Atop a large plateau overlooking the valley below, Trunzan smiled as he looked out. He had always been impressed with the beauty of his home. Sure, some in the village hated their life on Kimuramin XII, but he couldn’t bring himself to see anything but Kimuramin’s beauty. The planet was hot, arid, and almost entirely made up of one large desert; but she was home. He reached up, pulling the dust shields from his eyes as he squinted; in the distance, he could almost make out his farm, the village Borath, and if he tried hard enough, he could see Lake Tomith.  Or at least what was left of the lake. He paused as a pack of Zucsish followed him up the plateau.  

“Now, you are a ways from home,” the man took a piece of bread from his pocket and broke it into pieces, sharing it with his animal friends. He knew it was an instant mistake. The lead Zucsish bellowed loudly, and soon what was a small herd grew into something much more massive. Trunzan laughed, “ok, ok, I only have so much pela bread,”  he could feel the animal pushing his hand as they begged for more food.

The Zucsish were peaceful animals, albeit rather forceful when food was involved. Ever since Tomith had started to dry up, the animal population had grown scarce. Sighting a pack of Zucsish was rare; sighting several packs was terrific. He made his way over to a nearby rock and sat down. One of the Zucsish bravely rested his head on Trunzan’s shoulder. The beast extended his long tongue, attempting to take the bread from Trunzan’s hand. “Easy, my friend, there are many of you and only a little bread. Had I known, I would have brought more.”

The beast bellowed as if he understood Tomith.

The man turned and looked out over his valley. The horizon was brown mixed with various hues of red and orange, and the horizon was only broken up by the occasional kasu tree or pikti plant. In the distance, he could hear the wild dogs baying; no doubt they had cornered a lone Zucsish for a mighty meal. He took a deep breath and placed his dust shields over his eyes again—the howling winds whistling in the distance meant another sandstorm was due to hit the village. 

“That is my cue to leave, my friends,” he tossed the last pieces of bread on the ground. “I’ve got to water my kasu trees,” which meant he had to pack water from the well and attempt to keep his disintegrating harvest alive. Well, as alive as possible. His people depended on the fruit from the trees.

The walk back to the village had been uneventful. He’d almost run into the pack of dogs, but they were too focused on their kill to notice him. As he made his way into the village, he couldn’t help but feel that something wasn’t right. Today was different. The central courtyard of the village was still filled with the village’s wisest people. Ever since the red glowing rocks appeared, everyone had been focused on them. Some saw them as a sign that the gods were bringing water back to their valley; others saw them as an omen. Some even went so far as to leave the village entirely. They wanted to put as much distance between the god’s retribution and themselves. 

Trunzan just shook his head, “you know, if you spent this much time looking at ways to bring water to our village…” the man started to laugh, but he was interrupted by a loud noise. It was as if a flock of carrion birds screamed through the village. Trunzan bent over, covering his ears as the noise was almost deafening. Growing louder and louder, the screeching noise grew more intense as a violent wild blew through the courtyard.  

Trunzan looked up as an enormous beast floated down from the skies. The man tried to take a step forward but was paralyzed in fear. As the beast’s mouth opened and something stepped out of the beast, Trunzan instinctively knew something wasn’t right. He looked to a nearby youth, “run,” he spoke barely above a whisper.

As more figures left the beast’s belly, they began shouting in a language Trunzan couldn’t understand; he fell to the ground, paralyzed and unable to move. These were not gods or people sent to bring water to their village. At that moment, Trunzan almost envied the people who had left; perhaps they were correct. The gods were bringing their retribution for his people’s defiance. 

Trunzan stood up, willing his body with every fiber to move. He approached one of the figures, “why are you here?” he asked.

The confused look on the visitor’s face told Trunzan everything he needed to know. These figures were not gods. Trunzan bravely took another step but was met with the blunt end of the object in the figure’s hand. Falling to the ground below, Trunzan felt a warm liquid pooling under him. Trunzan looked up just in time to see the figure and slam his weapon into his head.

Looking around, Trunzan could see the figures gathering up the people in his village. They were relentless, grabbing men, women, and children; his entire village was being led to the main building. He stood up, “you are not gods,” he hissed. “What do what with us?”

In that instant, Trunzan was confident that whoever these people were, they were not there to help. And the people in his village would never be the same. He approached the larger one. He was different than the others. His green skin stood out from the rest. Trunzan didn’t care that he had a weapon; hell, he didn’t even know what the weapon was.  

“Leave our village,” he ordered to the shock of the village elders. He could hear their disapproving comments; one of the elders even appeared to apologize for his behavior. Trunzan just shrugged it off as he stood toe to toe with the green-skinned figure.

He looked up for a second, but a second blow to the head rendered him unconscious. The last thing Trunzan heard was the sound of laughter and the taste of his blood as it began to pool in his mouth. No, something told him that the village of Borath would never be the same after this.

Naris Family Quarters

Naris entered her quarters with several bags in hand, followed by Grace, who seemed a bit down. “Seriously,” Naris smiled, “you were right; that was a lot of fun.” The Trill set the bags down on the nearest chair as she looked back at her daughter, “you didn’t enjoy yourself?”

Grace smirked, “I know how this ends. We had some fun, and now we have to leave.” She noted the look in her mother’s eyes, “tell me it’s not true?” Grace reached inside one of the bags and pulled out a pair of shoes. “These last few days have been fun, that’s all.” 

Naris walked over to her daughter as she wrapped both arms around her, and kissed her forehead. “We still have three more days here,” she smiled, “and today, I saw this place we should eat at tomorrow….”  A transmission from the bridge cut off her words. Naris raised a hand, looking at Grace, “I am sure it’s nothing, don’t….”

Naris tapped her comm badge, “go ahead, bridge.” 

“Captain, we’re receiving a priority message from Fleet Captain Erill’Yun Mek,” the voice of the Helm Officer filled the room.  

“Told ya,” Grace frowned as she tossed her shoes on the sofa. Plopping down into the said sofa, “I knew it.” 

“Ok, drama Queen,” Naris replied. 

“Excuse me, Captain?”

“Not you, Mister Rivers; patch the message through to my quarters.” Naris rolled her eyes as she looked over at Grace, who was looking at her. “Ok, you were right.” 

Grace grabbed her chest as she started to breathe heavily, “oh my god, it’s the big one,” she looked at her mother through nearly closed eyes, “I’m right,” she gasped, “I…never… hear.” Grace stopped talking as a rather large pillow came crashing down on her head.

“Oh, quiet you,” Naris sighed. 

Observation Lounge Deck 1

“Look, I wish I had more answers,” Naris replied, looking around the table. To be honest, significant events like this typically come with orders that read, ‘please hold for more answers.’”  She knew that if the Fourth Fleet was mobilizing, whatever happened, it was necessary.  

Ensign Ireland chimed up from the back of the room, which was very out of character. “These blood dilithium crystals are serious business,” the Science Officer stated, “information about them is scarce, to say the least,” she looked around the room. “Needless to say, they are popping up all over the place….”

“Do we know why,” the Helm Officer blurted out? 

“If,” Ireland stressed rather bluntly, “we did know that I doubt the fleet would be mobilizing everyone.”  She paused, “Sir.”

Malik stood up; they’d been firing the questions surrounding the unknown for some time now. “We can keep circling the same points repeatedly or focus on the mission at hand. Starfleet has ordered us to patrol and maintain safety. Anything else is fuel for ships bigger than us. My genuine concern right now is for the safety of our telepathic crew. We may not have a lot of them, but what we do have, I can’t imagine them going through what I have been reading here on this padd,” he pointed to the small device on the table.

“I’ve ordered the crew with telepathic abilities to wear a monitor that will watch for adrenaline levels. This isn’t going to stop the effects, but it might alert us to problems ahead of time,” the Doctor glanced over their Betazed Counselor, “that way, we can treat things ahead of time with as little trauma as possible.”

Massi nodded to the Doctor, “we appreciate your efforts, Doctor,” she looked to the Captain. “Everyone is handling it well. They are afraid, but they know that this is a part of the job, and,” she smiled, “we’re putting up a brave front for the benefit of the mission.”

“I appreciate that Counselor,” Naris nodded, “just keep an eye on things; if you start to suspect any of this is affecting our people, yourself included, get them to Doctor Parker immediately.” She turned her attention to the entire room, “look, I know there are a lot of unknowns here. We are used to the who, what, when, where, and why being answered; however, we are also trained for the unknown as well. We must rely on our training and those around us to succeed. This is a standard patrol and monitor mission, nothing serious is expected to occur. We are providing support, nothing more.” Naris instantly regretted that last bit. It was almost a challenge to the powers that be. She was baiting them to find something that would hinder her mission.

Sam looked at his Captain, “sounds like a challenge if I ever heard one.” He smirked.

Naris shrugged, “there is no point in continuing this debate until we know more.”

“Commander Malik, go to the bridge and set a course for Starbase 38 warp 7. The rest of you have a job to do, dismissed.”  As everyone stood up and left the room, Naris could see the look of worry in their eyes. This was unlike anything they had ever faced. She placed a hand on the shoulder of the XO as he stood up.  

Leaning in, she whispered, “Sam, while I appreciate the brave faces, keep an eye on them. Our telepathic crew will be the most vulnerable in this adventure. They may be Officers, but I don’t want them to suffer either….”

As the Captain’s words trailed off, Sam smiled, “We’ve got this, Naris.”

Naris sat back down in the chair as the Commander headed to the bridge. She could hear him ordering the course correction as the doors closed behind him. “Computer play Lascia ch’io pianga from the opera Rinaldo,” the Captain ordered. As the small space filled with the sounds of the soprano aria, Naris took a deep breath closing her eyes for a moment. 

 “Computer, pull up everything we have on the Gradin Belt.” She only knew the area by name; in all her years shared with numerous hosts, Naris had never been to that area. Unlike their last mission, she wanted to ensure she was prepared and ready for anything.”

Naris had wrapped up the briefing with most of the Senior Staff; oddly, she found it strange that Eli hadn’t attended the briefing. But their departure from the station had been sudden, and she knew the ship wasn’t quite ready.  As she made her way to the lift, she spent most of the time attempting to convince herself that he had just been tied up in the duties of Chief Engineer. 

Their shore leave had been short and uneventful. Most of Naris’ time had been spent entertaining Grace, who had planned their entire stay. The Captain’s only regret was that she hadn’t gotten to see Eli during their stay. Fate, however, seemed determined to keep the two apart. Grace was right, but she wasn’t about to tell her daughter that.

She made her way through Engineering, stopping at the office of Captain Eli Bates. He didn’t look upset and hoped this was a good time. “We missed you at the briefing,” she smiled.

Eli had not intentionally missed the briefing; he had been tasked with making sure the ship was prepared, and yet, with all the work he had put in, the ship was still, in the nicest terms, a piece of crap. He had made the ship operational even with his defiant department. He had been increasing his caffeine consumption from the amount of stress. He still did it all for one reason: it was Naris’s ship, and he would make sure it would do as was intended. 

He had just returned to his office and was about to look over the latest reports when he heard the familiar voice. He grunted, “Apologies, Captain, I am trying to make sure this bucket of bolts stays together, and though it’s been a challenge, I think I’m finally getting somewhere. I figured you’d rather me be doing this.” He smirked at her, showing that same mischief with her he always had. 

“That was always your problem, Eli,” Naris stepped into the office as she glanced down at his padd, “married to your work.”  She laughed, “in this case, I am positive that’s a good trait.”  She sat down in the nearby chair.  “I am sorry we didn’t get a chance to meet up at the station, you have your job here, and Grace had this plan of dragging me to every shop she could find.  It would have been nice to talk and catch up.” 

“This is a simple patrol mission, or so I hope perhaps we will get an opportunity to catch up here,” she shrugged, “if our two jobs don’t mind testing fate.”

Eli nodded. It was true he had always been married to his work. How else would he become a Captain of Engineering? It wasn’t his sunny disposition, that was for sure. He smiled at Naris. “First off, it’s ok. I know how busy a Captain is. Grace, ahh, how is the firecracker? I can imagine you went to every shop on the station.”

He thought for a minute, “Well, I think catching up is important, especially for us. A simple mission seems like a really redundant thing to say because has anything we’ve done in our career been simple, Naris? I mean, look at you and me.”

Naris snorted, “you have a point,” she sighed, “it’s a patrol mission to the Gradin Belt. Some odd new form of dilithium crystals has been popping up randomly out of the blue.  They are calling them blood dilithium. Starfleet doesn’t know why.  They don’t know how. They all know people are coming from all over to harvest this crystal.”

“I guess I just proved your point; simple doesn’t happen.”  She stood up, walking to the nearby replicator, “I have to admit, no matter how many times you get a new host, it always feels weird.  I can remember every event from the Trinity, up to and including my death.  Well, Ladra’s death.  Yet, waking up on that table was a strange feeling.  When Ladra died, I truly wasn’t sure we would make it.  There wasn’t a Trill on the ship; that was the end.  Then I,” she paused, “Vidre showed up, and I changed all over again.”

“I woke up that morning an Executive Officer in a relationship with a wonderful man,” she winked at Eli, “and ended the day a single mother of a daughter I didn’t know, and yet I did.  I was a widow and certainly not ready to be joined.” She looked at him, “all things considered; I should have messaged you at least to let you know that Naris was ok.” 

“That probably wouldn’t have helped. I am not sure.” 

Eli looked at Naris with something special in his eye. “When you have a connection to someone, you just know they are ok. Would I have liked to have known? I truly would have, but fate seemed to think we weren’t done because here we are. It’s probably weird for you to know my past relationship, but I still see the same person I fell in love with there.” 

He changed the subject for a minute. “This blood dilithium seems like it could be a problem if people want to mine it. I could be wrong, but dilithium, especially a new kind, could cause dangers we don’t know.”

He slid the conversation on purpose, wanting to see how Naris would react to him. 

Naris walked over to Eli and slid a hand up on his cheek, cupping his face, “my sweet Eli, you deserved better.  We both did.”  She smiled at him for a moment, “this crystal is more than dangerous, and it has some odd effects on telepathic races too.  Makes them go crazy.”

“And for the record, I don’t think that knowing your past isn’t weird,” she replied to his previous comment.  “Having you here is one of the stable points in my life.”  She looked at his desk, “You should know Grace is petitioning hardcore for a Ross class ship.  The poor girl seems to think I have a lot of pull in Starfleet.”

Eli touched her hand and pushed it to his face. “I never deserved anyone, yet I got you, which was more than I had ever wanted. This crystal needs to be contained, and though I know it won’t be easy, I will do my best to help you here.” 

Eli smirked. “I think Grace is petitioning for what she wants. I could probably help get you a ship like that given my connections, but that might not be very shined upon.” He smirked for a moment, then did something he wasn’t sure what the reaction would be. He grabbed Naris and pulled her in for a very romantic kiss. 

Naris, without thinking, wrapped both arms around Eli as he pulled her in closer.  As the kiss ended, she could feel the heat building up in her cheeks, “for that, Captain Bates, I expect you to find a way to contain this strange new crystal.”  She reached up, running her hand through his hair, “maybe bringing you here was a mistake, but it’s a mistake I am willing to make.” 

She turned her head and rested it on his chest.  

“This mission is going to be problematic, but it’s going to have to be a success if we expect your favor for a Ross class to work,” she couldn’t help but laugh.”

He pulled her close. “Your wish is my command. I will do some research and see what I can find. If this is a mistake, I don’t want to make it right.”

“I do think my favor might lose some pull if we fail, but I could still make it happen.”

Naris could hear the small laughter of the crew, who no doubt had seen or at least heard their interaction, “I think we have an audience, and we both have work to do.  And whatever you do, don’t tell Grace you can get us a Ross.  The girl already hounds me every chance I get.”  She turned and headed to the doorway, “thank you, Eli.”  

Eli smiled and watched Naris leave his office. After giving her a second, he walked out and looked at the crew members, who immediately snapped back to work. It was just as his department should be. He had not felt like he did in that moment, but work must go on, and he went straight back to his task at hand. 

Naris didn’t want that awkward goodbye, especially after that passionate kiss.  She simply smiled and left, giving the evil eye to a few Officers who’d been standing outside listening to their Chief and their Captain.  It was strange only a few weeks ago; she was determined to strictly keep things professional.  She sighed, “Grace will never let this one go.” 

She stopped looking back into Engineering; Eli had left his office and returned to work. It was a skill he had adapted over his career. He was a sound Engineer. She left Engineering, heading to the nearest lift. 

Parker leaned against the lift’s wall as it sped off to its designation. It had been a long day; preparing the telepathic crew for what was to come wasn’t easy. A small part of her felt it would have been better had all of them been dropped off at the nearest station, but she wasn’t the Commanding Officer. She pulled the last monitor out of her pocket, “only one person left,” she sighed, “and I would have better luck telling the Captainoff than getting you worn.” 

Just as Parker finished her sentence, the lift opened, and there stood her last victim. “Lieutenant,” Parker nodded, “pleasure to see you.” She plastered on a fake smile.

The Vulcan looked up from her padd, “I fail to see how my arrival brings you enjoyment. We are both assigned here; it would only be natural that we occasionally see each other.” 

“I sometimes forgot how emotionless you Vulcans truly are,” Parker rolled her eyes. 

“Thank you,” T’lol replied, turning her attention back to the padd. 

The Doctor just sighed, “I swear, Vulcans.” Parker just sighed; having a normal conversation with a Vulcan was almost impossible. “ I’ve been meaning to find you. It would seem you have not picked up your monitoring device for the mission.” 

“That’s correct,” the Security Chief replied, “I won’t need it. I’ve spent my life learning to manage my emotions. If I have a reaction, that device will neither hinder the effects nor lessen my reaction.”

“If you were to have one,” the Doctor looked at the Chief Officer with complete shock, “Well, my apologies, Miss Vulcan,” Parker replied, “I wasn’t aware Starfleet had updated their protocols regarding those red crystals. I guess Vulcans are magically immune.”

“Doctor, need I remind you that sarcasm will have no effect,” T’lol replied, “you can save your human emotions for someone else. I am merely stating that logic would dictate..” 

Parker cut her off, “to hell with your logic. Have you seen what this stuff is doing to telepaths? Do you truly wanna risk that?”

“ This is purely a logical conclusion. Vulcans spend a lot of time, decades, learning to master their own conscience. In the short time we will be there; these crystals will not break my control.” 

“You really believe that, don’t you,” Parker just looked at the Security Officer, “I am not sure if I should be concerned or impressed. Just what did you tell your telepathic security staff about these crystals?” Parker smiled. 

“I informed them of your device. I instructed them to wear it and reminded them that at any sign of infection, they would be removed from duty immediately, per regulations,” T’lol stated coldly in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Amazing with bedside manners like that; you’d make a terrific doctor, Lieutenant,” Parker replied, taking the device from her pocket. 

The Security Chief looked at the Doctor with her left eyebrow raised in typical Vulcan fashion. “Your attempt at humor is neither warranted nor required, Doctor.” As T’lol finished her sentence, the turbolift doors opened, revealing the bridge. Neither woman opted to finish their conversation merely exited and headed for their assigned station. Parker opted to use a little leverage. She knew the Captain was watching and also knew the Captain’s opinion on the matter. Walking up behind the Vulcan Security Chief, the Doctor set the monitoring device on the console. “I would hate to have to remove you from duty,” she whispered, “per regulations, of course.” 

As the Galileo moved into standard formation, the main view screen lit up, giving everyone an impressive view of the entire fleet, “It appears that every ship in the Fourth Fleet is here,” Malik spoke with a bit of shock.  

Within moments the wormhole opened, and for a brief second, there wasn’t a single sound on the bridge. Everyone was just fixated on the event. “Well, there’s something you don’t see every day,” Parker started.

“Well, of course not, Doctor,” T’lol replied, “need I remind you that this wormhole opens on a thirty-day cycle and only for a short time? 

“It was an expression, Lieutenant,” Parker replied. “Green-blooded..” Parker spoke barely above a whisper.

Before either Officer could continue, Naris stood up, “any last words,” she looked over her shoulder at the crew behind her. She shrugged, “in that case, take us in, Mister Rivers,” Naris ordered, “once we’ve cleared the wormhole, set course for the Kimuramin system, warp 6.”

Naris sat down, “problems, Doc?”

“Not now, Captain,” Parker smiled, “just a little trouble with a particular patient who didn’t see the need to wear the monitoring device.”

“Those devices are not optional,” the Captain gave the Doctor a puzzled look. “Anyone who has a problem with that, well, I am certain we can find them temporary housing on the Markonian Outpost.” Naris didn’t need to be told who the Doctor was referring to; she already knew.

Behind the two, T’lol reached down and slipped the monitoring device over her wrist. She was not staying at the Outpost, not with the smell. She’d rather deal with Parker. 

“There was that so hard,” Parker yelled a bit too loud, looking directly at the Vulcan.

T’lol just gave the Doctor a puzzled look. 

“My apologies, Lieutenant,” Parker gave in, “that was rude of me.” 

“Need I remind you, Doctor…”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Parker pointed a finger at the Vulcan Security Officer. 

“Doctor, perhaps you should head down to Sickbay,” Naris replied, “we got it from here.” She smiled, “I promise.” 

The Doctor stood up, and she swore she could see a small smile cross the Executive Officer’s face. “I think that’s a great idea, Captain.” She turned and headed to the lift. 

As the doors closed, T’lol looked forward and unceremoniously added, “perhaps the Doctor should wear one of these monitoring devices too.” 

It was too much. Malik openly laughed as he wiped a tear from his cheek, “you two need to learn to get along or go on the road and start a show together. Either one of those will work.”  

“I implied no humor in that statement,” T’lol replied, somewhat confused. 

“Sure you didn’t,” Malik replied as another chuckle could be heard from behind the Security Officer. 

“Ok, ok,  leave poor Doctor Parker in peace,” Naris said as the ship cleared the wormhole. “Kimuramin awaits people; let’s get our game faces on.” Just as the Captain finished the sentence, every alert on the bridge went off. “So much for nice and simple, Eli,” she sighed.

“You want me to do what?” Samuel looked at the Commanding Officer with a mix of amusement and horror. In his mind, all the ways this could go wrong were running over and over in his head. They were in the middle of a difficult situation, and Starfleet picked now to send their Captain on a crazy assignment. 

“It would appear, according to this message, my passing score at the academy in survival training was incorrect,” Naris looked at her XO, “and get that stupid smile off your face.” She turned, looking to the door, “It’s already been programmed with the required elements; all I need to do is enter the holodeck and make it out in one piece.”

“In one piece,” the XO smirked. 

“Yes, thank you, Commander,” Naris rolled her eyes, “in one piece.” 

The Captain entered the holodeck in what appeared to be the cockpit of a shuttle. She hated this part, “I shouldn’t have to do this,” she muttered as she strapped herself into the chair. She hesitated for a moment, then spoke. “Computer activate simulation,” she braced herself for what she knew was coming next.

The setting was simple, and she knew at least that much. As the simulation took off, Naris found herself at the bottom of a raven, looking up at what appeared to be a mountain. She undid the buckle on her restraint as she fell to the floor, well, the ceiling of the craft. She rubbed her head, “this is a simulation, right?”  She looked around as the contents of the shuttle’s cargo had been tossed all over in the descent. 

She rummaged through the broken containers as she muttered to herself, “this is not a good time for this,” she hissed as she knocked her head on a nearby piece of metal. “We’ve got a fleet-wide alert, an unknown situation, and Commander Malik in command,” she started to say something but stopped. “Wait,” she looked around the broken craft, “is he watching me right now?” She grew concerned.

“Malik, you there?”

The Captain’s request was met by silence, “Commander?” 

“Samuel Theodore Malik, I swear if you are…” she stopped. It was all a part of the experience. It wouldn’t be a proper survival exercise if she’d been able to talk to another person; outside the simulation. Naris grabbed a small bag and tossed several items inside. “A medkit, a tricorder, and a container for water,” she looked around the broken craft, “night is going to come fast, and this thing will not keep me warm.” 

Naris stepped out of the craft; simulation or not, instinct took over immediately as she grabbed the side of the shuttle, her heart jumping up a few beats. Just to her left was a large ravine, going down at least twenty feet, maybe more. She took a few deep breaths as she held onto the shuttle, her knuckles turning white. “Come on, pull it together, Naris,” she told herself, “we’ve been through worse.” 

She reached down with her left foot as she gingerly stepped down, still holding onto the side of the craft with an intense death grip. “This is not where the shuttle was supposed to land,” she told herself as she slammed a fist into the craft. Her left foot slipping at that moment, Naris about lost it as the fear set in. She looked over the edge at the ravine, “the safeties will stop that, right?” She wasn’t entirely sure who she was attempting to convince.

Naris moved to the side of the downed shuttle and pulled out a tricorder. She needed water and food and a place to set up a shelter. According to her tricorder, a freshwater source was roughly 20 minutes north of her present location. The hiking would take a bit longer, but she was confident. 

“Shelter will be easy,” Naris told herself, “find a nice tree and set up a platform.’’ Getting off the ground would help with moisture and large animals, but they did nothing for bugs and things that crawled in trees. She shivered at the idea of a snake or spider-like critter crawling over her. She almost debated on if a command was worth it. She could hand in her pips and remain spider free for the night. She settled on a large tree and used several pieces of broken scrap from the shuttle. She put together a large platform and used a strap to secure herself to the tree. Now, she needed a few blankets or emergency wraps to stay warm, and she would be set.

The rest of the first day went by faster than Naris had expected. The trek to the freshwater source had been easy, and she was grateful for that. She’d found a small beacon in her pack, and using parts from the downed shuttle, she was confident she could convert it to an SOS beacon. She found herself actually wishing that one of her former hosts had been an Engineer or something useful. Rebuilding a beacon wasn’t her most robust skill, but she knew enough to make it work. 

The following day came with a vengeance; Naris was sore, tired, and hungry. Her first task was a quick dip in the river; probably not the best idea to bathe in your drinking water, but she didn’t care. She filled two small containers with enough water to last her for some time and set out to find something to eat. The forest had plenty of edible berries, vegetation, and edible plants. Food wouldn’t be a problem; hell, her phaser still worked. 

She thought back to Laran, her first host. He loved the outdoors, camping in the woods. The man always felt that being in nature helped to inspire his artwork. While Naris wasn’t a lover of the arts, she was grateful for the memories of Laran. He could dig a hole anywhere, carve out a small cave, and survive for several nights. The other difference between her and Laran was she drew the line at eating bugs.

By the end of the second day, Naris had scavenged berries and other plants and vegetation; she wouldn’t starve. The food may not taste the greatest but flavor wasn’t part of a passing grade. The SOS beacon was beeping above her head, thanks to the spare parts from the phaser. She’d had to use the power cell from the phaser to provide energy to the beacon and replace several damaged pieces of wiring. She knew it wouldn’t last long, but she was home-free as long as it sent out a signal. 

Her only remaining task was ensuring that Malik let her out. She suddenly found herself wondering if he would. Of course, he would. The man may want the center chair, but she knew he didn’t want it with the current situation. As soon as she’d met the requirements, he would let her out, and she’d been back in command. She’d no sooner finished that thought as the doors to the holodeck opened. 

“Well, you didn’t die,” Malik laughed, “but you could use a shower, Ma’am.” He took a step back from the Captain. “So is this where I tell you that Starfleet sent orders to rescind their survival requirements, but we all were taking bets on your survival skills?”

Naris picked up a small pebble and tossed it at her Executive Officer, “if I find that to be true, Commander.”  She stood up, “I’ll bust you back down to Ensign.” 

“Just kidding, Captain,” Sam laughed, “now go get cleaned up and meet me on the bridge; we’ve found those dilithium crystals on Kimuramin XII.” 

Naris didn’t like the sound of that, “this was terrible timing for this assignment,” she looked at her XO, “they could have waited.” 

Sam looked at the Captain, attempting to lighten the mood. “Hey, at least you survived.” 

Vasik Mining Operations 

To call the Malon Collector ruthless would have been an understatement. Since arriving on the planet, Vasik had become a changed man. What started as a simple salvage operation had morphed into much more. They had only been on the planet for a few years and had already amassed a large mining operation. Long gone was the goal of salvaging a downed Malon freighter; their goal was replaced by simple greed.

They had arrived here on the Aloc charged with salvaging useful material from the Geric. However, as Vasik began his first scans of the planet Kimurmin XII, his goals took a back seat to profit. While many in the Malon Cooperative saw the Controller job as an admirable goal, some civic duty, Vasik only saw it as something lesser. He was talented, innovative, and driven. He wanted to open his own business, but the corporations controlling Malon Prime never saw the potential in Vasik.

They did now. 

Using whatever resources he could, Vasik had been mining the planet out of all of its resources, selling them to the highest bidder. Nothing was safe; Vasik would have sold his own mother if offered enough. The only drawback was that his more significant customers were also his cheapest. He hated dealing with the lobed race, but they didn’t ask questions. Questions came with other problems. Vasik didn’t need any good-for-nothing group looking into his business practices. Vasik looked out from his office to the plant below. Profits have soared since the formation of these red crystals. Ferengi vessels were leaving his orbital lunar complex on a daily basis.  

His only concern now was how to mine those crystals faster. The locals were now basically free labor, but they were also useless. Their lack of understanding of modern equipment made things more difficult. In the last month, his people had rounded up anyone able to work and forced them into camps guarded by several highly paid Orions.  

Orions, like his own people, didn’t ask questions if they were paid enough. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his own people, but some of the Malons were still loyal to the Cooperative. He couldn’t afford that type of behavior. Perhaps his lack of trust was the reason why he’d long ago disabled the communication devices from all areas except his office. That coupled with the travel restrictions on each of his shuttles, Vasik kept all of his operations under lock and key. He ruled with an iron fist, and things like disloyalty and betrayal were not tolerated. 

From behind him, the large doors opened as Controller 3rd Class Merrk entered the office. “Sir, we’ve detected a Federation vessel in long-range sensors coming this way. There’s been an increase in Federation communications recently, and sensors have picked up a lot of Federation vessels in neighboring sectors.   No doubt they are responding to….”

“I don’t pay you to think Controller 3rd Class,” Vasik replied, “monitor their communications,” he gestured to a nearby terminal. “I want to know where every Federation vessel is at all times.” 

“Sir?”

‘You have your orders.”

Main Bridge, USS Galileo

Naris looked out at the viewscreen,  “on screen,” she ordered.   The entire bridge was busy monitoring fleet traffic and communications. From all over the sector, the Federation was engaging various entities hoping to figure out where these crystals came from. 

From the Helm Control station, Rivers took a second look at the panel, then turned to face the Captain, “Ma’am, we’re picking up an increase in antimatter waste. It’s fairly insignificant at the moment but still rather large for a pre-warp civilization.”

Naris thought about her research as she just sat there looking at the viewscreen, “scan for Malon vessels.”

Before she finished her sentence, the following words filled the bridge,  “Captain, incoming message from Controller Vasik.”

“Let’s hear it,” she ordered.

“This sector is under the control of the Malon Cooperative and Vasik Mining Operations.. leave immediately.”

“Controller Vasik,” Naris stood up,  “we are here investigating the appearance of….”

As she spoke, the channel closed. Naris turned and looked at her XO, “I guess conversation is out of the question.”  She thought for a moment, “maintain orbit over the planet for now,  Mister Rivers. Someone figure out where the communication came from.   I want some answers.”

Vasik Mining Operations 

“Are we really going to take on the Federation?” Merrk asked. “That may be a small ship, but larger ones will follow.” 

Vasik hissed, “I know that,  you fool. The Federation has a history of sticking its nose where it doesn’t belong. Contact the Orions, and tell them to meet our guests.

Vasik punched the terminal, sending orders to all his people. He couldn’t afford Starfleet’s interference. They had to lock down all production and mining operations along with current waste being dumped into the mine shafts. He’d built up this operation, and if this turned south, he already had a backup plan,  dump as much waste into the operation as possible. The planet would be a loss, but no one else would be able to take over. For now, he would put up the best fight he could muster.

Main Bridge, USS Galileo

From the bridge of the Galileo, the crew had been hard at work.   They’d be able to track Vasik’s operation to one of the northern continents, but that is where the trail ended. The closer they got, the more the antimatter waste affected their sensors.  

“One thing is clear, Captain,” T’lol looked over the most recent report, “Vasik had been here for some time.   My guess is working under the radar and sight of any locals. Sensors have picked up subterranean mining shafts all over the planet, along with increased pockets of waste. If I was to guess, it appears that he’s mining out whatever he can get his hands on and dumping the waste into the planet as he leaves that area.”

“And what is this doing to the planet,” Naris looked to the Science Officer. 

“Exactly what you would expect, Captain,” Ensign Ireland replied. “Strip mining the planet’s resources is bad enough, but dumping the waste has shifted the planet’s ecosystem. The planet has a larger-than-normal temperature for a planet like this.   The planet appears to be largely desert terrain, but I guess Vasik’s operation has changed this planet immensely.”

“At the rate things are changing,” Ireland added,  “I would speculate that this planet will be a wasteland in another decade, maybe sooner. Whatever we do,  the native population needs help.”

“I suppose this is why the Federation sent us here,” Naris shrugged, “ok, they probably didn’t expect this but still.”  Looking around the room, “ok, I want options, people. There are a lot of factors here that need to be taken into account. The locals are pre-warp, so the Prime Directive applies.   The Malon waste is a serious problem, and we don’t want to make it worse. This could affect the entire sector if we are not careful. The Galileo…” 

“Captain, we have two Malon battlecruisers on a direct course for our location.”

“Red Alert,” Naris ordered, “all hands to battle stations.” The Galileo didn’t need this; they were not ready for this. Naris followed the crew to the bridge,  “report.”

“The battlecruisers have powered weapons and no target locks yet, but they are coming at us fast.”

T’lol, having taken over Tactical, punched a few buttons on her terminal, “I’m detecting Orion weapons signatures. Our friend Vasik has acquired some extra help.”

Naris looked at the Vulcan for a moment, “target their ships; let them know we are not leaving.”

T’lol nodded, “firing warning shots now.”  T’lol looked up, “I don’t think they got our warning.”

“Why?” Naris asked as the ship shook violently.

“Because they are firing at us,” T’lol replied with a bit of sarcasm. “Just we should have targeted something more vital.” 

Naris gave the XO a nod as Sam stood up, rounding the bridge to the Tactical station. “Stand down, Lieutenant,” the XO stated as he moved to fire the ship’s weapons.

T’lol looked at the XO; he thought she was affected. She could feel it. There was no way she could have been affected. T’lol looked down at her wrist; she took the monitoring device off her person. The Vulcan turned to leave the bridge, “The doctor is behind this..”

“Let her go,” Naris ordered the bridge staff. Tapping her combadge, “Doctor, locate Lieutenant T’lol and confine her to sickbay.”

“Commander Malik, target their shields; let them know we mean business.”

The battle lasted only a short time, each side putting up as much of a fight as they could. While the Steamrunner could hold her own, she had taken significant damage. Naris had managed to take out one of the Malon vessels, but at a high cost. The second ship had also taken damage but surprised everyone when she suddenly retreated. “No doubt they are looking for reinforcements,” Rivers commented.

“Send out a general message,  inform Starfleet of our situation, and request backup,” Naris ordered. The Captain took a deep breath; this mission had to be a success. She wouldn’t let this Galileo fall into the same pattern as the previous ships bearing the name.   

“Commander, prep an Away Team. We are not going to get answers here,” Naris ordered, “we need some first-hand information. Commander,” she paused, “no telepaths.” She didn’t like splitting the ship up, not while there were battlecruisers out there.  However she knew they needed more information and they were not going to get that sitting here.

“The rest of you, I want every inch of that planet scanned. Vasik has a weakness, and I want to know what it is.”

Grace made her way through the ship. The benefit of being the ship’s commanding officer’s daughter was that there were no questions. Everyone looked at her, but it was like they couldn’t be bothered.   Grace made her way into the ship’s main lounge; scanning the crowd, she found the person she set out to locate, “Captain Bates,” she didn’t wait for permission and sat in the empty chair. 

Eli had been trying to relax after what had seemed like the most extended duty shift of his life. His department still hadn’t listened to him, and he was trying to make sense of their mess. He was not in a chipper mood, already downing five cups of coffee. He was looking over reports when the Captain’s daughter sat opposite him, not even asking to do so. He knew Grace’s demeanor, but he ignored it. “Yes? What can I do for you?” 

“I think we both know why I am here,” she looked at the waitress. “I’ll have an iced tea and a grilled cheese sandwich,” she smiled. “Look, Eli,” she noticed the look on the man’s face, “Captain Bates. I want to know what your intentions are with my mother?” She folded her arms as she leaned back in the chair. “I think we both can understand this whole assignment has been a struggle for her. Her first command, an old flame from the past, and all those emotions mixed in with the various hosts,” she grinned with a sassy flare, “And don’t even think about telling me I’m too young, or it’s none of my business. She’s my mother.”

Eli was not expecting the bold question right off the bat, but that’s children for you. He looked at Grace as he took another sip of coffee. “Intentions, you ask. What intentions would you think if you had been in love with the previous host of your mother’s? Though your mother isn’t who I may have fallen in love with, the host who holds Ladra’s memories is… So my intentions are this…I don’t know because it’s something that takes time. Am I willing to love your mother like I did Ladra? Yes, absolutely, but I cannot, not will. I force your mother to want to be with me.” He said firmly with no doubt in the inflection of his voice. 

Grace thought for a moment; anyone could see the child’s mind was trying to unpack everything in that sentence. It was a lot packed all together. “I suppose this is just as strange for you?”  She looked at him, “knowing that she isn’t your Ladra, yet she is. I must admit that I live with her, and sometimes I find it odd.”  She laughed, “I mean, she’s been my mother and Naris for as long as I can remember, but it’s odd.” 

“I mean, I am just Grace; I only have one person I can ever remember being,” Grace looked at the Engineer, “to have several people inside of you, I imagine it’s a balancing act to remember which one is you, versus one of the others.” 

Eli nodded. “I can’t say I fully understand myself though Ladra tried to explain it to me. It is different, and it was an adjustment for me knowing Ladra isn’t there, but she is. I think it’s why it was hard for me to take this assignment. I can tell you this, though, Grace. I have no intention of hurting your mother or you, for that matter. I have thought about talking to you to see how this situation has been, but I figured it might be weird if an old codger like me came up to you to start a conversation.”

Grace nodded with an evil smile, “and I don’t want to see my mother hurt, either. That’s good for you because I am not sure Starfleet will find a new host for you, unlike my mother.” She smiled as she sipped her iced tea. 

Eli wasn’t sure how to react to that. He took another sip of his coffee. I didn’t figure you did. I feel like that was a threat. 

Grace gave a slight grin, “good; then we are on the same page.” She knew her mother would freak out if she found out about this conversation, but it was a risk she was willing to take. “You know, being in a relationship with a joined Trill, I am sure you heard about reassociation laws. I am just worried about how this will all play out.”  She sighed. 

“She talks about you often, you know?”

The remark threw Eli off, his face growing red. “I can’t say that I did know that. Hopefully, she says all good things. As to the laws, as I said, the decision is your mother’s, and I don’t want her to be unhappy.” 

Grace had threatened him, but she didn’t seem uncomfortable around him. That had to be a good thing. At least, he hoped it was. 

“Neither do I,” Grace sighed, resting her arms on the table as she held her head. “I guess this really has to make you wonder about second chances?” She took the sandwich off the plate and took a bite. “Do you know that she was married to my dad?” she asked as a matter of fact. “They were married when I was really young; he died in an accident. I don’t really member him.”

Eli frowned. “Hey, now it’s always better to focus on the good memories and not the bad. I can’t imagine what it was like not having a dad, but I can tell your mom did an amazing job making sure she raised you right. As to second chances, I never thought I’d get one. In fact, I was going to give up on it and stay in the Starfleet Corps of Engineers when I was asked to come here. The name, of course, shocked me, but I thought maybe this was that second chance.”

“She didn’t talk about it much, but considering I know it took her a month to make up her mind on an Engineer, I imagine it wasn’t an easy choice,” Grace was probably saying too much. “Mom did the best she could, all things considered. I mean newly joined and gaining an instant family.” She rolled her eyes like she understood, “that’s a lot,” she took a bite of food. With a full mouth, she added, “or so I am told.” 

Eli nodded. “So I have been told as well. I only ever loved Ladra, so I don’t know what it’s like to have a family or a child. I have been alone for many years and decided the only option I had was to dig deeper into the work I did. It is rare to become a captain of engineering, but I had nothing else to do.” 

She gave him an odd look, “so you lost your Ladra, and you figured it best to bury yourself in work. You know they have a term for that. It’s called depression.” She shook her head, “I mean, I am no adult, but there seems to be more to life than one person. You find something that makes you happy, and you run with it. Did becoming Captain of Engineering fix all your problems and make you happy?”

Eli looked. “It made me realize there was more to life than just one person. Becoming a Captain of Engineering helped me realize everything I could do in life. It’s why I have a different attitude. I learned about happiness, and I am grumpy. That’s just coming with old age. It’s why I drink so much coffee. 

“I think you need more coffee,” Grace replied boldly, “clearly, it’s not working.” Grace finished the last of her drink as she looked over at Eli, popping the last bite of her sandwich into her mouth. “My mom really likes you,” she smiled, “I’ve never seen her this happy, and I like it.”  She stood up, “for so long now; it’s just been me and her against everything out there. It could be nice to have someone else there for a chance. Good afternoon Captain Bates,” Grace nodded. Turning, she left the room just as fast as she had entered it. She’s said her peace, and now she was done.  

Eli smiled; there was something about Grace he liked. He hoped he would have some good opportunities to spend time with her and show her how a father figure can be.