The old native looked something like a lizard, a standard humanoid body, on the thin side, and a longish head. He sat in silence and brewed his beverage. The two humans sat across from him in equal silence. Outside the rain poured in sheets. When the brew was ready he poured for all. When it was tasted, he spoke at last.
       "[You flee from the invaderss then?]"
       **Yes, we do. They wish us much harm.**
       "[The invaderss bring harm to all they touch. Where do you come from then?}
       **A far place.**
       "[Yess. A far place it would be.]"
       **Can you tell us a place we can go, and hide til others like us come?**
       "[I can tell you ssuch a place.}"
       **The invaders might seek you out for this, I must give you fair warning.**
       "[Trouble not your mind for me. Old men know little. They take us as ssimple. And ssimple we stay for them. When the time comess, their own prejudice will desstroy them.]"
       **This being known between us, then I accept your hospitality. Tell us your place.**
       "[I have a lodge, for hunting. It iss a day's walk in the wood. This map will sshow you the way.]"
       A sudden noise outside broke the calm of the hut.
       "[Invaderss! You will be disscovered!]"
       Jerry took a deep cleansing breath, and with effort centered himself. **Simple minds believe simple things. We are as you are. Candice, remain very still, the Klingons will not find us.**
       Candice sat with fear in her eyes. She sat still as her wildly beating heart would allow, and clutched at the laser under her tunic. Jerry continued the slow steady breathing, held his center, and thought like the old one before him.
       The sound of feet in the mud drew nearer. The door was flung up, and two Klingons with drawn weapons looked in. The old one returned their gaze impassively. Jerry sat calmly holding the beverage cup while Candice felt her heart would beat out of her chest.
       A distant voice shouted "/Report!/"
       The one in the door said. "/Three more lizards!/"
       "/Well, ask them./"
       "[you, stran-ger, see, come, here!]"
       The old man said "[None have come. My children and I are all.]"
       The first shouted out again. "/They said no, I think./"
       The second growled under his breath. "/There are no humans here, let's go./"
       The two slammed the door down, and the sounds of the search moved away.
       The old one looked curiously at the two humans, Jerry was coming down from his concentration.
       "[Sso easily befuddled are ssuch mindss?]"
       **Yes, and no, a difficult skill, and one that has saved my life before.**
       "[Ssit awhile then, let the invader go. Then you can leave to my cabin.]"

       Q'uarg looked out his window at the rain. Distracted, he was aware that his new Security chief waited to report.
       "/Report./"
       "/Sir, in the last three weeks we have searched every village within 20 miles of the city. With negative results./"
       "/Two humans do not simply vanish./"
       "/We have interrogated anyone that had unknown guests, the locals are naively simple about the matter of lies. All swear that the visitors were locals./"
       "/Did you persuade any of them?/"
       "/Yes sir, to the same results. All swore to the end that their guests were locals./"
       "/I hate this wet ball of rock/"
       "/Sir./"
       "/Dismissed./"
       Q'uarg looked out his window at the rain. Nothing changed, nothing ever changed on Anaxar.

       The two humans moved through the dense forest.
       Candice sighed her frustration. "How much longer do we wander these damn woods?"
       "Until we find that hut."
       "I am sick and tired of being wet, I am gone to mold dammit."
       "Your and me both. It has to be around here somewhere. From the direction the old man gave me, and what direction sense I have, it should be right around here. What I would give for my old Boy Scout knife and compass about now."
       Candice leaned against a stump. "It's getting dark, make that darker. We have to find something soon."
       "I think we just have."
       "Where?"
       "You're leaning on it."
       Candice jumped away. "Where?"
       She spotted the faint glint of metal. Quickly she ran her hands over the stump surface.
       "I found it."
       "Well, open it up."
       She fumbled with the latch a moment and got the door open. It lifted up revealing a dark area within.
       "Rank first."
       "'Frady cat."
       "Where you lead, I follow."
       Jerry jumped down into the darkness. "Come on in, the lack of water is fine."
       Candice stepped in after him.
       "Can you close the door?"
       "Yes, but it will be black in here."
       "A problem, but we can feel our way around Make that knife, compass and flashlight."
       Candice closed the door, and utter darkness settled over them. They strained to see in the total blackness.
       Candice said. "Jerry, I think I see a light."
       "Where?"
       She reached out until she encountered his body. "Turn this way."
       "You're right. A faint line."
       "Your light, check it out."
       Candice moved slowly, and felt the area where the light was. "It's a seam of some kind, might be a door."
       With that she pushed, and the door sung away. A soft light infused the small chamber they were in.
       "It's beautiful."
       "Bioluminescent moss I would assume. The old man has given us an incredible gift."
       The two moved into the room It was a tidy area about 200 feet square. A simple hearth at one end, and a pile of furs at the other, a low table and seating mats in the middle. The far wall held various shelves and storage bins. Jerry and Candice quickly explored the small hut. They found fuel for the hearth, and a means of starting a fire.
       As soon as the fire was burning well Candice shed her dripping wet tunic, and hung it up.
       "I'd get out of those wet things if I was you. Or are colds not part of that immortal thing either."
       "A bug bites me, the bug dies."
       "Can you pass that on?"
       "I tried to develop a serum in the early 21st century. No luck. What ever factor it is seems to only work for me."
       "Medical science has advanced you know."
       "True, might be time to try again." He turned his attention to her. "I haven't had a chance to look you over well, how bad did he hurt you?"
       Candice sat beside him. "Oh, that. I had honestly forgotten about it, except when the Klingons were in the Old One's hut."
       "Well, that is good news, if you can forget about it, it can't be too bad. I had still better look you over."
       "Are you a doctor?"
       "Yes, and no. The medical licence is well out of date, but the basics don't change."
       "You still had better get out of those wet things."
       "You're right."
       Jerry striped the wet clothing and also hung it be the fire. As he sat back down Candice looked at his body in shock.
       "You look like a map!"
       "Scars heal slowly. My life-style tends to leave it's marks. Now, back to you."
       Candice allowed herself to be looked over. "How many of those are recent?"
       "Too many. They cut me up pretty bad."
       "Does it hurt?"
       "Yes, as much as it would hurt you. I just don't die from it. Well, I can't find a mark on you. How do you feel?"
       "Fine. No residue pain."
       "I wonder what they used."
       "It hurt like Hell. How do you feel?"
       "A twinge or two, it's passing."
       "How... How can you stand to do it?"
       "Candice, I don't know if I am immortal. I am quite sure that there is something that can kill me out there. I didn't want the Klingons to be the ones to find it. And you are far too young to die. You bear what you must to do what you must. My dad taught me that."
       "What kind of man was your father?"
       "My dad was Ryan Clark LaSaille. A farmer, citizen soldier, and a fair man. He taught me honest dealing, compassion for your fellow man, and to do the good thing, not just the right thing."
       "Citizen soldier? What war was he in."
       "Second phase of the First Interglobal Conflict. A Navy man."
       "Was it a bad war?"
       "All of them are. Ten million people died in that war. I remember the looks on the faces of the crew of the USS Grant. Haunted. Fighting a foe they never saw. It was the same look on some of the men my father hired after the war. Those wars were 200 years apart."
       "When did you see a ship named 'Grant'?"
       "Romulan war. They came into El Nanth, looking for allies for the war. USEPA heard our efforts to get El Nanth's subspace links back to working order, and sent a ship."
       "So you have seen it all."
       "I hope not, seeing new stuff keeps me going. However, I have seen all the war I care for. It seems every time I poke my head up. Someone shoots at it. I am right tired of that. I don't know about you, but some restful sleep would feel right good."
       Candice yawned in spite of herself. "Yes, I guess your right. One pile of furs, do you mind?"
       "Candice, I never 'mind' warm company."
       Jerry banked the fire, and the two settled down into the furs. Under the soft glow of the moss, and the little light form the hearth, silence drifted over them. Candice snuggled in close. She felt his reaction to the presence of her body.
       "Would you like me to do something about that?"
       "I wouldn't mind in the least."
       She moved closer. "Has it been long for you?"
       "Long enough."

       Commander Q'uarg looked over the reports. More of the same. Six months and no sight of either human.
       "/What do you recommend?/"
       "/Drop it Commander. Neither could still be alive in this place. They are not in the villages, and the land is hostile. They are dead./"
       "/You are certain of this?/"
       "/I have seen the reports on the humans. They turn and run when the fight turns against them, they surrender easily./"
       Q'uarg looked out at the soft rain. "/Yet this one did not give up./"
       "/He was not Human. We can be sure of that./"
       "/So, the not Human can still be out there./"
       "/I do not know./"
       "/Dangerous words Sub-commander./"
       "/Truth is in them, truth is honor./"
       "/Stop actively looking for them. But have the men keep an eye out./"
       "/By your Command./"
       "/Dismissed./"
       Q'uarg looked out the narrow window at the town below. Reports from space disturbed him. The early victories against this Federation, he didn't see reports of them any more.

       Jerry returned to the hut. Candice was waiting.
       "So what's the tale this time."
       "Klingons are building forces. They have the natives pretty much out of the city all together."
       "You think something is about to happen?"
       "At least the Klingons do."
       "So, what are the orders?"
       "No new ones of late. We sit tight and don't make noise."
       "So why don't I get to go on missions?"
       "I explained that, how many times? I can make everyone think I am a native, or even that I am not there. Covering for me, easy. Covering for two, very hard. Covering for two not in the same area, impossible."
       "I am getting really tired of the housewife bit. I didn't join Starfleet to clean hut and cook."
       "I understand, so I'll cook tonight. How do you want your roast yap?
       "Roast, and other than yap."
       "Sorry, yap is what we have."
       Candice looked that crude calender they had. "Almost two years now. With a mad mink like you in the bed, I am really surprised I am not pregnant."
       "Ane healing techniques. I'm not fertile by choice, and unlike the Starfleet stuff, it doesn't wear off in six months."
       "Can you do that yourself?"
       "No, I need a healer to change it."
       "So no kids til you see a healer again."
       "That says it."
       "I would really like to know what is going on."
       "Well, from my unofficial sources, the Fleet is moving back. The build up is over. Officially Command doesn't want us to know too much in case we are recaptured."
       "I don't like being in the dark. Informationally or literally."
       "You and me both baby. You and me both."

       Jerry shock Candice's shoulder. "Candice wake up."
       "Uh, what?"
       "Things have begun to happen."
       She was fully awake. "Where?"
       "Listen."
       She strained her ears. "I don't get it?"
       "Come to the door, that will convince you."
       She got up, Jerry had both doors open. As she looked into the gloom, the entire sky to the south lit up.
       "Lasers don't do that."
       "No, they don't. Hang on."
       He stood for a long moment, listening to unheard voices.
       "Klingon fleet is retreating, the ground forces are moving in."
       "We're half way home!"
       "I would count too much."
       "Should we start to pack?"
       "Yea, I guess so."
       "Something has you distracted."
       "Aleilan is up there."
       "Who is Aleilan?"
       "An old, and very dear friend Candice. She's Ane."
       "What's the connection?"
       "She was born into my lap. It's a bond."
       "Telepathic thing?"
       "Yes. Let's tidy the place up. If things go as planned, we'll be out in a week."

       Lt. LaSaille and Eng, Meyers moved though the Old City, the damage was evident, the Klingons didn't give up without a fight. On the good side, they had forced the natives out of the Old City a year ago. Civilian casualties were light.
       Marine Command had set up outside the old castle. From the visible damage it didn't look fit to live in.
       The two walked into the hardside. A Marine Colonel was working at a field desk.
       Jerry said. "Sir, Lieutenant Jerry LaSaille, and Ensign Candice Meyers reporting."
       The woman looked up. "I was told to expect you. Welcome back."
       "Thank you Sir."
       "Lt. Hanns, will you see these to over to the Starfleet section."
       "Yes Sir."
       Jerry said. "One thing Sir, the Klingon Commander. Did he survive?"
       "No, he didn't, why?"
       "I kind of wanted to say good bye."

       The officer in the Starfleet hardside was a Commander Pike. He looked up as the two ragged officers entered.
       "Lt. LaSaille and Eng. Meyers reporting Commander."
       "No any more."
       "Excuse me Sir?"
       "It's Lt Commander LaSaille and Lieutenant Meyers."
       "Promotion is nice, but why?"
       "It seems the word of your little exploit has gotten around. You two are in high favor in Starfleet Command."
       Meyers said. "It was hardly an exploit, we survived."
       "That Lieutenant is apparently enough."
       LaSaille said. "Don't knock it Candice. If they want to call us heroes for surviving, let them."
       "I don't feel much like a hero."
       "Let me give you a clue, real heroes never do."
       Pike said. "In any case, I imagine the two of you would like to clean up and get new uniforms and such. Yeoman Glunk will show you back. Oh, one other thing, two other things. Did you manage to pick up any of the local language? And there is an Ane named Aleilan that said she wants to see you."
       Jerry turned back to the Commander. "Aleilan first, uniform second, and yes to the first question."
       Glunk said. "This way please."
       A short walk down a hall brought them to another room. A smallish Ane waited within. Jerry flew into a full hug and the two spent several minutes simply rubbing everything they could against each other. Candice Meyers stood back, and watched. When they finished she looked at Jerry.
       "No mating?"
       Jerry, with an arm over Aleilan's neck said. "Ane are very physically oriented. That was as close as I can get to a good Ane long time no see greeting."
       Aleilan looked the human woman over. **Do I sense jealousy Lt. Meyers?**
       Candice Meyers blushed. "Well, that wouldn't be proper."
       Jerry said. "Yet, you do. I told you, Aleilan and I have been together all of her life, and most of mine. The bond is very firm, and very old."
       "So are you, married?"
       "Less and more."
       "I don't understand."
       **We share more than most couples ever would, but we are not what you would call 'man and wife'.**
       "So, what about 'us'?"
       "That is up to you Candice. Love me, love Aleilan. We come as a pair."
       "I'll have to think about it. Why don't we get some decent uniforms."
       "Sounds good to me."

       After a shower, a meal, and a change Commander Pike was back to debrief them.
       "Fleet Captain Garth wants me to handle this myself. He feels the material could be sensitive."
       "Captain Garth is in command?"
       "Yes, he has full command of all the relief forces."
       "Well I can imagine the battle was well run."
       "Yes, very efficient. The Klingons are falling back on all fronts."
       "So what does Captain Garth want of me?"
       "You say you understand the local language?"
       "Yes, fairly well."
       "He wants you to negotiate with the locals for a base. Anaxar is of great strategic importance."
       "I can but try Commander. Have any of the locals come back to the city?"
       "Not yet, sensors tell us they are just out of sight, waiting it seems."
       "OK, I'll go out and have words with them."

       Jerry adjusted the cloak, and walked into the driving rain. A small group of natives was standing, similarly garbed. They shifted about as he came near.
       "[The Elders of the Federation would have words with the Elders of Twook.]"
       "[Who comess to uss?]"
       "{I am Jerry LaSaille. I am the spokesman for the Federation Elders.]"
       "[Will you be pressent with your Elderss?]"
       "[Yes, I will translate.]"
       "[Our Elderss will come in two dayss..]"
       "[I will be here with the Federation Elders also.]"

       Commander Pike was waiting for him. "How did it go?"
       "Their elders will be here in two days. Will Captian Garth be negoatioing?"
       "No, Starfleet has sent a peace mission. The Ambasador will be doing the negoeating. Captian Garth is furoius. Starfleet has assigned him to continue to move on the Klingons, I don't think there is much left to do."
       "Captian, Ambassador, it doesn't matter. I can traslate."
       "That is what was hoped."
       "Are you satying here, or moving on?"
       "I am base commander until further notice."
       "Yes Sir."

       Jerry lay in the dark, and listened to Candice breahing beside him. Alielan was out, for the moment. Jerry took that as a sign that Candice wanted to talk.
       "You have something you want to say?"
       "Yes."
       "So, say it."
       "I have an assignment offer."
       "Why is this a problem?"
       "Well, it's my assignment offer. No indication was made that you were included."
       "You want the assignment?"
       "Yes, Junior Science officer ona new ship."
       "Then take it."
       "What about us?"
       "We're both Starfleet, you knew this could happen. If we have something real, it will survive, and we will find each other, the Galaxy is only so big."
       "You're just that casual?"
       "No, I'm realistic."
       "She is enough for you. Is that it?"
       "She, has nothing to do with it. Do you want to sacrifice your carrer to follow me around?"
       "Is my carrer your only concern?"
       "No, your happiness is my concern. If you give up a plum assignment to tag after me, are you going to regret it?"
       "Is that what your asking for?"
       "No, it's what your asking me to ask for. I'm not going to do that."
       Candice got out of bed. Jerry could hear her dress in the dark. The door opened, and closed.
       He sighed. A soft "pop" announced Alielan was back.
       **She needed an excuse to go.**
       "But why does she have to hurt both of us doing it?"
       Alielan said nothing, but lay down on the floor beside him. He slipped out of the bed, and pillowed against her soft body.

       The Federation deligation consisted of Ambassador Travis form Earth, and Ambassador Soren from Vulcan. Jerry had heard rumors that Soren had been present at the Signing of the Articles of Federation. From the looks of him he must have been very young.
       Negotiations had continued for three days. Jerry painfully worked to translated the Federation's proposed treaty to the Twook. The Twook Elders listened with great patience as he labored over each phrase. When at last Ambassador Travis finished, he was good and tired.
       The Twook Elder's conferred for a while. At last they turned back to the delegation.
       "[Why do you want placess on the ground?]"
       "[We fear the return of the Klingons. We fear the harm they did they would do yet again to us and to the Twook.]"
       "[Why do you want placess on Twook ground?]"
       "[The Twook ground is a strong position to work from.]"
       The Eldest leaned forward. "[If we ssay no, what will you do then?]"
       Jerry turned to the Ambassadors. "Gentleman, the Elder wishes to know, what happens if they say no."
       Travis and Soren confered form a moment.
       Soren answered. "If the answer is no, we will leave. But ask if we can place stong places in the sky."
       Jerry turned back to the Elder. "[My Elders say that if you wish us to not stay on the ground, we will leave. But we ask to put strong places in your sky.]"
       "[And if we want not your placess in the ssky?]"
       Jerry gave the traslation to the Ambasadors.
       Soren said. "Then we will leave as they wish."
       Jerry translated.
       The Twook Elders confered again. The old one stood.
       "[Thesse are our wordss, hear them well. Too much blood hass sspilled on Twook ground. Too many Alien feet have trampled our soil. You have made good wordss. We are not ready for all that you offer. Your ssky castles place ass you pleasse. Wait for uss to come to you. Then we may sspeak of thesse other things. Thesse are our wordss.]"
       Jerry translated again.
       Ambassador Soren stood. "It shall be as the Twook Elders ask. Commnader Pike, Colonel Yanic, you will break up your bases, and move out as soon as possible."
       Soren bowed to the Twook. "The Federation, does not stay, when it is asked to leave."

       Jerry walked through the chaos of the teardown. Commander Pike was in the middle of the maelstrom, directing traffic.
       Jerry said. "Excuse me sir. I came for my assignment."
       Pike flipped through his hand terminal. "The Republic, we will be sending you back to Earth on her. Marshall commanding, I am sure you're familiar with him.
       Jerry said. "Yes sir, by reputation only."
       "Shuttles are on the field, if your quick about it you might make the next one."
       "Thank you Sir."
       Jerry sat back on the shuttle, the hard seat felt good against his back. Aleilan was in the back, lying quiet. Across the aisle was one of a typical type, the earnest ensign. Jerry seemed to remember him hustling around the temporary base. The kid was looking at him, studying him.
       Jerry said. "Can I help you?"
       "Eng. Kirk sir. Are you the one everyone one is talking about?"
       "What is everyone saying?"
       "That you survived two years in the wilds, hiding from the Klingons."
       "We Ensign, we spent two years hiding from the Klingons."
       "I also heard you escaped from them."
       "Yea, I did something like that."
       "And engineered Lt. Meyers' escape as well."
       "That is something like it happened yea."
       "How did you manage it?"
       "Simple method. The Klingons kept thinking they had killed me. I don't kill easy."
       "I've hear Klingons are pretty though about seeing someone dead."
       "Not though enough in my case." Fatigue enough for the last two years washed over him.
       "Where are you from?"
       "Riverside Iowa, on Earth."
       "Lexington Kentucky, we're practically neighbors."
       "Yea, I guess so."
       "Then you should know perfectly well. Yea, the Klingons kept thinking I was dead, thinking it, never making perfectly sure. There's an old Earth saying I am sure you know."
       "Count no man dead..."
       "...Til you see his bones, remember that kid, it might save your life."
       Jerry drifted to sleep as the shuttle lifted from the mud of Anaxar.

Call No Man Dead... --- Garry Stahl September 1999

       This is the third story to feature Jerold Ryan LaSaille. This one set in the last two years of the Four Years War, between the Federation and the Klingon Empire Hopefully this will lead to tales of LaSaille's Captaincy of the Kongo NCC-1710.
       This story is grimmer than most that I write, and I hope the trend is not a continuing one. War is not my favorite subject. Yes, it features a lot of cameos by "historical" figures in Star Trek. We all need to have a little fun now and again. The date is from 2247 to 2250

       I have no details on the "Freedom class Starship" mentioned in the story, only that it would be a ship something between the Dadules/Horizon class ships and The Constitution class ships that were pretty much new for the Four Years war. I might fiddle with the idea and see what comes out.