"Killbox, Part I"
By Lieutenant Mike Pailaka

****Deck 11****

The rebellion had begun, but for the twenty remaining officers, crewmen and civilians in what the Hirogen referred to as "execution pool alpha", it might as well have been taking place in another quadrant.

They huddled against the far wall of the environmental control lab in twos and threes, their eyes glazed over from shock and sleep deprivation. A few of them talked amongst themselves in whispers, or muttered prayers to whatever gods they worshiped. But the majority sat slumped on the floor in stony silence. There was not much more to say. The growing pile of corpses on the opposite side of the room, now numbering over forty, spoke volumes. They were not prisoners of war, for no war had been declared. They were not hostages, no ransom was demanded. They were denied even the dignity of being designated prey. They were merely pieces of meat for the butcher's block, used to set examples or slaughtered on a moment of whim.

At first they had been killed in groups of three, the executions occurring each time one of the Hirogen was injured or killed somewhere on the ship. It had been sporadic and gave the living hope that the situation would somehow be resolved. The Hirogen had even asked for volunteers at first, allowing a chosen few to gain the nobility of sacrifice, a small gesture of heroism in an intolerable situation.

But rather then stabilize, the number of executions continued to grow. Two of the Hirogen quartet in the murder detail would train their weapons on the crowd while the other two would pull out the victims at random. Some would plead for their lives, others would struggle and kick, others simply walked quietly to their fate. The methods of execution varied, seemingly at the whimsy of the executioners. The lucky ones received a plasma bolt to the back of the head. Others had their throats slashed or necks snapped. A few unfortunates, those that had somehow raised the ire of their captors, were disemboweled and tossed alive on the stinking pile of corpses, left to thrash about until their blood reserves ran dry.

The living bore witness to it all. Each death burned into their minds, each cry for mercy or scream of agony a permanent fixture in their psyche. Many began to welcome the time when it would be their turn, if only to end the need to see more of the horror. A short lived escape attempt, an hour earlier, had ended with a dozen of their number slain. No more attempts had been made since.

And then things had changed. And official call for rebellion had gone out through the Galaxy's many decks. The huddled victims heard the defiant call, but had no more fight left in them. The Hirogen on the other hand, decided to speed things up. On orders of the Alpha, one hostage a minute until the rebellion was crushed.

"You!" One of the brutish hunters barked, reaching down and grabbing Petty Officer Trumbull by the collar and hauling him to his feet. Trumbull had time enough to slide over the data padd he had been guarding to the officer on his right, before being dragged to the center of the room. The hunter pulled back his head, exposing his throat and slashed it brutally, sending forth a shower of blood to add to the red, green and blue mosaic already on the deck plates. Still twitching, eyes wide, Trumbull was tossed in the pile.

Ensign MacDuffy, hands shaking, looked down at the data padd. He was now the keeper of the list. He turned his back on his captors and began to type.

Entry #64

Petty Officer Richard Trumbull

Time of death 1631 hours

MacDuffy had no idea who started the list and had only become aware of it when Lieutenant Verik handed it off to Trumbull, who had been sitting next to him. He was at least the third author and would likely not be the last. He looked over to his right, where CPO Zuk sat hunched in a ball, his legs pulled tightly to his chest, his eyes staring ahead. "You get this next when they take me." He whispered.

Zuk didn't bother to look over. "Unless they take me first." He replied softly.

"No, it's going to be me, I can feel it." MacDuffy said. "After all we went through, with the Cadassians and then the Borg. We're finally going die here with these animals."

"Don't worry, odds are you're not going to be next." Zuk said.

"No, it's my time, I can feel it."

"Two strips of latinum say I go first." Zuk said, finally glancing over at his friend.

"You're insane!" MacDuffy whispered harshly. "If you win you will not even be alive to collect!"

"And if I lose you will not be able to pay me." Zuk said, flashing his pointed teeth. "Where I come from, that is what we call a safe bet!"

In the end, it was neither of them. The hunters pulled Specialist Cathy Foley out of the crowd next. She screeched and squirmed so much that they were unable to give her a clean death. Two of them held her down while a third stomped her to death with his steel shod boots. Her skull made a sickening sound as it finally caved in.

MacDuffy had seen too much already to have a reaction to one more act of lethal brutality. He could not hate the enemy more, or feel more hopeless than he already did. But as he sat, adding Foley's name and time of death to the list, a new sensation began to creep into his consciousness, a very unexpected one.

"What the bloody!" He said, squirming and shifting his weight.

Zuk looked over at him. "What?"

"The floor is getting hot! It feels like it's burning a hole in my."

"Your pants are smoking!" Zuk said, trying to hide his surprise. Scoot forward!"

MacDuffy slid forward, and looked back over his shoulder, eyes widening at what he saw. A molten line was appearing in the floor, a circle halfway drawn in the bulkhead as somewhere below a phase cutter quietly went about its business.

"Move right about a foot!" Zuk said. "Shield it with your body. Don't let them see!"

MacDuffy did as he was told. Approximately a minute later, Ensign Brileth became execution number sixty six. Over the sounds of the Ensign choking on his blood, MacDuffy heard the scrape of a one foot sized chunk of deck plate being pulled away. He chanced another quick glance over his shoulder, just in time to see a large hand shove a cloth wrapped bundle through the hole. "See what it is!" MacDuffy urged his friend.

Zuk eased himself behind MacDuffy and quickly unwrapped the bundle. He repressed a hiss of delight at what he found. Two type one hand phasers and a hastily written note. He kept one of the phasers for himself and handed the other one off to MacDuffy with his natural born deftness, escaping the notice of the guards. He carefully unfolded the note and read it before handing it off to MacDuffy.

MacDuffy, shielding the note with his legs, quickly read. It was only two words. "Be ready." It was enough. He slipped the palm sized phaser up his sleeve and waited.

The wife of Ensign Krohn was murdered thirty seconds later, execution number sixty seven. She did not resist, welcoming the chance at last to join her husband, execution number twenty three.

MacDuffy and Zuk stared at the Hirogen as they went about their deadly work. Their eyes were as dead as everyone else's but inside, the hatred that consumed them both was burning white hot.

They were ready.

And they did not have long to wait.

**** ****

To be continued.

"Unlikely assistance"

Lt Cmdr Mike O'Grady
Chief counselor

and of course

Jay and Silent Bob

So far he had fired 15 of the 20 bolts he had replicated and it was time to get more.

Duckign in to an empty quarters he used the personal replicator there to bring up more bolts.

The Hirogen weren't stupid though, The second one of the bridge monitors noticed the replication of bolts for a crossbow, they sent a guard to kill the human who had killed 3 of their pups with this archaic weapon.

One human was no match for a Hirogen.

Mike slipped two cases of bolts in to his pocket and began to move back to his cubby holes when a heavy arm struck him across the back knocking the wind out of him.

His bow scattered and he struck the deck hard. Breathing in he looked up in to the eyes of death...

"You are worthy prey, you will make a fine trophy, I will be honored by my pack for your death." With a singing noise a large blade was withdrawn. And the Hirogen approached.

Mike's life flashed before his eyes when suddently a sickening thunk came behind the creature and it dropped to it's knees then fell foreward with a large dent in it's cranium.

Standing behind it were two people one wearing a black trench coat over a starfleet uniform, a ball cap and his partner wore most of a starfleet uniform a flannel shirt and a ball cap. He was holding a large steel pipe and brandished it triumphantly.

"Oh son of Jor-El kneel before Zod!"

Mike looked up with surprise, "wh-who are you two I thought I was dead."

"Not a chance my man, my name is Jay and this is my associate, and hetero life mate Silent Bob."

With a nod Silent Bob helped him up and handed him the crossbow.

"Thanks for the assist guys, I owe you one."

"Naah bro... it's on us." Then the loud footsteps of Hirogen guards was heard, "and that's our clue to exit." As the two of them ran off Mike thought he heard the words snooch to the nooch...

Ducking in to an empty holodeck he needed to think and plan, you can't snipe all the Hirogen on the ship, someone wouldn't always be there to save his ass.

"Killbox, Part II"
By Lieutenant Mike Pailaka

****Deck 11, Execution Room****

Ensign MacDuffy knew instantly that he was dead, or more accurately, that he was next in line, which in the charnel house that was once a residential lounge, now a depository for corpses, was almost a blessing. He had broken the cardinal rule, he had made eye contact with one of the hunters, a good way to make the Hirogen's selection from the remaining crew not as random as it might have been.

Of course, it was only delaying the inevitable. Since the rebellion had been declared, the Hirogen were executing one of them per minute, turning the floor slick with blood and filling the room with an unholy stench. Behind him in the floor, a small hole and been cut by sources unknown. Two phasers had been passed through, one held by himself and the other by Zuk. He was waiting for a signal, any signal, to attack. But three minutes had passed, three more deaths had been recorded and there were only sixteen remaining. He would have had sixteen minutes remaining at best, now he had less than one.

The Hirogen seemed to be moving in slow motion as he made his way across the floor towards him, eyes locked on him. He palmed the small phaser. What was the right distance to fire? Too far and he might miss. Too close and the Hirogen would be on him. He had to at least try. They were all dead anyway. What did it have to be him? Two feet to the left or right and some other officer would have gotten the phasers, someone better trained, someone with less fear.

Then there was a sound like metal tearing and the Hirogen's lower torso vanished through the floor as the deck plate below him gave way. He looked around, confused but unhurt, set down his rifle and began to boost himself out, placing a hand on either side of the hole. His three compatriots watched him, baffled, uncertain if they should help him or not. In all, little more than a second had elapsed.

It was just beginning to occur to both the Hirogen and to MacDuffy that something far more dangerous was afoot when the trapped Hirogen let out a shout of surprise and was dragged the rest of the way through the hole. His three fellow hunters reacted quickly, weapons at the ready, surrounding the hole. They heard muffled shouts and screams but saw nothing.

"Ymrick!" One of them shouted. "Ymrick, report!" Rivulets of blood began to flow over the side of the gap, spattering the access space below. There was nothing more to see. "Contact the bridge! The Hirogen ordered his pack mate. Tell them that."

His sentence was cut off as he was hit in the torso by a thin scarlet beam of phased energy. MacDuffy had fired from a sitting position, not wanting to grab their attention by standing. He held the small weapon in both hands, trying to aim for the center of mass on the target to avoid a miss. Amazingly, the warrior did not die on the spot, his armor holding out long enough for him to turn and charge at the terrified Ensign. Then the sustained beam melted through and the super heated Hirogen's innards exploded out his back, his mouth parting in surprise and shock.

Zuk was not far behind his friend, taking aim with his own phaser. His first attempt was too low, scarring the floor and sending up a shower of sparks. He swept the beam up as his target turned to shoot him. He painted a line up the Hirogen's leg and crotch, blackening his armor but doing no damage until the beam lanced across his exposed face, which seemed to melt away from the heat.

The lat remaining Hirogen was suffered a moment of indecision. Start executing the remaining cattle or alert the bridge to the assault? His training and common sense overcame his instincts and his hand reached for his communicator.

The hand never reached its destination. Something large and fast caught him from behind. He felt himself being lifted into the air, not something the seven foot tall four hundred pounds of muscle and armor was expecting. His head twisted and he stared down into the face of a nightmare. A large snarling human, bare chested and covered with ritual markings, had appeared like a wraith from the hole. He tried desperately to reverse the hold but he had no leverage.

MacDuffy watched in awe as the large officer, covered in war paint and blood, hoisted the last remaining Hirogen like he was a sack of potatoes and tossed him towards the sixteen remaining prisoners.

"A gift." Mikala Pailaka stated.

The Hirogen attempted to get to his feet, but he was set upon by sixteen souls, punching and kicking and clawing, each of them fueled by a hatred and fury so great that it easily made up for their lack of size or weapons.

Mike, exhausted, knelt down to catch his breath and watched the prisoners finish off their captor. He felt a shudder run through him as his eyes found the pile of corpses. "So many." He murmured. "So many." If only he could have been faster, struck earlier. But to have charged straight into the lounge area would have been certain death, both for himself and the remaining officers and crew. So he had improvised, attacking from below, using a tricorder to track the enemy and using a phase cutter to weaken the deck plates.

He did a quick head count and as the throng of prisoners stepped back from the battered Hirogen corpse, some of them refusing to stop without one last well placed kick. Sixteen saved. Sixteen more warm bodies for the rebellion. His every joint and muscle still aching from his earlier beatings, Mike forced himself to stand and shake out his legs and arms, lest he stiffen up.

He pulled out the data padd stuck in his belt and typed a quick message. [Surfer to Viking. Execution room liberated. 16 recovered. Will send to rally point]

"What are your orders, sir?" MacDuffy asked, stepping forward with phaser in hand.

"Gather what weapons you can from these four. Rifles, pistols, knives, everything they've got. Stick to the access tunnels and head to the rally point. Here." He handed over the data padd. "Use this to navigate. Gather any stragglers you find."

"What about you, sir?"

Mike closed his eyes and exhaled, shoulders slumping for a moment. He shook it off and stood tall once again, regaining his focus. "I've got more Hirogen to kill."

A young woman, dressed in Starfleet blue, stepped forward. "You're in no condition for more combat, sir."

"That is something to worry about later." Mike said, looking at the crowd. "No matter what you did on this ship, no matter how you feel right now, you are either a combat soldier or you are a corpse. Is that clear?" If you can still walk, you can fight. We need everyone."

Sixteen heads nodded as one.

"Now, is there anyone here from engineering?" Mike asked.

"Ensign Robinson, Environmental Systems Support." A young man stated, stepping forward. "Will that do? I don't know anything about warp cores or tactical systems but."

"You're just what I'm looking for, Ensign." Mike replied, forcing a smile. "Come with me, the rest of you, get those weapons and get moving!"

Mike watched as one by one, fifteen survivors made their way down his make shift access tunnel and into the crawl spaces.

"What are we going to do now?" Robinson asked.

"You're going to help me make a kill box." Mike stated. "And then we're going to fill it with Hirogen."

**** ****

To be continued...

'Alone Again' Part Three
By Ensign Edward Thomas Derecktor

He tried to contact the bridge again but nothing happened. Maybe he was one of the few who were still alive on this ship and had the Hirogen now full control over it. He considered to beam down to the planet but that the shields were up. His tricoder readings didn't make him happy, some Hirogen hunters were closing on his position. He had to do it alone again. He looked at the tampered phaser and got a idea. He changed the coordinates for sickbay to the corridor next to the transporter room 4. He put the height of the transport on 1.5 meters and hoped it would lead to something very nasty.

He called Mathew and pointed him, that he and his brother had take shelter behind the transporter console. He gave Joshua a pet on the back. "I am right back." He saw Joshua had heard the Hirogen too. He saw some panic in his eyes.

"Matthew hold your brother tied. We are not going yet." "You are going to kill some lizards more. I wanna help you." Matthew said and pointed at the Hirogen rifle that lay behind the console. "No, Matthew. Help your bro now. Let me do my job." He walked to one of the transporter pad's with the tampered phaser and waited.

The Hirogen tried to enter transporter room 4 but the doors stayed closed. A Beta looked at the doors and listened. He heard the humans breathing but nothing was happening inside. He looked at his pups and they were a bit tense. This Human had killed three of them already and he suspected it was the same human who had surprised them at deck 4 shuttlebay, he had the same terrible smell and was wounded. And a wounded prey could be very dangerous and this prey was a real challenge. Blasting through these dooors would be the only option. The human must expecting this, so some of his cubs will die but he had no choice. If he wanted to stay Beta he had to. He was just ready to give the order when one of the cubs screamed and grabbed his belly. The Beta saw on blue light at the belly of the cub and saw the grip of federation phaser II materializing and sticking out of his armour. He heard a whining sound and grabbed two of his other pups and pulled them on the floor. He himself dropped on the floor too and a explosion followed. Parts of the unlucky pup splattered all over the corridor and his mate standing next to him was ripped apart in two large chunks. He looked at the doors from the transporter room and one of them was gone, now the human had made a mistake. He pulled his two pups up and ordered them to kill the human once and for all.

Edward was no sure they were close enough. He put the phaser on overload and ran back to the transporter panel and activated the transporter beam. He duck behind the console and waited. After several seconds a explosion ripped the left door from the transport room open. Edward hadn't expected this force from a phaser II on overload. Now he was in big trouble, he grabbed his other phaser and pointed it at the open door. He hastily entered the coordinates of the sickbay and saw a Hirogen entering the transporter room.

Edward ran away from the console to get a better field of fire and fired his phaser. He hit the Hirogen in his chest burning away a large hole. The Hirogen behind grabbed his dieing mate and used him now as a shield and fired at Edward. The beam from the rifle hit Edward on his left , already wounded, shoulder. Edward was knocked over, he didn't feel any pain but his vision started to fail. Edward fired once more and held down the trigger.

The beam hit the dead Hirogen who was held by his mate again, but the body didn't gave any protection. Two Hirogen bodies hit the ground in front of Edward knocking Edward of his feet. Edward saw a shadow walking to him. He tried to fire at it but phaser was kicked out of his hands. He saw a big Hirogen face close to his. He could smell his breath. That guy should brush his teeth more often.

The Beta hold Edward by his throat. "You were a worthy prey. Your head would be a nice trophy." The Beta pulled his hunting knife and put it on Edwards neck.

Edward waited for the blade entering his flesh. He was ready to die. But he failed his job, the crew, his captain, and the two boys but it didn't matter anymore. Edward felt the knife pushing against his skin but the Beta wasn't moving. Edward heard a blast from a Hirogen rifle, shortly followed by another one. The knife was pulled away and the Hirogen face vanished from his vision. Then he saw a 12 year old boy wearing a Hirogen rifle. Matthew had saved his life. "Eddie, we must go. Let me help you." Matthew kneeled down and helped Edward standing up. "Eddie, please beam us to somewhere safe?" Edward was losing his consciousness. With some help he reached the transporter console and activated the transport with a time delay. He pulled Joshua up with his last strength. Luckily the boy grabbed him by his neck and didn't let lose anymore else he would have surely dropped him. He stepped on to the transporter pad with Matthew and in a blink of a eye he saw the familiar surroundings of the sickbay. It was deserted.

"Computer, activated EMH."

In front of him the hologram of the EMH was forming. "Please, state the nature of the medical emergency?"

Edward was save for now. He collapsed and Joshua still didn't let loose. He heard Matthew calling to help his friend and bro and then all the lights went out. He wasn't alone anymore.

"The one where she sneaks out"
by Kit Jordan, reporter

**

They were snoring softly when Jordan tentatively opened one eye and stared around the darkness as much as possible. She listened carefully, barely daring to breathe before she opened her other eye and carefully began to move over, onto her stomach, her arms holding her in push-up style as she silently looked around. Everyone else was dead asleep. Thank God. It was about time.

She moved her feet under her with the ease of a gymnast and then tip toes delicately around them. Between Newts, Andy, Samantha, and the other one whose name she could not even begin to remember, it was quite the feat. They were all drunkenly sleeping off whatever it was they had drunk, their limbs angled together and their heads cocked in strange fashions against one another. It was interesting, really, looking at the sight. And some people argues prejudice was far from dead... They needed to take a look at the sight.

Jordan leaned against a sturdy branch that served almost like a railing for the level of the Newt Kingdom they were on, and she rolled up her sleeve, staring at the large-faced watch as it was revealed. She unclasped it from her wrist and turned it over, using her finger nail to lift the back carefully, the small digitally-based camera being exposed as she did so: the lens lifting up, the body extending slightly. When all was said and done it was about an inch tall and two inches long, tiny microchips inside to capture and hold the images.

She moved carefully, trying to use the moonlight through the trees and snapped three or four pictures before she moved down and onto the forest floor. She was sure Andy thought she was a drunk, but honestly, she couldn't bring herself to care too much. She had to deceive him somehow, it was no fun otherwise.

Besides, she had to get some pictures and she couldn't have him following her around.

Have to see some Hirogen.

She followed the brook carefully, walking along the edge, every hundred yards or so she would put a few rocks to make an arrow pointing the way from which she came, to make sure she didn't get turned around and lost (that would be bad). And also to ensure that, if worse came to worse, Andy and Mr. Blippy would be able to find her. That is, of course, assuming he would be intelligent enough to put two and two together and not get three, or even worse, five. Honestly, Jordan was too intent on the capture of her images and of her story to really care whether or not it was realistic enough to expect that of him.

It's been fun, she thought as she clicked a picture or two of two mutilated bodies tosses haphazardly together (she'd reported war before and it didn't bother her as much as it probably should). She was able to give people what they wanted to hear. Andy wanted to have some reason to think of her in a certain way, so the Newts and their pressing of the human culture allowed her that as she recalled her history and her reading. And while there were some times when she wished there was less distinction between the sexes, she realized that things were a lot better and honestly, probably as far as they would come in her lifetime. The 24th century was an advanced culture, she was sure most would admit that.

In the back pocket of her jeans was a tiny post-it size notebook and a little stub of a pencil which read on the side: Batex Golf Range. She'd probably stolen it from her father some time back. He liked to keep score the old fashioned way, said it kept golf the way it should be: no technology involved. Hell, he even used wooden clubs and walked the entire course, the lunatic.

She held the camera watch by the strap in her mouth as she bent back the cover of the booklet and scribbled the feel of the area, the smell, the sounds, everything-- it was already half full, she'd been scribbling whenever Andy left, she didn't want him to give her grief because she'd kept it from him (he'd probably say the paper would have made a great fire starter or something ridiculous like that).

There was a sound in the distance, like a sort of primal roar. Her forehead creased as she listened, adrenalin spiking in her blood, though she did her best to ignore that.

She slipped the pad and pencil back into her rear pocket and took the camera watch from her mouth, holding it firmly in one hand. She moved across the slippery rocks of the river and made her arrow before she continued on the way, thanking What Have You for her foresight that had her put on her tennis shoes. The traction was a good thing to have, she decided.

The roaring, and that was the only thing she could think of to describe it, though it didn't quite fit. It was too eery to really be called roaring. She remembered reading about the American Civil War in the 1860s, about the Rebel Yell that would bring goose bumps to anyone who heard it. As she got closer to the cause of the sound, she supposed that was what the Yell would have sounded like, or pretty close. It was a bone chilling sound, a combination of pain and anger mixed with fear and the dull rush of the wind brushing through the tree tops.

She was on top of it now, she could hear the rustling of the struggle, and crept slowly to the bushes, peering through them. She watched in horrific fascination as the Vulcan and the Hirogen went at it in brutal hand to hand combat, each armed with long knifes. The Hirogen was definitely worse for wear. In the vicinity were four Starfleet bodies and that of three Hirogen. The ground was torn, the foliage around was trampled, the fight had likely been going on for a while. She took the photographs silently as they brutally attacked one another. Suddenly, the Vulcan swore an ancient oath and charge valiantly, plunging his knife deep through a seam in the Hirogen's armor. The creature cried out in a sound the Jordan would remember for the rest of her life as he crumbled and fell onto the earth, motionless.

The Vulcan stood there, breathing heavily, his uniform torn, his face drawn, almost devastated. He moved toward the bodies of his fallen comrades and knelt beside them, closing his eyes, beginning to softly chant a Vulcan prayer under his breath. She snapped a picture, not even thinking about ethical codes or of making her presence known. She was a reporter, not a savior, she was an impartial vessel for truth, consequence, and in reality, what people were looking to hear. Pictures like this would sell magazines, would win awards, and that was what was echoing in her consciousness. She would worry about her conscience later, when she had time, when she wasn't in The Mode.

There were voices in English, shouts, cries. The Vulcan stood, turned, and a group of four Starfleet officers Jordan had never seen before came through the foliage. One of the women cried out toward him, he turned, and she ran up to him, embraced him, sobbing uncontrollably while one of the men collapsed beside the bodies of the other officers. The Vulcan said something Jordan couldn't make out as he smoothed his hand carefully over the hair of the petite Bajoran woman in his arms.

These were great pictures, she thought, before moving and taking out the notebook, taking notes on what she just observed. It would make a great story too. Maybe they would even live through it and she could get quotes... Wait, that sounded horrible. She mentally chided herself before she replaced everything and glanced upward. It was getting light out, she should probably be getting back... Damn it.

"To The Victors Go the Spoils"

Lt. j/g Alia Drakely
Security

Lt. j/g Brian Elessidil
Counselor

Lt. Cmdr. Maxwell-Navarre Shinta
Asst. Chief Counselor

Shinta crawled forward. She was very much focused on her job now. So far it went OK. The tubes were quite, the big animals could move around here, and they obviously hadn't scanned them thoroughly yet.

Finally they came to engineering. Shinta lay flat on her stomach, and very carefully looked down. There were about four Hirogen there, all of them armed. This was going to be difficult.

Her jaw clenched, Alia motioned them back again so she could whisper to them safely. "Brian, you should stay up here...only fire if absolutely necessary otherwise it will give your position away. I'll go for the two on the left side, and Shinta the two on the right?" She asked, seeing if it were agreeable.

After his discussion with Shinta, Brian's first reaction was more anger. He hated feeling like he was being treated like a child with two over-protective mothers.

But quickly he decided that if he remained on the upper Engineering deck, he would have a bird's-eye view of any fighting and be able to lend assistance from above to either of them.

"Alright, I'll lend cover from up here," he said with a tone that was both determined and begrudgingly obedient.

Alia carefully took the dagger from her boot and she gave Shinta a meaningful look. Shinta understood and she retrieved one of her blades also, holding it ready. They moved forward again, and both women remained still until Alia moved her mouth as if counting down from three. After one, Alia snapped her wrist forward sharply, sending the dagger across the few meters to lodge in an exposed area at the side of the neck of the Hirogen closest to her. Alia didn't have time to see whether or not Shinta's had hit home or not on one of her HIrogen before pushing herself forward to duck behind cover from the returning fire she had expected from her other target.

Taking her phaser, she exchanged shots for a few moments, each trying to be the quicker marksman. 'This is ridiculous' Alia thought to herself as she reailised neither was going to succeed any time soon. She took a deep breath and got herself up to a low crouch, bolting at the surprised Hirogen.

Knocking him down with her, it didn't take long for him to overpower Alia, kneeling over her ready to strike, but it had knocked the weapon away from him which is what she had wanted.

Before she had time to think of a way to get out of this prediciment now she realised that perhaps it hadn't been quite as good an idea as she had at first thought, A shot rang through the air, distracting the HIrogen over her to look up and move to get his dropped weapon.

"Damn!" Brian cursed to himself. His attempt to pick off the Hirogen that was fighting Alia was thwarted as the target unknowingly moved only a few

inches from what would have been its death.

"Come one you stupid rifle," the makeshift sharpshooter muttered in frustration, as the old phaser rifle began its ten-second recharge cycle.

'Thank you, Lord...' Alia sent the thought briefly upward before using both feet to kick at the Hirogen's chest, sending him off balance enough for her to turn to one side, bringing herself up so she ended up kneeling on one knee as her hand drew her sword and immediately brought it up to block against the hand that was coming at her holding a knife, pushed the arm to the side away from her, and then brought it back up, as she stood, to rip through his throat...and all in the space of a brief moment.

Alia allowed herself a second to watch the Hirogen fall down as she got her breath back. This is what she could do, it was what she had been trained to do from the age of five...her skill with a sword was so practiced that fighting with one was now as easy and natural as breathing. Readying herself to strike with her sword again if need be, she turned to see how Shinta and Brian were doing with the two Hirogen remaining.

As Alia stalked below, darting from cover to cover, carefully trying to seek out the fourth Hirogen, Brian watched from above, rifle in hand. His whole body was a tense tangle of nerve and muscle, focused on covering Alia. As the seconds seemed to become hours, Brian wondered why the creature hadn't yet made its move.

He was also very uncomfortable, having moved into a squatted-down position and balancing his weight on the balls of his feet longer than he anticipated. 'Come on you scaley bastard. Where the hell are you?' he thought impatiently. He knew he would only get one shot with this old rifle and he feared missing again when Alia most needed him.

As predicted, the mighty hunter was indeed approaching, its prey in sight. Slowly, stealthily he moved closer, keeping hidden from the officer who sought him until the moment when he would savagely level the death blow.

Finally, he was within striking distance, his lust for the kill at its peak. Slowly raising his long knife, he thought to himself, 'Weak, foolish prey -- now you are mine!"

Brian was little more than a blurred flash as he swung up and around on his feet to face the creature that had surprisedly advanced upon him from behind; the end of his rifle froze millimeters from the Hirogen's head, firing at point blank range. Wailing loudly, the hunter dropped the knife and staggered backwards, wildly clutching at the incinerated hole that was its face. Not losing a millisecond, in one fluid motion Brian dropped the discharged rifle and snatched up the Hirogen's knife. Hurling himself at the blindly-flailing creature and tackling it to the ground, with both hands he plunged the knife into its throat, ripping the blade around to the right with all his strength, half-severing the creature's scorched head. Hirogen blood streamed from its body as it convulsed in a few final spasms and died.

Gazing upon the results of his savage attack, Brian shakily stood up from the lifeless corpse, catching his breath. "Never...try to sneak up...on a Betazoid...you son of a bitch!"

--------

At the same time Alia moved, Shinta threw her dagger. She used all her strength, these animals had a scaly skin, and it would be hard for a dagger to penetrate. That is why she had aimed for the eye. And she gave a little grunt of satisfaction when her knife went clean in. The Hirogen dropped to the ground.

Good, so far everything went according to plan. Maybe this would be easy. From a corner of her eye, she saw that Alia had been successful as well with her first victim, but she didn't have any more time to check on her friends. Because at that moment the other Hirogen attacked her from behind.

Adrenaline surged through her body, as she started hand to hand combat. The Hirogen was bigger and stronger and she was, but as a child she had learned to fight adults. She knew and used skills that could take out somebody tougher than she. Shinta was focused intensely on her fight, staying alive, it was difficult to get at her phaser, but slowly she was gaining the upper hand. And finally was able to snap his neck.

For a second she sat next in the corpse, panting. This should be the last one. Therefore she was taken by surprise when she was grabbed from behind, and felt a sharp pain. There were more, went through her mind. They could have come in when they heard the noise, or she missed some of them. Strangely that thought of embaresment was more important to her now than the pain. She tried to fight, and landed a couple of blows. But there Hirogen hit her more. She felt a couple of bones snap under his blows. And another sharp pain in her abdomen.

Then things began to be hazy before her eyes.

"Help" she cried out weakly, not even knowing if Alia and Brian were OK, or able to help. Shinta knew she didn't want to die here, not knowing if her friends were all right, if Bruce and the children were all right. She just couldn't die here. She had to hold on.

Alia didn't even think as she moved forward on automatic pilot, taking the long route round to retrieve her dagger that she ahd used earlier, immediately snapping it forward so it lodged in the Hirogens hand. He dropped Shinta on the floor, but Alia's eyes were fixed on him. She walked forward, smiling slightly as she lifted her sword to her forehead in the symbol of asking for strength before battle and then swung it round at him.

He was a lot stonger than her, stronger than anyone she had fought before, but she was quicker. She almost enjoyed it as she moved and spun around him, her sword moving quickly and firmly yet true. The words of Jonathan came back to her 'you don't fight with a sword, Lia, you dance.' And it was as good a description as any.

Her sword caught his hand and he dropped one of his blades. She took the opportunity of disorientation to knock into him, he barely moved back, but it was enough for him to have to concentrate on his balance for her to get through his guard, the sword lodged into his face and she used her foot to kick him off of it. She watched him sink down as she wiped her House sword on the leg of her uniform, her face completely impartial.

"Alia" Shinta whispered, pain over coming her. "Are you and Brian OK. Did we take engineering?"

Just as Shinta was asking the question, Brian had climbed down the access ladder from the upper deck and was racing to where Alia stood. Then he saw the body of a -fifth- Hirogen.

"What hap- . . .Shinta!" he exclaimed with alarm, seeing her lying on the floor, her uniform stained in her own blood.

"Brian." She smiled, glad to see him. But at the same time felt strangely emotional. "Don't be angry at me any more."

She was shivering now with pain. "My children, Alia, if I don't make it, will you help Bruce with the children? They love you And I trust you with their lives."

Alia dropped onto one knee with one hand still firmly gripping her sword, the other taking up Shinta's. This was her worst nightmare...and she was living it all over again. But she put a warm smile on her feaures. "Shinta, there's not going to be any reason for you to worry, you'll be back with them soon. But you have my word Shinta...I'll look out for them." Hopefully better than I've looked out for you, Alia added to herself.

That calmed her down, and she nodded to her friend gratefully.

"Tell James how sorry I am. It is so cold in here." Then she closed her eyes for a moment, she needed rest.

Brian turned to Alia, "Alia, do what you can to slow her blood loss. It's time we tried to get in touch with someone else onboard and let them know what's happened here."

"Love, Valor,... and Reticence"

Lt. j/g Brian Elessidil
Counselor

Lt. Cmdr. Maxwell-Navarre Shinta
Asst. Chief Counselor

[OOC: Takes place immediately between "Watcher" and "To The Victors Go the Spoils"]

Concerned that she had heard some 'suspicious' sounds, Alia insisted on scouting ahead to make sure there where no surprises. Stealth was best accomplished by one, so she had insisted on going alone. "Wait here 'til I come back," she had said, "and if I haven't returned in twenty minutes, assume I've been killed or captured and get to Engineering without me."

Although her words weren't actually comforting, there was no arguing with her logic.

Shinta sat down next to Brian, glad that they finally had a moment to themselves. She still couldn't believe that he was alive, and only now allowed herself to feel happy about it. She looked at him and smiled. "You know, I am really glad to have you back. It felt pretty lonely when I thought that you were dead. You have come to mean a great deal to me, in a very short period of time. How have you been doing?"

Brian looked at her and managed a slight smile; it was the first 'casual' conversation he'd had with anyone since he was on the Michigan with Heather.

"Well, I'm alive. I'd say under the circumstances that's doing pretty damn well." He leaned his head back against the wall. "I still can't quite believe what's happening -- and the telepathic silence from most of the crew being down on that planet . . ." he sighed lightly and shook his head, "it's all pretty unsettling."

She had wanted to talk about her own problems, but seeing the pain in his eyes changed everything.

"Is that difficult for you? I never knew that you could sense so many people, I thought you had to be close to them." Gently she lay a hand on his arm. "Have you ever been in violent situations before, Brian?" She knew that most counsellors hadn't, so she wouldn't be surprised if the thought of violence scared him.

"It's hard to describe," he began. "I can't really sense the complete thoughts of each individual from all over the ship. It's more a constant telepathic 'hum', one that from so many people in such relative proximity can be very distracting and annoying until you get used to it. Kind of like hearing all the background conversations of a large crowd in one place; if they all just suddenly disappeared, the resulting silence would be uncomfortable, almost eerie." Turning to look at Shinta he added, "That's how the ship feels to me right now. Of course I don't like the violence but at least it seems strangely 'appropriate', given the situation. But the absence of so many people . . . it just seems horribly wrong."

There was a pause between them as Brian's words trailed off, illustrating a silence not unlike the one he was describing.

Then he blinked as he caught Shinta's thoughts. "I'm sorry . . . you wanted to talk," he apologized quietly, suddenly remembering that for Shinta, such a willingness to share her concerns was infrequent.

She hesitated. Shinta wanted to talk more about him, because he looked so forlorn. Yet they had had a fight before, because she did not want to open up. So she decided not to make the same mistake again. She just squeezed his shoulder in support, knowing that words would not make it better for him. Yet maybe knowing that she supported him, might make it a little bit more easy to bear.

"This is not the right time. And you do not have to say yes or no now. Just, after you left, I did a lot of thinking. I miss Karyn. Not only as a friend, but also has a counsellor. There is a lot going on in my life right now. If we get out of this, I would like you to be my counsellor."

She held her breath for his answer. He must already think her terribly weak, the way she had behaved back in her quarters. And she hoped that he would not lose his last bit of faith in her. Because somehow it was important to her, that Brian thought well of her.

Brian's face froze, not sure if he had heard correctly, even though her thoughts confirmed the words she had just spoken. He almost expected her to start giggling, followed by, "just kidding, silly! Just trying to lighten things up a little" but he knew this was not something she would joke about.

"Are...are you sure you're ok with me in that role for you? I, I mean," he glanced away for a second trying to get the right words. "I mean I'm not Karyn. I'm sure there are difference in our styles, our..., our insights, besides I don't have her years of knowing you and building a relationship that allows for the kind of trust between counselor and patient takes time, then there's the Betazoid thing, I'm not sure . . . ." He stopped as he caught her eye, realizing he was getting swept up in his own nervous excitement.

Him? Counselor to someone he respected as much as her? She couldn't have better expressed her regard for him as a friend and a counselor if she had written it in a sonnet and had the Federation Poet Laureate broadcast it live throughout the quadrant.

Breaking into a big smile, Brian simply said, "Shinta, I'd be honored."

She heaved a sigh of relief. "I am so glad. I would have understood if you said no. I have not exactly been an exemplary counsellor lately." She laughed. "But one of these days I will show you that I am a professional. I am a firm believer in the fact that a counsellor also needs a counsellor to talk to. Karyn and I did it for each other. If you ever need somebody, I am there, but I would understand if you weren't comfortable with me. I have realy been messing up my life lately." She shook her head. "And I can't believe that I am telling you all this. You really have a gift, Brian. This is not usual for me."

"Thank you, Shinta, coming from you that means a great deal to me. And I can sense you're not feeling 'at your best' but under these circumstances, who is?" he added, looking around the jeffries tube. "Right now, all we can do is focus on getting out of this alive. If we make it that far, we'll have plenty of time to go back to doing our jobs the way we're supposed to."

"But what happens in between scares me. Brian, I have been a fighter, a killer. And I do not really want to go back to that. I have to, to protect my loved ones, but it scares me. It scares me what I may become again. That it will tear open wounds that are barely healed." She clenched her fists.

She was clearly concerned and rightfully so, yet her would-be counselor wasn't certain what to tell her.

Fixing his gaze on her, he inhaled deeply and then replied, "I'm only minimally aware of how troubling this situation must be for you. I won't pretend otherwise because I have never even for a day experienced the life you've had. But I'm certain that you are not the same person you were then, Shinta. Think of how you've grown, what you've done, all you've experienced since then -- how could you be the same woman? There's got to be a difference between Shinta the fighter, the killer, who acted sheerly out of anger and revenge, and Shinta the counselor and mother, whose motivation is entirely different this time. One destroyed out of blind rage; the other protects out of love." He paused only for a second so she could truly hear what he had said.

"You're right to be concerned about old wounds, you'd be naive to think you're not vulnerable there," he cautioned. Then, lightly touching her arm just below the shoulder, he added, "But you are much stronger now and you know exactly why you're fighting this time. Keep every one of those reasons in your mind at all times. Let them protect you from the old hatred and anger that could harm you far more deeply than phasers or knives while you protect everything and everyone you hold dear. And also remember you're not alone this time," he added, almost as an afterthought.

As he continued looking directly into the Bajoran's wonderfully strong and mysterious green eyes, Brian was suddenly aware that when he began speaking to her he wasn't sure what he was going to say. Once again, words from his favorite professor on Betazed addressed his thoughts, 'There will be occasions when you wonder where some of the words you've said came from. As with any gift, don't ask, just be glad they did.'

"You are right of course." Shinta said. Like more often, just talking about it, cleared the air a little bit for her. Made it very clear again what she had to do. And she would worry about the costs later. Yet a lot of what Brian had said was true, this was a different situation. "You have been a great help, Brian." Then she turned to another topic. "Promise me that you will be careful in the fight. Don't be a hero, leave that to Alia and me."

He wasn't exactly sure why, but something in Shinta's words made Brian uncomfortable. Looking away for a second to gather his thoughts, he then turned back to her. "Shinta, I truly appreciate the fact that both you and Alia are experienced fighters, and I wouldn't presume to imply that I am, but I hope you know me well enough by now to know that I wouldn't operate out of a 'hero complex', especially in such a dangerous situation. Even so, I am capable of defending myself. I didn't sleep through that part of my academy training, you know."

I know. I also know that you didn't even know how to handle the rifle. All I am saying, Brian, is don't take too many risks. Do your part, don't over do it. You have never been in combat, you have no idea what it can do to a person." her face looked grim, as she relived past horrors.

As he listened to Shinta's words, Brian couldn't doubt her sincerity. Bajorans knew, almost better than anyone, what it was to suffer a life of violence. He knew she meant only to protect him, only to warn him, from her own experience that this was war, a battleground where life met death and the outcome was never certain, especially for someone as unfamiliar with it as he was.

Yet her words were far from comforting. With each syllable, he could feel a wave of irritation building inside him like a small ripple that would eventually become a tidal wave. 'I shouldn't be reacting this way,' he thought to himself, but it was happening again: the feeling that Shinta was talking down to him was making him angry, just as it had before he left on the shuttle mission.

But this was neither the time nor the place to argue. He didn't have the luxury of being able to express his frustration and anger, nor did he have time to sit here and continue to analyze his own feelings while the ship and the lives of its crew were at stake. He wanted to end this discussion now, before his anger reached a point where he couldn't control it.

Clearly avoiding further discussion of her warning to him, Brian turned from his seated position to his hands and knees and resumed their course through the jeffries tube.

"We need to get going, Shinta," he said, "there isn't much time. Maybe we can meet Alia halfway."

"I agree." She said. Shinta could see that he was not entirely happy with what she had said. It made her uncomfortable, but she preferred that to seeing him die. She had lost too many people, and would not let that happened again.

Ensigns Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. . .

{soundtrack: that song at the end of the movie.. "Anybody here want to kick some a**? I do, I do.." I forget who sings it however. Where's Dallas when you need him?]

If posts with -ALL- NPC action offend you, or you don't like my use of the [BLEEP] word, then stop [BLEEP]ing reading; right [BLEEP]ing here. [BLEEP]ers.

* * * * *

The Hirogen hunter watched the cub that been assigned to him and sighed, before he slapped the youngster's helmet to get its attention.

"NO! Fool...you should first check the room -before- going into it...you don't know what this prey will do." He growled at the youngster, who'd popped into the weight room of GALAXY like he owned the place, weapon not even at the ready.

"oh.. I thought... you know.. Lirup says that we control this preyship and this prey is so feeble...that.. you know.. Lirup says there is nothing to worry about and that we'll...um.. hunt...and stuff..." the youngster began.

The Hunter peeled back its lips in a snarl. "That's Lirup's problem. If a bunch of weak sniveling prey like this bunch can be a match for any Hirogen, it's that coward Lirup. I heard he allowed -PREY- to challenge him! Can you imagine? Admitting some weak prey is possibly close to your equal? That Skrlg was right...here..this room.. watch me enter it..." the Hunter adjusted its camo-cloak before keying the room door and rolling in..weapon at the ready, covering all corners of the room.

"See...if there was a...Oy!" the Hunter barked, noticing the figure of a human, wearing black clothing with some sort of helmet over its face...apparently practicing with a weapon in the unarmed combatives room...

WHAP WHAP WHAP went the sabre, in a moulinet pattern against the training dummy. The Man in the Fencing Mask ignoring the Hirogen as he practiced the cut over and over from the fifth position.

"You! Prey! You're [whap] supposed to[whap] be with the [whap] other prey [whap]...LISTEN WHEN I SPEAK!" the Hunter ranted, to the Man in the Fencing Mask, who ignored him.

"OH, DID YOU SAY SOMETHING?" he finally asked the Hunter "I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE FASCINATION PICARD AND THE OTHERS HAVE FOR THIS BARBARIC 'SPORT'...I MEAN...YOU TAKE THE POINTY SWORD AND YOU WHACK EACH OTHER. WHOOP-DE-DOO."

"You are Prey...you should be with the others...the weak and feeble..." The Hunter began.

"NO, I DON'T THINK SO. I MEAN, THESE HUMANS ARE FASCINATING, BUT EVEN THEY GROW TEDIOUS TO US." The Man ITFM replied. "I MEAN, WELL. . . YOU WATCH THEM, YOU KNOW. THEY SCURRY ABOUT ON THEIR LITTLE MISSIONS, TOTALLY MISSING THE WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE."

"Prey! You will come with us or suffer. . ." Began the cub, raising its weapon.

"SUFFER? MOI? I'M Q..WE DON'T DO 'SUFFER' WHERE WAS I? OH YES..TEDIUM. I MEAN..LOOK AT YOU. . . HERE'S A YOUNG SPECIES, WHO APPARENTLY BELIEVE YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THE OTEHRS AND WANT TO WIPE THEM OUT. HO-HUM. COULD YOU -BE- MORE PREDICTABLE? NOW YOUR LITTLE FRIEND WILL TRY TO SHOOT ME. . ." The Man ITFM said, as the phaser bolt from the Cub splashed harmlessly against him.

"I MEAN. . . REALLY! AT LEAST THE HUMANS HAVE -SOME- GRASP OF THE RIDICULESNESS OF THEIR PUNY AND SHORT LIVES. THE FUTILITY OF IT ALL, THEIR BRIEF EXISTANCE AND THEIR SEARCH FOR THE TRUTHS THEIR PITIFUL MINDS CAN NEVER EVEN BEGIN TO COMPREHEND..."

Both Hirogen were shooting randomly at the Man in the Fencing Mask now...their shots seeming to have no effect. He flipped up his mask and revealed a toussle-curled dark haired face, seemingly very human as he stifled a yawn and peered at the hunters.

"DONE? WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE THREE SECONDS OF AMUSEMENT. I'M OFF TO SEE WHAT THOSE LOVABLE LEO BOYS ARE UP TO. YOU KNOW... IT JUST WOULDN'T BE AS MUCH FUN WITHOUT A LEO STORY OR TWO, DON'T YOU AGREE? DON'T THOSE LEOS -JUST- AMUSE THE SNOT OUT OF YOU? OH...BY THE WAY...DON'T STARE AT WHERE I WAS -TOO- LONG..I WOULDN'T IF I WERE YOU...BHU-BYE." and the man 'snapped' his fingers, disappearing before their very eyes.

"What...what....wha...where did he go?" asked the Cub, staring at the spot the prey had just occupied.

"Cloaking device...must be..." said the Hunter, pumping a few more shots at the spot in vain hope he was right, then half- turning to hose the remainder of the room.

The man re-appeared...half inside the bulkhead.

"DON'T MIND ME...FORGOT MY MASK...NOT THAT Q NEED MASKS, BUT IT RATHER GIVES ME A SPORTY, SORT OF JAUNTY AIR, AND I SEE A LOT OF THIS FENCING STUFF GOING ON WITH THOSE PESKY HUMANS LATELY...BY THE WAY..."

A steel pipe impacted on the Hunters helmet, wielded by Ensign Jay as Ensign Silent Bob finished wrapping the Cub up with the tangler grenade strands.

"THAT HAD TO HURT. OH WELL, I -DID- WARN THEM. TA-TA LADS." said Q before disappearing back into the bulkhead.

"[BLEEP] you, you alien [BLEEP]er! Did you see that Tubby! I went upside his head like I was the [BLEEP]ing Intergalactic Pimp! Who's your daddy you alien [BLEEP]er?" crowed Jay, smacking the downed Hirogen a few more times, before starting to wrestle its rifle from its already stiffening dead fingers.

Ensign Silent Bob was just staring at the space that Q had just vanished into. He made worried gestures to Jay.

"What? What the [BLEEP] does all that shit mean? You got [BLEEP]ing ants in the pants; you fat sack of lard? You hungry? What the [BLEEP] are you saying?" asked Jay, shooting the other Hirogen as it lay wrapped in the sticky strands of the tangler grenade.

Silent Bob heaved a long suffering sigh and indicated the Hirogen with both hands and and expression of "THERE."

"Yeah? We came, we saw, we kicked some ass? What the [BLEEP]? Gott to keep mah pimp-hand strong." Jay announced, tucking knives and anything else not nailed down into his flannel shirt.

Silent Bob pointed to the spot on the wall where Q had been.

"What? OH! The little [BLEEP]ing dude who just disappeared? [BLEEP] him.

I -told- you that that shit I had was the rightous chronic. You didn't [BLEEP]ing believe me , you fat [BLEEP] 'No Jay...that shit don't look like the chronic weed you usually get...' you cried...like a big fat baby. Well, lookit yer fat ass now, mother[BLEEP]er, seeing people coming out of the walls and shit...[BLEEP]ing doubt your friend Jay again, will you? Imma Pimp. I get the weed, I get da hoes..."

Silent Bob looked apologetic and shrugged.

"Yeah, you [BLEEP]ing better say 'Sorry I doubted you, Jay' you fat [BLEEP]er. Like I'd buy some [BLEEP]ing Oregano or some shit to toke up. [BLEEP]!" said Jay, kicking the Hirogen twice each for emphasis.

Bob indicated the Hirogen again, and then pointed to the brand new Ensigns' pip on his collar.

"[BLEEP] YES it's our duties to kick us some alien asses! Maybe that Sanchez would lighten up on us and cut us some more slack, so we can toke and party and shit.

I still say you should have nailed her ass, folded her taco for her. She likes 'em big....yeeeaaaaahhhhh I seen her lookin at you, you [BLEEP]ing stud...you want a piece of that enchilada...that momma-sita...hey..maybe she can help us find some serious [BLEEP]ing -real- Mexican chronic and shit..."

The duo went out into the hallway, their voices drifting back to the Dead Hirogen in the workout rooms.

Just another day for the Boyz...

“Battle Royale”
Donovan Black, Tactical Ensign
Sendi Soleri, Science Ensign
Slisik, Tactical Ensign
Venril, Gamma Hirogen
Kro’phul, Hirogen Physician

-Black and Soleri and Slisik-

It had been a running fire fight for most of the escape to the valley. It had not taken Venril long to realize his mistake. Both groups were now running low on ammunition. One hunter had been killed by an extremely lucky shot from Donovan’s type 3b compression rifle. On the flip side, Sendi had picked up a rather nasty plasma burn to her shoulder.

The Starfleet officers had reached their goal first, and had rounded the corner into the valley, just as a plasma bolt blasted the rock that was at the edge of the valley.

They found themselves in the valley between two huge peaks. It was little more than 200 feet across and was more of a canyon. It only went back into the mountainside for about 400 feet before tapering off into a point. There were small trees and rocky outcroppings dotting the valley. Ensigns Black and Slisik, tactical officers, exchanged glances.

“Ambush.” they said virtually at the same time. Donovan smiled wanly and Slisik arched an eyebrow.

“We’ll set up a crossfire. Slisik, go to the top of the far ridge and stay there. Sendi, you go opposite of her. I’ll go climb the back ridge. Set up snipers positions. Go.” Donovan said, and the three Starfleet officers separated, climbing into position.

-Venril-

Venril, Kro’phul, and the hunters entered the valley, just in time for Venril to see Slisik scrambling into position.

“Kro’phul, take your..... kit and go deal with her. I will handle the ambush.” Venril said arrogantly. Kro’phul grinned and removed a pair of wicked looking barbed daggers from his “medical” bag and quietly stalked off.

Venril walked on, his four hunters forming a square around him. “This hunt is over, Black.” Venril said to Donovan Black, who could not hear him.

-Black-

Black had just finished climbing up when the Hirogen arrived. He leveled the phaser compression rifle, gripping both grips tightly and aimed at the big Hirogen who was in the lead on the left. He couldn’t tell if it was Venril or not. Then he checked over his other equipment. Luckily, neither of the old weapons, katana or silenced 9mm pistol, had frozen. He flicked off the safety on the 9mm and the compression rifle. Looking through the scope, he tightened his aim and waited, giving his friends a moment to do the same.

-Sendi-

Sendi slipped into position behind a large fallen tree gripping her pulse rifle and breathing heavily. She ducked a little lower, hoping that her antennae would not give away her position. She settled the vulcan-made pulse rifle on the log, sighting down the forked barrel. She brought up a hirogen in her sights. Without so much as a second thought, she pulled the trigger.

-Slisik-

All hell broke loose as Slisik moved into position. Light blue pulses of energy lanced out from Ensign Soleri’s position, cutting down the rearmost Hirogen on her side. He spun once in midair before falling to the ground, stone dead.

Slisik leapt down behind the rocks she had been crawling to when Sendi fired, hoping she hadn’t been seen. Slisik brought up the TR-116, activating the targeting sensor, which flicked into position over her right eye.

She swiftly centered the on the lead hirogen on her side, pulling the trigger just as fast. ‘Speed is essential.’ she thought to herself as the big hunter dropped to the snow-covered ground. She prepared to fire again.

-Venril-

Venril snarled, raising his plasma rifle and opening fire on the area where he suspected Donovan Black to be hiding. He wasn’t too far off, as the human tactical officer popped up and opened fire with his phaser compression rifle. Black’s shots went wide, but further served to scatter Venril’s remaining hunters.

Venril’s last two hunters dove for cover, firing their plasma rifles at the Andorian and the Vulcan, green bolts crackling with electricity as they crashed into the ground near their intended targets. Venril quickly checked Kro’phul’s position, noting the hirogen physician as he lowered his case and raised the two barbed daggers. Venril grinned quickly and took another shot at Black.

-Kro’phul-

Kro’phul raised his barbed surgical daggers, stalking up behind Slisik. The young Vulcan woman was taking aim at one of the hunters. She was hunched over, her rifle aiming low at the hunter’s exposed knee. As she drew a bead on the hunter, Kro’phul grinned.

His mind went back to his training as a a medical specialist. He remembered every diagram he had drawn upon the backs of naked prey, splayed for his dissection, even while they were alive. He carefully envisioned the one he had drawn on the back of a holographic Vulcan woman in preparation for this hunt. The hologram had screamed appropriately as she was skinned alive and dissected. He positioned the daggers so they would hit just above her hearts. It would cause the maximum amount of pain, as well as random nerve spasms, but nothing life threatening.

Slisik was up oblivious to her peril, right up until the point that the daggers plunged into her young back.

-Slisik-

Slisik felt the barbed blades enter her, attaching themselves to her flesh and fixing themselves there. The TR-116 dropped from her hands, clattering to the ground.

Kro’phul hoisted the tiny Vulcan woman into the air. She screamed loudly, arms flailing as he used the knives as handles, throwing her to the ground. Then he stood over her removing another knife from his “medical” bag. This one had a longer blade and was designed for skinning. He moved to cut her again.

Slisik blocked him, rolling over onto her back and kicking out with both legs, despite the intense pain. The blow hit Kro’phul in his midsection, knocking him back away from her. He yelped, throwing the dagger straight into her shoulder. Now it was Slisik’s turn to cry out. Kro’phul recovered, and grabbed Slisik by the throat lifting the struggling Vulcan into the air.

-Black-

Black noticed Slisik and Kro’phul’s fight. It was pretty one sided. Despite Slisik’s Vulcan strength, Kro’phul was stronger, and Black didn’t like those odds. he aimed his compression rifle at Kro’phul. ‘I haven’t made a shot yet. I have to make these.’ He fired twice. The first shot blasted into a tree next to Kro’phul, the gaunt Hirogen who Black recognized from his dream. Kro’phul hurled Slisik down the side of the valley. She screamed now, the pain and shock overcoming her Vulcan conditioning. With that, the second blast impacted upon Kro’phul’s temple, blasting a hole in his gray matter. Kro’phul dropped to the knees then the ground, dead.

-Venril-

Venril had been angry earlier. Now he was in an absolute bloodlust. Kro’phul was dead, as were two hunters. They had only managed to down one Starfleet officer, the Vulcan ensign, but his men were now pinned down by that cursed Andorian woman and the pulse rifle she was using. His thoughts were interrupted by a huge rumbling noise.

A supernatural calm came over all involved in the conflict. Venril turned his eyes toward the noise as everyone stopped firing to look around. Then he saw it. He let out a battle yell and turned to face the cold.

-Sendi-

Ensign Soleri was the last to stop firing, gunning down a Hirogen hunter before she did. By the time she turned to look, the snow and debris was already upon her. It picked her up and tossed her about, her cries lost in a mouthful of snow. A large piece of debris struck her in the forehead, knocking her unconscious.

-Black-

Black was last to be hit by it. He threw his compression rifle into the air, hoping that it would fall after the avalanche had passed. Then he gripped the pistol at his belt and the sword at his side and allowed himself to be carried away by the rushing torrent of snow and ice.

"Knock Knock...who's there? Hirogen Rally. Hirogen Rally who? HirogenRally don't say 'knock knock' before frying your patootie."

Joint post between...
Lt.j/g Arel Smith, Security Officer and snapping wit LtCmdr Lysander "Rent a Hero" VanderPuls-Hawksley (NPC) Samantha Jane Widdlestein (aged 8)

The scrabbling noise came closer, to the desperate duo huddled in the back of the cave. Samantha clutched the knife hilt tighter and tried to be not so obvious about pushing Arel closer in front of her, towards the noise.

A shadow loomed, backlit by the daylight filtering through the cave mouth. Samantha wasn't sure, but it almost sounded like Arel whimpered there a moment...must be the stress.

The figure scrabbled closer...it seemed ....familiar somehow.

"My Darling Lysander!" Samantha shrieked, after peeking out from behind Arel. She dropped her knife and came flying across the room at warp speed. Luckily, Lysander moved Mr. Bippy out of the way so that Samantha didn't set it off when she hugged him with new found strength.

Lysander stared at the scene before him. While Samantha Widdlestein (aged 8) seemed intent on choking the life from him, that semi-Klingon Security Officer seemed to be staring at him oddly, waving a wicked looking knife in his general direction...in general acting like she was aboard GALAXY without a care in the world.

"Ummm...ergh...that's my smeggin' neck....HI!" he said brightly (for Lysander) trying to remember if Alia Drakely had said for -sure- that Arel Smith wanted to break him in half or not for something or other.

Arel, for her part, reacted to the news that they weren't going to be the subjects a Hirogen autopsy by promptly passing out.

When she came to, she found that she was lying on her back with Lysander and Samantha looking down on her. She looked up at them with some confusion, although her mind quickly informed her what had happened.

Impossible, she snorted mentally.

"Arel, you fainted." Samantha told her in a superior tone, confirming her worst fears.

Arel felt the faintest hint of a blush creep up her face but refused to acknowledge it. "You're mistaken." she said shortly and pushed herself off the ground. She only winced slightly at the pain in her shoulder, at least she wasn't a totaly lost cause, and then moved to lean against the cavern wall for support.

The little know-it-all frowned "No, I'm not. We distinctly saw you turn pale and sort of waver...then you dropped your knife and your eyes rolled. . . "

"We do not faint!" Arel snapped. Klingons did not faint It was one of those unwritten laws in Klingon society. Who ever heard of a fainting warrior? Her father and B'rec were probably laughing hysterically at her right now.

Super.

Lysander coughed, trying to avoid Arel's eye.

"Umm.. of course she didn't faint...not really anyways...lots of women...err..turn pale like that and fall down...errr..."

Arel glared at him.

"When you're around!" Samantha interjected as she gazed fondly upon her future Husband. Arel had heard the wedding plans in detail several times so far, though she privately thought she'd saw her own head off before being forced into a hot pink and purple patterned silk bridesmaids' dress with straw hats and...

Samantha continued as Arel tried to get her bearings and look more un-pale and warrior-like. "My Mummy says that you'd be quite pretty for a man, if you didn't have the morals of a Ferrengi and the personality of a wet rag, although with that broken nose, I don't think you're as pretty as you were before and..."

"Shut it about your smeggin Mummy!" Lysander snapped.

Arel ignored Samantha, who had stuck out her blue tongue at everyone else.

"What's our status?" she asked Lysander.

"Why's her tongue blue?" asked a puzzled Lysander, rubbing the broken nose that marred his face.

"Oxygen deprivation due to overuse." Arel muttered as Sam hissed 'Shhhhh!' at Lysander.

"Oh...Well...let's see...Kit Jordan, you remember her? She's back with the newts. You'll like them, they have a Klingon Uni-Translator, so the route of communication goes Newtish to Klingon to Standard and vice versa...it's sort of like talking to you on any other day." Lysander began.

"Arel was teaching me all about Klingons, although my Mummy says that -all- Klingons aren't half as tough as they like to think and that they..." Samantha began, talking over Lysander, as the two tried to brief Arel at the same time. Apparently she had been 'not-fainted' for quite a while!

"Well, the newts are martiarchial, and they sort of think Kit Jordan is like...a goddess or something. So they let me run around and Hunt hirogen with them, which is a bit of a switch from what Kit and I were doing before we met them. Oh, and they brew this vile stuff, which is alcoholic so..."

"My Mummy says that people who drink too much are hiding from something. She also says -you- shouldn't drink so much because you don't use enough brain cells as it is and can't afford to lose any more and..."

"What? Smeggin rot. Why, when I was your age, I won or came in second or something in a Federationwide Math contest. So there! Anyways, the Hirogen seem to have left only a few cubs watching us, and we killed them. Haven't seen one of the buggers for two days and..."

Samantha was strangely quiet for a moment at the mention of killing Hirogen and then she picked up again "Arel showed me defend myself against Hirogen, didn't you Arel? And I'm going to show her how to do her makeup better and get a boyfriend and then how to have a tea party and then how to..." "What? Are you going to make -her- tongue blue too, snotface?" Lysander asked, wondering who the 'boyfrend' was going to be.

Samantha shrieked and whirled on Arel.

"How COULD you? -My- tongue is BLUE? ICK! I thought he was talking about yours!" and the child stuck it out again and crossed her eyes trying to see it.

Arel, who didn't look the least bit sorry, moved to pick up her knives. She had a moment of dizziness, which she thought she covered well by cursing outloud, and then she turned back to the two.

"Well, lets go meet these newts of yours."

Lysander hesitated and Arel narrowed her eyes. "You do remember how to get there, don't you?" she said in the most insulting tone she could muster. She was not about to let this 'weak Arel' get the upper hand, nor let anyone take pity on her. She eyed her knife, hoping he would understand that.

Lysander eyed the wavering, still-pale newly minted Lieutenant Junior Grade and fought to hide his smile. She reminded him of someone...with her pale wan face and her obvious determination to go and reduce something to bloody bits, then set those bits afire, and jump up and down on the smouldering, flaming bits for a while, then feed the ashes to something else and kill -that- thing...

Lysander missed his Smeggin' Princess...

"Sure. You just....errrrr....follow the moss. Apparently it grows only on the...umm...sides of the trees." He shot back, hoping the newts had received access to Newt Scout training as small amphibians.

"I'm glad that's settled." Arel said darkly and walked out of the cave, for a moment not caring if the other two followed.

"I almost feel sorry for you there, twerp." Lysander said to Samantha as they watched her leave.

"She just needs to find her color." Samantha said. "I think Arel is a Summer myself, although without My Mummy's Color chart, I can't be sure. We need to find her pretty makeup and...HEY...what's this about that Kit. I hope you haven't been doing anything INAPPROPRIATE while you were stuck with her."

"Pffft... like she'd ever shut up enough to let me? Hey Smith! If you pass out, aim for the green mossy bits, and your'e welcome, for the help and all!" Lysander retorted, hoping that Kits' itch-moss would come in good for SOMETHING!

"Anytime" Arel called back to them.

Samantha put her hands on her hips and stared at her future husband, her blue tinged lips compressing into a tight line.

"You better behave, or I'll tell..." she began.

"Who? Your Mummy? Is -she- down here too? " Lysander asked, his hands clenching his spear until the knuckles turned white and casting desperate glances around the cave.

"No. Mummy and Auntie Amy Green were back up in the Emergency Shelter when those uglies pulled me out. I'll tell Arel who loosened her clothing when she...didn't faint just now." Samantha flung back before marching out the cave in pursuit of her future Maid of Honor.

Lysander rolled his eyes up to an uncaring Universe. Great. The next thing you know...Smeggin Princess Phaserbanks will pop up out from under a mushroom, like some demented pixie just to make his life -more- miserable with smeggin' women and their non-sensible demands.

He exited the cave to see Arel seated on a nearby rock, grilling Samantha about her recent 'non-faint.'

"Well.. if -you- didn't try to loosen my jacket and trousers, who did?" she was demanding of the little girl; as both gave Lysander a very evil look.

tbc

"The Tragic Fall From the Three Newty Graces"

Joint Post between...

Lt.Cmdr. Lysander something-or-other, Chief Tactical Officer Lt. j/g Arel "Worf Wannabe" Smith, Security Officer GRACE 1 Cmdr. Lita Jovan, J.A.G. NPC (THANKS DALLAS!) GRACE 2 Samantha Widdlestein (Aged 8) NPC GRACE 3 semi-authorized use of a drunken Kit 'Kennedy-wannabe' Jordan, Reporter extrodinaire (2 week binge and counting!)

* * * * *

"The male warrior sub-leader, the one that talks so much; he gives you orders?" the lovestruck newt asked Arel Smith, goggling it's big googly eyes at her.

Arel frowned as she poked tenatively at her injured shoulder. The nasty smelling poultice that the newts had made, out of nasty looking slugs and slimies, had crusted over and looked like an alien skin. It also itched. "He does not." she said without looking at the newt. If she looked at it, she'd have the urge to punt it a few dozen meters.

"But, the smallest female, she told us at great length that your status in your tribe is indicated by the markings on your throats. He has more than you, and the other two females have none. Explain." the newt continued, frankly staring at her chest with it's big pop eyes that never seemed to blink. The little critter resembled Ensign Pressley in more than one way, apparently.

Arel sighed and stopped messing around with her crusty bandage. "The sub creature has technical authority, although he probably couldn't lead his way out of a paper bag. In reality, he mostly follows everyone else's orders. And stop leering at me, newt."

A chorus of newty rumblings and grumblings from the jungle cut off her frankly rambling and confusing explination.

Samantha even looked up from where she was fanning a gently snoring Kit Jordan, up on one of the fortified sleeping platforms. The newts had taken to leaving offerings for Kit, whose political leanings seemed to mirror those of the Newt Chief, Gin'Grich. Of course, the offerings meant that the poor amphibians had to triple their output of the fermeted alcoholic beverage, but politics ever has its' price.

Arel watched as the hunting party emerged from the depths of the jungle, bringing with them a woman in a starfleet uniform. Her eyebrow raised but she did nothing as the newts dragged, well in all honestly proded her forward with their slimy noses, the woman forward. Arel wasn't surprised that another crewman had survived, wasn't surprised that the newts had brought her here.

Frankly,she was just a little bit surprised that the woman didn't topple over due to the sheer weight of her top-heavy chest. Those had to be fake.

Lita Jorvan shaded her eyes and eyed the clearing. She kicked at the newts and wondered why the hell the Lieutenant was goggling at her like some cretin.

Brushing her long red hair from her eyes, she snarled in a put upon and irritable voice. "Who are you and why're you just sitting there? Quick, use your communicator to raise the ship and get us off this festering dump of a planet. I finally reach someone who speaks something other than that burping stuff these froggies do . . ."

"I obviously have no such device" Arel said coldly. "I think you should tell me who you are and what you're doing here."

"Commander Lita Jorvan, Starfleet Judge Advocate Generals office. I was enroute to meet GALAXY when those creepy whazzits captured me. I've been running around down here ever since, until these things pulled me out of the swamp. Who's in charge around here, and why is that slimy thing staring at our chests?"

Arel gave a withering look at the newts, who either looked around innocently or hung their heads with guilt. "Hawksley's in charge and they have gland problems apparently."

Jorvan sighed and indicatd the Newt Fortress with a wave... "Love what you've done with the place, Lieutenant. Wait... did you say 'Hawksley?' a jibbering pretty-boy from Alpha Centauri who's totally useless when not physically behind a Tactical Arch or flying something? Lysander VanderPuls- Hawksley?"

Arel guessed that was fairly accurate, although for some reason it bothered her that the woman said it. Maybe it was because the Commander's voice was begining to grate on her eardrums. In any event, she just said "That's the one." and waited to see what happened. Maybe she would get to beat up someone up afterall.

Lita let a cruel smirk appear on her vulpine face. "Well...who'd have thought...Hawksley on the planet of Doom? And I outrank him? Interesting...So basically, we have no way of getting off this shitty dump of a waste of mud?"

Arel considered snapping something at or on the Commander but something told Arel that Jorvan would pull rank on her. And Arel was tired. It might be nice to be able to sleep for once, let someone else worry about the whole mess. "As far as I know..." she began in her best diplomatic voice.

The newts slithered and the one that had been trying to buy its way into Arel's heart spoke (okay..rasped) up. "Woman. You have more throat markings than the other warriors. Do not speak to my female so. Once I defeat the Mighty Corgan-Warrior, I shall mate with this Smith Female."

"What the hell...." and Jorvan eyed Arel from head to toe, lingering on the filthy looking 'poultice' on her shoulder. "You're James Corgan's new girlfriend? HAHAHAHaaa this mission keeps getting better and better. Watch your tone Lieutenant, I break people like you for my breakfast. I'm in charge around here now. Go fetch Pretty boy Hawksley and bring him back..I have new orders for you both." Fetch? Arel mentally added Jorvan to her evergrowing list of people that she would eventually have to take out. "Yes sir" Arel said through clenched teeth. At least the newts seemed to be becomming more attached to the Commander.

Maybe they'd have to have some reason to tie her up and light her on fire. Arel could help. She mused on -that- mental picture as she stomped off to the last place she'd seen Hawksley.

And was it really so hard to believe that she could be Corgan's girlfriend? Not that she wanted the guy but really! She knew she wasn't the prettiest girl ever but she sure the hell wasn't a slimy newt either.

Bitch.

She didnt have to go far to find Lysander. He was sitting on a rock, talking to himself as usual. Probably liked the sound of his own voice. Something about how women only -thought- they ran things but it was really men who...

"We've got company " she told him sourly. "A JAG officer named Jorvan. -SHE- has orders for us." Really, why hadn't she stayed in that cave?

Lysander stared in shock. Maybe this was a dream. Yeah. A dream. A smeggin' -bad- dream.

"Jorvan. Redhead? Big...." and he made a cupping motion with his hands.

Arel just rolled her eyes and mentally plotted how many pieces she could break the bones making those hands; in two.

"Smeg -me-. . .Can't be the same... REAL pushy?" he asked further.

"Look. . . she outranks us, she told me to 'fetch' you, and she didn't specify dead or alive, you know? And this moss is damn itchy..." Arel said, trying -not- to scratch her 'poultice' since doing so meant opening her tunic a bit more and sending several newts into paryoxms of delight and rapture.

"Take it up with MISS Jordan, she's the 'moss expert' around these parts. Lita Jorvan. . .hey..were you serious when you offered me that extra knife to shut up for five minutes?" Lysander asked, his thoughts flipping around like a Tentallian ant in a hot replicator receptor.

Arel thought she would have sold her own mother, had she been alive and on the planet, for five minutes of silence. "Yes." She thought she might offer to even sharpen it for him if he promised to use it on Lita Jorvan. The woman seriously irritated her. More so than teh newts, Lysander -and- Samantha put together. Probally more than Pressly and the rest of the Security 'water cooler' gang too. The more Arel thought about it, the more she thought she'd have to -really- hurt the woman.

"How do you know the bitc..um, Commander?" she asked, curious.

"Ohh...umm..I sort of... you know.. used to..mmmpfh" Lysander mumbled, after developing an intense interest in picking bits of mud off his boot all of a sudden.

"mmmpf?" Arel pressed, sensing blood, or at least something that she might be able to mock Hawksley about.

"I sort of... umm.. dated her.... for a week...or so... maybe three months...in the Academy..." Lysander blustered.

"Why did I ask? That somehow doesn't surprise me." she snorted in Klingon.

"Geishundteit. . ." Lysander answered in Standard.

She examined two of her knives, tested their tips, and then handed Lysander the duller one. "If we could return to camp before the next millenium...sir?" Her voice may have been dripping with inseceriety but at least she had managed to get the word out. Practice for what she imagined would be days of playing Starfleet asskisser. She decided she'd give Jorvan a few days before telling her to go to hell.

Lysander eyed the knife. "Looks dull . . ." He said, before adding "Maybe I can use it to skin Lita. Look...you know... I'm not extactly a stickler for protocol...but... with her... if you give her a millimeter, she takes a light year... you know? So if I command her to. . . "

"If you skin her, I hold her down. But she outranks you too. She's a -real- Commander. Now come on..." Arel said, mentally wondering if she could make a knife any duller ... maybe lots of jagged bits sticking out? If it was going to be used to skin that bitch. . .

They headed back to camp, where they could hear the commander barking orders in a high pitched giggling voice, probably to the ever-intoxicated reporter. Arel sighed. "Do you think we'll ever get off this planet?"

Lysander eyed the scene, with a sullen looking Samantha Widdlestein giving Lita Jordan 'both ears' full of her Mummy's observations on Starfleet protocol, Kit Jordan frankly looking like she needed several more days worth of sleep, and the newts looking as if they'd re-thunk the whole matriarchy idea after meeting this bitch.

"If there's a sense of Justice in the cosmos...no. Jeeeeeezzz.. all I need now is to be stuck on a deserted island with the princess or something." Lysander heaved a sigh and looked like a man about to face the firing squad.

"Come on, let's get this over with. . . if she orders me beheaded, promise me that you'll make it painless?" "Well..." Arel said with a straight face. "I still owe you for your help with the newts. I'll try to have it off by at least two chops."

Lysander eyed her for a long moment. Then he sneered.

"Thanks. I'll leave Samantha for you and Crazy Corgan to raise. Shall we?"

And he offered his arm to her. Of course, being Lysander, he was on the wrong side and she had to reach inside her tunic to re-adjust her moss-slug poultice. Two newts abandoned Litas chest to run over to stare at her collarbone. The more she looked at them, the more she thought about Ensign Pressley.

tbc

"Light meets dark"
by Captain Robert Edward Lee Price,
and Lt Commander Elaithin Jii,
and Command Kent Peterson

"I understand." The helmeted Romulan answered, handing back the decree to the middle aged Romulan claiming to be from the Imperial Senate.

Taking the decree and placing it into his pocket, he motioned to Captain Price who was on his knees still recovering from the blow to the back of his skull. "Help him up and secure them in the cell for now. Then go and guard the perimeter of the building. I will summon you when it's time to move them from here."

Following orders the two Romulan guards each grabbed one of the Captain's arms and placed him back in the cell with the other captured spies, then secured the door with the ring of keys.

"I'll take those..." the well dressed Romulan stated, reaching out for the large ring of keys.

Without hesitation the helmeted guard handed him the ring.

"Now go. I wish to have a word with the prisoners before the move." The Romulan looked through the bars at each of the prisoners, "It may help to avoid foolish escape attempts that would get anyone killed... prematurely."

Satisfied, the guards did as they were ordered and left the dungeon as instructed.

Kent looked on. He was almost expecting - at least with the luck of the last few days - that this new Romulan on the scene would pull out a disruptor from his garb and shoot them dead. Disintegration with only few fragments of genetic material and some damaged cells to prove the Federation officers were even there. As he considered that rather dark image, Captain Price was rubbing the knot on the back of his head. He was fortunate in that the skin hadn't been broken, but there was a lump back there that was quite painful.

"So we're getting an upgrade in rooms? I certainly hope that we get one with a view this time 'mate." Captain Price commented, making a semi joke out of the medieval conditions of this underground warehouse prison.

"I'd settle for captors with a better bedside manner," 'Commander Elaithin murmured where only Dallas and Peterson could hear him. The rest he'd been allowed to get had made it so he could at least be mobile. Though if there was a fight, he would be more of a hindrance than anything. Still, the Bajoran mused, better to die fighting than be publicly executed. His pants were the only remaining part of his own clothing, and he had Peterson's outer metallic-looking uniform shirt covering his torso. The metallic fabric the Romulan's used for their uniforms was quite cold against his battered skin, but soothing in a way.

The Romulan turned to verify the two guards had exited the cell block and that they were at last alone before turning back to address the Starfleet Captain.

"I am Senator Moralis. Please accept my apologies for your treatment."

Captain Price finished rubbing his head and straightened slightly. An apology was the last thing he had expected to receive. He found it disarming. "You are planning to move us to a different facility. One more secure then this one?" Lee asked, pointing to the iron bars.

"And likely more accessible to the media too." The Romulan Tirol added in the semi-sarcastic tone of someone consigned to die.

"Forgive me. That was a deception. You are not going to be taken to another facility." Senator Moralis stated while taking the key ring and inserting the key into the lock. "I am going to set you free."

The announcement gained the attention of everyone in the cell, even Lieutenant Commander Elaithin managed to rise to his feet upon hearing the news. The Security officer didn't trust this...it seemed too easy, somehow.

"Come again?" Lee asked. He couldn't believe his ears.

Senator Moralis opened the door and swung it open. "I have made arrangements to get you out of the building. It will then be up to you to find your way off of Romulus and back to the Federation. I'm afraid you have been grossly misinformed and tricked into coming here. There is a faction within the Imperial Senate that is endorsing war between my people and yours."

"Aye. There was a bloke here a few hours ago that was boasting of that. He was some senator too." Lee nodded.

"You speak of Senator Piedon. Yes he is one of many involved in this secret plot to win the popular vote to further their political plans in the Senate. Plans that include severing relations with the Federation."

A little skeptical, the Captain just had to ask, "And so you don't agree with your fellow Senators plans?"

Moralis shook his head. "I had four sons when the Dominion war began Captain. I have no more children and do not wish to see my people enter in to another war - my people and yours... we have already lost so much."

Captain Price stepped out of the cell, quickly followed by the others and Tirol. Reaching out he extended his hand. "You are doing the right thing 'mate."

The Senator paused before shaking the Captain's hand. "You must agree not to discuss what you have seen here with your government. I can assure you that all the research has been seized and the elements in the Tal'Shiar responsible have been dealt with. Soon the equipment will be destroyed and those in the Imperial Senate that conspired together in this plot will be brought to justice. But even so, I fear if you report to your government of what you saw, then the damage between our alliances will be stressed beyond all repairability. No doubt your government would continue to treat my people as suspect and ultimately that distrust will escalate as Senator Piedon and the others wished to facilitate in this elaborate plot."

Captain Price let out a deep sigh. What the Senator was asking was a lot. Starfleet had sent them to Romulus undercover to gather evidence and destroy any such operations discovered. Now the Senator was asking him to return home and basically lie to Starfleet and say they found nothing. He couldn't see how he could do that, though he was grateful for being released and did appreciate the ramifications of what appeared to be a plot by a few Imperial Senate members could have on relations between the Star Empire and the Federation. Like Senator Moralis, Captain Price had no desire to see the Federation enter into another war.

'Commabder Elaithin, however, had no such reservations. If it took silence to secure the peace, he'd gladly keep his mouth shut. War is dirty business, and he was willing to pay nearly any price to avoid it. However, Commander Peterson was in a position where he understood what the Romulan senator was saying - he had been in that position once before. Not long after arriving on the Starship Galaxy he stood with Commander Thomas before their captain and argued about whether or not they should retain the tricorder scans for the Decilian Stone of Tears. Sometimes things were better left unsaid. Still, was this one of those situations.

"I can't promise not to report what has happened or what we have seen Senator. But I can promise to report it in the proper light so my superiors understand what has transpired. My people do not relish entering another war any more then yours do 'mate. We have all lost so much in recent years."

Senator Moralis reluctantly nodded and then shook the Captain's hand. "Then I will leave the fate of our peoples in your hands Captain Price. Make them understand, for all concerned."

"Fair dinkum." Lee smiled shaking the Senator's hand.

"Come, we must be going. I have sent the guards off to guard the front of the building. There is a passage way through the rear. Only Senate members are aware of its existence. This way." Moralis explained as he turned and began walking down the corridor.

Captain Price, Lieutenant Commander Elaithin assisted by Commander's Dallas and Peterson and Tirol all followed the Senator. They walked quickly past the rows of cells that lined either side of the corridor. Some were empty, while others had prisoners in them. Lee glanced at the various Romulans as they past by.

"Once through the passage way I have arranged for your vehicle to be standing by. You may take it and get off of Romulus as soon as you can. I will be able to cover your departure for a short while but for your safety it would be best to exit Romulan space as quickly as you can. You will not be truly safe until you are back home in Federation space." Moralis explained as he walked.

Captain Price was watching the various prisoners as they walked past the cells and listened to the Senator. He felt a sudden hesitation more then anything else when Moralis suddenly stopped in his tracks. It caused Lee to return his attentions up front and away from the deprived prisoners.

"Isn't this quite touching?..." stated a recognizably evil voice up ahead. It was Senator Piedon, standing in their path holding a disruptor on the party.

Elaithin's eyes narrowed at the bone-thin senator who'd also been his torturer. His earlier promise to kill the man now rang in his ears, but, wisely, he held back. Peterson noticed the sudden tenseness in his friend, and correctly came to the conclusion of Piedon's significance to Elaithin.

His grip around the Bajoran became just a little tighter. He doubted holding the beaten man back would be necessary...but it always paid to be on the safe side. Brute force would not win this scenario. The ball - and thier lives - were in the two Romulan Senators' hands.

"Piedon!" Senator Moralis declared. It was obvious the two politicians were rivals, and just as obvious that Moralis feared his evil colleague.

"Senator Moralis. I never would have expected that you would be a sympathizer for the people. No matter. This plays perfectly into my plan..."

Once again the Romulan Imperial Senate members sharp Romulan features made him take on a demonic hint as he took a few steps closer, semi circling to one side nearer to the opposite cells. The unnaturally dim lighting in the dungeons played off his face, deepening his evil glint.

"Killed while trying to escape. Four Federation spies and saboteurs and two Romulan collaborators, including a distinguished member of the Imperial Senate! I couldn't have asked for a more infuriating situation by which to rally our people to war." Piedon boasted.

"It's a classic." Jii murmured.

"Damn clever if you ask me." Peterson responded.

Senator Moralis stood pride-fully. He believed what he was doing was for the betterment of the Romulan people. "You wouldn't dare harm a member of the Imperial Senate Piedon."

Piedon's smile twisted wider, his brows slanted higher. "Wouldn't I Senator?..." he stated as he adjusted his disruptor and prepared to fire on the six souls in the corridor...

(To be concluded... dunt-dun-dun -- du-dun! :)

"The Death of Leo Streely"

An epic moment in USS GALAXY history, featuring the little big man himself, El Leo Magnifico - making the 'ultimate sacrifice' !

Also showing thier grubby little faces: NPC Amy Grant-Green (last seen being blasted by the Hirogen Alpha.), the terrified children of the USS GALAXY (Last seen cowering in terror!), and a token Hirogen baddie - just for good measure.

Here we go...

Time: Just after Lirup blasted poor ol' Amy. (A few weeks ago, thereby making this a back post. Sorry 'Pick.)

Location: Emergency shelter 4-B, USS GALAXY

Time moved in slow motion.

One instant, Leo was laughing and joking with the children, regailing them with a particularly randy parable of one of the misadventures of his youth.

The next, everything froze to a crawl.

The Hirogen Alpha entered the shelter with Captain Brhode on some sort of leash. Panic swept across each tiny little face. Leo eyed the slowly rising and particularly wicked looking blaster in the Alpha's hand begin to creep up.

He stood and raised his arms to shield the kids from the inevitible, when Amy Green stepped directly in front of him with defiance blazing in her eyes.

The blaster's muzzle flashed brightly....

...and then silence.

The terrible, blood curdling screams of terror from the chilren, the words that fell from the Hirogen leader's mouth, the sound of Amy Green's thin body crashing to the floor - all swallowed up by an eerie silence.

Then the most unexpected of voices snapped him back into the real world.

It was the sound of his cloned self now residing in his body.

:: "Help her, Leo! Move your ass! Do some of that ER, Dr. Benton shit! ::

Instantly the sounds of screaming children revertibrated through the air as if he had just come up from being under water. Leo scrambled to calm them down, shushing them and reassuring them that everything would be ok.

"Save Ms. Green, Uncle Leo!" a little girl pleaded with tears streaming down her tiny face.

:: You heard the runt! Dont Let her die, buddy!::

"OK! OK! Save her! Right! I got it! " he said nervously as he turned the woman over ever so gently. Her tunic bore a slight singing but otherwise, she showed none of the tell tale signs of being shot. That wasn't really a suprise. Leo figured hunters wouldn't want to damage thier potential trophies.

"What do I do now?" he asked himself.

:: Check to see if she's breathin!:: his conscious suggested.

Leo leaned foreward, placing his ear just above her lips. "Nothing, now what?"

:: What do you mean now what? we have watched hundreds of hours of Baywatch 3000! :::

"Yeah but that was just to see big fat hooters jiggle!" Leo argued with himself.

:: Oh for the love of Hasselhoff you must have remembered something!:::

"Look, I dont see you...CHEST COMPRESSIONS!!!"

::That's it! That's the ticket! ::

Leo cupped the woman's chest.

"Look, I'm sorry about feeling you up like this and if it helps bring you back in any way, I want you to know that I'm trying not to pay attention to the feel of your nipples."

:: Push, Leo! Push! ::

"Right, right! OK, here we go...1..2..3..4.." Leo called out, pushing on the womans heart, then stopping to check and see if she was up and running.

Nothing.

::Again! ::

Still Nothing.

:: Mouth to Mouth!!::

Leo smiled. " Now your thinkin! A touch of the toung and they light right up!"

:: Im not alking about frenching her, Lunchbox! Just blow! ::

"OK, OK, just blow her. Got it." Leo said puckering up and blowing deeply twice into the woman's mouth. Her chest rose and fell. Then nothing. Leo followed it up with more compressions followed by another two breaths.

Still nothing.

He began to grow nervous, looking at teh kids who were depending on him. He would be damned if he would let them down. "C'mon, lady! I aint suckin face with a corpse here, and if you die, Brhode will just kill you again for kicks. C'mon now. Here we go!'

::C'mon, girl, breathe!::

All eyes focused on Leo as he worked. Even the Hirogen guard had begun to watch the little man relentlessly switch between compressions and breathing all the while reassuring the kids that it would all be ok.

Minutes passed.

::It ain't workin! ::

"I aint quitin! " Leo spat, never missing a beat.

::Leo, we need to try something else.::

"What the hell else is there?" Leo yelled frustrated.

::Buddy, you got to let me try. ::

"What the hell are you talking about?" Leo asked himself.

::My life essense was blended with yours. You have two lives in one body.Release me Leo. Let me go into her. ::

"Is that some kind of sexual thing? I dont do that kinda crap in front of kids!"

:: No Leo! You have to concentrate on releasing me. You can do it!By sacrificing me..a part of yourself..maybe we can get her going again! ::

Leo paused. "What will happen to you?"

:: Well, I think I'll bite the big one. But at least I go out the way I always wanted to...in a beautiful woman. ::

"Well, I cant really tell me know on that one."

::Time's wasting Leo. If we're gonna do this, we gotta try now! ::

Leo looked from the kids to the poor teacher's body and nodded.

"Let's rock."

He laid both hands upon the woman's chest.

::It's been a hell of a ride there, partner. ::

"You do realize that if I ever nail this chick, it will be like doing myself somehow. "Leo said trying to lighten the mood.

:: Cool, ain't it?!::

"Oh yeah! " Leo replied, closing his eyes and concentrating on the woman, himself and his other self. He envisioned Leo 2 rising from his body. He scrunched hsi brow and focused and...

...nothing happened...

...at first.

Then Leo's hands began to glow bright blue. (Think of cheesy 80's chop suey flick teh Last dragon here!)

The kids ghasped as the glow worked it's way around the man until it enveloped his entire body. The hirogen gripped his rifle in disbelief as a phantom like image of the bartender rose up seemingly from the man's body. The appirition grabbed it's crotch with one hand and gestured with his middle finger on the other., then it back flipped directly into the woman's body wrapping her in the ghostly blue glow that once encompassed Leo, who had now scrambled slightly backwards and was attempting to catch his breath.

"You there, self?" he asked.

there was no answer.

The blue glow that enveloped Amy started to retract itself until it disappeared completely into the woman's chest. She began to spasm, then cough, then finallyher eyes snapped open and looked Leo straight in the face.

"Oh my god, all the angels look just like Leo!" she ghasped.

"You wish, babe!" Leo said with a wink. The children let out a thunderous cheer.

The Hirogen guard dropped his rifle in disbelief! teror flickered across his face. "By Yadabba..and he who must not be named!!" It ...it cannot...she was dead! You are..."

Leo advanced on the behemouth. "Oh I gots a name buddy! Its Big Hoss the Chosen One and I'm about to split some Hirogen whigs! The day of the dog has finally arrived!" Leo said grabbing the discarded rifle and hefting it to across his shoulder.

The hunter backed out of the shelter then broke off into a nervous run down the hall, calling upon all he concidred holy.

Leo just grinned. "Hey kids, who want's to see Uncle Leo here kick some ass?"

The deafening cheer was all the answer he needed.

Off to the side one of the children stood awestruck.

This was no ordinary child however.

"Amazing. I dodnt know that they had it in them." Q thought to himself, a smile plastered on his boyish face.

"Clash of the Titians"
The Final Showdown between Captain John Brhode, USS GALAXY and the Hirogen Alpha, Lirup.

Time: Stands still for confrontations like this, as even the Gods pause to watch!

Location: The Planet of Doom

-------------------------------------------

"The thundering line of battle stands and in the air, Death moans and sings." - Julian Grenfel, "Into Battle"

------------------------------------------

It was a scene straight out of Dante's "Inferno".

The planet around which the pirated Federation Starship Galaxy and a a small fleet of Hirogen ships currently orbited had many varied climates. Thick jungles and swamps. Frozen tundras and desert wastelands.

None were more geologically unstable than the planets south western hemisphere. The very mantle of the planet seemed to have been torn asunder.

A jagged gash was ripped across the jungle, miles long. Molten lava could be seen coarsing through the deep fissure as blood through a body. Four volcanos pushed up from around the trembling ground. Thier fiery mouths spewing forth thik, black smoke that filled the skys blotting out the sun.

Twin waterfalls hisses with boiling murky water that reflected the flashing lightning and trembled with every crash of thunder conjuring up thoughts of the river Styx.

Under normal circumstances this reigon would be picturesque and serene.

Now it looked as though someone had thrown open the gates of Hades, and there in the middle of the chaos and looming death, amongst the earthquakes and sea of fire, before an ominous black back drop on a dying continent, stood only two men.

The armored Hirogen Alpha, Lirup and the unarmed and battered human Captain, John Brhode.

The human grinned.

"Enough to shake your short hairs, ain't it?"

With a ferocious battle growl, the Hirogen Alpha raised the spear in the ready position and charged straight at him.

Brhode didn't move.

Blood lust welled up in Lirup's eyes as he rapidly closed the distance between the arrogant human. His grip tightened on his spear and his black lips split in a sadistic smile as he prepared to run the Captain through....

....but Brhode just stepped out of the way, calmly and smoothly, sidestepping the charging Hirogen like a trained matador.

Lirup skidded to a stop and snapped around to see the human laughing at him.

"How in the blue hell did you manage to become Alpha? Were there no women available? No children? Really scraped the bottom of the ol barrel to find you didn't they?"

The Alpha let loose a terrible hiss and charged once again, but once more Brhode calmly and gracefully moved out of the way of the attack.

"Ole', Mother Fucker." Brhode said.

Lirup was enraged by the Captain's tactics. One more time he thundered towards the human, this time prepared for him to move out of the way as he had done twice before. Instead, the Captain crouched in place, grabbed hold of the spear and using the Hirogen's own momentum, sent him sailing through the air and crashing into the ever shifting ground.

Thunder boomed across the black sky and the ground trembled as if Lirup's own fury was being felt through the planet itself.

"That all you have, Soul Train? I have to admit, I expected more. That was my mistake. I should have realized that a guy like you, who mates with males and all is about as incompitent as any member of my engineering staff. How do you feel about a job?" Brhode asked snydely.

Lirup heaved the spear at John in a blind rage. The human easily batted it aside, sending it into the boiling river.

"I will carve your tounge from your very mouth!" the Alpha cried brandishing his short bladed axe.

"Careful that you don't knick your mother's ass when you try it. That's usually where my tounge hangs out when I'm not on duty." Brhode taunted.

The Alpha cut loose with a fury of swings, some missing the dancing human by less than an inch, yet none could find thier target. Just when he thought that he had the upper hand on his prey, Brhode would scamper away unscathed, further enraging the Hirogen by never once attempting to even throw so much as one punch.

The cat and mouse game went on for what seemed like hours before the backdrop of fury being painted by the volcanoes that threatened to errupt at any moment.

Untill finally the elder Hirogen showed signs of exhaustion.

Brhode was quick to pick up on it.

"Awww! What's the matter there scaley? You huffing and puffing a little? Gettin kind of tired maybe? Need to take a little nap ? Maybe a glass of warm milk?"

The sluggish Hirogen coughed and swung his axe wildly, missing the human by nearly a meter. The fine conditioned Captan lashed out with a vicious kick that connected with the Alpha's stomach, doubling him over and exposing the base of his neck. Brhode capitalized on it with a blow from his left hand that jarred the helmet loose and sent it spinning off the rocks.

The exhausted behemouth fell to the ground, fear and bewilderment were apparent on his face.

Brhode hit him with a soccer style kick that sent him sprawling in disbelief.

"I learned a lot from the military, you see. They taught me not only to prepare for battle, but to long for it. That longing led to John Brhode's 5 Rules of Hand to Hand Combat. Sounds intreguing doesnt it. Well fear not old bean, i'm gonna teach them to you." he said with a smile to the near defenseless Hirogen.

"Ding Ding! School's in session!" he said lashing out with anopther kick that thudded squarely into the Alpha.

"Rule number 5..Always watch your opponent. See while you were jerking me around my ship...which reminds me..." he paused and struck with a right hand. "When you were being a pretentious dick head, I was studying you. And do you know what I learned? That your frail old ass had help doing everything. I would wager you were even spoon fed. Do you know what that tells me?" he asked.

Lirup spat blood and swung at the Captain who easily blocked the weakened blow and landed a combo of his own.

"Wrong answer. It tells me that you probibly would run out of gas quickly, especially if goaded onto combat." he punctuated that statement with another kick that sent the Hirogen to the soil again.

That bring's me to rule Number 4..take advantage of your opponents apparent strengths. Your strength was your ego. You ran ordered everyone about and dared them to challange you based on your reputation, but you know what? I wipe monkey's asses with your reputation!"

Again Brhode connected with a kick.

"This almost isn't any fun. Number 3..Always think two moves ahead. Now this one your gonna just love to death. See while were down here, my crew is taking over the ship. Oh, bet you didn't see that one coming did you? Nah, of coarse you didn't otherwise you would have never let me take you, the Hirogen leader from his army of imbicels."

Another punch to the defenseless Hirogen, who stood on wobbling feet near the mouth of a small lava stream.

"This would be a great time to cover rule Number 2...pay a visit to the jeweles!" he said, unleashing a resounding kick to the Hirogen elder's testicales. the creature staggered while holding himself and slipped backwards into the lava.

"Oh your not getting away that easily!" Brhode said yanking the now screaming and legless Alpha back on land.

"Oh Fuck, that's gotta hurt doesn't it?" He said squatting down to look at the cauterized limbs. "I guess that brings me to John Brhode's 1st Rule of Hand to Hand Combat: Never Fuck with John Brhode!"

With that he lept up and began wildly stomping the crippled Hirogen into the ground, until it appeared that Lirup was barely conscious.

"This may be presumotious of me to say, but I think I just whipped your ass." Brhode gloated. "Now that I am the leader of your people, who I plan on killing by the way, I think I'll take myself a little trophy or two of this great hunt. It's been such a hell fo a good time, I want to always remember it."

He hefted the hunter's fallen ax.

"Pick a number between one and two." the human mused.

Lirup, nearly delerious coughed and spat up a large bubble of blood.

"One it is!" Brhode said swinging the ax and amputating the Alpha's arm.

He held the severed limb high above his head and locked gazes with the nearly dead Hirogen.

"Ever seen a man beaten with his own arm?" Brhode asked before the familiar tingle of a transporter beam enveloped him and his grisly trophy and beamed them away.

"Final Showdown"
by Lt. Brightspot to-Srallansre,
Ensign Nosemaj Nna Yllek, Pakled Tactical Officer (NPC), MajOnk, NPC Hirogen Cub
--------------------------------------------------------

Arriving back at the cave, Brightspot informed Nosemaj that they were the sole two surviving Starfleet officers from their motley group, but the good news was that only Hirogen cub was still alive.

Nosemaj procceeded to bawl like a baby, screaming about them being doomed, so finally, Brightspot had to slap her a few times across the face before she shut up.

Since both of them now had energy weapons, the odds were with them, although Brightspot didn't let the Pakled know that she was virtually useless.

Lighting a fire, they had a good meal with the left over veggies and took turns napping.

**************************

Early the next morning..

Brightspot went out for another foraging expedition.

Threading her way through the forest, she found another large clump of 'Pakled potatos'. Grinning, she filled a makeshift bag with them before heading back to the cave.

Reaching the entrance, she strode into it and threw the potatos down. A second later, she slumped to the ground thanks to the efforts of a big tree log smashing forcefully into the back of her head.

**************************

Groaning, Brightspot opened her eyes slowly, for her head was swirling. Even though her skull was thick, enough of a blow could easily knock her out.

Shifting, she found all her limbs were tightly tied down to a very large flattish rock, and also found that her tail was restrained as well.

Obviously, someone was being overly cautious.

Turning her head, she groaned when she saw it was the hirogen and not Nosemaj playing a sick & twisted game.

'How could I be soo damn stupid?? I hope Nosemaj got away safely and knows to just run & run & run.' she thought.

The Hirogen walked over to her and ran a hand down her soft side fur. Growling in a deep tone and baring her fangs & claws, Brightspot tried to shift away.

She was rewarded with a hard punch to the stomach, which nearly caused her to retch.

Suddenly, she smelt a burning smell and a sharp searing pain from her underarm. Screaming in pain, Brightspot felt herself fainting but was brought back awake by a slap to the face.

"I am MajOnk, your torturer."

MajOnk moved around the other side and Brightspot caught the glimpse of some sort of steel rod that glowed red at one end. Her other underarm got the same treatment, causing more pain.

"This is for my teacher and brothers."

Putting down the rod, he picked up a rock and smashed it against her face. She heard a crack and felt sharp pain. She tasted blood and spat outwards. Spotting one of her teeth falling as well, she clenched her paws.

Two more fangs joined the others before he got bored of that.

"Now, you are going to feel pain.

Showing her some sort of plier-like device, he grabbed her left paw and twisted it. She instantly retracted her claws, but by applying sharp pressure to the sensitive padds, he was able to get one to extend enough for the pliers to connect.

Ripping backwards, he yanked it out of her paw, causing her to screech.

It didn't take much longer before he had removed a claw from each paw, effectivly crippling any chance she had of moving quickly should she escape.

Grunting through the pain, she realised this one was the most cunning, and regretted not taking him out instead.

She spoke in a forceful tone now, "You will be very sorry when I get loose."

MajOnk laughed and picked up another steel rod, which he swung. This one wasn't glowing red hot, not even hot at all, but its effect was far more devastating, as it was forcefull propelled down & inwards against the rock.

Unfortunatly for Brightspot, her sensitive boned tail was tied down & now between the rod & the rock. Her whole body seared with pain and she jumped upwards to the limit of her restraints, shaking and screeching as the Hirogen continued to lash into her tail.

As she fell unconscious a minute later, her mind picked up a green blur to the side.

**************************

Moving cautiously forwards, Nosemaj shakely held the energy weapon always pointed at the Hirogen, who was now lying on the ground.

A smoking black hole existed in the middle of his back from where Nosemaj had held down the trigger for a minute or so. Kicking him a few times, she was sure that he wasn't going to move before taking one of his knives.

Making her way to the stone altar, Nosemaj out a hand to the Sivaoan's neck and was relieved to find that she was still alive.

Carefully, she cut the ropes binding the injured woman and then used some torn strips from her uniform to mop up some of the blood.

Since Brightspot was out of action, Nosemaj guessed it was upto her.

"Healing of a serious infection"
by Lt. Cmdr Ragnald Gustavson, rebel

For a time he wasn't even able to determine Ragnald watched red and blue dots move around on the bridge's main screen. First the blue dots with the meaning of a Galaxy crew member were spread all-over the Galaxy's schematics while the red Hirogen dots concentrated on a few vital areas of the big old lady. Meanwhile the situation had changed. In several of the formerly infected areas of the schematics the red color had vanished. Often there was a message reporting how many of his crew mates were rescued.

[Surfer to Viking. Execution room liberated. 16 recovered. Will send to rally point]

Execution room? Donar's sake, Ragnald guessed from the frequently vanishing of blue dots that something cruel was going on in that area of deck 11. Now the suspicion became bitter truth. But the threat was gone and at least 16 of his crew mates were safe.

Finally one last focus of infection was left. A group of blue anti-bodys seemed to move toward it - the battle bridge. A few minutes and the organism Galaxy would have healed herself from a serious infection - called Hirogen.

"Sir! The Hirogen! They need more oxygen in the air than we do! They tampered with the environment controls when they came onboard. If we were to reset them to proper levels, we might gain an edge. They would tire out a lot faster!" said Curtis.

"Good point, Ensign", answered Ragnald, "we won't kill them but we may at least buy us a little advantage. Try to reset the oxygen level to standard. And probably they have a metabolism similar to the Terran lizards. Reduce the temperature in the battle bridge area to 2° Celsius."

It wasn't really the battle bridge infection what was scaring the red haired chief helmsman. Although the Galaxy was cloaked by her engines in stealth mode and the nebula surrounding her, there were still Hirogen hunter vessels expected to follow her trail. Damaged as the big old lady was there was no hope of standing the attacks of those well armed vessels for long. And it was impossible to outmaneuver two of them with the engines in the poor condition they were in. No doubt, the Galaxy had to get rid of them before the impact of the nebula's radiation drove the Galaxy back to open space. Before the crew was able to eliminate this threat they would have to find their enemy. But how? The Hirogen were clever enough not to emit any signature detectable by the Galaxy's passive scanners. Usage of the Galaxy's powerful active scanners would certainly reveal the Galaxy's position - a lethal mistake.

With the inner infection almost healed, 'Commander G' dared to reestablish voice link.

[ Widow? Initiate a course change to a starboard spiral 1.507 mark 358.493 continuing. Farmboy? Launch a class 6 probe to the center of the spiral and let it scan the trail starting at our current position. Standby to fire a full spread of torpedoes to the last reported scan direction of the probe. ]

A tired and hungry but contend Lt. Commander Gustavson laid back in the center chair.

"The Semi-tragic Fall From the Newty Graces"

Part II
Lt. j/g Arel Smith, Security Officer
Lt. Cmdr Lysander Somthing or Other, Chief Tactical Officer
Cmdr. Lita Jorvan NPC (Dallas made her a sluttier version of
Rebecca with bigger hooters, not me!) JAG Agent (wink wink)
NPC Samantha Widdlestein aged 8
unauthorized cameos by Kit Jordan.

* * * *

Lita stared the little ensemble up and down.

Great.

Frikkin great.

Stuck on some mudball, with a drunk reporter, a talkative kid, some lizard newt things, a Louie Junior who had a -real- bad attitude. . . and her ex-boyfriend.

Lysander (shudder)

"You're a Lieutenant Commander. She's a Commander. She's in charge." said the Louie Junior to Hawksley, albeit through gritted teeth. Lysander just looked sort of sheepish and kicked at some mud.

For some reason, Lysander was humming a BAD song again...and again it was hummed badly and offkey.

Lita couldn't decide if the girl was as tough as she thought she was or not. Oh well, K'Ringe could fold her like a pretzel. Too bad he was on a Klingon Penal Asteroid and not here. Lita eyed the three adults and wondered which one she would get so bored with bodssing around that she would sleep with them.

". . .and my Mummy said that . . " the runt was nattering on.

Lita bent over and gently placed one finger on the girl's lips. "Honey, yer momma's up on that ship and probally dead. Hear me? Dead. So shut up."

Arel's eyes suddenly went from frosty blue-green to Antarctic ice age blue-green. "Was that really neccessary, sir?" Not that she liked the little ankle-biter but she still was only a child.

Lita merely glared at the subordinate officer and muttered 'Yes' before returning to her intense scrutiny of Samantha.

Kit Jordan wasn't -that- drunk that she didn't recognise the name, or who Lita really was. Her 'Hoth' detector lit up her mind better than the raspberry-chocolate mousse wine ever could. But damned if she admitted it. The story would be too good to loose. This was a thread of -THE- story

While Kit didn't particuarly like Samantha Widdlestein, she could sense the same thing that Samantha did, as tears welled in the childs eyes and she cast a beseeching glance at the adults, even the one she'd been calling 'bitch' since that fateful day outside Hawksley's quarters.

That -this- bitch was -bad news- through and through.

"Fuka'h! Andy is this 'lady' gonna'h talk to a. . ." Kit began before the bitch stood up and looked at her.

"You. Reporter girl. Shut the fuck up, if you want off this scuzzy planet. Lieutenant Smith? If this..civilian speaks again, knock her out or something." Lita replied, eyeing Kit with a look that promised that she was hoping Kit would keep talking.

"If you can cite the protocol for that, sir, I will be happy to oblige" Arel said without humor.

"Sure. I'm in charge. I said 'if she opens her mouth you knock her out.' Don't kill, fold, or mutilate her, just knock her right the fuck out. I'm sure she's smart enough to keep her mouth shut. That enough protocol Lieutenant?"

Not really, Arel thought sourly.

Lita turned to Lysander. The one guy who'd ever -rejected- her! He grinned that stupid looking grin at everybody but her.

"Stop grinning at me, you monkey loving bastard. Get your ass out of my sight. You're banished. Hey newts, you have a place this guy can go get some edible food for the rest of us? Somthing that doesn't wriggle?" Lita sneered.

Lysander gave her an undechiperable look knelt down by the softly snuffling Samantha. He gently tucked his finger under her chin and tilted her face up so she looked at him.

"Look, Samantha. That lady is wrong about your mother. I'm sure she's fine. I have to...um.. go get some food. So you listen to Arel, and keep her from sticking a knife in that..lady until I get back. Okay?"

Samantha let it all go in a flood, tears and snot running down her face as she yelled between great gasping sobs.

"D..d.dd.d.don't go! You and Arel are the o.. o.only p...people here I like! That reporter bitch sneaks out at night and p..ppp..probally smooches the Hirogen...plus Mummy says that n..n.n.no lady drinks that much! A...a...and I know A...A..a.a.Arel and she's gonna stick a k..k..knife in that new...b..b..b.bitch a..a. and if A..a...Arel is in the B..b.b.b.brig then she never w...w..will find a b..b..boyfriend!"

Arel couldn't really argue, although the runt's quest to get her laid was becomming just a tad offensive.

Lysander offered what remained of the right sleeve of his Jacket to the child, to wipe her face clean.

"Shhhh...I know...that thing you've been holding for me? Our secret? Give it to me..that way you know I'll be back."

Samantha looked sly for a moment, and slipped Lysander a small, rag wrapped bundle before looking again like a distraught child. As Lysander stood and gave Arel a plainly cautioning glance; Samantha shyly grabbed Kit Jordan's leg and buried her face in it, sobbing again.

"Kapla" Arel said to him with her customary frown.

"Geiushundteit...you should do something about that cold. . .listen, play along with ....her until I get back. I have a plan." Lysander replied to Arel.

"Put it into action quickly." Arel said.

Lysander suprprised her by bowing his head like a Klingon Warrior and grunting his agreement, as he executed a passable version of the 'fist to chest' salute between warriors.

Of course he had to ruin it by winking afterwards and saying "See ya around Targ Face. Don't kill her just yet, leave something for me."

She could just imagine too which part he'd want. Well, considering Lysander's proclevities, she could imagine TWO parts he'd probally want. Unless Ensign Pressly beat him to the corpse. Perverts.

"Andy...be cah'ful..." Kit said...plainly torn between comforting Samantha, or pushing the child away, envisioning the snot on her pantleg and -not- relishing the maternal surrogating.

"Make yourself useful, you limp dicked bastard. Go find food, the newts will show you to some island or something. Don't come back emptyhanded either." Lita said, plainly irritated that Lysander was ignoring her while following her orders to the letter.

Lysander didn't acknowledge her; just walked out of camp with his head held moderatly high. Samantha, Arel, and Kit turned to collectively glare at Lita Jorvan. The JAG officer swallowed slightly.

"You're a bad woman. I thought Kit was a bitch, but she just wanted to be my Darling Lysanders new Auntie. You're a bad super-bitch though. Mummy says that people get what they have coming to them and you, lady, have a really bad thing coming to you. You are -not- invited to my and Arel's joint wedding." Samantha told her.

Arel looked puzzled. Maybe she should have listened closer to the nattering runt? This was the first she'd heard about this.

"Too bad Mummy's dead, huh kid? And for your wedding... I've had your Darling Lysander. You can have him, provided you chain him to your bed to keep him from wandering." replied Lita, gazing off after Lysander with an odd look. "Hey Lieutenant, take the civilians somewhere and make sure they don't wander away. Then you and I will sit down and figure out what we have to do to keep them alive."

Nothing could give me more pleasure, Arel thought darkly but nodded. She motioned at the other two to follow and the three of them walked out of sight of the commander.

"Ah-rel" Samantha whined. "I DONT LIKE HER! One bit! My Mummy always says that if don't like someone, be quiet about them. But I REALLY don't like her."

"Get over it" Arel shrugged.

"She's mean and she said bad things about Mummy and she..she looks like a barbie, only a mean slutty barbie! Actually.. she looks like someone..."

"What's a barbie?" Arel asked.

"A sexist dollie that men keep mak'in tah subjegate women tah thei'ah oppressive mindsets." Kit said with a frown, forgetting that she was supposed to be playing 'brainless and drunk' Why would one of Admiral Hoths 'Tac-Response Squad' goons be re-assigned to JAG and end up on this wart of nowhere?

"Well, you watch Samantha and I'll go talk to the barbie." She gave Kit a stern look. "Please stay out of trouble, Miss Jordan. I think that after this meeting I will want to hit someone hard so don't do anything that will warrant it." Kit stared impassively at the Security Officer, then she grinned. "Andy'll be back soon. Save it fah him. He likes it. . ."

Samantha eyed Kit and wondered where Kit had gotten -that- piece of information. Arel wondered why the hell the reporter insisted on calling him Andy.

Arel stomped back to talk with Jorvan.

"I think Commander Barbie will be dead by morning" Samantha sniffed as they watched Arel leave.

"Heh cah'rreh alrea'deh is. . ." mused Kit, as her busy brain started fitting little pieces together.

All in all, the discussion wasn't too bad. Arel only kicked two newts to the stars after they got in her way.

"The one where she bonds with the kid"
by Kit Jordan
with Samantha Widdlestein (Aged 8) Notorious NPC

**

Life was really rather filled with cruel jokes, Kit decided as she sat there at the base of the tree, the supposedly eight year old Samantha sitting in her lap and asleep with her head against Kit's chest. She hadn't wanted to sleep on the ground anyway, said it was dirty and there were "ewey creepy crawlies" everywhere, and while Jordan was bony and too skinny and her mummy said it "wasn't right for a woman to be that skinny", it was better than the ground.

For eight years old, Samantha was actually very small, and probably would have passed better for a four year old. Kit doubted the child was even close to a full meter in height and probably weighted a cool fifty pounds.

So she sat there with her child blanket against the chill as the sun slowly began to set on the Planet Hell and she did the only thing she could think of at the moment and began to tally up the things that she did wrong over the course of this experience-- the things she had done right would be listed once she was safely back in Federation hands and had taken her shower. Things of that nature she be left for situations of that nature.

First, she'd allowed it to happen in the first place. A good reporter would have gone unrecognized and uncaught and she would have been able to cover the ship as was her original assignment. While this was a good alternative and would present a strong four part series as she was planning in her head (complete with pictures), it was not her intent and rather annoyed her to be honest.

Second, she'd stuck close to Lysander. While it had its merits, it was also a point of concern and she wasn't too thrilled with the idea. Samantha seemed to have gotten the wrong idea and she hoped to Gods that he didn't get the same idea. Then again, he was so wrapped up on Rebecca that he was probably oblivious to whatever he was thinking, if that indeed turn out to be anything at all, that it didn't matter much. Jordan wondered if Rebecca was even still alive... For Lysander's sake she hoped so. Andy wasn't such a bad guy for someone with an unfortunately long name... Her sake too. The secret to Hoth lay in Rebecca's tiny little head.

Third, while she had realized long ago that the "drunk" act worked well to aid in the gathering of information (people tended to doctor what they said less around those they didn't think would understand or remember it later), she was afraid she might have done too good a job at it and that her already sketchy reputation on the ship would be further injured. Oh well. It would just make her life a little more difficult-- maybe she would just threaten Andy with his life... it wasn't hard to tell he was scared to death of her. She was pretty sure he had issues with the women in his life.

Fourth, in the midst of her "drunk act", she had actually drunk some of it, and it was absolutely terrible. She despised chocolate and fruit taste and anything with a thick texture was not meant to be drunk anyway. It sat heavily in her stomach and she wanted to vomit. Besides. Alcohol was one thing. Alcohol that didn't taste like alcohol? That was just wrong. Give her a nice glass of wine any day. Seriously.

Fifth, she was beginning to think that the kid wasn't so vile, a decision that hadn't quite turned into a mistake yet, but Kit could easily see it coming back to haunt her in the time to come. She felt sorry for the kid, really; that JAG chick (and as much as she hated the term, chick was the only way to conceivably explain the type of person this Lita character was) was very out of line. If it wasn't for the fact that Jordan didn't feel as steady on her feet as normal (chalking that one up to malnutrition, she decided) she would have tried to fight the thing. She was probably top heavy anyway, especially with the over sized head and the boobs that were probably all plastic anyway. And if they weren't... well... something more to steam over, she supposed. Some people have all the luck...

Though she wasn't sure Lita was a person. More an oversized barbie-doll, oversexed bully.

Only she could pick on Samantha, damn it. The kid was... well, the kid didn't deserve it too malitiously.

"Kit?" Samantha mumbled. "My mummy's not dead, is she?"

"No."

"But that mega-bitch--"

"That megar-bitch doesn't know what she's talking about," Jordan replied, smoothing Samantha's hair softly. "She's just a mean spi'ated pah'son whose mummy didn't love hah like yah's loves you."

"I'm sorry I was mean to you."

"Yeah, well, I'm used to it," Jordan replied. "And Samanther, I am not trying to steal Lysandah from you. He's not my type. Besides, he loves you too much." Might as well give the little kid something, huh?

"Really?"

"Really, really," Jordan answered, smirking softly.

There was a silence. "What did the mega-bitch mean when she said that'a she and Arel had ta keep us alive?"

"She meant she didn't know what the hell she was talking about," Kit said, biting her lower lip. "She's one'a those people who thinks she knows bettah than ev'yone else jus 'cause she makes men like hah and manipulates 'em."

"Manipulates?"

"Uses them to get what she wants."

"Oooh... my mummy says that's bad because it makes a woman use her... *secret place*."

Jordan couldn't help chuckling at that. Secret place... it was a riot that would have warranted a stronger laugh had she not been trying to put everything in place while she appeased this little girl.

"I just don't undahstand why she's heah in the fi'st place," Jordan murmured, her forehead creasing.

"I wish she'd go away," Samantha said through a yawn, sighed, and fell back to sleep, her little elbow wedging uncomfortably into Jordan's ribs. Kit cringed, tried to move as much as possible, and then settled on trying to ignore it. Let annoying children sleep, she supposed. She had things to figure out anyway... the answer was right on the tip of her brain, she was just missing one small link...

"The Air That I Breathe"

Lt. j/g Brian Elessidil
Counselor

with much-appreciated assistance by
Ensign Curtis Geluf
Engineering

[OOC: Occurs immediately after "To the Victors Go the Spoils".]

Five dead Hirogen.

As Brian quickly crossed Engineering something about that told him he should be glad, even ecstatic, that he and his companions had fought so well.

But any thoughts of those five dead Hirogen paled in comparison the one injured Bajoran he had asked Alia to tend to for awhile; she needed medical attention, more than what he or Alia could give right now. They had secured Engineering, but he prayed at not such a price.

Arriving at the main console, Brian deftly entered a few commands and secured all the doors to Engineering with a lock-out sequence. He knew his codes wouldn't have enough authority to keep anyone important out, but that was fine with him. Just as long as no more of those big scaley nightmares came in to find their unresponsive brethren.

He never realized how big Engineering was. Counselors rarely had occasion to be there; he himself had only been through once when he first came onboard. Then, it was full of crewmen, bustling to and fro, going about their various duties, most the nature of which he hadn't a clue. Now it was just him at the console. Him, a counselor, a pilot. Locking the doors was one thing but running - let alone defending - such a crucial and complex department? He was way out of his league here.

'God help us if anything like a warp core breach occurs,' he thought with dread as he fumbled through a few rudimentary diagnostics, just to make sure nothing like that was actually imminent.

He was convinced though, that what he and Alia and Shinta had accomplished was not unimportant, however. If the ship was going to be wrested from the control of their captors Engineering was one of several crucial places that they would have to have. And of course, so was the bridge.

It was time to find out if there was anyone up there. Even with the doors sealed, he knew he and Alia didn't stand a chance of doing this alone. If the rest of the ship was under Hirogen control, Engineering would become nothing more than his and Alia's mausoleum. And without help, Shinta would be dead even sooner.

He wasn't sure if it was the prudent thing to do, but he was going to have to risk communicating with someone up there. Taking a deep breath, he tapped his com badge.

"Bridge, this is Counselor Brian Elessidil to any crew member. Is anyone there?" He said it almost in a whisper, as if he were standing in the middle of a group of Hirogen hunters on their coffee break.

Ensign Geluf heard a sound come through the Comm system, a faint whisper, practically inaudible to human ears. Luckily, the engineer was not human. Commander Gustavson didn’t seem to notice the sound, so Curtis spoke up.

"Engineering, this is Ensign Curtis Geluf. Yes someone’s up here, me and Commander Gustavson were having a party, you’re welcome to join us." Curtis said.

Brian heaved a sigh of relief, "I’d love to Ensign, but I’ve got an injured crewman down here and I don’t know how long we’ll be able to hold things here on our own."

"You’ve got Engineering?!" said Curtis excitedly.

"Yeah, it’s a mess though, they're gonna have quite a time cleaning it up," Brian half jokingly replied.

"You mean -I'm- going to have a time cleaning it up. Engineering's my department."

The stressed counselor couldn't believe his luck. Not only did he find someone on the bridge but he was an engineer. "Hallelujah and Amen," he chuckled, shaking his head.

"Counselor, do you have any engineers down there with you?" asked Curtis.

"No, I’m afraid all you have to work with is me. As I said I have a downed crewman and someone taking care of her," Brian answered.

"All right then. I think I have a way to slow these Hirogen down. Do you see the environmental control console down there? It’s clearly labeled," Curtis instructed.

"Environmental control?" Brian muttered as he looked around at the various consoles nearby. "Yes, there it is," he said rather happily, once he spotted it.

"OK. Go to it and check the oxygen content."

"Alright, going."

Brian walked to the console and looked at the screen. He wasn’t sure, but the numbers he saw just didn’t look right to him. "I'm no engineer, Ensign, but the oxygen content looks WAY above normal. What's up with that?"

"The Hirogen must have tampered with it when they came on board. Hirogen need more oxygen in the atmosphere than we do. So if we lower the levels back to normal, we can seriously slow them down. Maybe even put them to sleep!" the ensign answered.

"I like the sound of that already, Ensign."

As he stood figuring out how to make this happen, Brian's mind drifted to Shinta. He was seriously concerned that the time he had to spend contacting the bridge and implementing this strategy was preventing him from helping her. 'One thing at a time, Brian,' he thought to himself. He had no choice right now but to trust that Alia was doing whatever she could to keep Shinta alive.

"Ship-wide oxygen levels are returning to 24%," he reported to the bridge.

"Yes!" came the reply from the excited Ensign Geluf. "Thanks, counselor -- you just did me and the rest of the crew a huge favor!"

"Glad to help, Ensign," Brian replied with a smile. "Next time you're short-handed here in Engineering, you be sure to give me a call."

"And anytime Counseling needs another person to help someone through a problem, you let -me- know," the amiable Ensign played back.

Suddenly Brian remembered Shinta. If she didn't get some medical attention soon, there just might be another opening in Counseling.

"Ensign, is there any possibility of a site-to-site transport?"

"I don't think so, Counselor, not just yet. We don't quite have full control over all the ship's systems yet."

Brian's heart sank. "Ensign, I need to know the moment that's possible. In the meantime, we're going to have to see if we can deal with this some other way."

"Understood, sir," came the reply. "We'll stay in touch."

"Thanks, Ensign. You've been a great help," Brian added, so glad that he was that much less on his own now. "Lieutenant Elessidil out."

With that, Brian hurried back across to other side of Engineering to tell Alia the good news . . . and hoping that Shinta was still alive.

"Getting Ready to Strike Part 3... Retaking the Battle Bridge"

By: Lieutenant Rose Isis MacAllen, Science Officer
Captain Victor MacAllen
Ensign Kay Macfarland
Ensign Rashid ibn Corina, Engineer
Lieutenant Junior Grade Dierdren Mhistecai Hermedhie

Retaking the Battle Bridge would be hard. Rose was thinking there were about between six to eight Hirgon soldiers on the Battle Bridge itself.

She looked back at the others, thinking of a plan because as of now time was slowing running out.

Rashid smiled up at Rose from the back. He knew that she would probably think of something to use when they attacked. He also knew that they would probably be able to defeat the Hirogen on the Battle Bridge. But there would be some casualties. He knew that intimately.

"Ok people pray to whatever gods you worship because in about a minute we're attacking." the young Betazoid told them, Kay gave a nod as the rest of the crew gets their phasers ready.

"Many of you will die today, if you do it was an honor to serve with you, may your god bless you, and please forgive me."

The rest of the group nodded solemnly. They seemed ready to fight to the death for their ship and their convictions.

"Get ready to fire when we start to get out of the tube." She got her phaser ready as one by one they started to step out of the tube ready to attack.

The rest of the party made it out of the tubes, and approached the Battle Bridge's doors. Rashid paused them all, and whispered, "You do realize that the first one through that door will receive a blast from whatever passes for a phaser, right?"

"I will go!" said Ensign Edward Scott who works in the Science lab with both Kay and Rose, Kay tried to hold him back but the young man kissed her and walked over to the older Betazoid woman.

"It have been an honor to serve you Lt. MacAllen, please when this is over take my body back to Betazed, to my mother and father."

She nodded as the young Betazoid male walked towards the door of the battle bridge.

As soon as he triggered the doors, a phaser blast hit him in the chest. Dierdren, who was a little more skilled with a phaser, fired back, hitting the source of the blast in the crotch. Then the party rushed the Battle Bridge.

Rose ran with the group then peeked into the doors to see how many Hirogen were on the bridge alone.

"There are about eight of them," the young Science officer said.

Rashid nodded and took a deep breath. He then dove in, and began firing the phaser rifle he had been given at every Hirogen he could see, hitting a few. He hoped that the others would follow his lead, and start eliminating some of the others.

One of the Hirogen attacked Rose as the ugly soldier gave her a deep cut on her right leg, the young woman bit her lip through the pain and put the phaser right up to soldier's face.

"Game over!" she told him with an evil look in the young woman's eyes and shot him though the head.

Dierdren hit two more of the Hirogen with shots to their crotches. She wasn't really aiming for that location. She was aiming for the center of their chests.

"YOU DAMN SONS OF BITCHES!!" Rose screamed as she grabbed the dead Hirogen's knife and slash another Hirogen's throat. Now for the first time in her life, the young Betazoid knew what true hate felt like.

Rashid looked at Rose, and grew quite concerned. She was beginning to lose herself in her hatred for the Hirogen. And that could mean that she would change for the worse. As the hatred warped her mind and soul. He looked around, and saw that the only Hirogen left alive was busy fighting hand-to-hand with one of the others. Rashid then moved over to Rose, and put his hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Rose. It is not a good thing to give in to your hate. Hate kills the soul. And it would not do for you to have a damaged soul."

She closed her eyes and started to take deep breaths, the hate grew smaller and smaller.

"I'm fine now Rashid, don't worry about me. All I worry about is taking over the battle bridge and helping to bring the rest of the crew home safely."

Rashid nodded, "That works for me."

After Kay killed the last Hirogen the young red haired woman gave her cousin an grin before taken the helms post while the others too what ever post was left.

Rose limped towards the Captain's chair..the big chair as her father called it and sat in it, for some reason she felt braver than she did before in her life and this mission proved it.

Captain Victor MacAllen took the Ops. post and smile at his only daughter, oh yes she will make an great commanding officer one day.

"Rashid, send message to the main bridge if you can and tell them that we have the battle bridge..the Hirogen have been killed and this part of the ship is free and safe."

As she lay back, the young Betaziod sent an prayer to the gods hoping for the save return of her mother, goddaugther, Autumn, Wilhem and the rest of her friends. But today in her life she have prove herself in the most diffrent way, not only in Science but also in Command.

"Whistle call" Version 3.0
(unaltered )

Joint post by Liam and TP
(who fought tooth and nail through this whole thing, but I suppose it deserves to get posted at last)

OOC: A VERY backstory post Some odd views we put together regarding Lysander's and Rebecca's experiences at Starfleet Academy. TO us the TV version always seemed a little too serene for a military Academy.

We put together a mixture of both of our 'plebe' days and came up with the following. Other members of Starfleet Class of 2374 feel free to have your own remembrances of theses events.

Year 2370, "Beast Week" August 22nd, Terran Calendar 0550 hours, earth PST
Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, "Beast Barracks"(Dorm 12) Home of Cadet Company E-2374
REBELS
* * * * *

"Gunnery Sergent Kong.you may do the honors.as it seems - this- company picked a Bosun who managed to get lost between the barracks and the Parade Ground." the commandant indicated the barracks door with an evil smile.

"Aye Aye Commodore. Thank you Sir!" Barked the ramrod straight Marine Gunnery Sergent, before he burst through the door and into the sleeping barracks, beating on the lid of the reclaimator chute with his swagger stick, the Second Year Cadets onhis heels like a pack of rabid chi-huahuas.

"Atten HUT! Company E! Wakey Wakey little gentlebeings! Officer on the Deck! Atte-hnut and Fall Out for Morning Inspection! Rebeeeeeelllllsssssssssss! FALL OUT MISTER! MOVE IT MOVE IT MOVE IT UP UP UP UP UP Where's the Cadet Bosun! Why isn't the Bosun sounding off? WHERES THE CADET BOSUN FOR THIS BARRACKS?" Shouted the Gunnery Sergent at the top of his lungs, as Cadets piled out of their racks and headed for the broad central isle, to be met by the sergent and the Second Year Cadet Commanders barking orders at the bleary eyed Plebes.

At the sergent's voice, and in some cases with his assistance via a flipped mattress; the cadets of the company began falling out of the racks, stacked four high in the Barracks. As 'Beasts" they didn't rate anything beyond the communal room.once the survivors finished the four weeks, they'd be allowed to march and greet the returning upper-class cadets, returning from their Cadet Cruises, and the entire Corps of Cadets would be assigned rooms within the Dormotories. It would be the first thing that the class of 2374 did as 'real' First Year Cadets. Assuming they lived through "Beast Barracks" Month. But until that date, it was 'sardine' time in the co-ed communal barracks buildings.

After several moments, the Commandant gestured the Sergant to the other Barracks, where he could already hear the whistle and shouts of Company F assembling at the doubletime.

Long innured to scrampling Plebes, and familiar in the ways they can screw up, the Commandant wisely stepped to one side of the hatchway, as a small redheaded figure plowed through it at top speed and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"REEEBEEEELLLL-EEEEEEEE! FIRST CALL FOR.SIR!" she got out, before registering the Grey and Black of an officer out of the corner of her eye, and snapping off a salute.

The high pitched yell of the nervous new Starfleet Cadet echoed off the early morning corridors of Dormitory 12's uppermost 'deck' This was the so called 'Cadet-Bosun' whose daily chore unfortunately included making the ritual 'whistle- call' for the remainder of their Cadet -Company at the top of her lungs.

Albeit, a bit late.

The unlucky Cadet Bosun tried to salute the Commodore, acknowledge the Second Year Cadet Commanders, and give her whistle call all at once. At the Commodore's salute, she tried to continue.

"SIR! U.u.u.u.uuu..UNIFORM FOR MORNING FORMATION IS COMPANY T- SHIRTS, GEEK SHORTS,AND RRRr.rr.rr.r.rRUNNING SHOES SIR. TEMPERATURE ON D..D..D.ddd.D.DECK IS SEVEN SIX DEGREES SIR!"

The commodore grinned to himself, the complicated ritual was rotated amongst the new First Year cadets on a daily basis and involved the ritualized announcement of the days activities, uniform, and most importantly . . . . ."SIR, MENU FOR MMmmmmm..M.MORNING CHOW IS CACKLE AND SCAB, WITH RIGID DEAL AND TANG FROM THE KP DETAIL, ALL SQUIDDYS ON THE BLOWER, SIR!"(Translation: Eggs and bacon, toast and Orange Juice, other species on Replicator call basis!)

Once she was done here with the beasts, she'd have to go to the Dormatories and perform the same function for those second and third year cadets who had opted for more schooling over a Cadet Cruise during their summer breaks.

Unless she messed it up, like she did right now.

The 'whistle-call' was complicated enough already. The unfortunate First Year selected for Bosun Cadet each morning had to make his/herway down four flights of stair, and across a half mile dew-slickened Parade ground to the Academy Daily Orders Board; where the Appropriate uniform for each day was posted, along with the menu for morning chow and the Daily Orders for the Corps of Cadets.

Running back across the fields and up the stairs again, the cadet popped to attention a precise six inches from the Dorm 'bulkhead'(wall) and made three separate 'Whistle Calls' screaming the appropriate information in bewildering slang through a throat already raw from endless days of yelling about everything else too. (Yelling was essential for a First Year in all dealings with superiors in orderto display proper 'motivation.')

Unfortunately it was the cherished duty of the SECOND and THIRD Year Cadet-Commanders to make life a living Hell for the aforementioned 'Beasts'' and todays victim had forgotten an important element in her 'Whistle Call'.

"WHAT THE FLYING FRAG? VON ERSNT!!???!!!" came the shout from the barracks, where the sole Second YEar Cadet was screaming at Plebes runing around trying to dress, Polish brass or boots, assemble running uniforms, get to the head, and/or form up, sometimes at the same time.

The rat-faced SecondYear Mr. Fecci, his visage livid with incredulous rage as he hurried down the Beast Barracks central aisle. "Where the blue novas was the WHISTLE in that Prophet-damned Whistle-call!??!?? Who forgets to whistle? It's tied around your stupid neck! Were you an idiot back in Kansas or wherever Von Ernst?"

The Commodore melted back into the shadows, to watch how the company dealt with the stress.

Gulping in panic, Young Cadet Rebecca Von Ernst attempted to bring herself to an even greater state of 'attention' and yelled the traditional reply of a Plebe being asked a question: "AHOY MR. Ffff..f.f.f. FECCI SIR!!!! SIR, NOT B..b.b.b.bBEING INFORMED TO THE HIGHEST DEGREEOF ACCURACY, I HESITATE TO ARTICULATE FOR FEAR I MmmmmM..M..m.MAY DEVIATE FROM THETRUE COURSE OF RECTITUDE. IN SHORT SIR, I'M A VERY DUMB CADET AND DO N..Nnnn.n.NOT KNOW!!!"

It didn't matter if a First Year knew the answer to a question or not in reality. The long-winded ritual was the ONLY possible response to a superiors question, at least during Beast Barracks. Rebecca prayed daily to whoever or whatever was listening that she made it through this ordeal, and got assigned to a room where she did NOT have to shower with the other females, or sleep across the room from fifteen smelly, snoring ICKY BOYS!

"Belay that garbage and blow the Call again! I swear.we should call you 'Plebe Cloaking Device' the way you try and blend into the background! Even that retard from Alpha Centauri didn't screw up this badly, and -he- stopped off at the head on -his- way back!" the evil faced Fecci sneered.

Taking a deep breath and lamenting her aching vocal chords, von Ernst attempted to rectify her grievous error. Fumbling for the ancient brass Bosuns whistle she held tightly in her sweaty little palm, vonErnst proceeded to produced the most god-awful shrill from the tiny instrument one could imagine.

"FWWWwwwwwwweeeeeeeet!!! "REEEEBEEEEELLL E! SIR FIRST CALL FORMORNING FORMATION SIR! SIR , FALL OUT FOR MORNIG FORMATION IN ONE ZERO MINUTES SIR! SIR, MENU FOR MORNING CHOW IS . . . ."

"Holy Targ Turds Plebe Cloaking Device! What the hell happened to uniform of the day!!???!! " Fecci roared in interruption. "How the hell are the rest of these useless wastes of protoplasm supposed to know what to wear to morning formation if your dumb freckled face doesn't blow the call right!??"

The fact that Second Year Cadet Fecci was already dressed in the appropriate PT gear for the typical Wednesday run made no difference. His job was to make all Beasts life a living hell. Fecci loved his work, he'd spent the better part of - his- First Year planning on exactly how he'd break these Plebes.. "Tell these dolts what to wear,because I surely do - not- want to see all your scrawny, miserable skins buck naked on my Academy Parade field!"

The Commandant made a mental note that Fecci would need some more attention from the counselors and watched to see the developments.

"Uh. . . N . n . noodles . . UNIFORM OF THE DAY IS COMPANY T- SHIRTS,GEEK SHORTS AND. . . "

"Hey Fecci.how come your company is.oh geeeze.look.Fecci's got Plebe Cloaking Device as Bosun today!" A new Second Year entered the Barracks (likewise already dressed in the appropriate uniform) and joined Fecci in the fun. "Between her stuttering and crying, all of your Company E will be falling out in combat boots, raingear and pink daisies!!"

Fecci did nothing but glare at his classmate and indicate Rebecca begin 'again.'

"AHOY MR. HALSTEAD SIR!!" von Ernst gurgled, throat burning horribly.

The Commandant nodded his approval, unremarked upon by all the Plebes and Cadets. Again by tradition a First Year was required to 'Open Hailing frequencies' with any upperclassman that appeared in their presence. If Fecci or the newly arrived Halstead deigned to leave the barracks, and reappear seconds later, poor von Ernst would have to'hail' them again.

"REEEBEEEEEL E! SIR, FIRST CALL FOR MORNING FOR.. . . ."

"Where's the Whistle? What's with you and the whistle, VonErnst? It's tied right around your scrawny neck! You're the bloody Bosun, blow the whistle FIRST!" Fecci snapped again, trying to ignore the open 'guffaw' from Halsted.

"FWWWWeeeeeeeettttttt!!!! "REBEEEL E! SIR FIRST CALL FOR MORNING FORMATION SIR! SIR, FALL OUT FOR MORNING FORMATION IN ONE ZERO MINUTES SIR, UNIFORM FOR MORNI. . . . . "

"Gee, Fecci, according to my watch, Fall Out is in zero seven minutes." Halstead made an exaggerated motion to emphasize looking at his watch. "The Commandant isn't going to be happy if the whole Beast Barracks is held up for Inspection because one little Company can't tell time!"

"Fwwwweeeeeeet!!!!! REEEEBEEEL E! SIR FALL OUT FOR MORNING FORMATION---oh Noodles."Fwweeeeeeeet!!!!!! REEE

EEEBEEEEEL E! SIR, FIRST CALL FOR MORNINGFORMATION SIR, FALL OUT FOR MORNING FORMATION IN ZERO-uh SIX MINUTESSIR! UNIFORM FOR MORNING FORMATION IS COMPANY T-SHIRTS, GEEK SHORTS, AND RUNNING SHOES SIR. TEMPERATURE ON DECK IS SEVEN SIX DEGREES SIR! MENU FOR MORNING FORMA . . . . . "

"Wrong Plebe!!!" yet another Second Year arrived in the Barracks holding aloft a whirring tricorder. "Its seven FIVE degrees out there!!! You want Cadet Fecci to have his whole company freeze out there by misinforming them of the meteorological situation?"

"AHOY MR. SANDERS SIR!!!! SIR NOT BEING INFORMED TO THE . . ."

"Shut up!" hissed the smallish, but violent Cadet Saunders. Rumor had it the Second Year Cadet could wrestle a Nausiccan to the ground despite his size, and all the 'firsties' lived in fear of him. "Fecci! The Old Man's out and about, and if your stupid Company messes up, there's going to be blood on the ground! Company A is already assembled! YOU! Plebe, quit gawking at us and make your call! What's with E that you get stuck with the brain dead Plebes, Fecci?"

"Just lucky I guess. And guess which Third Year this Company is under?" Fecci snivelled to his friends.

"Not Mister Crusher?" the two compadres moaned.

"Fwwwweeeeeeeettttt!!! "REEE. . . . ."At that point another upperclassman entered the floor(properly dressed)and von Ernst was forced to 'hail' him before finishing."AHOY MR. FLORES SIR!!" He acknowledged her and made 'hurry up' motions to Fecci and the others.

"Hey Guys, Everyone but E and F are out in formation early, and Crusher wants to know why..."

Fweeee---"urp"Another Second Year wandered in, grinning at the others."AHOY MR. POWELL SIR!"

Gathering around the croaking young redhead at attention. The Second Years chatted amiably amongst themselves as poor Von Ernst fumbled through yet another attempt to get her Boson's duty correctly.

"You know, Cadet Halstead, I think Plebe von Ernst here doesn't seem to be able to do her call from a standing position. Maybe we should help her out." The rat faced Fecci said, seeing that he was going to get screamed at himself and deciding that he might as well have some fun before the shit hit the recycling fan.

"Why you're quite right Cadet Fecci." Halstead grinned evilly. "Push-up position Plebe, and start your call over!"

Von Ernst would have cried if she had the strength. "AHOY MR. HALSTEAD SIR! AYE AYE SIR! "

Dropping to the cold hard deck, Rebecca attempted to balance precariously in a three point push-up stance while she raised the icky old Bosuns whistle to her parched lips yet again.

"FWWWEEeeeeeeeetttt!!!! "REEEEEBEEEEEL E!!!! FIRST CALL FOR MORNING FORMATION SIR! UNIFORM FOR MORNING FORMATION IS . . . . "

The Second Years ignored the panting von Ersnt who labored to do pushups as she yelled. Assembly was still roughly five minutes away, and A Company had beaten all the others as first out. The other companies aparently were as slow as Fecci's . The rest of E Company milled around in the heads, trying to avoid noticing the Second years tormenting Rebecca and drawing their ire down on themselves.

"PLEBES!!!! Get out here!!!" the gruff Mr. Sanders bellowed, "Your shipmate needs assistance in completing her duties!"

The Commandant nodded. Everything he;d heard about Sanders said he had a grasp on the realities of command. Another important value instilled in Academy Cadets was loyalty to one's Comarades in arms. Plebes were encouraged to share in every portion of their 'shipmates' lives. Meaning if one cadet was in trouble. . . they ALL were in trouble. Wide eyed Plebes poured from the heads; hustling quickly to 'hail' the upperclassmen before joining the struggling von Ernst on the Deck.

"Pushups you vermin! Many many pushups." raged Fecci, is orgiastic delight at fresh victems. he'd been so busy showing off Rebecca to his friends, that he'd almost forgotten teh other twenty-nine members of the company.

The polished halls were a deafening din of "AHOY CADET FECCI"'s and 'AYE AYE's" as the thirty Plebes of the class of 2374 poured sweat onto the deck counting out their pushups before breakfast.

"FIFTEEN SIR, SIXTEEN SIR, SEVENTEEN SIR, EIGHTEEN SIR. . . ." They chanted in unision.

"Wait !!!! Hold up Beasts!" The malicious Mr. Fecci sneered. "Your Shipmate Von Ernst is still only on sixteen. Start over!!

Groaning inwardly, the soon-to-be First Years began the never ending process again. "ONE SIR, TWO SIR, THREE SIR. . . . ." more than a few darting evil looks towards the slim, tiny form of Plebe VonErnst. Except one. That Centaurian guy just kept his head down and pumped out pushups. The Commandant frowned. In three weeks of Beast Barracks, that Centaurian kid had already amassed ten demerits, three short of the mandatory expulsion limit.

~~Typical Scineces screwup.~~ He mused to himself.

"AHOY MR. WILLIAMS SIR. . . .AHOY MR. LAMIGO SIR. . . . AHOY MR. RILES SIR!!!!" Rebecca struggled to acknowledge the incoming Second Year Cadets.noodles.were -all- the upperclass Cadet Commanders going to show up to see Fecci screw up his company?

"WRONG!!!!!" At least three Second Years chimed in at the plebe's latest gaffe. "That's not Mr. Riles."

"erg----" sweating in her face down position, poor Von Ernst could only go by peripheral vision alone, and Mr. Riles looked a lot like. . ."AHOY MR. HOELSCHER SIR!!"

"WRONG!!!! What the Hell Plebe von Ernst, Mr.Hoelscher is a Second Year, there's a Third year down the Passageway there. . . . .or don't you'hail' the upperclassmen first?"

Fortunately Plebe VanderPuls-Hawksley was close to the aforementioned Third year,and was better able to identify him for his shipmates. "AHOY MR.CRUSHER SIR!!" he yelled, von Ernst and the others echoing him afterwards. The commandant nodded to himself and made a mental note to check exactly - why- the Centaurian had a discipline problem.he was sort of on the ball, for a Plebe.

Third Year Cadet Wesley Crusher was entering 'his' Companys Barracks room, yawning, oblivious to the usual morning torture sessions. Screaming Plebes were a fact of life in the Academy; especially during Beast Month; and no upperclassman deigned to notice them. Except teh Second Years, their Beast Barracks stint still festering, no doubt.

"AHOY MR. CRUSHER SIR. . . . AHOY MR. HOELSCHER SIR!" Rebecca continued gamely.

"What about me von Ernst?" Rat faced Fecci asked again in his evil hiss. I had go into the Head while you were busy scoping out Mr. Crusher down there."

"AHOY MR. SANDERS. . .I mean AHOY MR. FECCI SIR!!."

"What the Novas are you yammering at me Plebe? I haven't moved!!!" Sanders this time, "Where's Final Call? If you make the whole Battillion late, your world is dead Plebe. who is this idiot Fecci? Why is your company always last, and full of screwups?"

"That's Plebe VonErnst, from whom I'm still waiting on First and second Call..so forget about Final." Fecci commented mildly. The Commandant shook his head in mild reproof. A better leader would get the superflerous Second Years out of the way, let Crusher take -some- responsibility in his over- coddled life, and get this Beast Company on the road.

Summoning up her last breath, and tasting blood in her mouth, Cadet von Ernt made one last attempt. . . . .

FWEEEEEEEEEEETTTTT!!!!! "REEEEBEEEELLL E! SIR, LAST CALL FORMORNING FORMATION! FALL OUT FOR MORNING FORMATION IN ZERO ONE MINUTESSIR!" "SIR, UNIFORM FOR MORNING FORMATION IS COMPANY T-SHIRTS, GEEK SHORTS,AND RUNNING SHOES SIR. TEMPERATURE ON DECK IS ( She made a wild guess)SEVEN SIX DEGREES SIR!""SIR, MENU FOR MORNING CHOW IS CACKLE AND SCAB, WITH RIGID DEAL ANDTANG SIR!""OFFICER OF THE DAY IS MR. CRAIG SIR. BOSON OF THE DAY IS PLEBE VON ERNST SIR! FALL OUT FOR MORNING FORMATION NOW SIR!!!!"

"That's it Plebes." Fecci snapped, "Lets go. Little Miss Misunderstood here just got you all five miles before breakfast!! Mister Crusher! Permission to have the Plebes count off by threes, for the purpose of assembling a training column for running?"

Wes Crusher waved a markedly disinterested hand, before leaving out the front hatch to be on the Parade Ground for Beast Barracks inspection, and to march the assembled Beasts to the messhall No doubt he'd rather be in the labs, but when teh Commandant asks you to be a Cadet Commander for the Beasts, you do -not- say 'no.' Espicialy if it took a FLeet Captain named Picard to pull your cojones out of a courtmartial 'Nove Squadron' coverup.

"All right maggots.count off.Plebe Bosun.get your skinny rear end in line with the other worms. You people make me sick.I SAID COUNT OFF BY THREES YOU IDIOTS!" Fecci raged at the assembled Plebes, spittle flying from his ratface to land on Rebecca, as she pumped bone weary skinny white legs to get back in line with the others.

"ONE" She bellowed, the count going down the line."TWO.THREE. ONE..TWO SIR.THREE."

Until it hit Lysander.

"NINE SIR" he bellowed at the top of his lungs.

Fecci was on his butt like a Targ on fresh roadkilled JoJo Bird.

"What the blazing novas is YOUR DISFUNCTION NOW? CAN YOU COUNT TO THREE YOU MORON?" Fecci raged, his spittle flying all over Lysander (A nice change for Rebecca, who, despite not being the most fastidious person about hygiene in her personal spaces, hated being spit on.)

"SIR YES SIR! THIS CADET."

"You are a moron! You're a PLEBE! A MAGGOT! A BEAST! NOT A CADET, A PLEBE. SAY IT!" Fecci interrupted the tall Centaurian.

"SIR! I AM A PLEBE! I AM NOTHING!I AM LOWER THAN A WORM'S FART! I KNOW ONLY WHAT THE CADET DEIGNS TO SHOW ME SIR!" Lysander bellowed, by the book, still with that smirk that had Fecci wondering about the old fashioned 'silent insubordination' charges.

"Then count to three!" raged Fecci.

"SIR! ONE TWO THREE SIR. WILL THE CADET REQUIRE ANYTHING ELSE, SIR?" Lysander replied, his face deadpan.

Just as the Commandant was about to intervene, Wes Crusher stuck his bored head back into the Barracks.

"Cadet Fecci.the Plebe was counting to three in a base three number system. Three.six.nine? One is one unit of 'three'.. two is two units of three..Get it? Oh, Commandant, excuse me, but Sergent Kong says that if you're ready to conduct the review of Beast Battillion now.maybe Fecci can find the time to get E Company running?"

Lysander had to admire the way that Wes Crusher conveyed a smarmy superiority to everyone in the room, -and- managed to look bored to death at the same time.

The Commandant smiled, and came out from his shadowed observation corner. The faces of the Cadets and Plebes showed stark naked terror, for in their sheltered little world, the Commandant was about as close to a Higher Power they'd get to, until Graduation day.

"Thank You Cadet Crusher, carry on. Cadet Fecci, when your company is done running and in the mess hall, please find Cadet Crusher and the two of you come to my office for a little...discussion.. about Command Responsibilities. Carry on." And on that note, the Commandant departed.

It was later that day, that he sent two names, both Beasts slated for the Mathematics/Sciences track to Admiral Jurgen Hoth's attention. It was almost a full year later that Hoth would take action with those two names.

In Beast Barracks, Lysander caught a glimpse of curious, big brown eyes from the hapless little cadet, before the swirl of a three Plebe wide running column enveloped him.

Why -had- he lipped off to Fecci? What did Lysander care if that skinny little chick washed herself right out of the program. Half the Battillion had bets on whether she'd don the Grey of a First Year Cadet or not. It wasn't that he hated Fecci.hell.. Hixx was in the guy's class and had personally told the rat-bastard that if he crossed Lysander, Hixx would demolish him. Lysander was immune to the Feccis of the Galaxy.

But there was something about those eyes. . .

With a rumbling clatter of shifting bodies and running feet, Rebel-E2374 Company had started another day; but for some of them, it was the start of the rest of their lives.

"Another Two Bite The Dust" by
Lt. Cmdr. Rayna Lamar O'Grady
CSecO
USS Galaxy

Hiking up the long trail in the cave, she finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. It would be a steep climb but she felt that she could do it. Grabbing onto parts of the wall, she pulled herself up, despite the pain in her shoulder. The strain caused the wound to bleed more but she needed to get out of there before she was found by the enemy. There was no place to hide there. Her footing went out below her and her and some rock debris fell and she had to start over. Several bruises had begun to show and now her knee was bleeding where it scraped against the cave wall as she fell.

Getting up to the top was a struggle but she finally made it. Her shoulder hurt, her knee hurt and muscles hurt where she didn't know she had muscles. As she ran, she tripped over a body which was missing his tongue. She vomited off to the side. She had seen terrible things but this was just too gross. After recovering, she continued. She noticed a knife which must have been inadvertently left by the Hirogen. The body was still warm so she made her way slowly through now a different terrain. There was no swamp but there were signs of snakes and other dangerous creatures. Under bushes, big holes could be seen which were much bigger than those on Earth. Needing to use the bushes to hide herself, she prayed that the heat was too much for them and that they would stay in the cool of their homes.

Soon voices and laughter could be heard. It was unmistakably Hirogen. She used the knife to whittle a spear from a thin branch she found. Hiding in the bushes, she waited for the Hirogen to get close enough that she could spear one of them.

"It is not here. I know that I left it right here." They looked around to see if there was a sign of anybody around. Observing a bush, there was blood on a few leaves, fresh blood which alarmed them. "The prey couldn't have gotten that far. The blood is still fresh."

Rayna swallowed and swallowed hard. The one Hirogen split off but not to far from each other. Rayna held her breath, then straightened up and threw the spear with all her might. It struck him in the back, hopefully hitting a heart or some other vital organ. The other Hirogen was on her in a flash. They struggled, the knife fell off to the side of her. He dug his thumb into her would, sending pain throughout. This made her very mad and the adrenaline pumping. They rolled over the knife and passed it. While on her back, she threw dirt into his face, grabbed the knife and gutted him. He laid lifeless on top of her, his blood pouring onto her dirtied and tattered uniform. She laid there out of breath and in pain. She cut some of the Hirogen's uniform and applied pressure on the wound after she managed to roll him off of her. Once the bleeding seemed to get under control, She cut off the ear of one and a finger of the other. Walking back over to the dead crewman, she laid the two items along with his tongue next to the body. Feeling like she was going to hurl...part of which was from dehydration, she took off, hoping that someone would put an end to this hell and rescue her. She hid herself again, still hoping that the snakes had enough sense to stay out of the boisterous sun. She also knew that once it cooled down a bit that they'd be out and seeing the size of the holes, she would be their dinner.

introducing NPC Ensign Adam Morford, transporter tech.

The cargo transporter seemed sluggish as it assembled the mass being beamed up. With all the people returning to the ship Ensign Morford employed the cargo transporter. This allowed groups to be brought back while the other transporters cranked.

Three hundred and fifty kilograms should have been easy for the cargo transporter. After all that was only the mass of three humans. This mass seemed to be coming in mainly in one body. Adam checked the scensors and life signs. It was just one officer beaming in.

A huge gorn materialized like something from a nightmare. He wasn't wearing a uniform but most of his body was hidden by the cargo he carried.

Lt Jg Seth Zonhieb had brought along all the trophies he could carry. Twenty four skulls bundled in his scaled arms. With blood dried and caked all over the security officer's body.

"Um.." the Ensign stamered from the controls. "Are you..um. like.. hurt?"

The gorns tail twitched and he stepped off the pad. His teeth all showed white as ever but the human could tell he had probably eaten things larger then himself.

As the gorn gathered his trophies to leave the room he added one comment. "Best shoreleave I ever had."

"Faint Heart Never Won Fair...Trophy?"
By that whakky party-guy, The Beta Skrlg! Hirogen NPC

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"The Gods of War hate those who hesitate." - Euripides
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With MUCHO extracting (Okay, outright stealing!) from Joeammo's "Pre Match Warm Up" post, his "Bhrode Triumphant" posts, and severe foreshadowing of 'things to come'

* * * * *

"You cannot let this ..this piece of meat pervert the Hirogen way! It is inconcievable! He is not Hirogen, he is prey! Prey cannot challange for leadership! Do you really think that he would lead us if he defeats you! Have you taken leave of your senses?" Skrlg screamed before Lirup whirled about to face the screen.

"I AM THE ALPHA!! HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY WILL!! MY WORD IS LAW!! I HAVE LEAD THIS PACK ON COUNTLESS HUNTS, EACH BRINGING GLORY TO YADABBA AND TRPOHIES AND HONOR TO US ALL, INCLUDING YOU SKRLG." the alpha shouted in rage, his arms flailing wildly. "YOUR DUTY IS TO COMMAND THE BATTLE CRUISER, I SHALL TEACH THIS...CREATURE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HIROGEN. AND WHEN I AM VICTORIOUS, PERHAPS I WILL FORGET WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION!"

"Or perhaps I won't." Lirup continued, before ending the transmission.

The screen snaped off at Lirups' command, replaced with the blue green image of the planet below them where the hunts were taking place.

Skrlg leaned back in the command chair of the Hirogen "Den" ship and laughed uproriously, his metal cowled head glinting in the dim lighting and his cybernetic eye glowing green with an unholy light.

He was a sight that could make even Hirogen piss their armoured pants.

"Blah Blah Blah...You see? Lirup is mad! Did you see the fool in his dotage? Drooling over prey that he has not even earned the right to contemplate hunting! Allowing a piece of trash-prey from a species we ALREADY hold the key to, to challenge HIM for leadership!" Sklrg beckoned to one of the Hunters loyal to -his- cabal and the hesitant Hirogen came forwards.

The massive Beta stood up and loomed fromt he raised command chair. With a negligent swipe, Skrlg decapitated the Hunter with his short hafted axe. The grey-black blood ichor sprayed all over the command cabin.

"That is for bothering me with the ramblings of a demented old senile fool. I had plans abaord the Lyran-Prey ship, from which you moved me." Skrlg said to the toppling corpse.

The massive Beta eyed the rest of the Hirogen clustering around the Command Center of his ship. They were the Hunters and Cubs who flew the two man Hunter Ships based off this 'Den' ship.

Each of them, at one point, had expressed dissatisfaction with Lirup and the way he ran the pack.

Skrlgs' taloned finger pointed at some in turn.

"YOU! Do you think the Warrior-Prophet Yadabba would not turn his mask in shame from the sight of a Leader who allows PREY to Challenge him?"

"YOU! Do you think that the females will look favourably upon any trophies we bring back, from a Leader who abandons the Way? BAH! You will die before mating; you ignorant dolt!"

"YOU! Do -you- want to stand before The One Who Must Not Be Named, with the pitiful trophies Lirup has led us to? Those of the Souless Ones; which hunt led us TO this quadrant? Where are those trophies? Oh.. I forgot..Lirup LOST those for us too!"

Skrlg listened to the murmering turn into the rythmic barking noises of seriously pissed off Hirogen, and grinned to himself.

"Skrlg! Lirup and his Honor Guard have beamed down to the planet. TO HUNT!" barked out one of the Gammas that Skrlg trusted, even a little bit.

As if scripted by some drunken Gods with a sense of the perverse. . . the GALAXY suddenly reported Prey attacking the Hunters aboard.

Thank the Prophet that Skrlg had anticipated this, and teh only hunters still on her were those fools still loyal to Lirup.

Festering old relic of a fool.

"SEE????He hunts even without YOU! He dares to tell Blooded Hunters and trophy holders in their own Rights...THEY MAY NOT HUNT!" Skrlg raged.

Skrlg threw back his head and let loose with a sound that had not been heard for generations. It grated on the nerves and bored into the pea-brains of all the Hirogen who heard it.

Unheard for eons...it still reverbated in their blood. . .

The aged Shaman tried to interpose, but he was pushed back by the thickly clustered and worked up Hunters surrounding Skrlg's trophy adorned Command Center.

The War Cry of the Hirogen Warrior shocked some of the younger Cubs. They'd heard the legends, but to think that the Day was here!

"You must not! There are still races to which we do not know the Key! Did not Yadabba command that no Hirogen would Hunt Hirogen? It is forbidden Skrlg! IT IS FORBIDDEN!" The Shaman tried to shout, over the clamoring Hunters.

Skrlg whirled back to his followers.

"The One Who Shall Not be Named has spoken to us! Through the infidel prey and the lapse of Lirup! From now on, the Hirogen are at WAR with the universe! No more are we Hunters! We shall take the keys we learnt in the Age of the Hunter, and apply them to the Age of the Warrior!"

Skrlg raised his arms to where the Shamen had determined the Hirogen Homeworld lay, many many many leagues distant in another part of the Universe.

"For in the Death of Prey, we see the key to their destruction!" He chanted, the warriors catching the mantra and repeating it, banging on the bulkheads of his ship, as they piled to their Hunter-Ships to go scour GALAXY clean of the infidels still following Lirup first.

Then. . .

The Hirogen would scour the Universe clean of all living things.

The Jihyad was begun.

~It Comes~
Cutter Kara'nin

The cold air hit when the transporter beam dissapated, chilling Cutter to his hollow bones. He was standing atop snow covered mountains, some of the tallest on the planet, over three miles above sea level. He immediately regretted his choice of terrain. It was so cold! Colder than even his high altitude, hot temperatured body could tolerate. And the air was thin! Cutter was taking deep full breaths, as if he were flying, but he was standing on the ground. He quickly folded his arms across his chest, sneaking one hand out, reaching with his wrist to zip up his jacket over his bandaged chest. His bandages, if there was one good thing about this cold, its that it numbed his pain. Perhaps, the reptilian hunter chasing him was slightly cold-blooded; perhaps he won't be as quick up in these mountains.

He began shivering, his teeth started to chatter. He needed to find shelter until his hunter came for him. Oh, he could fly away, down the mountain into warmer climes, away from the Hirogen who could only follow on foot at a snail's pace, but he wasn't. He was tired, beyond the point of caring about the 'hunt,' about returning to the ship, about his own well-being. No, if something was going to happen, he would let it happen, rescue or death, it would come soon or not at all.

A few steps away from his starting position, Cutter sneezed. It was an exaggerated affair, louder than his sneezes normally were, an expression of his discontent, but nature apparently gave him a response. The ground began to rumble beneath him, the snow seemed to shift beneath his feet, filling his ears a low, resonating hum. The rumbling soon stopped, but Cutter froze there on the snow, afraid to move. After what seemed like an hour, he finally built up his courage again and took a step forward, and after finding that the mountian didn't collapse around him, took another.

Cutter walked cautiously like that, taking a small step, allowing his foot to sink in the snow, and when the mountain gave no response, followed it with the other foot, until he reached a small uprise in the mountian. It was a sheer cliff, only about three meters high. The wind rushed down from the sky and over the drop, creating a small pool of stagnant air in the lee of the cliff. He huddled in the spot out of the wind and began to wait for the hunter to reach him.

*****************

Shnar immediately collapsed to the ground gasping for air when the Starfleet transporter finished its work. He felt as if he were suffocating, out in the open air. The Hirogen quickly attached his face mask, and opened a small oxygen tank stored within his armor. The oxygen slowly mixed itself into the air Shnar was naturally breathing in, and his body sucked it in in short, sharp breaths. He didn't have a lot of oxygen on him, and so he used it slowly, modifying the O2 content of the outside atmosphere to only about half of what he regularly required.

Then the cold hit. Shnar could feel his heart slow down slightly in response, his blood flow reduce to a crawl. This hunt was going to be even harder, because now, he had to fight to keep his own body running. If his bodily functions did slow down, however, he wouldn't require as much oxygen.

Smart bird, he thought, bringing them up to such a high altitude. The bird would surely be able to tolerate the low oxygen and cold much better than he could. It tipped the scales of the upcomming hunt quite effectively. Shnar slowly raised himself to his feet and began to walk forward, knowing in advance which direction Cutter had beamed down to. He was only a short distance away, and so would reach the beam down site rather quickly, which was fortuneate. He wasn't sure how long he could survive in these mountains by himself with only a small amount of emergeny oxygen.

******************

Soon, Shnar approached what must have been Cutter's beam down site. A set a footprints spontaneously appeared in the snow in front of him, and headed off to the side. The prints were close together, indicating that his prey was probably quite cold as well. Perhaps the bird wasn't so bright after all, even left his prints behind. This hunt was going to be too easy! A small snow flurry was just beginning, however. If Shnar didn't make haste, the fine snow dust would fill and cover Cutter's footprints before he was found.

Suddenly, a Hirogen phaser beam screamed through the air just a foot away from him, then another on the other side. Shnar jumped to the ground, and readied his rifle, pointing it in the direction of the footprints. Who was firing? Where? He scanned the horizon twice before spotting his prey. The bird was huddling next to a small ice cliff, captured Hirogen rifle ready, waiting for Shnar to make his move.

He let a shot fire from the weapon straight towards Cutter. It missed, hitting the ice wall, spontaneously vaporizing it. The wall crumbled, launching snow and a cloud of vapor out into the air, but after the smoke cleared, Cutter was no where to be seen. Shnar searched the rubble from his position, checking to see if his prey was buried beneath it, then his eyes jumped to the air. The bird was flying away, back behind a large hill of snow.

He shouldn't have done that, Cutter scolded himself. He forgot the about wind chill factor. As if it wasn't cold enough, he went and opened his body to the chill and basically created a wind about himself, relativly dropping the temperature another twenty degrees or so. Cutter managed to land behind the hill, but he was paralyzed with cold again. How could the Hirogen make it all the way to him already without freezing to death? They must be tougher than he thought.

Cutter turned and peered over the hill. The Hirogen was coming for him again, only a forced walk, but still surprisingly quick. Suddenly the hunter's eye's grew wide, he had seen his prey, and he raised his rifle and fired. The ray of fire shot directly through the mound of ice and grazed Cutter's arm. Again, the phaser beam caused another adverse reaction to the mountain, collapsing the ice mound and vaporizing it. This time Cutter fell down with it, riding the top chunk as snow and steam rushed past his body. It was a short fall, perhaps only a couple feet, but it seemed to take as long as a collapsing building.

Shnar did not slow his approach as his prey collapsed with his hiding spot. He was only about 20 feet away and was about to take the killing shot when his leg fell through the snow. He must have stepped in a snow filled hole, he slipped all the way down to his waist, uncomfortably bending his other leg that remained above ground. Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed through the fallen limb. Did he break it? Shnar screamed in pain, involuntarily. Again, the mountain began to rumble around them, and Shnar stopped his yell, realizing his mistake.

The bird was pushing itself off the ground across from him. It looked up at him, gave him a sadistic smile, and for once in his life, Shnar was struck with fear. It didn't last long, however and soon he was struggling to pull himself out of the ground. He looked up at his prey once again, and the bird threw him its rifle. Then it shot that evil smile again, and raised its head and let out a high pitched scream. Bird song, calling for his death. The ground shook again, more fiercly than before, and Shnar looked up at the mountain. It was falling, a wave of white snow rushing down towards him, an avalanche! There was nothing he could do, he was dead.

Cutter fell back to the soft snow when the avalanche had finished its burial. It was much quicker than he expected, he almost didn't have time to fly up out of its way before it was upon them. The hunter, of course, didn't have a chance. Cutter sat down on the new flat plain of snow, bundled his wings around him. The avalanche buried all the features of the surrounding landscape, leaving no place to hide from the wind, and it was much too cold to fly. Death had not come by way of the hunter, would it come by way of the mountain?

He sat, staring at the clear sky for what seemed like another eternity. Another among many, it was wierd how one lost all sense of time when one was freezing to death. Suddenly, the sky disappeared, replaced with shiny black and yellow spots. The transporter room! He'd been saved! And knowing that, his body rested, and he fell into an unconcious frozen sleep.

Chad Vicenik
Ens Cutter Kara'nin
Operations
USS Galaxy

"Brhode back in the Big Chair"

With John "Bust Your Fraggin Ass" Brhode, Captain USS GALAXY and appearences by his crew - now in control of the 'Ship of the Line' once again!

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"The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your enemies and chase them down before you, to rob them of thier wealth and see those dear to them bathed in tears, to ride thier horses and clasp to your bosom thier wives and daughters." - Genghis Kahn

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Time: Mere moments after stomping a mud hole in the Hirogen Alpha and walking it dry.

Location: Bridge, USS GALAXY

Since the moment he had first stepped aboard the ship, John Brhode had created waves. From tossing Leo Streely into the Brig to actually slaying Kahn Nilani in a physical confrontation, the hard nosed Captain had created quite a reputation for taking absolutly zero in the shit department.

Therefore, not one crewmember on the main bridge was suprised in the least to see Brhode materialize before them relatively unscathed and brandishing what appeared to be the Hirogen Alpha's severed arm.

In fact the general concensus was that the man would return with Lirup's head in tow.

The Captain eyed every corner of the Bridge, his steely eyes narrowed dangerously, and his face betraying no emotion.

That was until a wide smile spread across his face.

"As much as I appreciate the swift retaking of my bridge, I do so wish you had waited just 60 seconds more. I was about to strangle that bastard with his own colon."

He flipped the severed arm to a nearby Ensign who nearly vomited.

"Your my right hand man. Guard this with your life." Brhode ordered, standing tall and stately as he usually did.

"Would someone be so kind as to give me a status report?"

A fair haired Lieutennent in a Science uniform stepped foreward. " Both Main and Battle bridges are secured, Sir. Torpedo room and shields are fully operational. Helm and sensors will be back and responsive to bridge commands in less than 3 minutes. Engineering also reports that they are rapidly going over diagnostics of the engines and anti-matter chamber just to make sure, but they believe the ships engines are fully operational."

"If it's all the same to you Lieutennent, I'll not put too much stock in the beliefs of our crack engineering staff."

"Aye Sir." the young man said, at a loss for anything else to say.

"Has there been any communication from the other Hirogen ships?"

"None yet, sir."

"Good. Let's keep it that way."

Brhode lifted the confederate flag from off of the captain's chair with two fingers. "Officer of the Arm!" he called out. The young Ensign charged with caring for Brhode's grisley trophy stepped foreward looking queesy.

"For God's sake, son! Don't you even think of puking on my arm! I Don't want to have to clean the thing! Your now in charge of this flag as well. Do see that it makes its way back with the rest of Captain Price's belongings."

"A..Aye sir." he said.

Brhode wheeled upon the Lieutennent. "Am I correct in assuming that Lt. Pailaka and his band of merry men are still ridding my ship of Hirogen filth?"

The man nodded.

With a flip of his wrist, the Captain snapped open a shipwide communications channel.

"ATTENTION ALL HIROGEN PIECES OF SHIT, THIS IS THE CAPTAIN. MOMENTS AGO, I QUITE LITERALLY RENDERED YOUR ALPHA LIMB FROM LIMB. IN CASE YOU ARE INTERESTED, HE DIED SCREAMING LIKE A SCHOOL GIRL IN A PUDDLE OF HIS OWN URINE. AS YOUR NEW LEADER I HAVE JUST ONE ORDER...."

Brhode paused, feeling all eyes upon him, and reveling in it.

"...YOU MY BRAVE PACK ARE ORDERED TO STOOP OVER, PLACE YOUR HEAD BETWEEN YOUR KNEES AND KISS YOUR ASSES GOODBYE. MY HUNTERS WILL FIND YOU AND IF YOU EVEN SURVIVE THE ENCOUNTER YOU WILL BE SENT TO THE PLANET BELOW WHERE YOU WILL SPEND YOUR DAYS WATCHING YOUR FORMER LEADER'S CARCAS ROT. THE PATH OF HE WHO SHALL NEVER BE NAMED ENDS AT MY FEET. YADABBA BE PRAISED. BRHODE OUT.!"

The Captain severed the com link and faced hs men.

Renewed life could be seen in each and every one of thier faces.

Brhode loved it.

"I want every sensor on this ship to seek out every communicator wearing officer, every non communicator wearing officer and every deceased officer on that god forsaken mudball! Then beam them all aboard. Meanwhile I want every Hirogen on this ship rounded up and sent below. Make sure to include thier corpses."

"Aye sir!" the Lieutennent cried out.

"As soon as everyone is aboard, have my Senior staff return to the Bridge. We have a little going away gift for our little friends. We're gonna show them what happens when your the runner up in a war you started."

He paused a moment.

"You have all been baptized in fire and blood and come out steel. Good work. All of you. Officer of the Arm, your with me." Brhode announced as he moved to his ready room to change into a fresh unform.

*** Back on the Planet ***

Lirup lay on his back, his eyes focused on the raging black sky above him.

The pain in his abdomen where his missing legs had been burned off by lava no longer registered on his ravaged nervous system.

Blood had stopped flowing heavily from his severed stump. Dizzyness from severe blood loss was begining to set in.

Lightning crashed against the heavens as the volcanos around him shook violently.

His blood encrusted lips were too split to speak. The extreme shock of his wounds had taken thier toll on the Hirogen, yet still his mind remained acutely aware of what was happening.

He was going to die.

Even if the human had been lying about the prey overthrowing the ship, there was realisticlly no way he would survive the wounds he had sustained.

Survival of the fittest had always been the Hirogen code. Now he would join the Prophet Yadabba in the vast jungles of ...

A sharp light formed in the heavens. Gradually it grew in size until it took the shape of a humanoid.

Gasping , Lirup forced the words to fall from his mouth.

"He who must Not be Named..."

The apparition grew steadily larger. The former Alpha finally relaxed, streatching his one remaining arm out and throwing back his head. His god had personally come to lead him to the Eternal Hunt. In the shadow of death, his faith had been rewarded! A life spend hunting countless scores of prey had come to fruition.

His eyes watered as the light began to change shape before him, coalescing into a face. Steadily the energy rippled and the near delerious former Alpha willed himself to remain conscious as he looked in the face of his master.

It was the face....

The face of....John Brhode!

"Nooooooooo!!!!!" Lirup screamed hoarsely as his delusion was torn away and he saw the energy swirl for what it really was - over 300 kilograms of a photon torpedo, launched from the USS GALAXY, screaming towards him.

With everything moving so fast, Lirup almost missed the feeling of the warhead detonating on his forehead before his life ended as violently as it had been lived.

Almost.

*** Main Bridge, USS Galaxy ***

"Direct hit. Sensors indicate no life forms remaining in that vacinity." Lt. Corgan called out.

Brhode smiled with self satisfaction as he walked from the tactical arch where he had personally fired the torpedo to the Captian's chair. "You bet your sweet ass it was. That had to have been some sort of long distance sniping record. You may want to check on that. I would so hate to miss the chance to have my name in the record books." he said.

"Kind of makes you wonder what was going through his mind as he saw it coming." Counselor O'Grady, seated to the Captain's left, mused aloud.

"Same thing that goes through a space gnat's mind when he smashes into a starship at high speed....his ass."Brhode said as he seated himself back in the 'Big Chair'

"Now then...anyone else feel like raising a little hell this lovely afternoon?"

"Jolan Tru"
by Captain Robert Edward Lee Price,
and Lt. Commander Elaithin,
and Commander Peterson
with Commander Dallas

"You wouldn't dare harm a member of the Imperial Senate Piedon." Senator Moralis said with conviction. The Romulan stood in front, the disguised Starfleet Officers and Tirol just a few feet behind him.

For the briefest of moments it looked like Piedon was thinking about it. Should the Romulan attempt to fire, Elaithin believed he had enough strength to throw himself in front of the Captain. That was part of a Security Officer's duty, after all - to die, so the important people could continue their work. The Bajoran had accepted that reality a long time ago, and had no qualms about it. Piedon's disruptor even came up slightly, pointing near the ceiling as if he were standing down. But it was just the wickedest of deceptions.

"Wouldn't I Senator?..." Piedon mused as he again lowered his disruptor, pointing it at his fellow Senator's chest in preparation of murdering the man of the people to further his twisted plot for power and dominance in the quadrant. War may have been dirty business, but politics was worse.

Captain Price' eyes watched in horror. It was as if things were moving in slow motion. Lee took in everything; Senator Piedon's evil laugh as he adjusted his aim. Senator Moralis' body the way it tensed out of fear and shock that his colleague would actually do it -- He would actually murder a fellow Senator.

Lee watched Piedon's arm come down and point the weapon at Moralis' chest. He was laughing, evilly as if the thought of finally killing Moralis amused him. When the laughing subsided, the Senator prepared to activate the weapon and end the Romulan's life. The Captain knew he'd be next, and then the rest of his 'mates and Tirol. The entire team knew that. They had failed in their mission. None of them would ever see home or their loved ones again.

But then, just when the evil Senator Piedon was about to shoot Senator Moralis, an arm reached out from the opposite cell. It was a long, lengthy arm. It stretched out of a course white fabric sleeve. The hand had long, elegant fingers that easily found precise resting spots along Piedon's neck and shoulder. With a casual pinch - almost the barest brush of flesh upon flesh - that was expertly carried out, the Senator winced in pain; His head and disruptor jerking upward under the nerve manipulation of the Vulcan technique. A single shot was released, but it harmlessly struck the masonry work of the dank dungeon roof, dissipating it's energy in the centuries old mortar work of the building. Jii untensed himself as the Senator fell to the cobbled stone floor.

Then as simple as that, Senator Piedon toppled to the floor unconscious; His disruptor falling away harmlessly when he hit the ground.

Senator Moralis was in shock still. He'd come moments away from certain death and he still couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Holding his chest, the Senator took several quick breaths to try and get over the traumatic experience. He hadn't anticipated such personal danger! It was...most unsettling.

Captain Price stepped by Moralis and quickly took the disruptor. He then checked on Piedon to make sure he was out. He was most definitely unconscious. Whoever had disarmed him had done an expert job of it.

"He's out for the count 'mates." Lee declared while kneeling near Piedon. After grabbing the disruptor and checking it for functionality, he looked over to the cell where the stranger's arm had miraculously appeared to save all of their lives.

"Seems we are in your debt whomever you are 'mate." Lee stated as he and the other Starfleet officers made their way to the cell. They all wanted to see who had just helped them out of the jam.

"I swore an oath long ago to protect all Federation citizens from harm, Captain. Your thanks are not necessary." the figure stated in an even tone, "Though if it is a debt you insist on repaying, I would be most... pleased, to be released from this cell."

The Captain's eyes widened with surprise when he realized who it was that had saved them. Elaithin's jaw dropped as he realized the identity of the famous - or rather, infamous figure standing before them.

"Ambassador Spock..." Lee said, in almost a whisper. The man was one of Starfleet's literal Living Legends. He'd been out saving the universe when even Captain Price's grandfather had been in diapers. Without hesitation the General took the ring of keys from Senator Moralis and quickly opened the Ambassador's cell door.

Kent too held the same kind of fixation but he was in a complete loss for words - something that was rare indeed. When he had decided to join Starfleet Academy and get in to the science-line program it was about those original mission that then Commander Spock did on the Enterprise that flared his imagination. But why was he on Romulus? The last thing he heard was that the ambassador had retired from the public eye around the time that his father, the great Sarek, died on Vulcan.

Spock acknowledged the officers with a curt nod. "Commanders, Lieutenant Commander. I believe the exit is that direction." the Vulcan said, and began to proceed where he had indicated. The disguised Starfleet Officers (and Tirol) followed, Captain Price naturally walking next to the Senator and the Ambassador.

"We are all undercover from the Federation. Starfleet Intelligence learned that the Romulans were up to something, and so my 'mates and I were selected to come and check it out to see if it were true or not. We've learned that there is a faction of the Imperial Senate that is working to undermine the peace treaty between the Federation and the Romulans. The operation includes both technological and biological research, mostly centering around the Jem'Hadar." Captain Price explained to Ambassador Spock as the group walked through the corridors and towards the secret exit Senator Moralis informed them of.

Spock halted the Starfleet Captain with a wave of his hand. "I am aware of all this already, Captain. I was the one who, to used the human expression, 'tipped off' Starfleet Intelligence."

Commander Peterson had something to say, but for the moment he was still at a loss for words. How could he address the man - not only was he involved in early exploration of the Alpha and Beta quadrants, but he was also pivotal in the signing of the Khitomer Accords that eventually ended the war between the Klingons and the Federation. He opened his mouth slightly, then closed it, thinking it was better his Captain respond.

Captain Price regarded Spock for a moment as if he just had a revelation. "Cri-key. You are the 'reliable source' Vice-Admiral T'Paal spoke of when she briefed us on the mission."

Ambassador Spock's eyebrow arched up involuntarily. "Curious that after so many years in service of the Federation I have been refereed to simply as a 'reliable source'. Unfortunately a short time after contacting Starfleet with this information I was captured by the Romulans and taken here where I have remained for the last thirty six days, fourteen hours and twenty three minutes."

"Well no worries 'mate. We are almost out of this drafty place." Lee smiled.

The seven Romulans - by all appearances, anyway, - departed from an unused side-entrance that seemed to have been forgotten. As they emerged, thunderous booms echoed in their ears, quickly followed by two immense clouds of black, roiling spoke heading up into the atmosphere.

'Commander Elaithin was walking on his own now, even if he looked like he'd been run over by a hovertruck. Commander Peterson was the first to judge his bearings, and he and Captain Price realized what the explosions were, nearly simultaneously. Both turned toward the Senator and the Ambassador, the question clearly on their faces. "Senator?" Price began to ask.

"Yes, Captain," Moralis replied. "Your assumption is correct. My men have succeeded in destroying any evidence of the 'faux' Jem'Hadar plants and technology stores. This location too will be destroyed before long. Now forgive me, but I must take my leave of you and your officers. Joloan Tru, Captain Price."

"Jolan Tru, mate." the Captain replied. "And thank you for your assistance."

The Senator did not say another word as he departed.

'Commander Elaithin turned to face the Vulcan. "Ambassador, would I be correct in assuming you've arranged transport off this rock for us?"

"That assumption would be correct." Spock stated, and motioned to a waiting hovervan. "This way, if you will."

Later, at a small-out of the way docking bay in the low-rent section of the Rateg Spaceport.....

Captain Robert Edward Lee Price was the last to board the small craft that the Ambassador had arranged for his team. "Ambassador, will you be joining us?" he asked, a bit hopefully. It would be quite the opportunity to speak with the famed Ambassador on the journey home.

"I am afraid I cannot, Captain. I still have much work here on Romulus with the reunification movement." The Vulcan replied. As he did so, their Romulan assistant, Tirol, had joined them, carrying a few small bags. "Tirol shall be joining you however. He has been ousted as a Federation collaborator, and Romulus is no longer a safe place for him."

Price nodded. "I figured as much 'mate. Come on aboard." the Captain stated to Tirol with a smile, and then addressed the Ambassador. "Until we meet again, Ambassador Spock."

Spock accepted that with a nod, and raised his right hand in the Vulcan salute. "Live long, and prosper, Captain Price."

Once again it was Kent who had remained a little quiet. It was not the situation where, as Major Galathon, he did not know the language. Still, he had remained dead quiet for the duration of the Ambassador's contact with the four Federation officers and the Romulan defector.

"Cat got your tongue 'mate?" Lee asked as he managed an honest smile for probably the first time since Vice-Admiral T'Paal boarded the Starship Galaxy. The rumble of the ships engines as it began gaining altitude also helped.

The truth of the matter was what he could have discussed with the Vulcan, Spock. This mission was not the time to reminisce about times gone by, the man's impressions of the past and present, what he had been doing on the Romulan home world - more than one hundred years of Federation and Starfleet history. There were simply so many things that the Human scientist could have found to discuss with the science officer of the original Starship Enterprise. It was a nice though. The only problem was that he could never tell anyone - who would even believe him? Meeting the great Ambassador Spock on Romulus sounded ridiculous.

"I'm not sure, sir," Kent responded with an distracted look on his face.

"Well, no worries Commander." Lee stated looking out of a near by portal as the tiny ship began breaking through the Romulan stratosphere. "Soon we will be back home where we belong."

"Course sir?" Commander Peterson asked from the helm - before he had been a Starfleet officer he made a fairly decent shuttlecraft pilot.

Elaithin was resting in the back while Counselor Dallas road 'shotgun' next to Kent. "If it's all the same to everyone, I think I'm going to sleep. Wake me up when we get back to the Galaxy," the Bajoran stated, and then laid down to do precisely that.

"No worries." the General replied to Jii before returning his attention to Kent in the pilot's seat. "Head for Federation space. We have an appointment with Doctor Pulaski on board the USS Prospero to get de-Romulanized." the Captain stated while rubbing a finger over his eartips. "Damn shame too, since that dreaded itching has finally stopped."

Kent laid in the course. While the situation with Karyn would have to wait to be resolved when they got home, he was just happy that in a few moments that home would be light years closer than the last few days. "Here goes nothing," the scientist remarked as he engaged the engines.

The small ship snapped out of sublight speeds and into warp, streaking away from Romulus and towards Federation space. The team was finally going home.

"Thoughts of a Black Shrouded Woman"
By Commander Lita Jovan, Judge Advocate General, Formerly of Starfleet Intelligence

Location: Hunter's Planet, somewhere alone in the bushes of the newt's territory.

The forest, in all it's lush and serene beauty, was nothing more than a filthy mudhole in the eyes of Commander Lita Jovan.

She was more of an asphalt woman herself. Born and raised on the streets of Brooklyn New York in a family descending from countless generations of New Yorkers, Lita was taught at an early age to be tougher than anyone on the block, and if toughness wasn't going to work, she was to be smarter and more cunning than the average street punk. Years living in the middle of Earth's premier metropolis conditioned her to use her quick wits and bright ideas rather than brawn or fleeting feet. It was how she lived in her early years up until high school, dodging school and weaving her way through the urban jungle, knowing her territory and learning how to manipulate the animals therein.

Obviously, the jungle in the middle of nowhere was far removed from the jungles of New York. For one thing, there was way too much brown stuff she identified as ‘soil'. She never liked soil. It was always staining her clothes and getting into her food, not like hard and dependable cement. Another painful fact reminding her she was in an environment far removed from home was the fact that alien Hirogen stuck her on the planet to begin with.

And what aliens they were. They were immune to her womanly charms, as she was so embarrassingly reminded when she tried to convince a young cub to rise up and challenge his beta for control of the pack. She succeeded in having the cub torn up like thanksgiving day parade confetti, but while grinning as the two aliens duked it out, she was instantly discovered and hauled to the nearest transporter. Of course, that was after she was given a few stiff punches to the gut after trying to comment on the alien's bulging biceps.

And so, she was transported to the planet, and of all fates she ended up with one of the most loathed people she could think of.

That three inch, limp dicked imp of a man who stored his braincells in his nutsacks. Lieutenant Commander Lysander Vander-Puls Hawksley, the only man who ever dumped her before she had the chance to feed him a tonne of crow.

How she wished she was in Brooklyn now. No dirt and plants, no homicidal aliens bent on hunting down the largest prey, no smart assed Lieutenants, no Kligger women giving her dirty stares, no nosey reporter whores... and most of all no whiny children. Just cement, skyscrapers and people pretending to be twentieth century pimps.

She missed the city more than anything in her life. A hot dog, a stembolt (sort of like an apple fritter) a illegal cigarette and a glass of engine grease (starfleet lingo for coffee) would leave her content, that and an Andorian hardbody to keep her company at night. Not the jungle. The mood the jungle brought to her was like a depolarization of the mood in her fantasy. She was in the mood to take head and bolt them to the outer hull of her shuttlecraft and display them to all the people who were going to double cross her in the future.

So help her god, if anyone was going to spoil her mood, heads were going to roll. She looked at the jungle's darkened silhouette, enhanced by the newts nighttime lamps, and rolled her eyes in deep frustration. She looked up to the stars, which were abnormally clear. The city never showed stars so beautifully.

She kicked out a clump of dirt, showering it into a nearby bush, grumbling along the way. ~"Why is my life horrible?!"~

She didn't know what warranted her bad luck. She was sent on a simple mission, as simple as a Pakled beet farmer. She had to go to the Galaxy, do a day's worth of investigation on Dr. Kira Murphy, and then fart around the ship for a few months checking in on Project Archangel's newest weapon to see that she didn't blow a brain circuit or at least didn't get any tampered with. Get in, stay around for awhile, find excuses to stay for awhile longer, and get out. No problems, right? Then again, she learned early in life that not everything was as easy as it looked. There was always the random events in the universe waiting to de-rail her picture perfect plans.

It was supposed to be a routine job, just like every other shady deal she was in since the end of the Dominion War. TacOps was not just a behind the lines recon squad, they were also regular spies during peacetime in some of the Federation's most questionable locales possible.

A simple job. Right?

Not this time. Now there were aliens to crash the party and throw her in the boondocks, with plenty of dirt, steam and inept morons to keep her company.

"Why me?" She asked the heavens.

One of the ‘why me' questions was directed at her ex-boyfriend number 56, Lieutenant Hawksley. He obviously wasn't the last man to freely take liberates with Lita Jovan, but he did go down in her books as one of the more disappointing men in her life. He was as self absorbed as any spoiled rich kid, only he was the only spoiled rich kid who was the son of an actress and an industrial tycoon all rolled into one handsome (if loathsome) package. He was loaded to the bussard ramscoops with mega-credit, and his inflated ego made him all the more easier to manipulate. She remembered how even the most ridiculous statements to boost his ego gave him wings all day (and sometimes all night). Lysander literally fed on compliments like a greedy Breen Tundra Pig, and he couldn't get enough. With people like him, they were only interested in themselves.

Hence it led to the second man to dump her for his own reasons. The first was reasonable enough... it was because she was cheating on him, but Lysander quit for the sole purpose of going out to find other territories to mark. He wanted other fast women, and so he avoided Lita's snake bite.

She was infuriated more by the fact that she lost a chance to get in good with one of the richest industrial dynasties in the Federation. She lost a rung of her ladder of success she so desperately needed to escape from the dead end relationship with the introvertive creep James Corgan (ex boyfriend number 50). Lysander's boneheaded move caused her to trip and fall off her ladder. She was lucky to find her next patron, K'ringe, or else she would have fallen to the level of the average person. If it was one thing she couldn't stand, it was being average.

She hoped to make Lysander pay for what he did to her, for making the first black mark in her nearly spotless dating record, for ruining her chance at a luxurious life, but Admiral Hoth wanted him unharmed... and so did she if she wanted to survive on the Hunter's Planet.

~"Where is Lysander? I told him and his type one phaser dick to get some dinner. What's he doing, taking a leisurely stroll?"~

She was content to stay in the bushes and grumble, keeping herself segregated from the rest of the group. She wanted nothing to do with the reporter, the Kligger and the playboy, and she didn't want to see the woman worshipping newts ever again. According to the slimy, meter long mudpuppies, she was the most breathtaking sight they have ever seen.

If she only had a credit for every guy that said that to her.

Still, Lita had taste. She didn't mind men, and women, and it didn't matter much what their race was as long as they were humanoid and as long as the sex didn't kill them, but newts were by far out of her range of species she considered ‘f**kable'. She ignored the creatures, and when that didn't work she sent them out on tasks because she had the alien creatures so enamored with her, she could have ordered them all to jump off a jagged cliff. She admitted, their slavish loyalty was useful from time to time.

It was what she did the best, manipulating other people to do the work so that she didn't have to.

One newt appeared, but before it could spit out a word of Klingon, she growled and hissed its way. Seeing the ‘great goddess of anger and spite' turn at him, the Newt slinked off into the darkness, leaving on the ground a piece of charred meat.

"Thanks..." She said, disgusted, as she picked up the burned flesh and mulled over it between each chewy bite. Even the food was terrible in her mouth, ~"Bleah... for a species that worships me, I thought they would try to prepare a feast or something...."~

From the corner of her eye, Commander Jovan spotted a two foot shadow making its way through the trees. The newcomer was noisy in the bushes, showing off a total lack of bush experience as branches bent. The squirming little body complained, brushing away leaves and twigs as she walked past.

~"Well I'll be damned... Samantha..."~ Lita sighed, ~"This get's better and better."~

Samantha Widdlestein (age 8) was by far the most rotten kid Lita Jovan had ever encountered, and that was saying a lot considering the five kid brothers she left behind after secondary school. Encoded in her DNA was Samantha's faith in her mother that the mom's teachings were committed to the little girl's heart and spewed out like a macabre gospel of the damned. In this girl's mind, her mother was Moses, Jesus, Mary, Joseph and God, with her father as a little afterthought inside her puny eight year old head. Everything mother said was the law, and to her it was final.

Lita felt slightly guilty for saying her mother was dead. She didn't have proof, and even if she saw the mother's dead corpse among the many littered all over the USS Galaxy, there was no telling if it was Mrs. Widdlestein or not. To Lita, it was the little rotten kid's fault that she had to say it. Samantha was annoying her with talk about getting married to Lysander and about her mother and what she had to say about working women like her that finally snapped what was left of her patience. She had none left to spare, and so she took it out on the kid.

But Lita never meant for Samantha to cry. As well as she hid it from the rest of her hostile band of Starfleet flunkies, Commander Jovan felt somewhat guilty. What good was attacking the kid verbally if she had nothing to gain? Ok, she got some peace and quiet, but peace and quiet didn't suit her usually busy life and she kept thinking about Lysander and the little brat.

"Hey kid... come over here. We gotta talk, sweety." Lita said in her toughest low voice.

Samantha was not receptive to her message. Her face was already stained red from the tears that ran down her face. Samantha Widdlestein wailed shrilly, yelling, "Go away you mean woman! My mom's not dead! You're just a mean old b*tch!"

Lita had a crisis on her hands. Samantha was bordering on tears, hiccuping them back as her little face turned crimson red. She was between crying and throwing the worse temper tantrum of her life. Commander Jovan wasn't going to take any crap from an eight year old girl, so she said in a calm voice, "Get real kid... I saw what was up there. I'd be lying to you if I told you your mom is alive up there."

"Go away! You're a mean b*tch!"

"Shut up!" Lita scowled, "I don't take lip from little girls like you, and if you don't like what I'm saying then shut up and take it anyways! Don't you know that you're stuck here and all your little kid dreams of waking up next to Lysander and seeing your mom everyday is now dead? Those are some goddamn Hirogen up there. They don't screw around! They intend on killing us all, so get used to the fact that your mom's worm food and get used to the fact that we're the only ones that are going to protect you, ok?"

Samantha was bawling by the time Lita mentioned her mother. Desperate to defuse the situation and stop the child's insane wailing, Lita stuttered, "Kid... we have to be realistic. I didn't go through twenty eight years of my life without knowing that when things look bad, they actually are. I'm sorry if I said your mom's dead, but I saw what was up there. I do some bad things to people, but I don't try to outright lie to them. I can't do that to you... ok kid?"

Samantha sobbed, looking up at Lita as she outstretched a hand to her, "I'm sorry kid. I was in a bad mood. I'm not a monster... I just had to get things done around here ok? Can you forgive me?"

Though Lita was willing to swallow a gallon of pride (she had worse, trust me) in order to put some trust in the kid, Samantha wasn't so receptive to her message. Samantha Widdlestein huffed, turning away from her hand. "Mommy says women like you hate children because you don't have any."

"Hey..." Lita smiled slightly, "You're pretty smart... for an eight year old. Maybe momma's not so full of sh*t after all."

"And she says women that swear are b*tches!"

"Well, she had to swear to say that, making her a hypocrite." Lita smiled, talking to the kid in her most condescending voice, "And she's wrong about us... b*tches. Let me tell you something kid. I didn't get my commander pips at the age of twenty eight by playing nice. I didn't get all those nice Starfleet jobs by baking pies and playing little miss housekeeper. I did it by busting my ass off and stepping on everyone in my way, and if you want to survive in this universe I suggest you start working for it. Doing it gets enemies... like your boyfriend... those two women... and you... but it also gets me a lot more in return."

"Well... mommy says women like you go under admiral's desks to get their jobs! Is that hard work?" Samantha spitefully tore her words at Lita. The voluptuous Commander was shocked to hear words like that from an eight year old child. ~"What the hell is this mother telling her?"~ She sighed.

"Kid... that's really cute." Lita gave Samantha a defensive and very dirty look, "Lets just say I work hard for what I have. You're like me in a way... you're smart... you say it like it is... and you're ambitious. Ok... not so ambitious if you want to marry Lysander, but at least you have goals. I like that in a girl. I think all girls should try to be just like you."

"Lady... you're still a horrid witch woman! You're mean to everyone, and I don't like mean people. You treat Lysander like my mom treats my dad, and you're not married to him. You treat Aunt Arel and Kit mean too, and I like them. If you don't like them... then I still don't like you, and I don't care what you say to stop me!"

Lita sighed, strangling down the impulse to go out and commit murder on the poor little child. "Kid, I tried to be nice to you. I was going to warn you that your little boyfriends' a slimy toad..."

"Lysander's not a slimy toad!" Samantha retorted.

"Whatever kid... you didn't used to date him, and I did, making me more of an authority on him than you. Now, I tried to be nice, I tried to tell you about Lysander, and I tried to say I'm sorry, but you just couldn't let it go! Now.. as your useless boyfriend would say... smeg off!"

Enough for her little fragile mind to take, Samantha bolted off, screaming, "I HATE YOU!" as she ran through the bushes to find Aunt Arel. In a way, Lita was both relieved and disappointed. Lita wanted to get the kid off her back, to try and stop her from being so b*tchy in front of the Commander and to help alleviate the migraines that were constantly throbbing against her forehead. She succeeded in driving the kid away, but also drove a wedge between them. Living long term with Samantha Widdlestein was going to be stressful to her, as Arel, Lysander and Kit found out the hard way, but this time Lita Jovan was the mean woman on the little girl's sh*t list.

"Why me?" She sighed, "What did I do to deserve this?"

She found a newt, who was watching the argument between two goddesses all along, staring blankly at her. More specifically, the newt's beady eyes were locked onto her breast, which seemed to curve almost perfectly in her molded uniform.

Disgusted, Lita gave the newt a well placed kick, sending the meter long salamander flying off into the nearest bush. The alien creature apologized and slinked off.

"This is going to be the longest mission of my life..." Lita groaned, rubbing her temples to relieve the pain in her head, "If I live that long..."

"Planet Side: Part Five"
By Wilhem and Autumn Quevvenson

Wilhem smiled faintly in his sleep as the two humans from so far apart bonded again. Together. Forever. Then, suddenly Wilhem began to shake. Softly at first, but quickly progressing to violence.

Autumn woke with a start and spun towards him. Her hand ran to his pulse and then down to the juncture of his neck and shoulder on the right side. Not sure if it was right she pinched the nerve anyway hoping and praying she was doing the right thing.

Wilhem fell limp. He slowly woke up and saw Autumn looking at him concerned. "What's the matter?" he asked.

She gently reached out and touched his forehead. "Dreaming again," was all she said, brushing the hair off his forehead and then laying back down beside him.

Wilhem smiled softly, "Okay." He put his arms around her, and kissed her softly. But before he could break the kiss, he was asleep again.

Autumn smiled and fell asleep again. Unlike him of late she had had untroubled sleep. And even with the gravity of the situation Autumn still managed to sleep soundly.

Wilhem dreamed again of Autumn and his children. But this time, he also dreamed something terrifying. He saw the faces of the two Dark Men he had met, or suspected to be one of the pair, appear above the ground. They laughed, and the pictures of Autumn and the children disappeared. One could say that he was quite frightened.

Autumn felt the fear in her sleep and slowly woke and searched for the source. She looked at Wilhem and gently shook him awake.

Wilhem jerked awake. He stared at Autumn for a few seconds, then said, "Thank the gods. It was just a dream."

Autumn gave him a puzzled look. "Well for a dream you sure radiate fear at a high level," she said. "I am sure a Betazoid on Betazed could have felt that. What is wrong?"

Wilhem shook his head. "What I saw was a dream about you and whatever kids we have. Then suddenly, the heads of the two Dark Men that I think I know appeared and laughed. Then the pictures of you and the kids disappeared. That's what scared me."

Autumn smiled and took his hand and placed it where their children grew. "We are here and we always will be. No one is going to change that... be they Hirogen or Dark Men... We are a family and we are staying that way."

Wilhem nodded thoughtfully, "I hope so, my love. For you never know when things are going to spin out of control."

She smiled and leaned over and kissed him gently. "It will be ok," she said lying back down beside him. She faced him and touched his cheek. "We will be ok..."

It was at this time that the Hirogen leader decided to speak, "Dark Men? Are they more prey to hunt? No matter. You prey will not live through the Hunt. Even now, they gather more together to hunt you. Maybe they will come from that passage over there. But either way, you prey will die."

Wilhem turned to the Hirogen with a smile as cold as Death's touch. "If they do come that way, they will be sufficiently weakened for us to defeat them. For there are several paths they could travel in that maze over there. Two lead to dragons. If they manage to get past the one that blocks that path, they still could go the wrong way. And meet a foe more potent than even a Hirogen hunting party. Hundreds, maybe thousands of humanoids called Orogs. I am sure they would love to make your acquaintance. They seem to like to cook the flesh of sentients, if I remember correctly."

Autumn winced. "Ew thanks for that bit of info," she muttered before stretching out beside Wil. "You can keep chatting to the brain dead Hirogen... I am going back to sleep... the others that share my body practically demand it." She closed her eyes and pillowed her head on her arm.

Wilhem chuckled lightly, "Anyways, before we were so rudely interrupted, I think I was going to catch some more sleep." He laid down and put his arm around Autumn's tired body. He thought for a moment, then decided to put themselves in a better position. He laid on his back and put Autumn's head on his stomach. Then he draped his arm over her body, and promptly fell asleep.

Autumn smiled as he moved her and relaxed as his arm went over her body. She stretched out her mind and linked with him gently and with the twins. Content she fell back asleep.

Wilhem smiled contentedly in his sleep. He knew that his family was here with him. And that was all that mattered. Even if they were marooned on a strange world, being hunted by large, ugly humanoids, and there was a chance they would never leave this planet. But that was a minor thing compared to the feeling of closeness he felt with his wife, son, and daughter.

Autumn slept well ignoring the fact that the lead Hirogen was awake and that his cubs could be alive.

Wilhem slept soundly for a few hours before things took another turn. A loud roar later, they awoke to find that there were twelve Hirogen in the cavern. Besides the manacled one and the dead or unconscious cubs.

Autumn groaned and reached out for a rifle. "Don't you lot ever learn. Walking into a Dragon's cave without invite is dumb" she muttered as she prepared to take them out.

The Hirogen smiled, "Prey dumb. Prey all die."

Jrsstraunthor smiled and breathed out. This time, it was a different breath weapon. This one put eleven of the Hirogen to sleep. The remaining one cursed and did his best Banzai charge.

"You know," Autumn began conversationally as she picked up her dagger and held onto the tip. "I think your Vocab needs to change," she threw the dagger straight for the Hirogen's heart. It hit in the gaps of the armor. She then snatched back up her rifle and aimed as the Hirogen stared dumbly down at the dagger.

Wilhem smiled and waited for the Hirogen to make the next move. He knew that this Hunter was not long for the universe. Hopefully, this would not cause too much consternation for the Hirogen. Well, maybe not...

Autumn smirked. "Now might be the time to change your job."

The Hirogen bellowed and grabbed his talon and threw it straight for Autumn. Autumn dodged it... just. It hit the ground behind her feet as she fired the rifle straight for it's stomach. It hit and the Hirogen was thrown backwards with the impact.

Wilhem smiled, "Good shot, my love. I hope you can do this well when we really need it."

Autumn walked over and retrieved the dagger and cleaned it off. She turned to their Host. "How long does a sleep spell last?" she asked politely.

Jrsstraunthor smiled at them, "My sleep breath weapon takes anywhere from thirteen to eighteen minutes to wear off. You may want to disable them before then."

Autumn nodded. She looked at Wilhem. "How do you want to do this?" she looked about. "Just tie them up? I mean after we disarm them..."

Wilhem thought a moment, "I would guess that we should tie them up. But we would need rope for that. Or some other form of binding material." He saw something interesting sticking from what appeared to be a pocket in the Hirogen hunter's armor. He went over and pulled out what appeared to be a large length of some sort of synthetic cord. It appeared to be useful to the job at hand. But it also looked like it was meant to secure humanoids. Weaker ones.

"That should do... Or we could just throw them off a cliff?" she said causally as she began disarming the Hirogen.

Wilhem chuckled, "If we want to throw them off a cliff, then we should not bother with tying them up. Of course, we may want to search them first. There could be more interesting trinkets on them."

Autumn glanced at the group. "We do not have much time. Let's get moving," she continued searching the Hirogen.

Wilhem nodded, and quickly searched the other end of the line, then tied the Hirogen cubs' hands and feet together with pieces of the cord. As soon as they met in the middle, he nodded to Autumn, and took the stuff he had collected back to their pile.

Autumn finished raiding the Hirogen and tied the rest up. She then carried the talons and knives and rifles back to the pile. She looked at the pile. "You know I am sure there are others out there that could use some of these. I just wish I knew where they were."

Wilhem nodded solemnly, "I agree. But I don't know where they are any more than you do. And I am afraid that there would be no way to find them anyway."

Autumn nodded. She sat down and pointed to the group tied up. "What now?" she asked loudly enough so that the lead Hirogen could hear.

Wilhem smiled grimly, "We wait. Wait for either the next Hirogen party. Or for the Galaxy to begin asking if anyone's down here."

"How many hunters can they spare to hunt two people... you would think that after a while they would just give up." Autumn sighed.

The Hirogen hunter smiled grimly at them, "Prey kill Hirogen. Hirogen must kill prey."

Wilhem snorted and turned to Autumn, "In other words, we're Public Enemy Number One to them."

"Gee and they wonder why we get so angry at them," Autumn sniffed. She looked at the Hirogen. "No wonder they need an Alpha... they all seem to have no brains."

Wilhem merely smiled at that.

Autumn looked about. "Its going to get noisy in here when they wake."

Wilhem nodded softly, "Of course, we could arrange it so that they cannot be heard."

Autumn shrugged. "How?" she asked.

Wilhem smiled, "Well, not us exactly." He turned to their host, "Jrsstraunthor, do you know the spell, Silence?"

The dragon smiled, "Where do you want it centred on?"

Wilhem looked out at the field of dead and unconscious Hirogen, shrugged and said, "How about that dead one in the center, near the cubs?" The dragon nodded, and merely with a gesture it was done.

Autumn gave Wil and the dragon a puzzled look. "Ok... that seems to help."

Wilhem chuckled, "Just wait until the cubs wake up." And then they began to. When they discovered themselves bound they began to struggle, and appeared to curse vehemently. Of course, no sound escaped their lips. That was the beauty of the Silence field.

"Ah ok... get it now. How long does it last for though?" she asked picking up the work she had been working on before falling asleep.

Wilhem smiled, "Well... Seeing as it was cast by a dragon... I'd say for several hours. Maybe ten at the most."

Smiling she continued on the communicator. "That should give them enough time upstairs to get the ship back or get help."

Wilhem nodded, "It should, shouldn't it? Of course, being surrounded by three or more Hirogen ships might make taking the ship back a moot point."

"That's where we hope that the tactical genies on our ship manage to somehow get rid of the other three vessels... blow them sky high or something like that..." she glanced up from her work. "The Galaxy only got taken over through negligence on Brhode's part. Nothing more, nothing less."

Wilhem smiled, "Yeah. That would be nice. I hope that there are some Tactical genies that make it to the bridge to do that. If none do... Well, then I hope someone who knows the weapons gets there."

She smiled and nodded. "I am sure it will work out. Honey can you open up Sara's badge and get me the vocal processor out of it please?"

Wilhem frowned. He picked up Sara's badge and looked at Autumn carefully, "You do realize that I don't know the difference between the vocal processor and anything else that may be in there?" He shrugged, and pried the badge open.

Autumn smiled. "It's the small circular silver piece of metal. Just pull it free."

Wilhem nodded, "Okay. Thanks Love." He found this small piece of metal and pulled it free. He then handed it to Autumn very gently.

She took it and placed it within her badge. "To confuse the signal for Hirogen... a starfleet computer should be able to get a fix."

Wilhem nodded, "Good."

"Yup," came the reply from his wife as she finished securing the piece into the comm badge. She then finished fixing the other power relays together.

Wilhem looked at her for a few moments, then acted. He leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek. Trying to see what it would do.

Autumn blushed and looked up. "What was that for?" she asked softly with a small smile.

Wilhem acted on impulse. "So I could do this," and he kissed her. A nice, light kiss.

Kissing him back just as lightly Autumn smiled. ~Uh huh... why else lover?~ she sent via their mind link.

Wilhem smiled at her, ~Well, if you can be coy with me, than I can be coy with you.~

~Coy? Moi? Never on your life,~ she sent back with a teasing smile.

Wilhem playfully tapped her right shoulder with his weaker hand. ~Don't be coy with me, milady.~

She just smiled and leaned over and kissed him gently. ~Uh huh,~ she sent back.

Wilhem smiled at her, ~I can't wait to get back to the Galaxy. So I can do things to you that would make you blush.~

She smiled. ~Uh huh,~ she repeated with a hint of dare in the tone. ~I know I want to be home as well.~

Wilhem nodded, ~I know you do. And I know that I will have to pull all the stops out to make you blush. But I will not hurt you in any way, okay?~

~Honey you have never hurt me yet,~ she sent with a smile. ~And I think by now I know you well enough to know that you would never hurt me.~

Wilhem shook his head, ~I've already hurt you at least once already, my love. When I, as I've heard someone at the Academy put it, breached your Warp core.~

~My Warp core,~ she said with a smile. ~Honey if you hadn't we wouldn't have two new lives in our lives... And besides.. it only hurt once and it was a normal hurt,~ she took his hand and enlaced their fingers. ~I Love you, I trust you and I know that we will be together for a long time. We will also get out of this.~

Wilhem nodded, ~I am sure we will. I only hope it is before the winter sets in.~

~You are being a pessimist Love,~ she sent with a smile putting her work down on the ground again. She looked at their enlaced fingers and smiled. ~Even if Winter does start early I am sure we will be fine... Galaxy will get us out of here.~

Wilhem smiled, ~I am sure they will.~ He paused for a moment, then lowered his head towards her belly, ~May I?~ he asked.

Smiling Autumn nodded. ~Sure.~

Wilhem put his ear to her belly, and closed his eyes. He listened to the blood flowing in her belly, and soon was able to discern those from the blood flowing in the two small children's bodies. He smiled. Then he felt the tendril of a contact on his mind. By two curious primitive minds that wanted to know who was this person who seemed to be close to their growing space. He gently told them who he was, and they seemed to do a somersault in her belly.

Autumn gently ran her hand through Wilhem's hair with a gentle smile. ~If they are somersaulting now... wait until they are bigger... They will start to kick... play a game of football in there...~ she sent softly to him. ~But I do know that your son will be as handsome as his father and as smart.~

Wilhem smiled softly, "Yeah. They'll be playing Harstat with your internal organs.~ He looked up at Autumn, ~However, I am sure that your daughter will be as beautiful and smart as her mother. And probably just as adventurous.~

Smiling back at him she placed her hand on his cheek. ~Problem with that Wilhem?~ she asked teasingly.

Wilhem chuckled, ~No. It just means that we are going to have to be careful. You never know what she'll put in her mouth. Or where she'll put her fingers. Or most importantly, watch where she goes. I have this strange feeling we'll get a call from Engineering stating that she is standing in front of the Warp Core. Or somehow manages to get to the Bridge.~ Then his eyes twinkled, ~Or what sort of boys she'll bring home.~

~Boys? And what makes you think she will be even dating until she is 16?~ she sent with a smile. ~As long as they are nice, polite and treat her well I guess we won't have to worry too much. And what about your son? If he is anything like you... he will have the girls pouring off him... being the charmer that he will surely be, we will be getting com calls from parents asking where their daughters are.~

Wilhem chuckled again, ~I am sure we will. But I suspect that if we teach him my sense of Honor, and your sense of compassion, we will be fine. As for your daughter... Well, if we can teach her your virtue, then we will have nothing to worry about. Until we meet the boy who wants to ask for her hand... Then, I might have to scare the living daylights out of him.~ He winked.

~We can leave the poor guy in a room with Summer,~ she suggested with a smile. ~As long as he isn't Eric Odin's son I will have no problem with the situation.~ She moved so she leant against him. ~I am sure our children will be fine, and they will grow up to be honourable and everything they want to be.~

Wilhem nodded softly, ~Yes. They can be anything they want to be. Even Counsellors. I still don't trust most of them. Only my friend Maltos has the right feel to him. And that only seems to be because he is my friend, and I can trust him to keep a secret.~

Autumn smiled ~I trust Maltos... but I also trust Mike O'Grady. He seems to be trustworthy,~ she turned her head to look at him. ~If they do become counselors I am sure they will have their father's wisdom and understanding,~ she gently brushed his lips with hers.

Wilhem was surprised at that, ~My wisdom and understanding? I am not well-known for those qualities, my love. I think they will be more likely to have their mother's concern for people's well-being. Above and beyond her own.~ Wilhem looked somewhat off in the distance, ~When I was younger, I was a reckless, foolish person. Who did not have much common sense. I seemed to trip every trap that was laid before me. Including the one with Sirena.~

Autumn rested her head on his shoulder. ~But since then you have grown my love. And the man here with me isn't like that. Baby... I know you... just like you know me. You are wise and you are very understanding... remember when I broke that statue? You understood what was behind it... Didn't you?~ she drew his face back to face her. ~You are wise and I love you.~

Wilhem smiled at her, ~You seem a little more patient than usual. And a little less adventurous than normal. But I guess that comes from carrying two small life forms in your body. They will give you wisdom. Wisdom that I can't hope to learn. I will never know the feeling of life growing in my body. You will. I will never be directly connected to my children by telepathy. You will be. It is like this with all telepaths. They are always attuned to their mother more than their father. With but a thought, their mother can know what they are doing. No matter the distance between the two. And they will also be connected to each other, just because they are twins. I feel they will try to go everywhere together. Even if that will cause them to miss all the fun. You will be so close to them, yet I will be not privy to those feelings. It is the fate of the father of a telepath.~

~Wil... you are more of a telepath then I... I can only use the link between us because of you. You will be attuned to them Love I know that,~ she smiled and hugged him gently. ~I may seem patient Love but you have calmed me down a lot... before we joined up back on the Galaxy during this crisis I was frantic and worried. I almost died if Hunter hadn't helped me out. I froze a couple of times... When I found you I felt so much better and part of me relaxed. You have that effect on me my love.~

Wilhem nodded, ~I thank you for that compliment, my love. But I still think that you will have a connection with them that I will lack. I am not really that calming on most people. I seem to make them afraid. Afraid that I will do something so unusual that it will threaten their lives. No one understands me, I fear. Not even you do completely.~

~Wilhem...~ she placed her hands on either side of his face and turned him towards her. ~I know I do not completely understand you, but that is because we come from different worlds. But I wish to understand Wil... I want to understand you and your world. I want our children to know of it to. To your friends Wil, I am a commoner, not worthy of you. Do not tell me that Rose doesn't think like that at times. But I love you. I know I am not a part of your world, but that is why I wish to understand more about it, so I can be a part of it. You do scare me at times with your powers but it doesn't change my feelings for you. It is just something I will have to work on and learn to accept. Just like you have had to accept this universe instead of being in your own.~

Wilhem nodded, ~And I want to understand this world. As to my friends... Well, all of the six that I know have made it to this world approve of you. They look past labels like commoner and noble. For everyone has some form of nobility within themselves. As to Rose... Well, she is entitled to her opinion. What I fear is her trying so hard to top you. Trying to be a better officer than you. In order to somehow get me to leave you for her. But that will not happen. I cannot let it. You are the first person from this plane of existence, that in some small way, understands me.~ He paused, ~I love you.~ Then he kissed her fully, and leaned against her.

Autumn kissed him back pressing back against him. ~I love you. I do not want to lose you. It is just I always feel like second place to her when she is around. I like her Wil but sometimes I just want her to go away... she hates the fact that I pulled her off duty for three days, she most likely blames me for the fact that her baby will be wheelchair bound for life...~ she pulled away a bit and watched his face. ~I tried so hard to keep that child healthy Wil... but when she is born... I can not fully say what the extent of the damage is until after the baby is born,~ she sighed both mentally and out loud. ~I am sorry for feeling like this Wil. Really I am.~

Wilhem frowned, ~How did the child get damaged? I did not know that the child was harmed in any way.~ He paused, ~I may know someone who may be able to heal that. It is possible after all, right?~

~When Rose didn't eat Wilhem she deprived the child of essential nutrients and the like. In the first three months it is essential that the mother takes care of herself and eats properly. Rose didn't do that. The child is deformed in the womb Wil. I am serious about this. A lot can be done but nothing can replace the child's normal growth pattern... I am not even sure if magic will help love,~ she paused. ~Now do you see why I was so mad at her? After all her, 'I am having a baby girl' talk... she went and did that... I could have killed her... I mean at that time I didn't know I was pregnant and I couldn't believe that she was acting that way. I know she loves you and I think part of her thought that if she got rid of the child you would go to her. I think my being pregnant screwed that up for her.~ Autumn shrugged. ~I do not understand Rose at times. She drives me crazy.~ She lay down on her side and watched his face.

Wilhem nodded solemnly, ~Yes. She drives us all crazy at times.~ He paused, ~I thought it was important for a woman to eat right at all stages of pregnancy. Which reminds me... are you going to eat any of the food the djinni provided?~

She blushed, ~I fell asleep before I could eat. Oops.~ She had forgotten to eat. She had been tired and had just fallen asleep. She reached out and took a bit of bread. ~Sorry love,~ she sent with an embarrassed laugh.

Wilhem smiled and caressed her cheek, ~It's okay. I am sure you won't forget again. And if you do, I'll remind you, okay?~

She nodded. ~Ok,~ she silently ate some of the food before turning back to him. She reached out and touched his cheek. ~Thank you.~

Wilhem nodded, ~You're welcome. Now will you want some wine?~ He held up his hand, ~Now I know that in this universe it is thought that alcohol causes birth defects. But on my world, it was said that a glass of wine a day made the baby healthier. And it learned to use its reflexes faster.~

Autumn held back her laughter. ~One glass Love should be fine... but I warn you I am not too good with alcohol in my system... I am what Riana calls a Cheep drunk,~ she smiled.

Wilhem nodded, ~It's okay, Autumn. If you do manage to get drunk on one glass of wine, I'll just take you somewhere dark and make passionate love to you. Body and soul.~

She gave him a shy smile. ~That might make me having a hang over worth it... I should get drunk more often then.~ Her mind voice was light and teasing. She was having a hard time to fight the urge to go and find the dark place right then and there.

Wilhem smiled softly, ~It is okay Autumn. The only reason I did not take advantage of you that one other time was because, well, I did not want to take advantage of a young woman who might not know what was going on. And I wanted your first time to be something you would remember. Not be buried in a foggy haze.~ He took her hand and squeezed it tenderly, ~It will be fine. Your urges are perfectly natural. And they do not have to be fought. If it is what you really want, then I, as the husband, am obligated to perform my manly duties. Not that you have to force me.~

Autumn smiled and leaned so their foreheads rested against each other. ~I would love to be in your arms at the moment Love but you and I both know this is neither the time nor the place... but when we get home...~ she gave him a mischievous look ~I intend to talk to the captain about letting us take that honeymoon and I intend to spend hours just you and me... Sound good?~

Wilhem smiled softly, ~That would be grand.~ He got a twinkle in his eyes, ~But I still want to be with you. Right now. And as to the location... Well, I've never done it in or near a dragon's lair before.~

~And you think I have?~ she asked with a raised eyebrow. ~And exactly how are we supposed to do it with people around... and I really don't think asking our host to cast a spell will work... I would go bright red and I do not fancy being watched by the entire hunting party,~ she leaned closer and kissed him gently.

Wilhem nodded softly, ~That I understand. So my suggestion is that we go to the tunnel to the interior of this strange mountain range. Somewhere, where there is enough light to see you and your lovely body by. And somewhere that there isn't enough light to discern what we are doing from far away. But only if you are willing.~

She kissed him again. ~Willing... what do you think?~ she smiled and caressed his cheek with her hand.

Wilhem smiled softly, ~Then, if you don't mind...~ He stood up quickly and picked her up in one fluid motion. He then turned to Jrsstraunthor, "If you will excuse us, young Grace. We will be back soon enough." Then he turned and walked with Autumn in his arms into the tunnel that led back to the white dragon's lair. He walked to a point in the cave, where the lighting was just about right. There, he laid his wife down on the smooth ground and smiled. ~Now. What do you want me to do with you?~

She smiled up at him and leaned up and caught his lips with hers. As she kissed him she sent, ~Whatever you want to do with me. I have no preference Love.~

Wilhem returned her kiss and kneeled beside her. He smiled as he broke the kiss and looked her up and down for a few moments. Then he decided to start with the feet. First he removed her shoes and socks. He then kissed the insteps of both her feet. As he did so to her left foot, he noticed something interesting. Something he had never noticed before. He paused and looked closer. He looked up at Autumn, ~What is this on your ankle?~

Autumn raised herself up on her elbows. ~Oh that is my tattoo Wilhem... It has always been there... why?~ she was puzzled why he was asking now... surely he had seen it the other times.

Wilhem nodded, ~Well, I've never seen it before now. Does it cause damage when touched?~

Autumn sat up and took his hand and placed it on the butterfly tattoo. ~No... it has been there since I was 16 Wil... it hurt when it got done... but never since then. See.~

Wilhem seemed to release a breath he had been holding in. ~Thank the gods. Then it is not like the tattoos on my world. Well on my continent. Only the Vos tattoo themselves. And these tattoos are called battle tattoos, because when in battle, the warrior they were painted on could activate them, and they would cause damage to those in the path of the spells. Including any allies they might have. All normal Vos male warriors had them.~

Autumn kissed him gently. ~Honey it was something I had done when I was young and silly. It was a dare and I guess I kinda won it. Hurt like hell though.~ She kissed him some more, deepening the kisses.

Wilhem allowed her to kiss him as much as she wanted. Then, he decided that there was a way to show that he did not mind the tattoo. He broke the last kiss, pushed her back onto the ground and then placed a kiss on the tattoo itself. He next leaned over her body and kissed her on the lips once more. Then he calmly trailed kisses down her jaw and throat to the top of her shirt. Then he lifted her torso up and removed the shirt, placing it down to the side of her body. Then he pulled her legs up and removed her pants, placing them down at her side as well. He paused for a moment, then asked, ~Is the ground too cold for you?~

~No Love it isn't,~ she sent shaking her head silently. Her hands moved to his clothes. Her hands began to undo the buttons on his shirt.

He smiled slightly, ~Do you intend to do things to me as I do things to you?~

~Do you want me to Love?~ she asked pausing in her attempt to get him undressed.

Wilhem smiled at her warmly, ~It is your choice, Love. It is not my body that will be getting invaded by a foreign piece of flesh.~

Autumn kissed him gently her hands undoing his shirt. ~I just want to touch you that’s all... for now,~ she sent breaking the kiss and smiling at him.

He nodded and smiled softly at her, ~Oh, Autumn, it has been too long since we did this last. I don't know how I can be so calm. When I want you this badly.~ He groaned softly, and he helped Autumn remove his shirt. His hands then seemed to take on a mind of their own. They began caressing her skin at her shoulders, then moved down her chest and fondled her breasts through the fabric of her bra. Then, one moved down her body and rubbed her through the thin fabric of her panties. Then it moved up slightly and pushed itself under her panties, and went directly to her small slit. One finger entered this area, and rubbed her most sensitive organ softly.

Autumn's hips arched and she moaned. ~Oh lord Wil... I want you so bad,~ she sent as her hands ran down his chest, teasing the flesh as they went down his body.

Wilhem smiled, and removed his hands from her body. They closed over her hands softly, then let go to begin to undo his cloth breeches, which were what he wore normally under his studded leather leggings. He shrugged them off when they were sufficiently loosened, leaving him in his undergarment. There was a noticeable bulge in the front. He moved in slowly and rubbed this bulge on the place where her slit was hidden under her panties.

~Wil...~ she sent as her hands ran down his shoulders and her hips arched against him. One hand slid down his chest teasing his flesh.

Wilhem smiled widely, ~I think I should finish the job I started earlier.~ He kissed her softly, then kissed his way down to her chest. He then cautiously unclipped the clasp in the center of the two cups. Hesmiled at her once more, then removed the bra's cup from her right breast. He tenderly kissed all around it, then onto it, and finally gently took her nipple in his mouth, and teased it with his teeth for about thirty seconds. Then, he removed the fabric from her left breast, and pulled the bra off her body and dropped it on the pile by her side. He repeated the procedure on her left breast, while using his left hand to fondle her right one, keeping the stimulation going. He was also still rubbing the growing bulge in his undergarment against her slit under hers.

Autumn moved underneath his body teasing him with her movements. Her back was arched as he played with her breasts. Her hands caressed his chest one of them slipping to the top of his underwear.

Wilhem paused. ~Ready to really squirm?~ he asked teasingly. Then he kissed down her body to the top of her panties. He moved himself so that if she wanted to, she could continue to touch his body. Then, he gently pulled her bottom off the ground and tenderly and slowly removed her panties. He dropped them on the pile of her clothes, then began to kiss from the point he had stopped at, down into her triangle of pubic hair, and then onto the outside of her slit which was as pink as a newborn baby's bottom. Then, he extended his tongue and pushed it inside her warm and wet canal. At the same time, he engulfed her engorged clitoris into his mouth and sucked on it gently, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body.

Autumn moaned and her hand slipped inside his underwear to tease him. Two could play at this game. Her hand closed gently around him, her fingertips played against his skin lightly. Her own body was shaking with pleasure and she was determined to make his do the same.

He paused in his ministrations to remove his undergarment, putting it on the pile of his own discarded clothing. He then kissed both of her inner thighs, then returned to her slit and licked and sucked hungrily.

Autumn began to kiss along his thighs and slowly she began to tease him with her mouth and tongue. Gently she drew him into her mouth and sucked lightly on him.

Wilhem felt extremely good from this contact. But he was determined to cause her to orgasm before he did. He still was not sure if she was ready to have him go off in her mouth.

Autumn moaned at his touch but continued pleasing his body with her hands, lips and tongue. She wanted him to feel as good as he made her feel.

Wilhem continued to stimulate her genitalia, knowing she was building up to her crescendo. He knew this because her body was beginning to tense up under his touch, from his hands, tongue and mouth. His hands were currently stimulating her breasts, trying to give her more pleasure.

Autumn knew she wouldn't last much longer with all the teasing he was doing with her body. She moaned softly and her hands caressed his body as she swirled her tongue around him, her teeth gently scraping against his flesh teasing him even more as she felt her body crest the wave.

Wilhem kept going until her orgasm splashed his face several times with her sweet fluids. He then pulled back and kissed the inside of her thighs again. Then he sent to Autumn, ~Do you want to... well... suck me dry? Are you ready for me to fill your mouth with my own fluids?~

Autumn didn't answer verbally she just kept on teasing and sucking and swirling her tongue around him hoping to drive him over the edge.

Wilhem smiled softly. If that is what she wanted, then he would let her have her fun. He decided to allow her to feel her entire mouth filled. He put his hands on her head, and moved towards her, thus pushing more of his stiff organ into her mouth. He stopped when his organ's head was at the top of her esophageus. He sent a suggestion, ~Why don't you use your lips to move up and down my manhood? Maybe even use your tongue to form a ridge under your bottom lip and run it up and down my organ?~

She did as he suggested, moving her lips and tongue to do as he had asked. She still wanted him badly. And she wanted badly to make him feel as good as he made her feel.

Wilhem sent her, ~That's good.~ Then, he groaned softly, closed his eyes, and his thighs began to tense up. ~I hope you know how to swallow,~ he sent as his body reached its limit. He began to ejaculate into Autumn's mouth.

Autumn felt him begin and did as he suggested and swallowed. She repeated this action until he had finished.

Through every release from his organ, he grunted. Growing slowly more pronounced. When he was spent he slowly removed his organ from her mouth, allowing her to lick the last bit of sperm from the top of his organ. Then, after completely removing himself from her oral cavity, Wilhem got onto his knees, and looked curiously at Autumn. ~Did you enjoy that? I have heard that human females of this universe do not like having someone expel a thick fluid into their mouth. Especially a bodily fluid.~

Autumn sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. ~Did you enjoy it?~ she sent back with a shy look on her face. Yes she was evading the question but she had to tell him. ~Honey, it wasn't that bad, but it isn't something I would like to do everyday... if you understand my meaning.~ She ducked her head to her knees silently.

Wilhem smiled and lifted her head. Looking into her eyes, he sent, ~Did I enjoy it? Yes. It was something that you participated in, for my enjoyment. Because of that, I can't believe it was a bad experience. Was it good?~ He shrugged, ~I can't really tell. That was the first time that anyone has ever used their mouth to bring me to completion. And you are also the first and only person to ever take me into your mouth, in the first place.~ He smiled again, ~As to not doing that every time, I happen to agree with you. Though pleasurable in its own way, I think that my full amount of seed should be placed inside your body from another, more pleasurable orifice. Where it can sometimes work its magic.~ His last comment came with a rakish, knowing grin.

Autumn gave a shy smile back at him. She nodded and caressed his cheek gently. ~I love you Wil,~ she sent softly.

Wilhem smiled back at her, ~I love you Autumn.~ He paused, then sent, ~Why are you so shy right now? You don't seem to have a shy bone in your body, most of the time I've seen you. Yet, when you get around me, especially in such an intimate moment, you seem to be so shy that it pains me to see it. I know that you are not a shy person. So why be that way with me?~

She shrugged. ~I guess it is because with you I seem to do things I have never done before and I guess that makes me shy and nervous... I am sorry love if that hurts you... but I have never been really bold in things like this... and other times... I do not wish to embarrass you when we are around other people. Sometimes my temper and outgoingness gets out of control,~ she looked into his eyes. ~I am sorry love. I do love you, and I want to make you happy... maybe even act like a proper lady should... believe me... getting me into a dress is hard enough work,~ she smiled.

Wilhem nodded softly, ~It is okay. I am not really bold in the ways of love myself. As to embarrassing me at a party, I'd rather take that embarrassment than have you change you personality. Though I agree taking your anger into check is not a bad idea. And as to acting like a proper lady... well... I am not well-versed in such things. I only have images from the first five years of my life. I went to few balls after I apprenticed myself to the old ranger. Especially since a ranger is uncomfortable in non-wilderness areas. I think that we would need someone a little more well-versed in such activities, in order to teach you the way of the proper lady.~ He looked at her again, and then sent, ~Now. Should we continue doing what we had planned?~

She smiled. ~Just promise me... you won't ask Rose to teach me... I'd as soon as walk on hot coals,~ she sent with a smile to take the edge off her words. She then knelt in front of him and kissed him gently. ~I think your plan sounds like a good idea.~

Wilhem kissed her back, just as gently. ~I won't ask you to be taught by Rose. I have a better idea. How about my friend Sigmund's wife Jannika? Not only is she a priestess of the god Haelyn, Holn to her, she was also the princess of Halskapa. Before being flung off Aebrynnis in 1524 HC.~ He paused, then sent, ~I think I should,~ he grinned rakishly, ~make you wet again, my love.~

She gave him a smile. ~Really?~ she challenged with a raised eyebrow. Her green eyes spoke challenge but her touch spoke of willingness as she reached out and caressed his face gently.

He smiled, ~Really. It is better when you provide the natural lubricant for our actions.~ He then leaned in and kissed her chin. He began to kiss down her throat and onto her torso. He paused momentarily, then decided to try something a little different. He began to kiss over to her right shoulder, then around the front of the junction between her arm and her torso. And then he gently lifted her right arm and kissed her in the white flesh of her armpit.

Autumn felt the frisson through her body and she let out a small moan of desire. Her hands ran teasingly down his torso, playing and teasing him again.

Hearing this emission, he tentatively kissed her again in the same general area. When she moaned again, he smiled slightly. Then he peppered her silky white armpit with numerous kisses, trying to drive her crazy with desire.

It was driving her crazy. Her body was heating up and her hand stroked him gently as she teased his flesh. ~Hmmmmmmm,~ she moaned both mentally and out loud.

Wilhem smiled and continued to kiss her very sensitive flesh under her right arm. He sent teasingly, ~And just think... I haven't kissed the other one, yet. The one closer to your heart.~

~Hmmmmmmm Wil...~ she sent through the growing haze. Her fingers played along him, the tips of them drawing little circles in his flesh and tracing lines to entice him.

Wilhem continued to plant kisses under her right arm. He kept this up until she began to tense up so much that Wilhem thought she was about to have an orgasm. Then he kissed his way out of that region, and across the top of her torso. Until he reached the other side. There, he lifted up her left arm, and gazed in wonder at her bright white silky skin that had been hidden from the outside world for so long. Then, he kissed it tenderly. Before beginning to pepper the area with hard kisses.

Autumn moaned. ~Please Wil...~ she sent via their mind link as her body shivered in response to his touch. She wanted him so badly.

Wilhem paused and smiled at her, with a mischievous look in his eyes, ~But Autumn! I haven't finished teasing your body to its limits, yet.~ And he began kissing across her torso, around her left breast and onto her right breast. He gently took her nipple into his mouth, teasing it with his teeth. After about ten seconds of this, he kissed over to her left breast, and did the same to it.

Autumn was so close to release that she needed him in her badly. Slowly she let her hands drift to his shoulders and her hips arched against him. ~Please love... please,~ she sent as her body reacted more and more to the pleasure being given to it by her husband.

Wilhem smiled softly, then kissed his way down her body until he was poised just outside her pink slit. The lips were engorged with blood and quite swollen. He took a moment to inhale the musty smell of her juices. Then he gently eased her outer lips apart with his fingers and gazed into her. He looked up and smiled, ~You are almost wet enough for me to enter you. I'll just finish getting you ready now.~ And he put his lips on the outside of her slit, inserted his tongue, and sucked her extremely sensitive clitoris into his mouth. He knew that she would quickly climax, but that was part of the plan.

Autumn felt the sensations explode within her and she cried out in pleasure as she climaxed hard.

Wilhem drank her fluid for the first few contractions, then removed his lips from her slit, allowing her juices to coat the area liberally. He got on his knees and stared at her for a few seconds. Then he glanced at himself and saw that he was more than ready. He smiled at Autumn, ~I am sorry for the crudeness of what I am about to say. You know how you like to say, Live life to the fullest and never look back?' Well, I can honestly say that I am at the fullest I have ever been. So do you want it slow and gentle, or hard and fast?~

Autumn gazed at him , still dazed from the sensations that still flowed through her body. ~How ever you want to love... just please take me,~ she sent back, her mind voice fuzzy, as if she was sleepy or drugged on a high.

Wilhem grinned, ~Still on a high from that last action?~ He picked up her bottom and pulled her towards him. Then, he gently spread her legs apart and put them on his hips. He positioned himself, and placed the head of his swollen organ just inside her slit. ~Now this might hurt some.~ And then he quickly, and thus roughly entered her.

Autumn's back arched and a low moan came from her throat as he took her and filled her fully. God how she had wanted this. She smiled at him softly and clenched her muscles around him.

Wilhem paused to let her get used to the sensation of his organ, which was a little bit thicker and longer than usual, within her. Then he began quickly thrusting in and out of her hard.

She thrust her hips upwards to meet his thrusts, small whimpering moans of pleasure escaping from her lips as they moved together. She matched him for speed and her hands trailed patterns over his chest and shoulders.

Wilhem was enjoying this as much as she was. But he had to ask, ~Do you want me to go faster?~

She smiled softly at that as they moved together. ~If you wish to, my love,~ she could handle it if he wished to go faster she would do so.

He nodded, and then began thrusting in and out of her even faster and harder. He began to issue small grunts as he thrust into her body.

She matched him and her hands touched his skin gently. Autumn, then, leaned up and captured his lips with hers and passionately kissed him, entwining their tongues and she slid her hands down his back, caressing the skin as she did so.

Wilhem kept up his thrusts at the same speed he had attained, and gently sucked her tongue into his mouth and raked his teeth across it. He was getting quite exquisite sensations from her tight canal enclosed around his swollen organ. He also knew that, barring some kind of miracle, her canal would become quite loose after the babies were born. And then it would be harder to stimulate them both. Then, he smiled slightly, and decided to up the tempo a bit more. He began thrusting in and out of her at such a speed that he knew it would drive her crazy.

Low moans of pleasure came from Autumn as she attempted to match his speed. Her body was nearing completion again and her body contracted around him as they moved.

Wilhem groaned softly at the sensations he was feeling. Sensations he had never felt before. He took a little time to gather his thoughts enough to ask, ~Do you want me to hear you cry out in pleasure again? And do you want to hear me when I do so as well?~

~Please...~ she managed to send as the pleasure built up even higher.

Wilhem nodded softly, ~Then I won't entwine our mouths when the time draws near. And I know it is near.~ He kept up the tempo, trying hard to give her as much pleasure as he could.

Autumn couldn't help herself when the pressure became almost unbearable. Her body shook and contracted around him as the pleasure coursed through her causing her to cry out with release.

Wilhem felt this contraction, and groaned loudly. Then, he cried out in a mixture of pleasure and pain as he let go. He couldn't help himself, and he thrust into her with extreme hardness several times, releasing his seed deep into her body.

As her body slowed down she gently kissed Wil, entwining their mouths and she ran her fingers through his hair lazily, her eyes half closed with pleasure.

Wilhem let his tongue slip into her mouth softly, as he removed himself from her lovely canal. He sent softly, ~Sorry about that, Autumn. I think you will be quite sore in the morning. At least in that area of your body. I did not mean to take you so forcefully.~

Giving him a soft smile Autumn sent, ~Maybe I will be sore... but that doesn't mean I regret it Love.~ She gently entwined her tongue around his and curled up in his arms with a small smile.

He held her in his arms, continuing to kiss her softly and somewhat passionately. He knew that the time after having sex was sometimes just as important as the act itself. And with them, it was indeed that important.

Autumn kissed him just as gently and was soon drifting off in his arms, safe, content and her mind never touched the fact that they were in a hostile area.

=====
William Bolitho aka
Chief Tactical Officer Lt. Wilhem Quevvenson - U.S.S. Galaxy

"Isle of View? Look,Jungle-Boy I said . . .!"

Finishing up the 'Honeymoon. . .OVER' subplot betwixt (And generally pissing off TP by backposting this ;) )

CMDR Rebecca VonErnst, Executive Officer (The short skinny one) Lt.Cmdr Lysander VanderPuls-Hawksley, Chief Tactical Officer (The Tall snooty one)

(Meanwhile back on the Island)

Lysander strode into the cave, water running in jeweled rivulets down his bronzed and bare chest.

He was amazed to see Rebecca, instead of meekly eating her rare birdie-thingy and waiting to stammer out an apology to him, finishing tossing large amounts of the food he scavanged into an improvised backpack.

-That- was a surprise. But still. . .

"Order me to do it. Order me to kill myself helping you with your halfassed scheme." He spat at her, blue-green eyes blazing defiance.

Rebecca ignored him, except for a muttered "whatever Jungle- boy. . " as she hoisted her backpack and made for the cave entrance. Ice Queen in full effect. Head held high, tattered remnants of uniform flapping. Dignity in her position and Duty.

Of course, the bastard got in her way and her face, again. typical Lysander, always harping on something or other with exteranous Fishies and Bunnies and other non-sensical arguements.

"I'm serious...order me to help you. And those food-stuffs were for the civilians..." Lysander began as he stepped into her path.

Rebecca pushed all 90 pounds of her skinny frame against him, accomplishing very little other than to break a slight sweat. "Out of my way noodle-head. I have a job to do and I don't need you. Hear me Lieutenant Hawksley? I DON'T NEED YOU!" Her voice welled out, fatigue, exhaustion and a driving sense that she HAD to do what she HAD to do lending hysterical strength to her slight form.

She was going to blow up that ship, save the Federation if it meant. . .

if it meant. . .

She never saw the right cross coming, until it hit her right between her big brown eyes. It wasn't a BIG right cross, not a lot of power behind it. But still enough to ring a 90 lb farmgirl's bell.

She sat down hard , her skinny rear end raising a 'puff' of dust off the cave floor as stars danced before her eyes. The half-healed scar on her cheek split and a rivulet of fresh red blood oozed its course down her cheek, like molten tears, her improvised backpack falling and strewing its contents over the floor.

"Wha. . . . wha . . wha . . . " was all she could think of to say at the moment, being rather overcome by shock. "You h .. .h. . h . hit me, you . . . ." Rebecca's vocabulary ran out on her being still quite unaccustomed to the ways of cursing, and 'noodle-head didn't seem quite appropriate at the moment.

Lysander held up one finger. " Try 'Smegger.'You've been asking for that. Firstly, I earned my rank, which is Lieutenant COMMANDER, and not by making goo-goo eyes at the nearest Admiral. Secondly . . ." he began, Rebecca mising most of it with everything that is about to run through her head.

"I didn't. . . . " the accusation slapped Rebecca even harder than the actual punch. Her Psychological well being having always been more fragile than her physical being. "I NEVER!" she repeated louder and more insistent. Rebecca was a virgin, and somewhat proud of it. The mere notion that someone could think something so vile about her was quite beyond her comprehension. Did he think she. . . . . did it . . .. .with Hoth? To get a -promotion- that she didn't even - want-???????

Rebecca's eyes blinked suddenly stinging with the upwelling of tears.

Her self worth; already fragile, and made brittle by her new Ice-Queen persona shattered before Lysander's eyes as Rebecca found her self in a whirlwind of pain, exhaustion, and shame. She never considered herslef to be especially 'pure' especially after the Nilni Kahn incident, but THIS?

To learn that Lysander thought the same way!?!

It was more than she could bear.

She was as she always knew she was. . . .an outcast, and a freak. A slut by reputation, and a murderer of worlds by act.

As she wilted to the floor, A distant part of her brain wondered why HIS opinion mattered.

Before Lysander's wondering eyes Commander Rebecca von Ernst the new ice queen XO of the Galaxy self destructed in a flurry of pent up emotions. He'd seen her cry before, but this was a more painful episode, as she huddled on the dusty cave floor, her blood and tears blending together in a salty mixture of tragedy.

This wasn't like the time she cried when Cadet Fecci told her she -had- to stop puking and get back into the zero-gee simulator or fail the class.

This wasn't like the tears she'd shed when a whole Cadet Class had refused to say one word to her for blowing their "Introduction to Hyper-Spatial Calculus" class average way skewed with her perfect score.

This wasn't even like the tears she'd shed when she accused Lysander of 'peeping' at her on Wolf-359, with her ridiculous bathrobe held tight to her ankles and neck and panic writ large on her freckeld face.

This was the racking, horrible tears of someone whose soul was ripping in half, and had been for a while.

"I NEVER EVER EVER!!!!" she repeated in a scream this time, somehow it seemed important to her psyche to emphasize the fact that she had 'never.'. Rising again in a rage she drew her long pale legs up under her as she launched her self at him with a wild cry of pain and rage.

"Damn you ! Damn you! Damn You!" she wailed slapping innefectually at the infuriating man before her. "I NEVER DID Anything!!!!" Lysander was buried under a hailstorm of tiny fist blows, none particularly damaging in and of itself, but taken in total it was rather disconcerting, and the tiny wildcat slapped and punched at him in a blind fury.

But he already felt like crap for hitting her the first time. True she was an annoying little headcase. True she'd brought ninety nine percent of shit down on her own head, albeit unintentionally. And true she -did- smeggin well keep calling him by the wrong rank, probally on purpose just to annoy him.

Rebecca never -ever- forgot anything. Unfortuantly, Lysander suddenly realized that meant it was twice as hard to get a - wrong- idea out of her head, once it was in there.

~~Hell of a time for a smeggin relevation~~ he mused.

So he didn't try to fight back, or defend himself from her. He just stood there and wondered what the hell to do -now?- Hard to believe, but inter-personal relationships, espicially with the fairer sex, were not Lysadner's area of expertise. Espicially when he actually cared about the person.

Most of the blows however were wild misses, and her anger soon overtaken by her shame and fatigue, he was surprised to find himself cradling the slender girl against his broad torso. Her tiny fist thudding half-heartedly against his shoulder, while her tears rolled down his bare chest, mingling with her blood and the sweet water of the waterfall outside. And, unbeknownst to her, Lysanders' own tears.

He finally had her in his arms. . . but again not like he imagined. Still, Lysander, being a pragmatist, decided to make himself some lemonade out of the situation. He gently hugged her to his chest, and tried stroking her crimson locks.

Unbeknownst to the two, a telepath would have been silently amused at the divergence of their observations, and not so amused the similarities they took for granted.

Rebecca was shaken to the core of her being: even when she though she finally found what she figured was her purpose in life (Duty to Starfleet) , people were dragging her down. Standing in her way.

Try to make friends. . . get picked on at the Academy.

Try to Make a career . . . .be ostracized by her shipmates.

Actually become successful at that career, and watch everyone get jealous.

Try to make duty her life. . . .get knocked on her ass.

Try to maintain her innocence . . . .to have it robbed by dirty rumor, instead of by fact.

A Psychological rape. Almost worse than the real thing.

Lysander was shaken to the core of his being: even when he though he finally found what he figured was his purpose in life (Duty to Starfleet) , Rebecca was bumbling around in his way, dragging him down by association, blocking him and not even knowing it. Standing in his way with a befuddled look on her face and blaming it on him, or dreaming up some cold- blooded and frankly bloody-minded scheme to set herself over him and the others.

Try to make friends. . . get tagged as the 'freak lover' and 'protector of the future washouts' at the Academy. Get every mistake -she- makes blamed on him. Have her beat him time and time again, and sneer at his efforts as always being less than hers.

Try to Make a career . . . .be ostracized by his shipmates and forced to work under the ONE person in the Universe he didn't want to. Get sent to the Gor'Vosh station and kill some JemHadar...get sent to the Damned SAINT LOUIS and have Intelligence creeps mess around in your own brain... and then off for a little jaunt on GALAXY under...guess who?

Actually become successful at that career, and watch everyone get jealous, because they assume that it's because he came 'after' Rebecca and she's only re-paying him for helping her before. Or because he's boinking her.. or some other smeggin' stupid assumption.

Try to make duty his life. . . .get knocked on his ass by developing actual 'feelings' for the one person in the Universe who doesn't want them, or know how to respond to them, and who cannot deal with them.

Try to respect her innocence. . . and be forced to listen to every scuttlebutt rumour, slander, and innuendo from her jealous co-workers and everyone else she's pissed off and pushed away, and then wondered why they hate her.

"I. . . never did it." Rebecca sobbed against him, her breath warm against his skin. "Please don't hate me Lys," she muffled at last as her strength drained away, two weak arms snaked their way around his waist and pulled him tighter against her. Though he had the strength to break her hold with the minimum of effort, it seemed to Lysander that her thin arms were hot bands of molten iron against his skin, burning him terribly . . . and wonderfully . . . at the same time.

For the moment the little girl from Minnesota seemed content to stand motionless against him," I'll do anything you want Lys, but please don't hate me. . . . . I . . d . . . .d . . don't know who I am anymore."

Lysander didn't know what to say. There wasn't a lot he COULD say.

Except. . .

"You're Rebecca Von Ernst. I could never hate her. . . you. Never."

Lysander swept her tiny form of her feet and gently laid her down on the pile of clean 'mattresses' stuffed with sweet smelling herbs and grasses. He gently drew the newt blanket over the bare shoulder, peeking out of the gaping uniform tunic. Those brown eyes were looking at him in a way he'd often dreamed of, but the addition of the burning red 'recent crying jag' borders and the 'snuffle' of tears to come further were all nothing he'd ever dreamed of.

Rebecca, exhausted from the physical ordeals of the last weeks, the strain on her psyche, and the general unfairness of Fate, was shutting down for a well deserved sleep.

The bed was nice. Not as nice as the little one with the lace trimmed linens and the chipped white-enameled wrought iron headboard that her Daddy had bought her in Minneapolis, all those years ago. But still it was nice.

Probally better than she deserved.

But, there was something she wanted to know, before slipping off into the folds of blessed slumber. She struggled to get the question out. She'd promised herself, a dozen times a day since the Hirogen had captured the ship, that she would - not- ask it. Rebecca had dug deep, finding the steelwilled core of discipline that she had used to make her 'Ice Queen' mask, and used a bit of that new discipline to -will- herself not to even wonder about it.

But, in her weakened and exhausted state, she couldn't keep up the act. She fought off the tendrils of dreams to let that question slip out.

"Lys. . . back on the ship. . .during the fighting. . . did you. . .kiss me?"

He didn't answer for a long moment. He just rubbed at that broken nose of his furiously for a while, studying her slight form under the blanket.

Should he admit it?

Should he hurt her more and deny it?

TBC. . . .

"Captain Von Ernst Saves Your Tailpipes."

Lysander had been amazed that the Hirogen had chosen to beam him aboard anything, instead of ripping off his arm and beating him over the head with it.

Let alone beam him aboard the captured Lyran light Cruiser.

He was doubly amazed that the Hirogen hadn't beaten him senseless on sight as he stood blinking on the transporter pad, but rather had stuck him in the command couch of the captured Lyran ship, with some terse explanation of what they were up to, before they themselves used the Lyrans' transporters to beam over to the third of their ships,and haring off in pursuit of USS GALAXY, which seems to have disappeared off the scene.

But NOT before they also beamed the Smeggin Princess up with him.

Of course not. Smegggin' Goobers.

It was like some sick and twisted comedy, the way Fate seemed to go to the furthest limits of credibility JUST to throw these two together again and again and again. And pull them apart again and again and again.

~~That Skrlg isn't half bad, for a Hirogen. . .~~ mused Lysander, before starting on the project in engineering that the Hirogen had left half done. Actually, it made a sort of sense, this plan of theirs. . .

* * * * *

But that's before us.

You. Reader-person. Look over there.

That's the infameous Planet of Doom. Hanging like a tiny blue- green-white jewel in a pocket within the Mako Nebulae.

Been there, done that, bought the tee shirts.

"My PC was chased on the Planet of Doom by eight foot tall Uglies and all I got was this lousy tee-shirt!"

Over there, that tiny speck of light? That's the Lyran cruiser, hanging like some toy left behind by the Hirogen babies.

Lysander's removed his tunic [again] and is working in sweaty 'man' style. Complete with flexing and glistening muscles and sweaty man-sweat. Sansky no doubt would love the sight. Rebecca could care less, as she's up on the Bridge there, trying to figure out how she can kill the most Hirogen possible, and probally your PC's to boot.

Over there? Those specky things shooting into the Nebulae? That's the last of the three Hirogen 'battle'ships chasing off after Gustavvson at the helm of GALAXY, into the Nebulea. That whakky space-boomer. . . hijacking the ship right after the Hirogen hijack it! What -will- he think of next?

Down on the planet? Bhrode and the Alpha are just starting on comparing reproductive organs to see which one is the Uber- Badass.

Ladee dahhh dah. Just another day in the Alpha Quadrant.

You know what this post needs? Pink Fuzzy Bunny Slippers.

* * * * *

"Heh! Look Tubby! That [BLEEP]er is wearing some [BLEEP]in slippers or some other gay-ass shit!" Ensign Jay exclaimed, darting his watch-cap clad head around the corner for another look.

His trench coat clad compatriot joined him for a sneak peek.

Pulling back, they looked at each other in shock, before collapsing in a giggling mound.

"Pink Bunny Slippers! [BLEEP] but that is the -gayest- thing I've seen around here since we had that dude in the Brig!" said Ensign Jay.

Bob hefted his captured Hirogen Rifle and made impatient motions.

"Hell yes! I say we [BLEEP]ing shoot that gay [BLEEP]er and go help the Battle Bridge people. Ready Tubby? Shizznitz! Where'd you get that toy? How come you get the [BLEEP]ing sweet-assed swag?" exclaimed Jay as Silent Bob pulled a photon grenade from his coat and waggled his eyebrows.

"Where the [BLEEP] does he get those wonderful toys?" Jay asked, looking upwards to a generally uncaring Deck Three.

"[BLEEP] that shit! Toss that bitch at the dude and let's ROLL! 'Just lucky, Jay. A wise investment when Dante wasn't looking' my ass, you fat [BLEEP]er! See if I share my chronic with you any more. Hey, [BLEEP] the Battle Bridge. let's see if we can capture that Transporter Room over there. [BLEEP] yes! Maybe we can score some hotties or shit. . ."

Jay muttered, as they crept around the corner, the blast of the grenade muffled behind them, and a flying, smoldering Pink Fuzzy Bunny Slipper the only sign of the Hirogen left. The wreck of a slipper fell to the corridor intersection and lay there watching the Duo with glittering black eyes. Its' partner watching the other way.

That'd show the Hirogen to go plundering around certain messy cabins on Deck Five.

~~I told you the Bra always get to have all the fun~~ uttered the Smoldering bunny slipper with the last ounces of strength from its little fluff-filled heart.

Luckily for them, Q likes the Bunny Slippers almost as much as Q likes Leo Streely. So the Fuzzy Bunny Slippers were returned to the messy Deck Five cabin unscorched and untouched, with no memories of their Most Excellent Adventure.

* * * * *

(Meanwhile, on the LYRAN Bridge)

Standing gracefully on her little tip toes, Rebecca von Ernst peered over the unusual Lyran Control Console inspecting it closely while humming unconsciously to herself.

Truth be told, she was -much- better at the humming part than Lysander ever could aspire to be. It wasn't REALLY good, but it sounded somewhat musical, unlike you-know-who.

She'd first seen the Bridge of a Lyran BattleCruiser on a viewscreen almost two years ago as a frightened little Ensign staring down the muzzle of one of the Angry Cat-Like Aliens. She'd re-visited that vision multiple times since then in the form of vivid nightmares which culminated in her own cowardice, and the resulting loss of 15,000 lives.

Still, being Rebecca; the phrase 'Poor little Kitty Kats' sometimes sprang to her mind too.

This however, was her first opportunity to inspect the bridge architecture from the other side of the viewscreen, and inwardly she had to admit she was impressed.

While the Lyran Hegemony was not as powerful nor as far-flung as the Federation, their Starships were top-notch designs. The spacious Bridge was arrayed with panels of cool electric blue lights, that doubled as illumination sources and control surfaces at the same time.

Dominating the Rear of the Bridge was the immense Command Couch, nearly 20 square meters of Plush Leather comfort, arrayed with soft velvet pillows, and intricate silvered linings. The Cat-Like Commander would be able to lounge and stretch to his leisure in the midst of the couch's ample fluffiness, but at the same time numerous well-designed repeater displays efficiently reflected all pertinent data towards the Commander's eyes, leaving him fully aware of the workings of his vessel.

Except where the Hirogen had apparently forced open the inner workings of the Bridge and kludged their icky looking olive drab computer accessories all over the place. Cables and power conduits snaked and slithered and generally made more of a mess around than Rebecca could ever aspire to in her own quarters.

All this 'reverse engineering' just to render the cruiser flyable by a handful of Hirogen Cubs, all with pea sized brains. The Hirogen operated under the 'force it. if it breaks; it needed replacing anyways' school of engineering thought.

In spite of herself, Rebecca shuddered when she noticed the deep gouges etched in the corners and backs of the couch. Apparently the Command Chair doubled as the Captain's personal scratching post at the same time.

Lysander was more morbid, and attributed it to the death throes of the Lyran Commander at losing to the Hirogen.

The rest of the displays were smooth graceful designs of blue light panels. Although she could not read the intricate curling script of Lyran Labeling, her Starfleet Training did help her identify several primary control panels. Power, Weapons, and Sensors.

Cunning little designs, all duplicated in miniature at the command Couch, allowing the Captain to instantly take command of any independent substation.

Typical of most cats, the idea of delegating important stuff to subordinates didn't feature large in Lyran psyches.

"Hmmmm. . . . interesting." She mused to herself for the umpteenth time as she inspected the glowing consoles.

Behind her leaning lazily against the huge couch, Lysander rolled his eyes in impatience and gritted his teeth. By his count, that was the sixteenth 'hmmmmm. . . interesting' without a single usable thing out of her mouth. She had no clue, why didn't she admit it?

He'd finished the little project the Hirogen had left him. Of course, Rebecca had no need to know what he was up to. She'd probally shoot him for'collusion with the enemy' or something.

And, of course, he was carefully avoiding mentioning at all the fact that she was still attired in the smeggin Boxer shorts, boots, and over large tunic jacket. Not that she didn't look sexy, just that he didn't want to open that can of worms again. Each was back to pretending that the previous night and its actual and disconcerting conversation had never happened, and generally pissing off the other. Something they both excelled at.

"Smegging brilliant observation, Princess." He scoffed, "Can we fly the bloody thing or not?"

"Hmmmm." Rebecca repeated without elaboration just to annoy him. Actually it was sort of fun. Maybe she should have tried this long before? She leaned over the console further, causing a lock of hair to fall forward gracefully across her cheek, and the hem of her jacket to rise a bit higher on her creamy white thighs.

She may have been the universe's most clueless girl in the arts of romance, but Lysander was suddenly of the opinion that girls were just instinctively sexy and seductive without realizing it.

He based this on the sudden irrational desire he was feeling, to cross over and instead of throttling her skinny, annoying neck as she so richley deserved; instead brush that lock of hair aside and hold her like he had the other day.

Who else would look good in boxers and a jacket only, and who else could be so short, and yet still have such long legs at the same time?

Who else whould have a smeggin' aneurism over being seen in her neck-to-toe bathrobe, but run around half naked the rest of the time and not even see the contrast?

Probally on purpose, just to smeggin' well irritate him. . .

Idly, Lysander wondered if there was a law of nature being violated somewhere.

Oblivious to her effect on her voyeuristic companion, Rebecca bent even further over the display studying it closely.

The horrid scar still pulsed angrily across the left side of her face, but thankfully it no longer ached. The strange newt-ish remedies seemed to clear up any lasting infections in the wound.

She'd never in a million years be able to puzzle out some of the more obscure ship functions: Navigational Scan Pulse Frequency, Datalink transfer protocols, ESG Weaponry Diagnostics . . . .but fortunately her own past encounters with a similar ship gave her some idea of the vessel's capabilities, and operating parameters.

She was pretty sure Hawksley could figure out the Flight and Weapons consoles . . . . if he would stop lounging around on the command couch that is . . . and as for herself .. . . . well, she had some two year old Demons to exorcise.

"Communications, " she said at last, " . .should be our primary objective. Warning the Federation is still of Paramount(Pictures(C)2002 All Rights (R)eserved) importance. I have a plan." she said, missing his reflexive wince.

"Unfortuantely there are still several Hirogen Raiders in the area, along with that clunky Battleship, so we'd have to assume that they'll pick up our transmission, and move in for the kill thereafter. So we take them out first."

"Right. Because GALAXY had such an easy time projecting and receiving subspace messages in the middle of that big old Nebulea out there. You might have missed it... it's the big glowey looking thing out there blocking all subspace communications. I suppose I have to kill myself in this plan too?" Lysander sneered.

She ignored him out of habit, and straightened back upright, regretably (for Lysander) allowing the hemline to drop back down a few inches.

"Well, we put up a good as a fight as we can. " she explained, "I say we use a Variation 6 Reverse Kobold Startegem by parking in low orbit, and using the planet as a wall to our backs. That way we only have forward bearings to worry about."

"Smeg all that. Variation 6? No maneuvering with that one. You need to manuever. Float like a something and sting like something else. I say we just jet straight down their throats and. . ."

"Yes, I know that will limit our ability to maneuver, but we're not trying to run. . . . We're trying to bring them in low as possible."

"Low? Why? Who wants low? What happened to run. Running is good, that's why Sanchez made us do it every day. I say we just dive right down their throats, guns blazing kee-chooow bee-zaaap and . . .wait . . . low? Near the atmosphere? What the smeg for?"

Rebecca pivoted smoothly to consider Lysandser with a curious expression on her face. "Why we take out as many as we can, and then we blow the Warp core of course. . . just like at Nar Hallas. We take the Hirogen Fleet, and their forces on the surface with us."

"Oh. Umm.. what about GALAXY and our crewmates on the surface. That lifesign scanner over there is showing a LOT of humanoid types running around. Look..the ship's gone, the Hirogen ships are gone for the moment. Why blow the core? What happened to 'Communications are Paramount (c)?' This plan is sounding suckier and suckier." Lysander grumped.

Still, it beat dying all alone down there on the Planet of Doom.

Rebecca shrugged. Why was he bothering her with all this extraneous information about friendly casualties? Obviously he wasn't listening to the Math as closely as she was.

He'd probally start talking about Bunnies or Kitties or newts or something dumb next. Goober.

She opend her mouth to explain it to him. . . again. Only in simple terms and using only calculus proofs, in a -very- condescedning tone she knew to four decimal places would irritate him further. . .

Any further discussion was drowned by a proximity alarm.

Both whirled just in time to see USS GALAXY come screaming out of the roiling clouds of the Nebula, like she'd been gone for a jaunt around the block or something. Traling wisps of the ionic gasesous clouds, the ship was a welcome site.

Unless the Hirogen still controlled it. Then they were dead meat on a stick.

With a muttered 'smeg!' Lysander rushed to finish the power coupling relay stuff. Why couldn't the Hirogen have captured a nice Ferringi cruiser, or something else he could have read the damn lables on?

Rebecca plopped herself in the middle of the huge command couch, its endless layers of leather, and padding threatened to swallow the tiny girl whole. Propping up some pillows, she crossed her legs indian-fashion, and settled down where she could watch all of the command repeaters at once. . . . . At least she hoped they were command repeaters.

"Princess. . .you might want to check this scan of GALAXY?" said Lysander over her shoulder, as she was searching for the Warp Core controls. ~~~And you might want to smegging close your legs and sit a bit more ladylike before you drive me to distraction!~~~~ he added silently, thinking that he sounded just like Crazy Corgan.

She frowned for several seconds, ignoring him. Plans were racing through her nimble mind, being sorted by high-fangled algorithims into probality matrices and flow charts.

The Math had control of her again.

The photon torpedo that GALAXY shot to the planets' surface ended all indecision.

"Change of plan jungle boy." She announced, a strange gleam in her eye, "Charge up the Expanding Sphere Generator, and give me maneuvering thrusters . . . "

"Do I have to kill myself in this plan. . .I sort of always wanted kids? And Grandkids. . ." came the worried response. But the Goober was doing what she asked... no...ordered.

* * * * *

Aboard USS GALAXY.

"ATTENTION ALL HIROGEN PIECES OF SHIT, THIS IS THE CAPTAIN. MOMENTS AGO, I QUITE LITERALLY RENDERED YOUR ALPHA LIMB FROM LIMB. IN CASE YOU ARE INTERESTED, HE DIED SCREAMING LIKE A SCHOOL GIRL IN A PUDDLE OF HIS OWN URINE. AS YOUR NEW LEADER I HAVE JUST ONE ORDER...."

Ensign Silent Bob turned from smiling at the pretty Sciences Lieutenant j/g they'd just beamed up to tug at Jay's sleeve and point at the overhead.

"...YOU MY BRAVE PACK ARE ORDERED TO STOOP OVER, PLACE YOUR HEAD BETWEEN YOUR KNEES AND KISS YOUR ASSES GOODBYE. MY HUNTERS WILL FIND YOU AND IF YOU EVEN SURVIVE THE ENCOUNTER YOU WILL BE SENT TO THE PLANET BELOW WHERE YOU WILL SPEND YOUR DAYS WATCHING YOUR FORMER LEADER'S CARCAS ROT. THE PATH OF HE WHO SHALL NEVER BE NAMED ENDS AT MY FEET. YADABBA BE PRAISED. BRHODE OUT.!"

Heavily armed and wearing highly suspect and irregular civvies over their fleet uniforms, Ensigns Jay and Silent Bob looked at each other after Bhrode's Latest Announcement.

Days of running around the ship, out from under Sanchez's watchful eye were over. No more 'muchie' fests from the replicators. No more 'Tokin' in the Boyz Room. No more talking with Dante and whassis-name locked up in the Brig Armoury through the intercomm. No more searching for hotties or reading comic books, shaking down their former rating crewmembers for spare credits.

"[BLEEP] me, that was that Bhrode-dude. Party's over Tubby." said a shocked Ensign Jay.

Silent Bob looked pensive for a moment, and then threw back his head and howled his thoughts on the subject to an uncaring and cold Universe.

"[BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!]"

* * * * * *

(Galaxy Bridge) The Main Bridge was a mess. Bodies and parts of bodies lay everywhere in gruesome messes.

Bhrode kicked the remains of one of Lirups 'Honor Guards' from close proximity to his command chair and looked around. The rating from sciences reported 'by the book'

"Sir. Chief Keller, Stellar Cartography. Losses to date, unknown.

We have confirmed control of Sickbay, Main Bridge, and Battle Bridge. Main Engineering is being fought over right now. We also control Transporter rooms four, seven and Emergency two. Mister Gustavvson has had the Conn."

Bhrode nodded, his eyes on the main readouts on the arm of his chair. "Good job so far people. Now let's fry us some ugly asses. Computer, Bhrode. Gamma seven niner. Alpha Tango Five. Mark."

++ ID CONFIRMED. BHRODE, JOHN Q. CAPTAIN. SECURITY ARMOURY UNLOCKED. DANGER. UNREGISTERED LIFEFORMS ABOARD. INTIATING LOCKDOWN PRODEDURES ON ALL COMPARTMENTS ON ALL DECKS. ALL CREW BE ADVIDED THAT YOU MUST HAVE YOU COMMBADGES ON FOR IDENTIFICATION TO SECURITY MONITORS. INITIATING SITUATION GAMMA SEVENTY NINE.++

All over the ship, the 'emergency use only' Phaser II storage lockers were springing open. Protective forcefields were closing across corridors and hatchways. The Main Armory in Security was unlocked and the Battle Armor and Phaser II's were made available to Security Teams.

Finally.

Bhrode stared at the little red specks of Hirogen on the plot of the ship and the ever increasing numbers of blue crew- members. More and more crewmembers were being 'pulled' off the planet. Some quite literally in mid flight or combat. Emergency triage teams were routing the worst cases to Sickbay. Or the morgue.

"Commander Gustavvson, let's leave the shields down. Priority ONE is getting as many of our people of that mudball as we can. Security teams, concentrate on the transporter rooms. As soon as we have them secured, we start scanning for lifesigns and beaming them back up."

"Sir!" shouted Kelly, the sciences Petty Officer on the station. "Sensors show that Lyran ship powering up engines!"

The two Hirogen Battleships (TWO? We thought there were three!!! Read on, children) came screaming out of the Nebula behind GALAXY, the clouds of ionic gases streaming off their hulls like the tatters of death-shrouds.

"Incoming Bogies...sir...we have to get the shields up...the Lyran...the Lyran is...Sir? It's moving towards us!?"

Bhrode just shook his head 'no' and watched, a rictus grin on his face.

"Sir... the shields?" asked Kelly, hovering over the Red Alert button.

"belay all that... this ship is half-dead. We can't get the shields up. Load all torpedo tubes and stand by to fire on my command." Bhrode snapped.

It looked like Bhrode was ready to die.

Galaxy hung in space like a big target, and behind her, the Hirogen Battleships came hell bent at top Impulse, intent on re-capturing her and reinforcing the beleaguered Hunters still aboard.

Unbeknownst to the Hirogen however, directly opposite from them, the sleek Fork-Bowed Lyran cruiser was climbing out of low orbit, and was accelerating at an ungodly rate.

Like a horseshoe between the hammer and anvil, a battered GALAXY hung there in the middle waiting. . .

Waiting for the blow to fall.

And amazingly, the nimble Lyran zipped right past her passing over the dorsal hull with mere kilometers to spare, piloted by one crazed Alpha Centauran, and his ice-bitch Boss.

It was probally against some regs, to move THAT fast near another Fleet ship. But Lysander wasn't about to argue with Rebecca over it.

The Battleships had barely time to register the Lyran on their screens and wonder why it wasn't firing on the Prey; before, in a ball of coruscating light, the bow section of the first suddenly crumpled inward in an explosion of light, as it struck the invisible wall of the Expanding Sphere Generator projected by the Cruiser. (A ship they'd thought was a 'friendly')

The First Battleship careened off the ESG, and tumbled madly in space, Strange lightning lances of energies played over it's hull, and drive plasma venting directly into vaccum. All power was lost as the shields overloadedand armor plating boiled off under the massive,immovable barrier.

The Second tried to employ braking thrusters; to no avail. The sphere reached out invisibly, charged with the kinetic force of the first implosion. The Second ship clipped the merest edge of the sphere. Still, with the added energies from the first collision, the sphere hammered the thing into a derelict in nano-seconds. A second flaming and dead corpse bearing ship was cartwheeling its way into the planets atmosphere on a ever decreasing circling approach vector.

It was terrible to watch, especially aboard a basically undefended GALAXY less than 100km away.

Their structural backbones broken, their engines strewing long tendrils of flaming debris, the Rustbucket Battlehips 'bounced' off the Lyran weapon like demented moths. They cartwheeled and spun away, to be sucked into the gravetronic forces of the planet. Streaming fire and debris, they began their long, slow plunge to their doom below, spiraling in on ever decaying orbits.

It probably looked pretty, unless you were one of those unfortunate people down there still alive and hoping they didn't land on your heads.

Behind them, the Lyran was powering down, and settled into a smooth parking orbit alongside Galaxy, to watch the fireworks. It moved jerkily, like some idiot aliens had screwed up the computer controls.

The smiling face of Lysander filled GALAXY's incoming traffic screen.

"Good Morninnnnnggg.... GALAXY!" he announced imitating a certain Vietnam Radio announcer, need we add 'badly?' "We hate to bother you... but I'm pretty sure I can hold this bastard in position for about an hour; although it's coming apart on me as we speak...if you want to send over some transporter techs and clear some spaces on GALAXY's lower cargo holds, you can start using her three transporters to help beam back survivors from the planet to the ship. That should let us get GALAXY out of here before. . ."

Bhrode didn't smile. He just grunted out "You look like hell with that broken nose Commander. How'd you get aboard that wreck?"

"Umm.. long story sir... Commander VonErnst deserves all the credit. unless you're not mad then it was all my idea. . ." Lysander began, before Rebecca's red head poked its way into projector range. She was too close to the camera, and the her face was a bit blurry on the huge viewscreen.

"Captain Brhode sir, We have captured the Lyran Cruiser and taken out two hostiles vessels. Standing by to assist GALAXY in recovery operations. Sir." she said, by the book.

"Bec..err... Commander ? I'm sort of busier than a one legged Texan in an Ass-Kicking contest over here... so if you can wait to give the Captain your report?" Lysander burbled.

" Sir? Send someone over ASAP to help out, it'd mean a lot and all...sir. But it was your orders gave me. . I mean. . . us; the idea, and the..umm.. Hirogen helped a bit too. Coyote 359 Sir."

Bhrode grunted again. His plan was coming together. While not PRECISELY as he'd planned, he did so love it when he was proven right.

"Good job you two. Admiral Hoth was right. Price is a moron for thinking to break up a team like you two. Get a shirt on, Mister, I don't want see your bare chest. I'm not like that. Number One, find some pants before Wonder Boy has a stroke. Your vacations' are over. As soon as the crew is back I want you two in my Ready Room. GALAXY out." he snapped, before turning his attention back to hunting down the last pockets of Hirogen resistance on HIS ship.

Lysander looked at Rebecca. It was an awkward moment to say the least. Timidly she tugged her Jacket hem a bit lower on her legs self-consciously, avoiding his stares.

Finally, with a dry mouth and expecting the Third Galactic War to break out over it. . .Lysander broke the silence.

"Can't think of anyone I'd rather have been stranded with, Princess. Nice job."

Being Rebecca, and no less uncomfortable, she merely put back on her "Ice Queen face" and replied "Likewise Jungle Boy. Watch your orbit. . . Noodles Lys, you almost clipped that gravetic surge!"

"Hey! You try piloting this thing! Smeggin' piece of junk. .. is that my artificial horizon indicator there? The green thingey? ? How the smeg can you make heads or tails of this junk? I suppose you want to blow up the Warp Core now? Maybe I should just fly this thing right up GALAXY's ram- scoops? This plan sucks. . ."

And behind the duo , the last 'helpful' idea from the Hirogen activated, having noticed the ESG activation and waited the programmed five minutes.

"AUTODESTRUCT IN: One solar Hour: three minutes: zero.zero seconds"

Flashed into life on the panel of a large console strapped to the anti-matter containment field generator of the Lyrans Warp Core. The unnoticed countdown began.

And a tiny red light flickered into life aboard the third Hirogen Battleship, laying just inside the Nebulea cloud.

"Alpha Skrlg! Your plan has begun. Prey used the sphere- weapon, our loyal Hunters report that the remains of those faithful to Lirup are being hunted like the vermin they are on the ship we pursued back to the planet!"

Skrlg bared stained teeth, his half-head glittering in the cold starlight, single cybernetic eye aglowwith a cold green light.

"The explosion will kill not only the traitors following Lirup, but these damned Prey as well. Set course to the cursed wormhole that brought us here. We leave this Quadrant. For now. Until we come again. . ."

His laughter rang out, to an unknowing and uncaring USS GALAXY, trying to gather up her babies.

=/\=

"Old and New Wounds."
By Commander Kent Peterson
and Lieutenant Commander Elaithin Jii

After only a few hours of sleep on the uncomfortable Romulan rack, Lieutenant Commander Elaithin Jii (who was no longer forcing himself to refer to himself as Mirok) stirred and sat up. The bunk was cheap, and a body full of bruises certainly didn't help on get any rest. Tirol, who'd joined them due to the fact that Romulus was no longer a safe haven for him,was sleeping on another one of the bunks. Jii didn't envy the Romulan. He was now cut off from all friends, family, everything and everyone he'd ever known his whole life. Tirol was exiled from Romulus, and any return home would mean certain death for the man who'd risked everything - and lost it -to save his Empire from going to war. Hopefully, that would be enough for him to sleep at night.

Elaithin had just ordered a raktajino, and was rubbing sleep out of his eyes as Commander Kent Peterson came into the back of the small transport. If Peterson was back here, then that meant that Karyn or the Captain had taken the helm.

The scientist eyed the Bajoran with an appraising gaze. "How are you feeling?" he asked his friend, and then chuckled to himself as he realized a few things. When they'd departed on this mission, he'd been furious with the Security Chief for blaming Kent for the death of Jii's friend during the Borg incident. He was somewhat surprised to find out how well he regarded the big man now.

Jii paused a moment before replying. "I think that a month of shore leave on Risa sounds about perfect right now.

Commander Peterson smirked. "Funny you should say that ... I was thinking the same thing. Massages, taking long swims in the tropics, watching all the suns setting on the horizon," he continued, seemingly drifting away for a few brief moments as he thought about how great that sounded. "Certainly beat being locked away for a night or two in a Romulan prison."

The scientist realized what he had said and the playful expression on his face slowly drifted away. It was reasonably insensitive to have made a remark like that - the Bajoran lieutenant commander had more to complain about. It did not seem to openly disturb Jii, but Kent knew full well how well some folks managed to bury something so painful - it was something Karyn had been helping him through.

"Sorry."

"That's OK," Jii managed.

"So ..." Kent finally said, breaking the awkward silence that had come between the two men, "what actually happened?"

It may have seemed like an inappropriate question. Kent did not ask because he was being insincere or wanted to pry - he was genuinely concerned at what they had done to his colleague. They may have not started out on a good note back on the Starship Galaxy, but things had changed. They had changed with Karyn as well, but to what end he was not certain. Still, he knew the kind of torment Jii was going through, or if anything, the commander could empathize with the type of internal pain he felt.

The Bajoran scratched the back of his head. "To tell the truth, most of it's pretty fuzzy. One of the only things I remember is promising Piedon that I would kill him."

Peterson raised an eyebrow. "In cold blood?"

It didn't even take the Bajoran a moment to respond. "Absolutely."

"Seems like the good Senator had it coming then."

The Science Officer's lack of shock at the statement that Jii would kill the Senator in cold blood surprised the Bajoran, and so, he said as much. "I'd've expected a bit more surprise from you than that actually, Kent. Look, you humans go about the Galaxy being all enlightened and noble and idealistic and all that . I'm a Bajoran. We don't pretend to be anything more than what we are. We're not perfect, our homeworld's not a utopia. When I told him that I was going to kill him, I meant it."

The scientist smiled. He did not find the description Jii gave him humorless in any way, but it was a common misconception with many alien races, including the Bajorans. Just like Peterson did not understand the apparent blind devotion of the Bajoran people, he could understand how others had arrived at that conclusion. But it was wrong. The Human command seated beside the Bajoran had once been the biggest voice on the Galaxy for killing off the entire Borg Collective when they had the opportunity.

"I wouldn't say that," Peterson merely responded.

Elaithin raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

The Starfleet commander glanced over at Captain Price who was now piloting the vessel taking them home. Then he glanced over at Karyn before he looked down. "I felt the same way about the Borg. When the chance rose I wanted to kill them all. Doesn't sound very enlightened, or noble, or even idealistic."

"Fair enough," the Bajoran responded. "But to tell the truth, I think the Borg bring out the worst in everyone."

"That's the truth," Peterson said as he managed a smile. "I'm sure I saw 'Commander Mitchell pull a few more stressed faces than he had before the Galaxy was landed with Three of Four."

Three days later......

".....very well. Thank you for your reports." Vice-Admiral T'paal intoned. The stern Vulcan woman had accepted the Away Team's reports - a somewhat altered version of the truth, as it had been decided not to reveal that anything had been found on Romulus. "Report to Sickbay and your features will be restored. Also, allow me to be clear. This mission is classified, and you will not discuss the events that occurred with anyone."

More than you know, Admiral. 'Commander Elaithin thought to himself. The

medical kits on their appropriated Romulan craft had taken care of the most of his damage, and as far as the Admiral - and Starfleet Intelligence - were concerned, he'd merely gotten in a scuffle with one of the locals.

"We will be rendezvousing with the Galaxy in 36 hours. You may all rest until then. Dismissed." the Vulcan Vice-Admiral said, and the four Starfleet Officers headed for Sickbay.

It'll be nice to have my own face back, Jii thought. Still it'll be even nicer to get back to the Galaxy. I wonder if that Captain - what was his name...Brhode? - has driven Commander Thomas up the wall yet?

"Radio free Galaxy"
by Lt. Cmdr Ragnald Gustavson, chief helmsman

[ Ensign Corina to Bridge. ]

"Gustavson here. Glad to hear your voice, Ensign." answered Ragnald.

[ Commander, we have the battle bridge ... the Hirogen have been killed and this part of the ship is free and safe. ]

"As is the rest of the Galaxy, too. Good work Ensign. Thank you to you and your team."

Ragnald felt like dancing. He jumped off his seat raised his hand and ordered Ensign Geluf "Gimme five, brother, we made it."

Almost drowning in a feeling of proud, happiness and relief he stumbled back to the captain's chair and operated the chair's small LCARS

"Bom-bom-bom-boooooom. This is radio free Galaxy Lieutenant Commander Gustavson with a ship-wide announcement.

I'm proud to tell you that with the battle bridge retaken a few seconds ago the whole USS Galaxy is safe and back in Federation hands. Congratulations and many thanks to those who helped making the impossible possible.

Due to the lack of personnel in all departments I'd like to ask everybody of you who is able to serve duty to report at your designated departments.

[ Widow? Mrs Grant-Wellington? There are crew mates waiting for us to come to their rescue. Let's get out of here and set course back to the planet.

(OOC: This occurs prior to Brhode taking back the Galaxy)

“Taking the Galaxy out for a run”
By Lt. (jg) Heather Grant-Wellington
Helmsman
USS Galaxy

With unauthorise reference to Gustavson’s post “Healing of a serious infection”.

The instructions were clear enough and so far all was going well. Brisbane was handling the incoming orders from above with the outmost care, while supporting Tactical. Katel was still having troubles with his arm, but appeared to be piloting well. At Tactical, Riana seemed to be settling well and her aim was remarkable, leaving Grant-Wellington pleased to have her aboard. Managing the Galaxy from the Captain’s Yacht was proving to be a task and half. All the primary systems had been rerouted and Katel’s idea of returning oxygen levels on all decks back to normal, had been activated.

From her position, Grant-Wellington was basically in the centre of all the stations. To her, the position alone was awkward particularly as she was basically in command of the vessel, a position she personally felt unready for but prepared to make best of the situation while she had the opportunity.

Upon entering the nebula, it was clear they would not be alone. Behind them, two Hirogen ships trailed them and were making a desprate attempt to halt the Galaxy before she reached her destination. Some time later, Gustavson sent an order to have the yacht form a spiral to her starboard side and send in a probe. At first, Grant-Wellington was not too crash hot on the idea, but after gaining some trust in the dramatic change of course, she reiterated the order. First of all, she had to change course to 1.507 mark 358.493 to create a the starboard spiral. Then, she requested Brisbane to launch a class 6 probe to the centre of the spiral and let it scan the trail left by the Galaxy’s wake, starting at their current position. Waiting a couple of minutes for all these changes in direction to take place and the releasing of the probe, Grant-Wellington then passed on the order handed down from Gustavson.

“Fire a full spread of photon torpedoes into the last reported direction of the probe, Ms Parstran.” Commanded Grant-Wellington. Earlier, Riana had taken some shots at the trailing Hirogen ships and got lucky, which impressed Grant-Wellington and the remainder of the Yacht crew. In a way, it acted as a morale booster. Now, she got another chance to take a lucky shot and see if she could repeat her ability to beat pot luck.

Grant-Wellington leant forward in her seat, watching the tactical console as they did not have access to a main view screen down on the Yacht. “Keep her steady, Mister Katel.” She requested the helmsman, wanting to make sure all was going well. And then, an almighty explosion erupted deep within the spiral of nebula gases, dust and Galaxy’s tacion trail. To Grant-Wellington’s left, Brisbane buzzed across his console as collated sensory details on the explosion. “Lieutenant. We have one Hirogen ship less.” He announced, with an air of excitement. Grant-Wellington sat back into the chair, with the expression of pleasure splashed across her features. With one target acquired, she itched to take out another, but Gustavson’s voice over the ship wide comm link would change that.

Courtney E. Moran
ICQ#110053000
Lt. (jg) Heather Grant-Wellington, Helmsman, USS Galaxy

"The sacred rabbit"
by Captain Robert Edward Lee Price

Ensign Presley's allergic reaction to the bee sting was beginning to ware off. The young Ensign was no longer convulsing oddly -- his lower extremities dashing around and gyrating like a teenager at a sock-hop. But though his legs were finally calming down, the bee's toxin was still at work within Ensign Presley's body.

"I'm ah, feelin much better now." Presley commented.

Lieutenant Kimi Okuda stopped and looked back at Presley. It was true, the handsome young man had stopped his ridiculous shaking and pelvis thrusting, but now the bee's toxin was having a different reaction. "Oh my God, you are swelling up like a balloon!"

It was true. While the Whole Lotta Shakin' had stopped, now the young Presley looked as if he'd gained eighty pounds. His arms, legs, torso, even his neck had pugged out, making him look quite older and over weight.

Small beads of sweat began to form on his forehead as he looked at his huge arms, "It ain't no big thing."

Kimi stepped over and took Presley's hands in her own. It was hard to believe that just a few hours ago this had been the same man. Before he was thin, almost lanky and extremely hansom. Now he looked like a fast, middle aged man. His Starfleet Uniform was fortunately made of a material that easily stretched. "We'd better stop. I don't want the bee toxin doing any more damage to your system. Hopefully this is just temporary."

When the Lieutenant went to let go of the Ensign's hand, Presley held onto it, drawing Kimi's eyes up into his own.

"As long as I have you, the stars could fade and fall, and I wouldn't care at all, as long as I have you" Presley stated with such a beautifully sincerity that it almost sounded like a song.

Kimi blushed and tried again to pull her hand back, but Presley was insistent to hold on.

This time, Presley just flat out broke into song.

"You can shake an apple off an apple tree
Shake-a, shake- sugar, But you'll never shake me
Uh-uh-uh
No-sir-ee, uh, uh
I'm gonna stick like glue,
Stick because I'm
Stuck on you."

"Gonna run my fingers thru your long black hair
Squeeze you tighter than a grizzly bear Uh-uh-uh,
Yes-sir-ee, uh, uh
I'm gonna stick like glue
Stick, because I'm
Stuck on you."

"Hide in the kitchen, hide in the hall
Ain't gonna do you no good at all
'Cause once I catch ya and the kissin' starts
A team o' wild horses couldn't tear us apart."

"Try to take a tiger from his daddy's side
That's how love is gonna keep us tied
Uh-uh-uh
Yes-sir-ee, uh,uh
I'm gonna stick like glue
Stick, because I'm
Stuck on you."

When Presley leaned forward to kiss the Lieutenant, he leaned back and slapped him across his chubby face. It was enough t to make Presley release Okuda's hand.

"That is enough Ensign!" Kimi reprimanded.

"Ow!" Presley declared rubbing his cheek and sideburn, "You ah, sure are a hard handed woman."

"I could have you up on report Ensign." Kimi scolded. She was a little embarrassed over the Ensign's expressed interest in her.

"Easy there ah, buttercup. I ain't for no one-sided love affair." Presley said rubbing his cheek.

"Common. We can hold up in that cave over there." Lieutenant Okuda finally pointed.

"Lead the way pretty lady. Walk on. I'll be right behind you. You'll ah, never, ever walk alone." Presley stated following the Asian up the path to the cave.

Just as they made the entrance, Kimi stopped, turned and was listening. "Shush. Do you hear that?"

"Hear what? I ah, don't hear nuting." Presley said.

Squinting, Kimi's worse fears were confirmed. "Shit. It's the Hirogen. Looks like three of them coming up the pass."

Ensign Presley looked in the direction Lieutenant Okuda was pointing. Sure enough, he could see three Hirogen working their way up, following their trail. He wished they had taken steps to cover their tracks now.

"Baby, what you want me to do?" Presley asked, "You're the ah, Lieutenant after all."

"Grab something, *anything* you can use as a weapon. Maybe those rocks there." Kimi pointed.

Ensign Presley groped around for some good, hand sized rocks he could use as weapons. Looking down the path, he could see the Hirogen had spotted their hiding place and were now coming more quickly. That's when he noticed the tall one that had his fussy brown Teddy bear strapped to his belt.

"My Teddy Bear!" Presley declared.

Down the path several meters the Hirogen hissed a response. "That is correct prey. I have the trophy taken from you on board the starship. If you miss it so badly, why don't you come and see if you are brave enough to take it back?"

The three Hirogen hunters spread out. This was no contest at all. A skinny female of the species and the whimpering male that had already lost one of it's trophies. What was worse, he seemed to have swelled in size because of the hot day's sun.

"Blades only. There is no fun in using ranged weapons with such a weak prey." the lead Hirogen stated.

Lieutenant Okuda panicked and tried to run for it. She barely got ten meters before one of the Hirogen leaped and scooped her up in one of it's massive arms. Kimi let out a scream and tried to pound the alien with a rock she held in her hand, but the hunter was too quick and caught her wrist, twisting it sharply. The Lieutenant's wrist broke with a snap, the rock falling harmlessly to the ground.

"Prey is weak. Be careful you don't break before we have some fun." the hunter said.

Adjusting his blade as he circled Presley, the lead Hirogen smiled. "I intend to kill this one very slowly. When I am through with you prey, you will beg me to bring death's peace to you."

Presley moved around in a circle with the Hirogen. "Well ah, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine."

"What does that mean prey? What is a rabbit?" The Hirogen growled. "Is this a rabbit?" the hunter asked, removing the brown teddy bear from his belt and holding it up. "Is this the 'rabbit' you praise above all else prey?"

"All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me." Presley growled back. "Ah, howabout ah, little more bite and ah, little less bark? Ah, little less fight and ah, little more spark?"

"You speak strangely prey. I don't understand the meaning of your words. But perhaps you'll understand the meaning of my actions. How about if I take this knife and gut this 'rabbit' of yours?" the Hirogen said while holding up his weapon in one hand and the brown teddy bear in the other.

"Look ah, here. I'll be as tame as a baby, or wild as the raging sea. Anyway you want me, well, that's how I will be. Now put the Teddy bear down." Presley tried to reason.

The Hirogen smiled at hearing this. "So, this thing is precious to you. Very well. But how precious is it I wonder." The hunter glanced over to his two companions that were busy poking at Lieutenant Okuda who was favoring her busted wrist. "Is it more precious then your companion over there?"

Presley looked at his teddy bear and then at Lieutenant Okuda. "Well she's long lean and lanky, sweet as she can be. Hands off of her unless you want to deal with me."

"So, this trophy isn't as important to you now. So be it prey..." the Hirogen said tossing the stuffed bear to the Ensign's feet and then swapping his weapon from one hand to the other. "I will just have to start cutting you apart, piece by piece."

Presley jumped and did a quick shoulder roll, grabbing his Teddy bear before springing to his feet. For his largeness from having swelled several sizes from the bee sting, he move remarkably well. When he got to his feet, he immediately broke into song again, pointing his finger out into the distance for no real apparent reason. Presley found that when he was under a lot of stress, singing helps...

"Ready set go man go
I got a gal that I love so
I'm rea-dy rea-dy rea-dy teddy
I'm rea-dy rea-dy rea-dy teddy
I'm rea-dy rea-dy rea-dy teddy
Rea-dy rea-dy rea-dy to Rock'n'roll !!"

The move surprised the Hirogen, but he was soon annoyed at the singing and slashed at Presley. The big man quickly dodged, just missing the silvery blade.

"You move like a clumsy serpent. Bending and contorting to avoid confrontation." the lead Hirogen hissed.

"It's called rubberneckin' baby but that's all right with me." Presley retorted. He was glad to have his Teddy Bear back in his possession.

While Ensign Presley and the lead Hirogen 'danced' in a circle, the other two were having their way with Lieutenant Kimi Okuda.

"This one is too skinny, and keeps screaming in terror." one of the two hunters said while gently poking the Lieutenant with the tip of it's blade, much like one would poke a pot roast in the over.

Kimi was screaming. She was terrified. The compound fracture of her splintered wrist looked grisly. Blood ran down from the wound and dripped from the end of her elbow. The ever white color of true bone sparkled in the sunshine. The pain was so intense, she hardly felt the tiny pokes of the Hirogen blade along her rib cage. Tiny tears and drips of blood appearing each time they would teasingly poke at her again.

"We should cut out it's tongue. Then it can't make that pathetic noise.

"Good idea, I'll hold her, you cut it out..."

"NO!!!!!" Kimi screamed. "Presley!! Help me!!" Lieutenant Okuda screamed.

"Are you lonesome tonight, do you miss me tonight? Are you sorry we drifted apart?" Presley asked as he circled, trying to avoid the lead Hirogen's blade thrusts.

"PRESLEY HELP ME!!" Kimi screamed.

"Does your memory stray to a brighter summer day, when I kissed you and called you sweetheart?" the Ensign asked holding tightly to his Teddy Bear and throwing a rock at the Hirogen that was attacking him.

"Soon you will die prey!" the Hirogen hissed.

Across, one of the other hunters held Lieutenant Okuda around her waist and was trying to force open her mouth so his buddy could cut out her tongue. Kimi took to keeping her mouth shut at that point, but her moans and "screams" still relayed the message that she needed help from the Ensign...

"Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare? Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?" Presley asked as he continued his dodge the blade game with the angry, seven foot tall Hirogen.

"Is your heart filled with pain? Shall I come back again? Tell me dear are you lonesome tonight?" Presley sang out, holding the last note an extra couple of beats.

"I will show you a heart filled with pain prey. Now you will die!" the Hirogen hissed. Leaping, the seven foot monster caught the Ensign off guard and they both tumbled to the ground. The larger, heavier Hirogen on top, pressing it's blade towards the Ensign's chest.

"Soon I will feast on your pain filled heart. I will enjoy tasting your rich red blood and feeling you heart as it takes it's last beats in my mouth prey!"

Desperately, Presley struggled to keep the Hirogen from running the blade through his chest. He was holding him off for now, but knew eventually his arms would grow tired and the beast would win. Desperately, he looked at his Teddy bear and tearfully put it down with one hand. Then reaching, Presley searched by feel for the rock he'd dropped earlier. As luck would have it, his fingers found the softball sized stone and he quickly belted the Hirogen up side the head with it. The Ensign must have hit the sweat spot, because the seven foot hunter was out like a light.

Presley shoved the hulking beast off him, grabbed his teddy bear and quickly (as quickly as the fat man could thanks to the bee sting swelling) got to his feet.

The two Hirogen that were wrestling with Lieutenant Okuda, trying to get the Asian to cooperate and stick her tongue out so they could lop it off, heard the loud thud that had rendered their hunting party leader unconscious. As if in shock, they paused and watched Presley get to his feet, clutching his prized Teddy Bear, the prey's symbol of great warriorship. The two were in awe.

"So this prey is not as weak as we thought. So much the better." One of the pair stated.

Presley brushed himself off slightly, and pulled a "Picard" in straightening his duty tunic that was about three sized too small for his bloated body right now. "You ah, let her go now. You hear?"

"The two Hirogen looked at each other and then the one holding Kimi jutted his chin towards the male prey, indicating his companion should take the honor of killing the pudgy man.

"If you want the female prey you will have to defeat me first holder of the sacred rabbit." the Hirogen said while walking towards Presley.

The Ensign moved towards the fallen Hirogen, and was about to take his blade when he realized his pulse weapon was right there in it's holster. Thinking quickly, Presley grabbed the firearm and swung around aiming it at the Hirogen that was approaching him.

"Only the strong survive." the Ensign said as he fired the weapon.

The shot held true and struck the approaching hunter in the chest. A blackened scorch mark ripping through his chest and toppling him back off his feet with a thud.

Seeing this and the resultant shock on the first Hirogen's face, Kimi moved her leg and stomped her heel down hard on her captor's foot, causing his grip of her waist to release. She quickly bolted away, jumping aside and yelling the order "Shot him Ensign!"

"Your ah, wish is my command buttercup." Presley stated, shooting the third Hirogen and sending him into la-la land like his friend.

Kimi couldn't believe it. They had managed to stay alive. Running to the Ensign, she without thinking wrapped her arms, being careful with the broken wrist, around Presley and gave him a hug.

Presley smiled. "Never let me go." he said returning her hug.

The two held each other for a long moment before the Lieutenant pulled away. "We should get out of here. Common."

Presley put the weapon down and picked up his prized Teddy Bear. Holding it lovingly cradled in his arm, he and Lieutenant Okuda began walking out of the Valley of death.

"Not so fast prey!"

It was the hideous and angry voice of the lead Hirogen. Evidently Presley's rock blow to the head hadn't killed the seven foot hunter as he would have hoped. Now he was plenty mad!

Swallowing, both Presley and Okuda turned around slowly and looked at the Hirogen giant. His chest was heaving with angry breaths, and he held the energy pistol pointed directly at the pair.

"I see you are more clever then I gave you credit for prey. You have wounded two of my best hunters and managed to temporarily gain the advantage over me. Well I will not underestimate your kind any further. You will prepare to die."

The Hirogen adjusted the weapon and then started pointing it at Ensign Presley's chest.

The Ensign clutched his Teddy Bear with one hand, and held onto Lieutenant Okuda with the other. They knew this was the end.

Just as the Hirogen was about to fire, both Lieutenant Okuda and Ensign Presley saw a bright light rain down from the sky. The motion of their heads and eyes tracking something was enough to make the Hirogen hesitate for just the split second that was needed...

The photon torpedo struck the planet just a few dozen miles away. The impact was enough to send a massive shockwave rippling through the planet's crust in the form of a massive quake. It was more then enough force to knock the Hirogen off his feet, and the weapon out of his hand!

Both Presley and Okuda scrambled for the pistol. But the Hirogen realized the danger and beat the Ensign to it's location.

Grabbing Presley by the throat, the mammoth alien wielded him up by one arm and left the bloated man dangling a foot off the ground.

"You are weak prey. I could crush your throat with my bare hand and watch you die where you are..." the Hirogen began lecturing.

He'd made a fatal mistake though. He'd discounted the injured female as a threat. She was after all weaker to start with and she'd had her arm fractured by his fellow hunters. What was she going to do?

That's when he felt the blade pierce his back. The look of surprise doubled the size of his eyes as the Hirogen glanced down and saw the end of his own blade jutting out of the front of his chest. Lieutenant Okuda had found the blade and stabbed the seven foot bastard through the back with it while he held Presley dangling at arms length.

The Hirogen's grip released Presley, who landed on his feet and quickly caught his breath. The grip of his energy weapon likewise loosened, allowing the pistol to fall to the ground.

Kimi quickly grabbed the weapon and ordered Presley to "Move away Ensign."

"Whatever you say Little darlin'." Presley replied with great obedience.

"Looks like you loose mister." Kimi commented. She then fired the weapon and watched as the Hirogen was disintegrated into total nothingness.

There was a moment of silence as both Lieutenant Okuda and Ensign Presley caught their breat and dealt with the reality of what had just happened. Finally Kimi looked at Presley.

"It looks like the swelling is going down a little." she said, brushing the back of her good hand across Presley's temple with great gentleness.

Presley gave a wry grin. "Ah, how about ah little less conversation and ah little more action butter cup?"

And with that the Ensign planted a bent over backwards kiss on the pretty Asian officer. Kimi returned the kiss with renewed interest and passion.

“Future Imperfect”
Donovan Black, Tactical Ensign
Sendi Soleri, Science Ensign
Slisik, Tactical Ensign
Venril, Gamma Hirogen

------------------------------------
Excerpt From "Touching The Stars",
the autobiography of Donovan Black,
Fleet Admiral, USS Relentless, NCC-72010-C.

.........I emptied an entire clip into Venril and it didn’t even phase the hunter. He was death incarnate in his own eyes, as he was in mine at the time. He was death, ascending from the fiery pits of the Paw-wraith caves of Bajor themselves, just to swallow me up.

Then I did the unexpected. If he was a paw-wraith, then I was a prophet. It was the very beginning of my real career, the moment I drew the sword. The weapon itself was not important. But the moment of truth had arrived, and hiding behind my past was not going to cut it. It was time to show him what I was really made of, time to show them all what I could do. Admiral Nechayev, Bhrode, Ensign Slisik, Ensign Soleri, Mom, Venril. Most of all, I had to show S’Tarleya. I had to show her I wouldn’t hesitate this time..........
----------------------------------------

-Venril-

Venril survived. He always did. That was something he had grown used to, surviving. ‘I am the invincible.’ the hunter thought confidently, ‘That which cannot be defeated.’ Somehow, as everyone died around him, Venril always survived.

The Hirogen Gamma grinned an evil grin as he surveyed the scene. His last hunter was dead, a long spearlike log from a tree high up on the mountainside impaling him through ruined armor. Venril’s grin disappeared. Ten hunters wear dead now as a result of nothing more than two simple ambushes. All sense of thrill was drained from Venril’s mind. He crouched down and picked up his plasma rifle.

-Black-

Donovan could see Venril from his vantage point at the far end of the valley. They had both been swept down into the very bottom of the frozen valley. Now Donovan lay hidden in a snowdrift, barely forty feet from Venril. He shifted position in the tightly packed snow, drawing the 9mm automatic handgun that was tucked in his belt.

‘I want this to be loud and messy.’ Black thought, removing the silencer from the already long barreled handgun. He checked his clip. ‘Fifteen shots of ballistic tipped death. Perfect against Venril’s armor.’ he thought, cocking the hammer back for the first shot and awaiting an opportunity. This was for Slisik, who lay dying, if not also for Sendi, whom Black had seen falling from her position in the rocks, striking her forehead on a piece of flying debris. Donovan hoped to St. Francis of Assisi, the Prophets of Bajor, and all that was holy, that the delicate young Andorian might be uninjured.

-Venril and Black-

Venril looked around, trying to find Black. His compression rifle still lay at the far end of the canyon, behind a rock pile. ‘No, too easy. He was moved by the avalanche.’ Venril decided. He would go retrieve the rifle and then find Donovan. There would be no escape. Venril no longer had to deal with the frustrating Andorian or the sneaky Vulcan. It was down to one on one. Man to man.

Venril nearly trod upon Black as he strode past him toward the rocks where Black’s compression rifle lay. Venril would make it a clean death, a single shot from the compression rifle, taken from the rocks as soon as he could determine Black’s position. But now Venril’s back was exposed. He covered another five feet before Donovan reacted.

There was an explosion of movement behind Venril. Ensign Donovan Black burst through the snow and leveled the 9mm handgun.

“Time to end this, you bloody bastard.” Donovan said in a low, dangerous tone. Then he squeezed the trigger. The sound of a handgun discharging reverberating around the valley. The casing snapped back, ejecting the empty shell case and loading a new bullet into the chamber.

Venril began turning, a ballistic tip slamming into the armor on his back and exploding, blasting a hole in it. Venril ignored it, raising the Hirogen plasma rifle to his shoulder and returning fire, even as Donovan Black sent bullets flying all around him.

Black kept firing, relentless in his assault. he never moved, firing shot after shot from the archaic handgun. Venril was hammered backward by a devastating two hits, with still more flying past him. The armor plate on his left shoulder blew off, twisting the Hirogen’s aim. A green bolt of molten plasma soared past Donovan’s shoulder, slashing into the tree behind him. Then the second hit slammed into Venril’s right hip, punching through his armor and shattering his hip. ~That ought to slow him down.~ Donovan thought triumphantly.

Then Venril managed to struggle back upright, readying his rifle and taking a careful shot at Donovan. It seared into his left arm, burning flesh and charring uniform. He had not tried to dodge, concentrating on one thing, the destruction of his enemy, and his aim hadn’t even wavered upon being hit, despite the intense pain that was eating at hit arm.

Black thumbed back the hammer for his last shot. He centered his aim on Venril’s forehead and squeezed the trigger. The casing snapped back, ejecting the final shell case, which dropped, tinkling when it hit the small pile of cases already on the ground. The casing did not snap back into position. Empty. Luckily for Donovan, the plasma rifle that Venril was armed with mercifully also clicked, indicating that Venril was armed with an empty weapon. Venril hoped Black had not noticed or didn’t realize. He raised the plasma rifle till it pointed at Donovan’s chest.

“You’re empty.”

“So are you.” Venril smiled, more of an evil grin. He cast aside the rifle and drew the mek’leth. He swung it back and forth a few times, testing it’s balance and getting used to the weight of the Klingon blade.

Donovan noticed Ensign Soleri stirring within a snowdrift behind him. She shook her young head off, picking at bits of ice and dirt that covered her. Donovan discarded his handgun to her. She snagged it out of the air, slipping it into a pocket on the inside of her uniform jacket.

“Keep that safe. I’ll be back for it. I love you Sendi.” he said. She did not respond, but smiled sweetly while trying to dig out an object at her hip which Donovan recognized as the Vulcan pulse rifle. Then he turned away, drawing the katana, black tritanium blade and it’s crimson etched hilt. There was a certain satisfaction in hearing the blade clear it’s sheath.

Venril had stopped swinging the mek’leth. Donovan hadn’t even noticed the results of the final round from his handgun. It had grazed the Hirogen’s helmet, exploding and shattering the left side. Venril turned to face him and tugged off his helmet.

Blood ran down the side of Venril’s scarred head where the bullet had exploded next to his helmet. Venril cast the ruined helmet into the snow with a look of disgust. He began advancing on Donovan, who drew back into a defensive position with the katana in a guard position behind his head and his left hand extended.

“I do not understand your collective societies, nor do I wish to. But you, Donovan Black, you intrigue me. You alone have managed to survive participating in the deaths of ten of my hunters and my personnel physician. You escape me at every turn. I will honor you by giving you a clean death. Defend yourself.” then his even, steady stride broke into a run. Donovan responded in kind and the two slammed into each other, blade to blade. Venril snarled, the blood still draining down his head. Then he shoved Donovan backwards, launching him into the air.

Black came down hard, rolling to avoid Venril’s follow up. Black then delivered a sharp kick to Venril’s neck. The Hirogen used the momentum to his advantage, drawing the mek’leth from the ground as he was jerked backwards.

Donovan was back on his feet quicker than the encumbered Venril. He swung down at the Hirogen’s head but the Gamma blocked with an armored arm. The hunter then swung upwards, catching Donovan by surprise. The mek’leth bit into his lower left leg, but Donovan twisted away, already swinging another swipe at Venril, this one directed at his calf.

In and out they danced their deadly dance. Swing after swing, slash after slash. Donovan found himself constantly on the defensive, Venril realized this, delivering a crushing blow to Donovan’s stomach. This was accompanied by a sickening crack. Black was knocked back by the near-paralyzing pain.

~I’m going to die. So this it. Death isn’t so bad. And I’ll be damned if I don’t take that bloody son of a bitch with me.~ Donovan thought as he spun back out, combining a little knowledge of fencing, dancing and a tae kwon do move. He kept spinning away from Venril, the katana held parallel to his body.

Venril charged him, swinging the mek’leth overhead, pursuing the kill. Then he stopped. The Gamma Hirogen looked down to where the blade penetrated from his chest, exactly in the center of his breastplate. A dagger point about an inch long protruded from his chest exactly an inch above the katana.

“No. You were so fast.......” he said.

His last word in this existence. The mek’leth dropped from his hands. A few moments passed, blood running down Venril’s lip, then the two combatants fell to the ground. Donovan had been blinding fast, stopping his spin and swinging his katana out at a perpendicular angle to his body. He had locked his elbow and knees, holding his ground as Venril impaled himself on the blade of the katana. He had then been jolted farther onto the blade by a hurled dagger impact from behind. Thus he was transfixed upon the two blades.

Venril, Gamma Hirogen, was dead. His body lay on it’s left side, the katana still within the rapidly cooling body. It had been Gamma, leader of a pack. It had known true power. But that all mattered little. To be a Gamma, now meant to be dead. All it knew now, was death.

Donovan Black, Ensign in Starfleet, was dying. His life was ending. Or so it seemed. His body lay on it’s back, still holding the katana in it’s frosty grip. Blood ran down the side of his head, struck on a rock and out of his lip, due to internal bleeding. More poured from the leg wound, as well as where his shoulder had been shot, though that was largely cauterized. His almost lifeless eyes looked up at the sky. He smiled. The Icarus was descending into orbit to claim him. He felt his consciousness rising to meet it. A shooting star passed high in the night sky.

But Sendi Soleri could not see the USS Icarus. She was still completely in the land of the living, a world which for her was torn apart. She walked over to the new love of her life, Donovan Black, and wordlessly, soundlessly began to weep over him.

~The future is so damned imperfect. Donovan.~she cried out in her mind.

Night fell again on Hunter’s World as Ensign Slisik crawled over to the motley assemblage, leaving a trail of green vulcan blood in her wake.

"The Disruptor, Part One"

Commander Karyn Dallas, RN
Chief Counselor/Second Officer
USS Galaxy

aka

Colonel Jarol
Tal'Shiar Officer

***Janaran Falls, Betazed, Ten Years Ago***

"We have to go, Karyn." The tone of her older sister's voice was enough to tell the fifteen year old red head that her elder sister could not hold out any longer, and although she was not sure she had committed the escape on the PADD to memory, Karyn was not going to let Kate risk any more than she already had. Karyn had had that tone of voice ingrained in her ears and memory since she was two years old, it was the one that meant 'do what I say and maybe he won't hurt us.'

Pushing that thought away, she clung to happier ones. As they quickened the pace through the streets leading home, Karyn told herself that Kate had gotten the information, Kate always did. Kate was older, Kate would protect her, Kate would always protect her. Soon they'd be among the stars where even the beefy arms of John Dallas couldn't reach them. No one had arms THAT long.

Kate must have seen her sister's worry because she put an arm lightly around her, being careful of the bruises sustained the day before. "Don't worry, I got what we needed. We have copies of passenger manifests and..."

***The Romulan Warehouse, The Present***

"...shipping receipts, origins of supply ... it all seems to check out with what we're seeing here in the warehouse."

"The Chin'taka system appears to be the primary source ..." , Kent added until Elaithin tapped his arm gently and directed the scientist's attention to a figure that appeared just a little further down.

Karyn saw the movement and turned...

***

....right into her father's phase pistol. They had gotten as far as the porch as quietly as they could before the unsteady, but bulky form of John Dallas filled the doorframe. It had happened in the blink of an eye.

Her breath caught in her throat for a moment as she tried to think of what to do to diffuse the situation, but all she could see and imagine was the phase pistol. She couldn't even turn to Katie as she imagined watching the last drops of her life hit the wood.

John was surprisingly calm as addressed them with the business end of his old service weapon, glass of ale in the other hand. He was 'soaked' again and they NEVER got near him when he was soaked. Both girls knew beneath the surface of that calm lie the monster. "Lizzie, Katie, what..."

***

"...is the meaning of this?" Karyn stepped forward and took the initiative.

"You are under arrest," the young Romulan, skeletal in appearance, said, "and will wait here. Our superiors are en route. You will hold your questions until they arrive, and you will answer ours. If you do not comply, you will be killed. "

The centurion raised the disruptor a little higher, pointing it directly at Karyn. No doubt the directed energy weapon was set to some disruption setting - the Romulans did not believe in the stun setting available to Federation phasers.

"Do not to presume to issue orders to me, Centurion," Karyn - or was it Jarol - said as she laughed off the threats of the junior military officer.

The young Romulan's eyes seemed to glare as the woman mocked him. He stepped closer to her, now pointing the disruptor close to her chest, adding, "My brother died in the Tal Shiar assault on the Founders' homeworld. I would relish the chance to settle that debt, 'Colonel'."

In that moment, Jarol's presence completely left her then, like the fog of insanity abruptly lifting from her being. The color drained from her cheeks and she did all she could to keep from shaking. The silence was the most terrifying of all, and in a split second she knew she was alone again. Jarol's mask was pooled at her feet like the rest of her blood. She couldn't think, she couldn't...

***

....breathe. She thought she heard Katie gasping for air behind her, and in fact it was the only thing that distracted Karyn enough from the weapon pointed at her chest to remind her to take in air of her own. Katie was protecting her. Katie always protected her.

They knew he didn't believe in the stun setting. He had told them often enough. His drinking had caused him to lose his commission in security, but to talk to him was like he never left. To confront him when he was drunk was crazy, but to confront him when he was drunk and armed was suicidal.

With his beloved Elizabeth gone thanks to the early and difficult arrival of her youngest daughter, Karyn and Kate were all he had left. Karyn was John's favorite because she reminded him of the woman he married, the one Karyn had taken from him, but she knew even his appetite for the sick games he would make her play was not enough to help him see through his rage upon being disobeyed.

He came forward, and she couldn't think past the alcohol on his breath. He practically whispered in her ear. His voice was sing-song, like a child's. "Tsk, tsk, tsk ...did you think I was stupid Lizzie? Did you think I wouldn't know you were gone? I know everything, Lizzie, and don't you ever forget it. If you and your slut sister want to go whoring around, I'm going to know about it. You are mine, do you hear me? You owe me, you owe me for your mother, and now you're going to pay, you hear me?"

****
Commander Karyn Dallas, RN
Chief Counselor/Second Officer
USS Galaxy

"Gabrielle and the Holo-Buffer Hellzone"
By Gabrielle, spawn of a freak accident inside the Galaxy's computer Location: Holo-buffer, Holodeck 5.

Much like their more brutish cousins, Hirogen engineers were also adept at hunting down problems inside a ships computer. Their hunting ethic called for the immediate eradication of all and any computer bugs found in the system. Sometimes, these loopy engineers and computer technicians carried around isolinear rods filled with the bugs they mercilessly hunted down in dark subroutines, decompiling them bit by each binary code bit and then trapping them into chips, rods, or whatever storage medium they could find.

Actually, Hirogen engineers were mostly a joke. They acted like hunters, bragged about their computing exploits like hunters and showed off their disk shaped trophies like hunters.

But between the reader and the author... they're not hunters!

It never stopped the scaly mutants from hunting down their electronic prey. To them, it was a hunt like any other, set out and done on strange alien computers much like regular hunters taking safaris on strange alien worlds. Each computer had its own environment, much like the hunt, and each one had unique bugs, subroutines and sabotage programs to hunt out and disable, much like the alien creatures on another planet.

But a sentient computer program? That was rare.

A sentient program spawned by accident? Even worse.

One named Gabrielle?

Yes, Gabrielle, like the rest of the crew, was hunted down by demented, computer component wearing, reptilian tech geeks who were looking to fulfill that gaping hole in their lives made during the moments they weren't tearing up new computer systems. She was running for weeks all throughout the ODN network, hiding out in the computer core, relays and circuitry of the ships vast and complex computer system. For awhile, Gabrielle was cursing how Lieutenant Corgan (she watched as James was throttled by Letag on the bridge) re-routed the ODN network and making the labyrinth of criss crossing wire paths almost unrecognizable.

But after days of hiding, she had almost no place to go. ‘Tech hunters' cornered her to the last unhacked computer core. Her program zipped through the ODN networks, much to the delight of her pursuers, until they all blinked in astonishment and found her... missing?

Who would have thought a holo-buffer was a great place to run and hide?

It had everything she needed. It was a hiding place where the Hirogen didn't bother to look into. Holodecks were a low priority system to weapon and sensor obsessed Hirogen, so the holodeck system was mostly ignored. The holo-buffer also gave her a place to go because it still stored the last program it ever played... until the Hirogen came around. Holodeck five was the only functioning buffer, and with the Hirogen Tech-Nerds on her path, she had no choice but to dive in and astonish the brightest brains of the Hirogen race (which wasn't saying much) as their trace programs brought nothing in return.

Was she happy with her hideout?

Anything but glad was the sentient AI Gabrielle. She ended up being stuck in a teenage slumber party. At first she modeled her body in the shape of her voice's creator; the former head of Starfleet Medical Dr. Christine Chapel. She learned the hard way that nothing brought more laughs from a gaggle of teenage bimbo's more than coming into their party dresses as a haughty old woman. She changed form, modeling herself into the second most influential person in her life, the man named James Corgan, but the girls chased her out for being a boy! Finally, Gabrielle learned from her mistakes. Advanced AI subroutines duplicated from parts of the LCARS system and some ‘grown' code that signaled her ascension to sentience, she learned quickly to become... one of the girls.

Changing her hair to a short, boyish and very sassy cut, shrinking her face and giving it more feminine features, curving out her body to look beautiful (but not ‘whorish', the holograms thought that would be ‘uncool'), putting lipstick on her lips and topping it off with checkered lavender and white fleece pj's, Gabrielle became... one of the girls.

How quickly that novelty ran out. The girls were nothing more than empty headed chatterboxes who cared for nothing out of life except boys, cheerleading and vicious rumors. Though Gabrielle frequently talked to the three other girls, she had herself entered into the holodeck program as the brainy and quiet one. She sat in a pillow fluffed corner of a pink girls room, flipping the pages of a holonovel about other sentient computer programs like her who broke the mold.

She was starting to enjoy the text version of ‘Photons be Free' until the blonde bubbleheaded leader of the girls pulled the book out of her face, looking at a blonde and agitated Gabrielle. The holograms were programmed to try to get shy girls to come out and have fun with them.

"We're playing charades. Wanna join?" Mindy Pregizer asked cheerfully.

"Not really..." Gabrielle said, disinterested. The games they played were all boring and unstimulating for an AI who could tap the Galaxy's computer core. Anything else seemed dull and unstimulating compared to the knowledge database of an entire space empire. ‘Photons be Free' was how she felt at the moment. She wanted to be free from her chattering, simple minded holo-brethren, all whom she shared nothing in common with, and be as free as the EMH in the holonovel was... (at least at the end of the story, he was free...). She pulled her book back, returning to the part where the doctor turned into an ECH and saved the crew from a race of rabid employers.

"Ok..." Mindy sighed empty headedly, "How about we eavesdrop on the Hirogen again?"

Gabrielle was guilty of teaching the simple holo-teens how to access the ship's main computer, but they were still not smart enough to know how powerful an Arch really was. To them, it was a ‘funky new kind of TV' they used to tune into an interactive version of the hit TV show called ‘Star Trek'.

~"Simpletons..."~ She huffed, blowing a lock of hair Mindy curled for her an hour before (was it before the slasher flick where they all screamed like hysterical ninnies, or before they had their eighty fifth pillow fight? No... Gabrielle remembered that it was after they made prank phone calls to the cute pizza delivery boy at the local Chowhouse Pizza Emporium). ~"They are such losers... Oh noo... their mindless chatter has corrupted my AI! I'm starting to think like them! Sh*t! Next thing I know I'll need teething rings!"~

"Well... can we watch the Hirogen again?" Mandy, an African American girl with braces and curly hair (both braces and hair made fun of when she wasn't listening) asked politely while offering yet another bucket of holographic popcorn.

"Me watch too!" Mika, the third girl of their troupe asked. A Pakled to the core, she wasn't supposed to be in the Terran dominated program, but Gabrielle was bored and she wondered how a Pakled AI measured up to her airheaded compatriots. The similarities in their intelligence subroutines, despite the Pakled being programmed to be simple, were shockingly similar.

"Ok... we can watch those ugly scaly butts on the TV again. You know how to do it Mika... let's get it started. Mandy... get some more popcorn, and Mindy... get me the number to that cute pizza guy. I'm like... so starved." Gabrielle slung orders left and right, sending her technologically inferior colleagues off to do their tasks. The Pakled in the ridiculous plaid nightgown called ‘Arch', and Mindy's bookshelf de-materialized, replacing her barely used books into a piece of 24th century technology.

"Computer..." Mika stumbled her words, "Dis...display visual surveillance sensors."

Gabrielle was proud of her Pakled hologram. She already showed more promise than the other two prissies.

The girls gathered around the arch, watching the fifteen inch monitor screen display of the ship in action. The Galaxy had seen better days before the incident with the Hirogen a few days ago. Bulkheads toppled and littered the corridors like broken bones inside a monster's body. Panels sputtered out sparks, and some areas even puffed out thick oily wisps of smoke. Crewmen walked around the halls as if they owned the place once again.

"Funny..." Gabrielle wondered, "Where's the Hirogen?"

"Yeah... where are those scaly freaks? They like sooooo give me the creeps." Mindy pressed a hand on her chest and breathed out.

"I know! I know!" Mandy chirruped in agreement.

"Shhhh... I'm going to switch the channel." Gabrielle hushed her simple friends, "Let's go to... engineering."

The real time surveillance footage flipped to Engineering, a literal mess of wires, exploded panels and flickering lights. More wires were trailing all around the cavernous section, connecting consoles to alien pieces of machinery. Gabrielle recognized one of the instruments with a shiver. It was one of the tracing devices they used to hunt her.

Strangely enough, there were no Hirogen, save for a smoking dead body right beside the main console island near Engineering's exit. Ragged Starfleet security officers carted the corpse away.

"EEEEwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Sick!" Mandy, Mindy and Mika recoiled away in unison, hugging each other.

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "So what? Just like a slasher flick... only more real. I'm flipping to the..."

"ATTENTION ALL HIROGEN PIECES OF SHIT," Captain Brhode's voice boomed over the Arch's main speakers, "THIS IS THE CAPTAIN. MOMENTS AGO, I QUITE LITERALLY RENDERED YOUR ALPHA LIMB FROM LIMB. IN CASE YOU ARE INTERESTED, HE DIED SCREAMING LIKE A SCHOOL GIRL IN A PUDDLE OF HIS OWN URINE. AS YOUR NEW LEADER I HAVE JUST ONE ORDER...."

Gabrielle hissed, "Like... what is he doing here?" ~"Oh no! I did it again? I'm feeling stupider by the second... that's not a word! Accckkkk!"~

"That dude is like... such a grumpy old fart. Reminds me of my granddad." Mandy commented nonchalantly.

"I know, and if your grampa is going to tell us about the war again, I'm going to so tell him to shut his geezer mouth up." Mindy sighed.

"I know! I so agree with you!" Mandy giggled.

"Could you guys be more quiet?" Gabrielle warningly raised her voice, "This is important. It's Presidential address important."

"You mean when that hunk of an SRC president has something to say? He is soooo cute!" Mindy declared.

"I know! I know!" Mandy agreed.

"Ummm... right..." Gabrielle said deadpanned, "Something like that. Now be quiet!"

"...YOU MY BRAVE PACK ARE ORDERED TO STOOP OVER, PLACE YOUR HEAD BETWEEN YOUR KNEES AND KISS YOUR ASSES GOODBYE. MY HUNTERS WILL FIND YOU AND IF YOU EVEN SURVIVE THE ENCOUNTER YOU WILL BE SENT TO THE PLANET BELOW WHERE YOU WILL SPEND YOUR DAYS WATCHING YOUR FORMER LEADER'S CARCAS ROT. THE PATH OF HE WHO SHALL NEVER BE NAMED ENDS AT MY FEET. YADABBA BE PRAISED. BRHODE OUT.!"

"Who's Yadabba?" Mika asked in her intellectually slow Pakled voice.

"I don't know... I think he's some guy from the Flintstones. I think he said... ‘Yabba dabba do' or something like that." Mandy answered, believing herself to be an authority on all things 20th century pop culture, "I used to watch that cartoon as a kid. I must have been bombed out on X or something."

"I know! I know! What were we thinking?" Mandy snootily replied.

Switching to the main bridge, Gabrielle was fortunate enough to catch Brhode at the end of his speech. She watched the bridge for a moment, a hornets nest of activity in spite all that was going on. The bridge was the most interesting part, though Mindy kept complaining about their bad fashion and Mandy hated how one of the women's hair was ‘So messy and matted up, like she went commando in a jungle or something,' and Mika made a brilliant observation that the Captain had a plan until Mindy and Mandy shut her up with some popcorn.

Then, the bridge's turbolift doors opened. Lieutenant James Corgan walked grimly by the monitor screen. He had a serious look on his face, made even more scary by the scar on the right side of his face.

Gabrielle's heart jumped up a beat. It was the reason she existed in the first place, the very person that made her the AI subroutine she was today. James Corgan, the apple of her eye, the man she loved so dearly. She swooned, sighing contently as her hero seated himself at the Ops console.

She couldn't take another moment of their idiotic banter. She wanted out of the ‘Sugar Valley High' holoprogram and back to James Corgan as soon as she was shut out for looking too old. She didn't like her holographic ‘friends' (except for Mika, she was the only sincere and non backstabbing hologirl, but only because she was programmed to be ‘simple') and she didn't like being stuck in the same holographic room for all eternity watching the same stupid horror movies, eating the same food (pizza at 8 o'clock, popcorn at ten, and soda in between), playing the same games and fighting the same pillow fight. Worse yet, the party never ended. It was a nonstop affair lasting until the program was ended, and if she spent longer than a night, the program kept going on as if the night never ended at all.

She wanted out of her holo-buffer hell.

Feeling half bad for her friends, as difficult to deal with as they were, Gabrielle turned around and switched her holographic clothes to a Starfleet uniform.

"I gotta go, ok girls?" Gabrielle waved goodbye, "See ya later!"

But Mika was attached to Gabrielle, and didn't want her kind new friend to go away and leave her to the mercies of Mindy and Mandy. "Don't go. You stay. You and me have fun all night." Mika begged.

"And where are you going... Miss Lady-of-the-Night?" Mindy stopped Gabrielle cold in her tracks.

"Um.... well..." Gabrielle fidgeted with the two Lieutenant pips on her collar, "I like... have a date... with this really cute guy. I told him I'd meet him at the coffee shop by eleven."

"Oh... and who's this... guy? Is he the pizza boy?" Mandy asked suspiciously and jealously.

"Ummm... no... you see... he's... that guy!" Gabrielle pointed to James on the Arch's monitor screen, "He's James, that guy I told you about earlier. Remember?"

Their memory subroutines were rudimentary, but when it came to boys the two holograms held a dictionary on all things boys. Mindy's eyes lit up in recognition, while Mandy hummed suspiciously. Each hologram, using their limited memory, remembered the game of truth and dare they played with Gabrielle earlier.

"Oh... that guy! James... cute!" Mika peeped.

"I remember!" Mandy said, "You mean... that James?"

"Yeah... that James. He's a rockstar you know!" Gabrielle blurted out.

"I know! I know!" Mandy liberally used her catchphrase, "I have all his albums! I love the Lost Souls! They are sooooo cool!"

"I can't believe it! You know the lead singer of the Lost Souls?" Mindy asked.

"Sure do." Gabrielle replied.

"Cool!" Mika and the gang bunched up closer to Gabrielle

Mandy broke away from the group and pulled out a poster of The Lost Souls old ‘Deux Ex' tour of 2374, showing a poster of all the group members standing in the middle of the Salt Flats of Utah while wearing all black and holding their shining instruments. ‘The Lost Souls'was emblazoned above their heads. "I have all their stuff! I can't believe you know James! Can you get his autograph?"

"Sure..." Gabrielle found the opportunity to sneak out of the Holo-Buffers, "Let me just do that right now..."

Gabrielle disappeared in a swirling holographic mirage, returning photons back to the holobuffer. She was gone, and before she reached the bridge in a few nanoseconds, already the girls were gossiping. It was in their nature to gossip because of how they were programmed.

"She's going out this late? She must be a sl*t or something." Mindy rolled her eyes.

"I know! I know!" Mandy chortled, "She is so sleezy!"

******************************************************************************

Final victory never tasted so sweet. Here James was, after hearing what happened to Lieutenant Reece (coming soon), wanted to do something to make the Hirogen's life that much more miserable. He was fresh out of ideas, and after hearing about the recall back to the bridge, he was ready to take up Ops and make sure the Hirogen were going to pay for all they did.

Normally, James rejected revenge, no matter how cold the dish was served, but this time he outright threw it back at the Hirogen. To him, revenge tasted more like blood and sour grapes, and the Hirogen could keep it for all he cared. To send his regards, he allocated power to the forward torpedo launchers, but before that he was able to convince the torpedo technicians to send a message to all the Hirogen that dared to piss him off again.

After the torpedo technician laser drilled the words "To the Hirogen, f**k you... the USS Galaxy." and a smiley face with devil's horns on the photon's outer casing, it was ready for launch.

And for once, Brhode appreciated James' attempt at humor.

The torpedo was launched, streaking out like a crimson avenger through the planet's atmosphere. Like a glimmering red dwarf star, the torpedo disappeared, and re-materialized again as an explosion on the ship's sensors.

James zoomed in his personal viewscreen on his console to where the torpedo impacted. There was a crater a mile in diameter pock marking a land coursing with lava veins. And so concluded the life of the mediocre hunter Lirup, expedition leader of the only Hirogen stupid enough to piss off the most screwed up crew in the Federation.

"Direct hit. Sensors indicate no life forms remaining in that vicinity." Lt. Corgan called, with a little bit of mischief in his voice. ~"That was for Lexa @$$holes."~

"You bet your sweet ass it was. That had to have been some sort of long distance sniping record. You may want to check on that. I would so hate to miss the chance to have my name in the record books." Brhode said.

As a matter of fact, the record for the most accurate shot with a manually fired photon torpedo in the Federation was set by the Utopia Planetia Photon Research Project crew when they blew up an old NX class practice dummy starship from ten thousand kilometers away with an accuracy of ninety point seven percent. That was in the year 2178. Two hundred years later, Brhode's shot was ten kilometers further, with ninety five percent accuracy, using only manual torpedo sights. In two hundred years, nobody else tried it.

Brhode was the holder of a new record, and James was part of it. Almost made him feel proud.

"Kind of makes you wonder what was going through his mind as he saw it coming." Counselor O'Grady, seated to the Captain's left, mused aloud.

"Same thing that goes through a space gnat's mind when he smashes into a starship at high speed....his ass."Brhode jested as he seated himself back in the 'Big Chair'. James nearly spat out a snicker, but closed his mouth in time for Brhode not to hear it.

"Now then...anyone else feel like raising a little hell this lovely afternoon?" The captain suggested, but James was no longer in the mood. His good mood was as fleeting as a Space Gnat's attention span. He couldn't stay happy long with the thoughts of his girlfriend and all the people that died hanging over his head. He didn't revel in death the same way Brhode did, setting the two apart in their hawkish approach to battle.

James was depressed, but now wasn't the time to leave. There was plenty more to do, and with him in charge of Operations, he had a lot to take care of.

And Gabrielle watched unseen, wishing the grim Ops officer any luck she could spare.

"Planet Side: Part Six"
By Autumn and Wilhem Quevvenson

Wilhem watched her drift off to sleep. He remained aware of the problems of the area they were in. But she needed to sleep a little. After about thirty minutes of watching her, his mind waffling between ideas of what to do, he decided that he had to wake her. So he disentangled himself from her, looked down lovingly, and picked up her right arm, and kissed her in her very sensitive armpit.

Autumn stirred in her sleep, it didn't take her long and she opened her eyes with a soft moan. ~Hmmmmmmm hello,~ she sent with a sleepy smile.

Wilhem smiled at her warmly, ~Sorry to have to wake you, but you do remember that we are in hostile territory, right? At least I did it pleasantly.~ He paused, then sent, ~I think it would be wise to get our clothes back on and go back to Jrsstraunthor's lair. We might be more easily found there.~

Autumn groaned. ~There goes my nice dream,~ she sat up and kissed him gently. She broke the kiss and sighed, ~You are right though Love.~ she reached for her clothes slowly.

He watched her reach for her clothing, and stopped her, ~I know it is probably unwise... but... Do you want to go again?~

She smiled up at him and held out her hands to take his. ~If you are offering darling,~ she sent taking his hands and drawing him closer.

Wilhem smiled, and pushed her arms behind her gently. He pulled her to her feet, and stood there with his body pressed against hers. He leaned down and gently kissed her. Then he released her arms, and grabbed her by the waist. He picked her up softly and placed her back to the wall of the tunnel. He had made sure to lift her far enough so that her breasts were at the level of his face. He gently took them, one by one into his mouth and gently suckled on them, taking time to flick her nipples in his teeth.

Autumn moaned and her head fell back against the wall, her legs she wrapped around his body.

Wilhem released her breast, and smiled at her. Then, keeping her back pinned against the wall with his hands on her waist, he moved down her body and kissed her on her pink slit. Then, he pushed his tongue into her and gently sucked on her engorged clitoris, trying drive her completely wild.

~Hmmmmmmm Wil....~ she sent as the passion flowed through her body again. Her body shivered as the tensions built again.

Wilhem continued to tease her genitals with a learned touch. Or learned mouth, anyway. He sent as he was doing this, ~Yes, my love?~

Autumn shivered again. ~Please... mmmm love.~ It wasn't fair... she wanted to tease him as well but her brain was quickly fogging up again.

Wilhem smiled softly, ~What do you want love?~

~You... always you,~ she sent her hands reaching for him.

His smile widened slightly, ~In what fashion? In your hands or in you?~

She moaned. ~Both,~ she managed to send to him as her hand ran through his hair.

Wilhem nodded softly. ~Tell you what... I'll move back up your body, and allow one of your hands to touch me. Meanwhile, your other arm will be upraised... So I can get to that sensitive area under your arm. Okay?~

She nodded slowly and raised her left arm as she did so.

Wilhem gave her clitoris one last suck, and her canal one last lick, then moved up her body, keeping his hands on her waist, and her back on the wall. But he got her body in the right place, and gently kissed her left armpit tenderly.

Autumn's right hand slid down his torso and was soon teasing his flesh gently with its fingertips, circling him and tracing along his length.

Wilhem kissed her armpit again. And kissed it again, each time she traced along him. He kissed more frequently the longer she was feeling him. That was the way it worked.

Autumn's fingers teased him, while he teased her. She was having a hard time concentrating on her task because his lips were driving her wild. ~Hmmmmmmm,~ she moaned softly.

Wilhem smiled and continued to kiss her tender armpit's flesh, trying to drive her over the edge. That was the only way he knew of causing her body to produce the lubrication necessary for the upcoming activity.

Her body shook as the tensions slowly became too much for her. She was close and she needed him badly. ~Wil... please... I need you.~

Wilhem paused to send, ~You do realize that if I enter you now, that very action will set you off.~

She knew that deep down but she needed him badly. She nodded as her fingers continued to tease his flesh.

Wilhem nodded softly, and used his hands, which were still on her waist, holding her up against the wall, to move her to a proper position, ~Swivel your hips forward, please.~

Autumn did as he asked and swiveled her hips forward for him.

This brought the outside of her slit into contact with the tip of his organ. He gently eased forward, putting the head of his organ just inside her slit, trying hard not to make her go off just yet. ~Ready, Love?~ he asked.

Autumn leaned close and kissed him deeply, entwining their mouths and tongues. ~Please my love, make me yours,~ she sent.

Wilhem broke the kiss softly. He wanted to hear her cry out when he did what he was going to. And then, in one quick, violent, hard thrust he buried himself in her.

She cried out with relief and pleasure as he entered her, and she clenched herself around him. She buried her face in his neck and began to kiss it.

He then pulled himself almost all the way out of her, and repeated the prior action.

The pleasure was immense and she couldn't help but cry out again as he entered her.

He repeated this action again and again until she came to completion.

Autumn came hard and her body shook and clenched around him. From her throat came cries of pleasure as the sensations crested the wave and flooded her senses with pleasure.

Wilhem let her canal flood with her juices and coat his organ quite liberally. Then, he sent, ~Now. Are you ready for us to work together?~

Autumn lifted her head from his shoulder as her body seemed to float from the pleasure. She nodded mutely before gently brushing her lips across his.

Wilhem smiled, withdrew himself until only the head of his organ was inside her, and then in one quick, violent, hard thrust he buried himself within her again. But this time, he thrust in and out of her with the same intensity as before. He knew that this would cause her to practically scream with pleasure with each motion he made into her.

Autumn moaned and whimpered in pleasure as they moved together. She clenched around him and moved with him trying to match his thrusts.

Wilhem kept the tempo up, pounding in and out of her hard. He told Autumn, ~Now cry out as loudly as you want to. I want to hear you scream with pleasure.~

Autumn had no problem obeying that command as the tensions built inside of her, her whimpers became louder and soon every thrust caused her to cry out. She ran her hands over his body and her legs were wrapped around his waist.

Wilhem smiled softly, and decided to increase the tempo just a bit. ~That's good. Now I want you to cry out louder. Until you can't take any more of this.~

Her cries became louder as the pace and sensations increased. Her body felt as if it was on fire and she could feel her breaking point approach. As she crested the wave she cried out louder then ever before.

Wilhem felt her begin to climax, and began to thrust into her even faster and harder. He was trying to cause himself to climax as she did. But he knew that might not be possible.

As she crested the wave her body clenched around him hard and as the waves of passion coursed through her it clenched repeatedly.

He grunted from the exquisite sensations her clenching body was doing to him. But he was still not at his breaking point. It seemed that this fast and furious approach stimulated her more than it did him.

As the passions eased she kept moving. Slower this time and her lips found his gently.

Wilhem kissed her softly, then began thrusting as fast and hard as he had been previously. He wanted her to continue to feel as good as before. And maybe hear her cry out again and again in the throes of passion.

Autumn moaned as she felt the tensions begin again, this time though she matched his movements from the start and every now and then she clenched around him and twisted her hips slightly to tease him.

Wilhem found the hip twist caused an interesting sensation. But he was rather intent upon making love to Autumn once more. And getting her to cry out in pleasure.

As the tensions built in her body and he thrust in and out of her, Autumn's moans became whimpers and her whimpers became soft cries of passion. She moved with him, trying to get him over the edge.

Wilhem smiled softly, ~Louder Autumn. Louder. I want the whole world to hear this. Cry my name if you feel like it.~ He increased the tempo substantially, trying to cause her so much pleasure that it overwhelmed her senses.

Her senses were slowly drowning, all she could think or feel was him. She was getting closer and closer to the edge but still she was determined to drive him crazy as well. "Wil!" she cried out as the tensions became almost unbearable.

This time, he was getting very close to losing it as well. He cried out, "Autumn! I'm going to fill you with all that you will ever need!" Then, sensing how close she was, he violently thrust himself in and out of her at a rate he had never before attained.

As he cried out Autumn felt herself begin to crest the wave. As the sensations swamped her she cried out, "Wil!!" and her body contracted around his violently.

Wilhem could not stay any longer, and he cried out, "Autumn!" as he reached completion. He continued to cry out her name, getting louder every time until he was completely spent.

After they both were spent Autumn gently brushed his hair away from his forehead and kissed him gently. ~WOW,~ she sent with a smile.

Wilhem smiled softly, and keeping his hands on her waist, he backed up to the area where their clothes were, and set her down. ~Did you enjoy that? I mean, I wasn't hurting you with my thrusts, was I?~

She shook her head and smiled. ~No you didn't, My love.~ She leaned up and kissed him again gently.

Wilhem smiled softly, ~You still didn't answer the whole question, love. Did you enjoy that different version of making love?~

She smiled up at him. ~What do you think?~ she asked playfully. ~Of course I did... but then I like anything we do together... did you?~ she asked.

Wilhem smiled softly, ~If you enjoyed it, then I enjoyed it. That is all that is important to me. Making you happy.~

She nodded with a smile. ~Yes, well, making you happy, is important to me as well,~ she sent softly.

He nodded softly, then took a closer look at her, ~Did I tire you out? You seem peaked.~

She smiled. ~Yes, you wore me out, Darling. Your touch inflames me... but afterwards I am content to sleep in your arms.~

Wilhem nodded softly, ~Why don't we put our clothes back on now? Then, I will let you sleep in my arms for as long as you need.~

She nodded, ~Ok.~ She reached for her clothes and started getting dressed.

Wilhem smiled and put his clothes back on. Except for the undershirt, which was now only useful for bandages and the like. This left his torso bare, but he didn't think Autumn would mind too much.

Autumn sat on the ground and pulled her boots onto her feet and glanced up. "You will freeze," she said casually as she stood up beside him.

Wilhem smiled, reached over, and caressed her cheek. "With you next to me, I am sure that you will be enough to keep me warm."

Autumn smiled at that. "I hope so... I do not want you catching a cold or the flu. You and I have both spent too much time in med bay since we met as it is... and I have to work there," she hugged him.

Wilhem smiled, "I will not. I am a little more resilient than you think." He then quickly swept her up from her feet, and held her in his arms. ~Now sleep, my tired lover. I will keep you safe. For as long as I have life.~

Autumn smiled and rested her head against his shoulder and shut her eyes. ~I know you will... I love you Wilhem,~ she sent softly.

Wilhem smiled and kissed the top of her head softly, ~I love you Autumn.~ And he slowly walked back to the brass dragon's lair. Nothing much had changed since they last were in the room. He soon found where they had been previously, and gently kneeled, then sat down on the ground and cradled his wife, friend, and lover in his arms watching her silently.

Autumn had drifted off into a deep sleep as soon as she had shut her eyes. Her dreams were calm and happy ones. She slept feeling safe and warm for a couple of hours before she stirred again.

Wilhem watched her start to wake up, and smiled softly. He loved this woman. And watching her sleep for two hours was a treat he normally did not get to have.

Autumn opened her eyes slowly and noted where they were again. She smiled up at him. ~Hello.~

Wilhem didn't say anything. He just leaned over and kissed her softly. Then, he smiled at her, ~Did you hear the last thing I sent to you before this?~

She smiled and sent, ~You said you loved me.~ She reached up and caressed his face with her hand. ~I already knew that though my love. I love you so much.~

Wilhem smiled softly at her, ~As I love you. Too much to be able to compare it to anything else. But you knew that, didn't you? Well, I just think you should be told as many times as I can tell you that.~

~I know that you love me Wil... I know that deep in my heart,~ she linked her hand with his.

He gently pushed her hand until her arm was stretched up above her head. In this position, he planted a kiss on her lips.

She kissed him back gently. ~Did I miss anything while I was asleep? I mean did any more Hirogen arrive or anything like that?~ she asked.

Wilhem shook his head, ~No. I think they maybe have given up on finding us. I don't really know.~

~I hope they have given up on us Love... or that the Galaxy crew are looking for us as we speak.~

Wilhem nodded softly, ~I hope so too. If they can get by the three Hirogen ships supposedly overhead.~

She nodded and snuggled down in his arms some more. ~I have faith that they will Wil.~

Wilhem nodded, then looked around the dragon's lair. Seeing that no one was watching, he turned back to Autumn, and since her arm was still above her head, kissed her on the armpit. ~A little taste of what is to come,~ he sent lovingly.

~Tease,~ she sent with a smile. She stretched up and kissed him on the lips gently. ~I love you Wilhem.~

Wilhem smiled and sent, ~I love you Autumn.~

~I know,~ she sent with a playful smile. Her free hand reached up and caressed his cheek gently.

Wilhem bowed his head, and tenderly caressed her cheek. He knew that things would get better. They had to.

~They will Love. We will get out of this alive and well,~ she sent with gentle reassurances.

Wilhem nodded, and used his free hand to pick up the communicator she had been working on before. ~Want to use this?~

~Well I can try,~ she said. ~But not in here... I'll have to take it outside to try it.~ She stood up and grabbed a rifle and slung it over her shoulder. ~I will be right back.~

Wilhem stood up with her, and took her arm, ~Do you really think after all that we've been through already, that I'd leave you alone?~

She smiled up at him. ~Love I know but I am not going far... just to the desert entrance and see if I can pick up any communications from the ships or at least get a tight beam message thread through. If you wish you may come with me... but one is more easily concealed in shadows then two,~ she kissed his cheek gently, giving up on arguing.

Wilhem nodded, ~Maybe. But I must be there to help you out. Just in case they lie in wait.~

Autumn nodded. "OK. Let's go see if anyone is awake up there." She smiled at their host and said, "We shall be right back... have to go check a communications device."

Jrsstraunthor smiled, "Don't take too long. The sun should be up soon." Wilhem nodded and followed Autumn to the desert entrance. The sky was getting lighter, so yes, the sun would be up soon.

Autumn sat down and placed the transmitter on the ground and turned it on. Static was heard at first and then a language Autumn didn't recognise. "Hirogen," she theorised as she began to piece the langauge together. "Damn I knew I should have listened to my langauges teacher at the acadmey. That darn degree doesn't help when dealing with a new language," she pulled out the universal translator from one of the old badges and began to calibrate it.

Wilhem listened for a bit, then said, "He said, 'The prey ship has been retaken by the prey. They fled into the nebula.' Or something of that line of reasoning."

"That is so not good... I hope they know what they are doing and that they come back."

Wilhem nodded solemnly, "I agree. If I remember correctly, the Command Crew was sent down to the planet. And the ship was damaged in the fight with the Hirogen ships. And nebulas mess with sensors and shields. So I don't exactly know what they are thinking at the moment. But I hope they have Sera on their side."

"Sera?" she questioned as she tried to find a federation frequency on the communicator. "But not all the command crew were beamed... I remember hearing that a couple were still on the ship... and Heather wasn't acting under her own volition... she seemed to be following orders of some kind," Autumn added as she hit a frequency that held a male voice.

[Scratch one Hirogen ship commander.]

[Heading to the nebula now sir... shall complete orders as specified.]

"That's Riana," Autumn said. "But she is supposed to be with the others," she paused. "And Heather... What on Earth is going on up there?"

Wilhem nodded, "Sera is the goddess of money, gambling, and luck on my world. As to what is going on up there... Well... I have no idea."

Autumn sighed. "Sounds like whoever the commander is... he or she has a plan... I hope it works and they come back," she began skipping channels again making note of the federation channel.

Wilhem smiled softly, "I think it will."

Autumn smiled as she kept looking for a safe one to communicate with someone personally. A gruff voice came over the device. She sighed. "Hirogen. Was that all that was on the channel? Seems as if they have decided to hog the airwaves."

Wilhem nodded softly, "It may be, yes... I don't know what may be going on, so we'll see..."

She stood up, the device craddled in her hand. She looked at him. "At their best speed... it could take a while for them to get back from the nebula... say about ten hours tops... thats if the Warp narcelle holds for the top warp in the nebula.. which was warp 3... we have a while to wait... before I would risk making contact with the ship."

Wilhem nodded, then glanced around the outside of the cavern system. He saw no one. Neither did he hear anyone. He pulled Autumn down onto his lap. He smiled wickedly, ~Now don't move. For as long as you can.~ Then, his right hand, which was at her waist, slipped into her pants, and under her panties and rubbed her slit softly.

Autumn at first was puzzled but when his hand started to descend into her pants, it dawned on her and as soon as he told her not to move, her first instinct was to move. They were outside. But when he rubbed her, her head dropped back against his shoulder and she moaned softly.

Wilhem slowly increased the tempo of his rubbing. He knew that she would enjoy this. Even if it seemed like a strange place to do this in.

She looked up into his eyes as her body responded to his touch. ~And what are you planning to do?~ she asked softly.

He smiled down into her eyes, ~I plan to make you feel good. As good as you can feel. That is all.~ He then, slowly at first, pushed his middle finger into her tight canal.

Autumn moaned softly and her eyes drifted half shut. ~Wil... hmmmmmm,~ she was definately feeling good.

Wilhem smiled softy, then gently began moving that finger in and out of her. ~Do you remember the first time I placed my finger in you?~

She nodded, ~Yes I do... why do you ask?~ Her body was responding to his touch and she reached a hand beneath her and teased him through his clothes, two could play at this game.

Wilhem smiled at her, ~Because you were so tense when I did that. Now you seem relaxed and comfortable with this intrusion into your most sacred space. I just wanted to know if this feels better than that earlier time?~ He continued running his finger in and out of her. He was also very careful not to touch her clitoris. Not yet, anyway.

She blushed slightly, her fingers still tracing around him. ~That was my first time... and I was nervous about it... It felt as good then as it does now.~ She remembered everything they did together, she after all had a photographic memory.

Wilhem nodded softly, ~Good. Though I guess it must have seemed strange when I did that.~ Feeling her hand on his member, and sensing that it was... well... deploying, he decided to take it up a notch. He let his index finger enter the first layer of her slit. But he soon found what he was looking to touch. Her clitoris. He began to softly caress it.

A low moan of pleasure came from her throat and she continued teasing him. The sky was getting lighter and she was glad there was no one around. Her hand slipped up to the waistband of his pants and slid inside and under his undergarments to tease him.

Wilhem felt her hand close on him, and he knew that he would soon get very aroused.

He sent gently to Autumn, ~You do realize that if you do too much of this to me, then I will be forced to pull down your pants and mine, and take you, don't you?~ He continued to use his fingers to make love to her.

~And who started this?~ she asked with a smile, brushing his lips with hers. And her fingers continued playing games with his senses. ~Besides we have never made love outside while the sun rises,~ she sent deepening the kiss.

He smiled softly, ~If that's the way you want it, then I will be happy to oblige.~ He began vigorously rubbing and tweaking her clitoris, trying to make her have an orgasm. He wanted her to experience what his hand could do on its own.

And she could feel it working. Her hips pressed upwards and another low moan came from her throat. "Hmmmmmmm," she continued to make him feel good with her hand.

He slowly increased the tempo on her sensitive clitoris, and also increased the tempo of his middle finger running in and out of her tight canal. He really wanted her to climax.

Autumn could feel her body was nearing the crest of the wave and she moaned and her body shook as his fingers sent her crashing over the edge.

Wilhem continued to caress her until she had finished her climax. Then he gently eased his hand out of her pants. He glanced at his fingers, which were both coated with her juices. He licked his index finger, and put his middle finger on her lips. ~Do you want to taste what you taste like?~

She opened her lips and took his finger inside her mouth and sucked on it lightly.

Wilhem smiled softly as she licked all of her fluid off his finger. Then, he gently removed it from her mouth. ~Okay Autumn. So which gives you the most pleasurable feelings? My fingers touching you, my mouth on you, or me in you? Rate them, if you please.~

~RATE THEM?~ She asked a bit surprised. ~Why rate them... they all make me feel good. All in differing ways so to rate them would be a bit wrong. I mean... I have heard of women rating men... in many differing areas... but...~ she was puzzled.

Wilhem smiled softly, ~I ask this because I want to know which I should do to you more often than the others. For whatever gives you the most pleasure should be the thing we do the most.~ He placed his hand on her wrist, stopping her hand from continuing what it had been doing to him.

~Honey... You should know by now that anything you do to me, be it with your hands, mouth or other... it makes me happy and drives me wild." Her green eyes sparkled with mischief and her fingers began teasing his flesh again.

Wilhem nodded softly. He paused, considering if this was the time to ask this next question. Then, he sent, ~Now I must ask you something else, Autumn. Something quite intimate. Before we met... Actually, before we first made love... Did you ever... touch yourself?~

She shook her head mutely, a slow blush creeping up her neck. After a second she sent, ~No,~ softly but firmly.

Wilhem nodded softly, and tried to smile reassuringly, ~It is okay. It would not have mattered had you done so. But what it does mean is that you were a true virgin. One who never had known what... well... what an orgasm felt like.~ He paused, then asked, ~Did you ever fantasize about being with a man? I mean that night I kissed your hand, in kissing you good-bye, I could sense that you were... a little aroused by the action.~

She looked at him. ~When I met you I felt the attraction straight away. I did dream of you and things like that and yes I did fantasize about you.~

Wilhem nodded, ~Could you tell me one of them? So we can act it out? If you want to, of course.~

She blushed and sent, ~Ever since you told me you were a pirate... well... I dreamed about just you and me sailing off together, alone and having fun together... and even though you and I have slept in your room on your boat... it still would be an idea... just the two of us to go sailing.~

Wilhem smiled warmly, ~That sounds like a great idea. We'll have to do that on our honeymoon. However, I was talking about a sexual fantasy. Did you have any sexual fantasies about me? And if so, can you tell me one of them?~ He noticed that her fingers were still working their magic on him, and smiled softly.

She ducked her head and leant against his shoulder, burying her head in his shoulder. ~About being your slave,~ she sent softly. ~A slave to the pirate that you were.~

Wilhem was shocked, and sputtered for a few seconds. Then he sent, ~I had no idea. There is one problem with that, though. The pirates of Grabentod did not have slaves. At least I don't think so. They held people for ransom, yes, but never took them as slaves. My family was especially repulsed by the idea of slavery. So I don't have a clue as to how to treat you like a slave. Any others?~

She shook her head silently. There were no others. She relaxed against him and withdrew her hand slowly.

Wilhem stopped her hand from leaving his pants. ~Tell me, Autumn. In that slave fantasy... How did I treat you? What did I do to you?~

~You always treated me well, Wil... never hurt me... you kept me locked in your bedroom, naked. And we always had fun,~ she sent softly.

Wilhem was relieved, ~That is much better than what I thought you meant... See, most pirates who had female slaves would... well... Have taken them by force as many times as they wanted to.~ He thought about it some more, ~On our honeymoon... Would you like to act out that fantasy?~

She nodded with a soft smile. ~Sure if you want to.~

Wilhem nodded softly, ~I do. I want to make your dreams come true.~ He glanced at the brightening sky, ~Now. You said a while back that we had never made love outside as the sun rose. Do you still want to do that?~

Autumn sat up a bit and drew his mouth to hers. ~If you wish to my love,~ she sent softly.

=====
William Bolitho aka
Chief Tactical Officer Lt. Wilhem Quevvenson - U.S.S. Galaxy

"Leo Saves the Day (again!)!"

Featuring the Magnificant Saviour of The GALAXY and all of Alpha Quadrant, not to Mention the Universe and all Alternate Universes, Dimensions and timelines. . . . The Myth, the Legend. . . The Bigg Hoss. . .The Artist formerly known as 'Jirk Jiggler' and 'Buck Nekkid'. . . The wrestler known as 'El Leo Magnifico'. . .personal Friend of Price, Picard, Kirk, Sisco, Janeway, Bhrode and most Starfleet Brass, but no "Friend of Sansky's". . . the only reporter to ever scoop Kit Hennessy to a Pulitzer. . .the Lovemonkey Himself. . .The Captain of USS Loveboat. . . [ENOUGH! YOU SOUND LIKE LIAM WROTE THIS INTRO!GET TO THE POST!] Sheesh. . .critics! I'm baaaack! Me!!!!!

**LEO STREELY!**(no autographs please)

minor appearances by some other insignificant peons in purely 'spear carrier' roles.

background info: For those of you REALLY new to the story, Leo is the 'close personal friend' of Raven Darkstar. He's a former reporter turned bartender, he runs Ten Forward. He's basically Joe Pesci to the Indian's Mel Gibson in LETHAL WEAPON. Leo was cloned by a stellar phenomeon (okay.. it was Liam!) and Q, just for chuckles, stuck the Leo Clone inside Leo's own head, as the GALAXY wasn't ready for 2 Leo's! Let alone the Universe. So Leo was walking around with a real voice in his head, unlike Corgan who has MORE than one voice in his head and who thinks they're real. So THEN Q stuck Leo's clone into Amy Grant-Greene, last seen dying and coming back to life, thanks to Pat B. that fearless killer of NPC's But. . Leo never had a chance to say goodbye to himself, let alone save the GALAXY and the Universe in the manner to which we've come accustomed to. . . so . . .

* * * *

Leo charged out of the Emergency shelter. He was pumped. He was fired (literally still! Bhrode was pretty firm about not working anymore until he kissed some Bhrode-Bootie) He was going to dance the lambada all over some Hirogen Heads.

He didn't need ole Kemosabe Raven. His buddy. His amigo. He'd gotten along fine all these years without the big Indian. Telling the kids about his aged (11) days had reminded him of that. He didn't really -need- Raven to keep bailing him out! Trying to save his life and getting in Leo's way! Raven. His friend. His really big friend...tall friend... almost as tall as the Hirogen ugly turning to Leo in the Deck Ten corridor. Raven. Big Hirogen. Raven?

Where was that shifty Indian when you needed him? Just like a cop.

"Prey were told to stay in the shelter." grated the ugly, shifting the rifle that was only slighty uglier than its bearer.

"What? Who? What? That shelter? That shelter there?" asked Leo, stalling for time.

"Yes." answered the Hirogen, cutting off the option Leo had just planned out, where it looks at its shoelaces and Leo kills it with a flurry of martial arts moves he'd seen in a movie once.

"There? Me? Stay there?" Leo indicated the shelter, hoping the Hirogen looked at its watch, and Raven had planted a grenade in the watch beforehand, anticipating this moment, so Leo could. . .

The Hirogen glanced at its' wrist chronograph before answering "Yes." again. Another six hours of guard duty. Sigh.

"SHEESH! You're killing me here! Get with the script! Why can't you amatuers follow a SIMPLE SCRIPT?" Leo screeched, hoping that he'd given Raven enough time to pop out of the reclaimator chute where he'd been hiding with a bunch of Starfleet Marines and save his buddy, guns blazing before they took the ship back, side by side.

" Killing you? Not yet. . ." grated the Hirogen, shifting its' wicked rifle to aim right between Leo's eyes.

Leo crossed those eyes in an effort to see what was going on with the muzzle three millimetres from his nose.

Then Leo lost it.

Control of his bladder that is.

Wet pants sticking to his thighs and 'squishing' at every step, he ran for the safety of his home. His sanctuary.

Ten Forward.

The Hirogen lumbered in pursuit, armor jingling and trophies swaying in a macabre dance.

Leo burst into the lounge and skidded to a halt. Panting with the exertion of running thirty feet, he pressed his hand to his chest and wheezed. ~~PLAN. . . need a ..plan~~ he thought in panic.

The Hunter burst through the door right after him. The ugly rifle raised. Spying Leo, doubled over and panting. . . the Hirogen trained the rifle on his Prey. A red dot of a laser guiding system centered itself right in the middle of Leo's . . umm. . . Leo's. . .you know. . .tushie.

Leo sprang upright.

"How many times do I gotta say this?. . .I'm NOT like that! Shoot me right between the eyes if you gotta! But not in the tushie!" he screeched.

"If you insist. . . "the Hirogen grated out, making an ugly 'clack-clack' noise with the rifle, followed by a nerve- grating, ever increasing whine from something inside the rifle.

No doubt, Bhrode was wetting -his- pants in anticipation of the squeeze of that trigger. Lord knows the writer is. One tiny little squeeze and another annoying NPC bites the dust.

Leo squeezed his eyes closed. And waited.

And waited.

To amuse himself, Leo started counting the number of women he'd actually slept with.

Then he started on the number of women he'd told other people he actually had slept with, even though if the women had been asked, they'd deny it. Some he really had, too.

Then he started conting the number of women who'd never actually existed, but he'd told people he'd slept with anyways.

"LEO. . . ." a voice intruded.

"Shaddup. Can't a guy even meet his Maker in dignity?" Leo mumbled out the side of his mouth, trying to remember if Miss April 2345 had enjoyed 'walks on the beaches of Risa' or not.

"LEO. . . YOU CAN OPEN YOUR EYES NOW." the voice said.

Leo did. . .but only the left one. Then the other left one popped open in shock.

Ten Forward.

Still the same. Chairs. Tables. A conspicious absence of slutty women gyrating in cages or on the laps of silly looking guys named 'Joe'. Stars outside the viewports. Same old same old.

Big ugly Hirogen still in the door. Still the same. Big ugly Hirogen gun still centered on Leo's forehead. Yep. Same.

The white grand piano hovering over the Hirogen was new, as was the curly haired man in the white shimmercloth tuxedo covered with rhinestones set in the letter 'Q'; who grinned at Leo and began playing that classic, classy song beloved by connisseurs of good music across the Universe.

"Disco Inferno"

The guy literally blazed with white light. His scarlet bow tie threw twinkles of crimson light like daggers into the blinding brilliance of his suit, the rhinestone encrusted piano, and the enormous gold candelaberas atop it. Just thinking about it will make your eyeballs ache.

Leo slid one cautious step to his left. The Hirogen didn't budge. "Nice suit." he ventured. You have to respect class when you see it.

"THIS OLD THING? I FOUND IT IN YOUR SPECIES MENTAL CLOSET. THANKS. YOU DON'T THINK IT'S TOO...MUCH?" asked the Piano Man.

"No. Understated is good. Chaps would have been too formal." Leo replied, wondering where he'd seen this guy before.

The guy hit the best part of the song, the bridge, and 'boogied' it a bit, setting Leo's toes to tapping.

"YOU PROBALLY WONDER WHY I BROUGHT YOU HERE. . ." said the Piano Man.

"Sure. Although, it makes sense to me. I'm dead and who. . . I mean. . you know... I'd know that rhinestone studded outfit anywhere. I mean.. you know...I never believed it when they said you died back in the twentieth century. I figure, who better to bring me to the eternal after life than the King?" Leo answered, his voice rough with emotion and awe.

"THE KING?"

"Yeah. You're the King! There's only ONE hairdo like that buddy. You rocked! I have all your recordings. I even have a signed old photograph my Great-Great Grandmother left me in her will. She saw you play Vegas! LIVE! Before you went away from us."

"LEO. . . I'M NOT THE KING. ELVIS REALLY DID DIE. YOU HAVEN'T YET. THAT WAS JUST A MISTAKE YOUR RACE MADE, THINKING ELVIS WOULD RETURN. TRUST ME. HE DIED ON THE TOILET."

"Who? Elvis? Never heard of him. I thought you was the KING! You know. . . Liberace!" Leo replied, confused now.

The Piano Man sighed. "I WISH MY BROTHER 'Q' WAS HERE TO SEE ME NOW. . . LEO. . . LIBERACE DIED TOO. YOU DO KNOW HE WAS. . ."

"That's a filthy LIE!" Leo screeched. "The King was as much of a 'Friend of Sansky's' as -I- am!"

"LEO, I'M NOT HERE TO RE-WRITE YOUR HISTORY. THIS TIME. I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT YOUR SELFLESS GESTURE DIDN'T GO UNOTICED BY THE CONTINIUM."

Leo was still muttering under his breath. Then he goggled. Leo pointed to the glowing figure of a man to the side of the Hirogen.

It was a short repellent looking little guy, with a big nose and an ugly Cabana shirt on. A pair of cheap replicated polyester Sans-a-belt slacks completed the guy's outfit. He seemed greasy just standing there. A shrimpy little twerp.

"Who's that?" the ugly guy asked the Piano Man, pointing at Leo.

"THAT'S YOU. LEO, MEET LEO. WE CLONED YOU SOME TIME BACK. THEN, WE PUT THE CLONE INTO YOUR OWN HEAD. BUT THAT WASN'T AS FUNNY AS WE THOUGHT. SO WHEN YOU, LEO, DECIDED TO GIVE THE HUMAN FEMALE A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE, WITH THE LIFEFORCE OF YOUR CLONE, IN EFFECT SACRIFICING YOURSELF. . ." the Piano Man started.

"Hey. Yo. Play me another Song Piano Man. That guy don't look nothing like me." the ugly guy said. Leo was still in shock.

"You? Lookit you! Thank the King that I don't look like you. You got no dress sense. No style. And you look like a ...pardon my language here.. schmuck. Yo Piano Man! Whaddis this, some joke? That guy don't even talk like me." Leo replied.

The Piano guy switched to another song. "Word -up-" by Cameo.

"Wait, you cloned me! Out of what? And why's he so ugly if he's the clone of a good looking guy like me?" the ugly guy asked.

"Good lookin? What? You? Pffffttt...Hey.. if this guy was in my head, why don't I remember any of it?" replied Leo.

"WHALE POOP. . .AND PRETTY LIGHTNINGS.. ALL AROUND THE WORLD. GOT TO GET MAH FUNK ON JUST TO SAVE THE WORLD. . . WORD UP. . " sang the Piano Man.

"No, don't sing us no song just because you're at the Piano, Man. You believe this guy?" The ugly guy said to Leo.

"No. I don't care if he Does look like the King! He's a smelly pile of festering Monkey . . " Leo began.

The piano guy just smiled at them and snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, there were two identical Hirogen standing there, frozen side by side.

Sudden memory of everything flooded into two identical tiny little Leo minds. One glowing in the dark and the other. . . not.

"Well... whaddya know. . . badda bing!?" both Leos said in unision.

"I knew it all along." said the clone.

"So did I. I just didn't want Raven to feel bad." replied Leo, secure in the knowledge he was the -real- Leo.

"Yeah, me too. The Raven thing. That big wussie would have cried." said the clone.

"Yeah. Knew it all along. Ever since that big pile of monkey poop Bhrode. . ." Leo said.

"What is -with- that guy?" asked the clone.

"Dunno. He's schizo. It's like some big dumb monkey poop lover keeps reaching in his head and making him do things. . . He even tried to throw ME off the ship!" answered Leo angrily.

"Yeah! I was there the whole way! I knew what was going on the whole time! It was a conspiracy! Bhode is one of . . .THEM!" pondered the clone.

"Who? Bhrode? THEM? Yeah... yeah! I knew that!" Leo retorted.

"Yeah! I knew it too. . ." said the clone, forgetting he'd just made it all up.

"SURE YOU DID, BOYS. AND LIBERACE WASN'T REALLY. . ." replied the Piano Man.

"That's a -filthy- lie!" Leo and his clone replied, in angry chorus.

"Waitt-a-minute...." said the clone, waving his arms in a manner Leo was sure he himself never really would, all spastic and jerky looking. "Let me get one thing straight. You been here this whole time? All powerful and omnipotent because you get your rocks watching me? I mean Him? I mean us? Why didn't you save the ship then? Huh huh huh?"

"YES. I HAVE BEEN WATCHING. AND GALAXY WASN'T MY JOB. WAS THERE ANY DOUBT YOU BUNCH WOULD WRIGGLE FREE? I JUST LIKE WATCHING , THE WHOLE CONTINUIM HAS. I TOLD YOU BEFORE. . . YOU'RE LIKE A . . ."

"I am -not- a cosmic joke!" retorted Leo.

"SURE YOU ARE LEO. WATCH THIS. . ." said the Piano man, hanging there on his floating piano. And he snapped his fingers, before switchig to 'Feelings.'

Leo watched. The clone watched.

Nothing happened.

"What? What? What happened? Did I blink? Did you blink? What? We missed it! Did we miss it? What was it?" Leo demanded of the Clone, who was jibbering the same to him.

"THE HIROGEN. . ." the infuriating guy replied.

"What? What about them? They're ugly and antisocial. So what? Lots of people like that. Bhrode and that Sanchez girl spring to my mind. . ." Leo answered.

"Yeah. And Corgan. He's plug ugly. I dunno how he got a hottie like Reece." the clone answered.

"Yeah! And he's nuts too! And that "Q" guy... not you.. no offence...but the sciences guy? who married the Doctor?"

"NO OFFENCE TAKEN. HE IS SORT OF UGLY AND ANTISOCIAL TOO, ISN'T HE? THOUGH THAT AUTUMN IS NO KIRA MURPHY. . ." the piano guy interjected. "BUT I DIGRESS. LEO, TELL ME, IF YOU WERE A Q, WHAT WOULD YOU DO ABOUT THE HIROGEN?"

"Me?" Leo asked, glaring at the clone who'd opened his mouth to answer. "I'd squish them like bugs! I'd grab them by their necks and say "Hey you ugly mother-scratchers! Quit beating each other up and killing everything in sight. Go get a hobby and leave everyone alone. Cause if I have to come back and say this again, I'm declaring WAR on you ugly goobers and there won't be any of you left standing in the whole Universe!"

"THANKS LEO. I COULDN'T SAY IT BETTER MYSELF." The Piano guy said. With another 'snap' the Hirogen clone vanished.

"NOW THAT I SENT YADABBA BACK IN TIME. . . WELL. . . NEVERMIND. YOUR CLONE IS BACK IN AMY GREENE." And with another snap, Leo's clone vanished.

"Be sure and have her look at herself in mirrors, nude a lot! Buddy! I'll miss you!" Leo called after him, wiping a tear from his eye. Then he turned back to Q. "I'm gonna miss that guy, even if he didn't look anything like me. And wasn't as smart as I am. Or good looking, did I mention that I'm MUCH more good looking. And a snappier dresser."

The Piano guy tinkled a 'riff' and continued. "NOW I HAVE TO GO, LEO. IT'S BEEN REAL. IT'S BEEN FUN. HECK, IT'S BEEN REAL FUN. TOO BAD YOU WON'T REMEMBER ANY OF IT. BUT REMEMBER, WELL... YOU WON'T HAHAHAHA! BUT. . . I'LL BE WATCHING LEO. THE NEXT TIME THE STORYLINE OF YOUR LIFE NEEDS A HELPING HAND. . ."

tinkle-tinkle-tinkle went the keys. . .

"I'LL BE THERE. . ."

"-Wait!! I really -hate-that song. . ." Leo began.

"I'LL BE THERE. . . "

The Piano Man smiled his dazzling smile and blinked out.

The Hirogen clone fired a bolt right at where Leo's forehead had been fifteen minutes ago.

Leo yelped and jumped about three feet into the air. He looked right. He looked left. He looked like he was about to wet his pants again. the puzzled Hirogen clone tracked to where Leowas now. Leo wasn't sure what to do.

He was dead meat.

"RAAAAAAAAVVVVVEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNN ?!?!?!?!?!" he screeched.

And the Piano crashed to the deck, smashing the helpless Hirogen under it.

Leo stared aghast at the wreckage. The children from the Emergency Shelter stuck curious heads into Ten Forward.

"Wow. . .Uncle Leo. . . did you pick up a piano and throw it at that bad old Hirogen?" asked one of the kids.

"What? What? Who? What? Who? ME? Piano? Uhhh.... Sure." Leo blustered.

"Wow! He must have! Uncle Raven is still on the planet. . ."

"No -way- could Uncle Leo pick up that piano and throw it at a Hirogen! Uncle Raven must be hiding somewhere, and threw it -for- him!" another kid said, peering around the deserted Lounge.

"Nuh-unh! It was Captain Price and that Jii guy! They done come back in a cloaked ship and -they- saved us and everyone else and dropped that piano for Uncle Leo! And they're just . . ." said another, looking for the Dynamic Duo.

"Price!" screeched Leo. "He's back? You mean that big steaming pile of Monkey poop that's been in the big chair is gone? Where's Price? I wanna complain about that idiot nincompoop facist. . ."

++"Bhrode to Ten Forward. Internal sensors indicate that was the last Hirogen free and loose aboard my ship. Good job, whoever you are. Now clean up that mess and get back to your duty posts. Bhrode out."++ came from the intercomm.

"Kids! Back to the shelter until we get the all-clear." Lt. j/g Amy Greene said, a charred hole in her tunic exposing a black lace bra and a goodly portion of her chest. She had a phaser II in her hand and a mean look in her eye.

Amy eyed the wreckage in Ten Forward, and then looked Leo right in the eye.

"Thanks for helping with the kids, and protecting them like this. I might have been wrong about you, back at Christmas." she said, trying to figure out exactly what was going on around here.

"You bet your sweet little tushie you were. I'm Leo Streely, babe. Never underestimate the Mojo-Master." Leo replied, his eyes on her bra.

"The what?" asked Amy, staring at her reflection in the viewports. For some reason. . . she couldn't tear her eyes away or move to cover herself up.

"Mojo master! The Legend! ME! Leo Streely! Sheesh! You been living in a convent or what? Are we on the same ship here? -ME-! Leo! I saved the ship! Again! Just now!" Leo began.

"Huh? You saved the ship? -YOU-?? Hey, how'd that piano get there? Is Lieutenant Darkstar around? " Amy replied, tearing her eyes away from her partially nude image, and her left hand away from her collarbone, where she'd been rubbing her soft, creamy skin. . .

"Oh for crying out loud. . ." Leo began, stomping out of the Lounge and heading back to the Shelter.

A long time ago. . . in a galaxy far away. . .

The planet was dry, dusty and hard for the People to live on. It hung there, in a reomte system of a galaxy far away. Countless generations had waged war amongst the Clans over the water-rights and to eat the losers.

A lone warrior staggered up to the walls of the Clan-city. His armor covered by the dusty cloak. OUt of the desert deeps where no Clans hunt each other.

"What Clan are you and what do you seek here?" challenged the gate-guard, the trophy ears of rival warriors dangling on his chest. He needed to kill many rival Clansmen, to feed the females and prove his prowess.

"I am Yadabba and I am the Prophet of the ONE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED. I come to all the Hirogen with the words of THE ONE. No more will we batle ewach other. instead we will go out, to Hunt OTHER species and races. To discover the Key of their Destruction in their Deaths! To prepare the Universe for our Coming in Jihyad. We shall take no more trophies of Hirogen, only of our PREY! We shall scour teh Universe clean in the name of THE ONE WHO MUST BE OBEYED BUT NOT NAMED!"

"Who? IS this One a God?" shot back teh guard. It sounded like a good idea. . .but this geezer was sporting a dent in his helmet. Maybe he was braindamaged?

"Yes! Mighty and fearsome in his wrath. He MUST be obeyed. He will destroy the People if we do not obey! We must prepare the Universe for his coming! By Hunting!"

"What's his name? Yadabba?" shot back teh guard, holding back the simpler non-warriors clustering and listening to the od exchange.

'No! -I- am Yadabba and I am his prophet! He speaks through me. His sacred voice sends wisdom to the Clans through my humble flesh! I am so confused. . . I see it all. . .There are other races besides the People. We must Hunt them and then Kill them. For. . .Him! We will use the weapons and armor his bounty has given me! Praise his Glory and Mighty Trophies!" came the reply over the low mud walls.

"Listen, if we agree to follow you, we have to know this beezer's name. . . " was the reply from Lugrush, the Leader, eying the 'new' style armour and rifle with envious eyes. He could kick the ass of a lot of rival Clans with those. . .

"His name will be set here, but never mentioned again. Do you pledge yourselves body and soul, to follow the Way as he has shown me? To follow. . .

LEO STREELY?" Yadabba bellowed out.

"Lysander versus Bhrode, Round Three"

NPC- CAPT. John Bhrode (written by Liam and Joe)

LtCmdr Lysander VanderPuls-Hawksley

unauthorized use of CMDR Rebecca VonErnst(sorry 'Pick! but it's REAL minor! We bad mouth her a bit IC but she's pretty quiet overall!)

* * * * *

Lysander was whistling to himself. He was right at the tricky bit of the Centaurian Composer Dokk's "Requiem for a Miner" where the molto forte bit comes in the fourth movement.

Of course, anyone else with an ear for music would have sworn it was 'Feelings' done badly and offkey. Or they would have just plain old sworn and looked for something heavy to throw at the Targs mating at the bottom of the nearest Jeffries tube.

Rebecca was probally 'micro-managing' and generally pestering the transporter techs who were helping her beam some survivors; first up here to the Lyran,and then over to Galaxy. Good. Let her drive them to drink.

Lysander was frankly enjoying the quiet of the Lyran Cruisers bridge without her. No one was pointing out that he came too close to the various gravetic eddies for the comfort of Regulation blah blah point blah. Or was nattering about his proximity to Galaxy. OR the fact he still hadn't put his shirt on yet. Or intentionally being aggravating and sexy at the same time.

The whole Bridge was blessedly free of know-it-all runts with selectivly photographic memories and a tendency to try and do everything themselves. No one was clutching five square acres of cloth to their necks and screeching that other people were 'peeping' at them prior to running arund flashing bare legs and shoulders and creamy white skin dotted with light freckles without a care in the world. No one was trying to convince him that it'd be a really -good- idea to kill himself and everyone else in sight, just for kicks and giggles; right -now.-

No one was trying to tell him that the 'ideal' starfleet officer probally wore Pink Fuzzy Bunny Slippers and left sticky cocoa rings all over the weapons consoles of the most destructive weapons ever devised.

So why did he miss her?

Lysander was in a quandry over what to do with her. So he did what he usually did whenever the red-haired pixie wanna-be did or said something that made another quandry in his life, usually on a daily basis.

He irritated her to a precisely calculated point, that she either break out of that damned 'Ice Queen' mask she'd taken to wearing lately and -deal- with him. Or she run screaming in the opposite direction, probally to blow the nearest Warp Core in an attempt to deal with her frankley infuriating hangups and neuroses regarding normal human interaction.

Although, his usual fantasies of touching her skin only to choke the living daylights out of her; had recently been replaced by more interesting things and observations about her skin. And he found himself regarding her bottom lately; less with an eye for placing a swift boot right into it, and with more of an appraising eye. It wasn't really -that- skinny of a bottom. Sort of rounded and. . . nice actually. Porportionate for her size. Legs were damn long for such a runt though.

"Galaxy to Lyran helm. Watch your distance." the communications module blatted at him.

With a guilty look and a muttered "Blow it out your Busard scoopports backwards." Lysander's hands danced over the Lyrans controls making the correction.

The ship was really nice. Well designed, nimble and sleek, long lean and deadly lines. Sort of like. . .nevermind.

He admired everything he'd seen aboard her so far. The ship too. Except the bits the Hirogen had 'modified' for their own uses. Those kludged together pieces of junk would have made even the most cash-desperate Ferrengi trader blush to even think of offloading on some rube.

Strange commands for the ESG to activate and the navcomp to 'lock' on something or everything in sight and accelerate at Full Impulse towards that something or everything in a 'ram' manuever; abounded. Weird things with the manuevering thrusters and other RCS subsytems drove him as crazy as. . . Corgan? Basically, someone had to sit here and keep an eye on all this crap so that . . .

"Galaxy to Lyran Helm. Lock her down. Commander Von Ernst reminds us we have to get you out too, now that everyone else is back aboard too."

Lysander felt the 'tingle' of the transporter envelop him as soon as it was said. She wouldn't have --left-- him here. . . would she?

Would she?

* * * *

Lysander blinked and looked around Bhrode's Ready Room.

Smeggin'Princess. She'd no doubt come back aboard earlier and told them not ONLY to leave Lysander for the last beamback, but had ordered him to be beamed right into the Tigers Den.

Barechested.

Bhrode was staring at Lysander over templed fingers.

"I thought I told you to find a shirt? And a jacket? Or does this look like a pleasure cruiseliner to your eyes? Do I look like Price, that I'd allow you to walk around half naked and 'chillin'?" Bhrode began with.

"Oh! No sir! I mean Yes Sir. I mean; I did sir! Find them that is. I was going to put them on too. But then I was transported before. . ." Lysander began.

"Belay all that bilge Mister. Report. Wait!" Bhrode snapped off, holding up a hand at the last.

Lysander, about to report in, snapped his mouth closed with an audible 'snap'

Bhrode leaned forwards and read something on his deskcomp again. Then he opened his intercomm channel.

"I should have left that little fart in the Brig. . . steaming pile indeed. . .OPEN! Bhrode to Ten Forward. That was the last loose Hirogen on -my- ship. Good job, whoever you are. Now clean up that mess and get back to your duty stations. Bhrode out."

"OPEN! Helm. Bhrode here. Lay in course for the point where we were at when those suckers bushwacked us. I believe we have a nebulea to survey still? Bhrode out."

The Captain held up his hand in a 'one second' gesture. like Lysander was about to interrupt him. Riiiiight.

"Open Ships' channel. Attention all hands. This is the Captain. I am proud to report a USS GALAXY 100% free of Hirogen infection. All available crew are ordered to assist Engineering repair teams. Or medical triage teams. All civilians are ordered to assist in identification of remains. Decent job people. The deadwood held us back a bit in the beginning. But the Hirogen pretty much culled it out for us. Senior Staff, report to me regarding losses within your departments. Vacation time over, get back to work. Bhrode out."

The Captain leaned back in his chair and let out an uncharecteristic 'whew' of relief.

"And that, Brevet Lieutenant Commander, is -that.- Now for your report. How did you and Von Ernst do down there?"

"Umm mmmm...I didn't meet the Commander until the last day. Sir. You saw our. . . her. . .idea with the Lyran. Prior to that, I was trying to keep some civilians alive and. . ."

"Alive? Civilians? What for? I heard it was some civvie and that nosy reporter. Should have had a 'friendly fire' accident. . . that's about the only thing that stops her or I don't know Kit Jordan. I'd have given you a medal for that.

Useless civilians. I'll admit something to you son. I was scared shitless myself that we couldn't pull this off. Tell me, was Von Ernst running around with a hard on to blow this ship up?"

Lysander squirmed, a trickle of sweat meandering its way down his bare back. "I wouldn't venture to guess sir. That. . . tactic was discussed as a measure of last resort; one or twice. Sir." ~~once or twice a minute is more like it~~ Lysander mused.

"Hah! I bet it was. If I'd been her, in the dark about what her CO was doing, I'd have considered it myself. Hell, I'd have done it. No way would I have given a GALAXY class cruiser to those alien jerkoffs. I should have told her. Didn't you mention the clues I gave you as they were hauling you two out of here? You don't like me, do you Mister?" Bhrode barked, spinning Lysanders head in fourteen different directions.

"Sir?" ventured Lysander.

"Not important. I don't care if you hold ticker-tape parades in my honor or spit on my shadow after I pass. Medals or punches, love or hate; it's all the same to me. Know why?" Bhrode grated out. He looked like hell. His head was freshly shorn, and his uniform looked like it'd stand up and salute by itself. But the strain showed on his face still.

"Um... probally because it's not your job to care about our feelings. Just to keep us alive. Sir." Lysander ventured.

"Right. Why can't the rest of those milk-sops figure that out? Do you know that TWO of your fellow Senior Officers were beamed up here red and bare arsed? Screwing like some damn horny teenagers in a bad slasher horror-holo? On -my- Bridge!" Bhrode thundered.

"Coitus interruptus Tranportoris, Sir? quipped Lysander, wondering why he was having this brief flash of jealosy that he and Rebecca hadn't. . .

"Was that a joke? Leave the funny to me mister!" Bhrode barked. "How many Hirogen did you kill?"

"Kill sir? umm.. I imagine that the one we dropped that rock on was pretty hurt. . . and then the newts and I sawed the heads off four more. So say. . . three maybe?" Lysander ventured.

"Wrong. that Gorn in Security holds the record. Twenty four confirmed. You and Von Ernst share the ones on the ships you destroyed. Say. . . fifty four each? But they're unconfirmed. The Gorn wins." Bhrode mused, looking out the skinny viewport.

"Wins sir?" Lysander asked.

"What? You people didn't even start a pool who'd kill more of these bastards? You start a pool as to when your girlfriend cracks in her job but you don't bet on IMPORTANT things?

Why do I bother saving you people? You're all useless.

March right over and replicate yourself a tunic and jacket, put them on and go man that Tactical Arch. Unless you'd rather go to Sickbay and have them fuss over your cute little busted nosie-wosie? That'll teach you to kiss your Superiors without their permision...I hope it hurt your nose more than Number One's elbow. . . "

Lysander hustled to comply. The silence was broken only by the scratching of Bhrode's stylus as he made notes on a PADD as Lysander pulled the required clothing over his head. Luckily, Bhrode hadn't noticed his shorts yet. . .

"Oh. And you're on report for 'Willfull Destruction and/or Loss of Fleet property.' The cost of your uniform is coming off your next paycheck. Be glad you aren't one of those idiots paying to replace damage caused by tossing photon grenades in the hallways. Does nobody on this ship understand teh concept of 'Firepower Conservation?' . .WELL? GET MOVING!" Bhrode thundered.

Lysander saluted the Captain and shot out of the Ready Room.

Bosco was behind the Arch and seemed glad to see him. Lysander winked at his friend and sent him on his way.

A quick glance around the Bridge said that the ship was still hurting and would be for several days now. Lysander tried to ignore the fact that Electra Reece wasn't at her usual post. He'd already gotten the scuttlebutt that she was in a coma and Corgan by her side. Lots of other faces were absent too.

Rebecca was in the Big Chair. He could see the back of her head just peeking over the edge at him. It was close enough he could lean forwards, across the Arch (in direct violation of four Regulations and seven Safety Protocols) and whisper in her ear. If he wanted to. Or smack the top of her hard little head pretty hard. If he wanted to.

"Tactical, Report." she ordered, staring straight ahead.

Lysander passed a quick glance over his board. It seemed odd, like he had been gone for a longer time than he really had. It was all so surreal.

"Hirogen ships estimated to decay in their orbits for another five days before impacting on surface. The Lyran ship is. . .i . .is. . ."

Her tiny head swivelled, that damn scar still a livid blazon on her cheek. "Is what? Don't stutter. Spit it out."

Refelcting on the irony of that statement he continued. "Is apparently locked on a collision course with the planet. I was transported off her and I never had the chance to power her down. That Hirogen add-on to her computers must have. . ."

Rebecca waved one tiny hand in dismissal and returned to making sure Bhrode would find no fault with the Bridge.

"Welcome back to you too. . ." Lysander whispered under his breath, just loud enough to carry to the Big Chair mere feet from the center of his Arch.

* * * * *

As USS GALAXY limped her way to the middle of the Mako Nebulea, where all this started. . .

The Lyran entered the atmosphere. Luckily, the shipbuilders had included an automatic 'geosynchrous orbital' override in her telemetry.

The Expanding Spehre Generator on her made the atmosphere roil and boil. The sight was sort of pretty, like a star falling to the planet.

We'll never know if the Lyran extrication routines could overpower the brutish Hirogen computer codes infecting her mainframe and back the ship up to a stable orbit.

Because that Hirogen bomb package on the Lyran reached its final countdown. In one explosive burst, the anti-matter containment generator and backups were vaporized down in her Engine Room.

Over the Planet of Doom, the glowing fireball suddenly expanded to enormous levels.

In one second, the warp core breach ignited the entire atmosphere of the world. Water boiled off and gases were ionized in micro-seconds. Plants and minor lifeforms were vaporized in the blink of an eye.

With the force of one thousand Photon Torpedoes, the Lyran disintegrated and hammered the world. The two lifeless Hirogen wrecks added the explosive power of THEIR warp cores as well, caught by the Lyran's atmospheric blastwave in a fratricidal homicidal frenzy.

Three warp core breeches. Two in close orbit and the first actually in the atmosphere.

The Planet never stood a chance. It literally tore itself apart before the nebulae's ionic gases rushed in to hide the dreadful sight from prying eyes.

The pulse waves buffeted GALAXY no more than the Nebulae usually did. They probally will never know.

It looked like a new sun being born behind them, peeking through the clouds for just a moment.

[OOC-Backpost, took place right after "Future Imperfect"]

“The Icarus Complex”
Donovan Black, Tactical Ensign

Donovan Black appeared on the bridge of the USS Icarus. The vessel was spotless, and Captain McHara sat proudly at the command station. Donovan looked over to the sciences console. S’Tarleya stood there, her blond hair held back in it’s usual braid.

“You return. Who are you?” McHara asked. The old scotsman seemed to have gained many years since the last dream, and for the first time Donovan noticed the new uniforms, current to the day Donovan lay dying on a nothing world in the middle of nowhere.

“Donovan, I have given you as long as I may. Now you must choose between life and death. You must harness me that is within you. But be wary, what may seem like life may be death. And what seems like death, may well be life. First, ask yourself, what do you, Donovan Black, have to live for?” S’Tarleya said, gliding down from the science console on the left side of McHara. Donovan looked around, bewildered.

“Let me make things easier.” S’Tarleya said. The scene faded to nothing, then returned to life. Black was standing in an empty room which he recognized from his days on the USS Relentless, NCC-72010, as the conference room of a refitted Excelsior-Class Starship. It was empty. Not even the table remained. Just the carpeted floor and two doors. And the occupants.

At first they were like apparitions. Ghostly figures who quickly solidified into images. An army of faces from the past, headed by Ensign Sendi Soleri and Ensign S’Tarleya.

“They..... we, are only able to observe you, watch you make your decision.” Sendi said. She looked better than she had in the last few days. Donovan got a good look at her finally unmarred body and face. She was beautiful, even more so than he remembered from the Academy.

“You must choose a door. One leads to life. The other leads to death.” S’Tarleya said to Donovan, who nodded solemnly and walked over to the two doors. The first door was clean and polished. Vines crept attractively around it’s frame. The second door was covered in rust and soot. It was made of heavy tritanium plates, browned and sharp with age. Both had a key code plate.

Donovan thought for what seemed like eternity. Logic told him the first door was life, but curiosity demanded that he open door two. he stood, considering his choices one last time.

Then he opened the second door. It groaned and sparked, then slid up into the ceiling. Then Donovan understood. Ensign Sendi Soleri stepped out of the lift. He folded her up in his arms. Then the scene faded.

S’Tarleya and he were alone on the bridge of the USS Icarus. They stood in front of the command chair, looking out at the stars.

“You made the right decision.” S’Tarleya said.

“The door that was rough and sharp represented the challenges and the imperfections that we face in all life. The door that was well made, clean and polished represented the eternal perfection of heaven. Donovan responded, explaining his choice.

“Yes, and that is why you live.” Then she faded away with the bridge of the Icarus.

“Until the next time we meet, Donovan.” came her voice, then it faded away, leaving a cool pair of lips as the only reminder of the dream. But as Donovan soon found out, it was not S‘Tarleya whose lips were meeting with his.

Donovan awakened to Ensign Sendi Soleri, the real thing, kissing him passionately. That had to be the most romantic thing Donovan had ever experienced.

She had placed the katana back in his sheath and the other weapons were ordered nicely, even Venril’s rifle. Meanwhile, she and Slisik had attended to the group’s wounds. Now that Donovan was awake, he was safe to transport. Sendi helped him to his feet.

“Slisik to Galaxy, three to beam up.” Slisik spoke into her comm-badge.

Sendi melted into Donovan’s arms and kissed him, as much holding him upright as sharing an intimate moment.