SubAccount: Jael Sherem

["Of course Ensign."]

[Bridge --> Sickbay - USS Challenger]

Ian waved to Gid and said.

"Of course Ensign."

As his thoughts were racing, Ian didn't speak for the short trip to the ship's medical facility and as soon as he entered, he moved toward the members of the away team and simply asked.

"Report."

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Sickbay | Deck Seven | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Petty Officer Hessou had just finished work on the punctured lungs and the broken ribs on Jael. With a vascular regenerator, along with the internal bleeding. It didn't take long at all.

"There we are," she said. "You should be able to breathe better now, Ensign. The ribs, especially the ones that punctured your lungs, will be able to heal by themselves, though they'll heal all the faster with treatment here, but for now, at least you can talk good. The rest, including your head wound, will probably need Doctors Fellows and Davis."

"Thank you very much, nurse," said Jael, without the sharp inhales interrupting, tired but happy.

As luck would have it Gid had to come in with Captain Galloway. He flinched in horror upon seeing Jael, but he kept himself under control, given he was around the Captain. Jael smiled at seeing Gid, glad to see him again, but realized she still had teeth missing, which made Gid widen his eyes in shock all the more, and seeing his worsening expression, she closed her lips quickly. With the Captain's call for a report, Jael looked around at Ruth and for Don, but with Ruth on the floor, and Don...where was Don anyway?...she decided to speak first.

"We found some kind of mining camp consisting of Federation colonists," she said. "Excuse me if I can't look at you at the moment, Captain, my head hurts turning...I came down with a very bad concussion when the ship landed and it got worse later at the camp. Suffice it to say, most of them were quite brusque when we arrived, though one of them was kind enough to help with my wound. Later, Commanders Addams and Sigurdsdottir..." she gestured with her eyes to Ruth... "...went into the mine and did something to whatever was causing interference to our communications...the commanders will provide further details...while it seemed to remove interference, the colony leader, one Ero Drallin, imprisoned us and forced us into slave labor in a chain gang. The guards were brutal, but the worst one was a particularly Cardassian-hating Bajoran, a former strip-mine slave from the Occupation, named Galen Mal. You only need look at me to see how brutal he was, and believe me, I looked worse down at the planet."

"You're lucky to be alive!" Gid hissed with worry. Ignoring Gid's interruption, Jael continued.

"More on him later, Gid. And we weren't the only ones. There were three Romulans enslaved with us, survivors, I'm sure, of an ambush that hit us before we came to the camp. Mister Lowe was killed in the attack. Details were a little sketchy on my part, given I was badly concussed. All but the three were killed by the colonists. And we could tell how bad the colonists; Mister Drellin claimed that interference thing...again, the Commanders have more details, along with Mister Blackfeather...had cost them, and thus we were to compensate for it with work in their chain gang at an ore processor facility nearby.

"What about Galen Mal?" asked Gid with indignation. "He's a good fit with those people, they're giving the Federation a bad name."

"The worst of the guards, and thank the Prophets he doesn't know my name," she said. "He's one of father's former slaves...Gul Nehor Sherem," she added, explaining to the Captain, "he used to serve on Terok Nor before it became Deep Space Nine, and later head of the Cardassian Intelligence Bureau; his infamy is rivaled only by Krell Moset. Since the end of the war he's been on the run, and he took many strip-mine slaves with him when the Cardassians withdrew from Bajor. Galen Mal was one of them. He had seven brands on his body..."

"Seven?" squeaked Gid.

"Yes, one on his head, that's how I could tell," she said, explaining further. "My father's henchmen often branded slaves who tried to revolt or escape from him, and my father often did so himself, but only very rarely, and often in extreme circumstances to assert his authority. The fact that he has seven indicates he's extremely defiant, and that explains why he hates Cardassians so much, enough to emphasize it with taking it out on me, especially in making my concussion wound worse, but at least he doesn't know my name. I wouldn't be alive without the Commanders, especially Commander Sigurdsdottir."

Gid murmured a Bajoran religious oath in shock, but Jael kept on going.

"But it nonetheless demonstrates what kind of people these miners are," said Jael. "I only have the two names I mentioned. There's a third name I know, the man who treated me, the only one of the nicer people there, one Malcolm Lincoln. Again, the Commanders and Mister Blackfeather all know the further details."

"You shouldn't be talking this much," chided Hessou, but Jael shook her head and gestured her eyes to Ruth.

"I apologize, Captain, for talking in the state I am," she said. "I may want to discuss changing to the medical department, but once I'm discharged Sickbay, and when it's a convenient time for you. I gave all I could on my report, though I may add that I was feeling a little useless throughout the away mission, hence my wanting to change to the medical department...though I'll further explain why when I'm discharged from Sickbay."

"How could you say you were useless?" asked Gid. "We found you all because we traced a Cardassian lifesign down below."

Jael smiled again, regardless of her missing teeth. "I knew it. I wondered if my being with the away team helped them..."

[[Transporter Room 1 - USS Challenger]]

[Transporter Room 1 - USS Challenger]

Never was Ruth more grateful to see the dour face of Grelek.  "Grelek you wonderful green-blooded hobgoblin.  I hope Lahr hears that I'm ok, but report that Lowe has his commbadge on him, you won't find his lifesign, he no longer has one. I made sure that his commbadge was powered on, hidden but in the clothing I left on him... I had to give Jael his uniform jacket." she said sadly.

"We got comms back to the Mjolnir and Dr. Rasher was there. I-I'm sorry I can't remember where Greenway was..." the Science Chief was still more or less cradling Jael and she was determined not to let her go until she was patched up, although she knew she'd have to leave the Cardassian's side while she herself was patched up, hopefully she could persuade Chloe or someone to put them in adjacent beds.

[Sickbay]

Ruth had been ignoring the pain in her own hip where a knife had struck, she'd had worse, and despite the blood she looked over at Jael, a similar wound in her hip.  She had no knowledge of how that knife had got there, but it looked like someone had intended to go for her neck and missed in the ensuing beam out.  Thankfully, the wound on Jael's hip didn't look like it had gone in far, and despite the amount of black blood leaking from the hip, it was just more and she wasn't sure how much the poor Counsellor had lost.

"I'll make sure Captain Galloway will talk to you but first you need to get to a point where you're not bleeding out.  Petty Officer Hessou, thank you.  Look after her she's been a heroine down there, and I'm determined not to lose another one.  We-we lost Lieutenant Lowe.  He's gone..." her voice , soft tears cascading down her face leaving streaks in the dirt like the first rains in an arid desert, broke and she wished for nothing more than Lahr to be there so she could lay her head on his chest and let him stroke her hair murmuring love words in Andorian (half of which even as an accomplished linquist she only half got the meaning of!) but it would just be his presence and safe arms which would work their magic.

It was like all the pain she was in, both mental (regular kind and the grief over Lowe) and physical suddenly hit at once, in a way it did since the adrenaline had now worn off and she noticed the stream of blood from her hip and the hilt sticking out of it.

"Ahhh... I'm gu-guessing that pulling this out wouldn't be a good idea?!" she said to no one in particular, gulping back tears of pain and anguish.

Then, a momentary fleeting thought of shame given that Jael was much worse and she'd not passed out yet, passed out from the pain or possibly the fact that she had no need to hold on and be strong, she could let others care for her for a while.  She'd been sitting, legs dangling off the side of the biobed so she could better see what was happening with Jael and making sure she was ok, and fell in a heap on the floor, headbutting the floor in the process.

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Sickbay | Deck Seven | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Jael looked at Ruth with her eyes and smiled in appreciation that she would be around, to keep her company...then she saw the red blood on her hip, and the cut there...and she remembered the knife that cluttered to the floor after they broke apart. Of course, the knife got her as much as it got Jael. She hoped it wasn't bad...then she saw Ruth collapse and hit her head on the floor and she flinched. Considering her first and worst wound from hitting her head when the Mjolnir crashed, she could understand the pain, and she could tell it was worse than she realized.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

As Grelak and then Ruth reported in that there were still members of the away team on the planet, Ian ordered Catalan.

"Scan for Lowe's combadge and see if'n you can raise the Mjolnir."

"I have them both Sir."

"Bring up Lowe first, then Rasher and Greenway. Once all the personnel are aboard, tractor the Mjolnir aboard."

"Aye Sir."

"I'm headin' for sickbay, I need ta know more about the people the away team were fightin' before I decide my next steps. Commander Catalan, you have the bridge. Keep us at battlestations and keep scans at full in case that sneaky wanker Thelal comes back."

"Understood Sir."

[Ensign Gid Sherem | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Gid stood up when he heard the Captain was heading for Sickbay. "Excuse me, sir, but will it be all right with you if I accompanied you?" he asked. "I want to see how Jael is doing." The worry for Jael in his voice was certainly poignant.

["Sounds about right."]

[Seku VI]

The snarl of disruptors and whine of phasers smote the air. Blackfeather fired off a short burst from his captured rifle and saw one of the settlers crumple as he dropped back to cover, he shouted.

"Little busy here Ma'am!"

He snapped off a quick shot and added.

"You two Commanders are going to have to carry her! I'll cover you!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian watched the viewscreen intently as they made orbit as if he could actually see something, but it was better than doing nothing, which he couldn't do until he had more information.

"Sir, I am detecting a Cardassian lifesign, with three humans close by. I'm also detecting weapons fire near those lifesigns."

CatalÁ¡n reported.

"Sounds about right."

Ian snorted.

"Ops. Have the transporters lock onto those lifesigns a beam them up. Use standard precautions during transport. T'Kel, I want a security in the transporter room just in case we end up with someone we aren't expecting."

Ian then turned to the young Bajoran who'd spoken from environmental control.

"Good idea to look for a Cardassian Ensign."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Seku VI]

Hampered by Jael as well as badly outnumbered and despite Blackfeather's best efforts, the away team was in trouble and knew they were in trouble. Thus, when the familiar tingle of the transporter enveloped them, there were no words to express their relief. One minute, they were resigned to a lonely, pointless death on a worthless no name planet. And the next minute, they were standing on a transporter platform, safe aboard the Challenger.

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Deck 1 - Bridge] (in orbit over Seku IV)

Once more it was CatalÁ¡n who responded to the Captain's orders.  Thankfully the transporters were repaired precisely on time, as the Caitian had reported they would be.   Lahr waited with baited breath to learn if his Ruth were among the three humans being picked up.

It wasn't a good sign that there were only three humans clustered around the Cardassian lifesign... the Away Team had started out with seven members.   Was his Ruth or maybe Commander Addams being held elsewhere? he wondered.    He continued searching the sensor scans for sign of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NPC PO2 Grelek
[USS Challenger - Deck 10 - Transporter Room 1]

After having been reassigned to the Transporter room after assisting the damage control team's work on the Forward Torpedo Control room, Grelek, along with Petty Officer T'roth of Engineering had worked efficiently together to complete the repairs to the transporters.  Just in the nick of time it would seem.  For no sooner had his engineering counterpart called in its completion than he was alerted to the fact that the Bridge was assuming remote control over his console.

A moment later and 4 individuals materialized on the transporter pad.  He immediately noted the injured Cardassian being held up by the two Commanders.  Grelek reached out a hand to his stations commline.  "Medical to Transporter Room 1.  Stat."

The soft tones of Petty Officer T'Varn answered his call.    "On my way, sir."

Grelek closed the comm as he looked over the faces of the arrived Away Team momentarily as they were beginning to step off the transporter pad.

"Transporter Room 1 to the Bridge.  We have the Away Team minus Lieutenant Lowe, Greenway and Dr. Rasher. Ensign Jael Sherem appears injured and non-ambulatory.  Medical has been contacted." the Vulcan officer reported blandly.  He then looked to the Commander awaiting any further orders as the transgendered medical crewman arrived.

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Chain Gang >- Transporter Room One | Ore Processing Facility >- Deck Ten | Seku IV >- USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

As much as Jael appreciated the idea of a stretcher, suddenly there wasn't enough time. She had to be carried by the two commanders while they were attacked by the guards, who clearly came back and discovered an escape, hostile as they are. She was horrified that they could be killed. Probably better that than suffer under Galen Mal further.

Galen Mal was roused by the noise and he woke in pain. He raised himself tenderly and saw the commotion: The slaves were escaping! He felt for his directly sheathed knife, only to find it was gone. But it didn't matter. He had two more in his boots. Gingerly, he unsheathed one and took aim, knowing that: 1) He was in pain, and 2) they were too far away, but he aimed at the Cardassian anyway, so she wouldn't forget.

He threw it just as a transporter shimmered and beamed the four traitors away and his knife sliced between her and one of the commanders, disappearing with them. He was satisfied it hit his mark, that they won't forget about him as they left.

Jael felt a new surge of pain just as she, Ruth, Don and Blackfeather beamed out, but she didn't care. For one thing, she felt so much pain, she didn't care at that point, and for another, Challenger had come to save them.

She was relieved to see they ended up in the transporter room, and then her new surge of pain flared. She looked down and saw her uniform had slashed open on the hip and saw a knife, smaller and thinner, but similar to the one Blackfeather took, embedded just barely in her hip, a Cardassian throwing knife, and being so close to one of the commanders, one of them would be feeling the edge of it as well. She realized that Galen Mal tried to finish her off; surely that knife Blackfeather took off him wasn't the only one, and they beamed out just as it hit her.

When she let go of the commanders to prop herself up against the transporter console as she waited for the medical personnel to arrive, the throwing knife clattered to the floor. Jael realized that, hurt as she was, at least the knife didn't get far into her hip. It was loose in the wound and the tight gap between her and one of the commanders held it in place, and thus it came with.

Then Jael got a good look at the rest of the away team and saw their comm badges still missing. She realized that, despite her uselessness the whole of her away mission, it was actually a blessing in disguise that she came with the away team; she was the only Cardassian among them, and thus it would've been easy for Challenger to pinpoint their location. Well, most of them. There was the dead Lowe and...who else was left behind?

[Ensign Gid Sherem | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Gid perked up at the news that Jael was back. He smiled at the Captain's compliment. But the news that she was injured, for he could hear the exchanged, caused him to look at the Captain with worry.

"Jael? Injured?" he couldn't help but say it aloud, but she was his sister, after all. "Captain, permission to go to Sickbay to be with her?" Of course, if he wanted him to wait, Gid was fine with it.

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Sickbay | Deck Seven | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Jael was immediately being looked at. The diagnoses showed that, in addition to the various cuts and bruises from Galen Mal's blows, Jael had several broken bones. Half a dozen of her ribs had cracked and two of them definitely punctured her lungs. There was some internal bleeding, but the medical personnel had got on them just in time. Her teeth would have to be replaced, and Jael's dental records had to be called up to get references to replace her teeth.

The worse of the injuries, however, was her concussion wound. The wound she had suffered from when she hit her head against the console had worsened under Galen Mal's blows, the wound he had aimed at the most to make it hurt more, especially with using the butt of his rifle as a club against her. Her skull on that side had fractured enough under the blows that shards of bone had pierced her brain. One more strike would've been fatal on Jael's part, and as such, most of her work was done on her head.

It had become so painful on it that it hurt Jael to so much as turn her head, which resulted in her having to have a brace while she was worked on.

"With all you been through, Ensign," said Petty Officer Heesou to Jael, "it's a miracle you're still alive."

"Tougher than...I look," said Jael with a shrug as she spoke with her labored breathing. "Another thing...inherited from...father..."

There were so many wounds on Jael that the medical staff weren't sure what to get to first, but Jael asked for her lungs to be worked on first.

"Will need...to speak good...have to talk to...Captain Galloway...when it's possible after...it's good to talk..."

Indeed, she had a great deal of what to tell Captain Galloway once she could talk better. For most of the away mission, she was feeling useless and she made up her mind, but her treatment under Galen Mal solidified her resolve: A resignation from counselling and joining Challenger's medical department, to be more useful out on the field and to learn to be a healer in addition to a consoler; treating people in a good way, she decided, and even healing them will do better to gain peoples' trust, she felt. And she'll have a lot more to do rather than have her feelings and/or pride hurt from counseling.

[[ESCAPE!!! - Seku VI]]

[ESCAPE!!! - Seku VI]

"It's ok, elksan..." Ruth muttered, resorting to her native Icelandic as she did when she'd had to soothe her twin sisters, calling Jael 'sweetheart'.  "...you save your breath for living.  We'll get you back to the Challenger or I'll die trying.  Lahr knows where this 'morse code commbadge' is now even if he hasn't locked onto my lifesign. I have a feeling... call it what you will, that Challenger and he is close. And when we get back Dr. Rasher will put you back together.  And I'll nurse you back to health if I have to, myself.  No kanar, but whatever is good for you from Cardassia Prime to build your strength back up, Zabu Stew, Tojal with Yamok sauce... I've had that it's nice... Regova Eggs.... not the other kind, least not raw... a holodeck with hot rocks to lounge on and sun yourself in sauna like temperatures.  I'm gonna look after you and have you smiling again.  I promise, I swear by Odin and Freya... and while you may not know that... that's kinda a big thing, like how much I love Lahr, and that I count you as a younger sister.  From now on you're considered family.  Thus, in Viking terms, I would offer up my life for you."

She kept up the chatter to try to keep Jael's mind off the pain she was in a little bit, half dragging the poor girl step by agonising step.

"Commander, Blackfeather... if you spot anything I could make a triangular A frame out of and some kind of sheet let me know.  I can then make a sort of drag-able stretcher for Jael... she's in no state to be walking really."

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Chain Gang | Ore Processing Facility | Seku IV]

Jael nodded at Ruth in appreciation. The less she talked, the better. And she also appreciated the stretcher. Of course...

"Morse code?" she said. "We'll need...to find...comm badges..."

"Sir, it seems the interference that was disrupting sensors on Seku VI is gone now and I can read life signs, but there are many more signatures than just the away team. I am reading 47 life signs. Mixed species, mostly Federation, but there are three Romulans as well."

[Ensign Gid Sherem | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Gid was working his shift on the Environmental Control console on the bridge when he heard about the sensors detecting lifesigns on the planet below, and especially during the battle with the Khranu, a ship Captain Galloway seemed to know. At least he took the time to see Jael off before she departed on a shuttle down to the surface. He took in the bridge around him and had to admit, the new helmsman looked interesting. He wondered how Jael would like him...

He was beginning to be worried about Jael. He had some kind of sense that his sister was in trouble, a sort of sibling link of feelings of sorts. Or maybe it was the Prophets indicating to him in some way that Jael was in trouble. So, naturally, when the news came of detecting lifesigns around the planet below, Gid had to ask.

"Does that include a Cardassian lifesign?" Gid asked. "That'll be my sister. Shouldn't be too hard to find her."

Then he remembered the Romulans, and then he looked at the Captain in particular and said, "Out of curiosity, Captain, do you know these particular Romulans?"

There were days you wished you never woke up. This was one of those days for Don. Then when the tides are turned, there was much hope to gain. Blackfeather was one of those turning points. The man and his group were beaten up, and Don got a good hit defending his teammate. He was struck, which made him hear a ring in his ear. He was able to hear still. Though he was glad, Ruth was like a mother figure to the Counselor.

Getting free from their bonds, Don came next to Sherem. "Chin up," Don told her. The young officer could hate him for the tone, but he figured tough love was what she needed. "I should have said to him that on Earth, the Jews were targeted by many nations, and they try to exterminate them and use them for experiments. Other words. This shit happens all over the universe. And you got to accept that it can take you two places""one to the path of evil or the way of good. And that fellow will be trialed for his mistreat."

Then Don swung his pickax at a guard who was coming for them. His pick ax connected right in the man's chin, and he used the blunt to knock the fellow back

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Chain Gang | Ore Processing Facility | Seku IV]

Jael had to perk up at Don's strong words. In this situation, hard words seemed to bring a lot more attention. She took in Don's words and replied, "Well, many nations have targeted them, sure...but only one sought...to gather them up and...exterminate them...before a new nation...had to be formed for them...I know my Earth...history, but that's...okay."

Every so often as she spoke, she had to inhale like she had just emerged from deep sea diving, she was so short of breath. She felt where her lungs were after she spoke and flinched in pain; her ribs were broken alright, and she was sure one of them punctured her lungs.

"But still, I can understand...in the case of the experiments...look at Krell Mosset...and I won't be surprised...if he..." she looked down at Galen Mal with all his brands... "is tried, but I feel...he deserves psychological...rehabilitation. He's known hate and enslavement...since he was born..."

Of course, now that the prisoners were escaping, Jael was stuck in the rear of wherever they were escaping, straggling behind once again, but this time, she had more than just a concussion wound hampering her progress. With Prophets know how many broken bones and injuries she had taken in, she was shuffling along like an old woman, and stumbling blindly as well, what with her puffed up eye. Not to mention that, despite the water wiping the blood off her, she still at times dripped blood, and she was worried she could leave a trail.

Fortunately, Ruth was there to help support her. At least this time, Jael wasn't being left behind like a wounded straggler of a herd of animals. She was so short of breath that all she could do is nod, rather than speak.

[Seku VI - Ore Processing]

"Hey! What are you doing?"

Galen Mal shouted and stormed toward Blackfeather and the waterboy. He raised his rifle to strike the security officer with the butt of his rifle. Blackfeather waited until Galen's blow was in motion before he moved. Unless you happened to looking in that exact direction and even if you were, the security officer's reaction was so fast, it was hard to say exactly what you'd seen.

What had happened was Ero Drallen's decision to have the away team "bust rocks" coming back to haunt him. Although not a weapon taught at the academy, a sledge hammer was more than enough to deflect a horizontal butt stroke when the right physics were used.

Blackfeather swung the hammer upward and knocked Galen's attack harmlessly skyward. This surprised the angry Bajoran and also exposed his entire torso for Blackfeather to choke up on the hammer and drive the head into Galen's stomach with explosive force, which caused him to fold over the blow like a rag doll.

It would have been simplicity itself for Blackfeather to bring the hammer down on Galen's head and crush his skull like a melon, but being a Starfleet Security Officer honor bound to save lives, Blackfeather didn't end the Bajoran's miserable life. He did however, land a savage chop to the back of Galen's neck that ended the fight right there. Acting quickly, Blackfeather found a knife on the Bajoran and tossed it hilt first to Jael before grabbing the disruptor rifle and shouting.

"Get to cutting Ensign, because it's about to get real unhealthy right now!"

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Chain Gang | Ore Processing Facility | Seku IV]

Jael had jerked in alarm at the sight of Galen Mal's return, but then she saw Blackfeather make short work of him. For once, Jael smiled. She was relieved that the first steps toward an escape were laid.

At once, Blackfeather got a knife from the belligerent Bajoran and instructed her to start cutting. Jael nodded, then paused a moment to realize that she was holding a Cardassian knife. How Galen Mal got his hands on it, she didn't want to know. Undoubtedly a souvenir from his escape. And judging from the wicked curves, the same kind of knives used as secondary arms on her father's thugs...Jael felt a chill. Was it possible Galen Mal was going to carve a brand on her flesh like what he has on his cheek...or worse...carve a scale from her flesh?

Pushing it aside, Jael began cutting her bonds. It was slower than she wanted to, what with her being in so much pain, with the broken limbs and the concussion wound that Galen Mal had often focused his blows on seventy percent of the time.

She turned to Ruth and gestured with her eyes at the knife and said quietly, "I think...now's the time...for that..."

She cut her bonds in time and limped over to Galen Mal in his unconscious state. She took a moment to say, "I'm sorry," and then noticed something on his chest, his shirt being ripped in the tussle with Blackfeather. She widened the shirt and noticed it was another brand, and it wasn't all...she shed his shirt as cautiously as possible and realized with horror the extent of his hatred to Cardassians, especially those under Nehor Sherem. For there were six more brands on his body, three on front, three on the back.

This must be one defiant slave to be punished like this, she thought in horror. No wonder he hates my father and all Cardassians so much. And he could've carved that on me...Prophets help him.

[[Chain Gang - Seku VI]]

[Chain Gang - Seku VI]

Ruth sighed, her eyes glistening with unshed tears since she couldn't currently help Jael. She could understand the seething anger to some extent that Jael was feeling although not with the same intensity that a Cardassian could, at the same time she could also understand the Bajoran's manner towards her, it was unfortunately a trait that she carried.

"I know it's unfair Jael, but remember your counsellor training here. I don't like dragging up the past because that's where it belongs but sometimes it can be useful to review the past as an understanding to the present or potentially to help the future." she licked her dry lips and keeping the beat up of breaking the stones she tried to offer some solace to the counsellor.

"It is totally unjust to mete out punishment to you as he is doing to only you.  However, you're the target because he's been unable to let go of the past, any relationship or encounter between Bajorans and Cardassians, except the most open minded ones is a potential disaster area.  That doesn't help your current situation, but..."

She broke off as Galen Mal came around again, and she glared. "Leave her alone wrinkle nose!... Oh yeah don't like names hurled at you.  The past is the past and you should work towards making the future better.  And.... Ooof..." she gasped as he hit her with the rifle butt.

Ruth instinctively reached for her knife but thought better of it.  "As for calling us Mom and Dad, yes, I would adopt her readily, for all her heritage is thought of as one of the more..." she shot an apologetic look at Jael "... aggressive species, right now you'd think the Bajorans were.  You are the one dishonouring your race, not she.  And I know a fair few Bajorans that would think you are scum right now.  Leave her be, I'll willingly take the beatings you want to give her.  After all, that's what a mother does right?  And she can't work if you kill her.  And while I don't want her to suffer, you do... you can't do that if she's dead..."

She hoped Jael realised that she wasn't saying this to prolong her agony, but hoping that the evil sadistic side of Galen Mal would see that if Jael was alive she could be tortured more, but dead... the novelty would wear off.  If she was at least alive, Dr. Rasher could manage to look after her once they were back aboard.

Galen Mal moved off and the waterboy came around.

"Thanks for caring.  It's not your fault.  Give me a sip only, give the rest of my share to Jael, she needs it... if you can gently clean some of her face and let her swill out her mouth at least, let me shuffle round a little bit to block his view a bit, it'll look like you're giving me water.  You see the guy in the yellow.  His name is Blackfeather, he's Security.  See if you can get a message to him to 'accidently' trip up Galen Mal next time he's coming this way.  Blackfeather can handle himself, so he won't get beaten as much as we shall.  What Galen Mal doesn't know is that I was in Security once too for all I wear teal now... if he takes it too far he won't know what hit him.  He lays one more finger, fist, or rifle butt on Jael and I swear my partner will be wondering...never mind, less you know less you can be compromised but please... water to my companion here and get a message to Blackfeather if you can but don't endanger yourself."

Once the waterboy had moved away she muttered under her breath.  "Oh Lahr, I'd kill for and with my axes right now but I'm not sure even Freya could give me the strength to swing them enough, I'd have to go full on beserker and that would seriously scare the sh*t out of Commander Addams!"

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Chain Gang | Ore Processing Facility | Seku IV]

Galen Mal scowled as Ruth talked on. If her took in her words, he didn't show it. It did occur to him that if the Cardassian was killed, and killed by him, Drallen will have something to say about it. Labor efficiency going down by whatever the hell small percentage, most likely.

Jael, meantime, scowled with befuddlement at Ruth's words. Keep her alive to keep her tortured? At first, Jael wondered if Ruth was wanting to join in adding to her agony, but then, through the pain, it occurred to her: was it a way to keep her alive by the time Challenger got here? Assuming Captain Galloway and Prophets know how many of the crew didn't end up in the chain gain...unless he brings enough Security to make a small army, given the size of Challenger, to overwhelm and arrest Drallen, Galen and the rest of these thugs.

As the waterboy gave her a long stream of water in her mouth and enough water to wipe the blood off, she also had time to think: neither she nor Galen Mal could let go of the past. For her, it was living in the shadow of the Dominion War and that her father always seemed to haunt her, as it apparently did. For Galen Mal, it was the servitude and life he knew, his hatred for Cardassians in being enslaved even after the end of the Occupation.

It was very hard to let go of the past, particularly if that past is emphasized through those relations who lost loved ones in the Occupation and the Dominion War. Nobody wanted her to forget that at the Academy, especially the one Bajoran who, when she was attending a medical class, who scared her away from being a doctor because he compared her to Krell Moset. It was even harder to let go of it, let alone review the past, when her father was the former head of the Cardassian Intelligence Bureau and was pretty much Cardassia's Heinrich Himmler, as she reflected Earth's history and the Nazis.

Jael did admit she was touched that Ruth would adopt her, though she was no orphan; her mother was still around, conducting her ambassadorial missions.

She got up so slowly, being in pain as she is, with Prophets know how many bones had been broken from Galen Mal's beatings, and she talked quietly to Ruth: "Thank you...granted...mother's still alive...but I appreciate...all the same."

Meanwhile, the waterboy passed on his message to Blackfeather, whispering it out, just in case, to tell him from Ruth to trip up Galen Mal. He had to admit, he was looking forward to seeing Galen Mal get his comeuppance. He couldn't wait to tell Malcolm Lincoln especially that Galen Mal was going to get a run for his money.

[[Seku VI - Chain Gang]]

[Ore Processing Area - Seku VI]

Having gotten their point across regarding their complete disregard of Starfleet uniforms, it was clear that whoever theses settlers were, they had gone rogue regardless of their point of origin and were deadly serious about the 'debt' they felt the away team owed.

As they worked crushing rocks with hammers and then separating the ore from the tailings, Blackfeather risked saying to Don in a hushed whisper.

"Coming up on five hours Commander."

[Seku VI - Chain Gang]

Ruth sighed but resignedly shuffled along white studying the knots on the person in front of her.  They weren't particularly well made knots and the Commander had made certain to keep her hands tensed, thus she had some wiggle room to do things...not enough to free herself but...

Standing as close to Jael as she could manage without pulling the person behind her off her feet as they worked solidly she kicked little stones in the Counsellor's direction until she noticed her then mouthed.

"You OK?  Meanie there is very anti-Cardassians.  I heard what he said."  Ruth was determined not to say the name in case it warranted even more unfair treatment of the poor girl by her side.  She was glad however to see that Don took care of his charges seriously and had stood up for her, even if she had bristled at the anti-Cardassian feeling and herself being called 'the Ginger'.  Her Lahr loved her hair, she didn't care what others thought it was just that the guard had used it as an insult.

Humming 'Ride of the Valkyries' under her breath she made sure that the members of the Challenger crew around her could hear her and had at least glanced her direction and made stabbing motions with the tool she was using in time with the music so to their captors it would just look like she was using the movement to give her some kind of rhythm.

"Duh duh duh DUN DUN (the tool thrust forward in a stabbing motion) dur dur duh DUN DUN (again the motion...) duh duh duh DUUUUUUUUUUUH (the tool swung down and stabbed directly down like someone pushing a knife into the back of a neck) duh duh duh duhhhhhhhhh...." and Ruth pointedly looked at her right leg where her boot knife was stashed.  Hopefully someone on the crew would get the message or her beloved Lahr and the Challenger would arrive soon enough, along with an altogether better rendition of 'her' battlesong!

"Let's hope Lahr has my song cued up cuz my humming isn't much good and I can't whistle except for calling horses!" she said with a small smile.  "Chin up guys, I'm sure we'll be out of here soon."

She worded it thus so their captors didn't get wind of the proposed retrieval.  She just hoped that with the exception of Lowe, for whom locking onto a life sign might be rather obsolete, that Ops, be it Lahr or Grelek, had locked onto their lifesigns since not all of them had commbadges now.

[Seku VI - Chain Gang]

They got five hours of hard work to do. The Commander will be sure his people have good energy, and if they need a break, he is confident they get one. Even that means a good beating on him.

What Don can see Jael was feeling she was being targeted by that Bajoran. "Ensign, do your best to ignore him," Don to Jael. "They just trying to make themself feel better; they were hurt once too. And everyone tries to pace your energy...five hours or less of work here."

Don heard that tone once before the Ride of the Valkyries, and he whistled as they worked the same beat. He knew they had to time things right to make things be a green light.

[Chain Gang - Seku VI]

Ruth grinned as Don started whistling "We should get DJ Lahr to do a remix of this, you whistling, me... well I can't whistle but I'm pretty good with a bass guitar!" she said with a giggle.

Keeping spirits up was a large part of getting through this and she smiled kindly at Jael.  "Commander Addams is right, unpleasant tho it is, both that ass targeting you to bully and this um... healthy exercise!  So we think about more pleasant things... So... if we were forming a band, would you play an instrument, sing, bang rocks together?"

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Chain Gang | Ore Processing Facility | Seku IV]

Five hours. It was feeling more like five millennia. Every so often, the Bajoran guard would come to beat her, often using the butt of his rifle like a bat, swinging it on her back, her abdomen, even her head once. Then he'd follow up with using a fist. He did it as an excuse that she wasn't working hard enough or fast enough, which was true because she was in so much pain.

By now, after five hours, Jael had lost enough teeth that it was obvious just from any smile or grimace she made, punctuated with the dripping black blood from her mouth. Her eye, particularly the one blinded earlier by the blood of her concussion, was puffy enough that she could barely see out of it. And she was moving so slowly she'd make a geriatric with a cane jealous. Her outer uniform was in tatters, showing the blue jumpsuit, and so the blood was more poignant to see on.

Jael had scowled earlier when Ruth called her tormentor "meanie," like he was fifty months old instead of fifty years. Like this was a schoolyard bully. This was much more serious than that. Later, when Don told her to do her best to ignore her, Jael actually turned to face him, a scowl of pain in her face, her mouth baring a grimace with many missing teeth and a strand of blood seeping.

"Ignore...him?" she said through the pain. "Hard to do...when he regularly...drops by...to beat me..."

She could barely talk, taking in some breaths at intervals. She was wondering if a rib was broken and punctured her lung.

Then she turned on Ruth and said, "You're not...having a former...Bajoran slave...coming by so much...to..."

And she gestured at all of her to indicate what he as done to her. Indeed, if she wasn't thinking of the pain, she was thinking that she never imagined the day she would meet a former Bajoran slave, let alone one who used to work under her father, filled with that level of hate, and that this was an atrocious colony. Her one hope was Challenger would be coming, though Jael hoped that the Captain would bring a bigger party than what they brought down.

It was her bad luck to be standing still (as if she didn't have enough bad luck already) that the Bajoran came back.

"Oh, did you think Mom and Dad would make you feel better?" he said sarcastically. "FAT CHANCE!"

And he swung the butt of his rifle like a bat again and sent Jael sprawling to the ground, another tooth flying, before he struck her body with it like an executioner's axe.

A waterboy who was coming by with the water was just giving water to the Romulan prisoners when he looked up and saw what the Bajoran was doing.

"Stop it! Galen Mal, stop it!" he snapped. The Bajoran, Galen Mal, glared back at him as he continued, "she's had enough!"

"You don't know what it was like for me! Nobody here does!" he snarled. "There was no such thing as enough! And don't give her any water. We never had water or breaks! I want her to die! Like how everybody around me did under her fellow spoonheads!"

"Take any lessons in barbarism, Mal?" scowled the waterboy.

"Yes I did," he said. "From her people!"

And as he stepped away to make his rounds, he stopped a moment and struck Don and Ruth with his rifle like a bat in like fashion.

"And that was for your little adoption of a spoonhead, Mom and Dad!" he snarled. It was an allegorical joke on his part, calling Don and Ruth "Mom and Dad" compared to Jael. Then he took notice of Blackfeather. He looked at him long and hard; he never took notice of Blackfeather much, his attention was always on Jael. He knew a yellow security uniform when he saw one, and he knew a Starfleet security officer when he saw one, seeing as they were there when they freed the slaves in his camp.

This one could be a problem, he thought to himself before moving off, and all thoughts of Blackfeather were expelled from his mind as he was thinking with relish of what fresh beatings he could give Jael next.

Once Galen Mal was gone, the waterbody, making sure he was gone, gave water first to Jael, who took it in appreciation, and then to Don and Ruth.

"I'm so sorry about this," he whispered. "I don't even know why the hell Drallen let him in. Well, he seems a fit anyway, what with his record, since he was found in that Dominion slave camp."

And he took off before Mal could come back, as fast as he could; the Bajoran mercenary turned thug turned monster scared him.

[Encampment/Seku IV]

Don was relieved that the explosion had caused them to reach the Challenger. It was not what he intended, but it was what they needed.

Malcolm Lincoln, who cared for the Starfleet officer, had turned to the two Commanders cause rushing out of the tunnel. Then there was the explosion from the mouth of the cave. They seemed to sabotage the equipment. Why? He had felt a connection with Jael.

An unhappy leader, Drallen, angry came to Don and Ruth

Under stress losing the shuttle, leaving an injured member behind, a fallen crew member, trying to keep his crew together, Don felt he was messing up on everything he does. He sure heck needs a good drink and gets drunk.

Don tightened his jaw, clenching his teeth. His hands became a ball of fists. He almost swung at Dallen, and the Guard with a rifle poked his ribs to keep him from trying it.

The Bajoran gave Jael a hard time. He had to stick up for her, and she was under his care. "You..You leave her alone. Yes. Cardassians were wrong as Romulans destroyed the ship, my mother was killed. I hated Romulans," the surviving Romulans turned to hear what Don had to say. "I learn those Romulans were wrong. But it gives me no right to hate ALL Romulans for Captain who ordered the destruction of my mother's ship. Open your eyes. There are good in everyone," except the Borg, Don did not say. "You need to see there good in everyone. Even some of those who hurt had been wrong taking those orders. They could be in fear, or they ---" Don stopped as he was slammed in the head by the butt of the gun.

"You getting bad as the ginger," the Guard said. "Should we gag you all?"

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Mining Facility | Seku IV]

Jael looked on in surprise at Don's sticking up for her. The Bajoran guard who beat her, however, glared furiously at Don. He stormed up to him and smacked his fist across his cheek.

"GOOD?!?!" he snarled. "I for one never knew good! I've spent every day since birth a slave to the spoonheads! My whole family was murdered by those butchers since they claimed Bajor! There were no Prophets for us! Let alone for ME! I was deemed eligible to work as soon as I could crawl! I've seen the blood, the bodies! I've spent twenty years since birth in the strip mines! Then they cart me off to a colony when they up and leave Bajor, but plenty of them have taken their slaves along, me included! I didn't care that the Celestial Temple opened up! I didn't care if there was an Emissary! They were never there for me! Even when the spoonheads had those reptiles from the Dominion backing me up! I hate them all! I hate the spoonheads! Especially the ones who gave me THIS!"

And he jabbed at his brand furiously. "I won't forget them! Especially their leader! Nehor Sherem! I hope he's burning with the Pah-Wraiths somewhere, if he isn't alive already!"

Jael stopped at the name. She stared with horror and was determined not to let slip her name. Even if she and her mother was against her father, it was clear this man regarded a Cardassian an enemy no matter what side they chose.

"And letting them join your Starfleet!" he spat at Don, then literally spitting at him in the face. "You disgust me! You're a disgrace!" And he again slugged Don in the face before he sauntered off on his patrol, but not before he doubled back on Jael and whacked her on the head with the butt of his own rifle.

"GET BACK TO WORK, SPOONHEAD!" he snarled as he did so. It was enough to send Jael sprawling to the ground, and so she painfully got back up and continued work, the tears in her eyes, tears of pain mingled with tears of shame at meeting, apparently, one of her father's former slaves, and she could definitely see he was in servitude even into the Dominion War. She met Don's and Ruth's eyes as she worked and conveyed her anguish to them.

[[Seku VI]]

[Seku VI]

Ruth sighed sadly when she'd finished listening to Jael's story.

"First off... unless it has to be official, call me Ruth.  Secondly, yep... I think everything is still attached, we'll live!  And Thirdly,.." The former Captain sighed but dregged up some of her more sisterly feelings that she had for her younger twin sisters Arya and Katya, as it seemed that what Jael needed here was some sympathy.

"...I'm not saying he will, but Captain Galloway may be a gruff Scot but he actually has a heart.  I'm pretty sure that you're not the first person of whatever species who has dealt with bad situations by trying to drown themselves in some kind of alcoholic beverage, present company and probably the Captain himself included.  My best advice, be honest, admit fault, tell him everything.  I don't think he'll court martial you or send you for one.  Trouble is with me being there now, I think he wouldn't have to go back to a base to do so if he wanted to... he'd have enough for a tribunal, a fully legal one."

She gave a regrettable look, but then winked.  "But, that does mean you have someone who appreciates what you are going through and you've opened up to a bit about your problems 'on the bench' so to speak.  If it goes that far and Captain Galloway opts to have 3rd party try the case, then I volunteer to be your defence council.  I'm not a professional but you only need someone to have your back.  Plus I happen to know a few people myself included who have done far worse, who the Captain knows, but if you're prepared to take a rap, knuckle down and then just work hard... I'm pretty sure you have the makings of a decent officer.
One who has 'Been there, done that' is far more likely to judge others fairly and assess situations with more variety of options."

[Unnamed Settlement - Seku VI]

As the away team came together to confirm everyone was okay, Ero Drallen and four of his goons stormed over and their leader leveled Don with a near lethal level of stinkeye.

"I said turn the thing off not blow it the hell up! Do you have any idea how much work and equipment went into sinking that shaft? I was going to just kick you out on your own and let the land finish you off, but now I'm gonna get compensation off of you idiots one way or another. You can join those three Romulans and bust rocks for the next fifty years to pay for what you cost me!. Take them, and please, please resist."

Ero added with a menacing expression as he and two of the goons covered the away team with their own weapons they'd take earlier as the other two goons tied lengths of rope between their legs. The restraints acted like shackles to prevent the away team from running, which was further enhanced by a rope that tied Ruth, Don, Jael, and Blackfeather together with about ten feet between each person. They were then led to a conveyor belt loaded with rock, given hammers and were literally forced to break the ore laden rocks into smaller pieces so they would fit into a smelter at the end of of a second conveyor belt. The three captured Romulans were already soaked in sweat from the heavy labor as no less than a half dozen men armed with a mix of phasers and disruptors stood guard and each looked as if they took their role very seriously.

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Encampment >- Mining Facility | Seku IV]
Jael nodded and said, "I appreciate it. It's not easy to admit fault when one is a Cardassian, being a prideful race as we are. Thank you for backing me up if it should happen."

Her gratitude was cut short when the encampment leader approached and glared down at them. So it seemed that trying to shut down something inside and it blew up instead. Jael was presuming it was an accident; it was more likely than intentional sabotage and neither Don nor Ruth were the type.

Let the land finish us off? she thought in horror. She thought of the wilderness they trudged through and was beginning to realize that the land would've been worse than implied, that she was lucky she wasn't killed when she was straggling behind. But then they were shackled and brought to a facility to be forced labor. Jael realized with a shock that she would've easily been living like the poor forced labor slaves working in a Cardassian strip mine during the Occupation.

"You can't be serious," Jael said with shock. "You? Of the Federation? If the rest of the Federation knew about this...and besides, I'm injured," she added, gesturing at her concussion wound.

One of the guards approached and smacked her right on the injury where she pointed. The wound had opened again and she felt the blood.

"Well, then, you'll keep working with that, spoonhead," he snarled, "unless you'd like to get some more. In fact, I'll treat you to the same taste of medicine you spoonheads gave in the strip mines."

It was more than just the use of the word "spoonhead" that made Jael look up at him, seething in pain. It was the wonton contempt in his voice and the mention of the strip mines. Surely it wasn't coincidence...? She looked up, got a good look at him, and widened her eyes in horror. The guard who approached her and beat her...he's a Bajoran. And not just that, he was grizzled, probably early fifties, and he bore a brand on his cheek. She knew that brand anywhere; when her father served on Terok Nor, he often made visits to inspect the strip mines on Bajor. Once in a while, he was called in to punish slow or defiant (or both) slaves on the mines. While punishments were quite severe in the strip mines, Nehor Sherem had his own speciality punishment: beatings, floggings, and he had his henchmen burn brands into the poor slaves' skin, and often times, he did it himself, a demonstration of how brutally cruel he was, a brutal cruelty matched only by Crell Moset and his ilk. Of course, those punishments rarely happened, and were especially reserved for more resiliant slaves or captured Resistance fighters, but Gul Nehor Sherem reserved them for such occasions when he really wanted a point made, and it was even rarer for him to do it himself.

She knew what that brand was because one of her mother's Bajoran friends had the same kind of brand on him; she had freed him mere weeks before the Cardassians withdrew from Bajor and treated him, even though the brand never fully healed, nor would it ever in a person's lifetime. She did it in secret, though, so it never got to her father's knowledge, but Jael remembered seeing it treated, and she never forgot it, even when she was a toddler; it was horrifying enough to remember at such a young age.

Now, here she was before another unfortunate slave, probably freed when the Occupation lifted, and how the tables have turned.

"No...you wouldn't," said Jael almost pleadingly.

"Like I said," he said with a leer that would've made her father jealous, "a taste of your medicine, spoonhead. I saw you when you walked into camp, and I had been dying to do this since I saw you come in, and the uniform be damned."

Jael knew what he was going to do, and she couldn't do a thing with her shackles. The next thing she knew, she was subjected to such a beating that by the time he was finished, she looked like ink wells have been spilled all over here, and one or two teeth had joined the gravel around them, and then she was forced back to work.

"Now, WORK, spoonhead!" he snarled. "Or I'll burn this on you!"

He gestured at the brand on his cheek and Jael worked as fast as the pain and the blood allowed her, whimpering piteously as she did so. She never thought in a million years she would run into a survivor of the strip mines, and especially someone with a definite wonton hatred for Cardassians. He must've been a young man when he was in the mines, perhaps a few short years before the Occupation ended. She could see that this was what she was going to be subjected to, potentially a slow torture as she bore the brunt of his revenge. She wondered if she will last four minutes, never mind four hours. Her one light of hope was that when Captain Galloway arrived, he could see the horrific conditions in this hellhole, and then whoever allowed this to happen will be seeing potential time in New Zealand.

[[Underground Facility - Seku VI]]

[Underground Facility - Seku VI]

"Um... Don..." Ruth began when the obelisk started warbling. "That's not any language I care to try to translate...."

"For once not even gonna argue..." Ruth said following him out and gesturing wildly at bystanders to get clear.  As she got level with Jael she nodded to the miner who had been with her and said simply, "We gotta move, NOW!  That things going to blow.  On the plus side if it blows up, it might actually stop working! Grab Jael's other side please to help her along"

They got far enough away and found some shelter to hide behind, Ruth looking for Don.  "I think the First Officer made the right call there..." she said to the Counsellor, "...otherwise you'd be treating a rather morose, very droopy antennae'd Andorian by the name of Lahr for grief counselling... and possibly anger management aimed at Commander Addams for allowing me to die and himself for not being here to protect and save me."

[Underground Facility - Seku VI]

Even running a full, side stitching speed, Ruth and Don only just made it out of the cave in time, diving to one side as a huge gout of flame spurted from the mouth of the tunnel. On the surface, the explosion wasn't as powerful as Ruth and Don imagined it to be, it seemed like the density of the composition of the hills containing the facility was sufficient to contain the bulk of the explosion.

Once the dust settled and they scrambled to their feet, almost immediately the away team realized the interference that had so severely impaired their equipment was gone. Apparently, in addition to the signal, and the planetary defense grid, the facility had created a dampening field. Now that the facility was destroyed, tricorders, and more importantly, communications began to work. Which immediately translated into the Morse Code signal that Ruth had sent hours ago, finally reached the probe that had left in orbit and was retransmitted to the Challenger.

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Encampment | Seku IV]

In the midst of it all, just as Jael was getting some well-deserved rest, and in which case Jael would've been well-rested enough to make inquiries about the encampment, "Siggy" swept her up and dragged her along in a run.

"What's the matter?" asked Jael with befuddled near panic, for Siggy was being just as panicky, but then the explosion went off from where she and Commander Addams had gone. She didn't need to have acute cognitive awareness to know they did something that went wrong in the mine.

"That's okay, I think we're all going to live after all," she said to Siggy.

And the news that the Challenger was coming to pick them up was good to hear. "That's good news, in a way," she said. "Of course, odds are, I think I'm going to be in trouble again when I get back aboard, though misguided assumptions of a First Officer's orders in the midst of a concussion I hope, hope that it's not a court martial offense; I've started this morning drunk," she explained to Siggy, feeling it was best to explain. "The last away mission, I was so offended by a bunch of pompous...jerks, and that's putting it the nicest way possible, who we were trying to help save from a tectonic apocalypse, regarded humans as overlords over us member races as servants, me included. Us! Member races! Servants! The only way I could've been more offended would be if I was called a 'spoonhead.' I mean, they made Cardassia look like Marie Antoinette's France, and I know my Earth history, from the primitive 'let-them-eat-cake' mannerisms! Earth had been my home for years, and being referred to as a servant of the Federation instead of a member of Starfleet is an insult.

"Let's just say my attitudes toward them were enough that," she continued to explain to Siggy, "at one point, one of their ships attacked us and when I went to the bridge to help, I was expelled from it. Sure, the Captain was doing it to prevent further feelings, but at that time, I was offended by his explusion. Once we left the system, I've locked myself away and found comfort in kanar. End result? Negligence of duty. It had to have taken my brother and enough medication to sober me up just to see the Captain; you may have seen me being frog-marched to the Captain's ready room, Siggy, and I apologize if you had noticed that scene...again, I'm pointing out that I'm in trouble already. I've been assigned a proctor from my departmental head and anything further to go wrong will result in my expulsion, so you can see how anxious I am about returning to the ship, especially since I inadvertently disobeyed orders..."

She looked downcast and looked down at the ground. Her fervor had died out and was now replaced with shame at her confession and the fact that she had disobeyed orders, even from their new first officer.

The miner gave a small smile when Jael asked he had never seen a Cardassian. "No," he replied. He inclined his head, with his eyes looking under the hood of his eyelids. "Even not in a Starfleet uniform."

Then he softly tapped the white cloth on her forehead. "You should try to talk. I think you can slip into a coma. I am far from being a doctor. My name is Malcolm Lincoln. No need to owe me. It will be my pleasure," he said with a Northern American deep south slang.

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Encampment | Seku IV]

Jael shrugged, not surprised that he never saw a Cardassian in a Starfleet uniform in particular. She always got the surprised reactions ever since she and Gid graduated Starfleet Academy. People had never seen a Cardassian in a Starfleet uniform upon first glance, and so it always came as a surprise when Jael showed up. Of course, sometimes under the surprise, she'd see loathing eyes, like that it wasn't a uniform she was supposed to wear, that no Cardassian deserves being in such a uniform.

Then Malcolm Lincoln raised a point that she should keep talking or she'll slip into a coma. She instantly remembered the amount of staggering she did when she was walking and lagging behind the Prophets know how many kilometers behind the away team. And she recalled some wooziness, but trying to keep herself awake...was it possible that the concussion was that bad to keep her not only from thinking straight, like causing her following Addams out of the trench and inadvertently disobeying his orders, but could bring her to a coma?

"Yeah, I'd appreciate it," she said. "I had been feeling woozy myself. Prophets know that I'm likely to have potential brain damage from this...yeah, of course I say Prophets, I'm an actual convert of the Bajoran religion. Me and my mother. I was mostly tagging along, whilst she, on the other hand, converted mainly to annoy my father, her husband. Oh, and my name is Jael. Jael Sherem. And my parents are two Gul Sherems. One, my father, was former head of the Cardassian Intelligence Bureau, but he's been on the run since the end of the Dominion War. The other's my mother and she defected when Cardassia joined the Dominion, taking me and my adopted brother, a Bajoran, along. And as for the uniform...well, I might as well be among the first Cardassians in Starfleet, people are always so surprised to see me, a Cardassian, in a uniform..."

[Encampment miners location]

A man came over to the female Cardassian. Jael could notice the human's brown eyes were a little scared. She might not know that this was the first time he saw a Cardassian. She was asking for a place where she could rest her head. "I am far from being a doctor. And your bleeding. Here let me clean it," he told her. He moved over to where there were metal containers. He took a metal flask and made his way back to her. "Lean aside, where I can pour this on your head," he told her. He held a clean white cloth. "This most likely will sting, and you might swing at me. Try to miss me, please," he said.

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Encampment | Seku IV]

The fact that she was greeted with silence made Jael wonder a moment if she had inadvertently sounded demanding, despite her efforts to sound otherwise. Finally, a man approached. Jael could see from his eyes that he was scared. She wondered a moment if this was somebody who was told stories of Cardassians from war veterans and was frightened by them; she had seen them as frequently as the persecuting attitudes she experienced at the Academy. Though his mentioning she was bleeding made her reach up to her wound, and sure enough, it still was. Probably not as frequently as before, but it still was. At least it wasn't pouring like her entire staggering journey to get to the encampment.

"I'd appreciate it, thank you," she said. She sat down at the containers she followed him to. She awaited to be administered to and followed his instructions. She leaned aside as he told her and readied herself for the sting. Of course, she only smiled at his words when he spoke and a thought occurred to her...

"You've never met a Cardassian before, have you?" she said with a smile, letting out a slight giggle as she spoke. "We're not that bad-tempered, let alone having such reflexes on pain. Nonetheless, I'm ready."

She felt the cloth and it certainly stung. She grabbed her pants and gripped them tightly. Any tighter and she would potentially rip some cloth. But she certainly was feeling more better after that.

"Thank you," she replied gratefully. "I owe you one, mister...?"

[Seku IV - Unnamed settlement]

Knowing Ruth had security training and she was a security officer herself. He figured he was not going to pick her. Then he looked at the young Blackfeather, an excellent security guard. Then he looked at Jael, who had no security training.

"All right, I am going to take Blackfeather with me. I believe the two of you can use your medical and counseling skills to help them. Try to get information from the folks here. Try to acquire missing pieces on how they get there. Watch each other's back." Then he took a big deep breath before speaking to everyone and then laid his eyes on Jael. "Don't be afraid to mention our injured member...who we left behind," he gave Jael a nod. "I reckon he truly dislikes me leaving him behind. I am counting on you," he focused on Jael and then looked at the others. He looked down, regretting to open up to them so they could feel important. He had not wanted to single out Jael.

"Ensign, I need to talk to you alone," he said, taking her aside. Then he was going to do what Ruth suggested. "Are you going to be okay? I do care. If you need rest, then let Commander Ruth do the work. And when you feel better, then assist the Commander. And remind her not to talk too much," he smiled. "We need to get back to the others."

"Okay, Blackfeather, you're with me. You two help them and try to gain information," he told them. The fact, he figured that Ruth and Jael would gain more information than himself and Blackfeather. Or maybe not. "Stay safe."

While Don was talking to Jael, he could not help notice that sharp dark look in her eyes. She was not comfortable with Don. He will try to figure out what it was. What did he do wrong? But he could not think about it because he had the future to think about.

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Unknown (Mining?) Settlement | Seku IV]

Jael's expression softened as Commander Addams spoke. The disappointment in her eyes lifted.

"Well...I'm probably having a bad day," she said, feeling where she was concussed. "I've had trouble keeping up with you as we came here and...well, you all were quite far away once I managed to get myself out of that shuttle and I figured you weren't aware of where I was. I do apologize for my attitude, given how much pain I was in...I think I can use that rest...

"Also, I was getting the impression you don't like me," she added. "I was born with acute cognitive awareness, enough that I can tell a person's attitude or stance from his or her body language, and, well, I was assuming you don't like me. And it hurts a little, being a Cardassian. I mean, I often get hate on me at the Academy, from people who lost loved ones during the Dominion War or Bajorans who lost family during the Occupation. But if it's not prejudice for what Cardassians have done in the past, then I don't know what it is, or if I'm just bad luck. I would've dropped out of the Academy to get away from such atmospheres if it wasn't for my brother Gid. And it's been hard as a Counselor, few, if any, are willing to talk, let alone open up to, Cardassians.

"I'm sorry to talk this much," she said, "but since you do care after all, I feel I can trust you. And I apologize for any wrong assumptions from me or about me. And, again, I apologize for misinterpreting your order to keep an eye out..." she then lowered her voice, "...I'm suddenly worried about what will happen to me; I'm assigned a proctor after by ten-day absence, and the Captain warned me I could be expelled from Starfleet if I neglect my duty again, assuming we get out of this alive, but I feel we can...sorry to take most your time...good luck and I'll do what I can to find out around here."

She then parted from the Commander and approached "Siggy."

"If it's alright with you, Commander," she said, "I need a moment to rest, spending the afternoon staggering and stumbling, what with..." and she pointed to her concussion to indicate, "...I feel I'll probably more efficient with some rest. And..." and she lowered her voice again, "...Commander Addams said to tell you not to talk too much."

She looked around at the locals and asked, "Do you have a place where one can rest a moment, if you please?"

[Seku VI - Unnamed Settlement]

Ero Drallen gave Ruth a very hard stare and said.

"You talk too much. I don't trust people who talk too much."

He then dismissed Ruth from his thoughts and faced Don.

"You on the other hand sound like you might be interesting. But the thing is, I don't need something fixed. I need something shut off. You see, we picked this spot because of the unusual geologic readings deep beneath the surface here. We thought it was a deposit of pergium, but it turned out to be an old installation of some sort. One of the guys somehow activated something and its been sending out that infernal signal ever since. Worse, the installation seems to have a defensive network. It's that blue flash that brought down whatever you came here in. We found that out about a week ago when we tried to leave on a supply run. Our ship was hit and barely managed to set back down at the camp. None of us know how to shut it off and don't want to trigger something else worse. Can you do anything about that Star Racer?"

[Seku -Unnamed Settlment]

Blasted! I had overlooked bringing an Engineering or someone more specialized. What was I thinking? Don let a long sigh. Then he learned more about the Discovery from hovering Engineering because he had decided to learn more.

Don watched Ero and heard what he had to say. They did not need anything to fix but something to shut off. "You're telling me that was not Ionized energy that hit us but something else," Don repeated the question to be clarified. When Ero mentioned none of his people, he turned to look at folks who were working. "I see," he said.

"I can see what I can do," he said back to the leader.

Then he recalled Ruth sharing she knew Science, Flight, and Security. Jarem had knowledge of Medical as her second path in Starfleet. His right hand wanted to move and smack his face, but he had the will to stop it.

"I go on one condition if I can have one member with me and my ...mates here will not be harmed," he had almost said crewmembers. He figured he should sound less Starfleet to communicate, and perhaps it would build a better rapport with them.

Then he turned to his team. To see how they are holding up. Jael better understands he would not mentally hold her hand as Commander Ruth's suggested. "Don't talk too much about yourselves," he told them. "Tell them what you think what they want. Less they know about the better we are," he whispered to them.

[Ensign Jael Sherem | Unknown (Mining?) Settlement | Seku IV]

Jael flinched like if she had been hit by a battering ram. This man didn't trust anybody who talked too much? He sounded exactly like her father, and it's one reason for her mother's separation from him. She looked back at Commander Addams when he spoke to her, and was crestfallen, not by his words, but at his body language when he looked and spoke to her.

In a nutshell? He didn't like her. And thus her sense of uselessness was compounding, resurfacing. Suddenly she began wishing she never caught up to the away team, that she should've just never got up from a fall, just died, half blind from the blood of her concussion wound. Or she wished she would've been eaten by an animal the moment she stepped out of the shuttle.

Now it was looking like Addams was going to choose someone to remain with him. Well, whoever it was going to be, it was looking more and more likely it won't be her. Which would be understandable, seeing as how Jael was becoming more and more useless to the away team.