Mark growled in anger as he continued to strike at the punching bag in front of him. Again and again his powerful fists struck the bag, and as he continued to attack it, his mind went back to his time on Turalek. He thought of Scourge, the man who had raised him. He thought of his first kill, when he received his implants, when Scourge had been killed, when Mark had taken charge of the remainder of the gang, when he first met Shae, and then his escape.

With a final punch, the bag split in two, sending the beads inside all over the ground. He stared down at his, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily.

"What did that punching bag do to you to deserve such punishment?" Shae voice sounded out over the sound of his heavy breathing. She leaned against the doorway to the gym with Aoife in her arms, looking in at Mark with a concerned gaze. "Did you forget that we were supposed to have lunch?"

Mark looked at her. "Sorry Shae." Mark said. "I've been busy." He said, as he picked up his third punching bag, hanging it up. "I don't know if I can eat. I need to be ready."

"When are you ever not ready?" the Chameloid woman asked as she ventured into the room and sat down on the remains of his first destroyed punching bag. "You could have at least sent me a message. Lunch was your idea and you left me sitting in the mess hall waiting for you. You know how uncomfortable I am around a lot of people."

"I know." Mark said. He sighed. "I was helping investigate the missing deflector dish. I worked with our Science Chief, and we have a lead." He said. "There was an intercepted message which needed decoding. It had a set of coordinates." He added. Closing his eyes, he allowed Shae to see the pain he was in. "They lead to Turalek."

"I see," Shae replied simply, her eyes taking on a thousand mile stare. Then she rose, walked over to the replicator to get a blanket and a toy for Aoife to play with, then laid out the blanket on one of the workout mats, setting Aoife down with her toy so she could join Mark by the punching bag, bracing herself against the bag so it wouldn't swing so much and he could get a harder hit.

Mark smiled, and began to strike the bag. "I spent so long trying to escape, and I've never looked back." He said. "And now I have to go back to hell." He told her. "I thought Starfleet was meant to be helping reform the planet, but they obviously failed, or didn't even bother trying. And Alec, Windhover and Sky Kid stayed there to lead a few groups, because I told them that help would come back. I don't even know if they're still alive."

"If they are alive, you can get them out of there," Shae said, trying to give him an optimistic view of the situation.

"That's if they'll even want to see me. I should have gone back sooner." Mark said, as he put his fist through the punching bag, ripping it. He pulled his hand out and flexed it. "I failed them Shae."

"You did the best you could with what you had available to you at the time. You thought Starfleet was coming to help," Shae said, pulling the damaged bag down. She let the bag fall to the floor and she took Mark's hand. "No one would fault you for not wanting to go back there."

"But I have to. Only you and I know how dangerous it is, what to expect and how to survive. But it means I may have to surrender back to the darkness. I've worked hard to try and be better, and I have to enter the darkness again." He said. "I can't let anyone go there without being prepared. You know how dangerous it is. If anyone from the ship goes without me, they'll come back in body bags. I can't let that happen." He said, revealing his gentler side for the first time in a long time. The only other people who knew him that well was his family, his sister and those who escaped with him.

Shae sighed softly. "Why do I get the feeling you are going to ask me to come with you?"

Mark gave a sad smile, which promptly vanished. "Mostly because you're the only one other than me who has been there. It'd take too long to get anyone else from the gang, they're at different locations. But I don't want you feeling like you need to. I don't want you put at risk." He said.

"I do not want to go..." Shae looked over at Aoife laying on her blanket, happily chewing on her toy and oblivious to the tense matter that the adults were worrying over. "When will you be leaving?"

"I'm heading off soon. I'm going to take a small team with me, and as much food and medical supplies as possible." Mark replied.

Shae nodded, then reached into her pocket for her comm badge, giving it a tap with her thumb. "This is Shae Brennan to Lieutenant Iniya. Vicky, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to reschedule my psych eval. Something has come up."

Vicky's voice came over the comms groggily, as if she had been woken up from a nap. "Ok, just let me know when is good for you later. Is there anything else I should be aware of?"

"I am going to Turalek with Mark," Shae offered. She didn't know if that's the sort of thing that Vicky meant about need to know, but it was still relevant. "I don't know how long we'll be gone, so I'll reschedule once we get back."

"Come back in one piece then. You're not technically supposed to go on away missions without a complete psych eval, so I'll list this as a family vacation for you." Vicky replied over the comms, sounding a bit more awake at this news.

"Thank you. I will contact you as soon as we return so that you don't have to worry about us," Shae said, grateful that Vicky wasn't one of those types of Counselors who would make a big deal of this sort of thing. She tapped the comm badge off and returned the device to her pocket. "Do not leave without me. I'll have to find someone to take care of Aoife and then I'll need to get a few things ready," Shae said to Mark.

Mark nodded. "I won't." He promised. "You sure about this?" He added.

"No, not at all, but you'll need me so I'm going." Shae stepped away to pick up her daughter, holding her close with a pained look on her face. Shae wasn't ready to be parted from her child, but it was necessary.

"Shae, if you're unsure, then stay. I may need you, but so does Aoife." Mark said. "If you still want to come, then I promise you that I'll keep you safe, no matter what."

"I don't want to go, but I do want to give the team the best possible chance of returning," Shae said. She may not have wanted to go, but in at least this much there was a sense of resolve.

Mark nodded. "Fair enough. I'll let you know when we're ready to leave." Mark said. "Thank you, Shae." He said, kissing her forehead.

"I know this isn't easy for you, and I do want to be there for you, but thank you for appreciating how difficult this is for me too," Shae said softly. She paused for a moment, looking like perhaps she wanted to say something more, then she turned to leave.

Mark watched her leave, and as he did, he buried a sigh. "Thank you, Shae." He said softly.

END

This was it - Farenia had to meet this counselor of theirs. She’d never met an allasomorph and she had heard rumors about this Victoria person so she thought she was prepared for anything. Vicky, on the other hand, knew very little about her new Captain and wasn’t even expecting to meet her this soon. She was napping on her couch, having taken the form of a tree… laying on a couch…

When Farenia pressed the door chime, there was no response. “Computer, locate the ship’s counselor,” she demanded of the air. With a chirp and an acknowledgement, the computer confirmed that Vicky was indeed in her quarters - the very quarters Captain Meowlith was standing in front of. Pressing the door chime again, she waited a few more moments before giving up and punching in her override code.

She saw a purple tree… lounging on a couch… and snoring… and did it have… boobs? This wasn’t anything like what Farenia was expecting and the one thing she focused on was that this tree had bigger boobs than her. Not that it was purple or sleeping peacefully on a couch…

Stepping into the room, Farenia cleared her throat as the door closed behind her. “Lt Victoria Iniya?” she asked loudly enough to hopefully awaken the sleeping… tree.

Startled, the tree shook somewhat violently and started to morph. After a few seconds, it had become a purple haired woman sitting there and blinking sleepily. “May I help you?” she asked as she stood up, not awake enough to realize who this was.

Farenia extended a hand, hoping the traditional Earth handshake wasn’t too far lost on this strange person. “I’m Captain Farenia Meowlith, your new CO. I was hoping for a slightly impromptu meeting. Sorry for waking you, but I had free time after lunch.

“Ah, Captain!” Vicky exclaimed, the fact of who was standing in front of her sinking in finally. “Sorry for being asleep - I was up all night with a patient.” Seeing the extended hand, Vicky shook the Captain’s hand then headed towards her desk. “Please, call me Vicky. May I get you a drink or something to snack on?”

“No thanks. I would like to sit down though, if that’s ok.” Farenia said, motioning to one of the chairs in the room.

“Please, help yourself.” Vicky said as she pressed a few controls on her desk terminal before getting a drink from the replicator. As Farenia sat down, Vicky joined her shortly after in her fainting couch, setting the steaming cup of ‘kla on the coffee table between them. “What can I help you with, ma’am?”

Farenia didn’t mince words - judging by initial impressions, she figured it best to get straight to the point with this woman. “We’re not going to get a diplomat from Starfleet any time soon. I was hoping that as a counselor, you could assist me in diplomatic relations on the bridge when needed.”

That was simple and straight to the point… It was also one of the reasons she’d been brought on board by the prior CO. “Captain Ronai asked the same thing of me. You’ll have any and all support from me that you’ll need.” Vicky said as reassuringly as she could.

“Excellent,” Farenia said enthusiastically, a wide smile spreading across her face.

That smile struck Vicky as odd however, and she had to comment on it as well as her unusual hair style. “An observation, if I may?” Vicky said, continuing when Farenia nodded. “Though you look Vulcan, your hairstyle is very non-traditional for them and that smile… Our XO lacks full emotional control and as a Vulcan she lacks the muscle memory for smiles like that, hence they’re a bit off yet uniquely hers. You though… That smile is too natural for you to be Vulcan.”

“Vulcanoid Rigelian. It’s possible my ancestors were Vulcan, just like the Romulan peoples, but from a more ancient branching off of the Vulcan peoples. Or maybe we evolved to look just like them but chose the path of desert dwelling hippies.” Farenia explained calmly, still smiling. “And you were a purple tree earlier. Is that common to Allasomorphs?”

Vicky shrugged slightly at the question, relaxing a bit and leaning back in her chair. “Most don’t mimic plants like that but my family unit does since we’re mostly the pacifist hippies of our race.”

Farenia chuckled slightly at the assertion. “I guess we have common ground then, though I’m considered more violent than most of my people. I’ve actually stunned a lot of people.”

Vicky nodded. “In that case, as a member of a peaceful peoples, what’s it like to shoot someone?”

“I don’t recommend it. Even stunning them, it takes something from you,” Farenia said, suddenly serious. “Killing animals for food was always one thing… But seeing a sentient slump to the floor after being shot… It’s not something I’ll ever enjoy, though I’ll do it when I need to without hesitation.”

Vicky considered the Captain’s words. She’d only shot at targets on the phaser range before. “I cut my hand once to prove that I bleed. That’s the most violent thing I’ve ever done and I freaked out pretty badly. I couldn’t even bring myself to morph into a tree or anything.”

“That sounds like it was rough,” Farenia commented, relaxing into her chair as well. “I can’t say I condone self-inflicted injuries, but I’m sure you had a good reason for it and that you learned a great deal from it.”

Vicky laughed nervously for a moment. “Yeah I learned that it hurts like hell. I’d rather not repeat that any time soon.”

“If all goes well, I’m sure you’ll have a very injury-free career from here on out.” Farenia replied reassuringly.

“I certainly hope so,” Vicky said as she leaned forward to get her cup of ‘kla. Sipping from it, she eyed the Vulcanoid Rigelian across from her. “So what else can I do for you, Captain?”

Before she could respond the door chime activated.

"You can answer your door," Farenia replied with a smirk.

"Probably my next appointment here early. If you'll excuse me, Captain." Vicky shook her head and called out to the closed door, prompting it to open. "Come in."

Ens. Storme entered the counselor's room casually, but instantly became nervous when he saw the Captain and came to attention. He looked apprehensively from the counselor to the Captain and back. His mind became fuddled and wasn't sure if he should speak or apologize or leave. He finally got out rapidly, "I'm-m-m sorry. I can come back later."

"No, it's fine," Farenia said with a smile as she stood up and moved to leave. "I should be heading back to the bridge anyway. Thank you for your time, counselor."

Vicky stood as well, smiling back at the unusual new Captain. "It's been a pleasure. If you need anything else, please let me know."

Theron stood back to the side and just nodded quietly toward the Captain as she passed him. He still had a nervous look upon his face. In a way, it was her that had brought him here to begin with, and he wasn't sure if this was fate that they meet up like this or not.

As she passed him on her way out the door, Farenia patted Theron on the shoulder and gave him a wink. "Don't worry, I don't bite... hard..."

When the door closed and the Captain out of the room, Theron's shoulders seemed to collapse. They probably dropped, physically, an inch or two in height. So much turmoil had welled up in him and then faced with Captain in from of him was almost too much to bare. He almost had forgotten where he was and what he was supposed to do.

When the door closed and the Captain out of the room, Theron's shoulders seemed to collapse. They probably dropped, physically, an inch or two toward the deck. So much turmoil had welled up in him and then faced with the Captain directly in front of him was almost too much to bare. He almost had forgotten where he was and what he was supposed to do.

"Please, have a seat. What can I do for you... Theron, is it?" Vicky asked him as she motioned toward the seating.

"Ah . . yes." the ensign replied nervously as he looked about the room and to the seat that had been offered to him. He took a step in that direction and began speaking without looking up, "I ah, have an issue, well really it has nothing to do with me, but I'm part of it, and I'm not sure if I should be following orders or reporting about orders that . . " He stopped in the middle of his statement when he realized that he probably wasn't making a bit of sense in what was undoubtedly a long run-on sentence. It certainly wasn't making much sense to him, let alone anyone else.

Theron sat down quietly, closed his eyes, and shook his head side to side slightly. He wasn't sure where to start and even if he should be here at all.

Vicky sat down across from Theron and waited a moment before speaking softly. "Take a deep breath and tell me what you can, ok? We have plenty of time."

Without looking up Theron began to wring his hands. After what seemed to him a long time, he finally said, "I ah . . have a dilemma." He continued to wring his hands and then licked his lips nervously. "I have a conflict with whose orders to follow." The Helmsman let his hands fall to his lap and looked at the Counselor.

Theron saw before him a beautiful woman. Her dark hair flowing about her shoulders. He realized after a second that amongst the black was purple hair, which seemed to give her an aura of royalty. Her deep eyes seemed to reach out to him. Here again the pink and purple of her iris seemed to give peace to his frustration and felt honored to be with her. Her pleasant smile was welcoming. He sighed and relaxed a little. He thought, Maybe this is going to work.

"Follow the ones your conscious gives you and let the rest follow along," Vicky said softly, her smile as comforting as she could make it and one hand moving to rest on his still moving hands in the hopes of helping calm him.

Theron felt something on his hand and realized that she was gently holding it. He took in a deep breath and tried to focus on why he had come to see her. "I guess my situation comes down to following standing Starfleet guidelines verses following an officer's instruction to not report a situation." He looked up into her eyes again and found understanding. He was curious how this person had such a relaxing effect on him. He typically didn't react this way around other women. He wondered why she was special.

Vicky nodded calmly. "Then your first thing to do is to decide what to do. If it's not a lawful order, then you should report it to the Captain. She seems to be an understanding woman so I'm sure she'll do what she can to help you if you decide to go that route. Otherwise, you'll have to find a way to live with it. If that's your final decision, then I'll support that as well."

The words seemed comforting and encouraging. Theron relaxed more and leaned back, taking hold of his elbows and holding them close to him. He looked down in thought. "I guess I do not know if the orders I was given were conflicting or not." He rocked his head side to side in a silly fashion as he pondered. He added, "Of course this situation occurred before our current Captain. In some ways I feel I'm tattling on a senior officer."

Vicky leaned back as well, her soft smile still there. "Sometimes it's better to make sure things are known rather than wondering. Perhaps, if you discussed this with the officer in question?"

Theron considered the suggestion and replied slowly, "Speaking again to this officer might be considered disobedient, since she gave me a direct order," he looked up at the purple haired woman and continued, "but if they are in the wrong, wouldn't the current Captain want to know about it?" He raised his eyebrow, curiously needing some guidance.

"I believe she would, yes." Vicky was curious as to what this order was that so violated Theron's conscience like this but that wasn't her job - she needed to help him come to a decision and to accept it enough to live with it, whatever that decision would be.

Theron thoughtfully considered what she said with a grim and downcast face. Just then a crazy idea came into the young man's mind and he blurted out childishly, "And if I was instructed not to report this event to our Captain, and it's a different Captain right now, then I wouldn't be disobeying the order . . well . . directly." He looked up again at the counselor hoping for some confirmation.

"I can't speak for semantics like that. I could tell you a story about people that disobeyed orders with good reason. Then, if your conscience still tells you the order was wrong, do what you have to." Vicky had studied similar situations in the academy and while she hadn't had the chance to put this particular lesson into practice, she felt that it would help this young man make his decision. "Will you listen to the story?" she asked, hopeful of his answer and confident of her ability to relay the story reasonably well.

"Well, sure," came his brief reply. Theron leaned back a little more relaxed to listen.

Vicky smiled brighter and settled in to tell the story. "Back on the first Enterprise, back before the Federation, Captain Archer was preparing to lead a peace delegation that would lead to the formation of the Federation today. Pirates had boarded the ship and were looking for one of his friends and it was him and his Chief Engineer, Trip. Archer wouldn't give away his friend - they had been through too much together. The pirates were very insistent and were going to kill both of them if they didn't talk. Archer ordered Trip not to say anything or do anything... But Trip knew he had to put Archer's life above his own. He quickly struck a deal with the pirates. They stunned Archer and left him there in the hallway while Trip led them to a power junction room, saying that there was a secret area in the ceiling. What was actually there was one of the ship's main power relays. He triggered an explosion that killed him and all the pirates, but left his Captain alive and the ship still functional. He disobeyed his orders for what he believed was the greater good and while history proves that if he hadn't the Federation wouldn't have been born... I'm sure it was still a hard decision to make."

Theron pondered the story rocking his head slightly forward and back. He then said, "I do see that as an excellent example of how one person can defend another or his entire ship with a lie or misdirection." He rubbed his face thoughtfully with his hand and added, "But that does not sway me to tell or not tell about my situation."

Vicky smiled widely. "I had hoped it would. Others have used it as inspiration to either do what you feel is right or to shut up and color, as it were. It seems your situation is a bit more complicated though."

He looked down at his hands in his lap. Without looking up he said, "I guess the question that remains in my mind is . . do I trust and value the judgment and experience of an officer over the letter of the law." He took a deep breath and then sighed.

"Yeah, that's the hard part. That's the part you have to decide for yourself." Vicky said soothingly, knowing it would do little to comfort the young man. "If you want my advice though? Take that leap. It's obvious you'll have trouble living with yourself otherwise. That's personal advice though. My professional advice is to find the path that you'll find easier to sleep with."

Theron looked up and smiled slightly, his head bobbing forward slightly as he pondered her words a little more. "Thank you Counselor. I think I know what I need to do."

"I'm glad I could be of help. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Vicky said with a bright smile.

Ens. Storme looked up with very little expression on his face at the Counselor, more like past her as he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. His mind seemed to be at ease. There were no other thoughts. He didn't even know what day it was. "No. I guess not." He rose slowly.

Standing as well, Vicky nodded contentedly, "Then good luck. If you need anything else, please let me know."

Theron nodded politely, "Thank you. I appreciate that." He extended a hand of courtesy. "Thank you again."

Vicky shook his hand politely. "You're very welcome."

Ens. Storme turned and walked out of the Counselor's quarters with a better understanding of his decision. But thought, But, I just don't get the purple hair.

Mark stood in the transporter room, having gotten the ship he had confiscated from Jeffrey ready, and checked his weapons one last time. It wouldn't be a long trip to Turalek, but even short trips meant he needed to be fully armed, and there was only one person he wanted with him on this trip, the only person he knew would understand the planet. In truth, he was glad Shae was around, because it gave him strength knowing he had family around. He did, however, also have three well trained security officers, all veterans of combat. He didn't want someone who had never seen real combat before, not on Turalek. "Whistler to Gonnadie, please join me in the transporter room. Whistler to Brennan, I'm in the transporter room whenever you're ready." Mark said.

=/\="On my way,"=/\= Shae replied over the comm. She had already taken her daughter to Sickbay so Val could watch her and she'd made all the preparations she felt were necessary for this mission. Now, she made her way down to the transporter room to meet with Mark, dressed in the S31 issue stealth suit and vest she'd replicated and wearing the face he'd known her as all those years ago, her now blond hair braided over her shoulder. Her exotic features would stand out in a crowd, so she shed those in favor of human features that would allow her to better blend in.

Mark almost did a double take when he saw Shae walk in, and smiled at her. "Shae. When we get there, we'll introduce you as Angela, for now. We'll tell the others the truth later, but for now, let's keep it as simple as we can." Mark said. He took a belt of throwing knives hanging over his shoulder. "I kept these for you all those years ago. Never got rid of them." He said, referring to the fact that he had ordered the weapons made for Shae back on Turalek.

"That's fine," Shae said with a nod. She wouldn't have changed her appearance like this if she hadn't been prepared for him to make use of that old identity. "And thank you... I replicated a few, but these are much better," she added with an approving nod as she looked the blades over, drawing one from its sheath and flipping it in her hand a few times to test its weight and balance.

Mark smiled. "I'm glad you like them. I wish you didn't need them, but you know what it's like. Our new Captain has approved the mission, we're using a ship I confiscated from a criminal not long ago, it's bigger than a shuttle, and no Starfleet markings. We'll be able to get the rest of the clan out of there at least." Mark said, as he checked his Kulak's. "Whatever happens Shae...I want you to know how much I am glad to have you back in my life."

"Me too," Shae replied with a wistful smile, fixing the new blades at her waist, concealing them under the leather vest. "Who else is coming with us?"

"I've called upon Ensign Gonnadie. The Captain insisted I take an engineer along with us." Mark replied. "I would take more, but I don't think anyone else on the ship can handle what we're going to be facing."

"It's been a while since I've had to do any piloting, but I could do it in a pinch if we don't have a capable pilot coming with us," Shae said, suppressing her natural Irish lilt as she spoke. She hadn't used her accent back on Turalek, and since she was using her Angela identity again then she wouldn't use her accent now.

Mark smiled. "I got the piloting down. I'll definitely need your help as a co pilot, from what I've been told, this ship needs two pilots." He said.

Shae simply nodded and waited with a cool and aloof demeanor for the Engineer to arrive so they could leave.

Gonnadie entered the transporter room, an engineering kit slung on one shoulder and his face staring at a PADD that he held in his left hand. He paused a moment when he realized he wasn't alone and looked around.

"Sorry I'm late." He said simply. "We ready to go?" He looked between them then back at his uniform. "Am I overdressed?"

Mark looked at the man and smiled. "We'll replicate you something on the way." Mark said.

"Whatever you say." Gonnadie shrugged lightly taking a step onto the transporter bad and adjusting the strap of his tool bag.

*****

At that moment, thanks to a miscalculation on Mark's part, Se'Lah's computer beeped, and played a message. "Se'Lah, by the time you get this message, I should be on my way to Turalek. I've got to go back. Not only is there a lead there, potentially anyway, on who wanted our deflector dish, but I have friends there, my family. I know I didn't tell you...because I didn't want to risk your life. I'm not going alone, I have Shae...Miss Brennan with me, since she has been there before. I don't know what I'll face there...but I will carry you in my heart. Hopefully, I'll return soon, and maybe you can forgive me. If I don't come back...remember, your actions now, your deeds define you. You are an incredible woman, and you made my life better. Goodbye, Se'Lah. I hope we will see each other again, in this life or the next." Mark's image recited.

Se'Lah had been reading a PADD that had some information on her past. As the message played, she sighed. "Dammit..." She said, standing up, and moving to the gun locker to get her gun, and several throwing knives. "Computer, locate Mark Whistler."

"Lieutenant Whistler is in the transporter room." Came the monotonous reply.

Moments later, Se'Lah had herself well armed with hidden blades, her gun in it's holster, and was grabbing her leather jacket on the way out the door.

[Transporter Room - 1 Minute Later]

Before the transporter operator could begin the transport, and much to Mark's surprise, the doors opened to admit Se'Lah. Unlike her normal uniform, or how many had seen her dress off duty, she was now dressed in an all black outfit consisting of a black t-shirt, black loose fitting jeans, and a black leather jacket, which concealed her gun. She gave a quick glance to the others, assuming that the unfamiliar woman was Shae.

"I'm not letting you go to Turalek, without taking me with you." Se'Lah told them as she stepped up on the transporter pad next to Mark. "Besides... Apparently, this is what I'm good at."

Mark looked at her. "Where we're going...if there is a hell, I'd rather go there." Mark said, realizing his mistake. "When we get there, you need to know that we'll be landing on the outer edge of the primary city, where my old camp had been. Hopefully it's still there." Mark said.

"And maybe this is what you're good at, but you aren't prepared for a place like Turalek," Shae said to Se'Lah in an aloof manner, her whole demeanor becoming more like the Angela Mark had known years ago. "Once we touch down, you and Gonnadie are to remain with one of us at all times. I know you are our superior, but not on Turalek." Though she looked like a blond human, Shae still had the same crystal blue eyes that Se'Lah would recognize right away.

Mark nodded in agreement. "Trust me, you've never seen anything as bad as Turalek. If we're lucky, we'll get in and out before we're seen. If we're not...we'll have to fight our way through for the information we need." Mark said, as three security officers also arrived, having been summoned by Mark.

As everyone stood on the platform, Mark looked at the transporter operator. "Energise." He ordered. He felt the transporter wash over him, and found himself on the command bridge of Jeffrey's ship. There were five chairs, much like a runabout, but could be controlled by one. Mark looked at the group.

"Alright people, I've already set the course for Turalek. The plan is to find the people who wanted our deflector dish. However, when we get there, we'll also be looking to evacuate innocent people, a group of people who were in my crew and stayed behind voluntarily when I left. What we're going into is nothing less than the darkest pits of hell. You need to remain with Shae and I. For the mission, Shae will be using the name Angela. You'll see things you don't want to see, including children killing adults and adults killing children. There is no law, no government, no one to answer to. If you get attacked, do not hesitate to fight back. We'll be using the journey to replicate as much food and medicine as we can to help as many people as we can while there, but expect the worst. Any questions?" Mark asked.

Shae/Angela had no questions and simply took a seat at the co-pilot's station and began familiarizing herself with the controls and prepared for the trip.

"If this place is as bad as you say, we may need a better assortment of weapons, and tools." Se'Lah said, gesturing towards Gonnadie, since she figured Mark, and Shae would already be at least somewhat prepared. "I'll begin preparing a more optimal assortment of weapons, and ammunition."

Mark nodded. "Nothing energy though. Energy weapons don't work on Turalek, something to do with interference in the atmosphere or something." He explained.

"I don't use energy weapons, Mr. Whistler. I've found that they are not totally reliable in certain situations." Se'Lah replied, then gave him a smirk. "And call me Mellissa."

"If you two are done flirting..." Shae said teasingly. She confirmed with port control that they had clearance to leave and began the undocking procedures.

"Yes ma'am." He smiled at Se'Leh. "Alright people, let's get moving, shall we?"

"Indeed, lets get out of here..." Shae disengaged the docking clamps and began to pull away from the station and maneuvering the rickety old ship into the course that Mark had set. "I'd recommend finding a seat or something to hold on to," she said as soon as they had enough distance from the station to safely jump to warp. A ship this old would probably toss them around going in and out of warp.

Se'Lah moved to one of the open seats. She would sit there long enough for the jump to warp, then she'd get started on preparing their weapons.

Gonnadie looked between Mark, Shae, and Se'Lah. "What do we need all these extra weapons for?" He asked. "We've got three security guards with us. Can't they protect us?"

Mark smiled briefly, and looked at the engineer. "Imagine, for a moment, the most dangerous battle you've heard of. Imagine hundreds, if not thousands, of people who are looking out for themselves, willing to kill anyone, including children, just to get food. And then imagine they've been doing it all of their lives, surviving by killing. Then imagine that there is no form of law, no order, just chaos, where children are traded like slaves for food and drink, and even for personal use. Then imagine yourself there. That, Mr. Gonnadie, is Turalek. Do you think three security guards will be enough?" Mark asked.

"Brutal..." Gonnadie said in a stunned reply. Never in his career had he imagined he'd be going to a place such as the one Mark had just described. "I hope all that Starfleet training will keep me alive long enough to see my next birthday."

"So do I." Mark replied. "But I lived there for thirty years. I know the terrain. It's rough, more so than anything you've ever seen. You're about to see the real universe, not just the one Starfleet feels should exist." Mark said.

"Then I guess I'll just have to defer to your experience, Sir." Gonnadie replied.

Mark looked at the younger man, nodded, and then took his seat. Taking a breath, he looked at the console, and then at the space ahead of him. "Let's punch it." He said to Shae.

"Alright, hold on to your butts," Shae said with a grin and punched it into warp. She was surprised this bucket of bolts was even capable of warp, but once the ship stopped shaking she was able to confirm that the warp field was stable. She double checked that navigation was on course, then she set the autopilot so she could help get Se'Lah and Gonnadie ready. They wouldn't have much time and there was still a lot to do...

Once the ship was moving at warp, Se'Lah got up from the seat, and silently moved to a side room. From the looks of it, everything she'd need was right there... a Replicator, a chair, and a table... the rest would be coming from her own mind. She knew that her pistol would not be enough, and that they might need some extra fire power.

Se'Lah moved to the replicator, and began tapping to input data. "Computer, begin replicating the inputted items, and materials in pairs, as well as plenty of ammunition to go with the weapons once they're assembled." As she looked, pieces of various guns began to appear on the replicator pad, which she moved to the table to keep them out of the way of each next set.

She turned to see Shae standing there. "Care to help me assemble some weapons?" She asked.

Shae glanced at the components, watching how Se'Lah was putting them together and she was able to work out how the rest went together. Firearms, mechanical, combustion propelled projectiles. She was familiar with Earth's history of similar weapons, but had never personally used one before. But that didn't stop her from sitting next to Se'Lah to start assembling the weapons with such dexterity that one could believe she had done this before. "I have a custom phaser, but I typically don't like using weapons that can 'run out'," she said, which seemed a contradiction considering she was also a master archer, but in the wilds she could retrieve her arrows after a hunt and make more when necessary, but even coming from a replicator, bullets were finite and single use, not to mention heavy to carry around in bulk. But she was not going to criticize Se'Lah's choice of weapon; judging by the Vulcan's proficiency at constructing one of these weapons, she was very good at using them.

"That's why you always take an extra weapon with you, in case you run out." Se'Lah replied as she finished assembling one of the shotguns, and began to load shells into it. "I will also be carrying an assortment of throwing knives, and a sword just for that reason."

Shae simply nodded, setting a newly assembled handgun closer to Se'Lah for her to load. It still seemed like a lot of effort... "Make sure Gonnadie knows how to make one of these," Shae suggested as she started assembling another weapon.

"Half of these weapons are for him." Se'Lah said, shoving the last shell into the shotgun, before priming it. "I plan to have them all assembled, and ready to fire, before we arrive." She picked up the pieces of one of the Uzis that she had replicated, and began assembling it, her muscle memory doing all of the work. "I know why Mark is going, and I know why Ensign Gonnadie is going..." Se'Lah said seemingly randomly. "But I'm not quite sure why you're going... Not that I'm complaining."

"I have been to Turalek. I know what this place and the people there are capable of. Mark is a friend, I just wanted to give him and the team the best possible chances of surviving," Shae answered honestly. "Why are you going?" she asked, though she had a pretty good idea already, she just wanted to hear it from Se'Lah.

"I have a lot of reasons for going on this trip, one of which happens to be Mark." Se'Lah said simply, then hesitated in her actions. She realized in that moment that this would be the first time she'd acknowledged her relationship with anyone other than Mark. "My relationship with him, as well as my own past make this trip mean quite a bit to me... Besides, I couldn't just let him go into a dangerous situation without the help of yet another trained professional." She said, as she resumed her work on the Uzi.

Shae nodded and completed another handgun and set it aside so she could start assembling another weapon. "Fair enough. Just be careful; this world has already taken so much from Mark..."

Se'Lah let those words hang in the air as she finished assembling the Uzi, and picked up the pieces to assemble the second one. When she finally replied, she was a bit more quiet. "Without my memories, I don't have much more to lose." She finally said. "Aside from my own life, the most important thing to me right now is Mark... These are the two things I hold most dear."

"He smiles more now, this is good, but if you break his heart, I will break your neck," Shae said quietly. She finished up the last handgun and set it aside, offering a smile to Se'Lah as she headed back to the cockpit to monitor their course.

Se'Lah raised an eyebrow as Shae disappeared through the closing door. In the two months since her accident, she couldn't remember being on the receiving end of such a veiled threat. As the door closed all the way, she sighed, priming the weapon with a loud click. "Guess we will see what happens..." She said, as she picked up the pieces of the second shotgun and started assembling them.

Mark leant back in his chair, and sighed, looking at Gonnadie. "I've got some clothes programmed into the ship's replicator system, you'll definitely need to be out of uniform." Mark said.

"And here I thought I'd show up flaunting all the colors of Starfleet...." Gonnadie replied dryly. "Is it really needed for me to even be here? I mean the Deflector dish isn't on Turalek the last time I checked."

"The deflector dish may not be there, but the people who wanted it may well be. And we'll be needing your engineering expertise, not only to keep the ship intact, but to ensure we can get an edge against anyone who will want us dead. Starfleet expects us to be prepared for anything, and an engineer will be an asset on the planet." Mark said.

"Then let's hope we don't end up getting attacked by another ship." Gonnadie said. "As old, and ragged as this ship is, I doubt I'd be able to keep her intact very long under those conditions."

"Just do the best you can, that's all I ask." Mark replied.

"That's all I can give you." Gonnadie replied with a shrug.

Mark nodded, as he checked the controls again, and leant back in his chair. It was going to take a while to get there, so he knew he should rest as much as he could. It would be the only time he would get to relax.

Shae had not expected to be back in Sickbay so soon after her physical, and yet here she was. At least neither she nor Aoife were hurt, so she was thankful for that. Although the real reason she was here left a heavy mood hanging over her head.

"Val?" Shae called out, looking around for the nurse who ran the small infirmary.

"Shae?" Surprised to hear Shae's voice so soon after her last visit, Valyre appeared almost instantly from the back reaches of sickbay, a look of concern on her face. "Is everything all right?"

"You seemed to interact with Aoife well, and you have an understanding of our behavioral quirks..." Shae shifted on her feet uneasily. There was a fairly large bag over her should full of baby things which she removed and set on a bio bed. "I, uh... I need you to watch Aoife for a while."

"Oh. Um, sure. I can do that." Valyre didn't have a ton of experience with kids, but she did like them, especially Aoife. "Is something going on that I should know about?"

"Well, it's kind of complicated..." Shae replied with a frown. "I've got to go with Lieutenant Whistler to a planet in the Expanse. The why is the complicated part, but I can't take Aoife with me, so I'll need someone to look after her. I hope this isn't too much of an imposition to ask this of you."

"Not at all, I'd be happy to watch Aoife while you're gone." Valyre had heard something through the ship's rumor mill about chasing down someone or something, and she guessed that must be what Shae was involved in. "Is she on a special diet or anything?"

"Well, I'm uh... breastfeeding, and since she just ate, I've got nothing to give you for later," She said with a wince. "And I haven't even tried to introduce bottles or formula yet. I was planning to in preparation for some sort of daycare so I could work regular duty shifts, but I just hadn't gotten around to it yet. I'm sorry!" And she had a feeling that Aoife wasn't going to take well to either the bottle or the formula which potentially meant a lot of crying for Val to deal with.

"I'm sure the replicator can make something similar to what she's used to eating." Getting Aoife to eat from a bottle might be more difficult, but Valyre figured if Aoife got hungry enough she'd eat. "Don't worry about it, Shae. Aoife and I will figure it out together."

"Okay," Shae said uneasily, then handed her daughter to the Trill woman. "She likes to be held, and I've got her sling in the bag if you need your hands free. Um, scent is very important for us, so being around so many unfamiliar scents may be overwhelming if she doesn't have something familiar near. In the bottom of the bag is an animal pelt. We used to sleep on it in the cave where we lived on Psi Gamma. I've cleaned it and made it into a sort of blanket, but it still smells very strongly of us. If she gets too upset, try laying her on that, it should soothe her somewhat." Shae started wringing her hands nervously at the prospect of actually leaving Aoife here, but it had to be done.

"Good advice, thank you." Valyre settled Aoife in her arms, carefully cuddling the baby girl against her. Seeing how nervous Shae was, she offered the other woman a smile. "You haven't been apart from her before, have you?"

"Well, I would leave her in our cave when I went hunting or if I had to go trade with the Vo'Zan, but I was never away for long. Even when I was helping the Away Team when they came to investigate the array on Psi Gamma, I was able to sneak away and check on her." Shae was trying so hard not to lose it at this moment. She wanted to tell Mark that she couldn't go with him to Turalek and she knew he would understand. But she also knew that going back to that world was dangerous and that if the team wanted to come back that he was going to need help protecting them. Oh, but it hurt so much having to leave Aoife! "I think the worst part of this is I don't know how long I will be gone..."

"Ilarra, Reen's previous host, had a little boy." Valyre didn't like to talk much about Ilarra's family, but in this situation it seemed appropriate to do so. "She always hated leaving him, so even though I don't have children myself, I understand."

That actually helped put Shae at ease somewhat. That Val did have experience with children and could relate to her through the experiences of a past host was a comfort. It didn't make leaving Aoife any easier, but at least now she knew Val understood. "I will try not to stay away for too long, little one," Shae said softly, reaching out to gently rub one of Aoife's ears. Then she looked at Val. "She likes having her ears rubbed when it's time to sleep, and it helps her to calm down if she's fighting sleep." Goodness, leaving Aoife like this had to be about the hardest thing she'd ever done.

Despite knowing how sad Shae was to be leaving, Valyre grinned a bit as a memory of Ilarra ruffling Mathew's hair as he fell asleep surfaced. "I think I can handle that."

Shae smiled meekly and after a bit more nervous hesitation, she sighed. After a gentle nuzzle against Aoife's cheek, Shae finally turned and left Sickbay. She paused just outside the doors as they closed behind her. She had to resist the urge to go back in there and get Aoife, but eventually she continued on down the corridor.

Aoife was confused. It wasn't the first time mommy had left her alone, but never with anyone else, and she'd never been so upset before. She looked up at Val as she chewed anxiously on her little fist.

Valyre looked down at the tiny fox-like baby, not sure if anything she could do or say would calm the young girl. While she tried to figure out how to prevent an infant meltdown, she mimicked the soft cooing noise that Snickers made any time she allowed the holographic fox to comfort ill patients.

Aoife didn't know what to make of the strange noises Val was making. There was still confusion in her eyes, but curiosity as well. then she looked back to the doors as if expecting her mother to return, whimpering slightly when Shae did not magically appear.

"Shhhh, it's okay." Valyre freed one hand to gently stroke Aoife's ears. "Mommy will be back soon."

Aoife's little whimpers softened as Val comforted her, but her little sounds of upset did not cease. But at least she was quiet enough that Val could get on with her day, though Aoife kept looking back at the doors, hoping...

Tyler Alvarez didn’t really have any initial thoughts on the Islandica. To him, one starship looked like all the rest, the only difference was that the Diligent-class starship was on the small side. That didn’t bother him either; in fact to him it was a Godsend. It meant it would take less time to get from point A to point B much quicker, especially in an emergency. He was sure that there were plenty who would have complained about getting such an assignment, but Tyler was different in that regard. He was there to do a job, past that he didn’t really care where he was at.

However, with that all said, there was one thing he dreaded, and that was meeting the CO. It wasn’t that he didn’t like CO’s, he just got nervous and shy around them. He blamed his parents for that, all his life he heard about how it was important to respect the CO, or hard-assed CO’s, or CO’s who ran their ship like an iron fist… it went on and on. He wasn’t entirely sure what his parents were like as commanding officers, but he sure they were at least fair. They were, in general, nice enough people, but if their command style was anything like their parenting style, their respective crews were in trouble.

Bringing his thoughts back to what awaited him; he took a few deep breaths then let them go slowly. He felt his body relax just slightly. At the ready room door, he tugged at his uniform jacket, and then pressed the chime to announce his presence.

Farenia was just finishing up with yet more paperwork and reports when the door chimed. "Come in," she called, leaning back in her chair and wishing she drank something a bit stronger. "What can I help you with?"

The doors parted and Tyler put one foot in front of the other to cross the threshold. The doors barely closed behind when he was addressed without preamble. "Oh um," he started, "Lieutenant Tyler Alvarez, reporting in for duty." He fell silent, and resisted the urge to look down at his uniform boots.

"Welcome aboard then. I'm Captain Farenia Meowlith. You are the new... Assistant Ops Chief, was it?" Farenia asked questioningly as she motioned to the seat across from her. "Please sit down."

"Thank you, Captain Meowlith," Tyler said as he took the offered seat. He didn't quite relax just yet. "And yes, that is correct, I'm the new Assistant Ops Chief," he added. He had thought it odd that he would need to report to the CO directly, he was just a deputy department head. But, he had been informed to check in with her, so that was why he was now sitting before her.

"Is this your first time on a ship this small? What do you think so far?" Farenia asked casually.

"It is," Tyler replied simply. He had think for a moment about the answer to the second question. To him one starship looked like another. "I certainly don't mind the size, first impressions seems like the Islandica is formidable."

"She certainly seems that way. And it seems we have a good crew so far, too." Farenia said with a soft smile and a chuckle. "That is, once the deflector is reinstalled..."

"I'd certainly be glad to lend a helping hand with that," Tyler volunteered. Though he was still settling in, he certainly was looking for something to do. Or at least something constructive at the moment, that was until he could get into the gym or holodeck to get back into his routine with dancing.

"Excellent. We have neither an Ops chief nor a Chief Engineer so I'll need you to head up both departments and get that done." Farenia said bluntly, completely serious.

Tyler's head jerked back at that, he blinked in surprise. He was just glad his jaw didn't drop, or that the very first thought that popped into his head didn't come out of his mouth. "Um okay, sure... yeah, no problem," he finally said, stammering a bit followed by rigorous nodding. "I'll get right on it."

"And furthermore, do you feel you might have the qualifications for one of those positions permanently?" Farenia asked, still as serious.

Noting the captain's serious tone, Tyler gave it just as much as serious thought. Which was he more qualified for? He had been placed in the ops track at the Academy, with a smattering of engineering courses that were included. He was placed on the Cairo as a junior operations officer. He was transferred to the Islandica as the assistant operations chief. Truth was, he could do both. He could move around an engine room with ease and could certainly help out when needed, but... "I am more qualified to be the operations chief." He couldn't believe he just said it, but before he knew it the words were slipping from his mouth.

Farenia nodded, satisfied with the answer as she held out her hand for a congratulatory handshake. "Then as of now, you are the Ops Chief. Congratulations, Chief, and again, welcome aboard."

"Thank you, Captain Meowlith," Tyler said as he leaned forward and took a hold of the offered hand and gave it a firm shake. He stood, "If there isn't anything else, I'd like to get started on the deflector installation."

"Good luck, Chief. I think you might need it." Farenia said finally smiling softly again. "Dismissed."

Noting the soft smile, Tyler offered one in return then turned on his heels to head out of the ready room. His head was still spinning with all of this, how he went in as the assistant ops chief, to the department head was lost on him. But, just like always, he would do the job to the best of his ability. So, that meant heading down to engineering to get started on his very first project as an officer aboard the Islandica.

Mark, having decided to take a nap, opened his eyes as his alert went off, so he quickly got up and made his way to the cockpit, where he saw they had dropped out of warp. On the screen in front of him...it was Turalek. He remembered seeing it from space for the first time when he had left the planet, and he had felt joy at leaving. Now he was feeling dread at going back. "Mr. Gonnadie, can you modify the deflector field to block EMP?" He asked.

"Shouldn't be too difficult." Gonnadie said, as he made some adjustments to the dish, using Thortin's calculations. "Should be good to go."

"We should also be careful as we land, we need to make sure we don't attract too much attention." Mark said.

"When I came around last time, I parked my shuttle in this quarry," Shae said, pulling up the coordinates at the edge of the quarry. "It's isolated, no bio-signs for miles, and it's a dead zone for the detection grids the clans have managed to scavenge. It'll be a tight fit for this ship, but I can manage."

"Sounds like as good of a spot as any." Se'Lah spoke up. During the trip, her and Shae had setup a number of different weapons. She had chosen a 12 gauge shotgun to carry concealed within the black trench coat she'd replicated, an uzi to carry on one hip, and her pistol on the other hip. This wasn't counting the katana that was strapped to her back, and the impressive assortment of grenades, and bladed weapons she now had concealed. "The quieter we are slipping in, the easier it should be to go unnoticed... Even if things never go quite as they're supposed to."

Mark nodded. "The quarry is good. Used to be a group that lived there, but they were killed when I was twenty." He said. "We'll also need to keep someone at the ship, to make sure no one does find it, just to be safe."

"I'm against splitting up," Shae said as she began to navigate the ship into the atmosphere. "With as dangerous as this place is, I think it's worth the risk to stick together."

"I agree." Se'Lah said as she moved to stand next to Mark, discreetly taking his hand. "If Turalek is as you say it is, then splitting up would probably be unwise."

Mark nodded. "Alright then. Our first stop will be my old camp. If my people are there, then we'll be able to find out about whoever's using this place as a base. We're about two kilometers from camp. However, there's only one speed here; mine. We hang around, then we'll be caught by roving gangs." Mark said. "Gonnadie, set the ship's systems to remote in case we need an emergency bug out. Also, see if you can get a proximity alarm set up." He added, ignoring, for now, the feeling of Se'Lah's hand in his. He loved the feeling, however, and would definitely make sure she got out alive.

Gonnadie quietly did as he was told, then stood up from his chair. He was dressed much like Se'Lah, carrying almost the same loadout of weapons that Se'Lah had. He'd opted against the sword, and grenades, but kept the rest. "Done."

Se'Lah turned to face Mark more fully. "You wanted to see what I'm truly capable of..." She reminded him. "If worse comes to worse, we may both find ourselves learning that truth."

Mark nodded. "Maybe, but I hope you won't think worse of me when you see who I am." Mark said softly.

"If anything, it might teach me something about myself." Se'Lah told him. "Hell... All these weapons, and explosives that Angela helped me to assmble can't exactly say good things about me, now can they?" She gave him a bit of a humored look. "No one here is innocent."

"Except for maybe Mr. Gonnadie," Shae volunteered as the ship touched down in the quarry. She knew their conversation had most likely been private, but she couldn't help how good her hearing was. Granted, some of it was dulled with the humanoid outer ear shape, and she didn't have the advantage of directionality, but her hearing was still hella good. "Alright, Gonnadie, you're up. Finish doing whatever you need to do to the ship, then we can get on the move," she said, shutting down as many systems as possible so the ship would be less likely to be detected.

"I'm already done." Gonnadie said. "The ship is good to go."

"Remember people, if you see someone, don't hesitate to fire. Someone draws a weapon, shoot to kill. There is no stun setting here." Mark said, as he went to the exit hatch.

"As merciless as this world is, if you're in a position to give someone what they want to avoid harm, do it. There are still people on this world, like Mark's clan, who are just trying to get by and survive," Shae said. Then she looked to Mark. "You probably won't see a lot of me once we're out there. I know that before I was more a team player, but after so much isolation it's easier for me to scout alone. I will be close, I promise."

"Weren't you the one who said we should stick together?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Just stay close. I don't want to lose you again." He said, as he opened the hatch. He took a look around, and smelt the air. "There's been a battle about two clicks away to the south. Luckily, we're heading to the North."

"I will stay close, you just won't see me," Shae affirmed as she reached into her boots to pull out a pair of batons, extending them both with a flick of her wrists. Then she took off and she was simply gone. Where she had gone exactly, there was no telling, but this was part of her skillset, being practically invisible. There were no bootprints, no disturbed rocks or foliage to indicate where she'd been; this part she had perfected on Psi Gamma. At her core, she was a predator, a fast and agile hunter, and it was easier for her to move on her own to scout ahead to ensure it was safe for the group.

Se'Lah smirked as she stepped out the hatch, then turned to face the others. "Based on her skill set, and how she was when we found her, I'd have to agree with what Angela said." She explained. "There is no doubt in my mind that she is good at what she does."

Mark nodded. "Oh, believe me, she's good." Mark said, as he looked around. "Alright, let's move." He said. He began to walk away from the ship, looking around as he did.

Gonnadie hesitated a bit, obviously worried for his own life, based on the things he'd been told about this place. Finally he stepped out the door to follow Mark.

After Gonnadie started following Mark, the other security officers headed out, and Se'Lah brought up the rear as a defensive measure, her ever watchful eyes, keeping track of anything that might move within her line of vision.

As Mark led the group across the land, he knew everything was the same, and yet he was seeing the land with new eyes. He knew what was out in the universe, and how much better it was.

He frowned as he saw smoke from ahead, and drew a set of binoculars. Using them, he looked ahead, and saw a camp ahead of them. "Wondered if anyone would move in." Mark commented. "Alright people, there's a camp ahead. I don't know if they'll be friendly or not, so follow my lead." He said.

Knowing what she did from her conversations with Mark about Turalek, Se'Lah reached into her trench coat, and unsnapped the safety strap holding her pistol in it's holster, which would allow her to pull it without any extra effort on her part. Since her weapons were not silenced, she would resort to using them only as a last resort. The last thing they needed was to draw a crowd from other areas.

Shae had already found a two man hunting team from the campsite. They were nearly upon the Away team, so in a flurry of movement she attacked. She cracked one on the head with a baton to render him unconscious, and the other she grappled into a choke hold, leaving him also in an unconscious state for her group to find as they passed by. It happened so fast, the hunters barely had any time to react or call out. Mark, or even Se'Lah with her Vulcan hearing, probably heard the scuffle, but they were still far enough away from the campsite that her actions went unnoticed there.

As Mark heard the scuffle, he became aware of a group racing towards them, carrying a flag. What was worse, Mark recognized the flag. "Cannibals. Stay back." Mark ordered, drawing his kulaks. As the group neared them, Mark ran forward towards them, knowing what he was facing.

He leapt up into the air, and landed on the horse of the leader. Without hesitation, he brought one of his daggers round, and slit the throat of the rider. He then stood up as he shoved a dagger into the horse's neck. He leapt off it as it went down, and landed in front of the group. He walked towards them, and as one swung a blade at him, Mark stepped to the side, avoiding the strike, then brought his dagger up into the face of the man. He spun around and kicked another in the face, before slicing the throat of a third raider without even blinking or breaking a sweat.

One of them got away from Mark, rushing for Se'Lah, who simply studied the man's movements, right up until he swung a sword. As the sword sliced through the air, Se'Lah's Katana was out of it's sheath just in time to block it, causing sparks to fly from the impact.

Though the cannibal didn't expect the move, he was not without the skill to do something about it as he swung again, looking to take this small woman out. Much to his dismay, she blocked him again, and in one swift movement, the sword cut through the air, causing an arterial spray that covered Se'Lah in blood, and leaving a headless body that collapsed to the ground... If asked to justify her actions later, it was a simple answer of her life, or his.

"You never fully grasped the concept of 'covert' during your training, did you?" Shae asked Mark teasingly as she rejoined the team, her weapons still drawn. "I cleared a path for you, all nice an neat, but no one appreciates my work," she continued to 'complain', really getting into the 'Angela' character. Another cannibal rushed them, but Shae stopped him with a rather effective crack to the nuts. Before he could hit the ground, she turned on him with a kick that slammed him into the ground. Maybe he was alive, maybe not, but he wasn't moving anytime soon.

"What training?" Mark replied, with a small smirk on his face. He looked at Se'Lah, and saw the body in front of her. "That was the easy part." Mark commented. "Cannibal's don't normally come out of caves unless they have to, and even then they only set traps. They never attack like this. Something isn't right."

"It's sad when they give you no choice, but to kill them." Se'Lah said as she used her victim's clothing to clean her blade, then put it back in it's sheath. She stood up, looking at the others. as she wiped the blood from her face. If the fact that she'd killed a man actually affected her, she didn't show it. "Your path is appreciated, Angela."

"Unfortunately, it's a way of life here." Mark replied. "Cannibal tribes couldn't be bothered to hunt animals, they wanted people. I never understood it myself, but I never wanted to either." Mark explained. "We should get out of here quickly, in case there are anymore of them."

"Well, if their food source has run short, it only makes sense for them to change their tactics," Shae said in regards to the cannibals' unusual behavior, then looked around. "Although they should eat well tonight. We certainly left them enough offerings. They shouldn't be much trouble when we have to come back through here." That is if they behaved like any other predatorial species in existence, although she and Mark both knew that people on this planet didn't exactly operate on the same wavelength as the rest of the universe.

Mark nodded in agreement. "We should head for the old camp." He said. He faced the group. "If Cannibal's are nearby, I need to make sure my tribe are okay."

"Lead the way." Se'Lah said simply, as the group began moving again. "They are part of the reason we are here, aren't they?"

Mark nodded. "Yes." He replied. No point in lying about it. "I made them a promise years ago, and I trusted Starfleet would fulfil my promise. But I let my freedom go to my head, and I didn't pay any more heed. I failed them."

"You are here to do the job Starfleet didn't." Se'Lah said, falling in step with him as they walked. Though she was distracted by his presence, and their conversation, she was still mindful of their surroundings. "By that logic alone, you didn't fail them."

Mark looked at her, and flashed her a brief smile. "Thanks, Se'Lah." He said, as they made their way quickly across the plains. "I just...I hope we're not too late. If the Cannibal's are out this far, then they could be in danger. The Camp's over those hills." He said, pointing to a series of hills ahead of them.

"I haven't found any established hunting trails yet. The Cannibals might be getting bold, but I don't think they've gotten as far as our camp," Shae said. That wasn't to say the Cannibals hadn't made it that far, only that this development was recent enough that a regular path hadn't been tread, which was hopefully good news. "I'll take up the rear and make sure we aren't followed or tracked to the settlement," she added, then darted off again.

"Cannibals, and gunmen, and gangs, oh my..." Gonnadie said dryly as he followed Mark, Se'Lah, and the Security Officers. They'd only been here a few minutes, and already they'd been attacked by cannibals. He'd been even more surprised to see the quick, and bloody way those men had been killed. "What have I gotten myself into?"

"Hell, Mr. Gonnadie, you've found yourself in hell." Mark replied dryly, knowing that soon, all hell would break loose.

The walk through the hills had been quiet, thankfully, but now Mark could finally see the camp that belonged to him, and his clan. As he saw it, he smiled, seeing smoke coming from a part of it, but his smile began to fade as they drew nearer to the camp. He could see a flag on the outside of the camp, and it wasn't his. It was the mark of the cannibals. Mark's eyes widened, and he drew his kulaks, racing towards the camp quickly, leaving the group behind.

As he reached the camp, he could only see three people, and all of them had blood around their mouths, with the arms of people in their hands. He recognised four of the six bodies on the floor, and as the cannibals looked at him, one of them recognised him, his eyes widening. That was his last action as Mark threw one of his kulak's into the man's face. Mark then ran to the remaining two men, before they could react, and slit the throat of one of them. He then embedded his kulak into the last one, and as he pulled it out, the man's blood shot out, a streak of it striking Mark's face. He looked around, and saw no one else. Frantically, he checked the tents, and found no one in them.

Racing to the centre of the camp, he looked around, feeling dizzy, the world spinning as he spun around, trying to find any sign of a survivor, before yelling out a loud roar of anger and falling to his knees, tears streaming from his eyes and striking the mud. The four bodies that he recognised were four of his friends, Oskat, Mila, Jenna and Toreth. He saw their eyes forever open to the universe, and let out another roar, of sorrow and anger, his body quivering with rage.

As the rest of the group made their way into the camp, Se'Lah moved to where Mark was sitting on the ground. She knelt down in front of him, pulling him into her arms to hold him in a comforting embrace. While normally she'd be reserved about such affections, Mark meant a lot to her, she knew he needed the comfort that her embrace could provide. She didn't say a word as she just held him in her arms.

Gonnadie just stood there, looking a bit stunned at the mess that surrounded them. In his eyes, this place just seemed to get worse, and worse, and he still found himself unsure of how useful he would really be.

At this point, the three security officers fanned out, looking for any survivors, or enemies. Even though they were not in uniform, their jobs had been to protect the rest of the team at all costs, and they would not be slack in those duties.

In Se'Lah's arms, Mark finally did something that he had not done before, something no one had ever seen. He allowed himself to finally break, and wept freely, allowing all of his emotions out. He had failed his family. They had waited for him, and he had failed them. He swore he would return for them, but they were dead. The rest...he didn't even want to imagine where they were, although deep inside he dreaded they had become food. His kulak's had dropped to the ground, still covered in blood, as was he. The anger inside of him raged...but the pain was greater.

Shae melted in from the shadows and watched Mark weep in Se'Lah's arms. She wanted to break down and cry as well, but her training held it all back, making her appear cold and icy. But she wouldn't dare stop this moment for him if he so desperately needed it. "I've picked up a trail, there may be survivors," Shae said to Se'Lah quietly. "I will investigate, but I won't be far."

Se'Lah gave Shae a nod as she continued to hold Mark in her arms. In an odd way, she could sympathize with his pain, mainly because she had been informed that a young girl she'd apparently been trying to rescue on Starbase 122 had perished in the blast that robbed her of her memories. Though she couldn't remember anything about the girl, or the circumstances, she'd still felt guilty for her failure to save such a young, innocent life. "Let me be your strength..." She whispered lightly into his ear, not daring to pull away, until he was ready to move.

Mark heard the words Se'Lah spoke, but he couldn't move, not right away. He remained there for what felt like the longest while. For him, he felt like the world had ended, because he had failed his family.

Finally, Mark found the strength to move again, and as he stood up, he knew he had work to do. Gently he picked up the bodies and moved them, before starting to gather wood from the remains of the camp to build a funeral pyre. He worked in silence because he didn't feel he could talk without his voice breaking apart. But it was clear what he was doing, without needing to explain.

Shae returned a short while later, simply watching Mark from the shadows. At first she was trying to gauge if he was still capable of continuing on this mission, but she knew he would pull through, if only because he didn't like leaving things unfinished. "Mark," she said in an even tone as she approached him, relaying neither compassion nor indifference. She placed a hand on his arm, urging him to drop the wood. "Now is not the time. Someone left a trail, we need to follow it."

Mark looked at her. "I'm not leaving them here for food if more come along." Mark said. "I recognize the flag. It belongs to the city cannibals. But night will soon be on us, and you know how dangerous it will be for the others to travel at night. I'll go to the city myself." Mark said.

"Move the bodies if you need to, but the longer we linger here setting up a pyre the more the chances of finding survivors diminishes," Shae replied. She actually had nothing against cannibalism. She had never been reduced to the point of eating flesh from sentients, but back on Psi Gamma there had been days where she had been so hungry that she had been tempted, and in that experience she gained a certain perspective on the subject. As long as proper respect was paid to the deceased, Shae would not blame anyone for committing such an act, but therein lay the problem; respect was such a rare thing on this world. Only the strength of those who survived was respected here, so none was ever afforded to those who lost. Well, except in Mark's group where decency and mutual respect was not only valued but expected, and it was those people that had Shae worried right now. Were they at the mercy of cannibals now, waiting to be defiled, killed, and then eaten? Although he made a point about traveling at night, it wasn't safe for the group. "And you shouldn't go alone, not in the state you're in. You need someone with you who can be objective."

Mark closed his eyes for a moment, and sighed. "You make a good point." Mark said. "But I won't leave their bodies. We'll put them in the food shack, and set it alight." He told her. "I may need help, but I won't leave the others without protection." He said. He turned and faced Se'Lah, and the group. "Night will soon fall, and it's very dangerous to travel. However, I need to go towards the main city. The rest of you can stay here, or come with us, but if we do go, we need to leave in the next few minutes." Mark said, as he placed the wood he had gathered inside what his clan had used as a food shack. "When we reach the mountains, we'll set up a camp for the night. It'll be the safest location to do so."

Shae helped carry a body into the shack, then scavenged a rucksack and some food from the shack to feed them and the survivors, if there were any. Then something occurred to her. "They didn't take the food..." Shae mused aloud as the others finished loading the wood and bodies into the shack. "Even cannibals need grain and vegetables, but they didn't touch any of it..." She wasn't sure what it meant, but it was something. Although just to be on the safe side, she began sniffing the food she had scavenged to make sure it wasn't tainted or poisoned.

After Mark had pulled away from Se'Lah, the Vulcan woman had been content to stand guard to help ensure the safety of those in the camp. While the others couldn't hear the soft conversation he, and Shae had, her Vulcan ears picked it up. She'd ignored what had been said in that low conversation, until the option for the others to stay or go had been presented. Now she walked up to both Shae and Mark, speaking in low tones. "You both bring up good point in your arguments, but now is not the time for indecision." She said simply. "Despite the dangers of traveling at night, leaving us here without someone who knows this world is a death sentence, so I have a better idea."

Se'Lah looked between the two of them, her Vulcan training allowing her to remain passive, her gaze finally settling on Shae. "Let me go with Mark to the city. That way you can remain here to keep an eye on the others, and he can still have a trained operative with him." the look in Se'Lah's eyes as she made the suggestion practically pleaded with Shae to allow her to do this. "I can also serve as an objective companion to help minimize the risks."

Mark looked at Se'Lah, and then at Shae. He was content to go alone, to find who had done this, and kill them, painfully. But he trusted Shae, and he trusted Se'Lah. He wouldn't dishonour them by making a decision for them, he would trust their judgement.

"I will stay with the 'boyscouts' when we make camp in the mountains," Shae said with a nod. "You will go with him into the city," she affirmed to Se'Lah.

Mark, listening to what Shae was saying, didn't disagree with anything. At the moment, he wasn't sure he had the strength to argue with anyone. He wanted...he wanted revenge. He wanted to track down the rest of the cannibals, and wipe them all out. He wanted to get the ship and unload as many photon torpedoes as he could. But he had a mission to complete. He forced himself to focus on that as he drew a Kulak, and knelt down by the centre of the camp. He gripped the blade with his hand. "I swear to you, brothers and sisters, I will avenge you. I swear this, on my blood." He said, as he allowed his hand to be cut lightly, enough to allow drops of his blood to hit the ground, sealing his pact.

Shae stood by, watching as he shed his blood to seal his oath. Shae never understood the need for such a gesture; either your word meant everything or it meant nothing, so why were bodily fluids necessary to make it more.... real? Once he was done, she looked to Se'Lah and the Security personnel. "Come, we'll have to move quickly if we want to reach the foothills by nightfall." Then she headed out of the settlement, expecting to be followed.

Se'Lah gestured to the others to follow, before she stepped in line next to Mark. She was silent, because she knew that no words could help him in this moment, but she did reach out to gently take his hand. Even if words weren't enough, she knew he needed at least some support.

Gonnadie shook his head as he followed after them. What was supposed to be a simple mission was now turning into a ploy for revenge. He inwardly wondered what was going to happen next.

Mark stood up, allowing his hand to be taken by Se'Lah's. "We need to move quickly, before night fall. We'll need to go as quickly as we can." Mark said. "Shae, scout ahead as we run, warn us if there are any more tribes coming." Mark said, as he looked at them. He looked at the shed where the bodies now were, and went to the small fire that had been used by the cannibals. Taking a lit piece of wood, he lit the shed, and watched as the flames began to take hold of the building. "Let's go."

Se'Lah gestured to Gonnadie, and the security officers to follow, as the group left the camp. As they walked, she asked him low. "Are you ok?" She knew what the answer would be, but asking just seemed right.

Mark shook his head. "No. I failed them, Se'Lah. They're dead because I failed them." He replied, just as quietly.

As they walked, Se'Lah reached over, taking his hand to give him at least some comfort. "I'm here for you." She replied, looking over at him. "I won't let you go through this alone."

Mark lifted her hand and kissed it. "I know. Thank you, Se'Lah." He said. "I don't think I'd be able to manage this without you by my side."

By the time the group neared the mountains, the sun was already setting, and Mark was already feeling anxious about leaving them behind as he and Se'Lah went into the city. But he knew he had to do this. He looked at Shae, and at Se'Lah. "Alright, time to split. Angela, be careful. Keep your eyes open, and call for the ship if there are any problems." Mark said.

"You be careful as well," Shae replied to Mark. She was worried about him, he was emotional and that was not a good thing right now, but on some level she understood the need for what he had to do. The least she could do was ensure that Gonnadie and the Security personnel following them around remained safe for the night. "At first light, we will continue on and try to meet up with you," she said, then began scouting the area for a good place to make camp.

"I'll work to keep him safe." Se'Lah said to Shae. She knew the woman was worried about him, and so was she, but all she could do was go with him to make sure he came back alive. "Hopefully we will have achieved our goal before first light."

Mark nodded as he looked at Shae and Se'Lah. "Be safe, Angela." Mark said, as he embraced the woman in a hug. "Remember, keep your eyes open and stay alive." He whispered.

"You too," Shae replied quietly as she returned the embrace. When she pulled away, she looked at her charges; these officers were so far out of their element, keeping them safe would be no easy task.

Mark faced Se'Lah, and smiled briefly at her. "Let's move." He said, as he began to jog towards the city, starting to get faster but waiting for Se'Lah to catch up.

Se'Lah wasted no time in catching up to Mark, easily keeping up with the pace he set as they moved silently into the darkness of night fall.

Mark knew Se'Lah was right behind him, so his pace quickened slightly as he headed for the city, his mind focused on getting there. He leapt over a crack in the ground, landed and kept going as though he never had to jump over it.

As he neared the city, they reached the canyon pass. He knew that the main path was always guarded, but he never needed the main pathway. He leapt over a hole, and landed on a standing rock pillar. He then leapt off of there onto a second, and then a third. He knew people were nearby, but they never looked up, and he knew they wouldn't. The only person who could get across the canyon was Mark...and now Se'Lah. He had to admit, he was impressed.

As Se'Lah followed Mark's lead, her footing faltered only once, when she realized that the second pillar was slightly loose. Much to her own surprise, she recovered quickly, and kept moving as if the moment had never happened, landing just beside him on the other side of the canyon. After taking a short moment to regain her bearings, she tapped Mark on the shoulder, then silently pointed further up the canyon where smoke was rising.

Mark nodded, seeing where she was pointing. He led the way towards the smoke quietly, knowing that it was on the path to the exit. As they neared the smoke, Mark could see more flags, and these were ones he didn't recognise. However, he was surprised when he saw one of the people carrying an energy weapon. "That's impossible, energy weapons have never been able to be used here before." He whispered. As the man turned around, he saw a small creature and fired at it. "We need to avoid them, and head for the main city. Something is definitely up." He said softly.

Between the light of the moon, and camp fire nearby, Se'Lah could see that their travel points were limited. She pulled Mark further back into the shadows, and leaned back against a large rock. "From what I can see, our exit points are rather limited from here." She said as she pulled her pistol from one pocket, and a silencer from another. She looked at him as she began to fit the silencer to the end of her pistol. "The safest path I see, takes us dangerously close to their camp, and significantly increases our chances of an unwanted encounter... Unless you happen to have another direction up your sleeve?"

Mark thought for a moment. "There's another path, but it's dangerous." Mark said. "Wild Lak'tor's prowl there. They're like Bears." Mark replied. "Best way to go is ahead though. If we are seen, we just take them out before they can raise the alarm. Your call though." He said.

"There are four of them, and two of us. With the element of surprise on our side, the odds are in our favor." She said as she pulled the slide back on the pistol, loading a bullet into the chamber. "Are you ready?"

Mark nodded. "Let's do it." He said, drawing his kulaks. He took a breath, and looked at her. "Ladies first."

[mountain camp]

Back at the site in the mountains, once Mark and Se'Lah departed, Shae turned to scout the area to ensure it was safe while her Security companions made camp. She darted off into the dark, making a lap around the area in search for any clues that anyone or anything else had been in the area recently. Finding it clear, she returned to the men and settled in for a long night...

While Shae was checking the area, Gonnadie took the time to make a fire from the wood scattered about the area. It had been a long time since he'd use his skills to make a fire the old fashioned way, and he was surprised he still remembered how. He knew it would be a good way to keep creatures of the night at bay... Though it wouldn't do the same for intelligent life forms.

Shae dug around in a pack she had been carrying, tossing some rations around to her charges. "I would recommend trying to sleep as soon as you've eaten," Shae said as she took a seat near the fire with no intentions of getting any sleep tonight. Right now she would give just about anything to take these uncomfortable boots off and shift back to her natural state... Scratch that, what she really wanted to was to be with Aoife right now. She sighed heavily. Why couldn't this trip have waited until she had weaned Aoife, her chest hurt!

As the camp was set up, two pairs of eyes peered out from the cave. They looked at the group, frowning as they saw them. They were unknown, and they were potentially enemies. One of them drew a dagger, another drew a bow. As they went to attack, they stopped, seeing who had given the people rations. One of them indicated to the other, and they moved away quietly, undetected.

As soon as they did, they found more near to them, and motioned to them. The now seven strong group quickly formed a circle around the group, and allowed themselves to come into view. "Move and die." One of them snarled, before facing Shae. He held his bow up, aiming at her. "Who are you?" Pa'kor demanded. "And how dare you look like that."

"And who else should I look like?" 'Angela' asked softly. She had already gestured to Gonnadie and Security to stand down and not react to the intruders. She had known the clan survivors were near, their trail had been so hot, but she hadn't thought they would be this close! "Really, PaK, did you think I wouldn't know you were sneaking up on us?" she asked, turning to look up at Pa'kor. Even with her human ears, her hearing was still better than the average person, she had heard the group approaching, and upon catching their scent in the air had known exactly who they were. Try as they might, no one from Mark's clan had ever been able to successfully sneak up on 'Angela', and she never gave away just how she knew when she was being followed. "I see you made a new bow. Did something happen to the one I made for you?"

The only thing that stopped Gonnadie from panicking was Shae's gesture to remain passive. He watched with a worried look as the conversation took place, part of him preparing for what could potentially turn into a fight.

Pak stopped, his eyes widening as he lowered the bow. "Angela? Is it...is it really you?" He asked, before racing and embracing her in a hug. "Thank god. We never knew what happened. Mark...he always said you couldn't have died, because we would have known." He said. He then looked at the bow. "Anya was using it, but...she's in the city. They came...Angela, cannibals came, and...they killed Oskat, Jenna, Mila and Toreth. They just...ripped into them. We...we were lucky to escape." Pak said. He was close to tears, but he'd been crying so much that he felt like he was out of them. "And Mark...he left years ago. Carrie...she was sick. But we don't know what happened."

"I know, we saw the settlement," Shae said as she hugged him tight. "While we were there, Mark burned the bodies so they couldn't be desecrated any further. He's on his way into the city now. And Carrie is fine, Mark has told me all about how she's doing." Shae pulled away with a soft smile. "It is good to see you and the others are well. Are there more of you, are they somewhere safe? We have some food and medical supplies, if anyone is injured I can tend to them."

Pak's eyes widened. "Mark's here?" Pak asked. He turned to the others. "Mark's here!" He exclaimed. The group instantly began to lift, looking much happier, smiling and cheering softly. Pak faced her. "Angela...the others...they're in the city. There are ten of the group in the city, they're being held captive. We've also got another twenty in the cavern from the Mountaineers. They were almost wiped out by a new group...we were going to go and mount a rescue."

"With it growing dark, it wasn't safe for our friends to travel, that's why we made camp while Mark went into the city. We were planning on heading out at first light, though I'm thinking waiting may not be the right option now," Shae replied as she looked at Gonnadie and the Security officers, then back to Pak and the other survivors. "Take us to your camp, we'll share our supplies, tend to any wounded, then we can form a plan," Shae said after some thought.

Pak nodded, and motioned for the group to lead the way. "I'm glad to see you, Angela. Weird things have been happening lately. Damned Cannibals have been going out further than their areas, more than they normally do. They've taken out about five groups already. We were lucky to survive."

"I noticed. We made sure to drop plenty of bodies on our way to the settlement, so the Cannibals shouldn't have reason to come after us tonight, but we should remain vigilant. And you won't have to worry about them anymore after this is all over; we have a ship and we'll take you away from here, I promise," Shae said as she snuffed out the camp fire and began following Pak to the caves. "We have some business to attend to, but once we're done, we're out of here and you will never have to be afraid of this place ever again."

Pak nodded. "Wait, you serious? You're getting us away from here?" Pak asked. He couldn't help but grin. "It's about time. We always wondered what happened to Mark. We know he'd have been back if he could have been. If he's back now, then blood is going to be spilt this night."

"After seeing what happened at the settlement, that does seem to be what he has planned. He swore it in blood, though I think his focus should be in honoring his first vow to get you all out of here so that no others will die, but he needs this. We all honor the dead in our own ways and I was not about to stop him if he needed to draw blood to gain some closure," Shae said as they walked.

Pak nodded. "He is still Hell's Messenger at heart, and he is still family. I knew if he returned, others would pay for what they did." Pak said, leading the group into the nearest cavern. "At first light, we'll need to get the injured to your ship. The rest of us will need to help Mark out, and make people pay."

"If I can find the space for it, I might be able to bring the ship up this way, that way the injured don't have to go wandering through Cannibal Territory," Shae said. "I parked in the old quarry. The terrain isn't that rough, but it's a long way and we go right by one of the cannibal tribes, too close for my liking. After I take care of a few injuries, I'll go do some hunting, feed some people as it looks like I see quite a few hungry faces," she observed as they entered the caves. "And while I hunt, I'll scout for a place to land."

Pak nodded. "Sounds like a good plan. I'll go hunting with you." Pak said. "You shouldn't be alone."

"If there is anyone in this world who is capable of being alone, it would be me, But I would appreciate the company." Shae said as she set her gear down to start treating the injured. She could hear gasps of awe and her name as well as Mark's were being spread around. Word was traveling fast that they had returned and the Clan wanted to see for themselves that 'Angela' and Mark had returned. They were disappointed to not see Mark, but as she treated a few injuries and handed out rations, she assured them that Mark was indeed on Turalek and that they would all be leaving this world soon. Once she had exhausted the medical supplies she had brought, she turned to Pak. "You wouldn't happen to have an extra bow, would you? I kind of lost mine." Not that she needed it, she was downright lethal with her bare hands, but she preferred using a bow to hunt if she could get her hands on one.

"Take mine. Made it myself." Pak replied, handing it to her, as well as a quiver of arrows. He showed her two Kulaks, similar to Mark's. "Made them after he left me in command."

"I see you took my lessons to heart; this is a very well-made bow," Shae said approvingly as she looked over the bow. She hooked the quiver to her belt the tested the draw of the bow. It was powerful; good, just how she liked it. She left instructions with the Away Team to stay with the Clan while she hunted. Then she and Pak slipped out of the caves and went prowling through the darkness in search of anything that might be out as well. There were a few nocturnal beasts out, and they would feed the group well, but the true bounty of their hunt was a small clearing in the trees where Shae could relocate the ship. It would be a tight squeeze, but she would make it work!

Pak looked around, sniffing the air. "Something's wrong." He said softly. "Normally, you can smell the creatures in the air, but all I smell is a faint scent of burnt flesh...can you smell it?" He asked.

Shae lifted her nose to the air. She had never overtly displayed her non-human skills in front of the clan like this before, she had always been careful to appear as close to human as possible, but given the sudden sense of danger, she abandoned that ruse. She even partially abandoned her shape, letting her ears change back to their natural shape and letting them standing erect so she could better hear what was going on. "Shite!" she said as she grabbed one of their kills to take back to the Clan. "We gotta hurry and mount our defenses," she added, sprinting off towards the caves.

"No arguments here." Pak agreed, as he ran after her, knowing that things were about to get messy.

OFF: This was written before Myomoto went LOA.

ON:
Cadet Senior Grade Syrena Hansen was very agitated and highly annoyed at the same time, She'd just come from a martial arts training scenario in the holodeck on Glebben Station. Having lost track of the time, She was already a few minutes late for the meeting. Crap, Crap, Crap, Crap! She thought to herself as she hurried past several people who were in her way.

Syrena had thought about shoving her way through them. Though, When they saw her and looked up at her ridged forehead; They immediately understood the icy glare she gave them all as she'd began to pass by them, and moved out of her way pretty quickly.

The Asian-oriented Klingon/Human hybrid woman weaved and dodged past several more people as she made her way towards the USS Islandica's position at one of the docking ports; She'd already been told they'd docked at the station, and were probably not aware that she was going to join them on their next mission, But she didn't care. She only had one task to do, And that was to be assigned as the Islandica's Assistant Chief Security/Tactical officer.

Finally reaching the airlock containing the docking port to the Islandica after a few more minutes, Syrena straightened her holodeck training outfit which looked as though it was indicative of a typical martial arts gui, Having completely forgotten she was still wearing it instead of her Starfleet uniform, and waited for her new boss, 1st Lieutenant Joseph Myomoto, to arrive.

Myomoto was returning to the ship after the negotiations and his cool down were finished, he was looking relaxed and content humming to himself. As he neared the docking port for the Islandica he noticed a young, apparently half Klingon, female standing to the side wearing a martial arts gui. Weird he thought to himself as he needed. He knew he would have to find out why she was there and had the feeling this would be interesting.

He walked up to the young woman and simply asked "Can I help you?"

This must be him. Syrena thought as she eyed the man up and down when he'd approached her, "Cadet Senior Grade Syrena Hansen." She mentioned her rank and name, "I'm the Islandica's new Assistant Chief Security/Tactical Officer." She glanced at Myomoto for a second time, "You must be the chief of that department?" She added a second later without missing a beat.

He looked down at his uniform and gear. He knew he was over dressed, well over armed, for a standard away mission and looked back at her. "Yes I am Chief of Security and Tactical. And you say you are my assistant... yet all I see is a young woman with no uniform and no orders standing at the entrance to my jurisdiction claiming to be not only my assistant but also a cadet . Call me crazy but I am a little skeptical." He appeared to be relaxed but he was coiled tight as a spring ready to subdue this person if necessary.

Noticing the skeptical glance he'd given her, Syrena sighed, "To be perfectly honest with you; I was in this station's holodeck doing a martial arts training exercise, That's why I'm dressed like this. I got distracted and forgot when I was supposed to report onboard the Islandica, and on top of that, I forgot to go back to my temporary quarters here to change back into my uniform and grab the padd with my transfer orders on it. If you don't believe me, You can contact Starfleet Command and clear it up with them." This last part, She said with an almost icy stare at the man in front of her. She was becoming slightly more annoyed than she'd already had been. She hated being proved wrong, and she hoped that the suggestion she'd mentioned, Would clear the mix-up between them.

Myomoto sighed. Yup... Interesting. he thought bitterly. Outwardly his face hardened and his eyes emptied. He looked at her with dead eyes that showed he really didn't care. "IF you are my assistant then you have a LOT to learn. You are the assistant HEAD of a department. You do not get to afford the luxury of losing track of time and forgetting things in your quarters. Furthermore like hell.i am calling starfleet command on some kids say so." He looked her up and down. "I see you are getting upset... Control it CADET. If I ever see you again you WILL be in uniform and you WILL have your orders and you WILL be on time and prepared."

He turned to board the ship. "I will be in my office from 1400-1630 this afternoon. You have until then to report to me and get yourself situated. Dissmissed." He knew that he had been a little harsh on her but he also knew he was right. Of she is going to be his assistant then she is damn well going to do it right

"Understood." Syrena answered sourly. Though, The moment he said the word 'dismissed', and had left out of earshot of her, she scoffed to herself and muttered, "Control my temper? Yeah, Right. That's like telling a Vulcan to laugh. Impossible." She sighed again, and moved back towards her temporary quarters. Once there, She'd changed out of her martial arts training outfit, Then showered quickly and donned a fresh starfleet cadet's uniform.

Syrena then went to the bedroom of her quarters; Grabbed the padd with her transfer orders that were currently being displayed on it from off the top of the table in the corner of the room where she'd left it, and stuffed it into one of the pockets of her bag that she'd carried all of her belongings in. After another glance around the room, She'd grabbed the rest of her belongings that had not been packed up, and packed them into the bag. After several seconds, She'd left her temporary quarters, and went back to the docking port where the USS Islandica was still waiting for her. With a sigh, Syrena boarded the Islandica upon reaching the ship's airlock, and walked down the corridors, Looking for her new quarters to drop her belongings off before reporting back to her boss.

Myomoto went to his office and cleaned and stowed his firearms and sat to wait for his new ACTSO to report for duty properly. He still wasn't sure about this assignment but people who knew better than him had assigned her to him. Maybe he would make some calls to her instructors after and see what was what.

After a short period of wandering around the corridors; Syrena finally managed to find and enter Myomoto's office, Properly dressed in her Starfleet Cadet's uniform. She cleared her throat to gain Myomoto's attention, and at the same time, Held out the padd with her transfer orders towards him. "Cadet Senior Grade Syrena Hansen, Assistant Chief Security/Tactical Officer reporting for duty." She announced, Struggling slightly to keep her already rising temper in check. Even though she'd already met the man once before, She disliked him somewhat, But since she was his assistant, Syrena figured she'd play nice around him, For now.

Pak growled as he smelt more burnt flesh, and looked at the coming group. "Angela, find a high spot and cover me. We need to take out some of their number before they reach the mountain." Pak said.

"On it!" Shae replied, shifting her feet back into paws which would have better leaping range, then slipped easily out of her boots and leapt up into a tree where she would have a better vantage point and firing down a rain of arrows onto the oncoming throng. "How did they find us?!"

"Damned if I know, but they are going to wish they'd never been born." Pak said. He then caught a glimpse of one of the group heading for the caves. "Angela, look. They're part machine, as if they've been cut apart and made metal and flesh." He said, realising they were the source of the bad smell. "How is this even possible?"

As they moved towards the caves, the machine modified cannibals remained quiet. Their goal was to sneak up on their unsuspecting prey, because this would make culling them easier. As they moved, they were unaware that they were being tracked by Pak, and 'Angela' or that the group was more or less ready for them.

Pak held his kulaks, and took a breath. He then leapt down, and struck one of the machine modified cannibal's in the back of the neck with his kulak. He was rewarded by the abomination spinning around and striking him, sending him flying. As he hit a wall, he groaned. "Damn, that hurt." He said, forcing himself to get back up.

Having fended off this one attacker for a moment, this Cannibal motioned to a few others, who also stepped in. Seeing that this man was alone, they figured this fight would be over fairly quickly. "I'm going to enjoy gnawing on your bones!" He said as he approached Pak. "And after I'm done skinning you, I'll make a coat out of you!"

"You wish." Pak replied, before spinning around and kicking one of the attackers in the face, sending them to the ground, before leaping out of the way of being attacked again. As he landed, he shoved his kulak into the neck of one of the attackers, twisting it as he did.

Shae continued to provide cover fire for Pak until her quiver ran empty. She leapt from her perch to retrieve a few arrows from the ground and the bodies that littered the mountain floor before returning to her perch to continue sniping these abominations. "There's too many, we can't hold this point!" she called out to Pak.

Pak nodded, and leapt up onto a rock. "We need to fall back." Pak agreed. He waited for her before moving away from the battle as quickly as possible.

Shae removed herself from her perch, pacing backwards so she could continue to offer cover fire for Pak. "You head back to the cave, I'll try to lead them away, at least try to buy some time," she said. "If we can get the cave fortified to withstand these things, I want to make a run for the ship, bring it back and get us the hell out of here!"

"Right. I'll meet you at the caves. Be careful." Pak said, as he leapt up onto another rock.

Further up the mountain, One of the Islandica's security guards was standing watch, overlooking the mountain path. In the darkness, he saw a glint, followed by movement. He grabbed a pair of binoculars that had been sitting on a nearby table, and looked closer. "We've got company!" He said turning to the others. "I don't know how many, but we've got several unknowns coming up the mountain path."

Gonnadie turned pale at this news. 'Angela' and Pak had left the group to do a bit of hunting, and now that they were gone, the camp was going to be invaded, and they were all going to die. "Great..." he muttered to no one in particular. "'Be an engineer' they said... 'See the galaxy!' they said... I should've just stuck to fishing!"

Kara looked at him. "Stay back then." Kara said, as she prepared her bow. "Everyone, get ready to fight. Those who can't, stay back." She demanded, as the whole group stepped forward.

Gonnadie decided to grab a weapon, but stayed somewhat back. He wanted to help, but he sure didn't want to end up someone else's meal in the process.

The security officers took up arms, and stood on the front lines of this group, just waiting for them to get close enough to start the fighting. They needed to protect the camp, and that's what they aimed to do.

Kara drew an arrow from her quiver and ran to a large rock, kneeling down and drawing back the arrow. As soon as she got a shot, she let loose, the arrow finding its target and embedding itself in the left eye of one of the attackers.

As soon as the first one went down, the Security officers let loose, firing their guns to take down more.

Gonnadie was also firing as well, but unfortunately missed most of his shots as he was never properly trained for projectile weapons. After several shots, he looked over at Kara. "There's too many of them!" He told her. "We should fall back!"

"Agreed!" Kara called out, firing another arrow. "Fall back!" She cried out to the team. One of the modified attackers ran towards her, and as she went to fire an arrow at it, it struck the bow out of her hand, before grabbing her throat. However, less than two seconds later, Pak's dagger was lodged firmly in its eye, forcing it to let go of Kara.

"What are you standing around for?" Pak asked, with a grin. "Angela's gone for her ship, so get everyone ready. We just need to delay them."

"Understood." Kara replied, nodding, as she picked up her bow.

Before either of them could make another move, they both heard screaming. Amid all the confusion, three of the altered cannibals had managed to converge on Gonnadie, and didn't waste time as they tackled him to the ground, ripping his uniform to shreds, before they just started biting into him. He let out an Earth shattering scream as the Cannibals began to literally eat him alive.

Pak and Kara turned around, and as they saw what was happening, Kara immediately fired off an arrow into the eye of one of the cannibals, before shooting a second. As the second arrow struck its target, Pak landed on top of the third Cannibal, and shoved his blade into the man's neck, twisting it hard. He then leapt off of the cannibal, and knelt down in front of Gonnadie. "We need to get him out of here. Please tell me Angela isn't too far away with her ship."

"Damned if I know, but we've gotta get moving." Kara said, growling angrily as she took out another cannibal with her bow. Pak nodded, and motioned to the security officers, who helped him move Gonnadie back towards the caves.

The pain, and blood loss from being eaten was enough to send Gonnadie into shock. One of the Security officers worked on bandaging his wounds, but it was clear that Gonnadie was gonna die.

"My mom always said... snacking would be... the death of me..." Gonnadie managed to say.

The Security officer turned to Pak, shaking his head to indicate that the man wouldn't live very much longer.

Pak looked at them, and then at the oncoming attackers. "Keep moving. You risked your lives for us, we'd be poor hosts if we didn't do the same." Pak said, as he grabbed a spear from one of his people, and threw it into the face of an attacker, watching as it came out of the other side.

More made their way up the mountain, some walking, some running, all of them were hungry! A few of them had implants that enhanced their vision, and they were able to digitally place each and every person who presented a threat to their approach, but even with their enhanced vision, their aim had not improved, and so they were forced to get closer if they wanted to eliminate their targets.

Pak looked at Kara, and stood side by side with her. "Any ideas?" Pak asked.

"Could use an explosion or distraction." Kara replied, as she fired another arrow.

"I'll distract them." Pak said, with a small smile. He was handed a sword by Windhover, and, gripping it, he ran towards the cannibals. Leaping up, he used the cannibals themselves to kick off a little higher, keeping himself elevated above them. As he then landed on the ground, he spun around, sword outstretched, slicing through the chests of several of the cannibals. It was at that point that Drasko landed next to him, having copied his moves. The two of them launched themselves at the cannibals, striking one after the other in quick succession. They didn't manage to cut through the modified cannibals, but they did send them staggering backwards. It was only with a swift strike of his blade that Pak managed to decapitate one of the cannibals, sending the head rolling down the hill. He saw several heading for the security guards, who were firing at them quickly, and towards the dying Gonnadie. Gripping his blade, he cut one of the cannibals in half as he and Drasko headed back up the hill, towards the rest of the group.

Pak leapt up into the air, and as he landed, he brought his blade through the centre of a cannibal, slicing them in half vertically. As the two halves fell to the floor, a cannibal punched Pak, sending him to the ground. As it went to kill him, however, one of the security officers, Jensen, launched himself at the cannibal, sending them both rolling down the hill slightly. Jensen, however, paid for his heroics as five cannibals descended upon him, and bit into him, immediately beginning to rip him to pieces. As Jensen screamed in agony, Kara fired an arrow at one of the cannibals, trying to stop them, but then her next shot struck Jensen in the heart. As he looked at her gratefully, his eyes glazed over, whilst the cannibals continued to feed on him.

Pak watched as Mica, one of his friends, stood fighting one cannibal, but was stopped as a blade cut through him, sending him down to the ground. "WE NEED TO RETREAT!" Pak called out, as he, Kara and Drasko stood side by side, facing the oncoming cannibals. Pak then saw one of the cannibals nearing a child, Lyra, who was screaming in fear. However, Sanchez, one of the security officers, came between them and shoved a blade into the heart of the cannibal. As the cannibal's blood spilled out, it shoved a sword into the heart of Sanchez, who fell to the ground.

"We're screwed, aren't we?" Pak asked.

"Not yet we're not." Kara replied, shooting off another arrow.

Despite the horrible injuries that Gonnadie had suffered, he still had a pistol in his grip. Knowing he was going to die, he managed to get himself up on his knees, and started taking pot shots with the pistol. "Get out of here, and protect the others!" He managed to call out to Pak, and Kara. Though weak, his voice was still able to be heard over the sounds of the battle. "Go now!!" He yelled again, before shooting one of the Cannibals in the head. It was a lucky shot, and one he'd probably not get off again. He knew he was going to die, and he was determined to stay behind, and at least try to give the others a chance to get away.

Pak went to help him, but Kara stopped him. "Let's use the distraction he's giving us. We need to fall back." Kara said. Pak nodded.

"Thank you." Pak called out, before racing towards the cave. He saw the group together, all of them with their weapons ready. "Alright people, we need to create a bottleneck. We need to hold out for as long as possible."

As the group took cover, Pak buried his fears. "Come on, Angela." He whispered, in a prayer.

As the others fell back, Gonnadie grabbed a few grenades from the nearby table. He ran a string through the rings, before securing them to his belt. With the pistol in one hand, and the string gripped in the other, he ran as fast as his injured body could carry him towards the Cannibals, firing off shots as he went. as he got close, he yanked on the string, pulling all the pins from the grenades. As he did, he hoped his sacrifice wouldn't be in vain.

Moments later, the forward most group of Cannibals converged on Gonnadie, taking him down, and they began tearing him apart. He screamed out in horrible pain. After only a few seconds, his screaming was cut short as a large explosion ripped through the forward group, killing everyone in the immediate vicinity, and sending several others to the ground.

Pak saw the explosion, and had to cover his eyes. As the explosion subsided, Pak stood up and went to the entrance, where he saw the aftermath of the explosion. Bodies of the cannibal's were everywhere, and only a few were left. Pak quickly called out to the others, who raced out and took down the last of the cannibals with ease, thanks to them being disoriented.

Looking around, Pak saw they were safe...for now. He knew more would be coming, and very soon. In fact, he could hear them. But Gonnadie...he had brought them the time they needed. "Get everyone ready. There's another wave coming, but we have time to set up a few defences." Pak said.

He began directing the group, setting up a number of traps, defensive positions and barricades, and as the last one was set up, he saw the glint of metal coming up towards them. "Alright people, this is it. Whatever happens, we fight as a family...as one." He said, looking at the group. There were members of his tribe, and others, all of whom had been running. But now they were done running away. Now was the final battle.

Pak gripped the swords he held, and knelt down behind a rock. He looked at Kara, Dimitri, Windhover, Sky kid and Ali, all of whom were holding bows. "First wave, fire!" Pak ordered. He watched as the arrows sped towards the now advancing cannibals, striking them in the face, the body, all in vital areas. As they went down, Drasko looked at Pak.

"Let's finish this." He said. "Second wave, fire!" He called out. More arrows shot towards the cannibals, and took more of them down. As the cannibal's neared them, Pak gripped the swords.

"CHARGE!"

*****

Racing forward, Pak reached the first cannibal, and swung his sword, quickly slicing it in half, before spinning around and blocking an attack from another cannibal. Before the attacker could make a new move, Drasko's blade emerged from the cannibal's chest, before swinging upwards. As the body fell, Pak leapt up, spinning as he did, and kicked one of the cannibal's in the head, sending them to the ground. He then brought his sword down into the cannibal's head, before pulling it out and moving towards another attacker.

Kara, meanwhile, continued to fire her arrows at the cannibals, each shot being deadly, and accurate. As another cannibal fell, Kara felt a sudden sting in her arm, and saw a small dart protruding from it. She growled in anger as she pulled it out, and sniffed it. She knew the scent, it was from an Aluna Plant, which would cause her arm to go numb. As she felt the numbness begin, she rested her arm on a rock, using it as a prop, before loading another arrow. This time, her shot wasn't as accurate, but it did send an arrow into the leg of one of the cannibals. She heard a gasp from beside her, and saw Lara with a dart in her head. She pulled it out, and fell to the ground, the poison now spreading in her brain, killing her instantly.

Drasko could see the darts being shot, and saw the shooter. He grabbed his dagger, and threw it. His aim true, the dagger stuck itself in the throat of the cannibal. As the shooter went down, Drasko felt a huge force throwing him backwards against a rock, where Pak had also been thrown. "They're winning, aren't they?" Drasko asked, as they watched someone from another tribe get ripped apart by the cannibals, their scream drowned out by the sounds of the battle.

"Don't give up." Pak said, ignoring the cut on his leg. "We have to hold out just a little longer."

"Working on it." Drasko replied, as they both stood up, swinging their blades at cannibal's that had just reached them. As the bodies fell, Pak looked around, and saw two more people getting eaten alive by the cannibals. He spun around, and was greeted by a blade that cut into his chest. As he fell to the ground, he saw a cannibal descend on him, so he quickly shoved his blade upwards into the cannibal's chest, watching as it fell to the side.

*****

While the battle raged at the mountain, Shae ran as hard and fast as she could back to the quarry. Her lungs were burning, but she would not stop until she had reached the ship. What had taken them the better part of a day to traverse, she had to do in one rush, and she felt fit to collapse once she finally reached the ship. Though she was gasping for air as she opened the hatch and made her way to the cockpit, she still wouldn't stop; she could catch her breath later once everyone was safely aboard. She powered up the ship and pulled out of the quarry, heading straight to the mountain where her friends, her family, were fighting for their lives.

*****

Pak looked at the raging battle as he forced himself to kneel, using his sword for balance. He watched as Lin'tai fell to the cannibals, and as more of them arrived, he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, opening his eyes to see more coming for him. 'This is it' He thought

Not today! Shae arrived in the ship, going much faster than she should have in atmospheric conditions, but she wasn't taking any chances when time was so valuable right now. She had no idea where the weapon controls were on this thing and she only had seconds to act, so as she maneuvered the ship towards the cave, she turned the vents from the impulse reactors on the horde of cannibals and gave them a blast. Oh yeah, that felt way too good!

Pak yelled out in joy as the blast sent the cannibals flying. Seeing the craft above them, he forced himself to stand up, knowing it was Angela. Everyone cheered as the attack began anew, only this time they were winning. Fighting with a renewed sense of purpose, Pak swung his blade, and struck down another Cannibal, sending the body down the mountain.

"Get back into the cave!" Shae called out over a loudspeaker, warning her people to get back and out of harm's way. As soon as she registered all their people retreating, she brought the ship down, crushing any and all cannibals who hadn't been intelligent enough to get out of the way. Then she lowered the hatch of the ship right into the mouth of the cave. "Everyone, get in!" she rasped out, still trying to catch her breath from earlier.

"You heard the woman." Pak ordered. "Time to leave." He stood to the side, ushering everyone into the small ship, watching as the injured were helped aboard. The dead bodies had been blown apart by the explosion. He watched as everyone climbed onto the shuttle, watching for more cannibals. He saw a number of them moving back towards them, but as the last person got in, Pak looked at 'Angela'. "Let's move. We need to get to the city and find Mark, quickly." He said.

"Already on it," Shae replied hoarsely, lifting off once the last of the survivors were on board, closing the hatch as they ascended. Damn, she was ready to get out of here!

"I will not miss this place." Pak said, as he stood next to her.

"Amen to that," Shae said, then accelerated towards the city.

Mark looked around at the buildings, and frowned as he heard the noise coming from the centre. "The place looks pretty much the same, yet very different." He said, as he led Se'Lah into one of the buildings. "We'll cut through the buildings to get to the centre." He said.

"Wait." As they stepped inside, Se'Lah gently grabbed him by the arm, turning him to face her. The look she gave him was filled with compassion, and understanding. After seeing the horrible carnage they'd found at Mark's old camp, she wanted to know what this was going to be for him. "I'm not going to let you do this alone, but I need to know, Mark... Are you here for justice, or vengeance?"

Mark looked at her. "Today...they're the same thing." Mark said. "I will make them pay for what they've done. No one will ever fear them again." Mark replied.

She looked at him for another moment, as if gauging his words. "Correction, Mr. Whistler." She told him simply. Though she cared deeply for him, the use of his last name somehow seemed more appropriate at times. "We will make them pay for their transgressions. I came here to support the man I have fallen for... I will help you get your vengeance."

Mark nodded, and stood face to face with her. "Whatever happens, Se'Lah, just know that I love you." He said, kissing her softly.

Though she wasn't quite ready to say those three simple words. Se'Lah cared deeply for Mark, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she found herself worried that she was going to end up hurting him somehow. "I know you do... but now is not the time to discuss it." She told him, as she took his hand in her's. "If we are to get this done, we must be quick, and efficient."

Mark drew his kulaks, and led the way through the building, racing up the stairs. As he reached the third level, he exited the stairwell, and made his way through the corridors, which led to a large hole in the wall of the building. He leapt out and landed on a metal tower that was acting as a bridge between the buildings, before racing into the next building.

Se'Lah was right behind Mark, her movements silent with all the skills of a highly trained operative. As they entered into the next building, they found themselves in the middle of a crowd of cannibals. It wasn't long before they were noticed by one of the group. At first, they seemed like all the rest, but Se'Lah quickly noticed that many of them had metal implants of some sort. "Careful." She said to Mark as some of the cannibals began to advanced menacingly. "They've been altered."

"And you won't get the chance to tell anyone else!" One of them said, before they started rushing towards them, intent on ending both of them.

As several of them began rushing the two, Se'Lah reached into her trench coat, producing her shotgun. She knew that with this group coming at them, the sread on the shotgun had the better chance of taking out more than one. She pulled the trigger, cutting a man in half, and dropping the one right behind him. She primed the shotgun, and fired again, taking out another.

Leaping over one of the men, Mark landed and wrapped his arm around the man's neck. With a satisfying crunch, he twisted the man's neck, snapping it. As the man fell to the ground, Mark brought his Kulak's up, facing one of the men, who stopped, seeing him. His eye's widened for a moment, and he then smiled.

"Hell's Messenger. Whistler, isn't it?" The man snarled.

"I'm here to send you straight to hell." Mark said. He ran at the man, and stepped to the side, before bringing his knee up to the man's chest. As the man stumbled backwards, Mark brought his dagger to the man's neck. However, his target managed to roll out of the way, before kicking Mark in the chest. Quickly recovering, Mark was able to bring his foot down on the man's back, sending him flying to the floor. Mark then brought his foot down onto the man's head, hard. Normally, it would have crushed the man's skull, but Mark could feel metal there instead, so he grabbed the man's arm and pulled it backwards, breaking it as he did. As the man cried out in pain, Mark brought his kulak down into the man's neck, twisting it. He heard a crunch and a whirring sound as the man's head jerked about and then stopped moving.

While Mark was busy with those two, Se'Lah continued taking out others with the shotgun, until it was empty. She immediately dropped it, pulling out her sword, using it to defend herself against one of the cannibals who'd attacked her with a pipe of sorts. Sparks flew each time the pipe impacted with the sword, Se'Lah's skills allowing her to properly deflect each swing. What worried her was the immense strength that these men had. It was as if the crude metal implants were enhancing their strength.

As Mark brought his daggers up, he faced one of the cannibals and shoved his blade into the man's face. The man fell to the ground, ending the battle, so Mark turned around to face Se'Lah.

As he opponent swung the pipe from overhead, Se'Lah blocked it with her sword, then push kicked him to the ground. As he was starting to get up, Se'Lah quickly drew her pistol, and fired several shots at him, until he stopped moving. After all was said and done, she stood there somewhat absently with her gun still facing the now dead cannibal, and her sword in the other hand, still ready to swing. She inwardly wondered to herself if this was what she had become in her life.

Mark approached her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Se'Lah, are you okay?" He asked. When he got no response, he frowned and gently shook her. "Se'Lah?"

After a moment, Se'Lah finally lowered her gun and looked at Mark, sheathing her sword. "Is this what I've become?" she asked him sadly. So far, everyone she'd encountered on this trip had met their death, and part of her silently wondered if someone would eventually come for her as well.

"This is Turalek, and this is what we must do. Taking a life doesn't make you bad, Se'Lah. Not feeling guilt about it...that's the darkness. I have it in spades. You do not." Mark said, frowning as he heard something. "Sounds like more people above us. Stay behind me. I'll handle this." He promised.

As they moved, Se'Lah turned all business. She'd been counting her shots, and knew she had one more clip left for her pistol, after this one was empty. She also had two clips for the Uzi hidden in her coat, which is what she pulled out as they moved. ~ Short, controlled bursts...~ she thought to herself as they moved up a flight of stairs to a tattered doorway. They each took a side of the door, prepping themselves quickly, before Se'Lah nodded to Mark, showing she was ready.

Mark kicked the door in, and immediately launched himself at one of the guards, grabbing him by the neck and twist hard enough for a loud crack to be heard, before throwing his blade into the face of a second guard.

Se'Lah ignored the blade that barely missed her as it embedded itself into the second guard. As she saw the crowd in the room, she found she was glad she'd opted for the Uzi on this one as she started unloading her clip in controlled bursts, dropping several of them in short time, before moving back out the door to switch clips.

Racing past the dead guard, Mark bent down and grabbed his blade, before using it to block a strike from another guard's blade. As Mark felt the guard pushing down to try and kill him, he brought his knee up into the man's chest, before spinning around and slicing the man's throat. He then grabbed the man and used him as a shield as another guard, racing in from another room, began firing bullets at him. Mark threw the now dead body at the newcomers, and quickly ran past a group of hostages, and shoved his blade into the guard's throat, twisting it before pulling it out.

Around the corner, and somewhat out of sight, several people were being held in makeshift cells. One of the prisoners was Riddley Piddler; the same young girl responsible for stealing the Islandica's deflector dish. "To hell with this!" She swore low as the sounds of gunfire reverberated through the room. Pulling her hood back, she reached into her hair and removed a few pins she had concealed there. "There's always another way..." She said as she started to work on picking the crude lock. Being stuck in this cage with no information on what was going to be done with her was not part of her plan, and she wasn't sticking around any longer than possible.

As Se'Lah shoved the new clip into the Uzi, she pulled the slide back to load the breech, then stepped through the open door again. What she failed to notice was the man standing just out of sight, who had moved to hide behind the door. As she moved into the room, firing off controlled bursts from the Uzi, the man stepped up behind her, breaking a board over the back of her head.

The impact reverberated through her head like the sound of an explosion, as the hit knocked Se'Lah to her hands and knees, causing her to lose her grip on the Uzi, which promptly slid out of reach. She blinked several times, shaking her head as if trying to regain her senses, but this was interrupted as she was yanked to her feet by her hair.

"I've heard that Vulcan stew tastes real good!" the man said, before he moved to plunge his blade into her neck...

With an imminent sense of danger, Se'Lah simply reacted. As the blade came towards her, she promptly grabbed his wrist. She yanked it off to the side, bringing her other elbow into his face. As he was hit, he stumbled, letting go of her hair. Se'Lah bent his wrist back until she heard a snap, and as he cried out in pain, she took his own blade, shoving it into the side of his neck, and twisted hard. Sparks flew from the point of impact, and the man simply dropped dead. With the immediate threat gone, she stood unsteady on her feet, reaching a hand to the spot on the back of her head where the board had broken.

Unknown to her, the Uzi had slid nearer to one of the other cannibals. He picked it up, and seeing that the Vulcan stranger with Mark was vulnerable, he took aim with the gun with the full intentions of taking her life.

Mark heard the snap of the board as he removed his dagger from his downed opponent, so as he straightened up, he turned around, and saw one of the cannibal's taking aim at Se'Lah, who was currently preoccupied. Without so much of a second thought, Mark threw his dagger again, missing Se'Lah by a matter of centimeters, through his skill with the blade, which then embedded itself into the left eye of the cannibal with the weapon. He leapt over at the cannibal, and removed his blade. Looking down at his enemy, who was still breathing, Mark glared into his remaining eye. "This is for my friends. When you get to tell, be sure to tell them Whistler sent you" He said, before bringing the blade down into the centre of the man's head.

He looked around at the now empty room, and then at Se'Lah. "Se'Lah, are you okay?" He asked.

Just as the fighting seemed to stop, Riddley managed to get the lock to the cell open, allowing herself, and several others to get out. As she moved into the room, she saw a man, and a woman standing there, and several bodies on the floor.

At the mention of her name, Se'Lah pulled her hand away from the back of her head, and it was covered in blood. "I... I blacked out, when I got hit..." She said, showing him her hand, but then in an instant, her pistol was in her other hand, and she was pointing it at a girl standing behind Mark.

"Don't shoot!" Riddley's hands went up as soon as the weapon was pointed at her. She'd just escaped from a cell, because she didn't want to die... Now was not the time to get shot. "I promise I'm not one of them!" She said, haphazardly gesturing at the bodies on the floor.

As several others came around the corner to join the young girl, Se'Lah noticed that many of them were malnourished, and obviously mistreated. A quick assessment told her that most likely none of them were armed, or in a condition to put up a fight. She looked at Mark, showing him the blood on her hand that had come from the back of her head. "I'm ok, but I should get medical attention soon."

Mark nodded. "Agreed. We need to get you out of here." Mark said. He looked at the girl who had spoken. "Alright kid, I need you to listen very carefully. There's going to be more of them, so we need to get you, and everyone, out of here. Do you know if there were any more prisoners?" Mark asked, as he recognised a number of the people that were being held by the cannibals. He looked at Se'Lah's head, and ripped off a sleeve from one of the dead, and wrapped it gently around her head, using it to act as a bandage.

Just as Mark finished with the bandage, Se'Lah noticed movement behind him. Hiding in the shadows beyond the far doorway was another man. The grlint of metal told her he had a weapon pointed at Mark. Without a word, she forcibly pushed Mark aside, and threw a small blade across the distance, catching the cannibal right between the eyes.

Mark landed on the ground, and saw as her blade struck the target. "I'd say that makes us even." Mark said, with a small smile while he stood up. He looked at the girl who he had spoken to. "Kid, you alright?" He asked. "Are there more prisoners?"

Riddly looked a bit surprised as she watched the man simply fall to the floor dead after being caught between the eyes by a blade. It was the other man's voice that brought her back to reality. "Ummm yeah. There's another group being held in the center of town." Riddly said, then looked at the Vulcan woman. "Are... you ok?"

"I will be fine." Se'Lah replied simply, as she moved to help Mark up off the floor. "We need to get moving. The longer we stay here, the more likely it is more will show up, and we need to get everyone out of here."

Mark nodded. "Agreed. Kid, you need to stay hidden with these people. Find a place to hide, but keep an eye on what happens next. If we're lucky, we'll be able to save more people." Mark said. "Melissa, you sure you up for this?"

Se'Lah looked between the group of prisoners, and Mark, then sighed. "I'm nearly out of ammunition." She told him simply. "I can continue on, but I will have to take a more defensive approach... Especially if I want to keep my head."

Riddly looked at them, shaking her head. "You two are crazy." She said, then gestured to the others. "I'll get them into hiding, and keep an eye on you two." She said before ushering the others back in the direction Mark, and 'Mellissa' had come from.

Se'Lah picked up her Uzi from the floor. it still had half a clip, plus the one in her pocket. "Are you ready?" She asked Mark.

"Born ready." Mark replied, as he led Se'Lah through a corridor. As he did, he saw one cannibal, and quickly dropped him. As they reached a fire escape, Mark forced it open, and saw the large group. He and Se'Lah were then joined by three people, from his can. "Mark, glad to see you alive." Shamrock said, smiling.

"Glad to see you too Shamrock. Let's go save our friends. Melissa, you and Shamrock free the people when I start the distraction." He said.

At first, Se'Lah went for her gun, when she saw the others, but the recognition she saw in Mark's eyes stopped her. She listened to the small bit of conversation, then looked at Mark. "Don't get yourself killed." She said simply. It was her own logical way of telling him to make sure he came home to her, when all was said and done. She leaned in to place a light kiss on Mark's lips, then looked at him. "I'll signal you when we're ready."

With that, she stepped past him, leading Shamrock down the fire escape. The two of them stayed in the shadows as they moved into position. Se'Lah took the short time to screw the silencer on her pistol, then signaled to Mark that they were ready. From the looks of it, if the distraction went properly, her and Shamrock would only have 3 or 4 guards to take out in the process of freeing the remaining prisoners, and then they'd be able to meet back up with Mark's group after leading the prisoners to safety.

Mark led the other two, Mia and Leo, down the fire escape, and into the alley below. As they reached the entrance of the alley, Mark grabbed a grenade from his belt, the only one he had, and threw it at a large group of cannibals. As it exploded, Mark gripped his daggers and ran at the cannibals. As he passed through them, he swung his blade at them. It almost felt like slow motion as he moved, slicing the throat of one cannibal, ducking to avoid being struck before cutting into another cannibal, kicking a third, and then spinning around and kicking another. He ran forward, leapt into the air, and kicked two at the same time.

Several prisoners could see him, and immediately they knew who he was. Everyone knew who he was. Mark leapt into the air and kicked another two cannibals, sending them to the ground. These ones, thankfully, had not been modified, so they were entirely human, which made his fight a lot simpler. Leaping backwards, he landed, grabbed one cannibal by the head, and twisted hard, a loud crack signing that his neck was broken. Mark then shoved a dagger into the heart of one cannibal, and leapt away, landing in a small clearing, waiting for Se'Lah to make her move.

At that point, Se'Lah stepped out of the shadows, pulling her knife out of her pocket as she did. Quickly, and quietly, she snuck up behind one of the guards, covering his mouth with her hand, and slicing his throat. As the life drained out of him, she pulled him back into the shadows, then both her, and Shamrock emerged just seconds later. Se'Lah used her pistol to take out two more guards where they stood, as the two made their way to different cells.

As the refugees saw her approaching their cell, Se'Lah put a finger to her lips to signal them to be quiet. She quickly examined the crude lock, then looked at them. "Stand back." She said, and as they did, she fired a single shot into the lock. Sparks flew, as the bullet went clean through the lock, allowing the door to swing open freely.

Seeing the cages open, Mark leapt up and when he landed, he ran over to the now free group, standing in front of them. Gripping his daggers, he smiled at the group, and then faced the cannibals, who were regrouping. "For our freedom." Mark said.

"Freedom." Shamrock repeated, and that single cry began to resonate among the small force now ready to fight.

"FOR FREEDOM!" Mark shouted, before running forward. Immediately, every single former prisoner ran forward to join the battle.

Leaping up and landing behind one of the cannibals, Mark spun around and kicked the man in the head, sending him to the ground, before punching a second in the face, sending them flying backwards. He ducked to avoid being struck, and as he did, he pushed himself forward, grabbing his attacker by the waist and bringing him down to the ground, before shoving his dagger into the man's face.

Shamrock leapt up, spinning into the air as he went, and as he landed, he grabbed a cannibal by the head, and threw him over his shoulder, into the waiting arms of another two of the group. All of them, Mark's clan, had been given the same enhancements, steroids and strengths Mark had been given, so together, they were a force to be feared.

Leaping up, Mia kicked two cannibals at the same time, sending them down to the ground, and as she landed, she leapt up again, and wrapped her legs around the head of a cannibal, pushing herself forward and bringing them both to the ground, where she twisted her legs, snapping the man's neck. Standing up, she grabbed a knife from a cannibal, and threw it into the face of another cannibal, hitting the man in the eye.

Mark grabbed his dagger, and threw it into the neck of a cannibal that had been just about to attack Se'Lah, before racing over to her. "Still glad you came along?" He asked, as he stood back to back with her, blocking attacks from one of the cannibals.

"Sure." Se'Lah replied. She blocked a flurry of attacks from another cannibal, before catching him with a fatal slice with her blade. "Had to make sure you came back home after all.". She saw one of them about to get Mark, while he was occupied. Instead of giving them the chance, she speared him to the ground, then stabbed him in the heart, before moving to put her back against Mark's "Did you really want to leave me behind to have all the fun yourself?"

"You and I have very different definitions of the word fun." Mark quipped, as he blocked a knife attack, and forced the man's hand to his chest, sending his own knife into the man's heart. "I wouldn't have thought of this for our second date though."

"Things don't always work out the way we expect them to." Se'Lah replied. She threw a knife several feet away to land a killing blow on a cannibal who was about to attack Shamrock from behind. "Maybe we should spend our third one in the holodeck... How does the beach sound?"

"Like paradise!" Mark exclaimed, as he shoved his fist into the face of one of the cannibals, sending them flying backwards. As one charged towards him, Mark lowered his head, and grabbed him by the chest, lifting the man up. He then threw him into three more who were approaching. "I'll bring the picnic hamper." He added, as he spun around, his back against Se'Lah's briefly, before he grabbed a cannibal's arm who had been about to strike Se'Lah, and with a quick motion, broke his hand. The sword the cannibal was holding fell from his hand, and in one swift move, Mark caught it and ran it through the man's chest. He spun around again, and blocked a sword attack from a woman who was charging for him.

Quickly, Mark blocked the attack from the top, then from below, then from the top again. As the swords clashed, sparks flew, and Mark felt the heat of the battle. "And a force field generator." He added, bringing the sword into the woman's throat.

"I don't think we will need one." Se'Lah replied. Another cannibal approached her, and attacked. She blocked most of the attack, but the man got a lucky punch to her jaw, causing her to stagger only momentarily. As she quickly recovered, anger set in, and she simply clotheslined the poor cannibal so hard that that the impact killed him instantly. "On second thought, we might..." She said, then spit green blood onto the ground.

Mark spun around, his foot connecting with the chest of a cannibal, sending him flying backwards into a broken shard of wood, impaling him on it. As the man died, Mark grabbed a cannibal by the throat, and squeezed hard, crushing his neck. "I suggest we don't invite these guys." He added, throwing the body to the ground.

"I'd certainly think not." Se'Lah replied as she quickly pulled her pistol, pulling the trigger on a few of the straggling cannibals, each one dropping dead. She turned to take out another, but Mark acted first.

Mark grabbed his Kulak, spun it and then threw it into the face of a cannibal, watching as he fell. He grabbed one more, and with a quick motion, broke the man's neck. He looked around, and saw that the last of the cannibals were now either dead, or dying. Mark sighed with relief, and looked at the others around them. They were gathering around, looking at Mark, when Shamrock let out a loud cheer. Everyone else began to cheer, calling Mark's name as they did. Mark turned and faced Se'Lah, and smiled. "We...we won." He said, allowing his fatigue to finally show. "You...you were amazing."

Seeing that the danger was over, Se'Lah put her weapons away within her trench coat. "I do try." She said simply. "I believe we should get these people, and the other smaller group together, and prepared to leave. Staying here for any length of time is not wise."

"No arguments here." Mark said, with a nod. He made his way to the crowd, and began speaking with Shamrock, and a number of others, knowing some would stay, and some would go. They had won a great battle, and maybe Turalek would be different for it, better for it. Only time would tell.

Mark smiled as he entered the mess hall, and spoke to the servers. At his request, they quickly cleared a table in the corner, giving him and Se'Lah a small modicum of privacy. He replicated a tablecloth, and a couple of small candles, wanting to set the atmosphere. As he sat down, he ordered a cold orange juice, not wanting to start until she arrived, although he found himself looking forward to the meal, to the point he was wearing his best shirt and trousers. It was one of the few times he would wear an actual shirt, of course.

As was normally the case, Se'Lah was punctual in her arrival to the mess hall. Being off duty, she wore a knee length, loose fitting skirt, and a matching bright blue, long sleeved blouse, with black wrist wraps, and black knee length socks. Despite being off duty, she was also well equipped with several hidden weapons, including a small pistol up one of her sleeves, and a throwing knife holstered on her thigh, just high enough to be out of sight. The only visible weapon was the normal pistol that she always carried on her hip.

It took her only seconds to see the spot that Mark had reserved for them. As she made her way over towards the corner table, one of the waiters approached her.

"Can I help you, Commander?" He asked.

"I'm here to see Mr. Whistler." She replied. "But I'd like a Vulcan Mila, if you don't mind."

"I'll bring it to your table in just a minute." the waiter said, then walked off.

It was no surprise to her that he was sitting facing the door as she approached, but it might complicate things slightly in her mind, since she didn't like her back facing exits. "Do you do this for all the pretty girls, or am I just the lucky one?" She asked him. as she stopped just short of the table, with her hands clasped neatly behind her back.

Mark smiled, and stood up. "There has never been any as beautiful as you." Mark said, as he pulled out a chair for her, facing one of the doors. "I also made sure we won't be disturbed, as you can see." He said.

She smiled, blushing a light green as she sat down in the offered seat. "I hope you don't mind my paranoia." She said. "There are people who want me dead, and so my trust is... limited."

"Like I said earlier, anyone who wants to hurt you will have to go through me, and I've not met anyone who has met that challenge." Mark said, with a small smile. "Trust...is a wonderful thing, but it is definitely not something that can be handed out like candy. There aren't many people I truly trust."

"At this point in my life, there is only one person I can honestly say that I trust." Se'Lah replied simply. "I can't say whether that number was any different before my accident."

Mark nodded. "Maybe not, but if you dwell on before, you'll drive yourself nuts. I think you've been given a chance that others don't get; to make new decisions, and to choose a new path in life. The question is, what path will you choose? Only you can decide that."

She gave him a light smile as she replied. "Right now, I'm choosing to take things one day at a time." She told him without any hesitation. "Understanding who I was, and what I did before can be important in understanding how to do my job. Learning who I am now, and who I am to become...? Let's just say that is the more difficult part of my life at this point."

Mark nodded. "I can appreciate that." Mark said. "First thing I did when I returned to Federation Space after getting off of Turalek was learning about my family. I found out why my brothers want nothing to do with me; as it turns out, every member of the family has been Starfleet to the core, all rising to the ranks of Admiral. All of them with a fine history, if you lived a civilised life. And then there's me and my sister. We're both anarchists basically, because of how we lived. They reached out to Carrie once, wanting to take her in, but she refused since they wanted nothing to do with me." Mark explained. He smiled at her. "But who my family were doesn't make any difference to who I choose to be. I think it is a similar situation. Who you were...maybe you'll rediscover that, maybe you won't. But I think the difficult part in your life is now accepting the good you have." He said, taking hold of her hand gently.

She gave him a smirk, deciding not to pull her hand away as a light green hue filled her cheeks. "I was engaged to be married in my previous life." She told him, her mind going back to what she saw as the first time she'd met her now ex-fiance. "It was an unsettling thing to learn that I was engaged to someone that I couldn't remember ever meeting... But what I have here is a different story... Perhaps even a story that is worth my time."

Mark smiled at her. "I hope I can make it worth your time. I believe it will be a wonderful story." Mark said, as he kissed her hand. "After all, making new stories is part of what makes the journey so wonderful."

Before she could reply, the moment was broken, as the same waiter that had greeted Se'Lah showed up with her drink. She absently pulled her hand away as the young man placed her Vulcan Mila on the table next to her.

"Here you go, Commander. One Vulcan Mila." He said, setting the drink down, and pulling out a PADD. "Are you two ready to order?"

"Fettucini Alfredo." Se'Lah gave her order, and when the waiter gave her a funny look, she decided a brief explanation was in order. "I've gained a fondness for a handful of Terran dishes over the years."

"Fair enough." He said, as he put her order into the PADD, then looked at Mark. "Anything for you, Lieutenant?"

"Beef Cheeks in Soy and Orange Sauce." Mark ordered. "With garlic mash potato and green beans. Oh, and a Saurian Brandy." He looked at Se'Lah. "I picked up a palette when I reached Earth. Tried a lot of different dishes."

"I'll be back in a few minutes with your food." The waiter said, then walked away.

"Interestingly enough, my fondness for Terran dishes was gained before my accident, but seemed to stick even afterwards." Se'Lah told Mark. She looked down at her hands as her emotional control vanished, and she sighed heavily. "There are days I wish I could actually talk to someone other than doctors, and counselors about the things I used to do, and my accident, but there is no one around with enough clearance."

"You can always talk to me Se'Lah. At the end of the day, I may not have clearance, but I do have the ears and shoulder. You know I'm not going to tell anyone, neither do I care about regulations." Mark said. "We all need someone to talk to. Always helps having someone to talk to."

She gave him a long quiet look, contemplating her options, then looked away as she began speaking. "Two months ago, I woke up in the infirmary of the facility I was assigned to with no memory of my name, assignment, my own past, or the events which led to my injuries." She explained, deliberately leaving out certain revealing details. "They told me who I was, and that I was injured while trying to rescue a young civilian child."

Mark nodded as his drink was brought over. "What were you rescuing the child from?" He asked, as he took a sip. "And did anyone come and try to fill in the blanks for you?"

"The child was kidnapped, but I was not given any particulars, because my superiors had no idea why she was taken." Se'Lah explained, before taking a drink of her Mila. "Some of the blanks were filled in on my mission, but there are still some things that don't make sense... most of which revolves around the child."

"Like what?" He asked, taking a sip of his drink. He knew all about unresolved issues, he had a lot of them himself, but if he could help Se'Lah in any way, he would.

"When she was kidnapped, there was no ransom demand, nor was there any logical reason for this particular group to take her as a hostage." Se'Lah replied without missing a beat. "The strange part is that there was a woman I met after my accident who seemed to know my true identity. She told me that the girl was her daughter... but even that brings more questions than answers."

Mark frowned. "Then perhaps we should start there. If you like, I can find her, and...ask her nicely about you." He said, holding her hand gently.

"That's probably not a wise idea, Mark." Se'Lah replied simply. Though she enjoyed having her hand in his, for only a moment, she still had that discomfort that is seemingly inherent in Vulcans concerning affection. "She had to go into hiding, and I'm supposed to be dead. Digging into my past could potentially get us both into a lot more trouble than either of us want... That's why I stopped asking questions."

"Well, if you do want answers, let me know. People want to go up against me, it tends to end badly...for them." He said, smiling. He kissed her hand. "How about we focus on the positive now?" He asked.

"I think that is a wise idea." Though she wasn't ready to admit it yet, Se'Lah's feelings for Mark were quite strong, and she was fighting off her own impulses. In order to help distract herself, she took his hand, turning it palm up, and slowly began to run her fingers over his palm, wrist, and fingers, applying light pressure in some areas. "It is said that time, with it's infinite wisdom, has the ability to heal old wounds." She said as she tentatively ran a stray finger over one of the scars on his upper wrist, and in that moment, her eyes locked with his as if drawn to them, giving her the feeling that she could lose herself in his gaze. "It is also said that time can bring two souls together..."

Mark couldn't help but smile as he looked at her. He felt her hand on his, and he felt her run the hand over one of his many scars. "Is that what you want for us, Se'Lah?" He asked, his voice firm yet a hint of hope within it. "Together?" He added, as he gently ran his fingers of his other hand on the underside of Se'Lah's hand, not breaking the gaze but at the same time, searching her soul as best he could.

She sat there for a quiet moment, then when her emotional control broke, she leaned in to softly kiss Mark on the lips, holding the kiss for only a moment, before pulling back with a light smile. "Let's just say that my future with you looks hopeful." She finally said. She was about tosay something else, but the moment was again broken, as the waiter brought their food.

"Here's some Fettucini Alfredo for the lady." He said, placing her bowl in front of her on the table. "And a beef cheek meal for you, Sir." He said, placing Mark's plate in front of him. "I'll leave you two alone now." He said, winking at them as he walked away.

"Do you always eat meat?" Se'Lah asked him as she picked up her fork, and began stirring the contents of her bowl.

"Not always." Mark replied, as he picked up his fork. "Hell, I grew up on minimum meat on Turalek. A lot of the time it was eat what you grow, or catch. A few clans resorted to cannibalism. But the first thing I had when I got off the planet was Steak. The Starfleet Captain who found our ship invited me to dinner, although he wasn't sure what to expect. Hell, I tried picking it up with my fingers. I'd never eaten with a fork before, and definitely not with a proper plate either."

"Sounds like a rather unpleasant way to live." Se'Lah replied, before taking a bite of her noodles. Once she swallowed, she gestured with the fork at his plate. "I may have taken a liking to some Terran dishes, but I've never given up the Vulcan's vegetarian preferences. After a lifetime of not touching any meat, I'm fairly sure that my body wouldn't take much of a liking to it."

Mark nodded. "Well, not knowing anything else, it didn't seem so bad as I grew up." Mark said. "But you'd be surprised what I can do with meat and vegetables. I spent a few months at Starfleet Medical and needed something to do. The doctor's recommend that I learn to cook."

"I don't know how my cooking skills were before, but they are horrible now, so I usually just use a replicator." Se'Lah replied with a light grin. She took another bite of her noodles, swallowing, before replying again. "I might have to get you to cook for me sometime, but I think I will skip the meat."

"Oh, I have gotten pretty good with vegetables. I make a pretty decent Spinach and Ricotta lasagna." Mark said, returning the grin. "I also made a Plomeek soup once. If I made it for you, there's one ingredient I'd need to leave out." Mark said.

"I will assume that it's some type of spice." Se'Lah replied simply, as her emotional control slipped into place. "Someone made the mistake of adding a little pepper to a vinaigrette sauce that was put on a salad I ordered a month ago. Let's just say that the resulting burn to my taste buds sent be back to the Starbase infirmary for the remainder of the day."

Mark shook his head as he took a bite of his meal. "Actually, it was poison. A group of Vulcan's who were working with Romulan spies were planning to kill a high level diplomat. Managed to get work in their kitchen, and the authorities put it down to a suicide. Like I said, I'm good at what I do." Mark said.

Se'Lah raised an eyebrow, as she stirred her noodles a bit more. "Effective." She said simply. Based on her own information, she knew she'd been ordered to kill others in the past, but she couldn't remember. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

Mark smiled at her. "I rather doubt that you could, Se'Lah." Mark said, before taking another bite of his meal. "I can count on one hand how many people look past the darkness within. On Turalek, I was Hell's Messenger. In Starfleet, I'm a killer. Every Captain and officer who works with me sees me as a tool to use to improve their people, to learn how to fight. Those against me see me as an enemy, a dangerous killer. My sister sees me as her loving brother, and a person. And no one has ever wanted to be with me emotionally." He explained.

"Until now." Was Se'Lah's simple reply. "When you've been through what I am going through, you tend to see things in a different way. I can't say how I would've looked at you before my accident, but I can say that who you are now is what's important."

"I'm still the same warrior from Turalek, but at the same time, I am...calmer than I was then. Seeing more of the universe does that to a man. I will admit, growing up, I always wanted off of Turalek. I wanted to see the stars, and see what was out there. But it's as dark, if not darker, than Turalek." Mark said. He took a sip of his drink. "And yet I see you, and I see light in the universe, a light which I never thought I would see."

Se'Lah looked up at Mark, and was about to reply, when she simply stopped. It was more like she was looking through him, as she went catatonic, and the words "Get away! It's a bomb!" echoed in her head, beginning the process of a waking nightmare to relive the explosion that took her memories.

Mark frowned as he saw Se'Lah freeze up. "Se'Lah?" He asked. When he received no response, he placed a hand on her shoulder and gently rocked her. "Se'Lah." He said, his voice firm now.

The moment he touched her, Se'Lah gasped, jumping as she returned to the conscious world. A momentary flash of fear crossed her features, followed by a moment of confusion as the nightmare ended, and it's memory faded away into oblivion. "Damned nightmares..." She finally said, as she regained some of her composure.

Mark took her hand. "Believe me, I know the nightmares. I have scars that were caused by them. How often does that happen, Se'Lah?" He asked.

"Consistently." Se'Lah replied, squeezing his hand, wanting the bit of comfort it gave her, as she tried in vain to remember the events of the nightmare. "I deal with them every time I sleep, but to have them during my waking hours is rare."

"What happens in them?" He asked gently, kissing her hand.

"I wish I knew." She said as she took a deep, calming breath to try to regain some of her balance. "I've never been able to remember them. Starfleet Medical believes they may be my mind reliving the events which led to my memory loss."

Mark nodded. "Then perhaps your mind is trying to suppress them at the same time, because they were so traumatic." Mark suggested.

"That is a possibility." Se'Lah replied simply. She pulled her hand away to take another bite of her food, then looked at him. "Do you think you would see me differently, if you were to know of the things from my own past?"

Mark smiled at her. "I see you as you are now. My own past is...dark. I have scars from countless battles, and took a life when I was five years old. Nothing about your past could make me feel any less for you, Se'Lah." He told her.

Impulsively, Se'Lah leaned in close, placing a hand on Mark's face as she pressed her lips to his in a gentle, but emotional kiss. She hadn't known him long, but the emotions she felt for him were already growing strong. It scared her to no end, but she felt the risk was worth taking.

Mark smiled as he felt Se'Lah's lips on his, and deepened the kiss, holding her hand in his. "Maybe we should skip desert." He said softly.

Not wanting to ruin the moment, she gently shook her head. "I'm still unsure of myself, or what I'm doing." she told him, and it was true. She had no idea how to handle the emotions that she was feeling, and found herself afraid to move too quickly. "Let's just take it slow, ok?"

Mark nodded. "Fair enough." He agreed. "We'll take it at whatever pace you're comfortable with."

She pulled back, letting her hand rest on his cheek for another moment, before returning to her food. "These emotions are somewhat unsettling to me." She said, before taking another bite if her food.

"Emotions are complicated, I can attest to that. And believe me, I've never felt them either. Best thing to do is roll with it and see how it goes." Mark said.

"In Vulcan society, we are taught that love is one of the most dangerous emotions for a Vulcan to express." She said, then took another bite of her food. After a moment, she continued. "It is this singular emotion that can cause us to be overly impulsive, even to the point of becoming a danger to ourselves, and those around us."

"Oh, it's dangerous all right. But it's also the most important emotion. If we could live without love, we'd know peace. But we'd be empty rooms, shuttered and dank." Mark said. "Without love, we'd be truly dead."

"Itis an interesting emotion to be certain." Se'Lah replied. She looked at Mark, her eyes seeming to search as she did. "One that I wish not to lose."

"Then don't." He said, smiling as his eyes met hers. "I think you've missed out on so much. I'll guide you, and trust me, you won't regret it." He said softly.

She she gave him a slight smile, as a light green hue filled her cheeks. "I find myself curious what it is that's here between us." She said as she looked at him. "I only met you a few days ago, and here I am telling you what little I know about a life I have no memory of... and I don't do that."

"Humans call it Love at first sight, because when you meet someone, you know that you want to be with them, you know you can trust them. It's a feeling...an instinct." Mark said.

"An impulse." Se'Lah added as Mark finished his sentence. "I do trust you, and that fact scares me to no end."

"Why? Do you fear where it may lead? What it may unlock?" Mark asked.

"When I woke up from my accident, they altered my files to show that I didn't survive the explosion." She replied. "When you're supposed to be dead, trusting someone can easily get you that way."

Mark nodded. "I can understand that." Mark said, taking a sip of his drink. "But I'll never let anyone hurt you." He promised.

"It seems I have no shortage of protection on this ship." Se'Lah said, giving him a smirk. "I just hope such protection is never actually required."

"Well, I've always felt that having something and not needing it is better than needing something and not having it." Mark commented, as he finished the last of his meal.

"I agree." Se'Lah said as she too finished the last of her meal. She pushed the empty bowl aside, taking a sip of her Mila. "Speaking of having things... Were you able to decrypt the contents of the PaDDs we found on the station?"

Mark shook his head. "Not yet, but getting there. I think they contain coordinates, of some kind, but I've got a few programs I shouldn't have working to decrypt them." Mark replied.

"Those programs will remain our little secret." She told him simply. "I'm technically supposed to report you, or arrest you for using them, but they're being used to help our investigation... so I'll simply pretend I didn't hear that."

"Appreciate that. I'll let you know as soon as I have anything." Mark said. "I've also got a network of people in place, so I can use them if we need to find anyone."

The moment was interrupted as the water returned to collect their dinner dishes. "Did you two want anything else?" He asked. "Dessert maybe?"

"A slice of apple pie." Se'Lah replied, and again the waiter gave her a strange look, but made the note anyway, before turning to Mark.

"Anything else for you, sir?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'll have a slice of Salted Caramel Cheesecake." Mark replied. He looked at Se'Lah. "What are we doing, Se'Lah? I don't want to push you, but I have to confess...if you get your memories back, will the ones of us become like the old ones are now, or will they become joined?"

As the waiter walked away to get their order, Se'Lah looked at Mark, and right then her Vulcan control snapped neatly back into place. "I honestly can't tell you what will happen." She told him simply. "All I can tell you is that because I've lost those memories, I feel as if something big is missing from my life... and all we can do is take things one day at a time."

Mark nodded, taking a sip of his drink. "Well, I know I'm not the counselor, but whatever happens, you know I'll always be here. I get that you want to find who you are, and at the same time there's a certain fear I think. But the tougher thing to do would be to let yourself feel, and often the tougher path is the right one."

"Everything in due time." Se'Lah replied logically. "In the last couple of months, I've come to realize that everything happens for a reason."

"No arguments from me." Mark replied, leaning back in his chair, smiling as he took a sip of his drink. "Just think of the events that have led us here."

"Indeed." She said, then took a sip of her drink. It was nearly gone, but she wasn't one for becoming intoxicated. She wondered if this was also a tendency from before she lost her memories. "I'm curious. You talk a lot about feelings, and emotions. Does it bother you, when my Vulcan heritage suppresses my emotions, bringing me back to logic?"

Mark smiled coyly at her. "Not at all. I know Vulcans. You suppress emotions, but they are always there. Plus, I've seen into your heart, Se'Lah. I saw the passion in your eyes when we first kissed. Logic can be a wonderful aid at times, but I think that your emotions will always be there. Yes, there is a need to keep them buried, but I am exactly the same way." Mark said.

"One less worry on my mind." was Se'Lah's simple reply. She quietly looked at him again, this time her eyes showed curiosity on more of an emotional level, even though her emotions were suppressed. "What is it that attracts you to me?" she finally asked.

"Honestly? Your passion first attracted me to you." Mark replied, leaning forward. "Helps that you're completely hot, of course. But there's also...a certain spark about you, your open mind and heart, your skills, and as I mentioned already, your passion."

For that moment, Se'Lah wished her Vulcan control would slip. Something about his words, or the way he said them sparked strong feelings within her that she couldn't express like this. "I think it's fair that i tell you that I'm already falling for you." She finally told him. "Your open, and honest nature has gotten my attention. Not to mention your dedication to protecting me...* She took a deep breath, sighing heavily before finishing off her Mila, and sliding the glass away. "Based on my Starfleet records, I've never come across anyone who wanted to protect me the way you do."

Mark smiled at her. "Se'Lah, you're worth protecting. You're worth loving. You are...more special than I think even you realise." He said, kissing her hand, and gently rubbing it with his thumb.

"Even with half my memories missing?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. She enjoyed his touch on her hand, despite the fact she seemed to ignore it. "I would think you'd get a better understanding of who I am if they were intact."

Mark looked into her eyes. "Se'Lah, your past may give you memories of what you did, but who you are now...that's what matters." He said, reaching over and cupping her face in his hand. "You've seen so much...and maybe this is a chance for your horrors to be put to rest...to create a new life."

"Perhaps." Se'Lah replied, as she reached up, pulling his hand to her lips and kissing it. "That doesn't make my lack of memories feel any less disturbing though." She pulled away slightly as the waiter returned with their desserts. He set them down on the table, then smiled.

"Let me know if you need anything else." He said. "Enjoy." He spoke up again before moving off to help someone else.

Se'Lah looked at the slice of pie on the plate that had been set down in front of her. "According to my files, this has been my favorite Terran dessert since my academy days." She said, then ate a bit of it.

Mark smiled. "I love cheesecake. I first tried it when I came to Earth. The commandant of the academy suggested that I try Earth food, after I caught a wild deer and began to skin and cook it." He explained.

"Old habits die hard." Se'Lah replied between bites. "Despite my memory loss, there are days that I investigate my quarters to ensure there are no listening devices, or unexpected visitors."

"I do that every day as a matter of course. As you say, old habits die hard. So will I, when the day finally comes." Mark said, before taking a bite of his cheesecake. He closed his eyes, not enjoying the taste as he usually did. "I suppose that's why I've never let anyone in before now, I was always afraid of them being without me. The fear of death...it's a powerful motivator." He said.

"I do not fear death." Se'Lah told him simply, before taking another bite of her pie. "I simply have a very strong will to survive... and to protect those I care about..." As she said it, her voice trailed off. She had that absent look in her eyes, before snapping back to reality. "People like you."

Mark smiled at her. "My will is...well, it was always about the mission. For me, there was never anything else. Now, there's you, and the ship. It's a strange feeling, to belong. It's a...welcome thing."

"Perhaps it's because of my memory loss, but even though I've been accepted here, I still feel like I do not belong here." She took a bite of pie, looking at him as she chewed and swallowed it. "You, and a promise to Miss Brennan are what changes things for me."

"You belong with me, Se'Lah." Mark said firmly, taking her hand. "This is your home now, and I'll fight to defend you, always."

Despite her Vulcan control, she gave him a slight smirk. "Then perhaps it is a good thing I stumbled upon you in the Holodeck."

"For both of us." Mark said, smiling at her.

The two of them finished their desserts, and sat talking for a bit longer, before deciding to call it a night. As they left the Mess Hall, they both went their separate ways for the night.

Mark looked at the gathered group, or rather those who were still around. With the death of the final cannibals, he knew things would be different for people on Turalek, especially given everything they had experienced. "You sure you want to do this, Shamrock?" Mark asked.

"I am. Someone needs to keep people alive here." Shamrock said, smiling. Mark nodded.

"I'll have Starfleet send help immediately. I won't let people leave you alone." He promised. Shamrock nodded, and walked towards a group of people who were talking along one another. Mark looked around, and quickly saw who he wanted to see. He grabbed hold of the girl, and moved her out of sight.

"Listen to me very carefully. I know exactly who you are, and right now, you're going to listen Riddly." Mark said, glaring at her. "You stole my ship's deflector dish. You endangered a lot of people, and for that I should take you in. But I'm not a monster. You've seen what the universe is really like here, and I advise you to learn from this. Grow up, and choose a decent profession. But I will make a promise: If you ever come near the Islandica, or any Starfleet ship, I will find you, and you will spend the rest of your life in jail. Am I clear?" Mark demanded.

As Mark pulled her aside, Riddly listened to what he told her. With a look of defiance common for Humans her age, she just looked at him for a moment, before she finally replied. "What does it matter?" She didn't raise her voice, but it was clear that she was annoyed with him for grabbing her. "You got your deflector thing back, and I got shoved into a mad man's jail for all the trouble it was worth." She yanked her arm away from him, and stormed off back to where the other refugees were. She'd go back to the station, and yet again end up sleeping in one of the abandoned service crawl ways, just like she always had.

Mark watched as the girl left, and as he saw the ship landing, he smiled, grateful for the chance to leave. He waited for it to land, and then saw Shae standing there. "You're late." He teased.

"You're welcome," Shae quipped back with a grin, followed quickly by a wheezing cough. "Load 'em up. I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Gladly." Mark agreed, with a nod. "Everyone who's had enough of this place, get aboard." Mark said, indicating for the people to start boarding the ship. It would be a tight fit, but he knew they'd get everyone back safely. Some had already elected to stay behind. "What happened? You look like you've been through the wars."

Shae merely gave him a dull stare, then coughed one more time and went about her business getting the ship ready to return to the station.

"That good, huh?" He muttered softly, before starting to indicate to the others to start getting onto the ship, watching as the healthy helped the injured.

Se'Lah stood looking at the carnage from the battle they'd just fought. So many dead bodies from both sides of the conflict, and yet this had been the only way things could've gone here. As the ship landed, and the hatch opened, she quietly started ushering people who wanted to go onto the ship to prepare them to leave. When she got back, she'd make it a point to visit sickbay to get her head injury looked at.

Mark made his way over to Se'Lah. "Are you okay?" He asked. He decided not to tell her about Riddley...not yet, anyway. There had been too much death, too much blood spilt. Hopefully, she would learn her lesson, and if not...well, Mark would keep his promise.

"I have a splitting headache, but I will live." Se'Lah replied. She stopped to look at Mark, sighing lightly as she did, speaking in hushed tones. "What I've learned about myself here is... disturbing, even though it is all on par with what I found in my records."

Mark nodded. "That is the danger of the darkness, Se'Lah." Mark said. "We often find who we truly are, and we often do not like it."

As he spoke, a shadow moved slightly, but wasn't seen. As it went to move again towards Mark, it heard his words, and cursed silently to itself. Moving backwards, it knew it had a job to do.

"That's why I didn't want you to come here, because I didn't want you facing this darkness." Mark explained softly.

"Sometimes we must face the darkness in order to find the truth of who we are." Se'Lah replied somewhat evenly. She wasn't upset with him, but she needed him to know that she was even more determined now than she had been before. "You can't shield me from my past, Mark." She moved to caress his cheek with her hand, a look of wisdom in her eyes that seemingly hadn't been there before. "That's something I won't let you do."

"I just want to protect you. If anything were to happen to you, I could never forgive myself." Mark said. "Especially not here. This nightmare...this darkness...is who I am. But I know you can defend yourself. And perhaps I did do you a disservice by not asking you here. But at the same time, I can't have the woman I love die in battle when I had the power to save her."

She gave him a light smile as she spoke her next words. "You did save me..." She told him. "If it weren't for you, I'd be dead."

"You saved me first." Mark said, smiling at her. "You gave me a purpose, you made me want to keep fighting. I'd be lost without you." He said, leaning in and kissing her gently on the lips.

Se'Lah returned his kiss, and as he pulled away, she rested her hand on his cheek. She lingered, looking at him for a moment. "I'd better get these people situated for the return trip." she told him. "We've lingered here too long already."

"Agreed." Mark said, watching as more people boarded the ship. He walked over to Shamrock, and embraced him in a hug. "Be careful, brother. I'll send help soon."

"I know man. Just keep everyone safe." Shamrock said. Mark nodded, and looked on as the last of the group leaving boarded the ship. "Tight fit, but we'll make it." Mark commented to Se'Lah

Se'Lah looked around at the crowd of people standing there looking at them expectantly. "I know there is not much room to work with here, but if everyone could find a place to sit... even if it's on the floor, it will make it much easier for us to move around as needed."

Mark spoke to a few people, who began passing the word to get everyone sitting on the floor, or anywhere they could. Squeezing through the crowd, Mark got into the bridge area, and looked at Shae. "We're all aboard. Let's get the hell out of here." He said.

Without any further ado, the ship lurched and lifted the group off the planet. Shae was glad to see them finally putting this place in their rear view mirror. They had lost people today, far too many, but at least the rest of them were safe now.

As the ship lifted off, Se'Lah noticed that someone was missing. "We are missing someone." She said, moving over near Mark. "Where is Ensign Gonnadie?"

"He didn't make it," Shae said simply as she piloted the ship out the atmosphere. "Pak got his body, it's in the cargo hold, along with the others from the mountain." Once they made it out of the atmosphere, Shae turned the ship about to get them out of the system as fast as possible before going to warp.

Mark felt guilt for the lives lost under his command, but at the same time, he knew there would always be casualties. Still, he'd need to write a full report and find out what happened exactly, and then speak to Starfleet to make sure it didn't happen again. Too many good people had died who shouldn't have done, but now something would be done. Mark was glad that he had members of his family back, and of his old family. "I'll make sure his family are notified." Mark said. He took a deep breath. "Thank you, for coming with me, Sister." He said, kissing Shae's forehead.

Shae bit back the response that nearly spilled from her lips. she wanted to say 'never again' but she knew that if Mark asked for her help that she would help him again. She wanted to be angry at him for bringing her along when she'd only just recently been found, for taking her on such a dangerous mission when she had an infant daughter back at the ship waiting for her! She wanted to be angry, but she couldn't, not when she knew he would drop everything to help her in an instant.

"Anytime," Shae said around the lump in her throat. once their course was set and at warp, she set the auto pilot and leaned her head back against her chair with a heavy sigh, looking up at Mark with so many conflicted emotions in her eyes. Of course he would understand, she could see the pain and confusion in his own eyes.

Mark saw her, and in that instant, so much was communicated. He understood her pain, and she understood his. He knew he would always see her as his Sister, as a part of his family. He would make sure she, and Aoife, were protected. He had mentioned her to the Captain, and vouched for her; it was the least he could do. She had saved his life before, and she had risked her life on Turalek. All of them owed Shae a great debt, and he would make sure the debt would be repaid, one way or the other. Instead of speaking, though, he took her hand and gently squeezed it, that simple motion conveying everything he wanted to say.

With things calmed down now, Se'Lah carefully removed the makeshift bandage that Mark had placed on her head. As she pulled it away, she saw that it was stained with a bit of green blood. She reached back to where she'd been hit, the tacky feeling told her that the bleeding had at least stopped. "I think I'm going to be sore for a little while." She set the bandage aside, looking between Shae and Mark. "That crack on the head did a number on me."

"Make sure you go to Sickbay when we get back. Hell, everyone's getting checked out." Mark said.

"Agreed." Se'Lah replied simply. "With my previous head injuries, it's best to play it safe. Hopefully, no permanent damage was done."

Mark nodded, and looked at the two of them. "I think the damage was first done when we first met." Mark joked, with a smile. "You know, both of you, I don't know where I'd be without you."

"You would probably be dead." Se'Lah replied simply. As she looked at him, her mind went back to the moments of combat the two of them had been through since coming to Turalek. "To be fair, if it weren't for you, I'd be dead too."

"And here I was trying to open up." Mark joked, with a smile on his face. He then looked at them. "I wouldn't have returned without you, and I know I had no right asking you to do this. Shae, you went through hell when you were stranded on Turalek before, and then again when you were on that planet. It wasn't fair of me to ask you to come along, but as I hear it, you saved everyone in the mountain. Wherever we go, whatever happens, you will always have us with you, for protection, friendship, family, anything you need. Se'Lah, you came along even though you didn't need to. You put yourself at risk, and I won't ever forget that. From either of you." He said, fighting back a tear of happiness, knowing his family were united once again, and that he had Shae and Se'Lah with them.

"I was never stranded on Turalek," Shae reminded him with a roll of her eyes. It wasn't that she was unappreciative of his declarations, they really did mean the world to her, but at the moment she was simply eager to return home to her little one. Not to mention, Shae's chest was hurting from not having fed Aoife since they left. Oh, she hoped Aoife was eating okay in her absence... "Life is ever rarely fair; it is indiscriminate in how it doles out the ups and downs. How we define ourselves is not by how we behave when times are good, but how we rise above when times are bad. You never have to ask this of me, Mark, I will always be there for you, just as I know you will always be there for me..."

Se'Lah stood looking between the two of them for a moment, then gave Mark a light smile. This had been an enlightening experience that had taught her things about Mark, as well as herself. "We did what needed to be done." She finally said calmly, even as her eyes betrayed how disturbed she felt inside. "I'm going to make sure everyone is alright for the trip back to the station." she said as she grabbed the nearby medical kit from the bulkhead, and moved off. With her line of work, she assumed that basic emergency field medicine had been included in her training... At least she hoped it was.

Mark nodded, and watched as she went. He felt...tired, really tired, and he knew there would be at least a day before they reached the station. "I'm going to take a nap. You should have someone take over and get some rest yourself." He said.

"I will rest plenty once we are back on the Islandica," Shae assured Mark. "Go, rest. I will not be comfortable sleeping until I'm holding my child again, so I will stay alert and keep an eye on things. I'll let you know when we're on approach of the station." After all, it wasn't the first time she'd stayed awake for days on end for a mission. She would crash hard once they were back on Islandica, but couldn't drop her guard until she was back in the safety of her quarters with Aoife.

Mark nodded, and as he went to the small cabin off of the bridge, he stopped, and faced her. "You're right about one thing, Shae. I will always be there for you, whatever happens. You will always be my family, and I will die to protect you if I need to." He promised.

"You'll have to forgive me if I no longer return the 'die to protect you' vow... I have so much to live for, and Aoife deserves that vow from me now," Shae said with a teasing smile.

Mark returned the smile. "I wouldn't let you, Shae. You're right, you have everything to live for. And I'll make sure you get to enjoy it to the fullest." He promised.

Before Mark could disappear to go take his nap, Shae turned in her chair to look back at him. "Hey Mark, perhaps you should reconsider your 'till death' lifestyle. It's easy to die for someone, but so much harder to live for them, and I think that means even more... And you have so much to live for. And I've seen the way you look at her. Se'Lah, I mean... I think she deserves a promise of life rather than death."

Mark looked at her with a grim smile. "She deserves so much more than me, and yet she wants to be with me. My life...I've never thought further than getting my people home, or keeping them safe. My life...it never really mattered. Then you came along, and Se'Lah, and then everything because...new. But I have long feared that the sins of my past would return to haunt me Shae...and that the price I would pay would be too much to bare."

"You've saved your clan and now you're in a position with Starfleet to do something about the lives you leave behind on Turalek. Starfleet has given you the chance to walk away from your sins and start anew. Who are you to question that gift or second guess yourself," Shae said, then returned her attention to the helm controls. "We've all done things we're not proud of. At the very least, Se'Lah knows about your past and is accepting of who you are, so it's not like you have to hide any of this from her. Just keep that in mind; you deserve this chance at happiness."

Mark nodded, and walked over to Shae. "Thank you." He said, kissing her forehead. He was tempted to mention how his brothers, and others, wanted to see him hang or at least be ejected from Starfleet because of his past, but then, the Captain fought for him, and many others would as well. Mark couldn't deny what Shae had said; he did have a chance to start anew, and his family was safe. He was...he felt happier than he had done in a very long time. And maybe it was time to allow himself to have a decent life, a life worth living. Maybe it was time to look at the future. And maybe it was time to let go of the past.

Just Maybe...

Mark looked around the medical bay, and buried a sigh. He was glad he had managed to get everyone to safety, and he knew he wouldn't have done it without Se'Lah, Shae or the security team. He also felt a twinge of regret for Gonnadie, considering how he had died, and as he left the medical bay, he made a beeline for the Captain's quarters.

He reached there in no time, still wearing his blood stained outfit from Turalek, and rang the chime, waiting to be given entrance.

"Come in," Farenia called, sitting behind her desk and looking over some documents as she ate dinner. Looking up as the doors opened, she set her fork down and slid her plate aside. Maybe now wasn't the best time to eat...

"Captain. Thought you'd like to know we just got back." Mark said, handing her a PADD. "Wrote a report on the way back, but...I don't think I can cover everything well enough in a report." Mark explained.

Taking the PaDD, Farenia looked it over before setting it down. "Official reports are just that - an official summary of the events. Please, have a seat and tell me more."

Mark nodded, and sat down, leaning back in the chair. "Well, we have twenty three more people aboard, the remnants of my clan, and a couple of others. I'm sorry to say that we also lost Gonnadie, and two of the security officers. We also learnt of a new force that was rising. I think...I think Turalek was a test ground for a new army." Mark said.

"With past Section 31 involvement there during the Dominion War, I'm not surprised." Farenia said, leaning back as well. "Was there any way you could have prevented those deaths?"

Mark shook his head. "Only reason we made it out was because of those who died. The security officers, Sanchez and Jensen, they were heroes. Sanchez, he died saving the life of a kid." He said. "I know it isn't much comfort to his family, but I'm going to be asking for awards for them both. Gonnadie...he was a good man, didn't deserve to die. None of them did." Mark said. He sighed, ignoring the tear rolling down his cheek. "I always knew I needed to go back there one day...but I never thought I'd see others die the way they did. I've sent a message to Starfleet Intel, demanded a few ships to be sent there. They've promised a task force to go and stop this rising army, and some of my clan will be going back as advisors. Part of me wanted to go back too...but I've got a job here to do." Mark explained.

"These things happen now and then. Try not to beat yourself up about it too much. I would like you to write up the letters to their families though, if you think you can handle it." Farenia said softly. "I'll be keeping tabs on the Turalek situation as well, just in case. So... what happened, anyway? You went there to track down someone and came back with a lot of people."

Mark nodded. "Yeah. Turns out that the person who hired that woman to steal our deflector dish...they wanted Federation Technology to help improve the work they were doing. They had taken some of the worst people from Turalek, implanted them with crude metal and robotics, and used them as an army. But it wasn't working how they wanted." Mark explained.

"Sounds more like a torture setup than experimentation to me..." Farenia replied. "Did you at least find her? Is she in custody now?"

"The girl? No. She wasn't anywhere near the planet, which was probably for the best given what they did with people. I'll have an alert put out for her. I doubt we've seen the last of her. From what one of the shopkeepers said, she's stubborn, and headstrong. She probably didn't like losing to us." Mark said.

"That sounds rather unresolved... I don't like it." Farenia said, thinking the whole thing over. "So... you brought back refugees, lost three people, discovered a secret plot to turn people into war machines, and... What do you have to show for your mission then? What did you accomplish in regards to your original purpose?"

"More questions, although the person on Turalek did say something before he died. He said Turalek was but one. It does make me wonder how many other worlds are like Turalek, and if there are more, were they designed that way? I was able to find some old records from before the fall of Turalek, although badly degraded. Hopefully we can restore them. If someone is creating other Turalek's to build an army, we need to stop them." Mark said.

"If we can't find solid evidence of an outside power influencing them, then we have to follow the prime directive even if someone is taking advantage of the situation. We do have some freedom in things, but..." Farenia didn't want to not get involved, but she didn't see a way for starfleet to let them easily dig themselves into this whole mess.

"Well, we have the evidence from Turalek, because the technology they were using was not from Turalek. I brought back some of the modifications, not the bodies though." Mark replied. "If we find another world, I'm sure we can find the evidence. That being said, I have an alternative." Mark said. "I'd like some of my people to remain on board. They can serve as civilians, but if we have a situation we can't officially enter, we can go down without any Starfleet links." He suggested.

"We can't exactly leave them here on a Ferengi station to fend fore themselves, now can we? We'll have to keep them aboard until we can get to a Federation starbase." Farenia said slyly. "And until then, they're your responsibility. I don't want them getting into too much trouble, ok?"

Mark smiled. "Oh, don't worry, they won't get into 'too' much trouble." He promised. He dropped his smile. "I'm asking a couple of my people to stay on the station, however, to not only keep an eye out for our thief, but to keep a line of communication open. If anything goes down on the station, we'll know. I'll be speaking with a shopkeeper on the station: she knows the girl, and I can put enough pressure on her to take one of my guys into her shop undercover." Mark said.

Farenia preferred people's loyalty through other means, but she wasn't entirely opposed to the situation. "Ok, but remember that ultimately I'm the one responsible for the conduct and actions of these people. No getting me in trouble with Command, ok?"

"You're already in trouble with them, remember? They wanted me gone, you told them no." Mark said. "Don't worry, they know the meaning of the word discreet." Mark promised.

Farenia giggled softly a moment at that reminder. "Yeah, I've pissed off more than one admiral so far it seems. Ok then. I've already decided to trust you so I'm trusting you on this as well. Just make sure they're careful."

"They will be. They survived Turalek, just as long as I did, if not longer in some cases." Mark said. "My team that will be remaining aboard, well, they have a number of skills. I'll keep a few in my department, and the others may want to learn new skills. Any objection to them remaining as 'civilian consultants' aboard?" He asked.

"If they can become reliable and productive members of the crew while they're aboard, I'd love to have them." Farenia reassured him. "We're a hair under optimal crew levels as it is."

"Oh, I'd trust them with my lives, and they'll definitely be productive. Kara, she always wanted to learn about the stars, and she had some excellent theories, which I think she can work with in science. Drasko, he wanted to build things, so engineering will suit him." Mark started.

"Let's get them started on auxiliary training courses then and see where they go." Farenia replied with a smile. "Was there anything else you needed to report on before getting cleaned up?"

"Yeah. I need permission to use the holodeck for a few hours exclusively. You'd be welcome to come along if you wish, but I want to have a family barbeque, a reunion of sorts since we're now off of that rock." Mark replied. "After everyone's had a chance to rest up, of course."

"That sounds pleasant," Farenia said, leaning forward and punching the request into the computer. "There's 3 hours solid during peak times available tomorrow and the day after. Take your pick."

"I'll say tomorrow. This meal has been a long time coming." Mark said. "I think, right now, we all need something to remind us that we are together still, after everything. That's the worst thing about Turalek, we were apart for so long and lost so much. Now comes the time to heal, and I know that won't be easy. Family dinners were always enjoyed, and I think it's something not enough people do."

"That's actually a pretty good moral. Even with replicated food, I think people miss out on one of the best spices - stimulating conversation." Farenia replied, finalizing the request. "Holodeck is yours starting at 3."

"Appreciate that, Captain." Mark said. "Anything else you need? I think I need a shower."

"Not that I can think of. Go get cleaned up. You've earned it." Farenia replied with a smile.

"Thank you, for everything." Mark said, before turning and walking for the exit. As the doors opened, he stopped, but didn't face her, and spoke calmly. "There are only a few people I've ever been indebted to in my life. You have my gratitude, and for the outcome, for allowing me to go, leading to my family being saved, giving us a home...you have my loyalty, from now until the end of all things. My blades, my fists...they are always at your service, something that no one has had before." He told her.

Farenia was silent, processing this. She nodded, though she knew he wouldn't see that, but it was the only response she could formulate at the moment. That and a respectful silence.

ON:

Following the guidelines set down by the Captain: all Starfleet personnel were allowed and encouraged to visit Glebben Station in Uniform, in groups of at least 3, and keep their explorations limited to the Promenade, Bio-Dome, and/or entertainment sections. This had not been followed so well the last time Storme had come on board. But that situation was to be kept under wraps, according to the XO.

Theron had to find someone else for their group and had come across Cadet Hansen in the officer's mess, who had agreed to come along with them.

The three Starfleet officers found their way up to the 2nd level of the promenade and began to look around for a place to get a bite to eat, especially a drink or two . . . or more.

Syrena didn't argue, neither did she complain as the three of them moved around the promenade. Being rather Klingon in her mannerisms, her attitude might've seemed a bit grumpy or on edge compared to anyone else's, but she didn't care. All she did was keep herself quiet and alert. She didn't mind if her Human or Bolian company talked amongst themselves. Though, only occasionally she'd chime in with an opinion or a suggestion, or even a comment to their conversation.

However, as the three of them walked along the promenade, Syrena looked around cautiously. Even though she knew the station like the back of her hand, since she'd been here during her time waiting for the Islandica to arrive, so that she could accept her assignment onboard the ship; She could immediately tell which areas were good, which ones were the not-so-good areas, and which ones were the even shadier areas. Those shadier areas, she knew better to avoid completely, otherwise, something bad could happen.

Ranav was eager to unwind after the mission to retrieve the dish was somewhat successful. They had returned the dish, but the thief had got away. He acknowledged Storme with a nod. "I'm ready for a few ales," he stated as he sigh a breath of relief they were back. He had not met the cadet yet. "I see you've found someone to join us."

Brott genuinely smiled and held out his hand in the traditional Bolian greeting. "Pleased to meet you! I'm Lieutenant Ranav Brott, the CSO."

Syrena gave the lieutenant a nod, "Cadet Senior Grade Syrena Hansen, ACSTO." She answered rather sourly. Not that she was being rude; she just didn't really feel like talking.

Theron looked from Brott to Hansen and back. He slapped his hands together and rubbed them exuberantly saying, "Well smashing, we've got that out of the way." He turned to Brott, "Lieutenant, you've spent some time here already, I understand. Can you recommend a decent place for a drink?"

"I've only been on station once," Ranav confessed. "I was with a young lady. It was more of a place to take a date; definitely not the place to go and have a few drinks."

"Certainly not." Syrena agreed with the Bolian lieutenant's confession, even though she wasn't really paying full attention to the current conversation between the three of them, "It's not even a good place to be assigned to either, not even temporarily." She added without missing a beat.

Theron smiled at her comment, then some exuberant laughing came from above and drew his attention. Theron stopped, turned, and looked up. He saw what appeared to be a bar on the next level up. "Maybe that's where we need to go!?"

"It's as good a guess as any." Syrena answered annoyed, "Question is; How do we get up there?" She glanced around for a moment or two before adding, "I don't see any stairs or a turbolift nearby that leads up there."

Theron looked about too for a lift or something, then to Brott, "Which way Lieutenant?"

Brott lead the group down the open walkway of the Promenade for just a short distance to a lift.

As they approached the noisy location Theron read the name above the establishment entrance, "Hoex's Ingot. Hopefully it's not too pricey."

"Knowing the Ferengi, Everything is too pricey." Syrena commented rather sarcastically. "They'd rob you both blind if they were smart or foolish enough to try."

Theron was intrigued by that comment, raising his eyebrows in interest.

As the small group entered the club they were met by a very slender woman carrying a tray with empty glasses on it. Her hair was orange and purple, make up was dramatic, and clothes were minimal. She looked human to Storme, but he wasn't sure.

"Hey guys," the waitress said excitedly with a smile, and loudly over the music. "Welcome to Hoex's. Do you ‘Fleeters’ need a table?" She looked back over her shoulder then back at the fleeters, "It may be a while, but I can serve ya at the rear bar." She pointed with her free hand to an area about half way back into the club.

Theron nodded to the affirmative and looked to the others in his party, and gave a shrug

Syrena answered Storme's shrug with one of her own, and figured she'd follow him whilst thinking that Brott would probably follow behind or close to the both of them. She doubted that it would be a good idea to separate from the both of them as they walked through the club, since most of the club's patrons looked rather shady and distrusting. Though a small smile crept onto Syrena's face as she thought at how foolish someone would be if somebody had tried to attempt to do anything stupid with her. She knew they'd immediately regret it if they even tried.

The ‘fleeters’ as the waitress had called them walked through the club. Theron looked right and left as he made his way through the throngs of patrons. He could identify more than half a dozen different species; from the expected Ferengi to a couple Klingon’s on the far left wall. The cheers they made during drinking seemed louder than most.

The group of three stepped up to the bar with Brott and Storme on each side of Hansen.

Theron felt a need to protect the Cadet. He didn't think she was naive, but it just made better sense. He waived at the Bolian bartender, who indicated that he would be there in a moment. The three newcomers turned away from the bar for the moment and took in the sights of the very loud and diverse crowd.

Syrena smiled again as she thought that both Storme and Brott were being sweet to try to protect her when they each moved to stand by either side of her. Not that she needed to be protected; her being half Klingon was more than enough of a deterrent for someone to leave her alone, and her bad attitude alone, was also enough to show that she could take care of herself and that whoever messed with her, would be very sorry they'd ever crossed her path.

The Bolian bartender came around and with a bit of a sneer asked, "What'l'ya'ave ?"

Theron smiled cheerfully, in an attempt to change the bartenders attitude toward them. The Tandaran had no clue what really to ask for, so he started simple, "I'll have a dark ale."

"And I'll have a Samarian Sunset." Syrena told the bartender once Storme finished ordering his drink.

Brott then ordered a Bolian drink called a Tarija. He explained that it was a very tart wine.

Theron thought it odd when the bartender almost smiled at Brott and could have sworn that he had winked at the Lieutenant.

As the drinks began to arrive the conversation meandered far and wide for the trio. Food arrived and was consumed. A fight even broke out in the bar and the three Starfleet personnel stood their ground. Staying uninvolved was high on the Captain's list while on the station.

Syrena glanced at the small group of people who started the fight, and sighed with disgust and disdain towards them, "What a bunch of morons." She managed to mutter just loud enough for Theron and Brott to hear her.

Theron heard her soft comment, barely above the commotion. He turned to her and asked, "Morons? Really?" He chuckled a little and took a sip of his drink, then added, "Are you saying that if someone insulted you or your ship, you wouldn't want to straighten out their dermal facial?" He raised his eyebrows questioning her repugnance to fighting.

"It's a remote possibility." Syrena responded to Theron with a sly kind of a smirk upon her face that seemed to indicate that she may or may not have been telling a joke, but she didn't let on whether or not her statement was a joke, or actually the truth, "Though, everyone knows that if you insult a Klingon, or even a half-Klingon; like myself for example, then you're definitely asking for trouble. Especially if that Klingon rearranges your entire skeletal structure from the inside of your body." She took a sip of her drink and swallowed it before continuing, "Now, I can't say that I've known very many Klingons who could do that, but you should hope to never have to find that out for yourself."

Theron couldn't help but smile and thought for a moment. He lifted his drink toward Syrena, "Here's to keeping the Klingon in all of us . . . happy."

Syrena smiled and lifted her drink towards Theron, "I'll drink to that." Was the only response she made.

A little later the bar tender showed up with 3 glasses of something he later called, Verillian Ice. It was a very cold drink with 3 distinct colored layers of liquid; yellow, white, and cyan blue on top. The bartender said, "To welcome Starfleet to Hoex's Ingot I have some free drinks for you." He smiled real big, "Enjoy."

Theron again noticed how the bartender just kinda smiled toward brott before turning away. He really didn’t know what to think about that.

The free drinks looked inviting to Theron. Each of the group picked up their drink and tried it. Theron then found that the different layers were also different in flavor; from a dry, to a sweet, to a sour with a punch at the end; definitely something to sip on.

After that things became very sketchy for the trio.


OFF:


Lt. Ranav Brott
Chief Science Officer
USS Islandica

Ens. Theron Storme
Helmsman
USS Islandica

Cadet Syrena Hansen
Assistant Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Islandica

Farenia tapped at her console some more, still not used to the layout of her new office. Command of a starship finally fell into her lap and she already had some pretty disgusting orders from Command - even her old bosses were trying to get in on the action.

That would have to wait for now though. She had someone she really wanted to meet and they hadn't replied to her request to a meeting since the away team's return from Turalek. Not very professional of them, but she supposed that was expected after a hard mission like they had been on.

Tapping her comm badge, Farenia spoke calmly. "Captain Meowlith to Miss Brennan, your presence is still requested in my office. May I have an estimated time for your arrival?"

=/\="Not tonight,"=/\= came Shae's delayed response. Shae was surprised she had answered at all, but this was the Captain and one should not ignore calls from a Captain!

"Would you prefer meeting elsewhere then? The dining hall or perhaps your quarters?" Farenia asked, not about to give in just from that short reply.

=/\="I would prefer to be left alone right now," Shae replied in a short tone. She knew she shouldn't let her emotions get away from her, especially with the Captain, but she couldn't really help it. "If this absolutely cannot wait until tomorrow, then my quarters are... acceptable."=/\=

"As I'm supposed to be in conference calls all day tomorrow and my time is free at the moment, now would be preferable. I'll be at your quarters momentarily." Tapping her comm badge, Farenia shook her head and wondered what all this person had been through. She may find out some of it tonight.

Heading out of her office and out onto the bridge, Farenia nodded to the night shift crew that had already reported for duty, heading straight to the turbolift. The trip was short enough and though she thought about the possibility of bringing a gift, she had no idea what would be acceptable. She'd have to bring one next time.

Thankfully it was a small ship and Shae's quarters were easy enough to find. Pressing the door chime, she waited for the door to open.

The door opened right away. Shae was reclined back on her bed, humming softly to the tiny child sleeping on her chest. Aoife had not dealt well with Shae's absence and Shae had only just now been able to coax Aoife to sleep. As she noticed the Vulcan entering her quarters, she held a finger to her lips with a soft shush. "Pull up a chair if you want, but please keep your voice low," Shae said in a soft tone as she gently stroked Aoife's downy hair.

Farenia smiled warmly as she nodded, heading into the smaller quarters and pulling up a chair to sit next to the bed. "Sorry for disturbing you. I just needed to get with you on a few things." Farenia spoke softly, not wanting to wake Aoife. "This is your daughter, I assume. How do you pronounce her name? I couldn't figure it out from your records."

"Yes, this is EE-fa," Shae enunciated with a smile, relieved that this woman did not seem to mind her insubordination now that the reason was made known. "It's Irish. I was raised in Ireland, and not everyone can wrap their tongues around it."

"Yeah, Ireland was... an interesting place to visit. I went there once during the Academy." Farenia replied, keeping her voice soft and smiling wider. "I much prefered to visit Japan. I fell in love with the food there. I grew up in a desert, so all that seafood and water..."

"Yes, I have recently been introduced to the wonders of sukiyaki," Shae said with a smile, thinking fondly on a meal she shared with Joseph. "But I know you did not come here to discuss Earth culture or cuisine. How can I help you, Captain?"

Farenia nodded, getting to the point of her visit. "First off, I wanted to ask you personally what your feelings on the likely reinstatement of your old rank are. Everything checks out ok and though the counselor has made a few cautionary notes... Honestly, I'm not sure what to make of her either, so I'm not sure how to take her recommendation letter."

"I would be concerned if either of you weren't concerned, I have a deeply troubled past. Add to that years of isolation which has given me a fear of social interaction, I honestly don't know if I'll be able to function as a part of the crew. But the point is I want to try. At first I was willing to just walk away from this crew, find a transport to take me somewhere far away from the Federation... But I want a better life for Aoife than one where we're constantly on the move, looking over our shoulders wondering when my past is going to resurface and cause me harm. At least this way, I can face my past and deal with it instead of running away," Shae explained.

"And you'll have the support of Starfleet and the Federation in that. The fact that you're wanting to move forward rather than run away warms my heart at the very least." Farenia replied, mulling over Shae's words. "I'm honestly not going to put in for your rank reinstatement immediately but I'd like to after a while."

"You would like to see how counselling progresses?" Shae conjectured. "I won't make promises because for me the future is still far too uncertain. All that I can do is assure you that I do want to do better. And as long as you'll accept my assistance in Astrometrics, I will report for duty every day. I'm still working on arrangements for Aoife's daily care, but so far she has not caused any hindrances to my ability to perform my duties."

"I'd love to have you in Astrometrics. As for taking care of Aoife, As long as it doesn't interfere when stresses are high, I'm ok with you taking her to work with you for a while. In the future, do you think it would be possible to maybe use a holographic nanny? I've heard they're pretty popular on several worlds lately." Farenia said thoughtfully. "I assume you didn't take her with you on your recent mission."

Shae took a sharp breath when the Captain mentioned the recent mission. "No, absolutely not!" she said a little more loudly than she meant to. Aoife, stirred slightly, but did not wake. Shae hummed a little and smoothed her daughter's hair to soothe her back into peaceful sleep. "Apologies, but no, I did not take her with me. I left her in the care of Commander Reed," Shae continued more calmly. "Aoife seemed agreeable to her, but she didn't take the separation very well. I had a feeling she would be upset when I returned and that's why I did not attend the debriefing. For duty shifts, I would be alright with a holographic nanny so long as a real person was nearby."

"This is a small ship so it may be tricky, but I think we can arrange that." Farenia didn't want to agitate either Shae or Aoife, but she had to ask about it. "Now about the mission debrief..." she started somewhat sourly, not looking forward to the expected reaction.

"Lieutenant Whistler was the Officer in Charge, and Commander Se'Lah can verify everything, but I will supply any information you require of me," Shae replied with a nod.

"I'd like your assessment of their performance, actually." Farenia stated simply, leaving the unasked questions up in the air.

"From what I've viewed of their performance, they are what you would expect of those working in Intelligence: determined, resourceful, more than a little unhinged... Lieutenant Whistler was quick to kill when it wasn't absolutely necessary, but then again this was Turalek; that world was bound to bring out the worst in all of us. The Commander handled herself well, professional and to the point." Shae paused, wondering if she should mention that Se'lah seemed to be a calming influence on Mark, and vice versa, but in the end she decided to keep that tidbit to herself for now. "For a time, Whistler and Se'Lah had gone into the city while I stayed with the crew we had brought, and as a result I cannot account for their actions while we were separated, but I know Whistler's character and I know he would have done what was necessary, but only what was necessary; though he may be quick to resort to violence, he does not act in to excess. So whatever his report of the city details, know that he acted as necessary."

Farenia had to shake her head, wondering what all this was going to mean in their future missions. "Fascinating indeed. I've gotten the impression that I've inherited a ship of misfits and social rejects and I'm hoping Starfleet hasn't lumped me into that group just to sweep us all under a rug."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I was not assigned here. I'm literally a hitchhiker," Shae pointed out with a half laugh.

"I like hitchhikers," Farenia said bluntly. "They bring an interesting element and can be exciting. A classic example being the locals that Voyager picked up when they were pulled to the Delta quadrant. Each one added a unique element to the ship that helped them in their journey home. In a way, I guess I'm holding you up to that ideal."

"Oh goodness, those are some pretty high standards," Shae said with a giggle. "But I will do what I can." Then Shae grew more serious, her eyes fixed on Farenia for a long moment. "About the mission we just came back from... I'd like that to be a one time deal. I know I'm capable of far more than being a mere scientist but... I'm trying to put that part of my past behind me. The only reason I went on this mission was because Lieutenant Whistler is a friend and I knew the dangers of Turalek and I wanted to give the team the best possible chances of returning home alive. But after this and being separated from my daughter, I don't want to take anymore unnecessary risks. All I want is to be a scientist and a mother, nothing more."

The Vulcanoid Rigelian nodded, thinking that over a moment before answering. "You may not have that luxury, but I'll do what I can. I can relate to that in a way, I think. I wanted to be an Ops Chief by the time I turned 75. Then Starfleet sent me on a series of undercover ops, using my likeness to Vulcans as a cover. Now I'm 72 and commanding a starship without having ever been an Ops Chief."

"It's not quite the same, but point taken," Shae replied with a nod. "If it ever comes down to a choice, know that my answer will be no, but I will not fight a direct order. So if your assessment of a situation demands my involvement, I will do what is required of me."

"Yeah, different situations and all that... But I'd like to think that the desire to further your original ideals is the same as mine." Farenia replied. "As for ordering you to do something you don't want to do, I can't do that while you're a civilian. As for when you get your rank back, I don't foresee the need to even entertain such an order as a possibility, but we're going into unknown space so I can't promise I never will."

"I understand, and I will take that into consideration as these situations arise," Shae replied. "Was there anything else you needed?"

Farenia leaned back in her chair and sighed softly, ticking off the checklist in her head. "I think that's the main points I wanted to address with you. What are your expectations of me? What can I do for you? Other than what we discussed, that is."

"All I ask for is patience," Shae said simply. "Learning to readapt to this kind of life, it's going to take time, so patience is really all I need."

"I can appreciate that," Farenia replied with a soft smile. "Is three days enough time before you can report for duty? We should be up and ready to go by then and I'll need a skilled astrometrics specialist handy."

"Since you don't mind me bringing Aoife to work with me, I can work starting tomorrow," Shae said. "But since the ship is still being repaired, if I could be allowed some personal time, I would appreciate it."

"As it stands, astrometrics is pretty well yours so take the time you need." Farenia replied with a smile. "Just promise me you'll have a course into the expanse plotted for us when we need it."

"Already done," Shae replied. "I've been in there for a few days getting used to the new system designs and I've already plotted a course. you'd have the report on your desk by now, but I got a little sidetracked helping with a friend's away mission."

"It probably came in during all the change of command bullshit then. I mean paperwork... Yeah..." Farenia was looking a bit sheepish, her language not very captain-like. "I'll check the computer for it. If there's nothing else... Would you like to join me for dinner in a couple days? Nothing official or anything - just a small sushi party with a few of the crew, if you're up for it."

"Oh, I haven't written the report yet. That's what I meant when I said I got sidetracked. I can have that report ready for you in the morning, if you'd like," Shae offered. "And I will try to make it to the gathering. Social anxiety being what it is, I can't promise I won't chicken out at the last minute."

"Just do your best and if you can't make it, I'll understand," Farenia said as she stood up and moved the chair back to where she had found it. "Truth be told, You're the only person I've invited so far. I'm not exactly a social butterfly myself."

"Well, you're still new, you'll settle in soon enough," Shae replied with smiling eyes. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Captain."

"And a pleasure to meet you. Get some rest, ok? After that away mission, you deserve it." Farenia replied before turning and leaving the small quarters.

ON:

Since their return from Turalek, Se’Lah hadn’t failed to notice that the Shae still hadn’t been coping too well after being removed from the planet where she’d been isolated for so long. Having been told by the computer that Shae was in the Holodeck, Se’Lah had made her way there.

“Computer, open the holodeck.” She ordered, and as the doors opened, she stepped in.

** Holodeck**

It was nothing but green as far as the eye could see, the rolling hills of Ireland recreated in exquisite detail. Even after 20 years, Shae remembered her home in Wicklow and lovingly recreated the location to show her infant daughter where she had grown up. As Shae wandered about the house, the fields, the forest, and finally the creek where she used to play as a child, Shae wondered if it still looked the same or if things had changed… Ending her little tour down memory lane deep in the forest, Shae found a patch of clover and lay down, settling her infant daughter beside her. Aoife looked around, watching dust and sunlight dancing through the trees as her mother began to softly sing an old Irish tune her father used to sing to her as a child.

Not far off, the peaceful quiet of the forest was interrupted by the somewhat distant sound of the Holodeck doors opening, and then closing. Se’Lah stood in the middle of a forest she didn’t recognize. Though it was not what she expected, she turned around to get some idea of where she might find Shae close by.

Shae’s ears turned at the sound of the holodeck doors, but she made no move to get up or to find out who was invading her privacy. Instead, she plucked a pink clover blossom and proceeded to show it to her daughter, still singing the haunting Irish tune.

Along with the quiet of the forest, Se’Lah could hear the sound of singing being carried on the breeze. She silently followed the sound, until she found Shae, and Aoife. She stood quietly by, just observing, and waiting patiently.

Shae lifted her gaze just long enough to confirm who was observing her, then returned to more important things, like Aoife’s smile as she tried to take the pink flower from her mother’s grasp. “What can I do for you, Commander?” Shae asked after a while, her gaze still fixed on her child.

“I was coming to check on you.” Se’Lah replied. “Mainly, because you are spending all of your time alone.”

“Not all my time,” Shae replied softly, finally letting Aoife have the flower. “It’s harder than I thought… Honestly, I’d accepted that I would spend the rest of my life alone on that world, so being around people again is proving to be a greater challenge than I could have anticipated.”

“I won’t tell you that I know what you’re going through.” Se’Lah replied as she took a seat on a nearby log. “But I will tell you that nothing worth having is ever easy.”

“Nothing in my life has ever come easily,” Shae said with a sigh. “This ship is so small, it feels like being back in my cage… I already miss the sky and the smell of fresh air…”

Se’Lah smirked at this. “I wish I knew what it was I miss.” Se’Lah said, standing up to approach the two. “When I woke up after the explosion…” Se’Lah simply trailed off, and her gaze, which had once been on Shae, now seemed to go right through her into a blank stare, as the words echoed in her mind for several seconds.

Shae recognized that stare; it was one she had seen on herself many times before her escape. “Commander?” Shae asked cautiously, finally sitting up as she worried about what had left Se’Lah so hollow.

A few more quiet seconds went by, before Se’Lah blinked, then inhaled sharply. There was no hesitation as the Vulcan woman went for her gun, bringing it up, and pulling the trigger, causing a loud bang to reverberate through the forest, and landing a tranq dart in Shae’s lower leg..

Shae didn’t even flinch, she simply covered her child to protect her, the sound of the shot ringing in her ears. She looked up at Se’Lah with a growl. She had to protect her child, but at the same time she could tell that something wasn’t quite right with Se’Lah, so Shae was torn on how to respond.

“Commander!” Shae barked out over the sounds of Aoife’s startled cries. “What are you doing?!”

Se’Lah didn’t fire again, but Shae’s voice caught her attention, and she turned to aim the gun squarely at her, taking a few cautious steps away. “Who are you?” The question was simple, and to the point, as a light sheen of sweat began to form on Se’Lah’s visible skin.

Shite, this wasn’t good! “My name is Shae,” the Chameloid woman started, pausing for a moment as she felt the tranquilizer from the dart racing through her system. She didn’t doubt for a second that Se’Lah wasn’t faking a lapse in memory. Shae could read the signs of warning and intent on Se’Lah’s face. “You found me on an away mission on Psi Gamma IV, you rescued me and my daughter,” Shae continued, hoping that drawing attention to the helpless child crying would help prompt Se’Lah to lower the weapon.

Se’Lah was quiet for a moment, but made no move either way. “I think you are mistaken.” She said simply. “I’ve never seen you before, and this is not where I should be.”

“Where should you be?” Shae asked, running her fingers through Aoife’s wispy hair in an attempt to calm her as she fought to remain focused and alert. “Or better yet, where are we now? Aside from the holodeck, I mean… What ship are we on, what system? Ask the computer.”

Se’Lah gave Shae a curious look, trying to gauge the truth of her words. “Computer, am I on a ship, or a station?”

“You are on a Starship.” Came the computer’s reply.

“Identify the ship.”

“The U.S.S. Islandica.”

Another few seconds went by as confusion set in, before Se’Lah grabbed at her temples in obvious pain, crumbling to her knees.

In a flash of movement, Shae rushed Se’lah. She was not in any way unsympathetic to the pain Se’Lah seemed to be in, but she had managed to shoot Shae in front of her daughter! Shae was not leaving that woman armed! At the moment Shae moved, Se’lah tried to react, but she wasn’t fast enough and both women toppled to the forest floor, the gun tumbling out of their reach. “Computer, Security!” Shae called out as she tried to hold Se’Lah down.

Though her mind was foggy from the pain in her head, Se’Lah reacted by simply shoving Shae hard away, allowing her to kip up into a defensive stance that was less than graceful. She didn’t understand where she was, but she knew she’d been tackled, and now she had to survive.

Aoife’s cries tugged at Shae’s heartstrings and the Chameloid woman couldn’t leave her child crying any longer. She returned to the patch of clover and picked up her child, growled a warning at Se’Lah as she slowly backed away. “Please don’t make me fight you any more,” Shae pleaded. Not that she thought she could get a second attack in, the tranquilizer was making everything sluggish.

As Shae moved, Se’Lah went to advance on her, but stopped when she picked up the child. In that moment of hesitation, Se’Lah staggered, grabbing at her temples again, before dropping to her knees and finally falling over onto the ground.

“Computer, Medical Emergency,” Shae said uneasily, moving further away from the prone form of the Vulcan woman. Her Starfleet training dictated that she should at least check for vitals, but she wasn’t going near that woman again! But she did wonder what the hell was wrong with Se’Lah.

Syrena was the first person to promptly enter the holodeck once Security had been alerted to report there. Though, She might still only be a Senior Grade Cadet, She was still the Assistant Chief of Security on the Islandica. "What happened here?" The half-Klingon, Half-Human Cadet glanced up and questioned towards the unfamiliar Chameloid woman as she bent down on one knee to examine the similarly unfamiliar downed Vulcan woman.

Shae growled at this newcomer. Adrenaline was allowing the Chameloid woman to fight the affects of the tranquilizer in her system, but it was still affecting her, enough to shut down the more cognitive functions of her thought processes. She was pure instinct now, little more than a wild animal protecting her young, and she didn't like this new person getting too close so she growled at the Cadet.

Valyre was close behind Syrena, and she took a quick inventory of the situation. Se'Lah was unconscious but breathing and in other distress, while Shae was growling and clearly not herself. Val didn't need to be an expert in Chameloid physiology to know that the dart sticking out of Shae's leg was affecting her in some way. A quick tricorder scan showed Se'Lah to be in no medical danger, so Valyre quickly went with her gut instinct to help Shae instead. "Easy, Shae," she said quietly, sitting on the deck a short distance away, close enough to get good readings on her scans but not so close that Shae's more animalistic instincts would find her terribly threatening. "No one's going to hurt Aoife."

There was something... familiar about this woman with spots, but the primal nature within Shae could not immediately identify why this woman was familiar. It didn't matter, the woman was keeping her distance, so Shae regarded her with disinterest as she held her whimpering child closer, stroking Aoife's hair and ears to soothe her. The poor little thing had been so frightened...

"I'm just going to take that dart out of your leg, okay?" Valyre slid ever so slightly closer, still just barely out of reach. She knew that a seated rather than crouching position was a risk; she wouldn't be able to escape quickly if Shae pounced on her. Hopefully that meant it was also less threatening.

Though Shae growled at the Trill woman, the sound was somewhat softer than the more threatened sound from earlier. She was allowing the contact, allowing Val to remove the dart lodged in her thigh, and the growl served as a warning to not do anything foolish. She winced as Val pulled the dart free. Some part of her hoped that the fuzzy feeling in her head and the heavy, sluggish feeling in her body would go away now. And it was leaving a strange, metallic taste in her mouth too... Her eyes were so heavy, it was getting really hard to remain upright now that the adrenaline was starting to dissipate, but Aoife's waning whimpers kept her alert. Not safe here, can't fall asleep, must get somewhere safe...

"Shhhhh." Shae's growls didn't bother Valyre that much, so she worked quickly to drop the dart into a specimen jar and then start scans with a tricorder. Whatever the dart had been loaded with was quickly overpowering the amount of adrenaline Shae's body to produce, and there wasn't time to find the proper antidote. "Okay, you're not going to like me for a minute. But this is my only option, so please don't bite me." Fishing a stimulant out of her kit, Valyre quickly injected it into Shae's arm. It wouldn't truly counteract the tranquilizer, but it would keep the Chameloid woman awake while Valyre tried to figure out what she'd been shot with.

When Shae growled at Syrena, She'd hissed a growl back at her in warning; Showing Shae that Syrena would not be intimidated in any manner whatsoever. And others knew that Klingons, Especially the half-human hybrid types like Syrena, Were not very easily intimidated. However, She didn't move a muscle, Syrena stayed right where she was, Though, Keeping her defensive gaze locked on Shae. "They will need to come down to the Security office to answer a few questions." She informed Valyre when she stood from having been bent down on one knee where she had been examining the down Vulcan woman and straightened her uniform. One glaring glance and a hiss of disdain at Shae, Syrena spoke, "Computer, Exit." With that said, She left the holodeck before either of the women had anything left to say to her.

Shae's growl intensified at the Klingon woman, but she was glad the woman left. The fewer the people the better! And it wasn't like Shae was trying to intimidate anyone, she just wanted them to keep their distance while she was like this; she was just trying to protect herself and her child! Although she certainly did not like what Val had given her, it was making her all jittery! But it was also keeping her awake, so at least that was good... Her head was swimming, all her thoughts muddled. Why couldn't she think clearly?

In that moment, Se'Lah slowly began to stir. It wasn't much, as the Vulcan woman rolled over onto her side, haphazardly bringing a hand to her temple. In her painfully delirious state, Se'Lah couldn't identify her location, or those near her. All she knew was that her gun was missing, and she was not where she was supposed to be.

"Cadet Hansen!" Valyre's tone was not that of the usually friendly nurse, but rather the stern snap of a command officer. Even without the angry tail whip Reen gave in response to Syrena's leaving, she'd already drawn on the two starship captains that had once hosted the symbiont. "If you walk through those doors, I will personally make you regret it. Get back in here and control the situation like you've been trained to do!" Security walking out and leaving a scene where someone had been shot without knowing what had happened? It was just preposterous. "Commander Se'Lah, if you move one muscle I swear to the Goddess I will sedate you and lock you in the brig myself." A growling note had entered Valyre's voice, an uncommon thing for those who knew her. Confident that Shae was at least stable enough not to pass out, she paused in her work long enough to tap her combadge. "Captain Meowlith and Lieutenant Iniya. Report to the holodeck immediately."

Syrena didn't actually leave the holodeck as someone would've thought; At the mere mention of her rank and last name, followed by the angered threat of punishment, She begrudgingly hissed another growl as she stopped short of just a few steps away from the holodeck's doors. Though, Syrena's hissing growl could've been viewed as a frustratingly annoyed growl, but not one of insubordination, She heaved a sigh and returned back towards the small group, moving to stand directly beside Val. Her phaser was drawn from its holster at the right side of her hip, and set on stun, But Syrena did not intend to use it unless it was absolutely necessary.

The tone in Val's voice prompted Vicky to get moving faster than she normally would if she were called to the holodeck. Leaving the young crewman working on a grow lamp setup for her behind, she headed out of her quarters and made it to the holodeck at the same time Farenia got there. Nodding to the Vulcanoid Rigelian, Vicky followed her inside to see a rather peculiar situation.

Farenia thankfully wasn't far away, having been inspecting some recent repairs on the same deck. Nodding to Vicky, she led the way into the holodeck, her expression turning decidedly grim as she surveyed the situation. "What's going on in here?" she demanded, not liking the look of things.

"Considering I was called here after the fact, I'm not entirely certain." Keeping a wary eye cast in Se'Lah's direction, Valyre had returned to trying to neutralize the tranquilizer in Shae's bloodstream. "Aoife can't fire a weapon. Obviously. And Shae sure as hell didn't shoot herself with a tranquilizer dart. So my guess is your first officer used an unauthorized weapon to shoot the cute little fox lady and then passed out. I'd tell you to get a better story out of Security, but as you can see, Cadet Hansen is not monitoring the situation and is instead trying to leave while the victim, her child, and myself are here and the danger might not have fully passed."

"Then as Second Officer, you're now acting XO until this situation is resolved. Computer, end program." Farenia said before tapping her comm badge, the Irish forest scenery dissolving around them. "Security, send a team to the holodeck and escort Commander Se'lah to the brig." Moving towards her, Farenia kicked the pistol away and out of reach, wary of the rousing Vulcan woman. "Lieutenant Iniya, I'll need you to assess her mental state as soon as you can. Commander Reen, what's Miss Brennan's status?"

Shae flinched as the forest around them disappeared and her growling renewed, but she remained otherwise calm despite the people coming and going. By now Aoife had calmed, though she still clung to her mother; knowing her mother was still tense made the child wary, but at least she was no longer crying.

"Shae will be all right once I figure out what the hell this damned tranquilizer is so I can neutralize it." Valyre's voice still carried a growl of frustration as she compared the tranquilizer to all the sedatives listed in the ship's computer. She wasn't seeing a match, and she didn't like it. "I want that woman taken off duty indefinitely pending a full psychological and psychiatric evaluation."

"Agreed," Farenia said as she pulled out her tricorder and walked towards the abandoned weapon, scanning it for chemicals. "I didn't expect to need my phase pistols on board the ship while we're docked... Remind me to start carrying them again." After a few more seconds of scanning, she thought she might recognize the offending tranquilizer. "Check your database for mild Rigelian neuro-toxins. This looks pretty similar to the hunting darts my people use."

"Thanks." Quickly looking up the treatment for a Rigelian neuro-toxin, Valyre dug through her bag and came up with a vial of pink liquid. Checking its label she loaded it into a hypospray and pressed it against Shae's neck, praying it worked.

Shae shook her head to try to dispel the funny feeling coursing through her. Cognizance was beginning to resurface, but trying to think felt like wading through molasses. Why was it so hard to think? "Not safe," she finally said in a soft and sluggish tone. "Home, tired, thirsty..." she added as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the light. Why did it suddenly seemed so bright?

"You're all right," Valyre said to Shae in a more soothing tone, gently smoothing the fur on Shae's ears with her hand with the same motion she'd use to brush a patient's hair back. "Computer, lower lighting to sixty percent of normal." As the lights dimmed, Valyre consulted her tricorder to make sure it was only the light bothering Shae's eyes.

Shae shrugged away from the contact, her instinctual side still too aroused with the sense of danger with Se'Lah still here for her to accept the kindness of that simple, comforting touch. She wanted to go back to the familiarity of her room where she felt safe, sate this thirst that the tranquilizer seemed to have evoked, then go to bed to sleep off the rest of the effects of the medications coursing through her system. "Please, can I go home?" she muttered tiredly.

Checking her scan results, Valyre nodded. "Yes, go home. But come see me if you don't start feeling better in a few hours. Or call if you don't want to leave your cabin. Okay?"

As the conversations took place around Se'Lah, conscious awareness finally set in, and her eyes shot open. As the pain in her head finally ebbed away, she slowly sat up, looking around as if trying to assess her situation. In this moment, there seemed to be no aggression, or hostility. She vaguely remembered a confrontation between herself, and the woman who was being tended to, but even that was fuzzy. "How did I get here?" She finally asked, noticing that her gun had been kicked out of reach. Though she showed no emotions, it was clear that there was some confusion, and lack of any recognition as she looked at each of them, her gaze finally settling on the Captain.

Farenia turned from the discarded weapon and holstered her tricorder, facing Se'lah in a casually ready stance. "I assume you walked into this holodeck. Then you attacked a fellow crewmember and her child. You'd better have a damned good reason for doing so, Commander, because Miss Brennan has my trust and you may have just lost it."

"Commander?" Se'Lah said, raising an eyebrow. She slowly got to her feet, seeming only a bit unsteady. "Captain, I believe you have me confused with someone else. My name is Mary-Anne... and this is not where I should be."

Mary-Anne... That was in Se'lah's records as a cover, if Farenia remembered right. Clearly angry, she raised her voice and took a step towards the confused woman in the hopes that she could get her full attention. "You are Lieutenant Commander Se'lah, executive officer of the USS Islandica. Service number DR-439-5387-VAL. As your Captain, I'm demanding answers as to why your weapon was discharged and a dart containing a neurotoxin was found sticking out of one of my crewmembers and you'd better have a damned good answer or you'll be spending the rest of your time in the brig."

As she was speaking, a security team finally arrived, weapons unholstered but not raised. As soon as she finished though, the crewman in charge cleared his throat. "Captain, our brig is currently occupied."

Glancing to the crewman momentarily, Farenia glared at Se'lah. "Then I guess if she has a satisfactory answer for me, she'll be confined to quarters until further notice. Otherwise, she's going into cryofreeze in the morgue and the nearest starbase can take care of her." A bit of a bluff, but Farenia was good at bluffing.

Shae finally made it to her feet, backing away from Se'Lah warily even though Security was here. "She didn't recognize me," Shae said quietly. "We were just talking and then she got this faraway look in her eyes..." And then the fighting started and Se'Lah wasn't Se'Lah anymore...

Se'Lah looked at Farenia curiously for a moment. "Computer, verify my rank, and position as stated by the Captain."

"Lieutenant Commander Se'Lah." The computer replied. "Executive Officer, USS Islandica."

"That explains a lot." Se'Lah said as she put her hands up to show that she was submitting to a possible arrest. "My last memory puts me on my previous assignment. My actions were a defensive measure, and will not happen again."

"No memory of the past two months. Wonderful. You'll be confined to quarters pending psychological and physiological evaluation." Farenia said, returning to her normal calm self and taking a step back as the security team holstered their phasers and stepped forward.

Se'Lah put her hands down at her sides. "Understood." She said simply, then turned to the security officers. "Please lead the way."

As the security detail led Se'Lah out of the holodeck, Farenia approached Val and Shae. "Please inform Lieutenant Whistler of the situation. He's acting second officer until all of this is sorted. Miss Brennan, are you and Aoife ok?"

"No harm was ever directed at Aoife, she is fine, just scared," Shae replied, her words still sluggish as she headed for the door. She was eager to get back to her quarters but her movements were still slow and careful. "Se'Lah and I fought, but no real harm was done to either of us. I will be fine once I sleep off the contents of the dart," she assured the Captain as she walked.

*****

Mark laughed as Kara finished her joke, and took a sip of his drink. "I gotta tell you guys, I missed you." Mark said, leaning back in his chair. They were in the intel office, enjoying a drink as they were catching up.

"We definitely missed you. Think we'll see those bastards again?" Lana asked, as she took a sip of her drink, referring to the group that was recruiting on the planet.

"Count on it. I'm just glad I got you guys out." Mark said, as one of the consoles beeped.

"What's that?" Pa'kar asked, frowning.

"Security alert. I'm sure the Security team are handling it." Mark replied.

"I'm surprised they didn't ask you to be in charge of Security." Michael said. Mark smirked as he took a sip of his drink.

"Who said they didn't? I don't play by the rules, remember?" Mark asked. The group chuckled as another alert sounded. This time, Mark's attention was caught, because it was a different sound. It was something involving Se'Lah. He stood up and checked the alert. "Oh hell. Stay here, something's happened involving Se'Lah." Mark said.

"I'll come with you." Kara said, standing up.

"Same." Michael replied, as the rest of the group stood up.

"Kara, Pak, with me. Rest of you, hold up here, wait for my signal." Mark said. They nodded, and Mark led the way out of the Intel Office, and to the holodeck, where he saw Security Officers leading Se'Lah away. "Where are you taking her?" Mark asked.

"Commander Se'Lah is being confined to quarters sir, by order of the Captain." One of the officers said.

"I'll handle this." Mark said. "Se'Lah, what happened?" He asked her, concerned. "Not the same problem as before?"

"I'm not entirely certain, especially since I can't recall ever speaking with you Lieutenant." Se'Lah replied with a raised eyebrow, noting this stranger's rank pips. "Apparently I'm suffering from a severe memory lapse of the last two months, and I tried to tranquilize Miss Brennan."

"Tried nothing..." Shae muttered as she staggered to the door, eager to put some distance between herself and Se'Lah. Her body language and posture simply screamed 'wounded animal', from her wary glance to the way her ears laid back and the subtle warning growl that was meant for Se'Lah. She found herself along the wall of the holodeck and used it to keep herself upright and steady.

Mark looked at her, and then at Shae. "Pak, get Shae to her quarters, stay with her, make sure she's okay." Mark ordered. Pak nodded, and picked up Shae gently.

"Let's get you some rest, shall we?" Pak asked, smiling at her.

Shae felt so tiny in Pak's arms, but at least there she was safe. she relaxed into his hold, nodding slightly to his statement as she cuddled Aoife. Aoife was a bit intimidated by this new person, but made no objections when she felt how relaxed her mother was around this man.

"How long have you been serving with Mark, Miss Shae?" Pak asked, trying to keep her awake for now, until they were all somewhere she could sleep.

Shae quickly gave him directions to her quarters with a heavy yawn. "Not long. We had only met back up a few days before we went to Turalek," Shae answered groggily. "I was stranded on a primitive planet in the Psi Gamma system and I rescued Se'Lah when she was separated from her away team, then they brought me aboard."

Pak nodded. "Well, I'll stay with you and your daughter, keep an eye on you and make sure you're safe." Pak promised. "I grew up on a primitive planet, so I know how it feels. Funnily enough, Miss Se'Lah helped save me." He said, smiling.

"Thank you..." Shae replied tiredly, her eyes drooping, though she remained awake enough to let them into her quarters once they arrived. But once she was placed on her bed covered with the furs saturated with the scent of her and Aoife and their cave home on Psi Gamma IV, she could remain awake no longer and immediately curled up with Aoife and fell asleep. Aoife, saturated in the sense of safety now that they were home, began purring softly as she too fell asleep.

Pak smiled as he watched the two fall asleep, and sat in a chair, watching them. He promised to keep an eye on them, and he'd make sure he'd do it. There was also something about Shae...he just couldn't tell what it was, but he liked her. He smiled as he leant back for the long haul.

As he watched the two fall asleep, Pak wondered what his next move would be. He had escaped Turalek, but would he be welcome here? Would he be able to find a new home. He stifled a yawn as he tried to think about the answers to his questions, and decided that for now, the only thing that mattered was ensuring that he did as Mark had asked.

As he and Se'Lah stood outside the holodeck, Mark looked at the security guards who had been ordered to escort Se'Lah back to her quarters. "I'll take it from here." Mark said.

"Sir, our orders..." One officer started, but a glare from Mark silenced him, causing them to move backwards.

"So you remember nothing of the last two month's, Se'Lah?" He asked tentatively. He didn't want to think worst case scenario at the moment, especially given their feelings for one another. "Not even the mission we were just on?"

"Not a thing, Lieutenant." Se'Lah replied in a perfect Vulcan manner as they began walking in the direction of the lift. "I don't recognize this ship, or anyone on it. In fact, by my perception, I should still be on my previous assignment, and yet the computer tells me that I'm the Executive Officer of this vessel."

Mark nodded, as Kara followed them cautiously. "Your previous assignment...Se'Lah, there was an...explosion." He said. "You were out for a short while, but you've been having memory problems since." He said, not mentioning how he felt about her. He started to feel cold inside, but tried to ignore it for the moment. "We met a short time ago, when I came aboard. We were...sparring partners, and you were on a mission with me." He explained, hoping to jog her memory. "To Turalek."

"Turalek is on the outskirts of the Erebus Expanse." Se'Lah said as they reached the lift. As it opened, she stepped inside, turning to look at him. For only the briefest of moments, her eyebrows furrowed, and there seemed to be a flicker of recognition in her gaze. "It is a planet that's been ravaged by bandits, murderers, and cannibals... I know the story well."

Mark frowned. "How do you know it?" He asked. He knew Turalek wasn't well known in the Federation, so he felt a brief surge of hope flare up.

"That information is classified." Se'Lah replied simply, as she stepped aside to allow Mark and Kara to join her in the lift. "Officer's quarters." She ordered as the doors closed, then turned to look at the man again, and some part of her felt drawn to him. She ignored it as she spoke again. "Your clearance must be classified level 8 or higher, verified by a thumb print scan for me to tell you more."

"My clearance is high enough." Mark said. "And I was born on Turalek, so believe me when I say I qualify to know about the world." He added.

"Did someone else know about us then?" Kara asked. Mark frowned.

"Possibly." Mark said, as the turbolift stopped. Mark led Se'Lah to her quarters and led her inside. When the three of them were inside, Mark looked at her. "Computer, seal this room, Authorisation Whistler Two Bravo Nine Alpha Zero. Privacy mode, and engage Whistler security mode." He ordered. A forcefield hummed around the door, which covered the entire room, and the computer systems became secure and locked. "Tell me everything about Turalek." Mark said.

Se'Lah raised an eyebrow, then moved to the terminal on her desk. With a few taps, she brought up a screen that this man should surely recognize. It was a screen designed for identity verification with a small box waiting for Mark to press his thumb to it. Upon scanning his thumb, it would also run a DNA scan. "Not without proper verification first." She said simply.

Mark sighed and placed his thumb on the device, allowing it to scan his thumb and his DNA. It also asked for identification. "Whistler, Mark. Chief Intelligence Officer." He said. He watched as the device lit up, clearing him. "As you can see, Commander, I have authorisation." He said, waiting for her to tell her tale.

Se'Lah glanced at Kara for a moment, quickly deducing that she must be in the 'need to know' category. "Up until this... explosion, I was working undercover in an elaborate sting operation to bring down a drug ring, run by a man named John Staunt. I... overheard him mention your home world, and started digging." She told him simply. "I believe that him, or someone he works for is from Turalek, and I am... was... looking for the proof."

Without waiting for any reply, Se'Lah stepped past the two of them to the replicator. "Hot tea, sweet." She picked it up, and looked at the two of them. "Would you like anything?"

Mark looked at her, and then fell back into a chair. "Staunt...Yes, he's from Turalek." Mark said, as Kara knelt down besides him.

"How the hell did he survive?" Kara asked, shaking her head.

"I have no idea." Mark replied. "More people have gotten off of Turalek than we realised, but we need to find out how." He said. "Se'Lah...John Staunt was on Turalek. He commanded a tribe called the Heartless. They were called that because rumour was that his soldiers had their hearts ripped out and replaced with darkness. They were absolutely fearless in battle, and extremely deadly. Because they had no hearts, they killed without mercy, without emotion and without passion. They were machines in human bodies. Every time one of them died, their bodies either exploded or caught on fire and burnt to ash. No one ever knew how it happened. But eleven years ago, three years before I left Turalek, I led a force against him. I lured a tribe of cannibals to his camp, and when that fight was over, three clans, including mine, went in and finished the job. I fought Staunt myself, and almost lost, but I threw him over a cliff that overlooked a flow of lava." Mark explained. "That was the last time the Heartless ever bothered anyone on Turalek. He...he must have had a personal transporter."

"There is no doubt that he is an extremely dangerous individual." Se'Lah replied simply, taking a seat at the table with her drink. "I've seen him vaporize more than just a few people over the years... most of them innocents, or those that crossed him, but I highly doubt that he was working alone. I know he had help... I just don't know who was helping him."

"I'll be finding out who that is, you can be sure. I have no idea how to even start how to find him, but I'll be making him a priority." Mark said. He looked at Se'Lah. "I'll make sure he can't hurt you." Mark promised.

"Unless he's moved his operation, he can likely be found on Starbase 122." Se'Lah replied simply. "I was actively investigating him right up until my memory lapse, but since I can't remember anything after this explosion, I can't tell you any more." She looked at him as she took a sip of her drink, that feeling of being drawn to him tugging at her again. "You were right to leave Turalek, Mr. Whistler. By my understanding, that planet is seriously hazardous to your health,"

Mark made a mental note to speak with the Captain about this turn of events. He'd also want to find out who else knew about Turalek. "How many people are aware of Turalek within the Federation?" Mark asked, frowning.

"If I had to guess, I'd say not many." Se'Lah replied simply. "In order to get what information I did, I had to hack into Mr. Staunt's files, many of which were protected by encryption more complex than anything I've ever seen before."

Mark nodded. "Still, someone else knew. We already know people are using my people as soldiers, implanting them with crude enhancements. I have to wonder, though, why they're using crude enhancements when some people on my world were able to use ones like mine." Mark said thoughtfully.

"Unless it was a different group with better technology from off world." Kara suggested. Mark looked at them and then at Se'Lah.

"Could it be possible my enhancements, and my clan's, were done by someone offworld?" He asked.

"Anything is possible, Lieutenant." Se'Lah replied without missing a beat. "However, without knowing more about these implants, and the people who implanted them, it's impossible to know for certain."

Mark looked at her. "I would appreciate any information you might have on Staunt, but at the same time, you need to be careful. Certain people think you're dead...and it's not recommended that they find out otherwise."

"Allow me to take some time to review my service record before I give you anymore information." Se'Lah replied before taking a sip of her tea. "Since the records are mine, it stands to reason that I should be able to properly view them. I will get back to you once I feel I have enough of an understanding of my current situation... Do we have a deal, Mr. Whistler?"

Mark nodded. He wanted to take her into his arms, but he knew it wouldn't help. Besides, right now, he needed to process the information he had in his hands now. "We do. Thank you, Commander. I'll have my people stand watch outside your quarters, for now. Should you need anything, contact me immediately." Mark said.

"Understood." Was Se'Lah's simple reply

Mark and Kara left the room, and as they did, Mark faced Kara. "I need you and Drasko down here, keep an eye on her. Under no circumstances is she to know of our relationship. Right now, she's fragile, and needs to work this out herself."

"You got it, boss." Kara said, with a nod. "I'm sorry." She added.

"Me too, but hope isn't lost yet Kara. Never give up hope." Mark said. She nodded and used her communicator to summon Drasko.

"Should we let the others know about Staunt?" Kara asked.

"Not yet. I've got a...network in place, mostly others from home that left with me and Carrie before. Mil'nak should be in place to find Staunt, and I'll have Rynak get to him as backup." Mark said, before turning and walking down the corridor, knowing that whatever happened, all hell was about to break loose.

Mark smiled as he took a sip of his drink, standing in front of the Barbeque as he, Pak and Kara were cooking a selection of meats on it. He shook his head as he looked at Mika. "Mika, you never were one for subtle. How the hell did you manage to knock down a building?" Mark asked, as the doors to the holodeck opened.

"It was an accident. I didn't mean to destroy the building, I just...drove into the foundation." Mika replied, smirking as he took a sip of his drink.

Shae slowly approached the group, still a little sleepy from her run in with a tranquilizer dart, as well as wary of being in the holodeck again, but she was glad to be around friends again. "I'm sure that is all you did," Shae said teasingly to Mika. She didn't know if Mark had told them about who and what she really was, if they would accept her as easily as Mark had now that she was no longer wearing her 'Angela' persona. Pak had seemed to accept her just fine, but in her experience not everyone was so trusting or accepting. Aoife sat in her sling, clinging to her mother as she eyed all the knew people. "But that is what you get for letting Mark teach you how to drive," Shae added with a grin. "Computer, hammock," and the holodeck created a hammock strung up between a couple of trees and Shae sat in it, lounging back slightly with Aoife resting comfortably on her chest.

"Oh, come on Angela...sorry, Shae." Mika said, smiling. "He told us before you arrived. Not sure how it happened, but we're glad you're alive. And you know my driving wasn't ever that bad."

"Of course not. But no one else destroyed a building." Mark said, smirking. Pak looked at her.

"When did you become a mother? You mated now then?" He asked, sounding a little jealous, leaving Mark to snort into his drink.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, maybe one day you'll believe it," Shae said in response to Mika's driving, laughing softly. Though Pak's question had her growing sadly silent. "I didn't take a mate, Pak, Aoife's conception wasn't exactly voluntary. But I have no regrets now that she is here; she is the very beat of my heart, and I don't know what I would do without her," she said softly, a warm smile growing on her face as she leaned in to kiss Aoife's downy cap of hair.

"Well, she's part of the family then." Pak said, smiling as he looked at Aoife. "Definitely looks like you Shae." He said, smiling at Shae, before winking.

"Seriously? You just never give up, do you?" Mark joked, smirking.

Shae laughed. "Well, I do have rather distinctive feature to pass along," she said, giving one of Aoife's fox-like ears a rub. "And leave Pak alone, Mark, I think he's sweet. Though I am sort of seeing someone, so I suppose I shouldn't encourage him."

"Probably not." Mark agreed, smirking as Pak looked a little disappointed.

"It's not serious, is it? Besides, I know how to show you a good time." He said, smiling at her.

"Pak, please, don't," Shae said with a tired sigh. "For the past 15 years I've been living in near isolation on a planet that has not yet exceeded the Stone Age development. I am still readjusting to being around people, relearning how to be an officer, and I'm trying to move beyond a past that still haunts me, all while being a mother; right now I just want some peace and quiet, I don't want some sort of competition for my attention or affection."

Pak smiled at her. "Competition? I hope this man is good if you like him. He hurts you, then he answers to me." Pak said. "Meantime, you still like ribs?"

"Things are still... new. We're still getting to know one another, but Joseph is very good to me. He kind and he makes me feel safe," Shae said with a small smile she didn't even realize she was making, but then again Myomoto seemed to have that affect on her. "Bovine or pork variety?" Shae asked about the ribs. Really, she would eat just about anything put in front of her; she had her preferences, much of which had changed in her 15 years of isolation, but it was that same isolation that had made her much less picky about her foods. "Is there any fish on the grill?" she asked.

"There can be." Mark said, as he looked at Kara, who went to the food container they had. Mark had, just before dinner, had managed to acquire a large selection of real meat, and was using it for the meal. "So, anyone else around you'd like us to invite? Vicky should arrive soon." Mark said, as he put the fish on the grill.

"I'd love for Joseph to be here, but he couldn't get out of his duty shift. He might stop by before we're done, though," Shae said as she watched Mark cook. "By the way, where is everyone else?"

Stepping into the holodeck through the briefly opening doors, Vicky looked like she'd pulled an all nighter without coffee. Spotting Mark, she waved to him and made her way towards him. "Thanks for inviting me. I suppose I need a break pretty badly. Is this real animal flesh?" she asked, the smell of grilling meat filling her nostrils. She wasn't sure if she liked the smell or not, but it was certainly an interesting scent that she hadn't smelled since her academy days.

"Yep. Trust me, tastes fantastic on the grill." Mark said, as he smiled. "Glad you could make it." He added. He then smiled as the rest of his clan from Turalek walked through the doors of the holodeck. He could see Security outside, having likely escorted them through the ship. He understood why, but he then looked at Shae. "Right there." He said, with a grin.

Vicky smiled and waved to the others entering but opted for a slightly less social approach, heading a short way from the grill. "Computer, I need a fainting couch with a sunlamp and a pair of sunglasses." as soon as the requested items materialized, she slipped on the shades and flopped onto the couch with the sunlamp beating down on her.

"Fainting couch, nice," Shae said with a grin as she swung her hammock gently. She was giving up all pretenses of being distant near Vicky, she was simply too tired to bother with such appearances. Right now, she just wanted to relax and enjoy her time with her family rather than bicker with Vicky.

"Guys, this is Vicky. Vicky, this is my clan from Turalek...my family." Mark said, as he began to introduce everyone. "Be warned guys, Vicky likes being a tree. She can change shape to become one." Mark said. Mika smiled as he looked at her.

"That would have been handy back home. I'm Mika." He said, by way of greeting her.

"Pleasure meeting all of you," Vicky said with a grin. "And if purple trees are common there..."

"Purple, huh?" Mika replied.

"Mika, leave the poor woman alone. She does not need you fawning over her." Kara teased. "Hey Vicky, I'm Kara. So what do you think of this family reunion?" He asked.

"As ship's counselor, my professional opinion is that it's freaking awesome." Vicky said with a grin. "Personally, I'm happy to have been invited, given how little I tend to eat."

"Oh, you'll be well fed here, trust me." Kara replied, with a grin. "And if Mark invited you, then you're part of the family. Is your hair natural? I'd love to have colour like that in mine."

Vicky nodded, her hair bouncing slightly. "It is. Most Allasomorphs have more earthy tones but the family I'm from, we tend towards purples and prefer plant-like forms rather than the rest of society's animal forms."

"I'll have to see if I can get some hair dye. Seriously, that is a cool colour." Kara said, grinning.

"Foods almost ready guys." Mark said.

El'mar looked at Shae and Aoife as he took a sip of his drink. "I was wondering, why this Starfleet? What's so special about it?"

Shae looked up at El'mar with a strange sort of smile. "Why trust Mark? What's so special about him?" she countered, then she shrugged and started to answer more earnestly. "I don't know how much he has told all of you about me, but I had a family back on Earth, three brothers who went into Starfleet. They set an example I wanted to follow. Starfleet isn't perfect, but it has done a lot of good for the quadrant and glad to be a part of that."

"Mark told me on the way back he has family in Starfleet, definitely not an example he wants to follow. Arrogant, stuck up tight asses, I think he called them." El said, with a small smile. "But hey, it's good to be a part of something. Mark's already asked for us to take roles in Starfleet, under him and under Captain Meowlith." He said. "Still, as long as we're all together, then we're part of something much more important, and that's this family."

"Starfleet isn't for everyone and no one would blame any one of you if you simply wanted to find your own way to make a life now that you are free to do so," Shae said. "It's certainly very different from surviving on Turalek, but I find it rewarding. And I would be happy to see some of you stick around, and Mark and I can help you transition into it."

El nodded. "Well, to be honest none of us are sure what we're going to do. I think half of the group have agreed to stick around, and the rest of us will likely work with Mark. Let's face it, he knows how to use our skills better than anyone."

"That all depends on which skills you're choosing to utilize. Would any of you believe I'm working on my doctorate in Astrophysics?" Shae replied. Just because they were fighters and survivors didn't necessarily mean they had to make use of their combat prowess like Mark did.

"Astro...what?" El asked, clearly confused.

"Astrophysics, the study of the physics of stellar bodies." Shae replied with a smile. "I study the very universe, El'mar, or at least it's what I did before... Turalek," she added carefully, choosing not to delve into her past with Section 31 at this time.

"I always studied the stars back home. I mean, as kids we were told they were the spirits of good people who died, but as we grew up, we learnt they were suns, and most had planets people could live on. I wanted to travel among them for so long, but I always made sure I could defend the family." El replied. "So how did you leave Turalek the first time?"

"That's classified," Shae answered evasively, looking away from El'mar. "Just know that I wanted to take you all away from there back then," she added with a hint of sadness in her tone, "and if I could have, I would have..."

El'mar placed a hand on her shoulder, and smiled. "Look, Shae, none of us blame you. We're just glad to have you back, that's for sure." El'mar said. "Universe is a dangerous place, and you helped save all of us back there. Remember, you may not have been able to help us then, but you did when you could, and we're proud of you."

All Shae could do in reply was to smile meekly and nod in acceptance of his words. He was right, she had done what she could in the past, and they were here and safe now, that's all that mattered,

"Food's up people." Mark said, as he began to scoop the meat onto a number of plates, putting the plates on a large table, which also had bowls of salad, bread and an assortment of foods that would be enjoyed by the group.

As everyone sat down, Mark bowed his head, as did the rest of the clan, and smiled as he spoke. "Father, thank you, for the chance we have to gather as a family. Thank you, for bringing our family together again. We give thanks for the choices we have made because that's what makes us who we are. Thank you for our newest members, including the angel that is our littlest member. Let us forever love and remember those not with us, and most of all, thank you for family." He said.

As before, Shae only bowed her head out of respect for Mark's beliefs, not holding those same beliefs herself. But his words rang true; she was grateful for this ragtag family, grateful they were all together again and safe. After the quaint prayer, Shae sat Aoife in her lap to eat, mushing up a few vegetables so that she could feed a few to the infant to test the waters with solid foods. Shae chuckled at the funny faces Aoife made, but the little fox child seemed eager to keep trying, accepting what her mother offered only to make a mess of herself trying to figure out what to do with the mush she had been fed. "I spoke with the Captain after we returned from Turalek. As soon as the repairs to the deflector dish are complete, we'll be departing to enter the Erebus Expanse. I've already charted our course into the Expanse, and I'm eager to study the space," Shae said as a manner of small talk while they all ate.

Vicky considered this a peculiar practice as religion was a concept she had only recently been introduced to but she still bowed her head out of respect for others' beliefs. It wasn't her place to question this 'faith' that some people had for a being that they had no proof existed. From a professional standpoint, she saw it as a good thing if it gave them comfort.

Looking over the foods, Vicky took a tiny portion of several items, more to taste them than anything else - especially since she didn't need any of this as sustenance. Eating too much wouldn't be good for her but she didn't want to seem rude either.

As everyone grabbed food from the plates, Mark looked around at them. "So did anything exciting happen while we were away?" He asked Vicky.

"Not that I'm aware of. Not anything you'd consider exciting, anyway. Our new Captain has been settling in and I had quite a few appointments with people." Vicky replied just before popping a small bite of meat into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully.

"Sounds busy. You may have some appointments over the next couple of weeks anyway, I've suggested that everyone speak to you about this. I'll actually be looking to speak with you tonight or tomorrow." Mark said.

"I'll keep my schedule clear then." Vicky replied with a soft smile.

Kara, meanwhile, smiled at Shae. "I wouldn't mind studying it with you." She said. "Quite frankly, the idea of what else could be in the expanse is...definitely interesting." Kara said.

"I would be more than happy to show you around astrometrics," Shae said to Kara with a smile. "It's a lot to take in, a lot to learn, but I find it to be very rewarding."

"I can't wait." Kara said. Mark smiled as he took a sip of his beer.

"Well, you'll be able to remain on board as a civilian consultant. I've been doing some thinking, and I want to keep you guys around, although I do have some missions for you, if anyone's interested. Anyone who wants to relax, however, Carrie's expecting you on Earth." Mark said. As the group began speaking among themselves, Mark smiled at them.

"I'm going to Earth." Drasko said. "Emilia and I want a family."

"Okay, now that is something I could never have called." Mark said, smirking.

"How do you think I feel?" Emilia asked, causing everyone to laugh loudly, except for Drasko.

"Shae, think you can handle a couple of people with you?" He asked.

"A couple of people?" Shae asked, blinking at him. "Oh, well..." she continued thoughtfully. Really the decision wasn't up to her, it would have to be brought before the Chief Science Officer since she was still just a civilian consultant herself until she was awarded her commission. "I suppose I don't mind, but you'll ned to run it by Lieutenant Brott. And if he does not approve, I can always take them to the holodeck and give them some material to study in private."

Mark nodded. "Appreciate that. I keep forgetting you're not the chief of the department. You're skilled enough to be. Besides, I prefer them working with you more because they know you." Mark said, smiling.

"You flatter me, but I'm still catching up with the changes in technology. Anyway, I have no desire to run a department, I'd have to deal with too many people, something I'm not ready to do just yet," Shae replied in between bites of her fish.

Mark smiled as he took a bite of his burger. "Well, when you are, I have no doubt you'll make a fantastic department head." Mark said, leaning back in his chair.

Myomoto didn't bother to change out of uniform before heading to the holodeck. He was too excited for some grilled meet and to see Shae.

As soon as the doors swooshed open Joseph took a quick glance around to find everyone around and as soon as he saw Shae and Aoife he made a grinning beeline for them. After bending over give each a quick kiss on the head he turned and jokingly asked "Who's a man gotta suck up to for a killer burger?" He had almost started drooling as soon as the smell had hit him.

Mark smiled, seeing the man who was briefly his assistant. "Well, Shae approves of you, so I'd say you qualify." Mark replied, as he stood up, getting fresh burgers from the grill. He put the meat on the table, passing the burgers over to Joseph. "And this isn't any replicated junk either, real meat, and tastes great with my home made sauce." Mark said, passing the sauce to the man. "Everyone, this is Joseph Myomoto, he's in charge of security and weapons on the ship."

"Oh good, blood has not yet been spilled in a chauvinistic attempt to defend my honor," Shae said, leaning against Joseph's shoulder with a smile. "You have survived the initial meeting, next comes the trial by fire," she added jokingly.

"There's still time." Mark teased, with a smirk as he took a sip of his beer. He then nodded to Drasko, who passed a bottle to Myomoto.

"Thirsty?" Drasko asked.

"Very" Myo replied with a grin and reached out for a beer. He took a good sized swig as Shae began to talk again.

"And to think, I get to go through this all over again when I take him to meet my other family," Shae said to Mark with a grin. She was referencing her family from Earth, but it didn't feel right to call them her 'real' family when these people here were no more or less real family to her than the people who had raised her.

Myomoto barely managed to keep his beer in his mouth as he coughed a little. He knew she would meet his family one day sure but meeting hers for some reason never occurred to him. Coughing he managed to choke out "Oh right. I knew that." He smiled apologetically to Shae. "And in regards to your honor m'lady I know you are able to defend your own and you know I am willing to step in if you desire. Anything else we would find able way to handle without offending you." He smiled in able friendly way at Mark.

"Now, I'm starving! Get me a bun and a burger and point me to the condiments. Let's get this going!"

Mark smiled, and passed the buns down. "Alright people, let's eat.

*****

Hours had passed, food eaten, more food cooked and as the sun in the simulation began to set, everyone was full, happy, and in some cases a little drunk. Mark smiled as he sat in a chair, leaning back as he watched Drasko and Emilia entertaining Aoife, and looked at Shae and Myomoto. "She is a beautiful little girl. Myo, you should always treasure both of them, and not only because if you don't, I'll find out. You've got what every man deserves in life, my friend. And for the record, if you're part of Shae's family, you're part of mine. Everyone here will always be here for you, no matter what." Mark said.

Myomoto raised his beer in a salute to the gathered friends "All for one and one for all?" He toasted with a grin. "I am sure with your clearances you have seen my full record Mr spook. So you know how much it means to me to say this." He cleared his throat before continuing in a voice slightly husky with emotion. "My comrades. If you ever have need just call. On my honor and life in will be there." He turned to Shae "and you my love, just wish it and it is yours. Aoife will want for nothing emotionally or material from me."

He grinned around and nd gain. "It is good to be in good company. I have a feeling that no matter what arises in this mission we will be more than a match for it."

Mark raised his beer, and returned the grin. "Hell, after the last couple of weeks, I think we can do anything." Mark said.

"Although I would be quite happy to never have a repeat of our most recent 'field trip'," Shae chimed in with a tired smile, tousling Aoife's hair who was now asleep on Shae's chest. "And I think it's time to call it a night. This day has been more than a little overwhelming and I think the little one and I should head on to bed."

Mark nodded. "I'm hoping we don't have a repeat of Turalek too." Mark agreed. "We all need some rest. Whilst we're all getting sorted, I've borrowed a couple of empty quarters, most of us are slumming it in sleeping bags. Myo, can we meet tomorrow? I need to arrange some positions for my people. Shae, likewise, I'd like Kara to buddy with you. She cares about you and looks up to you."

"Of course! I can have Lieutenant Brott meet me in Astrometrics and I'll introduce Kara," Shae replied with an assuring smile. "We'll get things sorted out."

"Thanks Shae." Mark said, with a small grin.

"Yeah man not a problem. I'll be in my office at 0630 tomorrow. Give me a half hour for administration stuff and I am all yours." Myo said cheerfully. He felt great to have a family on the new ship.

Mark nodded. "I'll also need to see you in the Intel office at some point, to go over recent Intel briefings, including the trip to Turalek. I've got some assets that might be of use to you at some stage. Also a couple of reports for you to read. If there's one thing I hate, it's paperwork." Mark said, taking a final sip of his drink. He watched as the last of his clan left the holodeck, and stood up. "I'll see you guys in the morning then?" He asked.

"Good night Mark," Shae said as she headed out of the holodeck to return to the comfort of her quarters. Aoife was still clinging to her shirt sleepily, not really awake or a sleep, which was a pretty clear sign to Shae that it was definitely bed time.

"Night Shae, Myo." He said, with a smile as he watched her leave. He thought to what she had said back on the ship coming back from Turalek, and this meal...it only served to show how right she was. But would it last?

Mark walked into sickbay, and was greeted by the chaos, watching everyone being treated. Most of them started to get up, wanting to thank him, or to be near him. He motioned for them to stay where they were, and made his way over to the doctor. "Hey Doc, what's the prognosis with my people?" He asked.

"You brought me one hell of a mess," Valyre quipped instantly, ignoring the nervous worm trying to wriggle deeper into its pouch. "Mostly sprains and about a million lacerations, some broken bones. And these people...." She sighed a bit, looking at the numerous Turalek people still waiting for her team to catch up. "Malnourished, most with old fractures that were never treated. A few have electrolyte balances so bad I've got them in the ICU until they stabilize."

Mark nodded. "They will stabilise, won't they?" He asked, concerned.

"Of course they will. Numbers are already improving." Valyre might not like the guy, but she had to admit Mark's concern for the rescued Turalek's was touching. Pulling up a medical file with the patient's name blacked out, she handed him a PaDD. "It's probably gibberish to you, but if it's red it's high and if it's yellow it's low. As it comes back to normal, the numbers fade to orange and then turn white once they're fully stable."

Mark nodded, looking at the PADD, trying to keep up. As he lowered the PADD, he looked at her. "I'd like to check on the ones in the ICU please doctor." He said.

"Sure, no problem." Smiling a bit, Valyre instructed one of her nurses to attend to the remaining Turaleks before turning to lead Mark back to the intensive care unit. As they entered the unit, someone she didn't immediately recognize walked out past them. "Hey, what--" Before she finished the question, the person was gone. Odd.

As Mark headed into the ICU with Valrye, he saw Amelia on one of the bio beds, looking up at him, so he walked over to her. "Mark." She said weakly. Mark walked over to her. "I'm...I'm sorry I didn't do as...as well as you."

"You kidding? You were great." Mark said, smiling at her. He took her hand, and squeezed it softly. "I couldn't be prouder of you."

"Think...we made a difference?" She asked. Mark nodded, a tear gently falling down his cheek.

"Yeah. We definitely made a difference Amelia. Couldn't have done it without you." He told her, still smiling at her. "The Doctor...she says you'll be out of here in no time. We can talk about it then."

"Liar." Amelia replied, with a small chuckle.

"I'm not. Just a few cuts and bruises, you've gotten through worse." Mark replied. Amelia nodded.

"I...I'm scared." She admitted softly. Mark kissed her hand gently.

"I'm right here. I'll protect you." He promised. Amelia nodded, tears streaming down her face.

"While we...were in those damned cages..." Amelia started, but stopped as she felt a sharp pain. "I heard...them say about...a circle. I don't know what..." Amelia said, before closing her eyes. Mark saw her take another slow breath...and then stopped. He heard the long beep above her bed as her arm went limp. Standing back, Mark felt weak at his knees, closing his eyes as tears flowed freely. He had loved Amelia as a sister...like he loved Carrie. They were all his family...and he had lost another one, another member of his family.

As the monitor suddenly emitted its 'no pulse' alarm, Valyre inadvertently pushed Mark further back as she bolted to the bedside, already grabbing hyposprays loaded with epinephrine and lidocaine as one of the techs pushed the crash cart over. Just as she was about to set up the cardiac stimulator, one of the nurses cried out, "Wait!"

Startled, Valyre paused and looked up to find the nurse pointing at the readout. The telemetry line was flat. Really, really flat with not so much as a squiggle. Just that quickly Amelia was gone, and not even the advanced medicine in a Starfleet sickbay would be enough to bring her back. "What happened?" Valyre barked at the nurse, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"I don't know. The computer is still running the lab values." The nurse gently took the loaded hyposprays from Valyre's hand, returning them to the crash cart.

Mark looked at Valyre. "You said they were going to be okay." He said. "What happened? She...she was just...she was going to be okay." He said softly, his voice cracking.

"If I knew I wouldn't be asking someone else." Valyre's voice was gentle, but tight. The girl should have been fine, and losing her so quickly was a shock to everyone in the room, not just Mark. "When I have her most recent labs, I might have a clue."

Mark nodded, knowing he'd have to tell the others. "Soon as you know, please let me know. I need to let the others know, and make sure they're okay."

"Don't get any of them too worked up. It's hard enough keeping up with them all without a meltdown on top of it." Valyre didn't mean to sound unsympathetic, but she was swamped and quickly getting to be exhausted on top of trying to get everyone's injuries and problems taken care of.

Mark nodded. "I won't. Thanks Doc." Mark said, as he walked out of the room. He left leant against a wall, falling down to the ground as he began to weep. As he did, he became aware of someone standing over him, a young girl came over to him. "Are you okay?" She asked. She was about seven years old. Mark smiled, and looked at her.

"I will be." He said. "What's your name?"

"I'm Elley." The girl said, grinning, and he watched as one of his closest friends from Turalek, Hound, came over.

"Sorry bro. She's hoping to see her mommy." Hound said. Mark frowned, and then remembered who she had been with.

"Amelia?" Mark asked. Hound nodded. Mark sighed, and stood up, before leading them both away, and talking to them, breaking the news to them. Mark was proud of how Hound took the news, before leading Elley away. He watched them leave, and closed his eyes, praying that he didn't lose anyone else in his family. He had already lost too many people.

After being escorted out of the Holodeck, Se'Lah had spent the last hour at the desk in her quarters, looking over the ship's manifest, and scouring over her own files. She was looking for any clues to what had happened, and what she'd found so far was... disturbing.

Her last memory was an attempt to rescue a friend of her's, and she had failed. A resulting explosion had apparently landed her in the base's infirmary with no memory of her own past... but now she remembered her past, except for the last 2 months.

Nodding to the pair of guards outside Se'Lah's door, Vicky held up a PaDD with an evaluation order on it. After looking at the PaDD, one of the security guards nodded and unsealed the door, ringing the chime.

Se'Lah's thoughts were interrupted as the door chime rang. She stood up, moving to the door, and thumbed the controls. She recognized the woman standing there from the ship's manifest. "Come in, Counselor." She said, stepping aside to let the woman in. Considering the circumstances, she had been expecting this visit. "Can I get you anything? A drink perhaps?"

"No thank you. Please feel free to indulge yourself though." vicky said as she stepped through the doorway, hearing the door seal behind her. She knew Vicky was the counselor so that was a start. Did she remember anything else though? "I expect you know why I'm here and what I'm preparing to do." she said, holding up a small silver briefcase. Inside was something few people outside of a sanitarium ever saw and the potential uses of this particular mind scanning technology could be torturous. As a former staff member aboard the SS Sanity's End, Vicky was not only certified in its use but had also had it used on her - in both the prescribed Federation manner as well as the not so kind manner.

"You're here to carry out the order of a psychological evaluation." Se'Lah replied simply, moving to the replicator. "Computer, hot tea, sweet." As the drink materialized, she picked it up, and took a sip. "An order I would agree with at this point."

"I'll be conducting the physiological examination as well with a set of neuro-probes. They can get a bit tingly but if you experience any discomfort, please let me know." As she spoke, Vicky set the case on the coffee table and opened it up to reveal a control system and a network of a dozen neuro-probes.

Se'Lah raised an eyebrow as Vicky opened the suitcase. "Those devices are against Federation policy." She said simply. "You can try them, but I've been trained to resist several methods of torture, including those." She said, figuring that Vicky would understand her meaning.

"Then you'll know that being authorized to use them, I've had them used on me. At their maximum level." Vicky said, dead serious. "Besides, I need your consent and I plan on keeping them in passive-active status unless you tell me otherwise."

"Do what you feel is necessary." Se'Lah said, as she took a seat across from Vicky. "You have my consent to use passive-active status."

"Thank you." Moving around the table, Vicky stuck several of the probes on Se'Lah's forehead, behind her ears, and one at the base of her skull. Taking her seat again, she clicked them on, a slight hum going up for a brief moment. "If it feels like anything more than ants in your brain let me know. Now... What's the last thing you remember before today?"

Se'Lah let herself relax as the initial feeling of nausea washed over her. Remembering how they'd trained her years before, she was well aware of this feeling, but ignored it. "I was in the lower residential decks of Starbase 122." She finally replied. "I was moving to rescue a young girl, who had been kidnapped by the group that I was investigating."

Glancing down at the monitor, Vicky noted the solid brain wave pattern. It seemed to waver a bit for a moment but then resolidified. The memory data was feeding well though. The probes had already identified the neurons containing the memory sequence she was describing. "Please, go on."

"As I entered the room, She was tied to a chair with a gag in her mouth." Se'Lah explained. "I removed the gag, and she screamed 'Get away! It's a bomb!'..." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Se'Lah seemed to drift off. Her eyes glazed over for only a few seconds, before she finally blinked, and confusion set in. "What the hell?" She asked, reaching up to feel the probes.

Vicky looked down at the monitor to see not one but two brainwave patterns for a moment. Then it solidified into a totally different brain wave pattern. A warning popped up on the monitor and what it said chilled Vicky. "It seems you have an advanced case of multiple personality disorder. I was just speaking with the you from before you lost your memories. Now... What's the last thing you remember?"

Se'Lah shook her head for a moment as the feeling of ants crawling around in her brain persisted. She knew it was from the device that Vicky was using, and she also knew that the only way she could be using it was if Se'Lah had given her consent. "I was speaking with Miss Brennan in the Holodeck." She replied finally. She felt extremely confused as Vicky's words began to sink in. "We were in a jungle setting, and then... this."

"Well... I don't know the specific circumstances, but you shot Miss Brennan. You're confined to quarters and off duty pending my evaluation of you." Vicky leaned forward. "Would you like to hear a playback of the moments before your brainwave patterns shifted?"

Se'Lah sighed in slight frustration. None of this made much sense to her, especially since she didn't have any memory of shooting Shae. "Yes." She said after a moment. She was curious of what she would hear.

Tapping a few controls on the monitoring device, Vicky glanced up at Se'Lah just before pressing play. It was still recording, but now it was also playing back the recorded audio feed from the room from the start of the session to right when the brainwave patterns shifted.

Se'Lah sat listening curiously, and at the exact same moment she shifted again, her eyes glazing over. By the time the shift was complete, the playback had ended. "That's the last thing I remember, before shooting Miss Brennan in the Holodeck." She said simply, not even realizing that she had shifted personalities.

Tapping yet more of the controls, Vicky played back the brief conversation she had had with the other personality, stopping just before the first playback. "It would seem that you have multiple personality disorder. I assume your voice is familiar - I just had that conversation with you."

"Fascinating." Se'Lah said with a raised eyebrow. "Apparently this other personality doesn't suppress emotions as I do." As she thought about it, another thing occurred to her. According to her files, Se'Lah had been released back to duty, and assigned to the Islandica less than a week ago. To her, this meant that this other personality had been in control for the past two months. "I am not the primary personality here... am I?"

"Since the incident that caused your memory loss, no. You may be the original but your other self has been living well enough and I believe even has interests of romance." Vicky said, noticing no new shifts or wavers in brain wave activity.

"That stands to reason, if she is not aware that I am engaged." Se'Lah replied simply. "However, as I've not finished going over my records from the last two months, I can't say for certain."

"Well... that may complicate matters. I recommend keeping a journal on you at all times." Vicky turned off the scanners and pulled a normal medical grade brain wave scanner out of her pocket and began loading into it the 2 distinct pattern sets. I'm setting this up so that it'll alert you if you shift personalities again. I recommend starting a journal and keeping it with you at all times and linking the alert to that. I also recommend scheduling a meeting with the captain to discuss your future. I'll be there for that if you like." Standing, Vicky moved around the table and pulled off the devices scattered about Se'Lah's head, replacing one of the mind probes with the brainwave scanner - a much smaller device to be sure.

Se'Lah sat still as Vicky replaced the probes with a smaller device that sat just behind her ear. "Your presence is something I'd recommend, Counselor." She replied without missing a beat. "Especially since you're the one working with me on this... Though Captain Meowlith didn't seem very pleased at this whole situation earlier."

"I believe that to be a reasonable reaction to the circumstances she was presented with." Vicky sat back down, poking the mind-probes back into their slots and sealing up the case. "I'd personally like to be with you during every meeting over the course of the next few days, but that may not be feasible. I only hope this is enough data to help you. I assume you'd like to integrate both personalities into one..."

"If possible, yes." Se'Lah replied, taking another sip of her drink. "I'd also like to put all of these fragmented memories together, where they belong. It is a bit unsettling to be in this predicament."

Vicky nodded in understanding. "That's perfectly understandable. In my experience, the few times I've seen this, it's normally from a massive shock to the personality cores of the brain. The logical theory of treatment out there is therapy and resolution of whatever caused that shock, however, I've never seen it succeed. A shock like that normally breaks the person too far to find that resolution."

"So this will most likely be permanent." It was more of a statement than a question as Se'Lah said it, understanding full well what this could potentially mean for both her career, and her life. "I will provide whatever cooperation is necessary."

"Thank you," Vicky replied. "I just hope you don't form a third personality. Controlled attempts to combine personalities has resulted in fracturing the mind even further. Again, that goes back to what I said before about a mind not able to handle the original shock and fracturing under the attempted resolution of that shock, which in turn caused yet another shock. That patient ended up with nineteen separate personalities..."

"Then let us hope that I have a stronger mind than that individual." Se'Lah replied. "I'd rather not be in that position."

"So... strange question to ask a Vulcan... but how do you feel about all this? In a non-emotional sort of way, that is." Vicky said with a soft smile.

"Do not confuse logic with lack of emotion, Counselor. Vulcan do have emotions, we simply... suppress them." Se'Lah replied. She picked up a nearby PADD, setting it up as her journal, and calibrating it to the monitor that Vicky had just attached to her head. "I am confused, and unsettled. Beyond that, I don't feel any differently than normal."

"Perfectly understandable. I'd be worried if you didn't admit to that," Vicky said as she smiled softly. "Especially since I've seen your other self smile like a human. I will try to help you with these transitions as best as I can and to get you back on at least restricted duty but ultimately I can only provide the opportunities - you have to determine your own future."

Se'Lah raised an eyebrow as she remembered Vicki mention that her other personality had a romantic interest. "I'm curious..." She said simply. "I am assuming that this romantic interest of mine is aboard this ship. Who is he?"

The conversation went on for another few minutes as Se'Lah got what information she could from this counselor. It was a bit of a surprise for her to learn that her romantic interest was the same man who had escorted her to her quarters an hour before. As Vicki left, Se'Lah resumed her reading, and decided to do her best to collaborate with her other self. Since they had to share the same mind, they might as well cooperate with each other.

As had been requested by the Captain, Se'Lah, now escorted by a member of security was heading for the Captain's ready room to meet with her. Not even back on duty for a month, and things were going crazy. As she stepped of the Turbolift onto the Bridge, those present turned to look at her. The green hue that came to her cheeks was not something she could hide, indicating to anyone who knew the situation that she was currently in the same personality that everyone aboard knew.

"As you were." She finally said, as she walked to the Captain's ready room, and rang the chime.

"Come in," Farenia called, looking up from the PaDD she was reading. "Ah, just the person I was hoping for," she continued as the doors opened. "Please, have a seat. We have things to discuss, starting with this report and recommendation from our counselor."

"Indeed." Se'Lah replied as she took a seat. "Seems this is a rather interesting situation, Captain."

The Security officer who had escorted Se'Lah entered along with her, standing off to the side. It had been explained to him that he was there both for her protection, and the protection of others in case Se'Lah flipped out again.

Looking back down at the PaDD in her hands, Farenia frowned slightly. "Interesting isn't the word I would use, but yes. According to these documents, you have two personalities in your head. One is the Se'Lah we've all come to know and love and the other is the Vulcan from before the incident that gave you supposed amnesia. Your memories are intact but only with the personality that created them. Vicky makes it sound relatively straightforward, but then she goes on and on for over forty more pages describing the scenario." Letting her eyes come up and focus on Se'lah, Farenia paused a moment. "So which one am I addressing right now, anyway?"

"The one you already know." Was Se'Lah's simple reply. She felt somewhat confused, and fairly embarrassed, though she did her best to hide it.

"Difficult for all parties involved, indeed." Farenia muttered as she set that PaDD aside and picked up another. "This is Vicky's professional recommendation. Visits to her every other day and limited duties, but for you to be cleared to act as XO once more. It seems to be sound judgement, too. Did she discuss her recommendations with you previously?"

"According to the notes on this PaDD from my other personality, she did." Se'Lah explained, tapping on her PaDD to bring up the notes that she'd found earlier. "It seems that she believes I am not a threat, and that both personalities are capable of performing the duties of XO. She also required that I use this PaDD as a journal in order to fill in blanks for events between shifts."

"That's part of it," Farenia began, her eyes scanning over the PaDD she was holding one more time before looking up and setting it down. "You are to continue your duties as XO in a limited capacity. No weapons. No away missions. You will not be allowed to take command of the ship in a crisis if I am incapacitated. Civilian attire is authorized. A yeoman will be with you at all times to either assist you or the crew until further notice. If a third personality does not crop up within a time frame decided upon by Lieutenant Iniya and there are no issues, then the requirement of an escort will be dropped. Your security clearance will remain intact, but any access of classified materials will be reviewed by myself or our Intel officer, Lieutenant Whistler. On top of that, you'll be paying Vicky a visit every few days at minimum. Do you have any questions?"

"What about normal bridge shifts...?" As she asked the question, Se'Lah seemed to lose focus, staring right through Farenia, and her eyes glazed over. After only a few seconds, she blinked and a barely perceptible repeating beep could be heard. Recognizing Captain Meowlith, Se'Lah said nothing as she reached up to lightly tap the device behind her ear to stop the alarm. "Hello again, Captain Meowlith." She said simply.

"I... Hello..." Looking down at the first PaDD for a moment, Farenia sighed softly. "I assume you're now the other personality. We were discussing your return to duty and limitations thereof."

"You assume correctly, Captain." Se'Lah replied simply. "When I met with the Counselor, she suggested that I should be able to perform my duties... with some restrictions of course... Though I am not where I originally thought I should be, I am capable of taking on the role of your Executive Officer."

"Yes, and I concur with her... extensive... assessment." Farenia said, preparing herself to repeat the prior arrangement with one thing added. "You are to continue your duties as XO in a limited capacity. No weapons. No away missions. You will not be allowed to take command of the ship in a crisis if I am incapacitated but may perform normal bridge duties other than that. Civilian attire is authorized. A yeoman will be with you at all times to either assist you or the crew until further notice. If a third personality does not crop up within a time frame decided upon by Lieutenant Iniya and there are no issues, then the requirement of an escort will be dropped. Your security clearance will remain intact, but any access of classified materials will be reviewed by myself or our Intel officer, Lieutenant Whistler. On top of that, you'll be paying Vicky a visit every few days at minimum. Do you have any questions?"

Se'Lah opened her mouth to ask a question, but didn't get the chance as the door chime rang.

"Hopefully that's who I hope it is. Come in," Farenia called, smiling slightly when she saw the face that matched a picture she'd been oring over part of that morning.

As the doors to the ready room opened, a young looking woman stepped into the room, wearing the colors of Command. She had red hair, and the rank insignia of Chief Petty Officer.

"My apologies for the interruption." The young woman said as she stood at attention. "I am Chief Petty Officer D'Tal. I was told to report directly to you upon my arrival."

"And it's good that you did. Your assignment as my new Yeoman has been temporarily redirected to being my XO's Yeoman for the foreseeable future. Now relax, sit down, and look these over." Farenia motioned to the couch, sliding the two PaDDs she had been looking over towards the chief.

Arianna took the offered seat, picking up the PaDDs that Farenia slid over to her. She quietly skimmed over the information contained in both of them, before sliding them back to the Captain. "It seems you're in a very unique situation, Commander." She said simply with a raised eyebrow. "I have heard of split personalities before, but this is the first time I've encountered anyone with such an affliction."

"Glad that I could accommodate you, Chief." Se'Lah said without hesitation.

Arianna turned to Farenia. "Should I assume that I am to be the Commander's escort during her duty shifts?"

"Yes, and you'll be on call at all times for the time being. Mark's department will be tasked to find an aid for off duty hours." Farenia said to Arianna before looking towards the security guy and waving at him that he was dismissed, then looked back to Se'Lah. "You had a question earlier?"

"I was going to ask who this Yeoman was, but my question has been answered." Se'Lah replied, typing a note into her PaDD for her other personality to inform her of this Yeoman as her escort.

As Farenia mentioned Mark's name, Arianna quickly recalled her undercover assignment to investigate Mark Whistler. "Having reviewed the ship's crew manifest, I assume you're speaking of Lieutenant Whistler?"

"Yes, our invaluable Chief Intel Officer. You'll be working with him and our Counselor, Lieutenant Iniya more than the rest of the crew, I would think." Farenia had suspicions about this yeoman just from looking over her records and the assignment orders, but she didn't want to bring it up just yet. She'd just keep eyes and ears to the deck to see if she did anything untoward for now.

"Understood, Captain." Arianna replied simply.

As Se'Lah finished typing up the note, she looked at Farenia. "When would you like me to take my first shift?"

"You're scheduled for duty tonight, actually." Farenia said as she glanced to her desk terminal for a moment. "Any concerns or objections?"

"No." Se'Lah replied simply. "I will go get some rest before my shift begins... Unless there is something more?"

"That should be everything, I think. Chief, welcome aboard. I look forward to seeing you around the ship. If there's nothing else, you're both dismissed. Let me know if any issues arise." Farenia said with a very un-Vulcan grin.

Arianna gave a slight smirk. "I will do that."

Arianna, and Se'Lah left the ready room, and headed for the turbolift, Arianna signaling for the Security Officer to follow them.

"Deck two." Arianna ordered as the doors closed behind them. "Since you're off duty, and there is no one assigned to you while you're off duty for the moment, I'm going to assign this officer to escort you to your quarters."

"Fine with me..." Se'Lah said as she drifted off into a stare. After a few seconds, a soft repeated beeping could be heard. Se'Lah tapped the device behind her ear, glancing at the PaDD in her hand, then looked up at Arianna. "Chief Petty Officer D'Tal I presume?"

"That's right." Arianna replied. "You have a duty shift starting tonight. I will escort you then, but this good looking guy here will accompany you to your quarters for some rest in the meantime."

"I see." Se'Lah said as the doors opened. Her and the Security guard stepped out, before she turned to face Arianna. "I will see you tonight then."

Arianna waved as the doors closed. Se'Lah shook her head lightly as she turned back and the two walked in the direction of her quarters.

Syrena entered Sickbay to locate the Chief Medical Officer, She wanted to clear the air-- By making amends to the earlier situation in the holodeck; Plus, She hadn't had her medical evaluation done when she arrived onboard the ship yet, Neither had she even met the Chief Medical Officer officially. "Cadet Senior Grade Syrena Hansen reporting for medical evaluation." She announced when she finally spotted the woman in charge, Who was clearly in the middle of working on evaluating another patient.

"It's going to be a minute, Cadet." Valyre's tone was more or less neutral, but with a definite 'I am busy' note to it. "Why don't you have a seat on an empty biobed? I should be done here soon."

Giving the woman a silent nod of confirmation, Syrena sat herself down upon a nearby empty biobed as she'd been instructed to. Waiting as patiently as her Klingon half had all but allowed her to do for the doctor to finish.

Finishing with the laser suture, Valyre gave her small patient a serious look. "No more dragon hunting without your parents. Next time I'll let the dragon eat you."

The boy giggled as he hopped off the table, and both his parents grinned a bit as they escorted him out.

Finally, Valyre turned her attention to Syrena, pausing to wash her hands and swap out the laser suture's head for a clean one before putting it away. "What brings you here?"

"Just reporting in for a medical evaluation since I forgot to get it done when I first arrived onboard ship a few days ago." Syrena answered without missing a beat. "Plus I just wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. That strange woman with the child never did tell me what happened in the holodeck when I asked her what the situation was." She didn't know the name of the strange Chameloid woman, Since she didn't ask. But Syrena figured she'd introduce herself to that woman later once things have settled down. She knew better than to mess with anyone when they weren't in a good mood.

"Whether she told you or not, your job was to stay in there until the situation was completely resolved," Valyre remarked coolly, starting her usual scans for a physical. "I trust you won't forget that again."

It looked resolved to me. Syrena thought silently to herself without saying a word, "Noted." She muttered a mere second or two later, indicating that she understood. "Anyways, I also brought the situation report with me if you'd like to look it over and give your input." She stated whilst holding up the padd she held in her hand.

"I have little interest in situation reports, but I'll look at it later." Valyre took the offered PaDD and stuck it in her lab coat pocket as she looked over her scan results. "Your scans look normal. Unless you have anything you'd like to tell me about, there's not much more to be done."

"Nope. That's it. Thank you." Syrena thanked the doctor before hopping off the biobed she'd been sitting on, "Though, I'll be needing that situation report back once you're finished looking it over." She added after a moment's silence.

"I'll load it into the computer. No sense in coming all the way back down here for a PaDD." Valyre smiled a tiny bit. "You're free to go, Cadet."

With a nod, Syrena walked towards the Sickbay's exit, but stopped briefly, "By the way, You can call me Syrena if you like, I don't supposed you'd really want to continue calling me by my rank if you don't want to. Oh, and thanks again." She managed to utter before turning and exiting the room, Leaving Valyre to return to her work.

Farenia never enjoyed this part of Starfleet - the medical checkups. Taking command, she was expected to go through a physical to at least provide a baseline health status. Her genetics would be an issue as usual though.

Stepping into the small sickbay, she glanced around before spotting a woman in the glass walled office area. Poking her head in,Farenia gave her best smile, hoping this was the CMO. "Doctor Valyre Reen, I presume? I'm the new Captain. Do you have time for a quick physical?" she said, a seeming Vulcan with longer hair swishing about her smiling face.

"Yeah, just a second. Just finishing this and then I need a couple of aspir--" Valyre caught a glimpse of Farenia's face and abruptly cut herself off, giving the other woman a concerned look. "Are you feeling all right? You're... smiling."

A worried expression crossed Farenia's face as she stepped into the office. "I feel fine. Why do you ask? Are smiles that unusual on this ship?"

"No, it's just... aren't you Vulcan?" The other woman certainly looked Vulcanoid, and Romulans weren't too common in Starfleet. As she spoke, Valyre was already reaching for her tricorder that waited in her lab coat pocket.

"If I was, that would be worrisome. How about you scan me for that physical and see?" Farenia said, keeping up the worried look.

"That's exactly what I intend to do." Not sure if she should be ready to call Vicky for a psych consult, Valyre pointed Farenia to a chair as she was beginning her scans.

Farenia sat down in the indicated chair, now grinning somewhat foolishly. "May I recommend a DNA scan?" she said cheekily, not letting on that she wasn't actually Vulcan.

"Why would I--" Valyre frowned at her tricorder reading, tapping the side of the device a few times before giving up and grudgingly setting the tricorder for a DNA scan. "I don't know what sort of trick you're using..."

"The trick, my dear doctor..." Farenia began, pausing dramatically as she grinned like a cheshire cat. "Is that I'm not Vulcan. I'm V'gelnian and I was born on Rigel V. I'm a hippy looking, desert dwelling, beaded hair, Vulcanoid Rigelian. You'll note a few minor differences in your database, including variances in drug interactions from Vulcans."

"Not funny," Valyre retorted, though she was trying not to laugh at how easily she'd been fooled. "In my defense, I've already had a long day, and my head is pounding. I should have thought of that on my own."

"Or read it in my file. Either way, it's a common mistake and one that I've used to my advantage several times." Farenia explained. "For example. Vulcans don't lie. If I see a need to, I'm perfectly willing to bluff, lie, cheat, or infer whatever I need to for the mission. Want to play poker sometime?"

"I'm not much of a poker player... Reen thinks the game is dishonest and objects rather strenuously if I attempt to play." Setting her tricorder down, Valyre leaned back on the edge of her desk.

"So you are joined then? I've read so many files today that I'm not sure who is who right now." Farenia said with a softer smile. "And I don't play poker often."

Valyre nodded slightly. "Fifth host, and likely the least crazy of the bunch. It can get... interesting, to say the least."

"I can only imagine." Farenia replied. "So how's my physical? Anything unusual?"

"Far as I can tell you're healthy as a horse. Only unusual thing is I didn't have to hunt you down and drag you in for it." Valyre grinned a bit.

"I somewhat enjoy these sorts of visits, if you can believe that." Farenia replied, still smiling softly.

"Enjoy? Should I call for a psych consult?" Valyre replied in a lightly teasing tone as she retrieved a tiny bottle of aspirin from her pocket and shook two of the small tablets into her hand.

"If you want to, go for it. I plan on meeting our counselor soon anyway." Farenia said, suddenly looking serious. "On that note, I've heard some rumors about her. What can you tell me about her? What should I expect?"

"She's an Allasomorph and extreme pacifist. Can't handle the thought of seeing blood, hates her beastly morph with a fiery passion, likes being a tree. A tree with magnificent boobs." Swallowing the aspirin, Valyre continued. "She's my best friend, other than Snickers."

"She sounds like a real keeper then..." Farenia grumbled before continuing, plans already turning in her head on how to use her in future missions. "Who is Snickers?"

"Holographic pet fox. Cross marble morph, very pretty. Acts like a real fox." Hearing the approach of Snickers' running paws, Valyre put her hands out and caught the holographic animal as it made a running leap.

"He looks very cute." Farenia said, a bit distant. "Does he cause allergies or shed? I assume not, being holographic..."

"No allergies, no shedding, no potty messes... she's the perfect pet for starship life." Valyre freed one hand to scratch her pet's ears.

"What if power goes out?" Farenia pressed.

Valyre pointed at the apparent ID tag on Snickers' collar. "She isn't on the ship's hologrid. She has a miniature emitter based on the one Voyager brought back."

"Ingenious. Can you replicate one for me then?" Farenia asked curiously.

"I can replicate the emitter, but I can't program the pet. I mean, one of Reen's past hosts was an engineering type, but I'm... not. Obviously."

"That's fine. I know someone back at Command that specializes in holotech. I'm sure I can get him to send me a program." Farenia said, smiling a bit brighter. "Maybe I can have a pet sehlat once more."

"Just don't scare anyone to death with it." Valyre set Snickers down on the floor, rubbing her eyes as she straightened back up. "What time is it?"

"I think it's close to 8 PM, ship time." Farenia replied. "Is that late for you?"

"Considering I came in at the start of alpha shift... yeah." No wonder she was tired and fighting a headache! Twelve hour shifts might have been normal for past nurses, but Valyre wasn't used to them.

"Want to go get something to eat then? I'm technically off shift as well." Farenia said, standing and motioning towards the door.

"That's probably a good idea," Valyre agreed readily. "I actually don't remember if I ate lunch or not, and even if I did... it was a long time ago."

"Too long ago. There's a Talaxian dish I've been meaning to try but I hate trying new foods alone. Company enhances the experience, don't you think?" Farenia said with a wide grin.

"It does, but I think I'll pass on the Talaxian food. Last time I tried eating it, I thought Reen was going to escape." Valyre snickered a little, ignoring the tail whip of protest the worm gave at the comment.

"I can't imagine what that must be like, joining with a different entity with such a different form." Farenia said as she headed out of sickbay with Val towards the galley. "I'm told that it changes you quite a bit."

"Most hosts who are joined end up adopting behaviors from previous hosts, and the worm tends to influence decision-making. Often we're seen as more 'mature' or 'worldly', but that's not always true. Younger symbionts can cause some child-like behaviors... older symbionts tend to make one seem more distinguished. Reen brings a little of both... old enough for some wisdom but still young enough to be silly when it's in the mood." Valyre knew that much of the knowledge the Trill had about symbionts hadn't been shared with other races, but she didn't mind explaining a few things. "Reen also offers me skills and knowledge that past hosts held. If I have to, I can fly a shuttle or make a few emergency repairs, but since those things aren't natural to me, it means Reen takes over a bit. People usually don't like when that happens."

"That explains an old academy friend of mine then. She went from a serious and somewhat adventurous pilot to... well... She's the first host for the Telvan symbiote. That might tell you a lot." Farenia chuckled as she thought back to her academy days and about her old friend.

"Telvan does have a reputation for trouble," Valyre remarked lightly, well aware of the strange circumstances surrounding the Hera. "I'm sure her crew has their hands full dealing with that."

"I'm sure they do." Farenia shook her head and chuckled softly.

"Anyway, regardless of the insanity that Reen may contribute to, I tend not to play jokes or pranks on people. Not really interested in ruffling feathers... I just want to do my job. Can't tell you how hard it gets some days, with me not having a doctorate in medicine." Valyre rolled her eyes, shaking her head slightly.

Finding a small observation lounge with a replicator, Farenia punched in an order for some finger sandwiches and some tea before sitting at the solitary table. "I would imagine that would be a challenge all on its own. If it helps any, I've not had many good experiences with doctors and I'm happy my Chief Medical Officer is a nurse."

"It helps." Valyre smiled a bit, sitting down. "I have nothing against physicians. Most do good work. But to have supposedly enlightened people tell me they want a 'real' doctor is pretty grating."

"Not going to eat anything?" Farenia asked before poking one of the sandwiches into her mouth. "If they want a 'real' doctor, activate the EMH and let him take care of their runny nose. Heavens know how that'll end up. I haven't met a single one that had anything resembling bedside manner."

"I will. Just want to actually sit down for a minute first... I don't think we had five minutes of quiet in there today." Valyre smirked a bit at the idea of letting the EMH take care of needy patients. "I might try that, just to see the looks on their faces."

"Consider it Captain's Orders then. If they won't let you treat them, they deal with the EMH." Farenia said with a similar smirk.

"Works for me." Her mood improved, Valyre grinned and got up long enough to get a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese from the replicator before sitting down again.

Eating in silence for a few minutes, Farenia finished up her sandwiches and sipped at her tea before asking her next question. "I'm not sure if you've realized this or not, but you're the third highest ranking person on this boat. That effectively makes you the second officer by default."

"I don't have bridge officer training," Valyre replied sweetly, though she was certain that wasn't going to matter. Reen had been a starship captain twice, and a bridge officer before that each time. She knew the training from memory. "And no, I didn't realize. I don't spend much on duty time outside of sickbay."

"What can you possibly learn about bridge duty that you haven't already learned in the past couple hundred years?" Farenia quipped back. "I'm sure you could breeze through the certification in your sleep. And besides, if something happens to our XO, I'll need you."

"Well, you might have a point there. Two starship commanders in Reen's past... I know the test from both angles." Valyre snickered just a little. "If you insist on making me part of your command chain, I'm not going to argue. I always had Ronnie's ear, regardless of my position on the ship, so it won't be that different for me."

"Thank you," Farenia replied, sipping her tea a bit more. "Just no declaring me unfit for duty without a good reason, ok?"

"Wouldn't dream of it. Too much paperwork that I don't have time to do... you'll have to work pretty hard to get me to do that." Dunking her sandwich in her soup, Valyre took a few bites of it. "Besides, I have no one to leave in charge of sickbay if I suddenly had to pull command duty. Why would I do that to myself?"

"A very good point. Which means I'll have to rely on our Intel Chief to lead away teams, as well." Farenia replied somewhat mysteriously.

Valyre snorted at her. "Yeah, if you think you can trust him."

This piqued Farenia's interest, one eyebrow raising. "He seems trustworthy enough to me. Do you know something I don't?"

"Reen doesn't like him. Therefore, I don't like him. It's not exactly an easy thing to explain." From experience, Valyre knew that most people didn't understand the symbionts and their oddities, particularly their judgement on character or trustworthiness.

"Does Reen like me?" Farenia asked out of curiosity.

"No one's ever asked me that before." A bit off guard, Valyre blinked a few times. "But Reen does like you. Finds you fascinating, even."

"Fascinating..." Farenia repeated. "I hope I live up to that interest."

"Most people Reen has an interest in do live up to it." Valyre couldn't explain how the symbiont picked its friends; she just knew it did and nothing would change its mind.

Farenia smiled, setting her teacup aside for the moment. "In that case, call me 'Nia, if you like. It's a sort of family nickname."

"More inventive than 'Val'. I like it." Valyre grinned a bit. "I don't think there's a soul on this ship who uses my full name. Even Shae calls me 'Val', and we haven't known each other very long."

"Some nicknames are meant to stick." Farenia replied as she got up and returned her plate to the replicator, getting another plate from it with a red spicy looking fingerfood on it. "If this sends me to sickbay..." she muttered, staring at the strange Talaxian dish.

"You'll be talking to the EMH. I'm off duty." Valyre smiled innocently, finishing her sandwich and sipping the rest of her soup.

"Hmmm..." Picking up one of the spicy pastry-stick looking things, Farenia bit into it, chewing thoughtfully. After a moment, she cleared her mouth enough to speak. "It's a bit like a tomato roll stuffed with cayenne."

"I'm still waiting for you to keel over and start dying," Valyre replied dryly, not at all interested in trying the pastry thing.

"Talaxian food is known for being spicy, but I think the replicator messed up - I can still breathe." Farenia replied, seemingly not bothered by the dish.

"Vulcanoid races are rather well-known for not being terribly susceptible to spicy peppers." Valyre didn't pretend to be an expert, but she'd known several Vulcans and a few Romulans through Reen's lifetimes, and none of them had ever been bothered by spicy food.

"True enough, but the last dish I tried was almost too hot for me." Farenia replied with a grin before eating a bit more of the dish.

"Now that's hard to imagine." Valyre chuckled a bit, pushing her empty bowl away.

"Can you imagine a Vulcan laughing and having fun?" Farenia asked with a slight grin.

"Not easily... they're all so serious all the time. Worse than Guardians even, and that's saying a lot." Valyre knew it was no secret how seriously the Guardians took everything, not just matters concerning the symbionts.

"The life of devotion to logic, I suppose." Farenia replied, finishing up her food.

"I guess so. But I can't think of why the Guardians have to be so serious... I mean, I get that the symbionts are kind of defenseless and need to be protected, but a little humor isn't going to kill them or anyone else. Although..." Valyre snickered a little, remembering something the previous host's husband had once done. "There are a few people who might deserve the seriousness. After sticking their hands in the symbiont pools and getting electrocuted."

Farenia looked a bit shocked herself as she composed a reply. "I'll remember not to do that if I ever get to visit them."

"Yeah, they're not fond of touching. The symbionts, I mean... but the Guardians aren't so fond of it either." Suppressing a yawn, Valyre checked the time and made a face at her watch.

"That late, huh?" Farenia said, catching a glance at the watch as well. "I suppose we should both call it a night. With any luck we'll be able to get underway tomorrow so we'll both need some sleep."

"It's not that it's late... I was up three hours early for emergency surgery on someone's rabbit." It was common knowledge on starships that the ship's doctor often also served as the veterinarian, but that didn't mean Valyre had to like it. "Normally I'd take an hour off for a quick nap but there just wasn't time today."

"Someone has a pet rabbit aboard?" Farenia asked, making a mental note to check the authorized pets roster.

"Yeah, a cute fluffy one. Not sure if it's authorized or not."

"If it's not dangerous, I don't see anything wrong with it." Farenia replied.

"I doubt it's dangerous. Rabbits aren't really known for aggression... and it didn't have any bacteria on its scans." Valyre yawned again, making less effort to hide it this time. "Sorry. Just one of those days I guess."

"Looks like a good time to head to bed." Farenia too was rather tired looking, an unusual sight to be sure.

"That's the plan. If you'll excuse me, Captain... we have an early start in sickbay." With a smile, Valyre got up from the table, collecting the remains of her meal and sliding them into the replicator to be recycled before she quietly left the mess hall.