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Standing Ground (Story)
knightraider6
Member Posts: 396 Arc User
Stage 1: Denial
USS McGrath, Engineering, 0230 hours
It had gotten to the point that Commander Ponta der Trys did not even have to ask where to find her. She needed to find the Captain, after the latest incident. Yep, there she was, up on the intermix chamber. It was as if the engines were like a security blanket for the caitian, anytime there was a problem, she retreated there. Fortunately it was Gamma shift, the few engineers on duty long used to their CO's nocturnal visits.
"I'm getting too old for this," she muttered as she climbed the ladder, the warp core pulsing next to her, how anyone could find this soothing, the tellarite had no clue. She made the jump easily enough, next to the half dressed lump of fur. "Cap'n?" she said softly.
"I can't do this, I can't keep doing this..."
Ponta both agreed and disagreed with her. True, it wasn't the M'chelle Schrodinger that had been born in this universe, this one's home was a lot more brutal...but she was just as smart, and knew everything her 'sisters' did. She'd proven that time and again in battles and crises...it was the interaction off duty that messed her up so. The latest was Commander K'aret, a handsome (at least to other caitians Ponta supposed) feline who had known and dated Schrodi years ago. The original Schrodi. This one...
"how bad did I hurt him?"
"Busted jaw, no permanent damage that the doc couldn't patch up," Ponta replied. No point in sugar coating things. "You are going to have to work on these panic attacks...I told him that you've been jumpy, had some bad experiences with Orions lately..." Which was technically true, the neurocollar that she had been forced to wear daily on the ISS Tirpitz had been developed by Orions for the Empire.
"It doesn't matter, I smelled him, I knew he wasn't a threat, and I still panicked..."
She reached over and patted Schrodi reassuringly...females she never had a problem with. Males on the other hand...any species...perhaps doing the switch was a mistake...not the first time Ponta had thought that. "You could always resign, go back into research-"
"NO! Er, no...she needs me here. She saved me, I can't let her down..."
"And when you do hurt someone bad, or worse, and they start poking at you?" She sighed. "Damnit Schrodi, I believed in this crazy scheme of yours to save the Galaxy. I still do. but if you don't get yourself together, and soon?" Ponta shrugged.
"I know that..." she said, her tail twitching. "I know all this logically, I know she needs to be with K'Tirr, I could never take her away from that.. but she's... strong. I'm not..."
"Bull****. I saw you with my own eyes not two days ago pulling a Monroe to get Ensign Bell out of those borg drones," Which was true, while she wasn't wielding a fracking I Beam the titanium crowbar still did rather good damage to the drones.
"That was different, the kid would have died if I didn't act."
"And if you don't act right, how many more will over the long haul?"
She just started sniffling again, Ponta resisted the urge to sigh. The Cap'n had her demons she needed to get rid of...she just hoped Schrodi could pull it together before it was too late.
Astro-sciences Lab, USS McGrath, 0740
"well, you're up early." The Bajoran department head was usually there at least a half hour before the rest of his morning crew. Some of them were still excited grad students, others, jaded oldtimers who let the machines handle most of the data collection, and simply analyzed it later over coffee.
"We're doing subspace mapping of pulsars today, who could sleep?" Neidere said brigthly, the Orion dressed very conservatively for her race's usual standards, wearing one of the jumpsuits the civilian scientists tended to wear on board. but then she wasn't one of her race's usual members. She had left her family to study Quantum Physics, even if that meant going to the Federation, their plan to breed her with another family be dammed. She was on board as a civilian specialist, Dr Schrodinger had liked her thesis about gravitational fluctuations affecting pulsars and had pulled strings to get her on board.
Lt Kaval Edon just chuckled. "Fine then, if you want to get the detectors set up, we'll be getting sensor feed off channel 2, and don't forget to set multiplexing with the probes so we can get a three dimensional image."
She just nodded and went to work, sniffling a bit. "Are you feeling alright?" the Lt asked.
"Just the suppressors trigger my allergies," she replied as she calibrated the antenna arrays. "Could be worse, I'd rather have stuffed sinuses than half of the crew bouncing after me like love crazed skunks."
"I see you've seen Tanya's cartoon collection. As amusing as that would be to see, I get your point," he said, chuckling as he sipped his coffee.
Orion Marauder Carrier "Good Servant", Hromi Sector
"Matron, I bring news."
Matron Reli Katam opened one eye as she dozed lightly in her quarters, a hulking barechested enforcer busily at work rubbing her feet. "Mmm..this had better be important," she muttered, not even bothering to sit up. "What is it?"
"We've located Neidere."
That got her attention. "Really? About time, and how soon until she is returned to us?"
The young male kneeling before her squirmed a bit. In truth, it was Nakut's fault that she had left in the first place. But it could not totally be blamed on her cousin, no, Reli should have never permitted her daughter to learn how to read. Ever since she had seen the news story about that Ohn'Gallau Damojena Massaana being granted Klingon citizenship..she had railed at her duty to the family. Bah, Science was useless, when she could be of so much more worth to her family as broodstock. It had been Nakut who had been beguiled into giving her a lift to Drozana station...from there, she had disappeared close to a year ago. "Where is she?"
"She's in the Federation, Matron," Nakut said. "Currently as a researcher aboard a Starfleet Science ship."
There had been a time not long past, where she could have then just given an order. One lone Federation vessel would not have been a threat, especially a mere science vessel. But between losses incurred during the cultists uprising, and the resulting Klingon crackdown, she did not have any warships to spare in retrieval. Still, her daughter was willful, yet trusting, and fond of her cousin. "You will take a small ship, and fetch her."
"But Matron, what if she should-"
"She will not, and even if she did try," she said, her own pheromones filling the room, "you will obey me over her, will you not?"
He bowed low and reverently. "Of course Matron. I will bring her to you." with that he was dismissed, turning and leaving.
She turned to her aide, who was standing quietly in the background. "Have the medical staff ready - my daughter is to be gelded the instant she returns. I am not losing her again!"
"Of course, Matron."
Drozana Station, five weeks later
A wretched hive of scum and villainy. Thats how many on both sides of the border viewed the Ferengi operated station. Few with legitimate business visited there,and those that did, tended to watch their backs and their wallets. Bringing a ship full of civilian scientists to a place like that gave Ponta migraines...but it was occasionally necessary. Fortunately a lot of the eggheads chose not to partake in Drozana's dubious hospitality. They'd be here just long enough to get what they needed, then get back out. Besides, the Cap'n had mentioned they could lay over a few days here, or a few days on Risa, the latter was overwhelmingly chosen. Schrodi hadn't had any more incidents, yet as well either. So far so good.
Neidere wasn't sure about this. Oh she missed and cared about her cousin, in fact she had a borderline crush on him, though never took advantage of the situation, another thing that her mother did not approve of. Still, knowing he was here and had what he called 'good news', was worth checking out at least. She wasn't stupid however. She'd made friends with some of the McGrath's crew, and they were going with her to both meet and chaperone Nakut. Ensign Sovrok was as fond of puzzles and word games as she, and being Vulcan was immune to orion pheromones. Tanya on the other hand was human, also from the Astro-science department, and being female also safe from any influence. It was nice Neidre thought, having friends who liked her for who she was, not what she could do for them.
there were a lot of orions here, many in KDF uniforms, but as her cousin never joined, it wasn't that hard to pick him out. He was the only Orion dressed almost scandalously heavily, a long sleeved shirt covering his chest, and loose fitting pants as well. "Nakut!" she cried, hugging him when she saw him.
He was troubled, but did not let it show. True, he was overdressed, but his cousin...and scent! She had almost none, she had gone so far as to suppress even that part of her heritage! "Cousin, it has been too long!" he smiled warmly. "I hope you are doing well?"
he asked as he sat down in a booth, the others joining him. He noticed the Vulcan sat with his back to the wall, that one could possibly be a problem. Still only two, far less than he had expected.
"I'm doing great," she replied. "I've been working with Dr Schrodinger, well she's the Captain, but she's also a scientist."
He nodded and smiled, as she prattled on about things that in the great scheme of life had no meaning. What good was knowledge of things that could not be seen, felt, sold? "So, you said you had news?" She said as she paused for breath.
"I've thought about what you said when I brought you here" he said convincingly "and I believe you are right. I also managed to bring Nadia with me as well?"
Neidere's eyes lit up. "You did? How did you get her away from Mother?" Her younger sister was her only regret at having left...especially knowing that the fate she escaped may soon be hers as well once she got to breeding age.
"She left for a conference with the other houses, with the disarray since the, upheaval" he said, putting the rebellion delicately. "Things are strained. So while she was out, I grabbed her and headed here. She's asleep in my shuttle."
She was up and headed for the docking bays before Sovrok or Tanya could protest, the two just looking at each other and shrugging as they followed. they were both armed after all, and Sovrok was trained security. Besides, this was the one who got Neidere out of her mother's clutches. They never even felt the disruptor bolts slam into them, leaving them unconscious on the decking.
"Load them all up," Nakut said, the ambushers carrying them on board. "The female's comely enough to use as stock, and the male, well there is always a market for what a vulcan knows. and make damn sure to leave their communicators..."
One of the Orions just grinned as he pocketed them. "I've already got a holosuite reserved in her name, by the time their ship comes banging on it's door, we'll be on the other side of the sector."
Nakut just grinned. "Good, let's go home, the Matron is waiting for her wayward daughter. dogging the hatch, he proceeded to the bridge as his cargo was secured, taking off and jumping to warp.
Stage 2: Anger
You were told to run away
Soak the place, and light the flame
Pay the price for your betrayal
Your betrayal, your betrayal!
I was told to stay away
Those two words I can't obey
Pay the price for your betrayal
Your betrayal, your betrayal!
Bullet for my Valentine Your Betrayal
Drozana Station, five hours later
They were due to leave over half an hour ago. Four had been un accounted for, Doctor Molamm had been visiting his favorite hangout on the station for semi-legal recreational pharmaceuticals, and as usual the aging botanist from New Woodstock was stoned out of his gourd. Ponta had security put him in the brig to sleep it off being it was a substance that was legal on his homeworld, of course that also meant the replicators would be down again when he awoke, and tried to program them for something called 'cheetos'. The other three missing...well she didn't really expect that of them to be honest. All had good records, no problems from any of them. Still their com badges were in the holosuites, they had probably lost track of time, and communications were always dodgy on Drozaza for some reason.
She followed the ferengi holodeck manager up the ramp, two security troops with her. Going up she passed a KDF Major going down also with a security escort, half dragging a pair of intoxicated and under-dressed Ensigns. Some things are the same for everyone, she thought with a smirk, the Major giving her a knowing shrug as he passed. Ensigns. Always getting into trouble everywhere.
"All right, open it up," she said to the Ferengi. The manager was used to such things, happened on a regular enough basis. While they usually only interrupted holodeck sessions when a customers latinum ran out, they'd learned that when KDF or Starfleet security showed up, it was better (and cheaper) to just let them in. "Party time's over Ensign...oh TRIBBLE."
The room was empty, with nothing but the three combadges sitting on a table.
* * *
There was just one rule, Belan though as he felt his lobes ache. one Frixing rule that anyone working for him had to follow. Cheat, steal, rob, he didn't' care, but never disappear Starfleet or KDF personnel. Especially the KDF, they became rather stabby when angered. Thus station 'security' was extremely helpful when some visitor from one of those two heavily armed and easily irritated groups went missing. "We have them on camera three," one of the technicians stated. She sent the images to his terminal, where Ponta and her security escort was watching
"Dammit, don't you have any kind of detectors when weapons are fired?"
The Ferengi just gave her a look. "It's no skin of my lobes if people do whatever to each other here, besides if I did have better security, then I'd have to raise prices?"
Ponta just rolled her eyes. "I don't wanna hear it. I want to know who was on that ship, and where it went!"
"I can't tell you that Commander - and not because I don't want to. We ask no questions here. He could have claimed to be the great green grandson of James T Kirk himself, and we wouldn't have questioned it."
She just ran her hand over her face in frustration. "I assume you at least have his transponder codes?"
Normally, information like that wasn't just handed over to authorities. But they'd learned the hard way, and the Federation and the Klingons both only let the Ferengi go so far here. Smuggling, the odd drug deal, they didn't care. Touch their people... "Right here," he said, handing it over. "Though I would presume that they might be faked."
Ponta just smiled grimly. Tellarites, while not seeming friendly, were generally seen as harmless. Grumpy, complaining, but harmless. This one however...Belan found himself drawing back just a bit by the look in her eyes. This pig-man had teeth, and she wasn't afraid to use them. "Thank you for your help," she said in a tone that was far too sweet for the fire in her gaze.
USS McGrath
For once, the Captain wasn't in engineering. Nor her cabin, or ready room either. Technically, she wasn't even on the ship. Oh she was connected to it, protocol stated safety tethers when going out into the black in an environment suit, but she was about 100 meters off of the port side, just seemingly talking to herself.
"I do fine, I handle any emergency, then throw an ambassador through a window at a diplomatic function."
{Well he did grab your TRIBBLE, I'd have thrown him too.}
"That's not the point...I can't keep things in focus. As soon as I get reminded of something...bam. I panic."
{Вы должны сохранять спокойствие. Они не могут повредить вам больше.}
"I know that! Damnit, I know it logically, intellectually, but emotionally...that's where it all falls apart."
There was a few moments of silence. {I could ride with you, help you through things-}
"While you end up sleeping all the time? K'Tirr is patient, but doubt anyone would be that patient - and you've got your own life as well. Just because mine's messed up doesn't mean everyone else's has to be."
There was an actual noise in her earpieces. "Cap'n," Ponta's voice came over the com, "we got a situation..."
"Roger, coming in," she said, turning towards the lock. "I've got to go, I'll handle this somehow, don't worry."
Ferasa, Ri'orr Highlands
"Wait...TRIBBLE."
"What happened?"
Schrodi's eyes refocused. "She cut me off, hell all of us off."
K'Tirr's tail twitched, she of course had told him everything, she could not, would not keep secrets from him. "I did not know you could cut off from your sisters."
She sighed, rubbing her hand over her face "At first we couldn't before we separated, now, well, mainly only do it when things are getting, uhm, intimate.
He laughed. "So I don't have to worry about others watching."
"Actually it's more because it's damn distracting, to be in say the middle of a lecture, or realigning a warp field, or running an experiment to have one of my sisters and their husband, or lover, or whatever, uhm, occupied," she said with a bit of a blush.
"I can imagine," he said. He'd met several of them, and some of their children as well. When the time came, any future cubs would not be short on trusted caregivers, at least. "Do you need to go?"
"No" Schrodi said, shaking her head. "You need me here, there's things with building the household that you won't be able to be here to manage when the General calls you back, and I've got experiments to monitor as well," she sighed. "Plus, she has to get through this on her own. If she doesn't, she'll never heal."
"Hrrr...still..." K'Tirr mumbled. "She may need help...she is kin." he stated.
"I know. I've got someone keeping an eye on things."
He nodded. "I was...considering sending someone..." K'Tirr passed the report to Schrodi. "I am...somewhat disturbed at what Little Hunter's been up to - I think giving her actual work to do might be appropriate."
She pondered that "True, and one never knows what she'll turn up." Which was unspoken. Ever since the Battle at the Gate, those involved had kept in quiet contact. Any thing that looked even remotely capable of bringing similar horrors through was to be found, and destroyed, whether the governments involved approved or not. At least the Empire was willing to see the big picture, but then they were the Klingon Defense Force. "The McGrath is still along the neutral zone doing stellar research, so it shouldn't be a problem to give them a shadow incase they find something that needs smiting."
K'Tirr smiled, carefully hiding his fangs. "Indeed." He started tapping into his PADD.
"And that is?" Schrodi asked, looking over his shoulder.
"Deployment orders and a requisition to the shipyard," K'Tirr told her. "We have funding, the Herdthinner must remain in dry-dock...so Little Hunter's going to be helming a new ride."
"Those are...MCDF codes," Schrodi said.
"Yes, yes they are," K'Tirr said. "As an officially neutral minor power, the Moab Confederation doesn't have to abide the Armistice - they can shoot anyone, on either side, without endangering the peace."
She just smiled. "Have I told you you're a genius today?"
K'Tirr nuzzled her. "No, but you always make me feel like I can out-cunning the rest of the universe." he purred to her. "You need to let Ponta know about Little Hunter."
"I'll have Thag pass it on, she'll have it by tonight."
Da Nang ship repair dock, Moab III
Zimehoz knocked on Anh's quarters. "Come in." Anh Cu'ong was reading - the book was a gift from a friend. She looked at the Lethean. "You should stick to KDF uniforms, Doctor-floral prints don't suit you."
Zimehoz laughed. "I don't know, it's comfortable and airy." he said, and sat down. "We have a...request."
she folded the book closed. "When you use the royal 'we' you mean K'Tirr - and you mean it's not just me."
"You are correct," Zimehoz told her. "Your new rank and position, and your...connections are needed." He handed her a PADD.
She scanned it. "So...do I want to take this to Ariel?" she asked bluntly' "It's not the usual run of Moab business."
Zimehoz shrugged. "I would take it to Saul, first," the Lethean told her. He nodded to her uniform cap and jacket. "Officer's rank suits you."
She sighed. "Okay, okay...meet me at Zobies in two hours," she said. "And dress for duty."
With that, she started dialing out. The first order of business was to requisition a ship capable of weeks-long travel at warp. The second was to secure clearance for the cruise from KDF traffic control - this wouldn't be AS difficult as the third problem - securing a reliable crew with the right..ties?
THAT meant dealing with Ariel and Minister Moskowitz.
"...yes, this is Leftenant Colonel Cu'ong, connect me to the Yard Boss," she began?
USS McGrath
"Wait, what?"
"We've got three people missing, Cap'n," Ponta stated. "Ensign Sovrok, Tanya Miller, and Neidere Katam from the Astro-science department."
Sovrok she only knew in passing, Miller was one of the sensor geniuses, and Katam... "She's that Orion that I brought on board six months ago, she did that paper that the Daystrom Institute published."
"And four to six hours ago, an Orion male who claimed to be her cousin met her on Drozana, led them to a docking bay, where several accomplices stunned them, then loaded them up and left."
"And nobody said anything... oh, wait, Drozana, right." To her credit, the indecisiveness was gone.But then, her problem wasn't when there was a crisis... "You have a heading on him?"
"Negative Cap'n, but we do have his transponder codes. Probably bogus-"
"But they'll be on long enough until he's clear of shipping before he changes them - which gives us enough time to pick out his warp trail. Thag," she said, turning to the neanderthal at the science station on the bridge "I need you to configure a probe for non-subspace signals. once we find the trail, we can pick up any emissions from it that would propagate out no faster than C, being he's only gone a few hours, we can use that to narrow the search down. Also once we get the trail Identified, have two probes paralleling and following the path, and have another to try to back follow the trail backwards, from where he was before he reached the station."
"He was in a Toron class shuttle Cap'n," Ponta added. "He's got enough range that he could be long away by now."
Her eyes seemed to blaze for a second, probably a trick of the light... "It doesn't matter. I'll chase him 'round the moons of Nibia and 'round the Antares Maelstrom and 'round perdition's flames before I give him up! I'm getting my people back!"
MCDF Li Truk Trang, B'rolth-Retrofit class, on departure orders...
The ship was the first one completed from the second major military aid package after the Battle of Moab, and she was definitely an MCDF vessel - the red lighting replaced with more human friendly spectra, the consoles configured for smaller, human frames. Anh sat in the commander's position. The crew weren't the hardened veterans of the old MCDF - they were a mixture of recent-trained amateurs and recent immigrants from other worlds in the Empire - thankfully, enough were trained that she had a competent NCO corps.
And, of course, she had Dr. Zimehoz.
"Secure from liftoff, set heading Two six four two one, let's go meet the neighbours," Anh announced. "Engage cloak and warp."
"You think they're going to be there?" Lt. Uziel Thanh asked.
"I think so," Anh said. "If not easily found, we know what their warp-signature is...as it is, we?ve got a nice, shiny diplomatic cover for making contact."
"Hell of a shakedown mission" the Lt. commented.
"Yep. it is," Anh said. "Doc, what do we know about the McGrath since the battle?"
"They took on some new crew after the fighting, then were reassigned back out here - cataloguing stellar anomalies along the Neutral zone," Zimehoz said.
"Why would K'Tirr be concerned?" Anh asked. "That's a milk-mission."
"He didn't say, do you suppose it might have to do with politics at Earth?" the Lethean hazarded.
"K'Tirr wouldn't pull just us in for that." Anh said confidently. "Something bigger is up, but not so big he'd call on General Ssharki."
"Mid-size...you're thinking something recent, then," Zimehoz suggested.
"I am. See if KI is willing to part with personnel dossiers on anyone who's joined the McGrath's crew since the Battle of the Gate," Anh said. "Something might stand out...Uziel, kick a message to Ariel, see if Haganah knows of anything involving members of the McGrath's crew - incidents, crimes, thefts - accusations, anything in the sector that might get the Boss-Cat's nose tweaking to trouble."
There comes a time, you decide
What from your life will be real
What scars you will keep alive,
What you are willing to heal
Trans Siberian Orchestra
What from your life will be real
What scars you will keep alive,
What you are willing to heal
Trans Siberian Orchestra
USS McGrath, Engineering, 0230 hours
It had gotten to the point that Commander Ponta der Trys did not even have to ask where to find her. She needed to find the Captain, after the latest incident. Yep, there she was, up on the intermix chamber. It was as if the engines were like a security blanket for the caitian, anytime there was a problem, she retreated there. Fortunately it was Gamma shift, the few engineers on duty long used to their CO's nocturnal visits.
"I'm getting too old for this," she muttered as she climbed the ladder, the warp core pulsing next to her, how anyone could find this soothing, the tellarite had no clue. She made the jump easily enough, next to the half dressed lump of fur. "Cap'n?" she said softly.
"I can't do this, I can't keep doing this..."
Ponta both agreed and disagreed with her. True, it wasn't the M'chelle Schrodinger that had been born in this universe, this one's home was a lot more brutal...but she was just as smart, and knew everything her 'sisters' did. She'd proven that time and again in battles and crises...it was the interaction off duty that messed her up so. The latest was Commander K'aret, a handsome (at least to other caitians Ponta supposed) feline who had known and dated Schrodi years ago. The original Schrodi. This one...
"how bad did I hurt him?"
"Busted jaw, no permanent damage that the doc couldn't patch up," Ponta replied. No point in sugar coating things. "You are going to have to work on these panic attacks...I told him that you've been jumpy, had some bad experiences with Orions lately..." Which was technically true, the neurocollar that she had been forced to wear daily on the ISS Tirpitz had been developed by Orions for the Empire.
"It doesn't matter, I smelled him, I knew he wasn't a threat, and I still panicked..."
She reached over and patted Schrodi reassuringly...females she never had a problem with. Males on the other hand...any species...perhaps doing the switch was a mistake...not the first time Ponta had thought that. "You could always resign, go back into research-"
"NO! Er, no...she needs me here. She saved me, I can't let her down..."
"And when you do hurt someone bad, or worse, and they start poking at you?" She sighed. "Damnit Schrodi, I believed in this crazy scheme of yours to save the Galaxy. I still do. but if you don't get yourself together, and soon?" Ponta shrugged.
"I know that..." she said, her tail twitching. "I know all this logically, I know she needs to be with K'Tirr, I could never take her away from that.. but she's... strong. I'm not..."
"Bull****. I saw you with my own eyes not two days ago pulling a Monroe to get Ensign Bell out of those borg drones," Which was true, while she wasn't wielding a fracking I Beam the titanium crowbar still did rather good damage to the drones.
"That was different, the kid would have died if I didn't act."
"And if you don't act right, how many more will over the long haul?"
She just started sniffling again, Ponta resisted the urge to sigh. The Cap'n had her demons she needed to get rid of...she just hoped Schrodi could pull it together before it was too late.
Astro-sciences Lab, USS McGrath, 0740
"well, you're up early." The Bajoran department head was usually there at least a half hour before the rest of his morning crew. Some of them were still excited grad students, others, jaded oldtimers who let the machines handle most of the data collection, and simply analyzed it later over coffee.
"We're doing subspace mapping of pulsars today, who could sleep?" Neidere said brigthly, the Orion dressed very conservatively for her race's usual standards, wearing one of the jumpsuits the civilian scientists tended to wear on board. but then she wasn't one of her race's usual members. She had left her family to study Quantum Physics, even if that meant going to the Federation, their plan to breed her with another family be dammed. She was on board as a civilian specialist, Dr Schrodinger had liked her thesis about gravitational fluctuations affecting pulsars and had pulled strings to get her on board.
Lt Kaval Edon just chuckled. "Fine then, if you want to get the detectors set up, we'll be getting sensor feed off channel 2, and don't forget to set multiplexing with the probes so we can get a three dimensional image."
She just nodded and went to work, sniffling a bit. "Are you feeling alright?" the Lt asked.
"Just the suppressors trigger my allergies," she replied as she calibrated the antenna arrays. "Could be worse, I'd rather have stuffed sinuses than half of the crew bouncing after me like love crazed skunks."
"I see you've seen Tanya's cartoon collection. As amusing as that would be to see, I get your point," he said, chuckling as he sipped his coffee.
Orion Marauder Carrier "Good Servant", Hromi Sector
"Matron, I bring news."
Matron Reli Katam opened one eye as she dozed lightly in her quarters, a hulking barechested enforcer busily at work rubbing her feet. "Mmm..this had better be important," she muttered, not even bothering to sit up. "What is it?"
"We've located Neidere."
That got her attention. "Really? About time, and how soon until she is returned to us?"
The young male kneeling before her squirmed a bit. In truth, it was Nakut's fault that she had left in the first place. But it could not totally be blamed on her cousin, no, Reli should have never permitted her daughter to learn how to read. Ever since she had seen the news story about that Ohn'Gallau Damojena Massaana being granted Klingon citizenship..she had railed at her duty to the family. Bah, Science was useless, when she could be of so much more worth to her family as broodstock. It had been Nakut who had been beguiled into giving her a lift to Drozana station...from there, she had disappeared close to a year ago. "Where is she?"
"She's in the Federation, Matron," Nakut said. "Currently as a researcher aboard a Starfleet Science ship."
There had been a time not long past, where she could have then just given an order. One lone Federation vessel would not have been a threat, especially a mere science vessel. But between losses incurred during the cultists uprising, and the resulting Klingon crackdown, she did not have any warships to spare in retrieval. Still, her daughter was willful, yet trusting, and fond of her cousin. "You will take a small ship, and fetch her."
"But Matron, what if she should-"
"She will not, and even if she did try," she said, her own pheromones filling the room, "you will obey me over her, will you not?"
He bowed low and reverently. "Of course Matron. I will bring her to you." with that he was dismissed, turning and leaving.
She turned to her aide, who was standing quietly in the background. "Have the medical staff ready - my daughter is to be gelded the instant she returns. I am not losing her again!"
"Of course, Matron."
Drozana Station, five weeks later
A wretched hive of scum and villainy. Thats how many on both sides of the border viewed the Ferengi operated station. Few with legitimate business visited there,and those that did, tended to watch their backs and their wallets. Bringing a ship full of civilian scientists to a place like that gave Ponta migraines...but it was occasionally necessary. Fortunately a lot of the eggheads chose not to partake in Drozana's dubious hospitality. They'd be here just long enough to get what they needed, then get back out. Besides, the Cap'n had mentioned they could lay over a few days here, or a few days on Risa, the latter was overwhelmingly chosen. Schrodi hadn't had any more incidents, yet as well either. So far so good.
Neidere wasn't sure about this. Oh she missed and cared about her cousin, in fact she had a borderline crush on him, though never took advantage of the situation, another thing that her mother did not approve of. Still, knowing he was here and had what he called 'good news', was worth checking out at least. She wasn't stupid however. She'd made friends with some of the McGrath's crew, and they were going with her to both meet and chaperone Nakut. Ensign Sovrok was as fond of puzzles and word games as she, and being Vulcan was immune to orion pheromones. Tanya on the other hand was human, also from the Astro-science department, and being female also safe from any influence. It was nice Neidre thought, having friends who liked her for who she was, not what she could do for them.
there were a lot of orions here, many in KDF uniforms, but as her cousin never joined, it wasn't that hard to pick him out. He was the only Orion dressed almost scandalously heavily, a long sleeved shirt covering his chest, and loose fitting pants as well. "Nakut!" she cried, hugging him when she saw him.
He was troubled, but did not let it show. True, he was overdressed, but his cousin...and scent! She had almost none, she had gone so far as to suppress even that part of her heritage! "Cousin, it has been too long!" he smiled warmly. "I hope you are doing well?"
he asked as he sat down in a booth, the others joining him. He noticed the Vulcan sat with his back to the wall, that one could possibly be a problem. Still only two, far less than he had expected.
"I'm doing great," she replied. "I've been working with Dr Schrodinger, well she's the Captain, but she's also a scientist."
He nodded and smiled, as she prattled on about things that in the great scheme of life had no meaning. What good was knowledge of things that could not be seen, felt, sold? "So, you said you had news?" She said as she paused for breath.
"I've thought about what you said when I brought you here" he said convincingly "and I believe you are right. I also managed to bring Nadia with me as well?"
Neidere's eyes lit up. "You did? How did you get her away from Mother?" Her younger sister was her only regret at having left...especially knowing that the fate she escaped may soon be hers as well once she got to breeding age.
"She left for a conference with the other houses, with the disarray since the, upheaval" he said, putting the rebellion delicately. "Things are strained. So while she was out, I grabbed her and headed here. She's asleep in my shuttle."
She was up and headed for the docking bays before Sovrok or Tanya could protest, the two just looking at each other and shrugging as they followed. they were both armed after all, and Sovrok was trained security. Besides, this was the one who got Neidere out of her mother's clutches. They never even felt the disruptor bolts slam into them, leaving them unconscious on the decking.
"Load them all up," Nakut said, the ambushers carrying them on board. "The female's comely enough to use as stock, and the male, well there is always a market for what a vulcan knows. and make damn sure to leave their communicators..."
One of the Orions just grinned as he pocketed them. "I've already got a holosuite reserved in her name, by the time their ship comes banging on it's door, we'll be on the other side of the sector."
Nakut just grinned. "Good, let's go home, the Matron is waiting for her wayward daughter. dogging the hatch, he proceeded to the bridge as his cargo was secured, taking off and jumping to warp.
Stage 2: Anger
You were told to run away
Soak the place, and light the flame
Pay the price for your betrayal
Your betrayal, your betrayal!
I was told to stay away
Those two words I can't obey
Pay the price for your betrayal
Your betrayal, your betrayal!
Bullet for my Valentine Your Betrayal
Drozana Station, five hours later
They were due to leave over half an hour ago. Four had been un accounted for, Doctor Molamm had been visiting his favorite hangout on the station for semi-legal recreational pharmaceuticals, and as usual the aging botanist from New Woodstock was stoned out of his gourd. Ponta had security put him in the brig to sleep it off being it was a substance that was legal on his homeworld, of course that also meant the replicators would be down again when he awoke, and tried to program them for something called 'cheetos'. The other three missing...well she didn't really expect that of them to be honest. All had good records, no problems from any of them. Still their com badges were in the holosuites, they had probably lost track of time, and communications were always dodgy on Drozaza for some reason.
She followed the ferengi holodeck manager up the ramp, two security troops with her. Going up she passed a KDF Major going down also with a security escort, half dragging a pair of intoxicated and under-dressed Ensigns. Some things are the same for everyone, she thought with a smirk, the Major giving her a knowing shrug as he passed. Ensigns. Always getting into trouble everywhere.
"All right, open it up," she said to the Ferengi. The manager was used to such things, happened on a regular enough basis. While they usually only interrupted holodeck sessions when a customers latinum ran out, they'd learned that when KDF or Starfleet security showed up, it was better (and cheaper) to just let them in. "Party time's over Ensign...oh TRIBBLE."
The room was empty, with nothing but the three combadges sitting on a table.
* * *
There was just one rule, Belan though as he felt his lobes ache. one Frixing rule that anyone working for him had to follow. Cheat, steal, rob, he didn't' care, but never disappear Starfleet or KDF personnel. Especially the KDF, they became rather stabby when angered. Thus station 'security' was extremely helpful when some visitor from one of those two heavily armed and easily irritated groups went missing. "We have them on camera three," one of the technicians stated. She sent the images to his terminal, where Ponta and her security escort was watching
"Dammit, don't you have any kind of detectors when weapons are fired?"
The Ferengi just gave her a look. "It's no skin of my lobes if people do whatever to each other here, besides if I did have better security, then I'd have to raise prices?"
Ponta just rolled her eyes. "I don't wanna hear it. I want to know who was on that ship, and where it went!"
"I can't tell you that Commander - and not because I don't want to. We ask no questions here. He could have claimed to be the great green grandson of James T Kirk himself, and we wouldn't have questioned it."
She just ran her hand over her face in frustration. "I assume you at least have his transponder codes?"
Normally, information like that wasn't just handed over to authorities. But they'd learned the hard way, and the Federation and the Klingons both only let the Ferengi go so far here. Smuggling, the odd drug deal, they didn't care. Touch their people... "Right here," he said, handing it over. "Though I would presume that they might be faked."
Ponta just smiled grimly. Tellarites, while not seeming friendly, were generally seen as harmless. Grumpy, complaining, but harmless. This one however...Belan found himself drawing back just a bit by the look in her eyes. This pig-man had teeth, and she wasn't afraid to use them. "Thank you for your help," she said in a tone that was far too sweet for the fire in her gaze.
USS McGrath
For once, the Captain wasn't in engineering. Nor her cabin, or ready room either. Technically, she wasn't even on the ship. Oh she was connected to it, protocol stated safety tethers when going out into the black in an environment suit, but she was about 100 meters off of the port side, just seemingly talking to herself.
"I do fine, I handle any emergency, then throw an ambassador through a window at a diplomatic function."
{Well he did grab your TRIBBLE, I'd have thrown him too.}
"That's not the point...I can't keep things in focus. As soon as I get reminded of something...bam. I panic."
{Вы должны сохранять спокойствие. Они не могут повредить вам больше.}
"I know that! Damnit, I know it logically, intellectually, but emotionally...that's where it all falls apart."
There was a few moments of silence. {I could ride with you, help you through things-}
"While you end up sleeping all the time? K'Tirr is patient, but doubt anyone would be that patient - and you've got your own life as well. Just because mine's messed up doesn't mean everyone else's has to be."
There was an actual noise in her earpieces. "Cap'n," Ponta's voice came over the com, "we got a situation..."
"Roger, coming in," she said, turning towards the lock. "I've got to go, I'll handle this somehow, don't worry."
Ferasa, Ri'orr Highlands
"Wait...TRIBBLE."
"What happened?"
Schrodi's eyes refocused. "She cut me off, hell all of us off."
K'Tirr's tail twitched, she of course had told him everything, she could not, would not keep secrets from him. "I did not know you could cut off from your sisters."
She sighed, rubbing her hand over her face "At first we couldn't before we separated, now, well, mainly only do it when things are getting, uhm, intimate.
He laughed. "So I don't have to worry about others watching."
"Actually it's more because it's damn distracting, to be in say the middle of a lecture, or realigning a warp field, or running an experiment to have one of my sisters and their husband, or lover, or whatever, uhm, occupied," she said with a bit of a blush.
"I can imagine," he said. He'd met several of them, and some of their children as well. When the time came, any future cubs would not be short on trusted caregivers, at least. "Do you need to go?"
"No" Schrodi said, shaking her head. "You need me here, there's things with building the household that you won't be able to be here to manage when the General calls you back, and I've got experiments to monitor as well," she sighed. "Plus, she has to get through this on her own. If she doesn't, she'll never heal."
"Hrrr...still..." K'Tirr mumbled. "She may need help...she is kin." he stated.
"I know. I've got someone keeping an eye on things."
He nodded. "I was...considering sending someone..." K'Tirr passed the report to Schrodi. "I am...somewhat disturbed at what Little Hunter's been up to - I think giving her actual work to do might be appropriate."
She pondered that "True, and one never knows what she'll turn up." Which was unspoken. Ever since the Battle at the Gate, those involved had kept in quiet contact. Any thing that looked even remotely capable of bringing similar horrors through was to be found, and destroyed, whether the governments involved approved or not. At least the Empire was willing to see the big picture, but then they were the Klingon Defense Force. "The McGrath is still along the neutral zone doing stellar research, so it shouldn't be a problem to give them a shadow incase they find something that needs smiting."
K'Tirr smiled, carefully hiding his fangs. "Indeed." He started tapping into his PADD.
"And that is?" Schrodi asked, looking over his shoulder.
"Deployment orders and a requisition to the shipyard," K'Tirr told her. "We have funding, the Herdthinner must remain in dry-dock...so Little Hunter's going to be helming a new ride."
"Those are...MCDF codes," Schrodi said.
"Yes, yes they are," K'Tirr said. "As an officially neutral minor power, the Moab Confederation doesn't have to abide the Armistice - they can shoot anyone, on either side, without endangering the peace."
She just smiled. "Have I told you you're a genius today?"
K'Tirr nuzzled her. "No, but you always make me feel like I can out-cunning the rest of the universe." he purred to her. "You need to let Ponta know about Little Hunter."
"I'll have Thag pass it on, she'll have it by tonight."
Da Nang ship repair dock, Moab III
Zimehoz knocked on Anh's quarters. "Come in." Anh Cu'ong was reading - the book was a gift from a friend. She looked at the Lethean. "You should stick to KDF uniforms, Doctor-floral prints don't suit you."
Zimehoz laughed. "I don't know, it's comfortable and airy." he said, and sat down. "We have a...request."
she folded the book closed. "When you use the royal 'we' you mean K'Tirr - and you mean it's not just me."
"You are correct," Zimehoz told her. "Your new rank and position, and your...connections are needed." He handed her a PADD.
She scanned it. "So...do I want to take this to Ariel?" she asked bluntly' "It's not the usual run of Moab business."
Zimehoz shrugged. "I would take it to Saul, first," the Lethean told her. He nodded to her uniform cap and jacket. "Officer's rank suits you."
She sighed. "Okay, okay...meet me at Zobies in two hours," she said. "And dress for duty."
With that, she started dialing out. The first order of business was to requisition a ship capable of weeks-long travel at warp. The second was to secure clearance for the cruise from KDF traffic control - this wouldn't be AS difficult as the third problem - securing a reliable crew with the right..ties?
THAT meant dealing with Ariel and Minister Moskowitz.
"...yes, this is Leftenant Colonel Cu'ong, connect me to the Yard Boss," she began?
USS McGrath
"Wait, what?"
"We've got three people missing, Cap'n," Ponta stated. "Ensign Sovrok, Tanya Miller, and Neidere Katam from the Astro-science department."
Sovrok she only knew in passing, Miller was one of the sensor geniuses, and Katam... "She's that Orion that I brought on board six months ago, she did that paper that the Daystrom Institute published."
"And four to six hours ago, an Orion male who claimed to be her cousin met her on Drozana, led them to a docking bay, where several accomplices stunned them, then loaded them up and left."
"And nobody said anything... oh, wait, Drozana, right." To her credit, the indecisiveness was gone.But then, her problem wasn't when there was a crisis... "You have a heading on him?"
"Negative Cap'n, but we do have his transponder codes. Probably bogus-"
"But they'll be on long enough until he's clear of shipping before he changes them - which gives us enough time to pick out his warp trail. Thag," she said, turning to the neanderthal at the science station on the bridge "I need you to configure a probe for non-subspace signals. once we find the trail, we can pick up any emissions from it that would propagate out no faster than C, being he's only gone a few hours, we can use that to narrow the search down. Also once we get the trail Identified, have two probes paralleling and following the path, and have another to try to back follow the trail backwards, from where he was before he reached the station."
"He was in a Toron class shuttle Cap'n," Ponta added. "He's got enough range that he could be long away by now."
Her eyes seemed to blaze for a second, probably a trick of the light... "It doesn't matter. I'll chase him 'round the moons of Nibia and 'round the Antares Maelstrom and 'round perdition's flames before I give him up! I'm getting my people back!"
MCDF Li Truk Trang, B'rolth-Retrofit class, on departure orders...
The ship was the first one completed from the second major military aid package after the Battle of Moab, and she was definitely an MCDF vessel - the red lighting replaced with more human friendly spectra, the consoles configured for smaller, human frames. Anh sat in the commander's position. The crew weren't the hardened veterans of the old MCDF - they were a mixture of recent-trained amateurs and recent immigrants from other worlds in the Empire - thankfully, enough were trained that she had a competent NCO corps.
And, of course, she had Dr. Zimehoz.
"Secure from liftoff, set heading Two six four two one, let's go meet the neighbours," Anh announced. "Engage cloak and warp."
"You think they're going to be there?" Lt. Uziel Thanh asked.
"I think so," Anh said. "If not easily found, we know what their warp-signature is...as it is, we?ve got a nice, shiny diplomatic cover for making contact."
"Hell of a shakedown mission" the Lt. commented.
"Yep. it is," Anh said. "Doc, what do we know about the McGrath since the battle?"
"They took on some new crew after the fighting, then were reassigned back out here - cataloguing stellar anomalies along the Neutral zone," Zimehoz said.
"Why would K'Tirr be concerned?" Anh asked. "That's a milk-mission."
"He didn't say, do you suppose it might have to do with politics at Earth?" the Lethean hazarded.
"K'Tirr wouldn't pull just us in for that." Anh said confidently. "Something bigger is up, but not so big he'd call on General Ssharki."
"Mid-size...you're thinking something recent, then," Zimehoz suggested.
"I am. See if KI is willing to part with personnel dossiers on anyone who's joined the McGrath's crew since the Battle of the Gate," Anh said. "Something might stand out...Uziel, kick a message to Ariel, see if Haganah knows of anything involving members of the McGrath's crew - incidents, crimes, thefts - accusations, anything in the sector that might get the Boss-Cat's nose tweaking to trouble."
"It may be better to be a live jackal than a dead lion, but it is better still to be a live lion. And usually easier." R.A.Heinlein
"he's as dangerous as a ferret with a chainsaw."
"he's as dangerous as a ferret with a chainsaw."
Post edited by knightraider6 on
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Comments
Also, you might want to Re-post Stage 2--it's got a few Non Forum Friendly Punctuation Marks which have been turned into question marks.
(mutters, and sharpens spork to smite whoever put that bug in the system. Fixed. )
"he's as dangerous as a ferret with a chainsaw."
...Oh, baby, you know, I've really got to leave you / Oh, I can hear it callin 'me / I said don't you hear it callin' me the way it used to do?...
- Anne Bredon
USS McGrath, somewhere in the Hiromi sector
It had taken them, well, longer than she would have liked to find the right trail. Not that the crew wasn't good, it was just so damn many civilian ships of dubious legality went to Drozana in poor states of repair, there was enough leakage from their drives to hide a Borg cube or six... Like a lot of space, the systems weren't marked if there wasn't anything there. For all the thousands of stars with planets, there were tens of thousands more that had nothing worth noting.
They were Technically in Federation territory, the border tended to be a bit ambiguous out here, mainly because there wasn't anything worth fighting over for the most part.
"He definitely both came and went from there, Cap'n" Thag said with certainty. Once they were finally clear of Drozana, tracking became much easier due to the mismatched warp fields between the nacelles of the shuttle, leaving a trail a blind man could follow.
"Very good," Schrodi said. With a problem before her, she was doing fine these past few days, no, over a week now. "Anything on long range sensors?"
"Hard to tell, there's an asteroid field in there, nothing really valuable, just the type of rubble that really interferes with scans."
"Going in blind is never a good idea Cap'n," Ponta reminded her from the First Officer's seat. She'd given up the helm (mainly because she felt the Nebula class wasn't flown, merely pointed in the general direction one wanted to go and eventually it turned) her increased duties pretty much made that a necessity anyhow.
"I know, but if there is someone there, they've probably got to know we're here. We're not exactly sneaky like we were in the Dauntless."
That got a chuckle from most of the bridge crew. "Maybe they'll see us coming and give them up, afraid we'll not be able to turn sharp enough and crash into them," Ponta grumbled.
The crewman on the helm, Kadbala Idmrun, just shook her head. "It's not that bad, Commander," the Betazoid said. "Give me a few days' notice and I can turn just fine."
"It might be a good idea to wait a bit for some support," the XO said with a knowing glance at Schrodi. They both knew that K'Tirr had managed somehow to send help their way, it was still a few hours off though...
"...no. They've had them for a week now. The longer we wait, the worse it may be."
The Tellarite bit her tongue. While Schrodi was wrong...she was also right. There really wasn't a right answer to this situation, they were damned if they did and damned if they did not, or more precisely Neidere was most likely. "Very well, Cap'n. Take us in, Mr. Idmrun, one quarter impulse."
Orion Maruader Good Servant
He prostrated himself on the deck, "Matron forgive me, I was followed."
Reili gazed down at the trembling male. Truly he was...but then the shuttle he had been given was not in the best of condition, as so much was nowadays. It was to be expected, she supposed. Her science slaves had picked it up when it came out of warp, Federation Nebula class. Slow, underweaponed, a fat sow ferrying scientists to and fro. Not a threat. True, she was in neutral space, but then the Orions were technically part of the Klingon Empire. No, this F'deraxt'la ship was no threat. At least not a military threat. Political, now that was another thing...
"What is the status on my daughter?"
"She is being bathed and will soon be ready to be presented to you."
"Bring her companions as well. We will be generous and gift them back to their ship, as they were not the property you were sent to retrieve," she said with a glance down at the trembling Nakut.
"Hail them. Tell them we apologize for their...inconvience, that their missing personnel are safe and will be returned, as will their abductor."
"Matron!"
"This is a mess of your making Nakut. Please tell me you did not touch the female human on the trip back, humans can be so upset about such things.."
"N...no, Matron. I was piloting, she was not touched."
"Good. Invite their captain over," she said. "Politeness never hurts. Easier to be kind before unsheathing the blades if necessary."
USS McGrath
There were somethings you never expected to hear. Klingon Polka. Ferengi's having a half off sale. And Orions apologizing for kidnapping your crew? "You're ****ting me!"
"No Sir," Thag replied. "The commander of the Orion vessel is hailing us, she wishes to apologize in person for the mistake her crewman made in returning her daughter back home."
"But..." Schrodi shook her head. "Onscreen." She looked to be in her mid forties, dresed in the typical underdressed fashion of her race, long black hair hanging down to her waist "I am Matron Reli Katam. I seem to have accidentally acquired a couple members of your crew, Captain..."
"Schrodinger, M'chelle Schrodinger." She didn't betray any emotion, at least none that could be seen by the Orion woman. "How do you accidentally kidnap my crew?"
"My agent was to meet with my daughter and bring her back here, there was a, family emergency," Reli said. Which was true...if Neidere wasn't around to be bred as was agreed upon, the brood fees would have to be refunded... "My agent thought they were attacking, and panicked, stunning them. They are unharmed. Please," she said with a smile, "allow me to make up in some small way for this."
"What did you have in mind?" Schrodinger asked.
Reli glanced down at Nakut. The Klingons had been coming down hard on many of the families after the recent unpleasantness. His violating the Armistice could bring the wrath of the Empire down on her, if it was not handled carefully. fortunately, she knew both how much, and where her nephew had been stashing money. "Compensation for their time and travel, and for wasting the Federations valuable time as well."
Ok, now they had heard everything. Still, ending this peacefully was always for the best for both sides. "Very well, how do you wish to make the transfer?"
"Your people are currently being checked by our medical staff, and after a week of travel, will be cleaned and fed. Please, join me for dinner Captain, so I can express my condolences."
She wondered if this was how Alice felt going down the rabbithole. "Very well. I'll be over shortly. McGrath out."
"Cap'n, you can't seriously be thinking of going over there?"
"She wants to apologize, and give us back our folks. Orion food isn't that bad to put up with in return." She hit the com button on her chair. "Sickbay, I need an orion pheromone blocker shot ASAP." Turning to Ponta, she said, "I should take a few folks with me, probably females to be on the safe side.
"Well, taking Dr Daron would be good, and I'd recommend Pickens too," Ponta said.
"Right, well I'll collect the doc from sickbay, have Pickens report to the transporter." She looked back at the Orion ship on the screen. "No way it's just this easy..."
Orion Marauder Good Servant
It was warmer than the McGrath. They had come armed, and the muscular barechested enforcers made no mention of their weaponry, as if expecting it. To her credit, Lt Pickens didn't even stare at them, obviously selected for their physiques, but then her boyfriend could probably bench press the lot of them.
They were led through the ship, fortunately she had both a good sense of direction and a transporter lock from the McGrath. It was almost but not quite completely unlike any starship she'd been on, more like a flying bordello from the decor, silk drapes lining the corridors, soft pillows and cushions here and there, and the orions she did see...well she'd seen people with more clothes on clothing optional beaches on Risa. I think I see why D'Moj wears so much, she thought as she followed the enforcer to the, well was it a bridge or a parlor? Hard to tell.
The Matron stood as they entered, dressed, or undressed as the case may be as most of the other females were, the Tiara looking to Schrodi something a six year old girl would wear as a souvenir from DisneyPlanet.(?)
"Captain Schrodinger," she said. "Thank you for coming, though I wish it was under more, pleasant circumstances."
She just nodded, glancing around, still, wouldn't hurt to be polite. "Thank you for turning them back over to us," she said. "Though I don't see them.."
Reli glanced over at one of her aides, the nearly nude woman looking at her version of a PADD "Miss Miller is still, uhm, in the bath."
Schrodi just sighed and shook her head. "Every time someone is looking for her, she's in the tub."
"Well it is relaxing, especially with the right company," the matron said with a grin. "Still, we have our schedule, and you have yours, so please tell her to, what is the phrase, get a move on?"
The aide just nodded as she tapped something into the PADD. "As for reperations, I hope this amount will be sufficient?" Reli said, as she handed over a figure. Not that she cared, it was not her money she was giving away, but if it kept attention off of her house, it was a small price to pay.
Schrodi was about to refuse the money - then thought for a second. she'd just give it to the three that were taken when they were back on the McGrath "That should be fine". Just then another of the barechested Enforcers arrived. kind of pale for an enforcer, no wait...
Ensign Sovrok tried his best to look dignified as only a Vulcan could - even bare chested, wearing trousers far tighter than regulation. "Are you alright, Ensign?" Schrodi asked. At least Vulcans didn't blush, though Pickens was turning rather pink.
"Other than damage to my uniform, I am fine, Captain." If he seemed unperturbed, Tanya Miller was about as pink as a lobster, evidently her own jumpsuit was 'lost' as well. At least she had a loincloth over the chain-mail bikini as she muttered, "If anyone takes one image of me in this I'll strangle them with their own intestines!"
Despite the situation she had to try hard to suppress the urge to laugh. Not that she'd want to be seen in that either...oh well. "There's still Neidere-"
"My daughter will be remaining here. She is still a citizen of the Empire, and her family needs her right now."
Caitians tended to be not good poker players at times when angry, their ears tended to give things away, Schrodi's own tilting back. "I would like to speak to her myself - she had gone through a great deal of effort to get her thesis to me, one that I believe she needs to keep working on."
She expected some argument, but Reli simply smiled. "Of course." Her everpresent aide pulled out her PADD again, tapping commands on it. Less than a minute later she emerged from the doorway, dressed similarly to the others, but... there was something different.
She remembered the first time she'd met Neidere, the girl wide eyed with excitement that someone as renowned in the field thought her work was valuable. She'd called in a few favors to get her cleared as a civ-tech on board the McGrath, with another year or so of data, Schrodi thought she could get her work to one of her old profs at MiT. There was a fire in her eyes, a yearning for knowledge, finding new truths...now there was a different fire. She moved, no, slinked across the deck, to kneel reverently at the feet of the Matron.
"Captain Schrodinger would like to know if you would like to leave with them."
Neidere looked confused. "But why would I want to leave, I'm here to serve, unless you wish I should service them..."
Schrodi saw the eyes, that once held so much wonder and hope... now, empty except for artificially amped lust
Eleven years ago, ISS Colonel Green
M'chelle Schrodinger was scared. She hadn't wanted to be here, didn't want to be here. Her parents had advised against her going to Terra for school, scholarships or not. But she wanted to learn, and that was the place to do it. She'd kept her nose clean, went to classes and that was it. But then her theory on cross dimensional travel had attracted attention... Official attention.
The Empire had pushed the Klingon/Cardassian Alliance back, and there was an effective stalemate now. But this technology, if it worked out, could turn the tide. Which is the last thing she wanted... she just wanted to figure things out. She was pulled out of grad school, stuffed in a uniform that was almost too small for her, and sent to the Col Green, where the Captain had her sent to his cabin. She waited there nervously, she could tell they'd left Terra, the sound of the ship changed, she could feel the pulse of the warp core as it twisted space around the ship.
There was a sound behind her causing her to jump. It was just the Captain...she made sure not to look him in the eyes, humans really didn't like that. She hated it herself, but it was how the world was.
"Do you know why you're here?" The Captain said, pouring himself a drink.
Looking down, she replied, "Professor Stevens said that my theory on quantum universe navigation is something that will benefit the Empire?" she said timidly.
"That too," He chuckled, and not in a nice way either. "Your brains will bring me power, and bring glory to the Empire, and death to our enemies. But I'm not interested in the brains at the moment..."
She'd been lucky. She'd never felt an agonizer before, it was part of the 'uniform' that they put her in, in this case a collar that was fastened around her neck, markings on it denoting her as the Captain's property. Every nerve of her body was on fire, she felt like she was on fire as she screamed, falling backwards onto the bed.
As he approached, blotting out the light, her screams were all she could hear.
Sickbay, USS McGrath, two hours later
It had taken almost everything in Dr Daron's medkit she had with her to sedate the Captain back on the Orion ship. After seeing Neidere, she simply started screaming incoherently as she jumped for the Matron, breaking the arms of two enforcers and Ensign Sovrok as well as they tried to pull her off. She was sedated now, sleeping hopefully, as Ponta joined her in her office.
"I'm sorry Commander," the doctor sighed, sitting at her desk. "I can't cover for her anymore. Under General order 104, section C, She's..." she sighed. "In my view as CMO of the USS McGrath, Captain Schrodinger is medically unfit for command."
"Yeah... I have to agree. I don't know what happened to her over there, the Orions aren't talking, but at least they're not shooting." She sighed. "I wish we didn't have to do this, though-"
"You do."
They both turned around in surprise. She was standing there, looking, well, weary and beat, her tail dragging the ground. "I've been holding you back in your career anyway Ponta, you deserve your own command."
"You should be in bed ca-er, Doctor," Daron said, using her civilian title.
Schrodi just smiled softly. "Too much in my head... I'll be in my lab, if that's ok. helps me keep calm."
The CMO looked like she was going to protest, then simply nodded. "Call if you need anything."
She just gave a sad little smile then headed out the door.
Nha Tranh administrative district, Moab III.
The Orion on the subspace comms was furious - and had orange lines from scratches visible on her face.
"...attacked ME on my own ship! I want..." Matron Nediere gathered herself visibly, "I want justice." she said.
General K'Ragh frowned. "You admit your man took two of theirs."
"I do not deny it," she said.
"You ordered this taking?" the Klingon added.
"I ordered him to take my DAUGHTER back," she clarified for him.
"You are not Klingon, you will settle for Arbitration - for damages, and only if the Federation's people demand an explanation," the Klingon said.
"If I have to settle for Arbitration, I want an Orion!" she said. "Someone who UNDERSTANDS us!"
K'Ragh smiled. "Very well. I will be in touch." The Klingon turned to Saul Moskowitz, "You called it Saul," he said. "An incident involving the USS McGrath."
"Who're you giving her?" Saul asked.
"I want to assign Lt. Colonel Anh Cu'ong as the Neutral, with Colonel Eialu as the KDF representative... to underscore to our Orion allies that it is unwise to risk the Armistice for mere personal matters, I'm sure someone can be found on the Federation's rolls to sit in their seat for the hearing."
"I'll cut the orders modifying the Li Truk Tranh's current mission parameters... have them rendezvous for a Neutral investigation under section 11 of the Imperial/Confederacy treaty." Saul said/ "...You know, I still wonder what's going on on QonoS, first they're happy to have us join them willingly, now they're happy to call us 'autonomous allies'."
"I will get busy speaking with the Imperial Diplomats, to obtain a Federation Representative to this circus," K'Ragh said.
MCDS Li Truk Tranh, 1400 shipboard time...
"We've got McGrath's trail, Ma'am... and there she is." Uziel said.
"You're gettting better, Uziel, but you know, this is directly on the rendezvous vector we were given by MCDF command...hail both ships."
"USS McGRath, OWS Good Servant, I am Leutenant Colonel Anh Cu'ong of the Moab Confederation Defense force, we have been requested to act as the Neutral Arbitrator to your dispute, as is required under Clause Twenty-one, subparagraph three, section nine of the present Armistice Agreement. KDF and presumably Federation arbitrators will await us all... on Moab. I will remind both sides, we don't have an official problem with Orions selling, buying, or owning Orions - we financed our break from the Federation by selling orions to orions, this WILL be a fair hearing."
Ponta felt out of place in the command chair, but nodded. "Very well, we're ready to depart whenever you give the word."
"Matron?" Anh said very formally, "You requested this...are you prepared?"
"Who will be the Imperial representative?" Matron asked.
"I have no idea," Anh stated. "Just like I have no idea whom may be sitting for the Federation in this, except that they WILL be Starfleet on that side, and on the Empire's side they will be serving KDF officers of Colonel's rank or higher."
She pursed her lips while a slave applied a dermal regenerator to her injuries. "Very well... we are prepared to proceed."
"Five Kilometers minimum separation, you two, and match course with us, it's about nine hours from here, to Moab at Warp 6...engage."
USS Wolfram, on Patrol in Eta Eridani...
As the Wolfram cruised through Eta Eridani on a patrol, Nanoha mused on the happenings of the past few months since the Battle of the Gate.
The ship had pretty much ended up returning to her usual duties... which were about as varied as the title 'Multimission' in the ship's name suggested.
And after they'd unloaded their passengers and everyone returned to duty, things were pretty much unchanged... aside from Raging Heart.
Nanoha had decided to inform all of her senior officers about the AI's newfound free will, and surprisingly they all took it remarkably well, all agreeing to help the AI learn how best to use her new freedoms, and to help her develop as best as they could.
Things were going rather smoothly, which had Nanoha worried. Usually things going too smoothly was a sign that something was about to happen-
"Captain, we've got a priority message coming in, your eyes only," came the report from Lagran.
Nanoha sighed. Well, it looked like something was happening. "I'll take it in my Quarters," Nanoha said, getting up from where she was having lunch in the mess hall. It took only a few minutes for her to get there, and she took her seat at her desk and then called up the message.
Admiral Sandra Fitsimmons looked back at her on the com, the admiral looking like a cat that not only got the canary, but also had a big saucer of cream to dunk it in. "Hope I did not contact you at a bad time Captain, but it seems, well, there's a possible armistice violation, and the Klinks, or more specifically the greenskins, want arbitration."
"You are to proceed to Moab III, where you will be the Federation's representative in this matter. Naturally we're looking to avoid an escalation, so if you do feel it's best to give the Orions what they want, it's fine by me."
Nanoha nodded in acknowledgement. "I'll be underway as soon as I can," she replied. "Rest assured I'll pursue what I feel is the best option for the situation."
The Admiral just smiled. "I'm sure you will."
USS McGrath, Quantum physics lab
The second thing that Ponta did, after the change in command was official, and she had some privacy, was have Thag send a message to Ferasa. She still fretted about the possiblity of interception, but every time she had brought the question up to Thag or Schrodi, they simply gave her the look. Ok, maybe you needed to be a super brain to crack it, fine. But this was going from bad to worse, and it was pretty much completely out of her hands. She was still doing what the first thing she did after it was made official however, cursing.
She was pacing back and forth in Schrodi's, er, her ready room when the transporter room sent a message. "Commander? We've got a request from the Li Truk Trahn, there's a doctor Zimehoz wanting to beam over to talk with you?"
That got her to stop her cursing. She knew him of course, strong telepath, maybe he could help Schrodi. She thanked her family gods that there was someone nearby that both she and Schrodi trusted. "Bring him over, and send him to the Ready Room."
There was a pause on the other end "Sir, it shows that he's a Lethean on the sensors-"
"And he's on an MCDS Ship - they're neutral for all intents and purposes. If it makes you feel better you can escort him up yourself and wait while we discuss the situation." She knew the schedule of course, one of her tasks as XO, well former XO was approving the duty roster...
"He's on his way up," the tech said, not wanting to spend the rest of his off time standing guard.
A few minutes later, the door chimed. "It's open," she said, then immediately winced, that shirt was probably a war crime somewhere...
"Nice shirt!" Thag said from where he was sitting with a grin. "...you have most excellent taste Sir." Between the two of them their shirts could blind at fifty meters.
"As do you, Sir...so, where is your Caitan-I'm actually here on business for the Confederacy, not just a social call." Zimehoz said, "Also on behalf of the House of K'Tirr."
"She's in her lab on deck 18" Ponta said "It's kind of a refuge for her, between that and engineering she'd pretty much retreat there whenever things went wrong" The Tellarite sighed as she stood "I don't know how to get her out of this one. I know she had..well you've heard reports of the Terran Empire. They treat non humans, rather badly. I think what happned to the Matrons daughter, hit a bit close to home for her.."
"Indeed." Zimehoz said, "I need her deposition. Getting her out of this should not be too difficult - you did hear who the KDF representative is, right?"
"That we didn't," Thag said. He probably could have gotten that information, but he was slightly distracted by all the goings on.
Zimehoz smiled around his beak, "General K'Ragh tapped Colonel Eialu to oversee the dispute from the KDF perspective," he said. "The infamous 'Butcher of An Loc' is hearing the case."
Fortunately Ponta had just swallowed her tea, she still sputtered and coughed. "no way!" she said, cackling. "Ok, we can get her out of this without letting the Matron make a rug out of her, her career on the other hand..."
Zimehoz chuckled. "Caitans are specifically sensitive to Orion Pheremones-but the reactions of that sensitivity are... unpredictable. I have, available to me, several experts on Orion Physiology who can testify to a belief that she may have been biochemically provoked."
"And psychologically as well, given her history, but hopefully won't have to drag that out, being it didn't happen in this universe." She stood and led them out to the turbolift, fortunately the bridge crew knew enough not to pay any attention.
The lift wasn't 100 percent secure either, though Thag always has a portable jammer on him, paranoids did have enemies after all "here we are." The lab was big, taking up a good portion of the deck, probably at one time a materials fabrication section. there were replicators, odd equipment here and there... "Why is there a watermelon in that hydraulic press?" Thag asked curiously.
"Hell if I know..." Ponta said as she looked around. It was quiet. "Schrodi?"
She sighed "I don't have time nor energy to go hunting again, Computer! Where is Captain, er Doctor M'Chelle Schrodinger?"
There was a pause. "Dr Schrodinger is not on board."
"Oh F**k..."
Can I play with madness?
Give me the sense to wonder
To wonder if I'm free
Give me a sense of wonder
To know I can be me
Give me the strength to hold my head up
Spit back in their face
Don't need no key to unlock this door
Gonna break down the walls
Break out of this bad place
Can I play with madness?
The prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness?
There's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness?
The prophet looked at me and laughed at me (ha ha) He said:
Can I play with madness?
He said you're blind, too blind to see
Said you're too blind to see
I screamed aloud to the old man
I said don't lie, don't say you don't know
I say you'll pay for this mischief
In this world or the next
Oh and then he fixed me with a freezing glance
And the hell fires raged in his eyes
He said you wanna know the truth son?
Lord, I'll tell you the truth
Your soul's gonna burn in a lake of fire
Iron Maiden Can I play with Madness
Teena Yoann Memorial Hall, Vin Drin Lap, Moab III...
"The panel will sit at the end, here, on this dais. The plaintiffs will each sit opposite, facing the Hearing judges, if it goes to physical, the floor opens - we drained the swimming pool, so there's ample room for two idiots to go at it until one of them is either dead or unconscious." Anh said. Nanoha and Eialu walked with her. "Honestly never thought I would have to make USE of those legal extension courses."
"I'll do what I can to help," Nanoha replied. "I've been running through all sorts of sims with Fate-chan - she was always better at legal matters, while I was better at the practical aspects."
Eialu was quiet a moment longer. "I can't wait to question that idiot. I can't name four actual Orion Scientists - as in with new theories or discoveries, in the last thousand years, and that stupid, shortsighted **** cut the brain out of the first one in Centuries."
Nanoha nodded. "I just hope we can get Captain Schrodinger out of this with her life and career intact," she said. "Admiral Fitsimmons may have asked me to give the Orions what they want if I feel it necessary to prevent a war, but there is no way I'm throwing Schrodinger to the wolves for her."
Eialu shrugged. "We'll see what comes out, but I know this - Aunt D'Moj has an interest in the outcome, and I'm getting pressure from Melani Di'an's office to find in favour of Schrodinger - a finding in the court will lead directly to a council of Owners for this Matron."
"Wouldn't she be able to claim property rights?" Anh said. "It's starting to sound like I may be the ONLY Neutral in the room... no offense. I personally LIKE Captain Schrodinger, but..." she sighed. "There is Noahide Law to consider - and she DID violate customs of hospitality. Unless your side can provide evidence of extenuating circumstances."
"Well, let's just hope we can find something-" there was a beeping from her commbadge. Nanoha tapped it. "Takamachi here."
There was a momentatry squeal as the encrypted signal handshook. "der Trys on the McGrath here - we've got a problem."
"What is it?" Nanoha asked, hoping it wasn't anything too serious.
"Sometime in the last four hours, we, uhm..." there was just not sugar coating this. "She's gone, and so is the Stalker in shuttlebay 3."
Nanoha paled, and then facepalmed after a moment. "Just what is she thinking, pulling a stunt like this?" she asked, more to herself than anyone else, though Anh, Eialu, and Ponta all heard her. "Understood. Do you have any idea where she may have gone?"
"Negative, though I can guess... probably somewhere she shouldn't be."
"Roger, stand by," Nanoha said. She turned to Anh and Eialu. "Can I trust you two to stall things for a bit? I'm going to lead a team from the Wolfram in search of Schrodi. If needed, Fate-chan can take my place here - like I said earlier, she's better at legal matters than I am."
"We're kind of tied here, though I've got a couple of folks that know her pretty well that can go with you, they're not required for the hearing or anything. Just make sure you keep the short one away from anything explosive. Or flammable."
"You mean, we lost the defendant... excellent," Eialu said. "I think, Anh, that we need to go over some protocols? Say, over lunch? Also, I have a meeting with my unit Chaplain that I simply can NOT get out of..."
Anh shrugged. "I'll contact Ariel, have some of the kids see if they can find her using OUR methods, in the meantime, the hearing's got an extension."
"Thank you," Nanoha said to the two of them. "der Trys, have your people beam over to the Wolfram - my team will launch from there."
"Roger, they're on the way. McGrath out."
"Takamachi out," Nanoha said before tapping her commbadge twice - first to close the channel, the second time to open a new one. "Takamachi to Wolfram. Fate-chan, you'll be receiving a couple of visitors from the McGrath. Make sure they're well received, and have them meet Sobaru and Team One at the Hangar Bay. They're going on an expedition, and I'll be going as well. In the meantime, you're in charge, and you're also my stand-in if I can't make it back in time for the Arbitration."
"Roger that, Nanoha," Fate replied. "Just be careful."
"Understood," Nanoha said. "Beam me up whenever you're ready." She turned to Eialu and Anh and said, "I'll see you when I get back," before she vanished in a swirl of lights as the Transporter whisked her back to her ship.
Somewhere in the Hromi sector, Orion Corvette "Bountiful Plunder"
It was a decent haul, the Matron would be pleased. Civilians, many with saleable trade skills, farming equipment. Probably former Moabites, being over half of them were human, or human-ish, that were looking for somewhere else to rest their heads. Too bad they were all slumbering away at the moment thanks to the anethizine gas they had pumped into the ship. The one advantage to hitting small would be colonists, is more than likely, no one would ever miss them. Especially as they didn't have any of the jewelry or other markings that the poor souls who nabbed the wrong folks in Drozana learned about the hard way. no one would touch any with a six pointed star on them for a long while. "Any high value stuff?" Toreg asked.
"Nah," His second just shook his head. "Not even a handful of latinum in the captain's safe." He just sighed, cant have everything one supposed. "Alright, we need to get the stock out and be on our way-"
There was a metallic clang from somewhere on the hull. "What the hell?"
"@#%! I knew we should have hit that Gorn transport!"
"Relax, it's too small," Toreg was patched into the sensors on the Corvette, they had gotten a glimpse of something about the size of a small fighter. "Though if it is one of them..." the pirates looked at each other and nodded. There was only one way in to where they were, they were prepared for anything.
He saw what looked like something moving, humanoid. He was about to take the shot when whoever it was just stepped out into plain sight. "What the frickin?"
He didn't see many Caitians in this part of the galaxy, she was wearing what looked like a black body suit, and a long leather-ish coat over it. Not one of the ones with the cards at least, they were human. Well, looked human, some said they were demons that walked like men. Toreg had been one of the ones who had to help clean up the mess on Drozana... one reason why he and his crew were out in the middle of nowhere.
"I don't know what you want, but show me your hands or I'll burn you down where you stand. your pelt will sell for more than you will alive, makes no difference to me."
She just raised her hands up... she's smiling... Why is she smiling like that? he wondered, as the small objects in her hands fell to the deck, the micronized chroniton generator activating when it hit the deck...
He couldn't move it seemed, well not fast enough. His disruptor fired, but she moved out of the path of the beam, her own weapon leaving a trail of ionized plasma as it hit Kern. Another fired at her, as she seemingly avoided the beams, not realizing that the chronitons slowed time for him, while she'd spent the last few minutes hidden in the ships FTL computer core, speeding her own reactions up, by the time he aimed she was a meter away from him. He saw the fist coming in seeming slow motion, when it impacted it was anything but, sending him crashing to the decking, slow motion screams of his crew fading from his hearing.
He awoke. He wasn't expecting that to be honest. He wasn't on the freighter any more, it looked like the bridge of the Bountiful Plunder... though from the damage, and the bodies... he tried to sit up but could not move, something was tying him down? No, some sort of field, he could barely breathe, and if felt like he weighed tons.
There was movement out of the corner of his eye. It took all his strength, and he felt like he was going to pass out but managed to turn his head just enough to see. It was her, the feline. She looked over and noticed the movement. "oh , you're awake! and moving at 15 g's too, rather impressive," she said, as she carefully stepped around him. "We're going to have a chat, you and I."
Surprising himself, he managed to actually snarl at her. "I have level six conditioning, it can't be broken! Just kill me now."
"I could," she said, "but that would be too easy," she held up what she was working on, it seemed like a collar of some sort. "And everything breaks, you just have to know the right point to push. It's a simple thing really, part of my job as science officer on the Tirpitz was keeping the Agonizers working, and some on hand for all species the Captain might run into."
He looked at the collar and laughed. "That won't fit around my neck."
Schrodi just smiled sweetly. "Oh it doesn't go there, that's not where the most sensitive nerves are!"
She was right. everything broke if you just knew where to push.
"he's as dangerous as a ferret with a chainsaw."
Oh, well--these things happen.
fixed, again. arg.
"he's as dangerous as a ferret with a chainsaw."
A certain measure of innocence
Willing to appear naive
A certain degree of imagination
A measure of make-believe
A certain degree of surrender
To the forces of light and heat
A shot of satisfaction
In a willingness to risk defeat
Celebrate the moment
As it turns into one more
Another chance at victory
Another chance to score
The measure of the moment
In a difference of degree
Just one little victory
A spirit breaking free
One little victory
The greatest act can be
One little victory
A certain measure of righteousness
A certain amount of force
A certain degree of determination
Daring on a different course
A certain amount of resistance
To the forces of the light and love
A certain measure of tolerance
A willingness to rise above
Rush One Little Victory
Outer Edge of the Moab system
The shuttle dropped out of warp silently. Not just silent as in because it was space, but with minimal EM emissions, the usual flash of light when a ship drops back to normal space damped somehow.
"Well we're here, now what?"
"Сейчас? Теперь мы приветствуем Макграт, и посмотреть, если мы можем получить координаты шаттлов ".
Schrodi sighed. "We're going to have to get you a translator you know, not everyone speaks Russian." She was dressed in something semi casual and better suited for the climate of the Fersan Highlands instead of Moab, but then this trip was hastily thrown together. Would have been nice to have the Herdthinner, but he had to meet with the General.
The large muscular feline at the helm just chuckled and shook her head. "Нет, это не моя вина, что они не говорят на цивилизованном языке."
"You both are nuts, did anyone tell you that?" The human looking woman in the jump seat said, shaking her head. "Fraking nuts. We haven't even tested the FTL fully, and you want to make a jump into the shuttle bay so no one will notice you're showing up here?"
"You're the one who built it based on what they used in your reality," Schrodi replied. "If you think you didn't do it right..."
Michelle just shot her a dirty look. "It's not that, it's the fuel. That stuff was rare enough back home, here, hell finding Latinum is easier. I just don't want to waste it to show off."
"У нее есть точка ..."
"Fine, sheesh, never let me have any fun." She muttered as she keyed up the encrypted com
Transporter room, USS McGrath
Thag was waiting for Heiki, as usual. He had all the gear he'd need for a remote operation readily packed in his quarters, all he had to do was drop in, grab the pack, give Mel a hug (which took at least seven minutes, fortunately he'd been working with the green munchkin long enough that he knew he'd still beat her to the transporter room) and wait for the rest of the away team. There was a sliding, no, dragging sound coming from the hallway outside, the transporter tech looking up curiously. "What the hell is that?"
The door slid open , but other than a pile of weaponry, munitions, and explosives no one could be seen except for two largish green ears poking up behind the pile, and muttering as it slowly inched forward.
He just ran his hand over his face, shaking his head. "Just what do you plan to do with all this?"
"Never know when you might need something!" Heiki squeaked cheerfully as she clambered over the pile.
"Is that a quantum torpedo?" Lt Steyr asked wide eyed, looking a shiny casing at the bottom of the pile.
"It would not surprise me," Thag said with a sigh. "Heiki - you can't take this much. We're not going to blow anything up, we're just going to track the cap'n down and bring her back."
"But-"
"No, and I can already hear what the CO of the Wolfram will say when you beam over with this. No."
She pouted, and dug in the pile, finally ending up with a backpack that was almost bigger than she was. "Ok fine, sheesh." she said, as Thag's com beeped.
"Two seconds," he said to her as he replied. "Please tell me that's you boss."
"It's me, but not the me you're looking for. Schrodi replied.
"Wait, what? Why are you out here?"
"To try to make sure someone with a possible agenda doesn't start a war. I need secure co-ords to come over."
"We're about to transport to the Wolfram, we're going with a team thats going after you, well not you."
"That works, when you get over there, ask their captain to depressurize their shuttle bay, but not to open the doors, and need the coordinates as well."
"Roger that cap'n. I'll get back with you." He closed the call, feeling better than he had all morning "Come on, squirt, lets get over there."
The two took their positions as they signaled the Wolfram they were ready for transport. "Hey, what about all this TRIBBLE!" the Lt shouted as they were beamed away... he just sighed, @#$% civilians...
USS Wolfram
Nanoha, Fate, Sobaru, five of the Wolfram's best security people, Thag, and Heiki were currently waiting outside the Wolfram's main Hangar. The bay had been cleared of all Delta-Class Shuttles and personnel per the request from Thag, and now Thag was taking pictures of the bay.
"Just why did you ask the bay to be cleared in the first place?" Nanoha asked.
"Well, I didn't, Dr Schrodinger wanted it. It's a Science Experiment." he replied as he sent the coordinates. There was nothing for a second, then a flash inside the bay - it looked like a standard klingon Toron shuttle, assuming they had small stub wings, and other bits added here and there, just suddenly appearing, the navigation lights blinking serenely as it unfolded the landing pads and settled down onto the deck.
The Wolfram personnel all blinked. "What the hell?" Nanoha asked.
Thag just grinned. "Science!" Through the viewport of the shuttle, a big feline was shutting down the engines, that definitely looked like Schrodinger though in the other forward seat.
Fate blinked once again. "What's going on here?" she asked confusedly.
Thag realized just then that none of the Wolfram people knew about the multiverse Schrodingers. Thinking fast, fortunately, was something he was good at. "Few years back, Dr Schrodinger managed to snag her counterpart from the Terran Empire. It was either grab her or let them brainrip her for intel on dimensional technology. so..." he said, letting them hopefully draw the correct conclusion as the bay pressurized. If they bought it, the cap'n would so owe him big time.
Nanoha smiled a bit. "So, is the Schrodinger we're searching for our universe's Schrodinger, or the Terran Empire Schrodinger?" she asked, signalling for the bay to be repressurized.
"That explains the incredibly traumatized reaction in the Orions' evidence submission," Dr. Zimehoz stated, still maintaining the fiction that this would be a 'surprise'. He waited patiently for the lady of his Liege Lord to disembark.
The first one off was the pilot... of course if she was going to bring someone, she'd bring her 'sisters'. fortunately they were vastly different, the pilot was close to eight feet tall, heavily muscled and patterned like a snow leopard, wearing a standard jumpsuit, with a red star on one shoulder. Her companion was human, at least looked that way, hard to tell sometimes, about five fix, dishwater blonde hair, and curiously the same blue eyes as Schrodi as she got off the transport. "Told you it would work!"
The human just muttered. "Yeah but we're stuck with warp drive till we can refine more fuel, in a year or three."
"Details details," she said as she headed towards the waiting party.
"Greetings, Doctor Schrodinger," Nanoha replied. "Thag just gave us a quick briefing on some events a few years back... so, I have to ask, are you our Schrodinger or the one rescued from the Terran Empire?"
Zimehoz removed his headgear, and bowed to Schrodi. "My Lady, I trust your journey from Ferasa was not too terribly inconvenient?"
"Yes, thank you," she answered , returning the bow to Zimehoz. She smiled at Nanoha. "And actually, yes to that question as well. There was a quantum computer core accident, and I ended up merging with my counterparts in alternate realities for a time until we managed to separate ourselves again."
Zimehoz straightened, turned to the 'human' Schrodi, and said, "Welcome, sister of my lady..." and then he repeated the same greeting to the large, snow-leopard Schrodi-in slightly baltic sounding Russian.
Michelle just smiled. "Good to see you, too," she said, while Miska just smiled and scooped the Lethean up "Zimehoz Дарлинг Так рада тебя видеть!!" she said, giving him a big bearhug.
Nanoha watched in slight surprise. "So..." she said, "are you here to cover for the Schrodi facing arbitration while we search for her?"
Zimehoz, once released from the bear hug, handed Miska a small device. <This will translate for you - most people do not speak Russian here.>
"Yes, so that the Matron won't blow a gasket so to speak should she find out she went missing. I really think though an apology and a chance for her to vent will be enough, because, correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't there an optional trial by combat that either side can ask for under Imperial law?"
"Yes. The decision MAY be appealed in a trial-by-arms by either side, however the requirement is strict - only the plaintiff and defendant may participate," Zimehoz stated. "No Champions and no proxies."
She nodded then blinked in surprise when Misha clipped the translator to her uniform "What, you'll put one one for him but not when we ask you to?"
The big feline just smiled. "He asked me nicely"
"I try not to be Nekulturny," Zimehoz clarified for the two NON-Misha schrodis.
Schrodi just rolled her eyes. "Fine. so, do I need to report to the brig or something?"
Zimehoz coughed for a moment. "You have accomodations on the surface," he said. "Per the Armistice, the Neutral acts as the holding agency-in this case, the MCDF Fleet Base at Xiao Loc-visiting officer's quarters." He tugged his uniform jacket straight. "I, of course, arranged for your guard detail - they are... reliable... and Discreet."
She nodded. "Right, well, she's still blocking us from locating her, but we've got a general idea at least of where to start. I don't suppose someone can show me where I'm supposed to go? Never been down there before."
Zimehoz nodded, "I will bring you to your quarters, and arrange quarters for your sisters - as well as discrete costumes so that they can blend in."
"They're not going with me - they're going with whoever you've got looking for her."
"That would be me," Nanoha said, stepping forward. "I'm also taking along my security chief and five other officers, and Thag and Heiki are coming along, as well."
"So, Captain Nanoha, who will be taking your place as Federation representative? It requires an officer of your grade," Zimehoz pointed out.
"I was planning on Fate-chan," Nanoha replied as her wife nodded. "She's honestly better at legal matters than I am."
"Is Fate a Captain in pay-grade?" Zimehoz asked.
"I technically am," Fate replied. "However, that's only when on Nanoha's on long-term missions - I willingly downgrade to Commander when she's onboard, since it's a little unusual to have two Captains on the same ship, even a Training Ship/Testbed Platform."
"Anyway, Milady, if you will accompany me to the transporter..." Zimehoz said. "We can let the diplomats sort out the positioning of the judges."
She nodded and followed Zimehoz, pausing by her sisters "good luck" she said, before exiting the shuttlebay.
"Fate-chan, you can head down, too," Nanoha said. "I'll do my best to be back soon."
"Sure thing, Nanoha," Fate replied. "And try to stay out of trouble."
"You know me, Fate-chan," Nanoha said with a chuckle.
"I do - that's why I said that," Fate replied, before exiting the shuttlebay as well.
Nanoha chuckled, slightly embarrassed, before she turned to the assembled individuals and ordered, "All right, suit up and prepare to move out!!"
"Yes, Ma'am!!" came the reply from Sobaru and the Security Officers.
Xiao-Loc, Moab III...
Schrodi and Zimehoz stepped off the transport platform into the burning bright of mid-day in what had become the largest military base on Moab. "There used to be a city here," Zimehoz said, "Someday, there will be again." Young soldiers marched in olive-drab uniforms behind guidons, singing cadences in Viet, and Hebrew, English, German, and Klingon, under the strict eyes of drill instructors. Others ran in groups, sweating under Moab's twin suns and the weight of helmet and field gear.
"I've seen the images," she said quietly, as she watched the soldiers training. "What happened here is why I'm doing what I'm doing, with her on the McGrath, and me in the empire, to make damn sure this never happens to another world."
Zimehoz beckoned for her to follow. "I know, it is why Lord K'Tirr encouraged me to emigrate here... your guard detail are members of Haganah and Irgun, they are discrete, if you need them to 'look away' they will, but otherwise, they will be very, very, alert to any threats to your person."
She just smiled. "I'm alert to any threats, myself," she chuckled. "I've actually become pretty good with a blade, there's an old master not far away from the household that I've taken up sparring with. Besides, we both know he would have more people watching if he did not think what we have here could handle things." She paused for a second then shook her head, laughing "Geeze I'm even starting to sound like a Klingon now."
They reached a three-story building that had two levels of porching, and a row of doors. Two guards stood at one of the doors. "This is your day-shift visible team, Uziel, and Zarah," Zimehoz said, gesturing to the young soldiers - the girl was small, and unusual for Moab, ash-blonde. The male was of that wiry stock, with the hawk-nosed alertness of an ancestry in the eastern mediterranean. Both bore disruptor rifles and their fatigues were pressed, starched, and parade-ground ready.
Sxhrodi noticed that the female wore a bajoran-style earring - but this was a six-pointed star. The male had a similar star pinned to the collar of his undershirt-just visible at close range.
Zimehoz said something in Hebrew, and the male opened the door with a nod. "You'll pardon - they both speak english, but it is not their first language," Zimehoz told her as he led her into her room. The door closed, and Schrodi caught a scent... the chair turned around, revealing an old man that part of her... recognized. "You took your time, Zimehoz." Ariel said, "Hello, Doctor Schrodinger, and welcome to Moab, though I do wish your visit were under less unpleasant circumstances."
"Thank you," she replied. "I wish it was as well" she said, peering at the old man, her tail twitching a bit. He did look familiar.
"Zimehoz asked for me to provide you with protection, I needed to meet you for myself," Ariel said, somewhat apologetically. "Our resources are spread rather thin these days - much further than anyone anticipated... did you know, Zimehoz, that an Orion Raider party is missing?" the old man smiled a crooked smile, "It would seem that a Pakled transport carrying Federation colonists was hit - but nobody was taken..." and the crooked smile revealed crooked teeth, "Of course, we didn't have anything to do with that - but we have gotten the blame after the ...punishment at Drozana."
She processed that information quickly, her eyes losing focus for a few seconds. "it's her, it has to be," she said. "She needed information, and any Orions out there dumb enough to be raiding are probably tied in with the Matron."
Ariel laid a hand on the table, and left two Isolinear chits. "Our information networks are, of course, still quite strained, perhaps you will enjoy the reading... now, having met you, I must bid you good day." With that, the old man's chair turned, and wheeled for the door.
As soon as the door was closed, she let her tail start moving again. "Whatever happens, we can not get on that man's bad side," she said as she picked up the chits. "And probably should pass this on to the search party."
"THAT would be one of the reasons I was hoping Michelle would be coming down," Zimehoz said. "Ariel rarely makes personal appearances, and I'm... conspicuous."
"Well, she has been looking for someplace where she'd be useful, I'd say I think we found it," she said. "Besides, the climate is kind of similar to her home, she really hated where she was when she first got here."
"They could certainly use more hands," Zimehoz agreed. He gestured to the chits, "We can't transmit those-I will have a courier run them up...unless you can call Michelle down here."
{on the way}
"She's coming down, will be here shortly," she said with a grin. "Though we should have brought a bigger shuttle, with the number they've got going, it will be a tight fit. if you think that we need her here more, that will free up more space."
"It's always good to have friends... especially when the Admiralty is trying to throw you to the Orions." Zimehoz mentioned. "Fitzsimmons."
"Now why am I not surprised? I swear that woman shouldn't be in any fleet, much less an Admiral in one." She sighed. "And I have no clue why she hates me so much either. Sometimes I wish I did."
"I would tend to agree, however, I also know from communications intercepts that she practically ordered Nanoha to throw you under the bus when she assigned her to serve as the Federation judge in the matter," Zimehoz stated. "WHICH is amusing, considering who General K'Ragh tapped for the KDF representative - Colonel Eialu, whom would dearly like to string the Matron up by her thumbs for ruining a rare and precious treasure."
"Hell I'd like to string her up by her neck myself for that. But at least I'll get to see the look on her face when Eailu walks into the room and sits down. The only way it could be more perfect is if D'Moj had gotten the job... but then she'd probably be just as likely to kill her herself."
"Yes, it will be quite amusing... Colonel Eialu's reputation as the Butcher of An Loc will probably draw at least a squeak of protest-but the Matron can blame herself - she insisted on an Orion," he said in an ironic tone.
"Be careful what you wish for. The one good thing about this whole mess? The McGrath was supposed to head back to Earth before long, there's a threat conference on the Borg. I, er, She was supposed to give a briefing, as well as a certain Odyssey captain that I would love to drag his guts across the floor," she said, her tail thrashing a bit. "So if this drags on for bit before it's cleared up, won't have to worry about murder charges," she growled feraly.
"There are many who would like to... explain the facts to that Odyssey captain," Zimehoz said. "I will be available if you need me, but I must return to my regular duties now."
She just nodded. "You know where to find me, I'll keep my nose clean while this is going on."
With Nanoha and the Search Team
Michelle had gotten back up with the info very quickly, and the team had since moved out. It had taken a bit of work, but all eleven of them had managed to fit into the shuttle the Schrodis had come in on, and they were now nearing the attack site as provided in the data.
Nanoha was near the front of the shuttle, clad in the armor she'd had custom made. It was based on the Basic Tier Armor used by MACOs, only colored pure white with mostly blue and black trim, with a bit of red on the chest armor. She entered the cockpit, and looked out at what was apparently the attack site.
"Looks like they're still here" Michelle said as she brought the shuttle in closer. "Probably stripping the Frigate for parts, not that I can blame them under the circumstances. Hopeflly they'll let us board if you ask nicely," she said, deferring back to Nanoha. She was the Starfleet captain on board.
There was a bit of grumbling from the Pakled captain, but after a few moments (and reassurance that despite the Klingon made shuttle, they weren't pirates either), they were allowed to dock.
Seeing the uniform calmed the Captain a bit. "Thank you for checking in on us, but we should be mobile shortly," he said, the human and other species colonists watching warily, clutching the weapons their would-be captors had on their ship.
While she calmed the Captain, Thag found one of the ships consoles, and in a few moments pulled up the security footage. "I think you're gonna want to see this," he said quietly. "It's definitely our girl... daaamn..."
"That... that's not possible," one of the Security Lt's said as he watched the video, wide eyed. "There were a dozen of them, they had her dead to rights - did she just dodge disruptors?!?"
Michelle pulled out a tricorder, and scanned the area where the caitian on the recording dropped the device before things went surreal. "She didn't - I'm reading chroniton radiation here, though. Those were chroniton grenades basicly, they slowed the pirates reactions so that by the time they aimed, she'd already moved out of the line of fire. Like they were moving in slow motion compared to her."
"But..that's not possible either. Yeah you can have chroniton mines and torpedoes, but grenades?"
{Great, now they'll try to do that, now that they know it's possible...}
She just shrugged at the Lt. "She's a quantum physicist, probably something experimental," she said. The monitors showed her heading to the Orion ship next after taking down the boarding party. The deck and walls, well where they weren't half disassembled by the Pakled, still showed dried orange blood here and there. "Please tell me you haven't salvaged their computer core yet?"
They hadn't, it only took a few minutes for Thag to find the relevant files... which he immediately wished he hadn't. Just about every male who could see the screen winced as she questioned the Orion captain...
"That was... rather brutal," Nanoha remarked. "Still, I imagine she likely got what she wanted. Now we just need to know where she went from here."
"After looking at some of these 'interrogation' files," Thag added, "I'd dare say he deserved everything she did to him, and more. And it looks like I may have an idea on where to go next."
"how can you tell?" Heiki asked, the short green girl looking a bit queasy from some of the files.
"Because," Michelle said, pointing at what looked like gibberish written all along the walls of the bridge, "she left us coordinates. Three phase trinary, not many use that notation."
"Try 'almost nobody'," Sobaru remarked. "I know I can't make heads or tails of it."
"She left it for us," Miska said with a low growl. "No one else could read it."
"So where is it then? And what is it?"
"It's about 23 light years from here... and," Michelle ran her finger down one of the walls, reading "Human, age 12. Human, age 31. Human, age 19. Klingon, age 29. Gorn, Age 29. Ferasan, age 13." She looked at the others. "It's an inventory list," she said, looking at the notation going on down the wall. "Partial list, this goes on a ways down this wall, and along the hallway."
"More than likely being held wherever she's going," Nanoha said. "Either she's suicidally trying to rescue them all herself, or is wanting us to help her."
"So what do we do, Captain?" Sobaru asked.
"Even if she didn't ask, we'd help," Nanoha replied, determination in her eyes. "Back to the shuttle. We're going after her, and once we get there I'll show those Orions why even my enemies call me 'Devil'."
"Nyet," Miska shook her head. "Guns blazing will get us and them very dead. We go in smart." The big feline just grinned, her very sharp teeth gleaming in the night. "Is never wise to, how is the saying, 'TRIBBLE off' scientists."
"he's as dangerous as a ferret with a chainsaw."
We go out in the world and take our chances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That's the way that lady luck dances
Roll the bones
The planet was probably populated at one time, thousands of years ago. A long lost Orion colony world perhaps, now nothing but a polluted and irradiated cinder, slowly spinning around a fading sun. The ships in orbit, however, were newer, and in much better repair as well. Well better compared to the planet, the few Orion Marauders in orbit looked as if they'd been used as a chew toy by someone fairly recently, work ongoing to repair the damage. "Looks like they're taking their time, it was how many months ago they got chewed up?"
"Several," Michelle replied. "But then, this place doesn't look like they've got any facilities here. Except for maybe that station there."
"What sation, in the rings?"
"No, it is the ring." She increased magnification - it was definitely artificial, with evenly spaced orbital elevators going from the station to the surface. At least at one time, most of it was dark, and there were chunks missing here and there. "Probably hundreds of thousands of years old, if not more."
"An artifact of the ancient orion culture, of immense technological and archaeological importance... and they're using it for a brothel/slave trading station..." Thag sighed as he managed to hack in to the chatter between the ships in the system.
Fortunately the shuttle packed a cloak, unfortunately as of yet there was no sign of Schrodi or her fighter. "Nothing happened to her, did it?" Heiki asked worriedly.
"Nyet, we would know if something that bad did," Miska said as her claws left small grooves in the duraluminum alloy of the shuttle's panels, the feline worrying as well despite her answer"Still, waiting out here increases our probability of detection. The cloak on this old shuttle may not keep us hidden for long..."
"There - There's an opening in the elevator pylon 20 klicks from here, and ..yes, there's power and atmo. but no life signs. And just big enough for us." Michelle brought the shuttle around, coasing in slowly, it almost seemed too good to be true. Fortunately it wasn't "there's a compatible docking collar here. Reading ..of course."
There was one life form, and a Caitian Stalker fighter parked in the opening as well, leaving just enough room for the shuttle.
Mishka went first, mainly because she was closest to the door, she had to be the first one into the lock. The atmosphere was good, if a bit stale... and not smelling too good.
"I was beginning to wonder if I'd have to put a neon sign outside saying, 'Secret sewer entrance'."
"Really? Sewers? Why can they not... what is the word, replicate it into something useful?" Miska said as she carefully stepped over the muck on the deck as the others emerged.
"Because Orions are cheap, and they dump it in the old space elevators. Replicators take power they don't have around here," She jumped down from her perch, still in the black bodysuit she was seen wearing on the security monitors of the Orion frigate.
"Do you have any idea what kind of ruckus you stirred up?" Michelle grumbled as she climbed out of the shuttle, trying to keep from stepping in... something.
"Not has as big as the one I'm going to stir up. Recognize any of those ships out there?"
Thag just nodded. "I think the Nighthawk got a piece of that one Carrier, I think I recognize the scorch marks."
"I think we might have taken a piece out of some of them as well," Nanoha remarked as she looked back out at the ships.
"If you're leaving scorch marks, you need a bigger gun!" Heiki chirped as she climbed out as well, balancing on one of the shuttles nacelles. "good to see ya bosscat!"
"Good to see you, too, shortstuff. I see someone kept you from bringing your usual toybox" she chuckled. "which is good, hard to rescue slaves if they're on fire."
"But...the Orions can't touch them if they're on fire..."
"She's kidding, isn't she?" one of the Wolfram security people asked Thag
"Sadly, no."
"So, we're going to be rescuing slaves, huh?" Nanoha asked. "Sounds good to me. Do you have a plan? And, just because I'm curious, why did you run off like that?"
Her ears folded back a bit. "When I went to the lab to think, I did some checking. Both the Empire and the Federation tolerate Orion slavery, when it's only Orions. Whenever they start grabbing from either side, those responsible get smacked down pretty quick. Yet they showed zero hesitation in pulling Miller and Sovrok in as well."
"Which means, despite the Matron's protests to the contrary, this faction is still happily collaring everyone they can."
"Exactly. It took a bit of sensor work and checking records, there have been a lot of small merchie's lost out here of late, on both sides."
"So. you just jumped and ran to follow a hunch," Mishka's tail twitched angrily, "without telling us-Боже мой! She is sitting in the dock in your place, with that зеленый сука wanting to have her beheaded over what you did!"
Schrodi's head was hanging down. "I know I ****ed up... I was still in panic mode when I figured out what was going on. It wasn't until I was on the frigate and snapped out of it that I realized what happened... thats when I left the notes, and triggered the transponder."
"Which Ariel's network intercepted, and passed on to me," Michelle nodded. "Still, you could have contacted us, we're a bit faster than subspace, you know..."
"I... I wasn't sure after how bad I messed things up this time that you'd want me back..."
Miska just sighed and shook her head. "нет. You are family. We fixed the universes from colliding. We rescued you and many others from worlds where our knowledge would have been used to oppress the people. and you destroyed the Gate. M'chelle was affected by that Orion *****'s smell."
"Wait, I thought she kept going?" Heiki said with a blush, remembering Eiral ordering her to shoot Mary in the back...which she did. Stunned only but still...
"No. She was enthralled as well, but there was more than one of us there with her in her head, and we all knew what to do. So I, uhm, pushed her out of the driver seat so to speak and kept going."
"And saved the Galaxy." She blushed at that as Thag continued, "well it's true, Mary was down, we were drooling following her greenness's every command. And you told her off, flipped the switch, flipped her off then beamed us all out of there. So I'm sure you've got a most cunning plan to rescue the slaves from under their green noses, and bring em all home. So what do you need us to do, Cap'n?"
She raised her head and took a deep breath, Squaring her shoulders, she pulled out a padd with what she'd learned of the situation so far. "The slaves are held here on the Carrier/Brothel. Its engines are currently down, seems someone shot a hole through them a few months back... no idea who could have done something like that. Anyway! Here's what we're gonna have to do..."
Bridge, OWS Lovely Angel
Things were going bad again, he could feel it. First the Matron had agreed to lend some of her ships to Eiral Masaana... only a few had returned from that fiasco. Then she'd gotten caught replacing her stock with Federation slaves. With their current mood, he'd have thought she'd just accept the scratches from the captain who lost her crew as getting off easy. Now however... the Klingons were involved too. They had already suffered greatly at the hands of those... barbarians, and now this.
Narev sighed. Still, he could not, would not abandon her. She was his owner, it was the way of things, how things everywhere should be. But he still had questions.
"Uhm... Sir?"
The fear in the science slave's voice caught his attention. "Yes, what is it?"
"I'm picking up two, no three, now five... Sir, multiple warp signatures at the edge of the system."
"What? Show me." He stalked over to the sensors position, looking at the scanner. Federation ships, damnit. She had stuck her hand in the hive after the last drop of honey, now we were going to be stung. "I'm counting six warships, ranging from Nova class up to a Sovereign, make that two Sovereigns..."
"What are they doing?" he asked, bringing what could laughably be called a 'fleet' to alert.
"Nothing at the moment Sir, just waiting."
Jefferies tube, sub level 3, OWS Lovely Angel
"They're buying it, they're going to alert," Thag had the whole side of the tube pulled out, his portable system interfaced with the Orion computers, using information from it's own files to fill in the details. "Just hope they don't get too close and recognize that some of those ships have the same names. Changed their transponder codes, but not enough power to do visual."
"If they follow protocol, it should be enough, though I don't think six ships will cause them to flee.
"No... but I never said I was done..."
Yoann Teena Memorial Hall, Moab III
"Attention! This court of inquiry is now in session, the Truth will come out, the guilty will pay, The Judges are present."
Three hooded figures sat at the end of the table, one in a white hooded robe bearing the Federation's logo and the logo of starfleet, one in a black hooded robe bearing the trefoil of the Klingon Empire, and the third, in brown wool.
"Is the Plaintiff Present?" the center judge asked with a quite, high, feminine voice.
"I am," Matron Reli Katarm said from her (unaccustomedly low) seat at the Plaintiff's table.
"Is the Defendant present as well, as is required under the treaty?" the center judge asked.
"I am present." Schrodi said.
"Very well. This is how things run here..." the judge pulled her hood back, revealing Anh Cu'ong's face. "In this court, a judgement of two votes out of three can convict, or acquit. The Federation has a representative on my left, the Klingon Empire a representative on my right. It is the right of either party to know who sits in judgement here, as under the Armistice agreement that allows this proceeding to occur, rulings determined here are binding to the governments involved. Each side may present witnesses and evidence, questioning and cross-examination will be by members of the three judge panel. This is a court of Fact, similar to the Holocaust courts of twenty-first century earth, legal trickery will not be tolerated, and half-truths will be treated as lies when they are discovered. Do you have any questions before we begin?"
Schrodi frowned and raised her hand. "What about presumption of innocence?" she asked.
"This hearing is to determine what the facts are - the facts are in doubt," Anh stated bluntly. "One can not presume guilt if the facts are in doubt."
The Matron beckoned for attention, "What about punishments?" she demanded.
"Punishment will be meted based on the severity of the facts uncovered." Anh stated, "We are holding this under the 2409 post-independence revision to the Noahide laws, a severe enough factual breach can result in beheading, a mild enough one will result in a small fine. in between scales with the offense, per the original complaint made, should the defendant be found guilty, three cuts to her face and someone screaming at her for several minutes, accompanied by a public beating will probably be enough - it isn't like she killed any of your crew... as we are also tributary to the Empire, any ruling made here may be challenged in trial by combat-especially as the initial complaint included a charge of assault upon the plaintiff's person - be aware, that any trial by combat may not be conducted by champion, but only between the plaintiff and defendant, and the Judicial panel will determine the conditions of victory - which can range from best of three falls, to death, depending on the panel's judgement - which can NOT be appealed regarding those conditions."
Schrodi raised her hand. "I would like to know who sits in judgement, please the court."
The Federation judge pulled her hood back, and Fate Testarossa-Takamachi nodded down to Schrodi.
The Klingon Empire judge pulled her hood back, and Colonel Eialu Masaana nodded to the defendant - and Matron Reli shrieked in outrage. "THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!!! The Butcher of An Loc sitting in judgement! Over ME!!"
Eialu looked at the Matron. "You asked for an Orion judge," she said. "One that understands our customs and culture...who did you expect? D'Moj?? There are only two flag-ranked Orion officers within forty light-years who aren't either under investigation for sedition, or actively being hunted as traitors to the Empire - be happy that I'll at least listen to your grievances - D'Moj would have already asked for a preliminary finding of fault against you for breaching the Armistice accords and begun the process of petitioning Melani Di'an to have your House Stripped for crimes against the Race."
"I will caution the KDF judge that discussions of externalities involving offsite officials are irrelevant," Anh announced. "I will also caution the Plaintiff in that she already exercised her first refusal rights by requesting 'an orion' judge, you asked for this hearing, you made your complaint, you made your demands, you will accept the plate set before you, or you will be found in breach with a summary ruling against you and a fine levied on your house, plus any additional punishments for wasting this court's time that I so determine are appropriate." Anh then smiled, "Which would likely include asset forfeiture equal to the value of MY time, plus equivalent values for the Federation and Empire's time setting this up... and believe me, we are superb accountants, it would break you financially, and every jot would be published in both the Federation, and Klingon Empire... which would break your House's prestige. So, you WILL behave in a dignified manner here."
"We will begin with the Matron Reli, you will present for this court your version of events, you will present any evidence you are ready to present, you will submit to questioning from each of the judges, and to cross examination, then you will present your witnesses. After which, the defendant may offer their own version of events, including rebuttals and any claims of extenuating circumstances. They will be questioned by the court and cross-examined, after which, the Judges will question each of you, and render a verdict appropriate to the finding of fact."
Bridge, OWS Lovely Angel
This was not good. There was a federation fleet on one side of the system, and what looked like Klingon forces coming in on the other side. This was fast turning unprofitable for the syndicate. "I said prep every ship that's mobile, we are leaving. No, we're not taking the stock-there are two very angry looking fleets out there, and there is a good chance that they are here because of the stock." Part of him hated the idea of abandoning them, especially that young blond half human girl, but...his responsibility was to his Matron. Protecting her assets while letting the two forces out there argue over their scraps was his main imperative at the moment. It was too bad the flagship was too badly damaged, however he would not let them get their hands on it, or the stock on board... "Computer. Auto destruct, time delay."
Engineering, OWS Lovely Angel
They were in. The ship seemed deserted at this level, of course from the looks of things they'd just gotten pressure back to these compartments not too long back, the bulkheads still bare metal, the section deserted, work left half finished as if the skilled slaves were called away.
"You do realize. that we're still reading 270 Orion life signs aboard right?"
"Along with six hundred fifty two assorted other species in what used to be the hangar decks," Michelle replied sourly. "You'd think they'd be running for the doors by now."
"It's possible they don't know what's going on, that they're being abandoned, or that there's not room for them." They could hear the alerts, telling the crew to report to transporters and hangar decks.
"And we need to rescue those people, get them onto what craft we can, and get out of here before the Orions either realize they've been had, or simply decide to blow the ship up to prevent others from getting it... if they haven't already," Nanoha remarked.
"Yeah, and we don't have much time," Thag said. "They'll start to wonder before too long why they're not being hailed, or why the ships aren't entering the system. Only TRIBBLE into their long range sensors, if they were to come into visual and someone was to so something simple like look out a window..."
Bridge, OWS Lovely Angel
Something felt wrong. Yes there was chatter between the Federation and Klingon task forces...probably arguing over who got credit or who got to attack first...but why aren't they moving? Most of the ships were away, heading out on opposite vectors from the incoming threat, a course that was risky through the asteroid belt in the system, but so far they hadn't lost anything yet...
"Any response to the Hails?" Narev asked. He was waiting until all the Matron's other assets were away before leaving. He was entrusted with their care, he would insure she had the maximum he could save.
"Negative Sir, our 'comrades in arms' aren't responding to us." replied the old science slave at communications. Which was odd as well, most times one could never shut Klingons up...
"Signal the Tamar's Pleasure, have them get a look as they go by - they're also in the best shape, and may even lead a few of them off." He said as he took one last look around the ship. Sighing he headed for the transporter and his own escape.
Enginnering
"That's not a good sign..."
"What isn't? The 'autodestruct' warning, the warp core non-functional, or the Orions asking one of the outbounds to eyeball the 'fleet'?"
"TRIBBLE... nuke the coms. Captain, we're going to need to hold this compartment - fortunately Marauder carriers aux control is in engineering. WE can lock them out and control from here..."
"Control to where? The engines are down, we're severely outnumbered, the core's still on autodestruct, and if we're lucky they won't turn around and all come back once they realize they've been had."
Michelle and Schrodi looked at each other. "No way. It's in a shuttle, it's not rated for a hull this big!
"Well, we could cross feed the intermix, which would bring the warp up,but it would have to be handled manually."
"You mean manual, from the console here?" Heiki asked as she started pulling weapons out of her backpack.
"No, as in manually feeding in the antimatter mix into the injectors by hand."
"Th... that's Insane!"
Schrodi grinned. "Yes, it is, isn't it. Thats why it's going to work."
Nanoha drew her Pulsewave Rifle. "We'll hold them off. Just do what you need to."
Transporter room, OWS Lovely Angel
He swore - it was a trick! there was nothing there at all "Call back all ships immediately!"
There was no response from the coms - he watched in frustration as ship after ship went to warp, leaving just his handful and their shuttle. "Well whoever they are, they're not going to get away with this..."
"he's as dangerous as a ferret with a chainsaw."
thats what I get for posting at 2 am my time when half asleep
"he's as dangerous as a ferret with a chainsaw."
I can see
When you stay low nothing happens
Does it feel right?
Late at night
Things I thought I put behind me
Haunt my mind
I just know there's no escape
Now once it sets its eyes on you
But I won't run,
Have to stare it in the eye
Stand my ground, I won't give in
No more denying, I've got to face it
Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside
If I don't make it, someone else will
Stand my ground
It's all around
Getting stronger, coming closer
Into my world
I can feel
That it's time for me to face it
Can I take it?
Though this might just be the ending
Of the life I held so dear
But I won't run,
There's no turning back from here
All I know for sure is I'm trying
I will always stand my ground
Stand my ground, I won't give in (I won't give in)
I won't give up (I won't give up)
no more denying, I got to face it
won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside
if I don't make it, someone else will
Stand my ground, I won't give in
no more denying, I got to face it
won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside
if I don't make it, someone else will
stand my ground
Within TemptationStand My Ground
OWS Lovely Angel, Bridge
"What do you mean you have no control!"
The slave cowered from the Matron's overseer. "Forgive me, but with the exposed bridge on this class of ships, Auxiliary control is located in Engineering. All the lifts are locked down, there's three decks of vacuum between us and there, and the computer has been compromised."
"What about the auto-destruct? If we can't override we'll take them with us!"
Engineering
"Oooh, come to momma you pretty little box of boom!" Heiki said with a giggle from somewhere inside the conduit under the main deuterium feed. "Ooh this is the good stuff, not quite an antiproton fullerene matrix, but still nice."
"Quit drooling over the boomex Heiki and just defuse the damn thing!"
"Sheesh, can't appreciate artistry anymore, fine." There was a beep from under the deck, then she popped out of the hole head first. "I can't read Orion, what's it say on that readout?"
Thag turned white. "Disarmed, and three seconds. Cut it a little close there."
While they had been disarming the auto destruct, the others had been prepping to get the ship moving, and keeping the angry owners of the ship from crashing the party. Michelle was at environmental control. "all right, I've got decks vented to space between us and them, of course that doesn't mean they can't just suit up and walk through there."
"Orions tolerate low pressure better than humans, so they just might. At least the transporters are off line.' Miska had been responsible for that, a rather large axe from the damage control locker still embedded in the power runs to the pattern buffers.
"You can put that back together if we need it, right?"
"Of course, is simple fix!" The tall feline replied. "Assuming barge has parts."
"Right..." Schrodi was half way up the warp core, balanced on a strut as she was checking the fit of the damaged injector assembly. "Yeah, I think this can work, hey Thag! Toss me the 100mph out of Heiki's bag!"
He bent down and rummaged around, pulling out a green roll of something and tossed it up to her. "Here ya go." She caught it easily with one hand, and pulling off a strip, begain using it to secure the injector in place. "Be nice if we had a full on warp field calibration jig for this, but this should be good enough for now."
Nanoha had a Phaser Battle Rifle from the MACOs slung on her back, her Pulsewave Rifle in her hands. Her white MACO Armor was tinted slightly red from the lighting in the room. "If they do come down here, we'll hold them off," she said.
"You got that right!" Sobaru remarked, wearing a more standard set of Energy Dampening Armor, though the boots had thicker soles than normal. "And this'll be a good chance to test out the goodies Shari made me!!" She tapped a control on her wrist, and the soles of her boots glowed slightly, before she began hovering a couple of inches in the air.
"Oh good," Thag said as he saw the Lieutenant hovering off the deck. "Gravity's usually is one of the things that she plays with in situations like these, good to see you're prepared." For his part he had his own gravity boots as well, having learned the hard way during an encounter with the Borg a few months back.
Bridge
There was another way. Transporters were down, however there was the shuttle that they were going to evacuate with... and it had its own transporter. The downside, it was a shuttle transporter - only two at a time. "Harnt, S'len, with me," Narev barked, as he hefted his disruptor rifle. "Theres only a few of them. Once we can get into engineering, we can route control back to the bridge, or if that doesn't work, just open engineering to space..." With a nod the other enforcers followed, there was still time to save this, and serve the Matron.
Engineering
This was probably going to be another one of those incidents, she thought as she watched the core come to life. there was minor radiation leakage, but nothing too bad as of yet, and the efficiency was in the toilet. Instead of the steady throb of a controlled matter-antimatter reaction, the sound was more akin to a walrus with emphysema. Which was admittedly probably better than the Orion systems on the ship sounded before but still? "Ok, we're up to, sheesh. 13 percent. Don't think we can push more than 15."
"What will that get us? And do we have helm yet?" Miska replied as she prepped as best she could the deflectors. they were mostly off line as well, critical areas would be protected, engineering and the hangar decks had their own deflector systems, so the slaves should be safe but , well, there were parts of the ship , like the bridge, that might look like the inside of a colander by the time they got anywhere.
"About Warp 2.1, assuming the warp field is stable, that the intermix doesn't backflow, that the Orions don't find a way in, and that we don't all explode into an expanding cloud of crispy sub atomic particles."
"I don't wanna explode!" Heiki squeaked.
"You sure have a funny way of showing that... anyway, we're as ready as we're gonna be here Cap'n."
She stared at the juryrigged injector... in theory it was easy, but... I can't do this by myself.. She closed her eyes, and opened her mind to the others...
Yoann Teena Memorial Hall, Moab III
The Matron was just heading to take the stand after a recess of several hours. Apparently she had tried to figure out a way to get the KDF Judge replaced, but after being informed that no, the only other one would be even less sympathetic to her cause, had decided to make the best of it.
So of course it was right then when Schrodi reconnected with her sisters... damnit. Worst timing in the multiverse sometimes... "Uhm..."
The Bailiff turned to look at her. "I know we just had one, but could we get a recess of a few minutes? I sat here the whole time while she was conferring, and all that coffee is really starting to get to me right about now..."
"This is an Outrage! I am ready to begin and she-"
The gavel slammed down with a noise loud enough to make most of the courtroom jump, the Matron and Schrodi included. "Order!" Judge Cu'ong looked rather annoyed. "WE waited for you to be ready most of the morning. I could stand stretching my legs and a trip to the little judges room as well," she said, to chuckles from the audience. "Recess granted."
Schrodi got up and ignoring the glare from across the room headed into the corridor, there, good enough. Ducking into a stall she sighed. I'm glad to hear you back with us, but your timing sucks. So what's going on? And why didn't you two fill me in before now?
{It had to be her decision, we were going to respect that,} Michelle replied, {but there's been a complication.} She filled her in as she paced inside the restroom stall.
TRIBBLE, you're not going to get far like that, but I don't see any other way without leaving them. Ok, obviously can't send the McGrath, but I'll get a message to someone to look for you.
{someone from the MCDF would be good if possible, I think some of these slaves might be more 'fugee's from Moab}
Better and better. Ok, I think i see one of my shadows, I'll see if I can get a message to them. Watch your asses and get back in one piece!
{Конечно!}
Sticking her head back out she saw one of her detail, Zarah standing unobtrusively in the corridor. oh frack, english isn't his first language, anyone speak herbrew?
{אני עושה.}
Good, drive for a minute, I don't think the Matron or any of her agents will know that
Walking casually over to the wiry hawk nosed man, she stood next to him, looking out the window, whispering quietly. <might want someone to look around these coordinates.>
He didn't even write them down, but most likely did not have to, wired for recording probably. He gave her a slight turn of the head, and a barely perceptible nod. A few seconds later his female counterpart emerged from the ladies room, while he walked off, not in an obvious hurry, but not wasting time either.
Now all I have to do is keep from losing my head, and we should be good to go
Judge's Chambers
"Welcome to the circus." Anh Groused, pouring a cup of Ca'Phe.
"You know-" Zimehoz began.
Anh shot him a sharp look. "You have any idea how much I hate staff work right now?" she asked, "Like to put them BOTH in the stocks."
"Come on now, Schrodi's a friend." Zimehoz said.
"Exactly - I should recuse myself - but Saul already said no to that." Anh sat down in her chair.
"Saul is it?" Zimehoz said.
"Sorry, Rabbi Moskowitz better? or 'The Mnister'?" she asked. "Him and Ariel stuck me in this position, and I'm drowning in details because of it."
"You're still committed to not taking sides in this?" the Lethean officer asked.
She sighed again. "I want to - but the job is 'neutral' judge," she said. "Nevermind that the KDF judge and the Fed judge both want an acquittal for personal or philosophical reasons - this is supposed to be a court of Fact. The seventh chapter of the Law requires the establishment of courts of Justice - and a Just Court must obey it's written principles... even when we don't like it, even when it seems unfair... you know what would help?"
Zimehoz shrugged. "What?" he asked.
"If the other two judges at least acted like they were adversaries," she said. "That would help a lot. The panel system is supposed to be adversarial - that's why you have three judges - to argue and weigh the evidence and find the truth of the matter. It doesn't work when two are already decided before the case begins."
She pulled the robe back on. "I thnk we've had enough of a break?"
She walked back into the court. "Everyone feel better? Let's get this going. Prosecution, present your case."
MCDF Ia Drang Airbase...
"...coordinates are here, It's about thirty light years out, in this system," Ariel said, showing a location on a star map. "So, who's going?" one of the officers asked.
"Whose ships are in operational condition?" Ariel asked.
Commodore Cham Nguoc frowned. "Zaki, Benyamin, and Rachel's ships just finished preliminary readiness trials," he said. "Which is nice - those modular parts we got on the last aid shipment, plus the older hulls purchased off the Klingons seem to be better quality than we had before the Battle of Moab... or maybe it's just being able to do the refits in a proper yard, instead of an improvised landing field... that's two Qaw'Dun and a Ki'Tang."
"What about the cruiser?" Ariel asked.
"Still down with warp-core issues. We're supposed to take delivery of a pair of K'Vort class courtesy of the House of Methos, but those are still being readied for ferrying out by Ty'gokor."
Ariel studied the other officers from his wheelchair.
"Volunteers?" he asked.
All three raised their hands. Cham face-palmed. "Rachel, you can go, and Zaki. Benyamin, I still need your ship pulling security patrols, and as backup in case those two run into something they can't handle." Cham thought for a moment, "I'm sending 2nd Squadron's warp-capable fighters to fly escort." he said, "It ain't much, but it's what we can spare in a hurry, don't get blown up."
"Hey, Sir, why does she get to go?" Benyamin asked.
"Because she has a bigger ship than you do," Cham told him. "Also more experienced crew - Rachel was at Son Tay, and survived the battle of Moab."
"Oh... right."
OWS Lovely Angel
It had finally occurred to someone that while the ships coms may be down, the shuttles was still working. True, the range wasn't great, but two of the frigates had broken off from their running like scared rabbits, coming about and returning towards the Carrier. The Lovely Angel was moving under her own power since the aborted attempt to bring the Good Masters through months ago, albeit not very fast or gracefully. Still, he was impressed that they had managed to get it moving at all. His chief engineer had told him another six to eight months before just impulse was back, yet here they were at warp.
They had beamed two at a time, bypassing engineering for the moment, gathering their forces in the lower hangar bay two decks below. There were over two dozen of them now, they had more, but beaming from a shuttle docked in one shuttle bay into another part of the ship, while at warp...oh well. "How long until our reinforcements arrive?"
"They were well on their way when the signal reached them, and we are still headed away from them, much slower than their speed, however," the science-slave replied, the old man looking uncomfortable at the weapon in his hand. Most of the people Narev had were not combat trained - but they could point a weapon at hopefully the right direction. "Very well, we shall give them a few more moments then we will take our ship back."
Engineering
"Looks like another transporter signal" Thag muttered as he monitored what he could of the sensors here. "And I picked up a transmission from one of the shuttles, they're expecting reinforcements before too long?"
"Lovely, day just keeps getting better and better." Michelle was at the aux control helm, guiding the wallowing hulk on the most direct path back towards Moab, the nearest friendly system. "Of course with the sensors as shot up as they are, they could be on top of us and won't have a way to know anything until they start firing." She shrugged. "At least we're still flying, that's something."
"Meebee we shouldn't wait. We know they're gonna try stormin eventually. It's like my da always used to say. "Heiki, some times the best defense is shoving a bomb down their shorts."
One of the Wolfram's security troops just laughed. "Somehow I don't think they'd hold still for that."
"Just gotta be faster than they are" she grinned.
"Ya know, she's got a point. We know they're coming, maybe we should hit them first?"
"Sounds good to me," Nanoha remarked, hefting her Pulsewave Rifle. "They want a fight? Let's show them what it's like to face a Devil..."
"Yeah!!" Sobaru replied. "Plus, if we strike now and force them back into the hangar, we can disable the transporters on the shuttles as well, thus cutting off their only easy way to send reinforcements to us."
"Now yer talking!" Heiki jumped off of the console she was sitting on and pulled a large plasma cannon out of her backpack, firing it up with an 'ominous hummmmm'.
"You know, you can get ten times the output from something a tenth that size," one of the MACOs said with a chuckle.
"I like the sound, and the 'glow of doom' is a nice effect as well!" She said, the glow from the barrel lighting up half the compartment.
"Uh yeah, why don't you go first..."
One deck below Engineering
Narev led his people, troops was probably too generous a description of them to be honest. Mostly they were the crew on the Bridge, science slaves, helm operators, the Lady's masseuse when she was on board... the kind of people he would normally not use to attack a fortified position. But there were only a handful of them, and the odds were in his favor. Hopefully they would be able to capture them alive, anyone who could get the Lovely Angel moving again, was definitely worth far more alive than dead. Still, they would have to be careful. "This is the spot." he checked his sensor again, there was nothing above the roof of this compartment but the deckplates of engineering, an open space. While they would probably be guarding the entrances...they'd simply make their own entrance. He was the most trained in demolitions, setting the charges himself, just enough to cut through, and not destroy, and more importantly, the damage to the deck plates would disable the gravity for the entire compartment.
However, just after he set the first charge, a burst of Phaser Energy flew down the corridor, knocking him away. This was followed by a much wider burst of Phaser Energy as the distinctive sound of a Pulsewave Rifle cut through the hallways. This in turn was followed by a wordless battlecry as a blue-haired Bajoran woman seemed to glide through the halls at them at high speed, delivering a massive haymaker onto Narev's face.
He fell back off of the back of the kneeling slave he was standing on to reach the top of the compartment from the punch, flying back through the air, the detonator cord still in his hand. As he hit the deck his 'troops' tried to return fire, only a few were even getting close to the targets. probably should have waited he thought as he pulled out his disruptor, rolling to the side and onto one knee, returning fire, the energy flaring out on the Bajoran's shields.
Following behind her was the one with the Pulsewave Rifle, a Human woman with Chestnut Hair wearing white armor with blue and black trim and a bit of red as she loosed blast after blast into the Orion ranks, not even bothering to take cover as she advanced, seeming to fire once per step.
The Orions outnumbered them... but with few exceptions, were not trained. The MACO's quckly disarmed the elder ones with minimal fuss, some of them not even having to fire a shot in the process. Others who attempted to fight back were cut down by the pulsewave blasts, Narev himself getting a glancing burn as the enforcer covering his superior was cut down. He growled, damnit, still ten minutes until the other ships would get here... all he had to do was stall, then they could overwhelm these few. He threw down his weapon and raised his hands in the air "I Surrender!" he shouted in klingon, hoping one of these barbarians at least spoke that.
Nanoha stopped firing. "If you're surrendering, then go back to your shuttle and beam back to where you came from," she ordered. "We will guide you back there so you don't try anything funny, and then make sure you can't use them again." She then gestured at the ceiling, where she could see various lumps she assumed were explosives. "Heiki, take those things down."
Heiki nodded as she walked over and looked up at them... then with her eyes getting big she turned and started running. "ohcrapohcrapohcrap!"
Everyone started running after her, Nanoha Included, she may be a Captain-but an explosives technician at a dead run outranks everybody. Sobaru took a second to land another punch, this time to the back of Narev's head, knocking him out cold before shooting after everyone.
As explosions go, it was rather unspectacular, being a shaped charge designed to cut through the deck plating. There was a loud THWOMP as the panel blew out, taking with it both the gravity, and as feedback from the graviton generators short circuiting went back into the eps runs, the rest of the power as well.
It took a good minute for peoples ears to stop ringing, other than that no major injuries. "Everyone ok?" asked Heiki, using the barrel of her plasgun as a makeshift light.
"Put that thing down! Oww... yeah I'm fine... upside down but fine?" Gravity was out, only emergency lights as well. "Are we at least still moving?"
Carefully poking up through the hole in the enginnering deck, Thag checked on the damage. It was dark as well, and silent... too damn silent. "Nope, and Life support is down too, TRIBBLE. Everyone ok up there?"
"We are, well not fine, but not too bad," Miska replied. Schrodi was out with a nasty gash on her forehead from where the blast had knocked her from where she was monitoring the core. Fortunately her jury-rigging was in such a way that if it was disrupted, it would shut down rather than turn them into dust. "It could have been far worse."
"How much air do we have?" Nanoha asked.
"Air's fine, temperature is going to be the problem, it's gonna start to drop soon. Couple hours maybe, unless we can get things back on line..." Michelle checked something. "Of course if we were in the slave cages, we'd be fine. they've got an independent power supply there on that deck. They've got at least 20 hours till things start going stale." She just snerked. "Mustn't let the slaves die after all, they'd lose money."
"Then let's get to work," Nanoha remarked. "We should focus on at least getting Life Support running before anything else, make sure we don't freeze to death." She pushed off, going through the hole and back into the engineering compartment. "Just tell us what we need to do."
"he's as dangerous as a ferret with a chainsaw."
In this broken world
Its getting hard to breathe
Time to take control
We're not gonna let go
Open up your eyes
Let the truth sink in
Battle for our lives
Welcome to the war zone
We are not afraid to play
Awaken the strength inside
shadows come to life
We're ready for the take down
We all need energy
When fear and pain collide
Standing by your side
We're ready for the take down
yea
Look into my soul
Feel the pain within
Heavy hands to hold
We're not gonna let go
Scars and open wounds
Tracks of where I've been
Always breaking through
Yea we're gonna explode
We are not afraid to play
Awaken the strength inside
Shadows come to life
We're ready for the take down
We all need energy
When fear and pain collide
Standing by your side
We're ready for the take down
OWS Frigate Lucky Slave
They did not even need sensors to follow this trail. It was leaking a wide swath of plasma from the time it had left the system, the trail even now still visible to the naked eye. A blind targ could follow the missing ship. Of course the fact it was moving under it's own power was a miracle in Taren's view. Anyone who was able to get that crippled ship moving was obviously a great prize, capturing them alive would be best.
"Sir, it looks like it's, yes. It's dropping out of warp, and there's no power at the moment either, at least on long range scans. It's stopped, about 1.5 light years ahead on our present course."
"Amazed it got that far, what about the stock?"
"They should be fine, due to the ships condition, portable systems were set up to keep them under liveable conditions."
He relaxed a bit at that, losing the ship AND the stock would probably end up badly for his continued existence with his forebrain intact.
"Is there anything else out there?"
"Nothing I can pick up, Sir," the technician replied.
The Commander grinned. "Well then, hopefully Narev has things under control, if not, well then, it would be most... unfortunate if something were to have happened to him. Bring us in closer."
MCDF Dinh Quang
Having Klingon designed warships had it's advantages when the situation was unknown. Both the Birds of Prey, and the accompanying fighters were cloaked about a Light year from the mystery ship. They weren't sure what they were running into out there, but given who the cryptic message came from and the entire situation brewing back home, it was probably likely that the Orion ship had a few unwilling passengers.
"No power whatsoever?"
"No, Sir" the sensor tech replied to LtCol Nghien. "Other than what looks like a large battery backup system and something that looks like a crude fusion power source, possibly emergency generators, It's dead in space. Of course, with that trail of warp plasma it left I'm amazed it made it as far as it did as bad as it was leaking."
"How about life signs?" she asked, looking over the tech's shoulder.
"Getting data from the probe now... ya know, I'd expect a hell of a lot more Orion life signs on an Orion ship... Human, lots of human, Klingon, got some Caitians, a Horta? There's a few Rom/Vulcan types, hard to tell for certain at this range which of them they are..."
"Contact! Bearing 221 mark 3!" all heads swiveled towards the young NCO. "What do ya got?"
"Orion frigate on long range, approximately 1.5 LY past the target, he's on a converging course with her." Rachael caught the reference immediately, friendly ships were her, while ships that were considered targets... him. It was and old convention, since the days of wet water navies, but it fit. "Signal the Thomas Chien and the fighter wing, we're going in, General Quarters." The lights switched from white to red, as the ships prepared for battle. "Let's go to war." Rachel said.
OWS Lovely Angel
Life support was working, if a bit on the cold and smelly side. The air smelled like smoke, and possibly toxic waste from somewhere below the decks, but it was better than breathing no air at all.
"How we looking, any sensors yet?" Michelle shouted, the noise from the backups was just this shy of deafening
"I dunno, of course being able to read orion would probably help about this time," Thag muttered with a curse. "How's the boss cat?"
"She is still out, landed a bit badly," Miska replied. Schrodi looked far worse than she was, but from what one of the MACO's who scanned her said, nothing permanent at least. Still, with her out any hope of getting the core back on line, assuming there wasany hope of that was pretty much shot at this point. There were so many cracks in the housing that even the idea of putting power to it would probably be enough to send it critical.
"Hang on one, think I'm getting something." Heiki was deep in a console, trying to get power to coms at least. There was a loud bang, and smoke and ozone smell. "Yeowch!" There was static on the screen, then with a whir, things began to come on line. The external view looked like the view after a three day drunk, but at least they weren't totally blind. "Somethin's goin on..."
MCDS Thomas Chien
"Charge main batteries forward, I want us within five kliks of that Frigate before we decloak, Fighter wing, we're almost in position, I want a CAP established over the crippled carrier." Zaki Abrahmson adjusted his hat. "Two to Lead, we're in position and beginning our run, over."
"Two, this is Lead, one pass and join the CAP on the carrier, see if you can render assistance, Over." Rachel's tone was bored-and why not? she'd lived through Son Tay, she'd lived through the Battle of Moab...
"Instructions understood, Two Out." He leaned back. "Let's do this."
Space shimmered as the Qaw'Dun decloaked practically on-top-of the Orion frigate, and savaged her with phaser cannons and Photon Torpedoes.
Around the crippled carrier, six warp-capable Tu'doj fighters slid out of masking, and assumed an escort formation.
The frigate tried to engage the Bird of Prey-really, they had no choice about that - including locking a tractor on it...
As the second Bird of Prey, with another six fighters, slid out of cloak, and finished him off.
"Anything capable of receiving over there?" Zaki asked.
"Checking now sir."
"Hail them with a standard health-and-welfare message," Zaki said. "Even if there aren't any Orions on board, we need to get a better read on what's going on."
Engineering, OWS Lovely Angel
"Well there was someone out there, now it looks like they're becoming one with the universe" Michelle said with a chuckle as she watched the Orion ship go critical. "and we're being hailed,
"Attention crippled Carrier, this is MCDF Squadron Two, we request permission to board for a standard imperial health-and-welfare inspection, please respond... promptly. If you can not respond by radio or subspace, flash your marker lights."
"Where's the transmitter?"
"I think it's on the ceiling, under part of the deckplates that got blown..."
Thag muttered. "Typical..oh well when in doubt..." He walked over to the relays for the emergency power, and simply unplugged them for ten seconds, then plugged the power back in. "That should do it, I hope."
Nanoha just shook her head. "You remember we do have communicators, right?" she said as she tapped hers, sending an acknowledgement.
Red transporter flashes appeared inside the engineering bay, and from them... it was easy to tell Moab's lower enlisted from their NCO's and Officers - they wore light blue shirts under their body-armor, and toted big, nasty-looking rifles, while the Officers wore sidearms and Khaki.
"Got your message," the officer who seemed senior said in Klingon. "Do you know why we pulled you over?" He added, with a grin.
"Ooh, we had a tail light out?" Heiki squeaked? Everyone just sort of looked at her for a moment, Thag shaking his head. "Hope you've got plenty of room, we've got an estimated six hundred former Orion slaves on board, and no idea on their medical condition to be honest"
"We were kind of busy getting out of there without blowing up," Michelle added.
"It'll be tight," he said. "Good thing they make BoPs as troopships..." He keyed his commo, "Lead, this is Two Actual, we've got six hundred souls to evacuate from this... hulk before it blows up, Over."
"Two Actual, this is lead, Understood, we're pressurizing troop bays now, Over."
"Let's get these people off this...wreck," he said.
Getting the people out of engineering was easy. convincing some of the slaves to leave their cells, especially some of the ones who had been improved by their captors...
"Who's your owner?" Zaki asked a chestnut-haired woman who wouldn't leave her cell.
She told him.
"Your owner's not here, I will take you to her," he said, fighting down a surge of raw fury/ It's not her fault... "...just come on out."
it was like luring a dog out. That made him even angrier.
"Боже мой, I think I have seen this one..." Miska was helping carry some of the less mobile out to be checked and transported, when the next compartment held what looked to be a teenaged Klingon girl, sporting a healing scar on the side of her head, where it would be under the hairline when it grew back.
"Where are the guards?" Zaki asked, as they beamed the last girl in the row out. His hand was on his sidearm.
"Fled. We spoofed their sensors into thinking they were facing a combined task force. They set this hulk to blow and scurried away like rats," Thag replied, the big neanderthal looking just as angry.
"I'll settle for crew then." he said dangerously.
"We have one survivor, he's hogtied below engineering, didn't feel like dragging his TRIBBLE back up after he blew the power."
"Show me," Zaki said. "A message must be sent."
"No," Captain Nanoha was just as upset. "As much as I would like to... if my suspicions are correct, keeping him alive for the moment will be better."
"Oh, Captain... I'm not gonna kill him," Zaki said. "If there were more than one, maybe...I'm going to give him back," he said, his hand left the pistol and a knife just seemed to 'appear'... "With some cosmetic improvements." The young man's eyes were as flat and featureless as a shark's.
"I'll go with you, then," Nanoha remarked. "I have a few 'cosmetic improvements' I'd like to make, myself."
"Need a bootlace?" Zaki asked conversationally as they headed below.
Miska just shuddered a bit, the whole exchange bringing back bad memories of having to deal with State Security... she coaxed the klingon girl out of her cell, remembering where she saw her before. "There's going to be holy hell to pay..."
Down Below...
"Hey..." Zaki slapped the Orion awake, "Do you recognize this?" he held up a pack of cards with a six-pointed star printed on the back.
The orion paled in fear.
"That's right," Zaki said. "You will tell me everything, to the last insignificant detail. For every lie, I will remove one finger from your hands, when I run out of fingers, I will start on toes. Do you understand me?"
He was conditioned yes, but he'd been through a lot already in just the last few hours, the card was the last straw to break him. He hung his head. "What do you wish to know?"
"You will begin by telling me where the Klingons upstairs, in your slave pens, came from, then you will tell me who did the work on them, then we will begin on the humans, you will tell me where they came from, then the Andorians, etcetera etcetera. You will describe in detail what was done to them, you will describe in detail what they were being used for, you will describe in detail who ordered, managed, and ran this operation. If at any time I find your answers unacceptably vague, I will hurt you - not enough to kill you, but enough to truly hurt. Do you understand me? Do you believe I will do this thing to you?"
"I will tell you all that I know." Which he did. While he did not know everything, he knew more than enough.
After the Orion finished babbling, Zaki said, "You get to live." He looked at Nanoha. "And I really wanted to take an ear... we leave him unmarked for now, I have recorded his confession, he will be tried under Klingon law first - I'm sure the Federation can have whatever remains after that... Now..." he turned to the Orion. "You are under arrest for crimes against the Klingon Empire, including dealing in Klingon Citizens as slaves, moral turpitude, and conspiracy to do the same. You have the right to an advocate in a Klingon court of laws. Do you understand this right as I have explained it?"
Broken, he simply sighed. "I do."
"One to beam directly to the brig under tight security," Zaki said into his communicator. The Orion vanished.
"Let's get these people out of here," he said brightly.
"Yes, let's," Nanoha replied. "No way that Matron's getting out of this..."
Zaki shrugged. "Probably not, but we have to bring the evidence first," he tapped twice, and they beamed out.
Yoann Teena Memorial Hall, Moab III
"-and that is when she [i[attacked[/i] me!" The matron was dramatically giving her testimony, oddly enough despite how fast Orions tended to heal, still showing scarring on her face. Perhaps it was something in Caitian claws, or perhaps she was just being overly dramatic. Schrodi didn't know which, or really care at the moment. Most of the morning had been taken up with the Matron going on and on about her rights and duties, how she looked after her people, would never bring non-orions on board as stock... she felt it odd as to just why the judges were allowing her to keep rambling on to be honest.
Of course she had an idea on what they might be waiting for... how did it go?
{We got picked up and are en route back, couple of the slaves sadly didn't make it, but to be honest, they weren't going to live much longer anyway. Died free at least}
Damn. Well her Matronness is still rambling on, they haven't even asked her any questions yet
Anh tapped the gavel. "Matron Riel? hey, Eyes up HERE." she said. The Matron stopped. "Yes?"
"You've told your story, now I want some clarity on a question... you do not deal in non-Orions, correct?" she asked. "I can have the court-reporter read back your statement if you've forgotten."
"Of course not, that would be against Imperial law. We obey the laws of the Empire."
"And you don't maintain any pre-alliance non-Orion stock?" Anh asked. Eialu shot her a questioning look.
"What difference would that make? We follow the law as it is stated. If the law says-"
"The court will have a short recess - we will reconvene after dinner," Anh said formally. "At which time the defense will present their case. Court is adjourned."
She sputtered indignantly as everyone stood up as the judges stood, Schrodi peering at her from across the courtroom I think they have an idea, and she has no clue whatsoever.
{Ooh, make sure they record it if we're not back in time!}
Trying not to be too obvious she stretched as she stood up, turning to her minders. "So where is there somewhere to eat around here?" she asked. "Cause I dunno about you guys but that little box lunch they gave out earlier was kinda plain."
Her female minder actually chuckled. "Theres a local place right off the base that's back in business, but you're kinda restricted here, Ma'am. Fortunately, they do deliver."
"Excellent, well you know what's good, and I'm buying" she said as they walked out of the court room. Across the room the Matron glowered, conferring quietly with her aide
"Something is up. I feel we need to be away from here as soon as possible."
"That may be difficult, Matron-"
"I do not care about your difficulties! I tell you what you must do, you figure out how to do it! "
"We still could try for the bounty on the Butcher, while you are busy burning bridges, Matron," the aide replied in a deadpan sort of voice, used to her owner's tantrums and rants.
"Ooh, that is an excellent idea.."
The aide looked at the matron, her eyes wide. It was actually a stupid idea, and she regretted even opening her mouth at that point... "Matron, I must ask you to forgive my sarcasm. Such an action-"
"Will lance a boil on the body of our Race. See to what needs to be done..."
She wanted to say no - but could not. "Yes Matron."
Conference room, second level, Yoann Teena Memorial Hall
"Ok... that's just a little spicy!"
Zarah laughed inspite of her self, the caitian had eaten a dish that would have made her grandmother running for a bottle of milk to calm the fire. "A little? What do you normally eat?"
Schrodi shrugged "Taste buds have been a bit wonky to be honest since I had an accident a few years back. I tend to like my food hot, otherwise I can't really tell what it tastes like sometimes, to be honest."
"Sounds like it could be a problem."
"Sometimes, some senses are duller, others hypersensitive. Its a side effect of combining with quantum duplicates from alternate realities, I really don't recommend it to be honest."
Her boss, of course, had a copy of the file on that incident 'borrowed' from Starfleet archives, along with many other interesting bits of information. "So why did you do the switch? Give up being a Starship Captain to live in a tent in on Ferasa?"
"Well the tent was temporary, while the house was being built. And as for the why..." she just blushed a bit. "His people have a belief - people don't fall in love, like humans tend to do. They find the person, if they're lucky, who has the other half of their soul. He's got the half of mine I was missing and never knew it until then."
"That's a nice way of looking at it, I'd say," she nodded. "But you could have just resigned and gone, instead of the deception."
"I could have, yes. But there are things, responsibilities that need to be taken care of. What happened here can happen elsewhere. I'm working on finding out how to stop them from being able to come over again like that. But to do that, while I have resources, I also need resources from the Federation, and access to a Science ship..."
"Like the McGrath."
"Exactly. Trust me, I'd love to raise kittens, watch the household, maybe teach quantum physics... but there are dark things out there that need to be stopped, that have to be stopped."
Zarah nodded. Of course it was being recorded, and Schrodinger was smart enough to know that as well. Well it's definitely a cause I support, and probably the boss will, too, she thought as she sipped her drink.
Holding Cell, Xiao-Loc, Moab III
"We picked her up 20 minutes ago, she was asking about how to acquire explosives. Kind of amateurish if you ask me," the Sgt in charge of the brig said.
"She doesn't seem like she'd be very experienced in this sort of thing to be honest, I've seen her type before. Trained to be administrators, personal assistants, that sort of thing. But they usually aren't so..."
"Stupid, Ma'am?"
Eialu laughed. "Thats a good description... When someone who's been conditioned, is given an impossible order, they often just go through the motions, attempting to do what they were ordered to..." She thought back to the slaughter of the cultists months before, that so willingly followed the path to their doom and sighed. Followers, thats what most of her people were. "With her being Matron Katam's aide, well, it's kind of obvious where this is headed... Release her."
"Uh, Sir?"
"If Katam is dead set on hanging herself, lets make sure she's got plenty of rope." Eialu thumbed open her cigarette case. "Put a tail on her, and don't let her hurt herself or anyone else."
"Ma''am?" the Sgt asked, somewhat confused.
"It wouldn't be the Christian thing to do," Eialu said, "but trying to purchase explosives is hardly a crime in and of itself." She lit one. "If she's being that obvious, she's struggling with her conditioning, that means it can probably be removed, and she can be freed of it." She drew in a lungful of cancer. "Which means the Christian thing to do, is help her realize she can, in fact, have a choice - and make it, on her own..." she regarded the Sgt, "and keep her from hurting anyone else in the process."
"Understood Sir." He gave the order and the aide was released, though they did let her have the box she'd acquired. Of course the boomex inside was inert, but other than plugging in a detonator, there was no way to tell outside of scanning it.
Renea was confused as she was let go. They knew what she was doing, or did they? No, they had to know. Sent to find some way to kill the KDF judge, someone who had never harmed anyone in her life, never even knew how to. She had to obey... but what was more important - serving her owner, or serving her people?
Yoann Teena Memorial Hall, 2230 Hours...
The Judges filed in and took their seats. "Everybody fed? Good," Anh said, "Now, I want to hear the Defense, afterward, we'll do the questioning."
Schrodi nodded as she got to her feet, tugging her uniform down from force of habit. she walked to the stand, ignoring the looks from the other side of the room as she stood in the witness box. She had already been sworn in as she began the tale that started on Drozana, and ended with her on the Orion ship, claws out.
"I have a question - for the Plaintiff," Eialu, the Empire's judge stated.
"Defense witness is dismissed, Matron Katarn, you know the rules." Anh said.
"Of course I do," the Orion Matron sneered, and stepped into the box.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? Your HOUSE could have GAINED prestige a hundredfold if one of your daughters turned out to be a prominent Scientist - the last one the Orion Race produced died a thousand years before you were born!" Eialu tapped the side of her head. "Are you STUPID? NOW Your daughter's only value is broodstock - and low quality at that! The going rate for lesser-house breeding is five thousand quatloos. And that's if the mating is fruitful AND both houses are relatively successful, and that's all you'll get from her now-a Scientist is potentially worth a hundred times that, just from the mere hope of producing a line! You... I swear, I'm taking this to the Queen, you're too incompetent to run a Trade House... unless you can give me an explanation of your logic behind what you did... I can't even see the Doctrines of the Faith supporting that action - the Masters told our ancestors to 'breed for superiority', remember?" She adjusted her cloak, and said in Orion, . "<prove you are not inferior>."
"You... Dare." the Matron hissed.
"I do," Eialu said, "You've admitted to kidnapping Starfleet officers as part of your operation to retrieve your daughter. You endangered the peace in that choice, You have lied to the court, and evidence will arrive in a few hours. You have one last straw - you must prove your action was justified - you can not do so with affection - you gelded your daughter, so you need to prove your action is justified under Orion Laws and customs." she stared at the Matron, "You brought this on yourself, prove your worth."
"Kidnapping the officers was an inadvertent accident by a slave who thought he would gain favor by bringing more stock in - which I returned as it violates Imperial law-"
"So, your slaves don't understand their orders, or are you incapable of issuing orders that your slaves will obey intelligently?" Eialu pressed. She wasn't acting like a Klingon judge now, she was questioning as if she were Head of a House in a council of Mistresses.
"It has been a...stressful time for our people, you should know that more than anyone else. Lapses have happened, and have been punished - and why are you going on about this? What difference does it make - that furball dared to attack a Matron!"
"Because, you fool, the last Orion Scientist of any prominence was over a thousand years ago!!" Eialu snarled. "WHERE are OUR discoverers? OUR artists? We buy and sell them for astronomical prices because We have none of our own." she stood up, "YOU...have done harm to the Race, if an Ohn'gallau can see it, you can be utterly certain that your own days outside of a brothel, or the food pens for lower animals, stand numbered."
"I do not have to sit here and listen to this... raving from a known traitor, Butcher!"
"Raving? You have no idea - I slaughtered one hundred and twenty thousand inferior Orions, Matron-unfit to breed, killing you would simply add one to the count, now sit. Down. Or I will." she levelled a disruptor over the table at the Matron. "One."
Matron Reili Katam looked a bit like a goldfish out of water as she stood there gaping with her mouth hanging open. "I've half a mind-" she started, then stopped, realizing something. Renea was missing... sometime during the rant she had vanished.
"You have ONE choice," Eialu said calmly. "Prove you are worthy. Explain how your actions improve the breed, or you may commit ritual suicide if you can not."
"If you wish to head down this path, Ohn'gallau, then I will. Before the Queen, she has the right to speak to me thus. you do not."
"Both of you, Shut up, sit down - internal racial politics has no bearing in this court," Anh barked. She looked at the Matron. "Though, to be honest, I think she has a point - good scientists are valued everywhere... it's not germaine to this, particular, set of circumstances...though I will be happy to have both challenges forwarded to the Klingon High Council as well as the Orion Queen, Melani Di'an."
She sat down and shut up, realizing perhaps that she may have stuck her neck out a bit too far with that. "Bringing the High Council in is not necessary, this is after all an Orion affair.
"Um... actually, as this is a treaty court, it's required," Anh said apologetically. "The entire proceedings will also be submitted to the Federation government... sorry... now..." She rubbed her hands together. "Witnesses?"
The front doors slammed open. "Sorry I'm a bit late," Nanoha said as she walked in in full MACO Gear, followed by Thag and Heiki. "Traffic was brutal."
"You're right on time, Captain," Anh said. "Your proxy was getting sleepy. I'm afraid it's been a bit boring today - nobody started a fist fight and only one judge drew a weapon."
Reili stared at the people not recognizing the Starfleet Officer. "What is the meaning of this, who are these people? There were only two with the Caitian, a Human and a Klingon."
"Does the defense have an explanation?" Anh asked, showing mild interest - as if she were expecting this.
Three more joined the crowd, a shortish human with blonde hair, a feline that was easily two and a half meters tall, and... the Matron's jaw dropped, as did many others in the room as Schrodi entered as well, standing next to her sisters. "Well, after my panic attack, I went back to my lab and did a little research..."
Eialu shook a cigarette out, and lit it. A bailiff brought her an ashtray with a sour look. "So... we have the wrong Schrodinger in the dock?" she asked.
"Not necessarily," they said in unison. "We're linked at the quantum level."
"So, we don't have enough Schrodingers," Anh cracked, studying the Matron as she spoke. "I think that's interesting - which of you is testifying next?"
"Th... this... you set me up!" The Matron shrieked as she stood, reaching for her weapon - which was quickly grabbed by the bailiff standing behind her, ready for such a move, his large hands slamming her back down in her chair.
Anh took some notes, and sent a bailiff for snacks. "I see I'm not getting any sleep tonight. WE are going to keep this orderly, or I'm going to start shooting people," she said casually. "The defense and the plaintiff will be allowed to cross-examine witnesses, so let's get on with the witnessing, shall we?"
Reili sat stunned... and there were cameras recording it all. How could this have happened? she'd been warned by Renea that she should have just let it go, kept her mouth shut... afterwards, on the trip here, she heard muttering of some of the crew, who had been lent to the ill-fated assistance at the gate. They spoke of one who destroyed stars, who resisted the scent and destroyed the gate, dashing hopes of the Masters' return. Staring across the room as the identical Caitians, they both looked back at her at the same time, their eyes burning.
"Point of Order, your Honours," Zaki stepped forward.
"Yes?"
"There is an accusation of perjury, I have evidence and witnesses to present." he said formally.
"Does this exceed the original charges in seriousness?" Anh asked.
"It does," he said.
"Present your evidence and witnesses."
"Your Honour, I call Overseer Do'lan of the house of Katarn, and I submit this, his confession." Zaki said.
"Play it," Anh told him.
Zaki inserted the isolinear chip into a playback device. His interrogation played for everyone to hear.
"Point of order!" Fate said. "That confession was coerced."
"Noted. Is there supporting evidence?" Anh asked.
"Your Honour, there is," Zaki said. "We've got them lined up outside - it's... bad, your honour."
Anh frowned. "The court is in recess while we examine this new evidence, I am issuing a bench warrant for the arrest of Matron Reili Katarn for the crime of Enslaving Klingon Imperial Citizens, she will be bound over until we get to the bottom of this. Since there are also Federation citizens, the respective members of the panel will be granted eleven hours to obtain warrants of extradition from their governments... oh, and summary judgement in the present matter - The defendant is guilty of violating rules of hospitality, the fine is ten darseks. Adjourned.'
"Uhm, what's that in Quatloos?" Schrodi asked as the Matron was dragged off.
Conference room, second floor
Schrodinger was pissed. Only the fact that once the charges had been dropped (and fine paid) that Schrodi pretty much collapsed on the edges of another panic attack, and the fact there were people and cameras around kept her from punching her. They had come back upstairs, the two Moabite guards keeping people from bothering them outside the doors. "******nit this has Got to stop! Do you have any idea just what would have happened if I hadn't been able to cover for you? They could have legally put a price on your head! Which looks and scans exactly like mine!"
"I know I ****ed up," Schrodi replied. "I could have ruined everything..."
Hard to stay angry at someone as miserable as that, especially when the reason wasn't totally their fault "We fixed it... this time. But you're grounded from command, you'll have to pass not only Daron but docs at the nearest Starbase as well to get it back. I know, we've tried to let you work it out on your own... but we can't do that anymore."
A knock came from the door. Michelle went over to open it, letting the person in, figuring that whoever was there the minders wouldn't let them knock if it wasn't important.
The old man was still in his wheelchair, being pushed by one of Schrodi's bodyguard detail.
"You are well, I hope?" he asked brightly. "I brought you some wine, we have some issues to discuss."
"Well enough, thank you," Schrodinger said. "Under the circumstances, anyway."
"Excellent!" he nodded to his minder. "Clear the table please, and glasses...I understand one of you has suffered a fairly severe personal trauma... one that may require time in counseling to deal with..." the minder found enough glasses, and started to pour the wine.
Schrodi just laughed bitterly. "that's an understatement. My universe... it was warped, sick and twisted. Humans had all the power in a good part of it, until the Klingon/Cardassian Alliance overthrew them. But then the Empire came back, and now it was a stalemate. One that I grew up in," she spat. "I was drafted into service, because I was studying quantum universe theory, and found out that..."
"That non humans are slaves, or worse," Schrodinger replied for her.
"Hmmm... My daughter, Minh, is a gifted child... it's a family trait, runs on my side..." <would you like me to help you overcome your traumas?> he smiled at her benignly, but only she could hear it.
She started shaking at the voice in her head, only to have two, four, a dozen familiar ones respond as well. {You won't be alone sister}
{Вы никогда не одиноки.}
{We're here}
Sighing, she straightened her shoulders. "It's either that or things really go off the track next time."
"I find a good meal is quite suitable for long conversations... tomorrow is the Sabbath... would you join us for dinner, ladies?"
"We'll be there."
He smiled. "Excellent, I will have my daughter in law informed."
"he's as dangerous as a ferret with a chainsaw."
Hush now, don't you cry
Wipe away the teardrop from your eye
You're lying safe in bed
It was all a bad dream
Spinning in your head
Your mind tricked you to feel the pain
Of someone close to you leaving the game of life
So here it is, another chance
Wide awake you face the day
Your dream is over... or has it just begun?
There's a place I like to hide
A doorway that I run through in the night
Relax child, you were there
But only didn't realize and you were scared
It's a place where you will learn
To face your fears, retrace the years
And ride the whims of your mind
Commanding in another world
Suddenly you hear and see
This magic new dimension
I- will be watching over you
I- am gonna help you see it through
I- will protect you in the night
I- am smiling next to you, in Silent Lucidity
[spoken during solo]
(Visualize your dream)
(Record it in the present tense)
(Put it into a permanent form)
(If you persist in your efforts)
(You can achieve dream control)
(Dream control)
(How are we feeling today, better??)
(Dream control, dream control)
(Help me)
If you open your mind for me
You won't rely on open eyes to see
The walls you built within
Come tumbling down, and a new world will begin
Living twice at once you learn
You're safe from pain in the dream domain
A soul set free to fly
A round trip journey in your head
Master of illusion, can you realize
Your dream's alive, you can be the guide but...
I- will be watching over you
I- am gonna help to see it through
I- will protect you in the night
I- am smiling next to you....
Queensryche Silent Lucidity
It had seemed like a good idea the day before. Now she wasn't so sure,but there was no way getting out of it. Either she went through with whatever was going to happen in there (besides dinner that is) or she hangs up the McGrath, and stays, well, useless. It was tough to admit, but there it was. She wasn't any good to anyone, least of all herself as long as she refused to face her past, and deal with it.
It was a nondescript sort of place, of course given who was living there, that was expected. She was a few minutes early, recognizing some of the people unobtrusively watching from the street, the neighborhood still damaged, but well on it's way to repair. Besides, it's not like a couple of Caitians, a human and a eight foot tall feline were that common around here. They weren't in uniform, less attention that way, in theory anyway.
"You ready?"
She shook her head. "Hell no, but let's do it, anyway." Taking a deep breath, she rang the bell. It was the same girl from yesterday, looking a lot, well, friendlier. The civilian clothes she was wearing was probably helping as well. "Come in, you're right on time," she said. Fortunately, despite the low door, the rooms were more than tall enough for Mishka, a lot of buildings here had high ceilings, helped greatly in the hot months.
"Welcome! Welcome, take your shoes off and be comfortable!" The girl who greeted them at the door was in her late twenties and heavy with child. "Ariel is in the parlor with the kids, my husband should be home soon, I'm Yvette."
"Nice to meet you," Schrodi replied, pausing as she figured out how to introduce herself and her sisters. "I'm M'chelle, this is Schrodi, Michelle and Mishka," she said, as three of them took of their shoes - Mishka tended not to wear any, due to the heat, being her coat was similar to a snow leopards. They followed Yvette into the back room
The old man from the day before was sitting in a comfortable recliner, though his chair was nearby in case he needed to be elsewhere. Their eyes got wide when they saw Mishka duck through the doorway, while Caitians weren't common, there were enough of them, and Ferasans on planet that they've seen them before.
"You're... BIG!" one of the boys said, his eyes wide, while a couple of the younger girls lasted about ten seconds before squealing and pouncing on her long fluffy tail.
"Girls, leave her alone!" Yvette said, while Mishka just laughed. "It is alright, much better reaction than I often get," she said with a grin, as she settled down on the floor, more comfortable for one her size, anyway.
The children were entertained most of the afternoon until dinner, after the dishes were done (much easier putting the plates away with someone tall enough to not have to use a step ladder)
Ariel and Minh went with them back into the parlor as the children went upstairs, Mishka sitting back down on the floor while everyone else sat down on the couch, with the exception of Schrodi, who stood in front of the two. "You've nothing to be nervous about" he said reassuringly, "you have faced far worse."
"I know... I have one question though - why are you offering this?"
He just smiled. "First off, you have done us a great favor. I had honestly thought you would have simply investigated the Orion piracy, but to have liberated so many, at risk of your own life, that must be repaid. And second, it is the right thing to do," he said, giving a glance to his daughter in law.
"A few of those you rescued were friends of mine as well," Minh replied, returning the glance.
{And third, we'll owe him big time for this...}
{Oh hush. It is necessary and their goals mirror our own}
Schrodi just nodded, and sighed. "All right, what do I need to do?"
"Just have a seat," he said, indicating a comfy chair next to his. She leaned back, closing her eyes...
The Empire. Born in battle, forged from fear and hatred from Terra, it had at one time encompassed most of the galaxy - only to be beaten back, even blessed Terra itself overrun by the filthy aliens. The humans were patient and resourceful, and had fought back, reclaiming their homeworld and pushing back into the galaxy, finally reaching a standstill against the Klingon/Cardassian Alliance. In the middle of all this, the Caitians tried their best not to anger either side too much, too small to survive against either.
"Not a very good side of mankind," she felt more than heard the old man next to her in the memories.
"It was a much more violent universe than yours, not just for the Humans" Schrodi replied with a shrug. "I tried to keep my tail down, not get spotted, but I was too damn curious..."
Oxford University, Terra, though looking a lot more militaristic than it should be, everyone, even students in uniform, and in command. "Humans were the instructors, teachers, rulers. Being a non human on earth was pretty much slavery, without the chains. So when they liked my research..."
"You were drafted."
"In more ways than one," she said bitterly. "I was seventeen, and caitians were expected to... serve the Empire."
"In more ways in one, did you know you had a Vulcan in you?"
"Say what?"
"Well , more like an echo of one..." he frowned. "And she is as unhappy to be there as you are to have her."
Kitchen...
"...Larea was a tough one to recruit," Minh said. "She's also a tough one to handle, we established boundaries early, it helps." She poured wine for their guests. "She knows, of course, what I am and what I do. It was necessary to establish firm boundaries."
"Boundaries?" Michelle asked.
"She gets off on torturing people to death, I didn't want to become a one-night stand," Minh said. "I like to think I helped... deter her... from trading in humans. Working with her we've managed to break four slaving rings operating inside the Empire, I don't ask what she does with the slavers, she doesn't tell me... much... except when she wants to make me uncomfortable."
"So... that would be why she's not here?" Michelle asked.
"No, she's not here, because she still engages in the Trade - In orions now, exclusively, and she knows it's not Kosher to be a slaver in Nha Tranh," Minh told her. "Also because she finds these gatherings to be a stone bore."
"So... most of the year you're second banana and spy-handler for a sadistic slaver..." Michelle said in distaste.
"Pretty much - most of the time I do the books for her, background checks, legal compliance work - all the scutwork, while we conduct investigations into the Trade and chase down violators. She likes that part best, and frankly, so do I... but it's a cover, and a job, and she treats staff well."
"You almost sound like you like her," Michelle said, still disapproving.
"She's a good asset, and she has redeeming qualities," Minh said. "Ignoring her particular kink takes some getting used to, but it's socially acceptable in her own civilization, and she at least has some limitations on victim choice, unlike most serial killers." Minh warmed her wine before drinking. "She focuses on 'playing' with scum that pretty much deserve it."
inside Schrodi's head
It was kind of like those puzzles, where you looked at something trying to spot the pattern, then when you knew what to look for... it was as if it was right in front of you. "T'nae," Schrodi said, remembering the last time she saw the Vulcan - looking at her from the inside of an agony booth, as the Vulcan tried to rip the secrets of dimensional merging from her mind, then dying deep in Mars in a forgotten facility. "She was still linked to me when she died."
"And with her own neuroses, it is no wonder that you began to have your attacks once you were in a personally stressful situation."
"Which... from what I've heard of her... yeah. So, how do we fix this?"
He was silent for a few moments. "I am not sure to be honest... it may be better to try healing her instead."
"What, and just leave her here? The one who tried to mind **** me?"
{how were Vulcans treated in the Empire?}
"Well... damn poorly. Walking computers is how a lot of humans thought of them."
He closed his eyes, feeling out... "Well, definitely found the source of the terror in your attacks. She was terrified of what would have happened to her if she failed in her mission."
"It never was proven... but there were rumors that the Emperors throne, was upholstered with a Vulcan who failed him."
{Ick. Remind me if I ever meet him, to toss him into a woodchipper or something}
"You'd have to pick a number and stand in line I'd imagine." Schrodi replied with a shake of her head, "so, how do we contact her?"
He seemed to concentrate a moment... the air was filled with the sounds of near hysterical sobbing... "T'nae, you can hear us now?"
"No! I failed, I'll be punished again, I did as I was told, it's not logical to have to die for something that was not my fault!"
"No one's going to punish you," Schrodi replied, whatever she had felt against the Vulcan... that fear was just so strong.."no one's going to hurt you either. That is past, and gone."
As was the fear. Ariel did something, she had no idea what, but the anguish and fear stopped as if a switch had been thrown. "What did you do?" T'nae asked.
"Suppressed your emotions, something that I learned from a Vulcan friend of mine," he replied as non-threateningly as he could.
"We're not supposed to suppress them, at least not according to the Empire," she replied. "...it used to be that way, but they dislike servitor races that hide what they feel."
"The Empire is no longer a threat to either of you," he replied. "Somehow Schrodinger here ended up with your Katra, the question now is what do you wish to do?"
"The Logical thing, would be to expunge me from her," T'nae replied. "I did great harm to her, to many others during my time. I even grew to take pleasure in such things..."
"That would be the logical thing probably" Schrodi agreed. "But would it be the right thing?"
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"you, I, we're both products of our twisted, warped environments. I got another chance after the quantum merge, and it seems you have as well. You know what we're doing, and let's be honest - your tactical skills could make the difference between success and failure."
"Y... you would entrust me with this, even after all that I have done?"
"It isn't possible to lie on this level, not linked like this. If we did not think you would be an asset to saving everyone in this galaxy,and maybe others as well, we wouldn't be offering."
"You realize, this plan of yours is most illogical, and only has a 43.38 percent chance of success."
"I'll take that over a 100 percent chance of the black hats winning if we do nothing."
"Point taken, I accept."
She opened her eyes, she could still hear Michelle and Minh talking in the kitchen, as if it had only been a few minutes. M'chelle looked over at her sister. "How ya feeling? and why are your eyes green now?"
Schrodi just smiled. "Better than ever, and at least this way, they can tell us apart."
"he's as dangerous as a ferret with a chainsaw."
I can see clearly now the rain is gone.
I can see all obstacles in my way.
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind.
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
bright (bright) sunshiny day.
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
bright (bright) sunshiny day.
Oh, yes I can make it now the pain is gone.
All of the bad feelings have disappeared.
Here is that rainbow I've been praying for.
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
bright (bright) sunshiny day.
(ooh...) Look all around, there's nothing but blue skies.
Look straight ahead, there's nothing but blue skies.
I can see clearly now the rain is gone.
I can see all obstacles in my way.
Here is that rainbow I've been praying for.
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
bright (bright) sunshiny day.
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
bright (bright) sunshiny day.
It's going to be a bright (bright)
bright (bright) sunshiny day.
Yeah, hey, it's gonna be a bright (bright) bright (bright)
sunshiny day.
Jimmy Cliff I can see clearly now
ESD, Christopher Pike Conference Hall, six weeks later
"...and as you can see from the telemetry from the USS McGrath, Borg Nanite spheres can be kept at bay by creating a localized gravity well within two kilometers of them, this keeps them out of the fight, and unable to heal the larger units..."
He did not really want to be here, and especially not listening to her. The damn cat who murdered her, murdered Kala Meressa, poor Kala who was honored at Arlington, the damn cat who stopped the Masters from saving the galaxy from the Borg, and worse off lecturing him about the Borg! And a hundred other Captains as well honestly. He did have to grudgingly admit that despite the seeming well, insanity of taking a Nebula against the Borg, the McGrath was starting to build up a decent rep with Omega, and others.
Still, he wanted her dead, someday, it would happen, and hopefully by his hand if the universe was just. Her and that red-headed ***** with the Klingons who figured out how to destroy the gate that would have brought the Masters through. The conference broke for lunch, Schrodinger was just one of the speakers, he was scheduled for a talk later himself. Nodding to some of the other captains he knew, he walked over to the Buffet, one advantage of doing this kind of dog and pony show here was at least the food was fresh, in theory anyway. "What is this supposed to be anyway?" the Rigelian Captain of the USS Spokane asked.
"I think it's supposed to be cornbread," The voice was familiar, behind him, and hated. He glanced over his shoulder at her then turned his head away, he wasn't going to notice her-
"I hear you're giving a briefing on Borg ground tactics, Captain Huntington?" She asked as she stood in the line next to him, actually smiling up at him.
"What the **** do you want Schrodinger?" he said in a low whisper, knowing the Caitian could pick it up.
"What do I want?" she replied, while the smile never left her face, as her voice dropped it definitely left her eyes. "I want to live long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike, as a warning to the next ten generations that some gifts come at too high a price. I'd gaze into your lifeless eyes and wave, like this," she said, giving a small wave with one hand. "Do you think your Masters could arrange that for me?"
He growled low, and started to make a fist only to have her growl as well. "Do it, give me a ****ing excuse."
Slamming his tray down, he turned and stalked out of the conference room. "What's wrong with him?" The Rigelian asked.
Schrodi shrugged. "Guess he didn't like the cornbread either. Oh well, more for me!"
{Are you sure that was smart, poking him like that?}
(They know, why the frak do you think the McGrath got assigned to Omega away from everything?}
{No worries, we?ll be re-assigned back to the Corps of Engineers soon,} Schrodi replied to her sisters. {They can make all the plans they want. And we'll be there to stop them.}
Ende.
((Thank you all for reading, and a huge thanks to Patrickngo, Takeshi6 and Sander233 who contributed and guided this, thanks guys!))
"he's as dangerous as a ferret with a chainsaw."
Now that its over, I can only say that was a fun ride!
...Oh, baby, you know, I've really got to leave you / Oh, I can hear it callin 'me / I said don't you hear it callin' me the way it used to do?...
- Anne Bredon