Stardate: 74535.79

Time: 0852 hours

Location: Gamma Quadrant – A Tkon outpost

USS Heracles

Vausees and Debrah sat against each other in their quarters. Vausees had her eyes closed as she enjoyed the attention from Debrah, who was massaging her shoulders. Vausees had her mind blank at the moment, but an hour ago her mind had been entangled with the problem on the planet’s surface and more specifically the Tkon Outpost that they had been inside of. 

It had been over a week since the Heracles and her crew had arrived in the sector and system of T74511, which Zozzak had designated the area for the Star Charts. Several away missions had taken place with nearly identical results from each away mission; the members transported away from the power source and back to the shuttle, which landed in different locations for each away mission.

One the last away mission, Vausees had tried to transport directly into the chamber room that the power source was in. She had been lucky that the transporter did not activate as the readings from the logs later showed that she would have ended up inside the power source itself.

Vausees leaned back against Debrah and received a soft kiss from her as she released her shoulders from her hands, which had wrapped around her. 

“Penny for your thought sweetheart,” Debrah asked as she rested her head on Vausees shoulder.

Vausees sat in silence as she thought about all of the information that they had gathered on every away mission, which unfortunately wasn’t much, other than the outpost was very old in some places and only days old in others. A sigh left her lips as she began to caress Debrah’s arms.

“I just wish that I had more information,” she stated as she closed her eyes, which had started to hurt from not blinking. “Hell, even my Phibi Dax, one of my past lives, doesn’t have much on the Tkon,” she confessed as she laid there, “and he was the lead Archaeologist and Head Scientist of the for my people in his time.”

A soft chime abruptly interrupted them and Vausees reached over and tapped a button on the bulkhead next to the bed, “Go ahead Commander.”

Cody sat on the bridge as he looked at the viewscreen and the arrival of Thý’ella’s Battleship, Boulóni Día. When he heard Vausees he informed her that Thý’ella was arriving. Vausees looked at Debrah and informed the Commander that Thý’ella was to be escorted to her quarters. Cody nodded as he listened to the orders, he tapped the comms closed and looked at the viewscreen and the approaching battleship. “M’Rill, contact the Boulóni Día,” he ordered.

With a nod the Assistant Operations Officer did as he was ordered. “Contact established, Commander.”

The viewscreen split in two as Thý’ella appeared.

“Ah, Commander Bettencourt,” she said as she looked at Cody from the viewscreen, “Pleasure to meet you once more.”

Cody nodded his head, “I can say the same to you Thý’ella.”

“It’s Prothypourgós Thý’ella, now Commander,” she stated as she looked at him. “I was recently elected as the next leader, and the former leader reactivated a long since disregarded title of Prime Leader.”

With a nod he congratulated her on her promotion and wished her and her people well. Thý’ella could see that he had something to tell her and dismissed any further conversations of her well-being.

“What’s on your mind Commander?”

“Oh,” he said as he was caught off guard, “Captain Vausees has requested that once you have boarded the Heracles that you are to be escorted to the Captain’s quarters.”

Thý’ella nodded, “Well then I guess I had better hurry up and get on board, wouldn’t you say Commander.” Her voice, though angelic and demonic at the same time, held an amusing tone as she joked about hurrying up.

—Ten minutes later—

A soft chime at the door caused both Vausees and Debrah to look up.

“Enter,” Vausees said as both her and Debrah adjusted into a more comfortable position, still in each others grasp.

The door parted and Thý’ella appeared without her wings on display. She had thought it best that not every member of the crew should see them, let alone allowing the wings themself to absorb the power in the Heracles and cause any damage to the ship.

“Ah, Captain Vax,” she said as she looked at Vausees. Her eyes drifted to Debrah and widened. “Oh God’s!!” she exclaimed as she realized who was behind Vausees.

With a slow movement, Vausees raised her hand up. “Take it easy,” she said when she realized that Thý’ella was embarrassed by what she had seen, and then motioned for the woman to enter.

Thý’ella nodded, still slightly embarrassed, as she entered. The door closed behind her as she moved over to an unoccupied chair across from them. 

“I hope that I was not intruding on anything intimate or otherwise,” Thý’ella said as she sat there.

Both Vausees and Debrah shook their heads ‘no’, “We tend to hold each other when one or the other is stressed out,” Vausees explained as Debrah nodded in agreement. “Or not feeling well,” Debrah finished as her arms slipped around Vausees.

“I see,” Thý’ella stated as she watched the movement.

“So what does the Prothypourgós of the Angelikós Zilotís have for the Heracles and her crew?” Vausees asked using Thý’ella’s new title.

Thý’ella was impressed that Vausees knew about her new title and had used it. She shook her head as she smiled, “I thought that you might need some assistance in getting past what your people call a brick wall,” she stated as she looked Vausees in the eyes.

This peeked Vausees interest. “Go on.”

Thý’ella reached into the leather jacket that she had on and produced a small device, which instantly caused the computer to beep and activate an alert. Vausees reached over and tapped a button on the console next to the couch, “Disregard the alert, Commander,” she said as she tapped the button once more and returned her attention to Thý’ella, “Sorry about that. Continue.”

Thý’ella had been looking at the source of the alert when she heard Vausees, “This device is a Tkon identifier and will allow you to bypass any internal defenses that you may have encountered while being here.”

Cocking her head to the side she held out a hand as Thý’ella offered the device. A small shimmering gem was inset inside the surface of the device as Vausees looked at it. 

“Thý’ella if I might ask,” she started to say but was cut off as Thý’ella lifted her hand up.

“I have waited for you to ask this question, and all I can truly say is that some of our technology is from the Tkon, at least what we have an understanding of. As for my people, we do not know if we are descendants of the Tkon, but we hope and pray that we are,” she states in a humble and honest voice.

Vausees nodded as she heard what Thý’ella had said, “Maybe we all will find out together.”