The Road was awake before the morning bells had sounded. Steward Vel was already out among Caelari Primes meadows when the first light came. He stood and took a deep breath listening to the sound of the fields.

A Starfleet shuttle swept low along the meadows, Vel glanced toward it as it slowed and settled near the closest houses.

A few Starfleet officers stepped out, Counsellor Sora Venn amongst them. She raised a hand in greeting toward him. “good morning” she called.

He waved in response. “If you’re looking for something to do, put curing pilgrims hunger near the top.” He called.

“One of the top five,” she promised him. Water, shade, triage, food and routes. We’re just here to keep people safe.”

He grunted in approval. People had already appeared on the roads, preparing for the pilgrimage to the holy city of Varanesh. Far off Sora heard a speaker in the distance “Children of the first light, clear doubt and keep the heretics from the spire.”

Sora’s jaw tightened, she tapped her combadge “Venn to San Clemente, roadside deployments have begun, messages from the Children of the First Light are being broadcast.”

“Understood, that is precisely why you are there, Lt. If you come across any threats, security forces are standing by.” Came Cdr T’Lenar’s calm reply.

Captain L’rena listening to the open comms joined the conversation. “We have deployed personnel to the choke points on the route. Our forces are embedded with yours, should you need us.”

Sora looked at the road again, “let’s keep it a road” she muttered quietly.

—–

By midmorning, Varanesh’s terraces gleamed in the sunlight. Water was sipping over the mirror like canals. The Miraline, the Caelari called it, living steps that took river and rain and turned them into food and music.

The San Clemente’s crew had seamlessly become part of this. Tents had been erected to allow people shade and water points put in place. Dr Reyna Paldor’s medical tents were put up in neat rows to assist those in need. Caelari volunteers wore saffron sashes to stand out from the pilgrims, learning from the Starfleet medical staff as they assisted.

On the roads, the Y’tem’s crew took the lead on security. The Klingon crew stood like markers on the route alongside the gold uniforms of Starfleet security teams. Tal’kor, board shouldered and still managed both teams with an efficiency that impressed the Starfleet Chief of Security and Tactical, Sh’rol Th’Varak.

Friction, however, came as though it had been scheduled.

At a bend where two paths met a group of white robed devotees chanted “First Light” as the surrounded a group of workers from Orran. Shoving started, nothing malicious but the sort that came from both sides being certain that their beliefs were right.

Tal’kor stepped into the mouth of it, “Hold” he said in a deep loud and a voice full of authority.

A small acolyte stepped forward and spat at his feet, “Klingon blades guarding heresy.”

Tal’kor used all his strength to hold himself back from murdering the acolyte where he stood. Though L’rena’s orders were clear and he would not disobey her. He simply stood motionless, it didn’t calm the crow but it didn’t make things worse either.

—–

The Miraline had its own song, peaceful, but that changed suddenly. The pitch shifted and all could feel a vibration through the stone under feet.

Upstream the weir had shifted. It didn’t shatter like in an old movie, it wasn’t dramatic, it did something more terrible. A small crack popped and the bridge dropped, first only and hands width and then a lot more. Water rushed down stream, people yelled and disappeared.

Rescue shuttles were in the air quickly but were not prepared for this, Lt Arven Kree swung his shuttle over the channel. On the ground the saffron sashed stewards directed people away from the area.

Two Klingon officers, Rin’tal and Ka’rek, sprinted to assist those being swept away. They held a rope for people to grab onto and already felt the sting in their hands.

“Shr’ol” came Kree voice over the comms channel, “I’m coming in fast, I’ll hover directly next to you and open the rear hatch. Get ready to load”

Sh’rol did not response but prepared like instinct and as Kree’s shuttle came in was already throwing people aboard and out of harms way.

White robed acolytes and members of the Children of the First Light chose this moment to inflict more damage. Three of them added shaped charges at the remaining weir holding the torrent back. One of them raised their hand high into the air.

Rin’tal saw this unfold and knowing what was about to happen opened a open comm to both crews “white robed zealots placed charge on final weir”

Kree and Sh’rol heard the call and the shuttle began to lift, the pilot looking over his shoulder at the Andorian. “Sh’rol?”

“Do it,” he responded.

The shuttle slid along to waterline toward the white robed figures as Sh’rol clipped a winch line to the rear of the shuttle, throwing himself out. As the shuttle approached he slowed his descent holding at the same level as the robed figures just in time to see a look of surprise on their faces.

He nocked the first off the weir spinning out the way of a blade from the second, he grabbed it and thrust backwards. He was stronger than Sh’rol expected but was not match and fell into the third. Sh’rol nocked the blade out of his hand with the winch cable and cuffed them both together.

Tal’kor watched, it only lasted a few seconds but impressed the old Klingon warrior who simply gave a nod toward Sh’rol.

“charges disarmed,” Sh’rol said over the comms and Kree shuttle descended to pick him back up. “but we still have the first surge” he pointed out.

Tal’kor and a group of Starfleet security were rushing people out the way of the rising tide. He was already drenched but the Caelari were in a worse state. The sheer amount of people had resulted in a bottle neck, stopping them all from getting through.

Saell and Trang were working hard up stream, attempting to divert the flow of water. “30 seconds” Saell said to Trang as she attempted to redirect the flow.

These waters had flowed this direction for hundreds of years. Trang saw this and realised that the mechanisms were stuck. He looked as Saell, “I’ve got this” he said picking up a workers hammer.

He ran toward the mechanism, leaping in the air as Saell hit the final sequence. He brought the hammer down and hit with all the might a Klingon could summon. The mechanism shifted and the water stemmed.

Neither officer knew whether it was there method which worked, neither needed to know. Both Klingon and Starfleet had learnt that it didn’t matter.

“last out,” Tal’kor called to Sh’rol who was stood on the hovering shuttles hatch as the last of the pilgrims were moved to safety. The mass of people now settled near the tents, most catching their breath.

The shuttle came into land, picking up Tal’kor’s team who looked as though they’d been fighting a horde of Gorn. Both Starfleet and Klingon stood together as the shuttle ascended Tal’kor and Sh’rol looked down at those they’d saved as the people looked up. Some waved, some clapped, most were just happy that they were there.

—–

Under one of the medical tents canopies Captains Traven and L’rena stood with Dr Paldor who held a PADD in her hand. High Luminary Serad stood beside her with Captain Moar of the Caelari ship Radiant Edict at her side.

“These are the numbers of casualties so far,” Paldor said, “we may have to adjust as more reports come in.”

She read allowed the lives lost, injured and saved. She named names where she could and promised that she would find the names of those she did not know. As she finished she nodded to the High Luminary.

“We bless breath,” she said. “We reject those who would stop it, though, we will not name our neighbours ‘heretic’ today. We will instead feed those in need and give them places to sleep. After, we shall speak of history and the truth.”

Maor said nothing, Traven nodded and L’rena unfolded her arms “Honour kept its blade sheathed and in turn cut a path today.

Jash and Ilyene both stood side by side in front of a crowd. They spoke without the need for microphones.

“We walked each other out of fear today, do not forget those hands that you held” Ilyene said.

“And don’t not forget which hands held you,” Jash added. “But also don not forget the hands that tried to push you.”

There were murmurs throughout the crowd.

Security teams brought the members of the Children of the First Light out in cuffs. They were alive, their equipment collected and bagged as evidence. The devices found were a match for the bombings at the refineries on Orran and the people now saw the truth of those that wished them stick to the old ways.

—–

In a quiet corner of the pilgrims accommodation Counsellor Sora Venn was approached by a young woman in the robes of Orran. She had three others workers with her, all holding small packs.

“We request asylum,” the woman said. “The Children of the First Light have a list, and we are on it.”

Sora breathed out realising that this was just the beginning of the troubles in the Caelari System. “We can keep you safe while we assist the Communion of Light with investigations.”

She tapped her combadge. “Venn to San Clemente, four for intake under article four of the Joint operating picture.”

“Acknowledged,” came the reply from T’Lenar.

A moment later the group were transported away, disappearing in a shimmer of light.

On one of the main terraces Tal’kor paused before looking up at the nights sky. Kree came and stood beside him, the Klingon towered over Kree but being a pilot he had enough confidence for the both of them.

“That was good flying Starfleet,” L’rena said from the terrace above. Kree looked pleased with himself, a compliment from a Klingon Captain, he’d be talking about this in the mess for the rest of his career.

L’rena’s gaze shifted toward Traven as he walked toward her, Sora Venn in tow.

“Restraint is a blade,” she said, “tomorrow we will use it on the next problem.”

Traven’s gaze met hers and he nodded one, “We’ll sharpen it at dawn.”

In Orbit the San Clemente and the Y’tem kept hovered in orbit silently as the shifts changed and the crews prepared for another day in the Caelari System. For tonight, Caelari Prime breathed. This new frontier was not empty, it was full of people learning to share without drowning.