The civilizations of two neighboring worlds hang in the balance and the newly launched U.S.S. Lone Wolf under the command of Captain T’Shael is ordered to end the hostilities and bring an era of peace and stability to one of the most unstable regions in Federation space.

 

 

Deception

 

 

 

Arranged by: Lt. Cmdr. Robert Melhall

(aka: Mike Kilpatrick)

 

Written by: The Crew of the USS Lone Wolf

 

Captain T’Shael, Cmdr. Rynn Natala, Cmdr. Q, Lt. Cmdr. Robert Melhall, Lt. Cmdr. Sander Citon,

Dr. Jimmy Jones, Lt. Simon Shaw and Cns. Caring Sorrow

 

 

Introduction of the Crew of the USS Lone Wolf:

 

Captain T’Shael: The half-Vulcan has just been promoted captain of the Lone Wolf. Now along with her new crew, she must face one of her most challenging missions yet.

 

Commander Rynn Natala: This young Bajoran has a very storied and mysterious past. After overcoming so much hardship in her life, she now has to earn the trust and respect of a new crew. Together, with a friend of the past, she attempts to do just that.

 

Commander Q: A brilliant engineer with command experience. He will need that experience as he is thrust into the most important decisions of his young life.

 

Lieutenant Commander Robert Melhall: A crack pilot and former engineer with a witty sense of humor. Meeting new people and old friends, his skills will be tested as he is pushed beyond the limits of what he has ever faced before.

 

Lieutenant Commander Sander Citon: A sharp mind and keen instinct, he will need to call on all of his talents and skills to help the Lone Wolf through its first mission.

 

Lieutenant Commander Doctor Jimmy Jones: This young half-Klingon doctor has plenty of experience and is well versed in many medicines. His skills will be called upon to keep his crew and friends in top physical condition for this mission.

 

Lieutenant Simon Shaw: A talented and weathered soldier. This lieutenant will be asked to make quick decisions to determine the outcome of his new crewmates and his new friends.

 

Lieutenant Counselor Caring G. Sorrow: This young woman will be on her first mission as the ship’s counselor. She will need to overcome fear and uncertainty to come to the aid of her crewmates.

 

The planets of Paran and Laran have been at nuclear war for decades when the Parans finally call the Federation for help in peace talks. The Lone Wolf is ordered to oversee the talks and help the two worlds recover from the devastation. But when one away team’s shuttle is disabled and another crewmember goes missing, the crew discovers deception and treachery at every turn.

 

Now the key to the survival of the two worlds and the Lone Wolf itself lies in the little known world of Laran, where the ultimate weapon is uncovered as well as the mystery surrounding it.

 

 

 

Chapter 1

 

 

 

Rynn Natala was sitting in her temporary quarters on Starbase Assailant. It was a fairly plain room, consisting of just the necessities one would need to get by on for a short stay on a starbase. There was a single bed, of course, a personal hygiene area, a replicator and a few plants and paintings. One of which was a very amazing orange and red nebula burst. Unfortunately for Rynn, the temporary room was becoming more of a permanent fixture in her life every day.

She had been there for about three months now, wondering if she would ever be reassigned to a new ship. She had been to every one of the seminars on the base; had been to all the holoplays and even the base’s theater. She grew restless with each passing day and by now, was practically bursting at the seams with colossal anticipation. She knew that the base had a lot of things to do, but she wanted to get back into action.

Rynn went down to the recreation center and found a friend she had met recently. “Miral...how about a game of Dom Jott?” Rynn knew she wouldn’t win, but that didn’t stop her from issuing the offer. Even if Miral was Vulcan and Rynn was Bajoran, Rynn liked to take a challenge, especially mental strategy. They made the mind more agile.

Miral looked up at Rynn and raised one very Vulcan eyebrow. “Commander...it seems you like loosing. It would be a quick game,” she said.

Rynn smiled. “What’s the matter? Afraid you might actually lose?”

Miral rose and spoke. “Rynn...I know that you are trying to ‘goad’ me into playing. So I will.”  

They went to the table and started to play. Though Miral won most of the games, the two ended up playing for hours.

Midway through one of the games, Rynn’s comm badge beeped. She walked over to the corner for some privacy and tapped her badge, “Rynn here.”

She waited and a male voice came over the channel. “Commander, you have an incoming subspace message waiting for you in your quarters. It is listed as priority one,” he said.

“Thank you. Rynn out.” She went over to Miral, excused herself and left the rec center. Rynn could have sworn she detected a hint of a smile on Miral’s face as if she maybe thought Rynn was giving her an excuse. She smiled and walked to her quarters.

When she got there, the panel was blinking for her acknowledgement. “Computer...access the call.” The LCARS screen blinked from the United Federation of Planets logo to the Section 47 logo.

“Voice identification required,” said the female voice.

“Commander Rynn Natala, Gamma, Epsilon, four-nine-seven,” she said.

“Access Granted.”

On the screen, she saw the face of Rear Admiral Arok, his Klingon features prominent in the lighting of his office on board the U.S.S. Hope. Rynn immediately stood at attention and pulled down the blue tunic of the Sciences and Medical uniform she was wearing. Darn things never stay in place, she thought.

“Qa’pla Commander. How is the relaxed style of starbase life treating you?” he said.

“Well sir to be honest, I am ready to get back to action,” she said, hoping that she looked appropriate.

“Good to hear. Because I have an assignment for you.”

Rynn was very relieved to hear this news.

The Admiral continued, “There is a ship that is in dry dock here: the U.S.S. Lone Wolf. It is almost finished being refitted and further additions to the ship are almost completed.” Rynn was listening to him hoping that this time she would be assigned to a ship that had need of her. She had majored in Psychiatry at the academy and she also took a minor in Science. So although she was well versed in both stations, she hoped she would be the counselor. “I want you to board her and oversee the finishing touches of the ship. You will be posted there as the new First Officer. The Captain is on her way and will be there shortly, so get everything ready for her. Your instructions have been sent to your console. Congratulations Commander! Arok Out.”

The screen went blank and then turned back to the UFP logo. She stood there for several seconds. Did she hear right? Was she the new FO? She went to sit in her chair and looked at her console. Sure enough, those were her orders. She immediately got her things together and sent communiqués to all her acquaintances. She tied up her loose ends and then said good-bye to her quarters for good. She walked through the immense starbase and made her way to the transporter room. Walking in, the chief noticed her and snapped to attention.

Rynn walked up to the pad, turned around and said, “Chief, please transport me aboard the Lone Wolf.”

The chief nodded. “On your mark, Commander.”

“Energize,” Rynn ordered and just like that she had left Starbase Assailant.

The transporter chief aboard the Lone Wolf looked surprised at her arrival but quickly took on an air of composure.

“Commander Rynn Natala requesting permission to come aboard,” she said.

“Permission granted, ma’am,” said the chief.

She got off the pad and went to the bridge. On her trip there, she saw wires strewn everywhere and fiber optic filaments hanging out of open conduits. People were streaming through the corridors of the immense starship.

It was a good thing she had read all the specs on the ship before she had came over. Everyone was so busy; she figured no one would have been able to help her out. She found her quarters and put away all her belongings, and looking in the closet, she found fifteen new command red uniforms. She changed clothes and put her earring on the desk.

“Time to see how things are,” she said to herself, as she headed to the bridge.

Immediately when she got off the turbolift, someone shouted, “First Officer on the Bridge.”

Everyone stood up, as she went to the front of the bridge. She turned around to face the aft section of the command center. “Open a ship wide channel Mr. Proton.” The temporary Chief Security/Tactical Officer nodded and she took his cue, “Attention all hands; this is Commander Rynn Natala. I am your new First Officer. First of all, I want to say this is a wonderful ship. I know that you are all extremely busy, so I will keep this short. I want a status report from all department heads before the Captain boards the ship. Let’s get things ready. I know that you are all swamped but you are all Starfleet officers and you know what is required of you. Rynn out.”

 

 

 

First Officer, Commander T’Shael was sitting in a chair in her quarters on the U.S.S. Nevada going through reports about the previous mission. Temporal loops. They just never made any sense. She was so focused on her work that she barely noticed the beeping of her console. Finally she looked up and saw the flashing sign on the screen that said INCOMING MESSAGE. She wondered what a personal message for her could be about. She turned in her chair and hit a button. On the screen popped up the face of Admiral Arok.

“Admiral, what can I do for you?” she asked, slightly confused about why an admiral would want to talk to her personally and not to the captain.

“Good morning Commander. It’s good to see you again. I have some news for you. The U.S.S. Lone Wolf is in need of a new command crew. You have been recommended by Captain Martok and he has told me that you would be ready to take over command of a ship.”

T’Shael was surprised. She had mentioned something to Martok earlier but hadn’t thought this would come so suddenly.

“The Lone Wolf needs to be launched soon, so I will need your reply by tomorrow,” Arok added.       

“I will speak with my captain and think it over Admiral,” T’Shael replied, “who will be First Officer, sir?”

“Commander Rynn Natala,” said Arok, “she is Bajoran and a very qualified woman. I am sure you two will get along. I have her personal file ready for you.” 

“All right Admiral, you will have my answer tomorrow,” T’Shael said.

“Very well, I hope to see you on the Lone Wolf,” Arok replied and closed the connection.

T’Shael leaned back and sighed. No, she couldn’t refuse her own command. But leaving the Nevada so suddenly? It had been her home since she had been a Lieutenant, right after the destruction of the U.S.S. Caesar. But it was time to move on. Commanding Officer of a Sovereign-class ship? When would she get that opportunity again? She got up and left her quarters to talk to Martok.

“You’ll be leaving then,” Martok said, somewhat grimly after T’Shael had told him about the offer. “I recommended you to Arok because I think you deserve a command T’Shael, but I hate to see you go. Captains don’t like losing their FOs.”

“I know sir. I truly did enjoy being your FO. But I think it is time for me to go now.”

“Of course, T’Shael. We will miss you,” Martok said and T’Shael knew that it was the first time she had seen her captain be sentimental.

“I will miss the Nevada as well. I have a day to say good-bye to the crew and I will inform Admiral Arok of my decision. It was an honor serving with you sir.”

The next day onboard Starbase Assailant, T’Shael was standing by a window staring at the docked ships, and especially one in particular. The U.S.S. Lone Wolf NCC-750032, Sovereign-class.

“My ship,” she thought. Something she had never thought would happen to her. Although the Nevada had been her home, she had always thought of it as Martok’s ship. This was her ship now. Her challenge. Her new home. It was strange to call a starship home, but that was where she felt she belonged. Not Vulcan, her mother’s home world, not Earth, her father’s, and not Alpha Centauri where she had been born and had grown up. No, it was the starships where she felt at home the most. This would be the next one.

 

 

 

“Commander T’Shael to Shuttlebay Three please,” came a voice over the starbase’s comm system, pulling her out of her thoughts. It was time to see her ship.

The tradition that a captain boarded the new ship by shuttle was still maintained, although transporting over would have been much easier. But tradition was tradition. T’Shael reported to the shuttle bay where a young pilot expected her and together they flew out to the Lone Wolf.

When they got closer, T’Shael recognized the elegance of the ship. Its long slender saucer section in the traditional style of Starfleet ships, joined together with the two warp nacelles on the engineering section of the ship. Its color was a magnificent silver platinum and it looked as though it was moving fast even when it was standing still. She had only had a short time to familiarize herself with the ship’s specs, so she would have to do that again later. It was definitely up to the most modern standards and would run perfectly she was sure. They finally docked in a shuttle bay of the Lone Wolf and when T’Shael got out, she saw a Bajoran woman with commander’s pips awaiting her.

“Commander Rynn I suppose,” T’Shael said in friendly tone, remembering the Bajoran tradition of putting the family name first.

“Yes, Captain,” she said, glad that T’Shael knew this Bajoran custom.

“Well actually I’m not captain yet, I’m still a commander,” T’Shael said with a hint of a smile that made Natala remember that this woman was only half-Vulcan.

“But you’re the commanding officer of the ship and therefore should be called Captain,” Commander Rynn insisted.

“Why don’t you call me T’Shael, since I’m not formally in command yet and it will make things easier and a little more comfortable for me. I’m going to have to ease into this captain thing.” T’Shael offered.

“Sure,” Rynn said, smiling, “you can call me Natala then, T’Shael.”

“Glad to have you as my first officer Natala!” T’Shael was glad. She would definitely get along with this woman as Arok had said.

“Why don’t we go have a look at the bridge and I’ll introduce you to the crew,” Natala said.

“That would be wonderful, thank you” T’Shael replied. Together the two women headed for the bridge.            

When the turbo lift door opened and T’Shael stepped on the bridge, Rynn called out, smiling at T’Shael “Captain on deck.” good impression to her. Satisfied she leaned back, ready to get her new ship out of the space dock.

 

 

 

Chapter 2

 

 

 

Seven men stood in the center of a giant courtyard, all in traditional Japanese dress. Every one of them were motionless except the center figure, Cadet Simon Shaw, a human male standing around five feet ten inches. The courtyard was surrounded by traditional Japanese buildings and decorated with numerous types of beautiful flora and fauna. Decorating the outside of the garden were numerous marble pillars that had vines winding around them and connecting them to each other.

After checking the footing of the attacker behind him, Shaw looked directly towards the forward attacker, gave a quick smile, and commanded, “Computer. Begin simulation.”

The attackers instantly jumped into life, attacking Shaw with a variety of kicks and strikes. Bodies began to fly across the courtyard. With a series of martial arts techniques drawn mostly from Aikido, this body was Shaw’s own far more often than he felt comfortable with! The holo-figures drove him back and one got a shot on him that ended up knocking him down.

Shaw stood back up, and the attackers grouped a few meters in front of him looking straight at him. He looked back just as evenly and with a sigh and a barely noticeable bite of the lip, he began to walk towards the attackers, who soon attacked again, Japanese chants and cries emanating from the group. Shaw was again knocked back almost off his feet after nearly ten seconds. Though he took pride that within that time he had put three of the attackers on the floor.

As he looked at those three roll around on the floor, Shaw gave another grin, slightly wider this time, and stood again to defend against the oncoming wave of attacks when the computer broke in. “Incoming Message for Cadet Simon Shaw.”

After being somewhat startled by this he pressed his back against a pillar he was next to, and replied urgently, “Computer, freeze program!”

The program stopped just as one of the attackers came towards him with a flying kick. The attacker then froze, his leg under a meter from Shaw’s face, which was in turn pressed against the side of the pillar. Shaw raised his eyebrows as he looked towards the attacker’s now frozen foot, and another sigh emerged.

“Computer. Save program as Aikido Training Exercise 2.4 and send to Rygin Dojo in Chester, Britain, Earth.”

“Completed,” replied the computer after it had gone through a series of chirps and beeps.

As Shaw made for the exit to receive his message, he looked up from examining his hands and gave yet another, somehow cheekier, smile. He turned and looked towards the hovering attacker in the flying kick position and said, “Computer. Continue Program!”

The hovering attacker then flew back into life, and straight into the pillar Shaw had been standing against only moments ago. In the process, the attacker broke his own ankle and with a continued and contented smile, Shaw said, “Computer. End program.”

The tranquil garden faded away along with the attackers to reveal the grid pattern of the holodeck walls, and Shaw exited.

Moments later, back in his quarters at Starfleet Academy; he went straight for the console on the wall and requested to receive his message there.

The face on the other end was that of Academy Personnel Officer Vegeta, who immediately began with, “Ah, Cadet Shaw, at last. I have some...” The officer broke off his sentence and gazed at Shaw, examining the Japanese attire.

Shaw also looked down at his outfit, only now realizing that his uniform has still scattered across the bed, and then looked back at Vegeta, looking quite embarrassed. “I apologize, sir. I was training in the holodeck.”

“Anyway,” continued the officer, “I have some good news: the position you inquired into on the U.S.S. Lone Wolf...it’s yours.” He continued with a smile. “You will get your briefing and a new uniform when you arrive onboard. Vegeta out.” The console blinked back into the Federation symbol, and Shaw stood silently, almost in shock. His very first assignment aboard a real Starfleet vessel! He was determined to make a good impression for the captain and her crew.

 

 

 

Within two days, Shaw had arrived at Starbase Assailant; he had been waiting for the day when he could get on a ship for months and now he was getting that chance.

Shaw was informally dressed when he arrived aboard the Lone Wolf and he went immediately to his quarters, where he changed into his new uniform. He instantly felt much more dignified to be out of the Academy’s sham of an outfit! After settling in to his quarters, he checked the time. Because there were only a few minutes before he was to report in for duty, he left and the found the turbolift. He stepped in and it ascended to the bridge.

When the doors opened, he found Commander Rynn and reported in to her. “Ensign Shaw, reporting for duty, ma’am.”

The commander smiled at him warmly. “Welcome aboard Ensign, please take your post.”

Shaw walked over the TacSec console. As soon as he attempted to operate it, the console all of a sudden went blank. Hoping this was not something he had done, he coughed to attract the attention of Chief Engineer Q who was operating a console nearby. Q looked over at the blank console, and nudged it slightly with his hip. The console blinked back into life.

“I don’t believe it. I’ve been here five minutes and a console is out already. I’m cursed,” he exclaimed with mock anger. Q headed back to the console he had been working at and started a system diagnostic on the TacSec console. A few minutes later it was complete and reading nothing unusual. Q stared for a few moments, then turned to Ensign Shaw. “That’s strange. Let me know if anything else goes wrong. I’ll keep an eye on it from engineering.”

“Will do,” Shaw replied.

Q headed for the turbolift stating that he would be in engineering.

“Are you sure you know where that is?” the first officer called after him.

“Don’t worry. I did a few months of small vessel piloting on the Enterprise, commander,” he replied, and exited the bridge.

Captain T’Shael had gotten word that two more members of her crew had come on board. All she needed now were...a few more. But now it was time to welcome the ones she had. She left the ready room and saw Commander Rynn sitting in the CO’s chair, and behind the tactical console she saw a young man that looked mostly like the picture that she had seen in his file.

“Ensign Shaw, welcome aboard,” she said.

“Captain!” he said, noticing the four pips on the uniform of the Vulcan looking woman, “I’m just getting to know my station.”

“I hope you two will get along,” she replied with the hint of a smile, “the girl can be a bit tricky now and then but a few good words always cheer her up.”

“Umm...yes sir,” Shaw said, puzzled to hear such words about a ship from a Vulcan. No, half-Vulcan, he corrected himself.

“My console decided to go blank, but Commander Q fixed it and said he’d keep an eye on it from engineering. Hopefully the ship will listen to him and give me back the console for good,” he added.

“Yes, I’m sure we’ll be able to handle everything soon. Hopefully our crew shortage will be over soon and we’ll have enough people to look after the ship. I’ll go down to engineering to welcome Commander Q as well.”

With that she stepped onto the turbolift and went to engineering where she found a man staring grimly at readings.

“Commander Q?”

“Yes...sir,” he said when he saw who had come.

“Welcome to the Lone Wolf. I see the ship is keeping you busy already.”

“Yes, unfortunately not all systems seem to work the way I would like them to. But don’t worry soon they will be following every order I give them,” the man said with a grin.

“I’m sure they will,” T’Shael said, amused with the enthusiasm of the engineer. Yes, she was sure that both her new crewmembers would prove to be very valuable.

“Captain?” the new CEO called after her to get her attention before she got back to the turbolift.

“Yes, commander?” T’Shael said, turning around.

“I know we’re all eager to get underway and I know I can’t wait to be space-borne again, but I’d like a couple of days to get used to these Sovereign systems again.”

“I’ll see what I can do, Commander. No promises though.” The captain turned and headed once more for the turbolift.

T’Shael stepped into the turbolift. “Bridge,” she said and the car whirred to life. She thought about all the new members of her crew and mostly her senior staff that she had met. Everyone seemed very competent and extremely enthusiastic about the upcoming missions aboard this magnificent new vessel. She reached her ready room and sat down with a satisfied expression on her face. Her new Counselor and her Navigations officer had just reported to her while she was on her way to the bridge and both of them seemed to be promising officers. Her senior staff was growing constantly. Suddenly the words INCOMING TRANSMISSION flashed up on her screen. It was Section Admiral Gene.

“Captain T’Shael, I have orders for you...”

 

 

Chapter 3

 

 

 

T’Shael waited for everyone to be seated in the brand new observation lounge. The lounge was one of the sections on the ship that had been refitted and the workers had done a magnificent job. It was located directly behind the bridge and lining the one wall were large windows that would normally give a beautiful view of space. Right now, it was just a view of the starbase and its facilities, but on the opposite wall, was a huge painting of the Lone Wolf in flight with a beautiful nebula in the background.

Commander Rynn was sitting to T’Shael’s left with Commander Q to her right. Lieutenant Commander Citon, Ensign Shaw and Ensign Sorrow were also present. It was time to start the meeting.

“We have gotten orders for our first mission,” T’Shael started, “it sounds like an interesting job but I’m sure it will not be easy.” She stood up and walked to the screen. After pushing a few buttons the picture of a solar system appeared. “This is the system of 30 Tauri, also called Parelar. The third and fourth planets are inhabited by two different species that have been at war for several decades. Apparently a peace treaty has been agreed upon, but yet the situation still seems to be unstable. The natives of the fourth planet, the Parans, have contacted the Federation asking for assistance in securing peace and also for technological aid to undo the worst damage.” The captain then hit some more buttons and the picture winked out. “Our orders are to attempt contact with the Larans, the natives of the third planet, to try to prevent any further violence. We will grant both planets some technological help if they should wish it so they can start rebuilding their planets. I would like everyone to familiarize themselves with what we know about these two peoples and their history. It isn’t much; a lot still has to be learned. Are there any questions?”

No one spoke so T’Shael assumed there weren’t any for the moment. She continued with her orders. “All right. Commander Citon, please set course for the Parelar system. I will be in my ready room if there should be any concerns or questions about the mission. I would like a report from all stations in three hours. Dismissed.”

The room emptied and all went to perform their various tasks and to attend their duties. When the three hours had passed, the captain called for her senior staff to reconvene in the observation lounge with their status reports. First, Captain T’Shael called for the section reports regarding the new mission.

Ensign Shaw was called up for his Tactical and Security report first. “I have been looking into the war between the Parans and the Larans. The war has seemed to constantly favor the Larans, who although quite undeveloped in terms of Federation standards, are the superior to the Parans. The Larans have nuclear capability, and this has been the main offensive used against Parelar IV, the population of which has been reduced to a little over two million. Although the Parans have only two million people left, they also have nuclear capabilities and done just as well against the Larans. All ground strikes have been repelled by the Parans, whose native army is small but clearly effective against the technically superior Larans. The Larans have weaponry roughly equivalent to late 21^st century Earth weapons, while the Parans are effectively defending themselves with only projectile weapons. The Paran’s concern is not over the ground assaults, or even the frequent high orbit battles, but the fact that one single nuclear strike could wipe out the rest of their population. Now the Parans have contacted us in the hope we can assist them with further peace talks and encourage a nuclear disarmament in a similar fashion to post-WWII Earth.” Shaw looked up from his report and scanned the room. “There’s the facts, and my view is that I don’t believe the Larans are going to want to stop now, the religious tension that ignited this war has just gotten worse over the decades, and now both planets are totally focused on war, even if peace continues, the planets may not be able to function. This could not be as simple as it first seemed.”

Ensign Shaw returned to his seat when Counselor Sorrow turned to him, and asked, “What did you mean by ‘religious tension?’”

Simon replied, “As a show of power, the Larans destroyed a religious monument on the Paran planet that was the center of the Paran religion, the Parans declared Moral War on them the next day. They have been repressed by the Larans ever since.”

Counselor Sorrow reflected on what Ensign Shaw had said about a religious war. She remembered reading about various religious wars in the 20^th and 21^st centuries on Earth. “Captain, perhaps we could utilize some diplomatic tactics from early 21^st century Earth. I can refresh my memory on the data and brief you on them in two hours.”

“That would be helpful, Counselor, thank you,” T’Shael replied, “any other ideas?”

Rynn was sitting next to the captain while Mr. Shaw was giving his report. She looked at her and said, “Sir, I don’t believe it would be a good idea in giving any technology to these people. They could use our technology to outright annihilate each other. I must protest.” Commander Rynn was somewhat incensed by the notion of Starfleet agreeing to supply technology so they could more or less kill one another. She had seen war. She lived through the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor. She wore the scars with pride and remembrance of her friends and family that had died. “No. Sir, there has to be some sort of negotiations to be held. War is no answer to anything. Millions of people, innocent people, on both sides have been killed and the Federation is going to give them technology to go ahead with this? Any technology could be used as a weapon.”

Rynn couldn’t believe what she was hearing and then the captain spoke up. “Commander, we are not giving any weapons that could be used to effort a war.”

Rynn was considering what kind of religious monument these other people had destroyed. She considered herself to be a religious person, having had the prophets to guide and protect her people meant a lot to her religion and if someone just went ahead and destroyed the wormhole, which she considered a monument to her faith, she wouldn’t be too happy. She understood where these people came from. What they were feeling. The Bajoran people went through years of pain and torture from the Cardassian people. They took most all of the Orbs, gifts from the prophets, and tried to plunder them and use them for their own greedy uses. If not for the religious leaders hiding an Orb in one of their monuments, they wouldn’t have anything. Although, later after the Occupation, the Emissary came to help Bajor, and there were other Orbs found. Rynn still remembered her first Orb experience: so calming and exciting at the same time. She knew then she had to join Starfleet. She had to join an organization that cared about the development and well being of other species.

Rynn looked at the captain and said, “We need to help the ones that are in need now. But like I said earlier, I don’t think we should give any technology.” She waited for the captain or anyone else to speak.

“Commander, we aren’t talking about just giving away technology,” T’Shael replied. She knew what Rynn had gone through in the Occupation and knew that she didn’t want to see any more wars. But they were surely not going to give technology to both sides to go on with the war, they were sent there to stop it. “You know that giving away technology would be against the Prime Directive and I don’t have breaking it in mind during my first mission as captain of a starship.” T’Shael noticed a smile on the Bajoran woman’s face. “Our job is to offer them help rebuilding the planet. We will not just hand our technology over to them. It’ll be Commander Q’s job to determine what they need exactly and help them with it. First issue is to disarm the nuclear weapons. They don’t have the technology to appropriately dispose of the radioactive material and that’s where they need our technological help. Also, building up destroyed cities and homes will be another area where we can help. If we can finish up the peace talks, Starfleet will send engineering teams for a permanent stay who will supervise the progress. We’re just going to do the first aid. I hope I made some points clear. We will not just give out technology. But Commander, I’m glad you’re pointing out the things that are of concern,” T’Shael tried to hide her smile. It was always good to have an FO who wasn’t afraid to tell her opinion to the captain, and she was sure now more than ever that they’d get along. “Well does anyone have other remarks or questions?” she then asked her senior crew.

Ensign Shaw turned his chair toward her and asked, “Captain, I think we are now all clear what needs to be done for the two planets after the war, and with the Laran’s nuclear weapons. But I am concerned also about the political situation on Laran planet. They have been the superior power throughout the war, and their government is entirely focused on that war. This style of government cannot be stable for very long in peacetime, and we must tread carefully if we attempt any alterations. This could spark anger and just worsen the situation. Also, along with environmental problems on the Paran planet after the nuclear devastation, which will have to be cleared before it is hospitable, we must consider a stable government for them also. I don’t claim to be a political genius, but I don’t think we can stop at merely assisting with peace talks and repairs.

“Yes ensign, it would be favorable if we could achieve more. But remember, we are bound to the Prime Directive” T’Shael replied, “If they don’t want us, we have to leave them alone. It’s the Parans that asked for our help. If the Larans don’t want to negotiate there isn’t very much we can do. So we will need all the diplomacy skills we’ve have! Caring, hopefully your knowledge of the 21^st century will help us,” the captain said, nodding to the counselor. “Commander Q, I need you to work on a system to disarm those nuclear weapons on the planet, that’s the first job. Also, put up plans for rotating technicians on the surface.”

“Aye, sir” the engineer replied.

“Commander Citon, I believe we will be arriving in the Parelar system shortly. Please be ready for impulse. There’s supposed to be a tricky meteoroid field before we get to the inner planets, it’ll be time for you to prove you’re piloting skills.”

Sander sat up in his chair and turned to the captain with a slight frown on his face. “Ma’am, I regret to report that we have some problems. Sovereign-class vessels are versatile, but they aren’t equipped for nuclear weapon disassembly. There is a solution close at hand though. The U.S.S. Ulysses is just three parsecs away. It is equipped to deal with radioactive nebulae and I believe we could adapt some of their equipment for our purposes. I’m afraid without it, we cannot proceed with this aspect of the mission. Apart from that I have little to report, but I must agree that giving technology cannot be an option. Help by using our technology, but don’t give them any.

T’Shael sat back in thought and then nodded to her staff, “Alright Commander. I believe we have no other choice than to rendezvous with the U.S.S. Ulysses, since the nuclear weapon disassembly is one of the highest priorities. I’m a bit worried about our delay, though. I hope the Parans won’t be too upset about it. Commander Q why don’t you start preparing to include those systems so you can start as soon as we get to the Ulysses. Commander Citon, could you please contact both the Ulysses and the Paran home world. Ask the Ulysses if they could rendezvous with us and inform the Paran home world of our delay. Then, set course for the U.S.S. Ulysses, maximum warp.”

The lounge emptied and everyone went to prepare for their first mission as a real crew.

 

 

 

Chapter 4

 

 

 

Counselor Caring Sorrow was in her office going over history reports on nuclear weapon disarmament and religious wars, specifically negotiation tactics. Some were promising but until they were face to face with Parans and Larans there was no telling what would be the best course of action.

Caring was not fond of wars, yet she still joined Starfleet knowing there was a possibility of being in one. She likened her formative years with her parents as similar to being in a war. Her father had always had difficulty with her mother’s telepathic ability. Caring herself had minimal telepathy, in fact, though she rarely had to use it in the past. But now having been assigned to a starship, she knew it would come in handy sooner or later.

Her office door chimed, startling her. “Come in!” she said abruptly.

As she turned, in walked Crewman Schneider “Counselor, I hope I am not disturbing you, but I was wondering if you would have a few minutes to talk?”

“Of course Tim, that’s what I am here for. What can I do for you?” Caring replied. She always felt good when she could help someone through a problem. She motioned him to sit on a comfortable chair in her well lit, fashionably decorated office. Then, Caring and the crewman began to talk.

 

 

 

The Lone Wolf headed without any incidents to the rendezvous point with the U.S.S. Ulysses. Her captain had agreed to help modify the Lone Wolf’s technology for nuclear disassembly, a technology usually not found on Starfleet ships since the use of nuclear weapons had been prohibited a long time ago on Federation worlds. Not to mention, most worlds were smart enough not to use nuclear weapons anyway. Unfortunately, the Larans and Parans hadn’t thought of the consequences before they used their nuclear power.

T’Shael had just finished a rather unpleasant conversation with the temporary president of the Paran home world. She had tried to explain why they would be delayed. Unfortunately, patience wasn’t a quality of the Paran civilization. Finally though, she had managed to convince him that they had to do the stop in order to get the technology they needed to help them and with a sigh she had closed the connection.

Right after that conversation, she received a more pleasant call from Starfleet Command, telling her they were sending her a Chief Medical Officer. She was grateful, of course, because they would need a good doctor on this mission. Who knew what medical consequences the nuclear bombing had had on both of these worlds. Command had said that they were sending him by way of express shuttle, and maybe he would even make it before they reached the Parelar system.

“Bridge to Captain T’Shael. We are approaching the U.S.S. Ulysses,” Rynn called her over the intercom.

“On my way,” T’Shael replied. She left the ready room and stepped onto the main bridge. On the view screen she saw a Federation vessel getting bigger very slowly.

“All right, lets get to our work quickly. Captain T’Shael to engineering. Commander Q, you can beam over to the Ulysses any minute. Get whatever you need.”

“Aye, sir,” the engineer replied.

“Ok then, everyone else has a few hours off, enjoy the time, you won’t have much once we arrive in the Parelar system,” T’Shael said over a ship wide channel. She retired to her ready room and had just sat down when she heard Rynn’s voice over the internal comm system again.

“Captain, I am picking up a shuttle on long range sensors.”

“On my way Commander. T’Shael out.”

Caring was standing in the shuttlebay as Lieutenant Commander Jimmy Jones’s shuttle was landing. As the CMO exited the shuttle, Caring walked over and introduced herself. “Hello, Commander Jones. I’m Ensign Caring Sorrow, Ship’s Counselor.”

“Hello, Counselor!” Jimmy replied, with enthusiasm.

“Allow me to show you to the bridge, sir,” she said kindly, as they turned to leave the shuttlebay on the way to the bridge.

Jimmy entered the bridge and looked around the mighty Sovereign-class ship. He took a breath and felt happy to be aboard a ship of the line again. He had just left the Hepta and although she was a mighty fine ship, he was ready for some action.

Jimmy awoke from his thoughts as the captain approached. “Lieutenant Commander Jimmy Jones reporting for duty sir.”

“Welcome, doctor,” greeted T’Shael, “take a few hours to go to your quarters and check out the sickbay, then report back for duty.”

“Yes sir.”

 

 

 

Q grabbed an engineering kit he had customized earlier and headed for the large doorway. “Morley, Giverly, you’re with me.” The two ensigns left their panels and followed.

In the corridor he stopped as he had a sudden thought. “Commander Rynn, could you send a science team to meet me in transporter room two, they may be useful.”

“That would make sense. Don’t want to look unprepared in front of the Ulysses now do we?”

“Not really, ma’am,” Q said, chuckling.

With the assurance of full preparation, Commander Q continued to the transporter room. Having met two more ensigns there, the team beamed over.

“Captain Entebe, I’m Commander Q, Chief Engineer. We won’t keep you for long; I understand you have surveys to be getting on with. We’ll just need the equipment and a short briefing from your science officer.”

“Thank you Commander, our science officer is at your disposal. Please, start straight away.”

With that the Lone Wolf team left the transporter room in the wake of Captain Entebe.

 

 

 

Commander Q seemed to be progressing well and during the little time off Captain T’Shael decided to talk to Captain Entebe about the current situation in this region of space. She opened a connection to the Ulysses and asked for Captain Entebe who quickly appeared on her screen.

“Hello Captain” she greeted him.

“Captain T’Shael,” he replied, “so you’re heading to the Parelar system?”

“Yes we are.”

“Good luck then, you’ll need it,” he said.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Well, the situation there seems to be quite tense,” he replied

“I know. That’s why we were ordered there. To finally bring peace.” T’Shael told him.

“What I heard, is that they have been at war for quite a long time. My ship has been avoiding the system, although there would be a few interesting scientific phenomena to study.”

“Yes, maybe we’ll get a chance to take a look,” T’Shael said, “But first we have to assure peace. It won’t be easy but if we can achieve it, a lot can get better in this sector.”

“Yes it will. Lets hope you succeed!” Captain Entebe said.

“Well I should be checking on how Commander Q is proceeding or we’ll never arrive,” T’Shael said with a little smile.

“Ok, I hope to hear from you again,” Entebe said and closed the connection.

T’Shael tapped her comm. badge. “Captain T’Shael to Commander Q. How are you proceeding?”
            “We’re getting there Captain. Just need a little bit more time. I will notify you as soon as we are done here.”

“Very well Commander, T’Shael out.”

T’Shael stepped on the bridge and looked at her senior crewmembers. Natala was in the captain’s chair, looking a bit bored. So did Simon behind tactical. And Sander didn’t have much to do either. This was definitely not good. She’d have to get her crew more occupied...an idea started to form in her mind.

“Commander,” she said, addressing her first officer. Natala was a bit startled; she hadn’t seen the captain enter the bridge.

“Yes captain?” she asked.

“What would you say about a game of springball on the holodeck?”

“You play it?” Rynn asked, surprised the Vulcan knew this Bajoran game.

“Other races’ games are a hobby of mine,” T’Shael said, “and springball is a very fascinating one!”

“Ok, let’s go then,” Rynn said, happy to have something to do.

“Commander Citon, you have the bridge!” she said, “Mr. Shaw, care to accompany us?”

“Um...sure captain, why not,” he replied and together they went to the holodeck.

On the way they bumped into Counselor Sorrow and the new medical officer, the half-Klingon, Jimmy Jones.

“We were just going to play a game of springball. Would you like to join us?” T’Shael asked them.

“I don’t know how to play it, Captain,” Caring replied.

“You’ll learn it quickly,” T’Shael said. Then, turning to Jimmy, she said, “And playing a half-Klingon, that will be a challenge.”

“Well I guess I can’t refuse a challenge my first day onboard,” Jimmy replied.

So together the five officers entered the holodeck ready for a game of springball.

Rynn went to her quarters with a huge grin. She used to be springball champion back in ‘76. She put on her jumpsuit for the match. She had heard some things about Captain T’Shael. Supposedly she was good at springball. Well, Tala would find out. It always relaxed her when she did some rigorous exercise.

The court in the holodeck was a cube. The front wall was designated as the scoring area. There were a number of foul lines, which constitute no score areas, and the back wall was made up of a transparent force field, which allowed spectators to get a good view of the game. A round ball is used and is hit with a padded glove, worn on the hand of the player, rather than using a bat or racquet. A springball court can be as simple as a high wall and a flat piece of ground. However, formal courts are slightly more sophisticated. The game is similar to a number of games played on Earth, such as squash and handball. It is a full contact sport, players are allowed to body-check opponents, preventing them getting to the ball and players wear protective helmets when playing. Springball had become a pastime sport for Bajor; very similar to how Earth’s baseball had been very popular. It is considered a national sport, which includes a number of professional players who take part in a series of ongoing championships. Rynn was a professional champion back in ‘76.

When Rynn showed up, the captain was already suited up. The two stepped on the mat and Rynn nodded to begin.

T’Shael and Natala were ready for the game, but the others who hadn’t played it before hadn’t expected it to be so fast and were very much surprised while they were watching them. The Bajoran springball champion against the small Vulcan captain whose only advantage, was her superior strength that she had inherited from her ancestors.

Rynn nodded to begin and T’Shael said “Computer, start game”

Quickly a ball came flying out of nowhere and the computer chose to let it fly in the direction of Rynn first. She hit the ball with a precise stroke and it hit the wall in front of them and jumped back so fast that T’Shael didn’t have time to react.

“Wow,” was the only thing she could say. She sure hadn’t expected her FO to be that good when she had asked for a game on the bridge.

Next turn, T’Shael got to hit the ball first but Rynn, of course, had no problems hitting it back. This time the Vulcan was prepared and could hit it back and the game went on without any of the woman having any clear advantage. T’Shael was now able to foresee most of Rynn’s moves. Sweat started to appear on both women’s faces and it was a tight game. As they were getting to the end, it still wasn’t clear who would win, but finally there was a quick play that Rynn had started, and T’Shael stumbled and Rynn checked her hitting the ball on a field for the last point. T’Shael fell on the floor and could only watch the ball bouncing off; she had lost.

“Good game,” she said, “you’re brilliant.”

“Springball champion ‘76,” Rynn said, grinning. “It’s not in my service record but you probably should remember it!” She lent a hand to the Captain. Smiling a halfhearted smile. She had a feeling that T’Shael let her win. After all, Vulcan’s were superior in strength and agility, and T’Shael didn’t appear that ‘old’. T’Shael grabbed Tala’s hand and got up.

“Oh trust me I will,” T’Shael said, getting up. “Don’t worry, we’ll do this again sometime. I will just have to...practice some more. But for now, maybe you can challenge someone else in here. I’ll go to the bridge and begin preparing for our arrival in the Parelar system. It was an…interesting game,” she said, slightly raising an eyebrow, and she walked out of the holodeck.

 

 

 

After the short lecture by the Ulysses science officer, the engineering team headed to a science lab. Four hours later they emerged, carrying between the five of them a lot of heavy equipment.

Commander Q led the way to the transporter room and they stepped on the pads. “I wish I could contact the captain, to say we are returning, but I can’t actually reach my comm badge. Oh well, we’ll surprise them all.”

Q turned to the Ulysses transporter chief ready to order the beam out, when one of his team interrupted him. “Do you think we could transport directly to engineering, sir? This is kind of heavy.”

“Of course Ensign Giverly, good idea. Speed up the process too.” Q turned once more to the transporter chief, “Directly to engineering then, please. Energize.”

Back on the Lone Wolf, the team dumped the equipment on a table and assembled for a small conference. Once they had their instructions, the engineers started diagnostics on the equipment while the scientist checked over the instructions from the Ulysses. Meanwhile, Commander Q headed for the bridge to inform the captain of his progress.

Upon reaching the bridge Q was surprised to find it deserted but for the Ops officer. “Hello Commander…er, where is everyone?”

“Springball on the holodeck. Never much liked it myself.”

“Commander Q to Captain T’Shael.”

“Go...ahead...commander.”

Q noticed the captain seemed quite out of breath. Must have been a good match.
“We’re back from the Ulysses, ready to begin installation of the equipment. It should be about 48 hours before it is operational.”

“Thank you, Commander. Head for an orbit of the Paran’s home world. Notify me when we get there.”

“Aye, aye, sir.”

 

 

 

Tala was older now. Her joints were feeling the strain of the rigorous exercise. It had been eleven years since she had quit playing. When the accident happened, she gave it up.

Rynn hadn’t let on, but she hurt her wrist when hitting that last volley, so she nodded to the captain, and headed to sickbay. Once there, she plopped onto a biobed, I need to get back into shape, she thought.

Then the doctor stepped out of his office.

Rynn sat up on the biobed while the doctor looked over her arm.

Mr. Jones grabbed a medical tricorder and began to scan. “How did this happen?” he asked, looking at the scan, then looking at her appearance. “Looks like something interesting. Mind filling me in?”

Rynn smiled then said, “The captain and I were playing springball. I believe when I hit the ball with my backhand I did something to it.”

The doctor nodded in mild criticism. “Looks like you need a physical as well. From your records it is time again.”

Rynn groaned inwardly. Great…another doctor and their infernal physicals. I wonder if this one will want me to have tissue regeneration on my back as well, she thought. “I guess,” she said out loud and looked at the doctor. She knew it wouldn’t last long, but she hated being poked and prodded. Maybe he won’t find anything interesting like that last doctor I had. The last doctor thought that since she was apart of the resistance that something might be in my system. Good thing there wasn’t. “How long do you think it’ll take?” she asked, waiting for the doctor’s reply.

He grabbed a gadget and pressed a button and a light emitted from it. He then started sweeping it back and forth on the area that needed regeneration, and Rynn freaked out. She started thinking about the days back when she was in the resistance. She didn’t say anything and instead kept quiet while he fiddled with the wrist.

“It won’t take too long,” Jimmy replied. He looked at his tricorder and then started scanning again and wondering what had caused all this harm to her. Her medical files had interesting information on her but she seemed not the type to nag so he finished the treatment without asking questions. “Well, that should do it. I would like you to return for a few more tests and a few more check-ups every now and then. I’m not a monster and I think the arm will be just fine.”

“Thank you doc and I’ll do my best,” Rynn answered.

Jimmy noticed the forced way she said it and thought to himself that it would be a while before he saw her again unless she really hurt herself. “Well, I’ll see you soon ma’am.”

Rynn nodded to the man and left.

Jimmy went back to sorting out his equipment. The Klingon half of him hated this life but the Human half loved it. He just hoped that the rest of the crew liked to keep up on regular visits to the doctor and not just when in combat.

 

 

 

Chapter 5

 

 

 

Captain T’Shael was in her ready room. She had relaxed a little since the springball match with Commander Rynn and was now ready for the hard part of the mission. They would arrive at the Paran home world soon and she was now working on her plan on how to handle the situation. Of course there were a lot of variables that she couldn’t calculate. The situation was very unclear but the Vulcan part of her mind urged her to bring order to the chaos. Not that it worked. Basically they had to be at two places at once: on both planets. But the Lone Wolf was needed on Paran, since Q needed the new technology for the nuclear disassembly. So they would need to fly to Laran on a shuttle, to try to convince Laran officials of the continuation of the peace talks. She wasn’t too happy about this. Even though they were technologically superior a shuttle would be an easy target for the Larans if they decided peace had lasted long enough. Luckily she had just gotten more good officers.

“Captain T’Shael to the bridge, what is our ETA? “

Commander Citon answered. “About three hours sir.”

It would be time for another mission briefing then to give out orders for everyone. “Senior staff, please report to the briefing room.”

Everyone was there soon and T’Shael started the meeting. “We will arrive on Paran soon, so it is time to be clear on who will be doing what. Commander Q, you will coordinate the nuclear disassembly. Get in touch with the local engineers and see what can be done. Dr. Jones, you will take a look at the medical situation on the planet. Nuclear weapons always bring with them a lot of medical problems and I’m sure you will be needed. Commander Rynn, you will talk to the Laran officials, see what you find out about the history of the planets and the war. Commander Citon will help you.” T’Shael looked at her first officer. “Also, I will leave you in temporary command of the Lone Wolf, Commander.”

“What do you mean Captain?” Rynn asked, curious why the captain wouldn’t be in command.

“I will take a shuttle to the Laran home world.”

“A shuttle! Don’t you think this will be too dangerous?” she asked.

“I will take Ensign Shaw and a security team with me. You will start working on finding the best strategic way to approach the planet. You should be able to get a scan of the orbiter defense system so you can plan the safest way for the shuttle. Also, you will see if you need to do any modifications on the shuttle. Even though there is supposed to be peace, we can’t know how the Larans will greet us, and a whole planet against a shuttle will not be the best situation for us. Counselor, you will accompany us as well. I will sure need your diplomatic skills and your empathy. If everything is clear then, everyone get to work. Commander Rynn please inform me as soon as we get to a standard orbit of Paran.”

Shaw left the briefing room and headed straight to the TacSec office. Once there, several members of the department who had already arrived greeted him, many of whom Shaw seemed friendly with. One officer in particular, Lieutenant John Dexter, Shaw seemed quite familiar with. Simon approached him and whispered to him, “Hey, could you and four guys stay behind after.”

John frowned and replied, “Sure, which four?”

Shaw replied, “Oh, any, but pick some good ones”

A few minutes later, an influx of security officers entered the cramped office. Shaw and Dexter were seated at the front of the room. Shaw stood and began to speak to the crowd as he handed PADDs out. “Okay, now I know most you have been kept pretty much in the dark about our mission. Well, all the information is here. Up until now we haven’t been very involved, but once we arrive at the target, I’m sure our work will heat up.” Shaw continued, “our job is to make sure we don’t actually have to do anything. This is a peaceful operation so most of you will have paper pushing jobs. Ok, that’s about it. Not much to say on this one. Dismissed.”

 Dexter and four crewmembers remained behind as ordered; everyone remaining was invited to sit around a table in the now otherwise empty room.

Shaw, sitting at the head of the table began, “Okay, you are all here because your roles are slightly more important. The captain has decided to visit the Laran planet in person. I think we can all agree on how much of a risk to security that is, but orders are orders. Dexter, you will be in charge of Tactical and Security while I am gone.” Shaw looked over to two of the as yet unnamed crew. “You two will be remaining behind to assist Lieutenant Dexter.” Shaw now looked to the final two officers. “Jones, Lewis, by now you should be able to guess where you’re going, other than myself, only the two of you will be accompanying the captain on the away mission. Considering the risks, I know this is a small group, but you have been chosen for the job, the reasons behind the small group are simple: if we turn up with a small army, we’re more likely to provoke the Larans. That’s all unless anyone has any questions?”

There was no response to this question from any of the crew present.

“Okay, dismissed...John?”

As the crew was leaving, John was standing by Shaw. Shaw whispered to him, “have a task force ready in case anything should go wrong. Looking over their history I don’t trust the Larans or the Parans, which reminds me, remember it’s not just us down there. Commander Q and a few crew will be down on the Paran planet, keep in constant contact, regular reports.”

Dexter winked, “sure, I know the drill.”

Shaw nodded gently. With this, Dexter left the room.

A few minutes later, Shaw informed the captain of the crew selected to accompany the away mission and the temporary TacSec command. “I am leaving Dexter in charge, he’s an old friend, very competent, and I have chosen two crew to accompany us as seems suitable. Crewmen Jones and Lewis will be lightly armed, small and subtle and that way we can try not to aggravate anyone”

“Sir, we are entering standard orbit around the Paran home world,” Commander Rynn said, who was handling helm for the moment.

“Very good Commander. Hail the main communications center please Lieutenant Shaw,” she ordered.

Shaw opened a channel and on screen the president of the Paran home world, Mr. Rakal appeared. T’Shael had spoken to him before when she had told them about the short delay. “Finally, I’m glad to see you here” Baron Rakal said.

“Yes I’m glad to be here too,” T’Shael replied diplomatically, “my teams are ready to beam down. Commander Q my CEO will meet up with your engineers. We have material ready for the disassembly of the nuclear weapons. My doctor, Mr. Jones, will be here for medical aid. My first officer, Commander Rynn and Lieutenant Commander Citon will talk to you and you’re staff. We’d be glad if you could provide them with information about the war, your situation and anything you think would be helpful for us to know to assist with the peace talks.”

“Ok, thank you Captain. We are very grateful for the aid of the Federation,” he said.

“Myself and a team will fly to the Laran planet to get an overview of the situation there, and also to contact the officials about the peace talks. We’ll hope to be back in a few days so we can start official peace negotiations. During the time I’m gone the crew of my ship will be here to help your people.”

“Yes thank you, Captain. But don’t you think it’ll be too dangerous to fly to the Laran planet all by yourself in a shuttle? You would be an easy target if the Larans decided to end the peace.”

“I’m aware of the risk, but I have a very well trained security team with me and our shuttle is well prepared for an eventual attack. I need the Lone Wolf here so a shuttle is the only option.”

“All right Captain, you know what you are doing I’m sure,” he said. “We will be awaiting your teams.” Then he closed the connection.

“Alright everyone, you know what you have to do. T’Shael to engineering. Commander Q, get your teams ready. Bridge to sickbay. Dr. Jones, prepare whatever you need and then report to the transporter room. Commander Rynn, Commander Citon, the Paran planet is yours, try to find out everything...and take good care of my ship.”

“Aye Captain,” came the response from everyone.

“Lieutenant Shaw and Counselor Sorrow, meet me in the shuttle bay. We are ready to take off!”

 

 

 

Jimmy and two medical assistants entered the transporter room with a field medical kit each. “Beam us down to their medical headquarters.” Jimmy called to the transporter chief.

“Yes sir.”

Jimmy saw blue and then he was looking at a disheveled medical bay. Tired doctors looked at him and Jimmy could see more patients than he could count. He looked to a nurse. “Get up to the ship, prep five more medical teams and get all the supplies we can spare,” Jimmy barked.

“Yes doctor,” came the reply.

Jimmy walked forward and heard the moans of the dying people. “Dammit man! Get to work.” The remaining nurse headed into the hospital and began treating the patients. A doctor looked at Jimmy as if to say something but just turned away and continued his work. Jimmy raised his tricorder and began work on severe radiation sickness.

 

 

 

The team to go to the Laran planet reported in to the shuttlebay. Lieutenant Shaw came with his security team. It got a little crowded inside the shuttle but they managed to find room for everyone. Caring took the conn and Shaw tactical.

“All right Counselor, get us out of here,” T’Shael ordered.

The flight towards the planet went without incident. They didn’t encounter a Laran vessel at all, which wouldn’t have been a danger to the shuttle anyways. They arrived in the orbit around Laran within an hour.

“Lieutenant, try to hail the planet,” the captain ordered.

“Federation shuttle to Laran, we come in peace. Do you hear us?” Simon said. Yet there was no reply. “Sir, I don’t even know if they got the message. There seems to be quite a lot of damage on this planet too.”

Suddenly Caring hit a few buttons on the helm and the shuttle did a sharp turn left which made T’Shael almost fall down.

“What was that Ensign?” she asked Caring, using her rank to address her.

“Sir we were almost hit by something”

“What was it Lieutenant Shaw? Do you know?”

“Looked like some sort of nuclear missile,” he said. “There seems to be some kind of orbital defense system. Might be handled automatically and no one cared to shut it down when they stopped the war.”

“Ok how do we get through this? We need to be able to beam down and get our shuttle into a safe spot so it won’t be destroyed while we’re down there,” the captain said.

“Sir, more missiles approaching...” Shaw yelled.

 

 

 

Chapter 6

 

 

 

Commander Q came running from main engineering, carrying armfuls of equipment. In his wake ran several crewmen in engineers uniforms, also laden down.

Q had not left engineering for several days, since returning from the Ulysses. There had been complications with the equipment and Q had become engrossed in his work. He got like that. Now he was headed with his team for the Paran home world.

In the transporter room all the equipment was placed on the transporter pad.

“Commander, this is Q. Once he is aboard, can I ask the new Nav officer to join me? I’m going to need all the help I can get on this, it’s a long process. I noticed he was a CEO so he could be very useful on the Paran world.”

“Affirmative, Commander. I’ll let him know when he comes aboard,” Rynn replied over the intercom.

 

 

 

Jimmy finished another patient. He had lost count of how many he had cared for. He was tired, but there seemed to be an endless amount of people needing help.

“Jones to the Lone Wolf.”

“Lone Wolf here.”

“One to beam up. And beam down team two ahead of schedule.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Jimmy disappeared in a column of blue light and was back on the Lone Wolf. He headed for sickbay and entered a room full of nurses grabbing equipment ready to go to the surface.

“How’s it going there, Ensign,” he asked someone on his way by.

“Fine for now, but we need more drugs. We are running low.”

“See what you can do. I’m taking five minutes out. I will be in my office.”

“Yes sir.”

Jimmy entered his office and sat down. He began reviewing the various illnesses on the planet. A nurse brought him a cup of coffee to keep him awake. Jimmy felt the hot liquid enter his body and decided that he should get back down there. He made his way to the transporter room, slowly but surely. He walked in and the chief looked up in surprise to see him here. He had just beamed up not too long ago.

“Going back for more doc?” asked the chief.

“Unfortunately, yes chief.” He stepped up to the platform, “Energize.” Jimmy disappeared again and moments later he was back. He walked through the various medical staff and got back to work.

 

 

 

As those aboard the shuttle realized that several more nuclear missiles were headed straight for them, the captain shifted in her seat. “Would someone mind doing something? Any suggestions are welcome at this point.”

The navigator began an evasion course, though it seemed pretty hopeless. She shouted back to the captain, “They’re locked tight. I can’t shake them.” Sorrow then glared out of the window. “Oh, my God...”

As the rest of the crew looked out, they saw a group of missiles in the distance. An armada of well over twenty missiles was headed for them.

Shaw looked out of the window, biting his lower lip slightly. He turned back to his console, raised his eyebrows, and began tapping away frantically as shouts and orders filled the air. The crew was shouting ideas back and forth, but Shaw continued, almost cut off from the rest of the group.

Caring continued her evasion tactics. “They’re coming!”

The missiles were only a few hundred meters away now. Shaw tapped a few more times at his control panel and as he turned away from it, he began to rise from his chair. The captain was leaning forward on the edge of her seat; everyone was fumbling madly with control panels, as Shaw worked his way to the front of the shuttle.

Lewis, one of the security team shouted from the rear of the shuttle, “weapons will only detonate weapons like that, we’re going to have to....”

He looked through the window again. The missiles were almost here and his expression fell into complete disbelief as he turned his head away, along with the rest of the crew who instinctively protected themselves against the oncoming missiles, except the captain, who’s Vulcan side suppressed the instinct to do so. She looked to Shaw in the last few seconds. He was now at the navigation console, tapping a few more buttons. From what was displayed she realized what he was doing.

“Shaw, are you doing what I think you’re....”

Shaw looked at the missiles briefly, which were almost upon them, looked back down at the panel and slammed his hand down on a final button. With this, a blue pulsing shockwave was emitted from the shuttle in all directions, eventually fading away. It traveled through the missile field and the missiles immediately began to slow down, stopping almost directly outside the shuttle. Shaw looked at them with a sigh.

Inside the shuttle, everything was darkened. All systems were out, including life support and artificial gravity. As the crew began to realize they were still alive and looked at the missiles dead outside, they strapped themselves into their seats.

 T’Shael looked at Shaw, who replied to this look. “EMP…Electro-Magnetic Pulse. Kills any electronic device in the vicinity.”

One of the crew replied to this, “yeah, but without life support we’re as good as dead. We’ve only got enough oxygen for a few more minutes…and that’s if we’re lucky.”

Shaw looked over to him, “the effects aren’t permanent, thirty seconds at the most.”

As he said this last part, the lights returned, and the crew strapped back into their seats properly, the consoles flashed back into life and Sorrow reported to the captain, “Sir, the computer’s been wiped. I can’t fly it.”

T’Shael replied, “well, if we can’t fly then those nukes probably can’t either, at least we’re safe from them.” She proceeded to tap her comm badge, “T’Shael to Lone Wolf.”

Commander Rynn’s voice could just be made out over the crackly connection,

Yes captain?”

The captain continued, “five persons, site to site transport to the Laran planet.”

“Yes sir,” Rynn replied.

T’Shael closed her eyes and shortly, she felt the prickly feeling of the transporter beam. She was glad the Lone Wolf’s transporter range was high enough to help them out. Although those long-range transports weren’t recommended standard procedure and used quite a lot of energy, she preferred it to being stranded in the shuttle with only minimal energy. They could think about a way back later on, maybe they’d get the shuttle running again. But now she didn’t feel like waiting for an engineering miracle, her mission on the Laran planet had to be fulfilled quickly. And now that the nuclear weapons were drifting next to the shuttle, there shouldn’t be a danger anymore for the shuttle, even when it was left alone in orbit.

Reopening her eyes she took a first glance around the location where they had beamed to on the planet. It was a spot in a bigger city on the northern continent, where they had located the control center for the defense weapons and the main communications center. Everyone was silent for an instant, shocked of what they saw. A lot of buildings were destroyed. The war had also taken big impact here. Although the Larans had apparently been the aggressor, the Parans seemed to have had struck back quite efficiently as well.

“I feel a lot of pain,” the counselor said, quietly, so as to not to interrupt this already fragile planet. “But also frustration and aggression.” They looked around, but couldn’t see anyone. “It must be the general feeling of a lot of people here, or I wouldn’t be able without the clear presence of individuals” Caring added. “It is a horrible feeling, like the whole planet is wounded, but also angry.”

“We need to find someone to talk to. Someone who will be able to bring us to the momentary leaders of this planet,” the captain said. They started wandering around a bit, not encountering anyone. It seemed like this part of the city had been abandoned, maybe after a larger missile attack. T’Shael was glad about the immunizations they had gotten before leaving, although her tricorder didn’t register a high content of radiation. The attack that had destroyed this part of the city must have been years ago. But then they saw a group of people about a hundred meters ahead. It seemed like they had noticed them as well and started moving towards the away team. “Lieutenant Shaw, you and your security team be alert. We don’t know if they will be hostile towards us. But don’t fight back if it isn’t absolutely necessary. We first have to try to talk. They might not trust off-worlders after the experiences they had with the war. Caring, I hope with your empathic skills and some diplomacy we will be able to show them we have no hostile intentions.”

 

 

 

Rynn was sitting in the captain’s chair when the call came in. She had moved from navigation when the captain left. Things on the ship were very quiet. Rynn walked over to the navigation station and nodded to the current officer sitting there and then walked over to Ops and nodded for the ops officer to begin transport.

She sat back down in her chair when the operations officer spoke up. “Sir. There is a type-9 shuttle on long-range sensors. It’s heading into this system.”

Rynn looked up. “Put it on screen.”

The officer nodded and soon a shuttle appeared. Rynn began to say something, but before she could, the operations officer said, “Sir, They are hailing us.”

“On screen” Rynn said.

“U.S.S. Lone Wolf, this is the shuttlecraft Porthos requesting permission to dock,” said the young officer in a red Starfleet uniform.

 

Chapter 7

 

 

 

Lieutenant Commander Robert Melhall guided his type-9 shuttlecraft, the Porthos, smoothly through the darkness of space. He was on his way to his new ship the U.S.S. Lone Wolf NCC-750032, a Sovereign-class vessel, which right now was in orbit around the war-torn world of Paran. Though he was an engineer aboard his old ship the U.S.S. Magician, which coincidentally was also a Sovereign-class vessel, he had become a crack pilot through the years. He had had many talented pilots teach him how to steer the great vessels through many obstacles, under pressure and in mock simulations as well. He had gained a lot of knowledge over the years and now he knew that knowledge would pay off.

Right now, he had just picked up the Lone Wolf on the Porthos’ long-range sensors and he knew that if he picked them up just now, the Lone Wolf had him quite awhile back. Although his past ship and his new one were identical, Robert had done his homework when he received his orders. Although most of that homework was on the senior staff, at least he had had something to do on the trip from Starbase Bellicose to Paran. Robert reviewed the bios in his head and remembered seeing a couple of familiar names and trying to place their faces with where he had seen them last.

Making a minor but quick course correction, Robert saw that he was now in hailing range of the huge silver starship. Wondering who would be on the other side of the screen, Robert was surprised to see the Bajoran female that was Commander Rynn Natala answer his hail.

“U.S.S. Lone Wolf, this is the shuttlecraft Porthos requesting permission to dock.” By the look on the commander’s face he was sure he had hid his surprise much better. No doubt the commander knew the ship was getting a new helmsman, she just didn’t know who.

Quickly though, Commander Rynn gained her composure and replied, “Permission granted, Commander. Please dock in Shuttlebay One and then report to the Captain’s ready room.”

“Acknowledged, Lone Wolf. Porthos out,” replied Robert and with that the great starship replaced the commander’s face on the view screen.

Rynn was wondering who the new Chief Navigation Officer would be. She had no idea it would be Robbie. Last she had seen him he was working on some ship in the Thoran Sector. Then before that, he had been the defending attorney. It had been years though and though the case had been won, there was a lot of speculation about what had happened. She knew what really happened. That was all there was to it.

She smiled and walked to the captain’s ready room. Then, she sat down in the captain’s chair, and waited. She sat thinking. I wonder what he’s doing here?

A few minutes later, Robert expertly guided the Porthos around the stern side of the Lone Wolf and into the shuttlebay on the saucer section of the ship. He then went through his post-flight checklist and powered down the small shuttle. Stepping out of the craft, he was greeted by a young Bolian, Lieutenant Junior Grade.

“Sir,” she said, “Can I show you to the bridge or take your gear?”

“Actually Lieutenant, from what I’ve heard of the current situation so far, you could probably take my gear to my quarters. I’m sure the captain would like me to attend to my duties ASAP.”

“Commander, the captain isn’t on board right now. You’ll be reporting to Commander Rynn on the bridge,” corrected the Lieutenant as politely as possible.

“Interesting,” said Robert a little too loudly.

“Pardon, sir?” asked the confused Bolian Lieutenant.

“Never mind Lieutenant, you’re free to go if you’d like.”

Melhall followed the Lieutenant out of the shuttlebay and where she turned right, he turned to the left and found the nearest turbolift. Remarkable! he thought. They really did make them from identical blueprints. Of course he knew they were of the same class, but to Robert it was still amazing that human hands could make two things so similar and yet put some subtle differences in it to make them somewhat personal.

Robert stepped into the turbolift. “Bridge,” he said and the car whirred to life.

Moments later he stepped out onto the bridge and again noticed how much his old ship and his new one were so much alike. He walked down the steps of the upper deck and strode towards the ready room. Pressing the door chime he had to wait a few moments, knowing full well the commander was purposely making him wait.

And then he heard, “Come.” And he strode through the door to find a medium height Bajoran with jet-black hair and deep hued violet eyes. Rynn Natala.

Robert strode up to the desk in the room, stood at attention and formally saluted, “Lieutenant Commander Robert Melhall reporting for duty ma’am.”

Rynn smiled, “Oh stop it Robbie. You know you don’t need to do that in front of me. We’ve been through too much.”

And indeed they had. Four years ago was the last time they had really seen each other. Robert was a Lieutenant Junior Grade at the time and working for the JAG office at Starfleet. He had defended Rynn at her court-martial when she had been the CTSO aboard the U.S.S. Aurora. Because of Rynn’s hard childhood the two had gotten off to a rocky start. But as the trial went on, she came to trust Robert and he had been brilliant in defending her with the outcome being all charges against her dropped.

Robert dropped his salute and smiled for the first time since seeing her, “It’s good to see you again Tala. How have you been?”

Tala sighed, “It’s been really hectic what with these two worlds being so tense with each other. But it’s so good to see and have you on board the Lone Wolf.”

After their greetings, she got to reminiscing with Robbie. Finally she sat back and started briefing him on the situation with the two planets and the ongoing war. She handed him a PADD for him to review. “The captain is down on the surface. She is trying to diffuse the situation before it gets any worse.” She said, “I thought usually away missions were lead by the First Officer?” asked Robert and Rynn smiled, “Yes, well. This captain is somewhat extraordinary. She acts like one of the older captains in Starfleet history. I have actually come to respect her.”

Robert’s eyes lit up and one brow rose. “Really?” He could tell she really liked this captain. She didn’t just give away her friendship like a toy. After a while she dismissed Robert. He headed out and turned around again just before the doors swished open. “It’s good to see ya again Tala.” With that he smiled and walked out of the captain’s ready room with PADD in hand.

It was good to talk to someone she knew. She didn’t have many ‘close’ friends. She grew up in the Cardassian Occupation and usually all the friends she made ended up dead or worse, alive and totally unresponsive, so she found out long ago to guard herself. No use in wasting energy on mourning for people that could be used in helping or fighting. During the court martial, though, she more or less had to become friends with Robbie. He had this way of growing on you.

She sat back after Robbie left. Thinking about the path her life had taken. Who knew that saving one little Cardassian girl could cause so much havoc in one’s life? She regretted the path her life had taken, but Starfleet in her mind actually stood for something.

Rynn tapped a few buttons on her console on the desk and sent a report to the computer on the captain’s shuttle. Letting the captain know about the situation on board the ship. Then she went back to the bridge.

 

 

 

Robert walked to the turbolift at the back of the bridge. It sure is good to see Tala again, he thought to himself as he looked at his PADD. He stepped into the turbolift and read that the CEO had wanted him to report to him for help on the planet’s surface. Robert stepped into the lift. “Main Engineering,” he said and the car moved at his command. A few moments later, he stepped onto Deck 16 and walked down the corridor to Main Engineering. Stopping an ensign he found that Commander Q was in his office. Robert walked over to the CEO’s office and knocked on the window adjoining the entrance.

“Hmmm?...what can I do for you commander?” asked the CEO, looking up from his work.

“Sir, I’m Lieutenant Commander Robert Melhall. I’m the new ship’s helmsman. I was told to report to you by the XO.”

“Ah yes, Mr. Melhall. I need you to accompany me to the surface. Basically, what we are going to do is disable the nuclear weapons at one of the military bases.”

“Sounds good, sir. I’ll do everything I can,” said Melhall.

“Wonderful Lieutenant. We can leave momentarily. I’m just gathering some final equipment to take with us.”

“Bridge to Engineering,” came a voice over the comm system.

“Engineering. Go ahead Commander,” replied Commander Q.

“Commander, I will be joining you on the planet’s surface to help with security.”

Q frowned, “Are you sure, ma’am. The planet’s security teams should be sufficient.”

“I’m sure Q. I’d like to see what exactly it is we’re dealing with here.”

“Acknowledged Commander. We’ll meet you in Transporter Room Two in five minutes.”

“Understood. Rynn out.”

“Well Commander, looks like we’re going to have some company,” said Q to the frowning Robert Melhall. “Don’t worry Lieutenant, the commander can handle herself just fine.”

“Oh of that I have no doubt Commander. It’s the fact that she needs to come along for security reasons is what worries me.”

“Well she is the boss,” said Q smiling.

“Ah right you are, of course,” Robert said returning the smile.

The two then grabbed the equipment they would need and headed to the transporter room. They walked in to find Commander Rynn waiting patiently and all three stepped on the transporter pad.

“Energize,” Rynn said and they disappeared in a column of blue light.

Materializing on the planet’s surface Robert noticed the arid world they were on and the large amounts of dust that was being kicked up. Numerous people were streaming in and out of a nearby building that proved to be a munitions building designed solely for the storage and housing of nuclear missiles. They walked in and after checking in with the proper forms of ID made their way to a large room with numerous Starfleet engineers hovering around nuclear missiles. There were also many people, which Robert assumed were security personnel from the planet and advisory members on how to disable the weapons of mass destruction.

Q and Robert got to work on the nearest missile and Commander Rynn separated with them to find the head of the local security staff. After disabling about five missiles, the two of them suddenly heard weapons firing nearby.

Robert looked up and cast his eyes around the room for Rynn. Not finding her, he looked at Q and said, “What the hell is going on around here?”

Q shrugged and turned towards the door.

Just then someone ran by and shouted, “Rebels!! Trying to take over the compound!!”

Robert and Q immediately drew their phasers and ran into the hall. Smoke billowed around them and the two looked at each other with the same thing on their minds: Who would attack a military compound on their own world?

Stepping through the door and into the sunlight, they squinted at the blinding light. Suddenly a beam lashed out and struck Robert in the chest. He crumpled to the dusty ground unconscious. Q fired off a few shots but there were too many and he was soon hit as well. The last thing he saw before darkness took over was Commander Rynn being hurried into a vehicle of some kind. He couldn’t tell if it was friend or foe before he faded into blackness.

 

 

Chapter 8

 

 

 

Q awoke to see Jimmy Jones leaning over him. He lay still for several seconds to try and take in what was going on.

“Oooohhh my head.”

Q looked left towards the origin of the moan and saw his new colleague lying on a biobed. With a sudden realization of what was going on, he leapt up. The doctor, who was now treating a case of severe radiation poisoning, started to object but Robert interrupted him.

“Sorry doctor, but we have to get back to the weapons site. We have to find out what happened to Commander Natala”. With that he followed Q out the door. By the look of confusion on the doctor’s face, both could tell he didn’t know what had happened.

 

 

 

The group of Larans was only about two minutes away when T’Shael’s communicator chirped. The bad timing caused her to raise an eyebrow. If she were talking to some invisible person while encountering the Larans, it wouldn’t quite make her seem very trustworthy. They would have all the reason to believe they were trying to invade the planet and had more forces waiting in orbit.

“Captain T’Shael here,” she said, and added in a slightly annoyed tone, “not the best timing right now, we are about to make contact with the Larans.”

“Sorry captain,” she heard Commander Citon reply. He sounded rather desperate. “Commander Rynn has been captured by Paran Rebels!”

“What? How could this happen?” she asked, trying to remain calm. But yet inside her the feelings were beginning to overwhelm her. Natala captured on the planet they had thought the peaceful one. Rebels, probably unhappy about the upcoming peace treaty trying to lure the Federation away. And she was away, leaving the ship without a commanding officer, and not in a position to return now that she was so close to contact with the Larans. Luckily, her crew consisted of several senior officers capable to take command in such a situation.

“I don’t know yet sir. I have just been informed of it myself. The military center was attacked. Commander Q and Lieutenant Commander Melhall were shot, but they are alive. Commander Rynn was abducted. We don’t know where to or by whom exactly at all.” Citon explained as well as he could, not knowing the details either. He had been the only one of the senior crew left on board and had just been informed of the incident. He really didn’t know what was going on either.

“I see,” T’Shael replied, “I need to close the connection. Contact the Paran government and see if they know anything about these rebels. Then, together with the rest of the crew try to find Rynn. I will try to be back as soon as possible, but it might take a while, I can’t leave until I have brought the Larans to peace talks. T’Shael out.”

She closed the connection just as the Laran group got into hearing range. She saw that they had knives. No ray weapons but still, they would be dangerous enough if they decided they didn’t want to talk.

“Counselor, I think we will now need your knowledge of 21^st century diplomacy.” T’Shael whispered to Caring, “Lieutenant Shaw, keep your eye on them!”

 

 

 

Citon was standing silent in the middle of the bridge of the Lone Wolf. He was unsure exactly what to do next. “Open a channel to whoever the hell is in charge of that planet.”

The ensign at the communications station replied, “Baron Rakal, he’s the Paran Head of State. Open a channel?”
Citon looked at the young Ensign impatiently, “Yes, yes...”
The ensign tapped a few buttons, “Channel open, sir.”

The emblem of the Paran Government appeared across the main view screen. It consisted of a giant bird flying through flames. The symbol remained for a few seconds, during which, Citon thought how ironic an emblem this was for an overly religious people.

Eventually, a tall thin Paran appeared on the screen, “This is Vice Baron Lergot, Who is this?”

“This is Lieutenant Commander Citon, of the starship Lone Wolf, representing the United Federation of Planets, I would like to speak with the Baron himself,” replied Citon.

Lergot made a weary sigh, “The Baron...has been unavailable for some time. Besides, the only business you have of requesting an audience with us is in relation to the peace talks and I have been put in charge of this field. The Baron does not deal with such things.”

This statement shocked Citon, and before he could stop himself, he declared his initial opinion. “He doesn’t deal with the peace of his own planet!?”

Lergot had now lost the little patience he had with Citon. “I see your Federation diplomacy may not live up to expectations.”

Citon continued, “I apologize, Vice Baron. But one of our teams; a team on your planet has just been attacked by rebels and—”

Lergot cut him off, “Yes, we heard about the attack. Not a problem, they have left now and the missiles are safe.”

Citon resumed what he was going to say before the official had interrupted him. “Yes, but one of our officers was abducted in the attack, apparently by rebels. I would like to hear what you know about the rebels on your planet.”

The Vice Baron seemed indifferent to the news. “Well, we have small groups of rebels here and there. They had become bitter about the war. Some would say with good cause, but they’re not dangerous. They are uncoordinated and under funded and I’m sure that Starfleet can handle any intervention on their part. We have dealt with them for years, but I do hope your officer is returned safely. Lergot out.”

The screen blanked out and before Sander could speak, Dexter interrupted Citon’s thoughts. “Commander?...Lieutenant Shaw asked me to have a small task force ready should anything go wrong on Paran while the captain was down there. He also asked me to keep an eye on the crew down on Laran, but that has evidently not been successful. I request permission to use part of the prepared team to defend the missile facility on Paran and the remaining crew, if you wish, I could have available to search and rescue Commander Rynn.”

Citon looked to Dexter, biting his lip as he did so, wondering if he should delay action until further contact from the captain.

 

 

Caring turned to the captain, “Captain, the best way to obtain the trust of the Larans is to not have a show of weapons, but to have our weapons prominent. I do question why they carry knives, though. Since they have nuclear weapons they should at least be using guns. That would be the natural progression. Something isn’t right here.”

“I agree with you Counselor. Everybody keep on alert,” T’Shael replied.

Just then the group of Larans stopped not twenty feet away from the team.

One stepped forward. “I am Gerian. Why have you come to our land? You are not Laran or Paran. Who are you?”

“Gerian, I am Captain T’Shael of the Federation starship Lone Wolf. We have come by request from the Paran home world to bring peace to both your worlds,” T’Shael replied.

“The Parans have no interest in ending this war. First, they send big rocks out of the sky to destroy our land and now, they send you, soldiers, to finish what they started,” Gerian said angrily

“Let me assure all of you that we are not soldiers. The only association we have with the Parans is to help disarm all the nuclear weapons.”

“Captain, these are primitive people, they don’t know what nuclear weapons are!” Caring informed the captain telepathically.

“The big rocks, I mean, so they won’t destroy anything else.” T’Shael continued. “May we go someplace and talk peacefully?”

 

 

Chapter 9

 

 

Tala had been talking to the head of the team that was helping disassemble the nuclear missiles, when all of a sudden a group of people walked into the place. She didn’t think anything of it because they looked like regular workers. So Rynn paid them no attention until someone knocked her over the head with a blunt object and then injected a syringe into her. She didn’t pass out, but she did fall down and see stars. Her body seemed to go numb and she was completely helpless.

She heard a noise that sounded like phaser fire. But one thing Tala was sure of, these rebels weren’t as advanced as most of the aligned worlds, so those weren’t set on stun. She just hoped that who ever got shot, received medical help quickly.

The next thing she knew, some men were picking Tala up. She noticed one had a limp and the other one had a huge scar. They headed to a small transport vehicle and her two captors shoved her inside it. Why can’t I move? she thought. When she got into the car, she looked out the window and saw Robbie and Q lying on the ground. It was the last thing she saw before they covered her eyes with something. It felt like a cloth, but she couldn’t hear anything, so it must guard from sounds as well as light.

There wasn’t much Rynn could do. She couldn’t even move. So when someone removed her communicator and ID she wasn’t even able to put up a fight. She didn’t know what happened until they started moving her out of the vehicle and more or less dragged her somewhere. They placed her in a hard, cold chair and then removed the blindfold. When she opened her eyes, she saw a bunch of monitors that were surrounding her like a cocoon. They encompassed her.

She heard a deep, male voice say, “Begin the feed. There isn’t much time left.”

Then another one said, “Aye, sir.”

The next thing Tala knew, the chair leaned back and clasped her wrists, waist and legs so she couldn’t move. Then she saw slight movement start on the monitors. People being killed, militant operations being executed, fighting all over; death and destruction were everywhere. She couldn’t bear it any longer, but before she could say anything, Rynn felt a prick in her arm and she let out a loud, ear-piercing, mind-wrenching scream.

 

 

 

Lieutenant Commander Citon was pacing the bridge in frustration. He tapped his comm badge, “Will the senior staff on board the ship please report to the observation lounge immediately.” He turned around to look at Lieutenant Dexter. “Lieutenant, I want you there too.”

“Aye sir,” said Dexter.

“Jones to the bridge.”

“Go ahead doctor,” said Citon.

“Commander, I’m really busy down here because of that last attack on the surface. Do you mind if I monitor the conference from sickbay?”

“Not at all doctor. That will be just fine.”

A few minutes later, Commander Q, Lieutenant Commander Melhall, Lieutenant Commander Citon, and Lieutenant Dexter were gathered in the observation lounge.

Commander Citon began, “Ok, first of all I’m turning control of the ship over to you Commander Q. After all, you are the senior ranking officer aboard.”

Q stood up from his seat, “Thank you Lieutenant Commander. Ok, first of all, we need to find Commander Rynn before we help this planet with any more disarming. Second, Lieutenant Dexter, I want you to take a security team down to the planet and get in contact with the head of that military compound. Find out everything you can about these ‘wardoms.’ Base location, leaders, other attacks, motivation, I don’t care. Anything at all.”

Lieutenant Dexter nodded in understanding.

“Lieutenant Commander Citon, you’ll have the bridge if I have to leave for any reason. Other than that, man your post and keep me up to date.”

“Understood sir,” agreed Citon.

“Commander Melhall, I want you to man your post as of right now and devise some way to move us undetected to an undetectable location from their planetary sensors. Short of using a cloak of course.”

Melhall smiled, “Oh, so I get the easy job then.”

Q answered back with his own smile, “Well you are the crack pilot, right?” Then he looked around the room, “Ok that’s all I have. Everyone dismissed.”

Everyone cleared out and returned to the bridge except Lieutenant Dexter, who went to gather his security team.

Commander Q turned to Ensign Hale, Dexter’s replacement at tactical, “Ensign, get me the Vice Baron on screen immediately.”

“Aye, sir,” said the young woman. There were a few moments of silence and then Hale spoke up, “Sir, I’m now receiving an answer to our hails. Vice Baron Lergot is on the other end.”

“Put it onscreen ensign,” said Q.

“This is Vice Baron Lergot. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?”

“This is Commander Q, Chief Engineer and senior ranking officer aboard the Lone Wolf.”

Lergot smiled what looked to be a phony smile. “Ah Commander. What can I do for you?”

“Vice Baron, as I’m sure you are aware, one of our officers has been abducted by your world’s rebels and taken to an undisclosed location. I need to know everything you know about them so I can get them back.”

“I’m sorry, Commander. I really can’t help you there. As I said before, they are under-funded and unorganized. You should have no problem finding your crewmate. This really doesn’t involve the Paran government.”

Melhall looked as if he was about to jump through the screen and wring Lergot’s neck, but before he could do anything, Q exploded first. “What do you mean it doesn’t involve you!? They attacked your compound didn’t they!? Besides how could under-funded and un-organized rebels get...through...your security forces at this heavily guarded compound,” Q said this last part with a sudden realization.

“Commander I don’t know what you’re implying but our people have taken care of the rebels at our compound. We are not involved with your officer.”

“Some help would be nice though. We don’t even know where to begin look-”

“I’m sorry commander, Lergot out.”

Q looked like he was on fire, “What kind of official cuts off the person responsible for helping him end this war?”

Citon turned around, “Welcome to the club, Commander.”

“Melhall, Citon, with me in the ready room, now,” said Q, striding over to the side room.
Melhall and Citon got up to follow him through the doors.

When they were alone, Q turned to them and said, “Ok what do you two think.”

Melhall spoke up first, “Sir, first, I think he’s hiding something. If they’re so under-funded and unorganized how did they get into one of the most heavily guarded military bases on the planet.”

“I agree sir, he seems to hiding something very important.”

Just then over the comm system came Ensign Hale’s voice, “Commander, Lieutenant Dexter is reporting in from the surface.”

“Thank you ensign. Please patch it through to the ready room.”

Dexter’s face replaced the blank view screen. “Commander,” he said, “I’ve talked with the head of the compound and he told me they can’t help anymore than they already have. He said he’s under direct orders from the Vice Baron.”

“Unbelievable,” said Q as he slammed his fist on the desk, “All right Lieutenant, talk to some other people on the planet. See if they’ll lend a sympathetic hand to us.”

“Aye sir. Dexter out.”

Q turned to Citon. “Ok, Lieutenant, I want you to do an intensified scan of the entire planet, look for any power sources, I don’t care how minute they are. I want to be notified. Robert, have you figured out a plan to move us to one of the poles, without us being detected?”

Melhall nodded, “I will be able to implement it shortly. Probably by the time Commander Citon is finished with his scan.”

“Ok make sure it’s ready to go on my mark.”

The three men returned to the bridge and Commander Citon began his scan.

“Commander Q, why exactly am I looking for a power source?”

“Well, it’s like we said before, how could these under—everything rebels get into this military base so easily? My thinking is that the government is helping them out.”

Robert looked up from his console, clearly catching on to idea, “So they lure us to the planet seeking technological aid and then have these so called ‘rebels’ attack us and kidnap a Starfleet officer. Then the ‘rebels’ will ask for technology in exchange for our officer.”

Then Citon caught on as well, “Right, and so the Larans are probably thinking that they aren’t the ones who are still fighting the war. They are just defending themselves from attacks by the Parans, who say the same thing about the Larans.”

Q nodded, “Exactly. And so all those ‘rebels’ who were caught, if any actually were, weren’t lost, they were released because they’re actually working for the government of Paran.

Citon went back to his scan and Robert went back to his configurations. All Q could do now was wait to see what the scan would bring up.

 

 

After his conversation with Q, Dexter turned away from the recently placed comm unit in the small building near the missile facility, where the security team was assembling a location headquarters. As he turned, he saw the work going on around him. He walked a few paces and the opening at the front of the building revealed Dexter to the blinding sunshine. He looked around the war-decimated location. Security teams were working everywhere, building huts and facilities. The location was a hybrid of barren desert and destroyed Paran buildings merged with Federation temporary construction. The contrast between the Paran brickwork and the Federation’s hard, cold metal construction was startling.

An ensign approached Dexter from the building he had just emerged from carrying several cases containing high-grade weapons,

“Where do you want these sir?”

Dexter turned to the Ensign. “In the security hut Mr. Bailey. If those rebels come back, I don’t want them finding those things!”

As the ensign made for the hut, laden with cases, Dexter returned to the view.
Biting his lip, he looked over to a group of four officers who were standing far off in the distance.

 Dexter tapped his comm badge. “Dexter to Johnson.”

One of the bodies in the distance appeared to look over to Dexter. “Yes sir?” replied Johnson, his voice seemed eager, but it was laced with military discipline. He was a new officer and full of enthusiasm, even in such circumstances.

 “We have orders to continue questioning locals. Everyone we can find who was present during the attack, anyone that was near the event, hell anyone you can find, just try to get some answers.” Dexter looked over at a group of workers by the missile facility that were being kept watch by Lone Wolf security.

Johnson replied, “Sir... Yes, sir. When shall we start releasing witnesses?”

Dexter paused briefly, having a moral and professional dilemma. He knew the conditions were not correct for the witnesses and yet…

 Dexter answered, “I’ll give the word when to release them, but not yet, they’re the only sources of information we’ve got. Dexter out.”

 

 

 

Rynn was breathing heavily from the pain. For now it had subsided and she got her first decent look at her surroundings. The room she was in was surrounded by rock, like a cave of some sort. She remembered hearing her own screams echoing so she must be in some sort of tunnel system. There was water dripping somewhere and the air was cool and there seemed to be no airflow coming from any direction, indicating she was probably underground.

Suddenly a voice came from the darkness, “You are going to tell us what we want to know, Starfleet. If you don’t the only thing your friends will have returned to them is a corpse.”
Rynn’s eyes grew in fear as the pain began to wash all over her body again. She screamed in terror...

 

 

 

Chapter 10

 

 

Gerian decided to trust these aliens for now. Somehow he felt that these two women were telling the truth and that they hadn’t come to destroy him or his people. Yet he could also feel that the men, although they weren’t holding their weapons openly, would be ready to fight within seconds if they had a reason to and he had to keep an eye on them.

“All right,” he said. “This region’s group leaders meet not too far away from here. I will bring you there and we can discuss matters there. But don’t intend to do anything foolish. You are being watched,” he added, looking at the security officers.

The security officers took a look around and could see shadows moving behind the ruins of destroyed buildings. Although they didn’t see people, they knew they were there.

Suddenly a young man came up to Gerian. He whispered, but T’Shael, with her good ears could still hear him. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” he said silently to Gerian. “I don’t think he would be very happy about it.”

“For some reason, I trust them,” Gerian whispered back.

“Well I don’t. And I don’t think you should either,” the young man hissed and turned to leave.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a building that was more or less intact yet. Gerian signaled the security officers to stay out.

“I need Lieutenant Shaw though,” T’Shael said. “He has important information about the war to share with you.”

“All right, he can come,” Gerian said. “But the others will wait out here.”

T’Shael motioned for them to stay, and she, Counselor Sorrow and Lieutenant Shaw entered. They were led to a table where several men and women were sitting, who seemed to have a certain air of authority. T’Shael was sure they were those Laran group leaders Gerian had spoken of. The captain, Lieutenant Shaw and the Counselor were offered chairs and they sat down with the group leaders.

“Where should we begin?” Gerian asked.

“Why don’t you tell us what you know about what the Parans have done to your people and your planet?” T’Shael suggested. “We need to get a clear image on both sides of the story. What the Parans have told us doesn’t seem to fit with what we saw here.”

“All right,” Gerian said, stepping up to speak for all the leaders. It seemed like he had a highly recognized position here. T’Shael wasn’t surprised. She respected him almost from the moment she had met him. He didn’t seem nervous to talk to strangers and he had a talent for diplomacy.

“About a hundred years ago, our planet was strong, reaching for the stars. We were able to get in contact with the people on our neighbor planet Paran. At first it seemed like we could live in friendship, but something went wrong. All this I only know from stories, for no one from that time has survived the Great War to live today. At least none that we know of.”

“Do you know what it was that started the war?” T’Shael asked.

“No,” Gerian replied. “This information hasn’t been passed down. But the war that was started was disastrous. Most of our planet was destroyed by the rocks that are brighter than the sun. Many of our people died. Only because of the Protector were we able to survive.”

“The Protector?” T’Shael asked curiously. “Is he some kind of god?”

“If you mean by god that he created our planet, then no. The Protector was created by our great hero, Laro. He had a great mind. Only thanks to him were we able to keep our planet from complete destruction.”

T’Shael glanced to over to the Counselor and Shaw. Was it possible that this Laro had created an artificial intelligence that controlled the Laran weapons?

“Is this Laro still here?” T’Shael asked.

“No. He left the planet to talk to the Parans. He never came back. But he left us the Protector so we would stay safe from more rocks. Now that the Parans can’t attack us anymore we thought they sent you to destroy us.”

“The Parans asked us to come here because they seek peace, although, I also have reason to doubt this now. My first officer has been kidnapped on Paran, and it is well possible that they are trying to use her to bring us to do damage to you. They were telling us your people started the war, and you were the main aggressor. Their planet has also been destroyed by the rocks brighter than the sun!”

“But we don’t have any and we didn’t send any. Maybe our ancestors did, but a lot of their knowledge and achievements have been lost.”

“What about the Protector? If he is able to protect you from the rocks, wouldn’t it be possible that he still has rocks to do damage to Paran? When we arrived in orbit of your planet, we were attacked by such weapons and I must assume that this attack was lead by the Protector.”

“I refuse to believe this!” Gerian said, and the other group leaders looked shocked too. They hadn’t seemed to be aware that their planet was involved as an aggressor in the war too. They had only seen themselves as victims.

“I don’t believe it either,” the younger man who had spoken to Gerian before said loudly. “The Protector has always been good to us. These strangers have no right to say he is evil.”

“We aren’t saying he’s evil. We don’t know enough about him. All we are saying is that Paran also was attacked, and not only in the past, but also in the near future. We have seen the diseases and damage the rocks brought!” T’Shael said. “We would like to talk to the Protector! We need know what he does.”

“No one has talked to the Protector,” Gerian said. “We don’t even know how we would be able to talk to him. He isn’t like a person.”

“I think we would be able to find out,” T’Shael said. “Will you bring us to him?”

“All right,” Gerian said, hesitating a bit. Although he didn’t want to believe what these strangers had told him, he was also curious for the truth. And he was curious to see if it was possible to speak to what had been something like a god to them for the last century.

“No. They cannot,” the younger man said. “They have no right!”

“They do,” Gerian said angrily. “Would you have us labeled as killers as well?”

“Those Parans did this to us, they deserve the same,” he replied.

“No one deserves this fate. I’m the one who decides here, and I will bring them there. Gerian turned to the Lone Wolf crew. “Come, it isn’t far. It is the tower in the center of the city. But there you will have to see what you will do yourself. I can’t guarantee anything!”
T’Shael nodded and they stood up and started walking into the direction where the Protector was supposed to be.

 

 

 

As the group walked to where the Protector was located, Caring quietly questioned Gerian out of curiosity. “Gerian, would there be someone who is keeping a history of your world now?”

Gerian replied, “Well, there is Jabalda. He writes on paper, but I’ve never asked what he is writing.”

“Where would this Jabalda live?” Caring asked.

“He lives on the other side just inside the safe area,” Gerian answered.

“Would you be able to have him come to us or one of us brought to him?” Caring continued.

Gerian looked at Caring somewhat perplexed. “Jabalda is not friendly. He doesn’t like people around and he will not like strangers at all.”

“That may be true, but I would like to try and talk to him,” Caring insisted. She turned to T’Shael. “Captain, I would like to talk to this Jabalda, he sounds like an interesting person to know.”

“Yes, it would be good if we could find out the Laran’s side of the story. Gerian, do you think he would come here to meet us?”

“I highly doubt it Captain T’Shael,” Gerian replied, addressing her formally for the first time. “He likes to stay in his home, and he won’t come here for some strangers.”

“If one of Gerian’s men can bring me to him that would also work as well,” Caring said.

“I am a bit concerned about your security, Counselor,” T’Shael replied. “Maybe Ensign Lewis should go with you.”

“Jabalda is a writer Captain, a history keeper,” Caring insisted. “I very much doubt that he would physically hurt me. The worst thing that could happen is that he won’t talk to me. And if I bring an armed security escort, I am quite sure he won’t talk!”

Captain T’Shael hesitated. She didn’t want one of her crewmembers to wander off alone on a strange planet. “And what if you are attacked on the way there? You saw that not all Laran’s here are friendly towards strangers, and they have good reason not to be!”

“Excuse me Captain,” Gerian said. “If one of my men is with her, no one will attack her. I guarantee that!”

“I see there is no way to get you off this idea Counselor,” T’Shael said with a faint smile. As captain she was responsible for the security of her crew, but when she had been younger, she had also been the one determined to take risks in order to help. And still, she preferred to lead the away teams herself instead of staying on the ship. She could fully understand the counselor and so she would not keep her back. “Good luck Counselor. I’m sure if anyone can get him to talk, then it is you. Meanwhile, we will take a look at this Protector. Report your status over comm every hour. Gerian, who will you send with her?”

“Rashar here,” he said, pointing at a young man who looked trustworthy. “He will make sure that nothing happens to your friend.”

“Thank you,” Caring and T’Shael said simultaneously and the Counselor and Rashar wandered off in a different direction.

Gerian, T’Shael and her security team kept heading towards the tower where the Protector was located. They could now see it more visibly. It was a big, metal tower that loomed over the ruins of the buildings around it. T’Shael could feel the Larans getting more hesitant. Usually they didn’t go into this area of the city. Only their curiosity of the strangers possibly being able to talk to their quasi-god kept them going. Soon they stood in front of the huge monument that made them look insignificant. Taking her tricorder, T’Shael started scanning the tower, but the sensors didn’t seem to manage to get through walls, that consisted of something similar to duranium. Suddenly she heard Lieutenant Shaw call her name.

“Captain T’Shael,” he said. “I think I have found something that resembles a door.”

There was a small crack going through the metal, up to about three meters height and the assumption that it was something like an entrance was obvious.

“All right,” T’Shael said. “Now the question is, how do we get in?”

The group of Starfleet officers and Larans stood at the base of the massive structure, confronted by what appeared to be a door.

Shaw looked at readings from his tricorder. “There appears to be electrical activity inside the structure.” T’Shael and Shaw looked at each other. It was strange that there should be electrical activity here; most sources of power had been destroyed during the war. The Larans also looked confused by this finding

T’Shael began to speak to Shaw, “Well, the only way to find out what’s going on in there is to find a way past this door. How do you propose we do so?”

Shaw looked back at the door, his expression a mix of a frown and a grin. He closed his tricorder and approached Gerian, who frowned at Shaw. Neither trusted the other and it showed.
Shaw looked at Gerian, who stood even taller than Shaw. He looked right into Gerian’s eyes and saw the slightly frightened look trying to be hidden and spoke to Gerian in a calm tone.

“I’m going to need one of the weapons we brought.” The security team had handed their phasers into the Larans before the meeting earlier.

Gerian replied, “And why would you want that?”

“If we’re going to get inside, I’m going to need one,” Shaw replied. After a slight pause, Shaw continued, “Yes or no?”

Shaw maintained eye contact with Gerian, who turned to one of his men. “Ryjah, one, of their weapons.”

The young man approached Gerian and handed one of the phasers over to him. Gerian looked at the weapon and then back at Shaw. Reservedly, he offered the weapon to Shaw, who briskly took it and removed the power cell. Within a few seconds, Gerian had the weapon back.

Shaw approached the door holding the power cell and knelt down next to it. He altered some settings on his tricorder and began scanning the rim of the door. Once the tricorder made a slight piercing noise, Shaw placed it on the floor, looked to Ensign Jones, and requested his comm badge. The ensign reluctantly agreed and passed it to Shaw who then broke it apart and used some small wires from inside to connect the power cell to the door’s frame; the door opened immediately

Shaw smiled slightly and picked up the equipment he had been using, and passed the remains of Jones’ comm badge back to its owner.

“Sorry about that!” Shaw said. Then he looked to the rest of the group and gestured to the open door, “Shall we?”

Looking through the doorway, there was a long corridor, along the walls of which cylindrical tubes about a meter diameter could be seen at regular intervals glowing blue light for the whole length. Shaw and T’Shael looked at each other, then back at the Laran group who appeared intimidated. It was clear that they would go no further, so T’Shael led the way into the structure followed by Shaw, Lewis and Jones.

Shaw turned to Jones. “Ensign, you stay here and make sure this door doesn’t close behind us.”

The young ensign stood by the door as the three continued on down the corridor.
At the end of the hallway, the group found a set of spiral stairs and they began to climb them. The stairs circled a massive cylindrical structure that seemed to run up to the heart of the Protector structure. It was quite dark inside the structure, with only slight illumination coming from small lights and more blue cylinders. The metal stairways creaked under the officers. Though it wasn’t excessive, all their nerves were on edge.

Eventually, they came across an upper floor where there appeared to be an opening into the central part of the structure. It was too dark to see inside and there were barely any sensor readings available to note. T’Shael looked into the doorway, raised an eyebrow, and proceeded to enter. Shaw and Lewis made to follow her, but were prevented from doing so by a door lowering in their path. T’Shael heard it lowering and looked back at Shaw before the door closed fully.

Outside, Shaw and Lewis were both standing against the door.

Shaw looked at his companion. “Right, you go down and I’ll go up. One of us will have to find where this thing’s controlled. If you find it, tell me immediately.” Shaw’s tone seemed stressed and the two officers split and began running in different directions up and down the spiral stairs around the cylinder where T’Shael was now trapped.

Inside, T’Shael couldn’t see in the complete darkness. She fumbled around by touch and eventually bumped into a barrier. At that point, bright lights activated and the captain took in her new surroundings. She was in a vast hollow tube of some sort. Below the platform was a sheer drop, the bottom of which was too far to see. She could hardly believe her eyes when she looked towards the center of the structure. There, towering above her and taking up most of the available space inside was an unbelievably tall missile. Then, it dawned upon her; this structure, this Protector was just a huge missile silo.

           

 

 

Caring and Rashar reached the outskirts of the village where Jabalda’s dwelling was located. As they approached a voice yelled out to them “I do not know one of you, leave!”

“Jabalda, I am Rashar,”

“I know who you are but not the woman, leave.”

“Jabalda, my name is Caring. I would like to be your friend. I have been told you have good stories to tell, I would like to hear them.”

 “I only tell my stories to friends, I do not know you, Caring,” Jabalda replied.

“Jabalda, my people have more then one name, my second name is Sorrow. To my people, sorrow means sad, so my second name is accurate for me when you say you don’t want to be my friend. That makes me sad,” Caring was reaching for anything to get Jabalda to consider her a friend. “And my people are here to help your people, if we can, but we need your stories to help us. Do you have any stories about the Protector you could tell me?”

Jabalda was still wary of Caring but continued to talk to her. “I may have stories about the Protector, but I am not sure I should tell you them.”

“I can understand that. I have stories about my ‘protector’ that I don’t like to tell people, but sometimes I do if it helps them. Would you like me to tell you one?” Caring said.

“No, I only like to hear my stories. You can come in and I will tell you one.”

Caring smiled. “Jabalda, I am happy you will tell me a story. Will it be about the Protector?

Jabalda shook his head, “All my stories are about the Protector. Let me tell you the story about the cylindrical.”

“I can’t wait. What is the cylindrical?”

“It is the answer to all questions. Let me show it to you.” Jabalda walked to a chest and pulled out a small cylinder on a chain. Caring recognized it from her studies of nuclear weapons; it was a key.

Caring whispered to Rashar, “We need that cylindrical, it may be a key to the Protector.”

Just then Jabalda turned and began his story. “Long ago, a man by the name of Laro looked to the skies and told the people that they could reach them. So the people began to build great ships and Laro began to build the Protector. As the people began to reach the stars, they met others like them. They called themselves the Parans. They too had reached the stars with great flying ships, but their ships were greater and the Parans threw rocks brighter then the sun at the people’s ships and destroyed them. Then the Parans threw the big rocks at the people’s world and started to destroy the world, but the Protector lit up the skies and threw cylinders at the Paran. But still the world was damaged bad and the Protector could only stop so many rocks with his cylinders. This cylindrical is a remembering of that time and I cherish it and remember when I see it. I was very small but I remember.”

As Jabalda finished his story, there were tears slowly falling down his face. Listening to his story and watching him tell it brought visions of the time to Caring’s mind, which made her very sad to see it. “Jabalda, could I borrow your cylindrical for a short time? My people may be able to use it to help the Protector protect the people. I will guard the remembrance with my life and return it after all is done.”

Jabalda replied, “If it will help the Protector, then I will let you take it. I trust it to you friend Caring, be kind to it.” Jabalda handed the cylinder to Caring still with tears in his eyes.

“Thank you friend Jabalda. I will take good care of it and return later to hear more stories, happy ones, I hope. Good bye.”

As Rashar and Caring left the dwelling, Caring touched her comm badge and got absolute silence. She and Rashar began to run.

 

 

 

Chapter 11

 

 

Finally things began to clear up in T’Shael’s mind. So it was the Protector that had continued the war after the knowledge of nuclear weapons had been lost on Laran. She didn’t know if she should be thankful for the fact that this way they had at least been saved from complete destruction; the orbiter defense system had sure saved them. On the other hand, through this, the war had continued, without the population of Laran knowing that they were destroying their neighbors. Maybe, if they managed to shut the Protector down and convince the Parans that the Larans weren’t a threat anymore, the war would finally be over. But then again, if they shut it down, and the Parans used the situation to end the war in their way, her mission would have failed. And after Rynn being kidnapped, she guessed the Parans were definitely capable of doing such a thing. Whatever she did, there was a possibility that the war would end fatally for one of the worlds.

This thing had to be operated from somewhere, T’Shael thought. She started searching for something that might look like a central computer core. She also needed some way of informing Lieutenant Shaw of what she had found.

She reached up for her comm badge. “Captain T’Shael to Lieutenant Shaw.” All she heard from her communicator was static. She guessed that the central core here was shielded from communications to the outside. This also meant that they wouldn’t be able to access this core from the shuttle or the Lone Wolf. She would have to shut it down from here. In the meantime, she had to find someway of getting that door open.

Moving away from the middle of the silo, she searched the walls around the platform for something that would resemble a computer console. Finally, she found some blinking plates that she guessed were a computer interface. She scanned it with her tricorder and below the plate she registered cables. Touching a few buttons carefully she tried to get access. But suddenly a power surge hit her and threw her back. She managed to hang on to a pole that stopped her from falling down into the sheer, bottomless hole.

Breathing heavily, she pulled herself back on her feet. “So you don’t like me, do you?” she said, mumbling to herself. When she got an answer she was stunned.

“Strange life signature. Access denied!” a mechanical voice said.

“Oh you even talk!” she said, hoping for another answer.

“I have been given vocal subroutines,” the computer answered her.

“Who are you?” T’Shael asked.

“I am the Protector.”

“Who are you protecting?”

“My people.”

“What do they need protection from?” T’Shael felt like she was cross examining a witness, but it didn’t seem to mind.

“The outside,” came the response.

“And have you been able to protect them?”

“Yes. Protection succeeded.”

“Then will you now stop protection?”

“Negative. They still need protection.”

Now that would have been too easy, T’Shael thought. But at least he was talking. Maybe there was something she could achieve through this, now that she couldn’t access the computer.

“Are you sure? What if I tell you the war has ended?”

“Not enough information to calculate.”

“Great,” she said to herself sarcastically. “What if I give you information?”

“Strange life signature. Access denied.”

T’Shael sighed. She guessed that this would take some time…

“Detecting more strange life signature in this place, starting self protection system.”

“No!” T’Shael cried. “My people are no threat to you! Let us talk first.”

The monotone voice continued. “Not enough information to calculate. Starting self protection system.”

 

 

 

Shaw had almost reached the top of the spiral staircase inside the Protector. The captain had been trapped for the past five minutes. He had tried to contact her with his comm badge, only to hear static. Of course, this didn’t surprise Shaw; communicators never seemed to work when there was an actual need to use them.

Once Simon reached the top of the Protector, at least, as far as the stairs went, he saw the first door since the door that had trapped T’Shael. It led into a room that appeared to be the control room he had been looking for. He tapped his comm badge to inform Ensign Lewis of his discovery, again to be met only by static. He appeared to have forgotten and a sarcastic grin appeared momentarily.

Shaw began to look over some of the consoles. He soon realized, however, that there wasn’t a chance he was going to be able to understand the ancient Laran writing on the screens. It had long ago become clear that this Protector was not created by today’s Larans, but by the more advanced culture before the war took its toll.

Shaw was looking over the consoles that filled the room and then stopped when he recognized a diagram that pointed out what this Protector indeed was. He stared, in a mixture of horror and shock as he began to comprehend with what he was looking at. Shaw recognized missile silos when he saw them. Then, Simon was attracted to one console in particular, which had chirped some weak electronic sound. Displayed on the screen was a diagram. A structure. It appeared to be the Protector itself. Inside the diagram, a red light was flashing, except for the internal cylinder the Captain had been trapped inside of. There was a large piece of illegible Laran text, though it didn’t take much to figure out what that was at this point.

He heard faint noises from below and left the room to look through the mesh stairs below. He saw the blue cylinders that ran up the outside wall, rupturing from the ground up. Cracks began to appear in the cylinder by which he was standing. Shaw looked down again. The rupturing chambers appeared to be venting some sort of blue energy. He didn’t have the time or the expertise to work out what it was. There was no way he was going to be able to get back the way he had come.

Seeing no way out, he went back into the control room. Shaw looked back through the doorway. He had nowhere to go. The cylinders immediately outside the doorway ruptured, immediately, the blue energy surged from it, flooding the area. Within an instant it hit Shaw, sending him flying back. As he took a fearful breath, everything began to black out.

 

 

 

Rynn was doing all she could to not completely look at herself in all the pictures that were being displayed in front of her: images of death, pain, and horrible terror; things that were done to men and women alike; things Rynn had worked hard at trying to forget.

They had drugged her so she only knew what she saw in front of her. She heard a loud white noise. She didn’t know if that came from her mind, or if it was being played deliberately. Because of this, she didn’t know what was going on out side of the small, enclosed cocoon of monitors.

Then time stopped for her. She didn’t know if it was hours or days. She only knew that it felt like forever. There had been a few times when she had fallen asleep, but that didn’t stop them, though. They just opened her eyes and forced her to watch. They kept injecting her with some drug that made her feel disorientated and unfocused. She couldn’t keep her mind on anything. It was as if there was absolutely nothing to think about except for the monitors directly in front of her and all around her. She was tired. Her arms hurt from the old needles. She had bruises up and down her arms from where they would grab her to inject her.

The only thing she knew was that she couldn’t give in. A Starfleet officer never gave in.

But they can’t find you, said a little voice in her head. You are Bajoran scum. They don’t care about you. Can’t you get that through your head? Starfleet isn’t about helping others. It is about getting all they can without paying too much of a price for it. Except in cases where certain officers are expendable. Face it. You are a failure. You cause chaos wherever you go. You let those people get killed. All those people died, people that loved you. You even let the man you were going to get bonded to die. And it was all for Starfleet. And where did it get you? You’re all alone. Court marshaled, with a reprimand on your record. No family. Nothing. No one cares for you. No one. Not now, not ever. Rynn stared at the monitors slowly sucking the life out of her.

 

 

 

Shaw was in complete darkness. For a few moments he could hear the beating of his own heart. No other sound, no sensation, just the darkness. He felt the darkness was somehow rescuing him from death in the Protector.

Suddenly, Shaw’s senses jolted him back to life. He hit the ground with a loud thud. After a few moments he regained semi-normal function and surveyed his surroundings while still lying on the floor…of the desert. He was lying on the dusty desert floor, below the blinding sun. After the glare had lessened in effect, he looked over the horizon and noticed the extreme distance of the Protector. It was at least three kilometers away. Simon stood, gained some balance, and began to walk towards it.

Shaw lost track of the time he had been walking because he was trying to keep his mind off the exhaustion he was feeling and focused on what he was going to do once he got back to the Protector. His captain was still trapped inside, unless she had “transported” in the pulse as well. Their FO was missing, and he had no way of knowing what was going on on Paran. Night was beginning to fall in the desert, and on the faintly blue horizon, Shaw noticed two figures, also hurrying toward the city. He soon recognized them as Counselor Sorrow and one of Gerian’s men, who were returning from their meeting with the writer, Jabalda. Their paths soon merged.

Sorrow looked over to Shaw. “I thought you were trying to get to the Protector, How did you end up out here?”

Shaw looked straight ahead at the Protector that was getting ever closer, and replied, “Long story.” He looked at her, “Did you learn anything from the writer?”

Sorrow produced the “cylinder” she had received from Jabalda. “This is apparently a key to the Protector. It might shut the whole thing down.” She offered it to Shaw, who took it and examined the small metallic object closely. Finally, they had some sort of plan. Sorrow continued, “Where’s the Captain?”

Shaw pointed up towards the Protector they had almost reached. “As far as I know, she’s still in there.”

Sorrow appeared confused. “As far as you know?” She now began to realize that their mission had not gone as well as they had hoped.

The two officers and their escort rejoined with Gerian and his men. Gerian glared at Shaw, surprised to see him come from the desert. Their level of mistrust had just risen. Shaw began to explain to everyone in the group what had happened, but thought it would be best to leave out their plans to shut down the Protector until it was absolutely necessary. They were two officers and such news may not go down well.

Shaw and Sorrow split off from the Larans and Shaw began to speak quietly to Caring,
“First we need to get the Captain back. She was trapped inside the central part of the Protector, from what I could tell from displays. She should still be in there, but I can’t be sure. Then, we can try and work out how to shut that thing down with this key of yours. Hopefully we can achieve both in one go.”

Sorrow nodded, and the two returned to Gerian’s group.

 

 

 

Rynn was just staring at the monitors. Not really looking at them, though. She just had a blank look on her face. A man with black shoulder length hair and gray temples raised the monitors. He stared at her and she stared back at him, not really seeing him, but she knew that he was there.

“What is your mission?” The man asked.

Rynn sat in the cold metal chair and didn’t move. She didn’t even blink.

The man leaned close and hit her in the jaw with a clenched fist. “What is your mission!?” He asked again, more forcefully this time.

Rynn’s glazed look slightly subsided, but she still didn’t move.

“You’re proving to be more trouble than you’re worth,” said the man when she didn’t answer. The man paced around angrily.

Rynn looked down and saw what appeared to be a shiny metal object. Was it the communicator? She couldn’t really see. Her eyes were hurting so much. She lightly placed her foot over it.

The man nodded over to some other men. They unlocked her, removed her from the chair and forced her up out of the chair so fast she accidentally smashed the communicator. She knew now that there was no hope of being rescued. They stood her up against a wall, strapping her to some cuffs that were inlaid in the concrete wall.

The man slowly began walking around, back and forth, muttering to himself. “I can’t get things done if you don’t do what I tell you. You will go and kill the leader,” He said to her finally, stopping to look at her.

 Rynn for some reason remembered, kill the leader. She couldn’t stop the thought. She didn’t have the strength to try and stop it.

The man walked up to her. “What is your mission?” When she didn’t answer he backhanded her and cut her right cheek open with some type of ring that he was wearing.

Rynn’s head bounced against the concrete wall. She then leaned forward. The man raised her head up, looked her in the eyes. What he saw should’ve scared him because the hate and revenge clearly showed through.

“Ah! I see we are finally getting somewhere.”

“I won’t do anything you ask me to,” came a female voice. She knew that voice. It sounded so familiar. ‘You better do as they say,’ came another voice from deep within her. “I am a Starfleet offi-”

The man punched her in the solar plexus and then hit her with an uppercut that made her lip bleed.

She spit out some blood and slightly raising her head, she looked at the man and grinned. “When I get out of here I will kill you.” These were the last words she said before the man started beating her in the face causing her head to slam against the wall again and again, right before she passed out.

“Let’s get her to the machine,” said the man, holding his hand. “Damn she has a hard jaw,” he muttered to himself.

Then, two men released her and picked her up. They lay her on a metal bed where they placed a device over her head covered with dozens of wires.

“Turn it on,” came the command.

Rynn’s body began to jerk in spasms.

 

Chapter 12

 

 

Commander Q was at the back of the bridge, monitoring engineering while Commanders Citon and Melhall were at their respective positions working diligently. Citon was looking for power sources on the planet’s surface that might hide a rebel base and Melhall was devising a way to move the Lone Wolf without the Parans detecting them and trying to find a place where they couldn’t be detected.

On the Science II station, the ship’s sensors detected a minute jump in power readings. Q noticed it but didn’t think anything of it. With the radiation coming off the planet’s surface it was normal, he thought.

Just then Citon finished up his scan. “Commander, I’m done with my scan. I’ve found multiple power sources on the two main continents. But what’s inside those power sources, I don’t know. Our sensors cannot penetrate the area surrounding it.”

Q walked down to the front of the bridge. “How can a species with only nuclear power create a power source that is impenetrable to our sensors?”

Citon turned around in his chair. “I’m not sure, sir. Normally I’d say it was radiation but there is no evidence of the source having any radiation.”

Q walked over to the dedication plaque thinking about where he would hide a valuable hostage if he were a rebel. After drawing a blank, he wondered if there was anyway Rynn could attract the ship’s attention. Just then, it occurred to him. The power spike from the planet’s surface! He bolted back to the Science station and immediately called up the readings for the past ten minutes. Citon joined him shortly thereafter.

“Sander, what do you think that could be?” Q said pointing to the image now frozen on the screen.

“It could be any number of things, sir. Radiation spike, an explosive detonated. Why?”

“Could it have been a Starfleet communicator being overloaded?”

Citon thought for a moment. “Yeah, that’s a possibility too.”

Then Robert piped up. “Commander, I’ve finished with the modifications I need to move the ship undetected by Paran sensors.”

“Wonderful Robert. Move us out anytime.”

“Aye, sir,” said Robert as he keyed in the course. “Course set. Engaging maneuvering thrusters...now.”

The great starship rolled on its horizontal axis and turned to point directly at the planet.

“I’m now venting ion gas from the warp nacelles. It should mask our signal.”

“Where exactly are we headed, Robert?” Q asked curiously.

“Why sir! We’re headed for the largest concentration of magnetic interference on the planet. The north pole of course.”

“Ah of course,” said Q, and then he turned to Citon, “Commander, can you scan the surface and pinpoint where this surge came from?”

“I won’t be able to pinpoint it exactly sir. Because of the power sources’ interference, I won’t be able to get an exact lock on it. It’ll be a rough guess. I could probably tell you on which continent it came from. Maybe which region too, but I’m not positive.”

“Do it,” said Q.

“Aye, aye, sir,” said Sander as he walked back to his console.

The three ranking officers on the bridge went back to work silently. The waiting game was now in effect once again.

 

Rynn heard voices but couldn’t open her eyes. In fact, she couldn’t feel anything.

“The skin graft has been completed,” said a voice.

 “What about the vocal resonator?”

She knew that voice. She couldn’t place it, though.

“It was hard. Her physiology was difficult to manipulate for the ones we have,” said the first voice again.

“And the DNA Re-sequencing?”

The other voice hesitated slightly. “It matches to a .0025 variance. Her own DNA is trying to re-map itself.”

The other voice let out a low growl. “We don’t have time. They are already getting near to the central computer. Will she match it? Will she be able to complete the mission?” said the man again.

“I don’t know.”

The man in the dark hair walked over to the other man. “Don’t lie to me,” he said and grabbed him by the throat.

Rynn let out a slight moan and tried to open her eyes. Where was she? She didn’t know who she was, even. Just one thought kept popping up in her mind as she tried to remember who she was. Destroy the leader.

The man in the black hair looked at her and said. “What is your mission?”

She repeated the only thought in her mind. “Destroy the leader.” She looked up to the ceiling. ‘Nooooo!’ screamed a small voice in her head. But Rynn put that voice in a closed box deep within her mind

“Let her up,” The man said. The other man looked nervous to her.

Why was he afraid? she asked herself.

He had cuts on his face and gray hair. He looked old. He almost looked sad. When they released her she sat up and saw a bunch of guards looking at her.

‘Ruuuuuuunnn!!’ said that darn voice. ‘Destroy the mechanical leader,’ said another voice in her head.

“You have been very useful,” the one with gray hair said and it cost him a hit in the stomach. Rynn only looked ahead. The older man fell to the floor and the man in the black hair took Rynn to a set of spiral stairs that led beneath the ground. Rynn only followed while two other guards watched her from behind. It was pitch dark and only a few lights shown.

The man slid open a door and shoved Rynn inside. Instantly the door closed and the room lit up. She stopped and looked at the room and walked over to a round circle and stepped on it.

“Signature accepted,” said the computer’s voice and a few seconds later the whole place lit up and Rynn disappeared. When she reappeared, she was in the same type of place only the lighting was different.

‘Destroy the mechanical leader,’ said the voice. ‘Noooooo!! It will kill everyone,’ said another voice.

“Rynn how did you get here?” said a new voice. “Never mind we have to stop this thing. Give me a hand,” said her Captain. T’Shael. When Rynn didn’t answer her, she got to looking Rynn over. “What happened to you? Are you ok?”

Help me, Captain…I’m her…Please stop me. Rynn’s mind screamed. She shook her head and got a bit dizzy. When T’Shael went to help her, Rynn stood straight up and headed toward a back wall that was clear. When she started to pass the captain, she put her hand on hers and looked her in the eyes, pleadingly.

 

 

 

Q headed back to his chair from where he was attempting to coordinate a rescue operation for Commander Rynn. It was not going well, and the only lead they had was a sensor blip, which could’ve been anything.

“I think I have something,” Commander Citon called out.

“What is it?” Q and Melhall said simultaneously.

“I’ve located the source of this signal. I can narrow it down to an area of about one square kilometer on the southern hemisphere. I believe that is where they brought Rynn.

“You believe?” Q asked. “How sure are you about this?”

“Not one hundred percent, sir. But it’s the only thing we’ve got!”

“All right,” Q said, and Melhall nodded too.

“Setting course!” Robert said. Slowly the starship turned and set out for the southern hemisphere.

“Can you detect any Bajoran life signs in that area, Sander?” Melhall asked.

“No,” he shook his head, “but it could be shielded. Looks like some sort of military base in that area, they could have her life signs disguised.”

Or she could be dead, Melhall thought to himself, but then remembering Rynn’s resolve and stubborn attitude, he pushed that thought away again immediately.”

“Ok that’s where she must be,” Q said, “Q to Dr. Jones. We have localized the place where Rynn is being held. We will need you to go down with us. Rynn might need medical help. Prepare everything, then come to the bridge.”

“Aye Sir,” came the reply from sickbay.

“All right people. Now we need a plan,” Q said. “I’m open for suggestions.”

 

 

 

T’Shael’s mind was full of questions about the sudden appearance of Rynn. Had her crew found Rynn and brought her here? Was the Lone Wolf in an orbit around Laran now? But something seemed to be wrong with her. Had the kidnappers somehow mentally tortured her? But why was she here then, not in sickbay? Nothing seemed to make sense.

Then suddenly Rynn placed a hand on T’Shael’s and although the captain was only half-Vulcan, she was still a touch-telepath. Suddenly thoughts of Rynn found their way into T’Shael’s head, and they were in complete chaos. ‘Destroy the leader…No…Destroy the leader…Stop me…I have to destroy him!’ It was like two personalities were inside Natala’s head; one of them was weak, more an echo in the background, the other one stronger, somehow not Rynn, but still it was her. Then suddenly Rynn pulled her hand away and struggled over to the user interface. T’Shael already wanted to yell no, because she expected the Protector to stop Rynn with an energy surge as well. But nothing happened. Rynn hit buttons feverishly and T’Shael now saw what she was doing, she was trying to start the missile inside the Protector, but without letting them out. It would blow up the whole building with them inside, and a huge part of the city would be totally destroyed.

“No,” T’Shael yelled and grabbed Rynn from behind. Rynn resisted, she was strong, but T’Shael finally managed to pull her away and push her against a wall. She took her hand and pressed it against Natala’s face. “I’m sorry Natala,” T’Shael whispered and then fully reached inside Rynn’s head with her own mind. It was a very straining thing to do. The whole chaos of Rynn’s mind now struck T’Shael. She slowly tried to focus on the weaker echo, trying to strengthen it. “Fight it Tala, I’m here to help you...Fight it!”

 

Lieutenant Shaw and Caring had made their way into the control room Shaw had been in earlier. They both began searching the panels for a place to use the key Caring had obtained.

Suddenly Shaw shouted, “Over here. I think I found the keyhole.”

Caring made her way over to where Shaw was. She looked at the controls and recognized them as pictures she had seen on the walls of the storyteller’s dwelling. “I believe that if we put the key in here and turn it this way, it will launch the missile but if you turn it this way it will disable the missile. At least I think it will if I remember all that the storyteller had told me and what I had seen in his dwelling correctly.”

“Well, I guess we can try it.” Shaw said, as he turned the key in the direction to disable the missile.

 

 

 

“Sander, have you found a way to get through that force field?” Q asked the Ops officer, who was still working behind his station.

“I should have it any minute,” Citon replied.

“Alright, as soon as you’re done, you, Melhall, Dr. Jones and a security team will beam down, I will keep you in a transporter lock in case something should go wrong,” Q said. “First priority is to get Commander Rynn out. We will deal with the rebels and the government’s involvement when the Captain’s team from Laran is back.”

“Sir, I’m ready,” Citon said. “We can beam through the field now.”

“All right, let’s get going,” Melhall said, and he and his team headed to the transporter room.

 

 

 

T’Shael was still fighting with Natala’s mind, when suddenly something started to happen around them. The light dimmed and they suddenly heard the voice of the Protector.

“Shutdown sequence in progress,” said the male voice of the computer.

T’Shael was puzzled, had Shaw somehow managed to escape the self-defense system and succeed in shutting it down? Rynn felt T’Shael’s momentary surprise and her altered mind took over again for that brief moment. She was able to pull herself out of the captain’s grip and struggle over to the computer console.

“No,” she yelled, “No shut down. Destroy the leader.” With those words she started hitting the buttons for the detonation sequence of the missile.

T’Shael grabbed her again, but it was too late, the sequence was started. T’Shael closed her eyes, hoping that the shut down sequence would be faster.

After the shutdown process had begun, the command center went dead. Shaw took the key back from the “keyhole” and looked at it. “Looks like this little thing did its job. Now, for the captain; let’s see what we can do about that door.”

Shaw and Sorrow left the dead command center of the Protector, and began the journey down the stairs. Once they came to the door the captain had been lost through, they were surprised to see it open.

Sorrow looked towards it, eyebrows raised in surprise. “That looks ominously convenient,” she stated warily.

Shaw didn’t break eye contact with the door, “Hmm, I agree.”

The two could just about make out what was inside. The room was now lit and they didn’t like what they saw. While walking through the doorway, their fears were confirmed: at the center of the Protector was a surreal giant missile.

Sorrow looked up at it. “That thing could take out a Starbase.”

Shaw looked towards her and nodded. “Several.”

T’Shael caught their attention and called them over. They were surprised to see Rynn there, and even more so to see the captain attempting to restrain her, although the damage had already been done. The missile had been activated and the shutting down of the Protector seemed to have no effect.

T’Shael looked over to Shaw and Sorrow, “Rynn...she…activated the missile.”

Both looked puzzled, Sorrow replied, “How long do we have?”

T’Shael looked uncertain. “I have no idea.”

A faint noise emanated from the missile. Shaw looked up at it. “Not long,” he said with dismay. Then he tapped his communicator. “Shaw to Commander Q.”

Commander Q replied, “Yes Lieutenant?”

The quality of the transmission was not great, but at least he had one at all, now that the Protector had been shut down. Shaw continued, “What do you now about these Laran nukes?”

Q replied, “We had a look at a few of the Paran weapons while we were down there, probably not much difference, why?”

Shaw went on, “What do we need to do to disarm one?”

Q replied over the crackly line, “Oh hell! There should be some sort of access panel somewhere.”

Shaw looked up and down the missile, eventually noticing a panel about fifteen meters above him. He sighed and began to climb a built-in ladder running up the side of the missile.

Stopping just within reaching distance of the panel he said, “Okay?”

Q carried on with his instructions, loading a schematic on the panel in front of him. “Remove the cover and there should be several accessible systems inside,”

Shaw pulled away the outer panel after some struggling, and indeed saw the systems inside the small compartment. Not for a moment understanding any of them, Shaw dropped the panel and it fell through the gap between the missile and the platform to where the rest of the group was standing.

Q carried on, “There should be a green cylinder inside there, flashing on and off.”

Shaw noticed the small cylinder, and reached for it.

Q finished what he was saying, “Whatever you do, don’t touch that!”

Shaw raised his eyebrows and slowly moved his hand back. Just then he heard and felt shudders coming from the missile. “Q... I don’t think we have very long.”

Q now seemed to hurry his instructions, “There should right at the back be a small panel and maybe some exposed wires. The panel will have a display on it.”

Shaw looked towards the back of the compartment; he saw a display, the only display present, and reached for it. “I pull this one right?”

Q replied, “Yes, that’s the computers timer, without that it shouldn’t be able to launch.”

Shaw gripped the display, “That simple, huh?”

Q was silent to a moment. “…That simple.”

Shaw pulled the timer from the compartment and the display faded away. He remained stationary hanging onto the ladder, hoping for some sort of sign this thing was finally dead. The rest of the group looked up at him, expectantly. Instead, the thrusters at the bottom of the missile began to fire.

Shaw looked back into the compartment. “What did you say this cylinder was again?”

Q replied, “The power supply, don’t touch that!”

Shaw looked at the cylinder. The missile was beginning to shake with the power of the thrusters. He took a deep breath, grabbed the cylinder and pulled. Immediately being thrown back in a lightning like strike, he hit the wall that had been fifteen meters behind him. The cylinder flew with him and the missile calmed as the thrusters disengaged.

Shaw lay on the floor, his ears ringing, blocking out any other sound. He couldn’t get up for a moment and when he tried, he fell back down. Through the dizziness, he could just make out the group trying to talk to him, but he had no idea what they were saying.

After a few moments, Shaw regained his senses, and stood up once more. “Wow!” He said quietly, with a slightly forced smile. He picked up the small cylinder, looked at it, and then the missile, which was well and truly dead.

While Shaw was picking himself up, the captain and Caring were restraining Rynn. Caring took out a hypospray from her small medkit and injected Rynn with it. Rynn slumped over. T’Shael then attempted another mind meld.

‘Help me,’ was what T’Shael heard as she began her mind meld. The captain was growing worried now that she and Caring got Rynn sedated and she had a clearer look at the Commander. Her face was swollen from all the bruises and she had a huge cut right under her eye. She got to looking further at her First Officer and saw she had small scabs and bruises on her arms. She didn’t know, but she was sure that Rynn had some bruises on her chest and stomach as well. Before she got deep into the mind meld she gave a brief look to Caring as if to say, ‘cross your fingers.’

T’Shael stilled her mind and listened to anything Rynn’s subconscious was saying. It turned out to be difficult. The dominating persona looked like it was trying to completely erase Rynn’s persona out of existence. She was getting worried. She did what she could to pull Rynn out from the cloud of darkness. “Commander…Tala!” she said in the meld.

Rynn was sitting in a little corner deep inside a Jeffries tube. T’Shael walked up to her and looked down. The woman she knew as her FO now looked like a scared little girl. T’Shael knelt down. “Tala,” she said in a more calm voice. Nearing the child she knew was a defense to what had happened to her. “What happened here?”

Tala began to cry. T’Shael didn’t know what to do. Tala began to heave sobs and the scene changed. The child was now standing up, only behind the captain. She looked around the captain and pointed in front of her.

T’Shael saw the cavern where Tala was when she was kidnapped. She saw the chair and the people and all the medical equipment. It looked like she was in a real old time horror film. She walked up to the chair with some screens that looked like consoles and lifted them up. She saw Tala strapped down, bruised and doped up. T’Shael was part Vulcan, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit sorry for Tala.

Tala, now looking at T’Shael, with straight composure began to tell her everything. “Then, they put me on the surgical table and encoded me with someone’s DNA and thought engrams.” T’Shael looked around to see who the people were and noticed the tall man with dark hair. The child Tala grabbed T’Shael’s sleeve cuff and pointed to the older man. He had bruises on him as well. “I think he is captured too,” said the child hiding from the others.

T’Shael walked over to the old man and his face frozen in time as if he were a hologram on pause. She stared at him a few minutes and then the scene changed. It grew to a cold mist, then back to the missile silo. She saw a female that looked like Rynn only she wasn’t Bajoran. She had cold eyes and a hateful demeanor and her hair was longer than her First Officer’s.

‘What are you doing here?’ she demanded, rushing up to T’Shael. ‘You don’t belong here. Why can’t I move? What have you done to me? I have to get the missile launched to save my father.’ She grew outraged and lunged at T’Shael.

T’Shael tensed, bracing for the attack but the woman went right through her, and landed flat on her face. The woman got up and smiled, then disappeared.

Something was wrong. Everything started breaking apart. Everything started disappearing. She looked at the little girl again and noticed she was seated back where she was in her little corner, her face pale. “Help me…please.”

For some reason, T’Shael broke the meld and looked up at Caring. Rynn went into shock and stopped breathing.

 

 

Chapter 13

 

 

 

Robert slightly smiled as he made his way to the transporter room. He remembered how much he had admired Tala keeping her composure and all of her strength her trial. He hoped she hadn’t lost any of it through the years and that she was still fighting down on the planet.

He walked into the transporter room and saw the other members of the team already on the pad. There were the Ops officer, Lieutenant Commander Citon, Doctor Jimmy Jones, the temporary head of security Lieutenant Dexter and another security officer. Robert gripped his phaser rifle and headed up to the pad himself. He turned around to face the chief.

“Energize,” he said and the team disappeared in a column of shimmering blue light.

They materialized underground in an area that made up a system of caverns and tunnels. It was like an underground base! Immediately, Dexter and Ensign Meyers spread out to cover the flanking positions. Five pairs of eyes scanned the huge cavern they had beamed in to.

Robert tapped his comm badge. “Melhall to Lone Wolf.”

“What do you see Commander?” came Q’s crackly voice.

“Sir, it’s pretty dark and I don’t see any sign that there is anyone even down here.”

“Look for the Commander. She is first priority. Keep an eye out for any other prisoners. We may as well rescue as many people as we can from this place.”

“Aye, aye sir. Melhall out.” Robert turned to Citon. “Sander, scan for life forms. Let’s get in and out as quickly as possible.”

“Sir, I’m picking up multiple life forms coming from that direction. They are approximately, fifty meters away. There is no electronic equipment in the immediate vicinity and none of the signatures seem to be moving.”

“That could be the holding cells. Dexter you take the point position. Citon, you have the lock so you follow him. Doctor, you’re next. Meyers and myself will guard the rear. All right let’s move out.”

Dexter led the away team through the caverns under the Paran surface, the rest of the team following behind, phasers in hand. They knew that Rynn was being held nearby, but still, they had no idea what to expect. Dexter continued to lead on toward the life signs they had detected.

The group was surrounded by faint noises, trickling water, and wind in the tunnels: ambient noises which un-nerved them.

Eventually, the tunnels opened up into a dark cavern, held up by metal pillars. The life signs they had detected were there, countless figures in the shadows, dressed in rags, lying closely packed together, barely alive. They looked up at the away team, fearful, but too weak to move.

The away team looked back at them, wondering how all these people could end up like this.

Then, a voice emerged from the darkness. “Victims.”

The away team turned in the direction of the voice, all raising their rifles towards it.

The voice continued, “Victims…They are the price of this war. These are the people death has overlooked, left them here, to suffer.” A man began to appear from the shadows in front of the away team. A tall gray-haired man looked over the sick and dying, face full of pity. He looked toward the away team. “You can put your…‘toys’…away.”

Slowly the away team lowered their rifles, holding them at their thighs.

The man began to walk around the cavern. “No doubt you’re wondering what we’re doing here. Well, after the nuclear attacks, the surface was too dangerous. No one could survive out there.” He stopped moving, and faced the group. “So we were forced to move underground.”

Melhall approached the man slowly. “And you’re their leader?”

The man looked almost past Melhall and then thoughtfully toward the floor. “Of sorts… yes…of sorts.” He continued to pace the cavern. “These people are dying. Just look at them.”

As the away team did so, they saw the effects of radiation poisoning.

Dexter looked back the gray-haired old man. “I don’t see your sickness…I don’t trust you.”

The man smiled slightly. “Well…some might say with good reason…we represent the Agency.”

Melhall looked at him. “We?”

A taller man, with long black hair and a scarred face, emerged from the shadows. “The Paran War Agency,” he grunted.

The gray-haired man went on, “We were sent here to investigate the devastation. The government has had little to do with this area since the bombing started.” As the gray-haired man talked, the taller man put a projectile, “bullet” weapon, on some kind of oil drum.

 Melhall looked it and flashed back to the nuclear base attack after they had arrived on the planet. The weapons used were identical. He looked at the gray-haired man. “You attacked that installation. You kidnapped Rynn.”

The man’s flow was broken. He looked at the gun. “Ah…I apologize for my associate’s clumsiness. The Larans continue to attack us…even when we cease attacks. In the little communication we establish with them, they claim to not be responsible for the attacks. We located their main missile silo recently and sent an agent in to destroy it.

Melhall looked at him, as another man took their weapons from them, which they were reluctant to give up, though the situation, was hopeless; the room was slowly filling with “Agency” men. “An agent?” He asked, eyeing the man.

The man looked at Melhall, right in his eyes. “Yes, it appears your Commander Rynn was less competent than we thought…she failed in her mission.

Two men, each, were now restraining Melhall and the others. He looked at the gray-haired man, “Commander…what?”

The man continued, “Simple mind control techniques. No concern of yours.” He began to smile. “You’ll see for yourself soon enough. Though the silo was closed down without launching the intended attack at the Laran leader headquarters, there is one weapon left that is capable of such an attack…”

At this point, Vice Baron Lergot entered the cavern. Melhall recognized him from the earlier brief discussion with Commander Q.

Lergot spoke, “Sorry…it looks as though it wasn’t rebels after all!” The Vice Baron laughed and continued, “Yes…one weapon…” He slowly approached Melhall, “the Federation starship: U…S…S…Lone Wolf. And you’re going to get it for us.

A few men began to open cases of equipment, similar to that used on Rynn. Melhall was examined with a medical scanner of some sort and the gray-haired man ordered the others to be put in holding cells. The away team looked at each other, knowing they would have to act quickly if they were to escape.

 

 

 

T’Shael looked up to Caring when Rynn went into shock. “We need to stabilize her,” T’Shael said. “Her mind, it’s so…wrong. Please, Counselor, will you help me?” she asked.

The other woman didn’t hesitate and kneeled down next to the captain as they both bent over Rynn.

“Take my hand,” T’Shael commanded, and as Caring did so she then touched Natala’s face again and put Caring’s hand on the other side. Together they got back into the mind meld.
The strength of two women gave Rynn the power over her body functions again and she started to breathe. They saw the little girl in the corner again, too scared to do anything, and next to her, the tall black-haired woman who was talking furiously.

“Leave her alone,” T’Shael said determined.

‘You again,’ the woman said angrily. ‘Go away, you don’t belong here!’

“You don’t either,” Caring said calmly, which made the woman look at her.

‘Another one!’ the woman now yelled furiously. ‘Leave me alone!’

Seeing that someone was now here to help her, the little girl became more confident and she stretched out her hand. Caring stepped to her and took it, feeling the extreme confusion of the girl. But also she felt Natala’s real mind in her, although it was now expressed as a child’s, the woman’s memories and skills were still there, but they were oppressed.

T’Shael felt the bond that was formed between the girl and the counselor, and it seemed to make the tall woman less strong.

“Caring,” the captain addressed her counselor in their joined thoughts, “we need to get her back to the ship. If I leave Rynn’s mind, will you stay with her? Without anyone she might die.”

“Of course,” Caring replied. “I will look after her. Maybe I can find more parts of the real Rynn in her memory.”

“Good,” T’Shael allowed herself a smile. Then she strengthened the bond between the human and the Bajoran woman so they could stay in the meld without her aid. Then, she slowly pulled herself out of the link. Coming back into reality she blinked and saw Lieutenant Shaw, Ensign Jones, Ensign Lewis and Gerian with his men standing beside them.

“It’s time for us to go back,” she addressed all of them.

“What will become of us?” Gerian asked. “Our Protector is not functioning and we would not be able to prevent any attack from the Paran planet.”

“We will make sure there won’t be more attacks. But we will need your help, Gerian,” T’Shael replied. “Come with us to Paran, and we will finally end this bloody war forever.”

“I don’t know,” he said hesitatingly. “I’ve never been away from here. What if they won’t listen to me?”

“They will. There is absolutely no need for more war,” T’Shael said confidently.

“All right,” Gerian replied. “I will come, and Rashar will also come with me.”

“Wonderful. Lieutenant Shaw, do you think our shuttle is functioning again?”

“Yes captain, the EM-pulse will have lost its effect by now!”

“T’Shael to shuttle, eight to beam up!”

They rematerialized in the shuttle and set course for the Lone Wolf.

Once back on the shuttle, Caring began talking quietly to Rynn. “Tala, do you know who I am?”

‘You are a nice person. What is your name?’ the little girl answered back.

The very angry woman was visibly nervous with Caring there to protect Rynn. ‘Get away from her. You have no business being here.’

“I’m sorry you feel that way, maybe you and I should sit down and talk,” Caring replied.

‘I have nothing to say to the likes of you. Get out of here, you don’t belong here,’ the woman said.

Caring countered calmly, “I am sure you are right I don’t belong here, but I don’t believe you belong here either. Now, why don’t you leave this little girl alone, and you and I can talk things out? Let’s start with you, what do your people call you?”

The angry woman was looking a little perplexed by Caring’s calm demeanor and the counselor could tell it was lessening her hold over Rynn. Caring continued without an answer. “If you don’t want to start, then allow me to introduce myself. I answer to the name of Caring Sorrow. I am a counselor among my people, which means I listen to what people say and help them, especially if they are sad, scared or angry. Is there anything I could help you with?”

The angry woman seemed to be loosing strength and Caring could feel Rynn getting stronger. She kept talking, non-stop, hoping it would help Rynn grow stronger and the angry woman weaker. As the meld continued, she was beginning to see the angry woman was loosing her control over Rynn.

Then, she made a statement that made Caring’s blood run cold. ‘Well, we failed in this mission, but we won’t in our next.’

“Whatever do you mean?” Sorrow replied.

But as the counselor asked this question, Rynn began to grow older, more coherent “Counselor? How is it possible that you are here?”

“The captain did a mind meld and linked us together, for me to help you. Right now, I have to deal with this angry woman and find out what their plan is next,” Caring whispered to Rynn, then turned to the angry woman. “Since we have no way of leaving where we are, why don’t you tell me what the next phase will be?”

‘I guess there isn’t anything you could do about it; your trapped here just like me. We are going to get control of your ship and use it’s weapons to destroy Laran.’

Caring was horrified. Instead of stopping a war, the Federation was going to inadvertently escalate it and Caring was powerless to do anything about it. If she broke the link with Rynn, she might lose her and if she kept the link with Rynn, she couldn’t warn the captain.

Rynn could tell what Caring was thinking and leaned over to whisper in her ear, “Counselor, go ahead break the link, I am getting stronger, I can fight this woman.” “Commander, let me try something first. I will try and use my telepathy to tell the captain. Although, my telepathic abilities are limited, I’d like to try that first.” Caring replied.

“All right, counselor, do you need me to do anything?” Rynn agreed.

“Just keep angry lady occupied so she doesn’t get wind of what I am attempting, Commander.” Caring said.

Rynn smiled and nodded. “Good luck.”

Caring began to put her mind out in search of another specific mind. “Captain, can you hear my thoughts?”

T’Shael was sitting in her chair on the shuttle. She gazed out of the window into the depths of space. She was worried, mostly about Rynn, but also about the situation on Paran. Q had informed them of the situation over the ship’s comlink and she couldn’t wait to be back on board the ship, to finally get control over all of this again. Her mind wandered back to Natala. The mind-meld had brought her closer to her first officer than she had ever imagined they would be. Although they only knew each other for a few weeks, it now seemed like years. Suddenly, she thought she heard a voice, but looking around in the shuttle, she didn’t see anyone talking to her. Caring was still kneeling beside Rynn, her eyes closed and not moving. But there was the voice again, getting clearer.

‘Captain, can you hear me?’ the voice said.

Now T’Shael could determine who it was. It was definitely Caring. T’Shael stood up and sat down beside the counselor. Then she took her hand. Immediately the telepathic link grew stronger.

“Captain,” the counselor thought. “the ship is in great danger. They are planning to use the away team to takeover the ship and destroy Laran! The woman, she’s one of them.”

T’Shael looked over to that woman that had occupied Rynn’s mind. She now saw that Rynn had grown older and it relieved her. So this procedure was reversible. It seemed like the woman and Natala were fighting, and Natala slowly seemed to be taking the upper hand.

“Thanks for the warning Counselor! Take good care of Rynn, I see you have achieved a lot already. And I will do my best to save the ship.” She broke the connection and went back to her chair. Finally the shuttle was reaching the ship.

 

 

 

Melhall began to struggle against his captors. “No. Let me go. You have no right...”

“No right?” said Lergot. “We have every right to end this war in our favor. You just happen to be a bonus. Now we don’t have to harm anymore of our own people.”

“You know you’re never going to get away with this. My friends will not let you gain control of the Lone Wolf,” Robert argued as his captors placed him in a chair surrounded by at least a dozen monitors. There were what seemed to be many medical devices located on a table next to the chair. He guessed none of them would be very pleasant to experience.

“That’s why you won’t be the only one we’re going to manipulate.”

“Yeah well, good luck,” Robert sneered and then broke loose. He bolted for the exit at the far end of the room. Suddenly, he felt a prick in the back of his neck. His mind began to swim. His arms and legs began to feel very heavy. The entrance at the other side of the room seemed so far away. He hit the floor unconscious.

Lergot sighed loudly. “Put him in the chair and then revive him.”

The guards looked at him sheepishly and then went to retrieve him. After placing him in the chair and restraining him. A man with black hair walked in with a sadistic smile on his face.

“Doctor,” said Lergot with mock delight, “you may begin.”

Robert awoke with a dull throbbing pain in his head. He reached up to rub his temples, but then realized his arms were immobile.

“Ah Mr. Starfleet. So glad you’re awake,” came a voice from beyond the lighted area.

“You know, you’re friend proved to us that our devices do work, so I have no doubt that you will do exactly what we want when the time comes.”

Robert looked over at this newcomer. “Obviously my friend didn’t work out. What makes you think you’re going to have any better luck with me?”

“She was intercepted. You and the others won’t be. Now, let’s begin shall we?” The man with black hair walked over to him and held up an old-fashioned syringe. He flicked it once and some liquid squirted from its tip.

Robert’s eyes began to grow in fear and then he felt a prick in his arm. The screens flickered on and the next thing Robert new was complete pain. He screamed in terror.

 

 

Gentlemen, if you would please follow us to your new homes for the time being,” said the man with gray hair. The Starfleet officers threw him a dirty look and began to reluctantly head towards the holding cells located at one of the far walls.

Citon spoke up. “What do think you’re going to accomplish? There’s no way the five of us could take over the Lone Wolf.”

“With what we’re going to do, I don’t think you’ll have any trouble doing what we ask.” The captured away team slowly filed into their holding cell under the watchful eyes of the guards.

Dexter cringed at the sounds coming from the cavern next to where he and the others were being held. He turned to his colleagues. “We need to find some way out of here. Or at the very least some way of contacting the Lone Wolf.”

A shadowed figure emerged from the darkness. “For many days and nights I have been here; trapped and left for dead. Are you people friends of the Larans?”

Citon turned around and squinted into the darkness. “Yes we are. Though we were asked here by the Parans to end the war, we now are no longer very good friends with them.”

“I may know of a way out of here. But I will need help.”

“We can help you but we won’t leave our friend behind either.”

The hooded figure nodded. “If that is what you wish. I will tell you what I know.”

“First, I have a curious question. What is your name?” Doctor Jones said for the first time.

“I have not been called by my name for a very long time. Back on Laran, my name was Laro.”

 

 

Chapter 14

 

 

The group was being held in small cells, each in their own arranged in a semi-circle. The construction was simple metal bars, but quite formidable.

Citon looked around the small cavern the holding cells were in, they could still hear Melhall in the background. Citon looked at Laro, and the other officers. “So…they going to try and kill us?”

Dexter looked back at him, “If they wanted to kill us…”

Jones continued the sentence. “…We’d be dead by now. Probably just keeping us here in case they can’t get whatever they did to Rynn to work on Melhall.”

Citon looked at the doctor, “Or to try it on us all.”

Each officer thought in silence for a moment. Brainwashing enough of the crew would make it much easier to take the Lone Wolf.

Dexter broke the silence. “Okay, we have to get out of here, get Melhall and get out…” he looked at the doctor. “You get it?”

Jones returned the look, and smiled slightly, “But of course.” He then produced the weapon the black-haired man had put on the barrel and continued, “Three bullets, he’s really going to want to apologize for ‘his associate’s’ clumsiness!”

Dexter looked at Laro. “Now…where’s this way out of yours?”

Laro sat in his cell coughing and spluttering.

Jones spoke to him, “Once we get out of here, and back to our ship, we can treat you.”

Laro seemed slightly angry now. “I’m fine…I don’t need help,” he said like a grumpy old man.

All the officers could tell that he was suffering from radiation sickness. This cavern he’d been held in obviously wasn’t deep enough, or he’d stayed on the surface too long. He and the countless others in the complex were going to need treatment fast. The only people not suffering the effects were the agency men, and that wasn’t surprising.

Jones spoke, “Those men have obviously had inoculations. The technology of this planet hasn’t been lost, it’s just been kept from the general population…or what’s left of it anyway.”

Dexter spoke to Laro, “We can treat you all back on the ship and you do need it.”

He seemed to give in. “A while ago some people escaped along an underground river that runs through here. It’s accessible through some of the caverns. Though they said they would return for the rest of us, they never came back”

Jones continued, “Radiation at the surface?”

Citon replied, “Or they never made it to the surface.”

Dexter looked at the other officers. “Well, it’s the only way out so far, unless we can be transported out by the Lone Wolf, and that’s only if we find a way to communicate with them.”

Citon looked at Dexter. “Well, we can’t fight our way out on three bullets.”

Dexter saw an agency soldier walk past the entrance to the small cavern they were in. He tried to get his attention. “Hey…hey.”

The soldier came over, pointing his rifle in Dexter’s face. He saw the cell keys on the soldier’s belt.

Dexter looked at the soldier. Were all these people this tall? “How convenient, are you people always this easy?” Dexter smiled at the man and he scowled back at him, before, with a loud bang, the soldier went limp and fell to the floor.

Jones counted, “Two bullets.”

Dexter grabbed the body. He could hear others running toward the cells. He took the keys from the body, identified the correct key and freed himself, just as two more soldiers entered. Dexter threw the keys to Jones, who freed himself as the lieutenant disarmed one of the soldiers and used his gun against the other guard. Dexter threw the unarmed black-haired man to the floor and pointed the gun at his chest. They both stayed stationary for a moment, and Dexter realized that this man was one of the group leaders, and might be valuable in finding out what exactly “the Agency” was up to. The rest of the away team helped in restraining the black-haired man and took whatever weapons they could find on the guards. They entered the larger cavern, where they each took positions behind control panels, and pillars. They could see Melhall, and although he didn’t look to have suffered too much, he had some visible bruises and a slightly absent expression.

On the other side of the cavern, the Agency men stood with their rifles. They outnumbered the Starfleet officers at least three to one.

The gray-haired man took cover behind a pillar.

Everyone stood waiting for the other side to make a move.

In the holding cell area, Laro watched over the tall black-haired man, who was bound with a belt, locked inside one of the cells.

 

 

 

Robert spit out his own blood and then choked on some of his sweat. His wrists were cut and bleeding from where he was being restrained. His uniform was drenched and his hair was matted down against his head. For now the pain had subsided. The monitors were off and the drugs were losing their effect.

“You know,” said the doctor, emerging from the darkness with a new syringe, “this will all be over just as soon as you give yourself in to us.”

Robert took a huge breath. “Never. I...will...never give in to you.”

“Well then I guess we’ll just have to keep going,” said the man as he grabbed Robert’s arm and injected him with some more drugs.

The screens flickered on again and Robert began the screaming once more. The images were so horrifying. Nuclear holocaust and war torn cities, ran across the monitors. There were people lying dead or dying. More were seen scarred for life or roaming listlessly across the desolate landscape.

They were so powerful, even when Robert closed his eyes, somehow the images leaked into his mind. He writhed and squirmed in the chair trying anything to get loose.

Suddenly, he opened his mind and there standing in front of him was his mother. ‘Robert,’ she said, ‘just let go of it. I hate to see you suffer like this.’

“Mom?” Robert asked, squinting to get a better look at this figure.

She nodded. ‘Yes, honey. Just let your mind embrace this. Then it will all be over...No more suffering.’

“It can’t be,” he shook his head trying to clear it as much as possible. His mother was dead. She had died when he was only sixteen years old. His family had been visiting friends of his father on Starbase 212 when some Cardassian terrorists had blown up one of the shops on the base. He still had visions of the explosion and how he had frantically searched for his mother, clearing away the rubble. When he found her, she was already fading fast. Her last words to him were, ‘I love you both,’ referring to him and his father. There was no way she would be asking him to give up now.

“No. You aren’t my mother. She would never say something like that,” he screamed in his mind.

The figure of his mother faded and turned into a furious man. He was older and haggard. He was scarred and tired. ‘Listen to me. You must avenge my death. Destroy the leader. Destroy him.’

“No. I will never give in to you!” As all of this raged in his mind, he withdrew from normal consciousness. A glassy and absent-minded look came over his face.

All of a sudden, he felt a tingling sensation. His body disappeared from the cavern and new surroundings materialized around him, though he had no idea where he was.

 

 

 

Back on the Lone Wolf, T’Shael and the rest of her team were returning. Rynn, along with Caring were taken to sickbay.

When Shaw and T’Shael returned to the bridge, Q informed them that they had sent an away team to the location they believed Rynn was being held in. He looked shocked and somewhat relieved when T’Shael informed him they had recovered her. But then he got a worried look on his face. He quickly tapped his comm badge. “Q to Melhall.”

Of course, there was no response because the Agency had taken the team’s comm badges.

Again he said, “Q to Melhall. Respond.” There was still no response.

Shaw looked concerned and began a scan of the area from his console. He looked up to the captain. “Captain…I’m picking up heavy fire in that location.”

“Can we beam them out Shaw?” the captain asked harshly.

“No, sir, the dampening field is too strong, we can’t get a strong hold on them.”

“Then we can’t beam down a security team either. Is that right?”

“I’m afraid so, sir!” Shaw replied.

T’Shael was thinking of the counselor’s warning. If they had bent the away team’s minds just as Rynn’s, why was there shooting going on? Were they unsuccessful and had gotten away? Or was it just cover up so she would intercept and they would get to the ship? She didn’t know, but she knew she couldn’t lose time thinking now.

“Can you determine the location of the power station of the dampening field Lieutenant Shaw?”

“I think so, sir. It’s a little ways under the surface.”

“Target it with phasers and shoot!” T’Shael ordered.

Shaw stared at her in disbelief. “Sir?” he asked, thinking he hadn’t heard right.

“Do it! There’s no other way to help them. As soon as the field is down, Q, beam all of them up, even the Parans; there’s no time for a distinction between who is who. Beam them to Cargo Bay Two and disable everyone’s weapons!”

“Aye, sir,” came the reply from both officers who were still surprised of the drastic actions of the captain. Maybe they really didn’t know her very well yet.

“Firing, sir,” Shaw said, and hit a button. They could see a small explosion on the surface as the beam hit. “Direct hit, the field is down,” Shaw yelled, thrilled.

“Got them all,” Q said, grinning. “They are in Cargo Bay Two!”

“Put a force field around the door! We don’t know if we can trust even our people!” T’Shael ordered.

“Aye, sir,” Q said, although he didn’t quite understand why.

“Shaw, you’re with me. Q, you hold the bridge. Seal it and don’t let anyone in until I order you to do so!”

“T’Shael to sickbay.”

“Nurse Tanner here, Captain, what can I do for you?”

“What are the state of Rynn and the Counselor?”

“They are still in the mind meld, but Rynn’s body functions are slowly stabilizing.”

“Very good. If they should come out of the mind meld, and you think they are strong enough, ask them to come to Cargo Bay Two!”

“Of course, sir.”

T’Shael closed the connection and together with Lieutenant Shaw, she stepped into the turbolift to get to the cargo bay.

 

As Citon, Dexter, Jones and Meyers began to overrun the room Robert was being held in, the Agency men took up defensive fighting positions at the far end of the room. The four men holed up on the other side of the cavern and a firefight ensued. Bullets whizzed by their heads and caromed off the barrels and medical equipment.

Because, Robert was in the middle of the room, there was no one around to help him or keep an eye on him, making it all the more dangerous for himself and his friends.

As soon as the team materialized in the cargo bay, Sander sprang into action diving behind some cargo equipment.

Knowing full well the computer would never be able to disable the projectile weapons, he shouted out above the noise. “Computer! Flood the cargo bay with anesthizine gas. 85 parts per million. Authorization Citon Alpha-Beta nine-nine-zero.”

As the computer complied with this last command, Dr. Jones threw a quizzical look towards the commander, confused as to what that would accomplish. But as he neared unconsciousness he realized what the gas would do to help the situation.

 

 

As all this was happening around him, inside Robert’s mind, a child was huddled in a dark corner as the furious older man tried to gain control of his body’s systems.

‘Destroy the leader,’ the old man said again. ‘You must avenge me. Don’t let my death be in vain. Make them suffer.’

“Never!” The young Robert screamed at him in complete fear.

The man continued to wrestle with the body’s main systems, trying to take complete control of them. But as the effects of the gas took hold over the body, the man continued loosing the fight. Finally, he himself stopped struggling and ran off to another corner of his mind, to return, later when it would be easier to conquer Robert’s body.

Because the man stopped struggling for control and Robert was huddled in fear, his body’s life signs began slowly fading away. The child, Robert, hoped someone would come to help him soon.

 

 

Chapter 15

 

 

Caring was still holding on to Rynn. She was now fully grown. Only she was still frightened of the woman with dark hair. She could see it in her eyes. Caring and Rynn were sitting together while the woman ranted. She looked perplexed as she tried to understand how this other woman had entered into Rynn’s mind. She turned around and thought about attacking her, but then she remembered what had happened when she tried to attack the other woman, the one with the strange looking ears and eyebrows.

She growled slightly, looking at Caring, trying to help this body she now occupied.

Then, Caring started to talk to her. “Why are you doing this?” she asked in a calming voice.

The dark haired woman looked her over. ‘Why? You really want to know why?’ She started walking up to Rynn and Caring, in an aggressive manner. ‘For years my father knew what was going to happen. He knew about the war and the so-called negotiations. But did he actually help? No!’ She walked around now, rubbing her hands together. ‘He couldn’t stay at home with his family, he had to go help some strangers we didn’t even know yet.’ She stopped and looked up at Caring, thinking she better not say much more.

Caring tilted her head slightly to see if she read the other woman. “Laro was your father?” The counselor was so surprised. “He was said to be dead.” She shook her head as she was trying to fit together the pieces.

Rynn knew exactly what was going on. She was almost completely composed. She got up with the Counselor’s help, although she really didn’t need it. She looked at the woman. In a way she looked just like Rynn, except her hair was longer and her eyes were sea green with hate. Rynn’s fingers ached to wrap themselves around her neck for putting her through this. She walked towards the woman.

Rynn looked over to Caring. “Leave. I can handle this.” She turned back to the woman. “There is no way I am going to let this person take over my body or my mind again.”

Caring looked at Rynn as if in question. Then she could sense Rynn was totally composed. She nodded her head and left. Rynn looked back at the woman. She almost felt sorry for her. She had every one of her memories in her mind now and she knew about how people were slaughtered. Killed for nothing. She knew how she hated her father for helping others; everyone except his own family. She could almost sympathize with her. Almost.

That was when the woman’s eyes grew cold. ‘You can’t get rid of me. I am apart of you. Forever. Everything that happened to me is now a part of you. You see, I died just to kill off those people. That missile, was my salvation for all the pain and suffering that they and my father caused.’ After a brief minute, she started to change her form to that of a person that had been suffering from radiation poisoning. Her skin had scabs and blisters on it and her hair looked like it was falling out in clumps. Rynn wanted to run. She didn’t though; she held her ground.

“There is one thing though,” she eyed the woman. “I was here first.”

The woman then got mad and ran towards her. Rynn took on a defensive posture and waited for her attack. She quickly sidestepped out of the way and brought up her foot, making the woman fall. Rynn then went over to her and took her small hands and wrapped them around her throat and tried choking her. The woman was trying hard to fight off Rynn, but Rynn had the advantage of all the years in the militia. The woman then brought her hands up knocking Rynn’s grip loose, and then hit her in the midsection. Rynn toppled over and the woman started to get up. Rynn rolled over in a hunching position then lashed out with a leaping kick to the woman’s head, breaking her neck in one blow. She sat there looking at the woman for a few seconds.

Just before nurse Tanner signed off, Caring came out of the mind meld, hearing the Captain’s command about Cargo Bay Two. Nurse Tanner walked over to Caring, scanned her and certified her fit to return to duty, but Rynn was still recovering.

Caring headed to the cargo bay. As she neared the cargo bay she started to get visions of Robert as a little boy. Oh no! Not another one. Caring hurried faster while sending a telepathic message to Robert “Hang on Robert, we’re almost there.”

Caring met the Captain outside of the cargo bay. T’Shael and the rest had discovered the anesthizine gas, they were in the process of clearing the cargo bay. Caring quickly told T’Shael about Melhall’s life signs fading.

“Let’s get these doors open quickly,” ordered the Captain. “We are in danger of losing one for sure. The Counselor and I need to get in there.”

Just as the doors open, a security team, led by Dexter, went in first. After they surveyed the bodies, they found all were alive but Robert was barely there. T’Shael quickly established a mind meld with him and added Caring. Between the two of them, they were able to stabilize Robert. With that accomplished, T’Shael released her part of the mind meld and left Caring to continue to help him back.

T’Shael turned to the group. “All right, we need to get Commander Melhall to sickbay.”

Lieutenant Shaw nodded. “But we also have to take care of them...” he said, pointing over to the bodies of the Parans. Slowly, the gas was fading away, and they could hear the first coughs of the awaking Parans and the rest of the away team that was now regaining consciousness. “Get all their weapons!” Shaw ordered his team, and the security men quickly picked up all the projectile guns that the transporter hadn’t been able to deactivate before any Parans could get hold of them.

T’Shael sighed relieved, now that the immediate danger was passed.

Both Parans and Starfleet officers were soon on their feet, with the Parans looking around rather confused about being weaponless and in a completely different place then they were in before. Shaw’s security guards watched them closely so no one would get the idea of still trying to takeover the ship.

Dexter, Jones and Citon came over to the captain. “Looks like you got us just in time,” Dexter said, smiling. “Luckily, Citon was also quick enough to prevent us from being shot on our own ship!”

“Yes, well done, Commander,” T’Shael said, nodding to her COO. “I must admit I hadn’t thought of their primitive weapons.”

“Nobody’s perfect,” he said, raising an eyebrow, making T’Shael get the impression he was making fun of her. She therefore decided to change the subject.

“Doctor Jones, please accompany Commander Melhall and the Counselor to sickbay. I think Rynn will be able to help you out there too. As soon as he is stable and the Counselor doesn’t need to be in the mind meld anymore, send her to me. I will need her for the negotiations.”

Then she glanced over to the Parans, who were guarded by Shaw and his security team. Suddenly, her eye caught a hooded man, who seemed to be looking towards her curiously. As he attempted to approach her, she signaled the guards to let him come. She didn’t feel any hostile intention at all.

“Captain,” he said, hesitantly, “I hear you have become a friend of my people. My name is Laro.”

“You are Laro!?” T’Shael said, trying to hide the surprise. She had not expected the Laran hero to be alive still. “We have heard a lot about you on your planet. But I’m afraid to say we had to deactivate your little technical marvel. It will hopefully not be needed anymore.”

“You managed to deactivate my Protector,” he said astonished. “Only the key could. I see you have truly managed to gain the trust of my people, and so I will put my trust into you to truly bring peace to my planet. A peace that I haven’t seen for so many years.”

“Maybe you will be able to go back. I have two people here who would like to meet you. Their names are Gerian and Rashar, the representatives of Laran. Mr. Citon, will you please prepare quarters for Mr. Laro and then arrange a meeting between him and our two Laran friends.”

“Of course,” Citon said, and led Laro out of the cargo bay, leaving only T’Shael and the security team behind.

“Who of you holds command here?” T’Shael asked them.

“I do,” a black-haired man, a gray-haired man and a third one said, all at the same time.

They briefly looked at each other, and then finally, the third man went on. “I am Vice Baron Lergot, representative of the Paran government, and I protest you keeping us here.”

“Vice Baron Lergot,” T’Shael began, “if I remember it right, the person I talked to was Baron Rakal, and he is the official representative of Paran.”

“Baron Rakal has not fulfilled his duty to our satisfaction, and we do not call him our president anymore.” Lergot replied. “The Agency is now in power over Paran. To be correct, it has always been, it just wasn’t generally known. Because of you, the secret has been revealed, but it won’t stop us.”

“I really don’t think you are in a position to negotiate,” T’Shael replied coldly. “It appears to me that I have the three leaders of the Agency in my custody. I will only negotiate with the official government, which you, Vice Baron, no longer represent. Mr. Shaw, would you and your team please accompany these men and their soldiers to the brig and make sure they are kept safe there, while I will try to contact the official government?”

“With pleasure, ma’am,” Shaw said grinning, and waved his phaser at them.

 

Rynn got up, feeling a bit dizzy.

The nurse got up and went over to her. “Where do you think your going?”

Rynn sat there with her feet dangling off the biobed, not saying anything. She just looked at the woman and blinked a couple of times. She felt cold and hard. She looked away from the woman straightened her hair back up and took a deep breath. Then, she said, “I need to talk to the captain.” She didn’t belay any emotions. She just acted as normal as anyone that had just went though a traumatic experience. Although the nurse took several scans, she determined that nothing was wrong other than fatigue. Rynn was quite amazed, although she was dreading seeing the Doctor.

“I can’t let you go yet.”

Rynn was getting angry. She needed to talk to the Captain, but instead, she took a deep breath and lay back down.

 

 

Doctor Jones placed Robert on an antigrav bed to transport him to sickbay. He quickly scanned him with a tricorder and found his life signs were getting somewhat stronger; that was, of course, thanks to the Counselor’s help. He quickly ordered his nurses to pick up the pace to get him to sickbay quicker. There was no telling what actually might happen if he was not brought out of the hostile environment soon.

Caring was standing on the side of the antigrav bed as it moved down the corridor. She had her eyes closed, so there really was no other option for her. Inside, Robert’s mind she found herself on a starbase. There was junk and debris strewn everywhere and there was no one around. Shops lined the corridors of the base and she found a young Robert cowering behind a stack of crates, crying.           

“Hi there,” she said. “My name’s Caring, what’s yours?”

Robert just looked at her in total wide-eyed fear.

Caring tried again. “Is there something wrong? Anything I can help you with?”

Robert pointed away down the corridor. “Please help me. Before he comes back.”

She looked in the direction his finger was pointing and then back to him. She held out her hand, saying, “Before who comes back?”

The young child hesitantly reached out for her hand. He slowly got up to stand next to her. “Before the bad man comes back. He was trying to take over.”

Caring understood immediately. The same thing was happening to Robert as what had happened to Rynn. Hopefully, though, Robert wasn’t as far along as Rynn and he would be able to come out of it quicker. She nodded to him. “Don’t worry, I won’t let the man hurt you. He won’t be anymore of a threat to you.”

Robert began to smile and nod. “You’re pretty. I like you, you’re really nice.”

Caring blushed slightly, “Well, it’s my job to be nice and to help people.” She began to notice Robert starting to mature right before his eyes. He’s becoming more assure of himself, she thought. If I can get him back to his normal self, he should be able to beat this.

Melhall began speaking to her again. “My name’s Robbie. I want to be in Starfleet when I grow up. Are you in Starfleet?”

Caring smiled at the young man. “Yes I am and I have no doubt you will make a fine officer one day. Now, do you think you feel up to taking some control again?”

She didn’t want to push him too hard. But Robbie smiled at her and she saw that he was now turning into his full-grown self again. At this point, a tired, old, haggard-looking man came running up the corridor.

‘Who are you?’ he asked, suspiciously. ‘Never mind. It doesn’t matter. I will gain complete control soon.’

The adult Robert spoke up now. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

The man looked at Robert with a raised eyebrow and then drew a phaser. He aimed and fired but the two officers were able to get out of the way in time.

Caring knew that without weapons, neither of them had a chance of stopping the man, so she came up with a new plan. Reaching out her mind once more, she probed the ship to find that certain mind she knew could help. When she found it, she stopped and concentrated extra hard. “Rynn...I need your help. Can you hear me?”

Rynn was lying on the table staring up at the ceiling when she got a peculiar feeling like someone was calling out to her in need of help. It wasn’t so much a voice as it was like an echo. When she heard it the second time she recognized it and where it was coming from. She sat up on her bed and stared towards the center of the room and at the two individuals centered on it. Commander Melhall was laying on the bed with his eyes closed and his face in a contorted expression.

He must be terrified in his mind, Rynn thought.

Counselor Sorrow was standing next to him and holding his hand.

They must be in a meld, Rynn thought. Could the two of them need my help? She got up off her bed and found the doctor in his office. “Doctor? I think the Counselor and Mr. Melhall need my help.”

Jones looked up from his work. He was still dusty and dirty having not been able to get cleaned up since he got back from the surface. “Commander, I know you want to help. But you’re not telepathic or even empathic. There isn’t anyway of getting you into the Commander’s mind without the Counselor or the Captain.”

Rynn looked frustrated, “Can’t you even just pretend to put me in there? Just to see what’s going on?”

The doctor started to argue with her, but then stopped and pondered this new suggestion. “We could project your image and thoughts into his mind. We could use a modified holographic projector to put your appearance in there. But you would have to be unconscious and totally focused.”

“Doctor, after what I’ve been through, I could focus on anything you asked me to.”

He nodded his approval and said, “Let’s get going then.”

The two walked over to where the two newest patients were and the doctor began to issue orders to his nurses. “Nurse, give me a myocardial inhibitor for Commander Rynn and also give her 15cc’s of hydrocortazine.” Then turning to Rynn who had just lay down on a new biobed, he said, “The drugs will make you unconscious and the inhibitor will slow down your heart rate so you can focus on the job you need to do.”

Rynn just nodded at him.

“Ok ensign, place the cerebral holo-emitter on the commander please. Ok now, Commander, just relax and focus all your energy on Mr. Melhall and Counselor Sorrow.”

Rynn nodded slowly and closed her eyes, and began to concentrate on the two people next to her in the room. Slowly the blackness of her mind materialized into a starbase. Shops lined the hallway and debris was scattered throughout the area. It looked like a bomb had gone off here.

“Commander! Get down quick!” A voice came at her out of nowhere. She dove for cover first and looked over to the source. It was Caring. “Good to see you Commander. I take it you got my message.”

“Yes, Counselor, though I’m not really here. I’m a holographic image of myself.”

Caring looked very confused but decided now wouldn’t be the best time to ask.

“Where’s Robbie?” Rynn asked her.

Caring pointed to a stack of crates. “He’s behind those crates. There’s some whacko in here with a phaser.”

“Robbie! Can you hear me?” Rynn called over to the stack.

“I hear you Tala! God, it’s good to have you here. Can you help me?”

“Robbie this is your mind. You can do anything you want in here. Concentrate and you can do anything you’d like to manipulate this environment.”

Melhall poked his head out from his refuge. He nodded at her and then closed his eyes and focused. Suddenly and army of armed Starfleet officers looking just like Lieutenant Commander Melhall appeared out of nowhere and began firing in the direction of the imposter.

“That’s not quite what I had in mind Robbie,” Rynn called out to him, though she didn’t know which was the real Robbie.

One of them broke off and walked over to them. He smiled at her and she knew this was the real Robert Melhall.

“They’re just a distraction. Hopefully he’ll get overwhelmed. Then I’ll go in and take care of him.”

Rynn shook her head and smiled at him. Leave it to Robbie to be creative on how to retake control of his own mind.

The three of them found themselves holding phaser rifles and went over to flank the old man trying to fend off all the Roberts. The real Robert trained his own rifle on the man and closed his eyes again and the army disappeared. “So,” he said, “you thought you could actually take over my own mind and manipulate me into thinking I had no control. Well you did it on the wrong battlefield pal. Next time, don’t fool with the mind of a Starfleet officer.” With that Robert pulled the trigger and the man screamed as his body completely vaporized.

Tala and Caring walked up to Robert and patted him on the back. “Well done Robbie,” said Caring.

Robert looked at the two of them and smiled and earnest smile. “There’s no way I could have done any of this without either one of you. Thank you both so much.” Then grinning even bigger he said, “Now would the two of you mind getting out of my head please?”

 

 

 

T’Shael returned to the bridge after Shaw had taken care of the Agency men. Now that they were in the brig she felt her ship was beginning to be safe again. Arriving at the turbolift she ordered Q to unseal the bridge to let her in and he did so. She wanted to open a channel to the Paran homeworld to see if she could get a hold of the real leader of the planet. She had had the impression that he was an honest man, but he must have been controlled by the Agency. Maybe now that Vice Baron Lergot was not there to influence him anymore, peace might be possible.

But first she needed to know how things in sickbay were.

“T’Shael to Sickbay.”

“Jones here,” the half-Klingon doctor replied.

“What is the state of your patients Doctor?” she asked.

“All three of them seem to be in some mind link. They are stable and I don’t want to break it, but I’m confident that they will all recover. Rynn’s brain waves are very strong again already, and Mr. Melhall’s are getting better.”

“Good to hear Doctor. Keep an eye on them. I will come down myself as soon as I can. Captain T’Shael out.” She sighed relieved and then ordered Q, the only senior officer currently on the bridge, to open a channel to Paran. On the screen, the face of a rather young man appeared, it was not Baron Rakal.

“I am Captain T’Shael of the Federation Starship Lone Wolf. I would like to speak to Baron Rakal please.

“I am sorry he’s not available,” the man said, sounding not very certain. “Unfortunately, Vice Baron Lergot has disappeared. He would be responsible for any concerns you might have.”

“Mister, I don’t care if the Baron is available or not, I need to speak to him immediately. And I can tell you that Vice Baron Lergot and his agency won’t have anything to say anymore!”

She hoped those words would prove effective, and they actually did. The man looked very surprised and relieved at the same time.

“The Agency doesn’t have anything to say anymore,” he repeated in disbelief. “Captain, you don’t know how I hoped to hear those words. I have had the orders to direct all calls from you to Lergot. Since your vessel arrived, the Baron has been isolated and made unavailable to anyone. The Agency took complete control of the government. But with Lergot gone I will get Baron Rakal immediately,” he said happily and T’Shael had the impression that he was honestly relieved. A few minutes later he returned in the company of the man the captain had talked to before their arrival.

“Captain, so glad to see you. I’m awfully sorry about the recent events on Paran, but the Agency has taken over complete control. I am glad to hear you have managed to deal with them.” The Baron sounded very enthusiastic and T’Shael believed his words.

“Indeed. The leaders of the Agency and some of their soldiers are currently under arrest on my ship. I will turn them over to you as soon as we have completely sorted out what they did to two of my crewmembers. For now I would like to ask you to come on my ship, I have representatives from Laran here who would like to speak with you about lasting peace.”

“Of course, Captain. I’m happy to hear you could change the Larans’ minds.”

“The situation was a bit different than we thought, Baron. You will hear the details when you come on board. There are some medical problems to solve on the ship. How about we start the negotiations at 1500 hours.”

“Sounds good to me Captain. It will leave me some time to start actions against the remaining Agency people. Without their leaders I don’t expect too much resistance.”

“I will contact you again this afternoon then Baron,” T’Shael replied and closed the connection.

“Mr. Q, please send a report to Starfleet Command, and ask for a team of medical, engineering and diplomatic people that will be able to do the long term work here. I believe our job of getting a first impression and giving first aid will come to an end soon.”

“Aye, sir,” the engineer replied.

“I will be in sickbay if you should need me,” T’Shael said and left the bridge.

 

 

 

Caring was the first to come out of the mind meld. “Well, Doctor, Mr. Melhall should be all right and coming around soon. You can bring Commander Rynn around, now.”

“Thank you, Counselor. What happened in there?”

“Sorry, Doctor Jones, but I am bound by patient confidentiality. If they chose to talk about it they will.”

Just then Robert sat up. “I suppose you’ll want me to report for sessions, Counselor?”

“Commander, only if you feel you need them.” Caring replied.

Robert thought for only a moment. “I’ll wait and see how things go.”

Rynn started to sit up saying. “I think we should report to the Captain”

“Well, I see everyone is up and about. Would anyone like to make a report?” said the Captain as she walked into sickbay.

 

Chapter 16

 

 

Commander Rynn had just finished giving her report to the captain in a very detached and removed manner. She told her what had happened before both Caring and her were in Rynn’s mind. She told her about the DNA re-mapping, and about how ‘the woman’ was actually Laro’s own daughter. At no point during the report did she show one drop of emotion. She just talked and gave her report as if she were talking to the captain about someone else entirely. The captain was somewhat surprised at how much Rynn at that very moment in time acted more Vulcan than most Vulcans she had seen.

The captain dismissed it as Rynn going through shock. So when she left the ready room and headed down towards the brig no one gave a second thought to it. She had asked the captain if she could head up the interrogation of the men in the brig. The captain nodded and let her do it. She headed with her PADDs in hand, every never-ending thought and screaming her anger.

She got into the turbolift and started thinking about the trial where Robbie had been her defender. She thought about how he had helped her when she was sure she was going to go to a Starfleet penal colony. The odds were against her and the evidence led right smack to her. Her fingerprints were even on the evidence. Her mind started to muddle and her eyes started to tear over. She wiped at them angrily. She fell back against the turbolift wall, grabbing her head for a few moments. Then, as the lift doors opened, she stood up briefly and then walked past two ensigns. She wiped her eyes again.

She made her first stop at sickbay to look in on Robbie. The Doc hadn’t let him out and was keeping him there for observation. She walked in and sat with Robbie for a few minutes. He was sleeping and Tala didn’t want to disturb him. She knew what he was going through. Small angry tears fell down her cheeks. Her only friend; when everyone else was against her at that trial. He stood up for her. She hung her head for a moment, her short hair falling in front of her eyes. She just sat there with her eyes closed. Then, she took a deep breath, laid her hand on his, and finally headed to the brig.

When she entered, she leaned against the console for a moment talking to the officer on duty. Then, she nodded for him to be dismissed. She stood there for a moment leaning on the console, staring at the black-haired man. Her face was straight-laced. She didn’t show an ounce of emotion. She got up and cracked her neck then popped her back, never moving her eyes from his. She moved her hands deftly over the control pad to disengage his cell’s force field. She walked forward him. All he did was sit there, looking at her with a smirk on his face.

“Did you get to the ship?” he asked, and then got up to walk towards her. She didn’t move an inch.

He moved to put his hands on her.

“You know…you had an advantage against me when you all captured me,” she said to him, her eyes glaring hatred, anger, and insanity at him. He looked down at her, his widening slightly. That was when she tilted her head at him and released every ounce of anger she had on him.

She thrust her hand upwards and the heel of it came up against the bottom of his jaw. She heard it crack, but for the moment she didn’t really care. He staggered back, clutching at the place that she had just hit. He bent down a bit and then looked up at her; surprised a woman could fight so well. That just made her even angrier. She took her stance and lashed out with her foot, catching him square upside his head. A trickle of blood fell from his mouth as he stumbled back some more. He then decided to try and change this, taking on a defensive stance and lashing out towards her with both hands ready to hit her hard. She felt the impact of it and stumbled down to one knee. He then smacked her across the face and spit on her. The man then kicked her several times in the midsection and she felt a few of her ribs crack. She then rolled over out of his way and he came charging after her. Rynn moved to the side and brought down her elbow right on his back. As he fell forward, she jumped on top of him and hit him right in the midsection. He bent over in pain and that was when the look appeared in her eyes again. She reached forward with her hands, brought up her knee and slammed his head down at the same time causing a horrible snap in his neck.

Just then two security officers raced in and found the commander standing over the body in the same catatonic state she had been in when she had given her report to the captain.

“Ensign Hale to Lieutenant Shaw. Please report to the brig immediately,” said the young man.

“I’m on my way ensign.”

Shaw entered the brig in a fairly good mood only to see two officers standing by the main console, looking into one of the cells.

Inside that cell, Commander Rynn was curled up in a corner, silent, and covered in blood. On the floor in front of her was the black-haired man, his body telltale limp. The story was obvious and even if he had questions, Shaw knew he wouldn’t be able to get any answers out of Rynn in this state. She seemed almost oblivious to their presence.

Shaw indicated for the force field to be lowered and one of the officers leaned over the panel to do so. Simon went into the cell, stepping around Rynn cautiously to examine the body. He crouched by it and checked it futilely for a pulse. Realizing the neck was broken he gave up. As he went to take the body out of the cell, Rynn suddenly burst into life and before Shaw knew what was going on, he felt the impact of a kick from Rynn in his side. Falling back slightly, and looking up, he saw Rynn’s fist come flying toward his head. He sharply caught it in his hand, stopping it a few inches from him and the frenzy seemed to stop.

The Lieutenant raised his hand to stop the officers from taking any action and looked into Rynn’s eyes. She seemed then to realize who he was and after a few motionless seconds, she looked down, and then around the room and sat on the floor, shock all over her face. She looked at the body, Shaw, and the officers, and then realized what she had done. She was silent as Shaw left the cell.

A few hours later, Shaw was alone watching over Rynn in the brig. He was sitting, leaning forward in a chair, a short distance away from the cell, looking over some PADDs. Rynn was curled upright on the bed in the cell with her back against the wall. She looked up at Shaw and stared at him blankly. He tried to ignore this, and not return the look. After a while Simon rubbed his side where Rynn’s kick had hit.

Rynn broke the silence. “I’m sorry.”

Shaw looked up at her, surprised to hear her speak. Realizing she was referring to the kick and not the black haired man, he replied with a slight smile, “No problem.”

At this point, Lieutenant Sorrow entered the room. Shaw looked over to her, rose from the chair and left her alone with Rynn.

Lieutenant Shaw informed Captain T’Shael as soon as he had discovered what had happened in the brig. T’Shael was worried about her FO. A murder wasn’t a light charge and she hoped Rynn would not get into trouble for it since she really couldn’t be held responsible after her mind had been so severely altered. Although she normally tended to be very truthful, T’Shael played with the thought to write that Rynn had acted under the influence of the mind control, though she was pretty sure this wasn’t the case. Her first officer simply didn’t deserve to be court-martialed, again. She had read about the previous case in Rynn’s personal file. She didn’t know exactly what had happened then, but this time her mind had been violated and what she had done was simply self-defense. Self-defense would be better than insanity due to mind control; it would keep Starfleet from ordering long-term counseling sessions that T’Shael knew Rynn wouldn’t like.

She reached the brig only shortly after Caring had started talking to Rynn or tried to rather. As T’Shael had thought, Rynn wasn’t very cooperative to counseling sessions.

Caring came over to the door as T’Shael entered and spoke silently so Rynn wouldn’t hear them. “Captain, she won’t talk. Most likely she’s still in shock about what happened to her and about what she did herself.”

“I understand,” T’Shael said. “Please Counselor, let me talk to her alone for a moment. I will arrange a session as soon as she is ready for it.”

“All right Captain,” the counselor nodded and left.

“Commander,” the captain said in a commanding voice, and Rynn looked up finally. She stood up and faced the captain.

“Captain,” Rynn replied calmly, “I will face any consequences it will have. I know it wasn’t right, but it was necessary. I had to do it.”

“I know, Tala,” T’Shael replied in a more familiar voice, but she was sighing. “What I saw in your mind made clear you couldn’t act differently. I don’t know if Starfleet will think the same, but I am willing to put it down as self-defense.”

“Self-defense Captain? Not temporary insanity?” Rynn was thoroughly surprised.

“We both know what that would mean: endless counseling sessions, report by Starfleet medical headquarters, maybe even a trial. After what you’ve been through you don’t need that too.”

Rynn nodded and in her eyes T’Shael could see thankfulness.

“But,” T’Shael continued, “You will talk to Caring about all this.”

“Captain?”

“You and Commander Melhall can do the sessions together with her. They will not be any records about them, but it is an order. You will talk to her. Is that clear?”

“Yes sir,” Rynn replied, seeing there would be no way around that order.

“Wonderful,” a faint smile appeared on T’Shael’s face. “Now why don’t you come with me, we have a peace treaty to oversee.” The two women left the brig and T’Shael ordered a medical team to take care of the dead body in the cell.

 

 

 

At 1500 hours, Captain T’Shael left her ready room and headed for the transporter room. Commander Rynn, Lieutenant Shaw and the Counselor were already waiting there and the transporter chief signaled that Baron Rakal was ready to beam up. A few seconds later, he and an assistant materialized on the platform.

“Baron Rakal, welcome aboard the Lone Wolf,” T’Shael greeted him.

“Good to be here Captain. I’ve always wanted to see a starship!” he said and T’Shael felt that he was already more relaxed than when he had just regained control from the Agency.

“We will be sure to give you a tour, but now the Laran ambassadors are waiting.”

“Of course. Let’s not waste time and get this war over with once and for all,” Rakal replied.

They went to the conference room where Gerian, Rashar and Laro were already seated. T’Shael had talked to the three before the conference and so she had heard Laro’s story; how the peace talks had gone wrong and he had no way to return. He fell in love with a Paran woman and had a daughter, but after her mother was killed by a Laran nuclear attack that had gone out from the Protector he had built, the daughter began to hate him and joined the Agency, working against the kind of her father, while he was kept imprisoned.

When Rynn saw the old Laran she hesitated for a moment, still feeling the hate of the daughter for her own father and his people inside her. But then she forced herself to shift away those feelings that weren’t her own and she sat down opposite of him. T’Shael led Rakal to the seat opposite of Gerian and she took a place at the head of the table.

“Gerian, meet Baron Rakal,” T’Shael introduced the Paran president. “Since the Agency has lost power and the Protector will not launch anymore missiles towards Paran, hopefully we will be able to establish a peace treaty that is satisfactory for both planets.”

They both nodded, although it was apparent that the trust wasn’t there yet, which was understandable after the horrible war.

“Captain,” Gerian said, “What guarantee do I have that now that you’ve shut down our Protector, the Parans will not try to start up the war again with a clear advantage?”

“That is what this peace treaty is supposed to sort out,” T’Shael replied and looked to Rakal who then replied to Gerian’s question.

“Our planet has no interest in going back to war,” Rakal said. “Only the need to destroy your leader who kept attacking us, and the hate of the Agency kept us going. Your Protector was disabled and the Agency was dissolved. Now we need to get back to the disarming of our missiles and the medical aid for all our people. But we need the guarantee you will not reactivate the Protector and attack us again!”

“Of course we won’t, if we are not attacked by you,” Gerian said loudly, as if shocked the Paran would think that they would restart the war.

“You see,” T’Shael said, “It will be mostly a matter of trusting each other. You both say you want to end this war, but you both don’t believe each other and therefore want to stay prepared in case one would attack. But that is exactly what might lead one side to restart.”

“We didn’t even start this war, Captain,” Gerian said, slightly angry. “Why would we now?”

“But he did,” Rakal said, pointing to Laro.

“I just made sure my people could defend themselves after you attacked.” Laro said, also angry now.

“No, you attacked first and destroyed our fleet,” Rakal said, also getting upset.

“Gentlemen, maybe we should stop thinking about the past and get back to present,” T’Shael said calmly. “These exact thoughts are what you will have to get over. It will be a new start for both of your people. And the Federation is ready to help you with this new start.”

The two men and their assistants looked at each other and finally it seemed like they both agreed on what the Starfleet captain had just said.

Several hours and hectic discussions later the treaty was ready to be signed. T’Shael knew it was only the first step on a long road, but it was the most important step and now it was taken. Her job was done, although it hadn’t looked like it for a long time, the mission still turned out to be a success. Now it was other peoples’ job to secure long-term peace.

T’Shael stood up and addressed both parties. “The U.S.S. Hood is on its way here bringing a team of medical specialists, engineers and diplomats. They will arrive in two days. Until then, the Lone Wolf will stay in orbit of Paran and then we will head back to Starbase Assailant.”

“Thank you Captain, and thanks to your crew,” Gerian said. “You have gone through hard times to help us.”

“I also thank you,” Rakal said. “And I’m truly sorry it had to come this far,” he added looking at Rynn. “I never wanted any one of you to be harmed when I called you here. Unfortunately, the Agency had other plans. I hope you and your friend will fully recover.”

“It was not your fault,” Rynn replied, though she was a bit distanced. She just wanted to get this over with, even though she knew she might never bring the memories of Laro’s daughter out of her head.

Rakal nodded and T’Shael decided it was time to end the conference and get ready to return to homeport, and prepare for a new adventure.

She and Rynn left the two delegations in the capable hands of two security teams and made their way back to the bridge. Upon stepping off the turbolift, both officers made their way to their respective chairs.

“Helm,” said Rynn, “Set course for Starbase Assailant. Warp factor 5.5.”

“Aye, aye, ma’am,” the helmsman said as he turned to face the center of the bridge.

“Robert!” exclaimed a surprised Natala. “Since when were you cleared for bridge duty?”

Robert smiled his telltale smile and said, “The good doctor cleared me just about an hour ago. Of course, I had to do a bit of persuading to have him clear me for bridge duty. But I prevailed nonetheless.”

“Well, it’s good to have you back Commander,” said Captain T’Shael. “Please report in to Commander Rynn at your earliest convenience. She’ll fill you in on the standing orders for both of you.”

Robert eyed Rynn in mock suspicion. “Aye, Captain.” And then turning back to his console he reported, “Course laid in and set, sir.”

T’Shael nodded and then a hint of a smile escaped from her normally stoic lips. “Engage.”

The Federation starship U.S.S. Lone Wolf pulled out of its upper orbit from the planet and sped off into the diamond-speckled darkness of space, ready for new adventures.