Copy Kathy

Copy Kathy

The doors to Sick Bay open and Doctor Annika Kramer walks out. Her affect is blank until the doors close. She looks back to the doors and shakes her head before turning to face Captain Beringer and First Officer Ythysi. “Bad news or good news first?

The other officers look at each other before responding as if communicating with facial expressions first. Kathryn replies, “Bad news, I suppose. It’s better to get that out of the way.”

Annika sighs. “She has no idea how she got here. It’s as if, in a blink of an eye, she was on the bridge and then in your quarters.”

Kathryn crossed her arms.

Anthi’s antennae twitched slightly. “And the good news?”

“She is a perfect copy of Kathryn, physically, mentally, biologically, psychologically, even chronologically. Frankly Captain, if you died right now, no one would know the woman in Sick Bay,” she thumbed to the doors behind her, “is not … you.

With one hand, Kathryn rubbed on the rank pips on her collar before responding. “The bottom line is she is here and we need to do something about it.”

The Andorian First Officer spoke quickly. “On the face of it, we can’t ethically do anything. It’s not like this was caused by a transporter malfunction or some trick from Q. That would be relatively easy to solve, so to speak. Besides, we would have heard from Q by now, I’m sure.”

Annika put her hands on her hips. “Well, we can’t keep her here either.”

Shaking her head, Kathryn asked, “How’s the rest of the crew?”

“No one has reported further symptoms for two days.”

Nodding, Kathryn said, “so, she is the remaining issue.” She turned to Anthi. “The warning markers were deployed around Xerosia, correct?”

“Yes, sir. Once we recovered from the hallucinations, the buoys were launched. The crew has been submitting reports of their experiences since then.”

Kathryn paced a few steps in the hallway. “The second sentient planet the Federation has encountered and this happens. As if it is trying to send a message to-.” She stopped and turned to the other women.

“The question is, what are we going to do with her?” Annika was scratching her head and didn’t notice the gleam in Kathryn’s eyes.

“I have an idea. But it’s personal and selfish.”

Anthi looked back to Kathryn. They stared at each other for several seconds before Annika looked up and tried to join the silent conversation.

+++

Several minutes later …

The doors to Sick Bay open and Captain Kathryn Beringer walks in. Her affect is blank until the doors close. She looks back to the Doctor and First Officer and nods her head before turning to face the other Kathryn Beringer. “Bad news or good news first?

Sitting on a Bio-Bed and wearing standard medical fatigues, with her long burgundy hair let down and flowing over shoulders, Kathryn smirked. “Bad news, I suppose. It’s better to get that out of the way.”

Captain Beringer smiled. “I knew you would say that. Mind if I call you ‘Kathy’, it will help with the conversation?”

Kathy kept smirking, “It’s what I was going to ask you, actually.”

Anthi crossed her arms. Annika placed her hands on her hips.

Kathryn continued. “Okay, the bad news is we cannot determine how you got here. According to Doctor Kramer, there is no reason you should be here and, thus, we have no way to figure out how to … send you back –“.

“So,” Kathy interrupted, “you need to figure out what to do with me.”

“Yes. But, if you are me, then you know everything about me. Everything.”

The two women stared at each other for several seconds until Kathy broke the silence. “I can’t read your mind.”

Kathryn crossed arms behind her back as if to stand in relaxed attention and leaned forward at the waist. “As you know, there are a handful of people on board, you trust intimately, who know your … our past very well.”

“Yes, and two of them are in this room.”

“Exactly.” Kathryn spoke in hushed tones. “Duty as a Starfleet Captain prevents you from doing some work you really want to do.”

Kathy narrowed her eyes. “Then why stay in Starfleet?”

Kathryn narrowed her eyes and grinned. “In the grand scheme of things, you can do more in the chair, than away from it.”

Looking over Kathryn’s shoulder, Kathy could see Anthi and Annika had not moved. Clearly, a plan had been hatched by the three of them and Kathy was the catalyst. “Specifically meaning?”

The Captain looked back to the others in the room and then back to Kathy with a mischievous look in her eyes. “We do have a Black Talon suit.”

Kathy briefly looked stunned until the realization behind the statement dawned on her. Kathryn was suggesting she be in two places at the same time: one as the dutiful Starfleet Captain, the other …

“Let me be crystal clear about this. You’re thinking I could take the Black Talon and ‘hunt’ Syndicate members to satisfy a vendetta?!”

Kathryn didn’t move. “Correction: making a dent in the slave trade. This is our passion, our motivation to be where we are and joining Starfleet was the ‘high road’, so to speak. As a reminder, you tread the ‘low road’ and it was hard, real hard.”

Looking skeptical, Kathy asked, “So why suggest I go back to that life?”

Kathryn reached up and touched the rank pips on her collar. “It would be a lonely life to be sure. You remember what it was like before joining Starfleet: the constant insecurity, fear, hate … and satisfaction. Frankly, you don’t have to be a killer, not like you wanted to be or thought you could be. Finding slavers and reporting them should be enough.”

“C’mon, you remember reporting to the authorities was never enough!”

“True, but this time you’ll have some support.” She smiled and spread her arms wide as if to show off some fashionable piece of clothing.

Kathy smirked, the idea and its many possibilities was settling in her mind. “Unofficially I presume?”

Kathryn looked smug. “Look at it another way: as official as I can make it.”

---
Cast for crew:
Kathryn Beringer / Kathy - Rachel Nichols
Anthi Ythysi - Katheryn Winnick 
Annika Kramer - Abbie Cornish

The Sound of Silence

The streaking star field on the main viewscreen abruptly stops and the ship rolls slightly as RCS thrusters adjust to match the system’s elliptical plane.

Kathryn smiles and she taps the rank pips on her collar. “It’s good to be home,” she says quietly to herself. Standing from the center seat of the bridge, she takes a few steps toward the helm station. “Ian, scan the vicinity for traffic and plot a course toward Utopia Planetia, quarter-impulse speed please. We are ahead of schedule and can afford some sight-seeing, so to speak.”

“Aye, Captain.” After a few seconds looking over his console, Ian added, “System traffic is light and course plotted.”

“Excellent, thank you.” She turned to Anthi, her Andorian First Officer. “Anthi, you have the conn, I’ll be in my ready-room until we arrive for docking procedures.”

Anthi nodded, her antennae curled slowly together as a sign she was relaxed. “Aye, Captain.”

+++

After docking …

Exiting the ready-room, Kathryn verified docking procedures were completed without incident with various bridge crew. She then entered the turbo-lift and was about to order a destination when S’Rel appeared and nodded. The Chief of Operations, being Vulcan, was typically subdued as she joined Kathryn in the tube.

“Deck Eight”, Kathryn ordered as the doors closed. The tube hummed slightly as it descended.

“Captain, I wish to speak to you about the personnel transfer scheduled while we are at the shipyards.”

Kathryn looked surprised. “Interesting time to discuss that”, she replied patiently.

“This was an opportune time.” S’Rel produced a PADD from behind her back.

Accepting it with a quiet sigh, Kathryn scanned the short roster. “A few changes since the personnel meeting, yet all Deck Officers have signed off and –“, she hovered a finger over the blinking icon at the bottom of the report. “Do you have any reservations?“

S’Rel's brow crumpled from concentration, or consternation. “A last-minute addition was requested from the Indomitable, sir. Ensign Turkal, a communications specialist. I formally request his denial for transfer to Solaris.”

Looking again, Kathryn reviewed specific details. As the turbolift doors opened, some officers waiting stepped aside. Kathryn smiled and looked to each quickly before returning her attention to the PADD, S’Rel followed behind. Stopping near an intersection, Kathryn turned to the Vulcan. “Forgive me S’Rel, nothing in his record suggests he could not be posted aboard this ship.”

Crossing her arms behind her back, S’Rel looked around the hallway. Kathryn cocked her head to the side as she perceived S’Rel seemed embarrassed. “Turkal broke off our engagement after he admitted to wanting relations with another woman. His partner is on this vessel already.”

Kathryn closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

+++

On Deck Eleven …

At the end of the hallway the turbolift doors to the dorsal shuttlebay seemed a kilometer away. Kathryn tapped the rank pips on her collar as she strode forward. Crossing an intersection, a female down a sideway called her name. Wincing, Kathryn stopped abruptly a few paces from the turbolift and turned around. Science Chief Omazei turned a corner and stopped. She was holding a PADD and wore a bright smile. Almost thirty centimeters shorter than Kathryn, the Trill was certainly ‘cute’.

“I’m so glad I caught you Captain!” Omazei pushed her chin-length black hair behind an ear revealing brown marks that ran along the sides of her face and disappeared under her uniform’s collar.

“Yes, Commander, what can I do for you?”

Omazei’s demeanor shifted from congenial to professional as she tapped on the PADD. “I was looking over the telemetry from our survey of Wyngus III and noticed some … irregularities.”

There was a pause and Kathryn raised her eyebrows after several seconds as Omazei seemed to be waiting for a response.

“Yes, well, I checked the logs and noticed a calibration differential between the primary and secondary sensor platforms. The calibration was the top of error range, meaning –“

“Meaning the telemetry is not accurate within five,” Kathryn interrupted and sighed, “to ten percent.”

“Exactly. The Sensor and Deflector teams could recalibrate the pylons while we are here! The yards have the tools needed to complete the task within a few days at the most.”

“Complications would be a delay though. Could we complete the recalibration when we leave drydock?”

Omazei looked skeptical. “It could be done, yet we are scheduled to conduct system surveys in the Cestus Sector, so physical handling while at Warp Speed is not recommended.”
Kathryn closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

+++

On Deck Eighteen ...

Kathryn stepped out of the turbolift and quickly walked toward the main shuttlebay doorway. As if on cue, Chief Engineer Thel exited a room she passed.

“Ah, Captain, good timing! I have the requisition logs for the upcoming weapons refit. There have been some major revisions needing your approval.”

Kathryn had stopped to turn to the Andorian and accepted the PADD. She scanned the list and looked up with surprise. “These look less like revisions and more like an overhaul.”

“Yes, sir. The Pulse Phasers will require a minimal power routing lattice our current network will be stressed to handle."

“Was this known at the time of the initial report?”

Thel put his hands behind his back; a sign he was embarrassed about something. “The requisition was made based on our current Mark Twelve configuration. Starfleet has granted the request for Mark Fourteen systems and –“

“It’s better to keep what they gave, than to turn it down,” Kathryn interrupted as she nodded. “Can the lattice network be upgraded before the weapon systems arrive?”

“Easily.” He pulled another PADD from a pouch on his work vest and tapped a few keys. “I’ll need the full Engineering team on a rotating twelve-hour shift over two days to keep the weapons refit on schedule.”

Kathryn closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

+++

On board the shuttlecraft Yanaze…

Kathryn tapped on the console to the right as she completed the pre-flight check. Her combadge chirped and she slapped at the device impatiently.

“Beringer here.” She forced calm into her voice.

“Captain, this is Bur’ar. There is a concern with the Prisoner transfer.” The Klingon Chief of Security sounded as if he were growling. “Are you alone?”

Even though she was the only person on the Yellowstone shuttlecraft, she was compelled to look back into the fuselage. Seeing no one, Kathryn replied, “yes, what’s the problem?”

Bur’ar cleared his throat. “As the prisoners were being escorted to shuttlebay one, some words were exchanged with the Orion ambassador who was nearby at an intersection. A physical altercation started between the two. The escort team successfully separated the combatants without injury. The ambassador was sent to quarters. Upon arriving to the transport shuttle, the Orion prisoner started showing signs of illness and is currently in sickbay.”

Kathryn sat back into the chair and crossed her arms. “What’s the prognosis for the prisoner?”

“Not very good.”

“Has anyone questioned Staza?”

“Due to her status, protocol dictates you must be present throughout any investigation.”

Kathryn closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

+++

At Utopia Planitia Alpha Station …

Entering the holodeck, Kathryn removed her combadge and placed it within a small container embedded in the wall next to the control panel. She pressed an icon on the panel and then stepped into the dimly lit chamber.

“Computer, lock main door, vocal authorization access only. Begin program: Kathryn-Risa-Lambda-Seven.”

The panel on the wall chirped an acknowledgment and the yellow-on-black grid lines were replaced by a serene beach. Water lapped several meters away, with a thick tree-line running perpendicular to the beach. Kathryn could feel the simulated warmth on her cheeks with a slight breeze pulling or pushing her hair. She tugged at the regulation-styled bun of hair and it unfolded to flow over her shoulders. Taking a few paces to a lone beach chair, Kathryn unzipped her uniform jacket and rested it over the chair. She pushed her trousers to her feet then sat down and pulled her boots off.

Kathryn reclined the back of the chair and crossed her legs. The sound of the waves and occasional squawking of a Risian parakeet in the background was soothing. She sighed, closing her eyes and licking her lips.

“Computer, lower ambient volume, continue until stop command.”

The sounds around her diminished until barely audible.

“Stop.”

+++

Cast for crew:

Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols

Anthi Ythysi - Katheryn Winnick

S'Rel - Morena Baccarin

Thel Ythysi - Kevin Sorbo

Omazei - Gemma Arterton

Bur'ar - David Ramsay

Ian - Ben Browder

Mentioned but not seen:

Turkal - Male street extra

Mail Day

Unofficial Literary Challenge 30 - Mail Day

---

“So, this is it?”  Kathryn spoke to Petty Officer Joleim, the Quartermaster to Shuttle Bay Four.  She stood over a small crate approximately 60 centimeters square and was worn down with scrapes and minor dents from years of use being a standard Starfleet mail container.

Closing a tricorder, the Benzite looked up.  “Yes, Captain.  Per standard procedures, the logs were reviewed before conducting a level five scan, and not seeing any concern, I processed the package from the Savoyard.”

Kathyrn nodded and looked questioningly at the female Caitian Security Guard standing a few paces behind Joleim.  Her arms were crossed behind her and she stood passively looking to the distance.  Her tail swished in a way that suggested she was irritated with the situation.  Kathryn sympathized for Ensign Kirat; Joleim was very meticulous with his duty and more than once he had called Security to handle minor incidents.  She recalled Kirat’s name appearing on most of the after-action reports.  Clearly the Caitian was assigned to this area.

Seeing where Kathryn was looking, Joleim answered, “pardon me Captain, protocols demand Security presence when the quartermaster deems the situation is outside normal parameters.”

“I understand.”  She paused as she looked back to the crate.  “What have your scans revealed?”

Standing, Joleim cleared his throat.  “Well, my initial review of the transit logs did not seem out of the ordinary.  The package originated from Starbase-39 and has been transferred two times on well-vetted transport vessels before ending its journey here.  The standard level five scan is meant to detect trace elements of known explosives or combustibles only, and finding none is certainly predictable as the crate would not have been able to be transported to this ship in the first place.  As you know.”

Kathryn blinked patiently.

The Benzite continued.  “What seemed out of place was that the contents were either not included by the sender … or were redacted.”

That comment surprised Kathryn and she did not hide her thoughts.  “That sounds a little conspiratorial, wouldn’t you agree?”

Joleim tilted his head as he thought quickly.  “To the contrary, Captain.  I am postulating reasons for the missing information in the manifest.”

“Fair enough,” Kathryn exhaled quickly.  “Who is the sender and who is the recipient?”  

Looking at a PADD, Joleim answered, “Kit Walker to Kiera Cameron.  This is also an oddity as there is no crewmember aboard this ship with that name.”

Kathryn couldn’t help to roll her eyes.  “No, indeed there is not.  So, let’s take a peek inside shall we?”

Joleim started to protest as Kathryn bent down and quickly entered an override code into the access panel.  The top of the crate hissed open and Benzite jumped back suddenly, resulting in Kirat drawing her phaser pistol.  Kathryn calmly pushed the panel wide open and stuck her hand inside the box.  Pulling out a Romulan-styled PADD, she looked up to the shocked Quartermaster.  She stood and inspected the gray-colored device.

“Stand down Ensign, this package was anticipated, from a certain point of view.  It was meant for me.”

Kirat holstered the pistol.  “Aye, Captain,” responded Kirat with a little relief.

Joleim composed himself.  “Forgive me Captain, this is not expected protocol.  Should I have followed another policy for this situation?”

“Not at all Joleim, you executed your duty perfectly.” 

The Quartermaster beamed from the compliment.  His face suddenly looked dumbfounded.  “I do not understand, why the subterfuge?”  

Kathryn held up the device.  “What, this?”  She giggled to herself.  “I’m happy to say that Solaris just got information that will help Chef Nadaka make the most amazing Romulan brioche.”

Joleim tilted his head again, his face expressionless.

“It’s a professional joke from the sender,” Kathryn said reassuringly and smiled.  “I’m sure you’ll enjoy the results soon!”

As she turned to leave, Kathryn spoke over her shoulder.  “Joleim, please audit the logs to declare the package was received by me.”

The Benzite tilted his head to the one side again.  “Aye, Captain.”

+++

The turbolift doors opened.  Kathryn stepped in, spun on her heels to face the empty passageway and ordered, “Deck One”.  

After the doors closed, she enthusiastically entered a code to unlock the PADD’s screen, expecting the see a message from friend Daikar. 

Her smile faded when Franklin Drake’s image appeared instead.  The Section 31 operative smirked, knowing she did not appreciate what he was about to ask her to do.  “Greetings, Captain Beringer.  There is something happening in the Gamma Quadrant.  Let’s talk about that …”

---

Cast for crew:

Franklin Drake - Victor Webster

Kirat - Kylie Jenner

Joleim - Richard Harmon

Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols

Mentioned but not seen:
Daikar - Billy Zane
Chef Nadaka - TBD

Caught In Time

ULC 29 – Temporal Intrigue – Prompt 3 “Mouse Problems”

---

Omazei stood at the display on the wall and failed to stifle a yawn.  Everyone in the room started yawning as she spoke.

“I’m sorry about that, although I’m sure we are all, literally, tired of losing sleep.”

Everyone nodded in agreement and Omazei tapped a key on the screen.  A blurry image of a red-colored bipedal creature appeared.  The initial image changed with another of the same creature from a different angle, then another image as if on a rotation.

“This is our newest residence, Nunpar Hablas.  Discovered on Konar III in 2398 by the crew of the USS Ernst Mach, ironically, while on a routine planetary survey.  Logs reveal exactly what we’ve been encountering: loss of sleep from persistent interruption by these –“

As if on queue, a creature like on the screen passed through the wall closest to Kathryn’s chair.  The Nunpar ran in a blur and seemed to fly onto the table and ‘stopped’ in front of Kathryn.  Standing about 13 centimeters, it looked like a miniature humanoid and although standing still, it seemed to be in constant motion.  A high-pitched buzz emanated from the blurry creature as it waved its arms erratically.  Then it zoomed to stand in front of the Klingon Security Officer.

Bur’ar rubbed his eyes then pounded fists on the table as if to crush the Nunpar, which dodged the sudden attack.  No one else reacted to his actions.  The buzz intensified for a second, and then the Nunpar ran off the table and through the door of the room whose sensors registered the movement and opened belatedly.

“Forgive me Captain, I lost control,” sighed Bur’ar.

Kathryn rubbed her temples.  “Sadly, I sympathize with you.”  She looked to Omazei, who read the look on Kathryn’s face to continue.

“Yes, well, in summary, these creatures are fast and annoying.  Universal translators don’t seem to work on the Nunpar.  It seems the surveyors made very little effort to communicate with the Nunpar and the logs reflect a rather heightened exasperation that stymied their work.  The Ernst Mach laid warning buoys in the system because of their experience.  There are no recorded instances of the Nunpar off-planet.”

Anthi growled, “until now.”

Kathryn smiled at her First Officer’s remark.  “Okay.  A few questions.”

“Only a few?”  Anthi’s dark-shaded eyes flashed angrily, her antennae twitching as she interrupted her Captain.  Quickly she raised her hands as if to surrender.  “I’m sorry, sir.”

Nodding sympathetically, Kathyn spoke as she continued to rub her temples.   “How many do we have on board?  How did they get here?  How do we get them off?”

Chief Engineer Thel calmly responded, “I’ve scoured the transporter logs and these … things, are not in the database.  So they were either physically brought on board or transported from another source.”

Omazei stepped away from the display.  “Reports about this creature appeared nine days ago.  We have not passed another ship or starbase in thirteen days.  It’s possible it came aboard somehow during our last stop at Deep Space Eight.  Their Chief Constable replied to my query the other day and do not report anything similar.  Based on internal reports, I think we only have one.”

Buzzing returned and everyone started looking around until the Nunpar jumped through the center of the table.  It ran around in circles, collided with Bur’ar’s hand, and then ricocheted off the edge of the table.  Still vibrating it sank through the floor.

Kathryn looked shocked at the others.  “So.  How do we get rid of it?”

“Um, are we curious how it didn’t pass through Bur’ar?”  Omazei asked.

“No,” replied the others in unison.

“Or how it has not run out into outer space?”

“No,” everyone copied.

After light laughter from the group, Anthi cleared her throat.  “Seriously, we know it’s vibrating so fast as to be able to pass through solid matter without problems.”

“Except organic matter,” added Omazei after another yawn.

“Right, well I’m not going to make recommendations for a trap of that kind.  I could … but I won’t.”

Thel tapped the table loudly.  “We have to find a way to stop it long enough to trap it into something inanimate.”

Kathryn’s mental fog lifted at the idea of a box made of thin air.  “I have an idea.”

+++

Omazei stood from the trap laid out within the cargo bay.  Four posts about three meters high were spread out in a square about fifteen meters apart.  Closing a tricorder, she turned Kathryn and nodded.

Kathryn tapped her badge.  “Helm, full stop.”

“Acknowledged,” replied a male voice.  The ship’s engines lost power and the ambient sound of warp travel faded.

At a nearby console, Kathryn tapped a few keys on a console and the four posts activated, a faint blue spark intermittently appearing  between the columns to reveal the ‘walls’.  Otherwise the space within the trap was peaceful.

Bur’ar lifted a phaser pistol and adjusted a setting before firing into the trap.  The beam penetrated two meters past the invisible barrier before slowing down.   After a few seconds, Bur’ar stopped firing.  Within the trap, the phaser beam slowly traversed the distance until it came to a stop at the center.

Omazei opened her tricorder and scanned the area.  Impressed, she whistled before continuing her scans.  “The trap is maintaining temporal integrity, with time effectively stopped in the center.”

Thel looked up from his Engineering console.  “Power input from the warp core is stable.”

Kathryn nodded and she yawned.  “Good.”

Anthi stepped up to Kathryn and stretched.  “What do we do with the Nunpar once we’ve caught it?”

“Unless we race back to Konor III, I have no idea.  I’m too tired to come up with something witty.”

---

Cast For Crew:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Anthi Ythysi - Kathryn Winnick
Thel Ythysi - Kevin Sorbo
Omazei - Gemma Arterton
Bur’ar - David Ramsey

All For Many

Unofficial Literary Challenge 28 - "Abandoned"  Prompt 3

---
All For Many

Continued from To Look No Further

Solonae Dyson Sphere, 2409

“We’ve reviewed your recommendation, Captain Beringer.” Admiral Janice Mathers smiled and paused to lace her fingers on the desk. “To be honest, I’m a fan of the proposal. There is merit and moxie in it.” Her smile slowly faded. “But others on the panel are not convinced resources should be used toward the endeavor.”

Kathryn nodded appreciatively. “Fair enough Admiral Mathers. I was hoping maintaining radio silence during the search would be a deal sweetener. As you know, the proposal seeks to find missing crew that went out to explore a strange new world.”

“As you know, it’s rare for ships to go missing, but the galaxy is a big place and exploration has it’s challenges. They knew the risks involved. ”

Undaunted, Kathryn continued, “the difference is that the Misericorde disappeared within a confined area.”

“Past the shield barrier,” countered Janice. “It’s like the Wild West out there. Your proposal is effectively abandoning Solaris to the mysteries and dangers that got Misericorde lost in the first place. Without some support, Starfleet may as well strike another ship off the list.”

Kathryn pressed on. “Anything is possible. Yet, Solaris is a fast ship for his age and my crew is more than capable to handle this mission. We’ve been conducting sorties against Voth and Undine predation fleets for several weeks now. We have gained a lot of experience dealing with them. My ship is equipped with state-of-the art sensors and weapons. There have been very little roster changes in months. Morale is high over here.”

The Admiral sat back and drummed her fingers before asking, “why Solaris, why now?”

Sighing under her breath, Kathryn then realized the Admiral was vocalizing the review panel’s discussion. “I understand the panel’s concerns. But the reality is that Solaris is not a front line vessel. Even though we’ve been combat active at Dyson Command, before that we were transporting material and personnel more than usual the past year. You’ve seen the latest ships out of SCE: the Avenger is warfare in art form! But it’s not like Solaris by an Astronomical Unit about general capabilities. Save the latest and greatest against the here and now. Send me and my crew to find the Misericorde.”

Admiral Mathers tightened her lips. “I support you, Captain. But tell me something the panel hasn’t heard already.”

Kathryn looked away for a few seconds to look at a blank section of wall in her office before looking back to Janice. “In my observations, sir, I think the Undine threat is a precursor to something bigger and we are going to need every ship in the fleet. If there is a chance the Misericorde is intact, then we’ll need it. More importantly though, there are over three hundred Starfleet person’s missing out there. They deserve to be found. Their families need them to be found. In my line of work, ‘risks involved’ is a mediocre response to complacency.”

The Admiral’s eyebrows lifted again and Kathryn quickly added, “respectfully, of course.”

---

Cast for crew: - Audrey Marie Anderson
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols

A Mother's Love

Unofficial Literary Challenge 27 - Prompt 3 "I am your Son" (modified)

---

Pushing the hood of the long cloak from her head, Kathryn looked over the blue fruit and applied some pressure.  The skin turned yellow where she squeezed the melon, then slowly reverted to blue when she released.  Smiling, she looked to the vendor and nodded.  The Ferengi grabbed the melon from Kathryn’s returning hand with a toothy grin and placed the fruit in a bag.  Both exchanged the product for hexagon shaped cards.

Kathryn pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and turned away when she bumped into a small girl.  “Oh, I’m sorry!”

The girl looked up.  Slight ridges on her forehead strongly suggested she was Acamarian.  Her dirty face was streaked with clean lines flowing from her eyes to her cheeks.  A worried expression slowly transformed to joy.  She then looked back into the shopping crowd.

Kathryn looked up.  Nothing seemed out of place for a bustling marketplace.  Then Nimbus III revealed its nature as a burly male Cardassian with a determined look on his face caught her attention.  He was the only one who was sternly winding around intervening pedestrians and soldiers from the many races in the market with a fixed stare toward Kathryn.  She knew there were a few choices available and Kathryn took the protector route: pretend to know the girl on the chance she needed help.  The signs looked likely; truthfully keeping a distance from the girl may cause problems.  When Kathryn looked back to the girl, she knew there were only seconds before the Cardassian reached them.

Under the cloak, Kathryn pushed up the sleeves of her Starfleet uniform, and then reached to the girl to give her an affectionate hug, smothering the child’s face into the robe.  She hoped the bagged fruit in her right hand would serve as a one-time club if necessary.

The man stopped near Kathryn, his scowl fixed.  “You there, let go of that little thief.”

The girl pushed away to look up at Kathryn again.  “I’m so sorry mother!  I was just trying to surprise you, since you love Regova Eggs!”

Kathryn was instantly relieved the girl played along, yet was also aware that without prompt, she played very quickly into the part.  Kathryn also had to force from gagging at the thought of the 'delicacy'.  She looked from the girl to the Cardassian and back, easily figuring out the peripheral story between the two, assuming it was legitimate.  “It’s fine, sweet ... tee,” her mouth dried from the pause.  “What happened?”

The girl started, “Well, I –“

“Stole an egg from my table,” interrupted the vendor, clearly still angry.  “Wait, this girl is your daughter?”

Trying to avoid looking derisive, Kathryn replied, “Adopted.  Regardless, I apologize for my daughter’s behavior.  Can I pay for your loss?”

The Cardassian looked between the girl and Kathryn with suspicion.  After a few more seconds, the Cardassian snarled.  “Ten chips.”

Even though the Federation had no use for currency, Kathryn only had two chips in the local currency left and was genuinely surprised.  “I could buy ten Eggs for that!  Two chips.”

“That’s a fee to not report your child to the constable.  You know the penalty for theft.” 

Kathryn stayed friendly but guarded.  “Sir, my child did break the law, but it was well-intentioned.  We don’t have much.”  She was starting to want to disengage from the situation but was committed to the game being played now.

The man looked around, crossed his arms and whispered.  “Selling food is how I make a living, woman.”  He looked down to the girl.  “But living doesn’t always mean standing behind a cart of fruit.”  He smiled mischievously.  “There are other ways to pay, of course.”

Looking between the two with growing dread, the girl seemed to take the situation she put herself in more seriously.  “M-Mom?”  She kept playing along.

Kathryn's mood darkened.  The vendor’s position obviously changed.  “It’s okay, sweetie.”  Kathryn pulled the girl to her left, and then looked side to side at the bustling crowd as she spoke.  “It’s just a Regova Egg.  I’m sure this fine gentleman is willing to negotiate a fair price.”

Looking around as well, the Cardassian nodded, “Indeed.  We can discuss details in a more discrete location.  Follow me.”

After he turned away, Kathyrn started to size up her prey while formulating a plan of action.  She took another chance and showed the girl the sleeve of her Starfleet uniform, then put a finger to her lips.  The girl looked relieved and nodded.

They followed the vendor around the crowd back to a stall where another Cardassian male was busy making a sale.  He noticed the trio and nodded his head toward a nearby alley, where the first vendor started leading Kathryn and the girl.

Once they passed the vending area, Kathryn tapped her badge within the cloak and spoke to the vendor.  “Bur’ar, was that your name?  Is this alley the best place to negotiate for the food?”  Kathryn hoped her Security Chief aboard Solaris above Paradise City would not diligently respond.  She didn’t plan to need an escape from the surface and was asking a lot from the Klingon to play along in a rather dangerous game Kathryn had gotten herself in.

“I didn’t give you my name,” the Cardassian replied over his shoulder. 

As they walked into the shadows between the two buildings, Kathryn could tell the alley ended in a dead end.  She stopped walking and put a hand to the Acamarian girl’s shoulder.  Depending on the next few moments, she may need to shove the girl out of harm’s way.  “I think that’s far enough.”

The Cardassian stopped a few paces further and slowly turned to face Kathryn and the girl.  “You think so?”  He licked his lips.

Speaking slightly louder for Bur’ar to hear through the communicator under the cloak, Kathryn replied, “Look, we don’t want any more trouble.  Take the chips and we’ll be on our way.”

The vendor chuckled and looked both ways along the alley, and then unzipped his tunic.  “I said ten chips.”  He reached into the shirt and pulled a short knife from underneath.  “But there’s always room for negotiation.”

Kathryn started to worry Bur’ar had not received her attempt to communicate with him.  It was a gamble.  She gently pushed the girl away.  “That’s not a good idea.”  She decided to play her only hand and dramatically flung the cloak over her shoulders revealing her Starfleet uniform.  Pulling down the sleeves filled her with more confidence.  “I am Kathryn Beringer, Captain of the starship Solaris.  I’m not here to cause an incident.  We can quietly go our separate ways and forget all this happened.”

The Cardassian was surprised by the transformation initially.  He slowly adjusted into a combat stance.  “Feddie, you just made it worse for you.”

A shimmer from a transporter beam erupted behind the Cardassian, its blue and golden hue a giveaway from its origin while lighting up the alleyway.  The vendor turned toward the light.

Kathryn took her chance, dropped the bag of fruit, and charged the Cardassian, leading with a front kick toward his torso.  She connected as he returned his attention to Kathryn.  With a grunt he was kicked to the ground in front of the coalescing figure and tried to stand before the it finished teleporting. 

Bur’ar appeared, quickly realized he was in danger, and then took a few steps backward.  The Cardassian swiped the blade trying to catch the Klingon’s waist but missed.   He continued spinning to face Kathryn again and lunged.

An orange lance struck the vendor’s back and he crumpled to the ground before reaching the Captain.

Kathryn relaxed and nodded to her Security Chief.  “Good timing Commander.”

Bur’ar looked around before holstering the phaser pistol.  “My apologies for not coming sooner, I thought monitoring the situation was prudent.”

“Indeed it was.”  She looked back where she left the girl.  Kathryn saw her still cowering against the building and slowly walked to her with a hand reaching out.  “I’m sorry about that.  Are you okay?”

The girl’s fear ebbed.  “Yes, I think so.”  She accepted Kathryn’s hand and stood.  “Thank you so much!  I’m sorry to put you in danger like that.”

Kathryn smiled as she brushed a lock of hair from her face.  She lifted the fruit bag from the ground and then handed it and the currency to the girl.  “It seems you were lucky today.  I wouldn’t depend on luck around here.  Do you have any family?”

The girl nodded solemnly.  “Only my brothers, on the outskirts of town.”

“We need to go,” interrupted Bur’ar.  “What shall we do with him?”

Kathryn thought for a few seconds as she looked from the girl to the vendor still unconscious from the phaser stun.  “Nimbus III will deal with him,” she snarled.  Turning back to the girl, Kathryn asked, “May I meet your brothers?”

---

Cast for crew:

Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols

Bur'ar - David Ramsey

The girl - Maisie Williams

Cardassian vendor 1 - Alexander Skarsgard

Cardassian vendor 2 - Male street extra 1

Ferengi vendor - Male street extra 2