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USS PYTHEAS (Dauntless Repost)

1x03
“The All Consuming Fire”​



Historian's Note: The main part of this story takes place from late April to early May 2378, five months after the USS Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant.



Prologue

Steamrunner-class USS Independence
In orbit of Ligon II
Stardate 55305.7 (April 22, 2378)

Sixteen years after the last official visit to this backwards world, a Federation starship was once again in orbit but this time they were not seeking medical aid for another beleaguered world. Admiral Alynna Nechayev was sure that someone high-up in the government food chain was smuggling weapons to a Federation border world in exchange for slaves. Captain Sintina Aurelia disliked being Nechayev's go-to girl but her morals and ideals took precedence over her dislike for the Admiral's shadowy dealings. Since Nechayev was very nearly the only Admiral that she had not yet managed to alienate, she decided that it was best to follow where she was led. While her expertise lay in tactics, her exec, one Lieutenant Commander Karim bin Nadal, had the necessary wherewithal to conduct covert operations without getting himself or his team killed. It was for this reason, and also for the fact that Nechayev had a soft spot for him, that Aurelia accepted the fact her ship was to be diverted from the first true exploratory mission her crew had been tasked with for almost a year. It made it almost palatable, almost.

'Captain, Commander bin Nadal is overdue by eleven minutes now,' Lieutenant Commander Jonin Faltyne stated, again.

Aurelia turned to face the tactical officer and security chief. 'Thank you, Commander. I'm well aware of the time.'

'Captain, we're receiving a signal from the surface,' Kimula interrupted from the ops console. 'The shuttle is en route but they're under attack.'

Aurelia sighed in resignation. 'I didn't think the Ligonians had shuttles.'

'They don't,' Lieutenant Commander Ethan Windslow replied from the engineering station. 'It looks like pulse cannons are being fired from surface emplacements.'

Without missing a beat Aurelia turned to Faltyne. 'Take them out. Karim better have a good explanation for this.'

'Aye ma'am,' Faltyne replied, muttering, 'he always has a good explanation.'

Aurelia smirked as the tactical officer fired the ventral phasers with pinpoint precision, knocking out all three of the pulse cannons. Bin Nadal's damaged shuttle broke through the clouds and headed for the Independence, manoeuvring wildly.

'Get a tractor on them,' Aurelia ordered and headed for the turbolift.

'Captain, you have an incoming message from Starfleet Tactical, it's Admiral Ranar.'

Aurelia scowled. 'My ready room, you have the conn.'

The familiar Federation logo appeared on the screen, a line of text underneath indicating an open channel. Aurelia sat herself down and tugged at her uniform top to stop it riding any further. She entered a command and the logo vanished, replaced by the visage of Admiral Andrew Ranar.

'Captain, I'm sorry to pull you from your latest mission, but I've been given authorisation to redirect you.'

Aurelia wanted to say that the current mission was now over, but she held her tongue. She hadn't interacted with Ranar before and didn't want to alienate yet another Admiral. 'Not a problem, sir. What can we do to help?'

Ranar smiled and Aurelia couldn't help but notice its paternal quality. 'I'd like you to head for the Kursican system as fast as the ship can take you. We have a dangerous yet delicate situation developing there and I need your tactical prowess. You'll be fully briefed when you arrive by Captain Logan at Starbase 535 and Captain Astar of the Pytheas.'

Aurelia frowned. 'Is there nothing more you can tell me, Admiral? I don't really like heading into this blind.'

Ranar shook his head slightly. 'I wish I could, Captain, but I don't want to give out any further information even on a secure channel. You'll know as much as I do once you have been briefed. All I can tell you is that you are the only person that Admiral Nechayev believes can handle this situation. She commented on your particular diplomatic skills as an asset to the mission.'

Aurelia kept her poker face as she accepted the veiled compliment. 'We'll be on our way within the hour, Admiral.'

'Excellent, Godspeed, Ranar out.'

'Hmm,' she muttered and returned to the bridge. 'Report!'

'The shuttle's aboard and the away team are in sickbay. Zo'Kama is giving them a full workup,' Faltyne replied.

'Helm, set a course for the Kursican system, maximum warp. We'll give Admiral Nechayev her report en route. Kimula, I want to know everything there is to know about the Kursican system and the surrounding space. You have two hours.'

'Course and speed laid in,' Ensign Bradley Weston replied from the conn.

'Yes ma'am,' the counsellor replied. 'Are you going down to sickbay?'

'I am; I'd like to know just what the hell happened down there,' Aurelia answered and turned to the helm. 'Let's go, Weston.'

'I would assume that the mission was completed,' Kimula stated. 'They wouldn't have tried to shoot him down otherwise.'

Aurelia inclined her head. 'Perhaps, but Karim seems to be getting himself shot at a lot lately.'

Kimula smiled wryly. 'You're the one sending him on these away missions.'

'Thank you for your insight, Counsellor.'

'Anything I should know about our upcoming mission?'

'I was hoping you'd be able to tell me. Admiral Ranar was less than forthcoming.'

'What did you do this time?'

Scowling, the Latina Captain replied, 'I didn't say or do anything. I accepted his platitudes hoping to get more from him. But either he didn't know anything or he's even better at keeping secrets than Nechayev.'

'And your conclusion?'

Aurelia scowled. 'He's better at keeping secrets, and that scares me.'

'How so?'

'Secrets are hard to keep for long, and the longer they're kept the worse the situation when they're finally revealed. Added to that, I don't like being used as a puppet.'

'Our ETA to the Kursican system is a little over six days.'

'Commander Faltyne, you have the conn.'

'Yes ma'am,' the tactical officer replied but made no move to take the captain's chair.

Only bin Nadal did when he took command of the bridge, and that was only because of his friendship with the Captain.
 
Chapter One

USS Pytheas
Docked at Starbase 535
Stardate 55321.6 (April 28, 2378)

Captain Leza Astar and her enigmatic executive officer, Commander Aaron Wright, stood by the open launch door of the main shuttlebay awaiting the arrival of their temporary replacement. Captain Logan had been less than forthcoming about who was replacing them and the class of ship, which would be important. A ship capable of holding its own would be needed to fight the Cha'lav but Astar privately thought that they would be more likely to send a science vessel or something equally as toothless. She had said nothing regarding her thoughts to her exec, since she was still unsure whether to fully trust him. His recent behaviour was out of place somehow but she couldn't quite place her finger on it, and she trusted her temporally displaced security chief more than her first officer—what a bizarre crew she led.

'There!' Wright pointed to a pinprick of light as the new starship dropped to sublight speed. 'I can't tell what it is from this distance.'

Astar said nothing until it hove into view a few moments later. 'At least they didn't send us a science vessel.'

Wright nodded his agreement. 'The Steamrunners can certainly hold their own, but I'm not sure how well they'll hold up against a Cha'lav battle cruiser.'

'I've seen them in action. They're manoeuvrable and act like a mosquito on an elephant. If the pilot is good and handles her well, she'll most likely cause significant damage before being swatted out the fight.'

'Captain, we're receiving a hail from the USS Independence. Captain Aurelia is requesting permission to speak with you in private,' Lieutenant Commander Sheena Gonzales said from the tactical station on the bridge.

'Tell her to beam over, I'll meet her in transporter room one.'

'Aye sir, Gonzales out.'

'Do you need backup?' Wright asked with a grin.

'I'll be fine, get to the bridge and prepare to get us underway. Make sure Rashal is settled into his quarters and have Captain Logan meet us in the conference lounge.'

'Will do, what about that Ynelavii officer?'

Astar sighed. 'I'd forgotten about her. She's a soldier isn't she?'

Wright nodded. 'She is one of the Militia Elite, one of their youngest, and has requested entrance to the Academy. Captain Logan sponsored her and assigned her as a field-commissioned cadet to us considering her prior experience.'

'Have her on the bridge with Gonzales. I want to see what her tactics are like. We'll see about an away mission later.'

Wright smiled. 'You'd better get to the transporter room.'

'Right.'

Astar made her way to the main transporter room and dismissed the operator, intending to speak with Captain Aurelia privately before reaching the conference lounge. The Independence signalled again and Astar sighed, engaging the transport sequence. The woman who appeared on the transport pad was diminutive but with a definite commanding presence, one no doubt borne of battles and dealing with the increasingly difficult admiralty.

'How long were you going to keep me waiting?' the Latina captain asked.

'Permission to come aboard granted,' Astar replied, scowling slightly.

'Captain Sintina Aurelia, USS Independence,' she said, holding out her hand.

'Leza Astar, Captain of the Pytheas,' they shook briefly.

'Mind telling me why I've been sent to the boondocks?'

'You'll get the full briefing with Captain Logan and Commander Madden in the conference lounge, but I did want to speak with you first about a couple of things, which will make more sense after the briefing. I have to return a guest to his homeworld and I expect to be gone for about a month, maybe more, maybe less. Along with the Weisskopf, you'll be showing the flag, conducting colony runs and doing the exploratory bit when you get the chance. It isn't the most glamorous of jobs and I hope that is all you have to do, but there is an enemy making its presence known in these parts and it's my mission to send them packing.'

'I take it that they are more dangerous than the Dominion? That's the impression I got from Admiral Ranar.'

'Much more dangerous. From what we have been able to piece together from their database which we confiscated, the Cha'lav run a universe-spanning empire and they annex galaxies to increase their slave trade and thinning resources. Ours is the next on their list.'

Aurelia snorted in derision. 'Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me.'

'You'll have full access to all data on the Cha'lav after the briefing, including the database. Your senior officers should know what is going on, but anyone else only on a strict need-to-know basis.'

Aurelia nodded, still not convinced. 'I take it you have evidence of this?'

'I do, Starfleet Tactical has been trying to keep everything ultra-secret but I've been able, by pulling in more than a few markers, to get everything on the Cha'lav kept on the Starbase where only we can access it and provide access to our officers as and when it is needed.'

'There's a Starfleet Tactical liaison on board?' Aurelia asked, hoping that Section 31 didn't know about this, though she assumed that the nasty little organisation had already learned about this operation and were trying to sneak in.

'Commander Martin Madden is on assignment from Earth.'

'All right,' Aurelia didn't recognise the name. 'What sort of battle damage is my nice little ship going to be facing?'

'If you have a good pilot, very little,' Astar replied. 'But the Cha'lav do seem to learn quickly so you'll have to throw out the regulation manoeuvres and try your own stunts.'

'I see, I think I had better learn all about these creatures,' Aurelia replied, already considering Faltyne's likely tactical scenarios.

'And you will,' Astar replied as they reached the bridge.
 
Good work...I also like that it seems like you're including more about the motives of that Andorian woman and exactly what she's up to. Is that indeed new material?
 
Nerys Ghemor said:
Good work...I also like that it seems like you're including more about the motives of that Andorian woman and exactly what she's up to. Is that indeed new material?
Click to expand...
Yes it is new material, as are the Murdoch/Marshall chapters and segments. Keep reading and there will be more new material as well.
 
Chapter Two

USS Independence
Docked at Starbase 535
Stardate 55322.0 (April 28, 2378)

The briefing now over, Aurelia, bin Nadal and Kimula were seated in the captain's ready room discussing the situation. Bin Nadal's injuries from the Ligon II attack were almost completely healed and he had given Admiral Nechayev her report. The Ligonian leader Hagon was smuggling weapons and dealing in more than slavery. His untimely death by his wife caused a power vacuum that bin Nadal's team were caught in the middle of. Bin Nadal was thinking while Kimula was still digesting the briefing that Aurelia had given her.

'Don't either of you have an opinion?' Aurelia asked.

Karim looked up from the padd. 'I can see why they want to keep a lid on it. If this got out, there would be a mass panic. The Dominion war is still fresh in a lot of minds.'

Kimula nodded her agreement. 'What exactly do Logan and Astar want us to do?'

Aurelia paused in mid-thought. 'Our “official” mission is to keep this sector ticking over, Colony runs, flying the flag and exploration. Unofficially we're supposed to keep an eye out for the Cha'lav and stop them from destroying another culture or destabilising the sector any further.'

Kimula's antennae drooped as she read something on her padd. 'Three hundred million dead? The Cha'lav commit genocide and there's nothing we can do?'

Karim cleared his throat. 'I've had enough of dancing around to the tune of other people's agendas. If we're here then we should be proactive and seek out the Cha'lav.'

'Ordinarily I would tend to agree, and maybe a few years ago I would have, but I am not so naïve anymore,' Aurelia replied. 'Captain Astar and her crew have dealt with them before, they know the Cha'lav's strengths and weaknesses and we have access to everything they've learned. Remember, we're only here until the Pytheas returns from Eeroth so we should try not to embroil ourselves in a war. Starfleet can ill afford it at the moment.'

Karim acquiesced. 'So we “police the quadrant” as President Satie would say?'

'Unfortunately, yes. But this sector is largely unexplored so we should be able to get some exploration in as long as the Cha'lav don't show up.'

'What would our illustrious President say if she knew what was really going on here?'

'What makes you think she doesn't? As a former Starfleet officer herself, I think she would make use of all the contacts she gathered over the years,' Karim replied disdainfully. 'Besides, with a threat as large as this, she would have to ask Command for contingency plans.'

Aurelia frowned. 'I know you don't like her very much, Commander, but you could at least pretend to for decorum's sake.'

'It's not her I don't like, it's her policies. Ever since Commander Tucker placed the Enterprise NX-01 between the Vulcans and Andorians in the twenty-second century we have always made it our goal to keep the peace, with the power to back it up if need be. Her policies are reminiscent of twenty-first century Earth when the United States was being heavily criticised for interfering in everybody else's affairs.'

'Which is what we have done a few times ourselves,' Kimula interjected.

Karim inclined in head in acknowledgement. 'The Federation isn't perfect, but I can't agree with her policies of looking inward.'

'What about the rebuilding of Federation worlds instead of Cardassia and others?' the counsellor asked.

Aurelia cleared her throat. 'We're getting off track here. We're loading up supplies for New Tokyo and Xyril City and then we'll explore the sector out past the latter, since it has only been visited by the Weisskopf just once and that was almost four months ago.'

'As long as we actually get to do some exploring,' Kimula muttered, glaring at Karim.

Bin Nadal glared right back.

'Karim, please see to the supplies,' Aurelia pressed.

He nodded and left the ready room.

'Well?' Aurelia asked.

'He's healing, he'll be fine.'

'I meant about the Cha'lav.'

'I think you're right, we should let Captain Astar deal with them as best they can and be there as backup if need be.'

Aurelia stood up. 'Finally, we get to do some exploring.'

'Captain, we're receiving a hail from the Pytheas,' bin Nadal said a moment later. 'It's Captain Astar.'

'I'll take it here.'

'Sintina, we're about to get underway. Is there anything else you need?'

Aurelia smiled at the newfound familiarity. 'No, just keep the Cha'lav away from us if you can. I'd really like to do some exploring.'

'I'll do my best, but no promises, Astar out.'

'She's friendly,' Kimula commented dryly.

'Yes, she is,' Aurelia replied absently, already concentrating on the mission ahead. 'See to it that we've received the entire Cha'lav database and any other updates from Command and Tactical. Report to your station, Lieutenant.'

'Yes ma'am.'

Once Kimula had returned to the bridge, Aurelia was left with her thoughts and called up the basic data on the Cha'lav. They didn't really seem dangerous except for their mindset which was similar to a number of other species in the galaxy. She hoped that after all the problems her crew had worked through, and all the battles they'd been involved in, that they would finally get a break. But it wasn't to be as yet again a new threat hovered on the horizon. She cleared the screen and brought up an image that always made her smile, the first holo she'd taken of Earth from orbit. It reminded her of what to fight for.

'Captain to the bridge,' bin Nadal called out but there was no urgency to his tone.

'Problem, Commander?' she asked, emerging on the bridge.

'No ma'am,' he grinned slightly. 'Just thought you'd like to know that all the supplies are aboard and we are ready to depart.'

Aurelia nodded. 'Signal the dockmaster.'

'We are cleared for departure,' Kimula replied.

'Ensign Weston, release all mooring clamps and engage at one quarter impulse until we're out of the system.'

'Mooring clamps released, one quarter impulse, aye.'

'Let's go, the colonies await our arrival.'
 
Chapter Three

USS Pytheas
En route to Eeroth
Stardate 55322.2 (April 28, 2378)

She woke up in a strange bed and succumbed to panic for a few seconds before she realised where she was. After a few weeks of discussions with her family, the Ynelavii Militia and Commander Dhrex, the Federation representative to Ynelav, she was finally given permission to go to Starbase 535 for testing. It was not as hard as she had imagined and then she had an interview with the base's commanding officer, Captain Logan. It was an unusual interview, but worth it.

'Why do you want to join Starfleet, Ms Jenak?'

'I have been reading about what you do, what you have done for centuries, and I want to be a part of it. The Ynelavii Militia has always been about protecting what is ours, and it is the duty of every Ynelavii to join the Militia. I have always wanted something more, and with Starfleet I have found it.'

Logan had smiled. 'You need a command-level officer to sponsor you to the Academy. Commander Dhrex does not have that capability.'

'With all due respect, sir, you do. You have the rank of Captain and the billet of sector commander.'

'You've thought a lot about this, haven't you?'

'Yes sir, I have.'

'Well, your test scores are high enough, but you will need training before you can take the Academy entrance exams. I am placing you as an Acting Cadet on the USS Pytheas. Captain Astar will place you in various departments so you get used to the technology, and the rules and regulations,' he held out a hand. 'Welcome to Starfleet, Cadet.'

Now, Jenak was dressing herself in a very different uniform to the one she was used to wearing, no sidearm and very different colours, and would be going to the bridge. She would be standing beside the ship's tactical officer during the alpha shift and assisting her with any duties that would arise. Jenak knew that life aboard a starship was different to ground-based military, she had already completed one tour of duty aboard a Militia patrol craft, but this would be more exciting. Looking at the chronometer to double check, she knew she was early for her shift. According to regulations, the crews of all Starfleet vessels ran to a twenty-four hour period, the same as the Terran homeworld, the principal founder of the Federation. The day was split into three or four shifts, depending on the commanding officer, but it was usually three. Captain Astar had informed her of this when she came aboard the day before. Having spent the time familiarising herself with the ship's systems, she now felt ready to face the day, and the challenges ahead.

The turbolift doors parted to the sounds of the CIC, the bridge she remembered they called it, and she stepped out. She walked down the steps to the central dais where the captain and executive officer sat. Only the captain was currently seated and Jenak stopped three steps from her.

'Acting Cadet Jenak, reporting for duty, sir.'

'You're early, Cadet,' Captain Astar replied, rising from her chair. 'Follow me.' Astar led her down from the command dais toward the engineering station and then up the right-hand-side stairs to the security and tactical station.

'This is where you'll be posted for the next few weeks. You will assist Lieutenant Commander Gonzales in her duties and complete your studies in a timely manner. If you continue to do well, then you have a good chance of becoming an excellent officer. I will not, however, tolerate any slacking of duty. If you have any problems, report them to Commander Wright, my executive officer. He is responsible for the crew's wellbeing.'

'Yes sir,' Jenak replied, still standing at near-attention.

'Relax, Cadet, this is not a parade ground. You need not stand at attention unless at formal ceremonies or specifically asked to by a superior officer.'

Just then, Lieutenant Commander Sheena Gonzales emerged on the bridge and moved to her station. Jenak snapped to attention again and Astar smirked.

'Relax, Cadet,' Gonzales said. 'I'm not going to make you run around the bridge twenty times if you make a mistake. You're here to learn and you won't do that if you stand stiffly like that. There's a stool for you to sit on while you assist me. Now, can you tell me what these indicators mean?'

Jenak relaxed, slightly, and began pointing out the various indicators. She noticed Gonzales give a subtle nod to the Captain who moved away, returning to the command dais to take her seat as the rest of the alpha shift arrived. They all gave her a brief glance before assuming their stations. It was surprising that they thought nothing of having her on their bridge without any alert being raised. If a cadet or unauthorised person was in the CIC on Ynelavii ships at any time it would be locked down and security would be there in moments.

'You seem to have a steep learning curve, Cadet. How long have you been studying the schematics and layout of the ship?'

'Three days, sir,' she replied quickly.

'Impressive,' Gonzales replied. 'I have a little challenge for you. A member of this crew is going to try something unauthorised. I want you to stop them as best you can. Don't worry if you fail, this is only a test.'

Jenak looked down at the board as an irritating bleep was emitted. 'Someone is attempting to launch a shuttle.'

'Red alert,' Astar called out. 'Stop them.'

The bridge lighting dimmed from white to red and Jenak realised that they were all watching her. She attacked the console with a flurry of commands to seal the shuttlebay door. Jenak noted that the captain was waiting for something and realised that she should be providing some kind of commentary.

'My attempts to seal the shuttlebay door have failed. I'm now venting the atmosphere and trying to take remote control of the shuttle.'
 
I'm enjoying this rewrite immensely. The new material both deepens and further develops your plot while at the same time keeping to the spirit of the original work. I also liked the scene between Karim, Aurelia, and Kimula--especially the tensions lying just beneath the surface.

Very well done!
 
Chapter Four

USS Pytheas
En route to Eeroth
Stardate 55322.3 (April 28, 2378)

The door was still opening and Jenak did not have control of the shuttle. She realised that she couldn't stop the shuttle from leaving, but the starship had a tractor beam and she could snag the shuttle as soon as it left. A thought then occurred to her, whoever was stealing the shuttle might have also thought of that idea and come up with a defence against it.

'Nothing is working, sir. My attempts to seal the shuttlebay and prevent the launch have been unsuccessful,' the new cadet stated for the benefit of the bridge officers.

'Tractor them,' Astar ordered.

'I don't believe that will work, sir. They probably have a defence put in place.'

'Shuttle is leaving the ship,' Gonzales noted.

'On screen,' Astar ordered. 'What do you suggest, Cadet?'

'Engaging repulsor beam,' Jenak replied and Astar watched the viewscreen as the pilot of the shuttle suddenly lost control.

Excellent work, now tractor them!'

'Now engaging tractor beam. I have them, sir.'

Astar smiled. 'Stand down red alert. Commander, you may return to the bridge. Good work, Cadet. What made you think of a repulsor beam?'

'I thought that whoever had stolen the shuttle would most likely think that a tractor beam would be the next logical step in apprehending them. The repulsor beam threw them off balance allowing me a moment before they collected themselves to engage the tractor beam.'

'I told you she was impressive,' Gonzales muttered with a slight grin.

'A natural tactical officer,' Astar agreed. 'As befits the Militia Elite, but Starfleet officers are expected to be well rounded in multiple disciplines. You will be trying your hand at engineering, operations, flight control, science and command.'

'Yes sir,' Jenak replied eagerly.

None of those positions had entered her mind. She could feel at home here, and it was an unrivalled opportunity to learn about the galaxy outside of her little corner, and hopefully make a difference. The rest of the shift passed without incident and she looked forward to sleep that night. Before she could do that, however, she needed to eat and while the replicator had been programmed with a few dozen Ynelavii dishes, they didn't taste quite the same. She was looking forward to tasting some fresh food from other worlds and made her way to the mess hall where the rest of the alpha shift were getting their food. When she arrived, she found some kind of disturbance and pushed through the crowd for a better look.

Two officers were standing beside each other, at different plasma stoves, adding ingredients to a dish. They were being cheered on by almost everyone present. A blue man, a Bolian, stood back from them both and held some kind of time piece in his hands. He suddenly began counting down from ten and when he reached zero the two officers stepped back.

'All right, ladies and gentlemen, who wants to be the first to try the cook-off chilli?'

Jenak looked behind her and saw that everyone present had taken steps back, leaving her at the front. She steeled herself. 'I will.'

'A brave beginning for our newest recruit,' the Bolian said and leaned in to whisper. 'Don't be ashamed if you can't handle it. Not everyone can.'

She smiled as she stepped forward and accepted a spoon from one of the officers, which she dipped into the first pot of chilli. Her nose wrinkled from the very heat of the dish and she could smell how potent it was going to be. As she tasted it, she felt her neck redden and realised that this was just like the competitions her family had with their neighbours.

'That's potent,' Jenak told the man, 'but my grandmother makes it hotter.'

The crowd took another step back as the officer narrowed his eyes at her. She took a spoon from the second man and dipped it into his chilli. It burned her mouth even before the spoon reached it because it was so hot and her eyes watered.

'This one's hotter,' she croaked.

The crowd roared forward to taste them and she moved back against the wall to get her breath back.

'I didn't think you'd handle it,' the Bolian told her.

'We had competitions like that at home for a long time, until my grandfather passed away. It just wasn't the same without him. Can I try one next time?'

'Sure, I'll let you know when we do the next one. What were you going to have for eat?'

'I don't know, I was going to try something the chef made. Something from Earth maybe.'

'You've come to just the right place. My name is Frel; I'm in charge of the galley on the Pytheas. Let me get you some tomato and habanero soup, with some fresh bread. It's not as hot as the chilli, but you'll like it.'

Jenak smiled. 'Thank you. Would you mind showing me a dish from a different world every day, if you have the ingredients?'

The Bolian grinned. 'For you, I'll do my best, on one condition.'

'Name it.'

'You teach me how to cook Ynelavii dishes.'

'Deal,' she said and held out her hand for him to shake. 'As it happens, I bought some Navalo peppers with me, and they can be hotter than what's in those chillies I think.'

'I look forward to tasting them.'

'Not on their own, even we never do that,' she winked. 'At least not more than once.'

His eyes bulged. 'Wow, I've got to taste one.'

'Better make sure you're close to sickbay then.'

Frel smiled and gestured for her to take a seat. 'You wait here and I'll get some of that soup. You definitely won't find it too hot.'

While she was eating, he peppered her with questions, which she answered between mouthfuls. 'This is good. My first day wasn't too bad, but I hope we don't run into too much trouble. I'd like to have some time to adjust to a live in space, and explore this ship a little.'
 
Chapter Five

Central Archives
Ynelav IV
Stardate 55324.5 (April 29, 2378)

The sunlight barely penetrated the darkened windows of the cavernous archives and this made Lieutenant Commander Kareni Renn more than a little anxious as her native homeworld was blazing with two suns for more than nine tenths of the year. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness easily enough, a side effect of spending most of her adult life aboard starbases and starships, and she strolled slowly down the rows of preserved scrolls looking for the markings that denoted the war archives. The tricorder and padd she carried had both been programmed with a limited translation matrix of the five thousand most common words in the dominant historical language of the Ynelavii, Lanti. According to the scholars, more than ninety-five percent of the scrolls were written in Lanti with the remaining five percent written in the ancient language of the Seer and other geographical dialects.

As the new tactical officer of the Weisskopf, Captain Dhrex had tasked her with reading the war history of the planet to determine their strategies and whether they had actually evolved beyond the border wars that most worlds had during their industrial, technological and early space ages. Renn had already perused the digital history of the planet's wars, the ones written by the victors, and found them to be substantially biased. The scrolls would hopefully tell her a different story and lead her to a better conclusion, though the recent actions of the rebel movement against the mainstream religious government made her think another war was brewing. The Ynelavii had already developed nuclear fusion and discarded it as a power resource, preferring more natural ones instead. However, with their advanced technology and the lack of an outside enemy to fight with the near extinction of the Resoto Hegemony, the old disputes had flared back up again and threatened to devastate the planet.

If the rebels were able to get their hands on a warship, the fight would be over. The tricorder chirruped, bringing her out of her daydream, and she noted the display. She had reached the immense war archive, a collection of almost a million scrolls, most of which were written by soldiers during times of war. It was these scrolls that would give her the best picture of the history of violence that the Ynelavii had been through, though it seemed to her that lessons had not been learned. Renn set the tricorder and padd down on a nearby table and selected a handful of scrolls at random, placing them next to her equipment. She began to translate the texts and read the accounts of war. One soldier, from approximately a hundred years ago, described his first experience of combat that was familiar to her from her own experiences during the Dominion war.


“The shelling began at dawn, killing the medics and the wounded straight away. They were the lucky ones as the bombardment continued unabated from the skies until dawn of the next day. I had no time for fear or grief as the troops landed to finish us off. Colonel Herak ordered us to fight to the death but General Tedas saw the futility and ordered a retreat. The two men fought against themselves as we fought the enemy and we did drive them back, but not before losing three quarters of the battalion. When we did retreat we left Herak's body where it lay, a message to the enemy that we were the barbarians they believed us to be. It was my first and only taste of combat as the ceasefire was declared the following…”​


Renn stopped reading as dust floated down from the ceiling. The ceiling began to crumble and she dived out of the way with her padd and tricorder as a section smashed the table she'd been sitting at. The broken windows rained glass around her and she glimpsed fliers around the Archives through the bright sky.

'Renn to Weisskopf,' she slapped her combadge hoping that they could actually hear her.

'Go ahead, Commander,' Dhrex replied.

'The Archives and surrounding buildings are being destroyed by some kind of fighter planes; I need an emergency transport.'

'Stand by, Commander.'

Renn dematerialised a moment later, rematerialising on the bridge.

'Captain, the scrolls will be destroyed, we have to beam them aboard,' she cried out in frustration.

'Where do you propose we keep them, space isn't exactly plentiful around here?'

'We have to do something. Their history will be lost'

Dhrex considered the options. 'Unfortunately, Commander, we have to stay out of it.' He turned to his exec, Commander Andrew Banks. 'Get Regent Dolan on the line. I want to know what the hell is happening down there.'

'We're being jammed from the surface.'

Dhrex muttered a mild Denobulan curse. 'Can you localise the jamming?'

Banks frowned as he worked the tactical console alongside Renn. 'It's clearing; we're being hailed from the Science Ministry.'

'On screen.'

'This is Furan, leader of the Ynelavii Rebellion. For two long the Nelanii have been the dominant religion on this world, suppressing the Truth of the Seer. That time is over. Regent Dolan has been deposed and I now control the government. We will give you all the truth about the Seer, what He represented in the past and what He represents now. The Seer is among us and He will reveal Himself soon. We must all be ready to accept Him and we shall be. To the Federation vessel in orbit, you are no longer wanted on this world.'

'He's insane.'

'Quite possibly,' Dhrex replied, 'but we are obliged to follow the dictates of the ruling leader. And since we are no longer wanted, we should depart.'

'What about their archives?'

'They'll have to muddle through. Clearly they have not learned from the history written on those scrolls and are doomed to repeat the mistakes of times past.'

'Aye sir,' Renn replied, looking down at the padd and thinking that what she held might be all there was left.
 
Chapter Six

USS Pytheas
En route to Eeroth
Stardate 55325.6 (April 29, 2378)

Seated at the Operations console, Lieutenant Shanitalen ch'Maras watched his displays of the ship's current power usage, noting that both holodecks were currently in use and the chef was preparing what appeared to be a large meal since the galley was using almost three times what it usually did. He was responsible for the life support systems, communication and basic sensor analysis and since Commander Wright had come aboard he'd taken to this responsibilities with renewed vigour, hoping to catch the murderous executive officer in the act of doing something illegal. The ship was currently travelling at warp six toward the area of space known locally as the Badlands, and on Federation charts at the Kursican Badlands, since numerous other regions contained “badlands” where there was dangerous plasma eddies, no law and a perfect site for illegal trades. The Kursican Badlands, according to both Jenak and Rashal, were home to a creature that could devour entire ships in moments and then vanish without a trace. Commander Wright had likened it to a region of ocean on Earth called the Bermuda Triangle, and from his research he found it apt, asking the Captain if they could name it on their own charts as the Kursican Triangle, instead of the familiar term used by the locals. She had agreed.

Talen had no such illusions about the region they were approaching. It was similar to the Cardassian Badlands in that there were severe plasma storms which were capable of destroying ships and leaving little trace, and a smattering of L- and M-class asteroids and planets. According to Rashal, his homeworld lay on the other side of the three-parsec wide expanse. Captain Astar, prior to receiving the go-ahead from Starfleet Tactical, had ordered extensive emergency drills to prepare the crew for any eventuality. Some things, he knew, could not be planned for. He looked around the bridge and noticed the Ynelavii cadet being given another lecture by Gonzales on protocols; Astar and Wright were discussing something and at the helm, Larson looked lost in thought. Talen turned toward the turbolift doors as they opened and Rashal stepped onto the bridge. The Andorian hadn't had much interaction with the Eerothian since he was given quarters but he knew a few things about the man. He noted that Astar had also glanced at the turbolift and saw Rashal but she made no move to intercept him.

Rashal approached him and leaned in close. 'I know your heart, Andorian. Your journey to fulfilment will be long, and you will be welcomed with open arms into the afterlife.'

Talen blinked in shock and then asked, 'What do you know of my heart?'

'I can sense it. Do not let fear guide you, my alien friend. Allow your friends to help you on your path.'

'Are you a preacher?' he asked.

Rashal smiled and waved his tentacles in what Talen assumed was a shrug. 'Not exactly.'

'Rashal, could I speak with you in my ready room please?' Astar asked and the alien walked toward her.

'That's it folks,' Wright suddenly announced as the doors to both turbolifts opened depositing the beta shift personnel. 'Enjoy the rest of your day.'

Talen signed off and handed over his station, providing a quick rundown of the events that occurred during his shift, which were mercifully few. After leaving the bridge he quickly reached his quarters, almost ignoring the large number of officers and crewmembers changing shift. He lowered the temperature from Andor normal, thirty-three degrees below zero in Earth terms to minus forty-nine degrees, the minimum sustainable temperature for Andorians and Aenar to remain conscious, and only for a short time. Divesting himself of his clothes, he sat cross-legged on the floor and tried to quiet his mind. Being part-Aenar, he had learned a number of meditation techniques from Vulcans, Betazoids and Cairn, but his mind refused to be quietened.

'Lieutenant ch'Maras, you have an incoming message from Andor,' the computer intoned.

He sighed. 'Put it though.'

Quickly slipping on a robe and raising the temperature, he sat at his desk as the Federation logo was replaced by Demesrulan zh'Sawel. The look on her face told him plenty.

'You're a fool, Shanitalen. You should not have returned to Starfleet so early.'

He took a deep breath. 'I have already completed the bonding, our Sheltreth was disbanded.'

His former bondmate sighed. 'There was a problem. I wasn't able to conceive.'

'Do you wish me to return?'

'There is no time. Another bondmate has been chosen through the ch'Thane Genome Project. I'm sorry, I would have liked to be with you.'

Shanitalen was aghast. 'By the time I return from my mission it is likely that I will be too late to find another Sheltreth.'

'I will look for you, just make sure you return,' she replied and cut the transmission.

He slipped off his robe and lowered the temperature. Not only had he lost the people he cared most about, his bondmates, but he would no longer be able to help conceive a child unless he did so outside of a bond with an Aenar or Andorian.

'Computer, play something by zh'Lumas.'

'Specify period.'

'The early years,' he replied and used the soft melody of the music to try and aid his mediation.

After several hours he was feeling cold and was no closer to peace.

'Computer, raise the temperature to Andor normal, discontinue music.'

There was clearly nothing he could do, meditation-wise, to calm his mind and needed another method. It was something of a cultural taboo to involve others in one's affairs but there were several high-profile examples of the taboo being broken, so he decided to speak with a counsellor about his situation. The Angosians were known to eschew violence and a handful had joined Starfleet since the Enterprise-D visited their world almost fifteen years before. The daughter of one of the Angosians present during the Enterprise's mission was one who had joined Starfleet. Mana Zayner, daughter of Prime Minister Nayrok's aide, now held the rank of Lieutenant and opted for a counsellor's position once she graduated the Academy. The woman was talented and graduated in the top fifth of her class, and he just hoped that she would understand his situation enough to help him.
 
Chapter Seven

Norkova-class freighter Gilgamesh
Ramajuan Salvage Yards, Kursican sector
Stardate 55326.2 (April 30, 2378)

There was a single inhabited starship in the salvage yards and the eighteen-deck vessel served as the meeting place and haven for the salvagers and others who frequented the area. Since it was in unclaimed space, it was the perfect meeting place for people who didn't want to be seen. Lieutenant Commander Miles Murdoch and Lieutenant Paul Marshall had been diverted from their assignment for Dreno'L, the Deputy Commissioner for Xyril City's Space Ministry, to meet with a representative from Admiral Nechayev. It had been decided after their last assignment that it would be best to go undercover in this sector and act as a freighter crew to undertake their hunt for the Section 31 operative operating in this sector. Murdoch entered what would have been a private dining room and sat in booth at the back, sipping an unusual-tasting ale while waiting for his handler.

'I hope I haven't kept you waiting,' the dark-skinned man said as he slipped into a seat beside the two men.

'It wouldn't have mattered,' the Murdoch muttered. 'We would still have to wait for you.'

'Yes you would,' the spy agreed with a wry smile.

'What do you have for us?' Marshall asked; eager not to be seen there and not to be there for too long.

'According to my sources, Captain Astar is taking the Eeroth back to his people, leaving the Weisskopf and the Independence to hold the sector. There has been no sign of the operative around here for two weeks but I don't expect it to last. Complete your mission for the Deputy Minister and then return to Starbase 535. I want you to keep your eyes and ears open and report back as soon as you hear anything.'

'I thought we were supposed to be undercover? We're known by too many people there.'

'You'll be fine, gentlemen. Logan won't give you any trouble. He's too busy working on the Kursicans and trying to spy on Madden.'

'Do you think the operative got himself onto the starbase?'

'Probably, but you need to find who and how,' the man replied. 'Question everyone, quietly.'

Murdoch knew what to do and didn't need this guy telling him how to do his job, but he said noting. Nechayev knew what she was doing. 'We'll do our best, but I don't know how long I'm likely to be working for Dreno'L. I have to search for a specific part in this salvage yard and get it to him as soon as possible.'

The spy agent nodded. 'I'm well aware of your mission, Mister Murdoch, and I have every confidence that you will succeed. You've done exceedingly well thus far and I see no reason why that can't continue. I will be returning to Starbase 535 shortly, but I'll probably be on my way back to Earth before you return, so it might be a while before I contact you again. If you have any information, transmit it on the usual channel and it will be received.'

'Let's go,' Marshall said. 'This place is getting a little too crowded for my liking.'

'Have a good day, gentlemen,' the spy said and sidled out of the booth.

Murdoch and Marshall waited until he'd left the room before returning to their ship. They didn't need any supplies; he just needed to find a particular wreck which had been sitting out there for about ten years. Thanks to the deputy minister he had a specific metallic signature to look for, and Nechayev's people had tweaked his sensors and a few other systems before she let them have the freighter. Instead of overhauling the freighter he'd appropriated, she had sent an old Norkova-class ship for them to use, and they'd been awarded the contract to Xyril City. Murdoch had spent the first few days making new contacts in the salvage yards. The inhabited starship, called Gashoqap by the owner, and focus point for all the business in the area, was frequented by every cargo hauler in the sector. He decided that he would need those contacts in the future.

The Gilgamesh detached itself from the drydock which surrounded the Gashoqap and turned awkwardly before heading deeper into the salvage yards. The vessel he was looking for belonged to a civilisation whose star had gone nova about fifteen hundred years ago, the ship was one of the few remnants of that culture but the native races to the Kursican sector cared little about xenoarchaeology and more about what they could take for themselves. The cargo haulers, when not running cargo, spent much of their time rooting through the hulks and wrecks looking the next big score. More often than not they found little of interest. Dreno'L believed that he had found something which would make him rich and had dedicated an enormous amount of money to finding it. Murdoch was his instrument and while it rankled the Starfleet officer, he knew that once he found the part and delivered it, he could return to the Starbase and listen out for more important information.

'This thing must be really important for him to hire us,' Marshall said.

Murdoch nodded. 'I know, it doesn't sound trustworthy, especially when he's never dealt with us before, but it could be that he is giving us a chance to ingratiate ourselves to get more business.'

'I didn't think of that.'

'We'll find what he wants and then go and catch ourselves a crook.'

'Did he tell you what to look for?'

'He gave me a specific alloy to scan for and told me that we're looking for a stasis pod.'

'We're looking for someone not something?' Marshall asked.

'I guess so. It's not ideal, but this isn't Federation space, and the Xyrillians are not Federation members. We can't stop them from doing anything that we would consider illegal, no matter how abhorrent we find it.'

'You suspect him of people smuggling don't you?'

'No comment,' Murdoch replied and concentrated on flying the ship.
 
Still a lot of things happening in this story. So many in fact you need a scoreboard to keep track of them all.

And now Indy's in the mix as well.

Interesting.
 
Chapter Eight

USS Pytheas
Approaching the Kursican Triangle
Stardate 55327.9 (April 30, 2378)

Commander Aaron Wright looked at the main viewscreen in awe as the rest of the bridge crew followed suit. Like the Cardassian Badlands, the Kursican Triangle was a region of dense plasma storms which were a navigational hazard, although according to the readings that were being sent to the science station, the plasma storms here were almost five times powerful than those of the Cardassian Badlands. Few ships ever ventured into the region and fewer still returned, but the Intrepid-class ships were the most suitable for traversing such regions, which was why the USS Voyager was the vessel selected for tracking a Maquis ship a decade ago. With the new astrometrics array, the Pytheas should be able to navigate through the Triangle with relative ease, and on the other side lay unexplored space. According to Rashal, who now stood at the rail behind the command chairs, only a few Eeroth had ever left their homeworld to venture into the Triangle and none had returned. Wright personally believed that if they had made it they wouldn't have wanted to go back.

'Commander, what can you tell me about the myth?' Captain Astar asked, tearing her eyes from the beautiful sight on the viewscreen.

'Very little, Captain,' Wright replied. 'According to the Ynelavii database, they look to the Triangle very much like the region on Trill as the Ganses Sink.'

'Where sea-going ships disappear never to be seen again,' Astar muttered. 'I've never believed those stories. Go on,' she added.

'I've spoken with both Jenak and Rashal and they have both told me similar stories. In both cultures there is a myth regarding a continent-sized slug-like creature which appears from nowhere and consumes vessels before vanishing again.'

'Have there been any investigations into the losses of the vessels?' Mahtani asked, turning away from the science station.

Astar turned to the railing where Rashal stood. 'Well?'

Rashal's features changed hue. 'Not as such. My government, primarily ruled by the Dahreki, frequently use ships crewed by criminals to explore the Triangle. If they return they are given partial pardons and sent to live in a minimum-security penal colony.'

Astar's brow creased and her spots darkened; a sure sign of anger. 'That is barbaric behaviour.'

'How many vessels returned?' Mahtani asked.

'Three, out of approximately fifty,' the Eerothian answered.

'A waste of life,' Astar said.

'I was thinking it was a novel way of utilising those people which have damaged society in some way, the danger aside,' Wright interjected, earning himself a glare from Astar. 'It may be barbaric to you, Captain, but instead of prisoners taking space up, they can be put to good use. On Earth, after World War Three, prisoners were experimented on to test cures for various diseases. Many died but the scientific knowledge which was gained…'

Astar held up a hand to silence him, knowing that her people also practiced such things in the past. 'Such arguments are irrelevant to this discussion. What about your people, Jenak? Did they make any investigations into the losses?'

'Yes sir, the Ministry of the Judiciary has a dedicated taskforce for the Triangle.'

'And why is that?'

'Numerous criminals have used to Triangle to escape justice, but the Militia daren't get too close to the centre in case the Manxome catches them.'

'Can you describe the rough layout of the Triangle for us?' Mahtani asked.

'It is three parsecs long and one parsec wide at the longest points,' Jenak answered. 'The plasma storms are about a thousand AUs in distance and there is nothing in the centre that we know of. All the probes which my people have sent in there have detected nothing, before being destroyed.'

'Destroyed by what?' the chief science officer asked, clearly enjoying this expedition into the unknown.

Jenak shrugged. 'We don't know.'

'How do you know so much?' Gonzales asked.

The young cadet smiled. 'I studied science at university in the hopes that it would increase my tactical knowledge. As one of our philosophers once said, “Science is war by other means.”'

Mahtani smiled. 'I think you'll do well as a scientist, you have the right mindset.' He turned to Astar. 'Captain, did we get the probes' telemetry when we got their stellar database?'

'Honestly, I'm not sure, Lieutenant. Why don't you get your team on that? I want you down in astrometrics so you can assist us in getting through the plasma storms. The sooner we get through, the sooner we'll be able to return Rashal to his people.'

'Aye sir, I'll have Lieutenant Malling working on the Ynelavii database.'

Astar nodded and turned toward the viewscreen where the roiling purple-tinged plasma created swirling vortexes of devastating power. 'Are we ready?' she asked Wright.

'Yes sir, we are,' her exec answered. 'Inertial dampers are at maximum, the structural integrity field has been reinforced and shields are at full.'

She toggled the intraship comm system. 'This is the captain. We are about to enter the Kursican Triangle, a region of intense plasma storms and gravimetric shears. I know you will all do your best to keep this ship in one piece so man your stations and prepare for a bumpy ride.'

'All departments report ready, Captain,' Gonzales said from the tactical station.

'Mister Larson, take us in, slow and steady at one quarter impulse.'

'I can handle it at half impulse, Captain,' Larson replied with a teenager's boast to his voice.

'I don't doubt that, Ensign, but I want to play it safe and give us enough time to react if something goes wrong. It will be easier to do that at one quarter.'

'Aye sir,' he replied.

The Pytheas effortlessly entered the Triangle and Larson turned to the ship on its port side to avoid a plasma vortex almost immediately. He slowed the ship to one fifth impulse to give him a greater heads-up and then settled into the routine of dodging.

'How long until we get through the plasma storms?' Astar asked.

'At least two days at this speed,' Larson replied as the ship veered to starboard.
 
Chapter Nine

Operations Centre
Starbase 535
Stardate 55328.3 (April 30, 2378)

Captain Lionel Logan stared in mute disbelief at the main viewscreen in the Operations centre. The Qang-class (or Chancellor-class) starships of the Klingon Empire were huge, holding 1500 crew and 1500 warriors. They were the most advanced starships that the Klingons had ever built, with a similar capability to Starfleet's Sovereign-class. This particular one, the IKS Ditagh, had served Chancellor Martok's new conquering program with great success. He could see that something had hit this ship badly, since oxygen was being vented from numerous hull breaches, and the port nacelle was dark.

'Have an engineering detail coordinate with the Ditagh's chief engineer. I'd like to see Captain Vikagh as soon as it is convenient for him,' Logan said to Commander Madden.

'Aye sir, already have a team on it.'

'Is Subcommander Sokal back aboard?'

'Yes sir, the Gilded Talon docked almost an hour ago,' Madden replied sourly.

'Excellent, I want an update of whatever the engineers find.'

'Captain, we're receiving an encrypted message from the Independence, it's a little faint.'

Logan turned back to the screen. 'Put it up...What can I do for you, Captain?'

'I'm looking at a debris field comprised of Resoto merchant vessels and Klingon hull fragments, Captain. What the hell is Vikagh up to?'

'How many ships?'

'About six, from what we can tell. Has he been advised that the Resoto are all but extinct?'

Logan tried not to smirk. 'Captain, the Resoto pirates don't think that and they just learned not to attack Klingons.'

Aurelia narrowed her eyes. 'They didn't learn anything, there were no survivors.'

Logan was not particularly bothered by this, since he knew quite well what Klingon battle tactics were. 'The Resoto will learn or they will die, Captain. The Klingons also know what it is like to fight the Resoto now. I don't think they'll be any more problems.'

Aurelia scowled. 'I won't be picking up the pieces, Independence out.'

'That went well,' Madden muttered. 'Do you think the Klingons heard that?'

'Of course they did,' Logan replied. 'Aurelia deliberately used a channel that the Klingons have decrypted. She's a hothead and it's gotten her into trouble before. She has grown up a lot in the last few years, but having your ship destroyed while you're unconscious will do that.'

Madden shivered. 'I heard about that, Command said it was a design flaw.'

'I read the same report, Commander, but I didn't believe it then and I don't now. Let me know when Vikagh wants to talk.'

'How about right now, Captain,' the Klingon captain said as he strode into Ops flanked by two young Starfleet security officers.

'That will do fine, Captain. Follow me.'

Logan led Vikagh into his office and sat down behind the desk. 'Before you say anything, I know that you heard the conversation I just had with Captain Aurelia, and I'm sure you will say that the Resoto fired first. Let me be blunt with you, Captain, I don't care who fired first. Your ship was heavily damaged and a few hundred more Resoto are dead. There are less than fifty thousand Resoto left alive, many of them miners and pirates, doing what they can to survive. I don't need you blasting their ships to pieces.'

Vikagh maintained his silence during the speech but as soon as Logan paused for more than two seconds, he spoke, his voice almost quivering with repressed anger. 'I did not attack the Resoto vessels, Commander. I was on the way to the Belothi homeworld to conquer them for the honour of the Empire when I came across one vessel firing on the last of the six Resoto ships. Against my better judgement I intervened and look where it got me. I will gladly hand over all the sensor data I have for you to take a look at.'

'I would appreciate that, Captain. These are trying times for us.'

'Hmph. You'll have the data in an hour. If you'll excuse me, I need to send a hundred and seventy-three warriors to Sto'Vo'Kor.'

'Not at all,' Logan replied as the Klingon exited. He tapped his combadge. 'Subcommander Sokal, could I speak with you for a moment in my office.'

'I'm on my way,' the Rihannsu replied with a lilt to her voice that he hadn't heard before.

While he was waiting, he called up the sensor logs that Vikagh had just sent across and recognised the alien vessel immediately. 'Logan to Madden, report to my office at once.'

'On my way,' the Operation Cobalt liaison replied.

Both of them arrived at the same time and he invited them in, recalling Vikagh as well. Once they were all seated, he activated the seldom-used holo-com and Admiral Andrew Ranar appeared.

'Captains, Subcommander,' Ranar began. 'I'll be brief because I'm rather busy. As the person responsible for watching over the Kursican sector because of the Cha'lav involvement out there, it has come to my attention that the Cha'lav were responsible for the destruction of the Resoto merchants. Captains, Subcommander, Captain Logan will brief you on the Cha'lav situation. Logan, I want you to retask Independence to shadow any Resoto vessels they come across. If the Cha'lav do attack I want to deal them a crippling blow. I would to ask that since you both have cloaking devices aboard your ships,' Ranar looked directly at Sokal and Vikagh, 'you attack if the Cha'lav appear anywhere in the sector. I'm fully cognisant of the danger they pose to the Federation and the rest of the galaxy and I intend to see that their plans are crippled permanently.'

'I'll inform Captain Aurelia immediately,' Logan said.

'I will assist you,' Sokal added. 'ch'Rihan is just as threatened.'

'Once my ship has been repaired I will show them the true strength of the Klingon Empire.'

'Admiral, this could well start the war we're trying to avoid,' Madden said calmly, though inwardly he was cursing Ranar for discussing Operation Cobalt's existence on a secure channel.

'Commander, as far as I'm concerned, they've already declared war by kidnapping Federation citizens and attacking worlds under our protection. Captain, will the Klingons come to our aid if we press the offensive?'
 
Chapter Ten

Operations Centre
Starbase 535
Stardate 55328.4 (April 30, 2378)

Vikagh looked affronted and answered without hesitation. 'Of course.'

'What of Praetor Tal'Aura?'

'She and I disagree on much, Admiral, but the protection of ch'Rihan must be a priority.'

Ranar nodded. 'Inform Captain Dhrex that the Cha'lav may be trying to finish the job they started with the Resoto. I will expect a full report at the end of each day. Ranar out.'

Logan sighed. 'Commander, if you wouldn't mind explaining the situation.'

'Aye sir,' Madden replied.

'Who are the Cha'lav?' Vikagh asked.

Madden sighed. 'Ten years ago a woman from the thirtieth century appeared and told us that the Federation would lose a war with the Cha'lav in her time. At the time only one person in Starfleet had ever heard of them, the Commander-in-Chief, though he didn't believe what she was saying. Starfleet's Department of Temporal Investigations debriefed her for months and she was able to provide detailed information about the Dominion threat but they decided not to tell the Federation—or the rest of the galaxy—because history had already recorded those events. Most of what she told us did happen, with a few unforeseen changes that her history was a bit vague on.'

'The Dominion threat could have been neutralised!' Sokal said angrily, 'and saved billions of lives.'

'But the future would have been altered,' Logan replied. 'We have a Temporal Prime Directive that forbids us with interfering with time and while it has been broken a few times, it is there to protect our very future.'

'You have not answered my question,' the Klingon said, rising from his chair.

'The Cha'lav want nothing more than to dominate the galaxy like they have dozens of others. They have a universe-spanning empire and we're the next galaxy on the list. According to the woman from the future, they started their attack the same way the Dominion did, by trying to destabilise the major galactic powers. This time, however, they have taken a different approach by starting a civil war on one world and committing genocide on another. We narrowly stopped them committing genocide on several worlds in this sector.'

'We will erase them from existence, a taste of their own medicine,' Vikagh replied.

'No!' Logan said. 'We will not stoop to their level. Our aim is to stop each wave of attack as it happens and prevent them from getting a foothold in this galaxy, like the Dominion did.'

'And then?'

'I'm not at liberty to discuss the next stage in the plan. All I ask is that you keep this information from Praetor Tal'Aura and Chancellor Martok for the time being, at least until President Satie has told them herself.'

'I have no love for the Praetor and she has already denounced me as a rogue, so you have no fear on that score, Captain.'

'I don't need to contact the Chancellor for every decision to be made,' Vikagh replied. 'Besides, if honour is to be served, I can call on plenty of other Klingons.'

'Captain, Ambassador Aulyffke wishes to speak with you, he says it is urgent,' his second officer called over the comm.

'If you'll excuse me,' Logan said to the others.

They left the room with their padds and barely a glance at him and the former leader of Kursica entered, his robes trailing behind him. 'I thought you were going to deal with the rebels?'

'Ambassador, I have repeatedly told you that we cannot interfere with your internal squabbles and providing weapons to either side would also be in violation of the Prime Directive.'

'We're on the verge of civil war, Captain.'

'I'm here to assist you in gaining entry into the Federation, but you seem to be getting further away from that. Is Regent Juhstraffe willing to open a dialogue with the rebels to talk about their grievances and misgivings?'

'No, Captain. He is refusing to talk to them and already making preparations to remove them from their strongholds by force.'

'Contact him immediately and make sure he knows that if he ignores me, I will make my final report to the Federation Council this afternoon.'

'Thank you, Captain. I'll relay your message immediately.'

Logan turned to his office to see Vikagh, Sokal and Madden all leave and go their separate ways, clutching padds containing all current and low-level classified information on the Cha'lav. 'On second thoughts, I'll speak to him now.'

Aulyffke nodded and retreated toward the turbolift.

'Ambassador, I want you here as well. You're supposed to be my liaison to your government.'

Aulyffke hung his head. 'As you wish, Captain.'

Less than two minutes later, they were seated in his office and waiting for Juhstraffe to talk to them. It was only after the fifth time that Logan paged the Regent, that he agreed to speak to them.

'What can I do for you, Captain?'

'Regent, forgive my intrusion but I understand that you are planning to destroy the rebel strongholds.'

'I am, Captain. I have tried to talk to the rebel leader but his minions tell me he is unavailable and does not wish to speak with me. After extensive investigation my security people have discovered his identity and are preparing to take him into custody as we speak.'

Logan saw Aulyffke glance outside at the Operations centre and watched three guards in Kursican Imperial Security uniforms walk toward his office. 'The Ambassador is the rebel leader?'

'Very good, Captain. He has been undermining my authority since he was removed from office.'

'Ambassador?'

'I should not have been exiled!' the former regent replied. 'What I am doing is for the good of our people. Your colonies have come and put strange ideas into the heads of the Kursicans, making them want to join this Federation so they can die in your wars.'

Logan opened the doors for the guards to enter. 'He's all yours.'

'You can't do this to me!' he wailed.

'Thank you, Captain. Perhaps now we can open a dialogue with each other in the hopes of joining the Federation. I would like you to come and meet with me.'

'I'll be glad to, whenever is convenient for you.'
 
Chapter Eleven

USS Weisskopf
In orbit of Ynelav VIII
Stardate 55328.9 (May 1, 2378)

Captain Dhrex scratched his chin as he stared at the massive Jovian-sized bulk on the viewscreen. He hadn't wished to leave the system completely after being banished by Minister Furan. The man had taken the government by force, and since it was Starfleet policy not to interfere with the internal squabbles of planets, even those petitioning for Federation membership, Dhrex had little to do but sit back and wait to see what happened. He couldn't stay for much longer, since the last message from Starbase 535 had been of an urgent nature regarding the Cha'lav, but he could not just let these people get swept under the galactic rug. He turned to Andrew Banks, who was equally bored of the view.

'Commander, fancy a trip down to the surface?'

Banks looked nonplussed for a second before he realised which surface. 'May I remind you, sir, it is against regulations to interfere in the internal politics of any civilisation.'

'I wasn't planning to interfere. I want to know more about the Seer but I can't very well do that from up here, can I?'

Banks sighed, knowing his commanding officer had a plan that skirted the rules. Most of them did but were kept in check by the late Captain Drummond. 'What did you have in mind, sir?'

'I want a three person team, with all of them surgically altered to look like Ynelavii. They need to get into the shrine, read the scrolls and find out who the Seer is likely to be.'

'A duck blind mission?'

Dhrex smiled and it stretched across his face. 'Exactly.'

'We have to get permission from Command to perform a duck blind mission, sir.'

Dhrex turned to his new tactical officer. 'Kareni, what was the problem you spoke to me earlier about? Our subspace antennae need to be replaced and the industrial replicators are malfunctioning?'

Lieutenant Commander Kareni Renn grinned slightly. 'Yes sir, could take hours to fix and repair both systems.'

'Then we might as well do something while we wait.'

Banks knew he was fighting a lost cause but felt the need to do things by the book, his biggest failing according to Dhrex. 'I want it officially noted that I object to this operation.'

'So noted,' the Denobulan replied with a wave of his hand. 'Select three officers who most closely resemble Ynelavii civilians in height, weight and physical characteristics – but no bridge officers unless there is no other choice. I want to give the junior officers a chance to shine.'

'Even on such a dangerous mission?'

'Especially on such a dangerous mission.'

'Yes sir, I'll have a shortlist on your desk within the hour.'

'Take care of it, Commander. You want to sit in this chair some day, you'll have to be able to make the tough decisions.'

Banks sighed. Without Drummond to keep him on the straight and narrow, and Banks was now the only one who had a chance to keep it from going too far—not that he was doing a good job of it so far. 'Aye sir, I'll get right on it.'

It took almost two hours to actually get three crewmen willing to be surgically altered to pass as Ynelavii and another three to get the surgeries completed. Since giving the order, Dhrex had retired to his ready room and left Banks in charge, which wasn't too much of a chore since it was a small crew, but it was making the former tactical officer wonder if the Denobulan cut out for command. While the two officers and one crewman headed for the transporter room, Banks returned to the bridge to speak with his new captain.

'They're ready to beam down, sir.'

'Who have you chosen?'

'Ensign T'Larr, the exobiologist; Master Chief Petty Officer Elizabeth Banks, our transporter chief—and my wife—and Crewman James Chan, a warp specialist from the engineering team.'

'And they all fit the general parameters of Ynelavii people?'

'Closer than anyone else on board, sir.'

Dhrex nodded, the humour he had shown earlier had gone. 'Go and give your wife a hug before she leaves.'

'Sir, is there anything wrong?'

'You've noticed?'

Banks neglected to mention that all of the bridge crew had seen the change in his behaviour from when he ordered the entire Ynelavii archives returned to the office of the usurper and asking for this mission to go ahead to now. 'Yes sir.'

'While I was speaking with you I received a text to the console beside my chair, in a Denobulan encryption code which hasn't been used in over two hundred years. It was from my son and bypassed all the ship's communications and security protocols.'

Banks made a note to tighten them but kept his face neutral. 'What was it about, sir?'

'One of my wives, my first wife actually, Geesel, was aboard a civilian transport vessel heading for Deneb IV when it was destroyed by an unknown ship. My son sent me the sensor logs of the alien vessel hoping that I could tell him who killed his mother.'

'And?'

'The vessel is similar to that of Cha'lav battle cruisers, albeit smaller, possibly a scout of some kind.'

'So the Cha'lav are attacking elsewhere, have you informed Captain Logan?'

'I have, and they are sending the Corps of Engineers' ship T'Pora to investigate.'

Banks opened his mouth to ask another question, why a Corps of Engineers' ship was being sent instead of a ship of the line, but realised that it was probably the closest ship and would do a more than adequate job of discovering the truth. Captain Scott had made sure that all the Corps of Engineers ships were fully staffed with very capable people.

'Aye sir, I'm sorry for your loss,' he replied, making a mental note to look at Denobulan wake customs.

'Go and give your wife a hug before she throws you out.'

Yes sir,' Banks said and left the ready room.

He didn't like sending his wife into danger on a mission he thought was foolhardy but it was the nature of the job.
 
Chapter Twelve

USS Pytheas
Kursican Triangle
Stardate 55333.4 (May 2, 2378)

Astar clutched the arms of her chair, making her knuckles white, as Larson manoeuvred the ship around another plasma eddy. According to the sensors, when they worked in this soup, the Pytheas was approaching the edge of the plasma storms and would soon enter the Triangle proper. The plasma storms were supposed to be thinning out, not getting worse. Two days of continuous piloting for the flight controllers was taking its toll and the fact that they had stayed at full alert status was not helping. She glanced to her left to see Commander Wright effortlessly maintaining his position and cursed him. He was a complete enigma to her and his service jacket was just as strange. It seemed that a little over eight years ago he inexplicably changed. Since then, a number of his former commanding officers had been killed and he had been the prime suspect in each one, but nothing could be proven and so he had been let go, but the question hung over his head like the proverbial Sword of Damocles.

'Captain, we're approaching the centre now,' Larson called as the plasma storms thinned from excessive to negligible in mere seconds.

Wright was looking at the console between them. 'Interesting. This region is far larger than the Triangle appear to be from outside the plasma storms. According to the sensors, the region contained within the plasma storms is almost eighteen cubic light years.'

'How is that possible?'

'I'm not sure,' Mahtani said, 'but my people are working on it.'

'Look at the subspace topography,' Larson turned away from the helm as the ship entered clear space. 'It's a mess. Overlapping areas of subspace have warped normal space.'

Astar stared at her helmsman. 'Planning on a switch to subspace science?'

He smiled. 'No sir, my father thought it best not only to learn how to pilot a starship, but also what allows one to fly at warp speeds.'

'Smart man,' she replied and turned to Mahtani. 'Well?'

'The six dimensions of subspace are so convoluted here, Captain, that I'm not even sure our warp drive will work. I'd like to run some tests before we go to warp.'

'Granted, get on it. I want astrometrics to give me a full picture of the Triangle as soon as possible. Commander,' she said turning her exec, 'I want this ship ready for anything. Gonzales, be on the lookout for anything, no matter how unusual.'

'Captain, I'm detecting a debris field two hundred billion kilometres ahead,' Gonzales frowned, 'also picking up metals and biological matter.'

'Larson, set a course, half impulse. Full sensors, send out the SPRA probes and go to yellow alert. Stand by on shields and weapons.'

'Aye sir,' Larson and Gonzales replied as one.

As the Pytheas effortlessly forged ahead deeper into the Triangle, Mahtani focused on the readouts in front of him. Astar noticed him watching her and held in a smile. She had broken the cardinal rule of workplace romances before, when she was a department head several years ago, and it had backfired badly. Her lover had been promoted over her and then dumped her, and she had transferred off the ship to continue up the ladder. Even though that wouldn't happen here, she was still weary of getting involved with anyone, at least until she had sorted out the numerous problems that her crew was stuck with.

'Lieutenant Talen, please make sure all damage control teams are on standby,' she said to him.

'Aye sir, damage control teams were put on standby when we went to yellow alert.'

'Good, I'd like you to coordinate them.'

'Aye sir,' he replied.

Astar walked across the bridge to talk to him, seeing his antennae drooping against his skull. 'Are you all right, Lieutenant? You have seemed a little down lately.'

'Our Sheltreth was unsuccessful, sir,' he muttered in a whisper. 'I am too far away so another has taken my place.'

She placed a hand on his shoulder. 'I'm sorry, Lieutenant. What will you do?'

'I don't know, sir. But it will have to wait until we return to the core worlds. I will have to take leave on Andor to determine my future.'

'Captain, we're approaching the debris field,' Larson said thankfully distracting her from the melancholy operations officer.

'Slow to one quarter impulse. What are the sensors telling us?' she asked as she retook her seat.

'What you are looking at, Captain,' Gonzales said as the viewscreen tightened on some of the debris, 'is at least three Cha'lav warships and their multispecies crews.'

Astar stared at the viewscreen and sighed. 'Are there any lifesigns?'

'None, sir.'

'Does it matter?' Wright asked. 'It isn't as if they would rescue us, except maybe for interrogation.'

'Commander, my ready room, now. Gonzales, you have the bridge. Begin a full investigation. I want to know where those ships came from and what happened to them. If their ship's databases are still intact I want them downloaded into a secure section of the computer core.'

'Aye sir,' Gonzales said and didn't wish to be the recipient of Astar's wrath at that moment.

'Captain, I am only voicing my opinion on the matter of their behaviour toward us.'

Astar narrowed her eyes. 'If you want to have this discussion out here, that's fine with me, Commander, although I suspect you'd much prefer to have it in private?'

'Yes sir,' Wright replied sourly.

'Good, then follow me.'

'Danny, can you get us in a little closer to that engineering hull fragment, it looks like there might be some atmosphere still contained over there,' Astar heard Gonzales say as she entered her ready room, closely followed by Wright, who looked like he was about to kill another commanding officer.

'What the hell are you thinking?' she asked him once the door closed.

'They sure as hell wouldn't help us, so why should we help them?'

'Because we're Starfleet. That's what we do. If you can no longer act like an officer in that uniform then I'll relieve you of duty right now,' she shot back.

'I was only voicing my opinion, Captain.'

'If I want your opinion, I'll ask for it.'

'Aye sir.'
 
Chapter Thirteen

Freighter Gilgamesh
Ramajuan Salvage Yards
Stardate 55336.1 (May 3, 2378)

Miles Murdoch was trapped.

An ion storm had caused a power surge in some of the derelicts and essentially magnetised their hulls, creating a barrier around his ship. He had no way to send a distress call through the ionised mess and even if he did it wasn't likely to be answered by anyone with any morality. Not in this part of space. He sighed and began scanning for the ship that his client wanted, if he was lucky it would be close by and he could get the parts he needed before anything else went wrong. The ship was of an unknown design, even to the Federation database, and the language was like nothing he had ever seen. His client had given him whatever information he had on the ship—or whatever he thought Murdoch should know—and told him to find a number of items on said ship that would allow him to increase his chances of winning a local election.

An insistent alert tone from the sensor display console gave Murdoch hope. One of the ionised ships was actually the one he was looking for. Murdoch had one cargo transporter on his freighter and one two-man personnel transporter and they were both top notch thanks to the upgrades Admiral Nechayev had authorised.

'Paul, you ready for a look-see on this ship?' he called out below.

'Let me get dressed. Be with you in two minutes.''

Grabbing a tricorder and phaser from a secured locker under the pilot's console, Murdoch headed for the transporter and by the time he got there, Marshall was ready. They materialised on the alien vessel and Murdoch noted that the language on the hull was exactly the same as that given to him by Dreno'L and he linked his tricorder to the Gilgamesh's hidden database provided him courtesy of Starfleet Intelligence.

According to the database, the language was one of the first encountered by the starship Voyager when it was hurled into the Delta Quadrant seven years before. It took a few minutes before the hidden database came back with an answer. The language belonged to the Ocampa, a telepathic species.

He looked at Marshall. 'Do you think he wants an Ocampa for the election?'

'Is there anyone even alive on this ship?'

He heard an echo in his mind and whirled round to face an empty corridor. Using the tricorder, he was able to determine that what he needed was in the engine room of this ship and proceeded carefully. Something on this ship wasn't as dead as it seemed to be and it was spooking him.

'Help me, Miles,' a voice called out in a whisper.

'Who's there?' he asked, his voice echoing along the empty corridor. Marshall gave him a strange look. 'I head something.'

'Miles. Help me,' wailed the voice.

'Hello, is anyone there?' His shouts echoed down the corridor.

'Miles!'

'Who are you? What do you want from me?' he asked as he continued toward engineering.

'Why won't you help me, Miles?' a ghostly apparition appeared ahead of him.

'Who is that?' Marshall asked.

'My brother,' Murdoch replied and slumped to the floor.

He'd said goodbye to his brother years ago but his death still hurt. After some time, he pulled himself up and reached the engine room. The specific metallic signature they were looking for was essentially a small part of the ship's impulse engine and detached easily. With that in hand, Marshall went looking for the next part while Murdoch hunted for what he was sure was an Ocampa on board the ship. Marshall found the second item in the storage bay. With his treasure hunt two thirds completed, he headed to the bridge to download the ship's database while Murdoch continued to hunt for the person. Murdoch joined Marshall on the bridge and when the download was complete the bridge doors suddenly slid shut, trapping them.

The bridge suddenly came alive and appeared to be fully manned by humanoids both male and female with Vulcan-like ears wearing military-style uniforms.

'Who are you?' a male asked, presumably the captain.

'You're not real, none of you are,' Murdoch answered. 'Show yourself.'

The figures disappeared and the bridge became as lifeless as it had been. A small figure emerged from an equally small hiding place. Murdoch squatted down to the young girl's height.

'Hi, my name's Miles. What's yours?'

'Linnis,' the girl muttered. 'Are you going to hurt me?'

Murdoch's features clouded for a moment. 'No,' he said, smiling. 'I'm going to help you.'

The girl smiled back and Murdoch held out his hand.

'Was it you making those people appear?'

She nodded. 'I was protecting myself from the bad men who killed my mummy and daddy.'

'I'll take you away from the bad men, I promise,' he said. 'Do you want to get anything to take with you?'

Linnis nodded, dashed behind the console and returned with a small crystal. 'I'm ready to go now.'

Murdoch to Gilgamesh, three to beam up.'

As soon as they were back aboard, Marshall checked the engines and pronounced them ready. 'You going to send a signal to Dreno'L?

'I am, and I plan to take her with us when we deliver his parts. I think she is what he was really after.'

'I don't want to see the bad men,' she said, sniffling.

Murdoch picked her up and set her in a chair. 'If I am going to help you, I need to know what the bad men want to do. Then I can stop them. I promise you won't get hurt.'

'Can I stay with you?'

The two men looked at each other and Marshall shrugged. 'For now, or course. But I will have to ask for my superior's permission to make it permanent.'

'All right,' she replied and smiled a little.

Murdoch piloted the ship away from the Ocampa vessel. 'Paul, see what you can dig up on the Ocampa. I think we might need to learn a lot about them.'

'Sure, was planning on that anyway.'
 
Chapter Fourteen

USS Pytheas
Kursican Triangle
Stardate 55338.9 (May 4, 2378)

Once again seated to the left of the captain, Lieutenant Commander Sheena Gonzales thought Commander Wright looked somewhat crestfallen. There was a fire in his eyes but he had stayed quiet the last day or so. She had no idea what had been said during their conversation in the ready room almost two days ago but Wright had barely interacted with the bridge crew since then. She, on the other hand, had been interacting with a great many of the crew. As the ship's second officer, she had been coordinating the different departments during their investigation of the Cha'lav wreckage. They had taken all the scans they could but the captain had forbidden them from beaming anything aboard. It was time for the next stage in the investigation but they had to prevent their latest findings first, and that meant bothering the captain.

'Are you ready?' Gonzales asked Mahtani who felt equally as apprehensive.

'She won't bite you,' Wright muttered as they passed. 'Her golden crew,' he added.

They ignored him and chimed the ready room.

'Enter.'

'Captain,' both said as they entered the ready room and stood before the desk.

'Do you have anything further since your last report?' Astar asked, looking up from her screen.

Their last report had been reporting no progress and she had dismissed them quickly.

'Yes sir,' Mahtani answered. 'Some of the energy signatures on the hull fragments have now been identified.'

'Well?'

Gonzales took over; it was her area of expertise. 'Initially, we believed the scorching to be the result of weapons fire, but closer analysis of the burn patterns indicates something more akin to a bite.'

The captain suddenly focused on them with clear eyes. She looked from one to the other. 'Are you telling me that some creature bit the ships to pieces?'

Mahtani shook his head. 'No sir, we think that the creature exhibits similar behaviour to that of a Terran shark. It tests what it does not understand with its teeth since it has no nose to speak of. The Cha'lav probably fought back and the shark attacked them ferociously.'

'Surely someone would have seen something.'

'Not if it came out of subspace,' Mahtani replied.

'Would you mind explaining that?'

'Many people see space like an ocean and subspace like the hidden depths. This creature, let's call it a subspace shark, emerges from subspace to feed and saw the Cha'lav as food. The Cha'lav fight back, as live prey is wont to do, and the creature tries to devour it.'

Astar sighed. 'Do you have any evidence to back up this theory?'

'Only anecdotal, sir,' Gonzales answered.

'Explain.'

'Cadet Jenak mentioned the Manxome, and Rashal also mentioned a creature like this. It appears to be a common myth among the local space-faring races.'

Astar nodded, not entirely convinced. 'What do you want to do now?'

'We'd like to take the Onizuka to the debris field and beam a section of scorched hull on board,' Gonzales said. 'You did say you didn't want it aboard the Pytheas.'

Astar leaned back and folded her arms. 'Alright, you can take the Flyer. But I don't want you taking any unnecessary risks. Have Larson pilot the ship. Before you leave, however, I want to convene the senior staff and listen to our guests' anecdotes about this creature.'

'Aye sir.'

'Dismissed.'

Less than ten minutes later they were all convened in the situation lounge to the rear of the bridge. Rashal and Cadet Jenak stood behind the captain's chair and seemed content to wait for their turn, and although Rashal looked calm, Gonzales knew that he was not.

'Now that you have all heard the best theory the science team has come up with, I want you to hear the…mythological side of the argument and decide for yourselves whether they match up to the facts or not. Rashal, Jenak, please tell us what you know.'

At Rashal's urging, Jenak spoke first. 'My people have a story to scare trader children about a giant creature that emerges from under-space and eats them if they're naughty. A similar myth evolved from the traders themselves when they returned from the Triangle, citing incidents of a creature attacking their hulls, causing electromagnetic disturbances and then leaving them alone.'

'Did any of those traders return to the Triangle?' Mahtani asked, making notes.

'Not that I'm aware of. I believe they felt it to be too dangerous.'

'The electromagnetic disturbances do tally, Captain,' Mahtani replied.

'Rashal?'

'I do not believe there is much that I can add, Captain. The Eeroth believe the creature to be ship-killer, destroying any vessel that enters its territory. But we are a far more aggressive people than the Ynelavii and would assign proportionately more violent motives to the creature.'

'I would still like to take the Onizuka, Captain,' Gonzales said. 'Close scans may reveal a weakness in the hull alloys that we could exploit. It could give us a decided tactical advantage in our next confrontation.'

'Lieutenant Parker, what do you think?' Astar asked the security chief much to Gonzales' surprise.

'We need every advantage we can get and this could be an…unprecedented opportunity—and one which we might not get again—to examine their technology close-up.'

'What about the ship we captured?' Gonzales asked.

'There is no telling what might happen to that vessel now that Starfleet Tactical has it. But we can learn something that could help us survive longer in a battle with them. They seem to adapt quickly to our manoeuvres and our shields don't hold up as long as they could.'

'I have a theory about that,' Xeris said and Astar turned to look at him.

'Well?'

'In the twenty-second century, Earth Starfleet had no shielding and relied upon polarising their hull plating. I believe that we could strengthen the hull by polarising our own hull plating and having this work in conjunction with the shields. If the shields fail and the creature attempts to bite us, we can reverse the polarity on the plating and shock the creature.'

Astar nodded. 'Prep the Flyer for launch and make any necessary modifications you need for the polarisation; Dismissed.'
 
Chapter Fifteen

Flyer Onizuka
Kursican Triangle
Stardate 55340.3 (May 5, 2378)

Lieutenant Commander Xeris had bullied and cajoled every last joule of energy from his engineering team to get the modifications made to the Flyer and had pronounced it ready twelve hours after the captain gave the order to do it. Larson had nominated Ensign Margaret Benson to take the helm of the modified shuttle since she came from a world which had somehow managed to survive the continual subspace battering from the nearby Hekaras system and had grown up piloting shuttles on subspace eddies. She was the best woman for the job. Lieutenant Mahtani and Lieutenant Commander Gonzales rounded out the team since it had been their idea. As the shuttle launched, Xeris beamed aboard against the captain's orders.

'What the hell are you doing?' Gonzales asked, shooting her off-and-on lover a scolding glare.

'If something goes wrong with the modifications you're going to need someone who can fix it on the fly and there is no one better qualified for that than me,' the chief engineer replied as he took the remaining seat in the cockpit, at the rear where he could observe all aspects of the shuttle's status.

'Fine, but don't get in the way,' Mahtani said from the starboard station as he entered a sequence of commands into the main computer.

Gonzales shushed his outburst with another of her glares and he turned away from her. 'We're approaching the densest part of the subspace topography.'

'I can feel it,' Benson replied as the Onizuka shuddered. 'This is nothing compared to back home. I don't know how the Cha'lav are able to navigate through this, I thought their hulls were weaker than ours.'

'Maybe these ships have a new alloy,' Mahtani suggested as they neared the closest wreck. 'I'm detecting the standard alloys you would expect from their technology, but there is something else. I'm really going to need a sample of this.'

'What have you got?' Gonzales asked.

'Some kind of liquid metal alloy that flows between two solid hull layers. I've only seen something like this once before.'

'Please, don't tell me you actually believe that story?' Gonzales muttered.

'It has been backed up through scientific analysis, Commander,' Xeris replied. 'Two hundred years ago, Commander Tucker—the chief engineer of the NX-class Enterprise—encountered a vessel with a similar hull alloy configuration, but it had come from the thirty-first century. Even Earth Starfleet Command disbelieved him until the Vulcans reluctantly confirmed the analysis. No one has seen anything like this since. Perhaps we're looking at another Temporal War brewing.'

'That's enough,' Gonzales said. 'Mahtani, beam a fragment of that stuff into the aft compartment behind a level ten forcefield. I don't want any surprises.'

'Aye sir, locking on to a fragment one point three metres squared.'

'Energise,' she ordered.

As soon as the fragment was aboard, both Mahtani and Xeris headed for the aft compartment leaving the two women in the cockpit.

'How do you put up with him, sir?'

Gonzales sighed. 'Is nothing a secret on that ship?'

'It is quite obvious.'

'I see. I put with him by virtue of telling him to shut up when he gets too involved in a subject.'

'Commander, you'd better see this,' Mahtani said over the com.

'I'm on my way,' she replied and gasped when she reached the aft compartment. 'Is that what I think it is?'

'No, sir.'

'Explain?'

'What you're looking at is a non-sentient liquid metal lifeform that resembles a Changeling.'

'You're saying it isn't self-aware?'

'It's trying to escape, purely a defence mechanism.'

'And the Cha'lav harnessed this lifeform?'

'Domesticated it, like a horse,' Xeris added.

'Can it survive in space?'

'It goes into a dormant state,' Mahtani answered. 'But it doesn't help us figure anything out.'

'Commander, there's a subspace rift opening,' Benson screeched.

'Coming,' Gonzales replied.

The three bridge officers quickly reached their seats in the cockpit and began running scans.

'I can't hold the ship on course,' Benson said as the Flyer bucked wildly.
The red alert klaxons sounded their tone and the lighting changed to reflect the ship's danger level. Visible ahead of them, a massive eruption started, spewing energy like a geyser from subspace. Whatever the Cha'lav had been doing, whatever they had been fighting, had weakened the space-subspace barrier to the point of non-existence.

'Get us out of here, Ensign,' Gonzales ordered.

'I'm trying, but the impulse engines are sluggish.'

'Xeris?'

'Working on it.'

'Work faster.'

'What the hell—?'

A plasma streamer, of the same type that existed at the edge of the Triangle, suddenly appeared and spiralled toward the Flyer. 'It's heading right for us.'

'No, it's heading for the liquid metal. Beam it off the ship,' Xeris ordered.

'Too late,' Mahtani said as the plasma streamer hit them.

The Flyer careened out of control, spinning uncontrollably as the streamer faded and the rift closed. Benson, clutching her console like a lifeline, had been staring out of the front window and saw what looked like a giant snake rise out of subspace and then vanish again.

'Everybody alright?' Gonzales asked.

'Fine,' Xeris replied, 'but Mahtani is out cold,' the engineer added as he crouched by the prone scientist.

'Benson, what's our status?'

When the pilot didn't answer, Gonzales stumbled to the forward console and grabbed hold.

'I've never seen anything like it.'

Gonzales was about to ask when she saw the playback from the external visual sensors. 'Is that the Manxome?'

'It would appear that way, Commander.'

'How are we doing, Ensign?'

'Not good, sir. The warp and impulse engines are offline, shields are down and we have no weapons. Life support is on emergency power and I'm not sure if the distress beacon is working.'

'Don't worry about that, if Astar doesn't hear from us in the next ten minutes she'll bring the ship in closer to pick us up. Can you use the manoeuvring thrusters to get us clear of the debris field?'

'What debris field?' Benson replied. 'Whatever that subspace rift was, it totally obliterated the Cha'lav hulks.'

'Xeris, do we still have the hull fragment on board?'

'We do, why?'

'It's the only piece we have to work with. How's Jamal?'

'Slight concussion but he'll be fine.'

'Astar will be by to pick us up shortly, we're in no condition to do anything but sit around.'

'Care to help me with further analysis?'

'Gladly.'
 
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