Myths & Lore

Literary Challenge 65 - Myths & Lore, prompt 1

The air was damp and the lighting was weak enough to cast shadows in many directions around the room. It was a decent-sized office and cluttered with artifacts from around the galaxy. All the extra items spread around the room had no discernible order. Layers of dust, or dirt, covered most of the items against the walls; those closer to the desk at the center of the room were obviously 'newer' to their owner. The desk was simple, yet large and metallic. A single desk lamp seemed to struggle staying active as it flickered with any bump against the desk. Several PADDs from multiple origins scattered across the desk top. The man sitting at the desk was slender and sweating profusely. The tattered suit he wore was grungy, as if he never bothered to change clothes. He licked the salty sweat from the top lip as he looked toward his visitor.

"I know beauty when I see it." He expanded his arms as if to show off the wares within the room. His toothy grin was marred by missing teeth.

Staza Murai crossed her legs, revealing more green-toned silky smooth bare legs than her short skirt already revealed. The warmth didn't seem to affect her and she smiled. "Your appreciation is renown, Mr. Berkati -"

"Please, call me Mathis. It is not often I receive glamorous guests."

"Ah, yes ... Mathis. No doubt my contacts informed you of what I was looking for?"

Mathis inhaled deeply before standing and nodded as he walked around the desk to sit at one corner. His grin never faded. "About that, not only is it highly valuable -". He leaned in and stopped grinning, "- it's also very dangerous. Now what would an Orion entrepreneur want with this ... thing." Mathis looked behind Staza quickly before returning his gaze at her cleavage.

A form shifted from the darkness, yet Staza did not take her eyes away from Mathis even though he wasn't looking at her, per se. "You don't need your guards with me. I have no secrets you couldn't get otherwise." She leaned in closer, which only made her cleavage deeper from the simple translucent shirt. His eyes widened slightly. "All you have to do is ask." She relaxed back into the chair. "And since you asked nicely, you know the Federation is hunting for that ... thing. Your reputation suggests you have to hide from legal authorities to prevent capture. So, the truth is I am really here to be your partner for a one-time transaction, one that will surely net you enough profit to get you out of the rare artifact business the rest of your long life. My connections within the Klingon hierarchy would make us both very wealthy, so wealthy you might even be able to buy a planet."

At that, Mathis looked into Staza's eyes, inhaled deeply, and stood. He turned and stretched as he walked back toward his chair. Running a hand through sweat-slick hair, he wiped it on his shirt before saying, "that's a lot of money."

"Only if you agree to the terms." Staza stood, placed both hands on her hips and rested on one leg which angled her other leg out of the skirt.

Mathis looked to the guard again, before looking at a PADD directly in front of him. He nodded slightly then looked up. "You still have not answered my question. What do you want with this?" He kicked something thick and metallic under his desk.

Staza turned and walked away slowly from the table. Looking toward the guard in the shadows she noticed it was a Breen, holding a short-barreled rifle. She couldn't tell what style the weapon was but it looked similar to a Tetryon rifle. Looking back to Mathis, she commented, "I've never seen a Breen up close." She walked toward the soldier swinging her hips as she walked. "Mathis, have you ever seen a female Breen before?"

The dealer breathed audibly then kicked the case again. "I can't say I have, actually."

Staza stood two meters away from the large Breen and looked him up and down. Then slowly turned toward Mathis. "Don't you think the rest of our ... negotiations, should be held in private? There are a lot of details to be worked out. I'd hate for you to lose an opportunity all because you feel the need to be protected. Besides, I speak with Syndicate interests in mind. As you know, they are not often willing to share their concerns with ... well ..."

Mathis took another deep breath and smiled. "Yes, I see your point." He nodded toward the guard.

The Breen simply turned away from Staza. The pathway to the door was a maze of small containers and artifacts he had to navigate, which brought him within arm's reach of the Orion.

Staza lunged toward the Breen's left side and kicked the rifle from his hands. It spun in the air briefly and Staza's arms twisted to catch it. The Breen did not recover fast enough as she placed the rifle barrel under the left arm and pulled the trigger. A bright blue flash engulfed the torso of the Breen and his arm was severed. She fired into the gaping wound as the Breen fell, it's gravelly voice screaming until it collapsed. A third shot disintegrated the helmet.

She spun on her heels to face Mathis. He had fallen back into his chair with both arms covering his head. Quickly, Staza grabbed the Breen's severed arm and threw it onto the desk. It clattered amongst the PADDs, scattering them and causing a lot of noise as they fell to the floor. Mathis yelped in fear.

Walking around the desk, she noticed the metal container, then tapped Mathis with the rifle. He cowered further into his chair. Staza could smell fresh urine.

She tucked the PADD with her fake deal into the waistline of her skirt. "Come now, Mathis Berkati, surely you are tougher than a woman with a gun."

Mathis seemed to recover any sense of bravery he owned. He jumped from the chair and backed a few steps away, his pants wet. "What's going on here?!"

"I'm taking this crate, free of charge."

"But ... you're with the Syndicate!'

Staza looked at Mathis with derision. "Seriously? Did you really think the Syndicate would pay for this? I'm surprised you're even in the business thinking like that. Then again, I bet this was your first really big shake. Nice try, Mathis Berkati. Just let the big boys and girls play the game."

Mathis seemed to sweat more. "What ... do you plan to do with me?"

"First, tell me who got this crate out of Fed space."

"I ... I don't know."

Staza scooped up the Breen's arm with the rifle and flicked it toward Mathis. It slapped him across the face before he tumbled to the floor trying to dodge the lifeless appendage. "The Syndicate doesn't ask twice", she yelled as she pointed the rifle toward Mathis' groin.

"Aiee! Okay, okay. All I know is that a small group of people bust into some storage facility, then shopped the crate using a narrow-band subspace signal. The carrier waves are not monitored by Starfleet."

"Did you meet them?"

"All I did was respond to their hails when they arrived in system three days ago. I met with ... Jortan ... or something. I think he was an ex-Fed MACO gear-head because he had on that armor, you know? He transported the crate directly to this room."

She lowered the rifle and tried to push the crate with one leg. It didn't budge but she wasn't really trying. "What was exchanged?"

Mathis tried to stand until Staza raised the rifle. "All he wanted was civilian shipping information from Qo'noS to the Dyson Sphere. It was too good a deal to pass up!"

Staza squatted near the crate without looking away from Mathis. She reached into her blouse and pulled a small device from her bra, then snapped it onto the crate. It shimmered and hummed, then disappeared. She smiled, "that was a little uncomfortable to wear so I appreciate your brevity."

Mathis rolled his eyes in shame.

"So to answer your question: I'm not going to do anything, but I will let my contacts with the Klingons know about our meeting. Good luck, Mathis Berkati." She threw the rifle onto the desk, then was washed in a familiar blue shower before disappearing.

+++

On board Solaris ...

Staza Murai coalesced on the transporter pad and looked toward the other person in the room.

Captain Kathryn Beringer stood away from the console. "Welcome back. The crate is secured in the Brig."

"Thank you, Captain. That was rather unpleasant."

Kathryn waved toward the door and Staza exited the room first. They took a few steps in the hallway before Kathryn said, "I hope it was worth it. Lore is simply too dangerous to be let loose in clumsy hands."

Staza nodded. "I see."

They stopped at a turbolift and Kathryn turned to Staza. "I appreciate you burning a few contacts within the Syndicate for this. It won't happen again."

Staza looked down and the doors opened. "I agree, but it was worth it." She walked into the turbolift and turned to face Kathryn still in the hallway. "No more favors ... Scarlet Scorpion."

Kathryn nodded sullenly and the doors swished as they closed.

---

Cast:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Staza Murai - Sarah Lind
Mathis Berkati - Robert Davi

The Big Dark

Literary Challenge 64 - The New Frontier
---

“Without any of our sensors, then we’ll have to find another way to figure out where we are.” Kathryn Beringer turned away from Commander Omazei and a science console to look out the main viewscreen. The starless black seemed to seep through the window.

The Trill Science officer nodded. “I have an idea.”

+++

The officers watched as Omazei stood at the monitor. A tactical view of the Solaris rotated to show the dorsal view of the ship. “We would need four shuttlecraft for this operation.” The image added four blips at the front of the ship. “They will be in the forward quadrant and will fly a rectangular-shaped pattern, essentially creating a box between them that Solaris could fly through.” The scene of the four shuttles rotates, with a dotted line connecting them. An outline of an Excelsior-class ship appears within the box. Measurements appeared showing only a few meters between the lines and the outer edges of the ship.

“They will need to be four-point-seven kilometers in front, guiding the ship through the darkness.”

Commander Thel Ythysi spoke up quickly. “Will the shuttles be towing Solaris?”

Omazei folded her arms behind her as she spoke. “No. The sensor network was severely damaged when the power surge destroyed the deflector array. So, the shuttles will be using their sensor package to act as the eyes of the ship.”

First Officer Anthi Ythysi spoke next. “Why not use probes?”

“We have a finite amount of them. The Class I probe launched at arrival revealed nothing was out there. Granted, its sensor range is relatively limited, yet it is still two hundred thousand kilometers. It’s a risk to use them for further reconnaissance or as buoy markers. Manned shuttle craft would serve best until we can figure out more about the space we are in.”

Kathryn turned to Chief Engineer Thel. “How close are we to having the sensors back online?”

The Andorian responded, “one week at the earliest.”

+++

Kathryn looked to Omazei, who nodded an answer. Kathryn then stabbed a button on the armrest of her Captains chair. “Beringer to Shuttle Team, activate Tachyon Grid, ahead one-quarter impulse. Solaris will stay behind in the pocket. Maintain telemetry and keep comm channels open. Good luck.”

The four shuttle pilots acknowledged and slowly accelerated. Above Omazei's station, Kathryn watched four rows of data scroll information as the shuttles "pinged' outward to get a sense of their surroundings.

"Helm, maintain prescribed distance and make it better than textbook."

"Aye, Captain." Ian's hands confidently crawled across the console. If it weren't for the viewscreen showing the shuttles move, no one could tell Solaris was in motion.

+++

Seven hours later ...

Ian yawned.

Anthi's own yawn overpowered her attempt to suppress it. A beeping sound from the tactical console received her attention and she welcomed it over the monotonous drone of the ships engines. She tapped the console to silence the warning, and then looked to the shuttle telemetry above Omazei's station.

"Captain, the Caracal reports their sensors have detected an object fifty-thousand kilometers to port. They are scanning for more detail."

Kathryn sat up straighter in her chair waiting for information to break the dullness of the past seven hours. "Show the data on the main screen." The blank image was replaced with sonogram-like static. From the flat image, a spire suddenly appeared and receded. Its shape was similar enough for Kathryn to gasp in surprise.

"Helm and shuttles, full stop." Everyone held onto railing or console as Solaris quickly decelerated.

Omazei reviewed the image in a loop. Kathryn put a hand to her mouth and muttered, "we are in a Dyson Sphere."

+++

In the conference room ...

Omazei looked relieved as she spoke. "Based on expanded reconnaissance, we have been traveling almost perpendicular to the surface on the Sphere."

"It seems your idea to use shuttles was a good one." Kathryn smiled.

"Thank you, Captain. Once the local area is mapped, we can use the data to move the ship safely closer to the surface until we can find the shell's main doorway. Using the Solanae and Jenolan Sphere's as a topographical template we can make an educated guess where the doorway would be."

"Wait," Ian McKinnon raised a hand to speak. "We've only seen one doorway in those Spheres. Depending on our relative location, we could be days away from the door traveling at full impulse speed."

Omazei nodded. "That is true."

Kathryn looked to the officers in the room. "Then I think we have two options: wait or continue flying forward until the sensors come back online.”

Ian said, "I suggest we wait. What if the door is on the opposite side?"

Thel was quick to respond, “if this Sphere is similar to Solanae, then we would reach it in days at Full Impulse, minutes at Warp one.” Ian nodded to acquiesce to the facts.

“One question I have is why this Sphere does not have a star within it.” Lieutenant Commander Karl Melango had been silent throughout the meeting.

After several seconds, Anthi suggested, “we could send an Away Team to find information about the Sphere or its inhabitants.”

“That would solve a few riddles.” Kathryn nodded. “Maybe it’s a good thing our presence has not alerted the inhabitants of this Sphere.”

Anthi replied, “if there are any.”

+++

Later, in a nearby spire …

Romas Verthir was tapping purple-colored keys on the alien console while also reviewing data from his tricorder, the light from his EV suit able to illuminate the surface area and nothing else. Meanwhile, other members of the away team scanned the walls with the searchlights attached to wrists and helmet. They also waved tricorders when they felt the need. One member of the team stood guard over the rest, clutching a Phaser Battle Rifle to his chest and swiveling at the waist to keep an eye out for threats.

After a few more taps on the console, Romas was satisfied with his research. He tapped a button on his EV suit and the whole team stopped to pay attention. “Captain, I have confirmed this Sphere is just like the Solanae Sphere.”

“Romas, to be sure, this Sphere is almost an exact replica?”

“No, sir. This is an exact replica.”

“Thank you Lieutenant Commander. Await further instructions.”

On board Solaris …

Kathryn turned to Omazei raising an eyebrow. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Omazei smiled brightly. “Yes, sir. On my way.” She stood and entered the turbo lift.

+++

Later, in shuttle Caracal …

Omazei flew the shuttle around the Solaris. She pressed a button on a side console and said, “Omazei to Bridge, activating Tetryon Particle collector.” Within seconds, data scrolled on a screen showing the area was filled with Tetryon Particles. Omazei beamed in her triumph.

+++

Later, in the Captain’s Ready Room …

“Basically, Captain, the Sphere is in subspace. I cannot postulate how it arrived, but clearly the accident with the Bajoran wormhole transported us here. We are out of phase with our reality, so, if we can create a subspace force field around the ship, then we would be one step closer to getting out.”

Kathryn looked away to consider the ramifications. “We would then need to create a spatial rupture large enough for the ship to fly through.” Looking back to Omazei she said, “aren't you curious about how the Sphere exists in Subspace?”

“Not this time, Captain. Being stranded in subspace is not appealing to me."

---

Cast:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Anthi Ythysi - Katheryn Winnick
Karl Melango - Jeremy Renner
Thel Ythysi - Kevin Sorbo
Ian McKinnon - Ben Browder
Omazei - Gemma Arterton
Romas Verthir- Idris Elba

Cause Unknown



Literary Challenge 63 - Nightmare Anomaly

 

Captain's Log, Stardate 86782.16. The Solaris has been on a survey mission of SMU-14 in the Zenas Expanse when we received a faint distress signal near the nadir warp point of the system's star. Upon arrival, we discovered the long-lost VSS Kol'Dagnar, a Vulcan science vessel. It was presumed lost with all hands in 2398 during it's mission in the Afehirr Nebula. There are no responses to all hailing frequencies, so I will be sending a Away Team to investigate. How it is on the other side of the Alpha Quadrant is one mystery to solve. What happened to the ship is another one ...

+++

The blue shimmer faded as the five person's coalesced into being. The darkness of environment was complete and each member of the Away Team looked around without a step to attempt to get their bearings. One wrist-light was activated and pierced the darkness, illuminating on a member of the party. In quick succession more wrist-lights brought light to their position. Each member wore the bright whit Federation-issue EV suit and wore field-kits relative to their ship-borne position.

As the beams scanned from floor to ceiling, the layout of the ship's bridge started to become familiar to the team. One member suddenly grabbed the side of the helmet and screamed in terror, causing the others to focus their attention on their team mate. As the screaming became more intense, arms and legs thrashed, striking the other members. Another person suddenly stood from the fray then fell back against a console, cracking glass and spraying dust into the air. A third member tapped a button on their EV suit and all five quickly disappeared in a shower of blue light.

+++

Captain Kathryn Beringer stood looking at her Away Team on the beds. She was still wearing the EV suit and was cradling her helmet. She watched passively as Doctor Annika Kramer pulled the hypospray away from S'Rel's neck then wiped the sweat from her forehead, while Karl Melango and Bur'ar placed a catatonic Romas Verthir on a bio-bed.

The doctor tied her long blonde hair into a ponytail then walked to the other bio-bed where Lieutenant Commander Verthir lay, his medical reading were faint. She turned to Kathryn. "What the hell happened over there?"

Kathryn looked down trying to hide a tear forming. "We were onboard for only seconds before S'Rel started screaming in pain. Moments afterward Romas collapsed in his current state. That's when I called for medevac." She sniffled quietly and quickly.

Karl shifted his weight as Kathryn spoke, his EV suit's material wrinkled. He looked around the room at various items or people and scratched at his chest. Bur'ar stood sentry in the center of the room, his Bat'leth held tight in one hand, with a very determined look upon his face.

Annika looked at the three other members of the Away Team. After a few seconds, she listened to her instinct and pulled out a tricorder from her jacket to start a medical scan. When finished, she looked concerned. "Captain, I strongly recommend you and the others get some rest ... here in sickbay."

Bur'ar lifted his weapon and grumbled, "a true warrior only sleeps in death."

Annika quickly tapped her badge, "Transporter room, emergency transport. Lieutenant Bur'ar to the Brig, no questions, do it now!"

The Klingon Chief of Security lunged toward Annika with a roar and just as quick dematerialized.

Karl had cowered under a bed looking around the room frantically and Kathryn had covered her eyes trying not to cry. Annika recovered from Bur'ar's attempt and pulled her Captain toward a bio-bed. A nurse applied a hypospray and Kathryn drifted to sleep.

Lowering herself to Karl, Annika extended a hand. He recoiled and said through trembling lips, "they will ... always remember ... Please help ... me ... forget ... their ... pain."

+++

Later, in the conference room ...

Science Chief Commander Omazei entered the meeting room, smiled at the four other crew members and sat down next to the First Officer. Anthi's Andorian antennae bowed as she nodded then started the meeting.

"It's obvious the Away Team's brief exposure on board the Kol'Dagnar has affected them psychologically. We need to figure out how and what to do about it."

Helmsman Lieutenant Ian KcKinnon leaned forward and sternly replied, "I suggest we destroy the ship."

Anthi raised an eyebrow. "Well, I don't want to remove options, but I was hoping that would be lower on the list." She turned to Doctor Kramer, "how is the team holding up?"

The Doctor sighed. "They are all under sedation. Whatever the cause, S'Rel and Romas were affected more than the others, relatively speaking."

There was a moment of silence before Omazei spoke next. "Hmm, of the team members, they are more psychologically sensitive."

Annika added, "S'Rel is Vulcan, Romas is Betazoid. Of the two, based on my observations, S'Rel condition is more critical."

"That suggests there a connection to S'Rel and the ship." Anthi placed a hand to her chin in thought. "The only one I can think of is that ship was crewed by Vulcans."

Another few seconds passed before Chief Engineer Thel responded. "We need to expand our scans of the ship. Or send another Team." His Andorian antennae swayed to each side with each suggestion.

"I disagree," replied Ian. "Five top officers were brought low within seconds being on board that ship. I don't need a hypothesis to test for causality. Although more scans may reveal why they were effected, does it matter? The fact is the first team was the test and sending more teams will endanger them. Solaris should blow that ship out of existence."

Omazei was quick to respond, "it does matter. Knowing what happened will help us determine how to help the Away -."

A notification beep interrupted. "Doctor Kramer, you wanted to be notified if there were any further reports of anomalous behaviors. Over the last ten minutes, five crew have reported strong headache-like pains. None incapacitated but treatment requested."

"Thank you. Rhonda, what species are the affected crew?"

There was a pause before the nurse's response. "All Vulcan."

"Thank you again". The officers in the room looked at each other.

Omazei pressed her case. "I'd still like to know the cause."

A notification beep interrupted again. "Doctor Kramer, another seven crew members have reported varying degrees of sudden mental stress. From Human to Xindi, there is no pattern."

Annika bit her upper lip. "Thank you Rhonda. I'm on my way." She turned to the assembled officers. "Something is happening and it has to do with that ship." She stood to leave the room until Anthi raised a hand.

"Doctor, I need an analysis of the recent accounts as soon as possible. We have a duty to the Captain and crew to get more information before further action is taken." Anthi stood as a sign the meeting was over.

The officers walked onto the bridge. As they reached their relative stations, Anthi held her head from a sudden and powerful headache. Her brother, Thel, turned to a wall and punched it, howling in pain from broken bones in his hand. Omazei fell from her chair as she envisioned a Trill symbiote tearing open her stomach, splashing blood and intestine to her feet. She screamed.

Ian's fingers danced across his helm console. The ship lurched to port for a few seconds. He wiped sweat from his forehead and blinked the mental vision of the bridge viewscreen cracking and venting atmosphere. He looked around and nothing was damaged.

Omazei stopped scooping air toward her stomach. "Wha ... what was that?"

Thel held his left hand close to his chest and quickly walked to the main science station. After tapping a few keys one-handed, he stood. "Lieutenant McKinnon has moved the ship two kilometers further from the Kol'Dagnar We are stationed eight point three kilometers away."

"Everyone okay?" Anthi was rubbing her temples. She slapped her badge. "Doctor Kramer, have you received any more reports of aberrant behavior from the crew?"

Annika was breathing heavy as her voice carried across the bridge. "In a word, yes."

+++

Later, in sick bay ...

"Wake him." Anthi stood over Karl Melango laying on the bed.

Annika placed a hypospray to Karl's neck. Seconds later he shifted slightly but the restraining field held him in place. He blinked his eyes open and looked around the room before settling on the Andorian's concerned stare.

"Anthi? Why am I in sick bay?"

The First Officer looked surprised. "You don't remember?"

Karl concentrated for a moment, then shut his eyes as if in pain. "Oh ... it was terrible what happened to the crew! They didn't suffer for long. I've never seen anything like it."

Annika stepped up to Anthi. "This is the same with the rest of the crew."

"Pardon?"  Karl looked to the two officers.

Anthi replied, "Technically, you didn't 'see' anything. The Team experienced extreme psychologically-induced shock. So far we have determined something aboard the ship is causing various effects from headaches to violent hallucinations causing harm to self and others depending on the vision and proximity to the ship itself. During the most recent episode, Ian moved Solaris away from the Vulcan ship and the effects stopped.

Karl looked down at himself and brushed a hand against the shielding. Golden light shimmered in photonic waves from the touch. "Is everyone safe then?"

"As far as we can tell, yes."

+++

Later, on the bridge ...

Omazei pointed to the ship. "Sensor analysis confirms the Kol'Dagnar is emanating a powerful psionic field. Embedded within the wave signature is telepathic information, the terminus is roughly five point seven kilometers from the ship itself.

Kathryn didn't take her eyes off the viewscreen. "Telepathic information ..."

S'Rel stated flatly, "it's the death cries of the crew infused within the hull itself. Whatever happened to them, it must have been ... extraordinary. That ship is a tomb."

The bridge crew was silent for several minutes. Only the steady hum from the Solaris' engines and the occasional beep from a console could be heard.

Kathryn turned to S'Rel. "Lieutenant Commander, do you have any recommendations?"

The Vulcan recalled the image of blistered and punctured skin, erupting organs and blood washing the walls of the ship, then shivered slightly. "There is no logical way to determine what happened to the crew, or how the ship came to rest here. It's a clear and present danger. Although we should catalog the anomaly and our experiences, I recommend pushing the Kol'Dagnar into the sun."

Captain Beringer nodded and looked to the rest of her officers. They looked down as if to agree.

"Mr. McKinnon, maintain this respectable distance and position Solaris accordingly. Omazei, prepare the tractor beam to repulse the Kol'Dagnar.

Both officers responded in unison, "Aye, Captain."

---

Cast:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Anthi Ythysi - Katheryn Winnick
Karl Melango - Jeremy Renner
Thel Ythysi - Kevin Sorbo
Ian McKinnon - Ben Browder
Omazei - Gemma Arterton
S'Rel - Morena Baccarin
Romas Verthir - Idris Elba
Bur'ar - David Ramsey
Annika Kramer - Abbie Cornish
Nurse Rhonda (heard, not seen) - voice of Meg Ryan

Fare Thee Well

Literary Challenge 62 - All Good Things ...
---

She finished pulling her hair up into a regulation-style bun, then pulled on her white diplomatic jacket. Twisting at the waist to see how her posterior looked in the dress pants, the Captain smiled inwardly.

"Oh, you look beautiful and you know it."

Kathryn Beringer turned away from the window toward the other woman in the room. Behind her, the grand interior of Earth Spacedock revealed several Federation starships ships in various states of mooring or repair. Her own ship, Solaris had the starboard nacelle removed and several Work Bee shuttlecraft buzzing around the hull. Kathryn requested a room with a direct view to her ship to be able to see the status of repairs.

"Thank you for the kind words." Kathryn pushed aside Staza Murai's flirtation.

The Orion smirked and pulled her own long dark-green hair over her left shoulder and tugged at it's length. "I'm being honest. Tales of the infamous "Scarlet Scorpion" are exaggerated. You have a soft side."

Kathryn walked toward the restroom to finish applying make-up. "I hope you can appreciate a need to be strong in the face of adversaries."

Staza nodded to no one in the room. "Oh, I can certainly appreciate that. It's just refreshing to see. Anyway, remind me why we are here?"

"Besides a major repair for the ship? Admiral Felczer is retiring and has decided to personally chart unexplored space. Several Captains have been invited to his send-off."

"So, with so many ship Captains here, doesn't that mean they are not somewhere else? Like defending territory or protecting the innocent?"

Kathryn poked her head out of the bathroom. "What's your point?"

Staza shrugged. "It just seems like a lot of resources are being spent for one man. He is just a man after all."

"From a certain point of view. He is a hero, so to speak, of the Federation. Honestly though, my presence is coincidental." Kathryn thumbed toward the window.

"Ah, so you are not really here for the Admiral?"

Kathryn stepped back into the bathroom. "I never met the man personally. But when Starfleet Command wanted to promote me to Vice Admiral, Felczer supported my appeal to remain as Captain. He didn't have to do that, but he did. And for that, I would have come anyway."

Staza's curiosity was piqued. "You turned down promotion? Why? Doesn't higher rank have prestige?" She stood from the bed and walked to the door, knowing Kathryn was almost finished dressing up.

Kathryn appeared and was fixing a second ruby-red stud earring to an ear while walking to the dresser. "Yes. But I'm not interested in that and the higher responsibility would distract from other obligations."

"Like hunting the Orion Syndicate?" Staza's arms were crossed as she spoke.

The comment stopped Kathryn at the dresser and she looked at herself for a few seconds in the mirror. She turned several responses in her mind while also being satisfied with her appearance.

"I'm not apologizing for what I have accomplished. And the Syndicate has not apologized for what they have done. So I will grind whatever grist the mill requires to fulfill my duty." Kathryn placed her combadge onto her jacket in the regulation distance from the collarbone and armpit above her left breast. She then turned to the Orion ambassadorial attaché from the Klingon Empire and concluded, "to Starfleet and to myself."

The Orion's eyes narrowed slightly. "Indeed, Captain." She then smiled which transformed her countenance into flirtation. "Regardless, you still look beautiful."

Kathryn forced herself not to roll her eyes. "Thank you again. Are you ready?"

Staza shifted her weight to one leg, placed her hands on her hips and smirked. "I'm always ready."

---

Cast:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Staza Murai - Sarah Lind

Apologies

Literary Challenge 61 - The Final Battle
---

Solaris banked around the shattered dedication satellite at Wolf 359. Bright beams followed him and impacted against the debris between the Federation ship and the shooters. Once the sleek Excelsior Refit-class ship appeared from the other side, return fire laced from the saucer section, followed by a salvo from missile pods within the hull. Shileding from Fek'Ihri and Elachi ships lighted up against the barrage, some beams finding their way past the energy defense fields, then missiles slamming against unprotected sections. Internal explosions sprayed metal away from the ships, adding to the growing flotsam of the battle space.

Accelerating, the Federation vessel flew between the conglomerate of enemy ships and vented a green-colored cloud from the nacelles while firing broadsides of orange-yellow beams of havoc. At point-blank range, Solaris raked destruction across multiple ship prows, the gas infiltrating the interiors and killing crew, slowly crippling the enemy further.

"Well done, McKinnon!" Kathryn could barely contain her excitement from the command chair, her knuckles white against the arm rests. She sat at the edge of her seat as she heard the crew around her execute the attack pattern flawlessly, but it was her Helmsman that made it all come together. "Aye, Captain" was his response. She looked around the bridge: red warning lights flooded the room, every console lit up like Christmas trees revealing information in real-time and everyone was sweating from the prolonged combat. Glancing toward S'Rel's station, Kathryn looked at the damage report display of her ship above the Vulcan engineer, pulling a stray strand of hair back into the bun on her head. Not too bad, she thought to herself before returning to the main viewscreen.

As the ship turned away from the exploding wreckage, the stars slowly streaked past. Kathryn noticed a burning Federation escort in the background drifting away from the battle. "Tactical, identify the vessel on the viewscreen."

Karl Melango looked up, then quickly tapped against his console before responding. "USS Rodimtsev, Matthew Calgar as Captain. Sensor scan reveal all escape pods released, but one life sign aboard."

Kathryn's eye's widened. "McKinnon, turn to intercept the Rodimtsev. Anthi, patch me through, audio only."

As the static cleared from the speakers, a male's voice was coughing. "This is Captain Calgar of the USS Rodimtsev, who is calling at this dreadful hour?"

"This is Captain Beringer of the Solaris, can we assist?"

"No, I planned to ram an enemy when it gets nearby, I sent my crew packing after the cannons became disabled."

Kathryn looked to S'Rel. The Vulcan shook her head. Data scrolled at Kathryn's chair of the escort and she knew it wasn't flying anywhere. An idea sparked and she needed to see if it would work.

"Captain, you'll have to forgive me later." She motioned for the line to cut. "Omazei, transport him off that ship."

"Aye, Captain." The Trill tapped a few keys. Moments later she reported Calgar was causing a ruckus in Transporter Room 3 and was on his way to the bridge.

Smirking, Kathryn turned to her Chief Engineer. "Thel, can our tractor beam tow the escort at high turn velocity?"

The Andorian nodded, "it could be done but the emitters might burn out at the attempt."

Kathryn smiled. "Good. Capture that ship. Mr. McKinnon, once the Rodimtsev is one thousand meters from us, plot a course back into battle and get us to the nearest battleship."

"Aye, Captain." Ian's fingers danced across his console as the hum of the tractor beam mingled with the thrum from the quad impulse engines. The damaged escort was washed in the blue of the beam and was pulled toward Solaris. At the designated range, both ships turned back toward the fray.

The doors to the bridge opened and Matthew Calgar stormed through. "Captain, I demand to know what you are doing!"

Kathryn motioned to the empty seat on her left. "Welcome aboard Captain Calgar. The Rodimtsev must have been a fine ship for her Captain to stay aboard. Sensors revealed she was dead in space, but she has not used her last breath yet."

Calgar sat down and scowled as her surveyed the bridge, then quickly took the seat offered. "What do you mean?"

Kathryn looked forward. The viewscreen showed a large Voth dreadnought ahead. "Ian, come about positive z-axis forty-five degrees, impulse at seventy-five percent. Make a parabolic arc toward the dorsal side, then turn to face." She looked at Thel, "is the tractor beam holding?"

"Aye, Captain"

"We need a diversion. Omazei, hail the nearest Federation vessel."

The line opened. "This is Captain Ael t'Kazanak of the Vanguard. This is not a good time to talk."

"Pardon the intrusion Captain. Would you mind getting the attention of the enemy at bearing four-two-four mark four-seven? I have a surprise for them."

Ael looked toward a tactical display. "Acknowledged." The screen switched to viewing. The Vanguard changed course and expelled orange beams and torpedoes toward the dreadnought. In return, dark red lances missed and found their mark against Federation shielding. The two ships exchanged fire for a few seconds before the Vanguard turned away, fulfilling the role. The dreadnought slowly turned to follow.

Calgar looked to Kathryn. "You don't seriously plan to do what I think you plan to do?"

"Again, I'll have to apologize later. Ian, accelerate to full impulse, prepare attack pattern sigma. Thel, set tractor beam to full. On my mark, cancel the beam."

The two acknowledged as Calgar sat back into the chair. Solaris lurched forward, dragging the helpless escort behind it. As the Voth dreadnought turned, its dorsal side was fully exposed to Kathryn's charging vessel. Bright orange beams belched from every emitter available with missiles erupting from tubes, each shot weakening the Voth shield facing until it collapsed from the weight of fire.

At her command, the Excelsior-class ship turned away within several kilometers, the tractor beam silenced and the escort ship continued on it's destructive trajectory. Antiproton beams fired into both ships. The escort slammed into the Voth ship near the engines, it's hull buckling from the kinetic impact.

"Come about, burn that ship from below," Kathryn whooped.

Solaris arced toward the Voth vessel whose guns were silent. As phasers fired into the crippled ship from below, more beams, both green and teal-colored, came from nearby ships as allies discovered weakened prey. The dreadnought's remaining shields failed visibly from the onslaught, then beams and torpedoes tore into the hull. It bubbled before exploding and Allied vessels scattered from the debris, each resuming the battle against other foes.

---

In the future ...

The Klingon's eyes widened. "By Martok ... that was you?!"

Admiral Calgar frowned toward Kathryn who was grinning behind a wine glass. "That was a fine ship you destroyed, you know. They may have been able to salvage the Rodimtsev."

Kathryn shrugged. "We'll never know. So I'll say it again with witnesses this time, Admiral Calgar: I'm sorry."

---

Cast:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Anthi Ythysi - Katheryn Winnick
Karl Melango - Jeremy Renner
Thel Ythysi - Kevin Sorbo
Ian McKinnon - Ben Browder
Omazei - Gemma Arterton
S'Rel - Morena Baccarin
Matthew Calgar - Conleth Hill
Grannon Trex (Klingon in the end scene) - Orlando Jones
Tracy Kent (not mentioned but in the scene at the end) - Monica Bellucci
Ael t'Kazanak - Cobie Smulders

Replicator Rations

Literary Challenge 10 - Replicator Rations
---

Kathryn stared at the console screen and sighed loudly. S'Rel's Vulcan ears twitched slightly at the sound but otherwise her affect had not changed. Both were watching a remote feed from the hydroponics room on deck eight. Anything not bolted to the room had been washed into the dark vacuum of space when the Breen attack penetrated the shields. The bad situation was made worse when the hydroponics room was hit.

The women stood from the console, each knowing what the other was thinking. "We're limping back to starbase without a back-up food supply," Kathryn said matter-of-factly.

The Chief Operations Officer nodded. "Clearly, Captain, you correctly estimated our greatest internal threat is the power reserves we have for the replicators."

'Even if we launched a Class Nine probe, the response may take a while. We need to establish rationing protocols, so it looks like I picked a good week to stop drinking coffee." Kathryn looked to S'Rel and smiled. S'Rel was obviously impassive to the joke and Kathryn had to enjoy it for herself.
---

Kathryn sipped from her last cup of coffee. She swirled the dark liquid with her tongue then slowly drained it down her throat. The heat warmed her from the inside out and she savored the sharp favor lingering in her mouth. She licked the inside of her teeth and lowered the cup onto the saucer. Looking out the window from her quarters on deck two the stars moved more slowly than she was accustomed to see. Without Warp Drive they were traveling at maximum impulse which was relatively slow.

She smiled thinking of her Chief Engineer as he explained the likelihood of one of the nacelles tearing free if they attempted warp speeds. Thel enjoyed using hyperbole to drive his point if needed, but he didn't have to this time. The Breen worked over Solaris but he still won out.

Merow.

Kathryn tapped the table top and a grey-haired Nebelung cat jumped gracefully onto the table. "Hello, Hector." She ran her hand from neck to tail and Hector responded with a purr and circling back into her palm. After a few more stokes, Hector focused on the contents of the cup and started sniffing.

"Oh, no you don't." She took the cup away from Hector's investigation. "I've promised myself this is my last cup ... and this time I mean it!"

Hector looked away toward the shifting stars outside the ship as if to not dignify Kathyrn's action with a response.

"Actually, this really will be my last cup. Any replicator rations I have must be spent on essentials. That includes your food, you know."

The cat didn't respond.

"Hmph. Typical."

---

Cast:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
S'Rel - Morena Baccarin
Hector - my own cat. Image was from mspca though.
Mentioned but not seen:  Thel Ythysi - Kevin Sorbo

Why Not?

Literary Challenge 9 - Shore Leave

"I think the phrase is, 'when the cat's away the mice will play'".

Kathryn looked away from the console and closed her eyes, quietly wishing her solitude was not interrupted. She then turned to face the speaker, not hiding the annoyance on her face.

The female intruder smirked as she ran a finger against another console's edge then looked to her fingertip. "So why is the cat not away while the mice are playing?" Her smirk changed to a small frown as she rubbed away imaginary dust or dirt, then looked to Kathryn.

"Because, Q, they deserve a break."

"Tsk, tsk. Don't you deserve to play too?" Q sauntered closer to Kathryn.

"Maybe I am having fun. Ever consider that humans can enjoy their work?"

"Maybe fun is actually on the planet below?"

Kathryn crossed her arms. "Maybe you should get to the point this time?"

Q pouted. "Aw Kathy, I'm only trying to help! You look stressed. Although you do have a certain amount of grace under pressure that your species would call 'sexy', I stand by my original intent."

Kathryn sighed. "I appreciate that Q, actually." She looked away remembering the recent days. "Ever since we found the Misericorde, the crew has been on edge. Taking a break from the Sphere was needed."

"I warned you not to go there, you know." Q walked over and rested against the console next to Kathryn.

"It was my duty."

"Pfft. Duty shmooty. You humans really don't like taking advice from omnipotent beings. Well, you really should listen to me this time, Kathy. Take a break." She raised her hand and waved as if painting on a canvas. "Can't you imagine it? The clear blue water like a mirror reflecting the azure sky. Verdant trees swaying with a gentle breeze that briefly bushes your hair and tickles your ear. Twin moons lighting your path to the secluded candlelit dinner waiting for you?"

Kathryn could indeed 'see' the imagery described to her and she caught herself nodding slightly then stopped herself. "Risa does have all that I suppose."

Q grinned. "I know." She snapped her finger.

---

Blinking to clear her eyes, Kathryn could tell without looking her uniform was replaced with a summer dress. The white silk-like garment shimmered from the moonlight. She turned toward a window and could see her hair style changed from the regulation bun to a low ponytail style that flowed over a spaghetti-strapped shoulder. Long-stringed earrings danced above the collar bone and her lips were painted with bright red lipstick.

Kathryn rolled her eyes and looked around. At the end of the walkway was a table with two lit candles and half-filled wineglasses. As she walked toward the table her high-heeled shoes clicked and echoed into the night air. For a second, Kathryn let go of the rigors and structure of Starfleet and felt like-

"A woman, like a perfect dream."

Kathryn spun toward the sound of the voice. "Daikar?"

The tall Deltan entered the moonlight from a shadowed pillar. His broad shoulders filled the formal suit but did not seem tight against his frame. His bald head glistened with the slight humidity. He smiled and slowly walked toward Kathryn.

Kathryn's eyes widened and she realized her jaw had dropped. "Did Q bring you here too?"

Daikar stopped a few paces away and stared into Kathryn's eyes. She smiled briefly and started feeling nervous. When she realized she was more concerned than attracted to him is when he stepped forward, wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed her.

At first Kathryn relaxed into Daikar's embrace as she reveled in the moment. Her left ear twitched enough to divert her attention from his tongue-swirling kiss. Kathryn realized Daikar's kissing was becoming painful to her lips and she pushed away. Daikar resisted until Kathryn stepped back with one foot and shoved him away.

Daikar looked surprised. "I thought you wanted this?"

Kathryn was stunned. "I - what?"

"Come now Kathy, I can tell you are attracted to me." He smirked and licked his top lip, "I felt it."

Taking a step back, Kathryn became angry. "This is not like you at all." She wiped her lips, red lipstick smeared across the back of her hand.

Daikar sighed and his shoulders slumped. "Well, I tried." He lifted a hand and snapped his fingers.

---

Blinking to clear her eyes, Kathryn could tell without looking her uniform was replaced with a summer dress. The white silk-like garment shimmered from the moonlight. She turned toward a window and could see her hair style changed from the regulation bun to a low ponytail style that flowed over a spaghetti-strapped shoulder. Long-stringed earrings danced above the collar bone and her lips were painted with bright red lipstick. She looked the same before her encounter with Daikar.

Kathryn looked around, frustrated and angry. "Q!"

A female appeared from around a shadowed pillar. Dressed exactly like Kathryn, Q walked confidently toward Kathryn with a smug look on her face. "I tried to help you relax and yet, you resisted." She stopped a few paces away, crossed her arms and twisted her lips to a wry smile. "But not at first."

"That's not funny. What made you think that's what will help me relax? If anything, I'm more stressed now than when I was working!"  Kathryn realized Q can be anyone she wants to be, and her eyes widened. "Was that you?!"

"Sadly, no. He was literally a figment of your imagination."

"What?!"

Q raised her hands. "Stay calm, nothing a quick review of Starfleet records couldn't help with. Very interesting stuff in those antiquated computers you use. I think Section 31 are the good guys, if I do say so myself."

Kathryn started getting a headache. "Stay with me Q."

"Look. You are overworked. The burden of responsibility weighs you down and even the Continuum sees it. Give yourself a break! Look around you. We are on Risa! Although a barren wasteland compared to ... never mind. This is where humans like to go to relax. I know you really want to come here, but your 'duty' compels you not to. I'm here to try to convince you otherwise."

"Why?"

Q spread her hands out wide, then snapped both fingers. In a flash she was gone and Kathryn could hear her from everywhere. "Why not?

---

Cast:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Q - June Diane Raphael
Daikar - Billy Zane