Chapter Three
USS Stonehouse
En route to Lyshan IV
Stardate 53420.6
Jirana stood in the corner of the recreation lounge, called the Pool Table because of the green carpet, and looked out at the stars streaking past. She was so wrapped up in her musings she didn’t notice the ship’s tactical officer walk up to her until she felt an unusual presence by her shoulder. She turned round and saw that the red-hued woman had a concerned look on her face. Jirana smiled at the newcomer and they took a table together.
‘I was wondering if you’d forgotten,’ the El Aurian said and ordered a drink from the table’s replicator.
‘Sorry, the Captain wanted to make sure that the security teams were ready for when we arrive in a few days time.’
‘Why isn’t Grait handling that?’
‘He is, I just needed to give his people a special briefing. Anyway, work is over and I’m looking forward to our holodeck time. So what program did you have in mind today?’
Jirana smiled. ‘I was thinking of using a special program a friend of mine made up for me. It’s a sports game called Squash, or Racquets.’
‘Another one of your games that died out centuries ago?’
‘Yes, but since I was alive at the time, I remember it being played. There are still worlds where the game evolved independently of Earth and is still being played. The Human game is the most civilised though.’
Shalmara Deth focused her gaze on her companion. ‘What’s the problem, Jee?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘We’ve been friends for almost three centuries, I know the look you get when something bothers you. What is it?’
Jirana smiled. ‘You know me too well. I have learned that in the past ten years, six of my people have died.’
‘It’s not unusual, you are a long-lived species but you are not immortal.’
‘From non-natural causes, but all were supposed accidents.’
‘And you don’t believe in coincidences?’
‘No, I don’t. There are so few of us left that the death of one affects us all.’
‘What can you do about it?’
‘Two things, both difficult.’
‘Can I help?’
‘I doubt it.’
‘What options are there?’ Deth asked.
‘I can make quiet investigations myself, and maybe track the man down. I know who he is, but I won’t be able to stop him on my own.’
‘And the second option?’
‘Ask Starfleet for help.’
‘Is there any reason they won’t help you?’
Jirana turned to face the stars again, seeking answers. She turned back to the table. ‘Perhaps, perhaps not. El-Auria doesn’t exist anymore, and we’re not members of the Federation. There are one or two of us who could ask for help, but it would not necessarily be given, at least not without a lot of questions I’d rather not answer. Let me make my enquiries first. If I know where I can find the man killing my people, it may be easier to convince Starfleet to assist me, us.’
‘Shall we go and play? You can teach me the rules.’
Jirana nodded, smiling again. ‘Sure, let’s go.’
‘Lieutenant Commander Deth, report to the bridge please,’ da Silva said over the comm.
‘Got to go, rain check?’
‘Sure,’ the ship’s civilian counsellor replied with a wan smile.
As Deth exited the Pool Table, Jirana decided to contact someone who might be able to help. It was a short walk to her quarters and she opened a channel straight away. As expected, her friend was up.
‘I wondered if I would hear from you,’ Guinan said from her berth on the Enterprise.
‘I take it you know about Talara?’
Guinan nodded. ‘Do you believe he is still chasing us down?’
‘He did promise to exterminate us.’
‘Jirana, it was said in the heat of the moment. I seriously doubt he meant it.’
‘What of the shuttle he stole?’
At this, Guinan bowed her head. ‘All right, it was his shuttle that gave them our location, but they were heading in our direction anyway.’
‘We would have had time to get away!’ Jirana cried out. ‘He’s making good on his promise. He has been for years.’
‘I think you’re seeing a conspiracy where none exists. We spoke about this before.’
‘I’m sending you a file, Guinan. Look at it and then tell me that I’m wrong this time.’
The ebony-skinned El-Aurian hundreds of light years away nodded her head in acquiescence. ‘I’ll read it.’
Jirana sent it and sat back as Guinan read the entries.
‘Is this accurate?’
‘I’ve had it confirmed in every case.’
‘Let me speak with Captain Picard.’
‘Why?’ Jirana asked, suddenly defensive.
‘I won’t give him any specifics, but if I know him, he’ll get the general idea and offer to help. He has a lot of friends in high places. Some of them might be able to find Casaan.’
‘He could be anyone by now.’
‘You know as well as I do that his species only have a limited number of forms. He’ll almost what, nine hundred by now? He has probably used most of them, and we know what he feels like in here,’ she pointed at her head, covered by its usual giant hat. ‘We’ll know when he’s close.’
‘Knowing he’s there and stopping him are two different things, Guinan.’
The older El-Aurian smiled. ‘When you’re older, you’ll know what battles to fight, and which ones are lost causes.’
‘You can be infuriating.’
‘Thank you. Don’t you have people to see?’
‘I do, I’ll keep you apprised.’
Guinan nodded. ‘Safe travelling.’
The Federation logo filled the screen and Jirana sighed. She knew Casaan wouldn’t stop until all of them were dead. She knew only brief snippets of Casaan’s visit to her homeworld, as she was on an expedition at the time. She knew that he had been to the central archives and that it was later that evening that things started to go wrong. Jirana stood and decided to go to the holodeck later by herself, with a special program she had written, specifically for this task.
Putting those thoughts out of her mind, she left for her office and the problems of others so this ship and these people could be helped.
)
If so then this guy really went to town to get his revenge. All very interesting. Sort of sedgewedge from where I thought this story was going. Would that be a curve ball yet again? Shock horror! No!
So someone's killing El Aurians, eh? That's very no bueno. Not a lot of them around, so snuffing them can (and apparently has) raised attention. 
