Doctor Uknare sat in the briefing room, her eyes drooping with exhaustion. She had just spent the last few hours treating the wounded Sikarians on Fabula and her own crew members who had been injured during the Hirogen’s gatecrashing of their shared gathering with their new friends, the Sikarians. Her hands were still shaking from the adrenaline rush of the emergency medical procedures she had performed.

As she waited for the senior staff briefing to begin, Uknare allowed herself to close her eyes and take a deep breath. She needed to brace herself for the coming meeting, where she would have to report on the condition of the injured crew members and the progress of the medical treatments. But more than anything else, she would need to contribute to the captain’s primary agenda item: agreeing to help the Sikarians deal with their Hirogen problem. She was no diplomat, no tactician, so she wasn’t sure what she could provide to the discussion, but she knew that McCallister was the type of captain who wanted to hear from everyone. 

Her thoughts drifted back to the Sikarians on Fabula. She had been amazed by their advanced medical technology, which had greatly aided her in treating the wounded. Uknare had learned so much from their techniques and procedures, and she was grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such skilled healers.

But the Hirogen attack had been a different story. Uknare still felt a twinge of anger and frustration when she thought about the senseless violence inflicted upon her crew and the Sikarians. She got it that the Hirogen were mad and angry themselves for being stranded on Fabula. However, she found their stubborn attitude of not letting the Sikarians help them ridiculous. She had treated the injured with the same care and attention she had given to the Sikarians, but the experience had left her shaken. Mass traumas had come second nature to her, especially when one of her first assignments after the academy had been to help with a Romulan convoy of transports fleeing into Federation space. Their ships had all been caught within a minefield. Everyone was hurt by a tremendous amount of theta radiation. She still could smell and taste the burning smell in the air when her ship had beamed her and a rescue team over to one of the freighters. She shook her head as the captain arrived and took his seat.

Despite her exhaustion, Uknare felt she needed to concentrate, so she was grateful to Jarata when he gave her a mug of Tarkalean tea.

“Extra sweet, right?” He asked with a smile.

She nodded in appreciation and thanked him before sipping on it. Uknare looked around the room and considered that most of them had only been wearing their dress uniforms only a few hours ago. They had made an effort to look smart and presentable. Now they were back to looking scruffy. 

Peering down at the captain at the other end of the table, he looked exhausted as she did, and he still had the makeshift bandage that Thaustin had created from his own dress uniform to help his captain. It was tightly put around his arm. Uknare knew that Oron had tried to help, but the captain required surgery. For now, though, McCallister refused to report to sickbay. Uknare had allowed it to go for now but had planned on pulling rank with him as chief medical officer and ordering him to join him in sickbay after the meeting. 

“I’m glad you’re all in one piece,” McCallister said, starting the meeting.

There was a gruff from Kazlaf as she muttered “for now” under her breath. 

Everyone ignored it, but Uknare gave her a glare. She knew that Kazlaf was not always the easiest person to work with, but there was a kindness under there. A soft side that she had seen in private. 

The captain didn’t rise to the bait, which impressed Uknare. He continued with what he wanted to say. 

“To say that the situation we are in is untenable would be the understatement of the century,” He said as he winced and shook his arm slightly. “I’ve agreed to explore the request made by Magistrate Mala about helping them deal with the Hirogen, and in return, they will help us get back to where we came from. Thoughts?”

Uknare noticed that the captain had chosen to use the word ‘explore’, which made her think he wasn’t fully committed to the idea for now but was certainly willing to entertain it. She spoke up first. “Will the Sikarians actually share their technology with us?”

Kazlaf answered, “Seemingly, the magistrate has certain executive privileges that give her authority to take specific actions in times of emergency. Apparently, sharing technology comes under it.”

“Which baffles me with what we know about their Canon of Laws,” Thaustin added.

Uknare could see why the young first officer may have thought that. It was confusing to meet a race with its own version of the Prime Directive, like Starfleet but was willing to bend it when it suited them. She was certain not even the Federation President could order the breaking of Starfleet’s number one general order. Though she knew many past captains may have wobbled on the edge of it. Uknare hoped that McCallister would never be in that position. Her old friend, Captain Canção, once said she had almost crossed the line with it – some directive she had to deal with, which she told Uknare not to worry about for now. 

Lonar now piped up. “Putting the legal implications to one side for now, do we think we can deal with the Hirogen?”

“Depends on how we approach it,” McCallister replied.

“The Hirogen are not known for their diplomatic exchanges, sir,” Oron warned. The large, bulky Brikar counsellor was sat opposite to Uknare. His wisdom and soothing voice resonated through the room. It made Uknare smile to him speak so calmly. He continued to talk. “Their mindset is purely about the hunt. They did not sit with their prey and talk things over. Tonight has proven that.”

“A standard approach with them would be an insufficient use of our time,” T’Penni said. “Logically, we need to consider a way only the Hirogen would understand.”

“I don’t think helping them to hunt the Sikarians can be on the table, lieutenant,” Thaustin said. 

“I did not infer that sir,” T’Penni refuted. 

“Okay, I want to hear all ideas on the table; let’s go through every option,” McCalister said, sitting up in his chair.

Thaustin sighed. “A diplomatic effort should be made, if anything, it’s who we are.”

“I agree,” Uknare said. She surprised herself by saying that but noticed the smile from Thaustin in supporting him.

Looking between the two of them, McCallister gestured for more ideas around that to be shared.

“We’re up here; the Hirogen are down there. They may be able to attack the Sikarians, but we’re in a better position. From here, we have the higher ground, so call them out on their situation,” Thaustin advised.

Agreeing with that idea, Uknare nodded. “Thaustin’s right. The Hirogen try to be macho with their approaches, but they need the Sikarians more than they realise.”

“How so?” Lonar questioned.

Uknare turned to Lonar and answered her. She was surprised that the lieutenant couldn’t see it herself. “They want to get off the planet and need to use the Sikarian technology to achieve that goal. They won’t be able to use it; it’s probably more advanced than anything they’ve encountered.” Turning back to the captain, she continued with her point. “Strike a deal here, captain.”

“The doctor’s right, sir,” Thaustin added. “Be the neutral third party, the mediator in this situation.”

“Even though they’ve already attacked us?” Kazlaf argued back.

Thaustin looked at her. “Did they know we were there?” He questioned. 

“One of them almost killed the captain,” Lonar responded.

“Again, I would argue they didn’t know who we were until they arrived,” Thaustin countered. 

“There’s no harm in trying,” Uknare said, trying to boost Thaustin’s idea. “We don’t need to visit them to call them. Surely, we can hail them or send a communication device down to them to open a channel.”

McCallister nodded. “Okay, that’s one option. What are the others?”

Noticing Kazlaf sitting up, Uknare was surprised when she turned to Lonar and then to the captain. “Sir, we have an idea.”

Intrigued by the sudden change in how Kazlaf was with Lonar, especially after her recent outbursts against Lonar and the others who were made into Drones during Frontier Day. Uknare was still surprised that Kazlaf had got off lightly for her comments. She had only been told off by the captain. Now, Uknare wondered where her friend was going with her thoughts on this Hirogen/Sikarian issue. 

 “Capture every Hirogen through the use of the transporters,” Kazlaf suggested.

Lonar nodded. “We’ve already taken a preliminary look. We think we can beam them all up in one go.”

“And do what with them?” Uknare questioned, surprised at their idea of kidnapping sentient life. 

“Place them in stasis,” Kazlaf offered.

“Stasis?” Uknare repeated, shocked to hear that idea. “Why would we do that?”

“We do it to protect the rest of the crew, doctor,” Lonar answered. “We then beam them down to a different habitable planet and send a message to the next Hirogen ship we pass by.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Uknare said, shaking her head. “You’ll be painting a target on our backs and leaving them to defend themselves in an unknown environment.”

Kazlaf shot a look at Uknare before replying to her. “They’re hunters, they’ll survive, Kamra.”

“Well, Beliere, I think your idea is as barbaric as their own hunting rituals,” Kazlaf looked at the captain. “Sir, we cannot consider that. I’m sure there’s a Starfleet regulation that goes against it.”

“Then why not find a middle ground,” Jarata offered after everyone went silent.

“Tell me more, Rubon,” McCallister said after a sigh.

“Can’t we do a bit of both ideas?” He suggested. “Let’s find the Hirogen Alpha and put him in a situation where he is forced to listen to us. Beam his fellow hunters into stasis, and in return for agreeing to let them go, he has to agree to the conditions of not attacking the Sikarians and working with them and us.”

“That’s not actually a bad idea,” Oron agreed. “We prove our strength to them while still trying to be the neutral third party.”

“We could send an intelligence drone down to the planet to determine who the Alpha is,” Ethav shared. “We can use holography to camouflage it.”

“We would need to adjust the stasis chambers to Hirogen physiology, but it wouldn’t take too long,” T’Penni said before she looked at Uknare. “If you could help, doctor?”

Uknare wasn’t sure about this idea. “Isn’t this still a bit too kidnappy?”

McCallister chuckled at that last word she used. “I suppose it is.”

“What if we beamed them up into a secure area first?” Ethav offered.

“The security precautions wouldn’t be enough to hold them back,” Lonar stated firmly. “Even if we weren’t in a damaged state, I still would object to beaming that many up.”

“Then stasis is probably the right move,” Thaustin said. He looked at the captain, “If you need to assert yourself as the Alpha here, then proving you can control the destiny of his fellow hunters may force him to listen to you, sir.”

“It may work,” Thaustin added.

Surprised she was hearing all of this, Uknare just shook her head, but on one side, she could see the logic of Jarata’s idea.

Rubbing his forehead, McCallister nodded. “Okay, let’s sleep on it for now and get back together early in the morning to hash this plan out.”

Uknare agreed to that idea. A fresh mind was indeed what she would order for them all. 

“Let’s all meet for breakfast,” McCallister ordered before dismissing them.

As the briefing drew to a close, Uknare breathed a sigh of relief. She was looking forward to some much-needed rest, but she knew that her work was far from over. She got out of her chair and walked over to the captain, who was chatting to Thaustin and Jarata.

“Sir,” She said apologetically as she interrupted them, “I’m sorry, but it’s time we properly looked at that arm. Doctor’s orders.”

McCallister nodded in agreement and got up to follow her to sickbay.