Tribble Me This by Raederle Schala McDermot
	"Report," Captain Picard said. "It is indeed the freighter ship Daenara," Data replied efficiently. "They appear to be using a scattering field to disrupt the sensor scans. I cannot detect what is behind the field." "Ensign Raktajino. See if you can't put an end to this charade." Picard ordered. Jinna Raktajino replied without a hint of amusement: "Attempting to compensate." They had been following the ruddy ship for days. The freighter's captain, Elliander Claymon, was considered dangerous due to his lack of respect for protocol. He had been caught and fined a number of times for transporting warp plasma without the proper containment fields. Personally, Jinna couldn't fathom why the Captain hadn't just tractored the fool on sight. Claymon was a capitalist, as she saw it, and would hardly risk destroying his cargo by going to warp while he was so encumbered. Also, she wondered what he was carrying to make this assignment so interesting for a ship such as the Enterprise. She sighed. "No luck, Captain. It's as though the shipment had a personal cloak." "Well, that's a disturbing thought." Commander Riker noted. The Captain nodded. "Hail him." "Incoming," an ensign next to Data said. "On screen." The grey-eyed man stood tall, flipping curly blond hair from his face from time to time. A cocky demeanor emanated from him, as though he had never found himself in the wrong. "Bonjour, mon Capitan, Comment-allez vous?" Picard frowned at him. "We have discovered that you have a scattering field around your cargo." He walked closer to the screen. "My dear Elliander, what are you hiding?" He threw up his hands. "Hiding? Why would I have anything to hide? No, no, you must be mistaken." He had everything to hide, and the crew of the Enterprise knew it. Captain Claymon was not only a deviant, he wasn't even considered a Federation citizen. In his youth, he proverbially torched his records by hacking into the system and destroying the files. Genetics, family, and behavioral records were all obliterated, along with any hope of understanding the self-declared rebel. As Jinna looked at him, she couldn't help but find him attractive despite his obvious age. He appeared as if he spent all of his time finding ways to dupe Starfleet, and if Jinna didn't know better, she'd have believed it. "We are not mistaken." Picard lurched forward. "You realize we are very far from home. Any dangerous elements that you introduce could have catastrophic effects." "If I had found that I was carrying dangerous elements, wouldn't it be logical that I would have turned it over to Starfleet at the previous deep space station?" "If you did not have such a reputation for ignoring procedure whenever you wish, perhaps. If you refuse to disperse the scattering field so that we can properly scan your ship, the Daenara will be tractored and boarded." Captain Claymon seemed to buckle. "All banter aside, Captain, sir, I don't know what's impeding your search. Sable?" A young, fair Romulan girl piloting the freighter looked up from her console. Unlike all the other Romulan females Picard had seen, Sable's hair came halfway down her back and was loose with no bangs framing her face. "Maybe the trilithium we're carrying is emulsifying. The subsequent reaction between the products of the released gases and chemical used to sustain an inexpensive life support could effectively disrupt Federation sensors." She looked at Picard superiorly. "Do you concur that this is possible?" "Data?" Picard was doubtful. "Well, Captain, I believe that the residual chemicals in the ship do exhibit an accident of the type that she described," He pressed at few buttons, then cocked his head. "However, this would indeed be poisonous to the crew. I would suggest they cut off life-support from that deck." Sable's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly and glanced at her captain. "Do it, Sable." he said, brushing a few blond curls from his eyes. She initiated the sequence, then once again looked up at him warily. "That dealt with, Captain, we must return to the outpost to rid our atmosphere controls of the poisonous fumes." Claymon cut off the transmission. "He is reversing course." Data informed them. Picard sat down. "What is he hiding?" "I think the question would be: what isn't he hiding?" Riker replied to the rhetorical question sarcastically. Deanna frowned. "She was afraid, Captain." "Of what?" "I couldn't tell. Her emotions were repressed, almost like a Vulcan's." "Intriguing. And Claymon?" "Nothing." "Nothing?" he looked surprised. "It was a void. As if he had somehow completely shielded himself." She looked at him with concern. Jinna sighed. "Permission to speak freely, Captain. I do not understand." He paused, then nodded. "Permission granted." "Why do we not tractor him and discover for ourselves what he is doing? Sable's actions alone express some attempt at deceit, and we have been given the authority to do so." Picard smiled. "What have we learned of the infamous Captain Claymon in the few moments we spoke with him?" Jinna cocked a very Bajoran brow. "He hires an efficient, loyal crew. This particular cargo is very important to him. He keeps a psychic barrier. He is well prepared." Picard chuckled. "Yes. Those things are true. Now, what else might we learn about him?" He got up to face her at her console. She gazed back at him expressionlessly. "We have before us a rare opportunity to learn about the loyalties of this man. We will catch him, but the more we find out about his business, the better the cleanup for Starfleet Intelligence." "I was not aware that this was an intelligence mission." "I think that what the Captain is telling you that sometimes in order to do your job well, you have to expound on the given orders." Riker intervened. Jinna blinked. "Understood." * * * "Close call, huh, Cap?" "Keep going, Sable, they're probably following us with their sensors." Claymon put his hands on his hips. "We'll stay at the station for a few days." "Then what?" A Jem'Hadar soldier walked up behind him. "They'll be waiting to scan us again." "We'll jump off that bridge when we come to it." In the cargo bay, the shipment moved. Or in other words: cooed. Masses of Tribble cavorted around the room, hungry, but content that the would not be hunted. The agreement had been simple enough that The Empath could break the language barrier. They confined themselves to the cargo bay and remained unfed until The Empath, who was the leader of the crew, could find an uninhabited planet for them to live on. In return, the Tribble hoard would soothe the mental scars of The Empath's crew. The hoard enjoyed such tasks, but their numbers had been so destroyed by the Violent Ones, the ones with the curved, two-handled swords, that repopulation of the hoard had been a priority. Unfortunately, the other bi-peds did not understand, and the hoard could not understand the odd verbal communication that was used around them. The hoard understood that telepaths existed that could link minds, but none had ever tried with the hoard. This place, this Delta Quadrant, held new hope for the Tribble. The chocolate and carmel spotted Tribble that the leader had communicated with fluffed itself. It purred and nuzzled a crate of Yamok sauce. Being appointed as the hoard's leader suited it, and it was happy to be doing so much good for its nation. It couldn't wait to begin healing the crew. Now that it had become single, its purpose had become easier to define. It could almost call itself She. Suddenly something entered her existence. Something pained and powerful. She knew she had to help it. It, another she, was now a part of her. She purred as loudly as possible and the other Tribble came to her to welcome and endeavor to understand this new creature. * * * Severe annoyance filled Jinna's Bajoran body as she stalked to Ten Forward. As usual, many forms of Sentient life were interacting. And as usual, Jinna went to the corner table to quietly think to herself. She couldn't help but believe that her superiors were courting death by taking this slow path. In her experience, it took three days to purge a ventilation system. The Daenara had been docked for five. She realized that they planned to ambush him. After all, in order to deliver the cargo, he had to come back through that direction, but she believed that someone of Captain Claymon's caliber, who had slipped through Starfleet's fingers numerous times already, would find a way to get around the Enterprise. "Someone sitting here?" The older woman set a glass of Romulan Ale in front of her. "Hello, Guinan. Thanks." Jinna took a sip, and Guinan sat down. "Now, little bird, it seems to me that you aren't doing your usual brooding." She motioned her head toward the other. "What's wrong?" Jinna sighed. "You know basically what we're doing out here, right?" She nodded. "It...just seems that the Captain is greatly underestimating this man. Self-safety and profit seem to have motivated him in all the existing records. Still, we wait for him to come our way. I know he has to have something under his sleeve, and if we don't make a move, he and that motley crew of his are going to get by us." "You've already questioned the Captain." It was not an inquiry. "And now you feel that further interference would be overstepping your bounds." Jinna grimaced, knowing Guinan was right. "I should keep my trap shut, right. I mean, I'm only an Ensign. Picard probably understands this and has planned accordingly." she sighed again. "But I can still brood." Guinan smiled affectionately. "That you can, my little bird. And you are right. Play it low, I'll talk to the Captain." "He'll just discuss this with you?" Jinna asked, cocking her head. "You haven't been here long enough to see for yourself, but the Captain and I are good friends, so our discussions are treated accordingly." She stood. "To be honest with you. I've wondered about the Captain's plans myself." She turned to leave. "Drink your ale, and don't worry too much." * * * "Live cargo, huh? Sounds like whatever this captain is receiving, he needs rather desperately." "Yes, Guinan." Picard and she were in his ready room. She tapped at the fish in his wall. "Why haven't you told the crew? I have had a great deal of worried ensigns coming into Ten Forward for the past few days." She turned to him, "They don't want to question you, but they've heard many rumors about Claymon and his dangerous crew." "That may be," he stood to walk around. "But I've direct orders from Starfleet to find out what he wants, to whom he's loyal. I believe they want to use him to infiltrate the Dominion." "I thought this wasn't an intelligence mission." Guinan arched her brow, displeased by the uneasiness in Picard's voice. "Actually, old friend, it's more of a manhunt." * * * "Hrothgar, what's happening down there?" Sable asked of the Jem'Hadar. He glared at the console as if he were about to attack it. "Did the decompression hurt the Tribbles?" He groaned, pushing a thick braid of black hair away from his shoulders. "I don't think they noticed at all." "Maybe they're unconscious." "Maybe they're breeding." "Why is it that breeding always the foremost thing on your mind when your race doesn't even have women?" Sable demanded sarcastically. "Something has to replace the White," he replied noncommittally. "They're converging on the lead Tribble." "Wonder why they're after her." "How can you call it a she? It's an animal. Besides, I think they're bonding somehow. The psi energy in the room has tripled." "You're an animal, and I think of you as a he. Hmmm... maybe I should get the Captain." She stood. "Maybe you should." As she walked out of the cockpit, she saw the look of concern on Hroth's face. She knew well that she was not the only member of the Daenara who needed the Tribbles' help. Almost every one of them had a tragic past. She remembered hers too well. Six years before on Romulus there had been a brutal suppression of those that wanted to begin taking up Vulcan customs. The Proconsul could only do so much to rid the Empire of these traitors without appearing overly cruel. Two of the traitors had happened to be her parents. The survivors called that time "The Night of Torn Souls". Not that there were many survivors. At first light the Proconsul had scheduled to invade the underground settlements of the Reunifiers and send them all to prison camps. Somehow, a group of Nationalists came upon the coordinates before the Proconsul could act. She had been sleeping in her little bunk in the caves when her father ran in and pulled her out of bed. Sable ran with him as fast as she could, too breathless to ask what was happening and where her siblings were. A cacophony of explosions erupted behind her, causing her little pointed ears to quiver and become useless for awhile. The Nationalists had set the bombs in their sanctuary. A blistering heat filled the escape tunnels. Sable remembered feeling the burning of the exposed flesh from the holes in her tattered clothing. When she thought she could run no longer, they reached an escape hatch. The Nationalists were waiting. Many had died in the explosions. The remaining were cordoned into a secret internment camp on a nearby moon where they killed all the adult males first. She had cried incessantly at first, because she couldn't find her mother to tell her that father and her brother Nerik were to die. Sable alternately gaped at and shied away from the sight of the genocide, praying openly to the God of Rescues until a larger girl beside her knocked her down, saying there was no such god. Sable prayed silently. Soon after, she was taken in my the Nationalist leader Growik because he thought she was pretty. Nights Sable prayed to the God of Rescues while she was ritually violated. One month later, she quit praying. Two weeks after that, she escaped and informed the Proconsul of the whereabouts of the interment camp. The others were rescued, and Growik was put to death by the Proconsul's hand. Then the survivors were imprisoned for treason. Except for Sable, who saw this coming and stowed away on a freighter in an attempt to get away from her memories. There she found her personal God of Rescues. "Ellie?" she knocked on the door to his room. The door opened. "What?" He was preoccupied in attempting to elude the Enterprise. His eyes told her he was slipping into trance. She decided to get his attention quickly. She stomped on his foot. "HEY!" She pulled back, and he grabbed her arm. "Don't touch me!!" She yanked away and crossed quickly across the room, her face taut with fear. Elliander mentally berated himself. He simply couldn't behave the way she needed of him, and every time he looked into her stormy eyes filled with repression of pain, it made him want to hold her like a daughter and make it right in her heart. God knew it tugged on his heart when she regarded him that way. However, he knew far better than that. She trusted him more than most men, but physical contact was out of the question. "My fault, Sable. I apologize. My mind was elsewhere when it should have been on our cargo." He motioned for her to sit down. She remained standing. "What's going on?" "The psi level has risen in the cargo bay." Her usual sarcasm was absent from her voice. "Well, I suppose I should go contact their leader." He walked over and handed her the workpad he had been working on, and pretended not to notice her flinch. "See what you and Hroth can do with this. If we stay here much longer, the Enterprise may decide we're not worth the wait and come after us. See what Siddig thinks of it." * * * "Well, my dear Tribblegirl, what have you been up to?" Elliander pressed his fingers up against her soft fur, letting her purring pull him into trance. He was certain she would pull him out again when the contact was complete. On his own, he had difficulty returning to consciousness, which was why Sable had found it necessary to nearly break his foot. FLASH! purple holy Magda Power shooting iridescent explosion wizards assimilated into wraith Raederle magi save magi High Archeon battle magic FLASH! temporal fight temporal purple blooded Magda help Elliander drowning merging temporal temporal blast i, i, i help merge will merge sentient! pain warpp... drowning drowning help us us us i i i am am one. let us drown it is best. * * * "What are they doing?" Picard looked impatient. After twelve days of waiting on the Daenara, they had finally left port and set course for what looked like the Gamma Quadrant. "I am not certain, Captain." Data reported. "Previously they headed on a course for the Delta Quadrant." "Captain, could this be a ruse?" Jinna ventured. "Perhaps they know that even a Betazoid would assume the lack of mental contact was still due to their previous ability to resist mental probing. These lifesigns could be synthetic." Picard started. "Holograms? Data look for signs of this." "I believe she's right, Captain." "They tricked us!" Riker raged. "They could have left days ago." "Set course for their prior coordinates, warp seven." Picard ordered. "We won't be shaken off so easily." * * * A young Bajoran man, a red-haired changeling, and a very tall man walked into the cockpit. The Bajoran poked his holographic emitter, then when he seemed satisfied with it, walked over to Hrothgar. "They bought it, didn't they?" he said smugly. "Nothing like a hologram to nail the sensors of Starfleet." Hrothgar snickered and gave the hologram a slapped handshake. The tall man came forward. "It would be wise to slow down and use our cloak now. Siddig and Hrothgar might think it's time to celebrate, but we should be wary." "True nuff, Jaro." Sable said flippantly, tapping buttons. "Gaia," the changeling looked at her, "you and the genetic mutt," Jaro raised a brow, but she didn't stop speaking, "should go down to the engine room and set the cloak to this frequency. And set it at a wide band so they can't use long range sensors to detect the gap the cloak creates." Gaia nodded and left. Jaro stayed a moment. "You know, Sable, ethnic slurs are frowned upon." "In Starfleet," she snorted. He rolled his eyes and left. "Starfleet sucks. The Federation sucks. They think that they're, like, this big protective force that saves the defenseless, but they're all hypocrites," she stated bitterly. "An obsession with things that suck? I could help you with that later if you be so kind to come to my quarters..." Hroth smiled slyly. "Shut your mouth you pervert!" "Make me, slut!" He swirled around to face her. "Everyone knows Claymon's your Sugar Daddy! And he's busy in the cargo bay, so what are you going to do?" Sable flung herself at him and cracked his head against the console. He grabbed and restrained her. "DON'T TOUCH ME!!" she screamed, breaking free and going after his eyes with her nails. He pushed her away, and as he caught his balance, she dropped to the floor and swung her leg around, making him fall flat. "Computer activate program: Siddig Seven Alpha." Siddig said. Eight holograms appeared. "Stop them." The two found themselves held by very strong holographic security. "If you kids don't play nice, I'll have to tell Daddy." The hologram wagged his finger. "Tell Daddy what?" The crewmembers turned around and looked as guilty as if they'd been caught sneaking out after curfew. Elliander looked at them and couldn't help but think how beautiful Sable would be if she didn't always have an expression of twisted distress on her face. Hrothgar looked frustrated; Gin Siddig looked annoyed. They all looked surprised. They obviously hadn't expected him to come out of the trance for days. Arching an eyebrow, he walked further in. "End Siddig Seven Alpha." The holograms disappeared. "Jaro told me you implemented my plan?" Sable cleared her throat. "Yes, sir. Siddig and I set up a holoship going in the wrong direction projected from a probe. The holosignals were layered over our own. And the cloak was turned on after Jaro and Gaia's little invention was put to use, so nothing blew up. No sign that they detected the switch." "Alright, keep me informed. Hrothgar, in my room. Now." They started to leave. "Don't get too cozy, Sable. You're next." * * * Jaro walked down to the engine room. It amazed him, but Hroth and Sable had actually been quiet for the past two days. He didn't really mind them. They never said anything that offended him or wasn't true. When he had attended the Academy, many of the students were much crueler. Klingon, Cardassian, Betazoid, Vulcan, Romulan, and who knew what else's genetics made for a very odd looking man. He almost regretted quitting Starfleet after he had graduated. Almost. He shuddered to think what life on a ship would be like, if the life with the cadets were any indication. However, he did get into the habit of observing people, which served him well enough here. He understood the situation between Hrothgar ands Sable. Hroth had a crush on the sexy Romulan, but she hated males in general, save for Claymon, who had let her live on his ship in exchange for Romulan technology. Which made Hroth jealous. Not that there was anything Jaro could do to help. He turned a corner and saw her. Stark naked, purple-haired, and back straight as a pin. "Allo fellow Sentient," she said in a throaty whisper. "Who are you?" "Who are we." She was thinking about the question. "We are Raederle. Are you of Elliander's crew?" "Yes. Why are you here?" And naked, he thought. "Elliander wanted us to come and open a Gate to the Delta Quadrant." She came closer. "Would you take us to the chamber of propulsion?" "Chamber...? Oh, you mean the engine room." He scratched the back of his head. "Well it shouldn't be a problem. But you do me a favor first." "A favor?" "Come and put some clothes on so Hrothgar doesn't decide it's time to breed." She smiled warmly and followed him. "One more question." She nodded for him to proceed and allowed him to lead her by the hand. He felt a shock of energy at her touch. "We... who's in there with you?" * * * "I believe we've caught up with them," Data told them. "You've detected their ship?" Riker asked eagerly. "No, Commander. I cannot detect their ship, but an energy disturbance is erupting that carries the same signature of the scattering field we registered when we first encountered them." "On screen." Picard go up to look. After the screen had swirled on, they saw a red flower undulating in space. "My God." "They're opening a wormhole," Deanna said with astonishment. "They can warp and create spacial disturbances while cloaked." Riker looked worried. "Hail them," Picard said, "Widest band possible." "Do you expect him to respond?" Riker asked. Picard crossed his arms. "No, but if not, we can follow the energy resonance and tractor his ship. Perhaps Ensign Raktajino was right. Perhaps we should have stopped them while we still had the upper hand." Because we obviously don't now. Jinna thought. "Captain, he's responding." "On screen." Captain Claymon appeared before them, thinner and more worn than they had seen him twenty-three days prior. "Stand down, Picard. Back off and leave this be. If you come any closer, you will be sucked in! I'm warning you, this is dangerous. Don't risk yourselves." His voice was more mature. He wasn't acting anymore. He really was certain of himself and his crew, which caused his voice to deepen and resonate. "What are you up to, Claymon?" "If I tell you, would you reverse course a little? I will not be responsible for your crew if you decide not to listen!" "If this is so dangerous, why are you involving your crew?" "Because it's our only hope." Claymon sounded defeated. Sable looked up. "We're ready to enter the Gate." "Don't follow us!" The transmission ended. "Follow them in." Picard ordered. "Setting course." Data responded. * * * "Those blasted fools are following us!" Hrothgar fumed. Elliander sighed. "Their funeral." He sat in his captain's chair. "Sable, see if you can't keep us in one piece." "I'm riding the energy flow. Jaro, are the shields holding?" The Romulan pilot's brow furrowed in concentration. "Shields at forty-nine percent." "Jaro," Claymon advised as the ship rocked. "If the shields drop any lower, disengage the cloak." "Cap, we don't know what we'll be flying into!" Hrothgar protested stridently. "It won't do us a damn bit of good if we don't make it there," Sable retorted. The ship shook again. Jaro piped in from the engine room. "Shields at thirty-three percent. Diverting all nonessential power to shields." "Keep it up guys!" the Captain shouted. "Raederle says we're approaching the end of the Gate!" Jaro reported. * * * "They are almost through the wormhole." Data reported. "They have shut down their cloak." Jinna said. "Whatever we see on the other side, they will be vulnerable, too." "Passing through the mouth of the wormhole." Data piped in. * * * A blue-green swirl in the fathomless black of the Delta Quadrant opened slowly. Blinding highlights fell on the closest planet like a gentle rain and flashed iridescently. A metallic cube that looked like a massive mesh of discarded junk sailed in close to see what was coming. A small bird shaped ship was spit out of the hole, followed by a much larger ship. WE ARE THE BORG. YOUR BIOLOGICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL DISTINCTIVENESS WILL BE ADDED TO OUR OWN. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. * * * Geordi was scanning the little freighter ship. He didn't like what he saw one bit. He hailed the helm. "Captain, they're dead in the water!" "Ensign Raktajino just said as much." the Captain replied. "Can we hail them?" "No, Captain," the Bajoran said. "They only have basic life support. No com systems. No shields. I am picking up an unknown source of energy, though. In high quantities." "The Borg are moving within transporter range of the Daenara." Data informed them. "Permission to beat them to the punch, sir," Geordi asked. "Granted." The Captain's senses were alert. "Get them out of there. Then push all power to the engines. I doubt that we are up for a conflict either." "Aye, Captain." Geordi began initiating the necessary sequences, locking onto one life sign. Then another. Soon he had five signals to beam up. "Energize." The four crewmates found themselves in the transporter room of the Enterprise, and to say that they were upset would be a great understatement. "Who the Hell are you?" "Where's Elliander?" "Yeah, where's the Cap?" "You took me from my ship!!" "Where's Siddig?" "DON'T TOUCH ME!!!" Geordi called for a security team and set his staff to warping them out of there. The cacophony of voices continued. "Quiet." Geordi stopped for a moment to gaze on the purple haired young woman whose quiet voice had calmed the odd quartet. "Everything will be fine." She walked over to Geordi's consol and he moved out of the way. She laid her pale palm on the panel, murmuring to herself. * * * "Captain, we are moving," Data announced. "At an indeterminable speed away from the Borg ship." Picard looked at Riker. Riker responded. "How?" "Unknown, sir." "Geordi, what's going on down here?" Geordi sounded very distracted. "I don't know." The ship stopped suddenly. A quiet, calm voice resonated through the com system, with such soothing tones, it was almost purring. "You are home, Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise." * * * After verifying that the Enterprise was indeed in orbit of Earth, Picard had gone to the Brig to look at his guests. Which he was still doing. A tragic looking Romulan girl stared at her feet moodily. A restless Jem'Hadar stared at her. A mixed breed that he recognized as Jaro McDermot had his head in his hands and sat directly on the floor. A snub-nosed redhead looked around furtively, mostly at the vents for some reason. Commander Riker had informed him that she was a noted computer hacker named Gaia Smythe, and she had most likely helped Claymon to steal technologies. The last woman was the oddest of the rogue's gallery. Picard couldn't exactly call the woman beautiful, but she was very attractive in an exotic way. She had a pale, creamy complexion, framed by slightly wavy purple tresses that fell neatly just past her shoulders. The ears were elongated to rounded tips. Her chin was slender, and her cheekbones oddly high. Above this lay large, barely slanted eyes that were hazel with glimmering violet flecks, topped with high angular eyebrows. Her figure, draped with a white robe, was also angular, though not perfect. And she was staring directly into his eyes. Calmly. She crossed her arms and bore her gaze into him. Picard didn't quite know what to make of her, but he did notice that she was blinking a clear eyelid now and then. It had appeared that she was staring without blinking at all. He was pondering what to say when the Romulan girl burst into tears. "Elliander was still on the ship! He had a cloak on himself. And Siddig wasn't hooked up to his mobile emitter!" she sobbed. Picard was startled that none of the males moved to console her. He motioned to an ensign to let down the forcefield and walked inside. He reached over to put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't touch her," the strange woman ordered. Picard stepped aside. She moved out of her solitude and put her arms around the girl, who flinched but said nothing. "Sable." She cupped the girl's chin and began to purr. "Raederle..." Sable whispered. The years' worth of unshed tears poured down her face. Inside her mind, memories replayed: once, twice, a thousand times over again, each time being bent more to work through the pain. To see the truth. Working, working. Until the pain subsided, and only Sable remained. She gasped. "It...wasn't my fault. It's was... them." Raederle smiled and petted Sable's head. "I know," she sighed. "I know." Captain Picard stepped back. He noticed that everyone in the room was watching the event. Raederle gazed up at him. "Do you really think that you can keep us here?" she asked, arching an angular brow. "Who are you?" "I am High Archeon Raederle, of the Realm Elyssia. During a Magi battle, my soul was sent into your realm. I sought a creature that could one day help me return home. I found one. A... Tribble that had made itself female in order to communicate. Our minds are one. She saved me, then became me." "But we know the Tribbles to be mere animals. They are not sentient." "Your people understand so little, yet you behave as if you knew so much. Admittedly, you explore to gain knowledge. Why don't you explore inside your own boundaries?" Her words did not condemn, but rather seemed inquisitive and searching to understand some oddity. "Elliander Claymon was helping to save the Tribbles by giving them a new home. I'm obligated to uphold the bargain he made. By honor. And by compassion." Picard walked out of the cell. The forcefield came back up. He looked at Raederle as she moved to the next crewmember, the Jem'Hadar. "You never answered my question," she stated. "I think we all know the answer." * * * Elliander sat alone, trying to get Gin Siddig's mobile emitter working. He hoped that the hologram's presence would ease the loneliness. He missed the neurotic behaviors of his crew. It just wasn't the same without his obsessive-compulsive operations officer Hroth. Or the introverted ways of Jaro. They were like his children. That thought made him sad because it reminded him of his son who had been kidnaped as an infant. He'd never seen the boy again. What he simply couldn't understand was why he was still alive. The Borg weapons hadn't dented his Daenara when they should have cut through her like butter. As a result they lost interest and left. "Probably went to assimilate something," he muttered to himself. An undefinable energy was surrounding his ship. He couldn't deny that the two facts were related, however confusing it was. And without a designated Tribble to communicate and the headcount he'd acquired, he daren't trance. "Maybe Raederle did it." He sighed. "Maybe you need to stop talking to yourself." "Hey Captain." Siddig's program flashed on. He frowned. "Where's the crew?" "On the tupping Enterprise," he said listlessly. Siddig leaned his head forward questioningly. "They were beamed away. Raederle didn't know what to make of it. I could hear her squealing from the engine room." Siddig chuckled and began scanning his mobile emitter. "Good thing you managed to download my program. How bad is the damage?" "I've gotten backup propulsion online. We're going to have to limp our way to a station or something. If we can find one out here. The life support is intact, thank God, but cooling systems are down. Weapons are down. Shields are down. Imaging systems, including the cloak, are down. I figured I'd better get someone to help me." Claymon sighed. "We've got a lot of work to do." "I'm going to go get shields back online. You might be able to get Navigation back." Claymon nodded. "We'd better get out of here as soon as possible. Before the Borg regain interest." * * * Riker stared in amazement at the transformed crew. Instead of restless, seemingly unrehabilitated outcasts, he could almost see them joining Starfleet. After his security officers had reported screams such as: "I don't need the Founders!" and "Amen, sister!", they'd called for Riker to come and take a look. "Got a problem?" Sable said coyly, tossing her hair back. She and the others stood in a straight line with their hands behind their backs, save Raederle, who was at an angle watching them. "What did you intend to do with us?" Gaia inquired formally. "In all honesty, I'm not sure. Most likely you will be held responsible for your respective crimes." "However, you don't have any proof that we've done anything illegal." "You were involved in smuggling an illegal cargo." "Really, Will, do you think you can prove anything? She smiled confidently. "Do you believe we will condemn ourselves with our own tongues? I don't think so." Riker frowned. "That may be, but you will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law." Jaro laughed out loud. "Can I be put in the same cell with my old buddy Tom Paris?" Riker didn't know how to respond. The Jem'Hadar laughed, "Hrothgar no want go prison!" He beat his arms against his chest. Sable snickered. "Don't worry, Hroth, they don't have a scrap of solid evidence, just sketchy readings from scattering fields that may or may not have existed, and the wormhole." "We'll see about that." Riker turned to leave. "No, you won't." Raederle told him pontifically, turning to meet his eyes. He saw hers and stopped dead in his tracks. "I admittedly don't understand much about your Starfleet, but I do have an obligation to the Tribble and Elliander. As soon as I find an energy source, they will be back on the Daenara." "Is that a threat?" he asked angrily. "No," she turned from him and sat down on a bench in the cell, crossing her legs toward him. "I'm just letting you know my plans. It's only fair." * * * The two catlike aliens who had come aboard to help rebuild the Daenara ran down the corridor. "Captain! Captain!" Wessel Laster yelled with his guttural accent. His wife ran in front of him and found Claymon. "Several people appear on bridge!" "Yasmine, what-" Suddenly, it came to him. He ran to the bridge. Sable tackled him with a hug, much to his surprise, once he arrived. She was smiling almost ear to ear. "Raederle brought us back," she said happily, letting go and leaning against her console. "Guess the Feds won't like that." Hrothgar grinned evilly. "They couldn't even stop her from stealing the energy from their warp core!" "That was great." Gaia said shaking her head and smirking. "I only wish I could have seen the look on their faces when, instead of having four outlaws and Raederle, they just had Raederle." "So she's still there?" Elliander asked trying to assimilated it all. "Yes," Jaro announced. "She wanted to discern what Starfleet was about. She said she found it interesting, and she promised to return someday to take us home." "What is the Starfleet?" Yasmine asked. The crew's attention was brought to the two very feline individuals. "Excuse me." Elliander Claymon apologized. "Here are our new crew members. Yasmine Laster, an expert on shielding techniques and munitions. And her husband, Wessel, who has been navigating the Delta Quadrant for sixty years." "Greetings, greetings. My male greets you also. I ask again of you: what is the Starfleet?" * * * Raederle stood before the Admirals at Starfleet Headquarters with a smirk. They had been very unprepared to have lost the Daenara's crew. A man they had been calling Owen was particularly frustrated. "What did you think you were doing?" he demanded, since she had already made admission to her guilt. "You allowed dangerous criminals to slip through our fingers!" She sized him up. "With all due respect, they will not be dangerous now unless attacked. I saw to that personally. Also," she raised a prominent brow at him, deepening his irritation at her. "They would have escaped anyway. That is their nature, and you know they have the abilities to do so. Besides, they can't possibly harm Starfleet citizen where they are now!" "Circular logic," he said dismissively. "So you say when you are wrong!" she retorted. He glared at her, and she glared back. After a moment she sighed. "You can't win a staring contest with me, honey, I have a second pair of eyelids." "Now see here, young lady-" another Admiral began. "Who do you think you are?!" she demanded. "That you honestly believe that you can control the lives of those who choose to live differently? What the Hell type of government is this?" Picard, who had been listening, stepped forward. "It is true that we do not have that right." "Then why can't you just let them go?" Her humongous eyes widened even more in inquiry. "That is a good question," he smiled, having seen the same spirit in many cadets. "It is a matter of protecting our people. You did seem to have a need to protect them." "They needed me." "Well, our people need us. To protect them from those who might harm them for their own gain." "But they didn't want to hurt anyone. They only wanted to be left alone." Raederle scowled. "You are most likely right about that. And I'm certain a trial would have revealed it." There was silence for a moment. Owen calmed himself. He was not happy about what he had been asked to do with her. "Did you know that Jaro McDermot graduated from the Academy?" he asked her. "Yes. He informed me that he was shipmates with your son. He also said that while it was a superb education, the students were bastards." she frowned. "Especially Wesley Crusher." Picard looked surprised. Owen did not. He had hoped he wouldn't have to discuss this. "That class was very competitive. After them, the teachers have been instructed since to stem the juvenile behaviors. An accident was simply waiting to happen. Wesley was in particular competition with Tom for the entirety of their years at the Academy. It's understandable that Jaro wasn't fond of him either." "Is this a sales pitch?" Raederle crossed her arms suspiciously. "In part." The girl looked confused. "Am I being chastised or recruited?" "We weren't sent to punish you. We have nothing to charge you with since the others had not and were not going to be charged. Their captain was the object of the mission. That part was to ensure that you understood our interest in them," the other Admiral said. She didn't particularly like the attitude emanating from him about Elliander. "Now, we want to know what your plans are. Do you have any thoughts toward a career?" "You want me to join Starfleet?" She was almost considering it. She was lost and alone with no immediate hope of going home. Picard stepped in again. "I think that you would benefit to try your hand in the Academy. It wouldn't hurt you to try, and I believe that your interests would eventually lead your to the Federation if you searched on your own." The violet flecks in Raederle's eyes pulsated as she scanned Picard. "You have a trustworthy mind," she smiled and purred. "I am interested in learning in this thing called Science. It sounds very different from the magic I use. I will join Starfleet."