Recon Part III "
By: Dr. Alyssa Caitlin Northrop, Acting Chief Intel Officer, [PST]
M'Ressha Mikaht, fighter pilot , [RNPC]
Krystal, Hologram, [RNPC]
Maxine Lucinda Tapert, Computer Specialist, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 0030

Blitzer hurried down the corridor to the mission module where Alyssa was and chimed the door.

From her place on the bunk Alyssa called out, "Come."

This made the doors open wide to admit the felinoid pilot. "What's the matter, Blitzer?"

"I think you'd better see this," he said gesturing towards the LCARS monitor on the wall.

"See what?" Standing up, she watched him move towards the wall monitor.

Blitzer went over to the monitor and activated the long range sensor. "We just picked it up," he said, "It's a Federation Sovereign class ship."

A mirror image of the Zion stared back at Alyssa from the wall monitor. She hadn't heard anything about the Federation having rebuilt their Sovereign Project after their first prototype was destroyed. This was most certainly bad news. "Ok....let's make sure we steer clear of that thing for now. If she's armed like the Zion she could blow us away without even a second thought."

"I'll let you know when we are approaching orbit."

"Good...let me know when we're in Transporter Range of the beam down coordinates. Once I'm down you can do one of two things. One, hide the runabout in the planet's magnetic pole...or keep yourself on the opposite side of the planet. Up to you. And yes I know that we're cloaked...but let's just call this some insurance."

Blitzer nodded, "Understood chief, we'll make the necessary preparations."

Blitzer turned and walked up the corridor to the flight control center. He smiled and nodded at Max as he sat down. "Did you find any more about that ship?" he asked.

Maxine smiled back at him and shook her head. "I couldn't pick up anything with a passive scan. We won't be able to tell much for another 6 hours. I can instigate an active scan, but then they'd know they were being scanned, which we don't want," she answered.

Blitzer nodded, "Ok. We should each take a sleep rotation. We're going to need to be bright-eyed and bushy tailed."

"Bushy-tailed?" Max grinned and Krystal giggled and tried to get a look at his tail..

Blitzer did a double take, "What?" he said, "It's an old earth saying."

"A'roight, a'roight. You want first watch, or do y'want me to take it?" Max asked.

"I don't need to sleep," Krystal announced to the world.

Blitzer looked at Max inquisitively as he wondered if the A.I. could reliably handle a watch. It would give them both more down time.

Maxine looked from Blitzer over to the pixie with a quirked brow and then back to the Cait. "She doesn't need to sleep," she agreed thoughtfully. "And she could monitor th'systems.... then wake us if anything needed our attention..."

"I guess that makes the most sense then, because we can both get a longer sleep cycle and be awake before we get to the Pacifica sector."

"A'roight," Max smiled. "And I can check if I wake up... I don't usually sleep for long periods of time," she told him.

Blitzer smiled, "I don't sleep for long periods of time either, I cat nap." He said with a smirk and a side-ways glance, "...another Earth expression."

"Uh-huh.." Max glanced back, green eyes watching him speculatively.

"Yay!!" Krystal clapped and grinned at them. "I get to DO something," she preened her wings rather proudly

"Indeed you do, little faerie, don't let us down!"

Krystal stood proudly and shook her head. Then she saluted Blitzer and grinned. "No, sir!! You can count on me, sir!!"

Blitzer got up and stretched, "I didn't even notice what this bus had for sleeping accommodations.

"Wake us right off," Max instructed the pixie as she slipped to her feet and padded quietly after Blitzer.

He looked in the first room, there were some bunks. It was designed for the flight crew. "I saw some other sleeping quarters in the back, but this is fine for me in case there is an emergency."

"This looks fine to me... I can sleep just about anywhere," Max told him.

"I can take the top one," he said with a tone of chivalry.

"Nah, no need... I'll sleep on th'floor," she told him as she reached for a blanket and pillow.

Blitzer gently took hold of the pillow as she picked it up, "The floor?" his ears cocked forward, "nuh, uh," he said shaking his head, "If you feel bad about it, why don't we share the bottom bunk?" He smirked, "I don't bite."

Maxine blinked, opening her mouth to speak and then closing it as she shook her head a little. "It's not that... I mean... I don't feel bad... it's just... you see... well... I fall out of bed," she admitted with a soft grunt.

Blitzer's jaw dropped slightly and closed gently, he drew a deep breath and sighed, "ah..well, Ok...then let me make you a nest," as he reached up and took the mattress off the bunk and laid it on the floor.

Maxine watched him silently... a nest. He was making her a nest... What an odd feeling that was.

He took the other and laid it on the floor as well, "in my culture, sleeping above another person is a gesture of superiority," he explained as he covered her bed with the blanket.

"That wouldn't have bothered me," she told him quietly as she watched while he took the other blanket and wrapped himself in it and settled on one of the mattresses. "Bonne Nuit" he said with a smile.

Maxine finally let out her breath in a soft grunt as she settled down on the mattress next to his. "No one ever made me a nest before," she grumbled and pulled the blanket over her. "If... I.. uhhh... kick you or anything... I don't mean it... I kind of thrash a bit..." she warned him, glancing over at him and offering him a warm smile. "G'night.."

Blitzer cracked open an eyelid, "Okay."

Maxine stared at him for several long moments before grunting softly again and pulling the blanket over her head as she curled onto her side facing him.

It wasn't too long before the soft regular sounds of her breathing indicated to the Cait's keen hearing that the woman was fast asleep. And it was just as he was dozing off himself that he found her warm body suddenly pressed against his as she shifted in her sleep.

He purred slightly, it was something he hadn't done in a long time, but he just felt like it now. Slowly he drifted off to sleep.

He hadn't been asleep for very long before he was startled awake by Max's arm and leg sprawling half over him. No wonder she fell out of bed.

He gently rolled her back to her side, and patted the back of her shoulder with his paw. She seemed to settle down after than and slept soundly.

After several hours of napping, Blitzer got up quietly, not disturbing the sleeping computer tech who was still motionless.

He entered the flight control center and found the pixie decorating her hair and body with all the holographic representations of the sparkling things she'd collected. She had safety pins and bright colored beads, shiny washers and even a sequin or three. It was a marvel where she managed to come up with these things and how she managed to keep them. She looked up and grinned at him waving excitedly.

"Good Morning Krystal," he said with a grin, "do you have a report?"

"The sensors are still tracking the Sovereign class ship," she told him. "It's where you left it. We're still not getting any information about her registry, but I didn't look without you," she added. "And look what I found!" she exclaimed and held up some bright purple string. "Everything is operating within .00214% of normal. Well within Starfleet standards."

Blitzer feigned a salute to the pixie, "very good, carry on. I'm going to get some juice and some food."

"Yes sir!" the pixie saluted and giggled, waving as he left the flight deck.

Blitzer went to the back of the runabout where the galley was. He activated the replicator which produced a small breakfast for him. He picked up a morsel and took a bite. He wandered about the galley looking out the portholes and at the various monitors and equipment that was laying about.

When he finished he returned to the flight control center and sat down and watched the pixie for a few moments. "What are you doing now?"

"Braiding," she told him with a smile as she wiggled the lock of hair she was braiding. "And monitoring that Sovereign class ship."

Blitzer leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. His ears darted about listening to every slight noise.

He heard Maxine shifting differently a moment or two before Krystal announced, "Maxine's waking up...."

Blitzer's eyes opened, "yes, she is," he said in a hushed voice.

The computer expert wandered onto the flight deck a few moments later, rubbing her eyes and yawning with a small squeak. "..mornin'..." she grumbled and glanced at the chronometer to see that it was 0700. "..'ungry..." she grunted and after a absent smile at the pair of them turned to wander back to the galley.

"She's not a morning person," Krystal grinned at Blitzer after Max left.

Blitzer turned to the pixie and chuckled, "You know her pretty well."

"Uh-huh," the pixie nodded. "We live together," Krystal told him.

"Does she have a boyfriend?"

That made the pixie blink and giggle. "Nonono. She--- eep..." she stopped as soon as Blitzer made a shushing gesture and winked at the pixie. She giggled back and looked up to watch the computer tech return.

Max looked much more awake when she stepped onto the flight deck and was carrying two cups. One had hot chocolate with a sandwich balanced on top of it, and the other a chai tea. "Where are we?" she asked as she handed the drink she brought for him.

Blitzer took the drink and sipped it, "Thank-you, how'd you know?"

"Checked the replicator logs," Max told him as she settled into her seat and took a sip of her hot chocolate.

He smiled at her, "Of course," he took another drink and said, "this is something you don't get to do in a fighter," setting his cup down.

"I can imagine.. Too cramped," she agreed and tore her sandwich in two, offering him half. "Thank-you," said Blitzer graciously accepting the gift. He chomped down the sandwich and then licked his lips.

"Now then," he said checking the navigational console, "We're about 10 lightyears from Pacifica."

"Hmmm... Close enough to check that ship out, do you suppose?" Max asked. "It's still there, isn't it?" She eyed the pixie who paused in her braiding to nod. "Roight... Let's just 'ave a look..."

Blitzer watched as Max worked the console.

"Got her...." she said after a moment and a sideways smirk to Blitzer. "Take a look..." she brought it onscreen. "She's th'USS Yamato. There's 214 life signs on board... Hmm... skeleton crew for that ship, eh? Wager th'rest are planetside..." she told him and then blinked. "Eh now... what's this?"

Blitzer's brow furrowed as he wondered...

"Looks like echoes... 'ang on... I'm tweakin' th'sensors.." Max told him. "We got some intel from that Federation prisoner, Mason..." she told him as she worked. "We can find th'blighters from their unmasked warp signature... Looks like an echo..." Her voice sort of trailed off for a moment.

"Oh Crikey.." Max glanced over at him and then she and the pixie both straightened and began their little duet again as she turned to point to her console. "Th'sensors are detectin' eight Galor class Cardassian Battlecruisers," they reported. "Whoa.... Is that garrisoned?" It was Max that actually asked him and then answered her own question with; "That's garrisoned...."

"We'll have to make certain that we are extra stealthy," recheck the cloaking matrix."

"Checking..." Krystal announced.

"We're good for now," Max told him after a moment. "We'll keep checking the closer we get."

Serveral quite moments pasted. The serene but dark reality of their mission began to set in as they drew closer to the planet.

Blizter broke the silence, "How did you sleep last night?"

Maxine opened her mouth to give him some automatic answer and then closed it again as she scrunched up her face and looked at him for a few moments, grunting softly before finally answering. "Better than usual," she admitted, frowning because it surprised her some. "Did I kick you an' stuff?"

"No, not that I noticed," said the Caitain with a shrug and a wry smile.

Max let out a relieved grunt. "Good, I was worried I would," she admitted, and her eyes went back to scanning the computer readouts.

Before long they entered the Pacifica system. Blitzer completed the pre-orbital check list while Max and Krystal continued to scan for any thing that might indicate they were detected.

Blizer put the runabout into standard orbit, away from any of the cloaked vessels and away from the Federation ship.

Blitzer headed down the corridor and found Northrop, "Chief, we've entered orbit. There's no indication we've been detected."

Northrop grabbed her bag off the chair and crammed the PADDs she was reading into one of the deep pockets. She slipped her pistol back into the shoulder holster and then pulled her jacket on. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she left the room at the back and headed up front. "Ok....you both know what you need to do. Ensign Tapert.....if you find out anything you think I should know, call me. Signal with a click. Before you start talking, wait for me to click back. This way, if I'm in a position where I can't respond, you won't give me away."

"Aye, aye. Signal with a click and wait for your response. Covert is th'word, ma'am," Max agreed, acknowledging her instructions.

That said, Alyssa got up onto the small transporter pad in the rear of the bridge. "Energize."

"Good luck, Chief," Maxine said as she activated the controls and the blue haze of the transporter swallowed up the Intel Officer.

"So what's the plan?" Maxine looked over at Blitzer when Alyssa was gone. "Hide in the planet's magnetic pole...or play duck'n'dodge with th'Yamoto and Battlecruisers?" she asked curiously, evidentially confident that he could do it.

Blitzer nodded, "Magnetic poles."

He turned his chair to face the flight controls and input the parameters, the ship responded to his paw gliding the LCARS panel. The runabout banked across the northern hemisphere of the planet until it came to the pole. Blitzer maneuvered the ship so the nose was pointing toward the pole. "That should do a good job to mask us. Double check the Cloak."

"Roight..." Max nodded and did the double check. "Compensatin' for the pole's magnetic field," she told him. "An' no worries now."

"Well, lets hope the hard part is over," Said Blitzer leaning back and putting his hands behind head.

Temporary Quarters "
By: Ian Hunter, Commanding Officer, [PC]
Chester , The Captain's Cat , [NPC]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 0045

Hunter went to his quarters where there was a damage control team. There was some minor structural damage to the hull outside the quarters. A conduit had also ruptured on the deck beneath and caused some damage to the deck.

"Sorry Sir," said the crewman, "Lieutenant Riaan will need to assign you temporary quarters until your quarters can be made habitable."

"Alright, carry on."

Hunter turned and headed toward the turbolift. Riaan, This is Hunter, I'll need some temporary quarters, please see what you can do.=/ Understood Captain it may take a couple of hours I have already been reassigning quarters for quite a few of the crew including where some have to share until this ship is repaired. Please send who ever is looking for quarters to my office and I'll let them know where they will be temporarily assigned. Also Captain my officers have reported in cleanup is taking time and some I gave time off after they have pulled two shifts to get some sleep and something to eat.=/ Good enough, its nice to see you taking care of your crew. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine.=/ When the turbolift doors closed, Hunter tried to take a deep breath, his ribs hurt from landing hard on the deck. He'd let Dane look at it tomorrow. Right now just needed to get Chester and find a place to sleep off the pain. "Deck eight," he said recomposing himself.

When the turbolift doors opened, he walked down the corridor to Sick bay and found Dr. Dane.

Teilani sat in her office, the remaining patients in sickbay were looked after by her staff so she had some time to herself. She had made herself comfortable on her couch and Chester was purring on her lap. The little critter had some rough time and Teilani had decided he needed some TLC. She had spoiled him rotten with some nice saucer of cream and some fresh fish from the Zion's kitchen.

"Hello Doctor," Ian said with a smile, "looks like you have things well in hand."

"Hello Captain," Teilani said as she put Chester on the floor.

"What? Hey," thought Chester as he landed on the floor. Chester felt that human things just did not have an understanding of how important it was not to interrupt a good purr.

She stood up. "May I help you, can I get you anything.

"No, I'm fine for the moment, I just came to check on Chester. My quarters were damaged, Riaan is arranging me temporary quarters."

That is awful, you have a place to stay, you can take my quarters if you want, I can sleep in here."

"I appreciate the offer Doctor, but that's ok, I wouldn't want to inconvenience you," he smiled, "You look like you could use a good night's sleep too."

Chester looked from Captain to Doctor, "Hello, I am waiting," he thought, "you can resume petting me any time now."

"Its no bother, I have the nightshift anyway. Besides you offered be your couch one time remember," Teilani said with a smile as she made herself comfortable on the corner of her desk.

Hunter shrugged, "well, maybe if you don't mind I'll take you up on that then, until Riaan gets me temporary quarters."

"Besides, Chester knows my room he will be more comfortable there."

"I could use a nap," said Hunter. "We took a pretty good beating up there."

"We did I hope the damage was not too great. Talk about damage are you feeling alright?" Teilani saw Hunter flinched sometimes as he took a breath.

"Its nothing, I'm sure it is just a small bruise," protested Hunter.

"Come with me Sir," she said as she stood up. Both Hunter and Dane walked over to the examination room.

Teilani took a tricorder. "Ok strip," she said and then blushed. What had come over her, she always had wanted to say that and now she blurted it out like a adolescent.

"Excuse me?" asked Hunter.

"No no, I m sorry Captain, I will manage." Teilani said with an apologetic look on her face. She fiddled with the tricorder and ran the scanner along his upper body.

Hunter smirked at her as she examined him.

"Seems you have some bruises and a cracked rib Captain," Teilani said softly having refound her professionalism. "Would you please lie down?"

Hunter tried to take a deep breath to vocalize is protest, but the pain was undeniable. He resolved himself and complied.

She took a bone regenerator and lifted Hunter's top part of the uniform. Carefully she ran the regenerator along the injured side. "I will give you some painkillers but its up to your body to do the rest."

Hunter closed his eyes as Dane injected the pain reliever, He felt very tired, and waited for the doctor's voice again.

"Captain," Teilani said softly. "Captain, its done, you can sit up now."

Hunter didn't respond.

Teilani smiled as she took a blanket from one of the other empty bed. She gently covered Hunter with it and had to resist the urge to brush though his hair. She could see the fine lines in his face. Commanding a starship was not an easy task.

" Computer dim the lights to 15%." Softly the examiniation room became darker and Teilani went back to her office.

Refuge "
By: Ian Hunter, Commanding Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 0115

Hunter opened his eyes slowly. The pain was gone, but then so was the doctor. He eased himself up which made his ribs hurt a little. He eased his feet over the side of the bed and on to the floor.

Slowly he walked to Doctor Dane's office but she wasn't there. A nearby nurse spotted the Captain and approached him. He assured her he was alright. "Tell the good Doctor I found temporary quarters and thank her for watching the cat."

"Yes Sir," she replied.

Hunter scooped up Chester, "I think you put on a couple pounds big guy" he said scratching him behind his ears. Chester purred.

He walked down to the turbolift and got on. Deck 10 sub C. When the doors closed he set Chester down. A moment later the doors opened and Hunter stepped through. "Comm'on" he said to Chester following him. At the end of a short hallway was a small hatch, he opened it, scooped Chester up and climbed in. He closed the hatch and looked around. The Captain's Yacht was a remarkable craft. "Light's 20%" he said setting Chester down. He walked toward the forward observation deck and looked out the oversized windows into the expanse of space. Near by was an LCARS console which he activated. "Computer, begin message." The computer chirped. "Yeoman Rands, Please be advised I will not be on the bridge until 1000 unless something comes up. Cancel the staff meeting and ask Commander Wright to collect departmental status reports anyway. End message. Deliever message to Yeoman Rands." Hunter slipped off his jacket and his boots. "Computer, begin message, Riaan, I found temporary quarters until mine are back in order, I'm fine, thanks for the good work. End message, deliver to Riaan.

Hunter went to the replicator and made supplies for Chester which he set in a spot he figured he'd like them.

He turned to the quarters which were near the rear of the ship and layed down on the bed. A long night's sleep was welcome.

Pacifica #91"
By: Riaan, Operations Manager, [PST]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 0245

=Op's Office=

Riaan was having a hard time staying awake. She was doing her best trying to make sure that everything was running smoothly and finding temporary quarters for everyone. She also had food rations sent to the mess hall as not all replicators were on-line and power had been rerouted where it was most needed, including some sonic showers. Some of the crew would have to share to let the crew have a sonic shower and get cleaned up.

Riaan wasn't even sure when she herself had last ate. She couldn't believe the damage done. What ever debris was being removed was being dumped in Cargo Bay 8 and Cargo Bay 9 until engineering could figure what they could salvage then the rest would be recycled.

Riaan finally had the perfect quarters for the Captain, nice port view and not that bad in size all the luxuries an officer needed. It was the last one on deck seven that wasn't occupied. Far enough away from the Cargo Bay area which would be a lot quieter, which is what the Captain probably required?

Riaan: "Computer: Locate Captain Hunter."

Computer: "Captain Hunter is in sickbay."

Riaan hoped that everything was fine with the Captain and decided to check with the doctor first incase there was a medical problem.

This is Lt. JG Riaan to Lt. JG Dane as Riaan yawned.

Dane here.

I am checking on the status of Captain Hunter I have his temporary quarters he was looking for.

He is fine, I think you can cancel the quarters, I just offered him mine, I am on nightshift anyway." Teilani replied.

Not a problem, Riaan out

Riaan decided to take a few minutes to stretch her legs and grab a coffee in the mess hall and check to see how her crew where making out with the cleanup so far things were going not bad.

Pacifica #99"
By: Riaan, Operations Manager, [PST]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 0245

=En Route Too Sickbay=

As Riaan headed to the mess hall she was feeling slightly nauseous and felt extreme pain running down her one arm. She wasn't sure with lack of sleep and not eating properly had anything to do with it but decided maybe before heading to the mess hall she would drop by sickbay just to play it safe.

Riaan figured with trying to get the ship cleaned up she may have pulled a muscle in her arm but wasn't really sure. Who knows as she thought to herself it could have been caused by stress on top of it all trying to keep things running smoothly on the ship

As Riaan entered the turbolift, "Computer Deck Eight," as the doors closed. She was quite impressed how things were going. A few seconds later the turbo lift stopped and Riaan exited and proceeded to sickbay. She knew she probably looked like hell right about now and taking cap naps never helped any.

=Sickbay=

As Riaan entered sickbay she was stunned to see how many were in sickbay. She debated about leaving as Dr. Dane had her hands full as is until a nurse came over and asked can I help you," as the nurse smiled at Riaan.

"Actually it appears you have your hands full as is I can come back later," as Riaan smiled.

"The nurse wouldn't take no for an answer," I'll go get Dr. Dane as she smiled.

Riaan couldn't do anything now nor get away that quickly as she tried to think of a way to not bother Dr. Dane as she already had her hands full but she wouldn't be rude about it either. She decided to wait for Dr. Dane.

"Hello Riaan," Teilani said as she emerged from one of the adjacent rooms. How may I help you?"

"You have your hands full I see I can always come back later," as Riaan winced a bit trying not to show any signs of discomfort.

"What's the matter?" Teilani said. "You do not look that well? Well what is it Riaan, don't make me pull it out of you."

"I was just feeling slightly nauseous and my left arm has been bothering me a bit. Probably just pulled something in the shoulder or stressed out trying to keep things running smoothly and making sure we have what we need until all the repairs are complete besides assisting with removing debris to the shuttle bays for now. Probably moved the wrong way but it isn't that series," as Riaan tried to smile keeping a brave front not showing it wasn't anything serious to worry about.

"Come on sit down."

Riaan followed Teilani to one of the biobeds and hopped up.

Trying to hide a yawn, Teilani took her tricorder and scanned Riaan's shoulder and arm. "It seems that you have torn some muscles plus there is some old inflammation acting up. You should better listen to your body Riaan, and not wait too long before coming to sickbay."

"It was never a problem before until now," as Riaan yawned feeling tired.

"I will give you something for the pain and I advise you not to do any heavy lifting for the next 72 hours. No matter what!!" Teilani said sternly.

"I have decided to get something to eat and a bit of rest been fairly busy and I thought I would snag a couple hours sleep, then see what still needs to be done after I have had some rest so I know I'll be quiet for a couple of hours at least then some light duty and I won't over do it either," as Riaan tried to show sincerity in her voice.

"If you disobey this direct order Riaan, I will have to report that and will confine you to sickbay you know.

"Understood," Riaan yawned and smiled at Teilani.

"Look we need everybody in good health, when ever we run into trouble again. Now stop fiddling and let me try to fix it ok?" Teilani chuckled a little.

'What was wrong with the crew nowadays, did they all think they were indestructible or what'

Riaan was feeling a bit antsy and couldn't wait to get out of sickbay. She tried to keep still the best she could and let Teilani do whatever needed to be done as she waited patiently.

"There you go, all finished." Teilani said as she scanned the sore arm a last time.

"Maybe when things are quieter maybe you might be interesting in joining for me dinner," asked Riaan.

"That would be lovely Riaan." Teilani said and smiled.

Is there anything else, can I leave now," as Riaan hopped off the biobed.

"Yes you are free to go but be careful next time alright?" Teilani replied putting away her tricorder.

"Have a good morning doctor," replied Riaan as she left sickbay and headed off to get something to eat then sleep.

Decompression "
By: Craig Witmore, Engineer, [RNPC]
Giuseppe Silvio, Chief Engineer, [RNPC]

Stardate: 58205.28 0300

==Jefferies Tube Junction 22D==

"Ouchie, " Craig Witmore muttered as he bumped his head for the 10th time against the access head of junction 22D. He had been repairing stuff and running around like crazy for the last 10 hours or so.

Come to think of it he could kill for a smoke and a good pint of beer. Grabbing his tools he managed to crawl backwards out of the Jeffries tube. Jumping to the ground he stretched and rubbed his head. He then checked is padd, signed off 22d and looked at the next problem.

" Right," he mumbled. " What's next?

Suddenly his comm badge chirped, "Silvio to Witmore, Could you meet me on Deck 5. I would like your help in assessing damage there."

"Sure boss, on my way."

==Deck 5Silvio stood before the safety barrier that had sealed off deck 5 After it had been evacuated. So far as he could tell the deck had not decompressed so the force filed must be holding around the breach. From this vantage point he was not able to see the actual breach.

"Hey Chief," Witmore said. " How does it look?"

"So far things look good," said Silvio, "At least as good as they could be. Let's go take a look"

Craig nodded and held on to his trusted toolbox. He hated hull breaches ever since he had witnesses some crew being sucked out into space before a force field was put in place.

Silvio ordered the computer to drop the safety barrier long enough for them to get in. He took out his tricorder and began reading severe power fluctuations. "I'm getting power fluctuations," he said. "We will need to get that fixed before we can let people back in here."

" They seem to come from over here," Craig pointed out as he walked to a small corner. Pulling some plating to the side they say several severed conduits, sparks flashed in front of their eyes.

Silvio shook his head, "What a mess," he said, "Let's keep moving."

The walked further down the deck. Silvio picked up even more power fluctuations. As the made their was closer to the breach. Silvo noticed the walls were charred. "A major conduit must have blown. I do not think this breach was caused by a torpedo, at least not directly," he suggested.

Finally, they found themselves looking out into space through a gaping hole in the side of the deck. Sthe site was a bit unnerving to say the least. Silvio fought the urge the grab onto something as if he was expecting to be sucked out into space any minute.

Silvio shook his head, "We will need a space dock to repair this breach," said Sivio, "I think our best course of action is to stabilize the power levels and fix the rest once we are back at QulTuq."

"We will have to have Operations move the armory, brig and intel offices temporarily," said Silvio.

Craig nodded. The blackness of space ran chills up his spine, yet it draw him closer and closer.

"You can take a team and start working on the power," Silvio looked at Witmore, "Tomorrow," said Silvio with emphasis, "You have already been working hard and you look worn out. The safety field will keep us secure until then."

"Why waste time Boss," Craig said with a chuckle. "I can already start working on it. He took his toolbox and turned back to the first power fluctuations.

"I know that you are not going to disobey a direct order," said Silvio, "First of all, this job requires a team which you do not have, second of all, we have all had a long day today and I would prefer it if you were rested up. There is no reason that --"

The computer interrupted Silvio's comments,"WARNING power destabilization on Deck 5 decompression in 15 seconds."

"Come on Craig let's move it."

"Holy beloni," Craig said. "Last one to the turbolift is a rotten egg Chief!!" Craig clang his toolbox against his chest and started running. "Seems the problem is bigger then we expected Boss,"! he yelled at Silvio while running.

Silvio ignored Witmore as they sprinted toward the safety barrier. As they were running Silvio again ordered the barrier down only long enough for them to get through. Once through, the barrier went back up just as the computer said, "Power systems are now stable. Decompression is no longer imminent."

Silvio leaned against the wall catching his breath. He shook his head. This deck was more unstable than he thought. "Ok Witmore, you win, let's get to work. Get a hold of Gordon and Newman and have them come and give us a hand."

Craig had sank on his knees and tried to regulate his breating. He had to quit smoking. "Aye Sir," he said. "Last time I saw Gordon he was working on the flow regulators and Newman was modifying the inertial dampeners. We need to get some special equipment as well."

Craig tapped his combadge. "Hey Gordo, we could use a hand on deck five."

"Witdog, Chief said to finish the regulators,"Gordon replied.

"We have a bigger problem on deck five and if you see Newman tell him to join us as well."

"You ok Witmore?"

"As good as I can ever be so move your butt and hurry up ok? Witmore out."

"Let's go get that equipment then," said Silvio.

Solice"
By: Ian Hunter, Commanding Officer, [PC]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 0415

Ian's palm glided sensuously over Teilani's bare back. She moaned appreciatively and turned her head slightly toward Ian. He smiled at her as her long red hair draped itself across her pillow. Her skin was smooth and soft. Hunter pushed aside memories of by-gone days and basked in the dreamy moment. He laid there paralysed as she got up and walked across the frozen cavern and out into the blizzard. "Dane!" He said, sitting up in bed. "Lights!" he commanded. He looked around, Dane was gone again.

After checking up on her patients, Teilani walked back to the examination room to check up on Hunter, as she peered around the corner the room was empty.

"Where is the Captain?" she asked on of the orderlies. "Apparently he had found a place to crash doc, and he told us not to tell you."

Teilani sighed. "Men, always the same and commanding officers were the worst thinking they were indestructible.

"Computer, locate Capt. Hunter."

"Capt. Hunter is in sickbay," the reply came. "In sickbay”, Teilani echoed, “no he is not.” She walked back towards the little examination room and looked around, then on the floor she spotted Hunters combadge. No wonder the computer thought he was there. She picked it up and put it in her pocket.

"Computer locate Captain Hunter, using his transporter profile, also scan for the captains cat."

"Capt. Hunter is in the Captain's yacht."

The Captain's yacht?" Teilani thought. "What is he doing there? Taking an emergency medkit she left sickbay and headed down the towards deck 11. Arriving in the yacht dock Teilani was stricken by the sight of the sleek and slender shuttle.

Softly she walked towards the hatch and opened it. Hunter woke up as the lights came on. "Wha?" he said blinking his eyes as he sat up, "Teilani?" Hunter wondered if he was dreaming again.

Standing in the door opening Teilani smiled. "Captain," she said softly. "I don't think I had given you permission to leave sickbay. Hello Chester." Teilani said to the little cat.

Hunter smiled and shook his head, "you just said the body needs to rest," he gestured, "...and that's what I'm doing."

"I can see that," Teilani said with a grin and she looked him up and down. For a starship captain he surely looked in good shape. Surely she had seen it all, she was a doctor after all but Teilani appreciated when one took care of his body.

"Come to drag me back to Sickbay?"

Teilani laughed. "Hey I would not dare Sir, but next time please let me know."

"Now, I'm no Doctor," said Hunter, "But it looks like you are the one who could use some rest."

"Perhaps," Teilani said as she looked around the shuttle.

Hunter smiled, "Have you never been down here?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Never Sir, its gorgeous. She walked up towards the large portholes and leant forward abit."

"Me neither before tonight." He watched as she seemed mesmerized by the workmanship of the yacht. He watched her turn and head up the corridor.

Hunter swung his feet out of bed and wrapped himself in a blanket and stepped out into the corridor where he followed Dane to the bow. He took a step up and stood beside her, together they both looked out into the vast universe.

Ian broke the long hypnotic silence, "On a night like this you can see all the way to antipodes," he said turning and looking at her. Her eyes sparkled in the starlight.

Teilani nodded. "You know Sir," she said softly, despite of the war the universe is still beautiful. She looked up at Hunter and smiled, well aware of him standing beside her, almost naked. But she was a doctor so she tried to hide her blush.

"Yes it is..." He looked at Teilani and gently lifted a lock of hair away from her face. He studied her face, even though she looked tired and weary, she was a pretty creature. "..the yacht some how seems separate from the ship," he said, "I almost feel completely detached from what's going on up there," he said gesturing with his eyes and a nod of the head. "It reminds me in a way of Rura Penthe. Only not as cold," he said with a wry smile.

"Ah yes don't remind me of it." Teilani said with a small giggle. "I am still freezing if I think of it."

Hunter hesitated biting his lip for a moment, but he couldn't resist, "You look like you could use a little detachment too, look you can take a shower down here," he said gesturing toward the head, "if you like, you can get comfortable and relax for a couple hours here with me, get some food, recuperate a bit...?"

Teilani looked at her reflection in the window, she looked like she had been wrestling with a denebian slime devil. Thoughts raced through her mind, Hunter was a decent man and she could do with some rest, her stomach had given up growling for food a long time ago but she was hungry.

"You sure you don’t mind then Captain." she asked. "I mean it’s your yacht and I don’t want to impose, but I would love to get rid of this little thingie then." Teilani pointed at her combadge.

Ian nodded, "I don't mind at all."

"Thanks Sir, I think I can find it." she removed her blue overcoat and hung it over the pilot's seat. She yawned as she walked towards the little area containing a bathroom.

Ian turned and watched her as she made her way to the sonic shower. "Are you hungry? Can I make you some breakfast...or supper?" Hunter called out to her.

"Surprise me Sir," she called back, it really did not mind what it was. Even old socks would taste good to her.

Teilani closed the door and leaned against it, she could feel the tiredness in her bones. She stripped off her clothes and stepped in the small sonic shower. The rays tortured her shoulder muscles and slowly the so called dirt was washed away. She washed her hair and after bout 10 minutes stepped out, towelled dry and found some bath robe to wear.

Ian met her as she came out of the bathroom. He put his arm on her shoulder in a friendly manner and gestured toward the large stateroom.

She walked back towards the main area and sat down. The soft smell of roses filled the air. Now she could feel her stomach growl. She grinned. "What are we eating?"

Ian moved his finger back and forth, "patience," he said with a smile. He went into the galley and returned with plates of steaming food on a small cart. He parked it in front of the long curved seating area and produced a bottle of non alcoholic wine and two stemmed glasses. He handed Teilani one of them and opened the bottle, pouring some into her glass. He poured himself a drink too. "I discovered the Captain's yacht is pre-stocked."

Teilani looked at Hunter, he seemed much more relaxed. He would do well being a waiter, she thought.

He held up glass, "here's lookin' at you kid," he said with a Humphrey Bogart voice and a smile.

She raised her glass as well "Bottoms up," and laughed.

Hunter took a drink and set his glass down on a small table in front of the seating area. He took a plate from the cart and gave it to Teilani.

She looked on the plate, little morsels placed carefully. Small sweet and savoury pancakes. Little cucumber triangles, fresh orange juice. She leaned back against the chair, only now she could feel how tired she was. Chester jumped up her lap and Teilani fed him a little bit of sausage.

Hunter sat down next to her and petted Chester too.

"Ahhh," she said. " This is so much better then Rura Penthe. She snuggled up in the bathrobe, which was a little too big for her.

Chester hopped down and made his way back to where he had been sleeping.

Ian turned to Teilani who had finished eating. "I can't believe the long gruelling hours you have put in to help this crew." Hunter paused, "You know what we need? A little 22nd century classical music. Computer, Jones Simpson's Belladonna in G." The computer began to play some serene classical music. "Come 'er" said Hunter as put his hands on Teilani's shoulders and began to rub them.

First startled by the physical contact Teilani wanted to pull back but as she felt her muscles relax she softly moaned. “Have they ever told you Sir, you have magical hands. If you ever decide to retire as a captain, you can open up a massage parlour.” She said with a husky voice.

Hunter chuckled, "the paws of a selat would feel good to you right now."

The warmth of Hunters body, the music and the gently rubbing made her sleepy but she could not go to sleep, the dreams would return and Teilani would not want to see the dreams again.

“Ah yes right there,” she said moving her head a little to the right, she leaned back against Hunter who continued to rub her neck. His thumbs made small concentric circles at the base of her head. Hunter rather liked the long red locks of hair. He moved the palms of his hand across her shoulders. He tried to keep the memory of his dream from his head.

Teilani removed her hair from the back of her neck, exposing the base of it. “This is heaven,” she mumbled.

"Enjoy." said Ian as he continued his work out her tensions.

She suddenly sighed.

Hunter smiled.

It hard to keep her eyes open, she had not slept in almost 72 hours, her eyelids became heavy and she nestled herself in the crack of seat and Hunters arm.

It wasn't much longer until Teilani was completely relaxed and had drifted off to sleep. Hunter leaned over and gently kissed her on the cheek, "good night," he whispered.

Just before the sleep completely overtook her she smiled.

Hunter leaned back with Teilani and closed his eyes as well.

=TBC: What will happen, will Chester accept the “intruder” stay tuned.=

Nothing important happend today "
By: Ian Hunter, Commanding Officer, [PC]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 0515

Teilani pushed and pushed. She was laying on something hard and it went up and down. Still half sleepy she felt next to her. A body...... it was breathing, she tried to sat up blinked a few times. Taking sometime to realize where she was. 'Hunter' she thought. Her bathrobe was open and her left leg was drapped over his. His right arm was firmly holding her. "Oh my goodness," she mumbled, trying to keep the robe together.

Her wriggling made Hunter steer and Teilani softly laid back down. This was going to create some prime gossip if ever anyone found out.

Hunter stirred awake. Without opening his eyes, he could tell the Teilani was awake as well, "good morning," he said softly.

She stretched and pushed herself partially up on one elbow, her red hair was drapped over Hunter's chest. "Goodmorning," she replied. "How are you feeling?"

Hunter, feeling a little awkward replied, "I'm feeling...rested."

"Sir," she said softly with a bit of a blush, "did we........you know...... I mean. Well.......ehm. Not that I mind you know..... but........ " Teilani stopped and looked up, her green eyes locked on Hunter's face.

Hunter closed his eyes and leaned his head back as a smirk crossed his face, nothing had happened and normally, he would have told her so, but on a whim he decided to fib her. "You were great," is all he said, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

Teilani's eyes grew big and her face turned from red to white. "I... was.... are you making fun now? Then she smiled, shrugged and blushed. "I guess we needed it both."

In the back of her mind she heard alarmbells, had she slept with Hunter, sure she had but slept as in.... well she could not think of the word. She felt relaxed and wanted to smack herself for not being able to remember. What would happen now.

Hunter rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly, as amusing as he found the situation, he made a mental note to set Dane straight later if she really couldn't remember that nothing happened.

She could only think that it must have been great. She gniffled and pushed herself upwards.

"I guess its time to get to back to work hey?" Teilani said with a sigh. "Bummer, I am actually quite comfortable right now." She chuckled.

"Yeah, me too..." he said softly with a realization that was true. It was nice to feel someone close by. Deep in his mind it made him uncomfortable, in a time of war such attachments could make a starship captain vulnerable. For now, he dispelled those concerns and enjoyed the moment.

Teilani sat up, holding the robe tightly. She frowned and looked at Hunter. She noticed the quick look of concern and worry on his face. "Captain, it will be alright, eventually." She said softly. She stood up and looked down at him.

Hunter Teilani's voice distracted his thoughts, he turned toward her, Hmmm....?"

"Race you to the bathroom?" she said. A big grin on her face and her eyes twinkled.

A grin crossed his face, sure, he thought, he jumped up and chased after Teilani like some young cadet.

Teilani giggled and dashed towards the bathroom. She laughed, it had been a while since she had enjoyed herself so much, sometimes it was nice pretending to be a cadet or even a young girl. No worries, no responsibilities, only fun. She looked in the mirror, the bags under her eyes were almost gone and for some reason she had some colour on her face.

"You go shower first sir, I will shower in my quarters" she said.

Hunter smiled and crossed his arms as he leaned against the door. "I'm just kidding." Said Hunter, go ahead if you want to. I'm going to eat first anyway."

"Ok," she responded and waited until Hunter had left before she dropped the bathrobe on the floor. Enjoying the shower she quickly cleaned and dressed in a fresh uniform. It was indeed like Hunter said; the yacht was very well stocked.

Making her self presentable again Teilani took her blue overcoat and tucked her hair behind her ears. As she stepped out of the bathroom she noticed Hunter sitting at the table eating.

"Bathroom is all yours Captain." She tickled Chester behind his ear. "Hi sweety, this time I did not use your couch," she whispered at him.

Hunter stood up and gave his plate back to the replicator.

"I will leave first Sir, you never know who might be watching."

Hunter gave her a wry smile and a wink, "we'll see you later then."

Teilani nodded and watched him walk towards the bathroom. Gathering her other belongings like the med kit and tricorder she looked down at Chester.

"You know sweetie," she said to the little cat, "I dont know what it is but everytime he and I get together I fall a sleep." she grinned. "Watch over him Chester."

She stood up and walked towards the door, looking around in the docking bay, spotting nobody, Teilani left.

Ian turned from the door and looked at Chester. "Whew," he said, "what a woman, don't let me forget to tell her that nothing really happened."

Chester looked back at him. Only one thing was on his mind. "Okay, lets get you some breakfast too."

Breakfast with Patia "
By: Patia Zoei, Chief Counselor, [PC]
Giuseppe Silvio, Chief Engineer, [RNPC]

Stardate: 58205.28 0600

==USS Zion - Patia's Quarters==

Silvio had worked though the night with his team to get deck 5's power stabilzed. Silvio was very weary, however, instead of going to his quarters to rest he found himself standing outside Patia's quarters. He figured that she would have also had a late night like everone else after the battle, and hoped that he would not be waking her. Silvio rang her door chime.

Patia adjusted her collar as the chime echoed through her quarters. Slowly, she turned on her heel before she called, "Enter".

The door slid open and Silvio wearily entered. "Good morning Patia," said Silvio quietly.

At that time of morning, an unnatural hush filled the ship. "Good morning, Guiseppe," Patia backed away from the door, "come in." Her voice was breathy, still hoarse from an all too brief night's sleep.

Silvio smiled at her and then walked over and kissed her on the forehead. "I just finished work on Deck 5 and was on my way to get some sleep, but I wanted to stop in see you. How are you doing?"

Her eyes drifted shut as his lips brushed tenderly across her skin. They fluttered open as she answered, "Upright and functioning. It will be a long day after a short night, which I can see you understand." The hint of a smile highlighted the beginning of the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes. "You look like sleep will be the best thing for you." The area under his eyes had the appearance of faint bruising that can only come from sleep deprivation.

"Yeah, Deck 5 has a nice hole in it," he said, "The power was unstable. It almost decompressed on us." Silvio surpressed a shiver at the thought of being sucked out into space throught that breach. "It was a long night."

A shudder ran along Patia's spine. The thought of Silvio, and his crew, out in space was frightening. She suppressed a flutter of nausea at the thought of notifying families and handling the reactions of the crew. She refused to acknowledge the empty feeling she had at the thought of Silvio's death. "You look like you need to get some sleep. Did you want to have a seat for a few minutes before you head back to your quarters?" She gestured toward several comfortable chairs in the sitting area.

"If I sit down, I will probably end up sleeping here," SIlvio chuckled. SIlvio considered his options. Being here and seeing Patia had given him a second wind. He really did not want to just leave now, "I was thinking that it might be good to get something to eat before turning in. What do you think?"

Briefly, she considered. With a shrug, she said, "If you can give me two minutes, that would be perfect."

Silvio could not see what she wold need two minutes for. She already looked good to him, "Sure, no problem."

She shook her head as she chuckled. "It is a girl thing," she winked conspiratorially, as she turned toward her dressing area. With efficient movements, Patia ran the stiff bristled brush through her hair before twisting it into a loose knot at the nape of her neck.

One last glance at the mirror, and she was ready. When she left her quarters this early, she was always afraid she would carry the sleepy, tousled look common to people in the first minutes after they arise rather than the cool, professional image she preferred to carry throughout her day. "Ready," she asked, her heels clicking on the tile floor as she walked back toward Silvio.

"Absolutly," said Silvio with a smile as he offered her his arm.

She tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow and gently squeezed. "Miranda's?"

Silvio's smile vanished slightly as he shook his head, "I guess Miranda was injured in the battle, she is in sickbay," he said. Notcing the looke of concern on Patia's face he quickly added, "I am told it was not a serious injury. I thought I might go visit her later. I do not think Miranda's is open."

"What happened?" She drew back slightly to look into his face.

"She was in her quarters and apparenty an EPS conduit blew. That is all I really know," said Silvio. He felt a bit guilty that he had not checked in on Miranda sooner, but he was just too busy with the ship.

"Want to stop there on the way to the mess?" Patia arched her eyebrow slightly.

Silvio shook his head, "It is too early in the morning. Sick people need rest," Silvio smiled as he lead the way to the turbolift and then on to the Mess hall. Once there Silvio ordered his breakfast from a replicator.

Patia ordered a slice of toast and a glass of tea. She settled into a seat and waited for Silvio to join her. Absently, she picked the crust from the edge of the dry bread.

Silvio sat down at the table accross from Patia. He had ordered just toast and glass of orange juice, "So, we survived another battle," he said, "Some of us did anyway."

Gently, she nodded. "Most of us did. And, the Zion did, too. With a little work, she will be back to her old self. How many of the casualties were from Engineering?"

"Crewman Spencer was killed and his friend Busch was injured, but it looks like he will make it. The rest seem to ahve some through fairly well. I have not seen the final casualty report yet," silvio took a drink o fhis juice. "I wish this war would end," he said saddly.

"It won't, not in the foreseeable future anyway. There is too much at stake, too many decisions have been made and too much face would be lost for either party to back down." She shook her head slightly, and couldn't quite suppress the sigh that whispered from her lips. Leaning forward, she put aside all pretense of eating as she slid her plate to the side. "Right now, we can just do the best we can for the cause we support." She propped her chin on her fist and watched the emotions play across his face.

"What would you do if the war ended today," asked Silvio, "Where would you like to go?"

"I would go home for a visit with my parents, and then I would come back here. Even if the war ended, the military need wouldn't disappear. My life is here, so here I would stay. How about you?" She arched an eyebrow as she asked the question.

"I am an Engineer so I would stay here as well, however, if I had a break I might like to travel," he paued and looked at Patia, "Maybe I would like to go see Betazed."

Her eyebrow hiked up a fraction of an inch higher. "And what would you like to see if you were to go to Betazed?"

Silvio finished his toast, "I am not sure, I have never been there. What would you suggest?"

"It depends on what you are looking for in a vacation," she smiled slightly. "You could have an adventure in the jungle or tour museums, visit the temples or laze on the beach. Betazed can meet most ideas of relaxation."

"Sounds interesting," said Silvio, "Maybe some day it will happen."

Patia smiled softly, again, this time with just a hint of sadness. "Maybe." Her eyes took on a far away look as her voice trailed off into silence.

"Is everything ok," asked Silvio.

"I have a feeling I won't ever go back to Betazed again. I don't know why I feel this way, but I don't think it will ever happen." She sipped at her tea, but didn't taste it as she drank it.

"Well, who will I have to show me around," asked Silvio, "You have to go back at least once." Silvio gave Patia his best pleading look.

She chuckled softly. "I will see what I can do. If it doesn't work for me, you can always have Papa show you around. He is much more familiar with Betazed and quite proud. Even if I went back, he would be the better tour guide. If he showed you around, you would also have the benefit of my mother's cooking. When it comes to traditional Betazed cuisine, she can't be beat."

"Sounds good to me," said Silvio, trying to stifle a yawn. "I suppose I should go and get a few hours of sleep," he said. Do you want to go check on Miranda with me later this afternoon?"

"Yes, I would. I might pop in on her this morning, depending on how my morning rolls out. As close as my office is to Sick Bay, I might not be able to resist the temptation to stop in and check on her sooner."

"Okay," said Silvio, "Are you ready to go?"

Quickly, she stood up and brushed her pants to smooth them along her thighs. "Yes, ready as I'll ever be anyway." The change in her was subtle, but there was nothing personal about her now. Her professional mien was perfectly in place.

Silvio also stood up, noticing how quickly Patia put on her game face. "I'll walk you to your office," he said, "It's on my way." Together they left the messhall.

Life is like a saladbowl"
By: Miranda, Lounge Manager, [RNPC]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 0600

It was early in sickbay when Teilani made her rounds, only 10 biobeds were still occupied, including one by Miranda and one by crewman L'ettuce. She checked his vitals being involved a fight to evacuate deck 5 with Petty officer Qcumber and Lt Crou Ton, he and Ensign Vin A. Grette were still recovering from their injuries.

The remaining injuries were still at the secondary sickbay or in other words, the holodeck, giving main sickbay the chance to focus on the more serious injuries.

Trying not to make a sound, she checked the readings on the diagnostics.

Miranda's eyes popped open, "Good morning Doctor."

"Your awake already? How do you feel?"

"Weak and sore all over," she replied with a sigh. "I do not think I will be going back to work today."

Teilani took her tricorder and moved it along Miranda's body. "Your vital signs are all ok."

Miranda nodded, "I am glad to hear it. I think I am going to take a couple days off. I want to rest a bit before going back to work."

Teilani studied Miranda for a second. "You want me to write you a note?"

Miranda chuckled, "I'm the boss, will you write it out to me?"

"Yes, giving you the rest of the week off?"

"I'll take it," she replied with a smile.

Teilani smiled as she made some notes on her tricorder. "I am confident that the rest of your staff can do without you. I admit it will not be the same but the crew simply has to get used to it. You have earned a rest Miss."

"They will be just fine without me," replied Miranda.

"Well then consider yourself dismissed from this place and have a nice break." Teilani said with a small smile.

Miranda grabbed the Doctor's arm, "Thank you for everything Doctor."

Teilani nodded and gave her a slight smile. "Just doin'my job Miss. You just make sure that you get enough rest."

Pacifica #95"
By: Jonathan Wright, Executive Officer, [PC]
Miranda, Lounge Manager, [RNPC]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 1000

Commander Wright entered sickbay. It was full. Wright sadly shook his head at the sight of all the people who were injured. It was in his opinion an expensive price to pay for this war. Wright looked around and noticed that the doctor was busy with a patient. He decided that he would wait and headed towards her office when one of the patients caught his attention. It was Miranda.

Wright approached her bed. She appeared to be sleeping. Quietly he picked up the PADD that had her record and glanced though it. She had some pretty severe plasma burns, a concussion, and a broken leg. The doctor's notes said she had regained consciousness. Wright was relieved at that.

"It says that I am going to live," said Miranda with her eyes still closed.

Wright returned the PADD back to where he found it and smiled, "Indeed it does. It looks like you have had a heck of a time."

"Yeah," she said wearily, "The doctor has fixed me up for the most part, but I wish she could do something for this terrible headache." Miranda grimaced as her head throbbed painfully.

"Have you discussed it with her," asked Wright.

Miranda shook her head, "Not yet, the last time I spoke to her it was not a problem."

"Well, I have no doubt that you will get the best treatment here," said Wright. "You have someone taking care of the lounge?"

Miranda smiled, "It is being cleaned up even as week speak. It should be open tonight, without me of course." Miranda rubbed her temples trying to clear her head.

"Hello Commander, Miranda." Teilani said softly, holding a tricorder in her hand.

"Hello Doctor," said Wright, "I came down to visit with you and found Miranda here."

Teilani smiled. "Yes she was injured during a blow up but she will recover completely." Teilani said.

"She says she has a-," Wright began but was interrupted by a yell from Miranda. Looking away from the doctor Wright saw Miranda sitting up in her bed holding her head in both hands. It was clear that she was in a great deal of pain.

"Excuse me Commander," Teilani said quickly. She pressed some controls and ran her hand scanner along Miranda's head. "Gloria," give me a neurosynaptic emitter.

"Miranda, Miranda." Teilani said. "Look at me, try to open your eyes."

Wright got out of the way of the medical staff. Even though every fiber of his being wanted to rush in and help, he knew that it was no longer his place to do so. He watched as Miranda cradled her head in both hands and rocked back and forth in agony. She did not seem able to respond to or even to have heard the doctor's question.

"Gloria help me put ting her under." Teilani prepared a hypospray with sedation and pressed it against Miranda's neck. Slowly Miranda slumped back on the bed, her face distorted from pain.

Teilani looked at the diagnostic display at the top of Miranda's head. Elevated blood pressure, synaptic signals off the scale.

Calmly but with a steady pace Teilani prepared some hyposprays with triox, as well as a blood thinner. "Gloria give me the coagulation activator," she asked.

For some reason the little medical device weight heavy in her hands and Teilani could feel Wright’s eyes in the back of her neck. "Monitor her platelets, they seem to be clotted at the left temple, it’s not big, but we need to make sure."

"Yes doctor," Gloria said calmly as she handed Teilani the equipment. "The clot is reducing doctor, 78%......69%...........52%. Gloria administered a little more blood thinner. 37%."

Teilani carefully moved the activator over the left hand side of Miranda's head. "Heart rate 90, doctor." Teilani nodded.

Wright watched the doctor and her staff work. He was impressed by the way they worked together. He watched as the readings on the display began to change in Miranda's favour. Wright remembered the rush he used to get when saving someone's life; he wondered if perhaps he had made the wrong decision when he decided to go into command. He really did miss the work.

"How much now, keep giving me the readings Gloria." Teilani mumbled. 29%.......17%.......12%.......7%....I think we are there doctor." Gloria said.

Teilani looked up and took her tricorder from her pocket. "I think so too. Let’s see if Miranda wants to wake up."

Miranda's eyes opened for just a brief moment. She took a breath and fell back to sleep.

Teilani smiled and brushed the hair from Miranda's face. It was peaceful now the lines of pain which were there earlier had disappeared. She turned back to Wright.

"She is sleeping now Commander." Teilani said trying to hide a yawn with a smile. She will be back in the lounge tomorrow.

"Good work Doctor," said Wright. "How are things holding up here?"

"Pretty well," Teilani responded. "All things considered."

"Do you have any casualty reports," asked Wright.

Teilani nodded and walked over to her office. It was a bit messy, some old mugs with cold coffee were on her desk. The couch showed signs of having been slept on. She took some PADDs from her desk and handed him to Wright.

"I believe you needed these? There were some casualties and I have taken the liberty of finding out about the relatives and such.”

Wright nodded as he took the PADDs. Family members of those who have died would need to be contacted. It was one of the jobs that no one relished doing.

“Thank you. Keep up the good work Doctor,” said Wright. He paused to look at the couch. “You should try to get some rest,” “he suggested, “You look pretty exhausted.”

“All in good time Sir,” Teilani responded. With the number of wounded she refused to lie down, once the majority was cured and released she would take some time off.

“Have a good afternoon doctor,” said Wright.

Teilani smiled " You too Sir." She tilted her head a little as she saw Wright leave. She wondered when the last time was he ever truly smiled. Judging from his posture it looked like he carried the whole world upon his shoulders.

Haircut "
By: Ian Hunter, Commanding Officer, [PC]
Jabal, Crewman, [Deleted [DEL]]

Stardate: 58205.28 1000

Hunter stepped out on to the bridge and walked directly toward his ready room, motioning to the Ops person who was sitting in to the command to remain.

Hot on his heals was Yeoman Rands who followed him into the readyroom. She approached her customary spot in front of his desk while Hunter got juice from his replicator. He sat at his desk and held out his hand which promptly received the PADD she carried.

"Night shift reports significant progress with repairs Sir."

Hunter acknowledged her verbal report with a nod.

"Furthermore, engineering reports all systems are expected to be fully operational by 1400 hours. Casualty reports are also in," she said swallowing hard.

Hunter nodded, "anything else?"

"No, Sir."

Hunter sat back in his chair and began reading the PADD, "Thank you, Yeoman," he said looking up, "dismissed."

"Yes Sir," she said promptly turning and leaving.

Hunter looked over the damage reports. There was a large breach on deck 5 which was reinforced with integrity shields. Nothing could be done for it until they returned to dry dock.

He briefly looked over Silvio's report. Silvio always provided abundant details to justify his reports, but he never had any reason to question them. If Silvio said the Zion would be ship-shape by 1400 his word was gold.

He flipped to the next report.

Casualty report. Much lower than first reported. There 19 dead, 227 injured, 36 critical patients still remained in Sickbay.

Damage control reported heavy damage on the port side of deck 2-5 with the most serious damage on deck 6. The forward section of the saucer section also sustained damage including Miranda's.

Hunter looked through the other reports, several reports had not been turned in yet. He was particularly looking for Westfall's tactical analysis.

He stood up and stretched, and walked to his fish tank where he dropped in a few morsels for them. He had seen the damage on deck 5, he thought he would go down and see deck 10.

--- Deck 10 ---

Hunter stepped over a large piece of debris near the entrance of Miranda's. He looked inside it was a busy place. He stepped up to the bar and was greeted by one of Miranda's waitresses, "Hi Captain, sorry, I'd offer you something but we're closed today."

"That's alright, I just came to see how things were down here." He looked around, "Where's Miranda?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Captain," she said with a concerned look. "She'll be alright, but she is in Sickbay."

"Okay, I see," said Hunter standing up, "well, give her my regards, let me know if you guys need anything."

"Thanks Captain, we will."

Walking out Miranda's he paused and looked around. Across the wide circular hallway he spotted Jabal through the glasswall, sitting in his barber chair.

He walked over stepped into his shop. Jabal immediately sprung to his feet, "My first customer of the day! Welcome Captain."

"I'm surprised you are open for business, this deck has been pretty heavily damaged, and after such a battle...." said Hunter with a look of curiosity.

"Well, Sir, sometimes when things are bad, something like a simple hair cut can make your world seem...back to normal," he explained, "And if I can do that," he said proudly, "I'm ready to serve."

Hunter smiled, "Sure..." he said sitting down in the barber's chair, "why not."

Jabal went to work carefully snipping and trimming the Captain's hair.

"So it is true we got a couple of them?"

Hunter smiled solemnly, "yep, we did."

Jabal paused to reflect, "execellent Sir."

"...and is it true we're going to continue on to Pacifica?"

"Yep." said Hunter being as brief as he could.

"What do you think will happen when we get there?"

"I don't know Jabal, we'll have to see when we get there."

"I see Sir."

Jabal continued to work on the Captain's hair without further interrogation.

When he was finished, Hunter looked at his work and nodded, "good work Jabal,"

"Thank-you Captain," he said as Hunter was walking out the door. He turned "What for?" he asked.

"W-why, for being what will probably be my only customer today," he said.

Hunter nodded, "no problem."

Starting Over "
By: James McIntyre , Doctor , [NPC]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 1000

McIntyre entered Dane's office and set a what looked like a branch of vegetation on her desk.

Teilani looked up and arched an eyebrow. "What this Mr McIntyre?" she asked.

"Its an Olive branch, Doctor," he said, "I think we got off on the wrong foot when you where promoted to Chief Science officer and I think its time we admit that we...well, I started our working relationship off on the wrong foot."

"Yes you did," she replied, waiting for him to continue. It was nice to see one squirm like a worm on a hook.

"I'd just like a chance to start over," he said with a wry smile.

"I see." Teilani said gruffly. "Well you know I am a firm believer in giving people a second chance. So alright we give it another try."

"So now this," she pointed at the vegetation. "It looks dead. You sure it will grow?"

He laughed, "its just a figurative symbol."

Teilani grinned. "I gotta brush up on those symbols. Well lets see if I can find a nice spot for it." She took the pot with the branch and placed it on a small side table next to the couch. She placed her hands on her hips and looked at it sternly. "Grow!"

McIntyre crossed his arms and laughed at her antics.

"I am good with patients but worse with green plants, some how they always end up dead."

"No problem Doctor..." he said, "You know, after this fighting is over, we should do dinner sometime."

"That would be lovely Doctor." she replied. "Now lets go see our patients shall we?" Both Teilani and McIntyre walked back towards main sickbay.

"Yes," he replied, "I was just about to begin my rounds," he said

"Did you check up on Crewman Biggles? He has been dismissed but I am a bit concerned about him.

McIntyre made it a point to remember all the patients who entered sickbay, often even if they were not his patients. "The Ensign with the neutronic exposure?" McIntyre shook his head, "he's not reported back to sickbay yet."

Suddenly a nurse came running, "Doctor, Doctor!" she pointed, "we need you right away. McIntyre looked at Dane and then hustled after the nurse, Dane was right behind him.

When it arrived at the patient's bedside, he looked up at Dane, "its Crewman Busch from engineering. He scanned with his tricorder, "neurosynaptic shock. He took a lot of deutritanium shrapnel from an exploding EPS manifold." He looked at Dane, "his colleague didn't make it."

Teilani nodded. " Yes I know. But Busch is not going to die to day. It is not a good day. Lets get some fluids in him. She gestured to one of the nurse, prepare an IV."

McIntyre turned to another nurse, "His central nervous system is beginning to degrade from a neurolyptic cascade, we might need a cortical stimulator too." He looked up at Dane, "if you could assist me in stabilizing the parasympathetic pathways Doctor, I'll work to reverse the damage done to the neurosynaptic transmitters."

"Of course Doctor," she replied.

Teilani looked at the overhead display, it showed the irratic readings of Crewman Busch. "Hurry up with that stimulator, Nancy." she said. She placed a neurostimulator at the crewman's forehead, and adjusted it slightly.

Working calmly but quickly, guided by the beeps of the diagnostic console Teilani and McIntyre tried to stabilize Busch.

"Perhaps we could release a pair of nanoprobes into his blood stream to help pin point any trace amounts of deutritanium.

Teilani shook her head, " No that won't work, the scanning resolution of a nanoprobe is too low. Manuall scanning is better.

"Good point Doctor..." quipped McIntyre, "I guess the old saying is true..."

Teilani smiled as she looked up. " Old saying?"

"A probe in the hand is worth two in the Busch." He looked up and winked at Dane, then turned his head to the nurse, "We're going to need that cortical stimulator now, his B-wave patterns are being to degrade.

"There you go doctor," Nancy replied as she pressed the stimulator in his hand. What a twit, she thought, he thinks he knows better She then smiled and handed a tricorder to Teilani.

McIntyre took the stimulator and held it in front of him for a moment. "Handy things these are..." he said as he attached the stimulator to Busch's forehead and adjusted it to maintain a low amount of continuous stimulation. "I keep one in my quarters just in case the replicator runs out of coffee."

Then, in a tone voice that conveyed of serious life and death McIntyre pointed to the holographic representation of Busch which floated above his own body. The hologram displayed all the internal organs and structures. "Here," he said pointing to a blinking area in the hologram's neck, "This descending nerve ganglia has lost its potassium potential, all critical synapses are fading here.

"Indeed, Teilani responded. " But look the other synapses are trying to take over. It seems we have to increase the potassium levels as well as to stimulate the growth.

"So your a coffee holic as well?" she asked as she worked steadily.

He chuckled, "I'm afraid so, I prescribe it to myself every morning."

"Doctor, you are a man to my liking," Teilani said with a grin. "Have you ever tried the Jamaican blend. Its exquisite!!" "Look, "she said pointing at the hologram, "there the synapsis are reforming now."

McIntyre breathed a sigh of relief and picked up a med padd, "no I've not, I'm always game for something new though.....There, I've recalibrated the cortical stimulator, do you think the neurosynaptic transmitters will regenerate quick enough?"

"I dont think so, we need to induce a neuropolaric method, we have to try to repolarize the ganglionic neural sheaths in his brain." Teilani said adjusting the neurocortical monitor.

"Re...polarize?" he looked again at the biosigns they were very weak still. "That's a risky procedure Doctor, are you sure you want to do that?"

"We have to, " she said. "Consider the brain as a big power unit or a battery if you connect it incorrectly it will not work."

McIntyre sighed, "last patient I did that procedure on talked backwards for a week."

His eye caught the odd expression on the nurse's face. "I'm kidding," he confessed with great emphasis.

He looked up at Dane and smiled, "Sorry, I can't help myself."

She grinned. "It's alright, medical jokes are difficult to understand."

"I'll initiate the procedure, it will be quite a shock to his system," said McIntyre turning to the nurse, let's administor 10cc of delactovine."

He watched as the nurse prepared the hypo, "Have you ever tried Irish Mocha?"

"Irish Mocha?" Can't say I did," She replied. "However, Chief Silvio programmed some great coffee icecreams in the replicator." Teilani frowned. "He is going to need some serious neurosynaptic therapy if he pulls through."

"Yeah, he won't be racing anywhere soon," replied McIntyre.

The nurse handed him the hypo, he looked at the display, and satisfied all was in order, he pressed the hypo against Busch's neck. "Ready Doctor?"

"Born ready," Teilani replied, watching the diagnostic display anxiously. She heard the soft hiss of the hypspray being administered and counted to 10. The readings remained within normal parameters

McIntyre watched the holographic simulation as the computer directed beams of energy revitalized various parts of Busch's brain.

The procedure executed in just a few minutes.

"It seemed he will be pulling through, nice work doctor" Teilani said with a smile as she placed her tricorder on a table next to her.

McIntyre made a curtsy gesture toward Dane, "...and nice work on your part too Dr. Dane."

Teilani made a little twirl, yeah we're good, we're bad, we're awsome. She then laughed. "Coffee doctor?" Nancy the nurse looked at Dane and McIntyre as if they were nuts then shook her head. "Doctor's" she mumbled.

"Indeed, I'll catch up with you up after rounds and give that coffee of yours a try."

"Alright, see you then, I wonder if my plant has grown a little already?"

McIntyre chuckled a bit, "Perhaps you should water it with coffee."

Teilani laughed as she walked to her office. "Now now, we want to make it grow not kill it."

"I'll see you later Doctor," said McIntyre.

Warrior Toes "
By: M'Ressha Mikaht, Fighter Pilot , [RNPC]
Krystal, Hologram, [RNPC]
Maxine Lucinda Tapert, Computer Specialist, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 1130

Blitzer watched the large blue planet spinning below them and couldn't help commenting, "that's a beautiful planet. It reminds me of Risa." He glanced at Max out of the corner of his eye, "Have you ever been there?"

"To Risa?" Max turned from the computer readout she'd been watching to look at him and smile a little as she shook her head, answering her own question and his. "No. I don't usually go in for that kind of thing much," she admitted. "I'm generally way out of place, y'know?"

Blitzer felt a bit flustered, "No..uhm, I didn't mean it like that...its uhm, just that Risa is a beautiful planet," he said gesturing toward the front view port, "like...like, this planet."

"Oh..." Maxine blinked and actually *looked* at the planet before them. "M'sorry," she offered quietly. "It's just that... usually I don't pay attention..." she admitted with a soft grunt and a half shrug of a shoulder, almost in apology or embarrassment. "Usually I just pay attention to computers and code..." She glanced sideways at him then. "It is beautiful though..." she indicated Pacifica.

Blitzer swiveled his chair to face Max a little more, he casually observed her diligently working. Her holographic companion had braided her hair up and her scared wrists...he tried to imagine the passion of a 10-year old girl trying to join with her computer. He studied the computer access port barely visible beneath the long locks of red hair.

"Have you ever met a Bynar?" interrupted Blitzer.

Max blinked and stopped what she was doing to turn and look at him. Her eyes cleared from their sightless reflection of the LCARS to focus solely on him. "Nooo...." her tone was rather hushed. "I've always wanted to though... I wanted to be like them when I was little," she admitted. "Have y'ever met one?"

"Yep," he said crossing his stretched out legs and putting his hands behind his head. "I suspect you'd like them, their whole race is dependent on their mainframe computer system. It's their god."

Now that had Krystal making a 'errk?' sound and turning all her attention to Blitz. Computer gods? How totally right was that?

"Oooohhh... You actually *met* them?" Max asked as she reached up to unplug her interface and really give him her total attention. "What were they like?" Her curiosity had her rather animated and scooting closer to him as she sat on the edge of her seat. "Although I don't think I could go with th'whole computer god thing... Too wrong.."

"Yeah, I have met Bynars. I grew up on a UFP space station, many different travelers. The Federation worked out a trade deal with the Bynars in exchange for upgrading the computer core there."

Max and Krystal listened raptly, shifting a little as Blitzer paused to recollect his memories, "They always travel in pairs, One and Zero. They communicated to each other by exchanging raw data." He chuckled, "...and they complete each other's sentence. Sort of like you and Krystal."

"Oh but..." Max tore her gaze from him to look at the hologram who had started preening her wings and looking rather smug. "Don't gloat," Max warned her and turned her attention back to Blitz. "I envy you. I'd love to meet them," she admitted. "Krystal is like.... Talkin' to myself," she told him.

"Only I don't have an accent," Krystal pointed out with a grin.

"Roight," Max glanced at her briefly but then her gaze went right back to Blitz's and the intensity of her focus was almost a tangible thing. "I've never actually talked to anyone that understood binary..."

Blitzer shook his head, "Strange crew they were...."

"Ooohhh.... Tell me everything," Max asked and propped her chin in her hands and elbows on her console as she listened with rapt attention.

"Reportedly, When Admiral Picard was Captain of the Enterprise-D, the Bynars highjacked the ship. They wanted able to transfer their consciousness into the Enterprise's computer core when their sun went nova." He smirked as if he were about to deliver a punchline, "I guess they had to reboot."

He could almost see Max's mind working as it processed that. She was looking at him, but at the moment not really seeing him. Then she blinked and nodded and her eyes focused on him. She smiled. And it was a beautiful sight in its simplicity and the depth it reached in her eyes. "Power surge," she agreed with him about the reboot, her eyes sparkling from the humor of his 'joke'. "How'd they get out?"

"As the story goes, they subverted the Picard and his XO in a very dramatic Holodeck program while they took the ship to their homeworld mainframe. I heard they even transferred their very consciousness into the computer core. When they were discovered, Data, the legendary android himself," Blitzer leaned close to Max, "whom I've also met," he bragged with a smile leaning back, "helped them transfer their homeworld mainframe back to their planet."

Max breathed and her nostrils flared as she caught his scent when he leaned in close. He'd met Data...She could only imagine what that would be like. And helped them... she was awed by the story and it showed in her face and eyes. "I want to go there some day," she confided.

"Very few people have ever set foot on the planet Bynaus," said Blitzer seductively, "It sounds like an adventure to me," he said running his paw through his mane, "I like blinky lights."

"Mmmhmm... I still want to go...." she watched his movements, almost hypnotized by them and that seductive quality to his voice. She looked like she was committing him to memory. In reality she was systematically turning him into code.

Blitzer stood up and stretched with a little bit of a yawn, "I'm going to the galley. Hmm..." he stopped to ponder, "What kind of sandwich was that you made?"

Maxine blinked and sat back as she looked up at him. It took her a moment to process his question and then she was smiling at him as she answered. "Roast beef with 'orseradish, sauerkraut and peanut butter," she told him.

"Can I bring you something? We can have a picnic," he said with a wink.

"M'starved," she admitted with a grin. "I'll eat whatever y'bring."

Blitzer smiled and headed toward the galley. As he went he sang in a deep baritone voice a badly mangled klingon opera:

"Ak'la bella doo-oo-oo-oo... Bella ak'la doo-oo-oo-oo... La suhm ... La suhm... L'kahtra ...La suhm... Ak'la bella doo-oo-oo-oo!"

His voice trailed off...

Max's gaze followed him as he left the flight deck, her brow quirking a bit at his rather proud swagger. The Cait was animated and dramatic, almost marching with his tail swishing back and fourth as he sang. When his garbled Klingon words penetrated past the visual image of him, she blinked and looked over at Krystal with a questioning rise of her brow.

The little pixie's face was scrunched up and her wings fluttered. After a moment she looked at Max and giggled. "His toes are mighty warriors, his enemies pass wind in their mother's vests... or socks... and his children all have rotten teeth..... It's a very proud song," Krystal told her.

"Uuuhhh.... I can hear that," Max finally commented. "He has a nice voice...."

"Uh-huh.... And Warrior toes..." the pixie agreed.

"I'll have to look when he gets back...."

"He might bring you the 'heart of his enemy...."

"To eat?" Max blinked and made a face.

"It's tradition..."

"You're kidding..."

"Maybe he'll bring their toes instead," Krystal suggested.

Beneath the Surface "
By: Christine Walker, Bar Owner, [NPC]
Dr. Alyssa Caitlin Northrop, Acting Chief Intel Officer, [PST]

Stardate: 58205.28 1130

When Northrop had initially beamed down, she'd been shocked to find herself in a rather larged domed city under water. Though that shock had only lasted a moment. She had chided herself for allowing that to happen. It wasn't like she'd never been here before. Shaking her head, she dismissed the thoughts and shrugged her bag up onto her shoulder a little more.

The PADD she'd been going over up on the runabout had contained the whereabouts of a Maquis contact in this city. He was a human rather than a Pacifican and actually ran a bar with the obvious and rather cheesy name of 'The Undersea Tavern.' The man's name was Chris Walker. All she really had was a name and a place...along with a set of contact instructions.

Now, contrary to popular belief, the best way to move about unoticed is not by sneaking around in the shadows. People tended to look there when they're looking for persons who don't belong. While granted there were times where that sort of things were necessary, whenever possible it was wise not to. So Alyssa simply walked down the wide streets as if she belonged there. After all, she did...or that's what anyone would belive. She had the proper attitude...and it also helped that she had the right documentation as well. The archeologist smiled just a little. So far as anyone knew, she was simply an Archeologist passing through to visit the ruins of an ancient underwater city here on Pacifica. At least that's what her documents said. She made a mental note to send Old Marzan a bottle of Saurian Brandy for the excellent job he'd done this time. Usually he charged for his work...but for some reason he declined the GPL which was his normal fee. All he asked was that she kill an Alliance Member for him. Alyssa said that she would see what she could do.

As she walked, she took note of the various armed patrols that walked the street. Some of them were obviously Pacifican Police, who wore dark clothing that was fairly form fitting. It was probably designed to take quite a beating while still allowing them to move freely. Much like a Starfleet BDU...which was used for ground fighting and the like. She had a pair tucked away in her bag just in case she needed it...along with a few other things.

But not all of the patrols where regular police. Many of them were Starfleet Security or Marines as well as quite a few Cardassians. As opposed to the Pacificans, these patrols carried phaser rifles and looked like they were looking for someone to err in even the slightest way.

It didn't take too long for Alyssa to reach the bar where her contact was. There were very specific instructions on making contact so she began going throught them step by step. First thing was to sit in the right booth. Thankfully there was no one in that one, the third from the back on the wall farthest from the bar. She took the booth and sat with her back against the wall so that she could see everything that went on. The next step was to take the items on the table and arrange them in a specific pattern...which to anyone else would simply look like she was bored. Once that was done, she simply waited for the next step to happen...which was out of her control for the moment.

After about five minutes, one of the waitresses finally came over. She was a pretty thing, blonde, thin and quite tall. If only she wasn't so busy....

Alyssa shook her head and got back to business. "I'll have a glass of Gamzain Wine please."

The wine itself was as vile as anything she'd ever ingested before...but that was the trigger. Apparently no one on Pacifica drank the stuff....which Alyssa fully understood. Though what happened next she wasn't expecting.

A bottle of wine was set down in front of her followed by a rather striking redhead sitting down across from her. "I'm so sorry...but we're all out of Gamzian Wine. Perhaps I could interest you in this Chateau Picard instead? It's a very good vintage."

Alyssa looked the woman in the eye, "You have a 2355?"

"Unfortunatly this isn't a 2355...but it is a 2357. Still a very good vintage," she said.

Northrop nodded, "Very well....though I would be honored if you would share it with me."

The woman across the table smiled and put her hand out, "I'm Chris Walker....it's nice to meet you."

She took Ms. Walker's hand and shook it lightly. "Dr. Alyssa Northrop. I'm here on a bit of an expedition."

"What sort of doctor are you?"

"I'm an Archeologist. I've come to do a little poking around in the ruins outside your dome here."

Walker nodded, "You know....perhaps we should take this bottle of up to my office? We would be much more comfortable there. Then you can tell me all about your expedition to the ruins. I've always been interested in archeology...and I'm a big fan of your work."

"Why thank you, Miss Walker. It's not every day I meet someone who knows my work."

To Be continued....

Infiltration "
By: Christine Walker , Bar Owner , [NPC]
Dr. Alyssa Caitlin Northrop, Acting Chief Intel Officer, [PST]

Stardate: 58205.28 1200

Alyssa followed Christine to the back of the bar and then up some stairs. At the top of the darkened staircase was a door. It opened at it's owners approach. The raven haired archeologist followed her hostess through.

"Have a seat, Doctor," Walker said motioning to the pair of chairs in front of her desk. Northrop took the chair on the left side and looked around a bit as the other woman took her seat. For some reason the room struck her as belonging in one of those old Gangster Holovids.

Nothing was said for a few moments. Chris would let her know when it was ok to talk...but first they had to be sure that no one was listening. After a moment, the signal was given and Alyssa looked over at her informant. "So what's the story around here?"

Leaning back in her chair, Chris began. "As you might imagine, when the Federation and the Cardassians arrived here on Pacifica they were eager to rid themselves of any sort of troublesome government interference. Governor Delaplane tried to reason with them...but Starfleet wouldn't hear of it. For all his trouble, Delaplane was replaced like a faulty lightbulb and the rest of us have been stuck here with Cardassian and Starfleet soldiers walking up and down the streets. I don't know if you've ever been in Occupied territory before...but let me tell you that living here is no walk in the park."

The Maquis Officer could only nod. "And what happened to the Governor...as well as the rest of your government?"

"Most of the government itself is still in place. They're colaborating with the enemy. But the senior cabinet members and the Governor himself....what happened to them is sketchy at best. However, being the local bartender and somewhat well connected gives me a somewhat unique ability to gather information. People like to tell me things....or tell other people things while not noticing that I'm sitting here. You see, the Capital isn't very far away from here at all. It's about 500 meters straight up from here."

Alyssa made a face at that.

"But anyway, alot of the puppets up there like to come down here because we offer things that they can't get up there." Alyssa had an idea what she was talking about...though Chris didn't elaborate and Alyssa didn't press the issue. "You see...there are three possibilities as to what may have happened to Delaplane and company. The first option is that the Federation simply shot his ass and tossed him into the ocean for the fish. I have to say that that particular opinion is a rather popular one among some of our less scrupled patrons. But since that doesn't help us we're just going to have to hope that that isn't what happened."

"You said there were three possibilities?" Alyssa prodded, wanting to get on with things. She was here to find out where that man was and how they might get him back.

"While not including the death of our fair Governor, the other two are still not the best possible outcome. I've heard that he's being held in one of two places. One source tells me that he's down here somewhere...most likely in the Government Center at the other end of the city. Another source tells me that he's in orbit...on that big honkin' ship they've got up there."

Northrop's head dropped. If he were in orbit, the man might as well be on Earth. Getting onto an enemy starship was going to be much, much easier said than done. It was best that the man was still here on Pacifica. "Ok...Chris...can you take me over to that Government Center? I'll need to check it out and see about getting inside."

Walker just smiled, "You know...you really are a pretty girl, Doctor."

The archeologist scowled, "And your point would be?"

"Just that I can get you inside....but it's going to require more than a bit of acting ability on your part." The smile on Walker's face got larger, which for some reason made Alyssa feel all the more uneasy about this.

"Ok...so what's this plan of your's?" she asked.

"As I said, the Federation and Cardassians come down here because we provide services that they can't get in the Capital, or many other places for that matter. And as luck would have it, I'm supposed to send a group of girls over to the Government Center to help ease the lonliness of the men there." Chris said this last part in with definitly fake sympathy. Resuming her normal tone, "Should you go in that way, you're much more likly to make it in alive."

Northrop blanched at the idea. She was not a whore. But....she had to admit that Walker had a point. "Durno IV all over again...," she muttered.

"What?"

"Oh...nothing. Alright....I don't suppose you have some clothing I could borrow?"

"I suppose you could call it clothing." She smirked a bit and stood. "C'mon...we'll see what we can dig up."

About an hour later, Alyssa Northrop stood in the center of a group of other women......although her dress was certainly the most conservative of the group. Thankfully, Chris had been able to find her something that would both fit and preseve her dignity. She was there for a reason...and that reason was not to show Pacifica the more risque portions of her body. For her part, Walker was doing a fairly good job at not laughing at her. "Ok Girls...I've got a little bit of an extra job for you tonight."

The bar owner pulled Northrop out from the center of the group. "This is Krystal. She'll be joining you tonight....but not for the entire evening. Now what we need from you here is that Krystal gets inside the G.C. but after that is able to safely disapppear. She has work to do that doesn't include poisoning any Cardassians." She smiled at that, knowing that she hadn't told that particular bit to their Maquis friend. "So once you're inside, there was only ever 10 of you. Got me?"

All of the other women nodded. "OK ladies...let's get to work."

The group left the bar and headed down the street. However, the women were not alone as they went. Chris herself led the procession while a group of 4 large men provided a perimeter. Alyssa figured that a Madame had to watch over her girls.

Parked just down the way from the bar was a group of ground effect transports. Alyssa followed the girls as they got into the vehicles. Within minutes they would be inside the walls of the Government Center....which Walker had told her were very large and very well guarded. The idea was that once they were inside the building that Alyssa would somehow detach herself from the group and vanish into the building. Then if anyone asked....she was never there. Ok...so maybe it wasn't exactly like Durno IV....but it was close. Her thoughts were interupted by a quick, sharp jab. "Oww....damn dress," she muttered.

Taking a second, she adjusted things and felt ok again. Yeah...no one would ever accuse this dress of being comfortable....though there were definitly girls here who had to be less so.

The GEVs slowed and came to a stop. Alyssa, who just happened to be sitting at a window, looked around at the goings on outside...and figured that she wouldn't have all that much trouble getting out again. Of course, if she did find Delaplane, that was going to make getting out all the more interesting.

There were a mix of Cardassian and Starfleet Security people around. Some were up in watch towers while others simply walked along the top of the walls. From what she could see, there weren't all that many around. Most of the soldiers were probably out patrolling the city. Of course Disruptor rifles tended to make up for a smaller number of men.

After a moment of talking with the gate guard, the GEVs slide inside the compound and up to the front door. Once there the doors were yanked open. "Ok...everyone out."

All of their party filtered out of the cars and stood together in a group. Alyssa could feel the leering stares of the guards. It made her feel dirty.....and more than just a bit angry. 'Hunter better appreciate this,' she thought.

They were taken inside and each girl was made to walk through a bank of weapon scanners. The four grunts, as well as Chris herself, got a free pass. She assumed that this was all part of the bargin. Alyssa was glad of this because George, one of the grunts had her backpack and instructions to hold it for her till she took it.

With that finished, the group was taken deeper into the building and towards, what one could only assume was the awaiting soldiers. Northrop began to fall towards the back. Apparently Christine Walker was quite a smart woman. They had an escort of one Starfleet Officer...and he was up at the front. All part of the routine. Alyssa fell into step with George at the back and got her backpack from him. At the next crossing, she broke off from the group after making sure there was no one in sight of course.

First order of business was to get rid of this dress, so she ducked into a storage closet and quickly got herself ready to go. It was amazing what one could get out of a properly programed replicator. Up to and including a Starfleet Security Uniform. Northrop even excerised a little bit of care putting the dress away. It was pretty after all. Now...it was time to find a computer and find the Governor. Exiting the storage closet, she calmly walked down the hallway. After all, she belonged there didn't she?

Finding the computer proved to be a bit more difficult than she's anticipated. It wasn't like on most Starfleet installations where the computer could be accessed from any number of places. No...she had to find an office with a terminal in it. Just finding the office ended up taking approximatly 20 minutes.....then getting past the security lockouts took another two. But finally the door spread open and allowed her in. Slipping the backpack off of her shoulders, she dug inside for a special piece of equipment. Once she had it, Alyssa put it down on the desk and activated it. The little box blinked some and then softly beeped when it was finished. Apparently the Federation hadn't deemed it necessary to put most security onto their computers yet...or hadn't gotten around to it as of yet. Once she was in, all she had to do was perform a simply search for the Governor.

As any good computer does, it obediently began searching for the data she asked it for. What it came back with was something less impressive. In fact it was bad news all together. Governor Delaplane had indeed been here...alone with his entire Cabinet. But the only thing left of him was a transporter signature. Apparently he'd been beamed up to the USS Yamato, which was still parked in orbit. Growling a bit, Northrop collected her things and began to make her way out of the building.

An hour later she was again sitting in Christine Walker's office. Chris herself hadn't returned just yet....but then again they weren't supposed to be back till later. It was a party after all. After checking the room herself, Alyssa pulled her comm badge out of her backpack. "Northrop to Tigirs."

Blitzer answered the hail, "Go ahead."

"Ok...I've completed phase one of the mission, Blitzer. But unfortunatly it's not great news beyond the fact that Governor Delaplane and company are still drawing breath. You remember that Sovereign class ship up in orbit? The Yamato is her name...well...that's where Delaplane is. I need you to get that information back to the Zion while I try to figure out what I'm going to do about it. If Captain Hunter has any ideas, please pass them my way. Just whatever you do...make it quick, ok? Northrop out."

It was a fairly short report...but she didn't want anyone tracking the signal back to her. While using different Subspace channels, the underlying technology was still nearly identical to that which Starfleet used. It wouldn't take a genius to find and trace the signal.

So now...all she could do was wait.

Checking on Miranda "
By: Giuseppe Silvio, Chief Engineer, [RNPC]
Patia Zoei, Chief Counselor, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 1200=20

=93If those techniques aren=92t effective, come back to see me. There = are some hypnosis options we can try next, but it would be better for you if this could be resolved without taking that step,=94 Zoei smiled gently at the = tired officer.

Jones placed the bright red pillow that she had been holding in her lap = back into place on the couch and stood up. =93I will see you next week.=94

Rising gracefully, Zoei smiled again, =93I will see you at the same time = next week, but don=92t wait that long if you still aren=92t sleeping.=94

The two of them crossed the counselor=92s office. The door opened as = they approached and they walked out into the waiting area where they found = Silvio sitting quietly in a chair. When he saw them Silvio stood up and smiled at them both.

Jones returned his smile and then turned to the Counselor, =93Have a = good evening,=94 she said, and then left the waiting room quietly.

=93You as well,=94 she said to the retreating back of her last = appointment. The waiting area doors softly whooshed shut. Zoei turned and leaned against = the wall. A slight smiled tipped the corners of her lips. =93You look a = little more rested than you did earlier today.=94

=93I am feeling much better,=94 Silvio admitted, =93I am heading back to = work, but I thought maybe we could go and check in on Miranda first.=94

=93That is an excellent idea,=94 she agreed, =93I had hoped to stop in = earlier but I had more drop in visitors than I had anticipated.=94

=93I am not surprised that you have had a busy day,=94 said Silvio, = =93Considering the battle yesterday.=94 Silvio paused, =93Are you ready to go?=94

Zoei tucked her hair behind her ears. "Let me check my appointments. I think I am free, but I don't want to miss an appointment." She turned = to the door and it quietly slid open. "You can wait here or come on in. I will just be a moment."

Silvio paused a moment to admire Zoei as she walked into her office. Smiling, he quickly followed her in before the doors slid shut again. = Silvio sat down in a chair by Zoei's desk.

She settled into her seat and wrapped her ankles around the base of the chair. A few taps of the keys revealed a two hour break in = appointments. She had one extended appointment scheduled for later in the evening, but = for now, her time was her own. She propped her chin on her hand. "Are you working all night again tonight?"

Silvio shook his head, "Nope, we got most of the tough work done last = night. This ship should be ready to get back underway this evening. I will probably be done by 2300."

She chuckled slightly, the fine lines around her eyes emphasized. "Such = an early night of it you will have. Ready to check on Miranda?"

Silvio thought it would be nice to get off work and spend some time with Patia. In his mind's eye he pictured them snuggling and listening to = music. Silvio was suddenly aware that while he was daydreaming, Patia was = waiting for his answer, "Ah yeah," he said standing up. "Let's go see Miranda."

She slipped around the corner of her desk and slid her hand into the = crook of Silvio's arm. "I prefer jazz, and snuggling on the sofa while = cuddled up into a fleece throw." Carefully, she watched him from the corner of her eye.

Silvio looked at his toes, "You know, that is really not fair," he said smiling at her.

"I know, but you have to take your advantages where you can get them," = she snickered.

The two of them left her office and walked down the corridor to sick = bay. Silvio looked around until he spotted Miranda.

Miranda smiled as she watched Silvio and Patia coming towards her. = "Hi," she said to them, "How's my favorite couple?"

"I would hazard a guess that we are better than you." Zoei gestured at = the flashing lights and humming equipment. "This is a rather extreme way to = get a little time off from Miranda's, wouldn't you say?" A slight smiled = teased at the corner's of Zoei's mouth. "Seriously, how are you doing?"

"I'm much better now," she said, "I had a really bad headache earlier." = She looked at Silvio, "You need to do somehting about those power conduits = that blow up."

Silvio smiled, "It would help if the Federation would stop firing = torpedos at us."

Zoei took a half step back and watched the interplay between the = friends. They had an obvious respect for each other. Miranda looked better than = she had thought was possible from what she had heard of her injuries = earlier. "What sort of headache, Miranda?" she asked.

"Apparently, I developed a blood clot in my brain," she said running her hand through her hair. "The doc took care of it though. She says that I will be back at it tomorrow, but I am not sure I agree with her on that one."

With eyes narrowed, Zoei asked, "Do you think there is something else = still going on? Or you feel like you need to rest up some more?"

Miranda smiled at the concerned counselor, "I am just tired. I think I = will let my staff run Miranda's for a couple days and take some time off."

She nodded slightly, the movement almost imperceptible. "Sounds like a plan. You have to take those opportunities when you can."

Miranda looked at Silvio and Zoei. Zoei's hand was touching Silvio's = arm. She smiled, "With no Miranda's tonight, you two will need to find some = other entertainment." Miranda adjsuted her position in the bed.

Zoei nodded. "It is amazing what a crisis does for my patient load. I wouldn't say it is entertainment, but this is the farthest I have gotten from my office today, and it is about 15 feet down the hall," she = chuckled. "Need some help fluffing your pillows?"

Miranda shook her head, "I'm fine."

"What do you plan for your time off?" Zoei asked.

"Rest," said Miranda, "I am just going to rest."

"I have the next chapter in the Cowboy holodeck program almost done," = said Silvio.

Miranda smiled, "Ahh, no thanks. Your prgrams a bit too realistic for = me, Silvio."

Zoei shook her head slightly. "It looks like you need to rest. Please, = let me know if there is anything I can do for you once you are released from Sick Bay."

Miranda smiled, "Thanks. I will let you know if I need anything."

The smile again accentuating the small lines around her eyes, she nodded = and backed up to allow Silvio to say his good nights.

"I'll check in on you later," said Silvio. "You should get some rest."

"Thanks for stopping by," said Miranda to both of them.

"Good night, Miranda," Zoei stepped back and turned softly on her heel.

Silvio said his goodbye and followed Zoei out of Sickbay. The walked = back down the hallway in silence. They stopped out sife of the counselor's office. "Well, I better get to work." Silvio raised his hand and = stroked the side of her face, "I think a little Jazz and suggling sounds like = fun. Your quarters? 2300?"

"2300 it is. I have the fleece blankets there, too."

Silvio let his hand slide down the side of her face and behind her neck. Gentley, he kissed her. "I will see you then."

She stepped back, the palm of her hand resting on her cheek, still warm = from the touch of his callused palm. "See you later, Silvio."

Silvio winked at her as he turned around and headed for work.

To Gagh or not to Gagh? "
By: Krystal, Hologram, [RNPC]
Maxine Lucinda Tapert, Computer Specialist, [PC]
M'Ressha Mikaht, Fighter Pilot, [RNPC]

Stardate: 58205.28 1340

Blitzer considered replicating a plate of gagh for Max, he'd hoped it would make her squeamish of course. It would have been funny he thought, however he worried that it might not affect at all, in which case that would betray to him that she was more machine than woman. While he rather liked authentic klingon cuisine which was still squirming or bleeding on the plate, he was even more amused by humans who who pretended to be able to stomach it.

As he paced in front of the replicator, his tail swayed back and forth betraying his contemplation. He wanted to impress Max and needed something quite out of the ordinary. "Computer display the most preferred food for terran born humans for the past 200 years." The computer chirped and displayed a menu. Many of them he recognized as suitable for romantic dinners, which this was not.

"Computer, of this list, display foods suitable for a picnic." Blitzer frowned as the list returned with 1 item, chicken. "From the previous list, display food most eaten by computer technicians." A small list appeared. He studied the description of each item. "Computer display image of...Pea-za." The computer chirped. Blitzer frowned again, "please display the item in a 3 dimensional representation." The computer replied, "All food items in the database are represented as 3 dimensional items." Blitzer protested, "But it is flat!" The computer coldly, "The parameters of the displayed food item is consistent with its recommended serving suggestion."

Blitzer tapped the side of his cheek as he tried to make up his mind. "It looked like klingon blood pie with cheese," he thought to himself. "..and cheese is good." he said out loud. He put his paw in the LCARS display and dragged the display of the item to the replicator box causing the console to beep and chirp. The replicator on the other side of the room shimmered into action.

He approached the replicator and took a deep breath into his nostrils. "Mmm!" that smelled very good. He wondered why he'd never heard of this dish before. He picked it up, it seemed to be served on a flat smooth piece of wood. He held it up eye-level and examined its profile. "So flat" he muttered. He hoped Max heard of this earth food, he had no clue how to go about eating it.

Blizter turned and headed back up the corridor toward the flight control center, "oo-oo-oo-Ak'la Bella-oo-oo-oo."

"Uht-oh... He's singing about the warrior toes again," Krystal announced to Max, who glanced back towards where Blitz had disappeared.

As he got closer to the forward cabin, he hollered up, "I made something that looks like Klingon blood pie!"

Max made a face and looked at Krystal who giggled. "See.." the pixie whispered. "It's the 'heart of his enemy'," she nodded and giggled some more at the look on Max's face.

"I am NOT eating Klingon blood pie!" Max hollered back, all ready to give him the 'Stubborn Look' when he arrived and looking all skeptical when he entered the cabin and presented Max their lunch.

"It's called Peah-za." He said beaming with delight. "Eaten by computer technicians for 2 centuries."

Now *that* made her sit up and take notice. And get a huge grin on her face. "Oh, that's *perfect*!" she beamed up at him as she took the offered food. "Oh you're gonna love this," she told him. "Come on, let's eat. I'm starving! I'm so glad this isn't blood pie. I wouldn't have choked that down. Ugh," she told him with a grin. She was very animated and very excited and practically herding him into a chair.

He found an appropriate place to set the pizza down. "I'll be right back with the drinks." he said turning and walking briskly down the hallway, "oo-oo-bella-Ak'la-oooooo," he said with a slight howl. When he arrived back at the galley he leaned close to the computer, "Computer, display beverage recommendations for peat-za."

Krystal peered down the corridor when he disappeared and giggled when he started singing again.

"Better bring napkins!" Max hollered out to him.

He studied the list of results, "ok, I'm on a roll, let's go with ...cola" he said, "and uh..napkins." The replicator promptly materialized his request. He tucked the napkins under his arm and gathered the two glasses from the replicator and headed back up front. 'oo-oo-ooo.'

He set the glasses down and unlocked the mag chair from the floor, scooting it closer. "You know there are regulations against eating in the cock-pit," he said pausing with a solemn stare.

"Uh-huh," Max grinned over at him. "Pizza doesn't count though. Technically it's not food," she told him, clearly teasing as she reached out to take a slice, using both hands as she bit off the point and then looked like she was having an orgasm as she savored it. "Oooohhh... perfect..... Try it," she waved to the pizza, fanning her mouth a little cause it was hot.

Mimicking Max, he picked up a slice and blew on it taking a small bite his eyes widened. "Delicious. Better than blood pie!"

"Ewww.... I should hope!" Max laughed. "The computer actually knew Pizza was a favorite of computer techs?" she grinned. "That's amazing. Someone did a good job programming it."

Blitzer laughed and set down his drink. "I bet it was programmed by computer techs."

You have a good voice," she blurted out.

Blitzer winced his face, "Nah," he said with a waving off gesture. "You're just saying that." Blitzer's ears flattened in a humbling way.

"No, really," Max grinned. "I wouldn't fib about something like that, y'know...."

"We like your Warrior toes," Krystal piped up and Max couldn't help but look down at Blitz's toes.

Blitzer looked down at his toes. A Caitian's foot does not easily fit into standard maquis uniform boots. Instead he wore a modified sandal. He wiggled them for their benefit. "Warrior toes?"

Maxine watched his toes wiggle and envied him having sandals instead of boots. She hated shoes. "She means we like your song," she told him. "It sounds like warrior toes."

Blizter laughed as he chomped another bite of pizza.

"I wish I knew the words," he confessed, "I only heard it once."

A look passed between Max and Krystal and Max turned back to smile at him. "Maybe we can find it so y'can hear it again," she offered. "Krystal's really good at finding things. She's like a bloodhound."

"Yeah?" he said as his ears drew forward, "that would be, great."

Maxine blinked as she took a bite if pizza and watched his ears. She was quite fascinated with them and the way they worked.... what made them move in certain ways.... what was the correlation between the way they moved and what he was doing or feeling... Did certain movements mean certain things.. Of course all the information she was processing was going into code... She was seeing the code for him, writing it in her head even without thinking about it.

"Krystal will start on it right away," Max told him. "It might take her a while. Perhaps until we get back and she gets access to th'main computer on th'Zion. How long's th'Chief gonna be down there? We got a pickup time?"

"She has an emergency beam out device with her. So until we hear from her, or she beams aboard or the Zion arrives... here we are."

"M'not in a hurry," Maxine commented.

Blitzer took finished off his last piece of pizza and drank down the rest of his cola. He put his paws on his belly and sighed. "That was good."

Max grinned at him. "M'glad you liked it. Pizza is a staple." Then a sudden thought struck her. "Did the Chief take provisions? She's braver than I am... I wouldn't want to be down there by myself..."

Blitzer's ears drooped, "I hope she doesn't get captured." He sprung to his feet and hurriedly left the compartment. He returned moments later with a phaser rifle slung over his shoulder. He handed Max a phaser pistol. "I guess we shouldn't get too comfortable," he said.

His sudden movements made her jump a little and watch the rear of the flight deck until he returned. Then she frowned as she took the pistol. "I should probably point out that were so outnumbered these probably won't do much good..." she offered as she strapped on the pistol. "But I guess I do feel less vulnerable with it than without..." she had to admit.

"I always believe in a fighting chance, but you are probably right. If they found us, they'd probably beam us to their brig rather than beam on to our ship."

"Unless they've got some tech we don't know about, I don't think they can pluck us through our shields.." Max offered and checked to make sure the pistol was secure and not going anywhere.

"You know how to use that thing right?"

"Uhhh..." she looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah."

Blitzer grinned, "I wasn't sure if they taught computer techies that."

"I was th'lead designer of DarkWatch-III, and received a reward for its authenticity," Maxine told him proudly. "It's FPS and no one ever beat my score. I still hold the record for 100% kill shots."

Blitzer shook his head as if confused, "Dark..what?"

"Watch. DarkWatch-3," she repeated. "It's a FPS computer simulation game."

"But can you fire a phaser?" asked Blitzer empathetically.

"Oh, roight... They taught us that in basic training," Max assured him. And after all, how hard could it be? Wasn't like you could forget something like that... Right?

Blitzer chuckled as he sat down. "You got any games for fighter pilots?"

"Could always write one," she grinned at him. "But then y'have to teach me how to fly," she added.

Blitzer leaned back in his chair putting his hands behind is head and stretching out. "That could be arranged."

"Oh yeah? Just 'ow big *is* your cockpi---" her question was interrupted by a blipping from her console, causing her to ''oly crap' under her breath and sit up, her eyes and hands going to the display before her. "Eh now... 'ouston, we 'ave contact.... aka.. m'pickin' up an enemy transmission..." she told Blitz.

Blitz turned and faced his console and checked his systems as he inquired, "Can you play it through?"

"Yahuh.... 'ang on..." Max told him as she put it on speakers. Her brow creased in a frown when it came across all garbled. "eh now... That's 'andy," she grumbled facetiously. "Damned encryptions..."

"Can you decipher it?"

"Gimme a sec..." she told him and tweaked the controls on her panel. "Pixie, run a base level decryption program," she instructed as she kept making adjustments. "It's gonna take a minute or two..." she told Blitz.

Blitzer turned to his console. His eyes were alert and ready to respond any problem that surfaced.

Maxine couldn't help glancing over at him and that sort of 'pre-pounce' attitude. She always paid particular attention to body language... It fleshed out the code in her head. But she didn't give him too much of her attention because it was being gripped and held by the problem at hand.

"This is something we don't have in our databanks," Max told Blitz. "It's gonna take a bit more to decipher..."

"Okay," said Blitzer turning his glance from her back out into space.

Ruminatings on God, Pizza, and Pigtails "
By: Krystal, Hologram, [RNPC]
M'Ressha Mikaht, Fighter Pilot, [RNPC]
Maxine Lucinda Tapert, Computer Specialist, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 1400

Several long hours had passed since the transmission from the Federation's Sovereign class ship, the USS Yamato. Blitzer was leaned back in his chair watching the view port and his control panel. He looked relaxed but ready to spring into sudden action. His tail was draped over the arm of his chair and hung down, almost touching the deck. The tip of his tail swung back and forth rhythmically like some pendulum in slow motion.

Maxine was not unaware of the movements of his tail. As a matter of fact, she was *very* aware of them and kept glancing at it out of the corner of her eye.

Blitzer broke a long silence, "how are you coming on that code?"

Maxine glanced over at him and there was a light frown creasing her brow. "T'blighters 'ave forty-two levels of encryption on this thing... I've got thirty-nine sequences down... Should 'ave th' other three in a few minutes." She hoped.

Suddenly a proximity alarm blinked on Blitzer's console. He sat forward, his paws working the LCARS panel. "Its one of the Galors. They've moved near us." He said looking up as if he'd be able to see the cardassian ship.

Suddenly cabin glowed a strange hue of green, even the pixie shimmered in and out of existence.

"Oh blimey..." Max worked at her own panel and her frown deepened. "They're using some sort of strange polyphasic scanning device," she told him. "Oh this is not good..." she murmured as her hands hovered over the controls and her interface blinked rapidly.

"I've got to find a way to multiplex th' cloakin' device to compensate for th' way they're scannin'," she talked as she worked, telling him what she was doing. "I think if I just set it up on an oscillatin' frequency... toss in a random variable... and keep it within operatin' parameters... that might keep them from getting a lock on us.. I read once how they did something like this with radio wave frequencies to keep them from bein' jammed or detected," she kept talking. "Interestin' way to detect a cloaked ship though... Keep your fingers crossed..."

Blitzer studied his monitor, "The way they've moved, looks like they've been doing routine sweeps," he said looking up.

She made the adjustments to the runabout's cloak and held her breath as the scans in their direction intensified. "I think we might 'ave been detected for at least a moment," she looked over at him and chewed a bit on her bottom lip. "But I don't' think they realize it's us because of our size though...."

"Size indeed," how he wished he were in his fighter instead of this big old bus. Blitzer reviewed his tactical data. The runabout was no match for the Galor, but then it wasn't cloaked either. With its sheilds down, two microtorpedos detonating on their bridge might just stall them enough for a getaway. Blitzer held his breath and closed his eyes.

"We could try an' make some kind of distractin' counter measure..." she said thoughtfully. "I might be able to modify th' shields by focusin' th' shield generators an' harmonically modulatin' them to create a subtle eddie or wake in th' atmospheric ions..." she told him. "If it works, it would make it look like some sort of naturally occurrin' ionic turbulence and th' Cardassian ship might move off in its direction..."

The Cardassian ship had moved to with in 1,000 meters of their runabout. Blitzer opened his eyes and let out a breath, "yeah...yeah, that sounds as good as anything right now."

"A'roight then.... Makin' th' modifications now... Crikey they're close..." Max spoke softly, as if the Cardassian ship could hear her if she spoke too loud.

Blitzer watched as the Galor moved slowly to the starboard side of the runabout. "Its working" he whispered.

The Cardassian ship continued to sweep the area for another 15 minutes, slowly moving away. "The Cardassian is now 4,000 kilometers." Even though that was still within attacking distance, somehow it was a much more comforting measure.

Blitzer took a deep breath and nodded at Max. "Good work."

"Thank you... M'just glad they're movin' away," she admitted

"You reprogrammed the cloaking matrix and the shields in just a few seconds..." he said, "It would have taken an engineer at least five minutes to do that, that was amazing..." he said.

Max's cheeks pinkened at the compliment and she smiled a bit, shrugging one shoulder out of embarrassment. "I've been talkin' to computers an' manipulatin' them since I was little," Max offered. "Krystal did all the calculations," she nodded to the pixie hologram, who grinned and preened her wings. "I just .....saw th' code. I can't do what engineers do though." She gave him a small smile and went back to hacking at that transmission.

Blitzer watched the computer girl continue with her work. He thought about their conversation with the Bynars. Whether she knew it or not, Blitzer had the feeling she was as amazing as them. They had much in common, to the Bynars their computer core was central to their way of life...their god.

Blitzer turned his head slightly sideways as he continued to regard Max, "Do you believe in a god?" he asked.

Max blinked and looked over at the Cait, surprised at the question. "I dunno... I believe in *something*," she admitted. "Not sure I'd call it a 'god' though," she added and looked at him speculatively. "Do you?"

"I was never much on religion," confessed Blitzer. "My sister is though, she's like a priestess or something," he said with a shrug. "I guess I sort of do believe in....*something* too." He smiled at Max.

Blitzer continued, "On my world we don't really personify a god. We believe in the 'Great Circle.' We believe that our indvidual existence is owed to the greater forces which interweave the universe, and that some how, we are all connected to it."

Maxine nodded in both understanding and agreement. "Roight... It's like we're all part of th' same, massive code," she put it into her own terms and flashed him a smile. "I tried to write th' code for "god" once. It was impossible, too many variables... Us.."

Krystal stood up and *ahem'd* as she looked pointedly between them, her eyes leveling on Max who almost jumped. "Oh... roight... Got that transmission de-coded," she told Blitz.

Blitzer leaned toward Max, his eyes grew wide with anticipation.

"It said.. 'We smell pizza'," she deadpanned and looked at him with wide green eyes that couldn't hide the fact she was teasing.

His jaw dropped until he realized she was joking, then he began to laugh loudly. He pointed at Max as he continued to laugh. It wasn't even so much what Max said as the fact that Max had said it.

He shook his head and composed himself back together, he chuckled as he raked a lock of his main back behind his ear. "That was very funny," he said, "I couldn't help myself."

Max couldn't help the wide grin at his amusement, nor the way her eyes followed the movement of his paw. "S'alroight. I was sorta goin' for a joke... wasn't sure it'd work though. I usually fail at makin' good ones," she admitted. And then she took on a more serious look.

"I'm feedin' th' data into your panel now... and I've captured their encryption code. M'hopin' we can pick up some more transmissions to see if it's th' encryption's th' same or if they change it every time..."

Blitzer studied communique, "The Yamato is transmitting that the armda was delayed by a Maquis ambush but they resistance has been squashed and the armada will arrive shortly." Blitzer looked at Max, "That isn't true is it? Why would they lie?"

"Big fat liars is what they are," Max snorted and shook her head. "Propaganda, I'll betcha," she told him. "They aren't gonna tell everyone we sent them runnin'. That wouldn't be good for morale."

"Go Cappy Go! Ra! Ra! Ra!" Pixie was back in her "cheerleader's" outfit, complete with pompoms. "Cap'n Hunter kicked butt and took names," Krystal informed them both when all eyes fell on her.

"I like 'er pigtails," Maxine commented in an off the wall manner.

Blitzer looked at Krystal a surprised look crossed his face, "Huh?" He leaned forward, "what are you supposed to be?"

"I'm Cap'n Hunter's official Pixie Cheerleader," Krystal told him proudly, strutting a bit and wiggling her butt and pompoms.

"I like 'er pigtails," Maxine offered again. "Those are pompoms," she pointed to them helpfully.

Blitzer leaned back and arched his eyebrow. "Pom..poms... I see."

Max actually chuckled. "You have about the same response I did..." she told him. "But I do like the pigtails." Max pulled her own hair up into two pigtails and then grinned at Blitz as she held them there.

"That is cute." he said

"Cappy needs a cheerleader," Krystal told them, sounding all wise and knowing.

"Just don't call him Cappy to his face..." Max told her and dropped her hair, gathering it at the back of her neck in a knot.

"Aww. I like the pigtails," said Blitzer with a grin.

"Hah! You're teasing me," Max laughingly accused him..

"No, I'm serious!" said Blitzer defending his remarks, "look how cute Krystal looks with them."

Krystal struck a pose and shook a pompom.

Maxine looked at Krystal rather critically. "Roight... But she's a pixie," she pointed out, as if that made all the difference in the world.

"The little dress is is cute too. You got one of them too?" said Blitzer with a wink to Krystal, making the little pixie giggle.

Maxine blinked and looked at Blitz as if he'd just sprouted horns to go with his tail.

"I can replicate her one," Krystal offered.

"Oh Crikey." Maxine turned crimson and looked at both of them like they were in league with the devil himself. "I don't even 'ave a dress... and something like *that*..." she indicated Krystal with a flick of her fingers. "What's the point of it? There's 'ardly anything there."

Blitzer looked at Max with a twinkle in his eye and grinned, "mmmm..." he said almost purring. He studied the pixie and then looked over Max again, "...mmmmm, well," he said trying to conceal his smile with his paw, "I think you'd be adorable in it."

Max glared at him and snorted softly. "You are a very strange man, y'know that?"

Krystal giggled and shared a conspiratorial look with Blitzer. "Don't worry.. I'll get her one," she whispered overloud.

"An' stop givin' m'pixie ideas," Max glanced between the two of them. "You're a bad influence," she told him.

"Me?" protested Blitzer with a chuckle, "she's the one with pigtails and pompoms," he said.

"Ra! Ra! Ra! Go Blitzy Go!" Krystal cheered and giggled.

"Aaaaccckk!!! SEE!" Max blinked at Krystal's antics and gave Blitz an accusing, 'it's all YOUR fault' look.

Blitzer feigned a submissive look, his ears drooped over, he turned to face the controls. His smile was incongruent with his body language.

"Look what you did," whispered Krystal as her wings drooped to match Blitzer's ears.

"Oohh... uhhh..." Max frowned as she watched Blitz, more in tune with his ears and body language than his odd smile. "I didn't... uhh..." she reached over and touched an ear, trying to push it back up. " 'Ey... M'sorry... It's really not your fault... She's th' one that keeps readin'..."

Blitzer's ears cocked forward when a beep sounded on Max's console.

Max's total attention was turned to her console, all thoughts of Blitz's ears and tail gone as her fingers caressed the panel before her. "Pickin' up another transmission..." she told Blitzer. "M'runnin' it through the same decryptions process as th' last one. That'll tell us if it's the same or not... Should take just a moment if it is."

Blitzer watched patiently.

"Got it... M'sendin' it to you now. Looks like a request for more ground troops an' assistance from th' Cardassians..." she told him.

"Did they answer?"

"Yeah... I'm runnin' it through now..." she told him ad her fingers seemed to caress the panel's buttons rather than pushing them. "Got it... Th' Cardassians are only gonna send in a hundred more... S'pose that means they've sent in more before?" She looked over at Blitz as if he had all the answers.

Blitzer mouthed the words of the message a couple times to himself. "I'd say it sounds like we could expect more cardassians on the planet."

"Huh... Wonder why..." Max mused thoughtfully. "I hope our intel Chief can find out what's goin' on... And I wonder if that means we can expect more ships..."

Blitzer looked out the view port at the big blue planet below them. He new Northrop was somewhere down there, trying to stay out of trouble. "Yeah..." said Blitzer.

Letters from Camp Tigris"
By: M'Ressha Mikaht, Pilot , [RNPC]
Maxine Lucinda Tapert, Computer Specialist, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 1644

After receiving Northrop's message, Blitzer turned off comlink. He got up and walked to the back of the runabout to where Maxine was getting them something to eat.

He pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "Alyssa just reported in," he said. "We need to get intel to the Zion."

"Oh? Roight," she licked her fingers and handed him half the sandwich in her free hand. "Gonna be hard with all the traffic," she told him and vaguely motioned to 'out there'. "But let's get to it... Y'want to break orbit t'do it?" she wondered aloud and handed him a cola next.

Blitzer stepped aside as she walked by him, he followed her down the corridor back toward the flight control center, sniffing the sandwich. It was roast beef with horseradish, sauerkraut and peanut butter, he popped the sandwich in his mouth and munched it down.

"Yeah," said Blitzer with half a mouthful, "...we should break orbit," said Blitzer hopping into his seat simultaneously activating the controls which came to life under his paws. He brought up a star chart of the sector which appeared on the view port, blocking out the big blue planet below.

"Hmmmm...." Maxine took her seat and peered up at the star chart. "How about there," she pointed to an unmanned subspace relay station close by and Krystal popped into view with a sprinkle of golden pixie dust. "We could tap into it," the pixie added helpfully.

"Sometimes I hate when she finishes my sentences," Max commented good naturedly.

"You would have said "hack"," Krystal pointed out.

"True," Max had to agree.

"Looks good to me," said Blitzer as he turned off the navigation map. The big blue planet faded back into view. He quickly did what he was good at. Within mere seconds he plotted a course to the station and started powering up the engines, "Check the cloak, lets make a clean break from here."

"Roight," Max nodded and plugged in her interface. After a moment she gave Blitz a thumbs up and a "ready".

The ship turned and banked away from the planet out into the cold dark expanse of space. "Going to warp," announced Blitzer.

"Hanging on..." Max nodded and made sure she was buckled in.

The trip was a mere 15 minutes and Blitzer dropped out of warp. He swiftly maneuvered the runabout into close proximity.

"No life signs," she looked over at him after performing a scan. "She's clear."

"Can you access it from here," asked Blitzer.

"Probably, but we'd 'ave t'openly transmit. Establishing a link with the station would cause a non-indigenous signal... Sort of like ... background noise in space," she told him with a grin and pulled up the schematics. "There's a compatible docking port on the far side.." she tapped the screen with a slender finger to show him.

Blitzer nodded, "Okay," he said as he piloted the ship closer. It banged gently against the docking ring. Blitzter activated the docking clamp and locked into place. "That should do it," he said.

He stood and picked up the phaser rifle which was still propped nearby. When he glanced over at Max, she was getting up and checking her own pistol before moving to stand beside him.

They walked to the airlock, which was slowly pressurizing. Blitzer peered impatiently through the window and then took a step back. He shook his head nervously, "Hang on." he said has he grabbed the manual override, "We don't have all day."

Max eyed him and grabbed hold of something, taking his 'hang on' quite literally.

He opened the airlock, more than 20 cubic meters of air made a thunderous rushing sound as it filled the void in the airlock.

"Whoa...." Max's tightened her grip.

Blitzer stepped through, an eerie fog caused by the rapidly cooled and decompressed air hoovered on the treadway. It accentuated the blinking amber lights which flashed along the short walkway. He motioned for Max to enter.

At the other end, a small terminal on the station blinked, "Access Denied."

"Think we should knock?" she asked with a smirk and moved around him to get to the terminal. "Lemme see it..."

Blitzer smiled as he watched Max go to work.

Max set up and plugged into the system, settling for a moment before doing anything. "It may take a minute or two to hack into it," she told him.

The door made a hissing sound, Blitzer took a step back and pointed his phaser rifle and stepped in looking around. He motioned for Max to follow.

Maxine dutifully let him check it out first, because she really didn't like shooting things anyway. Once he motioned for her to follow, she stepped in after him and took a look around. "A'roight then.... Better get to work, huh?" she smiled a little, the deserted station giving her the creeps.

Blitzer looked about more intently, sniffing the air, and listening. While the station had many strange scents, even blood, no one had recently been here. His ears processed the many strange noises coming from everywhere too. For being deserted it was a busy place. The fur on his neck and tail stood on end.

Grasping the phaser rifle snuggly, he took a couple cautious steps inside. Looking up and down he could see through the grates there were two decks above and below them. A couple meters past the air lock the deck was solid and glossy smooth. It reflected the blinking lights on the various rows and columns of equipment.

He pulled out a tricorder and scanned around the donut shaped room. The power converter was encased in the center of the station. It went through the floor and extended out of view through the ceiling. The room was about 12 meters across. Except for the light radiated by the power converter, it was dark and filled with various systems which blinked and beeped. An access

"I just need a terminal..." Max whispered because it was a place that just screamed to be whispered in. She pointed to one and at his nod made her way around him and over to it. She walked lightly, almost tiptoeing in her effort to be needlessly quiet. His fur on end hadn't escaped her notice and it had her over cautious and glancing over her shoulder to keep making sure he was there.

Blitzer remained on guard near the airlock.

"It'll take me a minute," she told him, her voice still soft and rather subdued. "I'll focus a burst directly to the Zion..." she kept talking because Blitzer didn't, and she always babbled when she was nervous. Or was scared. Like now.. "And I'll use a Marquis cipher.... Broadcast it from a sectorized array...." She looked around cautiously even as she began trying to link into the system's communications array.

Blitzer looked about nervously as more lights and panels seemed come to life as Max worked. His ears independently combed the room for sounds.

Max glanced over at him and shifted a bit, becoming even more nervous at his apparent nervousness. But she focused on her work and after what seemed like an eternity, but was actually about a minute, she jumped and her hand went automatically to her chest. "Bloody 'ell..."

Blitzer's ears and eyes locked onto Max, "What is it?"

"Bloody thing shocked me," she looked over at Blitz and frowned. "But m'in," she added with a cheeky grin, as if that made the shock okay. "It's not supposed t'do that," she went back to frowning and looking at the computer terminal suspiciously now.

Blitzer's ears darted to catch a noise from one of the decks above them, he shifted his stance, "Okay."

After a rather cautious moment and another glance to him, she went back to work. "What's the message?"

"Pacifica under Federation control, eight cloaked Galor class ships, one sovereign." Blitzer cleared his throat, "Delaplane and his cabinet are prisoners on the afore mentioned USS Yamato, possible ground troops." He nodded at Max when he was done.

Max relayed the message, sending a directional signal burst pulse directly at the Zion. "Roight... It's sent... Just waiting for acknowledgement now..." she told him and after a moment nodded. "Got it..." She didn't immediately disconnect from the computer system though and 'listened' for any traffic that might be there. After another moment or two she pulled back and turned to look at him. "We're done."

Blitzer breathed a sigh of relief, "good, let's go."

"Right... It's like a ghost ship..." she dared to breathe and hurried to his side. Safety in numbers and size... Definitely safety in size.

Blitzer followed Max through the airlock back to the runnabout. Their hurried pace caused swirls and eddies in the fog which had spread everywhere. He turned and closed the airlock.

"Let's get out of here," he said as he headed back to the front of the ship. He took his seat and disengaged the docking clamps and maneuvered away from the relay. "Any activity," he asked Max.

Max monitored the current status for several moments before shaking her head. "No---"

"All's quiet on the home front," Krystal popped into view and saluted.

"There seems to be a little more comm chatter than there was before, but nothing encrypted... Just routine stuff," Max told Blitzer. "That place gave me the *creeps*," she admitted out of the blue.

"Let's head back to Pacifica," said Blitzer.

"M'all for that," Max agreed whole heartedly.

Blitzer laid in a course and went to warp. It seemed like a longer flight back, but when they arrived Blitzer took up the same orbital position as before.

"Double check the cloaking matrix please," requested Blitzer politely.

"Checking," she acknowledged and glanced over at his tone. After a moment her eyes turned back to her display and she frowned a bit in concentration. "Roight... It's good now," she sat back and relaxed a little, still a bit keyed up from the relay station. "Our girl say anything 'bout when she'd be back?" Max asked him.

Blitzer shook his head, "nope, but she must have more work to do." Blitzer looked over at Max, "you think we should try to make contact with her?"

Max frowned a bit in thought. "Only if we got something t'tell her," she commented. "Do we?"

Blitzer shrugged, "I guess not." He took a deep breath and sighed, as he pushed his chair back and made himself comfortable. "It could be a long wait yet," he commented.

"Almost makes y'want to get up an' pace, huh?" Maxine likewise leaned back and crossed her arms under her breasts as she stretched her legs out.

"I could pace if it would help," Krystal offered.

Blitzer put put his paws behind his head and chuckled, "You could do the pompom thing again," he said looking out the corner of his eye for Max's reaction.

Max blinked and shot him a *look* as Krystal giggled and poofed into the little cheerleader's outfit complete with pompoms and pigtails. "You are such a bad influence on her," Max told him.

"Ra.. Ra.. Ra!" Krystal cheered.

"See?" Max pointed to the cheerleading pixie.

Blitzer chuckled, "I haven't been this entertained since the last time I was on the holodeck."

Max reached out and fwapped him lightly on the chest with the back of her fingers. "Don't encourage her."

Blitzer clutched his 'wound' and laughed a chuckle.

But after watching cheerleading routines for a while, Blitzer couldn't help instigating more trouble, he leaned forward, "Do you know any other fun things?"

Krystal stopped cheering and looked rather thoughtful. "I can hula," she told him.

"Hula?" said Blitzer, "What's that?"

"Uhh..." Max eyed the pixie.

Krystal ignored her and blinked huge blue eyes at Blitz. "You know... It's a dance..." she shook her hips and the pompoms disappeared. "It originated in the Islands of Hawaii. On Terran," she added and her pigtails disappeared to be replaced with long flowing hair. "They wore a grass skirt," she told him and the cheerleader outfit disappeared to be replaced with the grass skirt and two coconut halves strategically placed. "It's very traditional," she finished. Tiny leis appeared around her wrists and ankles and she started to dance.

Max coughed and stared at the pixie. "Oh good gods..." she groaned.

Blitzer chuckled at Max's disproval. "Grass huh?" He leaned back, as soft hawiian music floated through the air.

"People actually *did* that?" Max squeaked as she watched.

"Yep," Krystal nodded and launched into the history and significance of the hula as she gyrated and swiveled her hips in time to the music.

Blitzer was satisfied where performance and clapped his paws together when she was through.

"What else can you do?" egged Blitzer.

Krystal peered at Blitz as she accessed her data files. "I can belly dance," she offered.

"What?? Oh 'ell no!" Max sat up and reached over to clamp a hand over Blitz's mouth. "Don't you dare!"

"Sure!" said Blitzer innocently, "What is th..." Before he could finish his sentence, Max's hand silenced him. His eyes widened as he looked over at her. "Mpff..mpfff ffpmf.."

"No, no, and no..." Max told him, shaking her head and keeping her hand in place. But it was too late, cause Krystal had heard his "sure" and ran with it. "Don't you *dare* egg her---" Her voice stopped as the new music started complete with gossamer veils and the jingle of the charms that now adorned the pixie's rather scantily clad body. Max's gaze swiveled to the hologram and she stared in disbelief at the ruby sparkling from the navel of the tiny form.

Blitzer clapped his paws together in delight. He wasn't sure if it was the little pixie's stint or the fact that Max's own creation was getting the better of her.

"Is this dance from the Orion system?" he asked

"Oh no," Krystal assured him. "It's from a place called the Sudan on old Terran, and harems," she told him, and launched into another detailed history lesson on harems, belly dancing and Scheherazade. Of course then the music of the same name began to play.

"Oh great... Now look what you've done," Max eyed Blitz accusingly.

Blitzer smirked.

"I can do the Orion Slave Dance," Krystal offered.

"NO!" Max blinked and shot Blitzer a warning look.

Blitzer's ears and whisker's wilted slightly under Max's menacing look. He put his paw over his mouth and shrugged. "You sure have a lot of talent," said Blitzer, "Did Max teach you all those things?"

Max blinked at his wilted look and he could see her relenting. She couldn't be mean looking when he looked like that. She snorted at his question and sat back in her chair to watch the pair of them.

"Oh no," Krystal shook her head. "Maxie only codes," she told him. "Codes and codes and codes... And then runs diagnostic programs," she nodded. "I read about them in the data banks.

"Well, then, you are a smart one," he said with his ears perking up a little toward Krystal.

Krystal grinned and preened her wings. "Why thank you," she curtsied.

"What are you doing to my pixie?" Max asked, eyeing the way the hologram seemed to flirt with Blitz.

"I'm just being polite," said Blitzer with a wry smirk.

"You're corrupting her," Max glanced over at him. But she didn't look upset really. More intrigued. Krystal meanwhile was back to preening her wings and braiding her hair.

"I'm sure if you had to, you could erase her memory somehow." Blitzer offered.

"Mmhmm," Max nodded her agreement. "Hate to though. Be like erasing yours or mine.. I think I might affect her adversely, y'know?" she looked over at him then.

Blitzer nodded.

"Hey..." Max leaned forward and poked at Krystal a bit to get her attention and the little pixie looked up between them with a sparkling of disrupted pixie dust and a blink of big blue eyes.

"I didn't do it," Krystal offered automatically, which made Max snicker.

"You compile that encryption program I wrote?" Max asked her, smiling when Krystal nodded and pointed to Max's PADD. "Right there," she insured her creator.

"Good, thank you," she watched a second as Krystal went back to what she was doing and then turned to Blitz. "When our guys get close enough we should send them that program so they can decipher the comm. traffic," she suggested and started running a check on the decryption program.

"That will give them a good advantage," remarked Blitzer

"Ah, bloody 'ell..." Max grumbled and sat up. "I need t'rewrite parts of this," she told Blitz at his look. "The computer isn't powerful enough on the runabout and there's some flaws in the way it compiled. 'ow soon before the Zion gets 'ere? Any idea?"

"Blitzer looked over at her, "At warp 8, about 11 hours," he said, "But I don't think they will come that fast."

"Plenty of time t'get this finished then," Max indicated her PADD. "We'll 'ave t'plan 'ow to transmit the data to them..." she pointed out.

Blitzer drew a deep breath, "You are right," he sighed. "We should make another trip back to the relay station." His tail tapped the deck nervously.

Max gave him a -look- as a shiver coursed it's way down her spine. A return visit to the ghost ship was not something she was looking forward to.

The Plan "
By: Ian Hunter, Commanding Officer, [PC]
Jonathan Wright, Executive Officer, [PC]
Jeff Westfall, Tactical Officer, [PST]
Melissa Jarvis, Chief Security Officer, [RNPC]
Ryan-Steven ‘Rusty Ryan’ Madriani, Marine CO, [PST]

Stardate: 58205.28 1755

Melissa made her way thought the makeshift security office heading towards the bridge. She could not say that she was surprised by the summons to the bridge. She wondered what was on the Captain's mind. The turbolift doors opened to reveal the form on Major Madriani inside.

"Hello Major," said Melissa as she stepped inside.

"Ma'am," he said acknowledging her with a nod.

Melissa and Madriani rode in silence the rest of the way to the bridge. When the doors opened she stepped out onto the bridge. The Bridge guards, she was happy to see made eye contact with both of them as they got off. She was always concerned that people standing guard not get bored and complacent.

She looked around and did not see the Captain or the XO on the bridge. They made their way to the Captain's ready room where Melissa rang the door chime.

Hunter stepped out of the conference room, "We're in here," said Hunter.

Melissa entered the conference room followed by Madriani and finally the Captain. Commander Wright was seated at the table. Melissa took a seat across from the commander.

Wright watched as Melissa took her place at the table. He had not had much time to talk to the Security chief lately, however, in the past couple months he has noticed a change in her. Her physical appearance had changed. She obviously has been working out. As she walked into the room, she had done so with a certain amount of strength that he had not seen in her when she first reported to duty on the Zion. Apparently being made Chief was good for her. Wright smiled at her, "Hello Lieutenant," he said.

"Commander," said Melissa returning his smile. She could not recall ever seeing Wright smile before.

Hunter stood at the front of the table, behind him was a display of the current situation on a starchart. "Alright, people, listen up..." he said, "Here's our situation, when we get to Pacifica, we're going to find a sovereign class cruiser."

"Our away team, " said Wright, "has learned that the Federation has installed their own puppet government on Pacifica. They have control of the Planet. They are also holding Governor Deleplane and some or all of his cabinet on that Sovereign."

"What's more," continued Hunter, "Using technique described by Mason, eight Cardassian ships are also in orbit."

"That bit of information will be good to know," said Melissa. She was a bit relieved that that the intel that Mason had provided indeed was true. Maybe he would be one less things to worry about.

"We'll need need to get on the planet and attempt to regain a foothold," said Hunter.

Madriani cocked his head a little, "With all due respect, Captain, that sounds like a job for me and my men."

Hunter glanced at Melissa, and back to Madriani, "Okay," said Hunter with a nod of approval. "Melissa, can our security team figure out a way to get Delaplane off that Federation ship?"

"Of course," said Melissa with confidence, "would you like us to capture the ship as well?" Melissa wore a serious expression on her face. It was clear that she was asking a serious question and not joking.

Madriani glanced at Jarvis and let out an arrogant scuff.

"Elaborate Lieutenant," asked Hunter.

"If we were able to gain control of the ship, it would yield good intelligence," said Melissa.

"How would you manage that," asked Hunter

"With the help of your Klingon friends," replied Melissa. "We could take over their ship and rescue the diplomats the trick would be getting them to lower their shields so we can get over there."

Madriani rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "that'd be quite a trick."

Hunter glanced at Madriani with an annoyed look and back to Jarvis, "Do you have something specific in mind Lieutenant?"

Melissa gave Madriani a smile, "Thanks you our away team we now have the ability to listen to their communications," said Melissa, "After we engage them we can simulate some severe damage. If their communications indicate they are planning to board us we simulate a shield failure and the moment they drop their shields we send our boarding party over and bring up the shields again."

"But then we'll have a boarding party on our ship," pointed out Hunter.

"Yes, that is true," Melissa conceeded, "However, we will leave part of our security forces here led by Sam Carter and becasue we can hear their communications we will know where they are going to beam into. We can contain them with security force fields."

"The success of this mission hinges on rescuing Deleplane." stated Hunter, "I'm not sure I see many other options...Commander?"

"I am afraid I do not see many other options either," said Wright, "BUT make no mistake, recovering Deleplane is the priority here. IF we can get the ship that is great but is is not priority."

Hunter nodded, "Do we have any ideas on how they managed to build another sovereign class ship after the Maquis decimated their shipyard?"

Westfall commented, hearing the Captain's assertion about Federation ship building capacity, "I suspect the Federation may have "Borrowed" some shipbuilding capacity from the Cardassians in that regard, Sir; it's just a little too much of a co-incidence that they should have a Sovereign Class Starship, after the war damage done to their shipyards," Westfall paused and then added, "Don't forget the ancient quotation of Arabic Origin: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend".

"Explain," asked Hunter

I suspect the Cardassians of being something far less benevolent than the Federation may think, and when you 'make friends with the wolf,' you should at some time be thinking about "When *might* I be dinner"? if this relationship goes sour".

"What is your point Mr. Westfall," asked Captain Hunter.

Before Westfall could reply, Madriani interrupted

"I wouldn't be surprised if it were largely built by the Cardassians as well.

Hunter leaned back, "obviously we have no intel to suspect that." Hunter looked around the room. "...and in fact, if the Cardassians were helping the Federation that much, they'd have helped them build a better cloak."

After a pause Hunter looked back toward Madriani, "Major, Do we stand a chance to wrestle the government away from the Federation."

Madriani looked up confidently at Hunter, "Yes," he said looking around the room. "The Plan...We have been working tactical simulations with the Klingon warriors aboard the D'kuul. As soon as we have identified Federation strong holds we can launch our assault. There are about 800 warriors aboard the D'Kuul, that gives us about 1000 men. We have no idea what we're up against though." Madriani crossed his arms and leaned back, "I would take about 200 of those klingons and have them assist Jarvis to ensure the success of this mission."

Madriani looked over at her, "I'm not suggesting any incompetency, I just believe in having enough fire power to get the job done."

"I agree," said Hunter nodding at Jarvis. "Deleplane is a priority. After we arrive at Pacifica shortly after 1300, we'll have another tactical review if the situation permits." Hunter stood up, "dismissed."

The Next Move "
By: Ian Hunter, Commanding Officer, [PC]
Jonathan Wright, Executive Officer, [PC]
Jeff Westfall, Tactical Officer, [PST]

Stardate: 58205.28 1815

Hunter stepped on to the bridge, whistling softly. He was greeted by Yeoman Rands, "you seem to be in a good mood this evening Captain," she said handing him a PADD which contained several reports from the Gamma shift.

"Thank-you Yeoman," said Hunter as he continued on his way toward the big chair.

He sat down and looked over at Wright with a nod, "Commander," he said, "how are we doing?"

"Good Captain, and you?" Wright who had just vacated the command chair took his own station and continued reading various situation reports.

"Good to hear,' Hunter replied as he began looking over the reports. Most of them indicated a state of readiness. This added to Hunter's good mood.

"Westfall, signal the IKS fleet and advise them we are heading to Pacifica in 30 minutes. We'd appreciate it if they could join us."

"Affirmative, Captain". Westfall signaled the ships of the IKS Fleet with the new destination and revised Course. After validating all the replies as authentic against the common protocol, he was satisfied all was in good order. After his extensive cross training with Max, the First Officer of the Klingon High Command, he was much more comfortable having the Klingons around him.

Hunter continued to study the reports. He looked at the chronometer on his console, "Eighteen hundred hours, 45 minutes," he announced, "time to go."

He looked back at Westfall "Has the IKS fleet reponded?"

"Affirmative, Captain, Five ships, confirmed and authenticated to common protocol, they'll be using Formation Delta Six, matching our course and speed".

"Helm, lay in a course for Pacifica, warp 6."

He turned to Wright and nodded, "here we go again, its our move."

He paused for a moment and then gave his order to the helm.

"Engage," said Hunter.

Message in a Bottle "
By: Kelly Forrester, Assistant Chief Operations Officer, [RNPC]
Ian Hunter, Commanding Officer, [PC]
Jeff Westfall, Tactical Officer, [PST]
Jonathan Wright, Executive Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 1835

"Captain, I have a message received from the away team on Pacifica, text only: It's composed on a PADD,silently, then burst transmitted as a compressed packet format, encrypted.

INCOMING MESSAGE Priority one point to point Encrypted Alpha-Zeta-Echo

Federation forces: 1 Sovereign Class USS Yamato, Cardassian forces: 8 cloaked Galor Class cruisers

Governor Deleplan and cabinet taken prisoner aboard the USS Yamato Hunter looked at Wright for a reaction, he looked back at Westfall, "are our scanners configured for accurate detection of those cardassians?"

"Affirmative, Sir. Mister Mason's information about their stealth technology was precisely accurate," said replied Westfall.

"Suggestions Number One," asked Hunter as he slouched to arm of the command chair.

Wright looked at Hunter, "First things first. We need to take care of those Cardassian ships. If there is a Sovereign there we will not want them in our way."

"It looks like Mason was on the level," added Hunter as he stared ahead at the view screen rubbing the whisker stubble on his face.

"Indeed it does," said Wright.

"Do we alert the IKS fleet or keep this to ourselves" asked Hunter.

"We should at least tell them what we know, so they know what we are up against," said Wright.

"Yeah," said Hunter turning toward Westfall over his shoulder, he nodded at Westfall, "discretely signal the IKS fleet and pass along our intel."

"Aye Aye Captain, sending to all ships of the Joint Armada." Westfall appropriately encrypted the information and sent it on to the other ships.

"A sovereign class...." muttered Hunter, "I was told we put the Federation back to the stoneages .... as far as building that class goes."

"Apparently they have gotten their act together," said Wright. "Admiral Stone will be excited to hear this news I am sure."

"Oh, yeah," smiled Hunter, "I don't think I'd want to tell him that in person."

"Well, their Sovereign can't be better than the Zion," said Wright with a grin, "Let's go get them."

Hunter settled back into his chair, "Helm, increase speed to warp 7."

"Acknowledged."

"ETA?"

"Just before 0900 Sir," replied the helm.

"Ok, steady as she goes," said Hunter.

For more than an hour Hunter and Wright discussed ideas about the upcoming confrontation.

"Captain, I have a priority one flash message from Pacifica. Packet burst, encrypted with the same signature key as the message about the Federation Fleet Composition. The enclosure is the encoding algorythm to encrypt/decrypt the Federation/Cardassian message traffic. Our own Enigma bomb." Hunter got up and went to Westfall's station, he looked over Westfall's shoulder as he worked on the program. "I've run the decryption algorythm against our intercepts, and they all decode to plain English, I'm sending the decrypts with the time-line to your station now, Sir;" Westfall said, as matter-of-factly as if he were reading the current weather forecast from a holodeck program. "This is a definate advantage," said Hunter as he returned to his seat. He sat down and began reading the messages. "Maxine Tappert was the right person to send on this mission," said Hunter commenting to Wright.

"Indeed," said Wright.

"Westfall, as soon as we are in range, begin monitoring Federation transmissions. Send the data to Jarvis as well. Advise her that if there is anything important to be sure to share it with the IKS tactical coordinator. "Aye-Aye, Sir."

"Ensign Forrester, notify Major Madriani, and Lieutenant Jarvis that there will be a briefing at 20:00 in the observation conference room."

"Aye-aye, Sir," responded

Monster's Inc. "
By: M'Ressha Mikaht, Pilot , [RNPC]
Maxine Lucinda Tapert, Computer Specialist, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 1935

It was like deja vu all over again thought Blitzer as he gripped his phaser rifle. They had to get Max's decoder program to the Zion, and so once again found themselves staring at the station's access hatch.

He nodded at Max, "ready?"

"No... Do I have a choice?" Max asked the question even though she didn't expect or give him time to answer. "A'roight. Ready," she finally nodded.

He activated the manual overide causing air to rush in to the void of the access hatch. He stepped inside the treadway which was filled with misty fog that began to wisp into the runabout. Amber lights flashed their warning along the floor.

"Y'know... fog is an atmospheric condition... And inside here it's just damned creepy," Max told him as she moved to the door to unlock it, going through the same procedure as before.

The door opened with a hiss.

"Really damn creepy," she repeated and stepped inside behind Blitzer.

Blitzer looked and listened. It wasn't the fog that made him feel uneasy. Something was wrong with the atmospheric settings, fog was everywhere inside the station and the air was much cooler. What Blitzer didn't like was the subtle scents in the air. They were different from when they where here just two hours ago.

He hunched over as his nose sniffed the air, and as he did so he walked 5 paces toward the ladder. He pulled a small flash light from his utility belt and shined down through the floor grates. "What are those?" He said pointing at something on the lower level.

Max was practically attached to him at the hip as she moved with him, crouching down to look through the grating and then at him. "I can't tell from here..." Her voice was that creepy whisper because she just felt too creeped out to talk any louder.

He looked at Max, "I'll be right back," he said as he slid down the ladder.

"Uuuhhhh..." Max blinked and watched him go... Then she looked around the level she was on and almost didn't breathe as she tried to peer through the fog...

It was when the hair on the back of her neck stood up that she practically tumbled down the ladder with a squeak in her rush to get to where Blitz was, only to be forestalled by his bulk.

Blitzer had not even stepped off the ladder yet and Max was practically on his shoulders.

"Uuuuhhhh.... Next time warn a girl when you're gonna leave her alone in the creepy fog," she muttered as the pair continued down the ladder to the lower level.

Blitzer pulled out his tricorder and scanned a dozen cylindrical objects. The ends appeared to be blown out. He knelt down and picked up a fragment and examined it at the end of his light.

"They appear to be some sort of shipping containers," he said handing Max the fragment, eyeing her when she nearly climbed on top of him.

She took the thick leathery object, turning it over in her fingers and wrinkling her nose at the fuzz on one side. "Smells funny. And it's nothing I've ever seen before...."

"According to the tricorder, its...not organic," he said turning his tricorder so Max could see it.

"Yeah? But what *is* it?" she studied the readings, still quite perplexed. "Unidentified.... what the bloody 'ell does that mean?"

Blitzer shined his light into the fog. It was really dense on the lower levels. He looked down through the grates, the fog was even thicker. Near Max's foot was something else, "What's that?" he said pointing.

Max dutifully looked down and then practically jumped onto him. "What is it??" she squeaked. Unidentified things at your feet and shrouded in fog were not something you wanted to stay near.

Blitzer picked it up and looked at it. "It is fragment of an arm bone," he said.

"Uhhh... Okay.... There's something really, really wrong with finding an -arm- bone, y'know..." she pointed out and was stuck to him like glue at the moment.

Blitzer nodded his agreement and let it fall onto the grates. It clanged and reverberated throughout the deck below. Blitzer winced at the stupidity of what he had just done.

"ACK!" Max jumped again and a shudder moved through her. "W-warn me next time!"

"We should see if there is anything else down here," he said moving several steps into the fog with Max right on his heels.

"Uuuhhh... wait a sec..." she tugged on his sleeve, not wanting to go *down there*.. "Uhh... don't you think we should get the message sent first??" she asked as her eyes darted around the fog-shrouded semi-darkness and goosebumps raised the hairs on her arms. "We need t'get the bloody 'ell outa here." Her hands tugged harder on his sleeve and she was about a hair's breath from dragging him.

He could smell other stranger scents down here. Including the scent of fear from Maxine, and after a moment, agreed with her. "Yeah, you are right," he said, and they climbed back up to the main level where he nodded toward the terminal, "Okay Come on, let's get this over with," he said with a weak smile.

Max followed behind him, sticking close enough that he could feel her breath and warmth on his back.

His ears picked up the sound of scampering across the deck above, and he spun, training his phaser rifle at the point where the ladder disappeared through the deck above.

Max jumped at his movement and stepped into his space, her body lightly touching his back now as she sought out the safety of his bulk. "Uhh... Wh-- What is it?"

"I don't know," whispered Blitzer, "I-I didn't hear a noise like *that* before." His ears scanned everywhere, he hefted his rifle closer to his chest. A long moment passed and he slowly turned and looked back toward the console. "Let's hurry up and get out of here."

She swallowed and nodded. She was still VERY close to him, close enough that her fingers had unconsciously found purchase in the material of his uniform. "Uhhh... Just... Just don't leave again, okay?" Max was pretty spooked by now. Blitz's unease had increased her own, tenfold. She moved towards the terminal, casting constant glances back towards him to make sure he didn't get too far away.

She jumped at the sound of her own feet and then chastised herself for the foolishness. Her hands shook as she quickly made the hookup with the computer again and breathed a shaky sigh as if she'd expected something to reach out from the terminal and grab her. "I'm in," she told him, looking back to see how far away he was before turning to her task. "It'll take me a moment to send it. I'm not sure where the Zion is," she told him in a whisper. "So I'm sending in a wider pattern..."

"Okay," said Blitzer not really comprehending what she just told him.

Suddenly, from near the airlock came a loud sound of clanging and bending metal. Blitzer gulped hard.

"What was that!?!" Max jumped at the sound, still trying to whisper, but her voice was a squeaky sound laced with fear.

Blitzer couldn't see anything, it was too far away and obscured by the power converter device in the center of the room and the haze of the fog.

"I don't know... " whispered Blitzer, "Is the program uploaded?"

Max blinked and refocused back on what she was doing. "T-two more minutes.." she told him.

"W-wait here," Blitzer slipped his sandals off and padded softly across the deck. His phaser rifle was held high and pointed in the direction of the sounds. As he approached the spot where he could see through the grated catwalks on the end of the deck, the sounds stopped.

"W-what?" she squeaked and watched him practically disappear into the fog. "What do you mean, 'wait here'??" But she was asking the swirling fog now because she couldn't see him at all. Her hands trembled and the hair on the back of her neck became almost painful.

Blitzer approached the edge of the deck. Something was still there. He could smell its scent, the likes of which he'd never smelled before. His heart was pounding. He could see nothing except mangled grates as if something had been trying to get through. Movement in the corner of his eye caused him to turn to his right, toward the ladder.

Blitzer took several steps back and pointed his phaser rifle. Long hairy, spidery appendages as thick as his arms probed the circular hole in the deck where the ladder ascended to the deck above. His jaw dropped slightly and his pupils dilated.

Suddenly something dropped through the hole, landing with a thud on the floor. It it was black and looked insectoid. A thick exoskeleton covered its back. Its face consisted of large eyes and a deadly looking set of mandibles for a mouth.

Blitzer swallowed hard unmoving.

Max heard a noise from where Blitzer had disappeared and wasn't about to wait here by herself any longer. She inched forward to the power converter in the center of the station and peered cautiously around it. What she saw had her screaming and clamping her hands over her mouth. It looked like a 3 foot long hairy cockroach, only much more sinister. Her breathing was ragged, her eyes wide with fear, and her heart was pounding in her chest now. She looked wildly around for Blitzer...

Suddenly the creature turned and began moving toward Max very rapidly. Blitzer instinctively set his phaser to kill and fired at the creature, sparks of plasma showered from it. Max screamed again as it continued moving toward her undaunted, and she tried to scramble back up, but her legs wouldn't move and fear held her paralyzed to the spot as she watched helplessly.

Blitzer turned his phaser up to setting 7 and sprinted after the creature, he continued to discharge his phaser, targeting the point of the creature's body where its appendages attached. Max let out a blood-curdling scream as more showers of sparks and several appendages blew off of the creature serving to slow it down. Blitzer caught up to it in a hurry. Like a wounded animal it turned and began limping toward him with angry sounding shreiks. He turned his phaser up to setting 8 and fired it. It blew the monster apart and pitted the deck it stood on. Max covered her face from flying debris and let out another scream

Blitzer, covered in shards of exeskeleton and guts from the creature, waved away the smoke. "Its dead." he said.

"A-Are you sure?" she peeked out through her fingers and then blinked as she spotted small egg pods spewed about. She watched with growing horror as they started hatching foot long spiders immediately. "Uuuhhhhh!!!!" She pointed and shook and pointed and let out a screech before Blitz found her plastered to his side.

Suddenly there was more clanging and banging on the far end. Blitzer could see several of the creatures dropping through the ladder access while others began dropping through the holes they had now chewed in the floor grates.

Blitzer ejected the power clip and inserted a fresh one, it would take several seconds to charge. "Run!" Blitzer yelled as he pointed in the direction across from the terminal.

Run? He wanted her to run??? She couldn't even =move=!!! But his firm hand pressed into the small of her back spurred her out of her fear-induced paralysis and her legs started to move. Her hands were shaking as she finally managed to get her pistol out of its holster.

As they ran Blitzer and Max both discharged their phasers in the direction of the creatures. They stepped into a storage locker which was merely the same grated material that comprised the deck on the far end.

He could hear the clamoring of the creatures as they scurried across the deck. Through the grates he could see there were 5 of them.

Blitzer set his phaser to setting 9.

Max's eyes widened as she watched him change the phaser setting. "That's too dangerous," she hissed and was holding onto him now. "You'll blow a 'hole in the station..."

Blitzer panted a deep breath and huffed, "yeah..not good." Then he spotted a pair of grav boots, "I have an idea," he said with another huff.

He nodded toward a console on the wall. "Can you deactivate the grav plating? "

"W-what???" she squeaked. Was he nuts? "Yeah... but... why??"

"If they are floating around it will be an easy shot," he said, checking the power clip.

"OH!" Max blinked and nodded. "Roight... Hang on a sec..." She got into a position where she could access the computer and then nodded.

Before the pack got close, Blitzer opened the door to the storage locker and stepped out. He aimed his phaser and fired it. He managed to wound one of them at a distance. The others continued their approach, stalking like a pack of wolves. They seemed to be communicating to each other. Blitzer felt very worried by the display of intelligence.

"'Oly shit!!" Max screamed and tried to back up as far away from the creatures as she could. But when Blitzer ran with cat-like grace and speed away from where she was, she screamed at him, not stopping until she saw three of the creatures follow after him. She was scared spitless and then noticed that one had remained near the ladder at the far end.

When he put some distance between them he turned and fired, killing off the wounded one. His shots spurred Max to inch to the open doorway of the storage compartment and fire at one of them, her hands shook as she took aim and it was only blind luck that had her actually hitting it. Max was pretty sure she'd just made it angry.

He placed the grav boot on the bulkhead near by and yelled toward Max, "Now!"

A moment later Blitzer floated up off the deck. He smiled as he used his foot-paw to grab onto the grav boot. The Alien creatures floated up as well, He took aim and began blasting away at one. Sparks and smoke as well as debris floated around the creature. It shrieked as it died in a cloud smoke.

Suddenly through the fog and smoke came another creature. Blitzer's heart stopped beating as he realized it was propelling its self using some sort of internal gas discharge and a combination of wings. "Big mistake," said Blitzer, dazed by the profound realization that it was faster flying through the air than it was scampering on the ground.

"Max! Turn the grav plating on! Turn it on! Turn it on!" yelled Blitzer as two of the creatures zeroed in on him rapidly. Blitzer let go of the grav boot and kicked himself off the bulkhead at the last minute. The monster bugs crashed into the spot he where he had been.

Now Blitzer floated helplessly in the air. He fired his phaser at one of the bugs but it was too fast, he missed it as it circled in for the kill. Sparks rippled from the panel on the wall he had destroyed. It was a good thing he didn't have it set on '9.'

One of the bugs flew directly at him. With felinoid agility he used his feet to intercept the bug and propel himself sideways like a matador and an angry bull. The impact sent the bug tumbling through the air.

Suddenly the gravity came back on. Blitzer landed on his feet, the bug did not. Blitzer ran to it as it tried to right-end itself. Blitzer aimed from the hip and fired a pulse from his rifle into the softer underside of the bug. It splattered all over.

Max calculated the distance between them and in a mad rush, made it to his location where she smacked him on the arm and shoulder. "DON'T LEAVE ME AGAIN!!" She was scared. Even her voice trembled. She hated bugs.

Rivulets of greenish gases floated in the air from the aliens propulsion organ. Blitzer cupped his nose, "..ewww"

"Oh!!!" Max waved her hand in front of her nose and gagged as she coughed from the foul smelling gas.

Blitzer looked down at the smoldering carcass and studied it. It too had spewed thousands of small cylinder like egg sacs. He looked up from them and over to the last one which appeared to be guarding the ladder.

He leveled his phaser at it and held the trigger. Sparks of plasma and debris showered from the creature. Blitzer released the trigger, several moments went by as he remained frozen until the smoke cleared. The creature had some sort of wings which it had used to shield itself. The phaser had caused damage to them, but it was still very much alive.

"I hate bugs...." Max said from directly behind him, her face close enough that he could feel her breath on the back of his neck.

Blitzer's ears were trained on the creature, he listened to the sounds it was making. Suddenly his ears quirked slightly, There was another sound. "Rah Rah Rah," The sound of a pixie practicing her cheerleader routine. The creature turned slightly toward the airlock. "Oh, oh" gulped Blitzer, "pigtails."

Blitzer brought the phaser rifle up to his chest and pointed it at the airlock. It was too late, in the blink of an eye the creature vanished into the runabout and Blitz and Max were left to slowly follow it towards the hatch with Max's fingers clinging to his uniform.

"Pigtails? Uh-oh?" But as soon as they reached the airlock, Max knew what he meant because she could hear Krystal screaming. "BAD BUG!!! BAD BUG!!! DON'T EAT ME!!"

"Oh my god...." Max jumped and started to move, stopping when Blitzer motioned for her to stay put while he quietly entered the runabout and walked to where the entry way connected to the central corridor. He peered around the corner to the left, toward the flight center and he could hear commotion as the creature seemed to be chasing after Krystal.

He ducked back down the short corridor and out the airlock closing it behind him. He was surprised when Max grabbed a hold of him again.

"Krystal is keeping it busy, We can stay here until the Zion can rescue us."

"What?" she squeaked and looked towards where Krystal was even if she couldn't see anything. "I don't think so. I'm not leaving that thing in there with her," she told him.

"She'll be alright. She's just a holo..." Blitzer stopped mid-sentence when his eye caught something over her shoulder. thousands of small spider like creatures were now devouring the larger dead ones. They seemed to be increasing in size with each bite. Blitzer couldn't speak because it felt like his heart had jumped up to his throat and was choking him.

"I don't care! She can be tra---" Max's gaze had followed his and with a little shriek that cut off her words, she moved closer to him, practically pressing against him in fear. "I hate bugs..." she whispered again, flinching at the sickening 'eating' noise they made.

Even as they watched for a moment, dozens of them began moving slowly in their direction. Blitzer grabbed the mechanism for the hatchway but it was stuck. The bugs began to buzz loudly and started crawling toward them in swarms, their bodies clamoring over each other in an effort to reach their spotted 'prize'.

Max hopped up and down and screamed as she watched them approach. She reached out to frantically help him, her hands slipping and grasping at his and the mechanism. In spite of her uncoordinated helping, they managed to get the hatch opened but now it was stuck that way.

"Oh gods... oh gods.... IT WON'T SHUT!!!" Max screamed and kept frantically trying to close it once they'd slipped through.

Blitzer began to blast ineffectively at the swarm which closed in on them. "W-we need a containment field," he said as the bugs reached the edge of the deck, disappearing into the thick fog that still hovered over the floor.

From head to tail, Blitzer's fur was standing on end. He had always thought he'd be blown it bits in his fighter craft. The thought never bothered him. Being ripped to shreds alive by hordes of alien spiders terrified him.

"A what??" she squealed and jumped as one of the bugs got close enough to nearly reach in and touch them. "OH! 'ang on!!" With hands that shook she hooked up to the computer and erected a force field. "'Ow's that?" She was back to being plastered to his side again.

Blitzer looked down at 3 small spider-like aliens, about 6 inches across. It creeped defiantly toward them. He pointed the rifle at them from arm's length and obliterated each in turn.

The spiders gathered and waited for an opportunity should the forcefield fail. All the while mutating and growing.

"I hate spiders more than I hate bugs!" Max squeaked, shaking with fear now, his hair on end only making her own terror seem more real.

Blitzer held Max close, "its gonna be okay," he assured her.

"It better be..." she jumped and clung to him at the sound of their claws clacking on the grating.

Now trapped between the airlock of the runabout and the inside hatchway of the station, Blitzer searched his head for a plan. "We need to get to the galley so we can beam it out. The runabout is too confined to be blasting on setting 7." Blitzer paused as he finished formulating his plan, "Here's what we'll do, you stay in the lock, I'll lure it from the flight center to the end of the corridor, I'll lock myself in the galley. There, I'll be able to beam the thing out into space."

"You keep leaving me!" she smacked him on the arm again. Definitely not enough to hurt, but enough to make her point. "Damn you anyway," she grumbled and was still shaking. "Do you think it'll work? Okay.. maybe it'll work. I hate bugs. Did I tell you that I hate bugs? And I hate spiders. I really, REALLY hate spiders," she rambled. "And I really, really, REALLY hate that you keep leaving me to be bug fodder!"

Blitzer made a "shhh!" gesture as he looked through the porthole to make sure the creature was not on the other side, waiting for them. He pointed his phaser as he nodded to Max whose head had been next to his peering though the porthole along with him. She trembled and nodded as she quietly opened the door... All was silent....

He crept down the short corridor to where the runabout's entry access connected to the main corridor. He looked left around the corner toward the flight center. It was quiet. He took a few quiet steps forward and his ears caught the sound behind him. He turned, rifle at the ready despite not wanting to shoot it in the runabout.

Max watched helplessly, her head constantly swiveling back to check on the containment field and the spiders on the other side who'd finished what they were eating and were now turning their attention to the promising meal Max would make.

The creature in the runabout was down in the Galley now. Blitzer looked back at Max who was watching intensely from the view port behind the hatch. He pointed down the corridor toward the galley.

He held his breath and quickly paced the 50 feet down the length of the corridor to the galley. Having soft pads on the bottom of his paws was a definite tactical advantage. The monster was definately in there and Blitzer peered inside to see it eating the pizza he'd left on the table for a snack.

He reached over and pushed the access panel, bringing the door closed.

As soon as the creature realized it was trapped it bashed itself against the door. Its strong mandibles began to tear and scrape at the door. Blitzer knew it wouldn't hold it for long and he raced back to the hatch and opened it, "Its in the Galley," he said, "come on!"

He didn't have to ask Max twice. She was out the door as soon as it was opened and then hurrying to shut it again before the spiders broke through the force field and crawled all over her.

Blitzer raced to the flight center which was trashed. The LCARS display was Smashed, he cursed in Caitian tongue. Max was right behind him, nearly running into the big Cait before screeching to a halt and seeing just why he'd been swearing.

She kept glancing back to the airlock and the gallery cause any moment she was sure bugs and spiders were going to be breaking though. "Wait... wait..." she was holding onto him now, just incase the bugs did manage to get through. "I can access the computer through my PADD," she told him.. "Just give me a second...." She already had it out and was working her way into the system. "I'm in..."

It was several tense moments before she looked at him helplessly. "I can't get a lock on it... It's exoskeleton is interfering with the signal..."

"Plan B," said Blitzer, "I'll go down to the Galley and open the door. I'll run to the mission module and close the door there. Its 20 feet from the Galley. I should be able to get the door closed in time. Once I'm inside, you make enough noise to lure it the rest of the way down the corridor. I'll unlock the docking clamps when it is by the entry junction. That should suck it out into space."

"What??? Lure it? Okay wait... WAIT.... I don't like this plan-B at ALL!" she told him. "Dammit I don't want to be bug food!" she squeaked and fwapped him again. "I'm so gonna hate you if I get bug ate," she warned him.

Blitzer hugged her, "Don't worry, It will work."

Blitzer turned as he walked out, "Make sure you get the flight control hatch closed," he said patting the door.

"Oh sure.... Roight... close the flight control 'atch. Just YOU make sure you don't get sucked out with the bug!! I can't fly this damn thing, y'know!" she hollered after him and then jumped when she heard metal scraping and tearing. "'URRY UP!" She closed the hatch, securing it and then just waited... And waited....

Blitzer stepped quickly down the hallway. He stopped by the mission module and opened the door. He proceeded down the corridor but he was 10 feet from the galley door when suddenly it collapsed and the monster bolted from its confinement. Blitzer reeled backwards, slipping off balance. He didn't have time to fire his phaser, he scrambled to his feet and ran back toward the mission module.

He jumped inside and activated door panel for 'emergency close' but the doors closed too slowly. The monster wedged itself in and began to force the door back open. Its long spidery legs prevented Blitzer from getting near the terminal next to the wall to unlock the docking clamp.

He turned on his comlink, "Max, you need to unlock the docking ring..NOW!"

"A'roight!! A'roight!!! Don't' you dare get sucked out!!!" she called back even as she followed his instructions and unlocked the docking ring.

--bullet time--

Decompression was like an explosion and the air seemed to become crystallized. Everything frosted instantly. Adrenaline pumped through Blitzer's veins making everything seem like it was happening in slow motion. He jumped toward the door. His paw activated the door mechanism to open it. But the monster used its 6 legs to hold itself in place. It had the scent of its prey and wasn't about to let Blitzer get away now.

There would only be a few moments until the ship's pressure was gone. Blitzer instinctively kicked at the creature in an effort to dislodge it. It worked, but not before a wickedly hooked claw protruded from one of its appendages and caught Blitzer in the calf muscle right above the hock. He fell backwards as the creature was sucked out into the corridor, his arms flailing for anything to grab hold of.

As the air vacated the runabout the creature was rapidly pulled along down the corridor, dragging Blitzer with it. The big Cait's claws scraped the smooth deck, searching for something to bite into. It was useless. He looked down at the creature, its mandibles snapped back and forth menacingly . He could see they were rapidly approaching the junction where the entry way to the airlock joined the central corridor.

His eyes locked onto the edge of the bulkhead which formed the corner and he realized that grabbing it was his only chance to keep from being sucked out into space.

The monster was sucked around the corner. He knew for the monster it was all over. He still had one more chance. He lunged.

Blitzer managed to hook his claws around the bulkhead as he passed it and clutched himself close. Excruciating pain rippled through his body as the monster's hook ripped free of his leg. He hung on like a flag in a strong wind, looking down at his feet he could see the void of space, the cloud of air and water vapor and the creature... floating away.

Soon the pressure dissipated. He landed on the floor and rolled over on his back. He struggled to draw a breath. There was little atmosphere left in the corridor. He wiped his paw over his uniform, it was still covered in bug guts and goo. He held it in front of his face, "Uhg," he said out loud.

His vision became blotchy and he started to feel the deck spin out of control, making him dizzy, he didn't know what was happening now but he was powerless. He could no longer hold his arm up, it dropped to the deck, his eyes became unfocused as he blacked out.

Maxine had been motoring the sensors, reading the life signs of both the bug and Blitzer. She monitored their progress, the computer able to get a good reading on Blitz at least. As soon as she realized what was happening, she went to work. His form shimmered into the blue of the transporter beam a moment after he blacked out, reappearing in the flight deck as Max had him beamed in.

"Oh shit! Oh shit! I'm too late!" She fell to her knees and grabbed hold of him, shaking his form with a strength that was belied by her size. "Blitz! Blitz! Don't you DARE die on me!!! Wake up dammit!!!" When he remained utterly still and unresponsive, she stopped shaking him long enough to press her ear to his bug-gut covered chest......

Counting on Krystal "
By: Krystal, Hologram, [RNPC]
M'Ressha Mikaht, Fighter Pilot, [RNPC]
Maxine Lucinda Tapert, Computer Specialist, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 2025

Continued...

"Oh shit! Oh shit! I'm too late!" Max fell to her knees and grabbed hold of him, shaking his form with a strength that was belied by her size. "Blitz! Blitz! Don't you DARE die on me!!! Wake up dammit!!!" When he remained utterly still and unresponsive, she stopped shaking him long enough to press her ear to his bug gut-covered chest......

She was shaking and closed her eyes. "Be beating.. be beating.. be beating..." she repeated over and over again and had to finally stop talking in order to hear....

Nothing....

"Oh shit!!! What do I do??? What do I do????" she screeched, panicked now and any life-saving techniques she might have known flew right out of her head for the moment.

"Chest compressions," a bedraggled looking Krystal with skewed pigtails peeked out from a smashed console and offered helpfully. "And it's about time you two got here... Leaving me for bug food...."

"Roight... roight... Not now, Krystal!" Max raised her hand and made a fist which she brought down on his chest with a 'thud'.

"You're not supposed to beat him..." Krystal coached.

"Mouth to mouth..." Max muttered and bent to position his head and clear his airway.

"Five chest compressions first," Krystal offered.

"Oh, roight..." Max pressed the heels of her hands to his chest and counted to five, leaning her weight into the compressions with each count. Then she moved to breath into his mouth...er... snout... "Breathe... breathe... Damn you, Blitzer! Breathe!"

Blitzer slowly opened his eyes. When he did, he saw Max's face just inches from his. He lifted his head and kissed her, laying his head back onto the deck.

Max blinked and sat back on her heels.

He sat up on the floor. "Did the message get sent?"

"Yay!!! Rah, Rah, Rah!!! Go Blitzy Go!!" Krystal cheered.

"Uhhhh...." Maxine stared at him for several heartbeats and finally just nodded.

"We got to get back," insisted Blitzer.

That's when she reached out and punched him in the shoulder. "Don't you EVER die like that on me again! Damn you." She punched him again for good measure. Then she straightened her uniform and =eyed= him.

"You're right," she let her breath out in a soft grunt. "We need to get back. But you'll have to use my PADD to fly this thing..." she told him more calmly and after a moment of configuring it, handed it to him.

Blitzer studied the PADD. It was just like his LCARS panel only smaller. He leaned against the wall and began to fly the shuttle away from the station.

The shuttle turned and accelerated to full impulse. He was beginning to put in the coordinates when suddenly the proximity alarm sounded. "Collision course." "Deflectors!" said Blitzer as he fumbled the PADD.

"Brace for impact" said Blitzer.

"Impact?!?" Max blinked in confusion and peered over the edge of the console.

He looked up at the front view port. He tried to alter course but the object out there seemed to change course as well. "Its a ship." said Blitzer.

"Too small for a ship," Krystal announced. "It's the size of a torpedo!"

"That's not a torpedo! It's a BUG!!!" Max pointed.

Blitz and Krystal looked at each other and then Max. "A bug?" Their voices were in perfect harmony and shattered when Max shrieked!

"Shields!" shouted Blitzer, "Structural integrity field at maximum!"

"Shields at 100 percent!" Krystal called out.

Like an ancient Kamikaze, the monster dived head on. The ship jolted slightly as its body smashed across the view port.

Maxine jumped and screamed when the bug hit them.

"Ewwww... bug guts..." Krystal wrinkled her nose and watched slimy bits splatter across the view port.

Blitzer leaned his head against the wall.

"Bloody 'ell..." Max trembled and stared out at the stars as if expecting another bug any moment.

Blitzer was tired, but he had a moment of clarity and quickly computed the course back at warp 8. He pressed the button and engaged the warp drive. "At top speed, we'll be there in 5 minutes."

He drew a deep breath. He hurt everywhere. He knew he was suffering from something similar to what humans called "the bends." Fortunately for Caits, their cardiovascular system were less demanding.

He handed the PADD to Max, "Check the cloak matrix."

Max let out her breath in a soft grunt and leaned back against the wall beside him as she took the PADD. A moment later she handed it back. "We're good... and you're hurt," she pointed to his lower body and moved to locate the medkit.

Blitzer used the PADD to drop the runabout out of warp. He took up his 'usual' parking place at Pacifica's pole and handed the PADD back to Max. "Be sure to re-check the cloak."

"Roight..." she tucked the medkit beside him and took the PADD, checking the cloak before setting it back down. "We're still good..."

Even though he felt extremely queasy, He laughed as if he were delusional, "pigtails." He picked up his blood soaked tail by the tip and let it slip from his grip. It landed with a thick splat on the deck. He couldn't bring himself to look at his leg, He didn't want to know how bad it was. He and wiped his paws through the pool of blood and held it up in front of his face, vaguely focusing. "Uhg," he said, I'm a mess.

Inside he felt like he was swimming in his own mortality, he knew he wasn't safe yet, but didn't know what to do about it. His strength was fading. "I'm thirsty." he said weakly.

"You're in shock..." Max told him. "Krystal, turn the heat up in here," she ordered and opened the medkit. "Just hang on," she kept eyeing him as she tried to stop his bleeding and do what she could for him. "Dammit... I'm not very good at this... I think I need to get you into bed," she told him after a moment.... "And I need blankets... And I can't see anything for the uniform..." That's when she pulled out the scissors a moved to cut his pants off him.

He watched her remove his blood soaked uniform. "Rah, Rah...." he said dryly.

He shook off the foggy thoughts, and gently took hold of her arm and pulled her near his snout, "..help me.." he said softly, "..get to.." Blitzer closed his eyes and swallowed dryly. "...Sickbay..."

Max blinked and searched his face, her breath warm as it washed over his fur. "Sickbay?"

He spoke softly, as if in a trance, "USS Tigris current configuration, Chassis Section 1, flight center module FCM 1011. Section 2c..." he drew a breath, "mission control module MCM I192... Section 3a..." he drew another shallow breath, "Sickbay module SB39..." He mustered his strength and stirred. That's what he was searching his mind for, "Three- three A," he said.

Max didn't move from her close proximity. "Krystal! You 'eard 'im! Beam us the 'ell into Sickbay!" she called out and wrapped her arms around Blitzer. "You just 'ang the 'ell on. Don't you dare die again," she muttered as they both shimmered into the blue particles of the transporter and reformed in one of the bio beds in Section 3a....

The room was small but efficiently configured. He leaned back into the bed. "I don't feel so good," he reminded her. He felt like thrumbolian parasites where swimming through his blood. "W-water..."

"'Ang on...." Max looked around and pulled a blanket over him. "Water... water.... Wait.... Sickbay module SB39?" she blinked and her eyes widened a bit. "Activate EMH..."

System Interface Error. Program will be terminated. The computer told her as the program crashed.

"Interface error?" Max questioned and then accessed the computer and the EMH program. "Ahh 'ell... it's gonna take an 'our t'repair!"

"Uhhh... Maxie? Blitzy doesn't look so good," Krystal pointed out. "I think he's turning white..."

"White? 'E's covered in fur... 'Ow can 'e do that?" Max's gaze swung around to him. "Oh shit! Pixie, activate EMH program and substitute Krystal 'ologram for the EMH interface," Max commanded.

Krystal blinked and giggled before disappearing and then reappearing again only in a size that was equal to Max. With wings. "Please state the nature of the medical emergency," she offered the standard EMH greeting.

"'E's dying!!" Max reached out to grab the hologram and pull her to Blitzer.

"Hey! Don't grab," Krystal swatted at Max's hand and moved to examine Blitz. "Uht-oh... he is..." she agreed.

"Well DO something!" Max told her and watched as Krystal interfaced with the bio readouts and after a moment began running a dermal regenerator over his wounds to staunch the flow of blood.

Blitzer winced in pain.

"Oh this is not good...." Max chewed on her bottom lip and went to get water from the replicator and a rag and then back to offer a sip to Blitz if he was still awake and then she started using the wet rag to wipe away the blood from his fur.

Blitzer sipped the water and took a deep breath.

"What can I do?" she asked Krystal.

"Stay out of my way," the hologram fluttered her wings and sounded like those snippy EMH's. Krystal prepared an injection and administered it, keeping Blitz from going into further shock.

"Work around me," Max told her. "I'm not moving."

Blitzer opened his eyes. The corner of his lips curled into a slight smile, as he gazed at the over sized pixie. "Hula-angel." he said. His eyes rolled over to Max, "Pizza girl."

Krystal giggled and administered an anti-toxin to combat anything the bug might have left along with an antibiotic. "I'm an angel," she announced and giggled again and started treating him for decompression sickness.

Max rolled her eyes and gazed down at Blitz. "Don't you dare leave me, Blitzer," she warned softly as she continued to wash the blood from his fur. "And no bloody dying."

"I can't die..." he said weakly, "..I have warrior toes."

Max blinked.

Krystal broke out into peals of delightful giggles.

"There is something very wrong with an EMH that giggles," Max observed and rubbed at Blitzer's fur with her rag. "Warrior toes, 'uh?" She had to smile at that. She couldn't help it. "Bloody Warrior toes at the moment," she pointed out.

The fluids being fed into Blitzer's body made him start to come around a little. He lifted his paw in front of his face and flipped it back and forth. "Ugh," he said setting it back down.

Blitzer starred at the Pixie. It made him feel disproportionate, which added to his queasy feeling. He gagged a little and coughed, "uhg." He said with a deep breath.

"Ooohh! I have something for that!" Krystal announced and gave Blitz an injection for nausea.

"Would you stop filling 'im full of drugs?" Max demanded and took Blitz's hand to wash the blood from.

"Hey.. who's the doctor here? You want him to throw up all over you?" Krystal asked.

"Ugh..." Max blinked and looked down at Blitz. "You're not... are you?"

Blitzer shook his head 'no' as his gaze was transfixed on his paw that Max was washing. He was pleasantly surprised that she seemed to know how to extrude his claws as she thoroughly cleaned his paw. However as he looked, his brow furrowed with a slight frown of concern. "Damn," he said, "... I broke a nail."

Max paused to study the broken claw, maintaining the gentle pressure to keep it from retracting. She didn't laugh because that would be impolite, but she did snicker. "I'm sorry... that just sounds so =wrong= coming from a guy," she explained and picked at the claw a bit. "I think it'll grow back soon though... Maybe Krystal could fix it or something?" she offered helpfully as she spent a little extra time cleaning it.

"I could try a deep tissue regenerator," Krystal offered helpfully.

The sound of Krystal's voice made Blitzer's head turn toward her. He regarded her. "How did I get so small" he asked.

Krystal giggled. "You're not small. I'm big," she told him.

"Oh, well.. what did you eat to get so big?"

"The EMH," the hologram giggled and rubbed her tummy. "He was tasty and good with ketchup."

Max snorted and kept cleaning the blood from Blitzer.

Blitzer motioned for Max to come closer, his eyes widen, "Storage module SM266, Section 3b"

Max blinked and looked at him with a mild bit of confusion, wondering if he was alright.

He leaned forward close enough to plant a kiss on her cheek. "Thanks for saving my life."

"Oh... 'ey..." she blushed and let out her breath in a soft grunt. "You'd 'ave done the same for me..."

He motioned for Krystal to come close. He gave her a kiss on the cheek too. "and you too."

Krystal giggled and touched her cheek. "I got a kiss! My first ever!" she announced.

He took a sip of water and closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

"Is 'e okay?" Max asked when he drifted into unconsciousness.

"Yes. Just sleeping from the pain medicine probably," Krystal told her as she kept working, making sure all his wounds were healed and that there was nothing adverse going on.

"Oh... that's okay then... I guess..." Max kept diligently cleaning the blood from his fur. "'E's so soft," she commented.

"You're not supposed to be noticing that," Krystal pointed out.

"I'm not? Why not?"

"Because," the hologram gave her a look. "Medical personnel are suppose to be immune to noticing stuff like that."

"Oh... But I'm not medical," Max smirked.

"Oh... right... then I guess you can notice," Krystal told her.

"Thank you very much," Max grinned at her. "You finished with 'im?" she wondered.

"Yahuh. He's all done," Krystal nodded. "Just needs to sleep."

"Alright then..."Max finished up and stood to take the basin and rag back to the replicator. "I'm going to go see what's in Storage module SM266..." she informed the hologram and slipped from Sickbay. "Call me if anything 'appens!" she called back.

"Will do!" Krystal called after her and then blinked down into her normal size to perch on Blitzer's chest.

Meanwhile, Maxine rummaged around in Storage module SM266 and found the parts she needed to repair the LCARS. With a light whistle she made her way back to the flight deck and pulled the damaged one out before settling down to repair it.

The repairs didn't take too awfully long... Mostly replacing what had been damage. Soon enough she had it back in place and was running it through a diagnostics to make sure everything was working properly. Sensors first, just to make sure they didn't have any more company than before and to make sure all the nice Cardassian ships were where they left them.. Not to mention the Yamoto..

She paused what she was doing to call back to Krystal; "'Ey, 'ow's our fly boy, Pixie?"

Krystal peered at the sleeping Blitz and examined the readouts of his biosigns. "Still sleeping," she announced from her spot on his chest.

"'Oller at me if 'e wakes up," Max told her and went back to work.

It wasn't long before she got lost in the world of binary data as she monitored the comm. traffic to see if there was anything going on or if they'd noticed their presence at the Relay Station. She passively scanned the Yamoto, checking to see if she still had the same number of life signs which would indicate if she still had a skeleton crew aboard or was gearing up for anything.

After a while she propped her feet up and leaned back, getting comfortable and working on a PADD... She had an idea....

Blitzer's eyes fluttered open. He had a bit of a headache, but his stomach felt good, as did his leg. He looked down and saw Krystal sitting on him. It struck him that he could feel the hologram sitting on his chest. "You've gained weight," he said with a smirk.

Krystal giggled and fluttered her wings. Then she poofed out her cheeks to look fat. "Like this?" she giggled some more. "You better?"

Blitzer looked confused, he poked the pixie, "No,..your're not a hologram anymore, you're a real girl!"

Krystal squeaked and giggled at the poking. "I'm a *real* girl!" She poked him back.

Blitzer's mind search for an answer, he turned his head sideways slightly to ponder the situation.

"Maxie's been worried about you," she told him.

He rubbed his eyes with the backside of his paws, "Uhh.. what time is it?" he asked.

"It's 0200," Krystal watched him with her head tipped a bit to the side.

"Am I going to be alright?" he asked the pixie who was somewhat nested into his furry chest. A chest that had been, unbeknownst to him, braided a bit.

"Yahuh. I fixed you really good," Krystal assured him. "Maxie didn't know what to do."

Things started to come together in his mind, "So you can be an EMH too?"

"His interface was broken so Maxie had me take over," Krystal preened proudly. "He crashed. I'm better than him."

Meanwhile, up on the flight deck, Maxine started chuckling as she worked on her PADD. "'Ey!" she called back to Krystal. "When's 'e gonna wake up, Pixie?"

Kyrstal giggled and looked at Blitzer to see what he wanted her to say.

Blitzer squinted his eyes and made a, "shhh!" gesture. He slid out of bed, and looked down. "Oops," he said softly. He pulled a blanket off the bed to cover himself. He smiled unsuredly at Krystal as he wrapped himself up.

"Pixie?" Max called back. "Are the comm's dead? You there?"

He put a little weight on his injured leg. It hurt like a great deal, but it was tolerable. "You do good work Doctor Pixie."

Krystal giggled and wiggled her fingers at him.

He crouched down and went stealthly out the door toward the front. He spotted Max leaning back in her chair with her feet propped up working on her PADD.

"Oh great... now the comms aren't working...." she muttered.

"I'm here, I'm here!" Krystal called back up.

"'Bout time... Now about our Fly B---" Max started and never got to finish.

With cat-like moves he got right behind her and with a soft breathy voice he said, "hey.."

Max screamed and fell out of the chair. The PADD when flying and she tumbled onto the deck with an "ooff", landing on her ass. She started to scramble back and suddenly realized that bugs wouldn't say 'hey'... Would they? That's when she turned and spotted Blitz. "YOU RAT!!" she launched herself at him. "You scared the shit out of me!" she accused, ready to smack his chest when she reached him.

"Whoa! Kidd-o!" he said unclutching the blanket and holding his hands out defensively, just in time to catch her.

"Gah! I thought you were a bug!" she accused again, but didn't smack him.

He loosened his hold on her arms and let the weight of her body lean her in closer, "I meant to surprise you, not scare you," he said wrapping the blanket around both of them now as he pulled it back up from where it had fallen.

Maxine let her breath out in a soft grunt. "You did surprise me," she smiled up at him a little wryly, her hands on his chest keeping her from actually laying against him. "I'm just glad we're not dead, y'know?"

He squeezed her tightly. "We make a good team," he said.

"Oh sure... I scream and you kill the bugs..." Her fingers tightened in the fur covering his chest and she let her weight rest more on him. "Thanks for not letting me get dead."

Blitzer was pretty happy, hard as he could he couldn't hold back a soft purr.

That made Max blink and then laugh softly. Her fingers flexed a bit and then flexed a bit more, only now they were rubbing his chest and stroking his fur. She looked down to where her hands covered him and she blinked again. "Uhhh.... You 'ave braids..." she told him, trying to hold back the laughter that wanted to escape as she fingered the fur around his nipples.

Blitzer took a deep breath and chuckled as he rolled his eyes, "That little...how'd she..." he laughed more when felt the tiny little braids.

"Cause she's solid in the Sickbay," Max laughed... "Oh my... she was =busy=. Probably bored while she watched you sleep," she grinned up at him. "She does that to me too." She indicated her hair were there were some very tiny braids.

He sifted his paws through her hair. They were full of small braids. "uhh.." he reached up and sifted his paw through his mane, "...yep."

Max could help leaning her head into the touch of his paws. It was an unconscious reaction. Then she quirked a brow at his 'yep' and moved her hands up to run through his mane as he'd done to her. Her soft laughter filled the flight deck when she felt the tiny braids mingled in with the silky softness of his hair.

Blitzer nuzzled Max's hair and hugged her close, but it was only a brief moment until Blitzer's sensitive ears detected the inaudible clicking sound of micro-relays in the device which emitted Krystal followed by the quiet digitalized sound of wings fluttering.

Max blinked because what he was doing felt so ....nice... And she hadn't expected it to. Nor had she ever had anything that felt quite as nice as that. She decided she liked having her hair nuzzled and let out her breath in a soft contented grunt... But then he stopped and she blinked again, looking up at him with questioning eyes, her ears definitely not good enough to pick up the minute Krystal signs.

He leaned close to her ear, "Your Imp is watching us."

Max shivered and looked at him, her eyes finding his. "What's she doing?"

He leaned over slightly to peer around Max, "grinning," he said.

"Where is she?" she whispered back, not making any motions to move away from him.

"She's flittering over your console."

"The busy-body," Max whispered back and then slowly turned, unconsciously careful not to disrupt the blanket still around them, until her back was pressed against Blitz. "Are you spying?" she asked Krystal who just giggled and wiggled her fingers.

"I was bored," she told them.

"I think she needs a hobby," Max told Blitz.

"Oh? Braiding doesn't count?"

"I was thinking of something that didn't *include* braiding though..." Max pointed out. "Y'know... something productive..."

"I can do productive," Krystal offered.

"Yeah?" said Blitzer, "I bet you can't hand count all the cottonballs in the jar by the bio bed in sick bay"

"Can too!" Krystal defended herself.

"Oh dear gods..." Max laughed. "Out loud?" she added with a snicker.

"Humph!" Krystal glared at them both with her hands on her hips, and disappeared in a poof of golden pixie dust.

"Oh, that was bad... so bad," Maxine laughed. "She'll be back."

Blitzer coaxed Maxine around and leaned toward her. His lips were just inches from hers.

"One..." came the little pixie's voice from Sickbay.

Max's eyes were huge as she looked up at him and blinked. "Uhhh.... Are you going to kiss me?" she asked breathlessly.

"Two..."

Blitzer's eyebrows arched affectionately and he nodded a a couple times.

"Three..."

She swallowed. "Uuhhh... How many cotton balls are in there?" Max couldn't take her eyes off him.

"Four..."

"It's a big jar." he said with a smile.

"Five..."

"OH!" Max blinked and her eyes widened. "Then that'd be a pretty long...."

"Six..."

Blitzer rolled his eyes upward thoughtfully, "Yeah... I guess it could be..."

"Seven..."

"But if you don't..."

"Eight..."

"No, no... I do..." Max offered a hesitant smile.

"Nine..."

Blitzer smiled back, "Okay..."

"Ten...."

"Good, uhm...."

"Eleven...."

Blitzer positioned her slightly, and slowly bowed his head once again toward Maxine.

"Twelve..."

"Uhhh... Wait..." Max pulled back a little.

"Thirteen..."

"What?"

"Fourteen..."

"Don't I 'ave to get ready?"

"Fifteen..."

"Ready?"

"Sixteen..."

"...No, just close your eyes and...."

"Seventeen...."

"I can't watch?"

"Eighteen..."

"Watch? Uhm...Okay..."

"Nineteen..."

"A'roight... I think I'm ready now..."

"Twenty... Hey you guys! I got twenty already!"

Blitzer tilted his head back so he could see down the corridor, "That's great!" he said in a loud voice, "Count on, Krystal!"

Growing "
By: James McIntyre , Doctor , [NPC]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 2240

McIntyre was walking by Dr. Dane's office when he spotted the Olive branch he had given Dane, stuck in a pot of dirt. He smiled, it looked like she had done that in effort to thwart the progression of it's wilting leaves.

He snapped his fingers, there was only one thing to do. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he said to one of the nurses at their station.

A moment later, he was in his neighbor's quarters looking at her small olive tree. "Its gonna cost you big time," said Liz with a smile.

"Anything," said McIntyre, "name your price."

Liz tapped her finger on her ever widening smile and then announced, "I want your Horga'hn."

"My wha..?"

"Its a fair price," she snapped back, "You seem to have no trouble finding them, and..." she said, affectionatly stroking the tree's leaves, "...it is a real tree."

McIntyre pursed his lips trying to make it seem like a more difficult decision than it was. "Okay, you have a deal."

He shook hands with Liz and proceeded to pick up the small tree. He carried it back to sickbay and looked around. Dane was no where to be seen, He carried the tree into her office and switched pots trying not to get dirt all over.

He stepped back to admire his handy work, satisfied, he snuck back out of Dane's office with the empty pot went off and made his rounds.

Teilani had been visiting some of the dismissed patients just to make sure that they were alright and some of them even requested her if they could go back on duty.

She entered here office and walked to the replicator, after placing her equipment on the desk. "Coffee, Jamaican blend double strong double sweet." she ordered. "Ah...... this is much better." she said inhaling the strong smell.

Caressing the hot mug in her hands she turned around and........ The mug of hot coffee fell to the floor, shattering into thousand pieces. She placed her hands infront of her mouth and walked over to the Olive tree.

"JAAAAAAAAAAAMeees!!!" she yelled.

Not far away, McIntyre smirked at the nurse who was assisting him with a dermal regeneration procedure. He looked up at her and smirked, "I'll be right back."

He stepped up next to Dane and who was almost shaking.

"Look....... it has grown. O my goodness. I love it.!!! "

He pulled out his tricorder and scanned it, and feigned a surprise look, "Indeed it has Doctor, I guess it has responded to the pot and dirt you put it in."

Teilani was as happy as a school girl. Spontaneously she hugged McIntyre. "I have never had a plant before, what do I do now, I need to do some reading on it. How did it grow so fast.???

She bit her lower lip, she always did that when being nervous or too exited.

"All you need to do is water it twice a week," said McIntyre, skirting the question of its rapid growth.

She carefully touched the soft velvety leaves. "you know I wonder if it will grow real olives?"

He stepped closer to the tree and touched its leaves as well. "Wouldn't that be a treat?"

Teilani nodded. "First priority, however, is trying to keep it alive." She then turned back towards her desk, looking over her shoulder at the plant. She had a real plant now, Teilani was extatic. She took some padds from the desk and walked back to McIntyre.

Handing them to him, she said. "I have a real plant."

"I'm glad you like it." he said. He glanced at the padds. "Well, if you will excuse me Doctor, I have to finish my rounds."

=TAG=

Mamma Silvio Would Not Approve "
By: Giuseppe Silvio, Chief Engineer, [RNPC]
Patia Zoei, Chief Counselor, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.28 2300

==Patia's Quarters==

Patia loaded a series of jazz tunes into the sound system located in her quarters. She dimmed the lights to one quarter intensity. Wrapping a soft green fleece blanket around her shoulders, she settled into the corner of her sofa to wait for Silvio's arrival. Quietly, she closed her eyes as the soft notes tinkled lightly along her nerves.

Silvio stopped outside Paria's quarters. He had finished work in Engineering and returned to his quarters to change out of his uniform and into more comfortable clothing. Silvio reached out and rang the door chime.

Patia turned slightly and looked over the back of the couch. "Enter," she called, her voice slightly hoarse.

Silvio entered the the sound of jazz music softly playing. Seeing Patia looking at him over the back of her sofa he smiled and walked towards her. He leaned over the back of the couch and said , "Hi there."

"Hello to you, too," the words whispered across the space between. "Have a seat," she patted the couch next to her.

Silvio moved around the couch and sat down next to her and looked at her. He decided that he liked it when she wore her hair down. "How was the rest of your day?"

"Busy, busy. It was good to get back here and put my feet up. How about yours?" She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"We got the ship moving again," he said, "Ready for the next thing, whatever that might be."

She nodded. Unconsciously, she pulled the blanket up under her chin. The scent of gardenias wafted under her nose. "I can't believe you are as awake as you are. I would be so tired."

Silvio chuckled, "I am a little tired, but you promised me a snuggle, that has givem me the strength to make it thought the day."

Patia chuckled in return. "Did you need something to eat or drink while we have that snuggle?"

Silvio laughed, "Nope! Just the snuggle, Ma'am."

She lifted the edge of her blanket and patted the soft cushion.

Silvio moved closer to Patia, put his arm around her and drew her close to him.

She tipped her head back to glance back at him. "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

"Hmmm, let's see," Silvio thought about it, "Would it surprise you if I told you that I would like to see this war over, be the chief engineer on a exploration vessel and married to the ship's Betaziod counselor, whom I love very much?"

"An exploration vessel? What would a Betazoid counselor do on an exploration vessel?" Patia pondered the rest of his statement as she waited his response.

Silvio said nothing at first, confused by her question, then he said, "Counsel them?"

Patia shook her head. "Counsel them? What would I counsel them regarding?" She sighed. She had trained long and hard to be prepared to deal with the issues of a people inundated with war type conditions. She hadn't considered what would come after the war was over.

"Is something wrong, Patia," asked Silvio?

"No, nothing is wrong. I just realized that once that situation is over, I will have outmoded myself. I might as well pack it in and move back home for all the training I have outside of what we are dealing with right now. That is a bit of a jump to make in the thought process."

"Patia, have no fear," said Silvio sadly, "Counselors will be dealing with the effects of this nasty war for years after it is done." Silvio had hoped to concentrate on the last part of his five year plan.

"True. And don't get me wrong, I want this war over as much as the next person, I just hadn't thought about it being over in our immediate future. So, married, eh?"

"Yeah," said Silvio, "Does that surprise you?"

"A little. How familiar are you with Betazoid wedding customs?" The corner of Patia's lip curled slightly as she surpressed a snicker. It was always possible he was well versed in the traditions, but they could be a nasty shock for some.

"Weddings are all the same aren't they?"

Stifling a chuckle, she said, "Most Betazid weddings are the same, but they are not the same as most, shall we say, traditional humanoid weddings."

"Oh really," he asked, "What makes them so different?"

"What would you expect to wear to a wedding, if you were the groom?" The giggle was getting harder to suppress.

"I would suppose that I would wear my dress uniform," said Silvio.

"Oh, dear. You would be a might overdressed," the muscles along her back rippled at the hidden giggle. The warm expanse of his chest felt solid against her as leaned back.

"In my dress uniform," asked Silvio, "What does the groom usually wear?

"Yes, overdressed in your dress uniform. Usually," she cleared her throat, "actually, always, Betazoid weddings are conducted with the primary participants," she cleared her throat again, "you know, the bride and groom, basically everyone, nude." She barely finished speaking before the laughter bubbled out of her. She leaned forward and rested her forehead on her knees as the laughter shook her body.

"Oh, well," Silvio cleared his throat, "I see. Nude." Silvio did not know whatt to say, "Umm, isn't that a bit awkward... and chilly?"

"I can see where it would be awkward for someone not accustomed to it, but no, it isn't. I feel quite uncomfortable at a wedding where clothing is required. It is just a matter of what you are comfortable with and what you are familiar with from past experience. Also, with the number of people that attend traditional weddings, it doesn't get chilly. There is too much body heat. So, still see yourself married to a Betazoid counselor in five years?" She arched an eyebrow as she looked over her shoulder at him.

"For you Patia, I would do it," declared Silvio. THen a terrible thoguht crossed his mind, "Oh dear, Mamma Silvio would not approve, we might need to have two weddings. Oh boy, this would be a problem for her."

"Guiseppe, do you think we might be jumping the gun just a tad here? We are not even bethrothed. Besides, my mother has powers of persuasion the like you have never seen before. She can talk to your mother."

"You are right, we are jumping the gun," he paused, "Ok, where do you see yourself in five years?"

"Right now, I have to formulate a new plan. I had always assumed I would be a single individual whose only obligation was to serve the Maquis. Now, I don't know how accurate that would be."

"You'll let me know if I can be of any help wont you," asked Silvio.

She smiled softly. "Don't worry, you will be the first to know." She leaned her head back against his shoulder and tugged the blanket up against her chin.

Silvio smiled and gently stroked her side as they sat listening to the music playing softly in her quarters.

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