Masterverse: Revelations

knightraider6

Previously, on Changes aren't permanent, but Change is…



Captain Marsilla McKnight settled her haunches on the bench she used instead of a center chair-one of the few modifications she needed being a hexaped. Her long, rather floofy fox-like tail twitched as she ran a hand over her soot smeared face. “A bit closer than I liked to be honest. Do we have contact with Admiral Garrett on the Yorktown?”

The Lt at communications turned to his station “Contacting the Yorktown now….uh…” he glanced over at sciences “I can’t raise them.”

Turning to the gooseneck viewer on her station, the Andorian science officer frowned “no sign of the Yorktown sir...also I’m not picking up astrogation beacons...at least not ours...the timestamp is wrong.” Lt Zelah said worriedly, one hand absently toying with her hair as she did when she was nervous.

“How wrong?” The Captain asked, her ears drooping a bit.

“Several...several hundred years..”


….


“I’m still not sure why we’re doing this…” Captain McKnight muttered under her breath. While initially she was for it, the closer they got to Vulcan, the more misgivings she had. The void in her own life didn’t help. She’d accepted, or thought she did, her mother’s death. But standing here on these sands… with the spires of the Science Academy visible in the distance, it was like the wound was ripped open again.

“Because it brings peace to the ones here, and hopefully to your crew as well” a measured, logical voice said next to her. “They are not the same, yet knowing that somewhere missing loved ones live on, it may bring comfort.”

She looked at the dark skinned vulcan male in what passed for a Starfleet uniform in these times. “I hope so..It was pretty rough a few years back after Vulcan was destroyed for a lot of people, myself included.”

“You had family members lost in the destruction?”

“Adopted family, my mother. Teresa McKnight, she was teaching at the Vulcan Science Academy when it happened.”

….

“Dr Evans, do you have a moment?”

She turned to Admiral LaRoca “of course.” she smiled

“In my office please, this will only take a few minutes.”

Nodding, she gave M’karret a hug then followed the Admiral into the office. “You’re going to need a bigger tank, if that’s the same shark you had the last time I was here.”

Jesu chuckled “it’s his daughter, he’s happily in an aquarium in Sonora.” Sitting down at his desk, he looked up at the ceiling “Hooper, activate security field.”

”Active the AI said, as Rhonda’s eyebrows raised.

“What’s this about Admiral?”

“Starbase 132.”

….

The AI’s avatar that ran the Starbase (and much of Starfleet command) nodded “Admiral Quinn’s instructions were that Admirals LaRoca and Cartwright needed to see this-so they would “know the truth of what they were facing.””

“But didn’t Lisa’s actions shut them out of this timestream?”

“For the foreseeable future, yes. But I didn’t ask you here to grill you over this. As for the abilities you seem to still have-well you aren’t the first empathic healer the Federation has run into, and there are other races that have similar abilities as well. Just not in one package.” Jesu said, giving her a reassuring grin. “But the event with the Kongo crossing over, plus some stuff we’ve gotten from intel on the Terran Empire…”

She suddenly realized where he was going. “You’re wondering if the Masters are a threat to other timelines, not just ours.”

“In a nutshell, yes.”

….


“Thank you for coming” Dr Espinoza said quietly

“What happened?”

“She found out that her race was gene engineered-”

“Well she half suspected that-not many hexapeds in the galaxy, and those that are aren’t biologically compatible with humanoids.”

“-by a group that exiled themselves from earth, after Khan was overthrown.”

….


“Doc, when was the captain’s last shore leave?”

Doctor Ruclaw didn’t even have to look it up “Three years ago, two days on Rigel.”

“I don’t know how regulations are in your time” Commander Sytav said looking at Dr Espinoza “but aren’t officers supposed to take more leave time than two days in three years?”

“Thirty days a year, and holodeck time doesn’t count” Maria nodded. “Though it is generally hard to get one’s captain to take a break.”

“And it was hard for me to justify taking one when I was a captain” Rhonda added. “Though nowadays with slipstream drives and the like, taking the time off and having enough time to go home is much more possible.”

“There. And since we fall under Admiral La Roca’s command I believe until we find a way to return to our time, It would be logical, as the vulcans would say, to follow current guidelines would it not?”

Marsilla muttered under her breath “ganging up on me, all of you. I see how it is.” she then cracked a rueful grin “I hear you. And we both know that chief Puro will be much happier if he’s allowed to do his repairs in peace. I still don’t know if I should take them up on their offer.”

The Commander shook his head “I’m telling you this as my captain, and my friend. Go. See what the Denali have to say. Yes it’s not our universe-but if they think they can help you, then what risk is there in letting them try?”

“None I guess...alright. But how do I get there?”

Rhonda Evans grinned “I think I know who to talk to.”

….

USS Nighthawk, Entering Denali orbit

“Correct me if I’m wrong Sir...but I thought this world was in an ice age?”

“It was.” at least several years ago, the last time Captain M’karret had seen the world. Of course to be fair, at the time he didn’t have a lot of time for sightseeing on that trip-his closest view of the planet was while going to warp in the planets Atmosphere, ionizing it badly enough that the Terran Empire troops masquerading as Starfleet could not beam down to the planet’s surface. At the time it seemed like the only alternative. After hearing about the orbital bombardment of the capitol with everything from phasers to Thaloron enhanced warheads...maybe landing would have been the lesser evil.

He pushed that thought from his mind. Second guessing oneself never got anywhere but chasing their tail. Yet while there was still ice, there was a hell of a lot less of it.

“I’m confirming, average surface temperature is seven degrees, for this time of year it should be below zero near the equator.”

“Getting downright nice groundside.” Anh pointed out, “Not quite as nice as, say, Equatorial towns on Cold Butte like Frasier, but it’s pretty close to late spring in Yellowknife down there. Only thing you gotta really worry about, is whether the ice got rotten.”

“You talk about Cold Butte like it’s home, weren’t you from Moab?”

“Born and raised.” Anh confirmed, “Home is where you want to be as much as where you’re from. I kind of fell in love with Cold Butte when I was investigating a slaving ring. Cold Butte is home because I like it there, it’s not loaded down with memories and other baggage...but the people are enough like where I grew up-the positive parts, mostly, but no ghosts there for me.”

M’Karrett understood immediately about ‘ghosts’ as the appointment with Denali grew closer.

“Standard orbit Mr Ducasse.”

“Aye Sir.”

….

“Dr Kaur is waiting for you, if you’ll excuse me?”

The two women nodded, as the young Lieutenant went back out to the ship. Marsilla’s nose wrinkled “something smells…”

“Rotten in denmark?”

She shook her head “Not figuratively, literally. It’s familiar. I can’t place it though.”

“Your sense of smell is better than mine, I’ll take your word for it.” Rhonda commented as they stepped into the room. Dr Kaur turned when they entered, looking tired. “Doctor, Captain, I’m glad you came here.”

“I am curious why you invited me all this way,” Captain McKnight said “you said last night that you’d explain this morning, how you think you know ...about….my…..” she trailed off, her eyes going wide, and the fur on her tail and lower body poofing upwards, as she saw one of the medtechs behind her. It was a small biobed, the kind you might use on a child, but from the scan projected above…”hexaped...like me…you weren't exaggerating that you created me.”

“When I said I know your origin, I was not exaggerating. It was something that in those first chaotic years after our arrival when I fought to save the few survivors, to adapt us to this world I had considered..but did not prove necessary in the end. In you timeline however..”

They looked down at the small pup in the biobed, blue fur same as Marsilla, same taur like body…”in your timeline, you were uplifted.”


….


Parliament Building

M’karret wasn’t sure exactly what they wanted to talk to them about. He and Ambasador Oxenstierna were just asked to be there at 1000. Along with the Klingons evidently. “Colonel, Ambassador.”

“I see they want you along at this as well.” Colonel Khurok said, looking slightly hung over. Unlike humans, the Klingons wore their hangovers with pride.

“Not sure what the reason though,” Ambassador Oxenstierna replied, as they followed the human aide into a briefing room. As they entered they saw a frowning Ahn waiting for them.

“Something wrong?” the colonel asked.

“No-I just thought I saw someone who was supposed to be dead.” she said with a shrug. “But it was probably someone who just looked like them. I know Dahn is dead-his ship was destroyed at Son Tay.”

“It might have been him-Son Tay didn’t happen in our timeline-Janeway exterminated the Undine.”

They turned at the new voice, and both Ahn and Chadweil both turned white, the older ambassador fainting dead away and would have hit the floor if not for the reflexes of Captain M’karret.

There were several figures at the opened door, many in Denali SDF uniforms, the Governor Racelle Kincaid, dressed in a blue Sari, and a human woman in a powered wheelchair.

She was in her mid-thirties, with long, black hair, bound in a french-braid over one shoulder, framing a face that had garnered media coverage less than a decade ago, as one of the most polarizing figures in the Beta quadrant. “I love making an entrance.”

Anh’s mouth dropped, and her eyes went wide, her face paler than the snowfields. Khurok caught her as her legs gave out.

“Well, that’s not the reaction I expected.” Elizabeth Anne Tran, former commander of the infamous ‘Black Fleet’ in the Terran Empire, looked surprised.


“What? Did I get something in my teeth?” Tran asked mildly, “Oh...right...my other self, she died here...I remember reading about that.”



And now, the Conclusion

knightraider6

Bio Lab, Coquitlam Denali

Captain McKnight stood there stunned. To know was one thing..to see proof... Dr Evans on the other hand didn’t seem as phased by the news. “I kinda figured there was a relation. The markers matched, and I’ve seen enough Denali patients that some things in their dna stood out when I looked at Marsilla’s.”

Dr Ranjit Kaur nodded. “To be honest, it was something that I considered after we crash landed here, in those rough first years. Fortunately we had enough genetic stock that survived the crash-”

“Genetic stock?” captain McKnight asked, still semi dazed.

“Frozen embryos, sperm and eggs. Two hundred people is far too few for a viable gene pool without worrying about recessive traits-which with the level of technology we had after we crashed, we just didn’t have. I could have used the techniques that were developed for fast breeding soldiers for Noonien and the others in their insane war...but I did not have to resort to that. Enough survived the crash. I suppose in your timeline, they had to make other choices.”

Marsilla gazed down at the infant in the incubator. Male, at least if the blue diaper on his lower torso meant what she thought it did. “But why uplift them now? Why play God?”

“Because I can, and because they’re dying.”

Rhonda got it instantly. “The climate shifts.”

“Yes. They’re borderline sapient as they are. Dangerous pack hunters, possibly a bit between chimpanzees and Dolphins-at least before we learned how to talk to them. But they can’t adapt fast enough after the damage from the bombardment. It’s not right to let them die when their death is our fault. Had we not been here, the Terran Empire would never have bombarded the planet with Thalron warheads.”

“But that’s against the prime direct….wait. It doesn’t apply here.”

“No. If the Federation had allowed us to join, then yes, that line of thought would be valid. Life had other plans for us though, so here we are.”

“So why did you bring me all this way to see this? You could have just told me in paris”

“Because” Dr Kaur said “you needed to see. And because...we need your help.”



Parliament Building


By the time Ahn was brought around, the mood in the room had gotten colder. At least from the Federation side of the table. “Let me get this straight. You made a DEAL with the Terran Empire?”

Elizabeth raised her hand “Technically, they made a deal with the Black Fleet.”

“I’ve seen the reports from what intel we’ve gotten from your side of the rabbit hole.” M’karret growled. “The Emperor's hand, his shock troops to destroy resistance.”

“I’m glad the propaganda worked. Even better because it wasn’t supposed to fool you.”

Curiously, to M’karret at least, the Klingon ambassador wasn’t angry. If anything, more curious.

“We have limited intelligence of events in your universe as well, but for the most part they corroborate both what the Federation knows...and what we suspected.”

Ahn meanwhile was glancing at the two women who entered after Liz Tran. Sisters..no. they were identical, except for the clothes, one in a blue outfit and the other yellow-and the fact one had a wedding ring. She put two and two together. “You’re Alice Okuda.”

“Actually she is” the one with the ring said “I’m Alice Sander now.”

“Something I heard rumors of, but afterwards I caught up with people who came out here during the Crisis with Earth...when Jacob Evans and Schrodinger crossed over and tried to find out more information. They got caught, but then busted out by you. It said you claimed this station for the Black Fleet.”

The Alice in blue nodded “Exactly.”

“But the Black fleet is part of the Empires Forces!” M’karret growled in exasperation.

Ambassador Oxenstierna on the other hand was peering at Tran “no..it wasn’t truly loyal to the Empire, was it? Your history parallels Moab in this universe.”

Liz smiled “Got it in one. We were refugees. We fled Optimum run Earth, trying to find someplace to hide from them. The accident that led us to New Vegas as we called it was a Godsend….we lost about half the convoy in the passage, and Oh it was still a hell hole of a world, but it was ours, and no one knew we were there.”

“And then the Empire found you.”

“Not then. The Klingons actually found us first. They initially thought we were a Terran expansion colony-but the fact our first contact was us saving them when their ship was disabled in our system confused them long enough to find out we hated the Terran Empire as much as they did led to an understanding. The Klingon/cardassian alliance overthrowing the Empire came just at the right time for us.” She smiled sadly. “It was a good time. Despite Terran propaganda, the Klingons didn’t care much about humans-just their government. We were left alone. But then we were kind of in the middle of nowhere.”

“Then in the 70s, there started to be rumors of a rebellion forming. We started getting refugees, some humans who in the old empire were second class citizens...you know about the Optimum religious laws right?”

“Những đứa con trai khốn nạn của Đức quốc xã,” Ahn growled.

“Exactly. We knew they were going to win, and started to plan then. Well my dad and some of his buddies. They were refugees who fled the Empire before it fell. Saul, Ariel...I hear the names are familiar. The Empire considered them terrorists.”

“When the Terrans started winning...that’s when we initiated K’ragh’s plan.”

“What plan?”

“A...fellow sufferer, Bianh Trung, she came up with an escape-but it needed specific conditions. The Cardassians were kind enough to smuggle her into a likely candidate system, I believe you know it as ‘Goralis’...when her attempted universal passage failed catastrophically, we fell back on stealing the version the Empire developed, only I think I know why it happened like that, given the dates. Interesting that her mirror was male in this universe.”

Bio Lab

“My help? With what?”

“We’re having issues with viability...only about thirty three percent make it to term. And no-” she said, seeing the look already forming on McKnight’s face “the help we need from you is genetic. Something is off..maybe it’s from the background thalaron radiation that’s raising the temperature. It’s not high enough to be dangerous to life, unless you go to what’s left of Vancouver.” she said with a touch of bitterness. “But it may be enough to cause the issue we're having.”

“That could be, I assume you’ve tried medical nanites?” Dr Evans asked .

“With help from Michelle Schrodinger. I think you know how good she knows that technology.”

“True..” Rhonda did know-Michelle had helped reprogram the soldier boosts given to her brother by the Malta group back on their original earth

Marsilla however was pacing, looking both up at the displays and then back at the cribs “I know for you it isn’t..but for me, it would be a prime directive violation I think? I believe I need to consult with JAG before I come to a decision I’m afraid.”

Dr Kaur simply nodded “I understand completely, and to be one hundred percent honest-there is a good chance within the next few years we will discover why only a third of the infants survive past six months, and be able to do something about it.”

“But my help will help them.”

“Yes.”

Her long tail swished in consternation.

knightraider6

Parliament Building

Things were still tense when the Governor suggested they take a break. They had been here several hours, there was food in the other room, fresh coffee, Raktanjo, and multiple types of tea as well. Ahn took a sip of the tea, wishing at the moment it was something stronger before walking over to the powered wheelchair where Elizabeth Trahn was sitting, being checked over by a Denali medic and chatting with the Denali governor.

“I can’t get over how much you look like her.” Anh said.

The woman in the wheelchair shrugged. “Same genes, same parents even. I was kind of shocked when I found out my ‘mirror sister’ was eaten alive though. I have a...difficult time imagining that.”

“I clerked for her..among other jobs.” Anh stated.

“You’re an assassin, I know. Your mirror self was technically supposed to be my political officer, but she was more like my…hand. I think you might be slightly prettier. My Anh was…” she toyed with the words, “colder, in some ways, she honestly enjoyed killing, I get the feeling from your bearing you’re more of a soldier than a Knight.” Elizabeth shrugged “but given how our universe was...we’re all colder than we’d have liked to be.”

Ahn nodded “Also...don’t take this wrong..but how are you still alive? Liz was close to Stage 2 before she died, by now you should have been in stage three.”

Tran at least waited until she wasn’t drinking “I did hit Stage three.”

Definitely a good thing-though Ahn did spill some tea “T..that’s not possible.”

“Correction. That wasn’t possible. I went into stage three after we crossed over and were in negotiations here..I owe Dr Kaur both my life...and the lives of thousands of my countrymen who I brought with us.”

It was almost an audible click “they found a cure.”

“It’s still testing-but yes. I was the first test subject. If they get it in stage three...well the damage is done, the only way I’ll ever walk is in a power framework. Do it to someone in stage two or one...it reverses the damage. Combined with the vaccine Starfleet medical came up with, we’re looking at the end of DNSS.”

“If they can cure it, why aren’t they doing it now? On Moab?”

“Because there are political considerations,” Governor Kincaid replied. “Not that we’re using it for leverage-but we need to explain to both of the great powers of the Alliance just what we’re doing and why before it becomes public.”

“Which I assume is another reason why we’re here.” Captain M’karret said as he walked over, a sandwich filled with some type of fish in his hand.

“Precisely. Let me grab myself a sandwich” the governor replied with a reassuring smile “and I’ll get to the meat of the matter.”


A short time later they were back around the table, joined by Dr Kaur. Evans and McKnight had beamed back up to the Nighthawk to do some research into another matter. “Now then,” Governor Kincaid started. “I assume you noted the large ship storage facility near Firebase Zulu. Yes, most of those ships were not with the attack.”

“Then how did you get them?” Ambassador Oxenstierna asked.

“Short version is we asked for them-well more specifically transports.” Alice Okuda, the one in blue without the wedding band spoke up. “The Denali did have to talk fast to get me to agree to go back, but I had to be there to contact the Black Fleet.”

Elizabeth nodded “once she did, I went to where she and Miska Chernkov were waiting with the SDF Vancouver on our side of the rabbit hole. It was a sound scheme, so I put Plan cuộc di cư in motion. Never thought we’d have a chance to use it...the only problem was the Terrans might try to follow, so we had to give Admiral Leeta something she wanted.”

Dr Kaur spoke, quietly. “There is an old Klingon proverb. ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold.' I disagree. Revenge is like curry. It must be stirred, and simmerd, carefully watched, and unleashed when it isn’t expected.”

“Like two hours after eating it.” There were a few groans and a bit of laughter “What?” Ahn continued. “It’s true.”

Even Dr Kaur had a half smile on her face. “Crude, but in the end, the same effect. I gave them exactly what they wanted. They wanted our data on how to make stable augments. So they have it.”

Both the Federation ambassador and Captain M’karret started to shout angrily-only to stop in surprise by the booming Laughter of the Klingon Ambassador. “Y...you gave them the ability to make the...their own Denali augments?”

Dr Kaur simply nodded, grinning along with the Klingon, who threw back his head and howled with glee. “This calls for something stronger to drink than raktajino!”

M’karret didn’t agree “This isn’t something to celebrate! The Terran empire will make their own augments-”

“And be just as effective as our Denali troops were!” Colonel Khurok was still chuckling “you obviously don’t see the great joke Captain. Let me back up. As you know, Melissa Travis was denied a chance to train on Qo’nos, which was a tragic error for the Empire. When the Orions joined the empire the Fleet relented, and began recruiting young Denali who wished to see the galaxy-without having to be spayed or neutered to serve in the Federation.”

He pulled out a flask, and poured some of the bloodwine in an empty coffee cup. “In the war of liberation of Goranar from the Undine corruption...they performed brilliantly. They were fearless, dedicated, one Denali trooper was worth TEN Klingon Bekks. Then the war with the Federation came..and their performance, while above adequate...did not meet their earlier potential. Many of them were relegated to garrison duty. Until the Borg reemerged.”


M’karret was starting to look thoughtful, while the Federation ambassador looked confused. “That’s when the Borg almost got General K’ragh right?” The Caitain Captain asked.

“Exactly. What wasn’t well publicized...and honestly, should be and IS going to be soon, was there was both a detachment of forty two Denali KDF ground troops on that planet-and close to 900 miners and their families. Do you know how many of the civilians were assimilated when the Borg landed? NONE.”

The room was shocked in stunned silence as the Klingon Ambassador continued “none of the Denali were assimilated either. They held, and died in ways to ensure that the Borg couldn’t assimilate them. As the final transport went to warp, the last two troops could be heard over the com...Singing “Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akaal!” before they detonated the power core.”

Colonel Khurok smiled “it was then, that some in the High Council, and some of the smarter houses knew. Had Melissa Travis been allowed to train at Ty’gor, I suspect she would have had an envious record of battle in the Gorn Campaign. She would have been liberating an oppressed people. However, she likely would not have done as well against the Federation. Not because of her training...but there is a difference in fighting a war to liberate, or protecting civilians, versus an offensive war to take territory.” He took a drink from the bloodwine “I suspect the Terran Empire will soon come to regret their new ‘improved’ troops.”

Elizabeth Tran grinned ferally “We estimate that within a generation, the Terran empire as we know it will be no more. The Klingon-cardassian alliance over there won’t be able to take advantage of the situation, as we made sure THEY got the tech too.” She laughed openly “That TRIBBLE Leeta was so happy to have everything she wanted on a platter, she didn’t protest when the Denali told them their price. Hell she was happy to get rid of dissidents-less for her internal security to deal with.”

“Dissidents who were most of the people in New Vegas.” Ahn guessed.

“Well not all...there were some that , well to be honest, weren't going to make the trip. We’d gotten pretty ruthless over the years trying to play both sides against the middle...and the last thing Ariel wanted was to infect the latest generation. So your counterpart stayed there. I was going to as well until I went stage three during the negotiations.” She smirked “then they didn’t give me a choice in the matter, and here I am.”

“It was a medical necessity,” Dr Kaur shrugged “all life is sacred. You know, I did lie to Admiral La Roca, though I think he may forgive me. I told him that we did not engineer mental traits, only physical for survival reasons.”

Ambassador Oxenstierna seemed to get it as well “But you did. Your world, never had much crime, or infighting did it before it was discovered by Captain Dax, if I remember her report correctly. I’d always thought that was remarkable. Ninety three percent of ‘lost’ human colonies had some flirtations with extreme anarchy, or authoritarianism. Then there’s always Crime, civil wars, other unrest.”

The Sikh doctor shook her head “no. Because in order to survive in a harsh frontier environment...in addition to physical changes...one needed empathy. That was enhanced.”

“Which is why you took in the Terrans who showed remorse after their defeat during their attack five years back. You know,” Ahn mused “we all thought you were insane for that.”

“And taking in the New Vegas colonists...I do admit to having some petty tendencies.” Dr Kaur replied. “I know Vengeance is for God...but I could not let the Terran Empire continue to exist as it was, I wanted revenge. But did not want it in using some of the methods that General Chernkov suggested. Despite their barbaric ways...there are innocents there.”

M’karret repressed a shudder, after his talk with Chernkov on their way here, he could imagine what some of her ‘options’ may have been. “So you saved the Empire, by destroying it.”

“I imagine that Leeta will be quite cross when she figures it out. If she does...she herself underwent the procedure. She may never realize it by the time her DNA is re written., that her drive to protect will be stronger than the one to destroy.”

The Federation ambassador was thoughtful “I don’t honestly share your optimism on that account...but I assume that the Terran Empire doesn’t have the tech needed to change the boosts to something more warlike?”

“None.” Alice Okuda replied. “The New Optimum movement in the 2300s destroyed all the augmention data that was available, as that would allow non ‘optimum’ dna to be passed along even if fixed.”

“In that case...we have no objections to your solution.” Ambassador Oxenstierna stated. “A bit unorthodox..but it solves a problem for the Klingon Empire and the Federation, and it saves a large number of refugees...how many did you bring by the way?”

“Six million, nine hundred fifty two thousand and thirty seven.” Elizabeth Tran replied with a grin.

“W..where did you put them all?”

The Denali governor chuckled sadly “There were only sixty million of us on an earth sized world. Hardest thing was finding stable land that wouldn't turn into muck as the permafrost melted. The Andorians are helping with that, they’ve got a colony on the fourth world in the system. It’s actually too cold for us,we never did anything with it ,but they saw it as a challenge.”

Captain M’karret was confused “Why would they be here?”

“Because we had land we couldn’t use, and we helped the Andorian government with something.”

From the look on Dr Kaur’s face, whatever the something the Denali did was confidential, and he let it drop, though he did make a mental note to discuss what they could have done with his wife later.

knightraider6

USS Nighthawk, holodeck 3

Marsilla paced back and forth, her paws sinking into the soft grass. Rhonda had pulled the mountain meadow program up when they beamed back to the ship, both for its calming properties, and giving her son enough room to run around in.

At least here she didn’t have to keep too close an eye on Michael, with the safeties there wasn’t any trouble he could get in on the holodeck, leaving her able to focus more on the current problem. “So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know...I want to help...hell, I want to not be alone if i’m completely honest. Even though i’ve got thirty something years on them, at least knowing i’m not the only one of my kind.”

Dr Evans nodded “I meant more about the other question Kaur asked.”

Marsilla looked up from her pacing “you mean being able to have a child? That was a possibility even back in my time...but it would have been a clone, and even that would have had to wait untilI left Starfleet.” She sat down on her haunches, long tail curled around her “it’s just so much at once. If I help them, is it a prime directive violation? And is their offer to help me a bribe?”

Rhonda shook her head “I don’t think so. The Denali are very upfront. Their offer to help you was just that-an offer to help.”

“Yeah but will Starfleet legally see it that way?” She groaned, flopping on her back in the soft grass. “I just think legally I can’t give them what they want.”

“Well..” Rhonda looked throughtful “you gotta do what you feel is best. But there is this..what would Jim Kirk do?”


That Evening, Governor's House, Denali

Formal dinners, yay. While not having to wear the full dress uniform being she was no longer active was nice..the downside is she had to find something appropriate to wear for this. It was the last evening before the Nighthawk was to return to Earth, but being they brought the Federation ambassador, there were certain protocols that did need to be observed. Such as full mess Dress uniforms, and more formal attire for the civilians.

There were several absences from the formal event however. Captain McKnight had managed to program the replicator in her cabin on the Nighthawk to get her 23’rd century dress uniform replicated, so she could replace Captain M’karret as the Starfleet representative. Dr Kaur was missing as well, as M’Karret’s wife had gone into labor just before the event, and the Denali doctor had taken her leave to assist with the delivery. Despite the chaotic start, everyone was in a good mood, everyone except McKnight. She hid it well, one does not get to be a captain of a Constitution class Starship by not being able to have a good poker face.

She kept her dilemma to herself however. She wanted to help the Denali.. whether or not it was a Prime Directive violation was another matter. The Denali had warp travel, it wouldn’t be interfering with them-but the natives on the other hand...if she went along she’d be uplifting a pre sentient species. She was talking with Colonel Khurkok when the murmur of the conversations in the room fell off. From the slightly goofy grin and the way his whiskers were almost vibrating it was clear that Captain M’karret had good news as he entered the hall.

“Dr Kaur sends her apologies, she won’t make it back for a while this evening, still running a few tests. Rhonda and the baby are doing well and resting-”

There was a whoop from someone, Ahn shouting “Boy or girl?”

M’karret just grinned back “Girl, Melissa Suzanna Evans.”

THAT news brought louder cheers, especially from some of the Klingons, Colonel Khurkok raising a mug of bloodwine “Now that calls for some Serious drinking!” he boomed over the applause.


Two days later, USS Nighthawk. Captain’s cabin, outbound from Denali

Rhonda was still tired, but resting comfortably, though only seeing a few visitors. Ahn and Captain McKnight were in the room, Ahn chuckling softly as Melissa yawned cutely and stuck her thumb back in her mouth.

“I’m gonna have so many stories to tell her when she’s older about who she’s named after.” Ahn said with a grin.

“I think we both do” Rhonda Evans replied “though some of the shore leave stories, those will wait till she’s older…”

“Heh, I can imagine. Anyway I’m gonna let you get some rest, we’ve been pestering you enough. Plenty of time to see Missy later.”

Evans grinned at the Moabite woman’s recent behavior “what, are you changing your mind about kids of your own?”

Ahn looked like she was thinking about it for several long seconds “ehh...no. Still don’t think I’d be good for that. But I’ll happily help spoil yours.”

“Heh, deal.” The two visitors got to their feet, when McKnight went to turn Rhonda gestured at her “if you got a min though ,Marsilla I need to talk to you about some of your medical stuff.”

Marsilla paused on her way towards the door, looking over her shoulder. Rhonda smiled reassuringly, as Ahn waved and stepped out of the cabin, the door sliding shut behind her.

“So..What did you tell Dr Kaur?”

“Well…” Marsilla replied, sitting back down on her haunches, her long tail curling back around her four feet “I told her that I checked the regs, and under the Prime directive, I couldn’t give them the DNA samples they wanted.”


Rhonda just nodded thoughtfully as Marsilla continued “Then I apologized for the mess I made in the restroom in the Governor’s office. It seems I had a minor accident with a desert cart, and my tail got covered in chocolate mousse. One of the Denali security led me in there to clean up, took me almost an hour of brushing to get it all out of my fur, and I was shedding a bit…”

“You sly fox you” Rhonda laughed. “How big of a ‘mess’ did you leave them?”

“It was a pile of shed and combed out fur almost a meter high.”

“Well, that should be more than enough for what they wanted”

Marsilla grinned “It was your idea by the way.”

“My Idea?”

McKnight grinned “You asked me, ‘What would Jim Kirk do? I don’t know about your timeline’s Jim Kirk..But mine? Jim HATED to lose.”

“Heh, I think he’d agree with your solution.”

“So do I.”




fin