Harris closed the communication channel from Starfleet Command.  They’d been ordered back into their operating theater to return to their Task Force 47 duties.  The time in Montana had helped him, and those had come with him.  The rest of the crew had taken their shore leave in various ways and places.  Ambrose sighed as he went to work on the PADD, where the information on their next mission had been sent.  He was reconciling the death of his cousin and the crew they had lost while in the Delta Quadrant.  The weight was still there and still heavy.  He’d met with his chief counselor twice a week since they’d returned to the Alpha Quadrant.  He was making progress.  That was his consolation.  There was forward momentum.

He shifted his focus to the mission at hand.  There had been an unusual development in the Thomar Expanse.  The former Palasa Transport Company, now Palasa Syndicate, had sent a message to Starfleet Command at Deep Space 47.  They needed help.  Ambrose had asked his briefing officer to repeat it three times until he finally believed it.  Something was out in the expanse that the Palasa group was suddenly worried enough about that they had reached out to Starfleet.

The door to the ready room chimed, and he called out, “Enter.”  Okada Katsumi stepped through the door and took a seat across from her commanding officer.  She handed him a PADD of her own.  He accepted it and read through the official document.  “I know we’ve talked about this a lot…but I need to ask again…you’re sure about this?”

Okada smiled thinly.  She’d had time to think about their many conversations since returning home.  It wasn’t an easy decision.  But it was necessary.  “I can’t serve you and engineering well at the same time.  The Mackenzie is a big boat captain…, and she needs a XO that is devoted to the job.”

Ambrose tapped at the console, accepting her resignation as executive officer, “I know it wasn’t easy, Okada.”  Something had changed in his time since returning to the Alpha Quadrant.  He’d spent more time getting to know his command team.  He’d stopped referring to them by rank in conversations outside of the bridge.

“I’m still commander, sir.  You can’t take that away from me.”  

An impish smile crossed her lips, and he chuckled, “I wouldn’t dare to try Chief.  Thanks for all you’ve done for her and us.”  He stood and extended his hand, which she shook before heading back to the bridge.  Harris sat back in his chair.  He had reviewed several applications for the executive officer position.  He had contemplated giving it to another one of his department heads but had come to dismiss the idea.  The position needed someone who was dedicated full-time to assisting with the command of the starship and working together with the captain to ensure everything was working from stem to stern.  Each member of his command team was busy with their duties.  He glanced at his chrono.  He had an interview in 30 minutes on the station.

The tall Vulcan woman sat delicately on the bench outside Starfleet Command’s personnel office on Deep Space 47. T’saath was 40 years old in Earth years, but she was just beginning her Vulcan life.  Her commanding officer on the USS Post Alley had nearly ordered her to apply for a new position.  She had become complacent, he had said.  She needed to up her challenge.  The Post Alley was a small ship with a small crew.  She needed to challenge herself, he had told her.  The logic of it rang somewhat true to her, but it was hard at times to understand the emotional predilections of humanity.  There was more ‘gut’ feeling from some of them than actual critical thinking and logical examination of the issue at hand.  It didn’t offend her as it did some of her people.  It was more of a fascination and a curiosity – a longstanding point of contention between the Humans and the Vulcans.  There were plenty of studies regarding the long-standing relationship between the two alien species.  Despite the volumes of information available, humans continued to surprise her.  Perhaps it was a case of the logical mind expecting logic given the years of relations between the two worlds…and finding that humanity continued in its headstrong stubbornness of being, well, themselves.

“Commander T’saath?  He’s ready for you.”

She stood and walked through the doors into the corridor to her interview room.  A medium-height man sprang up from his chair, “Captain Ambrose Harris, USS Mackenzie.  Glad you were able to make it here.”  He extended his hand, and she copied it, shaking his hand firmly.  They both sat, and he tapped at his PADD, “You’re coming from the Post Alley and the Moldova – both are smaller ships.  What has you considering the USS Mackenzie?”

T’saath answered plainly, “It was the recommendation of my commanding officer that I seek additional command experience outside of my current command.”

Harris had worked with Vulcans before but in a limited fashion.  What he had learned was their responses were not meant to annoy or aggravate.  It was simply the most logical statement they could make with whatever was being asked.  He tried another tact, “Your path to Starfleet was an interesting one.  You were part of an exchange program early in your career…and chose to return to us later.  Why?”

T’saath held her default answer. That answer was the logical one, and it was the answer that was in her file that the captain had access to.  Humans had the interesting habit of thinking there was more to the simple nature of the original answer as if something hidden was held within a deeper answer that would be brought out with additional questioning.  In a general sense, they were wrong.  In some specific Vulcan and Human-centered situations, it had been advantageous to ask the question several times and in different ways.  “I am vested in the future of Human and Vulcan relations.  Through my work at Starfleet, I will continue to build bridges between our two people while learning more about how we work together.”

Ambrose read through the file that he had studied extensively.  There was one other candidate on his docket, but he’d done some research on the woman and discovered there were many reasons she was wanted off the ship she was, and none of them would do the Mackenzie crew any kind of favor.  “I sent you a general overview of the crew, their relationships, the culture of the ship, and our mission logs.  Your evaluation?”

She cocked her head to the side, “There is a great deal of emotional….variables within the crew.  I would be concerned about their ability to handle a high-stress situation that would revisit the trauma they’ve experienced.  Emotions are illogical and unpredictable – they would need to be tightly controlled and managed.”

“They meaning the emotions, or they meaning the crew?”

“They meaning emotions, sir.  A crew needing to be tightly controlled and managed suggests larger concerns beyond brushes with trauma and tragedy.”

He resisted the unintentional poke that had come across the table.  “I’m aware of the emotional liabilities that exist within the command team – that includes me.”  He grasped his hands together on the desk, “You are someone we will need as we continue the work of the Mackenzie with our current crew.  We’ll need an outside eye and voice to hold us accountable…and to balance us when we lean too heavily into feelings and emotions.”

T’saath gave a slight nod, “That is surprisingly logical, Captain.”

Ambrose stood and extended his hand again, “Welcome aboard the USS Mackenzie, Commander T’saath.  If you’ll come with me, I can brief you on the way about the mission we’ve been given.”  She followed him out the door and into the station as he began to explain what they were facing.

“There’s something out there, Captain.”  Harris sat at the table, listening to the Palasa Trasport captain.  He’d abandoned his ship and flew his escape shuttle to Deep Space 47.  “The ship…it…something took control of it.  The computer, the engines…it started slow until nothing worked.”  He shook his head as he remembered, “It took the crew…one by one.  They vanished into thin air.”  Another sigh, “I don’t know how it got them…or how it took them…but there was no one left on my ship.  By that point…every system had shut down and wasn’t responding to my control.”  He accepted the cup of water and drank deeply before he continued, “That is not the strangest part.  There were…voices.  Not just one voice.  I checked.  My communications systems were working just right.  But the voices…they started whispering…then they were shouting…then they were yelling.”

Ambrose was making his notes on his PADD, “What were they saying?”  He wasn’t sure if he should take the man seriously.  He smelled real alcohol as the man had told his story.  And yet…the details were solid, and didn’t seem like he was making them up from some kind of fever dream.  There was some truth to whatever he had seen or heard.

“I have no idea.  It wasn’t Standard, that’s for damned sure.  It sounded Vulcan…or Romulan.  It was angry, I can tell you that much.  It was mad as hell about something.”

“Nothing familiar in the speech patterns or even words you recognized?”

The man thought long and hard, taking several minutes to search his brain until he sputtered out, “Ashv’cezh.  That was one that I heard over and over.” Harris tapped at the PADD for a translation and frowned at the translation. He felt the hair on the back of his neck raise slightly.  The transport captain looked at him expectantly, “Well, what does it mean?”

“The literal translation is, ‘”revenge worse than death’.  Are you sure you heard it right?”  The man nodded and then shook his head.

“I need to leave and report back.  It is a Vulcan word?”  Harris returned the nod.  “Goddamn it.  Thank you for your time, Starfleet.”  With that, he was up and out of the room before Harris could ask further questions.  The man wasn’t in custody and had done nothing wrong.  Still, there was something about his reaction.  Ambrose jumped up and gave chase, finding him at the dock of his shuttle as he began to check out.

“Something’s got you spooked.”  

The man spun to face him, “This isn’t your business, Starfleet.”  

Harris disagreed and held his hand over the console, preventing the man from departing, “We were asked here by the Palasa Group.  I’m not going to stop you from going back home and reporting on what you saw…but you know something.  Whatever this is is going to need someone willing to poke at it.  I need to know what I’m going to be annoying.”

The transport captain stared at him and sighed, “There’s a rumor that someone disturbed a Vulcan holy ground or something out here.  That whatever they did, stole, or whatever…is out for revenge.”  He shrugged, “I didn’t believe it…and now look at me.”  He gestured to the console, “Can I go now?”

Harris stepped back.  A Vulcan holy site?  Here?  The word he had remembered was clear, and the translation unmistakable.  Something was out here.  What, who, or why required answers.  Ambrose took off, walking back to the Mackenzie.  They had a mystery.  And he had a Vulcan XO.

“It is highly unlikely.” T’saath was sitting in the seat across the desk from her captain as he’d just finished his report.  “There are no records of Vulcans traveling to the Thomar Expanse.”

Ambrose shrugged, “You know as well as I do that plenty is missing from the records on Vulcan.  Just because it isn’t there doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.  Vulcan mysticism is not completely understood…and that includes Vulcans.”

She indicated with a slight tip of her head, “You are correct.  Research and archaeological work have continued on Vulcan and the surrounding worlds.  There have been questions raised as to how far we traveled in our early and later years.  That particular line of reasoning has not been explored due to a lack of interest and evidence.”

Harris acknowledged her statement with a return tip of his head, “Well, we’ve got some evidence that may point us in a direction here in the expanse.”

She narrowed her eyes, “Evidence that is not substantial or physical.  We have the word of a pirate.  They are notoriously untrustworthy.”

He tried again, “And if we find something out there?  Something… substantial or physical?  You’ve read the reports on the Blood Dilithium in the Delta Quadrant?  The souls of the Brenari collected into the stuff?”

She had read the reports and studied the test that had been performed along with the various findings that had been presented.  “It was…an unusual situation.  I was not present, so I am unable to verify for certain the true validity of their findings.”  She allowed, “Logically, I can accept that the various scientists were competent and reasonably investigative in their processes.  There are a great number of explanations that would give credence to other answers in that situation.”

Ambrose stared at her for a moment and stood, “Your concerns are valid and noted, Commander T’saath.  We will set a course deeper into the expanse at 1100 hours to further the investigation we’ve been ordered to pursue.  I’d suggest getting the department heads ready for our departure and completing systems checks for departure.”

She stood as well, “I’ll begin immediately.”  T’saath turned and walked out the door.  Harris sat down roughly in his chair.  She was a Vulcan, that was certain.  There was something else within their conversation.  An almost instinctual resistance to the possibility of the inexplicable.  He made a note to do a longer investigation into her file and history.  He had a final meeting with his operations chief scheduled to review the final list of supplies from Deep Space 47.

Then they would be off into the darkness and the unknown.  What was out there, and what was it…really?

“That’s the ship that our captain abandoned?”  Harris stared at the viewscreen as the transport ship spun quietly on its axis, debris hanging from the hull.

Fowler felt the uneasiness creeping back up her back and across her neck.  In addition to the reports forwarded to them from the Palasa Transport Group, the captain's words had unsettled her.  She repeated the scan and deepened the focus on the sensors, “Registery is coming back as the SS Jhou and it matches the recent report from them about the missing ships.  Doing a deck-by-deck scan now.”

Kondo was next, “Weapons are not powered but show signs of recent use.  Several cannons and two-photon torpedo tubes - much of that is aftermarket.”  He didn’t feel the same unease as Fowler.  He felt worried that whatever door had been opened was going to be very hard to shut.  Something had done something to the ship in front of them.  Something was making a powerful syndicate worry enough to ask Starfleet for help.

Ambrose was puzzled more than worried.  He turned to his newly assigned XO, ‘Thoughts, commander?”

The resident Vulcan remained in the right side chair, her eyes glancing from her PADD to the screen and back again, “The readings are consistent with an attack of some kind.  It is curious there are no impact markings or weapon traces on the hull of the transport. They clearly fired but at what is the question.”  She tapped the PADD again, “The only warp or engine signatures being detected by the sensors are those of the SS Jhou.”

Fowler turned in her chair, “That would make sense, given the theory by Palasa about ghost ships and the like.”  She caught the severe look from the new XO and quickly added, “It’s just a theory, of course.”  The XO was going to get some getting used to - she was a Vulcan and a scientific one at that - making it that much more of a challenge for her as chief science officer.

Harris noted the XO’s look and continued, “Life signs?”

“Deck-by-deck scans are not showing any.  There is something biological tripping the sensors as they move, but the computer is unable to determine the exact classification.”  Fowler pulled out the data, “There are traces of what may have been life in the results, but the rest is…just a mess, if I’m honest, sir.”  She retasked the sensors one more time, “Environmental readings are showing stable - the ship is in a low power mode.”

Ambrose glanced at his newly assigned XO, “Commander, I'd like you to take an away team to the Jhou.  I'd recommend a full team.”

T’saath stood, “Understood.  I'll gather my team.”

Jordan Reid stood in the transporter room, mentally checking her equipment for the fifth time.  She'd been briefed on T'saath by Harris.  She'd worked with plenty of Vulcans in her medical training and had found ways to tolerate their particular…Vulcan characteristics.  Fowler entered the room next, her equipment on her utility belt and in the case she carried.  Both women shared a quiet glance as they did their final preparation for the away mission.  Kondo was next with two security officers and the Assistant Chief Engineer Lieutenant Moore, who was carrying her case and a belt of engineering tools.

The door opened one last time, and Commander T’saath entered and looked at each of them before speaking, “It is my first away mission with you.  I think it's important to ensure you understand I am in command of this team, and you will follow my orders.”

They all stared at her, blinking.  Reid resisted the urge to frown, “Commander, we're aware of the command structure on away teams.”

The XO raised an eyebrow, “It is good practice to review processes when a new command team member comes aboard.  Clarity avoids mistakes and errors in away missions.”

Reid glared at Greer as she could see in the eyes of the engineer that the look of, ‘The hell is going on?’ would soon be verbalized.  She tried once more, “Commander, you can be assured we do not need a remedial lesson.”

T’saath looked cooly at the Chief Medical Officer and contemplated her response.  She was becoming aware that her opening attempt at asserting authority over the human crew hadn't landed in the manner she had expected.  She landed on, “Very well.  Let's get on our way.  Chief?”

The SS Jhou smelled…off.  Fowler immediately snapped out her tricorder and surmised, “Reading deceased life forms throughout the ship, commander.  Four on deck five, three on deck four, six on deck three, two on deck two, and…ten here on deck one.”

T’saath opined, “The report from the transport captain suggested there were no bodies.  Curious.”  She examined her readings, “Lieutenant Greer, engineering is in a lower power setting.  Take Lieutenant Kondo and the security team with you to address the power situation.  Doctor Reid, Lieutenant Fowler - you're with me."  The XO moved down the corridor as the two others blinked twice and shuffled in behind her.  All three hard tricorders were out as they carefully stepped deeper and deeper into the transport ship.  A moment later, they reached the doors to the bridge.

Reid spoke up, “Detecting five bodies on the other side of the door.”   Fowler went to work on the door controls, and moments later, the massive metal door groaned open.  Reid peered in and swore.  

T'saath frowned at her and gave a look herself, “Curious.”

Fowler stepped into the bridge and nearly threw up. The blood spatters were…everywhere.  The five bodies had been torn into pieces and scattered across the bridge.  The sickly smell of blood filled the air.  Consoles were bathed in red, and some had pooled in places around the room.  Sadie had to step out and put her head between her legs, “Goddamn…what the hell happened in there?”  She fought to hold back her gag reflex and worked hard on her breathing.

Jordan had stepped inside and was walking around to the various body parts, scanning each as she went.  Commander T'saath was working on the consoles in their low-powered state.  Reid reported, “These injuries weren't post-mortem. This happened while they were alive.”  

The Vulcan's badge beeped to life, =^=Lieutenant Greer to Commander T'Saath!=^=

They'd found the turbo lifts out of order and had resorted to using Jefferies tubes to get down to engineering on deck five.  With Kondo in the lead and Greer in the middle of the other two security officers, they slowly moved through the dark corridors.  Greer's tricorder guided them until they finally reached the massive engineering doors.  It had taken her longer than she'd been happy with, but the door finally creaked open, revealing a hellish landscape that sent the Assistant Chief into a corner to throw up.  Kondo stepped in with his two security officers at his side, weapons up, and charged.

The bottom half of the bodies hung from the high ceiling, and pools of coagulated blood sat silent witness on the floor.  The various other pieces of the bodies were soon located as if they'd been thrown about the room in a fit of rage. Kondo and his team quickly cleared the rest of the room.  The iron-infused smell of blood hung heavy in their noses.

Greer stumbled in, shaking her head, “Goddamn it, goddamn it, and goddamn it.  That is the last time I fight to be on an away team.”  She wiped her mouth and took several deep breaths, “I'm fine.  Initial shock is all.  This shit is…nuts.”  She gestured to the state of the bodies all around.

Kondo returned to where she stood, “The reactor is functional.  However, we're getting some strange readings from dilithium storage over there.”  He pointed to the door in the corner.  

She frowned and pulled out her tricorder, stalking over to the door to check for herself.  A moment passed, and she shook her head in disbelief, “I don't fucking believe it.  Sorry, coming down from that adrenaline rush.  You recognize this reading?” He stepped forward, took a glance, and shook his head.  She chewed on her bottom lip, “Those are similar to the readings we took on the Blood Dilithium in the Delta Quadrant.”

De La Fontaine felt a chill run up his spine, “You think someone brought some back here?”

She glanced at the tricorder and the results and replied, “No…it's not the exact same reading.  It's different enough that…I don't know.  I don't want to open this up until I know exactly what it is.  The Blood Dilithium was a son of a bitch in how it affected people.” She held up her hands in surrender as Kondo glared at her, “Gotta work on my language.”

Kondo gestured to the reactor, “Can we at least start up the power?” Greer walked over and held her hands over the console, seemingly lost in thought.  He stared at her, giving her a moment until he tapped her on the shoulder, “Greer?”  

She snagged her tricorder and ran it over the reaction chamber, waiting until the readings came through. “Well, that's a double damn it kind of moment.  The same readings from storage are coming out of the chamber.  I'm sure as shit not turning that thing on.”

“Lieutenant.”  

She moved to apologize and then had a realization, “Chief, we need to get the hell off this ship.”  He gave her a worried look, “The adrenaline is long gone,” she explained, “…and I do know how to control my shitty…oh, boy…mouth.  Whatever is happening to me…is happening because of this shit.”  She slapped her commbadge, “Lieutenant Greer to Commander T'Saath!”

“She’s stabilizing.  Whatever effect the dilithium was having on her has passed.”  Jordan sat at her desk reading through her report while Harris sat across from her, frowning.  “We checked the security team – their vitals were also elevated in a similar fashion.  The bridge team showed nothing unusual.”

“But it’s not Blood Dilithium?”  The ghosts of their Delta Quadrant experience didn’t seem to want to leave them alone.

She moved to the next section of the report, “What limited readings they were able to get showed similar frequency and harmonics to the Blood Dilithium, but it is not an exact match.  Fowler believes this is something different…or possibly a new kind of Dilithium.”  She shrugged, “Without more data, we don’t know enough to determine cause and effect beyond what was observed.”

Ambrose groaned, “This is sounding more and more like we’re going to have to go back over there.”  

She shrugged, “We could just leave it and continue in our search.”

He gave her an annoyed look, “We’re going to have to figure out what this is and what it’s doing.  The Palasa Group asked for our help, and we’re going to help them.”

Reid mused, “Begrugindly, I think, is the keyword you meant to say.”

Harris stood from his chair, “Entirely possible, Jord.  I’m going to check in with Fowler.  Keep me in the loop with Greer.”  She gave him a nod as he left.  Returning her attention to the assistant chief engineer, she continued to study the scans.

“That’s the thing, sir.  We’re not detecting it from here – even when I throw every sensor modulation I know at it.  Whatever it is, and however it’s affecting people…it has to be in the same room.”

Harris stood on one side of his chief science officer while his executive officer stood on the other side while Fowler ran through what she knew. He replied,  “We can’t risk sending anybody over there with what little we know.  I’m open to suggestions.”

T’saath thought for a moment, “Captain, in my review of the ship’s inventory, there was mention of mobile probes that could be sent into inhospitable environments.”  She tapped at the console, and the inventory screen showed up to ten available.

The CO gave a nod, “Lieutenant Fowler, set it up.”

It took an hour to locate the equipment, get it set up, and be transported over to the Jhou.  Fowler sat at her station as the unit materialized in engineering.  This model had wheels, two manipulator arms, and a 360-degree camera.  “Moving into position,” she reported as the image on the viewscreen showed the live view along with the incoming data from the various sensors onboard.  The probe moved into the center of the engine room.  “Sensors showing unusual readings from both the reaction chamber and the storage area.”  Tapping at her console, the sensors refined the readings, “It’s reading as Dilithium as a base, but the harmonics and frequency aren’t the same.  Parts of it are on the general spectrum we expect to see from healthy Dilithium, but there are some unusual spikes across other spectrums.  Here…and here.”  The data slid across the screen as the eyes of the bridge crew reviewed it.

T’saath leaned forward in her chair, “Lieutenant, isolate items 44 to 50.”  Fowler did as she was asked, and the Vulcan XO observed, “Captain, this spectrum traditionally is seen in empaths and telepaths who are actively broadcasting or taking part in their particular abilities.”  She frowned and asked, “Further isolate items 47 to 49 with comparative power analysis.”  The screen changed again, and she further observed, “Empaths and telepaths cannot remain focused on their abilities forever – they must rest or cease activity.  These readings suggest the hypothesis that this dilithium is similarly broadcasting as if it was a telepath.”

Harris turned in his chair, “Similar to Blood Dilithium.”

The XO shook her head lightly as she continued to examine the data, “Not entirely.  Lieutenant Fowler, focus on item 50 with a graph exhibiting the consistency of its output.”  The screen shifted, and a line graph appeared with a growing upward trend.  She stood and walked closer to the viewscreen, “Within the observations made with Blood Dilithium – it was necessary to build a device to communicate with whatever was contained within – in that case, it was the souls of the Benari.  With this…there is no need for a device.  The Dilithium we’re observing is increasing in its telepathic abilities over time incrementally.”  She turned to Fowler, “Compare the readings from the Blood Dilithium to this, please.”

Fowler knew where this was going suddenly and drew the comparison on the graph that they were all watching with rapt attention.  The BD line started out in a similar fashion to their readings, but it plateaued at a certain point while the other continued to climb at a marked pace.  She felt the hair on the back of her neck rise up, “Commander…this suggests that whatever we’ve got over there has outpaced the capabilities of Blood Dilithium.  We’re dealing with something new.”

Harris leaned forward in his chair, “We need to understand this…whatever it is more.  Can the probe open the storage unit?”  Fowler returned to controlling the unit and brought it up to the door.  It took her a moment to get the arms into position.  She turned to her CO, an expectant look on her face.  He rubbed his face in contemplation for a moment, “Chief Kondo, go to yellow alert just in case.”  The shields snapped into action as the ship shifted into a more focused status.  He finally gave a nod to Fowler, “Let’s see what we’ve got.”

The probe used the manual override controls, and they could hear the grinding of the gears as the door protested against what was pushing it open until the contents were visible to the probe and the crew.  The Dilithium glowed green, reflecting its light against the walls and ceilings. It was pulsing at irregular intervals.  Fowler reported, unnerved at the sight, “Probe is reading increased reading across all spectrums.” Suddenly the screen began to scramble, and Fowler’s hands tapped across the console slowly at first and then frantically, “Captain, I’m losing contact with the probe.  I’m also getting a signal attempting to come back on our connection?”

Kondo jumped from his console and quickly stood at Fowler’s side, reading the updating data, “Sir, I think…something on the Jhou is trying to…get access to our ship.”

Harris didn’t hesitate, “Break the connection.  Now.”  Fowler did as he asked, and the screen went blank and returned to the view of the transport ship. He turned to the two of them, “Report.”

The chief of security spoke up, “Whatever that green dilithium is, it was attempting to ride the subspace signal of the probe back to us.  I don’t know why, but I’m going with not good.”

Prentice alerted them, “Captain the Jhou is powering engines – main power just came online.”

Fowler returned her attention to the console in disbelief, “I have no idea how that happened, sir.”  She quickly focused every sensor they had on the transport ship as they watched the impulse engines warm up and push the ship away…and then, without warning, it jumped to warp.  She blinked and tapped away at her console, “Tracking it now…we’ll lose it in fifteen minutes on long-range sensors.  They’re moving at warp 8.”

Ambrose moved to speak but couldn’t find the words for a moment.  He settled on, “Gather all the data each of you has on this situation.  Senior staff meeting in fifteen minutes in the briefing room.  Lieutenant Atega, get me Starfleet Command in my ready room.”

Harris returned to the bridge.  Starfleet Command had given them their orders and they’d held a senior staff meeting.  There were more questions than there were answers and he could sense the unease across the room as they’d talked through what lay ahead of them.  The sensor readings showed something had taken control of the Jhou and taken it to warp speed.  There had been no change in the signs of life onboard and it had rattled the usually unflappable Doctor Reid.  What had taken control of the transport?  And how?

He sat next to his Chief Science Officer, “Lieutenant, anything further?”

Fowler tapped at her console, “There is something.  We’ve been reviewing the readings from the probe.  Look here,” she pointed to the screen, “…this is the readings before we opened the storage door….and this is after.”  The graphs skyrocketed and the readings redlined the sensors.  She shook her head, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think we released something when we opened the storage door.”  She tapped another command, “I went back and looked at the video.  This stuck out to me.”  Zooming in on the door, she highlighted the scratches and appearance that something had been secured across the door.  Sadie turned to her CO, “I think the crew locked whatever it was back in there…but it was too late.”  She sat back in her chair, “Something else is curious – there is the exact same Dilithium in the reaction chamber.”

Ambrose leaned in to get a closer look at the readings, “So…what…putting the Green Dilithium in the reactor released…a part of this thing?  When the chamber shut down…”

She shrugged at the implication, “Without the rest of the supply, the presence or whatever it is dissipated…or something?  I’m not confident in any of these theories, sir.  Whatever happened on the Jhou is forcing us to rethink a lot of what we know.”

Harris shifted the topic, “How far did we trace the Jhou’s path?

A tap of the console, “In a straight line…headed for the far corner of Palasa territory and the operations center they say they lost contact with.”  She worked her console one more time, “There is something else.  I had Ensign Atega help me with looking at the readings from the dilithium.  There’s something buried in the readings – it almost feels like…it’s communicating.”  She explained, “With the other dilithium, we had to use something else to open up communication.  Here, I think it’s trying to communicate with us…or something like that.  We’ve just gotten started.”

Ambrose pointed at the screen, “Put that at the top of the list, Lieutenant Fowler.  We’re going to need everything we get to make heads or tails of this.”

Several hours had passed and Harris stepped out of his ready room.  His communications chief had reported that the Palasa Transport Group had hailed them.  He sat gently in his chair and gave her the nod.  The screen filled with a scowling Cardassian, his mouth twitching in annoyance.  =^=Captain Harris, I understand you were here to help us, not let our ship get lost once more.=^=

Ambrose resisted the urge to shout at the man.  “I am Captain Harris, Federation starship Mackenzie.  I’d like to know who I’m addressing.”

=^=Governor Kwell.  I’m one of the senior commanders in the Palasa Group.  I’ll ask again – what happened to our ship and why isn’t it in your custody?=^=

Harris wished he knew what had happened.  He led with that, “Governor Kwell your ship was in the process of being inspected by our crew when something in engineering had an effect on them.”  He explained and sent the data, video, and reports they had collected so far.  He returned with a question of his own, “The Dilithium is unlike anything we’ve seen.  One of your captains alluded to a Vulcan holy site being disturbed.  The mission briefing from your group was very limited on details, Governor.”

The Cardassian was silent, and Harris wondered if he should be relieved or worried.  A moment passed as Kwell tapped at his console.  A beep sounded and his eyes focused on one of his screens.  He sighed and tapped at his console once more, =^=I have been given permission to share with you the original briefing before it was…censored.=^=  Harris glanced at Atega and she nodded as her console lit up in receiving the data.  Kwell continued, =^=One month ago one of our explorer class ships was searching beyond our space.  They were looking for new resources and areas for us to use in our expanding operations.=^=  He seemed to hesitate with the next part of his report before pushing forward, =^=They discovered a…temple of some kind.  We do not have interest in study as you do, so they began to loot the facility.  It was in remarkable shape.=^=

Ambrose chimed in, “I’m guessing that’s when the trouble started?”

Kwell grumbled, =^=Something happened to them.  They came under some kind of attack.  Half the crew was left behind while the other half fled to one of our operations centers.  The reports at first were pretty ordinary.  They were scheduled to meet up with two of our larger patrol ships but we lost contact with the operation center and the ship itself.  We dispatched the patrol ships to investigate and they found nothing but the ruins of a destroyed station…and no sign of the ship.  We did a long-range scan of the planet where it all started…and we were unable to make sense of it.  There have been other events with ships and others passing through this sector.  We are at a loss, hard as it is for us to admit to such a thing.=^=  He threw his hands up in frustration, =^=And that is why you are here.=^=

Harris raised an additional point, “Have the Cardassians gotten involved yet?”

A shrug, =^=They keep to themselves.  They have recalled most of their outpost and colonies, oddly enough.  Even their patrol ships keep tightly to their borders these days.  We thought it was because we’d become a threat to them.  I am not as sure as some of the rest of us seem to be.=^=

Ambrose sat back in his chair, wondering.  There was still much to be understood about this situation.  It appeared they were going to have to do it.  “Thank you, Governor Kwell.  We’ll get to work on the data you’ve sent us and start working deeper into the territory.” The Cardassian gave him a curt nod and cut the channel.  Harris turned to his crew, “Fowler – you get with Atega and Doctor Reid on that data.  Mr. Prentice…plot us a course to our old friend on Dozaria Prime.  I think it’s time we checked in with Gul Hasara.  Best possible speed.  Send a message ahead that we’re on our way.”

“I’m reading some pretty heavy ship traffic in and around Dozaria Prime, sir.”  Will was at the helm and sent the data to the console in the captain’s chair.  “It’s all Cardassian Union ships.  Three Galor class ships and what looks like three troop transport ships of some kind.”  He turned back to Harris, “It looks like an evacuation, sir.”

Ambrose glanced at the data on his console, “I’d agree, Prentice.  Let’s make it a casual approach.”

Will gave the captain a curious look before he turned back to the helm controls, “Flying casual, aye, sir.”  The Mackenzie slowed to impulse power as Dozaria Prime came into view.

Harris stood from his chair, “Atega, open a channel to the lead ship.”  There was a beep, and the traditional sound of a hailing frequency whistled over the bridge, “This is Captain Ambrose Harris of the Federation Starship Mackenzie…I’m here to meet with Gul Hasara.”  The channel remained open, and he glanced to the communications station where Presley Atega was listening intently to her earpiece as she adjusted her console just such and shook her head.  Nothing so far.  Ambrose tried again, “I’m here to meet with Gul Hasara about some…odd things happening here in the Thomar Expanse.”

The image of a Cardassian captain appeared on the screen, his eyes searching the bridge before he spoke, =^= I know who you are, Captain.  Gul Hasara is expecting you at the settlement on the planet.  You and one other are allowed.”  The channel cut abruptly.

Harris turned to the bridge, “That was…interesting.  Atega, you’re with me.  Commander T’saath, you have the CONN.”

The transporter beam faded, and Atega gave him a sidelong glance, “Captain…why did you bring me?”  She adjusted the protective away team cloak and gear she had been given to combat the dusty world around them.

He met her eyes, “You have a great ear for language, intonation, and more.  You’ve learned to read body language.  I want you to observe everyone we encounter.”

She nodded to the tall Cardassian lumbering their way, “Even the Gul?”

Harris chuckled, “Good luck with that.  That man is probably a stone-cold killer.  You’d have better luck reading the dust under our feet.”  Hasara was not only lumbering, but he was limping as he grew closer.  The scars on his face were fresh, and there were signs he’d seen the sharp end of something recently.  His eyes, however, remained as grey and unsettling as usual.

“Captain Harris.  When we last met, you were but a Commander Harris.  Congratulations.  The Excelsior II class is striking.  What do the humans say…it looks good on you.”  He gestured down the path, “Come, join me in my office.  We have much to discuss.

They walked through the emptying streets and entered the main administrative building.  A table with water was set up, and the group found their seats.  “Looks like you’re leaving,” Harris observed.  “Didn’t think you’d want to go back to the Union.”

Hasara gave him a tired look, “It was not an easy choice, but it was a simple one.  Continue to face whatever it is that was released from the depths far beyond Ultima Thule…or return to something resembling safety behind our borders.”  He motioned to his face, “We’ve encountered them…or it…or whatever it is.  We did not fare well.  Out of three ships sent, only one of our ships returned, and it has been put as far away as possible.  We were forced to remove the warp core, the batteries, and everything else. Something was trying to take control of the ship.  Without power, it’s useless.  Our scientists are currently examining her, but they do not expect to find much.  She’ll be scuttled.  The risk is too great to integrate her back into the fleet.”

Harris asked, “What did you observe?”  Hasara described much of what they had experienced, but there was something new.  “You heard it speak to you?”

The Gul gave him a long look, “I do not enjoy repeating myself, Captain.”

“Fair enough.  What did it say to you?”

The Cardassian pulled out a PADD-like device and set it on the table, “You may have the recording…it is in Vulcan.  I have translated it.”  He tapped a key on the device and read, “The Island has been forsaken.  It has been sullied.  The Arretans must be returned.  They must be placed.  The Island has remained forever.  It will remain forever.”

Harris glanced at Atega, who was pulling up the information on her PADD.  He turned his attention back to the Gul, “What did you find out about…all of that?”

A quiet shake of the head, “We did not wish to know more.  Our encounters with this…thing…have convinced us to retreat from the sector.  Whatever it is seeking is not within our possession.  It scans the ships.  We made the mistake of engaging it in combat.  It hasn’t pursued us – but it is searching, seeking…something.  This planet is uncomfortably close to the edge of our space.  I do not wish to risk my people’s safety with an unpredictable…thing out there.”

Atega let out a low whistle and handed the PADD over to her CO, who grimaced as he read.  Hasara looked at him questioningly.  Harris explained, “They’re an ancient species with unique abilities and characteristics – much of what we’ve seen from this connects.”

The Gul asked, “Why is it in Vulcan?”

Ambrose chuckled, “Well, that’s the interesting part.  There’s evidence that the Arretans were descendants of Vulcans…which would explain the use of the language.”  He shook his head, “There’s no reference to The Island and the Arretans or even the Vulcans.  The reports from the Palasa Group….”

Hasara spat on the floor, “Syndicate.”

“…syndicate or group or whatever they are…the reports said one of their explorative ships had come upon a temple of some kind.”  He wondered, “It is entirely possible they disturbed a Vulcan Temple with Arretan artifacts.”

Presley spoke up, “Sir, I think it’s something more than that.  In this message, the syntax doesn’t focus on the ‘The Arretans’ as objects.  It delineates them as living things.  Like you would say, ‘someone must be returned.’  They’re saying that about The Arretans.”

Harris sat back in the chair, “You’re suggesting that the Palasa idiots didn’t just steal artifacts or trinkets.  They stole…actual Arretans?  From what is probably an ancient Vulcan Temple.”

She grimaced, “There is a very low amount of information available.  The Temple could refer not to just some isolated place on the planet.  It could refer….”

Ambrose finished it for her, “To the entire planet…or even the system if we really wanted to get imaginative.”  He let out a long sigh, “Gul Hasara, you’ve given us more information than I think we really wanted to have.” The Cardassian chuckled darkly and frowned as his communicator beeped.  He stood and moved off to speak to whoever had called him.  Harris turned to Atega, “I remember watching old Earth movies about stuff like this.  The adventure was always so exciting…I mean, you knew the heroes would win in the end.  This… doesn’t feel like something we’re going to have an easy time earning our victory.”

Her eyes went a little wider, “You think we’re going to need some help?”

Gul Hasara returned, looking more annoyed than usual.  “I was about to say I was glad for our reunion and that it was good to see you again so I could return to helping my people home.”  He growled, “However, it appears the Cardassian Union has decided an observer is required.  Your Starfleet has agreed – apparently only because we are known to each other.”

Harris stood, sharing in the Gul’s annoyance, “Either the Cardassians think I need a minder or The Federation thinks I need a guide.”

Hasara grumbled with a surly growl, “Or both.  Definitely both.”  He spat at the ground, “I despise bureaucrats.  I will gather my things from the ship and meet you on yours.  I assume you’ll handle the quarter assignments?”  

Harris gave a nod, and a wave as the Cardassian stomped off, still limping.  He turned to Atega, who was speechless.  He shrugged, “We’ve had a Romulan, a Voth, and now a Cardassian.  My money’s on a Klingon next.”  She couldn’t help herself.  She laughed.  He lightly punched her in the shoulder, “Your sense of humor’s intact.  That’s good, Atega.  We’re going to need that.  Let’s get back to the Mack and give them the good news.  The Commander is going to be thrilled.”

She laughed and covered her mouth as they walked to the transport point.

Fowler handed Harris the report, “It’s talking.  And you’re not going to like what it says.”  He sat in the briefing room as his science chief reported on her team’s findings.  T’saath sat across the table from him, fingers steepled in thought as she listened.  Reid and Atega sat, PADDs in hand.  Sadie continued, “We were able to interpret some of it through the translator.  You were right.  It’s Vulcan.  Old Vulcan.  The Commander was able to verify that it’s one of a few dialects that have faded with time.”  She tapped at her PADD, “There are references to Arretans and the blood of revenge that requires shedding.  Another word repeated often was ‘Ashv’cezh.’  The transport captain also reported that word to you, sir.”

Ambrose groused, “The meaning remains the same. ‘Revenge worse than death,’ and it spooked the transport captain enough for him to take off running into space.”

The science chief returned to her report, “Atega took a closer look when she came back from Dozaria with her own messages.  It took us some time to put it all together.  We have a theory.”

T’saath pointed out, “It is not a theory I support, Captain.  It is not logical.”

Harris stared at her for a moment.  “Commander, it may not be logical, but it is better than the significant lack of logical explanations available to explain this scenario.  Do you have a logical explanation for the evidence, scans, reports, and data they’ve gathered?”

The XO remained placid and glanced at her commanding officer.  He was right.  Logic wasn’t answering the questions.  “Not at this time, sir.”

Harris returned his attention to Fowler and motioned for her to continue, “We think the temple wasn’t a temple at all and that the Arretans that were there as a punishment or a prison of some kind.  We’re unsure if it was just the Arretans that were secured, as there hasn’t been evidence to discern what was taken.  A further theory suggests there may be more…things that were released by the Palasa in their exploration.  That one would require on-site investigation.”

Ambrose sighed, “Do we know what connection the Blood Dilithium shares with the…alleged Arretans?”

Fowler glanced at the XO and back to her CO. “We have a theory.”  Harris leaned back in his chair to listen.  She started with, “We think the Arratans may have transferred someone or something into regular dilithium…but how it managed to get all the power and characteristics, it has now…that we’re still trying to work out.  Chief Katsumi’s got her team examining the data downstairs, but they’re as confused as we are.  The truth is that the Jade stuff could be connected to the Arretans…but it could also be connected to whatever else was being held in this prison place.  We’ve reached out to Vulcan High Command and the Vulcan Science Academy…but I’m not confident they’ll know either.  The language in use is ancient by most Vulcan standards.  If records were kept about this place…I’m not sure they’d have survived this long.”

Harris thought in the silence that followed.  They had few choices on the table, and none of them were favorable.  “I suspect your recommendation is to continue looking and investigating around us and deeper into the Expanse.”

Sadie wished she had better news.  She wished they could go home if she were honest.  She instead answered with, “You are correct, sir.  We only have so many variables and data points to manipulate and examine through our various systems.  The computer’s pretty hesitant to even run a scenario given what we know – it runs the gamut of just a simple answer to the end of the galaxy and reality itself.  It’s not a pretty spectrum of predictions at the moment.”

Ambrose turned to T’saath.  “Commander, your recommendations?”

The Vulcan looked at her captain and then at the others in the room.  It was unavoidable, and it lacked logical and rational explanations.  “Lieutenant Fowler is right.  Without further data, we’re unable to make a logical and informed conclusion.  I recommend we continue our search but with a heightened awareness of our surroundings.”

Harris stood from the table, “Then let’s get going.  Commander, have Mr. Prentice set us on a course for this planet where Palasa did what they did.  Yellow alert and careful as we go.”

She gave a nod and headed for the door but stopped and turned to ask, “And of Gul Hasara?”

He sighed, “Almost forgot about him.  Bring him to my ready room.  The three of us are going to need to figure out how we’re all going to work together.”  The room was soon empty, and he found the large windows and leaned up against them, staring into the darkness of space.

Strange new worlds, indeed.

“I’ve never trusted the Union, Captain.  To be honest, that feeling is mutual.  I remain exceptional at my previous and current duties – which would threaten a great many of my fellow Cardassians back home.”  He lifted his glass of dark liquid, “To getting as far from them as possible.”

Harris raised his glass, “Dozaria Prime was intentional.  It served your purpose as much as it served theirs – they knew you would handle the business of the sector professionally, and they’d have less to worry about with you kicking around out there.”

The tall and broad-shouldered Cardassian chuckled with a deep chortle, “I don’t think I’ve ever been referred to as ‘a professional’, Captain Harris.  I will admit it does please me.”  He faced T’saath, “I envy you, Commander.  We Cardassians are far too wrapped up in our emotions, grudges, and egos to see what is possible.”

T’saath met his gaze, a mild frown passing across her face before she returned to her placid expression.  “You’ve lived a long time, Gul Hasara.  Time can be the greatest teacher for many who ignore the path of logic.”

He chuckled dryly this time, “Time is a teacher, certainly.  Usually, it is together with painful and challenging results that can direct a path differently…if one is open to the need for change.  You have no doubt studied Cardassians as a part of your Vulcan career.  We are less likely to listen and more likely to use blunt force to have our way.” She indicated with a slight nod his suggestion.  He turned his attention back to Harris, “I will need to report regularly back to the Union.  I do not intend to give them much of the truth.”  He downed the remainder of his drink, “I suspect that there are elements within the Union that are sympathetic to the Palasa Syndicate.  Since we last met, I have been investigating that theory and have made surprisingly slow progress.”

Ambrose leaned forward on the couch, “That doesn’t sound good.”

Hasara sighed; the smile had faded from his lips, “They’ve sent many of my contemporaries out on patrol duties away from the border and deeper into Union space or off in the direction of Deep Space 47.  I have spoken to most of them.  Their concerns grow with the hours and days.”

It was T’saath’s turn to lean forward, “Gul Hasara…is there anything you can tell us about this…situation we find ourselves investigating?”

A shrug, “Palasa swallowed up most of the other operators in the Expanse.  A few independent operators have been moving farther away from the expanse or giving up entirely.  I’ve had reports of a few turning themselves into Starfleet out of fear of what’s out here.”

Harris sourly evaluated their situation, “We’re going to have to get to that planet and investigate what happened.  Until we know what we’re really facing, I don’t think it would be a good idea to try and go up against anything that’s showing signs or symptoms.”  T’saath gave a nod, and Hasara shrugged as he stood.

“I will return to my quarters to rest. There is much work to be done, and I will need to be ready.”  He stopped at the door, “I view you as an ally, Captain Harris.  I know my people are prickly at the best of times…but I’ve seen you be a credit to your creed.  Good night.”  The door closed behind him.

T’saath stared at the door, “Permission to speak freely, sir?”

“Always, commander.”

“We are placing this ship, its crew, and our guest at a high probability of danger, sir.  It is inadvisable for us to continue without further assistance.”

Harris refilled his glass, “Is that by Vulcan Expeditionary standards or Starfleet regulations?  The Mackenzie can hold her own.”

She tore her eyes from the door and settled back on her captain.  “Sir, it is not the Mackenzie that concerns me.  It is the crew.  And me.”  She stood and paced the small ready room slowly, finding the words to speak, “I could not identify what I experienced on the ship until recently.”  She stopped and turned to face him, “It spoke to me, sir.  By name.  It told me that I would be the vessel in which it would take back what was stolen and that I would be its instrument of vengeance – the right hand of fury and the left hand of rage.”  She resumed pacing, “It was so clear in my head…and I was several decks away from the phenomenon.” 

Ambrose remained where he was perched, “You retained control?”  He had many questions, but the important ones came first.

She didn’t respond initially, and he repeated his question with more force, and she nodded absentmindedly.  T’saath stopped her pacing, “It is well documented the Vulcan need for emotional control and the adoption of logic as well as mediation, IDIC and all of our ceremonies.  We spend our lifetimes exercising extraordinary control over it.”  Her pacing resumed again: “In those moments when it spoke to me…I could sense the euphoric freedom that it was experiencing…or had experienced in being free from that control.  That it wanted me to taste the sweet relief that comes with releasing the control.”  She sat down on the couch and locked her eyes with her captain; an unusual look of uncertainty splayed across her face, “Captain, I am forty Earth years old…I have never experienced such a thing in my time…and have not heard or read of such things in quite some time.”

Harris sighed, “It reminds me of Sybok and groups like him.  It never ends well.  Are you able to continue your duties and responsibilities, Commander?”

A brief nod, “At this time, yes.  I would like to request that I be evaluated by Doctor Reid in order to understand what is happening from a medical perspective…we may need to include Lieutenant Fowler as well.”

“That’s acceptable, Commander.  What’s your evaluation of her?  Chief Fowler?”

“She’s a capable science officer who is working to be the Chief of Science that the Mackenzie needs.  May I pursue my medical exam?”

Ambrose thought to ask another question but held it back as he dismissed her.  There was still much to be understood, and they were a few days from the planet that had started all this.  What lay ahead and what followed behind them remained a mystery.

 A stark landscape marked by scattered elongated towers across a grey and rough ground.  The distant sun glowed through the clouds, casting amorphous shadows that lay menacingly on the ground. T'saath stood on the firm surface.  This wasn't a listless moon.  This was a place that had seen life.  She worked her tricorder over the surface.  The New Atlantic runabout's sensors had detected some kind of underground network of either tunnels or structures - it wasn't able to get a complete lock.  They had circled the large moon in the runabout using every variation of sensor scan to get a better idea of what the moon held.  The Mackenzie's initial scan on arrival had been bounced back, and the transporters were useless.  She read what the tricorder was telling her.  It was hardly logical.  Multiple power sources?  What had this place been?

“Commander, we're mapping an extensive underground structure.”  Science Chief Sadie Fowler worked with her team and their scanning devices and sensor pack collection across the surface.  “We're thinking this moon isn't man-made, but it was made to be whatever it was…or is.”  She shook her head, “Each spire has a sensor network connecting it to the moon's interior.  Whoever made this put a lot of thought into it.”

T'saath glanced at their engineering teams led by Assistant Chief Moore.  Greer had shown a drive and passion for discovering the truth about this place, and engineers' natural curiosity gave the team their best chance of successfully identifying the original use of this place and what had gone wrong recently.  Greer stalked carefully with her engineering crew with their various scanners, detectors, and engineering sensors towards the closest spire.  As she walked, she frowned, “You hear that now?”  They stopped.  There was a resounding low thrumming sound that muttered just below their feet.  She cocked her head to the side but motioned them onwards as the sound grew incrementally as they walked closer and closer to the spire until it became clear it was coming from the towering statue.  They walked around the base and measured it to be four hundred feet in circumference.  it was an incredibly massive creation that seemed to stretch far beyond understanding.  The calculations in the runabout had put it at nearly 5,000 feet, and they were at a loss as to how it managed to stay standing…or any of them, for that matter.  They counted fifty of the spires across the planet, each shape and size the same.

“Lieutenant, I think I found a door.” One of the ensigns was scanning a discolored portion of the facade, and the tricorder was beeping erratically.  “The space behind this is hollow.”  

Greer walked up to it and felt around with her hands cautiously but carefully, “It's warmer than the rest of it.  Figuring out how to open the damn thing…that's the trick.” T'saath walked up and surveyed the space, and Moore gave her a glance, “I'm sure it's harder, but maybe the Old or High Vulcan might work to open it?”

The Vulcan XO stepped close and put her hand on the space.  Suddenly there was a rumble beneath them, and a holographic image of a young man flickered into view.  It spoke in an Old Vulcan language. T'saath quickly reworked the universal translator, and the voice filtered into understanding, “…you have come at last.  The alarms have been going on for quite some time.  I am unable to discern the conditions within The Island and will require your assistance, Vulcansah.”

She stared at him, “I am called T'saath…who are…were you called?”

An odd look crossed the man's features, “You…do not know me?”  He looked around, noticing the rest of the crew for the first time, “Who are these…akansu k’shatrisu?”

She glanced to the others, “He means outsiders…aliens and off-worlders.  He's putting two phrases together.”  She turned back to him and spoke in Vulcan, “What do you call them that?”

The man stared at her and straightened his stance, “You appear Vulcansah, but you do not know who I am.  You associate with…them.  Who are you, and why do you come to The Island?”  T'saath let out an uncharacteristic sigh and explained who they were, why they were here, and what little they knew of the place.  The man listened patiently, his eyebrows raising and lowering as the story was told, and as it ended, he let out a holographic sigh, “It is the year 2400?  I fear our inner computers have faulted.  Allow me a moment.” He closed his eyes, and a rumble underneath them soon settled.  He opened his eyes, and the once-young figure transformed into an elderly figure with glasses and a wrangled staff to support his now-foundered gait.  He regarded them, a sad smile having replaced his placid appearance moments ago, “I am Sokassia.  Welcome to The Island of the Damned.”  He gestured to the world around them, “This is where we placed the worst and darkest secrets under the care of the Protectors.”  He looked up at the spire, “There are fifty of them.”  He shook his head, “At least…they were…until someone deactivated them recently.  I do not know how they managed it, but they did.”  He shrugged at T'saath, “She looks like our people, the Vulcansah…but I do not sense her power has developed…or that it is hiding.”  He shifted closer to her and narrowed his eyes, “My sensors only detect so much these days…but I do not think you are Vulcansah.  A pity.  I had hoped you could help us.”

Fowler spoke up, “Sokassia…what makes you think we can't help you?”

He chuckled deeply, “My sensors may not be as strong as they used to be…but even as a group, your inferiority is staggering.  This pretender may be of minimal help, but I do not detect the required superior intellectual ability within any of you.”

Greer and Fowler laughed out loud and covered their mouths quickly.  Sokassia regarded them with annoyance, and Sadie shook her head, “I think that's the first time I've ever heard someone refer to a Vulcan as lacking superior intellect.”

The shimmering hologram stared at her, “Vulcan?  What is this… Vulcan?"  T'saath patiently explained a brief history of her people, the Romulans, her planet, and a short list of Vulcan practices.  Sokassia shook his head and nodded it intermittently until she had finished.  He gave her a look over, “Some of this history and practice you speak of rings familiar to us.” He considered a moment longer, “You may yet be useful to this situation.”

The Commander held firm, “My crew comes with me.”

He glanced at them with a look of indifference, “I doubt they will be of any help, but they may tag along to observe the classical intellect of superior beings.  Perhaps they will learn something.”

The human crew stared at him, muted in fury at the direction of their XO, who hoped she wouldn't have to prevent any of them from murdering their host.  They each stepped through the open door and into the dimly lit hall.

“So they told us not to approach or go to the surface, but they cannot tell us why.”  Harris stood beside the communications station.  Presley Atega had finished her report on the message that had come from Vulcan.  It had been short on details and long on warnings.

She glanced at the message as it scrolled on her monitor, “Vulcans aren’t known to lie.  The truth is probably that they don’t know what’s down there, or why…but that it’s probably nothing good.”  She shrugged, “They could also be working to find someone who knows or at least has heard of the place.  It’s an ancient place.”

Ambrose groused, “The message came a little late.  Would they send someone to check on us?”

Presley thought about it.  Discoveries were made across the universe that altered historical records for many alien races.  Vulcans were known to be fastidious about researching newly discovered historical ruins.  Whatever lay below was something larger and unknown.  She glanced at the scrolling message and then to her captain, “I think there’s a pretty good chance, even out here.  With as little as we have to go on, there’s still plenty of unknowns with the Jade Dilithium and whatever’s happening with the Palasa.”

Harris sighed, “Keep an eye out for whoever they send us.  How’s our sensor sweep going?”

She tapped at her console, “That’s the interesting part, sir.  We’ve been refining our scans for the sector, and several items of interest have popped up.”  She pointed them out as she worked through the growing list, “One is a transport shipwreck just over here.  Ship records identify here as a Miranda Class variant – pretty beat up.  Another is this,” she oriented the screen to show a similar aging ship with a familiar profile.

The CO leaned in, “Is that a Constitution-class starship?”

“It is.  Sensors are unable to determine her registry, and she’s pretty much in the same condition as the Miranda.  Other wrecks are starting to resolve in this sector – most of which transport ships and the like.  Those two are interesting.”

Ambrose wondered, “This is starting to feel like a graveyard of some kind.  Whatever happened recently didn’t have anything to do with what you’re finding.  What if this has happened before?  Or something similar?”

She tapped at the console, “We’d have to get closer to the wrecks to get a better picture, but whatever it was was catastrophic.  Those ships didn’t stand a chance – and it probably happened quickly and without much warning.”

The CO turned to look at the screen and the planetoid that filled it.  “What if these were victims of the planet’s defense system?  We approached and had no issue.  Whoever came here before us and started all this must have either faced it or found a way to stop it.  None of those ships are remotely close to any orbit position…they’re scattered all around.”  He returned to the console, “Plot out what you can on where they are.”

Atega went to work, and soon the screen revealed an updated map.  “If we extrapolate their positions and estimate their previous course with some guesswork….”  The computer trilled a few minutes later, and she gave her CO a nod, “This is heavy on guesswork, sir, but their positions suggest that they had just arrived in the system and made it just far enough to be targeted by…whatever it was that took them all out.  They wouldn’t have had time to scan for other wrecks or even put two and two together….they would have been attacked quickly.”

Ambrose shook his head, “They would have died…and died fast.  The other transport ships make sense.  They lost enough of them just to stop coming this way, probably.  Or they didn’t care about whoever ended up out this far from anyone. The Constitution and Miranda classes are outliers.  Someone would have come looking for them…at least the Constitution.”  He turned to the helm officer, “Get us a gentle intercept course on the Constitution class ship.  Shields up.”  He pointed at the screen, “Let’s see what we can find.”

The Mackenzie slid away from orbit and thundered closer to the wrecked ship that evoked an earlier time in Starfleet.  Harris watched carefully as they drew closer.  Atega tapped at her console for a moment and drew in her breath, “Sir. I think I know why these two ships were out here.”  She keyed in the camera controls, and the saucer of the Constitution-class ship appeared on the screen, zoomed.

Harris gasped as the rest of the bridge crew made the connection.  He read out the name, “ISS Montana.”  He turned to Atega, who worked the camera to the Miranda-class ship.  “ISS Billings.”

Presley turned, her face stricken.  “Those are…mirror universe ships?”

Ambrose nodded quietly, “This situation just gets better and better.  Get us back to orbit.  Have another away team prepped for launch, just in case.”  The Mackenzie angled back to the planetoid as the bridge crew began to wonder what they had stumbled onto in the far reaches of the expanse.

The holographic Sokassia led them through the doorway and down a sloping pathway into a cavernous room with an array of consoles of various colors inlaid against the walls and massive screens all around.  He shuffled forward with his cane and tapped at one of the center consoles, “The entirety of the facility holds 5,028 items in stasis.  We recently experienced a loss of eight of those items and a complete shutdown of our planetary defense systems.  Our sensors have been impacted as well.”

T’saath scanned the massive screens throughout the room, “The eight items that were lost…they were stolen, correct?”

A nod, “Five of them were imprisoned Arretans.  Two of them were weapons devised by the Arretans, and the last was a unique blend of dilithium unrelated to the Arretans.”

Fowler was moving across the banks of consoles, scanning as she went, “Why can’t you repair the systems yourselves?”

The Vulcansah flickered in answer to her, “We can interact with the consoles as a part of our programming, but that is the extent of our abilities.  We can only go so far topside.  The observational tools used to verify the condition of the various rooms and facilities were damaged in the attack by the previous invaders.  I can only see half of the Island.”

Greer felt the unsettling thought rattle around in her mind, and she formed it into a question, “You said ‘objects’ in stasis.  By objects…what do you mean?”

He stared at her and rolled his eyes, “Your primitive language translation is rudimentary, at best.  Objects in our language mean animal, plant, alien, mirror alien, and various samples of minerals.”

T’saath snapped to face him, “Explain the term mirror alien.”

Sokassia rolled his eyes again, “It is what your crew in your shop has discovered.  They have been trying to reach you through your primitive communications.  Let me clear the disruption.”

A moment later, all of their communication badges beeped with voices, and the XO held up her hand, “I will answer.  Commander T’saath here.”

=^=Commander, Captain Harris here.  Good to hear your voice.  We’ve come across a small ship graveyard up here…and two of the ships are coming back as Mirror Universe ships.=^=

She replied, “Our host has confirmed that several items in stasis here are what he calls ‘mirror aliens.’  Current estimates from the caretaker run over 5,000 items – living and otherwise- stored here.”  She explained the hologram of Sokassia and what additional details they had learned from him.  For his part, he remained silent, observing.  Harris explained the Vulcan’s warning and the possibility of someone being sent.  “I’m sure they will dispatch someone to investigate.  It will take them some time to assemble a team.” She glanced at the hologram, “We know what was stolen, but the facility is not fully operational with sensors or defensive operations.  I believe we might learn more by assisting with repairs and investigating the site of the thefts.”  She asked Sokassia, “Would this be agreeable to you?”

He shrugged, “I do not imagine you’ll be able to understand the systems and mechanics involved, but you are welcome to try.  I can attempt to teach you, but it will be slow going.”

There was a pregnant pause on the other end, and her CO responded at last, =^=We’ve got an additional runabout crew ready.  We’ll have them depart and get the engineering teams assembled to come down in additional shuttles.  Lieutenant Greer, I’m sending Chief Katsumi to assist.  Harris out.=^=

T’saath returned to the hologram, “I will assign our engineering teams to you.  Can you identify where in the facility the thefts occurred?”

Fowler was doing her best to keep up with the Vulcan executive officer.  There was a certain tension within T’saath that she couldn’t quite identify – it had begun when the hologram revealed who he was and what the planet was – something had shifted in the XO.  The science team doggedly followed behind.  They took several turns, a lift, and another stairwell, until they arrived in a cavernous open space lit up and very empty.  Spaces on the floor were marked where items had sat while dust and debris had collected over the years.  The commander directed them to spread out and begin to investigate.  Sadie slipped out her tricorder and began to check out the larger spaces and the identifier assigned to each.  It was a slow process of scanning the text, translating it step by step, and inspecting each word to ensure the translation was correct and complete.  It took her and the team an hour, and as they finished, she motioned to the commander, “I’ve got a list of names.”  She sent her data to the XO’s PADD and ran down the list.

“Sargon was one of the originals that Captain Kirk and his crew experienced.  According to these records, Sargon had a son, Rimush.  A rebellious son, he was cut off from the family and exiled.  At some point, he married Tashlu.  In addition to the son, Sargon had another son, Manish, and a sister, Ehed.  The records suggest they did not marry.  The fifth is an interesting one.  His name was Shu, and he is classified as the protector of them all.  The writing on his tag is different from the others.  I would need to access the Island’s computer banks to investigate further why these five were imprisoned here and what kind of abilities they may have had.”

T’saath gave a quiet nod, and Fowler sent her team to the next chamber where the dilithium had been taken.  She slowly packed up her equipment, hoping the commander would say something…anything to help explain this mystery.  Finally, the Chief Science Officer broke the silence, “Commander…I know we don’t know each other well yet…but I…,” she thought of the best word to use, “…feel compelled to ask you how you’re doing.”

The Vulcan turned slowly to face the question, “Compelled?”

Fowler swallowed hard under the gaze of her superior officer and gamely attempted to explain, “We…hm.  Humans have a lot of reflexes built into us physically.”

T’saath put a hand up, “I am aware of human physiology.”

Fowler nodded quickly, “Wasn’t suggesting you weren’t, commander.  I was going to also connect those reflexes to human emotions – that we feel pushed…or compelled to ask about how someone is doing when they’re dealing with something.  I’ve studied Vulcans enough to know that while you are the champions at controlling your emotions and exerting power over them…it’s the stuff that comes out of the corners of life that can…hm…surprise isn’t the right word…startle?  Affect.  That can affect even the strongest Vulcan.”

The XO eyed her carefully, remaining quiet as Sadie explained.  A moment more of uneasy silence held between them.  Then she answered, her tone slightly softer, “It is a unique position to be in…standing in what would appear to be a site of Vulcan origin…but not have any idea about this place, its purpose, or even its existence.”  She searched the cavernous room for answers, clues, or anything that would bring clarity to the fog that seemed to surround her on all sides.  “He referred to the people he knew as Vulcanseh.  Vulcan history is a long and laborious tale.  How the Vulcanseh ended up here and how this place came to be – will take years of archeological research to complete and verify.”  Her eyes returned to Fowler, “We are a patient people, Lieutenant.  Our logic drives us to, as humans would way, take the long way home…or take the scenic route.”  She shook her head, “Yet I cannot deny my innate desire to have an answer before we return to search for what still waits for us in the expanse and its connection to this place.”  She gestured to the equipment, “We are so vastly different in so many ways, and yet in the simplest of things…we share the same desires from time to time.  Shall we continue to the next chamber?”

Fowler nodded mutely as the XO picked up her share of the equipment and walked away and onwards.  She stood there feeling as if something had changed between them at that moment.  That they had a shared story.  She smiled to herself as she followed the XO.  Vulcans were full of surprises.

“It’s slow, and Sokassia hasn’t been very encouraging, but we’re managing to get systems online piece by piece.”

Captain Harris replied over the channel = ^=That’s good to hear.  We’re able to use our sensors a little bit better each time - feels like he’s opening up the curtain=^=

Okada felt a snappy reply die in her throat as she found better words, “We’re working on getting a better idea of how long this will take.  We’ll report in another hour.”  The channel closed, and the chief engineer sighed deeply, “I’m starting to suspect we will be here awhile.  Whatever’s still here needs securing, and the only way to confirm that is to get all the systems back up again.”

Kondo worked on his PADD as he communicated with various security teams working in the underground facility.  He glanced up with a weary smile, “Job security, Chief…job security.  I’d rather be working on this than wandering around trying to understand whatever they released.  This I can put my hands on and shoot.  Out there - I have no idea what I’m dealing with.”

The commander chuckled, “You’d rather be able to punch and shoot it than scan and pray?”  He gave her a thumbs-up sign, and they shared a laugh.  The moment was broken by blasts of some kind farther down the causeway.  Kondo’s badge sprang to life.

=^=We’re under fire!  Heavy weapons fire in area BD2!  Requesting assistance!=^=  Kondo took off without a word as Chief Katsumi snagged her equipment and followed him apace.  Her engineering teams were spread out, but she knew one of them was near the area they’d shouted out in the report.  The sounds of weapons discharge increased as they drew closer to the area.  

Kondo slid to the side of one of his officers, “Report.”

The man dodged a phaser shot, “I think we found the mirror universe people.  They’ve managed to secure the armory for their weapons and are pushing back against our line.”  He nodded at the PADD on the ground, which De La Fontaine picked up as he continued, “We’ve got them contained in their primary location - but if they managed to overrun us, they’d be loose on this station, and we haven’t even figured out what else they can get their hands on.”  He checked the corner and let off several blasts from his phaser rifle, “We need more support.”

Kondo tapped his commbadge and stepped away for a moment.  Katsumi stepped up and used her phaser to help provide cover as the firepower increased.  A moment later, he was back.  “They’re on their way.”  

The officer gave him a look, “How many, sir?”

Kondo smiled quietly, “All of them.”

“How did they nearly escape?”  Katsumi sat at a table they had set up in one of the many foyer areas spread across the underground base as Commander T'saath asked the question as she was reading the preliminary report.  Three security officers had been injured in the attack, but they’d managed to push the combatants back into the dead end of the area they had originally been placed.

Okada looked up from her PADD that she was working on managing the engineering department swarming over the intermittent station.  “Whatever the attackers did originally to disable the security devices on the surface, it had a cascading effect throughout the Island.  Containment, stasis, and security failed in certain areas.  The mirror universe crew had been placed in stasis.  Wonder all you want about the Vulcansah, but at least they weren’t killers.”

T’saath glanced up, “They share that quality with us.  It is, however, their adherence to this cultural item that has placed us in this unique circumstance.”  She tapped her PADD, “Your engineers are to be commended, Commander.  They’ve managed to find a way to interface with most of The Island's systems in order to get full blueprints of the base.”

The chief engineer let silence hold for a moment before she asked, “Do you believe him when he says the Vulcansah is superior to all beings…including yourself?”

A frown from the XO as she caught the eye of the chief, “You are suggesting that somehow Sokassia’s hubris and exaggerated sense of importance has blinded him to reality?”

Okada wasn’t sure what to say.  There were moments when Vulcan’s perception was spot on.  This was one of those times.  “I think he got high on his own supply, Commander.”  A curious look required her to explain further, “We studied plenty of things in my engineering classes…one thing they focused on was becoming a silo - isolating yourself against outside ideas, outside solutions and trying to go at it on your own.  Any engineer worth their salt…I mean - if they know what they’re doing…would know never to think you know everything.  Engineers, specifically, are collaborative creatures.  We work together to diagnose a problem.  We work together to fix our ship.”  She gestured to the station around them, “The Vulcansah probably were the best at what they did back when this was built, and they did what they did here.”

T’saath picked up her thinking, “You are suggesting that time has passed…and that any value they assign to their superior talents and abilities is grossly misstated.”

The chief engineer replied, “I wouldn’t go so far as ‘grossly’, commander.  I’m sure the longer we work on this we’ll figure out when this place was left to its own devices.  Given how Sokassia’s avatar aged once he found out the correct year…I suspect we’re looking at hundreds of years at a minimum.”

The XO shook her head, “Given my knowledge of Vulcan history and the computer’s extensive database, I would approximate a longer time, Commander Katsumi.  Whatever happened to the Vulcansah people is not recorded or taught in current Vulcan history.”  She glanced at the map, “The more we explore, the more we will find.  Given the history of both Vulcan and Human archeological discoveries…what we may find may not all be positive.”

=^=Chief Fowler to Commander T’saath.=^=  She tapped her badge and acknowledged the hail.  =^=We’ve worked our way through most of the lower levels.  The status and security systems are intact and powered.  I do need your assistance with some…ship identification, commander.=^=

T’saath glanced at Katsumi, who shrugged.  “Understood.  I will be there directly.”  She quickly departed, and the chief engineer was left to wonder what else was inside the station.

“This reads more like a museum than a prison.”  Captain Harris sat at the head of the briefing room table with his XO to his right and his Cardassian advisor to his left.  “This class of Romulan ship isn't in our databases.  The two Vulcansah ships you identified bear a resemblance to a Klingon Vulcan hybrid ship, while this fourth ship defies anything we've seen before.”  He glanced at the Gul, who was intently studying the photos and specifications of the fourth ship.  “Gul Hasara…?”

He was quiet for a moment, tracing the lines of the ship, his eyes wandering across the early drafts of the schematics, “This ship has the appearance of some of the early designs of Cardassia.  Ancient history to us in 2400…but it would reason to suggest that that ship is in part Cardassian.” He pointed to several items on the ship's design, “These are unfamiliar to me.  I do not think they are of native Cardassian design.  They have the appearance of….”

T'saath interrupted, “Early Vulcan designs.  Very early.”  She examined the items on her PADD, “Captain, I suspect there is more to the Vulcansah.  Our science teams have been working to examine the computer core for the Island and have extrapolated significant data and logs.  Lieutenant Fowler advised me of some preliminary results.  The Vulcansah appear to be what we think they are - ancestors to Vulcans.  However, growing evidence suggests they were involved with Romulans, Cardassians, and possibly even Klingons.”  She clarified, “A working theory from the science and engineering teams is that the anachronistic elements of Klingon design in the Vulcansah ships come from their observations of early Klingon designs.”

Harris held up a hand; his eyes widened at her revelation, “Commander - you're suggesting the Vulcansah other spied on or ran counter-intelligence operations on the Klingon Empire to adapt their designs to their ships?”

The XO gave a slow nod, “It may not be that simple, captain…but that is an approximate summary of our early findings.”

Ambrose shook his head in amazement, “That's going to take some work to unpack.  Update on our mirror universe friends?”

T'saath confirmed, “They are still being held in the secured area where they were in stasis.  There are 115 of them alive.  20 were killed in the initial attempt and resulting battle.  We've attempted to negotiate with them, but so far, they're returning our attempts with weapons fire.”  She tapped at her PADD, “Chief Kondo has drawn up several plans to address them.”

The CO read through them, “Runs the gamut from stun them with a massive blast or a bunch of stun grenades to outright killing them.  My preference is no death, but knocking out 115 humans is quite the ask.”  He continued down the report, “Status of the rest of the base?”

Hasara answered.  He had partnered with T'saath early in the day to assist with organizing the efforts with help from the operations chief, Calog Tir.  “The bottom section is secure and powered.  The middle section is halfway complete, with power returning to most areas.  The top section is a third explored while our power operations there have been hampered by the damage it took from the attack.” He tapped the PADD in front of him, “The underlying concern is the reactivation of the defense systems and the impact they will have on your ship and the crew.  Your chief engineer and chief operations officer are engaged in discussions with Sokassia around that subject.  They report it is slow going as his attitude remains…they use the words ‘aloof’, ‘pious’, and ‘arrogant’.  I know you will not follow my recommendation, but I would have long ignored this fool and done it my way."

Harris chuckled dryly, “You know me so well, Gul.  No, we've got to stay on his good side.  His ability to control the entirety of the Island is something we can't forget or ignore.  We know what the defense system is capable of - I don't want to be on the wrong side of it.”  He contemplated for a moment.  “Could we find a way to convince him to program the system to ignore the Mack specifically?  I can't imagine it would be that difficult.”

Hasara and T'saath exchanged glances before she answered, “It is entirely possible.  However, getting Sokassia to agree to such a thing…may be impossible.  His behavior and attitude suggest while he has been willing to be open to us repairing and using the Island's systems…that line may be drawn when we suggest altering the programming.  He is a holographic program, so proceeding carefully would be advised.”

“I was wondering about that,” he sighed.  “Have we been able to detect any living readings that suggest we've got a living Vulcansah on The Island somewhere?”

“I can't answer that question until we've fully explored the station itself.  There have been errant biologic readings as our teams have moved through the facility - both living and dead.”

Harris tapped his signature on the report, “Then I guess we better get to work.  Whatever escaped this place is still out there…and we're going to need to figure out how to deal with before we go searching for it.”

Hasara worked on the final list of reports that had come while keeping an eye on the Starfleet officer assigned to him.  She was called ‘Fowler,’ and her rank was lieutenant.  She was a quiet officer and had been silent since they'd started working an hour ago.  Her eyes told more than her lips ever did, he thought.  The growing list of what had been found on the remaining levels and areas was starting to clarify the picture from the Gul's perspective.  He wondered if Lieutenant Fowler was starting to understand what The Island was.

Sadie scrolled through the various reports and added them to the larger report she would file with the captain.  A curious pattern was forming with the recent explorations.  The teams found science labs of all types and storage units that suggested testing or growing operations.  The reports each confirmed they had asked Sokassia and he had either ignored them or told them they were mistaken in what they had found.  She leaned back in the chair, “Gul, I think Sokassia's lying to us.”

He replied, “Vulcans don't lie, Lieutenant.”

She observed dryly, “He's not Vulcan.  He's Vulcansah…and a hologram of one.  I think we have to  start assuming this isn't just a prison.”  She scrolled through her PADD and remarked on the laboratories.  “I think this place was used for experiments of some kind.  The equipment our teams cataloged and examined… isn't normal medical diagnostic stuff…this is higher level systems designed for bigger jobs than just a scan or two.”

Hasara gave her a nod, “I wondered when you would begin to see it.  There's something else you've missed.”  He scrolled through his own device until he found it, “Specimen 320.  Found behind several secured doors on the bottom level.”

She scrolled through the reports until she found what he was referencing.  She frowned as she read through the details several times.  “I don't know…wait.”  She looked at the images that had been captured during the search.  “That's…that's an El Aurian.”

Hasara gave a quiet nod, “…and if you think this place has been around for as long as it has…you have to wonder how long he's been around.”  He leaned forward, “I know you'll have to ask your captain…but I think we need to wake him up.  He may have an idea on how to deal with our hologram.”

Fowler countered, “He may also be a genocidal madman who would just as soon kill both of us in order to get out of this prison.”

The Gul grinned, “He sounds like a Cardassian.  I like him already.”  Fowler groaned as she tapped her badge.

“You have a name?”  Captain Harris stood on the bridge of the Mackenzie, the Gul, and Fowler on the screen.

Hasara tapped at his device, “We do, Captain. Henry Wyatt.”  Harris motioned to Atega at communications to start the search.  “We've completed a few more scans, albeit with Lieutenant Fowler's protests.”  The CO glanced up and caught the eye of the Chief Science Officer on the screen.

She sighed and glared at Hasara who impishly grinned.  “Sir, we don't know who this man is.  I'm sure we'll turn up some records in our systems, but there is no guarantee that any of it is truthful.  Given the nature of this place, I'm not sure this is a good choice.”

Ambrose considered her protest, “I can understand your concerns, Fowler…but generally, El Aurians have been peaceful watchers and listeners.”

She admitted, “Yes, sir.  But there have been examples of some of them going rogue and causing trouble enough to warrant some concern.  We've already nearly gotten ambushed by a mirror universe crew.”

Harris replied, “If we do this, we'll ensure a full security detail is assigned to the process.”  He turned as Atega spoke up from her station that she had some records.  “Go ahead.”

She scrolled as she read, “Henry Wyatt.  Alleged to have been born in 1800.  He's been in and out of historical events.  He was a Master Chief officer, but records are spotty.”  She tapped at her console, “He's still wanted for the theft of a Starfleet shuttle in 2290.  That's where his file ends.”

Harris mused, “600 years old.  Plenty of stories to be had in that time.  The problem is…what brought him to The Island in the first place?  I don't think a 2290's era shuttle would have survived the trip through the Badlands.”

Hasara appeared to contemplate that question as he posited, “There are two mirror universe shipwrecks here.  He could have become involved with them.”  He turned to an unamused Fowler, “You wanted a theory, Lieutenant.  As for why he was separate from the crews themselves, I haven't the faintest clue why.”

Fowler was ready to rebuke the Cardassian with some colorful language, but she paused and snapped her fingers, “The clue is the labs.  The Vulcansah are starting to look more and more like mad scientists than actual prison guards.  Wyatt would have represented a significant resource to them for all kinds of testing. They'd want to keep him separate and secured for future work.”

Ambrose paced the bridge as they spoke, and suddenly he realized what had been bothering him.  “Why aren't they testing now?  What stopped them?  Why do they keep this place online?”

Hasara raised his eyebrows and scoffed, “I…that is an excellent question, Captain.  The labs were reported to have not seen recent use.”  He turned to Fowler as if to ask a question and then turned back to the screen, “I have my suspicions about Sokassia, Captain.  I'd like your permission to enlist Lieutenant Fowler's help as well as Chief Kondo's.”

Harris glanced at Sadie on the screen, and she pursed her lips in thought before she sighed heavily, “I'm at a loss, sir.  As much as I hate saying it, Gul Hasara has a point.”  He beamed with a broad smile at her words, and she scowled at him as she continued, “We need to understand this place better, and we're only getting so far bumping around in the dark with our tricorders.”  She continued to scowl at the Cardassian, “I won't agree to this without Chief Kondo and a full team.”

Hasara put his hands up in mock surrender, “I am agreeable to the Lieutenant's requirements.  I simply wish to get to the truth.”

Ambrose let out a dry chuckle, “Well, we're going to find out what is going on - one way or another.  Fowler - get Chief Kondo and a team assigned to you.  Bring engineering and science with you.  Keep us updated.”  The two on the screen nodded as the channel cut.  Harris turned to the bridge, “Let's make sure we're ready for whatever Sokassia does if things get sticky.  Transporter locks, rescue shuttles…full possible responses at the ready. Trust is at a premium right now."  The bridge crew went to work.

T’saath walked at the side of the Cardassian, “You seem convinced you know what has occurred here.”

Hasara kept his focus forward as Chief Kondo and his team trailed him, and behind them, the science team walked at a distance.  “Something has been bothering me since I began to examine this…’Vulcansah’. There is no record of them in any database – Federation, Vulcan, Cardassian – those three represent a significant portion of the knowledge of the universe.  And yet this place and those within it are entirely unknown.  I suspect that these ‘Vulcansah’ are not really related to Vulcans in the sense we know.”  They turned a corner as he kept his purposeful walk moving, tracking the scans he had gathered from the various teams.  It took them another twenty minutes, but he found a corridor that ended in a dead end.  He smiled quietly, “Tricky bastard.”

Kondo sidled up next to him, “Gul?”

Hasara pointed to the wall ahead, “This facility doesn’t have many dead ends like this.  Most of them are on the lower floors.  None on the middle floors.  And none on the top floors where we are at this moment.  This leads me to believe there is something here.”  Fowler scrambled forward with her scanning crew and began to work at the wall.  Hasara turned to the security chief, “I may have to ask you to fire a phaser at that wall, Lieutenant.  I do not believe Sokassia is going to willingly give up his secrets.”

De La Fontaine looked at the brownstone wall and then to Hasara, “I’m not opposed to it.  We can’t know if Sokassia will react to our actions, however.”

The Cardassian pointed out, “I don’t think will be an issue.  When was the last time someone interacted with our friend the Vulcansah?”

Kondo pulled up his PADD and began to search through the various reports that had been filed throughout the day.  He shook his head, “No one’s seen him since around 1200 today.  That is…odd.”

Fowler returned from the wall, “You were right.  That is a hollow wall with plenty of room beyond and under it for something.  Sensors can’t quite make it out.”

Hasara turned back to Kondo, “Lieutenant, please shoot the door.”

They all moved back, and the security chief grouped two of his officers with him.  They increased the power of the weapons and took positions.  All three fired at a center point in the wall, and it exploded in dust, debris, and more dust.  It slowly cleared as Hasara came to the front and pointed with glee, “An entrance.  Mr. Kondo, can you escort me in case someone decides to take a shot at me?”

The group entered the opening and walked through a clearly defined corridor with lighting and errant consoles.  They turned several corners until they reached the top of a platform.  Stepping forward, they found themselves at the top of a cavern arrayed with archaic consoles, equipment, and more.  Long stairs took them down to the base level, where the decomposing body of a humanoid lay.  Medical leads and various connective devices were attached, but the displays all showed the same reading.  Dead.

Fowler sent her crew to the various levels of the cavern, and Kondo’s officers followed to ensure safety even as it was becoming apparent the threat level was minimal.  Hasara shook his head, amused, “This was Sokassia.”  He pointed to the various equipment attached to the old body, “He was running a holographic emitter from here.”  The Cardassian looked around and started to see ash piles and nearly decomposed bodies in the chairs on the base floor and above, “Sokassia was the last…but you can see there were others before.  This was once a prison – a place to keep the evil and the terrible from ever reaching out beyond this place.  But something happened.”  He motioned Fowler to a larger console, “See if you can access the logs and records.”

Sadie slid the chair with the dusty bones away and decided to stand as she went to work, “Right.  This is an old system.  First few years, the logs look pretty normal.  They received regular intakes from patrols…until those intakes stopped.”  She tapped further, “It looks like they were worried about what had happened to their deliveries, but the hails went unanswered.”  Another few clicks, “They started to worry about survival – they had a few ships, but none were capable of travel.”  She shook her head, “This is crazy.  They turned to their captives for…dear god.”

Hasara finished her sentence gravely, “Experiments.  It was as I feared.  They sought to combine the features of their prisoners into their own DNA to ensure a long life.”

Fowler spoke up from having dug further into the reports, “They used the defense system to draw in people in order to capture them – this was about halfway through their history, so 300 or so years ago, maybe?  Their measure of time is a bit…odd.  They started taking the ships they captured in order to find out what happened to their others.  According to this, they never did. But…they found everyone else.  Vulcans, Klingons, Romulans…and more.  They captured some and experimented on them all.”  She shook her head, “I can’t read the rest of this.”

The Cardassian stepped up to the console and whistled in appreciation, “These experiments are barbaric even by our standards.  They were attempting to continue their line, so this station might continue to operate for a thousand more years.  The El-Aurian was their final attempt…and it failed.  He wouldn’t help them, and they had nothing to threaten him with.”  He turned to T’saath, “I am sorry they were not who they said they were.”

The Vulcan XO considered the apology for a moment, “He said all the right things.  He held himself the way we would in our early…or even recent days.  I was fooled myself, even.”  A pause, “Who were they really then?”

Hasara glanced at the body, “Someone’s going to have to figure that out.  I don’t wish it to be us.”

Sadie stopped them, “Wait – if Sokassia is dead…what does that mean for this place?  The defense platforms?  The existing prisoners and artifacts?”

T’saath looked around, “There will an investigation.  Vulcans are already on their way…I believe Captain Harris will recommend a Starfleet team be dispatched to work the site, and given its closeness to Cardassian space…”

Hasara shook his head vehemently, “I will protest any idea of assigning me here in the loudest terms.  Absolutely not.”

T’saath cocked an eyebrow, “I will recommend you remain assigned to the Mackenie, Gul.  You are in invaluable source of information, resources, and guidance.  We will need that expertise in pursuit of the creatures that escaped here.”

The Cardassian regarded the Vulcan, “Your people do not lie, Commander.  You mean to tell me that you…mean that?”

Her face remained placid, “Interpret it how you will, Gul Hasara.”  She turned to Kondo, “Prepare Henry Wyatt for transfer to the Mackenzie sickbay.”  She caught a glance from Fowler, “Starfleet wants him.  It is our duty to remove him and process him in accordance with Starfleet regulations and judicial guidelines.”  Sadie opened her mouth to speak but closed it after thinking better of it.

Hasara glanced around, “Then are we able to leave this place and return to the comfort of space?”

T’saath gave him a nod, “You can return to the Mackenzie with me, Gul.  We have many reports to write.”

Hasara cursed in Cardassian.

=^=The USS Marion got underway late last night after your report and request.  This is a mess, Captain Harris.”  The Admiral on the screen was looking through the PADD report, =^=She’s a science ship with a dedicated science crew – they’re equipped for this and the additional diplomatic concerns that are going to spin off this thing.=^=

Ambrose sat in his ready room, agreeing, “The Vulcan ship Temerity is set to arrive in a few hours.  They’re staffed with a similar group.  We’ve gone ahead and stunned the group of Mirror Universe crew and returned them to stasis.  The power for the station has been restored – aside from the defense system.  Chief Okada managed to figure out how to disable it.”

=^=And how did she manage that, captain?=^=

“She unplugged it, sir.  Took her the better part of yesterday to trace back the wiring and cords, but she did it.  We recommend the entire system be disabled and possibly permanently deactivated to prevent further issues in the sector.”

The Admiral scoffed, impressed, =^=You’ve managed to do some pretty good work here, Harris.  And Henry Wyatt=^=

Ambrose sighed, “We’re working on bringing him out of stasis slowly.  Doctor Reid and her team have been involved in the process most of last night into this morning.  We’re confident he’ll come out OK.  You’re still going to want him?”

The Admiral shifted in his seat, =^=The matter of his theft is still unresolved, and the reason for his ending up there is also unknown.  We’d like you and your crew to interview him and see what you can find.  He may turn out to be more of an asset than a liability.=^=

Harris questioned, “Has something changed, sir?  Last we heard…,”

A nod, =^=We’ve been made aware of additional information regarding Mr. Wyatt.  We’re sending you the updated details, but needless to say, Master Chief Wyatt is more than we first concluded.  Once the Marion arrives, your orders are to pursue and investigate the missing prisoners.  Godspeed and good hunting.=^=  The channel clicked shut, and Harris sat in the silence of his ready room.

He stood and walked slowly through to the bridge.  He sat gently down in his chair and mused to himself.  Whatever they had found out about Wyatt had been enough to put off his returning to Starfleet Security custody.  His badge beeped to life, =^=Reid to Harris, our patient is awake.=^=

He walked into sickbay and got the nod from his girlfriend and chief medical officer.  He noticed the security presence first and gave Reid a glance, and she shrugged it off.  He pulled a stool and wheeled up the edge of the biobed, and drew close.  Wyatt was older, and his eyes fluttered behind heavy glasses.  His breathing was labored, and Jordan signaled that she was working on it.  His voice was scratchy at first but began to warm as he spoke, “I would stand to attention,  Captain, but I’m not quite feeling it.”  He smiled wanly, his face echoing his pain.

Harris returned the smile, “Understandable, Master Chief.  You’re onboard the Federation starship USS Mackenzie.  I’m Captain Ambrose Harris.  This may come as a shock, but the year is 2400.”

The El-Aurian grimaced, “I wondered how long they had kept me sleeping.”  He blinked his eyes a few times, “It’s been some time since I breathed the air  It smelled different…time is a funny little thing.”  He turned his eyes to Harris, “I can only hope the people of that wretched prison haven’t sold you their story.”  Harris felt as if the man should have reacted more to the loss of time, but in his limited research about El-Aurians, he’d found they looked at many things differently.

“They’re all dead, Master Chief. The last one died yesterday.  The true purpose of the facility became clear to us.”  Harris waited a beat, then asked, “How did you come to be a part of their collection?”

Wyatt grimaced at his easing discomfort.  “It was not known that I was an El-Aurian at first.  Once they discovered the truth, they wanted to test me and figure out what made me tick.  This wasn’t Starfleet Command, but it was the ship I served on – I was a medical mystery, and they wanted to study me.  My mistake for putting myself on a science ship, I suppose.  I stole a shuttle and came under fire.  Somehow, I took it to warp…and I ended up in the Mirror Universe.  Got picked up by the ships you probably found in orbit.  They just wanted a way to come to our universe.  They worked me over.  I’m not proud of what I did.”  He accepted some water from Reid before continuing, “Lucky break for me; my calculations took us far from Earth and put us on the doorstep of The Island.  The rest…well, the rest is history.”

Reid checked his scans, “He’s recovering, but I’m going to need to monitor him for another 24 hours, sir.”

Ambrose nodded as he stood, “Starfleet has put on hold our transfer of you to Starfleet Security.  They think you can help us with what we’re chasing.”

Henry sighed in relief, “I’ll do whatever I can, Captain Harris.  You have my word.”

Reid followed her CO into her office and closed the door, “You believe him?”

A shrug, “We’ll have to get confirmation from the crews that’ll take The Island’s computer logs apart, but I think he’s telling the truth.  He’s been a captive, tested, operated on, and abused in terrible ways.  The Mackenzie might be the safest place he’s been in a very long time.”

Jordan gave a nod, “Fair enough, Ambrose. Dinner tonight?”  A nod with a smile, and he was back out the door, headed to the bridge.  She watched him leave.  There was such a deep heart of care in him. She was sure he was as close to The One as she was going to get.  The question was – did he feel the same way?

“What do you think, Captain?”  Chief Okada stood on the bridge as her team of engineers finished with the last modifications to the room.

Harris glanced at the consoles that were now placed with the two chairs on either side of the command chair, along with the bluer carpet and adjusted lighting.  It was more than he expected and yet felt just right.  “Well done, Okada.  She looks great.”  The Chief Engineer gave a brief bow and led her crew to the turbolift as the bridge crew took their stations.  Harris slipped into the chair.  It still felt like the same chair.  There was something to be said for a chair that just felt…right.

A turbolift door opened, and Gul Hasara stepped out, frowning just enough to look concerned but not enough to appear menacing.  It was a delicate line for a Cardassian, he had discovered.  “Captain Harris, permission to step aboard?”

Ambrose gestured for him to come to the seat to his left, “Permission granted, Gul.  Welcome.”  As he sat, Harris briefed him quickly.  The Marion had arrived moments ago and had begun working with the Vulcan ship Temerity on arrangements for the investigation.  Harris had spoken briefly with both captains.  “They’re ready for us to leave, and I think we’re just about there ourselves.”

The turbolift door opened once more, and T’saath stepped through, walking to sit to the ride of her commanding officer.  She handed Harris her PADD, “All departments report ready for departure.”

Ambrose accepted the report and gave it a quick glance.  It was as detailed and exhaustive as her reports tended.  “We look ready and able.  Tir, set us at yellow alert.  Prentice, set course for our first waypoint – maximum warp.  Get us our way when ready.”

“You seem nervous, Captain.”  Gul Hasra sat on the couch under the expansive windows in the ready room as Harris worked through the sensor reports that were being sent to him every half hour.

“You never had a problem saying what was on your mind, Gul.”  The Cardassian did his best shrug, and Ambrose sat back in his desk chair, “I’ve been thinking about these Arretans.  The power they have and the things they can do – I’m not sure we can beat them…or even stand a chance at taking them down.”

Hasara leaned forward on the couch, “How did your Starfleet handle them before?” Ambrose explained how Kirk’s Enterprise had encountered them before and the extreme challenge the Arretans at the time had presented – it had taken a great amount of guile and ingenuity to force the creatures into oblivion eventually. After a moment of reflecting on the story, the Gul wondered, “Do these creatures know the fate of their parents and relations?  They’ve been here so long – they were probably caged here long before the others encountered Kirk.”

Ambrose stared at the Cardassian, “I don’t think telling them their parents are dead is going to help things.”

A shrug from Hasara, “Our methods differ.” Harris moved to attempt a rebuke of the Cardassian but was interrupted as the door opened.

T’saath stepped into the room, “Captain, we’ve got a communications signal coming from the planet Palasa identified.”  She handed a PADD to him and remained standing, avoiding the curious stare from Hasara.  

Harris read through the message and shook his head. “They’re not serious.  They can’t be.  The complete surrender of the Palasa Group followed by the Cardassians and then the Breen.”  He tossed the PADD to Hasara as he asked his XO, “Did they send this to anyone else?”

T’saath answered, “No, only to us.  It is curious.”  Harris motioned for her to continue, “They possess great power, but there is an element that’s missing – they don’t have the capability to wage a traditional war using what they have from Palasa.  A working theory that I support is they’re attempting to draw us out and in to take the Mackenzie and press her into service.  Possibly get us to bring others into their web of control.  If they were able to get significant numbers of Task Force 47 in their command…they’d have a chance with their power at doing what they’re saying they’ll do.”

Harris scoffed, “That’ll be the day.  This is madness.”  He turned to Hasara, “I’m unlikely to like a suggestion from your side of the room, but I’m open to at least hearing some.”

The Gul smiled slyly, “Your early interactions encountered this…Jade Dilithium?  I think our answer might be there.  Your Federation and a lot of others are still sorting out the Blood Dilithium effects and impacts.  They found a way to remove it.  Let’s pursue a similar path.”

T’saath spoke up, “I do not usually agree with Cardassians, sir…but Gul Hasara’s insight is logical.  The science teams are convinced the Jade Dilithium is being used as a control device.”

Hasara chuckled deeply from the couch, “I’ve never been called logical, but I agree with the Vulcan.”

Ambrose put his hands up in mock surrender, “It’s been a banner day all around.  Commander, let’s start looking for some of this dilithium.  Gul, I’m assigning you to that team.  You’re the outside voice we need to keep us thinking about the other sides of this problem we seem to be forgetting.”

Hasara stood, grumbling with a small smile on his face, “I’d rather smash the box, but beggars can’t be choosers.  Commander, lead the way.”

Harris almost laughed out loud at the look his XO gave him as the Cardassian walked out onto the bridge but restrained himself.  They still had an El-Aurian in recovery, and he had a feeling they were going to need all the help they could get.

William Prentice sat at his station as he maneuvered the Excelsior II class starship through the next search pattern in the sector.  Life onboard the Mackenzie had settled into a rhythm with his department.  He’d found a few friends that had kept him accountable for his adventurous spirit – he’d found his CO disagreeable a few too many times in the last few months. The Mackenzie was feeling like a home to him more each day. Suddenly there was a beep from his console, “Commander, new contact at the edge of the sector, moving slow.”

T’saath stood from the center chair as Chief Kondo reported, “She’s moving at the same speed as us.  She is on an intercept course for us.  Shields and weapons are offline, but there’s some interference…Fowler?”

Sadie was already at work at her console, “We’re getting some feedback loops on our scans and some bouncing back as well.  I’m unable to get a clear reading, Commander.”

The Vulcan XO remained impassive as she stared at the screen.  She spoke quietly, “Helm, all stop.”  Prentice slid his fingers down the impulse engines, and the Mackenzie slowed to a stop.

Fowler spoke up, confused, “The ship has also come to a halt, commander.”

“Long-range sensors?”

Sadie extended the reach on her console and shook her head, “It’s just them and us right now…I’m not picking up anybody else.”

T’saath returned to the center chair and sat down, “Lieutenant Atega, open a channel.”  The whistle sounded, and Presley confirmed the channel was open.  “This is Commander T’saath of the Federation Starship Mackenzie.  Please respond.”

The channel remained silent until =^=This is Captain T’saath of the Arretan ship Hercules.  You will heave to and prepare to be boarded.=^=

The XO frowned and manually terminated the channel as she stood, “Red Alert.  All hands to battle stations.  Captain Harris to the bridge.”  She spoke to Kondo at the front of the bridge, “I need a complete tactical evaluation of that ship.”  He nodded and spun in his chair.  The bridge was unsettled.  The voice on the channel had been that of T’saath – a gravely and irritated version of her perhaps…but still, her voice had carried over the channel.

Harris stepped onto the bridge, the red lights accentuating the seriousness of the situation as the klaxon trilled in the background.  Officers had scrambled when the call had gone out, and he’d resisted the urge to run from his quarters to the bridge.  He stepped up beside his XO, “Report.”  She related to him what had brought them to the sector, the appearance of the ship, and now the alleged identity of the captain.  He stared at her when she shared the suspected identity, “You seem convinced, Commander.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Captain, I am well versed in the alternate universe and mirror universe peoples.  The Island held a good number of them, prisoners.  I know my own voice.  That is T’Saath…a version of me.  I do not recommend you question her abilities or faith in her ability.”

It was Ambrose’s turn to frown, “You think they went and got her…to what…try and convince you to surrender?”

A slight shake of her head, “I think they were concerned about being able to defeat me.”  She reminded him, “The original Arretans were outsmarted.  It appears these have planned to avoid such a defeat.”

Harris nodded to Atega, “Have Gul Hasara brought to the bridge.”  He turned to the screen, “You said they stopped as soon as you stopped.”

“Yes, sir.  I believe my counterpart is attempting to intimidate me as well as give the crew pause.”

De La Fontaine turned in his chair, “Commander, I have the tactical report.”  He tapped the console, and the view screen shifted to display a rundown of the ship, “She’s an old Miranda class, but she’s been upgraded.  There are at least ten phaser arrays strapped onto that hull.  They got three torpedo launchers jerry-rigged somehow.  The power readings are in line with an unusual type of reactor – I’m guessing Jade Dilithium or something crazy.”

Harris nodded, his engineering background kicking in, “Those old ships weren’t built to take or give much.  Are those… armor-plated hull sections?”  He pointed to the saucer and secondary hull sections highlighted in orange.

Kondo affirmed, “Yessir.  They’ve really done some work.  Her shields are the same story – however, they’ve managed to get this all to work together; it’s an engineering miracle.” Harris asked him in the ship was still stationary, and the tactical chief confirmed they remained unmoved.

T’saath had another theory, “Sir, what if this is both a test for me…but also her.”  She pointed out the relevant points on the hull, energizers, and EPS systems, “They sacrificed some stability and reliability to give the ship a sense of power.  My other’s reluctance to take action would be based on the need to verify that whatever they told her was true.  She more than likely did what I would have done – checked every connection, upgrade, and piece they’d touched.”

Ambrose had moved closer to the screen and was studying the rotating schematics and data reports, “She knows this isn’t going to work.”  He glanced back at T’saath, “Could you be talked out of doing it?”

The commander observed, “If it was me, certainly.  I would respond to logic and rational thought.  I would have no choice but to lay down my command.  She is not me, however.  The study of the mirror universe worlds is rampant with genocide, murder, darkness unspeakable, and the worst outcomes for anyone who survived.”  She shook her head, “I do not expect Captain T’saath to surrender.  She was given an order.  And she must do as they ask.”

Her CO wondered, “Then why hasn’t she attacked?”

She met his gaze, “If you were faced with a good chance of your imminent destruction…would you wait until someone else blinked?”

Harris grimly answered, “Yes…I would.”  He moved to the center chair and took his seat. 

The turbolift door whisked open, and Gul Hasara entered, amused.  “Captain, you know how to entertain your guests.  Battle stations and red alert.  What are we shooting at?”

Ambrose gave him a warning look, “Nobody, yet.”  He explained the situation, and the Gul stared at T’saath, who remained standing behind the helm and tactical station at the front of the bridge.  “I was hoping you would have a suggestion on how to approach this differently.”

The Cardassian appreciated the Starfleet captain’s hope, “You met me in a time of peace on the colony.  I had no reason to fight.  I do now.  The time for peace has come to an end.  Be it Palasa or Arretans or Cardassians – someone needs to fire the first shot, Captain Harris.”  He sat down on the seat to the left of the center chair, sat back, and watched.

T’saath tore her eyes from the screen and walked slowly up to her captain, “I don’t think we have a choice in this, captain.  She will sit out there and wait.  We must, as you humans would say, break the ice.”

Harris stared at the screen in silence a moment longer.  The bridge officers watched him carefully.  He spoke loud enough for them to hear, “Kondo, get us a tactical solution that gives us a chance at saving them.  Prentice, lock in an intercept course with evasive maneuvers on standby.”  He returned to his chair and clicked the open channel to engineering, “Chief, we’re probably going to be putting our fists into action.  Prepare for the return blows.”  He softly clicked the channel closed and glanced at Hasara, “For what it’s worth, I wish you weren’t right.”

The Cardassian gave the captain an appreciative nod, “For what it’s worth, I wish I wasn’t either.”

The decks below his feet shook, and Ambrose mused, “She’s packing a punch.”

Kondo gripped his console, “Target shields at 80%.  Our shields are at 90%.  Prentice, follow my lead.”  The two worked together at the front on the shared console and the Mackenzie.

Fowler reported, “Sir, I’m detecting unusual power spikes coming from the ship.”

Harris examined the readings on his console, “It looks like a warp core breach is starting, but that’s nothing like what I’m used to seeing.”  The deck shuddered as the lights flickered, “I think she’s decided it’s all or nothing.”  He tapped his badge, “Harris to Transporter Room – be ready to lock on and transport anybody over there if the shields drop.  Coordinate with Doctor Reid.”  He turned his attention back to the ship on the screen.

Kondo braced himself as the torpedoes from the enemy ship exploded against the Mackenzie’s shields, “Shields at 75% – she’s trying to overload our power distribution system.”  As Prentice spun them around, the tactical chief found his opening and drilled into the warp engines with rapidly fired torpedoes, and the lights flickered as the ship began to drift.

Ambrose’s badge sputtered to life, =^=Transporter Room here, sir – we’ve locked onto as many as possible and are getting them straight into the brig with the doctor’s help=^=

Sadie spoke, an edge of sadness, “Warp core breach is in progress, sir.”  

Prentice was already moving them away, waiting for the signal from the transporter room so he could jump them to warp speed.  The bridge crew collectively held their breath as the viewscreen switched the rear.  A second later, the chief helm officer got confirmation, and the Mackenzie took off on a wild run at maximum warp as the ship behind them was ripped apart in a powerful explosion.

The brig was heavy with the smell of burning flesh and filled with security officers working alongside triage and trauma staff.  Reid was overseeing it all and walking from room to room, working with each team.  The injuries were horrifying – the ship had been stripped down to an extraordinarily unsafe situation.

Harris stepped through the door and winced.  The smell was one thing, but it was the sight of the dull red blood on the floor as the nurses and doctors worked as something he hadn’t seen since the Edinburgh.  Those memories felt like they were a lifetime ago, but it hadn’t been that long.  Reid spotted him and met him at the security station, “How many did we get?”

She handed him a PADD, “We were able to lock on to ten out of the thirty that were onboard.  Two died in transport, and one isn’t going to make it.”

Harris read through the roster, “Captain T’saath is one of them.  Status?”

Reid accepted the PADD back, “She’s critical.  The effect of the Jade Dilithium faded pretty quickly once the ship was destroyed.  The few moments before it exploded, she wasn’t very lucid…once the ship went, her eyes cleared pretty quickly.  She’s been pretty forthcoming, along with the rest of the survivors.”  She looked back at the ongoing triage operations, “She’s the only mirror universe.  The rest were Palasa workers and employees who were enslaved and put under control.  They’ve been through plenty, sir.”

“Is she stable enough to talk?”

Reid tapped at her PADD, “I’ll have to monitor her with my team.”  Harris accepted her condition, and they walked to the far cell as biobeds were being rolled in and patients slowly transferred.  He accepted a stool and slowly rolled up the side of the bed that held the mirror universe T’saath.  She was covered in bloodied bandages, and the bruises on her face were turning a deep purple.

“Captain….Harris.”  She winced and groaned in pain as she turned her head to face him, “You should have left me to die.”

“We don’t do that here, captain.  We save those we can save – no matter who they are.”  He sighed, “I don’t know what will happen to you after this is all…sorted out.”

She wheezed as she chuckled and grimaced as the pain accelerated, “I was running from death in my universe.  When they found me, I was ready to die.  They told me they’d find a way for me to die in battle against a great enemy.”  Her eyes unfocused for a moment, “I didn’t imagine facing you again, of all people.”

Ambrose felt something underneath her words chill him and looked to Reid for an answer, and she shrugged.  She didn’t know either.  “What…does that mean?”

The mirror Vulcan explained, “We were a crew.  You were our captain.  We were all on the run.  Something happened, and you turned on us.  You spaced as many of us as you could, and then you just…murdered the rest.  They found me on the ship after I’d trapped you on the bridge and turned off life support to deck 1.  I’m a murderer, Captain Harris.  Death is what will bring balance to my crimes.”

Harris didn’t speak immediately.  He stared at the floor, playing with his fingers as he considered her admission.  He shook his head at last, “The life you lived…that’s over now.  I don’t know what will happen to you once all this comes to a close, but you’re not finished yet, captain.  Get your rest, and we’ll focus on your healing.”  He stood and retreated to the main area of the brig.  

Reid joined him a moment later, “We’re going to have to keep them here, sir.  Trust in this situation isn’t going to be easy to judge – no matter what they’ve been through.  I can’t have them in sickbay.”

He gave her a nod, “That’s fair.  When they’re able to answer – see if any of them know where to find some Jade Dilithium.  If we’re going to fight the ones behind this, we’re going to need a better offense.”  He turned and headed for the bridge.

Henry Wyatt had seen plenty in his six hundred years.  He’d felt plenty in that time. Yet those long years of experience did not prepare him for the news that his home planet had been attacked by the Borg, who had murdered millions of his people.  Reid had helped him sit up and sat beside him, sharing in pieces how the universe had changed since he’d been imprisoned on The Island.  

“It feels different.”  He explained how the world felt to him as an El-Aurian, “Each of us has different…abilities.  For me, it’s seeing the lines of history as they happen – the choices that shift each reality as they’re made.  We know when things are wrong or when they’ve gone astray.  We’re taught to be listeners…watchers…recorders of history.  You cannot imagine how hard it is to stand by and observe the horrors year after year.”

“You’re right.  I can’t.”  She kept an eye on his readings, “You can share…if you want.”

Wyatt let out a long sigh.  “The wars on Earth were the worst.”  He stared at his hands, “Watching the dead march off to their graves…and knowing what would happen to each of them.”  He held up his hands, “These are strong hands, but I couldn’t hold them back from Destiny.  History rides on, dark rider and all.”  His tone became grim, “I was tempted to interfere.  It would have been so easy.”  Wyatt played with his fingers, “But I knew I couldn’t live with myself and the knowledge that I had broken our people’s most sacred agreement.  And so death continued to grind through the fresh meat that would line up again and again.”  He turned to look at Reid, his eyes threatening to overflow with his feelings.  “It never ends.  Such is the weight of the responsibility we carry.”  Another sigh escaped his lips, “I will find a way to reconcile all this in time.  I will ask to speak to your ship’s counselor as you suggested earlier.”

Reid reached out and touched his arm, “I’ll let her know.  For now, please rest.”  He gave a small nod and turned over, pulling the blanket over him and closing his eyes.

Hasara stood in the expansive Astrometrics holodeck, his hands scrolling through the console as the various system in the expanse filled the screen.  The door behind him flew open, and Harris walked in carrying a PADD.  The Cardassian turned, acknowledging the captain with a nod, “You got my message.  This is an incredible department you have here, captain.”

Ambrose stood beside the Gul, “It is.  First installed on the USS Enterprise-D, it’s become a standard in the fleet.  You found something?”

“Galaxy class.  Always like the look of those ships.”  He accepted the stare coming from the CO with a quiet grin, “I am allowed to appreciate the human design once in a while, captain.”  He tapped at the console, “We are not all, as you humans say, ‘philistines’.  I took the ongoing scans from your science department and merged them with Cardassian scouting reports over the last few days.  Together with the Palasa operational reports, I have located what I think are three possible sites where Jade Dilithium could be found.”  The screen shifted to show the three systems with the various reports layered over them.

Harris stepped forward and examined the options, and pulled up his own PADD, “I can eliminate option C332 – Palasa reported that facility was destroyed earlier this morning.”  

Hasara tapped at the console, and the marker faded out. “That leaves C21 and C243.”  With another tap of the console and both items were stacked up side by side, “Both are in systems with a sun.  Both are far enough away from Cardassian interests and Palasa interests.  But only one has this unusual sensor reading attached.”  The reading filled the screen.

“That’s a similar frequency to the Blood Dilithium we encountered in the Delta Quadrant.”  Harris stepped forward to the console and ran the signal through several filters until it flashed green, “It’s a close match.  That’s where we’re going to find it.”

Hasara cautioned, “You know this, but I feel compelled to mention it.  Your XO is susceptible to the effects of this material.  It has been shown to have impacts on humans and other alien species alike.”

“I appreciate the reminder, Gul.  I’ve tasked Fowler and her team with figuring out a way to shield us from this thing.”  He thought for a moment, “Come with me – let’s see where they’re at in the process.  You might have some ideas.”

Hasara chuckled, “A Cardassian’s ideas on science and technology are wanted.  The day continues to surprise.”

Fowler stood in the conference room, surrounded by the various assistant science chiefs and their crews.  Various large mobile screens were spread throughout the room as teams worked through the problem.  They’d spent the morning going over the readings from both Blood Dilithium and Jade Dilithium, trying to grasp the connection between the two.  As the afternoon began, the teams formed and began their work.  She walked the room, observing and listening as each group tackled the issue of how to shield someone from the effects of what was basically a mind-controlling substance that had been weaponized.  

She glanced at the door as it opened, revealing Captain Harris and Gul Hasara.  The gathered group went to stand, and the CO put his hands up, “No need.  Continue your work.  Here to observe only.”  The group glanced at Fowle,r and she nodded her assent as the new arrivals wove their way to her.  Harris spoke first, “Afternoon, Fowler.  How’s it looking?”

She picked up her PADD, “Well, sirs…it’s one step forward, two steps back kind of thing.”  She turned the device around to show them both, “We’ve come up with a few polymers that are being simulation tested right now, but we’re having to significantly increase the layer levels in order to make a dent in the extrapolated effect.”  She tapped at the PADD, “We’re also trying to use the methods used against the Blood Dilithium to adapt in some form, but it’s a slow process.”

Hasara glanced at the PADD, frowned, and pulled out his own device.  “I may have a solution for you, Lieutenant.”  He worked for a moment and then turned his device around, “Electromagnetic waves, radio waves, and other assorted waves – we use it to make places ‘clean’ to ensure no kind of surveillance equipment is able to pick up or read what’s going on.”

Harris examined the display, “That’s not very secret – Starfleet’s been aware of it for some time now.  It usually tells us that something is happening in that sector of space.”

The Gul smiled thinly, “Yes, but you still rarely find out what we’re doing, captain.  I’m not about to give away state secrets, to be clear.  But it’s a way to cleanse an area of signals.”

Fowler nodded along as the two men spoke and broke in, “It’s like creating a dead space. The risk is that no signals would come out or in – it’s a pretty brutal tactic with not much finesse.”

Hasara agreed, “We are not known for finesse or subtly, Lieutenant Fowler.”

“I’ll share this with the team.  This helps.  Thank you, Gul.”

He bowed slightly, “I live to serve.”  He watched Fowler roll her eyes slightly and start her walk around the room to update the teams.  Hasara turned to Harris, “I think she likes me.”  

He smiled, and Ambrose observed dryly as they left the room, “She might like to kill you, Gul.  Don’t confuse the feeling.”  

Hasara chuckled and tapped him on the shoulder, “You’re understanding Cardassian humor more and more, Captain Harris.”

It was the CO’s turn to roll his eyes as they continued down the corridor. 

“That’s a pretty terrifyin’ story, captain.” Juliet Woodward sat in her comfortable armchair while her captain sat on the cushy couch across from her.  The counseling offices had come with a small office for her work and several other rooms with the option to create interview rooms.  She had a PADD in her lap and took notes as they spoke.  Harris had finished telling her about the experience of the mirror universe T’saath.  “You obviously were affected by the revelation of your alternate.”

“I know it wasn’t me that did it, Lieutenant, but it is still hard to imagine facing her again when all she sees in me is the captain who killed everyone around her…and nearly succeeded in taking her out.”  He sat back, “It’s a lot to take in…and I’m still working through the losses on the Edinburgh and my cousin…it feels like a lot.  I’m learning the weight of command with each new mission we take.”

The Chief Counselor pursed her lips in thought, “Well, not to sound crass or anythin’, but she did kill the other you.  He’s long gone – ain’t never coming back to haunt her.  There’s a level of finality and closure most don’t get to experience.”  She sat forward, “I think you carry guilt as easy as anythin’, captain.  I think it makes it easier to carry rather than face it and work your way past it.”

He had been staring at the ornate rug that had been placed under the couch, trying to find his answers in the intricate weavings.  He lifted up his head, “My family’s history is founded and built on the Catholic faith – they’re very good at dispensing guilt to be carried.  My mother struggled with it when we kids were younger.  Her parents were pretty brutal with it.  What do they say about the sins of the father?”  He let out a dry chuckle, “Goddamn family can be the best and worst thing for you.”

Woodward continued making notes, “I know that pretty well, sir.  Families are complicated sometimes.”  She returned to something he’d mentioned earlier, “If your family was founded in guilt…how are you going to change that?  We’ve talked about your feelings for Jordan.”

Harris sighed wearily, “It’s been on my mind.  She deserves better than that.  If I can’t shrug off this stuff…”

She interrupted him, “We don’t shrug things off…we’ve talked about that.  We work through this stuff.”

Another weary sigh, “I know.  Just feels like it’d be easier sometimes.”

“Feelings are funny like that – they can save us or sabotage us, captain.”  She tapped at her PADD, “You love Jordan?”  He nodded wordlessly.  “Have you told her yet?”  He shook his head.  She gave him a long look, “You need to tell her, captain.  Part of getting through life is not doing it alone.  If she loves you, and you love her – you’ve got a partnership there.  Part of that is acceptin’ that you’re not going to hurt her as you’ve hurt yourself – you’re armed with knowledge, and you’ve got me on a weekly basis helping you see through the fog.”

He gave her a sarcastic reply, “It’s not that easy, is it?”

She shook her head, “No, it isn’t that easy.  Anything that’s worth living isn’t easy.  If it was easy, you wouldn’t need me or anyone else. That sounds like a pretty lonely existence, sir.”

Harris sat in the silence of the room for a few minutes, “It does sound lonely.  Can you help me figure out how not to end up like that?”

Her broad smile was part of her answer.  The other part was her reply, “It’s in my job description, sir.”  He returned the smile.

“Approaching sector C20.”  Prentice kept his hands above his console as he announced his update.  They weren’t quite ready to take on the neighboring sector, and so the consolation was getting as close as they could.

T’saath glanced up from the center chair, “Slow to impulse.  Lieutenant Fowler, start your scans.”  The ship floated into C20, the scanning systems kicking to gear.  The bridge crew worked at their various stations.  

Atega studied the communication traces coming in and out of the sector while tuning across various bands to see if there was something they were missing.  One of the key lessons in the academy had been centered around the idea that communication was heard through so many different bands, frequencies, and means of communication you had to really work to find signals that didn’t fall within the standards they had become accustomed to over the years.  She spent much of her free time studying the history of early Earth communications as a starting point.  She reported, “Nothing on communications.  Expanding the frequency search.”

Fowler was next as her teams across the ship were compiling data and identifying trends and interesting signals.  Her eyes searched through the reports as they came in quickly, her hands slowing the speed for a moment before she flipped to the next piece or part.  “The reading is definitely coming from C21 – sensors are able to pinpoint roughly the location on the planet.  It’s a large grouping and is at last two to three acres.”  She reoriented the map and commented, “This looks like a…farm or something, commander.”

T’saath moved from the center chair to examine the screen, “Please clarify, Lieutenant.”  Her eyes soon understood as the science chief explained.

“The rows here and there – they’re faint, but I think they’ve found a way to farm dilithium?”  She tapped at her console, “I’m not showing any ships in the area – the readings from the sector are only coming from the dilithium.  No electronic signals, power readings, or otherwise.”  She turned to the commander, “An abandoned farm?”

The Vulcan considered it, “It is logical given that we are some distance from the Palasa Operations planet.”  She paused, her mind wondering what other possibilities existed.

Fowler filled in the blank, “Or…it could be a trap.  It is an attractive target for us to investigate.  They’ve proven they’re dangerous enough to make us think about it.”

T’saath agreed, “Also, a logical conclusion. The only way to determine for certain would be to investigate and get in closer.”  She tapped her badge, “Captain Harris to the bridge.”

Ambrose stepped from his ready room and listened as his executive office updated him on the situation.  He sat at the station next to Fowler and glanced at her screen, “I’d agree, looks like a farming setup.” He asked the science chief, “Have we made progress on the options for reducing the effect of the Jade Dilithium?”

She confirmed, “We have – using a mixture of electromagnetic waves at varying resonances together with other emitters, we think we’ve got a solution.  Engineering also crafted away team suits coated with the materials we identified and a mask attachment with a strong filtration system.  Chief Okada was able to build a pretty flexible and movable suit.  It also broadcasts the same thing we’ll be transmitting from the ship at a local level.”

“Nice work, Fowler.”  He returned to his chair and spoke quietly to T’saath, “I’m going to have you hold back on this, Commander.”  

She gave a nod, “A logical choice, sir. I can monitor the away team from a console on the bridge.”  She understood.

Ambrose was thankful his XO was going to fight him on it.  He returned to his chair and tapped the open channel button, “Beta Away Team to Transporter Room 1 for briefing and load out.”  He turned to Prentice, “Set us a course and engage – activate Fowler’s systems once we’re underway.”

Harris walked into the transporter room and greeted his chief engineer, who was sorting out the away team equipment, “Chief, how we doing?”

She glanced up as she rechecked the standard equipment cases for each department, “We’re doing just fine, sir.  The team is changing into their away team suits as we speak.”  She stood and walked over to the transporter controls, “I’ve locked the system onto both the bio signs and the suits.  With your permission, I’d like to have a shuttle standing by just in case something happens and we’re not able to get them back.”

Ambrose didn’t have to think about that, “Make it so…and make it part of our standard away team practices from now on – choose the shuttle team and get them moving.”  She went to work on the console as the door opened, and Jordan stepped through, her helmet in hand.

She complimented the chief engineer, “Okada, you did a bang-up job on these things.”  She turned to Harris, “Captain.”

“Doctor.”  They were saying far more with their eyes, and Katsumi rolled her eyes.

“You two don’t need to try and fool me.” They both turned to her, mouths open in mild shock as she chuckled to herself and went back to work on the loadouts.

The door slid wide, and the rest of the away team clattered in – Kondo and a security detachment along with Fowler and two of her science team.  Two medical officers joined the crowd a moment later, while two engineers came in last.  They gathered around their equipment and looked at their captain.

He looked back at each of them as he spoke, “You’re going to be going into a bit of an unknown scenario.  We’re going to put you down the hill from the site – take it nice and slow.  Scan everything you come into contact with and report anything unusual – observed, felt, or otherwise.  We’ll have a transporter lock on you at all times.  We need to know the state of the Jade Dilithium, and we need to know how much is truly there.”  He gestured to the transporter pad, and they all moved to stand in their places.  He reiterated, “If anything feels off or feels wrong…do not hesitate to come back.”  Each of them nodded, and Harris stepped behind the controls, “Energizing…now.”  The beam of light took each of them, and in a flash, they were gone, sent to the planet below.  Ambrose let out the breath he was holding.

Then the yellow alert klaxon sounded with the commander’s voice, “T’saath to Captain Harris.”

The CO quickly exited the transporter room and began to fast walk his way to the bridge, “Harris here, go ahead.”

=^=Captain, a Cardassian Galor class destroyer, is on an intercept course to our location.  The estimated time of arrival is approximately thirty minutes.  We’ve attempted to hail them, but there is no response.=^=

Harris couldn’t help but wonder at the timing, “Keep us at yellow alert.  Have Gul Hasara meet me on the bridge. See what we can find out about why we’ve suddenly got the attention of the Cardassians.”  She confirmed, and the channel closed.  Harris rounded a corner and entered the turbolift.  Whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be good.

They appeared in lush rolling hills with steep mountains abutted by slowly swirling clouds.  Okada slipped out her tricorder, followed by the rest of the team.  They all took a moment to walk a few feet taking observations and data.  Katsumi glanced at Fowler, “Pretty strong readings over that hill,” to which the science chief nodded briefly.

“Environmental readings are normal.  The presence of the dilithium is off the charts, but what’s missing is the broadcasting of its own signal that we recorded on the transport ship.  I’m not seeing any of it here.”

Jordan swept her medical tricorder as she walked a little farther, “I’d agree, Okada.  Plant life seems unaffected – if something were coming from the dilithium, it would have permeated plant life for a good distance.  These readings are astoundingly normal given what we thought we were walking into.”  She glanced around, “Everything is normal.”

Okada replied, “Interesting.  Let’s be overly cautious and retain our suits and protective measures over the hill and see what’s over there.”  The group nodded their agreement and began the slow and careful walk up the hill, tricorders out and reading.

Fowler mused, “I’m not detecting any animal life – some minor insect activity and mild bird populations, but the larger mammal population isn’t present…or missing.”

Reid was seeing similar readings on her tricorder, “Even if the dilithium isn’t showing to affect us, I would caution on removing the suits – something feels off with that.  We should at least be reading some animal life.  Something could have reduced or eliminated animal life.  Let’s be as careful as we can.”

Kondo signaled to his team to spread out as he moved near the front of the group.  Fowler and Reid’s wondering had him taking extra precautions – something had happened to this place, and he wasn’t keen to have it happen to the away team.  As the group crested the hill, they all stopped, staring at the sight that met them.  Dull green dilithium of various sizes in rows stared back at them, and abandoned farming buildings and equipment littered the fields in the expansive valley.

Okada shook her head in disbelief, “I didn’t think we’d actually…they’re farming dilithium.  So many questions.” She turned to the team, “Let’s move carefully – stay with the group and stay with your teams.”  The chief engineer led them down the hill as they drew closer to the fields.  The fences were slowly falling into disrepair, and the equipment was showing signs of disuse as the grasses and weeds had started to grow over the wheels.

Fowler’s team went about taking ground samples while Reid fanned her team around one of the fields as they unpacked the more detailed sensor units.  It took them a few minutes, but they soon had a complete sensor grouping gathering data on the silent rows of Jade Dilithium.  Reid plugged in the generator for the console and watched as the sensors went to work.  She was amazed, “I think we have a part of the puzzle, Okada.” Katsumi let her engineers finish setting up their equipment and walked over to where Reid was scrolling through the incoming data.  Sadie pointed to various readings, “There’s a lot to be extrapolated when it comes to the science of this stuff, but my first glance interpretation is that Jade Dilithium on its own isn’t harmful or useful.  See here,” she pointed to the harmonics readings, “I’m sure that’s interesting from an engineering perspective.”

Okada gasped, “It wouldn’t do us any good.  It’s damned near inert at this point.”  She looked up at the fields, “The stuff we saw on that ship was glowing and active – as if it had been….”, she searched for the word and found it, “…charged.  I wonder if that’s what they found here…they could grow it like anything, but there was a second step in the process.”  She tapped at the console to read further, “With its specific qualities, you would need a specific process to charge it.”  She looked around, “And it doesn’t look like they figured out how to do that here.”

Kondo held up his PADD.  He had wandered near them and had been listening, “This system is too far away strategically from the planet they’ve occupied.  It’s too close to the Cardassians, and it’s within reach of Starfleet operations…this might have been a test site to see if they could before they made the discovery that they could do the rest of the process.”

Fowler had walked over to the field closest to them and was scanning the Dilithium.  She did some calculations in her head as she returned to the group, “I’m thinking we can take much of this to sample and run tests on – we brought down some secure transport crates from the Blood Dilithium to take the extra precautions.”

Katsumi considered her suggestion and agreed, “Get it started.”  She turned to Kondo, “Did your security teams find anything else beyond the valley?”

A shake of his head, “Scouts report this is the only part that was settled.  They checked the outbuildings and homes – whoever was here emptied them out and cleared out quickly.  I don’t think they ever intend to come back.”

The commander’s badge beeped alive, =^=Harris to away team.=^= Okada replied for him to go ahead. =^=We’ve got a Galor Class Cardassian cruiser inbound in about ten minutes.  We’ve tried to hail them repeatedly, and they’re giving us static.  We reached out to Cardassian Command, and they’re not responding either.  Your status?=^=  She filled him in on what they had found and what they intended to bring back.  =^=Understood.  I would double-time your efforts – we’re not sure what this ship wants or who’s flying her.  When we get closer to their arrival, we’ll check in with you again – I’d like to have you all back here before they get here.=^=

Okada nodded more to herself than anything, “I think we’d agree, sir.  We’ll be ready for transport in eight minutes.”  Harris confirmed and closed the channel.  She turned to the group, “We have eight minutes before we’re out of here.  Let’s get packed.”

“Away team is secured, sir.” Atega reported from the communications station and Harris gave a nod to the tactical officer to raise the shields.

“Prentice, break orbit and put some distance between us and C21.  Time to arrival?”  The yellow lights blinked mutely as the Mackenzie pushed away from the planet and started a slow retreat back into open space.  The tactical officer reported the Cardassian ship was thirty seconds away.  The turbolift door opened, and Gul Hasara walked onto the bridge. He sat roughly in the left chair and turned to Harris.

“My contacts are running silent on this matter, Captain.  I’m not sure if this ship is part of the larger Cardassian fleet or something else.  Their lack of reply suggests something untoward.”

Harris took his seat and waited.  It didn’t take long.  The away team crew streamed onto the bridge and replaced the junior officers.  Kondo confirmed, “Cardassian Galor class ship entering sector.  They’ve set an intercept course for the planet.”

Ambrose frowned, “Not us?”  

Kondo shook his head as he centered the sensors, “They’re scanning the planet pretty intensely.”

Harris turned in his chair to Atega, “Open a channel.”  The whistle sounded and he spoke to the Cardassian ship, “This is Captain Ambrose Harris of the Federation starship Mackenzie.  Please respond.”  He signaled the channel closed.

T’saath spoke up from the station she was manning, “Records indicate the ship is possibly the Garras, but there are several ship markers that are making identification challenging.”  She returned to her console, “The warp signature is verified but the impulse systems don’t match and the entire weapons system isn’t matching.”  Another tap of the console, “This ship is the Garras…but it is also the Haset, the Polsa, and the Brasi.”  She put the schematics on the screen, “Each ship has been welded to the chassis of the Garras.”

Hasara cleared his throat, “That is not a ship of our fleet, captain.  I do not know who that is, but it is not us.”

“Prentice, back us away a little more.  Kondo – what can you read on their weapon’s system?”

The chief tactical officer turned to his CO, “It’s a lot more than a usual Galor cruiser – they’ve done some work to enhance the energy weapons and torpedo systems.  At the moment, their shields are up, but weapons are not charged.”

Harris sat back in his chair, “Mighty peculiar.  Atega – send a message with our sensor records of the ship to Task Force Command.  Prentice…,”

Suddenly Kondo reported, “Galor class cruiser is changing course and pulling out of the system…they are going to warp speed.  Tracking course.”

Ambrose turned to Hasara, “Gul, I need you to work with Chief Kondo.  Those ships have a history you can track…whatever that was isn’t normal for….well, anything.”  The Cardassian gave a nod as he walked to speak with the tactical chief.  Harris stepped over to where Fowler sat, her hands flying across the console, “Where are they going?”

She pointed to the display, “They’re headed to our other possible planet that had Jade Dilithium, and pretty fast – warp 8.”  She leaned back in her chair, “What if they’re picking up what was left behind?  What if…they need more supplies back at the operational planet base?”

Harris muttered, “So we’d have to stop them from resupplying the Arratans.” He turned to T’saath, “Thoughts, Commander?”

She worked her own console, displaying the Galor class cruiser’s path, “It would, as humans would say, put a monkey wrench in their plans.  It suggests whatever reproduction plan they have in place – it is not enough.  They’re taking a risk coming to the old farms.  It’s logical to intercept them…and detain them as a measure of sector security.”

Ambrose raised his eyebrows, “I can’t argue with sector security, and I doubt Starfleet will either.  Prentice, plot an intercept course after the Cardassian ship, maximum warp.  Chief Kondo, set Red Alert and sound battle stations.”  The klaxon echoed throughout the ship as the computer announced ‘Red Alert.  All hands to battle stations.  Red Alert’.  The volume of the klaxon dropped in volume to ring in the background as the ruby-filtered light signaled the alert status as well.  The Mackenzie took a running start and chased after its target, hungry for answers.

Harris returned to the center chair as the crew shifted positions.  He asked Kondo, “Time to intercept?”

The tactical chief tapped his console, “Three minutes, sir.  We’re moving faster than they are.  Phasers are charged, and torpedoes are loaded.  Working on a tactical solution.”

Hasara remained standing next to De La Fontaine, his own data device in his hands, “Those ships you mentioned – they’ve gone missing over the last year.  Every three months, to be exact.  Very precise planning.  This was before you discovered the site.”

Ambrose sighed, annoyed.  “Which means there was a plan…or something was in motion before the theft occurred at The Island.  Four Cardassian ships don’t just go missing.  What’s their history?”

The Gul raised his eyebrows, “I am starting to believe your interpretation of events, Captain.  Each of those ships was involved in intelligence operations – they had equipment that is not standard on most Galor class starships.”

“Such as?”

Hasara grumbled, “You’re not going to accept ‘non-standard equipment,’ are you?”

“The hell I am, Gul.  If I’m right, the Arratans have possession of some pretty high-end technology on that ship…a ship we are about to intercept.”

The Cardassian grimaced and tapped at his device and handed the report to Chief Kondo as he spoke, “They were equipped with the latest phaser technology – we were testing the magnitude and frequency in order to…punch through certain shield harmonics.”

Ambrose guessed, “Starfleet frequencies were at the top of that list.”  

The Gul gave a half-hearted nod, “We never imagined someone getting control of one of those ships…or all four.  However – if they were only able to piece together one ship from four – luck may be on our side.”

The CO of the Mackenzie pressed, “Luck has nothing to do with it.  Your people just fought and died hard enough to prevent this from being worse.  What else?”  He was staring holes in the head of the Cardassian.

Another sigh, “The ships were also being tested with torpedoes similar in power to your quantum versions.  Only…these ones were being designed to disable any electronic systems at the site of impact.”  The bridge crew had gone silent at his last point, and he shrugged, “We are not a subtle people.”

Harris agreed, “I won’t disagree with you there.  You’re going to help us disable this ship.  And you’re going to do it now, Gul.  Whatever it takes, you need to find a way to stop this ship.”  The Cardassian gave a resigned wave of surrender with his hands as he returned to his discussions with Chief Kondo.

T’saath returned to the right-hand chair and glanced at her captain.  He was furious, and his hands were gripped tightly on the arms of the center chair.  “Captain…,”

He turned to face her and let out a sigh of recognition, “I’m not doing the best at the moment, am I?”

She raised an eyebrow, “You’re exhibiting significant emotional turmoil and displeasure.  This will impact your decision-making when we intercept the Cardassian vessel.”

He bowed his head and grimaced, “Sometimes I wish we didn’t have to deal with people trying to kill us.  It would really make this job significantly easier.”  He leaned back in the chair, “Job security, I suppose.”

The Vulcan raised her eyebrows, “That…is a logical argument, Captain.”  She leaned in, “I must ask…will you be able to continue being in command?”

Harris chuckled quietly and appreciated her somewhat surprised expression, “Your concern is noted and appreciated.  If I let this push me out of this chair…I got bigger problems, Commander.”

Kondo announced, “We are arriving at the intercept location. The Cardassian ship is approaching the planet to conduct her scans.”

Harris turned and motioned to Atega to open a channel, “This is Captain Ambrose Harris of the Federation starship Mackenzie.  You are ordered to heave to and prepare to be boarded for inspection.”  He shrugged at everyone’s glance as the channel closed, “Procedures.  Chief Kondo?”

A check of his console, “They are not altering their course.”

Hasara had moved to the console next to Fowler, “Captain, I think we can disable the ship – it’s going to take time to observe her power distribution and activity.”

Ambrose glowered at the Gul, “I take that to mean we have to take some fire in order for that to happen?”  

The Cardassian nodded, “I understand this wasn’t the resolution we were looking for in this situation.”

Harris turned his chair to face forward, “Understatement of the year, Gul Hasara.  Mr. Kondo target that ship and fire.  Mr. Prentice, fill up our dance card if you please.  Let’s give the Gul and Fowler the time they need.”

The Mackenzie thundered forward as the weapons fire let loose, and the Cardassian ship spun around and returned fire.  The battle had begun.

The console lights flickered as the Mackenzie took the brunt of the phaser fire from the Cardassian ship, and Harris tightened his grip on his chair.  The opening act of the battle had seen both ships bloody each other’s noses.  Now they were working towards more body blows.  The bridge crew had activated the seat straps, and Kondo was thankful for them as the deck shook erratically under another punishing blow from the Cardassian torpedoes.  He reported, “Captain, we’ve got reports of power and systems losses on multiple decks at points of torpedo impacts.  Damage control teams are working on reversing the effect with little impact.”

Harris tapped at the consoles on the arms of his chair, “Chief Kondo, feel free to push back a little harder.  Gul, tell me you’re making progress.”  The lights above flickered, and a vent exploded in the back of the bridge as the ship was punched with more phaser fire.

Hasara had strapped himself into a console on the side of the bridge and was working quickly, “The power grid dynamics are taking more work than anticipated.”  Another round of punches rumbled through the bridge, a few consoles sparking.  “I will work faster.”

Kondo grumbled, “Captain, permission to use quantum torpedoes?  Our standard group isn’t having an impact on them.”  Harris gave a nod as Prentice did his best to bob and weave the large Excelsior II class starship.

De La Fontaine blasted at the advanced Galor ship with overcharged phasers targeted at what he had discovered might be weak points in the power grid of the jerry-rigged ship.  The shields yellowed his tactical display, and he reported with some relief, “Target’s shields are at 70%.  Our shields are at 75%.  Quantum torpedoes loaded.”  The Mackenzie swerved hard to starboard, and Prentice grimaced at the inertial dampeners protesting while Kondo lined up his firing points.  The bridge shook roughly this time as the Galor kicked the secondary hill with torpedoes and phaser blasts. Still, the Mackenzie returned the volley as the two ships turned away from each other for a moment’s respite.

Harris noticed some smoke in the air and glanced at the Master Situations Monitor in the back as fire licked at the bottom of it.  A damage control team burst through the door and went to work. His badge beeped=^=Chief Okada to bridge – those last torpedoes hit some pretty sensitive systems – we’ve lost power and equipment on multiple engineering decks.  We’re looking at a warp core issue – I may have to take her offline if I can’t stabilize the chamber.=^=

Harris acknowledged her and glanced ahead. On the screen, the Galor class ship was leaking something off its hull, and yet she was still turning back to face them. Ambrose asked, “Kondo, report.”

The tactical chief tapped at his console, “Their shields are at 50%; ours are holding at 60 and regenerating but slowly – they hit some of our generators with their special torpedoes.”  He thought for a second, “Give me a moment.”  He tapped his hands across his console, “I think I can take…Gul – get me the data you had on the impacts on us and the firing from them – there should be some data in the travel time from then to us as well.”  Hasara gave a nod and pulled the data, sending it to Kondo’s console. The Cardassian ship was picking up speed and closing the range between them on the screen.  De La Fontaine spoke as his hands worked, flying through console commands, “I think I can roughly replicate the effect of their torpedoes – it won’t be as targeted, but it should get the job done.”  His console began to beep.  They were coming into range.  He glanced at the Chief Helm officer to his left, “Prentice, stall with some fancy moves.  Give me…twenty seconds.”

William grinned, “Let’s be fancy flyers.  Hold on, everyone.”  The Mackenzie banked hard, this time to the port, and pushed the impulse engines to the redline as they roared, giving the helm the chance to separate the distance from the enemy ship while also evading the scattered phaser fire erupting from the Cardassian ship.  It spat indiscriminately against Prentice’s moves, and very few of the shots struck home.  It had given Kondo his time.

“Prentice, attack run double jump alpha.”  The helm officer snapped the ship into a high climb that shorted out several of the inertial dampeners as sparks flew from conduits across the ship.  As if on a rollercoaster, he slammed the ship into a dive, the Galor ship in their crosshairs.  Kondo fired as they rumbled downwards – every phaser bank and modified torpedo pounded into the Cardassian ship, the lights flickering for a moment and then blinking out.  The ship came to a halt and hung at an awkward angle. Prentice pulled the Mackenzie around to face the now disabled ship.  Kondo reported, “The ship is fully offline– our modifications worked a little too well.  Something interesting – I am detecting no life signs – dead or alive, sir.”

Harris turned to Fowler, who was shaking her head, “Confirmed – no biological life signs.  Sensors aren’t picking up any historical data either – I’m not sure anyone was onboard the ship, sir.”

Ambrose replied, “Then how in the world…who’s flying the thing?”  Before anyone could answer, his badge beeped again.

=^=Chief Okada to bridge – we’re taking the core offline, sir.  Her support systems took too many hits, and we’re going into emergency stabilization mode.  We have to shift to auxiliary power; captain – impulse generators, together with battery power, should hold us while we get this girl back in the green=^=

Harris sighed, “Understood, chief – use who you need from wherever you need to get what needs to be done.”  The lights dulled and shifted as the power systems kicked in to regulate the reduced power operation.

Atega spoke up from her station, “Sir, I think I know how they did it.”  He stood, thankful for answers to something, and moved to where she sat, glancing at her screens as she spoke, “We know the Arretans are powerful and have an as yet fully documented list of abilities.”  She tapped the console, “I monitor all signals at all times across all bandwidths and frequencies – I’m expanding my list day by day.  This signal on a unique band appeared the moment that ship appeared – both times.  It’s the same signal. I was able to do some tracing work – long-range sensors approximate it’s coming from the Palasa Operations Planet that the Arretans seized.”  She turned to her commanding officer, “I think they use the Jade Dilithium to control people…but also ships.”

T’saath was reading through the data at her console next to her chair, “It’s logical, sir.  There’s a similar precedent in a recent mission report from the USS Mercy.”

Harris gave a nod.  He’d read the reports and bookmarked them for later study.  The engineering implications alone were fascinating and terrifying.  “So the Arretans put the four Galor ships together, and instead of risking another debacle with living beings at the control, they tried…remote controlling it?”

His XO replied, “It appears they are attempting to innovate ways to attack us and eventually subjugate us.  This does present a unique opportunity.”  She turned to Hasra, “The Jade Dilithium onboard has been disabled – we could board the ship and extract records, sensor information – anything that can assist us in putting a stop to the Arretan’s efforts.”

The Gul agreed, “There would be a great amount of data on that ship, Captain.  Data that not even the Arretans were aware was being collected.”

Ambrose looked to both of them, “I agree.  Both of you will go – and stay together.  That is an order.  You’ll take away team Beta with you.  You take one step away from the team, Gul, and I will transport you right back here to me.”

Hasara smiled quietly, “Whatever do you take me for, Captain?”

Harris raised both eyebrows, “A Cardassian.  What do you take me for?”

The Gul stood and followed T’saath to the turbolift, “A captain with no sense of humor.”  

The door closed, and Harris let out a small sigh, “Sometimes I really do dislike him.”  He turned to Fowler and Atega, “Keep eyes and ears out for anything.  The moment you see something suspicious, pull them back.  Tir, you have the CONN.  I need to find out how badly our girl’s been hit.”  He bounced up to the turbolift and was gone behind the door seconds later.

The turbolift ride to engineering was full of Harris tapping at his PADD, getting the updated status of their ship, and it wasn’t looking good.  The door slowly opened, and he stalked down the corridor as damage control teams ran past him carrying various equipment.  He could hear the engineering-specific klaxons and the computer warnings about the core’s condition as he rounded the corner and entered main engineering.  

Chief Okada was at the master systems display table, and there were more blinking red marks than he had expected.  She had a PADD in one hand, updating as she went, “Alverez, take Jamison here and find a way to get that junction back online.  That’ll help us balance this thing out a little more.”  The two officers took off at a run, and she handed the next team an assignment, “The coolant systems are acting slow – dig into the pieces of where they hit us and where that system connects.”

Harris gently approached, “Chief, how bad is it?”  He could see the look on her face, and as a former Chief himself, it wasn’t good.

“It’s bad – we’re trying to make up for the systems that have been temporarily disabled, but there were a lot of those torpedoes flying at us.  I can’t bring the core back online without some kind of stability.”  Another alarm rang out across the room, and she gave an apologetic look as she dashed to the console, “Emerson!  Get to deck 13 and shore up the EPS system in section 3!”  The officer grabbed a kit and was off at a sprint while Okada returned to Harris, “We’re going to need some more bodies on this, sir.”

Ambrose tapped his badge, “Harris to Tir.”

=^=Go ahead, sir=^=

“I’m tasking you with working with Okada’s team to get the core under control and operational – get with her to see what she needs – extra hands and all.”  Calog affirmed he was on his way, and Harris gave the chief engineer a nod, “Keep me in the loop.”  He walked out, heading back to the bridge.

“This ship is going to fall apart, and we are all going to die.”

Calog ignored Tir inside his head as he walked with a PADD in hand, working through assigning every last operations officer and crew to meet him in engineering in the double.  From his console on the bridge, he’d begun to appreciate how wrong things were going, and the red flashing signals were indicating they were going to need to stem the bleeding soon.  He entered engineering and flagged down Okada, “Chief, I’ve got thirty of my team on their way…we’re working on getting a few more woken up help as well.  What do you need from me?”  

“Maybe an evacuation plan?  Or a distress call?” He winced as Tir spoke a little louder in his head but kept his focus on Okada.

Okada didn’t notice as she wrestled with the PADD, “We’ve got coolant supply problems in the decks around us – part of the impacts put some of those systems offline.  I need your people to problem solve – if we can get the coolant processing at full capacity, I can slowly bring the core back online to pressure test the rest of the systems.”

“Might be nice to be useful, even if it is the end of the world.”

Calog moved off and started examining the schematics.  “You’ve gotten really pessimistic about everything lately, Tir…what the hell is up with you?”  He whispered it even though most of the crew knew about his joined status.  

Tir growled back, “I’m pessimistic for no reason?  Never mind the powerful beings from a thousand years ago who nearly took over KIrk’s Enterprise.  No, that’s definitely not it.”

The operations chief shook his head in response, “Look, you can be sarcastic, caustic, or even bombastic in my head, but we’re going to have a real problem if you’re gonna doom and gloom it.”

Tir feigned the feeling of being hurt in his head, and he rolled his eyes as she lamented, “Yea, it’s me.  I’m the problem.  Maybe you just need tougher skin, rookie.”

Calog spoke to her firmly, and he felt her shock ripple through his consciousness as he said, “I have a job to do on this ship, Tir.  I have to believe that we can do the impossible on a regular basis.  You casting this as the end of the world puts not just you and me in danger – it puts this entire crew at risk if I can’t do my job.”

She was uncharacteristically silent at that moment, and he waited her out until she finally, as exasperated as a trill symbiont could be, replied, “Fine. Let’s save the world and be the good guys.”

“Lieutenant?”  A group of operations officers called out to him from across the room, and he motioned them over and began to walk them through the task at hand.

“This is…impressive craftsmanship.”  T’saath was on the Cardassian bridge with Gul Hasara and the Beta away team.  The ship was a Frankenstein, and you could see the lines where the ship had been welded together.  They had expected to find it crudely held together and assembled, but what had become clear was the attention to the original aesthetic, with functionality being the foremost concern.

Hasara was shaking his head, “This ship was made to host a crew, Commander.  They could have done what they did with the previous ship and your doppelganger…but I would surmise that they intended this ship to be crewed eventually.  Which suggests that whatever other ships they may have…would be intended similarly.”  He wondered further, “Why not crew the ship now?”

T’saath had hooked up a portable generator to what was the operation’s console and was slowly navigating the display, “I suspect it is the rare quality that the Arretans display as a weakness – hubris.  They are incredibly powerful, and perhaps they expected us to shy away from this ship or even keep our distance to avoid conflict.”   She tapped at the console, “There is an abundance of data.  I will start the process of downloading it now.”

The Gul wandered around the command center under the watchful eye of the security team, “Hubris is one thing…but this is… unusually careless.”  He pulled out his scanning device and walked from console to console, growing more concerned. The helm control station suddenly lit up, and he warned, “Commander, I think we need to get back to the ship.”

The Vulcan XO turned and saw what he was staring at, her eyebrows raised.  She tapped her badge, “T’Saath to transporter room – requesting emergency transport.”  They responded in the affirmative.  The rest of the away team was pulled away in a burst of light, but she and the Gul remained. “Transporter room?”

=^=We’re having trouble locking onto your sign..*bbzz* =^=  The channel cut out, and suddenly the entire ship powered on, and the screen showed the ship in motion.  

Hasara jumped into the helm console, “No control – overrides are not working.”

T’saath stood motionless as the stars on the screen accelerated to warp speed, and she felt voices at the edge of her mind begin to whisper to her.  “Gul, you need to incapacitate me.  Now.  The core of this ship is active…and I cannot be allowed to be affected.”

Hasara stared at her but stood, “I need a…,”  

She tossed him her phaser, “It is locked on maximum stun.  Please do it quickly.  I am much stronger than you and cannot predict what will occur.”  

She closed her eyes, and the Gul grumbled, “This has been the oddest mission.”  He aimed and fired.  T’saath collapsed to the ground in a heap.  Hasara glanced around the bridge, “Cross that off the list of things I’ve always wanted to do. Now to figure out how to stop this thing.”  He went to work, keeping an eye on the prone figure of the Mackenzie XO.

=^=We’re unable to get a lock on Hasara or the Commander=^=

Harris stood from his chair, “Prentice – tract….”  The Cardassian ship leaped to warp and was gone in a flash.  Silence filled the bridge.  Ambrose felt his gut begin to churn, and he tapped his badge, “Harris to Chief Okada – core status?”  He could see in his periphery Fowler was working feverishly on tracking the Cardassian ship as it moved farther and farther away from them.

=^=We’re at half capacity, sir.  I can give you warp five.=^=

“I’ll take it, chief.  Prentice, intercept course at warp 5 – go.  Chief Kondo, set Red Alert but hold at standard stations for now.”  The klaxons rang out as the lights filtered to red, and he turned in his chair to his chief science officer, “Fowler, talk to me.”

Sadie’s nerves had swung wildly from calm to a full-blown tempest as the Cardassian ship had leaped into warp with the Gul and their executive officer aboard.  She had singularly focused on tracking the ship as best as she could, “Long-range sensors are locked on the ship – it is moving at warp six on an intercept pattern to the planet Palasa had identified to us as the center of the Arratan’s operations.  I was able to confirm they were both alive when the ship took off…but there was a faint reading of phaser fire before they went to warp and out of range.”

Harris turned in his chair, “Phaser fire?”

She gave a nod as she thought through scenarios.  Atega spoke up from communications, “Sir, wasn’t the commander unusually affected by the Jade Dilithium on the transport ship?”

Fowler made the connection, “Pres…Ensign Atega’s right.  With the ship powered back up, the dilithium would have been recharged to full strength.”  

The bridge went still and silent again, and Harris sat in his chair, thinking.  He posited a question, “Do we know what kind of weapons fire it was, Fowler?”

She ran the scans through the database and replied, “It was a Starfleet phaser signal, sir.”  She pulled up the away team roster, “The crew that came back didn’t report any missing weapons.  Commander T’saath had her sidearm…but the Gul….,”

Harris finished the thought, “…he was unarmed per regulations.  So did he overpower her and shoot her?  Or did she shoot herself?”

Kondo had turned in his chair, “That’s a tough thing to do, even for the best of us.”  He glanced at the empty chair where the XO usually sat, “She could have asked him to stun her if she knew what was happening.  Vulcans have been shown to have extraordinary control mentally and physically in moments like this.”

The CO stood, “Then we can hope the Gul has control of the bridge.  We’re following this ship straight into the Arretan’s home base.  We need to prepare for the ultimate test – rescuing our friends and putting a stop to them so they can’t do this to anyone else.  Fowler – get with Chief Kondo to figure out a way to use the mechanisms we used to flood the area with signal – to find a way to adapt our torpedoes or even probes to it.”  He turned his attention to Atega, “Ensign, I need you to track every signal coming from and going into that sector of space.  That ship is being controlled somehow, and we need to find out how.”  Lastly, he turned to the assistant chief engineer who had taken a station on the bridge in order to update him as the repairs continued, “Greer – continue working with Chief Okada and Tir.  We need maximum warp if we have any chance of getting in and out of this without too much more injury.”  Each of them nodded and got quickly to work.  He stood from the chair, “Lieutenant Tir, you have the CONN.”  He strode to the turbolift and stepped inside.

Harris stood at the massive bay window as the low muttering of the red alert klaxon echoed in the background.  The stars streamed, and the rumble of the ship beneath his feet bought him some level of comfort at the moment.  They were flying as fast as they could, chasing a ghost ship that had taken his executive officer captive for whatever reasons.  Along for the ride was Gul Hasara.  He clenched and unclenched his hands, staring at the stars.  He wished they could go faster.  He wished they could smash the Arratans back into the unsettling prison and throw away whatever passed for a key.  His anger was slowly simmering and he knew there were few places on his ship where he could find the cool relief to drop the temperature of his frustrations slowly.

“You have the look of a very unhappy man, Captain Harris.”

Ambrose turned and found Henry Wyatt walking towards him carrying two mugs of steaming tea.  He accepted one of the mugs, “Shouldn’t you still be under observation?”  The El-Aurian was dressed in casual wear and gave him a quiet look in answer.

“Your Doctor Reid cleared me and suggested I walk around a little.  Mind you, I have a friend who follows me,” he turned and waved to the security officer who stood and observed.

“Rules and regulations.  He’s very good at his job – part of why Kondo put him on you.”  He took a sip of the tea, and remarked, “That is a unique blend of Earl Grey – heavy on the bergamot.”

Wyatt smiled, “It is a guilty pleasure – the fruit is one of my favorite flavors.  Has been since I first tasted it so long ago.  There are some things you just never forget, no matter how long you live.  He gestured to the stars, “One of the views on any starship, I’d venture.  I always say a ship should have plenty of windows to gaze upon the miracles of the universe.”  He took another sip before he turned to Harris, “You’re not here for the view.”  The CO pursed his lips and explained what had occurred to bring him to this moment.  Wyatt remained quiet, returning his attention to the stars.  He sipped at his tea until he spoke, “Something I’ve always admired about Starfleet Officers..or any officer in any army I served or knew.  They willingly went into the danger – and found ways to survive.  There’s something about the training, the journey, and the life that just…inspires them to fight and scrabble that much harder.”  

Harris took a drink, relishing the fullness of the black tea, “Reminds me of an old engineering saying. ‘When you can’t run, you crawl. And when you can’t do that, you find someone to carry you’.  Ours is a sacred duty – the living, the hurt, and the dead.”  He finished his tea and handed the cup back to Wyatt, “Thank you for reminding me of why we do what we do, Mr. Wyatt.”  He walked thoughtfully past the security officer and out the door, leaving Wyatt alone to contemplate the stars. 

Gul Hasar sat in the Cardassian Brig, the prone body of T’saath lying tied tightly behind a forcefield.  The ship was moving slowly at warp 6, and he’d had time to try and stop it.  No matter what he did, the ship kept going.  He’d resolved to find out what he could from the Vulcan.  He was waiting for her to wake up.  Her phaser was now clipped to his utility belt.  He wasn’t sure what or who he would talk to shortly, but he wanted to be prepared.  He leaned forward as she stirred and glanced around, her eyes settling on him.

“You cannot keep us behind this field.  We have control of this ship.”  Her voice was her own, but it retained a chilling chorus as if several others inhibited her body.

Hasar chuckled, “Yes, but you forgot one simple thing.  You forgot to lock out the controls to the lower systems…and one of those is the brig systems, rooms, and forcefields.  You see, we learned long ago that we needed to build them on separate grids to ensure that nobody could take control without separate command codes.”  He stood and stretched, “You erased all those command codes when you made one ship from four.  I found the subroutine and put in my own.  So, for now, this is my home.  And yours.  Which reminds me – we haven’t been introduced.”  T’saath growled a deep muttering sigh of anger as she attempted to free herself from the binding that had encircled her tightly.  “That’s special brig equipment we designed for Vulcans, Klingons, and whatever other strong alien races we might encounter.  We tested it.  Repeatedly.  You didn’t dispose of that either.”  He sighed, “Your name?”

The alien who occupied the Vulcan body spat back, “I am called Enhed.  The sister of Tashlultum, the wife of Rimush who leads us to victory.”  She stopped trying to roll, “I would destroy you, Gul Hasar.”

The Cardassian stood and walked up to the forcefield, “You would try, Arretan.  Something I have discovered that you are starting to suspect is that your powers do not have dominion over me.  It is most unusual…and a glaring exception to most humanoids.”

Enhed was frowning and scowling as she focused on Hasara, with no result.  “This is a trick.  Impossible.  We have dominion over all living things.”

The Gul shrugged, “My guess is the others in your group have tried to come and take over my body like you’ve done so many times…but they cannot…what is the word…connect within me.  It must be infuriating.”

The Arretan inside T’saath remained silent for several minutes until she spoke, subdued.  “It is the main reason this ship exists in the manner it does.  Your people fought to the death…and nearly tore apart the four ships.  They took many of the bodies that we had as well.  None of the people of the planet knew how to fly such a ship as this.  The Cardassian members had fled, never to return.”  She looked from her tied-up position, “You are a stubborn and annoying species.”

Hasara cackled, “That is basically what The Federation has labeled us since the beginning of our relationship.  We did go to war with each other, to be fair.”  He activated the replicator and sipped at some juice, “So you won’t be able to subjugate us.  Perhaps the Breen?” Enhed didn’t speak, and her gaze met the floor.  The Gul waited.  And waited.  Then he knew.  “You can’t control them either!”  He clapped his hands together, “You picked the wrong end of the galaxy to launch your new empire.  That’s why you wanted The Mackenzie…and the rest of Task Force 47.  You can control Vulcans, humans, and the like…an easier target with more bodies to throw around.”

She hissed, “We’ll still have it.  We have this Vulcan to use. They’ll listen to her.  They’ll come for her.  And then, we’ll take them.”

The Cardassian scoffed, “You may get the Mackenzie, but they’ll adapt to you and figure you out pretty quickly.  The universe has changed a lot since you last walked around.”  The Arretan went silent and refused to answer anything further that Hasara asked.  He retired to his chair and began to read a book he had found.  They still had a long way to go.

Harris sat in his ready room, reviewing the latest reports from engineering.  They were working hard and fast to repair the damage that had been done by the Cardassian attack.  They’d managed to get the ship sped up to warp 5.5, and the mood was turning in engineering as the pieces of the repair puzzle began to fit.  The chime to his door rang, and he called out, “Come on in.”  He frowned as Chief Kondo walked in with one of his security officers in tow.  “What can I do for you, Kondo?”

“Ensign Kurtz has some suspicions about a member of the away team.  I think there’s some merit to his concerns.  Ensign?”

The young man gingerly stepped forward, “Ensign Mardo has been acting…weird since she came back from the away mission.  I talk to her pretty much every shift and we get along really well.  When she came back, she wasn’t interested in talking to me at all…and got really mad when I asked her what was going on.”

Ambrose shifted forward over his desk, “You sure she’s just interested in you anymore, Ensign?”  He caught a momentary smile from Kondo.

Kurtz turned red at the implication, “No, sir.  We’re strictly friends.  Nothing like that. She’s not my style or my kinda person.”

Harris looked to Kondo who explained, “I decided to track Mardo’s movements since she came back.  She’s been spending a lot of time in her quarters and in and around the armory.  Those are two places she stays away from normally.  I spoke to her about an hour ago and something has certainly changed.”

The CO dismissed the ensign and turned back to Kondo, “You think it’s possible something came back with her?”

De La Fontaine nodded, “We know when the Jade Dilithium is charged at allows the Arratans to control things.  I think it also allows them to move from one place to another through the stuff.  When the Cardassian ship woke back up, that pathway was opened.  Why they chose Mardo is still unknown.”

Harris let out a long sigh, “We need to get her contained, then.  At least we don’t…oh.”  He shook his head to himself, “We have Jade Dilithium in the cargo bay…secured…but it’s still a risk she could find a way to charge it.”

Kondo pulled up his PADD, “She’s…near the shuttle bay.”

Ambrose stood from his chair, “Lock the Mack down.”  Kondo quickly tapped into the PADD and headed for the bridge, followed by his CO.

Kondo spoke to the ship’s computer, “Computer, lock down all decks, secure all doors, and disable internal and external transporters on my authority.”  The computer beeped, and the lights flickered to orange as the ship’s computer announced the lockdown.  He glanced at his PADD, “She’s outside the shuttle bay.  I’ll take a team.”

Harris gestured to the operations chief, “Take Calog with you – you’re going to need help with ship systems.”  Both men entered the turbolift after Kondo entered his override codes.”  The door closed, and the CO turned to the bridge, “Communicate with our departments – we have the person contained – nobody opens a door for anyone without Chief Kondo’s authorization.”  He returned to his chair.  The clock was ticking.

Kondo had slipped on the phaser rifle rather nonchalantly, and Calog had hesitantly accepted the hand phaser from him, asking, “Are you sure we’re going to need this?”

The security and tactical chief gave him a look, “The briefing details what we know about the Arratans.  There’s plenty we don’t know about.  I’d rather not find out the hard way, you know?”

“I’d rather not find out the hard way either, you know.” Tir reminded him that she was very much a self-preservationist at her core and would like to live, thankyouverymuch.  Calog rolled his eyes at her and continued following at the side of Kondo.  “You make an excellent point.”

They worked their way through several sealed corridors and another locked-down turbolift before they reached the shuttle bay deck. They came to an intersection where the body of a security officer lay sprawled.  Kondo leaned down, “He’s alive.  This was the guard for Henry Wyatt.”

Calog frowned, “What could she possibly want with him?”

“He is El-Aurian.  Maybe they think they can get into his body…live forever?” Calog repeated the same idea to Kondo, crediting his symbiont.  De La Fontaine gave a nod, and they continued towards the shuttle bay.  As they rounded a corner, they found Ensign Mardo holding Wyatt in a hold, a phaser rifle cocked and pointed at his body.

“You cannot hope to stop me.”  

Wyatt was relaxed and almost seemed to regard the Arratan-controlled Mardo with amusement.  “I think they’ll find a way, Arratan.  Your kind never learned how to simply exist with anyone else.”

“I have a name.  My name is Tashlultum.  I am the wife of Rimush, the Son of Sargon.  You will bow to us and serve us.  You will allow me to take a shuttle with your supply of Jade Dilithium, and I may yet allow this rodent to live.”

Kondo kept his phaser rifle up and aimed at Mardo, his finger resting against the trigger, “You must know enough about us to know you’re not leaving us, especially with Mardo.  We get a little possessive of our fellow crewmen.”

Tashlultum in Mardo hissed as if she was a cat, “I will not allow you to ca…,”  Suddenly Wyatt fainted sound away as the possessed officer uttered a “wha…”. At that point, Kondo’s finger wrapped around the trigger and fired, sending Mardo’s body slumping to the ground with a thump.  Tir quickly ascertained the body and gave a thumbs up.

Kondo tapped his badge, “Chief Kondo to Captain Harris.”

=^=Go ahead=^=

“We’ve subdued Mardo.  I would recommend transporting the other members of the away into secure quarantine chambers for examination by Doctor Reid.  We’ll get our subject into the secure brig for further questioning and examination.”

=^=Make it happen.  We’ll get to work on our end.  Harris out=^=

Tir glanced up to Kondo as he restrained the unconscious officer, “What are we going to do with her?”  He glanced at Wyatt, “and him?”

De La Fontaine shrugged, “Lock her down for now.  We have a short window to figure out how to handle the other Arratans.  I suspect that is our next step.  As for Wyatt,”  He motioned to the El-Aurian, “Come with us.  Sickbay is on its way to handling your escort’s injuries.”  Wyatt gave a quiet nod as Kondo gestured for Tir to grab the woman’s shoulders, and they began the process of carrying her to the brig.

“Once they release me, I will kill you.”

Gul Hasara glanced up from his reading device, “I wouldn’t recommend that course of action.  The Cardassian government, as much as they don’t have a clue, do not likely take that kind of thing.”  He returned to his book, “Besides, you can’t take control of us.  A war with the Cardassians would be ill-advised.”

“We don’t need control of you.  Even now, one of ours walks among the Starfleets.  She will have taken control of them all.”

Hasara glanced up, “Was that because you couldn’t get into my head, so you had to go inside the next best…or worst thing?”  He gave her a thoughtful shake of his head, “You may think you know everything, but humans notice changes in their people.”

“We are very good at staying hidden.”

The Gul guffawed and put his hands up as if to have her stop making him laugh, “You have been out of this game for too long.  My goodness, you think you have power that you don’t have.  I read about your people and their powers.  What happened to you?  Everything I studied suggested you could tear someone apart if you so desired.”

The Vulcan’s occupant was silent for a long time, and Hasara shrugged while returning to his book.  The Arretan spoke quietly, “We…made an error.  The Jade Dilithium boosted our abilities in great measure.  We leaned heavily into it.”

He stared at her as he worked it out in his head, “You used it so much you became reliant on it…as if it was a drug you couldn’t live without.”

A somber look crossed the face of T’Saath as her Arretan sighed, “It is the one regret I have.  I should have stopped us…but it was so easy.  So simple. So…powerful.  Now we cannot do much without it.”  She grumbled, “We will still destroy you – we have plenty.”

Hasara put his book down, “Do you?  You risked coming out here to pick up your abandoned fields.”

There was almost a pout on the face of T’saath’s face, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared, “We simply wanted to collect what was ours to ensure our stores were full.”  She rolled over on the floor, facing away from the Cardassian.  Hasara clicked his tongue and returned to his thrilling book.

“Your first officer is under our control, and she has no doubt killed the Cardassian interloper.”

Harris stood in the brig with Kondo on one side and Wyatt on the other.  Mardo’s occupant had been ranting for the last ten minutes to the point she’d started spitting against the force field in her rage.  Wyatt shook his head, “They always were a vain species.”  Ambrose gave him a look, and the El-Aurian smiled wanly, “We knew of them.  They’re as close to a Q being as you’ll come.  More menacing than amusing…then again, I’ve known a downright awful Q or two.”

Ambrose gestured at the ranting and raving Mardo, “You ever have to go up against them?”

Wyatt chuckled, “They didn’t like us, and we didn’t like them – we gave each other a wide berth over the years.  First time I’ve stood across from one who wasn’t being chased out of our part of space or running away from us.”  He shrugged, “We tended not to give them the chance.”

The CO mused, “I would have liked to have seen that.”

Henry shook his head, serious in his warning, “No, captain, you would not.”  He turned his attention to Mardo, “What will you do with her?”

Harris wasn’t sure, “We’ll have to figure out how to get the Arretan out of her first.  I may get Reid to sedate her – she seems bound and determined to hurt her vessel.”

Fowler hunched over her console.  They needed a way to adapt what they had discovered about the Cardassian weapons so they could use it, in turn, on a larger scale. The science team had been running up against the simple fact that the Excelsior II class ship was not a nimble dancer on the stage – her grace was in her weapons, and her bulk she could throw around.  She sat back in her chair and ran through the options of shuttles, stopping when she realized they had a New Atlantic runabout available.

Captain Harris stepped onto the bridge and sat down next to her, “Fowler – what do you have?”  She went through the idea she had suddenly discovered, “The New Atlantic runabout is faster and smaller – she could weave through any attack they throw at us…plus we can use Hasara’s field and frequency invention to isolate the shuttle as she moves – while we put Chief Katsumi’s suits on them as an extra layer of protection…and then we figure out how to get the torpedoes to launch from the runabout….we knock out their systems including the Jade Dilithium – we can bring in the Mackenzie…and we’ve won the day without too much bloodshed.”

Ambrose tracked the entire way through her rushed and excited explanation, “Okada and Greer are busy trying to get us back to full warp power.  I’m going to assign you and Prentice to get the runabout ready – the shuttle crew will be able to pitch in as you go.”  Her wide-eyed look gave him pause, “Is that going to be ok, Lieutenant?”

She gave a quick nod, “Yes, sir, it’ll be good.”

He turned to Prentice at the front of the bridge, “Prentice – you and Fowler need to get the New Atlantic Runabout ready for launch – she’ll have the details.”

“I love flying this thing.” Prentice stood beside Fowler in the shuttle bay as the launch crews quickly pulled the sleek runabout from its moorings down to the deck.  They’d already pulled the various modules that would need to be refitted onto the interchangeable connectors.

Fowler stood nervously as the New Atlantic runabout slowly touched down with a *thump*.  She wasn’t sure if her captain knew about the relationship the two of them had started in November.  It had been haphazard, and they’d had plenty of stops, starts, and restarts.  The door to the runabout opened, and the lights inside began to flicker on.  

Fowler glanced at her PADD, “I can start with programming in the frequency and field generator changes – you can work on getting the modules installed.”  She ignored his confused look and marched her way onboard runabout New York.

Prentice wasn’t sure what to make of Sadie at the moment.  They’d found their way back together last week, and she’d been conversational at lunch two days ago.  He tapped at his PADD and walked up to the stack of modules as two of the shuttle bay crew joined him, “Well, let’s get started.”

They worked, and thirty minutes later, as they switched on the EPS connectors, the lights on the modules glowed green as they connected to both power and computer.  Will high-fived the crew, and they went to work on attaching the bottom transport and weapons module.  They had to check to ensure the torpedos had been loaded correctly and that the additional phaser couplings were working with the secondary power supply. Thirty minutes later, they slid the module into place as it clicked into place.  The dock crew went to work to put the final locks in place.

Prentice bounded up to the cockpit deck and sat down roughly next to a nearly finished Fowler.  She was scowling from her PADD to the console and back again.  Finally, she sighed in relief, “Got it.”  She turned to face her boyfriend, “You want to know why this made me nervous?”

Will gave a quiet nod, “I noticed it when the captain asked you…and you didn’t stay to talk when we got here.  What’s going on, Sayd?”

She gripped her PADD tightly as she thought about how to say what was on her heart.  She sighed and leaned back in the pilot chair, “I…I’ve never really had…someone close to me like you’ve been.  Growing up, I never really got out of the Sister’s house – was always too busy learning and working…and whatever else.”  She stared out the front window, “I didn’t date at the Academy…I just..worked and studied and worked…never saw a reason to look at a guy like that when I wanted to be the best at what I did.”  Fowler turned to face him, “I don’t know how to do this, Will.  I like you…a lot.  I like spending time with you…and all the things we do together.”  They both shared a quiet smile as she continued, “But I’m…this isn’t something I’m used to – having the attention of a guy beyond just a study partner.  You can be really intense.”

Prentice listened.  He’d wondered what had been pushing them around in the winds of their relationship, and now there were some answers.  He took a deep breath and shifted in his seat to face her, “I can be intense.  I’ll accept that.  I can work on pulling that back.  I’m on the other side of this – I’ve dated and related tons.  But…and this is gonna weird you out..and it weirds me out saying this…but I don’t know what to do with you either, Sayd.  You’re not like anything I’ve had before.  I…I want to come back to you after we argue.  I…can’t explain it, but….there’s something there that I want to make right with myself.”

She played with her fingers as he spoke.  She remained silent and glanced up at him, “I feel the same.  I don’t want to give up on this thing we’ve got, Will.  It’s something I want to work at, you know?”

He chuckled, “I don’t want to give up on us either.”  They stared at each other and then leaned across the chairs and kissed, holding it long enough to force themselves apart, nervous at what they might have done in the cockpit.  He spoke first, “I’ll…uh…do a walk around of the runabout to give it a last check.”  He stood quickly and gave her one last look, and dashed out.

Fowler felt her face redden and muttered, “I’ll just…check the computer a few more times.  Yea…that’s it.”  She returned to the console, tapping away until her badge beeped.

=^=Harris to Fowler, how’s our shuttle look?=^=

“Final check is nearly done, sir.  She’s ready for launch.”

=^=Good to hear.  I’m sending Chief Kondo down to take the second seat.  Report back to the bridge as soon as possible…engineering just got us to warp 7.=^=

“Understood.”  She stood and walked down and out of runabout New York, catching Prentice on his PADD.  “Kondo’s on his way – I think you’re going to launch pretty soon.”  She looked at him with new eyes as she spoke, “Good luck, Will.”  

He reached out and gave her a brief hug.  “You too, Sayd.”  She pulled away and walked her way to the exit, glancing back at her boyfriend one last time as he smiled and waved to her. She returned the wave and left.

Prentice and Kondo stood in the shuttle bay as Chief Katsumi did her final inspection on their suits.  She looked to each of them, “You’ll need to manually activate the frequency jammers once you arrive in the sector.  You’re going to need to be quick.  I did a little adjusting with the propulsion system to help you make those turns, Prentice.”  He gave a thankful look.  She looked to both of them one last time, “Hit them hard, hit them fast, and fire until the bay’s empty.  Greer supercharged the torpedoes, so they’ll have a good punch.”  She glanced up to shuttle control and gave a thumbs up, “Good luck.  Give ‘em hell.”

Prentice entered the runabout and found his way to the helm seat while Kondo did his final checks outside and then came inside, sealing the door behind him.  He fell into the tactical seat.  They worked in silence until the console alerted them they were clear to depart.  The Mackenzie dropped from warp, and the shuttle bay doors groaned open.  De La Fontaine sighed, “You ready to fly like a bat outta hell, Will?”

Prentice tapped at the console, and runabout New York rumbled off the floor and slowly slipped through the massive doors, a quiet grin on his face, “I’m ready for some fun flying.”  A moment later, they went through the list a final time…and he tapped the console, sending the New Atlantic class runabout off in a flash.

They arrived ten minutes later.  Prentice tapped the frequency settings into action and glanced at the scene before them.  It had once been an operational outpost for Palasa Transport group. Still, it now resembled a glowing green planet with numerous ships glowing in various shades of green hanging in space, watching them.  Prentice chuckled, “They’ve noticed us.  Let’s do this.” Kondo tapped his console and started setting targets as the New York jumped into full impulse, dodging and diving from the attacking ships.  The ship shook as Will sent them into a careening turn that tested the limits of the restraints that had slipped on when they’d arrived.

Kondo noted, “I’ve got four targets – they appear to be power operations centers. Here, here, here, and there. I need to hit those.”  The runabout shuddered under the spits of weapons fire that they were taking.  The suits, scramblers, and coating on the runabout were keeping the Arretans out, allowing them to take the fight to them.

Prentice gritted his teeth, “We’re on the way.”  He swerved the runabout left, then right, and then dove away from blaster fire from another Palasa ship.  Sweat began to appear on his forehead, “Targets in sight.” De La Fontaine fired three modified torpedoes at the sites, and the runabout took a wild turn as he watched the impacts on his console.  They flickered…and then exploded in a burst of fire and debris.  Prentice remarked, “Greer really did supercharge those things.”

Kondo grimaced as the runabout rumbled from both Prentice’s moves and weapons fire hitting them.  “We decided it wasn’t about disabling the Arretan’s power…we needed to destroy it.  Speaking of, we’ve got a tail.  One more power substation to go.”

Will glanced at the sensors, “That would be their Cardassian ship…probably with T’saath at the helm.  She’s as good as I am…maybe a little better.”  He worked at the controls trying to get them into the range of the last of Kondo’s targets, “She’s taking potshots at us – thought Vulcans weren’t violent.”  On the tactical console, Kondo activated the phaser controls and proceeded to harass the Cardassian ship as Prentice ducked and dodged, pushing the minimal inertial dampeners to a breaking point.  Will grumbled as the Cardassian vessel grew closer, “Must go faster…must go faster.”  He calculated the distance to the last primary target, “Hold onto something….”  He tapped the console, and the New York jumped to warp, appearing on the other side of the sector.  “Now, let’s have some fun.  Lining up your shot, Kondo.”

The tactical chief smiled widely as  Prentice got his target right where he needed it.  He fired two torpedoes as the helm officer swerved out of the way of the various phaser blasts.  Watching his screen, De La Fontaine saw the impacts as the power distribution system blew out and the planet’s uncomfortable green glow flickered and then faded.  The runabout shuddered as the Cardassian ship let loose.  Kondo nodded to Prentice, “Shields are at 75% – but we need to take out that ship.”

Prentice protested, “We have to save her and the Gul.”  The runabout shook, and sparks erupted from the wall EPS modules.

Kondo looked him in the eyes, “I’ll try everything I can, Will…but they are trying to kill us, and we’re not big enough to take these hits over and over.  I can spread the pain around, but you know you can’t keep shaking her – her Vulcan mind is going to work out your pattern sooner or later.”

Will growled, “Let’s do some damage and see if we can hold her off a little longer.”

“Fowler, report?”  

Sadie kept her eyes on the screen as her hands tapped out slowly on the console.   She replied to her captain, “The main power conduits have been destroyed – the charged Jade Dilithium on the planet is no longer active…all that’s left is the ships.  I can’t get a read on New York as she’s broadcasting her interference protocols.”

Harris sat in the command chair.  Henry Wyatt sat to his left, working on the console, “I think I have a solution, Captain.” Ambrose gave him a nod.  “They fear El-Aurians the most.  You’ve got torpedoes similar to the ones your runabout has?”

The CO picked up on his thought process, “We do – they’re not supercharged…they could do a lotta disabling work.  We broadcast the interference protocols and let loose with the torpedoes.  And we put you on the screen….”

Wyatt smiled deviously, “I get to add to my list of Arrettans that I’ve threatened and beaten.”

Harris nodded to Prentice, “Red Alert – battle stations.  Set us a course and engage.  Atega – find me a uniform for Mr. Wyatt.”  He slipped his rank pips off his own and handed them to the El-Aurian, “Captain Wyatt, the ship is yours…for a very short time.”

Atega pointed the quartermaster’s assistant to Wyatt, and they stepped into the ready room to change.  Harris turned to the crew, “For the moment, I’m going to be…Commander Harris – executive officer…again.”  The quartermaster’s assistant returned and, after a brief conversation with Ambrose, returned with commander rank pips which he helped attach.  He was gone a moment later, and Wyatt approached the center chair.  Ambrose took the right-hand seat, “Don’t get used to it, captain.”

Wyatt chuckled, “I’ll keep it warm, commander.”

The helm reported they were coming into the sector.  Henry Wyatt leaned forward, “Drop us from warp, helm.  Hail the damn Arretans.  Tell them…Captain Henry Wyatt is asking for their surrender.  Tactical  – lock onto every enemy ship you can find..and prepare to fire on my command.”

The Mackenzie arrived in the sector, and the ships shifted from the attacks on the runabout.

Atega spoke up, “They are responding.”  The screen flicked to the scene on the planet where the bodies that held the Arretans stood, shaking.  None of them looked like they were doing well.  Sores, bleeding, and rashes were spread across the skin.

“What is the meaning of this?  You…YOU.”  A man stumbled forward, “I am Rimush…son of Sargon.  You…escaped?”

Wyatt stood, “I was released…and promoted to Captain to lead these Federation forces to stop you.  You know who I am.  You know what I can do to you.”  In the right chair, Harris got his first real good look at the human bodies the Arretans were occupying.  They looked ghastly as if whatever was inside was going bad.  He stood cautiously and approached Wyatt.

Rimush trembled, his lips cracking and his eyes drooping, “You cannot stop us.  We have the power!  WE HAVE IT!”

The El-Aurian glanced at Harris and turned back to the screen. “You have no power, Rimush.”  The body that held him shouted at the screen.  Wyatt motioned to Atega to mute the channel as Harris stepped closer.

“They look…as if they’re dying.”  Ambrose and Wyatt faced away from the screen as he continued, “Either when we knocked out their power structures, we did more damage than we thought or….”

Wyatt shook his head, “I didn’t imagine it would happen so quickly.”  He explained in response to the curious look on the face of Captain Harris, “The Jade Dilithium…it was both a power generator…and a slow poison.”  He gave a nod to Atega and returned his focus to the man on the screen who had been shouting in defiance of being muted.

Rimush, in the body of a Palasa officer, stumbled as he walked towards the screen, “I can still control you.”  His eyes were growing redder by the minute.  “I just…need a little…of what you took…from…*gack*… from us.”  The body that held the Arretan threw up and collapsed to his knees, “What is happening?  Did…you…do this….?”  The other Arretans were starting to struggle as well, and they looked accusingly at the El-Aurian, who pursed his lips.

Wyatt felt the cold slave of revenge soothing his simmering anger at the Arretans, “I have done…next to nothing.  It’s just that the time on your clock has run out – far sooner than I expected. I remember when they began to experiment on you on The Island.  I remember your desires.  I remember that which you wanted so badly.  The Vulcansah found a way to test you…and it is what has led you to this moment.  You see…they needed something to experiment with…and I provided them with Jade Dilithium…well, I didn’t…but my Mirror Universe captors did.  I merely…helped them see how it could…help control you.”

Rimush wiped his mouth and tried to stand…but found he couldn’t.  “You did this to us…you…did this?”

Wyatt remained standing by the tactical station, “It wasn’t intentional at first…but as I started to listen to them, I discovered that there was a poison in the Jade Dilithium…a poison that infected pretty quickly…but it took repeated usage over years and years….for it to become effective.  It is why the Vulcansah died.  They tried to prolong their life and their power.  Just as you have done.”  He turned to Harris, “Commander, I think you will find that most of the controlled ships are standing down as their master’s power wanes and fades.”

Atega spoke up, “I’m getting a message from Gul Hasara that he has subdued Commander T’saath.  Her ship is lowering weapons and shields.”

Wyatt returned to the screen, “It doesn’t just poison the body…it poisons you…your being, Arretan.  You wanted power, and it gave it to you..but it will take you slowly and painfully from this universe into whatever passes for your next life.”

Rimush gurgled, “What of these bodies?  Do you not care for them?”

Henry slipped off the rank pips and handed them to Harris, “I don’t have to care – Captain Harris will be the one to determine the fate of the Palasa Syndicate you’ve infected.  I wish I could have stood against you and given you the justice you deserved.”  He gave a quiet nod to Ambrose, “I stand relieved.”  He returned to the left chair and sat, staring at Rimush and the others on the screen.

Harris stared at the screen for a moment longer.  His head was still reeling from the revelations – and the impact it was all going to have.  He tapped his badge, “Harris to Reid – I need a full medical team, including triage and trauma, beamed down to the planet immediately.  Your standard security team will meet you there.”  He returned to the screen, “We’re coming to help, Rimush…don’t give me a reason to regret this.”  The screen blinked, and Ambrose stared at Henry Wyatt.  “My ready room.  Now.”

The door closed, and Harris paced the room as Henry Wyatt sat on the couch, his hands clasped together.  It took him a moment to compose his words.  He exploded, “What in the actual hell just happened?  You…knew about this?”

Wyatt sighed quietly, “It is our curse.  Knowing enough but not being able to share.”

Harris wasn’t done, “You…you knew this was what would happen…and you didn’t share?”

Henry explained, “The effect of the Jade Dilithium wasn’t known to the Vulcansah until it was too late…and they didn’t share it with any prisoners.  I don’t think they knew that I was aware of the situation.  I wasn’t sure how long it would take to have its…final effect.”  He looked into the eyes of the furious captain, “You know the rules of my people.  This moment…these events…they are a part of the timeline that must occur.”

Ambrose just stared at him, “Will my first officer survive?”

Wyatt gave a quiet nod, “Her exposure was brief.  When your teams on the Island decode the records and logs, they will find the studies on Jade Dilithium go back hundreds of years.  It takes a long time for the poison to become truly potent.”  He sat forward, fingers steepled, “The Arretans will die.  Each of them.  They will have to be returned to their containers.”

The CO hadn’t stopped staring, “And of the Palasa people?”

The El-Aurian shrugged, “You will decide their fate, captain.  They are a terrible group of people with no real goodness within them.  I know the Starfleet way is to save everyone – including the ones who were just trying to erase you from history.”  He spent a moment contemplating what he felt, “I don’t know what kind of captain I would have been if I had to answer his question.”

Harris sat roughly in the chair at his desk, “What question?”

“The last one he asked. ‘What of these bodies?  Do you not care for them?’  The truth is, I’m not certain my answer would have been the right one.  I’ve lived a few lifetimes.  Watching the killers kill and the killed kill.  You start to wonder if someone should try and change the direction of things.”

“You would have left them to die?”

Wyatt shrugged, “I don’t know, captain.  In that moment…my response would have been, ‘Go to hell’ and leave them to suffer in the pits of their sin and malice.”  He stood from the couch, “That’s not the right answer, at least when you’re wearing this uniform.  Do I need to report to the brig?” He said it simply.  There was no sarcasm, just an honest question.

Ambrose chewed on the question.  “You didn’t knowingly give the Vulcansah the Jade Dilithium.  You hid facts from my crew and me…but it wasn’t from a place of malice or conspiracy against this ship.  You acted as you saw fit…and despite the little play, we acted out, you’re not currently a member of Starfleet.  I need to consult a few people, write reports, and talk to my Task Force command.  You’ll be confined to certain areas of the ship with a security escort at all times.”

Wyatt walked to the door and turned to Harris as it opened, “You’re the kind of captain I wished I’d had when I was in the fleet.  Life might have been different for me.”  He picked up his escort, who was standing outside the door, which then closed.  Ambrose leaned back in his chair.  He had a lot of calls to make.

“You cannot kill me.”  The body that held Rimush was on a biobed on the surface of the planet, and it was slowly shutting down.  Jordan was working with the mobile triage unit they had setup as the last pieces of the mobile hospital were being put in place by the engineering team.  She had tried to speak with Rimush, but he’d stared straight ahead, repeating that they couldn’t kill him.  

She sat on the stool next to his bed, “Whatever passes for death for an Arretan will come to pass for you, Rimush.  The body you occupy will fail.  And then your spirit will be unable to go anywhere unless you choose to go into the arks we’ve constructed”, she pointed to the stone boxes with diagnostic equipment installed, “There, you can at least die without feeling everything this body is going to be feeling.”

He scoffed, “This pain is nothing to a being such as me.”  Even as he said the words, he grimaced and cringed at the steadily crescendoing stabs of pain that assaulted his senses.  Reid sighed and moved to the others.  T’saath was laying a few beds over.

“Enhed.”  The being that had held the Vulcan’s body was defeated.  A deeply saddened look was permanently etched on the face of the usually unemotional executive officer.  She turned her head as Reid sat on the stool.

“Doctor…Reid…you said I could go into…that ark?”  A nod from Jordan.  “I regret us, doctor.  I wish I had done the things I had done.  I wish I could live a changed life.”

Reid took T’saath’s hand in hers, which felt awkward, but she pushed through, “We know so little about your next stage of life.  We’ll stand watch over your ark until you pass, Enhed…I promise you.”

T’saath’s eyes started to flit as she struggled to breath, “Then I will say goodbye to you, Doctor…Reid…thank you for your kindness in the face…of our evil.”  Reid watched the readings and then glanced at T’saath, who had a curious and somewhat offended look on her face.

“Lieutenant…why are you holding my hand?”

Reid slipped it out quietly and chuckled, “Your host needed some comfort.”

An eyebrow went up, “I do not require comfort.  I require sleep and silence – I must meditate to repair the damage she has done to my mind and spirit.”  She closed her eyes.  Jordan moved down the line.  She met up with Ensign Yoshiyuki.

The assistant chief medical officer reported that Manish while fighting the requirement to transfer to an ark, was coming around to the idea. At the same time, Shu had quietly agreed and had completed his transfer moments ago.  The body he had occupied had been damaged too much.  “There was nothing we could do.  Mardo’s occupant, Tashlultum, is proving a challenging host.”  He led her across the tent to where the security officer was strapped into the bed.  She was snarling and spitting at anyone that came close to her.  “She believes we’re going to send them to oblivion.  I think she’s going to end up killing Mardo if we don’t find a way to get her out of there.”

Reid frowned, “Any progress on that front?”

“A few theories, none pleasant.  One is that we kill Mardo…at least temporarily.  Tashlultum would be without a host and due to her poisoned status…would have nowhere to go aide from the Ark to live out her last hours or days.”

Jordan knew it could be done.  It didn’t mean that it should be done.  “Make preparations…I need to consult with the captain.”

She stepped away and tapped her badge.  She filled him on the latest.

=^=So we’re down to Rimush and his wife.  The true believers.  Can you do it down there, or do you need Mack’s facilities=^=

Reid considered the hospital, “I’d need a few more portable devices…but I think I can do it.”  Harris gave her the go.  She went to work.

“Rimush, Tashlultum…we gave you the option to get out willingly.  The health and safety of your hosts are our biggest concerns.  Now we have to do this the hard way.”  Reid stood at the head of the biobeds, equipment, and medical staff surrounding them on the planet’s surface.

Rimush spat back, “You cannot kill me.”  Tashlultum just stared daggers at Reid.

Jordan tapped at her PADD, “Let’s begin.  Start the clock.”  The staff started the equipment, and a chrono unit clicked on above them as the timer clicked forward.  The temperature on both bodies began to drop.  The goal was to hit somewhere between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius. The heart and lungs would slow and eventually stop, allowing for the body to be restarted within thirty minutes.  Reid kept her eyes on the readings as the heart rate slowed along the respirations.  Slowly the two bodies began to approach the state of circulatory arrest.  Both Arretans began to panic as they started to feel what was happening.

Rimush spoke slowly, “What…are…you…doing?”

Reid kept one eye on the PADD, “We’re putting your host bodies into deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.  They will die.  And you…you will have to choose oblivion or the comfort of the ark for your last days.”

“But…you…cannot…kill…me.”

Jordan tapped at the PADD, “You’ll be the one deciding what happens when you die, Rimush, not me.”  She checked the readings, “Get ready, team; we’re at 22 degrees.”  The alarms started to ring out minutes later, and a long solid beep filled the room.  Reid restarted the clock.  The two bodies suddenly shook and groaned and then went still.  One minute went by on the chrono.  

A science officer reported from the ark section, “We’re reading both Rimush and  Tashlultum have entered their arks.  They are secured.”

Jordan sighed with relief, “Let’s get them started back up.”  The team quickly went to work, and within ten minutes, the patients were transferred to the intensive care unit section of the mobile hospital.  They still had a massive number of people to evaluate and monitor as the night continued on, but they had put an end to the nightmare.

IOTD 32 – Remember the Why

The morning had come quickly.  Harris rolled out of bed, stretching and groaning.  His girlfriend lay in bed, still peacefully asleep.  Her night had been longer with working through the injured Palasa people.  She’d stumbled to be around 2 am.  Harris stood in the shower for longer than usual, his head trying to clear the horrors this mission had brought them.  A prison planet with a dark side.  All powerful beings had been intent on taking over the galaxy and had been undone by their reliance on a steroid.  He slipped into a fresh uniform and adjusted his rank pips.  The mission wasn’t done yet.

He walked out of his quarters, PADD in hand.  A crewman stopped him in the hall, “Sir, we’ve got a really great idea for a recreation room.”  Harris resisted the urge to pass the man off and asked to take a look.  Fifteen minutes later, he was sold and had added a few ideas that the crewman hadn’t thought possible.  “Thank you, captain.  I’ll send it to Commander T’saath.”

Sipping at his coffee in the turbolift, he met eyes with one of the lieutenants on the night shift who was leaning against the wall of the elevator.  “You doing ok, Tanisha?”  She cringed and said she was ok.  He shook his head, “Ship rule number one – don’t lie to me.  I won’t lie to you.”  Tanisha Gregg confessed she’d been having trouble sleeping with her transition to the overnight shift.  He pulled up his PADD and made her an appointment with Juliet, saying, “She’s really good at helping our insomniacs.”  The door opened, and Gregg gave a wave as she headed off.

The doors to the bridge opened up as the chrono hit 0600, and Harris lifted up his coffee, “Good morning.”  A smattering of replies was returned, and he slipped into his chair, sipping at the steaming mug in one hand while tapping at the PADD in the other, “Do we have an update on an Olympic class coming to replace us?”

Atega took that one, “Starfleet Command got back overnight.  They’re sending an escort group with her just to be safe.  Should be here within the hour.”

Harris chuckled, “Palasa is going to love that.  Fowler – how did the planetary survey go?”

She lifted up a mug of coffee in response from the science station, “There’s plenty for the task force group to examine, I can tell you that.  Palasa had a mining operation before the Arretans took over, but they weren’t disclosing everything they were mining.”  Harris glanced back at her and to his PADD as she sent the report to him, and he audibly gasped.  She raised her eyebrows, “I think Palasa is going to find themselves having to answer some very…uncomfortable questions.”

Ambrose observed, “Poor Palasa – couldn’t have happened to a nicer group of syndicate pirates.”  Another tap on his PADD, “Commander T’saath will be back to full duty tomorrow.  Starfleet have anything to say about our resident El-Aurian?” Atega stood and walked a PADD over to the captain, who raised both his eyebrows, and she wordlessly handed it to him and returned to her station.  Harris opened the document after certifying his credentials and whistled low after he’d read the full report.  He stood and glanced at Atega, “Have Henry Wyatt meet in my ready room.  Tir, you have the CONN.”

The door opened, and Wyatt stepped in, taking the offered seat across from Harris, who took a sip of his steaming tea before he handed a PADD over to the El-Aurian, “Starfleet has completed their review of your record, actions, and history that you were willing to provide.  They will require a full and complete debrief back at Earth once we’ve finished her…but….”

Wyatt pointed at the PADD, “They’re serious?  Master Chief and Quartermaster on the Mackenzie?  This is a joke.”

“No joke, Master Chief Wyatt.  I’ve gone ahead and assigned your quarters and an office and informed your new department of your assignment.”  He leaned back, “To be clear – this wasn’t my preferred choice.  They sent the orders through, and I’m just the cautious messenger.”

“You don’t trust me.”  He said it plainly and leaned forward in his chair, “Putting on that uniform is an agreement with you and Starfleet. If I’m going to call this place home…I can’t afford to hide things from you.”

“You said ‘if,’ Wyatt.”  Ambrose stared at him, “You’ll have three days to make your decision after your debriefing is complete.  I won’t wait around for you.”

Henry read through the PADD details again.  He tapped his signature to the orders, “You won’t have to wait, captain.  I’m ready to work.”

Harris asked, “Why?”

“Why what?

“Why say yes so quickly?”

Wyatt stood from his chair, “Walking these halls and talking with the crew…this is a special place, captain.  I never had a good experience with starship crews in my day.  This place is different.”

Ambrose let a wry smile pass his lips, “You did say if I had been your captain, things would have been different for you.  So will they?  Will they be different for you now?”

“There’s only one way to find out, captain.”

“I’ll accept that, Master Chief Wyatt.  Welcome aboard the Mackezie.  Let’s get to work.” He left the room with a mild smile on his lips and a slight spring in his step.  His journey toward his final frontier continued.

Harris glanced up from his desk in the ready room as the chime rang out, “Enter.”

Gul Hasara stepped through the door and took the offered seat, “I imagine you have an update on my orders.  My contacts have not been forthcoming.”  It was more than that.  Gul has slowly and systematically shut out of his usual channels.  It was both infuriating and refreshing – he had long detested the bureaucracy and corruption.

Ambrose handed a PADD over, “The Cardassian Union and Starfleet have come to an agreement.  You will be given permanent residence and assignment on the Mackenzie as part of a…officer exchange program.  Your roles and responsibilities are yet to be determined by myself and Commander T’saath.”

The Cardassian scoffed, “This is the same Vulcan commander I punched?”

A shrug, “You know as well I do that Vulcans do not have emotional grudges, Gul.”

Hasara chortled, “Yes, but they have excellent memories, captain.”  He sat back in his chair, “Whose idea was this?”

Harris accepted the PADD back, “It was partially mine and some of Starfleet’s.  We know as much as you know regarding how Palasa has been able to get where they are – there are allegations that there’s been some help with Cardassian’s lending support to the group.”

“I’ve run up against some stiff resistance in my own inquiries that is unusual, even for fellow Cardassians.  I have been worried about returning to the Cardassian Union and what would be waiting for me there.  I am a tenacious investigator and captain. As you humans say, I leave no stone unturned.”

“Oddly enough, Chief Kondo asked about your security background and experience this morning.  He seems to think you could help him.”

“I am here to serve in whatever capacity you need, captain.”

Ambrose mused, “We’ll see what Chief Kondo thinks of you, Gul…then we’ll decide where you fit.”

Hasara shrugged, as much as a Cardassian could, “Thank you for the chance to be here…and not dead or imprisoned in a prison camp of some sort.  I’ll return to my quarters.”  

He made it to the door before Harris asked, “You’re serious?  That bad?”

The Gul turned to face his old and new friend, “I am outspoken, captain.  I’m not one to hold my thoughts to myself or try and save face.  It’s what got me assigned to Dozaria Prime in the first place…and the ilk that, as you humans would say, has my scent is not likely to allow me a second chance to speak my mind.  Perhaps it is luck that brought me to you in the end.”  

He stepped through the door and onto the bridge, leaving Harris to mutter, “I don’t believe in luck.”  He turned his attention back to his PADD and the reports that were slowly flooding into his desk.

“Task Group reports the handoff from our medical teams is complete and they have assumed both planetside and sector control.  They’ve released us from our station and duties.  We are clear to depart.”  Atega listened further to her earpiece, “They wish us fair winds and following seas.”

Harris smiled at the archaic blessing.  Starfleet still felt like a navy in space – the old sayings and beliefs held on through the ages.  “Give them our thanks.”  He turned back towards the front of the bridge, “Helm, set course for Earth.  Engage at maximum warp.”  The Mackenzie sped forward into the stars.  Ambrose stood, “Tir, you have the CONN.”

Six days later they were entering the Sol system and Harris was back in the chair.  They’d built a respectable repair list along with some needed upgrades that would need addressing.  Prentice had flown them through the planets and through the traffic lanes with patience and professionalism, keeping his maverick habits at bay.  The bridge crew gasped and gaped at the screen as Earth came slowly into view as they moved carefully closer to home.  Ambrose smiled, unable to resist the warmth that the sight brought to him, “We’ve come home.”

Prentice chuckled, “There’s something about that view, sir…it’s just…the best word I got is glorious.”

T’saath was at his right and unamused, “It is always a curious thing how humans view their home planet.”

Fowler turned in her chair, “For a lot of us…it’s the one place where we can step foot where we grew up.  The dirt, the air, the smells…you can’t replicate it.”

The Vulcan moved to speak, “In truth…,” before Harris waved her off.

“Let them enjoy this moment, commander.”  T’saath remained silent for the remainder of the trip.  Prentice slotted them for docking at Starbase 1 and Atega had found them a docking slot in quick order.  It took fifteen minutes, but they were soon mooring into a dock, and the ship trembled as they locked in place.  Harris stood and tapped his chair comm, “Crew of the Mackenzie – you have 80 hours of leave granted to you.  You are required to return on 1.8.2400.  You are dismissed.  Senior staff – finalize your reports and send them my way before you depart.”  He turned to the bridge, “You are all relieved.”

They all signed off on their stations and Atega was the last when her console started beeping, “Captain, I’m getting a transmission from a Rachel Harris on earth – for you alone.”

Ambrose frowned.  His mother had retired to work at Harris Transport.  Why was she reaching out to him?  She knew he was headed their way tomorrow afternoon.  “Go ahead and put it on the screen.  I’ll handle the channel from here.”  Atega nodded and transferred communications control to his chair console.  She stepped into the turbolift and it closed as he opened the channel.  His mother appeared on the screen, looking a bit frayed.  His frown deepened, “Mom, what’s going on?”

She sighed, “Rachel McKee, ‘Brose.  She sought me out…looking for you.  She showed up at our offices yesterday and just…it’s a lot.  She’s been staying with Natalie.”

Her son sat back in his chair, “Rachel’s…there?  It’s been…ten years?  What’s happened?”

Rachel Harris shook her head, “She seems to believe she’s responsible for the deaths on the Garrison.”

“What?   That’s…insane.  I know what happened on that ship.”

“She thinks differently. You’re going to need to come down here, Amb…she’s been desperate to talk to you.  I think it’s been eating at her for a while.”

Ambrose put his head in his hands to collect his thoughts for a moment.  He glanced up after composing himself, “OK.  I may bring my counselor with me.  She’s been asking to take a trip to the ranch for a bit.” He glanced at his chrono, “I’ll be down by 2000 hours.”  She thanked him and closed the channel.  He closed out the channel and stood from the center chair.  Rachel McKee was back in his life after ten years.  Something was gnawing at the back of his mind.  It was a terrible thought, but it remained possible.

What if she was right?