“You killed her?” Thaustin said again in complete astonishment.

“We had no choice. She was an elusive prey,” The Alpha said in response. 

The words shocked Thaustin on one side, but on the other hand, he wasn’t surprised. It’s not as if they were Starfleet. The Hirogen had gone off to track Mala after she had escaped them all. Now, she was dead and would not pay for her crimes. “Still, you could have found a way to capture and bring her back.”

“I do not report to you,” The Alpha said, glaring down at Thaustin.

Thaustin understood that their alliance with the Hirogen was finally ending. He was pleased when Captain McCallister stepped in. 

“Either way, we have an agreement, and we will see that it’s fulfilled,” The captain said firmly to the Hirogen. 

“We are ready to leave,” The Hirogen said as he passed a tablet with the coordinates of their nearest training base. 

Thaustin had wondered if this would be the last time they would see these Hirogens as they stepped onto the platform where the spatial trajector was located. Ever since the Sikarians had surrendered to them and the Hirogen, teams from the Constitution had secured the area and had worked with those Sikarians who had agreed to help to understand the technology. 

McCallister took the device and handed the information to the Sikarian who had helped him earlier. His name was Mekhal Fabin, a young scientist who appeared open to assisting them. Thaustin watched as Fabin inputted the coordinates. The trajector came to life, and then he nodded at McCallister, indicating they were ready.

After a few seconds, the Hirogen all assembled on the platform. Thaustin was glad that their alliance with the Hirogen was now ending. 

“For what it’s worth, you would have made excellent prey,” The Alpha said straight to McCallister.

The captain looked at Thaustin and then back to the Hirogen. “Thanks,” He paused, “I think?” He questioned before he gestured for the device to be activated. Within seconds, the Hirogen were gone. 

T’Penni broke the silence after their departure. “Captain, it will take some time for us to reconfigure the trajector for the Constitution’s size. Additionally, I wish to ensure we are fully repaired before we attempt it.”

“Would some tests of it be wise?” Thaustin wondered. 

“Perhaps,” T’Penni replied.

McCallister told the Vulcan engineer to get on with it with the Sikarians before he asked Thaustin to take a walk with him outside the lab and into the open courtyard.

“Something on your mind, sir?” Thaustin wondered. He had noticed an expression of deep thought etched across McCallister’s face.

“Yes,” McCallister confessed. “And it’s one I can’t seem to shake off my mind.”

“You want to share?” Thaustin offered. He had not seen the captain this concerned before. It worried Thaustin.

McCallister indicated for them to walk away from anyone else and into an area of the settlement close to the river where the Hirogen had initially attacked them the other night. 

“Thaustin, I can’t in good conscience leave this technology that Mala had created.” He admitted. “The fact she created it for her own greed and used it to pull innocent ships away from their homes, to simply raid them for stories, isn’t something I cannot ignore.”

Thaustin had a feeling he knew where McCallister was going with this. It had crossed his mind. “Go on, sir.”

“T’Penni still needs time to understand the enhancements she made to bring an entire ship here,” McCallister started as they paused by the river. “The other Sikarians don’t understand it yet, but they will get it themselves once T’Penni works it out and shares it with them. Who’s to say someone else here doesn’t come along, take control, and use the technology like Mala?”

“That’s a huge assumption,” Thaustin said, “But one I agree is worth considering seriously.”

McCallister turned to Thaustin. “Do you get where I am going with this?”

He sighed and nodded. “I am, sir, and I think we need to consider it.”

“Assemble the troops then, Number One,” McCallister ordered solemnly. 

Stardate: 78342

USS Constitution (NCC-91701), in orbit of Fabula, Delta Quadrant 

Thaustin was impressed that everyone had got together so quickly. The moment the captain entered the bridge via his ready room, Thaustin stood up to attention at his seat. “Captain on the bridge!” He called.

Everyone stood to attention and showed McCallister the respect his title and position gave him. However, from Thaustin’s perspective, McCallister had undoubtedly earned it from everyone during this mission. He only hoped what McCallister was about to share with them all wouldn’t damage it further.

“As you were,” McCallister ordered as he walked across the bridge, smirking at Jarata at the helm before standing before them in front of the viewscreen. “Commander Thaustin and I have discussed the moral implications of this situation at great length, and we’ve come to the same conclusion, and it’s not one we reached without deep consideration.”

Thaustin appreciated the captain sharing with everyone that this was a joint decision they made together. They had to be united on this one for everyone to get behind it. Otherwise, it wouldn’t work.

“We could return to where we were before, without any issue, but to do so would leave a piece of technology behind that if it fell into the wrong hands, could cause harm to others,” McCallister said. “I can’t have that on my conscience.”

“None of us can, sir,” Thaustin said in support.

“Agreed,” Kazlaf said as she stood at the science station.

“Totally,” Lonar added.

“Sir, I think you can see we’ve all come to the same conclusion,” Jarata said. “Just say it.”

Thaustin smiled at McCallister. Neither of them knew any of them had discussed what they had discussed.

“How can we live with ourselves knowing that others could be harmed like we and the Hirogen were?” Doctor Uknare asked aloud.

“The Hirogen were lucky to get home, but others like the Voth and Turei weren’t; I don’t want to see that happen to anyone, not even a Borg ship!” Ethav added.

“We’re behind you too, sir,” Counsellor Oron remarked.

“Your choice is the only logical one, captain,” T’Penni finished it off. 

Thaustin loved this moment with them all. Their crew was finally together. He was proud. 

McCallister nodded in appreciation. “Then we are all in agreement that the enhancements that Mala made to the spatial trajector must be destroyed.”

Everyone agreed and supported his statement. 

“We’ll find another way back, sir,” Jarata said carefreely. “If Voyager can, then we can.”

“And it’s only three years from our original position,” Kazlaf said. “If I can use the Turei database to locate other underspace corridors, we will be back before you know it.”

“The Voth transwarp coil may also shed a year or two off our journey if I can fix it.” T’Penni shared. 

“Let’s not forget there’s the other technology down there we could use,” Ethav said. “Give me the word, sir, and I will beam it up into the cargo bays.”

“It sounds like our chance of surviving this journey is looking optimistic,” Uknare stated with a smile. 

“Well, why are we waiting around then? Let’s get to work,” McCallister ordered as he headed to his chair and took it. He turned to Thaustin and smiled further.

Thaustin knew that was the sign to begin issuing orders. They would leave the Sikarian colony but only after removing what Mala had created.

Whatever the price it had on them being stranded in the Delta Quadrant, it was worth it to prevent anyone else from suffering. Thaustin was beaming with the same pride that McCallister had as he told T’Penni, Lonar and the others to begin securing the lab with the trajector. He then assembled an away team to go down to the planet and discuss their actions with the Sikarians.