“Captain’s log stardate seven-eight-three-four-one point five. After the discovery of the two crashed ships and discussing the matter further with Hirogens, I have decided to take one final stab at diplomacy with Magistrate Mala. I hope she can be reasoned with, and we can understand why she and her people have done what they’ve done.”

Materialising in the centre of the Sikarian settlement, McCallister looked around to see if their hostess was nearby. As on cue, Magistrate Mala walked out with a massive smile towards her guests. She was flanked by two other male Sikarians. 

“Welcome back, Horatio,” Mala said as she hugged him before letting go. “I’m assuming your return to us means you’ve dealt with the Hirogen?”

Looking at Thaustin beside him, who just smiled at him, McCallister turned back to Mala. “We have them all in stasis on board the Constitution,” He turned to T’Penni, Ethav and Kazlaf, “So as part of our agreement, do you mind showing us the spatial trajector that brought us here so we can begin working together to get our crew home.”

“Oh, what’s the rush, Horatio!” Mala exclaimed in a melodramatic reaction. She flew her arms up into the air as she heralded the news. “Let us celebrate further!”

“Mala, I think we’ve done enough celebrating,” Thaustin said with his best diplomatic tone. “Our crew is very tired, and we wish to return to where you pulled us from.”

“By accident, Thaustin!” She added as she got between the two command-level officers and wrapped an arm in each of theirs. “Come with me, and I will show you the spatial trajector.”

Mala led the away team through the town and towards a building that appeared to be only one floor high, but after entering it and going through some security checks, they went down a flight of stairs into a basement level. There, in the centre of the basement, was a combined laboratory and control centre.

Straight away, McCallister’s engineers and science officer were scanning the device that was meant to be the trajector. Mala had let go of holding onto him and Thaustin and went over to her own team and spoke quietly with them.

With her tricorder out, T’Penni was scanning the trajector when one of her eyebrows arched upwards. “Fascinating,” She said as she looked up from her tricorder. “This trajector is more sophisticated than the one on your homeworld that Voyager encountered over thirty years ago.”

“I would hope so,” Mala said with a smile. “We’ve improved the technology in the last thirty years. I’ve made several refinements myself.”

“Indeed, I am detecting a sophisticated sensor array attached to it that appears to be using the mantle to amplify its targeting abilities,” T’Penni remarked. 

“It’s so precise it could probably pinpoint and teleport a Teirenian ant out of its colony,” Kazlaf commented as she continued to look at her tricorder.

Ethav frowned. “I can’t see what parts of your system were damaged when you accidentally pulled us here.” He showed his tricorder towards Captain McCallister. “In fact, I would say that none of your systems have been replaced in the last year or so.”

Mala’s smile dropped a bit, and then she giggled before clapping. “Bravo, I can see that Starfleet’s finest are just too good for me, unlike this lot behind me.” She pointed to those sitting at various stations. She made a coughing noise, and her entire team took notice as they all turned around with weapons pointed towards the away team. “And I was hoping we wouldn’t have to have this conversation.” She said as she walked gracefully over to the captain. Placing one hand on his chest, Mala fluttered her eyes at him, “I really hoped you would stay for a bit longer and that we,” She paused as she used her other hand to stroke the side of Thaustin’s cheek seductively, “and I mean all of us when I say ‘we’, could have got a lot closer. I was hoping to hear stories from your worlds as we become more intimate with one another.” Mala winked at Thaustin. “It would have made this whole process so much easier and more fun, captain.” She then walked away and removed a weapon from her garment; how she had hidden it from view was impressive. She aimed it at McCallister, who reacted by placing his hands up.

“So what is it that you want, Mala?” McCallister asked. 

She smiled. “I want your database. It’s that simple.”

“Our database?” Ethav echoed. “You lured us here just for that?”

Mala sighed as she looked at the young Andorian. “No, you were meant to have been transported into orbit of our world, but you were the furthest target we’ve ever caught. Something did go wrong, and I had to deposit you a bit further afield than I had planned. I hoped to use the trajector to bring you here, but you came by your own accord, which helped massively.”

“So your spatial trajector didn’t quite meet your expectations?” Kazlaf checked as she copied the captain’s gesture of holding her hands up.

“Oh, it did, commander,” Mala smiled. “You see, you’re not the first visitors to our world.”

“We know about the others you’ve pulled here,” McCallister revealed. “The Hirogen told us, and we’ve visited some of those crashed ships. All you took was their databases, but let their crews die. They were innocent.”

 “Unlike the Hirogen, we don’t need to hunt anyone; unlike you, we don’t need to keep prisoners. We only need the stories we’ve found in those databases.” Mala answered. “The crews of those ships served no purpose to me or my plan.” 

“I still don’t understand why you went to so much trouble pulling so many ships towards your colony to gain access to their databases for stories. Why not trade with them for their stories?” Thaustin questioned. 

“Like the Hirogen, we like to collect trophies too in the form of stories, but our Canon of Laws prevent us from taking them without asking,” Mala replied. “It’s an archaic rule; many on my homeworld become rich from new stories they can share. But the Magistrates stop anyone who takes without permission. So, instead, I can use our trajector to bring the stories to us and then sell them to those in our society who want to hear them. Once their crews are dead, I don’t need to seek permission on what we recover. By sharing the stories from some of the advanced races in the Delta Quadrant, like the Voth, the Turei, hell, even the Borg, and now a ship from the other side of the galaxy, I will be the richest person in Sikarian culture. I would be made Chief Magistrate and be able to control what stories my people are given.”

“You’re talking about a black market operation to advance your own political career,” McCallister said.

“Precisely, captain,” Mala said with a grin, sounding pleased with herself. “Now, let’s get down to business. You will hand over your entire database, or I will use our trajector to kill your crew. I can transport them all to the bottom of our ocean or our sun. The choice is yours.”

“My pilot has orders to delete our entire database if you try anything,” McCallister replied. “I had a feeling there was something more going on here,” He stepped towards her. “And if you kill my entire crew, you won’t be able to access our database once we are all gone. Our computer’s defences are pretty sophisticated.”

“As are ours,” Mala smirked still. “Did your new Hirogen allies tell you about the virus we used to take their hunting logs? We can do the same with your ship. Now, what’s your decision?”

Not surprised at how corrupt she was, McCallister had wished he had listened more to Kazlaf and Lonar sooner. She was totally mad, but her finger was on the trigger that could hurt his crew. He sighed. “I suppose I don’t have much choice,” He tapped his combadge and called up to the ship. He had left Jarata in command, who responded straight away to him. “Rubon, begin preparations to transfer our entire database to the Sikarian mainframe.”

“Sir, did you say you want the entire database?” Jarata checked.”

“Rubon, my dear,” Mala said, interrupting the conversation, “I currently am holding a weapon to your captain’s chest,” She placed her weapon up against McCallister. “If you want to see your captain, I suggest you let me have it.”

“Rubon, carry out what we discussed, and as the magistrate said, let her have it!” McCallister said in a clear voice, annunciating each word clearly. 

“Understood, sir. We’re preparing to send the package down now.” Jarata said.

“So I suppose you won’t be sharing your technology with us?” Thaustin asked after the channel went dead.

Mala chuckled further. “Of course not; there are some rules I cannot break! But bending them a bit is something I can live with.” An alarm then went off at a nearby station. “What is it?” She asked the nearest operator to her.

“Magistrate, we are detecting a Zahl ship coming into range of our targeting sensors,” answered her fellow comrade. 

“A Zahl ship? Now that’s one we don’t have!” Mala said as she turned back to look at McCallister. “I’m about to demonstrate our power and how I will become Chief Magistrate!” Turning back to the operator, she issued orders to bring the trajector online and to target the Zahl ship at once. Only two Sikarians were left aiming their weapons at the away team as the others returned to work. 

A massive explosion went off above them, which caught every one of the Sikarians off guard, but not McCallister and his team. They were prepared. Instantly, the Starfleet away team jumped against the Sikarians nearest to them. Taking away their weapons, they were able to subdue the Sikarians. Kazlaf had tackled Mala to the floor, while T’Penni had performed a Vulcan nerve pinch on the guards. Once the commotion was over, the main door to the control centre opened, allowing Lieutenant Lonar to storm in beside the Hirogen Alpha and his hunters. 

“Good work, lieutenant,” McCallister said before looking at the Alpha. “Thank you.”

The Alpha smiled but didn’t get a chance to say anything as Mala had activated a device she now had in her hands. Again, she had somehow hidden it among her outfit, and after she pressed a button, the trajector came to life and transported her out of the room. Before she was gone, she called out to McCallister. “Catch me if you can, captain!” She waved to him as she disappeared. 

“Damn!” Thaustin cursed.

Holding his phaser up to the Sikarian operator, McCallister threatened him. “Where did she go?”

Holding his hands up in defeat, the Sikaran man cowered before McCallister. “I don’t know, I promise. Only Mala knows how the enhancements to the trajector and the new targeting scanners work. Please, I have children.”

“I won’t hurt you if you tell me what you know. What do you mean by the enhancements and new scanners?” McCallister asked him.

Wobbling as he replied, the operator explained that Mala had made the changes to their trajector herself; none of them knew how she did it, and she didn’t allow them to look at the technology. They only knew the basics. 

“We have her,” spoke the Hirogen Alpha after he looked up from the scanner built within his massive rifle. “She has been transported outside the settlement and appears to be heading to caves filled with an ore, which is blocking our sensors. We will track her and get her.” 

“Shall I go with them, sir?” Lonar asked.

McCallister looked at the Hirogen Alpha and then back to his security chief. “No, lieutenant,” He turned to the Alpha. “Good Hunting, gentlemen.” Tapping his combadge, McCallister knew what he was doing as he ordered Jarata to beam the Hirogen to where they had tracked Mala. Once they were transported out of there, McCallister sensed the others confused by his decision.

“Sir, was that wise? They may kill her.” Thaustin remarked. “If we don’t bring her back, we may be unable to use the device.” 

“The Hirogen want to get out of here as much as we do; they won’t kill Mala unless she forces their hand,” McCallister said. “I can’t uphold our alliance with them if I dictate terms to them.” He turned to the others and asked T’Penni, Ethav and Kazlaf if they could work on the trajector and determine how it worked.

T’Penni took out her tricorder, as did the other two. “I believe so,” The Vulcan engineer said. “It may take some time, sir.”

Satisfied with that response, he turned to the other Sikarians. “Unless you want me to pass you over to the Hirogen, I suggest you cooperate with us on what you know.”

One stood up from the floor and trembled in fear as he spoke. He appeared pretty young, but his bravery in not wanting to be harmed and wanting to correct what his leader had done was admirable. “We may not understand Mala’s changes, but we understand the technology underneath them.”

Appreciating that, McCallister smiled at him. “Help us and the Hirogen get off your colony, and I will compensate you with access to our entire database of stories.”

“That is very generous, captain, especially after what the Magistrate has done to you and so many others,” The young man said.

“It is, but I want to prove to you all that cooperation between people can be done correctly. Consider this a trade that your Canon of Laws will accept.” McCallister remarked with confidence.

The young Sikarian man nodded and encouraged his fellow workers to join him. McCallister looked at Thaustin, pleased that they may be able to recover from this all after all. The finish line was in sight; all they had to do was find out how to use the spatial trajector to get them and the Hirogen back to safe water. 

It sounded all so simple, the captain thought.