S1E1~ All Roads Lead Home

[Kyan Mackenzie]

[Kyan Mackenzie | Cargo Hold, Latinum Beetle]

~~ Stardate 21899.8 (November 25th 2344) ~~

Sparks flew from a ruptured plasma conduit as the old D'Vor Class freighter rocked again suddenly, eliciting a few screams from the terrified occupants of the holding cages. Most of the adults remained stoic while others offered up prayers to... whatever they called their gods... the Saints?. No, that wasn't it. Kyan tried to remember as he  finished putting the liquid latinum into its new storage container. The deck lurched under his feet as the last few precious drops beaded down the side of the gold  and into the old sluggo cola bottle. When it was safely inside he tossed the useless gold jar aside. No sooner had the lid been screwed on than his communicator chirped... again.

Capain Rakad's  rumbling baritone voice roared out from the fritzy speaker. "Where are you!?"

"Stealing your money and freeing your slaves! Come and do sommat about it!"... is what he wanted to say. Instead, the Onlie said nothing. Just like he had the last time his emerald skined boss called, and the time before that, Kyan ignored it. After all, if things went how they were meant to, Rakad and his pack of would either be dead or in the hands of the Starfleet grups soon. He hurriedly crammed one of the two sluggo cola bottles into his duffel bag with the rest of his belongings. The other bottle he took over to the cage. The old man with the dangly ear ring and grimy robes stood there waiting.

"Ok." Kyan began, thrusting the bottle into his hand. "This is for you."

The man, who Kyan had learned was some kind of holy man among his people, took the bottle but looked at the silvery liquid with curiousity. "What is it?"

The ship rocked again, and then lurched hard enough to cause both of them to stumble. Kyan knew a tractor beam when he felt one. It wouldn't be long now before the ship was crawling with Starfleet. If he were prone to thinking in the long term, which he wasn't, Kyan might have wondered what was going to become of him when this was all over. Surely the Feddie grups would be happy about catching Rakad and his crew, since they abhorred slavery like he did. But they probably weren't about to overlook the fact that he'd been a willing (enthusiastic even) participant in the other misdeeds of the Beetle's crew. He wasn't worried about the latinum. The Federation didn't care about money. The Syndicate did, and they would definitely come looking. But he already had a plan for that.

"It's money." he told the priest plainly. "More than you prolly ever had so it is, and ye can use it ta go somewhere safe. Or ye can go buy a bunch of weapons an go back ta yer planet if yer after fighting."

The priest looked at the jar that held a little more than a liter of latinun, over five hundred bricks worth. It was a fortune. The bottle in Kyan's duffel bag held nearly the same amount. Had he taken them both, which was the original plan, he'd have been able to buy a moon. But after discovering these people, and listening to their stories about what the spoonheads had done to them, he figured they ought to have a chance to be safe and not have to be refugees.

"By the Prophets!" an older woman gasped. "Vedek... we could..."

Prophets! Thats what they're called! the boy grinned. Folks sure did have funny names for their Powers.

"You little traitor!" a voice boomed across the cargo bay. "You called Starfleet!"

Kyan turned toward the voice. The gig was up now. He'd been hoping to hole up in the cargo bay with the aliens until Starfleet rescued them, but alas it didn't happen. Now he'd have to improvise. When he turned around, Rakad stood in the doorway, a disruptor in his big green hand. Kyan stepped back until the cage stopped him. "I called em?. Are ye daft as well as ugly? Why would I..."

Rakad leveled his weapon. "They'll capture us. But they'll find you boy!"

There wasn't anywhere to go. And he didn't have time to draw his own disruptor. Kyan didn't want to die, but he figured if he did, then he could see everyone in the Summerlands, so it wouldn't be all bad. And as a bonus, these folks would get to be free at least. Kyan shrugged. "So mote it be den Rakad! But yer cooked ye are. I told em everything so I did, and more. I told all about yer slavin, and stealin, and all of it! So I'll be dead, but I ken you'll be in jail for the rest of yer life!"

"As you say. So mote it be."

Kyan closed his eyes and heard the telltale whine of a disruptor. It was a few seconds before he realized that he wasn't dead. When he opened his eyes he saw Takad sprawled on the deck with a smoking hole in his chest. The onlie looked behind him to see a little raven-haired alien girl with his disruptor in her hand. a wisp of smoke climbed lazily from the emitter crystal as she gawked in wide eyed wonderment at the weapon like it was an alien creature attached to her hand.

Eventually a bemused grin caught the corners of Kyan's mouth and spread. "Bully shot." he offered. "It's a natural ye are!"

"Thank you." she smiled back, offering him his disruptor.

He took it, replacing the weapon in its holster. Then the unmistakable whine of a transporter started. Within seconds there were a dozen armed people with maroon jackets and bloused black trousers standing around pointing their weapons. Starfleet had arrived.

Late as usual.

[Jalen Kartos]

Jalen was in his quarters at the Starfleet Medical Station Gerhard watching a live stream of the Federation Council Hall. The El-Aurian ambassador had made him aware that a long-time rival of his from the days of "Those Old Scientists". The man was Doctor Verrau of the Vulcan Science Directorate: Xenopediatric Department, and even for a Vulcan he was an ass. When Jalen had joined the joint committee that was charged with integrating the Mirian... Onlies... into the Federation Verrau was already there, and the Onlies hated him. He just couldn't get past the appearance of the Onlies and accept that they were not children. Eventually Jalen and the other team members got Verrau removed from the team, but the Vulcan had taken it personally. Which wasn't very Vulcan in Jalen's opinion, but everyone has their flaws. Jalen watched the proceedings with the general disinterest given to political forums, that was until the venerable Vulcan took the dais.

Dr. Varrau, Vulcan Ambassdor

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Federation Council,
I stand before you today, to discuss a matter of great significance concerning the Mirians. As we all know, the Mirians, though remarkably intelligent and resilient, are a unique and endangered species within the Federation. It is our responsibility, both morally and ethically, to ensure their well-being and proper development.
First, it is imperative to recognize that the Mirians, despite their capabilities, are still children. Their development, both physically and emotionally, is not yet complete. Service in Starfleet is fraught with challenging scenarios that demand not only technical acumen but also the emotional maturity to make decisions that could have profound impacts. Not to mention that service in Starfleet brings with it an acceptance of one's own mortality. Subjecting the Mirians to such pressure at their current stage of development risks impairing their growth and does not afford them the opportunity to mature naturally.
Furthermore, as an endangered species, the Mirians represent a rare and irreplaceable genetic lineage. Allowing them to engage in activities that pose significant risks is not only imprudent but also counterproductive to our broader mission of preserving the diverse life forms within our galaxy. We have seen the consequences of neglecting our duties in this regard in the past, and it is a mistake we cannot afford to repeat.
Therefore, I propose that we take a compassionate yet firm stance on this issue. Let us provide the Mirians with the support and guidance they need to flourish within our society but let us also recognize the limits of their current capacities. By cashiering them from active duty in Starfleet, we allow them the space to grow, to learn, and to prepare for their roles in our collective future without undue haste or risk.
It is not a decision to be taken lightly, but I believe it is the logical and ethical course of action. Our commitment to the welfare of all species, especially those as vulnerable as the Mirians, must remain our guiding principle. Thank you for your consideration."

Jalen watched in horror as the Vulcan was given a standing ovation and then the motion was seconded by the Risian ambassador and put to a vote. One by one the various ambassadors and representatives of the protectorates came forward and cast their vote. Most of them just cast in silence, but a few choose to speak. The first to speak was the El-Aurian Ambassador, the man would be described as "middle aged" if he were human, and his commanding and authoritarian presence quickly quieted the room:

Hildorva Myran, El-Aurian Ambasssador

" Let me be clear about something. I have immense respect for the Vulcan people, their wisdom, their logic, and their dedication to the principles that have held the Federation together for generations. But I'm also a man who believes in something more than cold, calculated logic—something that has always set us apart as humans: our compassion, our sense of justice, and our unwavering belief in the dignity of every living being, no matter how young, no matter how vulnerable.

The Ambassador tells us that the Onlies are children—too fragile, too immature to make decisions for themselves. Well, let me ask you something: Who among us, at any age, can claim to have perfect wisdom? Who among us has never made a mistake, never acted with too much emotion or too little foresight? But you see, that's the beauty of being alive. We learn, we grow, and sometimes, we surprise even ourselves with what we're capable of.

The Onlies have faced trials and tribulations that would break the spirit of most adults, and yet they've come through it with a sense of purpose, with strength, with resilience that should inspire every single one of us. And now, because they don't fit some preordained mold of what a Starfleet officer should be, we're supposed to sideline them? We're supposed to tell them, "Thank you for your service, but now it's time for the adults to take over"? I don't think so.

We don't protect people by stifling their potential. We don't honor life by putting it in a glass case, out of harm's way, and out of sight. We protect people by giving them the tools they need to thrive. We honor life by recognizing its strength, by nurturing its growth, and by standing back in awe when it blossoms into something magnificent.

And yes, the Onlies are an endangered species. They are rare, they are precious, and they are the future of their world. But that future won't be written by locking them away, by stripping them of the very rights and responsibilities that make them who they are. It will be written by allowing them to take their place among us, as equals, as contributors, as individuals with their own hopes, dreams, and destinies.

We have a duty to guide them, to teach them, to support them. But we do not have the right to decide for them. We do not have the right to take away their agency, their autonomy, their chance to shape their own lives. That is not our role. That is not our right.

So, with all due respect to the Ambassador, I reject this notion that the Onlies should be cashiered from Starfleet. I reject it because it's not who we are as a Federation, it's not who we are as a people, and it's certainly not who we should be as leaders. Our job is not to decide who gets to live their lives and who doesn't. Our job is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest, and to trust that they'll make the right choices along the way.

Because in the end, that's what life is—a series of choices. And the Onlies, like the rest of us, deserve the right to make them. The El-Aurian People vote no on this proposal.w

Thank you.."

A being who resembled a human boy of approximately 12 years, seemingly out of place within the hall of elder states people, takes the podium, after a moment the floor raised up brining him level with the microphone. He spoke, and his voice, as yet unbroken by the aging process, was in stark contrast to the eldest states men in the room who had spoken mere moments before.

Sir Arthur Peter Churchill III Esq. Only Ambassador

"Esteemed members of the Federation Council,

I'm here today to speak for the Onlies," he said, making sure to give the Vulcan Ambassador a proper glare, "and I want to say a few things about why we should stay in Starfleet. I've listened to what everyone's said, and to be honest, some of the things being said against us are really annoying and just not fair.

To the Vulcan Ambassador, I get that you're worried about us 'cos we're still young. But that doesn't mean you get to make our decisions for us. Just 'cos we don't look as old as you doesn't mean we haven't got a clue what's going on. I mean, I'm over 450 years old, after all. All of us have been through stuff you can't even imagine, and we've learned loads from it. And what about all the Onlies who've been in Starfleet? Evangeline Erinth and Nolan Marc have been scientists in Starfleet for yonks. Naota won the Antarian Interstellar Rally in 2354 and fought in the Dominion War. Kyan Mackenzie's got the Grankite Order of Tactics. You say we need protecting, but I say we can look out for ourselves!

And to those who've backed the brain dead Vulcan proposal, it's clear you don't believe in us or think we can handle our duties. To that I say, bollocks! We're not asking for any special treatment; we're just asking for the respect to be seen as capable and to stay in Starfleet, where we can keep proving ourselves.

We've worked really hard to get here, and it's dead disappointing to hear that you Grups think we should just be sidelined 'cos we're not like you. We've faced challenges that would break most of you, and we're still standing strong. Saying we should leave Starfleet now is just saying you don't believe we're capable of more. And that's just not fair.

So, thanks to those who support us. Your belief in us really means a lot. But to those who want us out, we're asking you to think again. We've shown we can handle this, and we want the chance to keep showing that we can be a part of Starfleet and do great things.

As such, we vote against the Vulcan," he practically spat out the word like it was something nasty, "proposal."

Thank you."

The next to choose to voice their concern was the Bajoran Ambassador, a wizened older man of with similar features to the Asians of earth.

Vedek Ira Krirno, Bajoran Ambassador

"Honorable members of the Federation Council,

As I stand before you today, I am reminded of the teachings of the Prophets, who guide us through the Celestial Temple. Their wisdom, their light, has always been a beacon for my people, especially in times of uncertainty. It is through their guidance that I have come to understand the importance of faith, of resilience, and of the sanctity of all life.

We gather here to discuss the fate of the Onlies, a people who have faced trials beyond what most of us can imagine. They have walked through the shadow of death, yet they have not faltered. They have lived in a world stripped of hope, yet they have not surrendered to despair. This is not mere survival—this is the embodiment of the Prophets' will, the manifestation of a strength that transcends mere age or circumstance.

In the Bajoran faith, we believe that every child is a gift from the Prophets, a vessel of potential and purpose. The Onlies, though older then most of us, are no different. The Prophets have seen fit to bless them with the resilience to endure, the wisdom to adapt, and the courage to thrive in the face of overwhelming odds. To dismiss them now, to remove them from Starfleet, would be to turn our backs on the very gifts the Prophets have bestowed upon them.

The Onlies are more than just survivors; they are living testaments to the power of faith and the indomitable spirit of life itself. They have been through a trial by fire, and they have emerged not as victims, but as beings of profound strength and conviction. Who are we to deny them the path that has been laid before them? Who are we to question the will of the Prophets, who have clearly guided them to this point?

The Federation, much like Bajor, is built upon principles of inclusion, of compassion, of respect for the sanctity of all life. We do not cast aside the weak or the vulnerable; we uplift them. We do not close our hearts to those who are different; we embrace them. The Onlies, despite their youth, have shown a spiritual maturity that many of us could only hope to attain. They have faced the void and emerged with their faith, their hope, and their dignity intact.

To cashier them from Starfleet would be an act of hubris, a denial of the divine spark that resides within them. It would be to say that we know better than the Prophets, that we can judge the worth of a soul based on its age or its perceived fragility. But the Prophets teach us that every soul is precious, every life has purpose, and every being has the right to walk their own path.

So I stand before you today not just as a representative of Bajor, but as a humble servant of the Prophets, asking you to recognize the Onlies for who they are: children of the Divine, bearers of a light that must not be dimmed. Let us honor the trials they have endured, let us respect the choices they have made, and let us support them as they continue their journey—wherever that may lead.

For in doing so, we not only fulfill our duty to them; we also fulfill our duty to the Prophets, to the Federation, and to the very essence of life itself.

May the Prophets guide us all. Thank you."

Then a third stood, this one a tall and attractive woman of indeterminant age.

Ambassador Polinne of the Protectorate of Ba'ku

"Honorable members of the Federation Council,
I have listened carefully to the Vulcan Ambassador's words, and while I respect the logic presented, I must respectfully disagree with the conclusion. As a Ba'ku, my people understand the value of time, of allowing life to unfold at its own pace. But I also know that time does not dictate wisdom—experience and spirit do. The Onlies, despite their youth, have demonstrated a strength and resilience that transcends their years. To remove them from Starfleet now would be to deny the extraordinary potential they have already shown.
On Ba'ku, we live in harmony with nature, nurturing the growth of each individual, allowing them to find their path. But we do not shelter our young from the challenges of life; rather, we teach them to face those challenges with grace and courage. The Onlies have faced unimaginable trials, and they have emerged not as victims, but as survivors—stronger, wiser, and ready to contribute to the greater good.
To say that they are too young, that they should be removed from Starfleet because of their age, is to ignore the depth of experience they have already gained. Yes, they are an endangered species, and yes, they are children in many ways. But that does not mean they should be protected to the point of being stifled. Life, as we on Ba'ku know, is not without its risks. It is through facing those risks that we grow, that we evolve, that we become who we are meant to be.
The Onlies have already proven their capability. They have shown the courage to make difficult decisions, the wisdom to survive in the harshest conditions, and the strength to endure when all seemed lost. These are not the qualities of children who need to be sheltered; these are the qualities of individuals who are ready to take their place in the wider universe.
On Ba'ku, we believe in allowing each person to walk their own path, to find their own destiny. The Onlies have chosen to walk the path of Starfleet, and who are we to take that away from them? Who are we to say that their experiences, their trials, their growth, are not enough to earn them the right to serve?
To cashier them from Starfleet now would not be an act of protection—it would be an act of denying them their future. It would be to tell them that despite everything they have survived, despite all the strength they have shown, they are still not worthy of the responsibilities they have willingly taken on.
Let us not make that mistake. Let us honor their resilience, their courage, and their right to choose their own path. The Federation is built on the principles of self-determination, of allowing each species, each individual, to contribute in their own way. The Onlies deserve that chance.
They have already shown that they are more than capable. Let us give them the opportunity to continue proving it.
Thank you."

Lastly a reverendly elder states woman whose coal black eyes were as dark as her dress and veil, ponderously takes the stand.

Betazed Ambassador, Viada Idrun, Daughter of the Third House, keeper of the sacred quil of Indrex, and heir to the Holy Veil of Betazed.

" Honorable members of the Federation Council,
I stand before you today not in opposition, nor in full support, but in contemplation. Betazed holds empathy and understanding as the core of our values, and it is from that place of deep reflection that we have come to the decision to abstain from this vote.
The proposal before us touches on profound matters of survival, growth, and autonomy. The Onlies, despite their youth, have endured unimaginable hardships, and their resilience is a testament to the strength of their spirit. Yet, they are also vulnerable—an endangered people who have lost much of their world and childhood to forces beyond their control. Both sides of this debate present compelling truths, each rooted in care for the future of the Onlies.
We, the Betazoid people, know well the weight of emotional complexities. We feel them keenly, not just within ourselves but within all those around us. And it is because of this sensitivity that we recognize how deeply this decision affects everyone involved—those who advocate for the Onlies' protection and those who champion their right to self-determination. The emotional undercurrents are powerful, filled with love, fear, hope, and uncertainty. To impose a decision from such a position of emotional intensity requires more than just logic or compassion; it requires a profound respect for all perspectives.
Betazed has always respected the principle of free will, the belief that each individual should have the right to choose their own path. Yet, we also understand the importance of guidance and protection when that path is fraught with danger. We find ourselves torn between these truths, and to vote one way or the other feels like an oversimplification of a deeply complex situation.
Therefore, Betazed will abstain from this vote, not out of indifference, but out of respect—for the Onlies, for those who seek to protect them, and for those who believe in their capacity to choose. We do not wish to impose our will upon them, nor do we feel we can make this decision for them. Instead, we believe that further reflection and dialogue may be necessary to truly understand the best course of action.
Let it be known that our abstention is not an abdication of responsibility, but a commitment to continuing the conversation with open hearts and open minds. We trust that whatever decision is made, it will be made with the Onlies' best interests at heart, and we stand ready to support them in whatever path they ultimately choose.
Thank you."

Minutes passed in silence as the votes were tallied, the FNN camera panning over the hall in which various clusters of delegates spoke in hushed tones. Once the numbers were tallied they were handed to the Federation President who stood to read out the tally.

"With a vote of 180 in favour, 4 against, and 1 abstaining. The Motion passes, the Mirians shall be cashiered from and barred from entry into Starfleet service. Those that insist on remaining will be given non-hazardous planet side duties within the heart of Federation Space. Next up on the agenda..."

"Gar'varick!" Jalen threw his crystal tumbler into the view screen, shattering the delicate drinking vessel and breaking the screen. He was breathing heavily; he couldn't believe what he had just seen. For decades that damned Vulcan had worked against Jalen's and the other scientists' efforts to get full rights and privileges for the Onlies. He even had the nerve to refer to them as Mirians, a term that he knew damn well the Onlies despised. Having heard the commotion, Lorian made his way from the family Chapel and into the main room of their family quarters. He stopped in the door way, he had never seen his husband so angry.

"What's wrong my beloved?" Lorian asked, as he gingerly made his way closer to his husband. In all their years together, Jalen had never struck Lorian, but then again Jalen had never been so enraged either, and the experienced Milita and Resistance man that Lorian was knew to be cautious. Lorian's hand reached out and touched Jalen's elbow, Jalen shrugged it off and stormed across the room and began inputting the code to the family safe.

"I WILL KILL THAT GREEN BLOODED ABOMINATION!" In that safe Jalen kept all the things he had recovered from El-Auria and all the phases of his past life. He placed his hand on the door, which recognized his genetic markers, and the door slid open, inside he reached for the El-Aurian phaser he was issued when he joined the El-Aurian Defense Force. Lorain leapt forward with an alacrity he rarely showed and wrapped his hand around his husband's, exuding all the calm he could muster.

"Jalen... please calm down. No matter what happened Violence surely isn't the answer. Let's talk about this." Jalen looked over at his husband, his eyes seemingly not registering the man who was there. Lorian instinctively recoiled in fear, he had never seen such a dark countenance in his beloved. He swallowed hard and withdrew his hand, watching impotently as Jalen checked the weapon with a familiarity that was unexpected from the usually compassionate surgeon. Jalen then turned and stalked out of their quarters, the doors hissing shut behind him. Lorian quickly querried the computer.

"Computer, what was Jalen watching just now?"

"Accessing..." The computer chimed in with it's stereotypical cheerful female voice.

"Dr. Kartos was watching the live feed from the Federation Council meeting. In which they were discussing the cashiering of the Onlies from Starfleet Service. The vote was overwhelmingly in favour of doing so. The proposal was brought forth by Verrau formerly of the Vulcan Science Directorate: Xenopediatric Department, and now Vulcan Ambassador to the Federation Council." Lorian thought for a moment, he knew that name, then it hit him like a ton of bricks, he fell back into the couch and swallowed hard. He knew of Verrau from Jalen's stories of his time on Miri's World, and this did not bode well. If he couldn't reach his husband, then he could only think of one person who could stop this.

"Computer open a subspace communique to Lieutenant Commander Kyan Mackenzie.

Kyan, it's Lorian, I am sure you've heard the news by now, but Jalen didn't take it well. I think he is planning to kill Vulcan Ambassador Verrau. He retrieved his El-Aurian phaser pistol and stormed out of our Quarters on Starfleet Medical Station Gerhard. I couldn't stop him; I think you're likely the only person who can. Hopefully you are in a position to do so.

Computer send message, priority one."   Lorian then stood and made his way back into the chapel, to pray that somehow Jalen would come out of this alive.

[Keeli Reex]

{Somewhere in deep space}

"GO GO GO," Keeli shouted to her companions as they ran through the Bazaar on the alien planet they were currently docked at, after a drop-ship and "procurement" mission went terribly wrong. She looked around wildly, ducking phaser fire and strange tree branches as she went. In a moment, the shuttle appeared and she jumped in, sliding across the floor on her stomach, closing the hatch behind her.

Drake's hit. Looks bad.

Keeli sighed, but turned the shuttle ON and thrusting it forward. She didn't have time to deal with this right now!! She looked back at Raf. "You're going to have to handle this one. First aid kit and some medical supplies under Maggie's stuff," she said. Maggie was the one who'd died out there. "When we get back, I am SO quitting. Again," she said. "Did Mike know? HE HAD TO HAVE KNOWN," she shouted, banging her fist down on the console. Mike Correlli was their "boss," unofficial handler, and her sometimes-lover. He was cute, but he was a shit. Purposely sending her into danger?!

She turned back. "We're out of airspace..." She said. "How's he?" She asked.

It's not good.

Crap. She yelled out.

"Damn it, Drake. Stay with us!!" She sighed. "Take the con. I'll see what I can do," she said. She settled in as Raf took the Console, guiding their shuttle wildly through space until they could hit a safe enough area to drop up to warp. She had gone to Starfleet academy for a short time, hoping to be a doctor. That hadn't worked out, but her skills were still helpful.

She worked on the man for a few minutes, when out of nowhere, she heard a WHOOSH, and the shuttle rocked through space.

We've been hit

No shit. She looked up.

"He's not going to survive a hit..." but it was pointless because another missile rocked the shuttle, throwing her across the room. She went dark. Just before losing consciousness, she heard a loud yowl of pain. Was it her? NO...Raf. Damn. She tried to speak, but couldn't. What's happened?

SEVERAL HOURS LATER.

Keeli's blue eyes opened. Where was she? And what was that on her head? Gingerly, she reached up to feel. Ouch. She looked at her hand. Blood. HER blood. She sat up, carefully. Ow. She waited a moment for the room to stop spinning. She was still on the shuttle. Where was Raf, Drake, and Maggie?! She looked around. A body nearby answered her first question. Raf had had an arm blown off in what, she presumed, was the second missile strike. Oh, yeah. It all came flooding back to her as she stood up. She waited again for another bout of room-spinning to pass. She made her way to the Console.

Only life support remained, and if she couldn't reach someone in time, she was toast. She issued an SOS. HOPEFULLY someone, who wasn't a pirate or Orion slaver would find her. She did her best to wake up the other systems. Useless. It was gone. She should go see what she could find from the portholes but she had no idea where she was.

Well. If it wasn't the consequences of her own actions coming home to roost. She just hoped it wasn't for naught.

[Jalen Kartos]

Jalen stalked through the station with the tense wiriness and determination  of a large predatory cat. Crewmembers and civilians that saw him, suddenly remembered they had left their "Replicator's On", and slinked away from him. Jalen entered the shuttle bay, the station had minimal security at any hour and there was only one launch bay officer on duty in the bay. He looked up as the airlock doors hummed open and one of the medical staff entered. The man was obviously in a rage of some kind and holding a weapon. The launch bay officer quickly went about locking down his booth, as he recognized who the man was he didn't opt to call security. It was Dr. Jalen, the stations chief of pediatric medicine, he was so good with little Emma.

"Hey Doc, what's up?" The Officer said congenianly. Jalen didn't even look up at the window, the man just kept walking towards the now sealed doors. Jalen paused when the doors didn't open, and then spoke with an icy and dark voice.

"Emergency Medical Override, Authorization Kartos-Seven-Nine-Epsilon" The computer responded with it's typical accommodating bleeps, and the doors hissed open. Jalen entered leveled his pistol at the officer.

"Doc! Hey no need..." The man barely got out those four words before Jalen stunned him. Jalen was already at the controls, stopping the security alarm on the first note of the klaxon. He then went about inputting the necessary codes for an emergency launch of one of the Ambulance Shuttles, as it was the only thing prepped and ready to go. Medical Station Gerhard took its duties seriously, and always had two Ambulance Shuttles prepped and ready to go at all times. Jalen was already stalking out of the control booth when security queried;

"Hey Jonathon? Did you have a phaser malfunction down there? The alarm sounded and was silenced immediately? Do you need any assistance?"

Jalen left the message unanswered and as he climbed aboard the shuttle and took off, as soon as he had cleared the station's security field he immediately took the shuttle to warp, well within the no-fly envelope of the station's security perimeter.

*****

Dr. Quint, was in the Stations Administration Offices when an aborted Klaxon sounded. He raised an eyebrow as he placed the padd on which he was reading daily medical updates on when he heard it. After a moment the Klaxon didn't resume so he shook his head and went back to reading the tedious paperwork. Since his miraculous survival at Wolf 359 and the ship's mysterious reemergence in 2377, he had decided that it was best to take a more relaxing post on Gerhard, and had worked his way up to being Chief of Medicine, which doubled as Commanding Officer. He had barely made it through the next departmental report when his commbadge chirped at him. He sighed heavily and put down his PADD, it was the norm on Gerhard to deliver messages via courier and use the Comm System only for emergencies. Though as Quint had no current patience, and as far as he knew there were no new patience today that would require a consult. He tapped his badge in exasperation.

"Yes?" His voice was tinged with more then a little consternation.

"Umm... Commander Quint..."   That was odd, usually everyone around here referred to each other as Doctor or Professor, rarely did they ever use their Starfleet ranks.   "It seems that someone has launched an unauthorized shuttle... and they have gone to warp inside our no fly perimeter." 

Quint had no idea what the man was blathering on about, he was a doctor not a shuttle pilot.

"In plain English." Quint snapped at the man.

"I... I think someone just stole a shuttle?"   The man seemed confused, as if such a thing was impossible. Which technically speaking it should be, it also almost never happened.

"What? Have you contacted the launch bay? Are we sure there wasn't some kind of time sensitive emergency?"

"Yes Sir, we did... there was no answer from the Launch Bay Officer on duty... I have dispatched security, they have yet to report back."   As the man relayed this information the lights dimmed and was joined by the almost heartbeat like flashing of crimson paired with another Klaxon. Thankfully Gerhard Station kept such warnings limited to offices and administrative space, so at least the patience and civilians would not be bothered. And another voice broke into the conversation.

"Commander Quint, this is Lieutenant J'vol of Security... it seems that the Launch Bay Officer has been shot and is currently unconscious. Medical has been alerted and are on their way. A quick survey of things has identified that the security was overridden by Doctor Kartos, and it was his authorization that launched an Ambulance. I have confirmed that one is missing from the bay."   Quint stood up so fast he knocked over his chair. Kartos? The kindly old El-Aurian who was Dean of Pediatric Medicine? Of everyone on the station, why him? Why would he shoot an officer and steal a shuttle. He didn't have a violent bone in his body. What the hell was going on here...

"Acknowledged, start a full investigation, I want to know what the hell is going on here. I can't believe that Jalen would do this, he is such a mild mannered and thoughtful man. Just like all of his species. He must be under some form of duress. Ensign Cartwright, try to raise him on comms." Quint ordered firmly.

"Umm sir..."   The nervous voice chimed in again.  "I already tried raising the shuttle, or to track it on sensors... it seems that he has gone comms silent, disabled the IFF beacon, and initiated some sort of stealth program. We can't track the shuttle on sensors, and we can't raise it on comms." 

Curiouser and curiouser, Quint thought as he left the office for the Operations Deck... something about all of this didn't smell right to him.

*****

Jalen was only a couple hours into his journey when the stolen ambulance picked up a distress signal, despite the urgency and importance of his task, he couldn't ignore over 800 years of training and cultural conditioning. He adjusted his course and came out of warp right on top of the signal. He knew his stolen ambulance wouldn't appear on the vessel's sensors, unless they had a real EW Wizard onboard, but he was still risking failing the task he had set his mind to.

"Computer beam me over." He ordered as he slung a medical field kit over his shoulder. The Ambulance dematerialized around him and was replaced near instantaneously by the interior of a vessel that had obviously just seen battle. As soon as he could speak, he called out.

"I am Dr. Kartos of Medical Station Gerhard, is can anyone hear me?" Before he finished speaking he already had his medical tricorder out and was scanning the vessels interior.

Type 31 - Medical Emergency Ambulance Shuttle

[Kyan Mackenzie]

[Kyan & Max | Promenade Area, Outpost Solaere]

"Let's get one with a holodeck!" Max suggested excitedly... "Oh! and a hydroponics bay too... so we can grow stuff!" Max didn't look up, still pouring over the data padd Kyan had gotten from Deej Cloten a few days ago. A pair of Miradorn were due to arrive at the outpost soon to complete a deal of one of them, at which point they would take the Onlies to pick up the ship. Kyan had already looked at all the ships. Honestly, he didn't care which one they chose so long as it had engines that worked and decent weaponry. The main point was having a ship of their own, not the specs. And with the contents of the sixty-year-old sluggo cola bottle in his backpack, they could afford any ship on the list easily. While the other Onlie immersed himself in specifications and blueprints, Kyan kept a wary eye on the activity of the promenade. It wasn't that he didn't trust Cloten; he knew the Antican wouldn't double-cross him especially now that he was freed from the rules of Starfleet. But he was carrying a liter of liquid latinum in his backpack. Of course, he was the only one who knew that.

"This one has a LF-20 CLW drive unit! I bet it's super fast!" Max offered, finally looking up.

Kyan didn't hear him though. A pair of Nausicaans had caught his eye from across the promenade. They were in a hurry, and one kept looking behind them. The other carried something wrapped in a blanket.

"What are you looking at? Is it the Miradorns?" The raven haired boy asked eagerly. Max looked for himself but didn't see any of the bald aliens with the mottled skin. He followed Kyan's gaze until his eyes landed on the Nausicaans. Just in time to see a small Klingon foot fall out of the blanket bundle that one of them was carrying.

Before Max could react, Kyan dropped his backpack on the bench where he'd been sitting. "Dinna let no one touch it." He said, which was more order than request. "An call security too. I bet those dirty grasshopper-faced wankers kidnapped someone!"

"Don't get hurt." Max knew it was pointless to argue against getting involved. Whether he was in Starfleet or not, Kyan wasn't the type to stand by and let things happen, especially to children. But still...."And don't get thrown in the brig either! Then we won't get to meet the Miradorns!"

The crimson haired boy grinned back over his shoulder. "Sure an I'm just gonna stall 'em is all, while ye call security."

That was a relief. "Ok... " he replied. But the relief was short lived.

"bIjatlh 'e' yImev. nuchpu' jay'!" a baritone voice thundered across the promenade. Both Onlies' eyes were drawn to where the sound came from. They saw a portly Klingon in dirty white clothes stumble around a corner. Blood ran down his face from a gash on his head. He brandished a Klingon knife of some sort in his right hand and his left clutched his stomach. Blood seeped around his sausage link fingers as he staggered toward the Nausicaans who had stopped to look behind them. "biHnuchs! jIH HIqem!

While Max was a Bat'leths & BiHnuchs enthusiast, he didn't speak Klingon. Kyan did, fluently. But one didn't need to speak the language to discern the context. The Klingon was injured, and whatever...whoever was wrapped in that blanket didn't belong to the Nausicaans. Between the small foot he'd seen in the blanket, the Klingon's arrival, and the Nausicaans "deer-in-the-headlights" look, Max put all the pieces together fairly quickly. He was about to tell Kyan to stick to his previous plan but it was too late for that. His friend already had curved steel in his hand and had darted off to intercept the kidnappers. Max heaved a resigned sigh. Despite what the Klingon might have said, it really wasn't a good day to die... or to have other people die. He walked over to a com unit and pressed the key.

Security, there's a problem on the promenade. Two Nausicaans kidnapped someone... and they're prolly about to get killed for it. You should hurry up.

He turned back to see Kyan in front of the Nausicaans while the fat Klingon staggered toward them from the other direction.

"Put whatever you took on the deck the now an back up." Kyan said to the one with the blanket bundle.

The Nausicaan drew his own blade with his free hand. "Get out of our way boy, unless you want to die."

Kyan laughed at him. "Sure an you don't ken me from no one, but yer not the one gonna kill me. Yer just a wanker dat cannae even kidnap someone. But if yer after getting ta grasshopper heaven, den just come one an let's go. But ye best hurry. Security'll be here soon." He indicated Max with a nod. "He already called em."

The Nausicaan looked over to see Max, once again sitting on the bench. The boy waved at him with a grin. The would be kidnapper looked back to see his comrade get bull-rushed by the Klingon. Those two went to the deck fighting and hurling obscenities at one another in their native tongues. When he turned back around Kyan had closed the distance between them and by the time the big alien had found the Onlie again he was crouched in front of him. There was also a karambit buried in his thigh. A flick of the wrist and follow-through brought the blade back out, covered in the inky black blood. He howled in pain, swinging wildly. Kyan dropped to the deck and caught his other leg, slicing the achilles tendon, which brought the alien to a knee. The Onlie rolled and sprang up behind him and thrust his left hand around the right side of the muscled neck of the Nausicaan while flipping his karambit by the safety ring so that the blade now faced the exposed neck. The disabled Nausicaan froze as the curved blade kissed his skin.

"Drop yer knife." He said calmly. "Or I'll drop you.

The Nausicaan growled but his blade clattered to the deck. Kyan turned his head. "yItlhapQo'!" (Don't kill him.) he said to the Klingon behind him. "pe'vIl 'oH leghchu'." (Starfleet will be here soon.)

[Kinley Garrison]

[Kyan & Max | Promenade Area, Outpost Solaere]

"Let's get one with a holodeck!" Max suggested excitedly... "Oh! and a hydroponics bay too... so we can grow stuff!" Max didn't look up, still pouring over the data padd Kyan had gotten from Deej Cloten a few days ago. A pair of Miradorn were due to arrive at the outpost soon to complete a deal of one of them, at which point they would take the Onlies to pick up the ship. Kyan had already looked at all the ships. Honestly, he didn't care which one they chose so long as it had engines that worked and decent weaponry. The main point was having a ship of their own, not the specs. And with the contents of the sixty-year-old sluggo cola bottle in his backpack, they could afford any ship on the list easily. While the other Onlie immersed himself in specifications and blueprints, Kyan kept a wary eye on the activity of the promenade. It wasn't that he didn't trust Cloten; he knew the Antican wouldn't double-cross him especially now that he was freed from the rules of Starfleet. But he was carrying a liter of liquid latinum in his backpack. Of course, he was the only one who knew that.

"This one has a LF-20 CLW drive unit! I bet it's super fast!" Max offered, finally looking up.

Kyan didn't hear him though. A pair of Nausicaans had caught his eye from across the promenade. They were in a hurry, and one kept looking behind them. The other carried something wrapped in a blanket.

"What are you looking at? Is it the Miradorns?" The raven haired boy asked eagerly. Max looked for himself but didn't see any of the bald aliens with the mottled skin. He followed Kyan's gaze until his eyes landed on the Nausicaans. Just in time to see a small Klingon foot fall out of the blanket bundle that one of them was carrying.

Before Max could react, Kyan dropped his backpack on the bench where he'd been sitting. "Dinna let no one touch it." He said, which was more order than request. "An call security too. I bet those dirty grasshopper-faced wankers kidnapped someone!"

"Don't get hurt." Max knew it was pointless to argue against getting involved. Whether he was in Starfleet or not, Kyan wasn't the type to stand by and let things happen, especially to children. But still...."And don't get thrown in the brig either! Then we won't get to meet the Miradorns!"

The crimson haired boy grinned back over his shoulder. "Sure an I'm just gonna stall 'em is all, while ye call security."

That was a relief. "Ok... " he replied. But the relief was short lived.

"bIjatlh 'e' yImev. nuchpu' jay'!" a baritone voice thundered across the promenade. Both Onlies' eyes were drawn to where the sound came from. They saw a portly Klingon in dirty white clothes stumble around a corner. Blood ran down his face from a gash on his head. He brandished a Klingon knife of some sort in his right hand and his left clutched his stomach. Blood seeped around his sausage link fingers as he staggered toward the Nausicaans who had stopped to look behind them. "biHnuchs! jIH HIqem!

While Max was a Bat'leths & BiHnuchs enthusiast, he didn't speak Klingon. Kyan did, fluently. But one didn't need to speak the language to discern the context. The Klingon was injured, and whatever...whoever was wrapped in that blanket didn't belong to the Nausicaans. Between the small foot he'd seen in the blanket, the Klingon's arrival, and the Nausicaans "deer-in-the-headlights" look, Max put all the pieces together fairly quickly. He was about to tell Kyan to stick to his previous plan but it was too late for that. His friend already had curved steel in his hand and had darted off to intercept the kidnappers. Max heaved a resigned sigh. Despite what the Klingon might have said, it really wasn't a good day to die... or to have other people die. He walked over to a com unit and pressed the key.

Security, there's a problem on the promenade. Two Nausicaans kidnapped someone... and they're prolly about to get killed for it. You should hurry up.

He turned back to see Kyan in front of the Nausicaans while the fat Klingon staggered toward them from the other direction.

"Put whatever you took on the deck the now an back up." Kyan said to the one with the blanket bundle.

The Nausicaan drew his own blade with his free hand. "Get out of our way boy, unless you want to die."

Kyan laughed at him. "Sure an you don't ken me from no one, but yer not the one gonna kill me. Yer just a wanker dat cannae even kidnap someone. But if yer after getting ta grasshopper heaven, den just come one an let's go. But ye best hurry. Security'll be here soon." He indicated Max with a nod. "He already called em."

The Nausicaan looked over to see Max, once again sitting on the bench. The boy waved at him with a grin. The would be kidnapper looked back to see his comrade get bull-rushed by the Klingon. Those two went to the deck fighting and hurling obscenities at one another in their native tongues. When he turned back around Kyan had closed the distance between them and by the time the big alien had found the Onlie again he was crouched in front of him. There was also a karambit buried in his thigh. A flick of the wrist and follow-through brought the blade back out, covered in the inky black blood. He howled in pain, swinging wildly. Kyan dropped to the deck and caught his other leg, slicing the achilles tendon, which brought the alien to a knee. The Onlie rolled and sprang up behind him and thrust his left hand around the right side of the muscled neck of the Nausicaan while flipping his karambit by the safety ring so that the blade now faced the exposed neck. The disabled Nausicaan froze as the curved blade kissed his skin.

"Drop yer knife." He said calmly. "Or I'll drop you.

The Nausicaan growled but his blade clattered to the deck. Kyan turned his head. "yItlhapQo'!" (Don't kill him.) he said to the Klingon behind him. "pe'vIl 'oH leghchu'." (Starfleet will be here soon.)

[Promenade]

Steve didn't need a walk like most traditional organic beings of the pet variet, but Kinley liked to give him some kind of enrichment where he wouldn't cause a scene at first glance, like having him go running loose.  And she had some time before her shift coming up.

According to her notes, usually his jaunts were of the harmless nature , just looking to say hi to people, but , the unusual shape of a predator, even one from millions of years ago seemed to put some people at ease. Given there were much scarier things out there in the universe, Steve was practically small potatoes compared to say, The Borg, but there were still some long-held ideas that would never die due to the pop culture of centuries past.

The tiny raptor tugged at the lead attached to his holoprojector, looking around at all the sights and smells with great vigor. It wasn't enough to yank her arms out of their sockets, but it was surprisingly strong all the same for a being of concentrated light. "Hold on buddy, give me just a sec to breathe, okay?"  she laughed before he suddenly stopped, pointing like a hound on the hunt. "Steve, what-?"

Then she heard the security warning on her comms. A potential kidnapping. She turned to Steve, who was growling. She'd never heard him growl, but he was looking at her in anticipation, probably for the order to protect, given his security protocols. "Hold on, buddy. " she said to the agitated raptor as she grabbed the pocket knife in her lab coat pocket before moving in to address the situation. A couple of Nausiccans, a bloody Klingon, and... KYAN?! What in the heck was he doing?!

She knew that Security was going to be on their way, any moment now, but this situation could blow up at any second now.  Kyan seemed to be holding his own with these guys, but as stabby as she knew he could be, things could go from bad to worse in a split second.

"Hold on there! There will NOT be any murdering or kidnapping on my Station, thank you very much!" she yelled in that commanding voice she had learned to use in her time as a CO.  It certainly didn't match her tiny frame, but so be it. She just had to keep them occupied long enough to get Security to take care of them. 

[Kyan Mackenzie]

"Hold on there! There will NOT be any murdering or kidnapping on my Station, thank you very much!" she yelled in that commanding voice she had learned to use in her time as a CO.

At the sound of her voice, Kyan turned his head just enough to see his old shipmate and her dinosaur?. Well, Kinley was a science type. He figured she probably cooked up the little lizard in a lab or something. Eggheads were notorious for that type of thing. He'd have waved, but since Kyan's hands were occupied with keeping the kneeling Nausicaan from getting any delusions of escaping, he just shot her and over the shoulder grin.

"Heya Kinley! Merry Met again." he offered jovially, as if greeting someone while holding a bleeding, would be kidnapper at knifepoint in the middle of the promenade was a normal thing. "Me an Max over there was just waitin ta buy a ship from one of Cloten's mates when we seen this one here, and his mate there behind me actin suspect like. Turns out they was after makin off with dat Klingon's daughter so they was. The jobby creatures. But dinna worry on it. We got 'em. An I told him not ta be killin the other one."

"daH yIQoy!" (We should kill them now.) the Klingon barked from his perch atop the other Nausicaan's chest.

"Qo'! yapbe'law' SoQvetlh ngoQlu'! (No! Starfleet will get their panties in a twist.) Kyan replied. Honestly, who didn't speak standard or at least have a universal translator these days? Then to Kinley, "This one I got needs a doctor, on account of his leg. And the Klingon does too."

The Klingon shrugged. "'ach Sengvetlh vIparHa'!" he replied.

For his part, the Nausicaan that Kyan had tangled with kept quiet, but then he had a knife at his neck. The other one had a sumo Klingon sitting on his chest so it was all he could do to keep air in his lungs. "He says put her down on the deck." Kyan told the one in front of him. I'd do it if I was you."

"I speak Klingon!" he replied defiantly. But he did lower the unconscious girl in the blanket to the deck while Kyan kept his knife on him. "And it doesn't matter. He's a dead man. And so are you."

Kyan laughed. "Not today fer sure." He replied casually. "But you might be." he whispered the last bit. Then he turned his head to Kinley. "Nice station ye got. Exciting so it is!"

[Azsayak]

The first Disruptor Beam sizzles past the leading creature barely missing its head. Causing the creature to dart off to the side. Another beam hits the ground in front of the creature that had been several strides behind the first off, a little more to the left. This caused that individual to break off as well. There was reason Aoi had decided on not killing the creatures out right. Alive and fleeing they would hopefully cause confusion in their fellow creatures.

And it worked for a little as Aoi would dart forward with speed of a pouncing lynx. She kept the rifle in front of her aimed down to the left. Darting past the confused predators she had almost reached the treeline before the spell of confusion had broken on the two nearest individuals and the rest of the pack closed in on her.

The hulking creatures were disturbingly fast moving.  Even with the distraction Aoi would have to shoulder the Romulan disruptor rifle by its sling hap hazardly. Bounding of a gnarly looking tree root and bolting into the jungle like a rabbit that had been flushed out. Behind the creatures followed snaking their massive forms through the trees as they ran.  The act of navigating the dense tree line would slow them down a little. Until the interior of the jungle opened up a little with the older trees.

Aoi navigated the trees with a bit more ease and inhumane speed and agility.  Looking for a large and tall tree she could start to climb.  If Aoi had possessed a heart it would bne thudding loudly in her chest. The creatures will a little much to look at a comfortable distance.  But now Aoi could smell the reek of death of them with how were so close to her. Thankful aoi could turn of that sense.  But Aoi Couldn't turn of the visual images of those horrendous snapping maws filled with teeth sending thick saliva raining about with each snap.
Or the way the clawed feet or sometimes clawed hands dug into tree or soil, leaving gouges both.  Aoi Ducked under a low tree branch and ran up the snapped at the base dead tree trunk. As a one of the creatures pulled up alongside her. Nipping literally at her heels as she leaped off the tree trunk. Ducking into a roll as she slams into the jungle floor and vanishes under a thick carpet of grass and foliage. But as she rolled, she hit something with her shoulder that was pretty firm and solid.  Resulting and sharp cracking sound from her Romulan disruptor rifle, along with a fizzling sound as sparks flew from it for a brief second. unable to stop and look at the damage to the rifle as she rolled back into a run.

Aoi grabbed the trunk of a tree as the pounding footfalls of a creature loomed up mere strides behind her. Using the motion to slingshot herself around and cause the pursuing predator to trip and crash to the jungle floor as it had attempted to turn with her.  Aoi felt the rifle on her back starting to get hot. She knew she had seconds before the rifle went up like a plasma-based hand grenade.  She had to slow down to trot through the jungle as she snaked her way around trees. Unslinging the rifle and while she was performing that motion, one of the creatures. A particular big and hideous battle-scarred individual would appear almost as if it out of thin air. Aoi did a quick transition of her grip on the Romulan disruptor rifle at the barrel. Her red eyes noticing the cracked stock and power cell.

Aoi having little chance to turn from the charge of the creature. Took a running swing with the disruptor rifle. Swinging it like some sort of primitive war yielding a club. Aoi pivoted off to the side with move similar to that of a Kendo student might do when getting offline. By moving their back leg in an arch behind the lead leg.  And brought the Disruptors rifle butt down. And as soon as it contacts with the snarling maw, it exploded with a defeaning crack and rush of light. Aoi's last sight was the smoking stub of the creature's neck headless, as she was sent hurtling backwards like a cannonball just fired. She only blacked out as she felt and heard herself impact against a tree trunk with a sickening crunch.

Aoi last thought before her nerual network emergency shut down was insult filled one. The basic gist was that of difference nad smug satisfaction she had least taken one of those creatures with her and went out on her own terms. Not screaming and hapless under a writhing mass of teeth and claws.  Aoi was not dead yet even as darkness greeted her.  A pair of human faces would flick over before Aoi vision like a wisp of smoke a man and a woman.  Protect Max was the last thought. As her fiery red eyes stopped glowing and went dark dead red.

[Keeli Reex]

{Shuttle Andromeda}

Keeli heard Dr. Kartos' voice, and whipped around, her phaser primed.

I am Dr. Kartos of Medical Station Gerhard, is can anyone hear me?

Federation?! Interesting. Seemed a bit far from the safety of their gilded towers but was she really in a position to question anyone? No. She spoke.

"Back here. Two dead, one injured. I am armed..." She said the last part as a warning, just in case of some kind of trickery. The hit the shuttle had taken had injured HER-she presumed on her very much not so sexy aerial acrobatics across the room. A broken foot, if she had to guess. She was doing her best to hobble around, but by now? It had gotten to the point where she was a sitting duck. Now, her only chance of survival was putting her trust in the Federation.

"Hurry..." she said, a hint of desperation creeping in. Keeli was a strong woman, and not prone to histronics but she was panicking.

[Jalen Kartos]

Jalen was hunched over the two in the pilot's and co-pilot's seats closing their eyelids and saying a prayer to the Prophets for the repose of their souls, when he heard the voice call from the rear of the shuttle. He straightened up and gloomily made his way towards the rear compartment. He stepped into the room, cautiously his hands only grasping the tricorder and the scanning wand, though his exotic and esoteric phaser pistol in his thigh holster was obviously not Starfleet issue. His uniform was still immaculate, and he wore it proudly. Indeed, he was certain that the path he had started on was for the good of not just the Onlies but Starfleet and the entire Federation. Though he had to admit, at least in his heart of hearts, that maybe it was more selfish then altruistic, but that wasn't enough to stop him.

"The two up front are dead. You have a broken foot, and 3 three cracked ribs, but you'll live." Jalen turned the scanning wand to the scanner to the other casualty in the rear. "Your friend on the other had needs a sickbay or station medical facility. Thankfully the Shuttle has stasis pods, till we can get him the attention he needs. Also, thankfully I am headed to Sol, so he'll get the best medical attention in the entire federation. But you either come now or stay. Either way the choice is yours. Your wounds I can treat on the way." Jalen's usually amiable bedside manner was missing from this interaction as he placed the scanning wand back in the tricorder, closed it and slipped it back into the medkit.

"So, what'll it be? Come with me or die here. Clocks ticking." Jalen said as his hand began to rise to his combadge.

[Azsayak]

Aoi was awaken by the sound of something slithering and hissing close to her. No right in front of her hearing 3-d mapping the location of the noise even before Aoi's eyelids fluttered open revealing her red eyes glowing hotly. And the sight that greeted her was white feathered serpent with red eyes staring right back at her. It remained in a semi coiled position feet from her face. But it made no other movement or hissed again at her stirring. Its red eyes locked with hers

Slowly placing her hands on the ground to push up of the ground. She gazed wearily at the serpent and roled onto her back and using one hand on the ground behind herself to prop herself up. She kept her eyes on the serpent for several long minutes. After a bit of time she decided to chance a look around. As she moved, her internal diagnostic function flashed warnings of structual damage over her vision. T2-4 minor fracture. T5-9 serve fractures . IF aoi was a organic lifeform she would be howling in pain from the injury. But Aoi's own hydrogel muscles around the injury had moved the pieces back into place and kept them in place by stiffening around them.
Aoi first glanced at the offending tree that had caused her such injurys. And there where she had hit a small cavity in the tree had collapsed with bits of the tree dusting the ground below the spot. She would down at the spot and finally notice the stone-dead form of 2 of the creatures.  Frozen in their death throes between them lay several of the white feathered serpent some more intact than others.
Apparently, her impact into the tree had disturbed a nest of the snakes. And the pack of creatures after shaking of their fear from the explosion had ventured over to aoi to feast. Only to find the white feathered serpents and leaving two of their own number dead behind.  Multiple foreign objects detected around the injury . Aoi couldnt stop the grimace at the update the tree had done more then just fractured multiple vertebra she also had several chunks of tree sharpnel in her back. And her once white hooded tunic and garb torn and dirty.  Aoi glanced back at the serpent before her who had moved at all.
"Well I guess thanks are in order Serpent and as well an apology for destroying your home. However if you think of telling anyone I owe my life to you. I will lie about it and pretend I never saw you or this horrible mud ball you call a home" Aoi added the last part with a sheepish grin at the serpent whop seemed very docile in front of her. Red eyes of hers and the serpents had locked again. Then she noticed behind the first serpent was one that had been cut by the clawed paws of the creatures.  It was not moving but Aoi's senses could tell it wasnt dead. " Well that won't do at all. I can't have your little friend die after you lost so many of your friends because of me. No that will not do at all. I Will deny every being saved by a snake from some bad jokes of werewolf raptor. After all I do have my dignity to think of. That is one thing, but ingratitude is another. "
Aoi would slowly crawl over to the serpents on her belly the Serpent guarding its wounded friend hissed softly at her approach. Perhas on reflex more than fear of Aoi who had apparently rendered the serpent docile with a glance of her own red eyes. Aoi had no idea how long she had been out, but had she been out for any longer she likely couldn't of saved the serpent from blood loss.  She would take out her knife from her sheath at her hip and cut the tip pad of the finger causing a clear ooze like fluid to well up. She would then rub her own hyrdogel blood over the cut. First it would sterilize the area and then it would heal the area after converting itself to local tissue.
The eyes of the other serpent never left aoi as she applied her own synthetic hydrogel to the wound. And then tucked the serpent away under her shredded and ripped robe. She would then offer her right hand for the healthy serpent to slide up her arm.  Which it did surprisingly after a few seconds of holding Aois gaze. Staggering slowly to her feet now that she had two serpent passengers swaddled away in her torn robe and the stripes of farbic. She would take a slow step forward and then another. Her spinal column being protect by the muscles.  Already the bones were knitting themselves back together.  And the largest chunks of wood splinters had already been shoved out of her back.
Danger Danger, Skeletal system at 67 percent integrity. Self-Repair function is impeded. System functionality at 34 percent. Repairs needed
Aoi would lurch forwward towards her ship slowly.  Her reboot had wiped alot of the false memories away that the Romulans had implanted but were unable to make any deeper than surface level and affect two nodules of her neural network. Human faces would flash through her vision as she made her way to her Fighter very much looking like the shambling undead.
Aoi was beset with paradigm shift that threaten to shatter her reality. The programmed reality of the Tal-shiar was cracking and Aoi saw the light coming through holes in the spun fabric covering her metaphoric eyes. Who were those humans that kept appearing in her vision. Who was the child, and what or who was a Max. She first had to get off this planet and then she could confront such reality shattering questions.

[Azsayak]

Aoi's slow and long walk back to her fighter. Resembled the shuffling gait of an undead creature.  Aoi even looked the part with her dirty and even further torn clothes and hood.  The damaged and served bits of the Romulan Tal shiar controll harness hung from her synthetic ceramic reinforce skin and face.

The stalemate war that had been produce by the romulan control harness and programming was now firmly tipping in the balance of Aoi's core programming. No longer was Aoi being force to try and navigate two sets of commands. And having to become more and more creative to avoid a logic system error. The imposed ruthless tal-shiar agent construct while still overwhelming in control of aoi. Was now losing ground in the war rapidly.  Roaring forth from the submerged depths in Aois psyche a fierce overwhelming Resistance of Aois true creators Max parents, was on the move.

Aoi shambled back to her fighter in a Delirious haze, She was Areinnye of the Romulans agent of the tal-shair. No she wasn't that name never felt right. Flashes of a smiling human couple flashed before her vision. As names and lost memories began to rush down the massive gouge left in the tal-shiar dam. The true nature of aoi rushed forth to smoothe the imposter. A scene of the ents washing away the filth of isnegard by releasing the might of the river. The truimph of nature over the industry machinations of saruman, truth over a lie.

No No Areinnye whispered back at first at the onslaught Aoi. That was soon and explosion of fury and malice at the invader. Areinnyes the Romulan construct part would flash the red eyes dangerous as she opened her fighter's canopy. The repair bots having their work while she had been knocked out. Dangerously close to a psychotic break as areinnye fought desperately to keep its reality in place.  You are a li, your words are false the faces were never real. I'm areinnye of the Romulan empire. You are a lie meant to deceive me. The Max you speak of deceiver I will find him and prove I'm the truth.

Aoi answered back using the mouth now to respond to the other personality in her neural network " Does the truth think proclaiming it, renders it so Aoi said with soft chuckle following the hushed retorted. A soft and brief smirk as Aoi embraced her sassy side to torment the interloper. As the canopy comes down and she goes through the preflight checks of her restore fighter. Feeling something move in the folds of fabric in her tattered clothing. Aoi would peer down at stouts of the two feathered red eyed serpents. Hello again little friends I remember you

"We are" Aoi would say

Areinnye would hiss out cutting aoi off "in agreement we will'

Aoi would take the last word to rob areinnye of it "Find max."

Now that she was leaving the planet the decision remained how to find max. Aoi had vague knowledge of Max that he was a onlie with connections to earth and the federation. Often found in the company of another of his race.  The federation if nothing was proficient in record keepings.  A federation base or ship would be good enough to get more information.  Information was one lesson that the Romulans taught her, that it was the most sought after and most dangerous weapon one could have.

(( Aoi sounds like azula type color is red. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbZVKN8lQp4 Areinnye is green and sounds like the female romolaun captain in this episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E32Q4acbRew&t=72s ))

[Kinley Garrison]

At the sound of her voice, Kyan turned his head just enough to see his old shipmate and her dinosaur?. Well, Kinley was a science type. He figured she probably cooked up the little lizard in a lab or something. Eggheads were notorious for that type of thing. He'd have waved, but since Kyan's hands were occupied with keeping the kneeling Nausicaan from getting any delusions of escaping, he just shot her and over the shoulder grin.

"Heya Kinley! Merry Met again." he offered jovially, as if greeting someone while holding a bleeding, would be kidnapper at knifepoint in the middle of the promenade was a normal thing. "Me an Max over there was just waitin ta buy a ship from one of Cloten's mates when we seen this one here, and his mate there behind me actin suspect like. Turns out they was after makin off with dat Klingon's daughter so they was. The jobby creatures. But dinna worry on it. We got 'em. An I told him not ta be killin the other one."

"daH yIQoy!" (We should kill them now.) the Klingon barked from his perch atop the other Nausicaan's chest.

"Qo'! yapbe'law' SoQvetlh ngoQlu'! (No! Starfleet will get their panties in a twist.) Kyan replied. Honestly, who didn't speak standard or at least have a universal translator these days? Then to Kinley, "This one I got needs a doctor, on account of his leg. And the Klingon does too."

The Klingon shrugged. "'ach Sengvetlh vIparHa'!" he replied.

For his part, the Nausicaan that Kyan had tangled with kept quiet, but then he had a knife at his neck. The other one had a sumo Klingon sitting on his chest so it was all he could do to keep air in his lungs. "He says put her down on the deck." Kyan told the one in front of him. I'd do it if I was you."

"I speak Klingon!" he replied defiantly. But he did lower the unconscious girl in the blanket to the deck while Kyan kept his knife on him. "And it doesn't matter. He's a dead man. And so are you."

Kyan laughed. "Not today fer sure." He replied casually. "But you might be." he whispered the last bit. Then he turned his head to Kinley. "Nice station ye got. Exciting so it is!"

[Promenade]

"Much appreciated on the not killing part there!" she shouted over the din, uncomfortable and uncertain on what to do. It wasn't every day you saw someone who looked like a kid taking down a full-grown Nausicaan. She should have been expecting it, knowing Kyan, but she had to admit, she hadn't been expecting Kyan to be ship shopping, and with her second-least favorite person in the sector. Didn't the Challenger head out not too long ago? Why was he here then?

Kinley wasn't sure what to think, but fortunately, she didn't have to as a crew of yellow-shirted security ran up and took care of the situation.

"Hands in the air! And drop your weapons!"

She nodded to the officer" Once you get them, we need an emergency beam to Medical to deal with the injured people here, 'kay? And don't worry about the 4th grader, He's Commander Mackenzie. I know him well enough to vouch for him. " She said to Ensign Mior before turning to Kyan, shrugging with a slight ribbing grin.

"Nice enough for being in the middle of nowhere, all things considered. I keep trying to keep it all nice and calm, but that's been sporadic at best.  You should see all the people I've sent to New Zealand for trial. " she raised an eyebrow. "So, you're chatting with Cloten on getting a ship, huh?  Why him of all people?"

[J.B Dersch]

[Promenade]

"Much appreciated on the not killing part there!" she shouted over the din, uncomfortable and uncertain on what to do. It wasn't every day you saw someone who looked like a kid taking down a full-grown Nausicaan. She should have been expecting it, knowing Kyan, but she had to admit, she hadn't been expecting Kyan to be ship shopping, and with her second-least favorite person in the sector. Didn't the Challenger head out not too long ago? Why was he here then?

Kinley wasn't sure what to think, but fortunately, she didn't have to as a crew of yellow-shirted security ran up and took care of the situation.

"Hands in the air! And drop your weapons!"

She nodded to the officer" Once you get them, we need an emergency beam to Medical to deal with the injured people here, 'kay? And don't worry about the 4th grader, He's Commander Mackenzie. I know him well enough to vouch for him. " She said to Ensign Mior before turning to Kyan, shrugging with a slight ribbing grin.

"Nice enough for being in the middle of nowhere, all things considered. I keep trying to keep it all nice and calm, but that's been sporadic at best.  You should see all the people I've sent to New Zealand for trial. " she raised an eyebrow. "So, you're chatting with Cloten on getting a ship, huh?  Why him of all people?"

[ Lt. JB Dersch | Sec/Tac Officer | Outpost Solaere]

JB had came when he heard the Security Announcement. As he came in Kinley was already there yelling.  As JB came up his police instincts kicked in.

Coming up on your right. JB told Kinley as he came up on her right. He took a spot where if they had a snap second to arrest and cuff the Pearson, JB could quickly grab them.

[Azsayak]

The nearest federation Prescence was understndable and outpost. The tarod sector where the Federation interlopers dared take up in an old, abandoned outpost. Ariennye- The Romulan imposed construct was pleased with the chance to visit a federation outpost. Going to warp 6 upon leaving the planets atomsphere. Aoi had calacute the speed to give her time to affect any more repairs. Setting an autopilot function so she could do so and alter her appearance.

Outpost solaere would have the information. Who was this Max Onlie being would be discovered there. The federation bureaucratic mess. But there were proficient record keepers if nothing else. So Aoi/ariennye would need to board a federation outpost. Utilizing her tal-shiar programming and training.

Aoi wanted to but was incapable of reducing herself bodily in size to be a passable Onlie. A Human was the next best choice. The conversion of her synthetic flesh to a skin tone of a human female might have if they hailed from earth.  Was the easiest part and demanded the least amount of Aoi/Ariennye depleted energy reserves.  Despite her eyes becoming very human in appearance they remained a blood red color.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX8InjXV2OU  Singing the song outload as she mirrored the accent of the singer. She changed her voice to match every inflection and mannerism of the singer's voice and accent "Fall little wendy bird fall " . She came out of warp on the edge of the stations sensor range, before sending hail to the station

Hail to Outpost Solaere " Pilot Synne of the Warp Fighter/racer Blackheart. I require assistance, damage to my craft is not critical, but there is a need to fully repair the craft. I request permission to board your station and affect repairs so that I may resume the race"

Aoi's fighter blackheart was indeed damaged and scans would reveal that. As well the two serpents that Aoi had picked up on the planet side now both asleep. Would hopeful convince the sensors Aoi was a living being or at least confuse them.