Astrid sat, at one of the briefing desks in the briefing room for the hazard team doing her after action report. She had changed out of her hazard suit and was wearing a standard security uniform.

Setting down her PADD she picked up her cup of steaming English Breakfast tea. She held the sip in her mouth for a moment savouring the flavour before swallowing.

Ensign Magara had finished changing also, and now wore his starfleet uniform – which was heavily tailored as to adapt to his largely non-humanoid bodyform, it was looser and in several overlapping cloth pieces, rather than the near skin-tight form of others – upon his rather oversized head lay a turban, coloured soot-black, in contrast to the yellow of most of his uniform. Soon enough a great booming groan was heard from outside the briefing room, she could have sworn her tea was wobbling from the vibrations of the guttural and tri-tonal tune – though of course that was unlikely. The door opened from the changing room, as Magara lit up a long, intricate pipe – seemingly carved from ivory or bone.

“Magara,” Astrid greeted thankful for the distraction.

“The Black Sun,” he responded, puffing out the smoke as he did so, looking in her direction before offering a smile through droopy lips. He then moved over towards one of the replicators and looked over it, before flicking through the menus to see if his requested meals and beverages were put in place. “The Eclipse has proven herself a strong fighter” he said idly, continuing to shuffle through the recent items. “This one is glad to have her by his side”

“Black Sun is happy to have Brown Tree at her side as well,” Astrid replied with amusement. “What exactly does… Forgive me; what species are you?”

Magara looked over “There is Three of the Herd amongst the Starfleet. Magara is one of them.” he said, “Magara is of the Three…Of the-” he then let out a tri-tonal entirely unpronounceable sound, three different tones of “A” were bellowed, before coming to a gurgly and slow end with a harsh stopping of a “Kh”. He composed himself after giving his native pronunciation “The Akh. In The Federation’s speech.”

“Okay, so what does an Akh eat? You don’t look like a meat eater, but the incorporation of meat into the diets of early hominid species on earth is what allowed our brains to evolve to our current capacity. No meat no Federation… or at least a Federation with humans in it.”

He shifted “Akh…The Akh do eat meat, but the Black-sun is right – it is not a common part of the diet. The Akh were grazers once, but had learned to consume what would be equivalent to insects and small mammals. The Akh broke the Tuberstones. Then the Akh followed the Godbeasts, becoming nomads. Nightstriders. This one was a Nightstrider.” he spoke “But Magara is no historian, Magara is demolitions expert” he said with a slight chuckle.

“And what does this particular demolitions expert like to eat?” Astrid asked cradling her tea in her hands. “Not much of a vegetarian myself. Hard to pass up good barbecue, or a steak.”

“This Demolitions Expert likes to eat many things – Khuuuuumagh, Drauahakhmahlam…However, this ship does not have the ingredients that this Demolitions Expert would like.” he said simply “Magara enjoyed his years upon the Second World of Earth” he said, before looking through the replicator for a moment and wondering “Perhaps this one could create an…Imitation.” he said, placing a hand upon his chin. “3 large Okra, 2 Jalapeno, 1 Capsicum, 2 cups of lemon-grass,” he said, speaking into the replicator – his list continued with many other earth plants, spices, nuts, insects and meats.

Astrid watched in amusement wondering where this would go, “You forgot a drink my friend.”

He looked over “This is hardly an occasion for a drink” he said with a chuckle.

“Not exactly what I meant, but it doesn’t matter.” She returned to her report and wrote the last couple of sentences, signed it and sent it off to the chief of security for the final report to the captain. “Done. I hate reports. Enough to make me never take a promotion.”

He looked over a bit confused “What did the Black Sun mean?” he asked – as he had the items that he had replicated be placed inside a box, in order to be brought back to his domicile. He walked over towards her with the box in hand “Magara is glad he is no longer a Guildmaster, and instead is simply demolitions expert. There is little paperwork.” he said, perhaps with a bit of a joking gloat.

“Yeah well, you get to be my assistant guildmaster if you will. Not a lot of officers on the team. In fact it’s just us.”

Magara stopped dead in his tracks and looked over reluctantly “This Demolitions Expert regrets his transfer”

“Don’t fret Brown Tree. Keep me alive and you won’t have to fill out any reports,” Astrid teased.

“Then the Tree shall shade the Sun” he said with a grin.

“Welcome to the Hazard Team. Glad you’re here. I like you Magara, though I could do without the tobacco.”

He took an inhale of the pipe in his mouth, and allowed it to flush out of his large nostrils “Noted.” chuckled the massive creature.

Astrid smirked and finished off her now tepid tea. “We all have our vices. For me it’s tea. Drink it all day if I can. My XO on the Brandywine thought I was British.”

Magara furrowed his brow “The British…” he spoke softly in a low rumble, running a three fingered hand through his long, recently cleaned although typically soot-stained beard, now only marked with the ash of his pipe. “Magara is unfamiliar, but remembers the ‘Emerald Isle’ – these words were unknown to the Herd, there is no word in the language of the Akh to describe…An island, isle, river. This one’s first time upon Earth was strange, never before had such water been seen by the eyes of an Akh. San-Francisco and the great bridge. The beasts of the water.” his voice was lower than previous, his eyes almost glazing over as he remembered the sights and smells of Earth. It was something he missed.

“Not much water on your home planet Magara?” Astrid asked curiously.

Magara shook his head “Akh Prime is without any surface water. Only deep in the ground, sparse – dredged up by deep rooted plants or burrowing animals. There are sacred springs that rise up on occasion. But none last – the three suns wittle their life away into evaporation.” he spoke “But, the Gods gave their herd these” he said, pointing to the massive hump on his shoulders “Magara has not drunk for three months.”

“We have camels on Earth. Their humps serve a similar purpose, but I’ve no idea if they can go three months or not. They do however, roam the harshest of our deserts.”

“It is almost time for revelry for this one, every three months the herd partakes in a great drinking. It would be a shame to have this ceremony alone, but only with those bonded can it be done…The Black Sun is kind and strong. The Brown Tree would be happy to consider her a friend. Would she join the Ritual of Three?”

“I would be honored,” Astrid replied in surprise. “I… well… yeah… I’m honored.”

“Prepare her body for battle and meet Magara in the Holodeck after the work is done” he spoke, his eyes lighting up with purpose, the generally tired looking alien seemingly reinvigorated with life.

“I’m done,” she replied with a shrug.

Magara turned his head slightly, the large eye on the side of his head observing her “The Black Sun is sure?” he asked, though did not wait for answer, he simply turned and moved away, leaving the room. His body may had been gone but the scent of smoke, both nitrous and tobacco lingered for a good while after his departure.

Standing she grimaced inwardly. There was still a little tinge of pain from her injury in the Caverns. It wasn’t bad, but it was a reminder.

Following Magara to the holodeck she waited excitedly for the fascinating creature to complete his preparations. “What should I expect? Is it like a Navajo sweat lodge or more akin to a Klingon bachelor party?”

In time, all secrets would be revealed.