening cliff. Where was Maica? And M'rayr and Nathan? Jhu was kneeling over the cliff...

Had people gone over? And that's when Jenni spotted a pair of hands fighting for life on the ledge. Though her hearing was still returning, she dashed over, knelt and reached down to help. "Hang on!" she shouted, seeing M'rayr below Hayley. "Commander!" Jenni shouted at Jhu, looking over to see her amidst her own destress. "I need a hand!"

As much as M'rayr hoped that Jenni and Hayley could hold onto him, he was larger and weighed more than either of them combined. The Caitian's wide eyes briefly surveyed the long and ragged fall he'd experience should they lose him, and then followed his foot while it worked to find some purchase against the rock. "Jenni..." he said nervously as he began to test his weight against the rock. It broke free, and he slipped further down the cliff.

The call for help broke Jhu momentarily free of her futile search for Nathan, and she scrambled over to Jenni, reaching down and taking hold of one of M'rayr's paws. "Don't you dare fall, Whiskers," she whispered in a pained tone, tears she had yet to shed standing in her eyes.

Hayley looked back at the commander and then back up. In order to save M'rayr, she would have to endure alot more pain. Taking in several deep quick breaths, she knew she was more expendable than the XO. She had lost her family and as much as she wanted to believe this mission would succeed, she knew it wouldn't somehow. She looked back at the commander again. "Use me to climb up!"

"Don't be ridiculous," M'rayr retorted as he tried to steady himself.

Jenni had only reached down with one arm, but even now with Jhu's arrival, she had to put everything she had into bringing both of them up. She could feel Hayley start to slowly slip out of her grip, and Jenni quickly used her other hand to brace her hold. Jenni locked her gaze momentarily with M'rayr's, but with him down there and Hayley between them, there was nothing Jenni could do to help him. Hayley's sleeve began to slip again, prompting Jenni to release one hand and reach just a little further down to maintain her hold. "I can't hold you both forever!" she warned.

M'rayr glared back to the ground. Was that Nathan's body he could just make out in the distance? If it was, then it would certainly be a very long way down. "You need to let me go," M'rayr said very matter of factly. He looked up and saw Jhu, Jenni, and Hayley all looking back at him with expressions that read as though they weren't sure they'd heard him correctly. "I'm too heavy for even the three of you," as if to emphasize his point, another rock came loose beneath him. "Drop me," he ordered.

"No," Jhu growled back at him, determined not to lose anyone else.

"The hell we will!" Jenni fired back defiantly. She too spotted the body wearing a Starfleet uniform far below them, and she was determined to not let M'rayr join him. "Pull!" she shouted. With a loud grunt and roar of her own, Jenni put all of her strength into pulling Hayley towards her. If Jhu and Jenni could get Hayley back onto the ledge just enough, the three of them could surely rescue the Caitian.

As Jenni tried to pull Hayley up, Jhu grabbed Hayley's other hand with her free hand and hauled her up high enough to clear the edge of the cliff. On the ground below, she could just barely see where Nathan had fallen, and she was not going to let M'rayr join him. "Come on, Whiskers." She felt herself slide forward just an inch, and she reflexively dug her knee into the rock and leaned back, pulling him up a bit.

The Caitian grunted in submission as he leaned his weight into the cliff wall, pressing his own free paw and both legs against the rock to climb. Just how exactly could so much have gone so wrong so quickly? He hadn't even begun to contemplate the emotional ramifications which would come with knowing that a fellow officer, Nathan Tonkin, was dead at the bottom of this cliff. Progress in his slow ascent distracted the Caitian from dwelling any further on that particular item. And then, just as it seemed as if M'rayr was about to reach the top, he felt a terrible tremor in the cliff as the ground began to slide downward.

The cliff wall he was holding onto was giving out...

As the cliff wall crumbled, M'rayr's paw started to slip through Jhu's hands. He's not going to make it.

M'rayr wrestled with what he had to work with, but the more he fought the more he realized it was a futile gesture. And every second he held on was a second more that Jhu and Jenni could focus their efforts on saving Hayley. She was light enough for the two to pull up on their own; but together with his weight, it was impossible in the amount of time they had. With one last glance up, M'rayr found Jenni's eyes with his own, hoping that more could be said in that single gaze than he ever could think to announce in words.

His paw then released itself from Hayley's grip, twisting in a motion to ensure she could not grab back for it.

"Goodbye," the Caitian said while he plunged.

"NO!" Jenni screamed, still clutching Hayley's arm while her eyes were fixated on M'rayr. Her outburst came at the sacrifice of all effort to continue pulling up Hayley. Jenni knew she couldn't let go, but being so fixated on his fall froze her movement entirely.

Jhu's push had been more forceful than she had probably intended. It knocked Kris to the ground, causing him to miss several moments of events. But he had seen Nathan fall to what Kris knew had to have been his death. Dear God thought Kris, the pain in his chest grabbing him. Nathan... I've lost Nathan his heart was racing.

Kris had not time to mourn the loss of his Security Chief. There were more dangers. M'rayr and Hayley were over the edge too, but Jhu and Matthews were there trying to keep them up. Kris was running towards the edge when he heard his Caitian First Officer say his farewell ad he plunged. "FUCK!" shouted Captain Kerouac as he came to a dusty halt, a full stop at the edge. You fucking asshole! You could have made it. You could have climbed thought Kris.

The Captain had no time to mourn any longer. He needed to act before he lost another. "Collins, don't you fucking dare let go" he said to her. He dropped down to his knees and then laid flat. He reached down as far as he could to help the others pull her up.

Hayley's leg stung from where M'rayr had first grabbed her leg. At seeing him fall, she looked down but didn't see his body. Where had he landed? "Stubborn tribble humper, " grunted Hayley. Her arms felt as if they were going to pop out of their sockets as the others pulled her up.

Kris looked at Jhu and Jenni "Come on, let's get her up here, now!" he shouted. "On three" he added.

At the following count of three, Jhu dragged Haley back up to the edge of the cliff, hoping this time she would actually make it over.

Hayley finally was able to roll herself back on the ledge. She laid there, bleeding and scraped up and her uniform torn in a few places, fighting back tears as she began to shake. She had caused M'rayr to fall. If only she hadn't bumped into him.

The five's comm-badges chirped simultaneously. On the other end of that transmission was some grunting and heavy breathing, and then a voice they all knew to be coming from a now-dead man. "Eisovo to... anybody," the Caitian, gripping onto a ledge that was large enough to support most of him, panted hoarsely. He'd been surprised when he found it... or rather when he hit it.

With micro-seconds to react, M'rayr had grabbed and held onto that ledge, and with some effort was now safe from falling the next thousand or so meters it would take to reach the bottom of the cliff. He looked up and couldn't see the team, or even the edge he'd fallen off of.

"Oh merciful fortune" Kris sighed in relief. He smacked his comm. "Kerouac here. How many lives did this cost?"

"At least four. But it seems Mraownr has given me a ledge," the Caitian answered, playing along with the human fascination with the mythology that Terran cats possessed nine lives. The joke felt ridiculous at a time like this, but knowing that he was still alive made him feel... good.

"I am alive ... and for the moment, safe." M'rayr leaned slightly over the edge so he could look down. The ledge wasn't shifting, so he regarded it as sturdy enough for the meantime. "...I would appreciate a means of leaving this rock at a safe velocity, however. When time permits."

"Understood, Commander. You do not know how good it is to hear your voice. Hold on tight" replied Kris. The Captain looked at the others. "Do we have any rock climbing gear with us? In the shuttle? I'm open to ideas here..."

"No." Still shaking from the sudden loss of Nathan and the near loss of M'rayr, Jhu remained knelt near the edge of the cliff, looking over its edge to see if she could spot where M'rayr had fallen. "But there's a survival kit, should have rope in it. If we anchor it right, I can get him." It took far more willpower than she liked not to break down then and there, but she'd be damned if she gave the Talosians the satisfaction.

Jenni tried to keep her calm as well. Why was it that twice in such a small amount of time this crew had been faced with their own mortality? She certainly wanted to let M'rayr know how stupid his idea had been, along with a few other things. "But that's back at the Aeroshuttle," she said, forcing herself to focus on the situation at hand. Seeing the smoke rise still from the inside, Jenni added, "Do we really want to split up? If the Talosians did this, what more can they do?"

"Piss me off, Lieutenant, and that is not smart" answered Kris. "Not smart at all" he added. He looked at Jhu and nodded. He had heard Jenni's concerns. "No, we don't. But we are going to. You three are going to stay here. I will get the medical kit."

"The hell you are," Jenni replied, realizing only after she'd said it that she'd disregarded all rank and protocol. Not that it truly mattered it seemed. "We can't take any chance you'll get stuck in that shuttle. I'm going with you."

Kris looked at Jenni for the first time in quite a while, seeing and feeling something that he hadn't in a while. She was reminding him of the Jennifer Matthews that he had known as his Chief Engineer. Maybe it was just the situation they were in, the knowing he may not get back to the Katana alive. Maybe it was the loss of Nathan and almost losing M'rawr. Hell, maybe it was the bottle of beer before they crashed.

The Captain reached out and wrapped his arms around Lieutenant Matthews, pulling her close. He planted a kiss right on her lips and looked into her eyes. "I won't risk it, Jenni. You are needed. I'm expendable here."

Jenni blinked, unable to recompose herself after the kiss. The hug was nothing new. In her only one-on-one encounter with the captain, he so gratefully displayed his affection for her. That kiss... He was getting bolder, that was clear. And if he was getting bolder... The last time she'd seen boldness, she was looking at fragments of a planet on a viewscreen. She had an urge to slap him, but even with the Talosians, who knew if even now she was being manipulated? "Move quickly," she urged. She had no authority over him, and despite however long this crew had been serving together before she came along, no one wanted M'rayr rescued more quickly than her.

"If you're going, run." Jhu had spotted M'rayr below on the ledge, and while it seemed stable for now she wasn't sure how long it would hold him... or if it would hold two people.

Kris nodded and gave a sharp stare at Jhu. "I'll be back" he said and no sooner had he said the words, was he running faster than he had ran in years. He was heading back to the aeroshuttle for whatever it was worth. He needed to get the medical kit. I can't let him die. I won't let him die he told himself as he continued onward.

It took what felt like forever, but he did reach the downed craft. It was still burning and the chemical aroma and thick choking smoke was burning his lungs. The Captain wasted no time. He took off his uniforms vest, stripping down to a grey tank top and balled up the jacket, holding it over his mouth. He then got into the aeroshuttle and rummaged around. His skin was hot before he entered, now, it was burning. The heat was so hot that consoles were melting.

Kris located a medical kit, snatched it and charged outside the shuttle. He fell to the ground and coughed several times and deeply. He felt as though he was going to cough up a lung, maybe both. He found the comm badge on his wrinkled uniform jacket but it was inoperable, having faced intense heat, the circuits were fried. He had no choice but to get back on his feet and run. He ran with all the energy he had left to get back to Jhu and the others.

He made it. Several minutes later, he made it back to them. Captain Kerouac threw the medical kit towards Jennifer Matthews as he himself collapsed down to his knees and coughed some more, coughing up some smoky tinted saliva.

Jenni opened the kit and quickly found the rope, packaged of course. She ripped it out and prepared to toss it over the ledge. They needed something to anchor it on first. There was a stake in the kit, but they didn't have anything to hammer it into the ground. And, of course the one person who could serve as an anchor was the one that needed to be rescued. She saw something in an old movie once that would work, if she just had a way to make it happen. "Can I borrow your phaser?" she asked Jhu, remembering that Jenni had lost hers in the Aeroshuttle.

Without taking her eyes off M'rayr, Jhu took the phaser from her belt and handed it to Jenni. She wondered if M'rayr could climb up with just the rope or if he'd need help, and the only person who could answer that question was the cat himself. So she tapped her combadge to open a link between them. "Hey, Whiskers... I don't suppose Caitians do much rock climbing?"

M'rayr looked up to the sky but still couldn't see anyone looking down at him. How far had he fallen before catching onto his ledge? "From time to time," he admitted, knowing that he enjoyed climbing activities... just not when they were life threatening.

Backing several feet away from the ledge, Jenni quickly set the phaser to a high setting and pointed it downward and pressed the trigger. She moved it in a slow, circular motion for half a minute, cutting several inches into the rocky ledge. Letting go, she watched the red glow of the superheated rock start to dissipate. Before it could return to a normal color, Jenni fired again, this time cutting a trench from the recently-fashioned anchor she'd just made to the edge of the cliff.

Jenni holstered the phaser, fully intending to return it to Jhu once this was done. She picked up the rope again, tied one end into a loop which she wrapped around the anchor, letting the cooling rock bind to the rope to cement it into the ground. "Heads up!" she called, tossing the remainder of the rope down the cliff for M'rayr to climb to safety with.

M'rayr stepped away from the edge of the ledge as the rope toppled. He grabbed it with one hand as it stabilized, and then tied it around his waist. Tugging to ensure that it was both snug and sturdy, he tapped his commbadge. "I am ready," he said, although as soon as he looked back down he felt anxious about pushing off his little piece of salvation.

"You've got a rope so it won't be too bad. Tie the end of it around your waist so we can pull you up if you lose traction or start to fall." It was hard to talk someone through climbing, but unless she climbed down to him, it was the best Jhu could do.

"By Mrawnor, please don't let me fall..." The Caitian muttered. Reaching up to the cliff wall, he found purchase and began to clim. Trying to pretend that this was no different than a holodeck simulation did him little good, although he did manage to keep himself from looking down.

After minutes that felt more like hours, he had climbed high enough that he could hear and see the other members of the away team. Minutes later, he had reached the top , where they helped pull him thr rest of the way up.

The Caitian finally looked down. It had been a long fall indeed, and he'd earned his scrapes. A part of his scalp was missing fur from where he'd hit on his way down, he was bloodied but otherwise unharmed.

"I hate telepaths..." M'rayr said, looking over to the Talosians.

Jenni couldn't resist but to give M'rayr a hug. Once she had control of herself, she quickly let go and took a step back. She was glad he was alive and now safe, and there would indeed be much to talk about later. For now, it was time to bring this to a close.

"Welcome to the club." While Jhu didn't hate all telepaths, she certainly hated this bunch of them. A raw mixture of grief, despair, and anger swirled about in her head, but she maintained a cool, stony expression as she pushed herself up off the ground and went over to where Maica held the Talosians at phaser point. Without blocking Maica's line of fire, she approached one of the Talosians and gave him a fiery glare. "The man you just killed was very important to me," she said quietly, wrath building under her soft tone. She hoped they felt every bit of it. "You will tell us where the Guardian is, and if it is on your planet, you will take us there. And so help me, if you do anything to put any more of my friends in danger, I will kill you both, and I won't use a phaser to do it."

The two remaining Talosians looked nervously at one another as if telepathically discussing the situation before the one with a phaser to his bloated cranium spoke. "We have seen what you seek in your minds. It is not here, but..."

Maica's grip tightened just slightly around her phaser, prompting them to continue. The other one spoke this time, stepping forward just slightly in an effort to be more helpful. "We can facilitate telepathic communications with this Guardian you seek. It would be a dangerous link though."

Nodding and eyeing that phaser again, the first one spoke again. "Your Captain's mind may be irreparably damaged by the experience, but if he is willing..."

Jhu was pretty sure Kris was already irreparably damaged anyway, and she still didn't like that idea. It would give them the information they wanted, but to risk what little was left of Kris's sanity might be too big a price. "You'll have to discuss that with him. And remember..." She leaned closer to them both, lowering her voice to a near whisper. "I am watching you. Any sign you're playing tricks on us... it'll be the last trick you ever play."

Kris immediately stepped forward, approaching the two Talosians. "I am the reason we are here on Talos IV, and the crew is my responsibility" said the Captain firmly. He looked at Jhu and M'rayr. "I accept whatever risks. Let me talk to the Guardian" added Kerouac.

Jenni's hand had moved to hold the phaser still holstered at her waist. The uniform color she wore felt now more uncomfortable than ever. Sure her preferred color was shared by a department that was comfortable brandishing weaponry, but she still wished she could be near a warp core or a Jeffries tube. Still, she inched around the edge of the group. Enough people were standing in front of the Talosians. Someone, after all, had to flank their position.

That was what Maica was worried about. More people that thought they had phasers on the Talosians. With a soft click and a shimmer around her body, Maica activated the first of the 2 personal environmental shields she had gotten from Ari. "No tricks now. No making any of my friends shoot me. I guarantee that both of you will be disintegrated well before they cut through these shields."

Looking startled and nervous, both Talosians nodded slowly. From their reactions, she had accurately predicted what they would do. Deep inside Maica, that presence she'd been feeling relaxed a bit and cheered silently.

"No more tricks then." The first Talosian said. "We will aid you in your communication with the Guardian." Looking towards the sky, one Talosian went wide eyed as he quickly found the presence of the Guardian and brought Kris's mind into the link. It had begun and the only thing the rest of them could do now was wait...

Arivek Zhuri glanced at the chronometer that hung on the wall, then back at the console he was standing in front of. On the display was real-time footage from the Areoshuttle's hanger as Arivek watched the craft descend from the ship's saucer and fly towards the planet. He glanced around, making sure no one else was watching him, and then his fingers went to work.

"This should be easy," he said to himself as he overrode Lieutenant Matthews' holo-emitter deactivation and brought the entire grid to life. He smiled to himself. The control he wielded over the ship systems always tickled him in an odd way. Made him feel powerful.

He turned and grabbed the nearest Ensign who was walking past. "I need you to repolarize the hull to this frequency," he stated, handing the woman a PADD.

"Sir?" she asked, looking at the PADD with confusion.

"No time for questions, do as I asked," he stated as he walked away. The hull polarity would help avoid being detected, at least temporarily. But sitting here so close to the planet was a risk that they didn't need. It was now time to put Lieutenant Matthews' plan into action.

As he stepped towards the doors of Main Engineering, he stopped. This was the first time he's left this room in 2 days and he was glad to be leaving. With a step forward, he made his way to the Bridge.

<< Bridge >>

The Turbolift came to a halt and the doors opened. The Bridge was quiet for the most part, the screen lit with the image of Talos IV. In the center chair sat Lieutenant Bridget O'Connor, a woman he still hadn't really spent any time with. She was the most superior officer on the Bridge, at least until he showed up.

As he stepped around the bannister, he cleared his throat. "Good afternoon, Lieutenant. I'll be taking the conn," he stated, motioning towards the Science station where she could resume her department duties.

Bridget was not-so patiently waiting for the away mission to be over. She didn't want to be at Talos IV any longer than what the Captain deemed necessary; she didn't think they should be here at all. She had made that abundantly clear at the senior staff meeting. A meeting where she thought Lieutenant Zhuri had been confined to Main Engineering. She stayed seated as she nodded toward the lieutenant. "I am surprised to see you out of engineering, Lieutenant," she said.

"Let's just say that as the senior-most officer on the ship, I made a Command Decision," he said with a smile.

Bridget returned his smile. "And what other command decisions have you made?" she asked.

Arivek took a deep breath, becoming quite annoyed with the woman. "I've made the decision to take Command of the Katana. Which I have every right to do as a member of the Senior Staff and as someone who is above you in the Chain of Command. If you'd like to resume your duties at your station, be my guest. If not, I can ask you to please leave the Bridge. Your choice."

Bridget frowned as she stood up. "What are your plans for the Katana?" She knew he also didn't agree with the captain's course of action. What he wanted to do would decide whether or not she stayed.

Arivek took a step closer to the woman, but tried not to invade her space, and dropped his voice a bit. "The Katana will be moving out of range of the planet to protect the crew still on board from the effects of the Talosians. But we also need to make sure that we're still able to render aid to the away team if we need to."

Bridget raised her eyebrows and nodded. "In that case, I will resume my duties at my station," she said.

With a smile and a nod to the woman, Arivek took the Captain's seat, his hands running over the arm rests. With a tap of a button, the center console flipped open to reveal a large display. "Ensign Piss-ant, please enter a heading of 351 Mark 23. Half impulse."

The young man turned in his chair, "It's pronounced Pissant. It's derived from an old Human language called French," he stated.

"Excuse my mispronunciation," Arivek stated, his apology dripping with sarcasm. He turned turned to the Tactical Station. "Lieutenant Vara, I'd like you to have weapons on standby. Don't power them up. I don't want to bring attention to ourselves."

Having easily overheard the conversation up to now Vara nodded, not doing anything. "Weapons are already standing by. And by not drawing attention to ourselves, does that include repolarizing the hull?"

Arivek smiled to the woman, "I've already tasked someone in Engineering to do that."

"I know. I monitored the repolarization from here." Vara confirmed.

An alert sounded off from Ops and Andy checked the sensors. "Ari, we got a ship incoming," the ex-Borg woman said. "They're scanning us. Small craft, a scout maybe... And I'm reading a Federation signal."

"Fuck." Arivek drummed his fingers on the armrest. "Andy are they headed our way or moving on? Bridget, scan Talos IV and tell me if you detect any sign of our away team. No one can know they're down there."

Bridget turned to her station and began scanning the surface. She didn't want to think about the consequences of the away team being discovered and, if she had been superstitious, would have crossed her fingers in hopes that the team would not show up on sensors. She turned back to Arivek, "I can't detect them," she said, both relieved and worried.

"Gimme a sec, I think I can give you a small boost to your sensor range," Andy said to Bridget while simultaneously keeping an eye on the ship. "Ari, they definitely see us, they're changing course to intercept."

"Dammit to hell." Arivek looked at Bridget, "Keep an eye on that planet. And deflect any transmissions or comm signals until I say otherwise. I don't want them traced." He turned to the side panel and input a few commands. In an instant, the collar and cuff stripes of his uniform changed from gold to red and suddenly two extra pips appeared on his collar.

He stood and walked into the middle of the Bridge. "The only way for us to get away with this is to look just as concerned as they do. Vara, scan their ship, but keep us looking innocent. No sudden weapons charging. Keep our shields down. Andy, hail them before they can hail us. Let's put them on the defensive."

Vara just stood there, her hands clasped behind her back as she awaited an order that might both make sense and spur her into doing something. So far she had essentially been ordered to leave things as they are several times.

"Ok," said Bridget, "I have them. I'll bounce their signals around so that other ship will never have a clue there's anything or anyone out there except for us."

"I can make it look like our navigational array is damaged," Andy suggested as she finished boosting the range on the sensors for Bridget, "If you want us to look innocent, then we should look like we're here by accident."

"Great idea," Arivek replied to Andy. "Hell, blow the whole deflector if you have too. Just...do something. Helm, move us towards them, but don't fly us in a straight line. Make it look like we're listing towards them."

Andy nodded and sent the order to the Engineering crew to do a control burst on the deflector to make it look out of service, and a brief moment later the ship rocked slightly as navigational deflector went offline with a bit of a boom.

The young Ensign, who Arivek had to admit was very attractive, nodded as he began to slide his hands over the panel before him.

Arivek looked around. Everyone was working on their tasks, everyone was busy preparing for what was about to happen. As a team, they could get through this. "Hail them."

"Hailing frequencies open," Andy said as she opened a channel with the Federation scout ship.

The view of the small Federation ship was suddenly replaced with the image of a Tellarite man. He was sitting in the center chair of his Bridge, but quickly stood and stepped towards the screen.

"This is Captain Zhuri of the Starship Katana. Are we ever glad to see you," Arivek stated, making sure he spoke before the other man had an opportunity too.

Aboard the USS Mantle, the Tellarite let out a snort and ran his palm up and down his snout, clearing out the snot left over from his recent sneeze. "This is Lieutenant Commander Kesh of the Mantle" replied the the Tellarite. "We have scanned your starship. What is your problem?"

"We're having a slight problem with our navigational array," Arivek replied quickly. "We were flying in circles before we realized there was a problem. We've been trying to repair it but literally, just a few moments ago, the entire system blew. It may be a few more hours before we're back on our way, but I'm confident that we can repair it."

The Tellarite's snout was flaring and he looked around his Bridge. I shouldn't have had those tacos and chili for lunch he thought as he hoped the Bridge crew would accuse the Nausicaan tactical officer for the unpleasant soured sulfuric aroma. Focusing back on the man he was speaking to, the Tellarite let out a grunt. "It is not wise to be here, Captain. I do not need to remind you that Talos IV is a forbidden planet. To even be as close are you are to the planet does not look well. I suggest you move."

Arriver's eyes went wide with surprise, "I-is that where we are? Honestly, with the array acting odd, we weren't able to get a clear idea of where we were." The hologram nodded, "We'll get the array fixed and be out of here in no time. Thanks for the heads-up, Commander."

Lieutenant Commander Mor Kesh was not buying this. A Captain would know better he thought and turned in his seat. He gave a look to his operations officer. A moment later he looked down at a console on his arm rest. His tone then became more firm "Captain Zhuri...I must insist that your shields stay down. We will tow you" said the Tellarite. 'There's no Captain Zhuri listed as Commanding Officer. A Captain Tul Zanaar and Commander Kristopher Kerouac are listed as command staff, sir' the message from Ops read.

If Arivek could still sweat, now would be the time he would start perspiring. He cleared his throat as he clasped his hands behind his back. "Unfortunately, both the Captain and Commander were recently killed. I was the Chief Engineer before taking my place as Captain of this vessel in their stead. And a tow is very unnecessary. We should have our array operational soon."

"You, Captian are full of shit" said the Tellarite slamming his fist down and snorting. "This is ridiculous and your lies are wearing thin. I am looking at the full manifest. There is not Zhuri aboard. The Chief Engineer was a Lieutenant Matthews." The Tellarite looked at his tactical officer. "Lock on tractor beam!"

"Fuck," Arivek exclaimed, forgetting for a moment that in this universe, he was a homeless man. He spun around to the Ops station. "Cut the link. Vara, shields up." He took a few steps back to the Captain's chair and settled down into it. "Charge weapons."

No sooner had the order been given had Vara brought shields and weapons online. "Shall I disable their vessel?" Vara asked nonchalantly as she charged the shield emitters with anti-protons.

Arivek sat there for a moment. He had to admit that that was his first thought, but suddenly he was second guessing himself. To fire on another Federation vessel was an act of treason. And being the man in Command, it was his head on the chopping block. The view screen showed the ship getting closer and closer. "Do it, but only their weapons and engines." He thought for a second, "and their communications array. We can't have them going anywhere or telling anyone."

"Roger that," Vara said, quickly locking their own tractor beams onto the scout vessel. Triggering the antiproton burst from the shields, the burst traveled down the beam and into the other ship, blowing out their power systems throughout most of the ship. Studying the tactical readout of the other ship, Vara spoke. "Weapons, shields, communications, engines... All primary systems offline. Life support on backup. They have been disabled."

With a sigh, Arivek walked over to the Ops station and leaned his head on it. "Can you bring the secondary deflector online, Andy?" he asked in a low voice. "Also, keep a tractor lock on our friends. And keep an eye on them. I don't want anyone hurt." Arivek turned back towards the bridge and leaned back against her console. At this point he was at a loss for words.

Armed with a Type-III Phaser riffle, Commodore Krull Larkon and Merith took the turbolift up the the Bridge. "Stay back... let me take point" said Krull, his security career coming into play for the first time in a very long time. He exited the lift and turned sharply to his right, his weapon pointed at the tactical officer. "Back away from the station, Lieutenant" Krull said to Vara.

As soon as she saw the rifle, Vara's reflexes took over and before he was even done speaking, the front half of his weapon had vanished from his grip, now a mangled scrap of plastic in her hand. Tossing the mangled ruins to the floor, she took a step back from her console. "Sorry, reflexes and all that." she said wryly as she offered him her phaser instead.

"As ranking flag officer, a Commodore of Starfleet this starship is in violation of General Order #7" announced Krull. He let Merith handle the rest.

"Lieutenant," Merith said, approaching the holographic Engineer. She didn't know what he was, this wasn't her crew so it wasn't her job to know, but she could tell something was off about him. No matter, she had to do what was necessary. "Step down, enough damage has been done. Commodore Larkon and I will be taking over from here." Her tone was firm, but not in any way unkind.

"Under who's orders?" Arivek asked, standing up straight as the woman approached. He stepped around the console next to Andy and input a few commands that caused his uniform manipulations to return to normal. "We have a job to do."

Commodore Larkon stood beside Merith. "Under mine, son. This starship was assigned to 9th Fleet's Task Force 38 before ending up here. Until further notice, it remains under 38's domain. As Task Force Executive Officer, I want apprised of the situation" said the Cardassian firmly. "Captain Kerouac is on Talos IV, I suspect?"

"You suspect correct," Arivek stated, walking past the two people and taking the Captain's chair again. "But I won't allow you just take control of this ship. Those pips mean nothing in this universe. I have an away team down on that planet and I will do anything to keep them safe. That includes detaining you two until the Captain returns."

"I'm forced to agree," Vara said, returning to her station and eyeing the Cardassian coldly. "Whether we agree or disagree with the Captain's actions, what is done is done and we are still required as members of Starfleet to render whatever aid is needed and that away team may require immediate aid at any moment. Or have I misinterpreted the principals the Federation was founded on? If they send a distress signal, are we to ignore it?"

"Then I am glad to see that we are in agreement for our course of actions," Merith replied evenly. "For a moment I thought you might mutiny and leave your Captain here, not that he wouldn't have it coming," she added as she looked over to the Science station, for the moment ignoring their rebuttals about the Chain of Command. "Do you have the away team on sensors? Are they still alive down there?"

Interrupting, Vara rolled her eyes - a very uncharacteristic action for her. "We'd never leave Commander Maica or the others to the likes of mindbenders. As for the shuttle, tactical telemetry indicates that it just plowed into the surface of the planet. The emergency beacon is lit." Looking over to Bridget, Vara had a slightly pleading look in her eyes, hoping that she had the away team lifesigns on sensors.

Bridget turned to look at Vara. "I have them," said Bridget.

Arivek released a breath that he didn't realize he had been holding. While it may not be the best of news, it was better than nothing. "Alright, good. We're supposed to wait out of range of the planet until we get a signal from either Commander Maica or Lieutenant Matthews. Until then, we do nothing, is that understood?" he asked, looking around the room.

Krull had a gander at the tactical readings and then looked at the Lieutenant who was in command. "What's the story on our friends out there. It appears you've fired on a Federation ship, Lieutenant."

"Our friends were going to stop us from completing this mission. I did what I needed to do to keep that team safe. And right now, they're our main priority." Arivek looked at the man, wondering what he would say next.

The Cardassian nodded. "Understoood, Lieutenant. Just keep an eye on them. Disable and disarm, but don't destroy" commented Krull. He gave a stern look at the tactical officer before returning his attention back to Arivek. "The away team on Talos IV need to come back safe and sound. Once they are, I am having your Captain taken to the Brig."

"I'll be the first to help escort him there," Arivek stated. "Don't get me wrong, my involvement in this situation is merely to protect the crew down on that planet. Nothing more."

As soon as the away team had been confirmed aboard and safe and reporting to Sickbay, Andy handed her Bridge station over to another officer as quickly as she could to headed down to her lab. Maica would have no need of Sickbay, so the cybernetics lab was the reasonable place to go. On the lift down to Engineering, Andy kept worrying how things went. Details she’d overheard were brief, and there were rumors of a death. Fuck, she hoped like all hell that Maica was alright! She would check the lab and if Maica didn’t show then she was going to Sickbay to yell at someone!

Maica made sure the others made it to sickbay and as soon as she was sure they were all there, she headed to her own Dr, hoping Andy was already there. Thankfully, sickbay was close to main engineering and thus the cybernetics lab.

As she stepped into the lab, she spotted Andy right off and rushed to meet her, clinging to her lover tightly as she finally let her composure slip.

Ohthankgod! “Fuck, I heard someone died and I thought-” Andy squeezed Maica, not needing to finish that thought. She was alive and well, that’s all that mattered now! But she could feel a slight tremble in Maica and for a moment Andy thought something might be wrong, but then she realized that Maica was probably scared too. Slowly, Andy began running her metal-plated fingers through Maica’s crimson locks, still covered in dust from the planet. “It’s alright, love, I’ve got you now…” she said in an attempt to soothe her fiance.

“Nathan…” was all Maica could get out, the events of the mission playing out in her mind again. She had done what was needed but she didn’t feel good about it in the slightest. Two beings had died - one directly by her own hand. Reaching down, she unclipped the belt of hypos and various devices she still wore and let it slip to the floor.

For a long while, Andy’s voice was caught in her throat, sitting there like a pill she just couldn’t swallow. Nathan? No, not Nate… There were a dozen things she wanted to do, scream, yell, punch something, cry, but none of these things happened. She just stood there, holding Maica and gently stroking her hair. Eventually, Andy scooped up her lover, carrying her to the workbench and plopping down into her chair with Maica in her lap. She remained quiet and relatively calm, holding Maica close as she let the anger, frustration, grief, sorrow, and even remorse boil just under the surface. But there was also relief; Maica was okay, and it sucked that Nathan was gone, but Maica was okay and it was that relief that kept her calm in this moment. Andy would let out her anger later, now was not the time. For now, Maica needed her.

Maica was all but shivering at this point as she sat there in Andy’s lap, clinging tightly still. She wanted to… to… she didn’t know what she wanted to do but she wanted to do a lot of it. Her organelles were feeling upset too, threatening to reject whatever was in them. After a few more minutes, Andy’s warmth helped her settle down a little so she could speak again at least. “Andy… I killed one of them. Disintegrated a Talosian. I didn’t do it soon enough to save him… but the rest…”

Andy knew it wasn’t easy taking a life, even in self defense. Through the War, she’d seen her share of fights, defended her ship and crewmates, and it never got any easier. That Maica hadn’t been able to save Nathan would only make the weight harder to bear. Andy sighed and resumed her gentle, soothing attention to Maica’s hair. “You brought them home, Maica, you did what you could,” Andy said softly, holding back the urge to cry through sheer force of will. “Maybe you could have saved Nathan, maybe not, but you saved the others and that’s no small feat.”

Maica had to nod at that. It was true plain and simple. She had planned well and prepared everything to the best of her calculations and the mission was overall a success. She could at least be proud of that. There was something else bothering her though. “I enjoyed it, I think. And it felt like something or someone was inside me, cheering me on and watching through my eyes. Is that normal for biological beings?”

“Kinda, I guess,” Andy said, thinking on this for a moment. “Sometimes there’s this rush, excitement; there’s power in taking a life. Sometimes it’s just a simple triumph of knowing that you were the one that lived, the thrill of the survivor… And sometimes… Sometimes it feels like an out of body experience, this numbness as you watch your own body act before conscious thought acknowledges the choice you’ve made. I don’t know how that would translate into the body I’ve given you, but I don’t doubt for a second if you felt every single one of those things.”

Maica nodded again. That made sense. It didn’t help much, but it made sense. “I think I need a shower… I’m covered in dust from that desert and that Talosian… But first, can you give me a check up? Make sure I’m ok?”

“Yeah,” Andy replied, standing to set Maica on the workbench. “I’ll do this as quick as I can so you can go get cleaned up,” she added as she eased Maica back onto the workspace, laying her down so the scanners could get a clean view of all of her. Before starting the scan, she attached a probe to the back of Maica’s head to link her to the diagnostics station, then activated the scanners. The ‘physical’ part of this would be quick, and Andy could look over the Maica’s brain functions while she was in the shower...

Trying to relax on the workbench, Maica closed her eyes for a moment but suddenly opened them when the probe was activated. It always felt a bit disconcerting to her, but it was better than the alternatives her old body had. As the data was fed to the computer, now and then, a second EM wave would appear on records. If she were human, one might think she had 2 brainwave patterns going, but since she was positronic…

Structurally, Maica was fine, fit as a fiddle. Andy nodded to herself as she looked over the results of Maica’s scans. She could see that Maica’s body was reacting as it should to stress and grief, even going so far as to upset her stomach. But there was no damage from the Away Mission, which put Andy’s mind at ease.

“Maica, I’m going to dial down the physiological effects your emotions have on your body,” Andy said as the scan finished up, in full ‘Engineer Mode’. “You’ve never experienced an emotional reaction this strong and I think it’ll be easier for you to cope if your body isn’t fighting against you. Just a minor, temporary tweak, I promise.” She moved over to the diagnostics station to make the necessary adjustments, nearly missing the strange EM waveform on the screen. What the hell...

Maica was ok with that. she had had enough trouble getting used to needing to eat… Something caught Andy’s eye though, and the look she had made Maica worry. “What is it? what do you see?”

“Fuck if I know…” Andy blurted out, sweeping through more EM readouts and diagnostics of Maica’s cerebral functions. There was more of that empty data! “Someone is tampering with you,” she muttered under her breath, “and when I find them I’m gonna hook their junk up to a live plasma conduit.”

“That sounds painful… Wait… How is someone tampering with me?” Maica was confused by this and didn’t like the implications. “What are they changing?”

“I don’t know how they’re doing it, but once I find out I’ll make sure it can never happen again,” Andy said as she studied the bits of nothing-space in Maica’s memory logs. Andy still hadn’t found a pattern to why or when they were occurring, but now she had a vague idea of who was doing it. Well, not really, but now at least she knew it was an outside influence rather than a fault of her work.

Another hole appeared in Maica’s logs, right in front of Andy’s eyes! “It’s almost like whoever has access to you is covering their tracks… But how the hell are they doing it?!” Andy said, frustrated as all hell that this was even happening in the first place!

That was enough to scare Maica. After all she’d been through today and now this? What was going on? Why was this happening? Who or what was doing this? Trying to process this on top of everything else that had happened, she began to panic, her breathing picking up to the point she might start hyperventilating. An android… Hyperventilating… The absurdity of that reached a dark recess of her mind and suddenly, as if someone had flicked a light switch, she forgot what she was panicking about. Yes, she knew there was a reason she was. She even knew generally what it was. It just didn’t seem to be panic worthy anymore. After all, Andy could fix it. Maica knew she could. Looking up at her lover, Maica just smiled softly, knowing everything would be ok.

Something about Maica’s smile was bothering Andy. One second she’s freaking out, the next she’s smiling? It would be one thing if the self preservation subroutines had kicked in and shut off the emotional response to prevent damage to her neural network, but that wasn’t the case. If it were, Maica wouldn’t be smiling… Andy was hiding it well, but she was scared. Who in this universe was advanced enough to tamper with Maica without a direct connection, without leaving any trace of their being there except for the little voids in the logs. For that matter, who would even know about Maica; they hadn’t been in this universe for that long!

“Maica, I-” Andy started, then stopped. What could she say? She couldn’t promise she could stop this intrusion, she didn’t even know how it was happening! “I’m gonna keep looking over the diagnostics for a while, you go take your shower. Keep the probe on, it’s shower safe. Whoever is tampering with you, I don’t think they mean any harm, the little voids in the logs aren’t in anything that would be considered sensitive… but I’ll still taking you off duty just in case. Once I’m done going over the logs, I’ll report my findings and then come home.”

Sitting up, Maica nodded and slipped off the bench. "Do you know that little voice in your head that says everything is going to be ok? A subconscious or whatever? Do you think it might be that? You did say I have one now... just a thought..."

“You have a series of processes that are running without you being directly aware of them and a section of your neural net is dedicated to running things in the background, essentially emulating a humanoid subconscious, but… I’m not sure you’ve developed enough for what you’re suggesting,” Andy explained. She was really grasping at straws now, she had no idea what was going on with Maica, but she wasn’t going to stop until she discovered the truth.

Maica nodded again, seemingly satisfied with the answer she got. “When I was on the planet… When Nathan… When he fell over the cliff… I felt something I hadn’t felt before. I’d been angry before. I know what that feels like. This was like that but so much more intense. It was like I was consumed by rage, I think. When I fired my phaser point blank into the face of that Talosian, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed seeing the surprised look on his face as he lost molecular cohesion. That’s not something I’d ever felt before and I don’t think it’s anywhere in my programming.”

“C’mere, let me show you something…” Andy said, motioning with a wave of her hand for Maica to come closer. When she was in range, Andy pulled her back into her lap as she pulled up the original scans of Maica’s core matrix. The waveforms of her thought processes were stunted and clunky compared to what they were now. “This was you when I first started working on you. Your programming was so limited and your budding consciousness, true consciousness and not just the awareness programmed into you, was suffocating in there.” Andy pulled up records of Ari’s matrix and gave Maica a glimpse of a true humanoid consciousness inside all that programming. There was a light within the matrix, something indefinable, unquantifiable, a soul that resided within a construct of photons and force fields. Then a third matrix, Maica as she was now, her programming so much more complex and becoming more so each day. And at her core was her own shimmering light. It was small and fragile, but it was growing and getting stronger every day now that it had the room to flourish. This light was defining Maica's actions outside of her programming.

“That’s Ari, and that’s you… See the difference?” Andy said, looking to Maica to gauge her reaction.

Maica didn't entirely understand it all and she didn't expect to see things like this the same way Andy did, but she had her fair share of holo programming logged. She could see a hint of what she thought Andy was getting at. "If I understand this correctly... You’ve given me a quantifiable soul similar to Ari's and presumedly like any other living being. It's small but it's there. Is that right?"

“I didn’t give it to you, you did that yourself,” Andy said with a grin, tucking a dusty strand of hair behind Maica’s ear. “I just gave you what you needed to get there. I could recognize the beginnings of something I couldn’t understand at the time, but the more I worked with you, and now with Ari… You’re more than just the sum of your programming Maica. If you felt something that didn’t come from your programming, then that’s where it came from.”

That made sense to Maica. Studying the displays a bit longer and leaning into Andy, a thought occurred to her. "My holographic copies I made... could they do this too?"

“Left as they are, no,” Andy said, shaking her head. “They are running on your old archetype, they don’t have the resources to develop this far. Even the backups I made after your transfer don’t have the dedicated resources to achieve this in the holodeck. The neural net I designed, integrating the bio-neural circuitry into the positronics, allows for that ‘spark’ of life. I’m still trying to figure out exactly how Ari works, but I don’t think that spark I saw in you before would have survived if hadn’t remade you the way I did.”

"I wonder then... if there's all this..." Maica was thinking a mile a minute trying to process things she never thought she ever would. "I'm not affected by biological mental powers and the like as we proved with the Talosians. I have no idea how a Q would interact with me. As for the prophets, I doubt I could have one of those orb experiences. What if this null log space is being made by a being that evolved from something similar to what I am now?"

“What makes you think you wouldn’t have an orb experience? You have enough of the bio-neural circuitry and your thoughts are becoming organic enough that I think a strong enough telepath would be able to sense things. May not be the same as a real organic being, but something is still something. The Talosians couldn’t affect you because you’re still machine enough that their illusions couldn’t touch you. Maybe that will change, maybe it won’t, but for now it was a blessing,” Andy said. It was an interesting conjecture on both their parts, and a welcomed diversion from the pain of loss and the confusion of Maica’s tampering. “As for who’s messing with you, I’ll keep that in mind as I study the logs and I’ll even bring up the possibility when I report what I find. But for now, we’re just guessing until we get more data.”

"This is true. Conjecture and speculation only go so far." Yawning widely, Maica rested against Andy another moment before getting up out of her lover's lap. "For now, I need a shower and food. Anything in particular you'd like to come home to for dinner, my love?"

“Mmmm, you,” Andy said, putting her arms around Maica and pulling her close enough to nuzzle against her. Truth be told, she didn’t feel much like eating right now. “I might nibble on something while I finish up here, so don’t worry about me. Go shower, relax, I’ll be home soon.”

"Will do," Maica said cheerfully, petting over Andy's nuzzling head for a bit first. "Jalapeños stuffed with cheese sounds good. And a big quadruple burger with secret sauce." Heading out of the lab, Maica turned and blew a kiss back at Andy. "Don't be too long, ok?"

“I won’t, I promise,” Andy said, smiling at Maica’s cute little gesture of affection. “And if you’re tired, don’t feel bad if you fall asleep; after a day like today you’ll probably need a good crash.”

An almost haunted look flashed across Maica's features for just a moment before her calm smile returned. "I'm not looking forward to my dreams though. Maybe if I can fall asleep thinking about you they'll be good."

“You want me to deactivate your dreams?” Andy offered. “Just for tonight, so you can get a good night’s rest?”

"No, that wouldn't be fair," Maica said, shaking her head. "Especially to Jhu. I swear her hormones have gone haywire the past week or so. I'd tell her she's pregnant but I doubt she'd believe me. No, she can't turn her dreams off so I shouldn't either."

Andy grinned. That was just so... so Maica of her, always thinking of others! “Yeah, but Jhu isn’t 10 years old,” Andy teased in response, turning to face her console to continue studying Maica’s logs. Damn, she hoped Jhu wasn’t pregnant, that would just be cruel of fate to do that to her! “Don’t wait up for me, and call if anything happens, even if it’s just a bad dream.”

"Will do!" Maica called out as she let the doors finally close. Sighing heavily, she made her way back to their quarters to get cleaned up.

He hadn't bothered to change his clothes since putting them on this morning. It was a starfleet uniform, yes, but with matching combat fatigues. Sort of a ship camoflauge, a light gray with a darker grey pattern. He had no visible weapons on him, but that was okay because he was a weapon. Pausing outside Lia's quarters..he rings the chime.

Behind his back is a small box of chocolate. It was a human custom..and given his unfamiliarity with her species (service records can only tell so much), he decided to fall back upon that. So, he waited.

Lia was laying on the couch staring up at the ceiling. After her impromptu to resignation during the staff meeting, Lia barricaded herself in her quarters. With the ship orbiting Talos 4, she knew the Captain had managed to get his way. The whole crew is crazy she thought, can't say they aren't loyal though.

As she sat up she heard her door chime. Lia glanced at the door wondering who it might be. She rose up and walked up to the door, tapping the controls to release the lock. When the doors split apart and revealed the familiar marine the corner of her lip twitched upward. "Lieutenant Gordon, it's good to see you again."

"Likewise. Care for some company? Brought you something." He presents the box of chocolate forward, she'd have to open it to see what it was, but that would be alright, he hoped. "Figured we could both vent a bit."

A smile escaped her lips as she took the box of chocolates. "Thanks, Derek. Please come in." She stepped back to let him inside. "This was really sweet, thank you. Would you like something to drink?"

"I'll take whatever you'd like to replicate right now." Derek nodded, not really caring what they had as long as it was something to drink. "And you're welcome." The Ghost elected to stand while he looked at her.

Lia nodded and then replicated two glasses of iced-tea. She handed him a glass before moving to have a seat on the couch. "So what has been on your mind Derek?"

"Only if you tell me what's been on your mind too." He nodded a bit before starting to pace. "Just a number of different things. Stupid cats, stupid COs...stupid department changes..and various methods of neutralizing such stupidity. Which one should I start with?"

She looked at him worried, "Derek, come sit down." she padded the sofa seat next to her. "Tell me which one is bothering you the most right now."

He stopped, looking at her..before sighing and padding over quietly, sitting down next to her. "Hmmph." He mumbled a bit, trying to organize his thoughts. "They're all bothering me to varying degrees, but..I guess it's the cat that's bothering me the most."

Lia proceeded to open the box of chocolate he have given her revealing a variety of chocolate pieces. She extended the box to him to offer him a piece as he shared his thoughts. "What did the cat do this time?" she asked as she popped a dark chocolate piece into her mouth.

"It's not what the cat has done per se.." He trailed off, "It's who he's with. For the longest time, I have had a crush on the girl that he is with now. And yet it was my self-doubt that cost me. But..if she has found someone to make her happy...then that will help me get over it a bit better, I guess." He takes a long sip of the iced tea, before taking one of the heart-shaped chocolates and staring at it for a moment before plopping it into his mouth.

"Crushes... I remember those. I mean there is no guarantee she would have lived up to your crush. I had a crush on colleague at my last assignment, had the worst date of my life with him. Perhaps it's for the best." Lia mused as she ate another chocolate heart.

"Maybe it is. I need to see for sure..but it certainly appears that she's happy with that." Derek shrugged, taking another sip of the iced tea. "Part of me can't help but feel protective though. I do plan to meet the cat and tell him what I think about it."

Lia shrugged, as she reached for her glass of iced-tea and drank from it before placing it back on the coffee table. "Honestly do you even want that confrontation? Or are you just trying to satisfy the loss of a crush?" she asked.

"Satisfy the loss, I suppose. Bring a little closure to it. And there are several different ways to deal with a Caitian, so I'm not worried about a martial confrontation..."

"Closure to what? A fantasy?" Lia challenged. "Look, Derek, I wouldn't even worry about it anymore. She clearly didn't see you in the same way because the Caitian was able to win her over. And frankly it's her loss." Lia admitted as she took another chocolate piece out. "despite the el-aurian lifespan, you're a great catch. Any woman would be lucky to have win your heart."

He fell silent for a long moment. Contemplating what she said. With the new perspective on things...maybe he should close the book on one story...and open another. "I suppose a different universe brings different perspectives, doesn't it?" he finally admits, in a low tone. Drawing out his padd from a back pocket, he opens up one of his many stories. One that had contained a lot of notes, and recountings of what he had learned about the person. He closes that file and opens a new one. Dedicating the new one to the Commanding Officer of the Katana at the time of the incident. Closing this, he opens his own story, and writes the following.

"In the end..even a Listener knows when they aren't wanted. And when they aren't wanted, they move on. It is known."

Then he updates the log and puts the padd away. "I'm not going to think about it anymore. Usually my senses are sharp, but I allowed that particular thing to blind me. Unacceptable for someone like me. Though perhaps you are right..about it being her loss." He finishes speaking, and finishes the iced-tea that was left in his glass.

"That sounded kind of sad." Lia frowned as she heard him closed the log. "But you shouldn't be too hard for yourself, and I wouldn't start beating up on yourself. Everyone needs a companion, and I'm sure that crush of yours helped motivate you now and then. So it's not a total waste." She chuckled as she offered the box of chocolate to him again. "I mean you brought me a box of chocolate hearts after only one conversation. If this doesn't mean you're a keeper nothing will." she chuckled.

"There's been a lot of sadness in my life." He replied, nodding a bit. "It was useful to have, at least. But there was a feeling there that was missing." He takes a piece of chocolate and this time makes eye contact with her. "For me to bring a box like this...maybe I've seen this feeling, much to my surprise."

Lia's pink eyes met his blue and in that instant Lia knew exactly what he meant. A soft smile formed on her lips as she nodded, "Was it a good surprise?"

"It was. Unexpected but good." He smiled. "Though I wonder what you think of this surprise...since it isn't much of one if it's only one-sided."

"I agree, it was unexpected." She replied softly, as she looked at him. "As for me...it's not one-sided."

"I see." He murmured softly in reply. "Then let us enjoy our discourse tonight. I've spoken about some of what bothers me..so what's on your mind, fair lady?"

Lia snorted at the question. "You mean related to my resignation or to the beginning as to why I've been assigned to this sorry ship?"

"Both. It's not like we're in a hurry." Derek replied easily, smiling just a little at her reaction. Cute.. being the thought that ran through his head.

She looked at him, and noticed that smile and she relaxed a bit. "Well...truth of the matter is, I've been shunned and the only post Starfleet could place me was here. I didn't enter the academy to be a Counselor. My studies were in the clinical aspect of Psychology. My office would be a lab, and would study how Subject A would react to Environment One differently from Environment Two. I was at a Psychologist Conference at Pacifica where the Keynote Speaker was Dr. Rosemarie Meyers and her discussion was about the latest breakthrough she had with a patient and how the new techniques she learned to achieve it would benefit us all." Lia rolled her eyes as she remembered the lecture. "When it came time for the Q-A everyone was asking questions related to how to implement her ideas with her patient. But I did noticed something she didn't mention during her spiel. "What happened to the patient?" So I asked and her response was he died in the line of duty 6 weeks later."

Lia reached for her drink and took few sips before continuing. "That didn't sit well with me so I did research and found out the office committed suicide. Long story short I found a pattern, and discovered that of 43 of the latest medical journals related to counseling; 27 of them were the result of a breakthrough, 18 of them where breakthroughs done with their own patients and of those 18; 10 committed suicide within a two months span. So I dug a little deeper. almost all of these breakthroughs were completely unrelated to the reason they went to speak with the counselor to begin with." She shook her head, "basically, these Counselors dug too deep into their patient's lives, pulled up rotten roots that the brain either purposely suppressed or wasn't an issue at the time and completely unraveled their patient's psyche. So I wrote a paper about it. It got published and my colleagues wanted my credentials stripped. I was disavowed my the Psychological Community and Starfleet sent me here, mainly because this ship was as far away from Federation space as possible." Lia sighed and placed the glass back on the table. "So when the Captain came up with his idea to bring us back to our universe...objected and knowing he'd get his way at the end, I resigned, just in case we do end up back."

Derek was quiet, and listened. When she was done, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "If it's any consolation, I feel you have the right idea on all of that. And do you feel a little better now that you've gotten that out into the open?" They had really screwed her over..and she didn't deserve that at all. Neither did those patients... "You're the first Counselor that I'd willingly go see, if that means anything...avoided the rest of them like the plague. They'd never understand."

"Thanks." Lia smiled and relaxed more when he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Normally I would shrug off a compliment like yours, but since you're long lived, I know you have the experience. Especially considering what you shared with me on the holodeck. Seems like we've both been screwed by our superiors."

"Yeah, you can say that again." He took a sip of his own drink. "At least we're here...and hopefully we'll remain here. But...this is a unique moment. If they succeed..I will be dead. I need to tell you something."

Lia nodded, "You can tell me anything."

"It's too soon to say whether this will bear fruit, however in the short time we've interacted, I believe there's potential for a relationship there. Should we survive this, I would like for us to explore that, since the feelings are there. Even though something bad might be about to happen to us, we should treasure the moments we have. And as for my life-span...I'm not going to think about that anymore. I want to enjoy every day possible with you. And then carry your memory on with me." Derek confessed. He would not have done so, but on the off-chance that the crazy captain did succeed..he had nothing to lose. And no regrets.

It felt like time froze to Lia. She knew he alluded to a mutual feeling of attraction before however she didn't expect to be asked outright. Lia studied his face for a moment and then shifted on the couch and cuddled next to him, her head on his chest as her body relaxed against his. "I told you already, you're one hell of a catch." she smirked as she looked up at him.

"And I like the way you answered that." He smiled, gently draping an arm over her waist and sighing deeply as he relaxed. Taut muscles stood down from attention and whatever nervousness he felt was diminished greatly. "With the awkwardness out of the way..shall we talk about pleasant things? I'm open for any topic along that line." He was clearly trying to lift the mood and get the events out of their minds for a short time.

Lia rose up so she was eye level with him. "I am curious..." she whispered looking at him. "how good a kisser are you?" she asked with grin.

He maintains eye contact, feigning little surprise at the question, though he hadn't expected it. "I'm certainly knowledgeable in the physical aspect of it, and was never denigrated for it. But I feel that you just might be the type that likes finding out for herself, as opposed to second-hand information." he had a twinkle in his eye at that.

She giggled a little and nodded her head. "Yes, I think a demonstration is warranted." Her eyes shining with amusement.

"Then~" He chuckled, leaning a hand in to gently rest on her cheek. "I would always maintain eye contact.." he began in a lower, more smooth tone, gently rubbing her cheek. "Because in this moment, the one before me is a star upon center stage." Leaning in closer, he concluded , "And I want her to feel wonderful." With this, words ceased, as his lips claimed hers in a soft but firm way, affording her respect without taking the dominant role.

Lia didn't move when she felt his hand softly caressing her cheek, she was being intoxicated by his eyes. Totally captivated by his words when she finally felt his soft lips on hers, she almost melted. His kiss was warm, soft, commanding, exciting, and safe at the same time. A wave a heat ran through her body as she reacted to his lips and deepened the kiss.

It was everything he thought it could be, and a bit more beyond that. Similar feelings danced through his mind as his entire focus was upon her. But it is here, on an evening where their fates hang in the balance, that the curtain falls upon a new bond.

FIN.

1st Lt. Derek Gordon
Security Officer
USS Katana

Lt. Cmdr. Lia Grae
Counselor
USS Katana

When Merith had ordered everyone to sickbay, Jhu had known better than to argue. A shuttle crash was nothing to fool around with, and who knew what sorts of things they'd been exposed to on the surface of Talos IV. Sickbay was not, however, a place where she wanted to be. Already she had a very tenuous grip on her feelings, and the longer she held on the further that grip slipped. It was only a matter of time until she lost it completely, audience or not. Still, she'd obeyed the given order and waited her turn, dreading having to deal with Liam after their last encounter. To her surprise, it was a different doctor who had finally approached and pulled her aside, all the way down to the far corner of sickbay, where there was a tiny bit more privacy. As she sat on the edge of the indicated bed, she watched him quietly gather his tools on the table beside them. "I... don't think we've met?"

"We haven't," Chandra answered in a bright - but also mellow - tone. "But I watched your last shouting match with Doctor Cohen, and you're in no shape to do that again. So I intervened before he could get to you. Name's Chandra, and I'll try to get you out of here as quick as possible." He knew the look on her face, the feeling of profound loss that only watching a loved one brought. "Sit back all the way please. You're white as a ghost, and I don't want you fainting on me."

"I don't think I've ever fainted." Jhu obediently slid further back onto the biobed, then swung her legs up so she could turn and lean against the raised portion of it.

"Well you look like you might be about to. No harm in being careful, right?" Chandra picked up his tricorder, flipping it open. "Anything you want to tell me before we get started? Dizziness, pain, anything at all?"

"A little dizzy, but I think it's from hitting my head when the shuttle went down."

"That's to be expected. You have a bruise here." Chandra gently touched the side of Jhu's head. She flinched away, and he withdrew his hand and turned to his scans. "Looks like a mild concussion... nothing we have to treat unless you want something for it." To his surprise, Chandra's scans didn't pick up any other signs of injury beyond some mild bruising. For someone who'd survived a shuttle crash, Jhu was in remarkably good health. "I understand that you and Lieutenant Tonkin were seeing each other?"

Biting her lip, Jhu nodded wordlessly. She didn't want to talk about Nathan, and she didn't know why everyone else did. It really wasn't fair.

"I'm sorry. I can imagine how hard this must be." Chandra hated that he was prying into that part of Jhu's life, but his tricorder was clearly showing a second little blip, one that grew more noticeable any time the tricorder ventured near his patient's abdomen. "I've seen the sensor footage of the, uh, polywater thing. So I won't ask if the two of you were intimate..."

If looks could kill, Chandra would have been a spot on the far wall with the glare Jhu gave him. "I don't think that's any of your business, nor does it have any bearing on why I'm here. Finish your exam so I can go home."

Chandra barely flinched, flipping the tricorder around where Jhu could read it. "Oh it has some bearing. I know these questions are hard, but I have to ask. Now I'm assuming you haven't had sex with anyone else in the last few weeks?"

"If this is your idea of a joke, it isn't very funny." To her credit, Jhu managed to keep her voice more or less level, even as a tear escaped her eye.

"I'll... take that as a no. Sorry." Handing Jhu a tissue, Chandra also put the tricorder in her hand and gently guided it over her abdomen. The device blinked as it registered the second life sign, beeping softly. "It's not a joke, ma'am."

Jhu stared at the reading, not sure what to think of it. She and Nathan had joked about having children, but they'd never seriously discussed it. And now that he was gone, she had this to deal with? Blinking back more tears, she handed the tricorder back to Chandra, sitting up on the edge of the biobed. "I think... I think I'd like to go home now. Please."

"All right." Snapping the tricorder closed, Chandra set it down on the table and offered Jhu his hand, helping her down from the biobed. "Come back if you start having any symptoms... and I mean any symptoms. Of anything."

"I will. Thank you, Doctor." Without waiting for a further response, Jhu fled from sickbay, seeking the solitude of her cabin.

With the assistance of the Talosians, Captain Kristopher Kerouac felt a pressure in his head, a strange sensation as a stern and mysterious voice could be heard by him and only him. The moment the connection was made, it was as if the rest of the away team were gone, as if Talos IV had banished. Kris was inside his own mind and the voice was clear and deep. “Traveler from across space and time. You seek answers, traveler” the voice said, an statement and observation rather than a question. The guardian knew.

It knows thought Kris as he thought what to say or do. Will the others see me if I speak? They will probably think I have gone mad he surmised. “Yes” replied the Captain simply. “We traveled very far from home. We crossed space and time...displaced” added Kris trying to explain the situation.


The voice of the Guardian was firm and slightly dismissive. “I am the Guardian of Forever. Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited questions” the Guardian introduced itself more formally.

“Question” replied Kris as he took a deep breath. “You want a question? I have one for you. Can we return home?” asked the Captain, nervously waiting for an answer. He heard a sound in his mind that he could only explain as pondering or thinking. The Guardian? he wondered to himself.

“Those who traverse worlds and time may traverse back, cross the threshold” it replied. “I am the Guardian of Forever. A door way to your past, a door way to your future. The Guardian can take you” added the Guardian.

Kris could then see in his mind...the Guardian. The odd stone donut looking shape illuminating and showing a foggy image in the circular spacing...images flickering and changing with each passing second. The Captain could see so much, but could make out very little clearly. Turkana IV... my childhood he made a mental note seeing himself much younger. Another image stood out Starfleet Academy and yet another The Jem'Hadar storming Katana then another There! Before we made the transwarp jump. Ophinias observed Kris.

Stumbling forward towards the mental image, Kris groaned. “You can take us home” commented Kris.

“Anywhere and anytime. I am the Guardian of FOREVER” the voice said in a calm whisper in Kris' mind. “Traveler, you have come far and changed much” commented the Guardian.

This caught Kris slightly off guard. “Changed? How? Show me Guardian. Show me how we have changed this place?” asked Captain Kristopher Kerouac.

In his mind, a fog came across the hole and a rippling of the image changed to show him something he had not quite seen before. It was of the transwarp jump. The USS Katana being spit out near Breen space. The images changed again it was to a Breen ship. The interior. Kris only knew what one looked like from his time as a prisoner. Sensor readings. His head shook and his heart sunk. Damn he thought to himself. The image of the Katana again, this time it was the other Katana, Matthews' Katana.

It was all being pieced together in his mind. Matthews' Katana was on the run, trying to hide...being hunted down by Breen. It was Kris' Katana that blew it. They had showed up at the worst possible time and place. The Breen detected them, it had drawn ships out, ships that found Matthews' Katana and attacked it.

Again, a change. This time, Kris was not sure what he was looking at. He saw debris... lots of debris. Starships torn apart and adrift, bodies out in open blackness of space. “What is this? What are you showing me?” asked the Captain.

“The future” replied the Guardian. “Of here” it added, its voice echoing through Kris' mind. “You have changed much. You have changed what was and what was to be. This is the future of here without you and your travelers” it answered.

Kris shook his head. “No. No, how can that be? How could our crossing space and time cause this? We're one ship. One crew!” shouted Kris.

“Fabrics of time” replied the Guardian. The connection was weakening or so Kris was feeling. “Choose” it said before Kris found himself ripped back to the physical world around him. Talos IV, the Talosians, and the the others. He found himself near Jhu.

"Welcome back," Jhu said dryly, anger bubbling under the words even as she reached to steady Kris. She wanted to beat him into the ground, not comfort him after whatever the Guardian had shown him. For once, her professionalism won out, and she calmly put a hand on his arm to keep him from falling over.

He looked at her nervously, not sure if she was really there or not, but he sided with hope that she was. "I...Thanks" he replied simply. He had no idea what the hell he was going to say to her or even the others.

What he did not expect was the man who suddenly appeared beside Jhu, dressed in a nice golden accented Starfleet uniform from the 2370s and two solid pips on the collar of the battered uniform. "Kris" he called out to the Captain. "You're here...I always knew you'd find me. That we would be together again" the Lieutenant said with a charming smile.

Kris' eyes locked onto the man, looking in Jhu's direction but distinctly past her. "How...how can you be here? How did you get here?"

Jhu looked over her shoulder, but no one was there. "I was here before you spaced out talking to the Guardian, stupid."

The man scoffed and gave a dismissive smile and wave of his hand. "It's a long story, but it doesn't matter Kris. I've waited for years to see you again. You can't leave here...don't leave me, Kris. I need you" replied the Illusion of the man.

Kris smiled back warmly. "I've been looking for you forever. You have been close to my heart and always on my mind. I think about you often while I'm alone, lying in bed."

Oh that's fantastic. Rolling her eyes, Jhu shook Kris's shoulder. "Wake up, Kerouac! The man you're talking to is dead!"

Jhu's voice snapped Kris' attention but the Illusion was still there. "Dead?" Kris winced and his eyes fell upon the illusion.

"LIES" replied the illusion of Uri Brennan. "I am here Kris. You are here, she isn't. Don't listen to her...she's dead. You lost her trying to get here. She fell off the cliff with the others. You are the only survivor and cannot contact Katana. They can't rescue us."

Kris took a deep breath. "I have to stay here."

"Absolutely not. You're coming with us back to the ship." Jhu pulled him away from whatever it was that Kris was looking at.

Kris tried to resist and fight her grip. "Let me go. I have to stay with him!"

"He isn't here!" Jhu didn't know what the hell was going on, but she wasn't letting go of Kris, no matter how pissed off she might be at him.

Arivek Zhuri stepped down the corridor on Deck 3 with purpose in his steps. To his left strode Commodore Krull Larkon and Captain Merith and just behind them was Lieutenant JG Cho'ren Vara and two of her security officers. Honestly, Arivek wasn't sure what was about to happen, but he was glad to have Vara and the others with him. Only moments earlier, they had received the signal from the away team to bring them home. Towing the disabled vessel with them, they moved back into transporter range and had prepared for transport.

The problem was, the coming conflict was going to be even worse than the original briefing on the lower decks that brought them to Talos IV in the first place. Sure, Commander Jhu may not punch anyone this time, but the away team was walking into a trap. And sadly, Arivek had helped to set it. The Security team was under strict orders from Commodore Krull to have their phaser rifles set on stun and to be ready to shoot anyone who stepped off that platform before he allowed it.

Ari wasn't exactly happy about how things were turning out, but he didn't have much choice. At this point, he was just as much to blame as anyone. While he may not have set this plan into motion, he became quite the accomplice when he ordered Vara to fire on that vessel. For all he knew, he was walking into his own arrest as well.

The group rounded a corner and arrived at their destination. The transporter room.

As they walked in, Arivek turned to the transporter chief. "Do you have them?" he asked, watching as the rest of the group lined up in front of the pad.

The man nodded, "Aye, sir. Ready to transport on your command."

"Energize," Arivek stated, stepping over to the rest of the group.

In one fluid motion, the three security officers raised their phaser rifles as blue lights twinkled in the empty space before them. It took only a few moments for the six officers to appear on the pad.

Arivek's forehead scrunched in confusion as he quickly counted the team. He was positive that 7 had left the ship. And that's when he realized that one was missing. Commander Jhu's significant other, Lieutenant Tonkin wasn't among the group.

Commodore Larkon had not known who had gone down to the planet, but he knew that Jhu had. He still could not believe his eyes when she was brought back aboard. How could you...of all people? You went with Kerouac on this? Krull was angry and wanted to slam his fist into a bulkhead, but he could see a sadness on her face. It was a sadness he knew all too well from the death of his spouse so many years ago.

The Cardassian's eyes shot fire, at least they would be if he had the ability to do so. All the heat would be focused on the frail looking Captain with significant stubble that was growing into scruff. "YOU" said Krull furiously marching up to Kerouac, pushing security officers aside, parting them like a sea with his 'holy' powers. "SON OF A BITCH" added the Cardassian, pushing and shoving Kerouac hard in the chest knocking him backwards and backing him right into a bulk head, knocking him off the pad.

Krull's black eyes were full of fury. "You should be killed where you stand, Captain Kerouac" said Commodore Larkon. He turned his head and looked at Lieutenant Cho'ren Vara. "Lieutenant, I want this piece of shit arrested now...throw his ass into the Brig!" shouted the Cardassian.

As Vara stepped forward, restraints at the ready, she had one question on her mind. "Captain Kerouac, You are under arrest. You know why and I'm pretty sure your rights have been waived." she said as she cuffed Kris somewhat roughly. "Now should I ask you why my boss isn't here now, or wait for the interrogation?" She had a pretty good idea of why Nathan wasn't there, but she wanted to hear it.

"Dead." There was a hint of a growl in Jhu's voice and plenty of venom directed at Kris, deeply layered with thus far unexpressed anguish. "All because this idiot wanted to go to Talos IV!" If Vara hadn't had her hands on Kris already, Jhu might have hit him again. Instead she just stood there, casting a wary glance at the many phasers pointed at the transporter pad.

Kris shot a hurt and sorrowful look at Jhu. He felt his eyes water and a tight knot forming in his throat. I'm sorry Captain Kerouac thought, but sorry was not good enough and sorry would never bring Nathan back.

Arivek stepped forward to the woman and placed a hand on her arm, "I'm so sorry, Jhu," he said.

Mentally adding murder to the list of charges, Vara nodded her thanks to Jhu as she dragged Kris off the platform and handed him over to several other arriving security guards. Soon he would be in the brig. "I'll be putting someone else in charge of you while you're in the brig, Captain. I don't want to accidentally kill you on the way there, either. Ensign Sanchez, I'm putting you in charge of his incarceration."

Jhu's initial instinct was to shake Ari's hand off and walk away, but with so many weapons pointed in her general direction she just looked away from him and everyone else.

Stepping away from the pad, Arivek turned to Commodore Krull. "Alright, you have who you wanted and I think we're finished here. These people should be allowed to return to their quarters for some much-needed rest." He raised an eyebrow at the man as if asking him to contradict him.

Krull crossed his arms and looked at the blue man. "I think you should go back to Engineering, Lieutenant, before I have you arrested for firing on a Federation starship" said the Commodore with a glare. He looked at Jhu who was clearly shaken up.

The rage inside of Arivek boiled, but now was not the time to act out. The man was right. He had done something wrong and this may be the only way of skirting that punishment. With a sigh, he turned and left the room.

The Commodore then looked at the Caitian. "Commander Eisovo, your Captain has been placed under arrest and is therefore not fit to command this starship. As the Task Force Executive Officer for this starship, or at least the TFXO for the intended home of this starship, I am fully reinstating you and authorizing you to take command of this starship."

M'rayr looked firmly towards the Cardassian and nodded, but there was a weight of responsibility in his eyes that had nothing to do with his temporary command. He'd ignored the Talosian's warnings, he'd allowed Kerouac to take his little coalition of the willing down to the planet, and as far as he was concerned, he'd been at least partially responsible for Nathan's death. The Caitian hadn't looked at Jhu once during their return trip to the Katana. M'rayr forced his attention back to the moment.

"I have already relieved the Captain of his authority over this vessel, Commodore," M'rayr informed Larkon. The moment Kerouac had emerged from his connection with the Guardian and admitted failure, M'rayr had bitten off the words before he fully realized what he was doing. He was so angry with Kristopher. All of this had been for nothing. "I accept command of the Katana, sir." M'rayr said formally.

Moving over towards Jhu, Krull placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gently squeeze. "What the hell were you thinking, Jhu?" asked Krull shaking his head and looking into her eyes.

"Krull... don't." Jhu hadn't wanted to go down there, and she would have thought that Krull would at least know that. "I didn't go down there for Kerouac. I went for Nathan."

The Cardassian had been an Intelligence Officer and a Security Officer in the past, before his command days. He knew what it meant to go with every away team, especially if it involved the Captain. "And he went because of Kerouac" muttered Krull shaking his head. "I'm sorry Jhu" he said, removing his hand.

He look back at Kris before the man was taken away. "How dare you" growled the Cardassian with an intense anger. "How dare you wear that uniform and rank, Kristopher Noah Kerouac" added Krull with a glare. "YOU are responsible for this, for all of it. For this crew and the loss of your Security Chief. I will personally see to it that you are buried with the charges against you...every last damn rule, regulation, law, or order that you've disregarded or broken" commented the Cardassian.

Commodore Krull Larkon snarled at the man. "We are explorers, NOT GODS KEROUAC! YOU ARE NOT A GOD!" shouted the Cardassian as he slammed his fist onto a console, breaking the methyl methacrylate surface. "YOU are not even a man...Just a pathetic excuse for a Captain, a frail boy trying to wear a man's uniform. NOT ANYMORE. NOW, you are a nothing."

As Krull ranted at Kris - voicing feelings that she very much agreed with - Jhu gingerly inched toward the edge of the transporter pad, all too aware of the phasers that suddenly swung around to point at her head. Once near the edge, she very carefully took the first step down, feeling rather unsteady though she didn't know why. She could see one of the guards moving to fire on her, and she just shook her head slightly and sat down, not going any further.

Jenni had watched the confrontation unfold in a dull state of shock, not because it had caught her off guard. Hell, she had a few things of her own to say to Kris. Something about the transport had made her dizzy. Perhaps it was the adrenaline wearing off and an unseen injury from the Aeroshuttle crash was making itself known. All she knew was that she was done and she wanted to leave the room. The phasers pointed at the away team were an unpleasant sight.

She looked back at the dressing down the Commodore was giving to Kris. She locked eyes with Kris for a moment, recognizing an emotion she'd never seen hers display before: regret. For the first time, she actually felt sorry for the man. Stepping to the edge of the pad, not watching the security team adjust their aim on her, Jenni addressed the Commodore. "Is this really necessary, Commodore?" she boldly asked, hoping it was understood that the question was rhetorical. "What's done is done."

"Yes, what's done is done," Merith spoke up from the doorway, entering the room fully to place a hand on Krull's shoulder. "Enough, he knows the depth of what he's done," she said to the Cardassian. "And I don't think the phasers are really necessary; Kris is the only one under arrest..." And just looking at him now, a broken man, she didn't see him trying to make a run for it anytime soon. If anything, he looked resolved, ready to face the music and accept his punishment. It was then that the enigmatic woman moved towards Kris. And to think, she almost married this man!

"There was once a time I knew you so well that I could know what you were thinking at just a glance, but now..." Merith said softly as she stepped closer. "That was so long ago and you are not the same man who walked away from me. I could ask if all this was worth it, but we both know that nothing is worth the life of your crew. You have your answers and now your crew, your family, is fractured... I hope you have learned a lesson in all this so at least that the death of your Officer is not meaningless."

Clearing her throat, Maica stepped forward as well, working her way to the front of the platform and addressing Merith and Krull. "They'd be all dead if I hadn't vaporised one of the Talosians and convinced the others to cooperate. I just wish I had been able to save everyone..." she said as she tenderly placed a hand on Jhu's shoulder. "Now if we may, we all need medical attention."

"Indeed," Merith said with a nod. "Report to Sickbay, all of you. And if necessary, report to the counselor. We still have something of a situation on our hands, but we have enough crew available to handle it that you can take personal time if you need it, so take it," she added, the last bit more for Jhu's sake since it seemed she had a personal connection to the deceased. And she had no issues circumventing Krull's authority in this matter; he was still running a bit hot under the collar, and while maybe Kris deserved that heat for his plan, the rest of the crew deserved a bit of leniency.

M'rayr's head bobbed slightly. It would have been easy to let Merith and Krull pass out the orders, but the technical and moral factor was that he was now in command, and as such, those same orders needed to be passed through his lips. Not as much a need to fulfill protocol as it was to reassure his fellow crewmates. Nevertheless, a part of him felt as though he were regurgitating information. "Once you have been cleared by medical, you are off duty until further orders. Counselors Grae and Bennett will be available for anyone who should require."

He looked to Jhu. The Romulan/Trill hybrid was still holding it together, although M'rayr suspected that her strength was in existence only so long as there were witnesses.

"I will inform each of you when a time and date for our debriefing has been set." M'rayr finished before turning to face Kerouac -- a man he once respected... perhaps a little too much. The look M'rayr shot Kerouac waivered for a moment, and then hardened as Nathan's face flashed before his mind. "Security, escort Mr. Kerouac to the brig."

It was a long ride up to the Bridge for Andy. She really just wanted to go home to Maica and forget this day ever happened, but she had some business to tend to regarding her android fiance. The gaps in Maica's memory logs and evidence of some outside observer were a security risk and needed to be brought to Command's attention. It hadn't hit her until just then, but she realized she felt so at odds about reporting in. She had voluntarily given up her position as Chief of Ops, but it would still be strange reporting in as just an Ops Officer. More to the point, who the hell would she be giving this report to? With M'Rayr and Jhu off duty after the events of the Away Mission, who the hell was left?

As the lift door opened and let Andy out onto the Bridge, she spied that Cardassian Commodore who had intervened earlier. What was he doing here? Well, he was the Senior most Officer, seemed reasonable to approach him about this issue...

"'Scuse me, Commodore?" Andy spoke up as she approached Krull, "if you got a minute, I have something that need attention."

Larkon was reviewing over the tactical logs, collecting the evidence that he would need for his report. The Katana had fired on a Federation starship. That was something that even he could not deny nor conceal. The truth would be presented and regardless of what stance Krull took on the matter, it was important that he knew fact from fiction. He turned when he heard the woman calling for him. "Chief" replied the Commodore. "What do you have for me?" he asked.

"The Away Team was ordered to Sickbay upon their return. For Commander Maica, that meant reporting to me. She's an android and I'm essentially her mechanic," Andy explained, handing a PaDD with some data to Krull. "I ran a diagnostic of her systems and physically she's fine, but I found gaps in her memory logs that I can't fully explain. They're voids, places where data should be but there ain't nothing there. At first, I found no signs of tampering, no evidence that data had been erased, just chunks of her logs were inexplicably blank. And during her diagnostic, I managed to record a second EM wave pattern and I saw another one of these voids occur in her. Somehow, and hell if I know how, someone is remotely accessing Maica and removing the evidence of their presence."

Commodore Larkon turned sharply and looked at the woman with significant concern. "I would not put it past Captain Kerouac to do such a thing. The man drugged Merith and I...bastard locked us in the morgue" explained Larkon. He pondered for a moment and shook his head. "No, that doesn't make sense. Aside from navigational and helm functions, Kerouac is lost when it comes to technical matters. Someone else has had to tamper with the android."

"Maica. Her name is Maica," Andy said firmly. "And whoever is messing with her is way beyond the technology of even our universe. I had to rebuild Maica practically from scratch at one point, the technology I put in her is completely unique, no one should be able to access her. I removed her from duty and tomorrow I'll confer with the Chief Engineer for a second opinion, but for now she's resting in our quarters trying to cope with what happened today."

"Understood" replied Krull as he took in, absorbing her words. "Chief, you said beyond technology from even 'our' universe" said Krull shaking his head. "How about from this one? 2390s technology from an alternate universe that we know very little of at this point...is it possible who ever is doing this is from here?"

"Ain't got a clue who's doing this, sir," Andy said bluntly. "There's no signal for me to trace, no physical connections... There's just nothing. But I don't think anyone from this universe is doing it. This universe ain't had the same advancements in android and cybernetic technologies as us; the Legashi don't exist, there's fewer surviving reclaimed Borg like myself, and there's been no major developments with androids since the Soong 'droids. Who in this universe would be capable of this? More to the point, we ain't been here that long, who even knows about her to try to tamper with her?"

"We took on several crewmembers from the since destroyed USS Katana from this universe" replied Krull hesitantly. "You tell me. The Chief Engineer turned acting Commanding Officer?" asserted the Cardassian with suspicion. "I do not know what that woman is or is not capable of doing. However, your assessment is fair. This universe has been rather limited in that sense."

"Jenni Matthews is just as sharp as the Matthews from our universe. If anyone would be capable of learning and understanding our advancements it would be her," Andy said. "However, as best I can tell, these voids started to occur shortly after we arrived in this universe, before Matthews met Maica. At the time I thought it might be a fault in the positronics I designed for Maica and I ran tests on her, but it didn't seem to be negatively affecting Maica so I didn't give it much more thought until her diagnostics tonight when I recorded a second EM wave pattern, a second thought process occurring alongside hers, which is when I suspected tampering. So unless Jenni can project her consciousness into Maica's, it ain't her doing it."

The Cardassian attempted to keep up with the techbabble of the woman. "I recall that some Borg drones who disconnected from the hive mind can still receive messages from the hive mind. I know there is no hive, no collective here, but in essence could something similar be affecting her?" asked Krull.

"A similar thought had occurred to Maica," Andy replied with a nod. "It's just a hypothesis and we have no way of verifying it just yet, but she thinks it might be a higher evolved consciousness of similar origins as Maica. Given the Security risks, I removed her from duty and I'm limiting her access to the ship until we know more about who or what is accessing her and why."

Krull's own security and intelligence background seemed to resurface as he took a more protective posture. "What about other species. Have you looked into potential suspect species? Romulan and Ferengi come to my mind when it comes to 'remote' controlling someone. Android or not" added the Commodore.

"She was originally created by Ferengi, but since I've rebuilt her she no longer has her original identity transponder. I will take a look at her old frame in stasis, maybe there's some resonance going on with the remains of her counterpart in this universe," the ex-Borg woman said with a shrug. "And I'll look into Romulan frequencies. I didn't originally consider those when I was looking for a source of the tampering, but I'll check for it now."

The Commodore gave a simple nod. "Good work, Chief. I believe those are two routes that we should take into consideration and explore. The Romulans have been known to mess around with technology and brain waves, influencing Starfleet officers and programming them to kill like assassins. Given Maica's status as Chief Diplomatic Officer, she would be close to world leaders that the Romulans could benefit from seeing killed. Likewise, the Ferengi have been known to acquire illegal devices like a thought maker to alter brainwaves."

"I'll bring that up with Lieutenant Zhuri tomorrow, and I'll work with Security to do a sweep of the ship to make sure there ain't any of those devices on board," Andy said, then cut a glance back to the lift. "Now I think I'm gonna go check on Maica. She had to kill one of the Talisians to save the team and it's kinda eating at her. She's never taken a life before and she feels responsible for the death of Lieutenant Tonkin, so she shouldn't be alone right now."

The Cardassian nodded. "The first killing is always the hardest, but it never gets any easier" he said shaking his head. "Carry on, Chief. I will be making a note of your discovery and performance as an officer. It's crew like you that make this starship."

"Thank you, sir," Andy said with a nod then turned to leave, exiting the Bridge through the lift and glad to be done with that mess...

Maica had gotten her shower and was drying her hair, the brush pulling out a few strands now and there. She felt a lot cleaner and somewhat refreshed at the very least. Making her way to the replicator, she grabbed a bottle of silvered wine she’d been saving for a special occasion. This wasn’t entirely special… but she felt the need to drink something unusual and this fit the bill. Besides, she doubted many on the crew could enjoy the taste, let alone stomach it.

Punching in a quick order, she pulled the tray out when it finished materializing. A quadruple greaseball cheeseburger with extra pickles and ‘secret sauce’ (already cut in half of course - it was easier to eat a half at a time) and a side of deep fried cheddar stuffed jalapenos and a brandy glass. Sitting at the table, she gave up on her hair for the time being and munched on a jalapeno as she uncorked the silvered wine, poured a glass, and resealed the bottle. As she picked up the glass, the silver and clear fluid swirled almost playfully, never fully mixing but never fully separated and disturbed from the very act of pouring. it would sit there and dance for hours if she let it, but instead, she took a sip, sending the dancing motion into swirls and eddies as the slightly metallic vanilla flavored alcohol slipped over her tongue and down her throat.

Sighing heavily, she set the glass aside and dug into her monster of a cheeseburger, revelling in just how satisfying it was after the day they had gone through.

Maica had plenty of time to enjoy her burger and wine, it took at least a couple hours for Andy to go over Maica’s diagnostics, then she had to look over the belt Maica had dropped, analyzing the contents of the tricorder and hyposprays, the results of which Andy would have a long talk with Maica about much later. The shield units bore Ari’s handiwork, so she would have to have a talk with him as well, but for now, she had more important things in mind. After a trip to the bridge to report her findings, Andy headed to her quarters, eager to cuddle with Maica for a while and pretend that this day never happened...

By this time, Maica was finished with dinner and on her third glass of wine, now more enjoying the light buzz and the swirling motions in the glass, her bare feet on the coffee table as she lazed on the couch.

As Andy entered their quarters and shed her jacket, she grinned at the sight of Maica lazing about on the couch. She tossed her jacket aside, kicked off her boots and prowled closer, taking the nearly empty brandy glass from Maica and setting it on the table. Judging from the state of the bottle Maica was drinking from, Andy surmised that she’d had more than enough.

“Trying to dull the ache?” Andy asked rhetorically as she joined Maica on the couch, snuggling up to her woman with a weary sigh.

Wrapping her arms around Andy, Maica nuzzled softly against her lover's face, the metallic smelling alcohol still on her lips. "Just trying to relax I guess. Find anything interesting?" Maica's speech was slightly slurred - a testament to the alcohol content in the silvered wine.

“Just some more holes,” Andy said somberly as she tried to relax. “As best I can tell from the pattern, whoever is accessing you is just observing, but I’m gonna ask Ari and Jenni for a second opinion just to be on the safe side.” It normally wasn’t like andy to be playing things so safe, but when it involved Maica she wasn’t taking any chances.

Pressing her own forehead to Andy's, Maica did her best to see if she was running a fever. "Are you feeling ok? You normally don't ask for second opinions. You're not sick again, are you?"

Andy chuckled slightly. “Nah, I’m alright. I just wanna be sure about what’s going on. After all the shit we’ve been through lately, I don’t want this to come bite us in the ass.”

"Fair enough, I guess." Maica said, relaxing and snuggling in tighter. "I feel like it's not something to worry too much about, but I might not be the best judge of such things right now."

“No, you most certainly are not,” Andy replied with another chuckle, then kissed Maica on the forehead. “That’s alright, though. We all have our moments when we get to be like this, I don’t think anyone would fault you right now.”

"Probably not," Maica said with a sigh and a slight grin. "By the way, is that belt of stuff still in the lab? I shouldn't have just dropped it like that..."

“No. I logged everything, downloaded the data from the tricorders and forwarded the data to the appropriate departments for analysis, returned the hypos to Sickbay, which we’re gonna have a long talk about later, and stowed the phaser. The shield units are stored in the lab though.” Andy cast a curious glance to Maica. “Why didn’t you tell me you had Ari make those shields?”

"Sorry, love." Maica said as she leaned in and planted a kiss on one of Andy's eyes. "I had to keep all my preparations as secret as I could. If there was a chance the Talosians knew about any of them, we... I might not have made it back. Hence why I talked the EMH into preparing those hypos for me, just in case. And since Ari was also likely unaffected by their mind powers, I gave him a gift and asked him to make those."

“Better have been some gift,” Andy said, giving Maica a squeeze. Her explanation made sense given the circumstances. “Although I gotta ask… cocaine? Pepper spray and tranqs made sense, even stimulants I guess, but why have a hypo loaded with cocaine?”

"Just in case I had to drug the Talosians. Things escalated far faster than I had predicted with the shuttle crash so that plan got skipped over." Maica explained sheepishly. "And yeah, its a hell of a gift. You're familiar with the tech behind mobile holo emitters... I gave him an experimental lightbee system I conned out of the orion syndicate. Worked well with my old body, but this one... too mixed up. He might need help with it later but don't let out that secret, ok?"

“Who am I gonna tell? But if he’s got the beginnings of a mobile emitter, me and Jenni can help him develop the tech the rest of the way. I’m sure he’d like the freedom of leaving the ship,” Andy said.

"There's only memory enough in the lightbee part for physical representation and to relay sensory data. The neural probe part is where it's controlled from. Controlling 2 bodies and having sex with yourself like that... it's pretty amazing," Maica replied with a wicked and mischievous grin. "And there's plenty of range too, though more distance means less active time."

“Well, I’m sure with a little R&D, we can expand its functions to beyond having sex with oneself,” Andy said. “But enough about that, how are you doing?”

Glancing to her still swirling glass of wine just outside her reach, Maica sighed heavily, a somber expression coming over her features. "Logically and by the numbers, the mission was a success. If there's even a quantifiable result of it... But I can't help but feel bad. The scenario was just too much for me to keep up with, even with all the preparation I did."

“I’m sorry, Maica,” Andy said, holding her tighter. “I could say a bunch of stuff about how you did your best, but the truth is that’s life. There’s always gonna be stuff that you just ain’t prepared for, and missing something don’t make it your fault. You did everything you could, and then some. Yes, you had to kill, yes Nathan is gone, and we still can’t go back home to our universe, but you got to take solace in the fact that it coulda worked out so much worse than it did.”

"I have to agree. The scenario analysis I have running in this glorious brain you made for me says so. As things unfolded, if I had done anything differently, there's a 97% chance the entire away team would have died and a 47% chance the whole crew would have." Maica said. "Knowing that doesn't make it any easier though."

“It’s a mistake to think anything will make it easier to bear,” Andy said, thinking back on all the emotional burdens she carried with her as she tenderly rubbed a hand up and down Maica’s back. “It’ll be a long, hard road learning to live with it, but one day you’ll look back and realize you don’t mind carrying it with you. You saved the team, Maica. Yeah, you couldn’t save Nathan, but I know he’d be proud of you for trying as hard as you did. And you brought Jhu home, and I know he’d be grateful for that, especially if you’re right about her being pregnant…”

"You've got just as good of a nose on you as I do. You'll see it." Maica said softly, leaning into Andy. "And thanks. You're right. It just takes some time."

“Of course I’m right, I’m awesome like that,” Andy said with a smirk. She held Maica to her tenderly, letting her take all the time she needed to work things out. It would take time and probably a lot of tears, but Maica would accept it and be stronger for it.

As soon as she'd been able to escape from the funeral proceedings, Jhu had gone not to her cabin or her office - both places where people would look for her - but to one of the small, seldom used alcoves tucked away in the corridors of the ship. It was a private place where the door locked, but more importantly it seemed few of the crew knew about them. No one would think to look for her there. She'd stayed there for a while before heading home, and looking in the mirror as she changed from the grey-trimmed white uniform into more casual clothing, she couldn't help noticing how red and puffy her face was. A splash of cold water did nothing to change it, and she sighed, resigning herself to just looking like hell for the rest of the day.

Being alone in the cabin she'd shared with Nathan quickly proved overwhelming, so she patted Lydek's head and then went out into the corridor. For a while she just wandered, luckily not running into anyone. But wandering left her open to running into people, and after a few minutes of it, she decided to go see Maica. Other than the ceremony on the bridge, they hadn't talked since coming back from Talos IV. And Jhu had news that Maica would want to hear.

Fortunately, Jhu was already on the deck Maica lived on, so she easily found the door to Maica's cabin and rang the chime, hoping Maica would be home.

Which she was, having been removed from duty for the time being. She was sitting on the couch in her undergarments, her uniform having been tucked away and nothing having replaced it on the android woman. "Come in," she called as she stood and headed towards the replicator, continuing as the door opened to reveal whom she expected to be there. "Can I get you a drink, Jhu?"

"That might depend on what's in the drink," Jhu replied softly as the door slid closed behind her. She didn't pay any mind to Maica's lack of clothing; she'd seen Maica entirely nude before so panties and a bra wasn't all that awkward.

"Whatever the replicator can make." Maica said matter-of-factly as she punched up a mug of frothy cider for herself, ignoring the half empty glass of wine she still had on the coffee table and the hundreds of bottles along the walls.

"Something warm then. Maybe tea... no. Apple cider. Because that smells heavenly." Jhu paused, immediately finding it odd that Maica hadn't offered her something off one of the many shelves. "I was going to tell you something but I have a feeling you already know."

Punching up a double and grabbing both mugs, Maica put her most innocent look on her face and turned around, offering one of the frothy mugs to Jhu. "Know what?"

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about." Jhu took the offered mug and took a sip from it, taking a moment to enjoy the warmth of the cider. She wasn't sure why Maica was playing innocent, but it was pretty obviously an act. "It's okay... you don't have to pretend. I know I'm pregnant."

"Congrats! I knew you'd figure it out soon." Maica said cheerfully as she raised her mug and sipped at it. Motioning to the couch, she continued. "Care to have a seat and talk about it?"

"Thanks." The smile Jhu gave Maica was equal parts happy and sad as she went over to the couch and sat down. "It's still pretty early. Far too early to know much of anything. I think I saw Doctor Hansen make a note of 'about a week'... surprised he picked it up at all."

"That sounds about right." Maica said as she sat down with Jhu. "Your hormones shifted abnormally about a week ago. I'm surprised no one else noticed, but I do have senses designed for that sort of thing..."

"People will... and before it gets anywhere close to obvious. Romulans and pheromones..." Jhu sighed, shaking her head slightly. "I really don't want the men babying me and making a fuss. But they're going to." And she didn't have Nathan to ward them off. The thought brought tears back into her eyes.

Wrapping one arm around Jhu, Maica set her cider on the coffee table. "It'll be ok. It'll be hard, but it'll be ok. We're all here for you and you know you can count on us. We're family." Maica didn't mention the baby shower she was already plotting... "Besides, there's no tougher woman on this ship than you. If they try coddling you, punch their replicator."

Jhu snorted at that, laughing even through the tears. "And have Andy, Jenni, and Ari all trying to kill me? No thanks." She did, however, have to admit it was an appealing idea. "I know I can count on everyone here. I just wish Nathan was here."

"I know. I do too." Maica had enough guilt over the events of that away mission, but right now, she pushed that aside as best she could and supported her friend. "I know he'd want to be here too, but at the very least, he'd want you to keep on smiling."

"Maica, I'm trying. I really am. But smiling isn't something I feel very capable of doing right now." Jhu wrapped both hands around her mug of cider, looking into it like she expected to find an answer there. "I should talk to Lia. But I don't want to."

"Then talk to me." Maica said as she hugged Jhu tighter. "As a friend. Not as a diplomat or a sex therapist. I'm pretty sure you have both of those bases covered, anyway."

"I don't think I need a sex therapist. Sex got me into this mess," Jhu replied dryly, with just a touch of humor before she become somber again. "I don't know if I can forgive Kris."

"There's an old saying... Forgive others not because they deserve it but because you deserve peace." Maica said somewhat sagely. "Besides, I supported his plan, I was responsible for the safety of the away team, and I was the one that ultimately failed at that task. My simulations can't find a way I could have done better under those conditions... but I'm still at fault. I should be in that brig with him."

"You wouldn't have had to be responsible for that if he'd listened to the rest of us and not gone there." There was little more than bitterness in Jhu's voice, but none of it directed at Maica. Maica had done everything she possibly could to prevent any loss of life. "I just can't bring myself to do it. I know I need to... I just can't."

"Same here, but when we decide we need peace, you forgive him and I'll forgive myself, ok?" Maica said in a way she hoped was reassuring. "Until then, let's just live our lives as best we can."

"All right. I can do that." Jhu knew Maica was right, but it didn't make her feel any better. At least, not yet.

Maica was good with that. These things took time, after all. Picking up her mug of cider, she drank several swallows, reveling in the taste. "I never tried this without alcohol. This is really good."

"I don't drink it very often. Usually just when I'm sick... think I'll be drinking a lot of it for a while though." Jhu took a few sips from of her cider. "I don't know if it's the baby or just me being anxious, but I'm freezing all the time now."

Maica nodded, sipping her cider again before setting it back down. "Your blood flow will be reorganizing priorities so that's not surprising. Shock can also cause it, from what I'm told. Do you want me to get you a blanket?" Looking down at her nearly nude self, another thought occurred to her. "Is my lack of clothing making you cold too? I've been told that can happen."

"A blanket would be fantastic... and no, you're fine. I was cold before I came in." Jhu smiled a little at Maica's concern.

Getting up and heading to the bedroom, Maica still grabbed a slipover dress and tossing that on over her voluptuous frame before grabbing a pink fluffy blanket from the foot of the bed. Heading back into the living room, she wrapped the blanket around Jhu and sat back down next to her. "There you go. Warmest blanket we have."

"That's perfect. Thank you." Setting her cider down, Jhu snuggled deeper into the blanket, suddenly feeling a lot better. There was something about a blanket that just made her feel not just warm but safe. "Think Whiskers will mind if I wear a sweater on duty once he lets me work again?"

"If it's the cold weather uniform undershirt, sure. It's an option." Maica said as she wrapped an arm around Jhu again.

"Didn't think of that... that would work out nicely." Jhu leaned against Maica, tucking her legs up under the blanket. "I guess I should talk to Kris eventually, huh?"

"He might appreciate a visitor and it might help us both to go see him." Maica said simply as she leaned back into Jhu. "Want me to go with you when you do?"

"Will you please? I don't know if I trust myself not to try to hurt him." It pained her to admit it, but Jhu knew how easily her temper had gotten the better of her before she got pregnant. She didn't even want to think about how lethal it could get now.

"I don't know if I could stop you anyway." Maica sighed, then continued. "I'm off duty for the foreseeable future so just let me know when."

"You can or I wouldn't ask you to do it. And... any time I guess. Not too soon... but before his trial. I'm off duty anyway... probably for a while." Jhu didn't know what the parameters were for her to resume work yet. M'rayr hadn't said.

"It seems that way. Have you heard where we're going now?" Maica asked curiously. She had heard rumors, but wasn't certain of anything.

Jhu shook her head. "No one's told me anything and I haven't asked."

"I checked a few sources a little while ago. Don't tell Andy though." Maica said with a wry grin. "I'm not even supposed to touch my desk, let alone do any work. All I got was rumors, but if they're to be believed, we're meeting up with a ship that vanished from this universe the exact same day and time that we vanished from our own universe."

"That's quite a coincidence." Jhu reached to pick up her cider and sipped from the remaining liquid. "I haven't looked into ship disappearances in this universe yet. Which ship?"

"I mentioned them in that disaster of a briefing. The USS Hera." Maica said. "It's just a rumor I picked up though, so who knows if it's true."

"I don't remember much from the briefing, other than trying to break Kris's jaw..." That had been a rash action, one that Jhu was starting to regret. "I'll look into it once Whiskers has me on duty again. If he ever does let me back on duty."

"Thanks. I'm sure he will soon enough. You're too valuable to just leave lying around collecting dust." Maica said with another squeeze of Jhu's shoulders. "Feeling any better?"

"A little, yeah. Hope it lasts a while this time." Jhu felt like she'd been on the emotional roller coaster from hell since first hearing the order to go to Talos IV. "I'm just glad I didn't have Cohen look me over... he'd have taken me off duty pending psych eval." She rolled her eyes, her opinion of that idea pretty clear.

Maica had to chuckle softly at Jhu's reaction to that idea. She didn't have much experience with doctors but from what she had heard, most of them wasted more time than they saved. "I'm glad I'm marrying my 'doctor'. Her bedside manner extends into our bed quite nicely."

"Yeah, you're lucky. Your 'doctor' likes you. All the medical doctors on this ship are either afraid of me or angry with me for... something. I don't know what." Jhu went to drink from her mug, finding it empty and setting it down instead.

Handing Jhu her own mug, which had a little left in it, Maica took the empty mug and headed to the replicator, recycling it and getting 2 more fresh mugs. "Maintenance has a reason - I can see them being mad or scared... Medical though?"

"You'd think medical would appreciate me. I give them lots of practice hours." Jhu smirked a little, drinking the last bit of Maica's old mug of cider then trading it for the new one. "I don't think Cohen's ever liked me. No idea why either."

"My opinion? He's gay and sleeping with the Captain. Was... sleeping with our ex-Captain..." That was unusual for Maica to trip over her own words like that. " Sorry. You're also a beautiful woman and though I barely know him, I think he's jealous of you. I know I would be."

Jhu laughed a little. "The gay man is jealous of me. Now that's funny."

Sitting down next to Jhu and wrapping an arm back around her, Maica nodded. "Mmhmm. You landed the most handsome man on the ship. Me, I was jealous of Nathan for a while. Same reason."

At those words, Jhu paused with her mug halfway to her mouth, looking over at Maica with a somewhat dumbstruck look on her face. "Jealous of Nathan? Maica..." Not quite sure of what to say, she trailed off for a moment and thought about those moments in their rapid friendship that had seemed a little deeper than just friends. "Fire and Ice... I mean... damn. How long have you felt that way?"

Maica rolled her head back, recalling the times and doing some quick calculations in her head. "I was jealous of Nathan for catching your eye for thirty six point two one seconds. I've been interested in you since I first laid eyes on you but pretty well gave up when we took Shira to that hot springs simulation and you didn't even notice any of my advances. As for knowing I prefer women... That started fourteen hours, thirty three minutes, seven seconds after my initial recorded activation during primary personality matrix compiling."

"In my defense, I was exhausted. Kris was running me ragged with the search for Shira's planet." Jhu set her mug down on the coffee table and turned to look at her friend. "Like you told Nathan... I'm kind of oblivious to those things. I went for so long behind despised and hated by my fellow officers, that I turned all that off. I didn't even realize Nathan had asked me on a date until we walked into that cafe simulation." She avoided saying the name of the simulated planet; the irony of Nathan dying on the real Talos IV was still too raw and fresh.

"I had first hand experience for helping him catch your eye." Maica said with a slightly lecherous grin. "That hot springs resort was also when I found out all your tender and sweet spots and I might have shared those with him later."

"You treacherous minx. That's where he learned it." Jhu blushed faintly at the memories that brought forward. "Well I can't be mad at you. What I had with him was wonderful... and now I have his child to look forward to..."

"Truly a blessing, indeed." Maica said, relaxing back and sipping at her frothy mug of cider. "By the way, if you need a pair of godparents, I'll volunteer Andy and myself."

"You'd be my first choice and Andy would likely be Nathan's so that's settled." Jhu grinned at her. "I imagine you told her already."

"She didn't believe me." Maica said with a sigh. "She's been pretty out of it too, though. Being a godparent will do her some good. Give her something to look forward to. Besides, the only way I can see us having kids is if she builds us an android baby and I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon."

"Okay, I'll tell her again. As for you two having babies... she might not be up to it for a while, but if you don't tell her you want a kid she's not going to know to build one." Jhu picked up her mug again and sipped from it. "This whole situation is just... well, kind of ironic. We weren't really considering kids yet, other than him telling me that a mutual friend had told him all about Trill and Romulan pregnancies and was speculating about which side I'd be like." She gave Maica a knowing look; Nathan hadn't been at all secretive about who'd told him. "And now this." She gestured at her belly. "I wonder how he would have felt about it."

Maica looked away sheepishly at that insinuation. It was completely true, after all. "I'm pretty sure he would be overjoyed and building baby furniture within minutes of finding out. He'd have picked out at least a dozen names as well. I also get the feeling he would have put padding on anything you could have smashed, like replicators, just in case. All within the first 8 hours, of course."

Jhu giggled a little, nodding in agreement. "We never talked about names. And I never liked naming someone after their parent so they have to be a junior... but I thought Drake might be nice for a little boy."

Maica's eyebrows shot up curiously at Jhu's choice of names. "An interesting choice. Those are mythological creatures, right? Akin to dragons?"

Jhu gave Maica an amused look. "It was Nathan's middle name, you dork. I wasn't even thinking about a dragon."

"Ah... Well then... I guess I never knew his middle name. I sometimes forget these things since my single name is an acronym originally." Maica said sheepishly.

"Oh it's fine. Kind of funny naming your kid after a dragon." Jhu snickered good-naturedly. "It's the only name I can think of that's connected to him that I like without actually naming the kid after him."

"I think it's sweet." Maica said with a warm smile. There were a lot of worse names out there and this way at least, it had some meaning. "And if it's a girl?"

"That's a little tougher," Jhu admitted a bit sheepishly. "I can't think of or find a name for a baby girl that would connect to him."

Maica thought it over a moment, running through names she knew in her head. "What about Draklyn? Not as obvious, but still a link."

"Like Drake and Jacklyn smashed together. It's cute... I like it." The moment she heard it, Jhu had a feeling she wasn't going to be considering other names. "I think he'd like it too."

"I bet he would." Maica said softly. "By the way, did the doc get a good enough scan of the DNA to tell which gender the baby is? Or do you have to wait a while longer for that?"

Jhu shook her head. "Too soon... at least a few more weeks before DNA will show any differentiation."

"That makes sense. I won't be able to tell for sure until birth based just on my own senses." Maica said in reply.

"Maica... if you could tell me the baby's gender based on how it smells, I'd be scared of you." Jhu tried to give her a serious look and failed miserably, giggling at the idea of her being afraid of the green woman.

Maica giggled too, leaning in mischievously. "I could if the baby was born already. Not until then though."

"Okay that might be a bit too much information about your sensor systems." Jhu giggled a little more. It didn't seem like it was something that should be that funny, but her head wasn't exactly on straight lately either.

"Probably," Maica agreed, giggling a bit as well. It was a good mood for it and it warmed her heart to see her best friend laughing after all that had happened.