A Gathering of Hunters

 Personal Log

Stardate: 88784.1

I am now committed to a course of action that, more than ever, will put in the balance my personal destiny as much as that of fellow fleetmates... and the whole of Starfleet and of the Federation. Well, what else is new? This is Lotus Fleet.

Danger from within is the foulest of all to face; because you never know if you are truly on the right side. You only have your conscience to show you the way. And the way I am contemplating looks too much like the Terran Schroedinger's cat; until the box is open, no way to know if it will be to see a living cat... or a dead one.

Or if that will reveal it to be Pandora's box.

Humans have quite the knack at significant myths.

So, now only time will tell; and not just figuratively.

Kheren switched off the log, took a deep breath then opened a shipwide channel.

''This is Captain Kheren; the following personel will report to the Crow's Nest.... observation lounge, deck 1... in one hour: Lieutenant Tyvya; Lieutenant Lyrya; Ensign Tethys Daystrom; Senior Cadet Sabrina Shadowhunt; Senior Cadet Gunner Holland; Senior Cadet Terix; Senior Cadet Lep Hansen. ''

He closed the channel, sat back with his cup of cold Cardassian fish juice with Terran bacon bits, his ''Captain's Brew,'' and waited. His silvery eyes and antennae oculars were all on a starchart of the Hromi sector projected on the large screen wall, pondering the future.

And the past.

At the same time, he was eyeing a very specific spot on the chart that was left unmarked except in his memory of a recent classified report; right before everything began.

In time... everything changes.

From the confides within her sparce quarters, the announcement from the Andorian commanding officer reverberated with authority. Sabrina ShadowHunt stood up from the small desk and entered into the minute bathroom. She slowly brushed out her long thick raven hair before pinning it back. She briefly touched up her refined angular facial features with a dab of makeup. She gazed beyond her five-foot, eight inches frame as she contemplated the events that transpired since their arrival back from their epic training cruise.

The number of interrogations and meetings blurred into an amalgamation of questions regarding specific details and sequences of events that happen during her time on the Alsea. She recounted everything she could recall yet more meetings prodded for additional information and insight. She cooperated to the very best of her ability yet felt as if she wasn’t providing whatever it was that they apparently were digging for. Eventually, they assigned her duties on the starbase. They came randomly and shifted around to a variety of departments and tasks. It was as though her aptitude was being field tested with every challenge.

Then abruptly she was summoned back into what seemed to be active duty. Problem was, there were no details accompanying these orders. Everything had been covert. She was shuffled from transport to transport until she found herself arriving on the USS Horizon. Quarters were assigned and tasks were given, yet these were all being carried out remotely from her quarters. There had been no interactions among the crew. Now suddenly, a meeting was announced.

She marched over to her closet and retrieved a fresh uniform. She dressed then conducted one last inspection in front of the mirror. Then she went back to her desk and began preparing files on her PAAD.

Fifty-five minutes later, she entered a turbolift with her PAAD grasped firmly in her hand. She directed the lift to deck 1.

As it swooshed open, Sabrina dashed towards then into the Crow's Nest. Inconspicuously, she stepped into the briefing room. Gazing around the table, she noted the Andorian captain sitting there.

“Sabrina ShadowHunt reporting as ordered, Sir.”

The four oculars of Kheren zeroed in on her, taking in her looks, her smells and her bioaura all at once. A thinker he thought immediately; good; we will need such a one on this endeavor. His dark blue callused hand indicated vaguely the empty cairs of the other two sides of the large triangular table; the ones with the blue colored chairs and the one with the red colored chairs.

The door swooshed open behind her and in came young Lep Hansen, still adjusting his uniform . He stood ramrod straight at the sight of the Andorian in the center seat of the golden side.

'' Sir, Cadet Hansen reporting for duty Sir!''

''At ease Cadet Hansen. You will feel enough tension later on.''

A doer Kheren thought of him as he went crisply to the red seat farthest from him; not easy with a table forcing people to sit so close together. Good; we will have much to do indeed.

The door opened again and through it stepped Gunner Holland. The cadet towered over those standing in front of him, his Klingon frame a hard to miss presence. If not for his fairer complexion and black Betazoid eyes one would not know Gunner was mixed race. Most mixed race Klingons lose much of the dominant outward Klingon appearance.

"Cadet Holland reporting as ordered Sir." Gunner reported in his booming voice.

Cadet Holland was still armed from his security and tactical training patrols and, while standard procedure to disarm at a locker before reporting for such a call, Cadet Holland's warrior instincts told him this was no ordinary muster.

A fighter thus concluded Kheren with no effort at all, but a cunning one, if his performance on the Alsea is any indication. Tyvya will like this one. And Lyrya as well. I wonder if they will... connect.

The thought made his antennae curl slightly in bittersweet amusement. Since his episodic transformation into an Undine, his mind was now psi-dead even to his Aenar's wife telepathic power. This cadet was half-Betazoid according to his Starfleet file; it might not show much in his imposing appearance, but it showed in his eyes; the light in them more than their color. There was intelligence and perceptivity in those eyes.

His assessment was confirmed when the cadet took a seat as if he had verbally invited him to, needing only a flicker of Kheren's pupiless silvery eyes and knobby antennae.

Those went again to the door before it wooshed behind the cadet. In came the last one of their original team. he stepped with a crisp walk and came also at attention, but there was a pantherish supppleness even in his stance, his lively eyes taking in everything at once even if they seemed to look at nothing. His voice was just as full of meaning even when uttering the bland formula.

''Cadet Terix reporting, Sir.''

Romulan alright, the Andorian estimated when looking at the taller, brown-haired and eyed Vulcanoid, noting his brow ridges and the carefully guarded feelings in his angular face. More than meet the eye. A dedicated scientist his file says, but more than capable to face trouble; and he has dealed extensively with Starfleet security. That will prove most valuable to us.

The door to the briefing room slid open once more to admit his two wives; the two meters tall Andorian giantess Tyvya in her gold uniform and the blue-clad white-skinned Aenar Lyrya. Tyvya sat beside Holland while Lyrya came to the side of the table with Shadowhunt and Terix. Then shimmered into view the bewildering multi-racial-looking ensign Thetys Daystrom, right at the captain's left shoulder.

Kheren's soft but deep voice welcomed them once they were all seated.

''Welcome officers, cadets. We can proceed.''

He stood up and lowered his face slightly towards the young woman beside him. Although she didn't move nor even batted an eye, she looked as if she was a brief moment distracted. Then, they all felt themselves caught by a transporter beam.

Before they could blink, the vast conference room's wall seemed to brutally contract on them and they all felt themselves falling, their back to a slanted bulkhead.

''What the...'' Hansen swore as he sat on the hard cold floor, blinking at the a hatch at two ends of the much smaller room, before a much smaller, rounder table.

Gunner pulled his phaser and instinctively scanned the room. As he stood up from the floor he holstered his weapon and composed himself.

Terix stayed completely immobile, except for his eyes darting all around. He knew instantly where they where; the back area of a shuttlecraft.

It was like a moment of prestidigitation as Sabrina fell into an awkward position aboard the newly emerged shuttle.

“Well now… that was a rather abrupt transition,” she noted before adding a slight smirk as her bearings immediately began to resituate themselves. “I suppose scheduling the meeting to occur here was not an option… perhaps due to security reasons?’ she cautiously surmised. She did not intend to overstep her bounds with what could possibly be perceived as a rather snarky remark coming from a mere cadet. 

''I am reassured that you have not hurt your head, Cadet Shadowhunt,'' Kheren answered then giving a nod to Tessa.

Over their table appeared a small holoprojection. It showed them all still seated at the conference table on deck 1. The audio feed revealed them talking about a covert operation to steal the USS Lotus from the starbase, going over security protocols of the headquarters of Lotus Fleet and the schematics of the Intrepid class former flagship.

Kheren gave them time to get their bearings back and seat themselves around the table while explaining what they were witnessing.

''We know this ship has been sabotaged and altered. but we don't know to what extent. There is a significant chance there are also spying devices installed. I will take no chances.''

His dark blue callused hand pointed to the audiovisual display.

''These holograms have been programmed to superimpose themselves during your transport and play out this meeting of our planned operation. Not even Captain Redding is aware of this. The transporter log was erased right after transport as well as it's energy expenditure from the engineering computer core. Even tessa who performed the trick is now learning it through my words.''

A glance at the holographic officer showed on her strange multiracial face the same confusion as theirs. The Andorian resumed.

''All your peronal belongings are now here. Once our dopplegangers will move to board this craft, we will be ready to launch; for our real mission.''

He looked at them all in turn.

''My wives are here not just because of my total confidence in them, but because of their well-honed competence; Ensign Daystrom obviously because of her peerless capabilities as an artificial sentient lifeform; and you, cadets, because you are the only ones knowledgeable and experienced with the area we are really going to... and what awaits us there.''

He turned towards Tessa.

''Ensign, please put into the log that, as of now, Senior Cadet Sabrina Shadowhunt, Senior Cadet Gunner Holland, Senior Cadet Terix and Senior Cadet Lep Hansen are hereby promoted to the rank of Acting Ensign.''

Sabrina’s eyes appeared to twinkle as she heard the words spoken of their new rank. Despite the dire circumstances that likely awaited them in whatever was about to transpire, it was akin to a vote of confidence in their experience, aptitude, and potential. Then the reality of everything else revealed suddenly thrust to the forefront of her thoughts.

“Sir,” she inquired cautiously, “are we returning back to the region of space in which we encountered that hostile incident while on the training voyage?”

''Affirmative. The singular experience of your... little training cruise is exactly what I will need. And you four are the only ones I can be sure to be competent enough yet not assigned anywhere within Starfleet so as to be missed if you... disappear.  And I can be confident that, because of your... modest status, that you are not yet corrupted by whatever is afflicting Starfleet.''

He turned again to Tessa.

'The mission schematics if you please, Ensign.''

Over the table between all of them, the holodisplay now showed an area of space the four Acting Ensigns were quite familiar with. It was fresh enough still in their memory to have them recognize it as the distorted area of space they found at the edge of the sector. Kheren did not elaborate on the astrophysics data accompanying it.

''This is the only place where no one will think to look for us. And no sensor, however advanced, will find us there. Since you are four of the six persons to ever dare venture in this zone, none will dare follow us in.''

Sabrina contemplatively scanned the holographic projection as the Andorian captain spoke. It was as if that region of space had been subconsciously imprinted into her memory.  Then she addressed him once again.

“Captain, may I presume that arriving at that indetectable sector in space is only the first part of a much broader plan? If so, will you share what our objectives will be once we arrive there?”

Kheren was about to answer, then his antennae curved inward in the peculiar Andorian smile. But his silvery eyes remained as hard as metal.

''Let us work on a need to know basis. First, let us get there.''

He looked at them, his eyes softening. but his deep voice remained firm.

''I know that will prove trying for you. But understand this; we still have no clue who our enemy is; those threatening our entire civilization; nor their ultimate goals and reasons. That means we don't know their full capabilities. So far, they manipulated us from the Federation Council down even to you. They managed to sabotage Starfleet vessels, the highest security locations known to us. Captain Jureth fell prey to but one of their schemes; here, on this ship, the flagship of the most elite division of Starfleet. Despite all my... devious precautions, we might still be monitored as we speak.''

He looked at his telepathic wife who shook her head slightly, her blind eyes looking even emptier than usual, antennae wobbling slightly. The he looked back at Sabrina.

''I will take no chances.''

Sabrina nodded as he concisely reiterated their situation.

“I understand Captain,” she respectfully acknowledged. “I suppose part of the reason I was asking was so that I could prepare for whatever we may be up against. Whether within a departmental need or responsibility or on a more professional or individual basis. Knowing that we are in the midst of dire circumstances… I just want to be able to contribute in any way possible.”

Kheren nodded, antennae curving.

''I expect no less. Consider this part of your first foray into officer territory; be prepared to deal with what you have not prepared for. But do not worry; I brought Lieutenant Tyvya and Lyrya for this very reason.''

The giantess Tyvya snorted.

''Babysitting. Great.''

But Lyrya scolded at her.

''What did they say in simulations back at the Academy? That very ancient, quolloquial 21st century Terran idiom? Ah yes; remember, you too once were a noob.''

''I’m not talking about them; I'm talking about him.''

She nosed towards Kheren.

''Sir.''

A bit round-eyed, Acting Ensign Hansen raised his hand, then lowered it as the Andorian shot back his own round eye at him. Clearing his voice, he looked at the other as he spoke.

''Sir Captain Sir... everything we know is in our reports. With all due respect, what would you need us for? If that is not classified of course...''

''I need hands and brains, Ensign.''

''Now I know why he brought us along,'' Tyvya whispered in Lyrya's hear, knowing as all Andorians that, even with heigtened hearing, their husband could not hear them right behind him.

Terix ignored the whisper his sensitive pointed ears picked up. 

''May I ask, Sir; for what? ''

''You may ask,'' came the retort from the captain. ''Nice try, Ensign. But I am giving you the same answer for that question as when Ensign Shadowhunt asked too; when it will be needed, you will know. In the meantime, you will brush up on starship bridge duties on this shuttlecraft while we lose ourselves in your anomaly.''

“So, we are going to get a starship?''

Kheren gave the Romulan the only expression his face could convey; he winked.

''In time, Ensign; in time.''

Gunner spoke up.

“Every starship handles differently. I cannot speak for the others here, but the studying up you wish me to do would be more useful if I knew what class of starship I was expected to work.”

Kheren eyed the newly-minted security ensign with a nod.

''A judicious observation, Acting Ensign Holland; or Gunner, if I was correctly told you prefer to be addressed. I have studied your record and know you to be highly competent and adaptable. And Lieutenant Tyvya here will very swiftly bring you up to specs, have no fear. Let me just say that that you will find it much easier to work with than a Prometheus class warship.''

“Indeed.” Gunner responded.

“Klingons always go buy one name, but my mother was insistent I carry a surname.”

Kheren turned towards the other young officers.

''That goes for you as well, science and tech people. Lieutenant Lyrya will ensure you handle operations and research systems efficiently; and Ensign Daystrom will compensate for any of our initial... difficulties and afterwards with routine crew functions. You too should all find it easier than on the Alsea. But, as a matter of fact, I have asked Commander Sangliar to reconfigure this Delta Flyer to behave much like what we will be going for. That should give you a head start.''

Sabrina nodded affirmatively yet with a wisp of perplexity obscured within her genial expression. So far, the meeting seemed to consist of more riddles and deflections than answers. Being new under the authority of the Andorian, she had no idea whether this was commonplace for his command style or whether this was due to their extraordinary circumstances. Therefore, as a consequence, she was uncertain how to proceed. Sabrina breathed deeply for several minutes as she contemplated her options further before speaking up.

“Sir… in what capacity would you like us to initially implement our hands and our brains? Are you assigning us to specific posts or to a series of tasks to complete in simulations? Or are we going to receive some sort of special training as we travel?”

The questions were flowing throughout her mind, but she cut them off from externalizing any further so as not to come off as too assertive, especially considering her rookie status. She concluded instead with a slight if not somewhat awkward smile.

Kheren thumbed towards the cockpit of the shuttlecraft.

''You will perform standard starship operations aboard this craft, according to your specific skillsets, while we are en route to the space... Barbados Triangle I think it was called...''

''Bermuda Triangle Sir,'' Tyvya interjected.

''Right... the area you found where no one will be around or prying eyes and ears able to find us; and what we will do next. Once there, all will become clear. As I said, you will find your instruments here on board functioning according to the parameters of a much, much larger vessel. It should flatten your learning curve once we reach our objective.''

As if he had read the young woman's mind, the Andorian softened his deep voice.

''I know this is all quite confusing and I am sorry. I am not in the habit of keeping my crew in the dark. it is counterproductive to peak performance. But I will ask you to trust me. It is absolutely necessary until we get where it will be safe to disclose everything.''

His tone returned to a more formal one.

''This is a voluntary assignment; because it might prove to be a hazardous one. And it will lead to a definitely more hazardous one once we rejoin with the rest of our... conspiracy. You are free to decline this assignment with no blemish or even a mere mention of this on your record. Of course, you will return to graduating cadet status. But knowing you, it will be but a short wait. Starfleet is hungry for new officers, now more than ever. But once committed with me, once this ship launches, there will be no turning back.''

Though his words were brief, the tone and genuineness in which they were spoken seemed to erase the remaining doubts that Sabrina had been harboring. She repositioned her posture even more upright than before.

With her youthful eyes gleaming, she declared assuredly “I am ready to proceed with our mission, Captain.”

Lep Hansen straightened his shoulders and his voice.

''Aye aye Captain Sir!''

“A dangerous secret mission with the fate of the very universe in our hands? A truly worthy challenge for a warrior.” Gunner pumped his fist in approval.

Terix nodded.

''Course please, Captain.''

Kheren nodded to them all, then to Tessa. By the time they had all checked their belongings, the hatch of the Delta Flyer opened and in came the exact duplicates of all of them, gear and all. But once the hatch closed again, the holograms disappeared from the seemingly overcrowded shuttlecraft, leaving only the real ones aboard. The Andorian stood up.

''Stations gentlebeings.'' 

Lep nodded in understanding and then rose from his seat. Taking a few steps, he arrived at the nearest engineering station and sat in the accompanying chair, touching the screen to bring it out of hibernation mode. A few keystrokes on the LCARS screen enabled the login mode and Lep began the security steps to allow him to use the unit.

"Computer! Recognize Senior Cadet Lep Hanson," he stated in a monotone.

The computer's voice returned a prompt answer.

''There is no Senior Cadet Lep Hanson on record. Please re-state name and rank for security verification.''

Lep almost smacked himself on the forehead for being so stupid but caught himself halfway through the gesture. With a sheepish grin Lep looked around to see which of the crew had noticed his blunder, then re-aligned himself with the computer screen again and began again.

"Computer! Recognize Acting Ensign Lep Hanson."

Lep mentally berated himself for forgetting his just recent promotion from the captain, not five minutes ago.

I must be stressed a bit, Lep thought.

The computer responded again. Lep thought perhaps the voice was a bit more upbeat than before.

"Recognize Acting Ensign Lep Hanson.''

The console in front of him gave a small chime and the screen came to life into the standard science's layout. Lep got to work immediately and began running a quick diagnostic of the sciences apparatus of the Delta Flyer.

The others quickly followed his example, minus the identification blunder. Lyrya took his shoudlers in boths her delicate hands and with her surprising Andorian strength unknotted his muscles with an expert's touch. Then her antennae conveyed the smile her still face and blind eyes couldn't.

'' Don't worry, Ensign; only antennae heard you. And we did worse than you back in the day; we did the same... in Graalek.''