USS-Daystrom Alpha mission

[Blackstar the Chakat]

Blackstar let the security officers disarm hir without a fight. "You back-stabbing son-of-a-Cardie," said Blackstar. "I can't believe this. I give you a second chance and you stab me in the back again. I should've killed you when I had a chance."

"Don't you think you've dug a deep enough hole for yourself?" asked Rochey. "Take hir away." When Blackstar didn't move Rochey ordered, "stun hir." For a moment there were several click sounds made as the security personnel tried firing.

"Apparently security has been lacking in their duties to check weapons while I've been gone," said Monroe.

"No sir, I checked these weapons myself this morning," said one of the security officers.

Blackstar grinned, "you and Rochey should've learned by now that I'm ready for anything. Your weapons have had their power packs removed. Before you add theft to your list of charges, I didn't do it. My ship beamed them out in order to defend me. It's programmed to the that automatically." That was close enough to the truth. Sally wasn't actually programmed but did it of her own free will, but the effect was the same, and the last thing Blackstar needed was Starfleet messing with Sally.

"What is going on here?" asked Captain Fletcher.

"Let's see," said Blackstar, "I got us several leads, past the orbital defences, and rescued a newborn, Rochey, and the runabout at great risk to my life. Rochey seems to think that as a reward I should be put in the brig and court marshaled."

"Shi is forgetting that shi defied my orders and attacked me," said Rochey.

"You ordered me to give up my child."

"She isn't your child. You pulled her out of a dead women's corpse."

"Wait, this child isn't a Caitian is she?" asked Captain Fletcher. Blackstar nodded. "I just got paperwork about this adoption. It went through unusually fast, being confirmed this morning. That child is legally Blackstar's."

"What?!"

Blackstar grinned, "and if that child was taken by officials, a check of records would've blown our cover. Lot of good that did when you tried to kill me with a runabout."

"You were trying to kill me," said Rochey.

"Um... you just saw that my bracelets had phasers in them. If I wanted to kill you, why didn't I just shoot you?"

They were interrupted by the Breen's comments.

"Unnecessary," said Blackstar. "I didn't kill them. In fact I'll go back and find them, no worries."

Blackstar ran back to hir ship, the ramp closing before the security guards could catch up. "Blackstar, don't you dare. You do this, and you'll never wear that uniform again," said Rochey

Hir ship left the Daystrom quickly, before anything could be done to stop hir, not that anything would've worked.

"Shi's running like a coward," said Rochey. "Bridge track Blackstar's ship. Track it's coarse."

"Sir, the Chakat's Dream is heading back towards the planet. And shi sent a message. Shi said, we should continue as the Captain see's fit. Shi'll catch up ASAP. And to remember, hir child is still on board, and she better still be when shi returns." Replied the on-duty bridge officer.

Rochey shook his head, "if shi thinks that finding those crewman will get hir out of a court martial, shi's going to be surprised by me again."

Captain Fletcher stood there scratching his head, "you've been gone for only a day or two. How much could I have missed?"

On board the Dream Blackstar shook hir head, "Rochey, is the most stubborn, pig headed, ungrateful, jerk I've ever worked with. Let's find those ensigns quickly, and preferably alive."

[Sionnach Glic]

"Believe me, Sir." Rochey replied to the Captain. "Lieutenant Blackstar has shown that it is completely untrustworthy, and even downright mutinous. I strongly advise simply blowing the ship out of space before it gets out of range." He turned to the security personel, who were trying to figure out why their guns had stopped working. "Go get some new guns, now!" He barked.

"Commander. Perhaps you're overeacting?" Asked the Captain. "Exactly what could shi have done that warants shooting hir down?"

"Sir, Blackstar has proven to be unfit for service in Starfleet. From day one it was chalenging my authority. Blackstar witheld vital information from the rest of the team, spoke openly about the fact that we were Starfleet officers to complete strangers despite us being undercover, refused to follow orders on numerous occasions, ordered her" At this, Rochey pointed at Talora who, until now, had been watching the enraged Tholian with amusement. "to destroy our shuttle, attempted to bring with it an alien infant who was a hinderence to our mission, attacked two other members of the away team for no reason, and tried to kill me in a completely unprovoked attack."

"Okay." The Captain said slowly. "I take it you have evidence of these claims, Commander?"

"Of course, Sir. The wrecked shuttle is evidence that Blackstar ordered Ensign Retaal to attack our shuttle, probably making up some story that it had been stolen, or something. Both myself and Blackstar have wounds that are evidence of it's unprovoked attack on myself. The fact that two ensigns are missing shows that it attacked them. And Lieutenant Commander W'trisk and Lieutenant Munro, as well as most of the away team, can verify the rest of my claims." As the Commander finished ranting, something the Captain mentioned earlier on forced it's way into his attention. "Captain?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"I am sure I must have mis-heard you, but did you say that the child is Blackstar's?"

"Yes. I said we recieved the paperwork a short while ago, naming Lieutenant Blackstar the mother of an unamed Caitan infant. Is there a problem?" Rochey was silent for a moment, trying to work out how that could have happened. It had only gotten the child the previous night, and they had only been off the planet a few minute. That would mean....

"It sent a transmission to Starfleet from the planet!" He yelled out, causing several people nearby to jump. "Sir, I gave strict orders that we were to maintain radio silence with the Federation. This is just another instance of Blackstar ignoring my orders for it's own intrests. It put the whole team at risk, for it's own intrests!"

"Commander," Captain Fletcher began. "firstly; please, calm down. Secondly," He turned to Munro, who was standing beside the Commander. "are you willing to back up his claims?" The Breen nodded. Fletcher sighed.
"Very well." He said. "When shi gets back, we'll place hir in the brig. Then we'll hear hir side of the story, and see what shi has to say for hirself."

"Yes, Sir." Rochey nodded in agreement. He turned to Munro. "Lieutenant, I want more guards in here when shi gets back. With working guns."

"Yes Commander." Munro nodded, and hurried off. When he had left, Rochey turned back to the Captain.

"Sir, I'm recomending both W'trisk and Munro for commendations. Lieutenant Commander W'trisk performed his duties perfectly, and helped regulate some of Blackstar's treason as much as he could. Lieutenant Munro was forced to make difficult decisions to preserve the secrecy of our mission, and performed well under pressure when I placed him in command of the primary mission. I'll include the details in my report, Sir."

"Ah, yes. Your report. I look forward to reading it." Fletcher sighed wearily. "Anyway, I'll be on the bridge. I'll question Lieutenant Blackstar later on today. As for yourself, Commander, I recomend taking the rest of the day off. I think you need a break." With that, the Captain strode out of the shuttlebay. As he was leaving, Munro hurried back in, a phaser rifle in his hands.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"I found out what happened to the weapons, Sir." He held the rifle up, revealing that the power pack was missing. "The power packs are gone."

"What? How?"

"Probably transported. It may have had a transporter in the ship."

"But it couldn't do it itself. It was out here!"

"Yes, Sir. Blackstar may have had someone else at the controls."

"Damn. It has someone else helping it." It occured to him that they'd have to take down the shuttle before taking Blackstar into custody. "Lieutenant?"

"Sir?"

"Get into one of the shuttles, and power it up. Weapons included. When Blackstar lands and leaves the ship, you are to fire on it and destroy it. That should end our problem once and for all. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good, get to it. And remember only to fire when it leaves the ship. I want the Chakat taken alive." As the Breen started up a shuttle, the Commander grabbed another phaser rifle off a guard, making sure it had a power pack in it. Now he just had to wait for the Chakat traitor to return.
Checkmate. He thought. Now, Blackstar, lets see you get out of this one.

[Minnsky]

**After Minnsky was kicked out. Just before Blackstar went to bed.**
Metler walked toward the landing pad well aware that he was being followed. He would have to ditch the tail before he could find the Andorian. Suddenly changing direction headed for the eatery. It was late evening so there wouldn't be many people there. As he entered the main room he pressed up agenst the wall and slid down. Seconds past and a man walked in, glanced around, and went for the next door. Metler continued pretending to be a sleeping bum and then stood and went the way he came. He changed his shirt with a spare he found in a closet. He now looked like a trader. A officer of a ship past him and he picked his pocket getting a second level pass and ID. He entered the slave holding aria and scratched the id on a cage post it was now hard to read and would allow him to pass as Ben Thomes of the S.S. Lidia. His mind recalled the specs on the ship, it would be an energy carrier crewed by 50 humans all rebels of the federation. He made is way across the cages and into the offices. He grabbed the arm of a passing official. "hey im with the Lidia, kinda got lost, need sleeping quarters." He said it in south freighter standard, a mix of Cardasian and Klingon. The official studied him for a second then.
"Down the hall to the left. Enter id number, call if you want girls. You wont be bothered."
Minnsky smiled widely as the official strode off then headed for the quarters. He entered the stolen IDs number and entered. Time and activities would be charged to the ship that registered the ID. In other words the Lidia would be charged for his stay, also his women. He punched the button to call for a sex slave and waited for a response.
"Size, race, color, class."
Metler answered with out hesitation. "Slender, Romulan, dark, two."
"Slave will arrive in a moment." He passed the time by pulling out his map and finding the storage computer. he would have to have it memorized by nights end. The door opened and a scantly clad woman strode in. she paused for a second surprised that the man she was to please was not undressed then started to dance. Metler smiled and said.
"It is my understanding that from time to time men will ask for a slave to write them letters?" She looked at him quizzically with out missing a motion.
"Yes"
"You are to tell your guard that you need to send one to a John of the Fitzburg. It is to read 'Have found freedom in your soul, may the heavens rejoice?' do you understand?"
"Yes"
"In that case stay and rest for a while, order what you will for food, I am in need of rest." Metler laid down and closed his eyes. Sleep over came him quickly.

**As Blackstar is awakened**
Black, it was black, so black .a dark not describable by mere words. It hurt, a pain like no other, searing like the sun. His eyes opened, to his left a dead man, not noted, eyes open, to his left a live man nearer to the grave then him. Quiet, like no other, no engines no movement. Death had already befallen them, death in all its silence. Eyes closed, black, dark, pain.

Minnsky sat up, breath coming hard. In his normal morning routine he got his bearings and calmed down. The slave girl had left so he was alone. As he ordered food he checked his clock, 6 hours had past. The food arrived in record time and with it a note.
'Not yet my dear, give me a little wile, we will meet again.'
Metler smiled, the girl had pulled though. John was telling him that nothing was ready but to look forward to a visit. Minnksy ate quickly and left the room, heading for the landing pad. It took him a bit longer then usual to make it to the pad, he had to check and make sure no one was following him. When he arrived the site before him made his stomach drop. Two Starfleet officers were in the clutches of combat. He stood motionless for a minet desperately trying to contain him self. The actions in front of him were why he had left. Starfleet had never learned how to end war, from the start it was Romulus then Klingon, Borg, Dominion. And now left to no one themselves, it was why he would never let them have his ship, Wells was not ment for war, its was a savior. He pulled his eyes from the site for a second and got his mind on the mission at hand. The fight would cause enough of a distraction to get him access to the computers. He moved back into the facility and to the second level elevator, it was guarded by two Tholians. "There is a fight on the landing pad, I believe that one of them may have a antimatter war head." The guards eyed him, the ploy had been used before. Out side there was a sound of heavy phaser fire, it was all the guards needed to believe him. They both bolted for the pad believing Metler behind them. Minnsky popped the panel off the elevator and called it using the default manufacture codes. This way no one monitoring the system would see it move. The doors opened and he jumped in, seconds later he was on top of it reconfiguring its flight path. It started to move before he was done and he was pressed to its surface. He knew that in a few seconds he would be turned to goo. With all his might he slid to the hatch and fell in instantly returning to normal conditions. Pulling this weapon he pressed it to the door control and fired. Sparks flew and he ducked away. The damage had its intended effect, the lift stopped. Hopping to the top again he finished his work just as the lift got its redirect order. The lift pulled up thinking it was heading to the repair facility, in reality it was heading to vent shaft ten. A few seconds past and the lift stopped. Metler forced the door and walked into the man sized vent shaft. It smelled moldy and was damp. There were no lights but he moved on. By memory he ran to the port above the storage computer. inside were three people, one Tholian guard by the door arguing with some one; One Klingon beside the door just in case, and one Cardasian tech working a panel. Metler took a risk and kicked through the vent. During the six-foot fall he took measure of his situation which changed for the better quickly. Arguing with the Tholian was John. The captain saw Minnsky first and dropped his jaw. The Klingon aimed at Minnsky and fired once missing due to faulty equipment. As the beam sliced the air the Tholian turned leaving himself open for John to pull the guards side arm. Two shots ran out by the time Metler hit the floor and both door guards were dead. As he picked him self up the Cardassian came at him. John took aim but held his fire in fear of missing. Metler had trained for a short while with the Carpathias Cardassian security chief. Recalling the movements he ducked out of a head but and placed his weapon on the aliens neck. There was a zap and the tec hit the ground unconscious. Metler waisted no time, he pulled off a panel. His fingers quickly disconnected a relay and plugged it into his saucer. The saucer lit up. Turning from his work he addressed John. "thanks." John was pulling things off the bodies he had just shot "Yeah, no problem, but I thought."
Minnsky interrupted knowing were it would go, "There is a fight on the pad."
"A fight! That means they will pull lock down. There wont be a way off." Panic started to grip the man but Minnsky quelled him. "I have it under control, get your men out of here." John stared for a second and then headed for the door as he went he said "thanks", that was all that was needed. Metler left his saucer and moved across the room to a panel that showed the base security system. Any of the master controls were down one deck but he could change quite a bit by hard wiring this panel. He took two steps back and through him self into the panel. The display shattered giving him access to the hardware. He worked for a few minuets; shutting down the stations sensors and primary defenses, they now only had fighters. By the time he was done the saucer had already read coded and stored the storage computer. He grabbed the device and pulled the Cardassian out of the room then set both guards weapons to over load. Entering a lift he felt the explosion rip the computer room to shreds. The slaver base would be under repair for a long time.
The lift opened to the main level and Minnsky moved to the cadges. As he arrived the Andorian showed up. Metler nodded to him and then turned to the guard "Xene is not in this market. You would have had him by now. Let me go with this slaver - it will continue my cover and allow me to expand my search for the renegade."
The guard looked around hoping to find some one to confer with but saw no one.
"You will report back..."
"Within 36 hours." He fell into step with the group.
"Now, Mr. Minnsky," the Andorian said quietly, "there are some questions which want answers from you. You may begin by telling me to whom you have been speaking, and about whom." In a louder voice, he called to the team, "Pick 'em up! Double time!"
Metler looked at him and opened his mouth to tell him about the information when the shuttle fight started to get nasty.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

The first thing that came to Blackstar's mind was: I'm going to get so much crap for this. Hoping that saving the missing crewman would help reduce the charges against hir, Blackstar rushed headlong into the chaos shi had co-created back on that miserable planet. Now hir confidence had finally gotten hir into trouble. A transport scrambler had been set up at the slave facilities, the spaceport, and adjacent areas as any escaped slaves were being rounded up.

Blackstar was betting that the port was chaotic enough that shi could sneak in, find the missing crew, and return before the authorities could find hir. That plan was down the drain so to speak. The authorities had hired local mercenaries to compensate for the weakenend police force. One of the larger mercenary groups had captured hir, and shi found hirself in one of the very full prison cells on their ship in orbit. Unlike most prisons, this group used both modern and old methods of inprisonment, meaning that their were conventional bars in addition to force fields, to prevent a break out because of power failiers.

Blackstar waded hir way through the other prisoners, and after reliving hirself in the cell's only toilet, shi took over one of the few beds. Not many people are brave enough to argue with a 400 pound feline. Shi only appeared half-asleep when two human's approached hir. It took a moment for hir to recognize them. "Well if it ain't Lane and Whitmer. I was looking for you, when I was captured. Nice to see my luck hasn't gone for a complete turn for the worse. Oh, and just to clarify, when I said, scream and run, I meant run back to the runabout!"

"Oh, sorry sir. You should've been more clear about that," said Whitmer.

"Don't call me sir. After I recovered the kid, I made the mistake of going after Rochey. I wasn't going to kill him, only beat him to withen an inch of his life, but as a result I was relived of duty and rank. I saved him, and he still put me up on all the charges."

"So, then why are you here?" asked Lane.

"Saving you two."

"Good job," they said in unison. Blackstar rolled hir eyes.

---

It seemed like hours had passed when a group of the mercenary's yanked Blackstar and the two ensigns out of the cell. They were taken to a room with a single viewscreen. The guards kept their weapons trained on the three as the viewscreen turned on to show a ruff looking Klingon. "I'm permitting you to say a few words to your captain to assure him that you're alive. Make it quick, and something only they would know."

"Let me handle this," said Blackstar. "Hey, captain if you're seeing this I'm captured and need your help. Hard to believe that all three of us were captured by the same mercenary group, but hey, I've seen stranger stuff. Now I need you to tell Tally to find Sally and to do it up like O'Malley. Oh, and Mikey, if I still had a choice I would have said yes. And Rochey, I wasn't trying to kill you, only beat you into withen an inch of your life. And if I don't make it, Talora and Silvertail should take care of my kid okay. Anyway, good luck on getting us out of here. " Shi gave a thumbs up. Now Blackstar had to hope they understood what shi was asking.


The guards led them to a more private cell, where they would wait until their ransom was paid, they were rescue, or they were killed.
---

Sally had departed the area, determining that she couldn't rescue Blackstar on her own, she began a return trip to the Daystrom. She may have to reveal herself, but Thrall's little buisness empire was recovering from the battle and the Daystrom was the closest thing to a friendly ship left in the sector. She just hoped they wouldn't shoot her on sight.

[Monroe]

By now the news of the message had begun to circulate among the crew. Munro would be grinning if he was able to. "Sir," He said as he approached Mikey, "After I finished setting up force field and weapons to destroy its' shuttle I did an inventory check of our supplies. We can easily afford two of the three ransoms..."

"Are you suggesting we just save the two ensigns?" The Andorian asked his antenna sticking up in surprise.

"Exactly sir. We are many light years away from Earth and I'm not sure we can afford all three, and leaving behind a strange creature is going to bring up a lot less suspicion than leaving behind two humans." Munro shrugged a little. "And it would solve us from having to deal with Blackstar."

[Mikey]

"I don't know how the Breen do things, Munro," replied Mikey in a steely voice, "but let's make something very clear. I have had my blade to that infuriating creature's throat, and I've been trying to recall if hir insubordination and disrespect are legitimate grounds to call hir out in the ushaan - a traditional Andorian duel. But Blackstar is - er, was - a crewmate of mine, and will not be left to hir fate at the hands of a bunch of second-rate mercenaries if it is in my power to prevent it. I don't much like Breen, either, but I would react the same if it were you in that cell."

"I thought you were a little more... practical, sir," said Munro.

"Practicality has to be suborned, lieutenant, along with every other motivation."

Even as he spoke, Mikey wondered if he would feel so strongly in any other circumstance. There had been something intangible between him and Blackstar, he ws sure. That's why he was so bothered when Silvertail came online... and why he felt hir lack of trust, hir untruths, and her betrayal by disobedience so personally. Could there be even a casual professional relationship between them now? Mikey wasn't sure.

"Sir?" said Munro, interrupting Mikey's reverie. "Are you still planetside?"

"Hmm? No, lieutenant, I'm fully immersed in the here-and-now. Anyhow, this discussion is academic. Neither you nor I decide this ship's course of action. My concern is to finish collating the sensor details from the auxiliary craft for Commander Teaos' review, and then perhaps a workout and a shower." And then to see what Mr. Minnsky was about to tell me, Mikey thought.

[Sionnach Glic]

The Commander had been on the bridge when the communication from Blackstar had arrived. He had been pleasantly surprised to hear that the stupid thing had gotten itself captured. One thing he didn't understand from it's message, though, was;

"Who is this 'Silvertail' and 'Sally'?" He asked in confusion. He was sure he hadn't heard of either of them. The Captain shrugged.

"No idea. The names aren't familiar to me." He replied, frowning in confusion. "Well, now we've got a ransom on our hands."

"Possibly. Though it may just be another trick, Sir."

"Care to explain, Commander?"

"Well, Sir, Blackstar had a contact on the planet who it failed to tell us about. The contact was a local criminal, a fairly powerful one from what I gathered. It's possible that Blackstar told it's friend that it was in trouble, and now he's holding it and pretending to have captured it. He also has the other two ensigns, the ones that went missing when Blackstar assaulted them. It might have dropped them off with it's contact."

"And just what point would there be in pretending shi got captured, Commander?" Rochey thought about this for a moment.

"Perhaps it's trying to 'save the day', so to speak. It announces that it and the two other crewmen have been captured. Then it 'frees' them and breaks out of the complex. It gets back and looks like a hero, and maybe thinks we'll drop the charges."

"Shi'd have to be pretty naive to assume that freeing two ensigns would cancel out the charges against hir."

"With respect, Sir, it thought that saving me would cancel out the charges against it. It's not the galaxy's greatest thinker."

"Maybe not. But what you're saying is more than a bit far-fetched."

"Believe me, Captain, give it a few hours and it's ship will appear next to us."

[Reliant121]

Talora stormed into her assigned quarters. Spacious...Replicator, shower and bathroom. And No Roommate.
Still didn't make her feel any better. Rochey had claimed that Blacky had ordered her to fire on the Runabout. Shi had done no such thing! The destruction of the Runabout had been due to the Commander being a incomprehensably cruel Rul'aar.
She walked over to the computer on the desk, and keyed in to send a message to Captain Fletcher. She sent the message. And got a text reply. Meet him in his office in 2 hours. Very well.
Turning, she noticed the baby. She walked to it. It looked up and stared at Talora. And promptly began Mewing. Hungry.
Talora walked up to the replicator, baby in arms, and asked for milk, Post-natal, nutritional". The Bottle, fitted with a convenient muzzle, materialised on the pad.
The baby drank it like it had never been fed. It wasn't long before it was gone. She managed to drink her way through another half a bottle. And then it fell asleep. Talora placed it into the cot. She had wondered when it had been moved into her quarters, when she found a PADD under the pillow. It had been a little something from W'trisk. Well, he had prompted the doctor to deliver it with this message.
She walked back over to the Replicator.
"Computer, enter Romulan cuisine database."
A high pitched chirp followed.
"Display available food stuffs"
"Specify meal type"
"Single course, Light"
The Small display came up with 13 meals. She picked out something that resembled A simple, vegetable pasta.
"Vulcan spiced tea."
She sat down to enjoy her meal. She may not be on the Daystrome long before she was returned to the Sydney but she was damned well going to enjoy every moment she had.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

"If the Chakat doesn't stop hir pacing I may kill myself," said Lane.

"Wouldn't it be better to kill hir?" asked Whitmer.

"I have no weapon," said Lane, "and I'm not stupid enough to challenge a large feline who's easily twice my mass. No offense Blackstar."

"None taken. I know that my form makes me more massive." Shi stopped pacing and paused for a moment.

"What is it? Did you think of a plan?" asked Whitmer.

"No. I just relized that the word mass is in the word massive," said Blackstar.

"These conversations are really going down hill," commented Lane. "Let's change the subject shall we. Like how similar you are to the commander."

Blackstar snorted, "Oh, except for a sense of honor and decency and a moral center, me and Rochey are identicle. He's not going to encourage a rescue. He'll probably be against it. The Breen too. The captain and Mikey are the only two senior officers that might come after us. The captain may be dissuaded by Rochey, and Mikey...I'm not sure."

---

Meanwhile...

Sally slowly approached the Daystrom. Not having a crew aboard would make the Chakat's Dream look suspicious enough. She decided to contact Talora on the personal communicator Blackstar had given her. "Tallora, are you there?"

"Hey Sally. Is Blackstar's capture true? The Commander thinks it's all a ruse."

"Yes. Blackstar foolishly went headlong with no back-up plan. Apperently the deal with Rochey had prevented hir from thinking strait. Shi's been captured by a mercenary group that was hired to make up for the forces lost during the earlier escape. Shi's being held for ransom. Is the Daystrom planning any sort of rescue?"

"Negative," said Tallora.

Sally began running numerous calculations, based on personality characteristics, past experiance, and pure dumb luck. Sally came up with a plan to at least get a rescue under way. "Tally. The Daystrom's EMH is a...companion of Blackstar's who feels as strongly about hir as you do. Hir name is Silvertail, and together you should be able to combine forces with Mikey and bring a rescue proposal to the captain. Take it to him directly. I estimate an 83% chance that Rochey would stop you, and a 92% chance he would have me ordered destroyed. Try to keep him out of the loop if possible. Also, Thrall is currently unable to assist, due to the damage his HQ took during the battle."

[Monroe]

lieutiant Munro walked up to Rochey seeing him heading towards the bridge, "Sir, all modifications to the hangerbay have been made. I have installed several force fields to keep the explosion and void from killing other crew mates and installed a few land mines that will pop up and shoot out a neurotoxin in twenty darts each in all directions that will immobilize the creature. Three fighter phaser arrays are slave rigged to a central computer terminal that I have seperated from the rest of the ship's computers due to what we know Blackstar is capable of. There is no way to take control of the computer without a direct landline link to the terminal. Also with the new force fields if need be we can vent the cargo bay and send her into outter space."

Rochey nodded as much as he was able to, pleased with the modifications, "One more thing sir," Munro spoke up again, "May I make a recommendation based on the mission. We have achieved the objective of rescuing the missing crew, and are many many light years from Federation space. I recommend in order to minimize the evidence that we lied to the Tholian High Command that we pay the ransom on the two security personel and leave Blackstar. It'll get us our crew back, we won't drop below dangerous resource amounts, and it'll solve us our creature problem."

[Mikey]

Mikey thought he would feel a little more at ease, having ordered the compilation of the relevant sensor details and comparison reports with the earlier logs; having had them transmitted to Teaos' department; and then having showered, shaved, and dressed in a clean uniform. He even hung a new bracket for his Nausicaan trophy. None of it helped.

"Commander?" Grr'leks gravelly voice interrupted Mikey's thoughts. "There is a transmission inbound to Ensign Retaal's quarters, but I can't make out a source." Grr'lek's voice was calm, but Mikey knew it belied frustration.

"I'll see to it," answered Mikey. "In the meantime, Mr. Minnsky has a slate full of intel on the slaver operation that needs to be downloaded and compiled. He's confined to quarters. And while you're there, find out what the hell his ship is doing, and make him stop it."

"Aye, sir," replied the ensign fatalistically.

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

As Retaal answered her door chime, Mikey noted that she seemed to have made herself at home. "What can I do for you, lieutenant commander?"

"I don't know how you received that transmission, but I have a pretty good idea from where you received it."

"I don't know what you mean..." Retaal looked at Mikey's expression as his antennae whirled toward her, and decided not to even attempt the deception. "I have to go to the captain. We can't just leave hir to rot! You're respected here... you could help..."

"Stand down, ensign," said Mikey sternly, then smiled to take the edge off his tone. "It is MY place to discuss this with the captain, and my place to accept any personal consequences arising from it. You, I think, have done enough already without pausing to weigh matters, hmm?"

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

Mikey was relieved to see that Captain Fletcher had been persistent in asking Rochey to take the afternoon off. "Captain? May I speak to you?"

"Of course, W'trisk. In my ready room." As they entered the captain's office, Fletcher continued, "Commander Rochey believes you deserve a commendation for your work on the away mission."

"Thank you, sir," Mikey replied. "I believe, however, that the mission is not quite complete."

"Explain."

"There are three members of this crew who are being held prisoner aboard a mercenary ship. By now, it will probably be common knowledge who they are. As I see it, sir, we can't either leave them or pay the ransom - it would be an inexcusable sign of weakness, of a complete lack of grell'nors, which would hamper any efforts we make."

"It is true that we are not quite dealing with Federation citizens here," mused the captain. "But I certainly won't consider something which would possibly merely trade one set of lives for another. Do you have a plan, W'trisk?"

"As a matter of fact, sir, I would require very little. Just the services of one other person - who has volunteered - and the auxiliary craft I recovered..."

[Blackstar the Chakat]

Whitmere looked around the cell, squinting, looking for something, anything. "I got it. I spy with my little eye..."

"Bed," said Blackstar.

"How do you keep doing that?"

"Because there are three things in here other then us. The beds, the toilet, and the door. You did toilet last time," said Blackstar, "I had a 50-50 shot. And I'm lucky. I don't know what the luck has me doing in a cell, but I'm sure we'll see the brightside eventually. But so far, this is the worst time I've spent in a cell."

"What is the best time you've spent in a cell?" asked Whitmere.

"Oh, that's right you were asleep when I told that story."

Lane jumped in, "trust me Whitmere, you don't want to know. Blackstar shouldn't have told me but shi did. And now I'm telling you, you don't want to know."

[Minnsky]

Metler was not pleased. He paced the quartered assigned to him. Just out side his door he knew there were guards posted. He was being held captive. When they had landed he had expected to be thanked and taken to his ship to go about his way but Peadoby had taken him here. The repairs to the runabout had been simple, for him, he had rerouted the energy through the replicator conduits and accelerated them with a phaser. For the first few minutes he had to manually control the beam but he got it stable and the ship flew with out issue. The replicator was shot of course, it was never meant to hold that much energy at once, but the patch worked till they got were they needed to be. Metler had been happy to see Peadoby, and was looking forward to seeing Wells new look. Instead, he stopped pacing for a second and looked around for the first time. The quarters really were nice. Much better then the Wells accommodations. Worry about wells suddenly bubbled up in him, the only reason for him to be held was if something had gone wrong.
He slowly went though the procedures he had done before he left. The door chimed twice before it registered.
"Enter" He said not paying much attention. The Andorian came in, watched the marsman stand motionless for a while.
"Mr. Minnsky." There was no response. "Mr. Minnsky." The blue skin reached for his com badge.
"I'm sorry, you were, you are," Metler faced the man and slowly came out of his fog.
"I was thinking I'm sorry." The man nodded. "What can I help you with commander."
"What was it you were about to tell me before, on the planet?"
Metlers eyes lit up, "Here," he pulled the saucer for him pants and handed it over, "It's a holographic storage device, built a while back to store information, on it I have put the entirety of the Storage computer from the slave camp. It has," He moved off to pace, "ship movements, crew complements, cargo, passage rights, you name it, it had it."
"Thank you." The Andorian started to move toward the door.
"My ship, I need to see my ship."
"About that, the shuttle bay has been cleared. The temputer of the bay has increased fore degrees and your ship is so full of energy that you cant look at it without shielding your eyes."
"I need to see it."
"First you tell me why its doing what its doing."
"You don't trust me."
"You haven't given much reason to."
Metler paused and thought then, "I haven't, for good reason. But you, you I can trust, with me. Never my ship." The Andorians antennas became more attentive. Metler took a seat and gestured that the commander do likewise, he did. "when Starfleet told me I couldn't do my work I tried elsware, but for some reason Starfleet would find some way to hamper me, I need to escape them. So I came here. Captain Pulaskee provided me with a shuttle and supplies for a year. I hoped that the Tholians had the hull tech that I would need to complete the ship. So I started my voyage, paying fast freighters for passage with work. When I arrived I found that Tholians had more advance hulls then we could have ever imaged. At first I could only find parts of the hull, little bits that helped me but never let me try then engine. I had a few close calls on my salvage missions and took on an alias to protect Starfleet and the Federation. Then one day I found a ship in one piece. The engineers had inverse the environmental controls and killed every one. All I had to do was re-power it and hook up my advances to test. The test went well until reentry into normal space; the ships computer didn't understand a command or two and it came back in pieces. I would have just left and called it good but I needed the data nodes and while I was collecting them a Tholian ship showed up. I escaped via a trick I learned in the CSSM but they still got my name. Xene, Commander Xene. Ever since the Tholians have been looking for me, I guess they decoded some of the nodes I left behind, or they want vengeance for a ship lost. Ether way, if your Tholian finds out who I am, if any one dose." He stopped letting the imagination of the commander to take effect.
"So how did you get of the cages?" Metler told him, also about the adventure in getting the data. Then, when questioned, about John. After he was done the Andorian stood to leave.
"My ship?" Metler asked.
"You never answered me about it, do that, and I might trust you." He left.
Metler was not pleased.

[Minnsky]

quad-posting.....

[Minnsky]

quad-posting.....