S:5 E:15 - The Canopy Planet

[Nira Said]

First Officer's Log, Stardate 78261.4. We are on approach to Andgarr Prime, home of the tree-living Andgarr, vassals inherited by the Romulan Free State from the old Star Empire. It's been a rough few days, especially in rotating crew amidst depositing the Burke"¦leaving it to be decommissioned. Ensign Denton has been relieved of duty for her insubordination and made to leave Starfleet, on account of her adverse opinions on people in authority and her clashing with her and other department heads, culminating when Captain Galloway and I confronted her, and when she did not change her ways, the end result was her relief of duty and reminder she was lucky not to be imprisoned at New Zealand. How that girl got into Starfleet Academy, Allah only knows. It's something I'll have to look into for the future Cadet Elva Denton has been shipped back to Starfleet Academy to complete her education.

The bright spot is having some new Officer Exchange personnel, both Klingons and Romulans alike, have just joined us, some officers recently transferred from the IKS TajHu to serve in the Officer Exchange, and the Romulans having waited at Starbase 153 to join up. I have to admit, having Klingons and Romulans alike aboard is going to be interesting, but considering the invitation of the Romulan Free State to be at Andgarr Prime, given what we have described about it, it's worth it.

Andgarr Prime itself is described as interesting, owing its blessings as a vassal to emphasize itself as an enclave of neutral ground as well as a haven for people to hide, from refugees to criminals, but mostly prefer being neutral ground. The only reason it lost out to Nimbus Three more than a century ago as the "œPlanet of Galactic Peace" was it wasn't on three borders, those of the Federation, the Klingons and the Romulans. In any case, peace can never be achievable, as was discovered later. But what is to be most interesting about Andgarr Prime are its physical features that has given its reputation emphasized in its nickname: The Canopy Planet.

[Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nira gazed with amazement at the planet on approach. It was green and unusually big. The sensors, however, indicated that while the planet looked to be as big as Neptune, in actuality, the size was due to the extension of foliage, like a layer of planet or extra layer of atmosphere; underneath all that foliage was a regular-sized M-class planet, and with that foliage the atmosphere, according to the sensors, had been extended. And it wasn't just green all the way through, it was mottled around, indicative of extremely high foliage. A viewscreen magnification showed that, up close, it showed high trees and, underneath the leaves on the night side, glowing lights like a city. A lot of the planet was a metropolis made from trees. Hollowed out from big trees. Or structures extended from or built into the trees from top to bottom.

"œIt's beautiful!" said Nira. She looked back at Captain Galloway; to Ensign Shepard and Commander Catalan in front of the viewscreen; then to the row on the Captain's right, where Aarwendil was at Environmental Control and Neva was on her bridge shift on the Engineering console; Randall, Jettis and Savar at the Science row on her left; and Kyan and Zhuk at Tactical, along with the Klingon exchange officer at the side of Kyan and Zhuk, a boyish-looking officer named Kolon (who has heard enough "œcolon" jokes that Nira can sympathize with him, remembering when people mispronounced her name), who looked young enough that he still has no facial hair for a Klingon, but was old enough to be regarded as a young man, studying Challenger's Tactical, and then at the Romulan exchange officer T'Lin between Aarwendil and Neva at Mission Ops. Looked up to see Crewman T'vyrrol enter and realized he had been chosen to conduct the rounds on the bridge medical officers often made. Then she looked back at her PADD.

"œThis planet's fascinating," she said. "œThe trees are especially interesting. I mean, look, if one can plant one of the Andgarr's oln'garr trees on Earth and gave enough time for nurturing, that tree could reach high enough to penetrate Earth's atmosphere! I mean, there has to be something about the combined foliage to heighten the atmosphere of the planet, make it look bigger than it appears"¦It's amazing"¦Captain Tekin would love this," she added at Captain Galloway.

"œThe oln'garr are of definite woods of legend," Kolon commented. "œIt had been written that an Andgarr chieftain had sent Kahless a gift in the form of a zon'garr sapling. It survived and certainly nurtured even in the rough landscape of Q'on'os," she added, pronouncing her homeworld, as usual, as "œKronos." "œIt was big enough that it was put into the wilderness and, in time, formed a small plateau of its own right. The Plenty Tree of Kahless, it had been called, referring to the fact that it was a gift."

"œHow much do the Klingons know of Andgarr, Mister Kolon?" Nira asked, taking great care to emphasize the Klingon's pronunciation, into "œKohl-lohn," rather than speaking it like "œcolon" or "œColin."

The boyish Klingon grinned sarcastically. "œOnly what I know is what other Klingons know. Firstly: it's got big trees, obviously, Princess, in case your eyes don't work any more. But the Andgarr people itself were of more interest than the trees, even the one gifted to Kahless. In a way, they're a middle ground between Klingons and Romulans. They're crafty and clever, hence building their civilization on trees. And at the same time, they're warriors that fight with honor. One Andgarr is certainly a match for Klingons. That aforementioned Andgarr gifting Kahless a sapling, he was bested in a duel, but the Andgarr had earned the respect of Kahless that day."

"And then too many Klingons took many chips off the old tree until all that was left was a petrified stump sunk into the mountain," T'Lin added with a shrug.

"œQuestion is, what are the Andgarr doing as vassals to the Romulans?" asked Lieutenant Randall, looking from Jettis next to him and up at Nira, Kolon and T'Lin.

"œWell, that history is forthcoming," said Nira, grinning at the nickname Kolon had given her; he was definitely a member of Kohor's crew; even if she didn't meet him during her officer exchange, he would've heard plenty about her.

"œWell, the Free State has been willing to divulge our history," T'Lin replied sweetly. "Especially to anyone from the Discovery, the ones who helped breath life to the Free State. In the early days of the Romulan Star Empire, while the Romulans had conquered worlds, they met stiff resistance at Andgarr. Even when they took the fight planetside, it was tricky. It is mentioned that the trees are wide enough down below that even two Warbirds can go in broadsides without having to worry about hitting a thing. Eventually, the Praetor himself came to see what was going on, assessed the situation, and decided trying to conquer the planet was a waste of time and resources. Instead, he decided to negotiate a vassalage, something the Andgarr were more welcome to."

"œThis is one reason why we Klingons hold the Andgarr with respect," Kolon commented. "œThis is one people in which it is unwise to fight on their home ground. Roughly like engaging on a land war in Earth's continent of Asia, what we figure. I've always wanted to meet one."

"œCaptain, Commander, we're being hailed from the planet," said Commander Catalan from next to Aarwendil.

The viewscreen showed an exceptionally portly simian alien. There were certainly apelike qualities obvious in the Andgarr, but his eyes certainly gleamed in intelligence, which indicated how they weren't looking at a primitive lifeform, despite bearing resemblance like a primitive lifeform.

"œGreetings to the Starship Challenger. Welcome to Andgarr," he said cordially.

[Jettis Jyur]

[ USS Challenger - Bridge ]

The idle hum of the bridge crew chattering, combined with the soft beeps of consoles and ever-present hum of the ships engines surrounded Jettis. For the most part, he worked away in silence, as the ship pulled into sensor range of the planet. Fingers dancing across the screen, he began catalogueing the discernable details of the planet - size, atmosphere, the primary makeup of the planet. It was rare for Jettis to encounter a planet he'd never seen or a people he hadn't heard of, so he paid especially rapt attention to the readouts, transferring up to the viewscreen the moment it was visible.

Marveling at the incredible sight, Jettis' attention flipped back and forth, curious about just how this planet could support such a wonder. Just a single tree had to be such a tax on the planets resources, but the billions it held? It was a wonder the planet hadn't collapsed.

Randell posed a good question- why did they agree to be vassals? Listening as the Commander answered, as well as T'Lin, a crewmate he hadn't met yet. Likely a new transfer as part of the program. The answer made sense, the mutual respect, and both not desiring to start a needless war likely spared a lot of bloodshed and lost battles.

As he finished catalpgueing any new information about the planet, he leaned back. Sitting back on his heels, he relaxed, staring out the window and focusing fully on the picturesque sights. Until the shop was hailed of course, greeted by their hosts. Watching, Jettis silently let the scene unfortunately, curious what the... And Andgarr? Andgarrian? Andgerish?..

What the man had to say, anyhow. Jettis' brows raised curiously for a moment as it  became clear who they were speaking to. His appearance was certainly surprising, but he'd seen more unexpected things before. But what they want was yes to be discovered.

[Ian Galloway]

First Officer's Log, Stardate 78261.4. We are on approach to Andgarr Prime, home of the tree-living Andgarr, vassals inherited by the Romulan Free State from the old Star Empire. It's been a rough few days, especially in rotating crew amidst depositing the Burke"¦leaving it to be decommissioned. Ensign Denton has been relieved of duty for her insubordination and made to leave Starfleet, on account of her adverse opinions on people in authority and her clashing with her and other department heads, culminating when Captain Galloway and I confronted her, and when she did not change her ways, the end result was her relief of duty and reminder she was lucky not to be imprisoned at New Zealand. How that girl got into Starfleet Academy, Allah only knows. It's something I'll have to look into for the future Cadet Elva Denton has been shipped back to Starfleet Academy to complete her education.

The bright spot is having some new Officer Exchange personnel, both Klingons and Romulans alike, have just joined us, some officers recently transferred from the IKS TajHu to serve in the Officer Exchange, and the Romulans having waited at Starbase 153 to join up. I have to admit, having Klingons and Romulans alike aboard is going to be interesting, but considering the invitation of the Romulan Free State to be at Andgarr Prime, given what we have described about it, it's worth it.

Andgarr Prime itself is described as interesting, owing its blessings as a vassal to emphasize itself as an enclave of neutral ground as well as a haven for people to hide, from refugees to criminals, but mostly prefer being neutral ground. The only reason it lost out to Nimbus Three more than a century ago as the "œPlanet of Galactic Peace" was it wasn't on three borders, those of the Federation, the Klingons and the Romulans. In any case, peace can never be achievable, as was discovered later. But what is to be most interesting about Andgarr Prime are its physical features that has given its reputation emphasized in its nickname: The Canopy Planet.

[Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nira gazed with amazement at the planet on approach. It was green and unusually big. The sensors, however, indicated that while the planet looked to be as big as Neptune, in actuality, the size was due to the extension of foliage, like a layer of planet or extra layer of atmosphere; underneath all that foliage was a regular-sized M-class planet, and with that foliage the atmosphere, according to the sensors, had been extended. And it wasn't just green all the way through, it was mottled around, indicative of extremely high foliage. A viewscreen magnification showed that, up close, it showed high trees and, underneath the leaves on the night side, glowing lights like a city. A lot of the planet was a metropolis made from trees. Hollowed out from big trees. Or structures extended from or built into the trees from top to bottom.

"œIt's beautiful!" said Nira. She looked back at Captain Galloway; to Ensign Shepard and Commander Catalan in front of the viewscreen; then to the row on the Captain's right, where Aarwendil was at Environmental Control and Neva was on her bridge shift on the Engineering console; Randall, Jettis and Savar at the Science row on her left; and Kyan and Zhuk at Tactical, along with the Klingon exchange officer at the side of Kyan and Zhuk, a boyish-looking officer named Kolon (who has heard enough "œcolon" jokes that Nira can sympathize with him, remembering when people mispronounced her name), who looked young enough that he still has no facial hair for a Klingon, but was old enough to be regarded as a young man, studying Challenger's Tactical, and then at the Romulan exchange officer T'Lin between Aarwendil and Neva at Mission Ops. Looked up to see Crewman T'vyrrol enter and realized he had been chosen to conduct the rounds on the bridge medical officers often made. Then she looked back at her PADD.

"œThis planet's fascinating," she said. "œThe trees are especially interesting. I mean, look, if one can plant one of the Andgarr's oln'garr trees on Earth and gave enough time for nurturing, that tree could reach high enough to penetrate Earth's atmosphere! I mean, there has to be something about the combined foliage to heighten the atmosphere of the planet, make it look bigger than it appears"¦It's amazing"¦Captain Tekin would love this," she added at Captain Galloway.

"œThe oln'garr are of definite woods of legend," Kolon commented. "œIt had been written that an Andgarr chieftain had sent Kahless a gift in the form of a zon'garr sapling. It survived and certainly nurtured even in the rough landscape of Q'on'os," she added, pronouncing her homeworld, as usual, as "œKronos." "œIt was big enough that it was put into the wilderness and, in time, formed a small plateau of its own right. The Plenty Tree of Kahless, it had been called, referring to the fact that it was a gift."

"œHow much do the Klingons know of Andgarr, Mister Kolon?" Nira asked, taking great care to emphasize the Klingon's pronunciation, into "œKohl-lohn," rather than speaking it like "œcolon" or "œColin."

The boyish Klingon grinned sarcastically. "œOnly what I know is what other Klingons know. Firstly: it's got big trees, obviously, Princess, in case your eyes don't work any more. But the Andgarr people itself were of more interest than the trees, even the one gifted to Kahless. In a way, they're a middle ground between Klingons and Romulans. They're crafty and clever, hence building their civilization on trees. And at the same time, they're warriors that fight with honor. One Andgarr is certainly a match for Klingons. That aforementioned Andgarr gifting Kahless a sapling, he was bested in a duel, but the Andgarr had earned the respect of Kahless that day."

"And then too many Klingons took many chips off the old tree until all that was left was a petrified stump sunk into the mountain," T'Lin added with a shrug.

"œQuestion is, what are the Andgarr doing as vassals to the Romulans?" asked Lieutenant Randall, looking from Jettis next to him and up at Nira, Kolon and T'Lin.

"œWell, that history is forthcoming," said Nira, grinning at the nickname Kolon had given her; he was definitely a member of Kohor's crew; even if she didn't meet him during her officer exchange, he would've heard plenty about her.

"œWell, the Free State has been willing to divulge our history," T'Lin replied sweetly. "Especially to anyone from the Discovery, the ones who helped breath life to the Free State. In the early days of the Romulan Star Empire, while the Romulans had conquered worlds, they met stiff resistance at Andgarr. Even when they took the fight planetside, it was tricky. It is mentioned that the trees are wide enough down below that even two Warbirds can go in broadsides without having to worry about hitting a thing. Eventually, the Praetor himself came to see what was going on, assessed the situation, and decided trying to conquer the planet was a waste of time and resources. Instead, he decided to negotiate a vassalage, something the Andgarr were more welcome to."

"œThis is one reason why we Klingons hold the Andgarr with respect," Kolon commented. "œThis is one people in which it is unwise to fight on their home ground. Roughly like engaging on a land war in Earth's continent of Asia, what we figure. I've always wanted to meet one."

"œCaptain, Commander, we're being hailed from the planet," said Commander Catalan from next to Aarwendil.

The viewscreen showed an exceptionally portly simian alien. There were certainly apelike qualities obvious in the Andgarr, but his eyes certainly gleamed in intelligence, which indicated how they weren't looking at a primitive lifeform, despite bearing resemblance like a primitive lifeform.

"œGreetings to the Starship Challenger. Welcome to Andgarr," he said cordially.

[Bridge - USS Challenger - Orbit of Andgarr Prime]

Ian was taken in by the amazing views of the planet's mind numbing trees and smiled broadly at the Andgarr that appeared on the viewscreen. He raised his hands to touch the opposite shoulders and swung them open to make the formal greeting of the Andgarr.

"May the limbs of the Great Canopy protect you. Anax Glarathna Jindak. I am Captain Ian Galloway."

Ian offered the traditional greeting he'd practiced during the trip to Anggarr.

"The Great Canopy welcomes all who would enter as friends."

Jindak replied with the traditional response.

Ian sighed in relief that he'd gotten the greeting correct.

"My crew and I would very much like ta meet with you Anax. Would you like ta visit Challenger or would you prefer we come down ta your magnificent city?"

"We would be honored if you would join us in the Great Hall, in say twenty of your minutes?"

"Perfect Anax, see you soon."

As the channel closed, Ian turned to Nira.

"Well, you're nae ta like this much Commander, but I will lead the initial away team. You have the bridge Nira." Turning slightly, Ian added. "Mister MacKenzie, Mister Mrekrerhas, and Mister Jyur, you are with me."

Ian then headed for the turbolift.

[Abas Th'vyrrol]

[Quarters - Deck 15 - 0516 Hours]

It is 0615 Hours.
It is 0615 Hours.
...
It is 0616 Hours.

Abas groaned as the chiding voice of the ship's computer pinged in his ear, informing him that it was past time for him to be awake. Only by a minute, but time nonetheless. He pushed himself to a vertical position, stretching his arm toward the ceiling while his antennae likewise stretched out toward the sky. Another day had begun, as life aboard a starship was want to do. He pushed himself to his feet, craning his neck before walking over to the replicator. "Andorian Cabbage Soup" he uttered, voice still heavy with sleep, "and Raktajino".

The whine of the replicator coming to life before fading to silence again informed him that his breakfast was prepared, which he took in hand before taking the three paces to the far side of the quarters and sitting down at the table. Slowly sipping the meal, he began to feel more awake, as the yawns subsided. "Computer, time," he said, listening for the chime and return.

0625 hours

The day shift came on duty at 0800, but that didn't mean Abas didn't have duties to perform before then. Like so many other Enlisted, long days were the norm. Someone had to keep the ship running, after all. Finishing his meal and returning the dishes to the replicator, he snagged his commbadge off its pedestal and exited the quarters, heading to the turbolift.

"Deck 16. Gym."

[0706 Hours]

The door slid shut behind Abas with a hiss as he swung his arms in front of him and then back again, shaking out the cramps from his exercise. He had just enough time to take a quick sonic shower, catch up on some of the latest medical journals, and make his bed before he had to report to shift. Stripping off his exercise clothes, he deposited them in their receptacle before entering the sonic shower, configuring the settings, and immersing himself in the gentle cleaning hum. In only a few minutes, he emerged, donning his medical division uniform. The snug-fitting what he was told was a teal jumpsuit, plain and devoid of any cumbersome rank insignia - at least he couldn't put it on upside-down.

Putting his quarters in order took less than two minutes. Opening the drawer and retrieving his tricorder and PADD, he was fully ready for the day. He downloaded the latest medical journal articles, beginning to peruse them with his fingers while he sat. His roommate had long since left, off to their duties - whatever it was they were doing today. For now, however, he was content. Once 0745 hit, he'd head toward Sickbay which should have him arrive at around 0755. From there, he'd receive his duty assignments for the day, and carry out the tasks as ordered. A structured, orderly life.

[Later - Bridge]

The doors of the turbolift slide smoothly open, as Abas stepped out into the wide room at the top of the ship - the center of it all. His ears picked up the slight variances between the door to his quarters and the doors that lead to the bridge. Not that either was in bad shape - but one could tell where the officers tread more, which received that extra special attention. His fingers traced deftly over his PADD as he once again reviewed his orders. Conducting medical rounds on the Bridge, inventorying the ready medkit for any issues, and ensuring that no crewmembers were in possession of additional holes that were not accounted for. If Starfleet wanted an additional hole in you, they would have assigned you one.

He let his senses guide him as he moved quietly over to the ready wall locker, taking the medkit off of its mount and cracking it open, looking for any issues, expired medication, missing supplies, or anything out of the ordinary. These kits got inspected around once every week, so he didn't expect there to be any issues, but one could never be too sure. He also cracked open his tricorder, taking an air sample and instructing the computer to compare it to the historical records. While the ship had its atmospheric monitoring systems, it was still important to make sure that the information was cross-checked and validated.

In his head, he began playing a song from home through his thoughts, which the universal translator - much to the delight of more excitable non-andorians - rendered in Federation Standard as "Blues". The jokes almost wrote themselves. While not broadcasting it, it might be possible for any other telepaths or empaths on the bridge to pick up, if they were listening with their minds. Not invasive, but present. He would never intentionally push his thoughts onto someone else, though.

Regardless, he continued with his work, an ear out for the action and messages being passed around on the Bridge. It appeared the crew had found themselves in the area of a new planet - one rife with opportunities to explore, new species to meet, and undoubtedly a myriad of new diseases to catalog.

It sounded like fun!

[Aarwendil Cheizex]

 [Bridge | Environmental Control| USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Like the rest of the crew, Aarwendil was also watching Andgarr Prime, the world that the Challenger was approaching. It was indeed a beautiful sight, totally covered in greenery. After traveling in deep space for a long time, the young Betazoid really missed the opportunity of visiting a planet. What made him even more excited about this mission was the fact that even the buildings down there were made inside the trees, it was a complete harmony between civilization and nature.

The Ensign was curious to see how these buildings were made. Betazed had some good environmental laws, but not even his people had reached this level of harmony with nature. Aarwendil would love to have the opportunity of going down here and giving a better look at the surface.

He would need to leave his wishes for another moment, because after being contacted by the local government, Captain Galloway had announced the team that was going with him. Aarwendil would remain in the ship giving any support that they needed.

[Ian Galloway]

[Transporter Room One - USS Challenger]

When Ian arrived at the transporter room, he went unarmed. He figured having two security with him was sufficient precautions and he didn't want to offend the Angdarr. As the away team assembled, he had a thought at tapped his combadge.

"Galloway ta Commander Said. Given all this planet has ta offer. I want you ta prepare ta grant shore leave. I will signal you after I meet with Anax Jindak and have permission. Galloway out."

Noting that everyone was ready, Ian added.

"Energize."

[Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas]

[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

First Officer's Log, Stardate 78261.4. We are on approach to Andgarr Prime, home of the tree-living Andgarr, vassals inherited by the Romulan Free State from the old Star Empire. It's been a rough few days, especially in rotating crew amidst depositing the Burke"¦leaving it to be decommissioned. Ensign Denton has been relieved of duty for her insubordination and made to leave Starfleet, on account of her adverse opinions on people in authority and her clashing with her and other department heads, culminating when Captain Galloway and I confronted her, and when she did not change her ways, the end result was her relief of duty and reminder she was lucky not to be imprisoned at New Zealand. How that girl got into Starfleet Academy, Allah only knows. It's something I'll have to look into for the future Cadet Elva Denton has been shipped back to Starfleet Academy to complete her education.

The bright spot is having some new Officer Exchange personnel, both Klingons and Romulans alike, have just joined us, some officers recently transferred from the IKS TajHu to serve in the Officer Exchange, and the Romulans having waited at Starbase 153 to join up. I have to admit, having Klingons and Romulans alike aboard is going to be interesting, but considering the invitation of the Romulan Free State to be at Andgarr Prime, given what we have described about it, it's worth it.

Andgarr Prime itself is described as interesting, owing its blessings as a vassal to emphasize itself as an enclave of neutral ground as well as a haven for people to hide, from refugees to criminals, but mostly prefer being neutral ground. The only reason it lost out to Nimbus Three more than a century ago as the "œPlanet of Galactic Peace" was it wasn't on three borders, those of the Federation, the Klingons and the Romulans. In any case, peace can never be achievable, as was discovered later. But what is to be most interesting about Andgarr Prime are its physical features that has given its reputation emphasized in its nickname: The Canopy Planet.

[Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nira gazed with amazement at the planet on approach. It was green and unusually big. The sensors, however, indicated that while the planet looked to be as big as Neptune, in actuality, the size was due to the extension of foliage, like a layer of planet or extra layer of atmosphere; underneath all that foliage was a regular-sized M-class planet, and with that foliage the atmosphere, according to the sensors, had been extended. And it wasn't just green all the way through, it was mottled around, indicative of extremely high foliage. A viewscreen magnification showed that, up close, it showed high trees and, underneath the leaves on the night side, glowing lights like a city. A lot of the planet was a metropolis made from trees. Hollowed out from big trees. Or structures extended from or built into the trees from top to bottom.

"œIt's beautiful!" said Nira. She looked back at Captain Galloway; to Ensign Shepard and Commander Catalan in front of the viewscreen; then to the row on the Captain's right, where Aarwendil was at Environmental Control and Neva was on her bridge shift on the Engineering console; Randall, Jettis and Savar at the Science row on her left; and Kyan and Zhuk at Tactical, along with the Klingon exchange officer at the side of Kyan and Zhuk, a boyish-looking officer named Kolon (who has heard enough "œcolon" jokes that Nira can sympathize with him, remembering when people mispronounced her name), who looked young enough that he still has no facial hair for a Klingon, but was old enough to be regarded as a young man, studying Challenger's Tactical, and then at the Romulan exchange officer T'Lin between Aarwendil and Neva at Mission Ops. Looked up to see Crewman T'vyrrol enter and realized he had been chosen to conduct the rounds on the bridge medical officers often made. Then she looked back at her PADD.

"œThis planet's fascinating," she said. "œThe trees are especially interesting. I mean, look, if one can plant one of the Andgarr's oln'garr trees on Earth and gave enough time for nurturing, that tree could reach high enough to penetrate Earth's atmosphere! I mean, there has to be something about the combined foliage to heighten the atmosphere of the planet, make it look bigger than it appears"¦It's amazing"¦Captain Tekin would love this," she added at Captain Galloway.

"œThe oln'garr are of definite woods of legend," Kolon commented. "œIt had been written that an Andgarr chieftain had sent Kahless a gift in the form of a zon'garr sapling. It survived and certainly nurtured even in the rough landscape of Q'on'os," she added, pronouncing her homeworld, as usual, as "œKronos." "œIt was big enough that it was put into the wilderness and, in time, formed a small plateau of its own right. The Plenty Tree of Kahless, it had been called, referring to the fact that it was a gift."

"œHow much do the Klingons know of Andgarr, Mister Kolon?" Nira asked, taking great care to emphasize the Klingon's pronunciation, into "œKohl-lohn," rather than speaking it like "œcolon" or "œColin."

The boyish Klingon grinned sarcastically. "œOnly what I know is what other Klingons know. Firstly: it's got big trees, obviously, Princess, in case your eyes don't work any more. But the Andgarr people itself were of more interest than the trees, even the one gifted to Kahless. In a way, they're a middle ground between Klingons and Romulans. They're crafty and clever, hence building their civilization on trees. And at the same time, they're warriors that fight with honor. One Andgarr is certainly a match for Klingons. That aforementioned Andgarr gifting Kahless a sapling, he was bested in a duel, but the Andgarr had earned the respect of Kahless that day."

"And then too many Klingons took many chips off the old tree until all that was left was a petrified stump sunk into the mountain," T'Lin added with a shrug.

"œQuestion is, what are the Andgarr doing as vassals to the Romulans?" asked Lieutenant Randall, looking from Jettis next to him and up at Nira, Kolon and T'Lin.

"œWell, that history is forthcoming," said Nira, grinning at the nickname Kolon had given her; he was definitely a member of Kohor's crew; even if she didn't meet him during her officer exchange, he would've heard plenty about her.

"œWell, the Free State has been willing to divulge our history," T'Lin replied sweetly. "Especially to anyone from the Discovery, the ones who helped breath life to the Free State. In the early days of the Romulan Star Empire, while the Romulans had conquered worlds, they met stiff resistance at Andgarr. Even when they took the fight planetside, it was tricky. It is mentioned that the trees are wide enough down below that even two Warbirds can go in broadsides without having to worry about hitting a thing. Eventually, the Praetor himself came to see what was going on, assessed the situation, and decided trying to conquer the planet was a waste of time and resources. Instead, he decided to negotiate a vassalage, something the Andgarr were more welcome to."

"œThis is one reason why we Klingons hold the Andgarr with respect," Kolon commented. "œThis is one people in which it is unwise to fight on their home ground. Roughly like engaging on a land war in Earth's continent of Asia, what we figure. I've always wanted to meet one."

"œCaptain, Commander, we're being hailed from the planet," said Commander Catalan from next to Aarwendil.

The viewscreen showed an exceptionally portly simian alien. There were certainly apelike qualities obvious in the Andgarr, but his eyes certainly gleamed in intelligence, which indicated how they weren't looking at a primitive lifeform, despite bearing resemblance like a primitive lifeform.

"œGreetings to the Starship Challenger. Welcome to Andgarr," he said cordially.

[Bridge - USS Challenger - Orbit of Andgarr Prime]

Ian was taken in by the amazing views of the planet's mind numbing trees and smiled broadly at the Andgarr that appeared on the viewscreen. He raised his hands to touch the opposite shoulders and swung them open to make the formal greeting of the Andgarr.

"May the limbs of the Great Canopy protect you. Anax Glarathna Jindak. I am Captain Ian Galloway."

Ian offered the traditional greeting he'd practiced during the trip to Anggarr.

"The Great Canopy welcomes all who would enter as friends."

Jindak replied with the traditional response.

Ian sighed in relief that he'd gotten the greeting correct.

"My crew and I would very much like ta meet with you Anax. Would you like ta visit Challenger or would you prefer we come down ta your magnificent city?"

"We would be honored if you would join us in the Great Hall, in say twenty of your minutes?"

"Perfect Anax, see you soon."

As the channel closed, Ian turned to Nira.

"Well, you're nae ta like this much Commander, but I will lead the initial away team. You have the bridge Nira." Turning slightly, Ian added. "Mister MacKenzie, Mister Mrekrerhas, and Mister Jyur, you are with me."

Ian then headed for the turbolift.

Zhuk gazed in awe at the planet that presented itself upon him and the rest of the crew on the Bridge. To anyone paying close attention, they would be able to note that his eyes seemed to twinkle for a moment. Such large trees enraptured him, and the way that they extended past the atmosphere simply made him marvel even more. Perhaps it was due to some kind of genetic or cultural memory inherent to him as a Caitian, or simply a preference, but during his time on Earth, he had found a special enjoyment for climbing trees. when he went over to the Yucatan Peninsula and had the opportunity to ascend through the bark of a ceiba, which stood dozens of feet from the ground at its highest point.

Of course, his more analytic side soon reminded him to concentrate on the mission ahead. Soon, his face adopted his usual seriousness, as he listened in to the conversation between Captain Galloway and Anax Glarathna Jindak, who apparently was the leader of the Andgarr. He watched closely at the bow that Ian provided, making sure to remember every inch of it in case he was required to use it. It was moments such as these that his acting training really paid off, he believed.

And while he did not show it, he was ecstatic to overhear that he was chosen to accompany the Captain to the surface. After all, his interest in the massive vegetation was not the only thing that excited him about the planet. He also wanted to know more about these individuals, the Andgarr, and learn about their experiences after no longer being subjugated by the Romulans. He felt that, though to a lesser extent, he had been in a similar situation. So he could empathize.

He followed after the Captain, glancing over at his superior officer, Kyan, to see what he thought of the situation. A silent question, but one he was mildly interested in having answered.

[Transporter Room One - USS Challenger]

When Ian arrived at the transporter room, he went unarmed. He figured having two security with him was sufficient precautions and he didn't want to offend the Angdarr. As the away team assembled, he had a thought at tapped his combadge.

"Galloway ta Commander Said. Given all this planet has ta offer. I want you ta prepare ta grant shore leave. I will signal you after I meet with Anax Jindak and have permission. Galloway out."

Noting that everyone was ready, Ian added.

"Energize."

[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Transporter Room One | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

He took his position within one of the pads of the transporter area and checked his current armament. Only his Type-1 phaser was required, he believed, considering the general friendly situation they were in. He gave the Captain a nod, just before he gave the order for them to beam down. He took a deep breath, his fur rising up slightly as the feeling of being disassembled and assembled again was becoming quite familiar to him. He still much-preferred shuttles, though.

Oh well, at least he was going somewhere new. That did pep him up.

[Nira Said]

[Bridge - USS Challenger - Orbit of Andgarr Prime]

Ian was taken in by the amazing views of the planet's mind numbing trees and smiled broadly at the Andgarr that appeared on the viewscreen. He raised his hands to touch the opposite shoulders and swung them open to make the formal greeting of the Andgarr.

"May the limbs of the Great Canopy protect you. Anax Glarathna Jindak. I am Captain Ian Galloway."

Ian offered the traditional greeting he'd practiced during the trip to Anggarr.

"The Great Canopy welcomes all who would enter as friends."

Jindak replied with the traditional response.

Ian sighed in relief that he'd gotten the greeting correct.

"My crew and I would very much like ta meet with you Anax. Would you like ta visit Challenger or would you prefer we come down ta your magnificent city?"

"We would be honored if you would join us in the Great Hall, in say twenty of your minutes?"

"Perfect Anax, see you soon."

As the channel closed, Ian turned to Nira.

"Well, you're nae ta like this much Commander, but I will lead the initial away team. You have the bridge Nira." Turning slightly, Ian added. "Mister MacKenzie, Mister Mrekrerhas, and Mister Jyur, you are with me."

Ian then headed for the turbolift.

[Quarters - Deck 15 - 0516 Hours]

It is 0615 Hours.
It is 0615 Hours.
...
It is 0616 Hours.

Abas groaned as the chiding voice of the ship's computer pinged in his ear, informing him that it was past time for him to be awake. Only by a minute, but time nonetheless. He pushed himself to a vertical position, stretching his arm toward the ceiling while his antennae likewise stretched out toward the sky. Another day had begun, as life aboard a starship was want to do. He pushed himself to his feet, craning his neck before walking over to the replicator. "Andorian Cabbage Soup" he uttered, voice still heavy with sleep, "and Raktajino".

The whine of the replicator coming to life before fading to silence again informed him that his breakfast was prepared, which he took in hand before taking the three paces to the far side of the quarters and sitting down at the table. Slowly sipping the meal, he began to feel more awake, as the yawns subsided. "Computer, time," he said, listening for the chime and return.

0625 hours

The day shift came on duty at 0800, but that didn't mean Abas didn't have duties to perform before then. Like so many other Enlisted, long days were the norm. Someone had to keep the ship running, after all. Finishing his meal and returning the dishes to the replicator, he snagged his commbadge off its pedestal and exited the quarters, heading to the turbolift.

"Deck 16. Gym."

[0706 Hours]

The door slid shut behind Abas with a hiss as he swung his arms in front of him and then back again, shaking out the cramps from his exercise. He had just enough time to take a quick sonic shower, catch up on some of the latest medical journals, and make his bed before he had to report to shift. Stripping off his exercise clothes, he deposited them in their receptacle before entering the sonic shower, configuring the settings, and immersing himself in the gentle cleaning hum. In only a few minutes, he emerged, donning his medical division uniform. The snug-fitting what he was told was a teal jumpsuit, plain and devoid of any cumbersome rank insignia - at least he couldn't put it on upside-down.

Putting his quarters in order took less than two minutes. Opening the drawer and retrieving his tricorder and PADD, he was fully ready for the day. He downloaded the latest medical journal articles, beginning to peruse them with his fingers while he sat. His roommate had long since left, off to their duties - whatever it was they were doing today. For now, however, he was content. Once 0745 hit, he'd head toward Sickbay which should have him arrive at around 0755. From there, he'd receive his duty assignments for the day, and carry out the tasks as ordered. A structured, orderly life.

[Later - Bridge]

The doors of the turbolift slide smoothly open, as Abas stepped out into the wide room at the top of the ship - the center of it all. His ears picked up the slight variances between the door to his quarters and the doors that lead to the bridge. Not that either was in bad shape - but one could tell where the officers tread more, which received that extra special attention. His fingers traced deftly over his PADD as he once again reviewed his orders. Conducting medical rounds on the Bridge, inventorying the ready medkit for any issues, and ensuring that no crewmembers were in possession of additional holes that were not accounted for. If Starfleet wanted an additional hole in you, they would have assigned you one.

He let his senses guide him as he moved quietly over to the ready wall locker, taking the medkit off of its mount and cracking it open, looking for any issues, expired medication, missing supplies, or anything out of the ordinary. These kits got inspected around once every week, so he didn't expect there to be any issues, but one could never be too sure. He also cracked open his tricorder, taking an air sample and instructing the computer to compare it to the historical records. While the ship had its atmospheric monitoring systems, it was still important to make sure that the information was cross-checked and validated.

In his head, he began playing a song from home through his thoughts, which the universal translator - much to the delight of more excitable non-andorians - rendered in Federation Standard as "Blues". The jokes almost wrote themselves. While not broadcasting it, it might be possible for any other telepaths or empaths on the bridge to pick up, if they were listening with their minds. Not invasive, but present. He would never intentionally push his thoughts onto someone else, though.

Regardless, he continued with his work, an ear out for the action and messages being passed around on the Bridge. It appeared the crew had found themselves in the area of a new planet - one rife with opportunities to explore, new species to meet, and undoubtedly a myriad of new diseases to catalog.

It sounded like fun!

[Bridge | Environmental Control| USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Like the rest of the crew, Aarwendil was also watching Andgarr Prime, the world that the Challenger was approaching. It was indeed a beautiful sight, totally covered in greenery. After traveling in deep space for a long time, the young Betazoid really missed the opportunity of visiting a planet. What made him even more excited about this mission was the fact that even the buildings down there were made inside the trees, it was a complete harmony between civilization and nature.

The Ensign was curious to see how these buildings were made. Betazed had some good environmental laws, but not even his people had reached this level of harmony with nature. Aarwendil would love to have the opportunity of going down here and giving a better look at the surface.

He would need to leave his wishes for another moment, because after being contacted by the local government, Captain Galloway had announced the team that was going with him. Aarwendil would remain in the ship giving any support that they needed.

[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Zhuk gazed in awe at the planet that presented itself upon him and the rest of the crew on the Bridge. To anyone paying close attention, they would be able to note that his eyes seemed to twinkle for a moment. Such large trees enraptured him, and the way that they extended past the atmosphere simply made him marvel even more. Perhaps it was due to some kind of genetic or cultural memory inherent to him as a Caitian, or simply a preference, but during his time on Earth, he had found a special enjoyment for climbing trees. when he went over to the Yucatan Peninsula and had the opportunity to ascend through the bark of a ceiba, which stood dozens of feet from the ground at its highest point.

Of course, his more analytic side soon reminded him to concentrate on the mission ahead. Soon, his face adopted his usual seriousness, as he listened in to the conversation between Captain Galloway and Anax Glarathna Jindak, who apparently was the leader of the Andgarr. He watched closely at the bow that Ian provided, making sure to remember every inch of it in case he was required to use it. It was moments such as these that his acting training really paid off, he believed.

And while he did not show it, he was ecstatic to overhear that he was chosen to accompany the Captain to the surface. After all, his interest in the massive vegetation was not the only thing that excited him about the planet. He also wanted to know more about these individuals, the Andgarr, and learn about their experiences after no longer being subjugated by the Romulans. He felt that, though to a lesser extent, he had been in a similar situation. So he could empathize.

He followed after the Captain, glancing over at his superior officer, Kyan, to see what he thought of the situation. A silent question, but one he was mildly interested in having answered.

[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Transporter Room One | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

He took his position within one of the pads of the transporter area and checked his current armament. Only his Type-1 phaser was required, he believed, considering the general friendly situation they were in. He gave the Captain a nod, just before he gave the order for them to beam down. He took a deep breath, his fur rising up slightly as the feeling of being disassembled and assembled again was becoming quite familiar to him. He still much-preferred shuttles, though.

Oh well, at least he was going somewhere new. That did pep him up.

[Transporter Room One - USS Challenger]

When Ian arrived at the transporter room, he went unarmed. He figured having two security with him was sufficient precautions and he didn't want to offend the Angdarr. As the away team assembled, he had a thought at tapped his combadge.

"Galloway ta Commander Said. Given all this planet has ta offer. I want you ta prepare ta grant shore leave. I will signal you after I meet with Anax Jindak and have permission. Galloway out."

Noting that everyone was ready, Ian added.

"Energize."

[Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

"We are looking forward to meeting you," the Anax said. "And we also have a dock reserved for you. Our ships will guide you down to it so you can dock. And don't worry, it's like an orbital dock, but it's an attached atmospheric dock...attached, as in, it's attached to one of our oln'garr trees that will lead to one of the port cities."

Once off, a Romulan bird of prey appeared, but it certainly looked to be under the Andgarr's jurisdiction.

"The ship's signaling to follow," said Catalan.

"Of course," said Nira. "Mister Shepherd, follow that bird of prey."

As they moved, Nira heard out Ian and she nodded in understanding. "Of course, Captain. This is a diplomatic function, it's your away mission this time. I'll make sure we are careful as we dock...I mean, an atmospheric docking, this will be interesting...."

She called for an open channel as Ian headed into the turbolift.  "All hands, this is Commander Said, acting in behalf of Captain Galloway as he prepares for a diplomatic party. We are proceeding to an atmospheric docking procedure. Anybody near a window can enjoy the view as best as they can as we proceed into atmospheric entry."

And this will certainly be interesting to the girls in the Cetacean labs, Nira added to herself.

As they proceeded, Nira stared in fascination as the ships, one following the other, headed down the atmosphere. The earliest stretch of atmosphere was obvious, and then they came through an opening of foliage. And it was certainly obvious that the foliage was a solid layer, like a wooden Dyson Sphere in miniature, with the actual planet extended below. It was hardly dark, as plenty of sunlight extended through. But the closer they got, the more indicative the cities built in the oln'garr trees were. The space between the trees was huge, as the two ships moved comfortable without concern of colliding with any branches. And they weren't the only ones. There was an occasional line of craft that went between the branches above or below.

Five minutes later, the bird of prey approached a dock, very similar to typical starship drydocks where ships can either rest or repair or both. Except, like every city built into the huge oln'garr trees, it was made of wood.

"This never gets old," T'Lin said with a grin.

"Of course you've been to this planet plenty of times, Centurion T'Lin," said Nira. "They'll guarantee ships won't be dropping from the docks like rocks?"

"Not in the slightest, Commander," said T'Lin. "The docking clamps are very firm and oln'garr wood live for thousands upon thousands of years. They just replace the sections of wood if it ever rots. There's no short supply of oln'garr wood."

"Of course," said Nira. "Docking procedure, Mister Shepherd."

As the ship slowed to a stop, docking clamps appeared and locked on to the Challenger, magnetizing (where there are magnetic functions attached to the wood) on the hull, and a gangway bridge extended to the airlock. The port terminal led over to the rest of the port city.

"Looks like we're being held up in the air," said Nira. "And no concerns of falling, breaking from the dock, T'Lin?"

"It's extremely rare, but it has been known to happen," said T'Lin. "But the Andgarr are prepared for such an eventuality. Can you pull a view of below."

"Ventral view, on screen," said Nira. The viewscreen then showed directly below. Nira flinched in surprise. Below was a whole ocean with oln'gar trees extending out of them, extending at mountain heights below.

"Is the whole of the planet's surface an ocean?" said Nira.

"Not all of it, but any body of water is deep, and it's the least dangerous part of the planet's surface," said T'Lin. "Or rather, the forest floor. The Andgarr prefer to stay at the tree levels, not necessarily the treetops. Anyway, the Andgarr always build their atmospheric starship docks over oceans or any body of water to guarantee a soft landing in the event of when a dock breaks loose and gravity takes over."

"And guarantee a huge splash at the same time," added Nira. "Depending on the size of the object that falls with the broken-off dock."

"And, again, this is one of the more least dangerous parts of the forest floor," reiterated T'Lin. "In many parts of the surface it can get dark and foreboding. The danger of the floor makes it a haven for people who want a place to hide. It used to be just runaway Remans who fled, but since Hobus, groups of varieties have made different places of the surface their home. Or haven, whichever. It's no secret, we just can't keep track of them all."

Hearing Captain Galloway's message, Nira nodded. "Of course, Captain," she added. It would certainly be a relieve; there was plenty with the ship that it was good for shore leave every so often. Plus, if they had their shore leave long enough, it would be a good enough place to celebrate Frontier Day. The planet that nearly became "The Planet of Galactic Peace."

[Subanax Anju Jindak | Great Hall of Andgarr | Andgarr City | Andgarr Prime]

"Ah, Welcome to the Great Hall of Andgarr, Captain Galloway!" Anax Jindak called out. Subanax Anju stepped forward to greet the Challenger party. The little brother of the Anax was excited to meet these Federation types.

"We're glad to have you and your crew here for a visit," the Anax said. "You're free to explore the planet as you please, on business or on shore leave. I daresay you'll be making some amazing discoveries. After all, our homeworld is a plenty big mystery even to us," he added with a shrug. "The forest floor, on the other hand, is dangerous to proceed to without guides and armed escort. Same with the waters below.

"Now, you should bear in mind we have varieties of Romulans all around," added Jindak. "The embassies and temples are free for visits, but caution is advised, given how some Romulans think of the Federation. But on the other hand, it's a good chance to make friends and explore other cultures."

"As excited as we are," Subanax Anju said, "the Anax can be busy, but fortunately, the Subanaxes are at your service to guide you and help you get to know our planet. I am Aubanax Jindak...call me Anju. I am the brother of the Anax, here. To help guide you with aspects of society and culture the Andgarr, and we also have many aspects of society and culture among the Romulans here. In terms of religiosity, many Romulans hold many aspects of Andgarr sacred. Especially among the different groups that call here home. You'll find many embassies of Romulan groups here. The official embassies can be found all over. Just be cautious around them, especially with the priests of the Cradol around here."

[Neva Cordon]

Neva watched the planet rise into view on the screen, her work at her station forgotten. She was in complete awe of the abject beauty of the terrain unfolded. Memories of Betazed and Earth's various foliage flowed across her mind as she heard someone talk of planting the trees from this planet somewhere else. The trees of Yemen came to mind suddenly like a file was opened and pulled up for her perusal.
"I remember The Dragon's Blood trees of Yemen on Earth seem similar to here," she said to no one in particular. "My parents took me on a trip once and Mother insisted on seeing them. It was quite an eye opening experience. I'd love to tell her about this planet." Neva suddenly realized what she'd just done and blushed hard, turning back to her station to hide it.
When the Captain left with his team and the subsequent directives from both him and Commander Said, Neva found herself vibrating with the same excitement she felt the crew was at the idea of going down for leave.
'Oh what Mother would do to get here! I hope things go right so I can bring her someday!' she thought fervently.

[Ian Galloway]

[Angdarr Prime]

"Is everything in position?"

The hooded figure asked in an icy, menacing tone.

"All is in readiness Archon."

"Then begin the operation. I do not know how the enemy has located us, but we will ensure they do not prosper from finding us."

"It will be as you command Archon."

"It better be or you and your entire family will pay with their lives."

The hooded figure closed the communication and thus did not see his minion shiver in fear.

[Kyan Mackenzie]

Lt. Commander Kyan Mackenzie | Starbase 153
~3 days ago

Kyan stood on his tip toes in a fruitless attempt to see over the throng of people disembarking the Bajoran passenger ship Relaketh. Of course he couldn't, as the passengers pouring through the gangway were all grups. That being the case, Challenger's vertically challenged Tactial Officer climbed up onto a duraplast crate of Tuliberries bound for Phrot's Bar, Gaming House, and Pleasure Emporium here on the station. Once there, he returned to scanning the new arrivals. He was looking for one in particular. Finding him was going to be difficult. Like Kyan, he was short. But that wasn't all they had in common.

As he looked out over the arrivals to the station, the little Onlie wondered, not for the first time, if this was really something for which he was a good choice.

The message had come during the whole dustup with the Klingons and Jyn. He knew who it was immediately when he saw the from line.

[Behavioral Health Department, Leonard McCoy Medical Complex - New York,  Miri's Planet]

It was Doctor "Phil". Dennis Phillips, pHD. to those who cared to observe the niceties. Kyan had figured that the portly old Grup was calling to check in on him and make sure he didn't need more Immersion Therapy, or wanting him to fill out some survey about the last time. But when he began reading the message, he'd learned that the head shrinker had something else in mind. "...I have a patient who I'd like to send to stay with you for a while." he'd said.

Kyan had read it twice to make sure he'd gotten it right. He had. Apparently, a Miran boy named Max had returned to Miri's Planet after the Humans who'd taken him in shuffled off the mortal coil. He was a year younger than Kyan, and unlike him, hadn't gone into a profession after completing all his schooling. In fact he'd only been on Earth for eighty years with the couple that had adopted him. And he'd stayed there the whole time, never even so much as going to Luna or Mars. In the Doctor's opinion, he could do with a role model while he adjusted to being on his own, and Dr. Phil thought that Kyan would be a good choice.

"If only the Fat Admirals could see me now." he'd thought. He accepted the proposal then and there, eager to see someone else from his race again. Of course he'd seen Melly... but she was gone now. And prior to her, he hadn't seen another Onlie since the day he'd left in 2270. But in the week since he'd replied to Dr. Phil's request, he'd often taken to wondering if he ought to be the one giving out advice. After all, his own life following the deaths of his adopted Human parents had been pretty turbulent. He'd had family after the Mackenzies shuffled off, but they were smugglers and other of what the head shrinks called "poor influences", which had led him to a fair amount of trouble. But, as Doctor Phil pointed out, he'd been able to turn things around for himself.

But he didn't know anything about being a "role model". In fact, Kyan couldn't ever remember anyone looking "up" to him, figuratively or literally. He'd had his fair share of role models, for better and worse, but he never thought of himself as one. Then again, he had managed to finally get promoted and was even the XO of Katra and Discovery for a little while. So he was doing something right. And, he'd never had any brothers or sisters, but he did miss living with people his own "age". So that part would be good, assuming that Max was easy to get along with. Kyan dismissed those fears out of hand though. "Of course we'll get along." he thought. "He's an Onlie." At the end of his back and forth on whether or not to go through with it, he decided that he would. And now here he sat, cross legged on tulibery crates, waiting.

The Relaketh's passengers were an eclectic bunch Kyan noticed as he waited and watched. There were Humans, most of whom carried packages and more personal baggage than usual. Of course that owed to the season no doubt. There were Romulan refugees as well, and quite a few of them. Most of these were civilians who were just coming aboard to change ships on the way to one of the Romulan refugee settlements. A family of Benzites arrived in a puff of chloride from their vaporizer appliances, followed --but not closely-- by a Kelpian couple. Behind the was a Choblik and a pair of Bynars, who appeared to be chattering excitedly about the Choblik's cybernetic enhancements as his big black eyes darted nervously around the docking bay.

The flow of passengers soon dried to a trickle. For an instant, Kyan was worried that he had the wrong ship. But that couldn't be the case because this was the only transport ship coming for the next several days. He was thinking about going back to check his message again when a human looking boy who appeared to be a little  younger than him walked out of the airlock into the bay.

The brown haired boy saw Kyan sitting on the crate and made his way around the few small clusters of people still milling about the room, greeting travelers or collecting baggage brought up from the ship's luggage hold and came over.

Kyan hopped down from the crate and greeted them. "Merry Met!" He exclaimed happily. "I'm Kyan. Hope yer trip was fun."

The smaller boy nodded eagerly before he began filling Kyan in excitedly about the various goings on on the ship. "Hi." the boy replied. "I'm Max." He then shifted into story mode. "And it was! There was a Tellarite and a Ferengi and the Tellarite said that the Ferengi had small ears. And then the Ferengi got really mad and threw a gold brick at him! But when he tried to get it back, the Tellarite kept it and said he was going to use it to buy the Ferengi's mom a new dress."

Kyan's eyes widened. "Ohhh. That's a good jib! Cuz on account that the Ferengi probably would nae want his mother even wearing a dress so!"

Max was confused. "œDon't Ferengi girls wear dresses?" he asked.

Kyan shrugged. "œThey can the now if they're after wearin em, but They used to all run around naked, and could nae even leave Ferenginar. They can the now, because of Grand Nagus Zek so then can. But I know loads of Ferengi dinnae like it when Zek made the new rules."œ

It was now Max's turn to be surprised. "œBut that's not fair!" he offered plaintively. "œWhy were there different rules for boys and girls?"

"œWell, tae hear it told by me old mate Dahg, it was because Ferengi women got small ears and aren't good at business." Kyan replied. "œBut I always thought they did it so they could look at naked girls whenever they wanted."

"œGross!" Max replied incredulously. "œWho'd wanna look at naked girls all day!?"

"œWell." Kyan said, "œNot me for sure. And they got that cootie disease too so they do. But I know grups are always after seeing em."

"œI've heard of that!" Max replied. "œThe girls back home say it isn't true though. They said it was boys that have the disease and not girls."

Kyan rolled his eyes. "œAn of course they'd say it. They're the ones with invisible little bugs all over em." He leaned in conspiratorially. "œBut I got it from one of the scientists that it's real, and its girls what got it!"

"œI figured it was a lie anyways. Girls are always trying to trick us." Max replied with a nod.

So far so good. Kyan thought. Max seemed likeable enough. "œYup." He replied absently, and then. "œWell, We better get out of here. If yer after havin some food we can go eat, or we can take your stuff to our quarters on the ship."œ

Max thought about it for a moment. "œWell, can we go somewhere after we drop it off?"

"œAye we can!" Kyan answered. "œI'll take ye round the whole station. It's not too big so, and there's a lot of shops. OH! they even have a toy store so they do. It's run by a Ferengi lady. She's pretty old, but she's nice. I went there before your ship got here."

"œUmm"¦ does she wear clothes?" Max asked hesitantly.

Kyan giggled"¦ until he pictured the shop's owner running around selling toys in the buff. "œAye she does. No worries."

"œCool!" Max chirped. "œDoes she have a good selection?"

Kyan shrugged. "It's not too bad. She dinnae have any of the Starfleet action figures, the which is sad because my 1701 set just needs a Uhura and a Chekov and it's complete!"

Max was impressed. He only had Spock and McCoy, and a Romulan Commander. "œDo you have the bridge set?"

Shaking his head, the older boy replied. "œNae"¦ but I got the Klingons, Kor, Kang, and Koloth."

Max tapped his duffel bag. "œI got the bridge. Wanna go set it up?"

"Do Pakleds hang around junkyards?" Kyan answered.

"Umm... I dunno. Do they?"

It was silent for a moment as the older Onlie remembered that Max probably hadn't met any Pakleds.

"œOh... right." he answered, "Umm.. yeah. Sure and they do hang around junkyards. I'll tell you all about them. C'mon." Kyan made for the door. Max followed, catching up with him and together they set off for the docking bay.

| Lt. Commander Kyan Mackenzie | Bridge, USS Challenger |
~ Present Day

Kyan had been to a lot of planets in his life, more than he could remember off-hand. But Andgarr Prime was definitely a first. He'd seen desert planets, water planets, and everything in between. But a planet covered entirely by trees? That was something else. The tactical readout was nearly forgotten as he marveled at the deep emerald orb on the viewscreen. It was supposedly the same size as Earth, but the giant trees made it seem a lot bigger.

As the CO and XO made their plans, Kyan busied himself scanning the planet and the surrounding area. His ears perked up whenever Galloway mentioned his name.

"Well, you're nae ta like this much Commander, but I will lead the initial away team. You have the bridge Nira." Turning slightly, Ian added. "Mister MacKenzie, Mister Mrekrerhas, and Mister Jyur, you are with me."

Given that this was more of a friendly visit than their previous missions, Kyan worried at first that they'd have to go get their dress uniforms. But apparently that wasn't the case. "Score a few points for the skipper." he thought happily as he logged out and joined the Captain and the rest of the away team in the turbolift.

[Cole Shepard]

[Bridge]

The planet was already a sight to see and Cole took it in as they approached. The usual procedures played out like they typically do. Planet hails ship. Ship responds. Natives invite down. Away team goes. (Cole had secretly wished to be a part of this as he rarely got to leave the ship).

The CO had left the Bridge and Cole was happy to hear him come over the comms and talk to the First Officer about some shore leave. He also got excited when he heard they would be doing an atmospheric docking. Of course, hearing the words "Follow that Bird of Prey" still threw him for an ever so tiny loop.

The Challenger made it's approach and slid into position with no issues, followed by the docking clamps grabbing hold.

Now came the waiting game.

[Jettis Jyur]

[Subanax Anju Jindak | Great Hall of Andgarr | Andgarr City | Andgarr Prime]

"Ah, Welcome to the Great Hall of Andgarr, Captain Galloway!" Anax Jindak called out. Subanax Anju stepped forward to greet the Challenger party. The little brother of the Anax was excited to meet these Federation types.

"We're glad to have you and your crew here for a visit," the Anax said. "You're free to explore the planet as you please, on business or on shore leave. I daresay you'll be making some amazing discoveries. After all, our homeworld is a plenty big mystery even to us," he added with a shrug. "The forest floor, on the other hand, is dangerous to proceed to without guides and armed escort. Same with the waters below.

"Now, you should bear in mind we have varieties of Romulans all around," added Jindak. "The embassies and temples are free for visits, but caution is advised, given how some Romulans think of the Federation. But on the other hand, it's a good chance to make friends and explore other cultures."

"As excited as we are," Subanax Anju said, "the Anax can be busy, but fortunately, the Subanaxes are at your service to guide you and help you get to know our planet. I am Aubanax Jindak...call me Anju. I am the brother of the Anax, here. To help guide you with aspects of society and culture the Andgarr, and we also have many aspects of society and culture among the Romulans here. In terms of religiosity, many Romulans hold many aspects of Andgarr sacred. Especially among the different groups that call here home. You'll find many embassies of Romulan groups here. The official embassies can be found all over. Just be cautious around them, especially with the priests of the Cradol around here."

[ USS Challenger - Bridge --> Andgarr Prime, Planet Surface ]

Jettis observed the exchange between the Anax and the Captain curiously. He had to admit, though he typically did his due diligence when embarking on diplomatic missions, it had slipped by him this time. It wasn't unusual for him to have a file of basic greetings, history, and  general background and cultural information if he anticipated meeting a species he wasn't familiar with. However with the sudden shift in him going back to being a Department head - a development that was wholly unexpected, he'd been so buried in paperwork that had piled up he didn't get past the basics.

He perked up when Ian called his name though, despite his nervousness at being unfamiliar. Quickly logging himself out from the computer, he uttered an 'aye, Captain', and stepped to follow the man.

Like the Captain, he chose to remain unarmed seeing as he was a science officer, and his interest lie primarily with... well, everything about the planet. The impossibility of it all was more than enough to keep him holed up in a lab for days... So the open invitation to study it was welcomed.

When the away team came face to face with the Anax and Subanaxes, Jettis would mimic their greeting, before bowing his head respectfully. He waited for the Captain to speak first, as expected, before cheerfully piping up. "As a science officer myself, I want to thank you wholeheartedly for the opportunity to explore and experience the beauty of your planet. As well as for the gracious reminders and warnings of the dangers. If at any point while we are welcomed here you require my service, I am at your disposal."

[Abas Th'vyrrol]

[Bridge]

Abas wasn't quite sure he'd heard the Commander correctly when her voice came from both the bridge's speakers and Nira herself. Atmospheric landing? Were they mad? The ship simply wasn't designed for that sort of action - it was a spaceship. Could the ship even take that kind of pressure? Generally, spaceships were designed to operate somewhere between zero and one atmosphere of pressure - but this was why Abas wasn't an engineer. Maybe the ship was designed to take it.

Regardless, he braced himself for the turbulence as the ship sailed gracefully through the atmosphere, docking at the platform and stabilizing as the external systems captured and held the ship in place. He shook his head, before returning to his duties at hand. Replacing the medical kit on the wall, he continued his counterclockwise rotation around the bridge, carrying out his duties as assigned. Hopefully, he'd be in and out of there within the next 10 minutes or so, before the crew decided to do something really weird, like submerge the ship or jump into an active volcano. Did anyone think of how ridiculous that would be? To hide a starship on the bottom of the ocean?

[Ian Galloway]

[Subanax Anju Jindak | Great Hall of Andgarr | Andgarr City | Andgarr Prime]

"Ah, Welcome to the Great Hall of Andgarr, Captain Galloway!" Anax Jindak called out. Subanax Anju stepped forward to greet the Challenger party. The little brother of the Anax was excited to meet these Federation types.

"We're glad to have you and your crew here for a visit," the Anax said. "You're free to explore the planet as you please, on business or on shore leave. I daresay you'll be making some amazing discoveries. After all, our homeworld is a plenty big mystery even to us," he added with a shrug. "The forest floor, on the other hand, is dangerous to proceed to without guides and armed escort. Same with the waters below.

"Now, you should bear in mind we have varieties of Romulans all around," added Jindak. "The embassies and temples are free for visits, but caution is advised, given how some Romulans think of the Federation. But on the other hand, it's a good chance to make friends and explore other cultures."

"As excited as we are," Subanax Anju said, "the Anax can be busy, but fortunately, the Subanaxes are at your service to guide you and help you get to know our planet. I am Aubanax Jindak...call me Anju. I am the brother of the Anax, here. To help guide you with aspects of society and culture the Andgarr, and we also have many aspects of society and culture among the Romulans here. In terms of religiosity, many Romulans hold many aspects of Andgarr sacred. Especially among the different groups that call here home. You'll find many embassies of Romulan groups here. The official embassies can be found all over. Just be cautious around them, especially with the priests of the Cradol around here."

[ USS Challenger - Bridge --> Andgarr Prime, Planet Surface ]

Jettis observed the exchange between the Anax and the Captain curiously. He had to admit, though he typically did his due diligence when embarking on diplomatic missions, it had slipped by him this time. It wasn't unusual for him to have a file of basic greetings, history, and  general background and cultural information if he anticipated meeting a species he wasn't familiar with. However with the sudden shift in him going back to being a Department head - a development that was wholly unexpected, he'd been so buried in paperwork that had piled up he didn't get past the basics.

He perked up when Ian called his name though, despite his nervousness at being unfamiliar. Quickly logging himself out from the computer, he uttered an 'aye, Captain', and stepped to follow the man.

Like the Captain, he chose to remain unarmed seeing as he was a science officer, and his interest lie primarily with... well, everything about the planet. The impossibility of it all was more than enough to keep him holed up in a lab for days... So the open invitation to study it was welcomed.

When the away team came face to face with the Anax and Subanaxes, Jettis would mimic their greeting, before bowing his head respectfully. He waited for the Captain to speak first, as expected, before cheerfully piping up. "As a science officer myself, I want to thank you wholeheartedly for the opportunity to explore and experience the beauty of your planet. As well as for the gracious reminders and warnings of the dangers. If at any point while we are welcomed here you require my service, I am at your disposal."

[Great Hall - Angdarr Prime]

Ian repeated the gesture of greeting to Anju and smiled broadly at the host.

"I greet you Subanax. As my science officer Lieutenant Jyur has already mentioned, we are thrilled ta explore your unique world. With your permission, I would have my crew visit for shore leave. My science department is hummin' with excitement to catalog the flora and fauna of Angdarr. We will, of course, follow any restrictions you impose and not travel without a guide.

"I am personally lookin' forward ta witnessin' the glider races that was in the briefin' package."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Angdarr Prime]

As the Subanax met with the enemy, unseen eyes watched intently. All was in readiness, authorization had been given, the vengeance would strike in less than hour.