Star Trek: Outwardly Mobile
Episode 56: The Harrier's Gift

(Stardate 51735.1)

By
Jay P. Hailey
And
Dennnis Washburn

The Zak on the screen hissed angrily. His teeth and large, predatory mouth made an impression on me. So did his battle cruiser. It was about two thirds the size of the starship Discovery and we could barely scan any of it. What we could scan of it was pure warship, all redundant systems and distributed power generation. It had large beam weapons everywhere.

"The Federation is composed of beings who compete for food, resources and territory." Our translator interpreted his angry noises. "That such natural competitors cooperate is unusual, and threatening. That such creatures do so without an acknowledged domination of one race by another astounds me. I find the notion very threatening indeed."

"The Federation intends no harm to the Zak. We are interested in peaceful coexistence." I replied. "Working for peace is one of our highest purposes."

"If I believe you, then I must assume that you are naive to the point of a stupidity." The Zak snarled. "Stupid people with technology and weapons like those in your possession are threatening."

I took a deep breath. "We are not stupid. We know that not everyone believes in peace. We are armed to defend ourselves from attack."

"Our armaments are for only self defense only, Sir. The Federation believes in peace." I insisted.

"Perhaps you are insane. I'd find that threatening, too." The Zak ruminated "Know this, then Federation starship Discovery, that if you threaten my ship I will destroy you. If your Federation threatens the Zak people, we will exterminate it, even if it takes a thousand years to do."

There was no good answer to that. I signaled for McCoy to cut the voice channel. "Stephanie, what's the tactical analysis of the Zak Battlecruiser?" I asked.

She sighed. "We can't get good scans. It's scan baffled thoroughly. We could scan through their camouflage, but they'd know we were doing it instantly. Our best guess puts the Zak Battlecruiser equal to ourselves within about 20% either way. That's not counting the shield disruptor. Even if that works, we'd take damage defeating them, and we don't know when we're going to have repair available."

I sighed and gestured to Lucas to reopen the voice channel. "I hear and understand you, Commander." I said. "Please allow me to emphasize again that the Federation is not interested in harming or dominating anyone. We are an organization of peace." Was the word "peace" even translating? "We have no desire to threaten you. We are no threat."

"You aren't a threat, eh?" The Zak Commander looked almost thoughtful, in a toothsome carnivorous way. "Then we will discuss the prize crew aboard your ship and how we establish the care taker government of your Federation on behalf of the Zak."

"You promised to be of no threat. Obviously that means that you will turn over to the Zak people functions which could be used to threaten us. Your space fleet and weapons. Administration of your Federation. I anticipate a fruit full relationship."

I couldn't keep the snarl out of my voice. "I think you've misunderstood our intent."

"Oh." The Zak Commander didn't bother trying to keep the snarl out of his voice.

"Having promised to be of no threat to you, we'll be on our way now, to continue our business." I said.

"You have rejected our peaceful overture. I am highly offended." The Zak Commander said. Actually our Universal translator said this, sounding reasonable. The Zak Commander's muscles were straining from his neck and his mouth was wide open. His speech reminded me of nothing so much as a savage dog trying to come through a fence at me.

"Red alert!" I snapped. "Shields to full, Arm all weapons and step up scanning."

The Discovery began to ready herself for battle. "I still prefer not to fight, if you're willing to be reasonable." I said to the Zak Commander.

He barked to his crew and the Zak battle cruiser broke off, heading out of the system.

As they left weapons range I said. "Stand down from Red Alert."

We continued on our way to the Kurr association, still weeks ahead of us. We listened for signs of the Zak, but there were none to be found.

The yellow alert went off and Stephanie's voice boomed across my intercom.. “Captain to the Bridge.”

It yanked me out of a deep sleep. Fortunately this didn't cause a headache.,

Purr-Bot, my cat meowed at me from the end of the bed. Strange lights flashing and voices calling me out of the walls impressed her as no real reason to get overly bothered.

On the bridge, Stephanie was sitting in the command chair. She looked a touch nervous. Zuma was there. I noticed he was bleary eyed, wild haired and barefoot.

Stephanie turned to me. “Four ships closing on our position, Captain. They're making warp 6.5.”

I shook my head. In good condition warp seven was a leisurely cruise for the Discovery. As it was, we'd be lucky to escape those bogeys if they were hostile.

Ensign Monroe, our night shift Operations Officer opened the hailing frequencies and nodded at me.

“This is the Federation Starship USS Discovery to unknown vessels approaching. We're on a peaceful mission of exploration. Please communicate and identify yourselves.” I said.

Minutes passed. The intercom chimed Commander Mendez said “Battle bridge fully manned and ready, Captain.”

“Thank you Carlos.” I said. I left the channel open. The Battle Bridge would hear everything said on the main bridge.

“Unknown ships. We are armed and prepared to fire in our own defense. Please state your intentions.” I said.

“They'll be in long weapons range in fifteen minutes.” Stephanie informed me.

The screen lit up to show a creature that looked like a cross between a lemur and a chihuahua. It barked, yelped and growled at me on the screen. Behind it I could hear a cacophony of hoots, barks and small howls.

The universal translator clicked on immediately. They already knew how to transmit to it.

The translator said, in a calm tone that sounded nothing like the face on the screen. “You must surrender to us. Submit! Submit! We demand it!”

“Ummm, what is the nature of your problem with us? Maybe we could resolve this peacefully.” I said.

“Peacefully, Yes! We would much prefer that! Submit now! Let us handle this with peace and ease.” The creature said.

The hooting screeching and howling picked up in intensity. “We are the Tonagi! Masters of all space and planets!”

I nodded slowly, an unfortunate suspicion crossed my mind. “And how do the Zak feel about this?”

The screeching took on a hysterical tone . The one centered in the screen barked and yapped like chihuahua scenting fresh meat. “The Zak!? The Zak?! We know nothing of these beneficent, kind, scary reptiles! We deny it! We destroy you on our own, our own decision and desire! Yes, we wish you dead for your awful crimes!”

“Red alert.” I said to Stephanie. The Discovery went to red alert. “Raise all shields, arm all weapons. Full speed ahead.”

As the Discovery began to move in earnest the creature on the screen shrilled and howled a high pitched little howl at us. “Submit! Submit or we will hunt you to the ends of the cosmos! Our missile are powerful! Our beams are harsh! Our ships are swift and strong! You cannot escape the masterful attack of the Tonagi!”

“Call me when you're ready to speak sensibly.” I said to the creature. “Discovery out.”

“Yes, Sir. They're warp speed missiles, taking energy from the Tonagi warp drives. They're closing.”

“Evasive action.” I ordered. The phasers were useless in warp.. We had about 180 photon torpedo casings left.

The Discovery swung to starboard. The ship rattled. Ensign Monroe reported “The Missile had a tetryon warhead. The explosion drained some energy from our warp bubble.”

I hissed, too many of those and we'd loose warp drive and be forced to go toe-to-toe with the little creeps. “Zuma, how does it look?”

“Bad, Sir. I think we could take two of those things, maybe three. Four is a touch much all at once.” Zuma reported.

I nodded “We'll have to find some way to split them up. Find me some terrain.”

“The aft torpedo tube sets us up for a Kaufmann retrograde.” Zuma pointed out.

“Show me the book on these things.” I said. On my screen our scans of the Tonagi ships appeared annotated for tactical analysis.

The Discovery rattled as another missile got close enough to claw some energy out of our warp bubble. “Reserve power to the warp drives.” I called. “Continue evasive maneuvers and get us out of here.”

The Tonagi ships were 250 meter long cigar shapes. They had two toruses fore and aft. These were built into the hull, the way a Klingon Bird of Prey's Engines were. The aft Torus was a warp drive, reminiscent of old Vulcan style ships, except not nearly so graceful. The forward torus held energy weapons and shield generators. The ships had large impulse drives. They'd be able to out maneuver us in normal space. They were heavily armored and compartmentalized. It looked like they could eat punishment

Their shields and sensors were mediocre. If we could close with one of them, the Discovery could have her way with the Tonagi ship, and take it out of the battle. The trick would be to convince the Tonagi to separate. If we closed with one while the others were around, we'd be asking our shields to eat missiles and beams from all four ships from four different angles. I didn't think they could do it for long.

“I like the Kaufmann retrograde, Zuma, set it up.” I looked at the sensor readings on the shields of the Tonagi pocket battlecruisers “Five torpedoes per shot.”

Zuma hesitated. I looked at him, I could see it on his face. I was tying his hands. “Zuma, we have 180 casings left. That's 18 shots at full capacity. We don't know what we're going to meet down the road.”

Miatsu's answer was quiet and hoarse. “Yes, Sir.” Had I just asked him to commit seppuku?

The Kaufmann retrograde was designed around the fact that photon torpedoes don't lose warhead strength with distance. So a Federation starship, while fleeing, can drop torpedoes at pursuers. If they're firing any sort of weapon whose strength attenuates with distance, the Federation starship is in the catbird seat.

Although the Tonagi missiles didn't loose strength with distance, they had to expend fuel, and moved much more slowly than out photon torpedoes. I hoped this would make the difference.

As we fled the Tonagi ships yapped at each other. They had voice and data channels going. There was a lot of redundancy, over lap and out right inconsistency between what the Tonagi were broadcasting on different channels. Their encryption wasn't the best and we were able to break their codes and listen in. For all the good it did us.

Zuma fired five torpedoes and was admirably on target. At warp it's hard to hit with anything like accuracy,. So Zuma had to use torpedoes with proximity fuses. This exchanged strength for an area of damage.

The explosions rocked the lead Tonagi ship, he lost noticeable front shield strength, and we rattled him pretty well.

He fell back in the formation transmitting signals that sounded like “YIPE! YIPE! YIPE!”

Our universal translator rendered it “Siblings! I am struck! Render me aid and succor!”

The weakness in the Kauffman retrograde soon became apparent. The lead ship simply faded back out of reasonable photon torpedo range. The other three stayed up and kept firing.

While one ship recovered from our barrage, the other three kept the pressure up. We couldn't concentrate fire on any one for long enough to do us any good.

The Discovery dropped out of warp just ahead of our attacker. "Impulse drives to 105%" I ordered. It was over loading them, but we needed every edge we could get.

The Discovery came up on the gas giant with frightening speed. It looked like we might hit it.

The Discovery rattled a bit. "That was a little close, Lieutenant." I commented.

He nodded. "They're trying to saturate our defenses, Sir. Doing a decent job of it, too."

The Discovery whipped into a gravity assisted loop around the Gas-Giant. As soon as the lead Tonagi ship was out of sight, The Discovery's impulse drives strained to their maximum.

The Warp drives still hot from our flight away from the Tonagi hummed with immense energy.

Then we vented plasma and discharged a gout of Antimatter that made an impressive explosion. We also dumped debris and junk overboard

The Discovery, by brute force hauled herself into a hover over the Gas-Giant's northern pole.

The theory was that the Tonagi would see a warp pulse, an explosion and debris and assume that we'd destroyed ourselves in a poorly conceived attempt at a slingshot maneuver.

The Discovery was warm with built up waste heat. The magnetic pole of the Gas-Giant was a radiation soaked nightmare with sheets of hard radiation and crazed ions flying every which way. The treaty of Algeron said we couldn't have any cloaking devices of our own. It didn't say we couldn't use those thoughtfully supplied by nature.

As we arrived in our hiding spot, there was a large banging noise and the Discovery started to shudder sickeningly.

"Captain, the port side saucer section impulse drive has suffered a critical failure. The engine is no longer functional." Spaat said.

I looked at the Engineering repeater screen. One of the Subspace driver coils melted down and destroyed itself, spewing molten metal all over the inside of the engine. I sighed and looked ahead steadily. "What is the remaining power generation from that engine?"

I felt a wry smile cross my face. Overloading the engines was something I'd been warned about. Now we'd lost a quarter of our sublight speed and a quarter of our reserve power. Energy and movement that would be sorely missed.

The only problem with our hidey hole was that it worked against our sensors almost as well as against the Tonagi's.

I hate waiting like that. I paced around the bridge. Everything looked okay and nothing changed. I gritted my teeth and held on.

Ensign Adkivornak appeared and brought us all food and drink. He spelled most of the junior officers for Bathroom breaks. He looked calm and collected and freshly pressed.

Kamaline sighed "I can hear them out there, but I can't pick up details. They seem to have taken up orbit at equally spaced distances around the equator."

"They may think we dived into the atmosphere of the Gas Giant for cover, Sir." Zuma said. "One thing for sure, they're not going anywhere."

"One of the Tonagi ships is heading this way. Range - 40,000 kilometers. and closing at about half impulse." Zuma reported.

Frustration crawled up my throat. I held it back. Damned but these little bastards were tenacious.

Mendez, speaking from from the battle bridge, didn't sound nearly as tired as I felt. "Captain, we'll be within strike range of the other ships as we attack."

"I know Carlos. We get one shot to take the little bastard out of the fight." I said "We need to take it."

His voice and data channels screamed, "YIPE! YIPE! YIPE!", and verbal pandemonium could be heard on the Tonagi ship.

Our phasers were over loaded trying to swat every missile . The Discovery boomed and shuddered as several of the missiles hit us. I yelled "Phasers to one hundred and ten percent power, Fire at will!" I was riding my luck hard, but we needed every edge we could get.

The Tonagi ship loomed in our view screen, yawing wildly to try and bring stronger shields to bear. The Discovery's phasers spoke. The Discovery hummed and buzzed with the power released.

The phaser beams raked along his hull, his shields were on the verge of failure. I could see burn marks flare along his hull. One more barrage and we had him.

"Aft Shields down!" Zuma Called. "Damage on deck thirty-two, thirty-three and thirty-four!"

The Discovery leapt to warp, shuddering as the last few desultory beams from the Tonagi encouraged our retreat.

I stood up. "I want a full damage report and estimated repair time." My face was screwed up. "As soon as you have it."

Once inside I took my model of the USS Harrier and threw it against the wall as hard as I could, and shouted my lungs out. I went ahead and trashed my whole ready room.

We were within a few beams of taking that one Tonagi ship out, but his backup was just in time. We couldn't complete the kill. Like any Starship Captain, I hated to loose.

I walked back out onto the bridge. Mendez was there. I could see the faint tension on the bridge. The ready room wasn't soundproofed enough.

"We are holding at warp seven." Mendez said. He sounded casual but not forced at all. "There has been some damage to the warp drive. The warp core is at seventy-five percent nominal power output. Warp seven is now our maximum speed."

"I have some good news, Captain." Kamaline said. "A dark planetary nebula is three days away off our port bow."

She looked grim. "If the Tonagi keep up their tactics of harassment, yes. If they decide to go for a full assault, I don't think so."

It's unusual for a ship to stay on alert for a long period of time. Usually whatever emergency causes the alert happens and then is done for good or ill in a shorter period of time.

Although it was perfectly acceptable under the circumstances for officers to take necessary time to sleep and eat, I felt like I was abandoning my post.

I cleaned up my ready-room ruefully. I couldn't replicate replacements for my damaged decorations. While on read alert the replicators are locked into basic support mode, and subject to interruption if the energy is needed elsewhere.

I leapt to my feet and stepped onto the bridge from my ready room. I was dizzy and could feel my brain failing to work.

I could see the tactical readout. Three of the ships were approaching. The last, the one we'd tried to take out was far, far behind. He was barely able to keep up with the Discovery, unlike his fellows who had some reserve to catch us with.

The Lead Tonagi ship was hit very thoroughly, and fell back yipe-ing and signaling eleven kinds of distress. I knew enough now not to really believe him.

"Eighty five, Sir." Stephanie reported.

"Lovely"

"On the plus side they seem to be firing fewer and fewer missiles."

"If they're out of missiles, but we're out of torpedoes, who wins that engagement?"

Mishimi Miatsu called me. "Captain. I must take the warp core off line for repairs. We risk greater, permanent damage to it unless we treat it now."

The Tonagi ship turned quickly , making it's customary "YIPE, YIPE!" transmissions.

I was happy. The nebula had really altered the balance in our favor. The Tonagi were lost in it as badly as we were, and couldn't gang up on us. Size told the tale. Our shields were a bit better, our phasers a bit better, our sensors a bit better. When we encountered a lone Tonagi, we could attack him with confidence.

Unfortunately, the Tonagi ships were faster on impulse drive, so as soon as the Discovery started firing, they'd flee.

After the first day we stopped encountering Tonagi ships. They apparently elected to cede the nebula to us.

We all breathed a sigh of relief. The Discovery could lie low in the nebula for a while and restore ourselves.

"There is an urgent situation that requires your attention in Engineering. Please come to Main Engineering as soon as possible."

Mendez was there, looking almost as sleep deprived as I felt, along with Kamaline, McCoy and Stephanie.

I noted Kamaline and Mendez were standing close to each other. I was happy for them, but faintly jealous.

Miatsu's eyes were red rimmed. His uniform was dirty from lubricant, grease and dust. I recognized the look. He'd been in an area of the ship not normally visited.

His voice was charged with emotion. He stood at attention looking over my shoulder. "I regret to inform you that the USS Discovery has been sabotaged." His lip quivered.

Miatsu turned precisely and called up a report on the ship's master system display. "Anti-matter pods, 30 through 60, while reporting full, contain no anti-matter."

Tears welled up in Miatsu's eyes. "Half of our anti-matter supplies are not present and have not been for some time."

I looked at his display. The red Anti-Matter pods were empty. All but two of our pods were showing red. The lower half of the pods blinked.

My blood rushed in my ears. "How could the pods have been empty all this time and we haven't noticed?"

Miastu stayed bowed. Tears dripped off his nose. "We never conducted a level one diagnostic of the pods themselves. We had no reason to suspect that their condition was other than what was reported by the computer."

I blinked. "You couldn't get rid of that much anti-matter in space. Kamaline would have seen it."

"The pods must have been spoofed when they were installed." I couldn't believe it.

My head spun. I recalled my last conversation with Aaron Sheffield. His assertion that we wouldn't make it back to the Federation. My realization that the El Aurian colonists were toxic cargo.

"Starfleet Command." I said. I couldn't believe Starfleet would do such a thing. Suddenly one face came into focus in my mind. "Necheyev."

"It wouldn't take many people." Stephanie said. "A small group with the right tools could spoof the pods and then add them to the batch to be delivered to us."

"No one checks anti-matter pods that closely." I said. "They're proven technology. And if one fails the results are pretty clear."

"No, you haven't Mishimi." I said. "When I was the Chief Engineer of the Akagi, we never manually audited the anti-matter pods, either. We trusted the Starbase Engineers and the automatic monitoring systems and they never failed us."

Stephanie nodded "You're the victim of a crime here, Mishimi. Blame the person who committed the crime."

"Our passengers were toxic." I said. "We did our best to limit the contamination, but someone decided before we left the Federation that we would be contaminated by the El Aurians and couldn't be allowed to return home."

Mendez nodded. "After we burned out the originals getting to the rendezvous with the Harmon."

I looked up stunned. "Could my contact with the Harmon have been the catalyst for this?"

Mendez looked at me for a bit "While your actions were the largest case of command initiative I have ever seen, that isn't important right now."

I looked back at the display. "We have about two weeks of power left. Less if we're fighting the Tonagi."

I shook my head. "The QCRD is inefficient We need ten parts of energy in to get one part of anti-matter out. That's great if we have time, energy and deuterium. As it happens we have none of those to spare right now."

I nodded "Something is better than nothing. Mister Miastu set up the conversion."

Miatsu finally looked up. He eyes were red and tear filled. "Captain. To refill one Anti-Matter pod will take more than eight months of scavenging deuterium from this nebula."

I nodded. "I know. I know. It's just until I figure out how we're really going to solve this problem."

I thought about it a bit. "The truth. We believe we were sabotaged by rogue forces operating inside Starfleet. If we can make it home, we'll present the facts as we know them to the Judge Advocate General Corps and then we'll attend the public hangings."

That morning I approached Commander Rogan. He looked as tired as anyone. I recalled that he placed himself and his crew as damage control teams throughout the Discovery as their battlestations.

The Kurr starship crew wore Starfleet issue uniforms with their own ranks and signage on them. I'd gotten used to them doing so.

The Kurr people mixed with the Starfleet crew very thoroughly. But they kept one habit I never objected to. Commander Rogan held a morning crew briefing in the Discovery's lounge. It was their way of keeping themselves together as a crew. Even so, friends from the Discovery crew occasionally joined the briefing, too.

As I approached my presence killed all conversation. I hadn't gotten used to that.

Rogan turned towards his crew "I'll return momentarily."
We stepped over to the corner of the lounge. "Have you heard?" I asked.

I nodded "They're true. The Discovery has at most 14 days supply of anti-matter. Less if we're in combat. Much less."

I hated to do it, but I couldn't see where we had much choice. "If we were to send a distress call to the Kurr Association, would they answer it?"

"Yes, Sir." Lucas McCoy answered. 'The main deflector is charged with energy and ready to transmit. The message has been encrypted and is ready to be sent."

"Yellow alert. Set course ahead at one half impulse. Take us out of the nebula."

We reached the edge of the Nebula. Actually this isn't accurate. Nebulae don't often have such fixed edges. We reached a point where the nebula's interference with our systems became minuscule. We called that the edge of the Nebula.

As we left the shelter of the Nebula, Stephanie at Tactical called "Contact, three ships. Uh oh."

The Screen showed two ships together. One was a Tonagi battlecruiser. The other was blocky and designed stiffly. It was composed of large blocks clustered together It had medium grade shields and weapons emplacements. The nacelles were familiar. It was a Zak ship.

As the two larger ships struggled to react to our emergence, we could see work pods and containers jostled aside.

"In position." Lucas McCoy said. "Warp core to maximum.... and.... transmitting."

The hull of the Discovery thrummed with the massive flow of energy from her heart and out through, what became, in effect a galactic range ranged megaphone. The lights dimmed and the huge subspace pulse created a light show for us.

The screen showed the other Tonagi ship that reacted to us. It was out friend from the Gas Giant. I could clearly see patches on his hull where he'd done field repair. He didn't move like a damaged ship.

We beat the Lead Tonagi's main missile barrage into the nebula. His barrage was prodigious. He wasn't saving anything for later.

Fortunately the swirling, ionized gas defeated most of the missiles, and our phasers were able to cope with the remainder.

Sliding back into the darkness. I sighed. The Tonagi didn't like to give up on a prey.

18 hours later, Once again I was tying to sleep. I was in my quarters apologizing to my cat for letting a little thing like fighting for our very lives get in the way of the really important things in life, like petting the cat.

The intercom sounded. It was Mendez "Captain Hailey to the Bridge, yellow alert."

As the ship went once again to alert status, I leapt up and ran from my quarters. I didn't bother with my uniform shirt, jacket or shoes.

The Turbolift was waiting for me within steps of my quarters. As I threw myself into it and yelled "Bridge!" the Discovery went to red alert.

As the Turbolift raced for the Bridge the Discovery lurched and shuddered. It was a bad one, a hit with a proximity fused photon torpedo or some similar weapon..

As I got out onto the bridge I could hear a strange beeping. The sound system of the bridge made it sound as if it were coming from the nebula itself.

"They're using heavy anti-ship missiles with gravitic guidance. Our warp drives and artificial gravity are drawing them in." Mendez said grimly.

Zuma answered "It's one of the missiles. It's using a pulse of artificial gravity to locate us."

"The only thing working in our favor is that the missile can't see us from any great distance. They have to stumble across us."

Just then a terrific explosion lit up the nebula. We could see shock waves and the glow of gases energized and abused by a massive explosion. The shock wave hit us and the Discovery shuddered and seemed to tilt. I saw the shields drop a fraction from the hit. Soon enough and we'd be whittled down and crushed to death inside this nebula.

"That explosion was two gigatons, Captain." Stephanie said. The Tonagi were throwing planet crackers at us. They didn't have to target us accurately. Close would do just fine.

"Find me a planet." I said. "We'll try to mask the Discovery's signature in it's gravity well. If we're lucky the Tonagi have programmed their missiles to avoid natural gravity sources."

We hovered a few hundred meters away from a primordial slush ball. It was about three times the mass of the Earth. It's natural gravity field masked our artificial one. There could be millions of bodies in the Nebula that had as much gravity as we did. The Tonagi didn't want to waste their planet crackers on actual planets, they were gunning for us.

The explosions rocking the nebula walked away from us. Our hidey hole had been seriously narrowed. But we weren't dug out yet.

I stayed on the bridge. I looked at the iceball starting to melt and out gas from the waste heat cast off from the Discovery.

The Slushball was very, very cold. Even a Kliges'chee might have needed a sweater.

But it wouldn't stay that way with the Discovery standing next to it casting off infrared energy.

It took a while to set up and a lot of hard work. I even got to put a welder in my hand and take a direct hand in making my idea work for the Discovery.

The Discovery's engines were slower than normal due to cumulative damage. We'd lost some of the high technology leverage which made our engines much more efficient.

The inefficiency of our engines was expressed, as in all mechanical systems, as heat.

The Discovery had greater stay time in battle and seemingly stronger shields than a smaller Federation ship mainly because of her ability to shed heat. Sometimes size does matter.

If we could find a way to get rid of excess heat. We might gain an edge on the Tonagi, maybe enough to reach help.

The Discovery was cold. I could see my breath in front of my face. Mister Spaat, our helmsman sat with great dignity at his station with a black watch cap and black gloves on protecting him from cold the Vulcans aboard found unpleasant.

We'd shed every calorie of heat possible. And that was a lot. Several holds, now part of an auxiliary cooling system held hydrogen slush, supercooled almost to the point of freezing solid.

The Engines flushed through with our super cool hydrogen were now as cold as they would ever be.

I was mildly afraid of thermal cracking of the warp coils. But if they held, it would be a boost in speed and duration that might just make the difference.

We started from near the center of the nebula, where the dark cloud of gases hid our warp signature.

As we plowed through the gas, Our signature became more and more plain to anyone watching.

The Discovery turn and rolled away from the missiles. We didn't have to out run them, just avoid them until they couldn't get a lock on us.

We broke the edge of the Nebula. We were making such speed that it did look like a sharp edge. I cringed at the thought of striking a planetoid or serious piece of debris in the nebula while plunging along blind. We were plain lucky. It frightened me.

"Contact." Stephanie called. "Two Tonagi ships. They're turning and moving to intercept."

"Closing, Closing." Stephanie reported. "There's another one. He's at the far end of the nebula. he may be preparing to go to warp."

"They've launched missiles. I think it's a maximum launch from both ships. I count 40 missiles underway." Stephanie reported.

"Phasers to maximum point defense." Mendez ordered. The phasers started firing in a quick, staccato fashion

Spaat advanced the controls and the Discovery leapt to warp like the fastest, hottest courier I have ever seen. Within seconds, we'd reached warp nine.

I sat in the Captain's chair and grinned "Very good, mister Spaat. Very good everyone."

"It will not last, Captain." Spaat said. "Already temperatures are climbing dangerously in all of our cooling systems."

"Ride it to the edge, Mister Spaat, and then back us down to warp seven." I said.

The Discovery boomed again. It sounded sharper than the huge explosions in the nebula.

"Cargo bay 3 has sustained damage and is venting super heated hydrogen." Spaat reported.

"Slow us and begin to vent the hydrogen. Let it carry some of our heat away as we go." I said.

I was on the Bridge. We'd been running for three days. Our Anti-Matter pods were running on empty.

Soon, a few hours at most. the Discovery would loose all warp power. We'd make a fight of it at impulse, but I knew it was a matter of going out on your feet like a Klingon.

We'd used up all of our remaining torpedoes. As it turned out proximity fused torpedo warheads worked wonders for knocking batches of missiles out of the sky.

We'd heard nothing from the Kurr Association. I was disappointed but not surprised. Rogan's maps put it still some distance ahead of us. It was unreasonable to believe that they could gather a rescue mission and get it launched so quickly. But I had been hoping.

What made it worse was what we could see some distance behind us. Although the four ships we fought would be plenty to deal the Discovery fatal damage there was another group of Tonagi battlecruisers pursuing, and behind them, another Zak battlecruiser. Or was it the same one?

I looked up at her wanting to measure my response and avoid disappointment when it turned out to be nothing. My body betrayed me. My heart raced. My voice was a little sharper than I wanted when I said "Identify them, quickly!"

Four Kurr Association ships came our of warp ahead of us. Three of them approached at high impulse.

The Kurr Association ships were 350 meter long ships that reminded me of Swans in flight. Swans with Phaser Cannons and missile pods quickly grafted on to their design.

I could feel the tone of the ship change. Everyone wanted to nail the Tonagi to the wall. Now things were working in our favor. I looked at Rogan. He was watching the graceful swans of the Kurr Association charge the Kurr, with something like misty nostalgia.

"I have never seen that type of ship before, Captain. It is new." Rogan replied.

On the screen a man who might have been Rogan's Uncle said "I am Admiral Jandal of the Kurr...." he stopped and looked at me with shocked surprise.

"Thank you for coming to our aid, Admiral." I said. "We have Commander Rogan and his crew with us."

"Captain, I respectfully request you withdraw to the Terra, the Tender behind us and stand by. The Discovery has obvious seen her share of this battle." The Admiral said to me. I blinked.

He was right. The Discovery was a battered old lady with a treasure trove of science and data aboard. But I couldn't just stand by. "Together we can wrap this up pretty quickly, Admiral. If you don't mind." I replied.

But the Kurr swan ships were faster in impulse than the Discovery. They beat us to the Tonagi ships and laid into them with great enthusiasm.

The Discovery bringing up the rear made her contribution in terms of electronic warfare. Our battered sensor arrays could still blind and jam the Tonagi.

Within minutes the Tonagi ships were signaling "Yipe! Yipe! Yipe!" to each other and fleeing.

The tender Terra beamed us a healthy supply of anti-matter and saved us from loosing warp power all together. She docked to us and we began to transfer anti-matter aboard as fast as she could safely transfer it. We filled three anti-matter pods, enough to get us into the Kurr Association under our own power.

The Kurr Admiral wanted a preliminary briefing. On my way down to the transporter room, Commander Rogan joined me. "Captain, may I speak with you for a moment?"

"Sure thing, Commander. I'm on my way to meet Admiral Jandal. Do you know him? I was going to ask you to accompany us."

"Yes, Sir. I have met him, once, briefly. I do need to speak with you in private..." Rogan looked uncomfortable.

I turned and looked at him. "Is there a problem? Some social issue? Rogan, he's due in less than a minute."

Rogan looked at me carefully. I could see him reach a decision "There are some things I haven't told you. I'll explain in more detail after the briefing, Jay."

I blinked. "Alright." and turned back towards the transporter room. I looked back in time to catch Mendez and Rogan giving each other a look.

Admiral Jandal was a big man, made of rectangles. Introductions were made and we adjourned to a nearby briefing room.

Jandal looked at me with a very strange look. "I can't tell you, Sir what an honor it is to meet you. We thought you'd still be in the Federation."

"Well, we had a deep space mission to perform and since I had some minor experience with the area..." I said.

Jandal looked at me sideways. "Aren't you an interlocutor between the Federation and the Harmon?"

I sighed "One time I was and that was enough. The Harmon don't really want that much interaction with the Federation. It's hard to describe."

"Well, certainly," Jandal said. "I can quite imagine that communicating with the Harmon would be."

"Please sit, down. Sir." I gestured. Mendez placed a pitcher of ice water and several glasses bearing the Discovery's crest on the table

I sat down "We are prepared to transmit all logs of the Swift Seeker to you, Sir."

Jandal looked at Rogan. "How did you manage to wind up with Captain Hailey here, Commander Rogan?"

"We ventured too close to a black hole, Admiral. We were hung up between escape and destruction. We simply couldn't get enough delta-vee out of our impulse drives to make the difference."

"As our ship was on the verge of failure, the Discovery heard our distress calls and responded." Rogan nodded towards me. "They were able to recover all of us, and all of our data before the Swift Seeker failed and was drawn to her destruction."

I nodded grimly. Rogan would be up for a board in inquiry about how he lost his ship.

"You must be the luckiest man in the fleet. Rogan." Jandal said. "In your class of scout ships we have suffered fifty percent casualties, total with eight ships lost with no trace. But to be rescued by the Great Liberator, himself..."

"The Great Liberator, Sir. You." Jandal said.
"The what?" I asked. I felt very uncomfortable. The punchline was coming up.

Jandal looked at me. "Ethics of a Stone, you don't know?" he turned to Rogan "You didn't tell him?"

Rogan looked uncomfortable. "I felt it would harm my ability to contribute to the crew and my relationship with Captain Hailey."

Jandal shook his head at Rogan, sadly then her turned to me, "Captain, you are considered a national hero of the Kurr Association."

"How did you find out about that?" I asked. That was several weeks after the Harrier left the Kurr association.

"The Federation told us, Captain. They queried us for all information concerning the Harmon following the arrival of the Harmon and their request for asylum in Federation Space." Jandal said. "Our two nations are in regular subspace contact. We have been since a few weeks after the Globe was taken down."

"You're due for a heroes welcome in the Kurr Association, Captain, you and your crew. We owe you our gratitude. The Kurr Association is a free, star-traveling culture because of you. My nation, my home now has a future, directly due to your intercession." Jandal said intently.

"Now hold on." I said. "I didn't do anything terribly unusual. The Murachi were the ones who told us of the location of the Kurr..."

"Well, okay, but my motives were not unusual. Any Starfleet Captain in my position would have done much the same." I protested.

"Captain Hailey is resistant to conceptualizing himself as an exceptional individual, Admiral." Rogan said softly. "He will be uncomfortable with the regard with which he is held in the Kurr Association."

I turned "Jesus, Rogan is that it? I thought you were indulging in hero worship because of the size of the Discovery and the amount of star hours I've logged."

Rogan nodded. "Things to be proud of it is true. But no. We happened to be rescued by none other than The Great Liberator Himself."

"That's just it, Rogan, those things are not necessarily things to be proud of. The Discovery is big because of the missions she is required to perform, it's not a statement of national grandeur. The amount of star hours I log are made possible because of the Starfleet officers who came before me and lent me their experience and wisdom." I said. "As for this Great Liberator Stuff, you liberated yourselves. You made the Kurr Association a strong and ethical society all on your own. I just happened to pass by and mention my appreciation of your achievements."

"Captain, just a few weeks ago we encountered a Harmon who'd accidentally trapped and destroyed every Starship that encountered her. You spoke to her as an equal and you facilitated the Discovery's escape." Rogan said. "When this is revealed to the Kurr Association your heroic cache will only increase."

Janadal was almost speechless. His assistants, Captain Ferma. and Commanders Gelar and Molal were staring at me in naked shock.

I gripped the bridge of my nose. "Maybe we could discuss repairs to the Discovery."

Jandal hesitated for a bit and then said "Captain, we have a good long distance relationship with the Federation. Due to... past aid from the Federation, we have credited the Federation with a sizable amount of energy and resources. This is available to any Federation starship who requests it. I should point out here that rescue and refit were planned before we knew who was in command of this ship."

I just looked at him. I knew that the aid rendered by the Federation was me getting a headache and throwing up a lot from trying to communicate with a being on another evolutionary plain.

"We're grateful for your assistance." I said. I meant it. "The Discovery needs a refit pretty badly."

As Admiral Jandal and his party beamed back to their flagship, Mendez turned to me. "Jay."

The Discovery arrived in the Kurr Association to a parade. Many of their swan style frigates were out to meet us and a bewildering array of civilian vessels jostled politely to get a view.

The Starbase was a huge construction of spheres, lattice works and tubes all connected in a graceful arc. It was named a Kurr term that translated as "The Meditative Construction of Order." We took to calling it Starbase K1. Rogan informed me that many Kurr also had similar nicknames for it,.

They had a place ready for the Discovery as we approached. It was lit up very, very thoroughly. Along one tube there was a sort of sail, but sticking down. It reminded me strongly of one wall of a dry-dock, but longer, wider and thicker. The Discovery was directed alongside this sail, with the connecting tube directly above us. I could see space-suited workers watching us pull in.

Then a large articulated arm unhooked from the bottom of the tube and extended towards the Discovery's top. It conformed itself to the Discovery and then hooked in. I saw lights change all over Lucas McCoy's ops station.

"Hard dock established, Captain. External support umbilicals engaged." He reported.

"Report to the Dock master. The Discovery is ready to support from the station. We request permission to enter support mode." I said.

McCoy listened to his ear piece for a moment. "The Dock master confirms and says welcome Discovery."

"Begin support mode." I said. After more than two years the Discovery found a safe haven.

As we did, several work pods began to move from the front of the docking sail towards the rear of it. They were dragging something.. A clear membrane trailed after them.

Kamaline scanned, very lightly "It's some sort of silicon plastic. It's different from anything used in the Federation."

The work pods completed their trip. and made the membrane fast around the Discovery. As soon as they did so, an alarm bleeped on Stephanie's panel. "I'm reading an air leak from the station. It looks pretty serious."

Stephanie zeroed in on it.. It wasn't a leak at all. It was a nozzle dumping air.

"Let's continue into support mode, people. We have a lot to do. We're the only dock crew qualified on the Discovery." I said.

Half an hour later, I had my answer. A breathable atmosphere surrounded the Discovery.

I hit the all-call "Attention, please everyone." I wait a few beats. "The Kurr have thoughtfully provided a breathable atmosphere around the Discovery. We have managed to extend our gravity to the dorsal surface of the Discovery's saucer section. It'll be light, so be careful. Let's go say hello."

With the bridge crew I walked to the airlock on thee back of the Discovery's Bridge. I opened it. "It'll only hold a few of us at a time," I said. "We can over ride it to open immediately."

I thought about it. "She's really leveraged not to do that. I don't want to give her any bad habits that might bite us later."

I stepped into the airlock. Stephanie, Mendez, Kamaline and Rogan followed. We closed the inner door and I keyed my override. The outer door opened with a shrill, complaining alarm. My ears popped. The pressure was definitely different from inside the Discovery to the... Starship baggy.

I had forgotten once again just how big she really was. I looked out over acres of white metal.

The vibration of the hull and various mechanical noises announced the opening of the main shuttle bay door. It always seemed graceful and silent to me before. I suppose it's a matter of perspective.

I stepped off the ledge to the airlock and drifted down to the flat area over the main shuttle bay. I leaned down and felt the hull of the Discovery with my bare hand. She felt like hull metal. I'd handled it before. But she also felt alive to me.

I could feel warm spots on my face. The warp drives would be cooling off for quite a while. They seemed to radiate heat like a fire.

Mendez landed next to me. He looked around with shiny eyes. "I have never done this before."

I looked at him carefully, but I didn't say anything. He'd never, ever mentioned his starship to me. He lost the Farragut at Wolf 359, along with most of her crew. I knew he had a breakdown following this. It was in his record. He seemed to have been doing a personally imposed penance for that loss ever since.

He caught me looking at him. His face changed to the pleasantly professional, personally blank expression he wore most of the time.

The lights illuminating the Discovery were very bright. But just beyond them, outside the clear membrane, I could see ships, shuttles, pods and suits passing by the Discovery's place at the starbase.

I turned. "There's something I want to see." I walked towards the front of the ship. Mendez paced me.

Kamaline was dancing. She turned in a graceful spiral. "I'd love to get a picture of that." I said to Mendez. Kamaline dancing on the hull of the Discovery seemed iconic to me. A picture that the Discovery needed to keep with her.

"Ask the Kurr." Mendez whispered. "I'll bet this whole event is being scanned for their archives."

"I was as surprised as anyone else when the Harmon raced off towards the Kurr Association. It never occurred to me that they'd listen." I said.

We slid alongside the bridge dome. I could see the cutout for the windows of the lounge on the starboard side of the saucer section..

"Sometimes you're the savior, sometimes you're the Devil himself." Mendez said. "It's part of the job."

"This is why you never looked at it while Rogan was all but telling you so." Mendez said. "The rest of us knew. They asked us about Earth, about Starfleet, but especially about you."

We got onto the forward section of the Discovery's saucer. I walked down the gentle incline, bouncing in the light gravity.

I noticed a scar, a blemish on the hull as we passed. Something very hot, moving very fast gouged a cut in the Discovery's hull. I wondered what it was. Probably the Nova we were too close to.

Mendez nodded. "Spaat and Stephanie have been asked to tell the story a number of times."

We walked down the slope. I shook my head. "It's not right. I don't belong there."

"What human being does?" Mendez asked. "Many of us wind up in places we never asked for. The Universe is. It's up to us to adjust."

I stopped at my destination. The name. I knelt down. The letters were far bigger than I was. That felt fitting somehow. USS DISCOVERY. Below that in even Bigger Letters NCC-71890

The paint was damaged in places and showed some signs of starting to peel. I winced.

I put some effort into nailing down the feeling. Starfleet Officers are trained observers. You have to be able to articulate what makes you go "uh oh" or "hmm"

As we got up to it, I could see why. The collimator is a set of crystals. The phaser beams from dozens of cannon are fed into the crystals and guided by force fields. The force fields determine where and when the combined beam is let loose.

The crystals are normally sharp edged and mechanically perfect. They look like sharply cut paving stones. The Discovery's collimator crystals looked old worn. They were a touch cloudy and cracked in places. Some of the sharp edges were flaked away into more rounded edges.

Near the edges of the phaser collimator, the hull was discolored and some the paint was stripped away.

"She's still a young lady under the skin." Mendez said. "All she needs is some love and she'll be fine."

I looked around. "I like this. I like this a lot. I'm going to ask the Kurr for the design of these ship baggies."

Mendez nodded. "Denial is a wonderful thing."

"Yeah." I said. "It never lasts though."

I stood in a very large room. It was filled with people, most of them were pointing devices at me. The devices made me more uncomfortable than phasers. They were holocameras

"People of the Kurr Association." I said. "It brings me great joy to be able to greet you in person, here in Kurr territory."

"I bring you greetings from the United Federation of Planets." I breathed. "I don't know how many people in the Federation know of the Kurr Association. But I am pretty sure that if I took any random person aside and described the Kurr Association and what happened, they'd say 'cool!' and be very happy at what I find here today."

I was loosing them. "That's why I feel confident in painting my personal feelings onto the Federation as a whole. We're very happy to see you out and about and interacting with the Galaxy at large. There's a feeling you get when a good thing happens to a real friend. And I am feeling that now."

"Captain Hailey." Minister Hemal said. He was the Senior Minster of the Orla, Rogan's people. "We are all very curious. Please forgive me for asking. What was it like to communicate to the Harmon?"

I was silent while I thought about it. "It made me throw up." I said. "The human mind is a pattern seeker. I believe a lot of my experience is my mind overlaying patterns to what the Harmon offered me."

"We're insects compared to them." I said. "I sort of remember seeing us from their point of view. I was strongly reminded of a type of Terran insect called a Bee."

I sighed. "I was the insect that happened to catch their attention at the moment. I can't really define it better than that."

The Kurr people looked at each other for a few moments. Then they burst into a wild, standing ovation.
I stood there for a few minutes. It was intensely uncomfortable. But the approval of an entire auditorium of people felt very, very good. That's why I was uncomfortable with it. I could see myself abandoning the Discovery to simply live off the love and approval of the Kurr people. I disliked that part of myself intensely.

I held up my hand in the Vulcan salute. Then I left. They never stopped applauding me for being the right bug.

I handed the Admiral a PADD. "These are the technical stats on the USS Discovery."

I looked him in the eye. "Mostly. Everything relevant to the Discovery as she now stands." We'd eliminated the data about the Howard colony and all it's technical stats.

He nodded and skimmed the PADD. He stopped and called up one chapter. He skimmed in further detail delving further into our database. He looked up at me. "These are extremely detailed."

I nodded. With those specs the Kurr Association would be able to begin building their own Galaxy class starships. "We're not in a position to be delicate about the data we let loose."

I blinked at him. "Will it?"

"There is some discussion about the ethics of using technology that we haven't worked to develop and refine ourselves." Jandal said.

Jandal looked at me. I continued. "All the parts and tools we need are highlighted in this data. I don't expect that you'll have all of these, but we don't know what you do and don't have."

Jandal looked at the data that described what we needed to repair the Discovery and return her to specifications. "This will take some time to properly analyze and arrange."

He took a deep breath. "I'd like to respectfully suggest that you and your crew take a shore leave while we gather the necessary materials. Then we can get to work on the Discovery.

"Captain, my High Command would like to speak with you on matters of galactic events, strategy and tactics, if you're available." Admiral Jandal said.

I walked through the Kurr starbase, guided by a young woman. She was dark haired and intense looking. My fierce attempt to remember Kurr Association ranks made her a Commander. She was young for the rank, if it was analogous to a Starfleet commander. On the other hand, she was in a staff position, and the Kurr were just now rebuilding their space services away from a transportation service and into a real space service.

As I walked along the graceful corridors, I saw the occasional person dressed in the Kurr civilian styles. All comfortable cloth wound in odd ways. It sort of looked like their clothes would unravel and trip them up at any moment.

The Kurr Association space service uniforms were cream colored and showed the form well. I was reminded of the uniforms Starfleet used about the time of the V'ger incident.

Several of the Kurr people had pins. I peered intently. They were bees. Some looked like the bee from the work bee logo. Some looked very accurate.

"Good morning Admiral. Everyone." I nodded to Captain Ferma, Commander Gelar, and Commander Molal. There were three other admirals in the room.

"Yes, Sir." I spent part of the night organizing what we knew of the Kliges'chee into a coherent presentation.

I launched into my presentation. I think I did a pretty good job of describing, out lining and offering specifics of the threat that race, native to liquid methane environments, posed.

While eating Admiral Kolar asked me. "So you had no idea the Kliges'chee were there when the Harrier was thrown into the Gallowayan zone?"

Kolar peered at me intently. "How many starship combat engagements have you been involved in?"

I shrugged. "I'm still alive. I'd prefer to judge my success in terms of defusing combat situations."

That afternoon we reconvened. I began "I should point out here, that I have been very fortunate with regards to my crew. Lieutenant George Zuma is a natural talent in the field of starship combat tactics and strategies. A lot of what I am talking about here is material he has revealed through intensive study."

As I was wrapping up, Admiral Jandal stood and said "Captain Hailey, we have a number of requests we'd like to make of you."

"I wonder if you'd like to speak to our senior class at the Kurr Space services academy." Jandal asked.

"Would you please speak to your crew and see if any of them are so willing?" Jandal continued.

Jandal took a deep breath. "Captain. The Kurr Space Services would like to offer you the rank of Fleet Admiral."

"That... wouldn't be appropriate." I could feel the thoughts grating through. "I couldn't accept a commission in the Kurr Space Services while still a Starfleet Captain. There might be a conflict between the two."

I winced at him. But I couldn't think of any diplomatic way to say no. "I don't think that would cause any problems...." Except to me.

Jandal turned to the Commander who'd acted at my guide. She smiled and seemed to sparkle prettily as she handed him a felt lined box.

He turned towards me and opened it. It was a Kurr space service crest and the rank pips for Fleet Admiral.

I noted with some discomfort that it was larger rank than anyone else in the room had.

"On behalf of Kurr Space Service Command, I award you the Honorary rank of Fleet Admiral. In recognition not only of your previous services in regards to the Harmon, but due to the great store of information you lent us, which allowed us to organize ourselves quickly to the task of defending against the Zak and the Tonagi." Jandal said.

"Thank you." I said. I looked at the rank pips and the crest. The Kurr wore them both on their right breast.

I almost forgot the crest and rank pips on my chest. We reviewed engagements, weapons and tactics. I forgot my self consciousness and we talked shop into the night.

The young female commander was leading me back through the starbase to the Discovery.

"Would you mind if we stopped by my office? There's something I'd like to do there." She said.

We turned and walked further into the maze of the Kurr Starbase. I was totally lost.

We entered a decent sized office. it was about the size of my ready room. The lights were off. The only light came from the large lights of the dock. Her office had these huge windows looking out over the Discovery in her dock.

The Commander stood beside me. I noticed that she was very female. For a moment my mind drifted. She smelled nice.

Suddenly we were welded together. She kissed me with fervent heat and passion. We ground ourselves together and within moments my mind was lost in a rush of lust. Or did I simply cast it aside?

I noticed the window was tinted as I was putting my uniform back on. I pointed at it. "Umm. The window?"

"Oh. Oh, no, Thank you," I said. I was sweaty and rumpled even more than usual. My blood was singing, but something didn't feel quite right. I wanted to grin stupidly. I wanted to tell her that I loved her.

She put her uniform on carefully and her appearance came back together like magic.

She lead me out of the office and down the corridor to a two person transporter station.

I carefully stuffed my uniform into the replicator and recycled it. I left my new crest and new pips on my desk.

With a catly shrug she put her head back down and resumed the important business of napping.

I took a shower. In there it occurred to me. The sex was good. I like sex. Sex isn't a bad thing.

But... I like sex when it has a deeper emotional connotation. I recalled my relationship with a woman named Karen, when we were cadets. She wanted something casual. I thought I wanted sex. I recalled how hurt and ashamed I was when I discovered I wanted something more and she discovered that this was the last thing she wanted with me.

Vela didn't want me as a person. She'd had sex with The Great Liberator. That's what felt bad.

That settled, I got out of the shower, went back into my quarters and picked up my cat. I flopped into one of my overstuffed low chairs and pet Purr-Bot

Purr-Bot objected to being disturbed from her nap, but not enough to turn down a spontaneous pet-fest. She made herself comfortable and then snuggled into me, purring her little heart out.

I scritched my cat. It occurred to me I'd never sat in my room in that particular angle.

I looked at the neon lined analog clock. The chromed bar and the cutouts of Marylin Monroe, James Dean, Humphrey Bogart and Elvis Presley that stood against the forward wall. A small model of a pink Cadillac on the bar, along with other odds and ends.

The irony of it struck me. How many times had something like this happened to them? I thought of my decor as Classic Hollywood Tacky. It reminded me of home. I realized that hundreds of years ago, besides being fictional heads of state for an extremely fictional frame of mind, each of these had been real people.

Not me, though. Not really. "The Great Liberator." An image created by the Kurr to suit the needs of the Kurr.

I missed Elizabeth. But then I wasn't sure. Was it me, or was it that I represented another source of DNA for breeding diversity? I felt ashamed of the thought as soon as it crossed my mind.

I felt bad for being such a slave to my sex drive that I spent time regretting leaving Elizabeth behind. I felt bad for being such a creature of my baser impulses that Vela rolled me over like that.

Time for bed. I had to own myself, and chart my own course. The forces of the universe seemed impersonal and vague. The gravity that crushed Rogan's ship, that was nothing. The forces of my own emotions and the odd ideas of the Kurr. These were deadly. Time to activate my own personal structural integrity fields and go to full impulse. I needed to stay me, and to keep my own course.

Having decided this. I rose, to protests by Purr-Bot. Epiphanies about my identity be damned, my job was to sit there, be warm and pet the cat.

-*-
I walked into the auditorium and up to the podium. I looked at the Kurr Space Service Cadets. I had to stop and gather myself for a while.

While there were youngsters, being trained there, the auditorium was also filled with men and women who were in their prime and of rank. There were also grizzled space veterans there.

I saw not only the humans of Orla, but Kamla. You could tell the Kamla's age. Middle aged Kamla were thicker than the the young ones, for the most part. The old Kamla aren't as thick, but grayed around the muzzle. Idly I wondered if Kamla colored their fur at all.

There were Kloosh there. They looked like humanoid seals. I couldn't read their body language well.

There were four Insect-Men nobles there, with the Kurr Space Service crest and rank pips affixed to their chitin.

There were two Banduch, there. They were at the back of the Auditorium. They looked like baby brontosauri, They peered at me with intelligent eyes, chewing thoughtfully.

"First the Good news." I began "The Discovery carries with her an Archive of the knowledge from the Federation. This includes all the text books, histories and biographies used in the curriculum of Starfleet Academy. I have uploaded these, as well as what we have from other known nations. You now have a full database of tactical and strategic information, as well as written accounts of the sort of Crises Response that Starfleet does all the time."

That got me happy looks from the people in the audience. They wouldn't have to make up a lot of that stuff on their own. The hard way, as measured in lives lost.

"Now the bad news." I said. "The Discovery crew cannot become your Academy faculty. This was discussed, but we'd never get the Discovery back together and in motion. Myself and several of the Discovery's officers have volunteered to come and give you an overview of the material. I see many of you are experienced, veteran starship crew and commanders. I believe that with the proper material, you'll be able to get up to speed quickly."

I turned. The man was dressed in all white. His clothes were of the Kurr style, but understated. His only decoration was a small chain around his neck. It had a golden sphere hanging from it.

"I had hoped to be able to speak with you." Kerz said. "Would this be agreeable to you?"

Kerz nodded. "Thank you. I wish to discuss with you your assertion that you liberated us from the globe."

He nodded "As you say. However, you claim that it was your intercession that caused this."

"No. I have never said that." I explained "This is the conclusion that your people seemed to have come to. I have no idea why the Harmon did what they did."

"You are misleading the Kurr People." Kerz said. "Some of us know the truth. The Globe was set to disappear when we'd reached a state of development desired for us by the Harmon."

"You have painted a picture of the Harmon as though they were any other people. As though they had flaws, desires, goals and aims like any other flesh and blood people." Kerz said accusingly.

Kerz interrupted me. "We know the truth. The Harmon are superior beings who seek to guide us toward ethical perfection."

I was reminded of the Dreamer's friends. It seemed that floating telepathic balloons were easier to get along with. "Mister Kerz, I am not here to challenge your belief system."

"And again you lie." Kerz said. "Can you not see the unethical nature of your actions and words?"

"You actions and fabrications mislead the Kurr people from the path laid out for them by the Harmon." Kerz said. "You interfere with a plan laid out by beings so far advanced from us they are functionally divine. You must end this. I have come to speak to you today, because advanced ethics demand that I attempt a peaceful, cooperative solution."

I looked at Kerz. I recalled the distaste and horror with which the Harmon beheld the pre-englobement Kurr. It wouldn't help me to point that out. I thought carefully. "What do advanced ethics tell you about unpleasant truths?" I asked.

"We have years of study and contemplation. You have assertions that are not supported by facts." Kerz grated.

Commander Zert, watching the exchange, held up a graceful, oval Kurr made PADD. On it, there was the log recording of me on the Bridge of the Harrier. I winced. The image showed me in my undershirt which was damp. It was that way because I'd just thrown up all over myself minutes earlier in the recording

"But, Captain..." Li'ira said. Now she was back on the other side of it, where no one knew what the crazy captain was thinking. It was good to see her reevaluating her opinions. She gave Patricia a significant look. The Doctor just shrugged and watched to see what I would do next.

"This is Captain Hailey. We apologize for the unwarranted intrusion. We meant no harm. If there is ever a way for us to help you, please let us know. Until then, the Harrier will leave your territory immediately. I beg you to remember the Kurr Association. You englobed them in an energy bubble some time ago. They will soon die unless released-"

"Once again, I request that you cease spreading your fabrications about your false relationship with the Harmon." Kerz pleaded.

"Mister Kerz," I said. The guy was near tears. "Please, I really don't mean to offend."

Federation Councilor Servalan of Centaurus leaned into her question. "Captain Hailey, don't you think inviting the Harmon home with you was over stepping your bounds, somewhat?"

"I am quoting from the log of the Harrier, 'If there is ever a way for us to help you, please let us know.' Didn't you think they'd take you up on it?" Servalan's voice was smooth.

My answer was a little more honest than usual for the council chambers. "Frankly, no."

Beside me at the table in front of the Federation Council, Captain Riker's eyes glittered merrily, and Commander Troi put her hand up to cover a grin.

Mercifully, Zert didn't replay Servalan's answer. I was still growing skin back from that one.

"As if mere mortal beings could offer anything to the Harmon!" Kerz sneered. "You and your falsehoods have started a Federation Fever among my people. You and your bees are warping our culture!"

"It is unethical for you to injure my culture!" Kerz said. "It is unethical for me to *let* you!"

"No compromise can eliminate the truth!" Kerz yelled. Then he turned and stalked off.

"I'm sorry. Captain." Zert said. "I'll alert the academy staff to prevent that sort of confrontation again."

Zert grinned. "It's a lot more amusing and comfortable to try to be a bee then to try and be a Harmon, Sir."

It made sense to me. I understood why the Bee analogy was so popular all of a sudden. I looked at his PADD. If was frozen with Councilor Servalan stripping skin off my back with her tongue.

A few weeks later I was back at Starbase K1. I was looking at a generic Starfleet Engineering systems display terminal. It was very generic.

The only difference between it and one from the Utopia Planitia Space Dock was the subtle lack of serial numbers.

I stared at it. Something was wrong with it. I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

I opened up the access ports. All the pieces were right there. The Isolinear system was different. It was based on hexagonal cylinders about an inch wide and an inch tall. I could see the mounting brackets on it. They were in the Kurr style but colored to match the generic Starfleet color scheme.

This unit passed all performance tests and durability tests. We could stick it right into the Discovery's engineering room and it would work just fine.

Ah hah. "I love it, gentlemen. It's sweet piece of work. But I'd like a modification to it if we could."

The Kurr Starbase engineering staff looked at me expectantly. I continued. "This is a Kurr built device. I'd like it to look... Kurr."

"Well two reasons" I counted off "One - there's some Kurr technology in there. No way around it. I want my technicians to know that when they open it up. Two - I think the Kurr designs look cool."

They blinked and grinned. "Alright. I think we can step back one revision and get just what you're looking for, Captain." The Starbase Chief Engineer said. "We designed it to meet all Starfleet specs first, and then made it look right as the final revision."

"We'll be able to start production in earnest after the second prototype pieces go through testing." The Chief Engineer said.

As I left the Engineering bay I could see the Discovery. Her hull was discolored. The Discovery crew and the Starbase technicians were systematically replacing all damaged portions of the hull. Then they'd repaint her.

As I walked along I saw Fitzer, one of Rogans officers from the Swift Seeker approaching. She was almost in tears.

She approached me and stood at attention with her lip trembling. "I'm being reassigned."

"To the Academy for a tour then... I hear they're planning a new cruiser type..." She waved her hands.

I said "That's wonderful, Fitzer, they want you to bring your experience back to the Service and teach others. That's a real mark of confidence."

"I love serving on the Discovery with you. I..." She seemed to come to a realization. "I don't want to leave her ever."

"Now, Lieutenant.." I began. I'd exchanged more words with her in that hallway than we had since she came aboard.

The Awk, part came from when I saw the weapon in his hand. I guessed it was a Kurr Association phaser, all swooping ovals and graceful lines.

The man was a very generic looking Orla man, in subdued clothes, done in earth tones

I'd been stunned. That was a relief. I didn't know what the Kurr phaser's setting was when the man shot me with it.

The room spun and I fought down nausea for a while. My head throbbed. There was and unfortunately sharp component to the pain.

I was tied to a cot of some sort. I called out "Hey." It came out weak and soft, as in "please don't bother me, I am so hung over," not "Explain this, immediately!"

Time passed. I dozed a little bit. When I woke up again, I could see the joists, light fixtures, shelves and racks of a cargo bay. A Cargo bay? Yes, I could feel the subtle hum of the deck. I could see the graceful oval theme in the light fixtures and the hatch.

Since it was all I could do, I closed my eyes and focused on the sound. I was not Montgomery Scott. All I was willing to swear to was that the engines were smaller than the Discovery's.

I tried to wriggle out of the bindings. It was futile but being taken hostage turns out to be boring.

The hatch slid open. A man came through. He was large. Both in terms of height, and in terms of girth. He was broad across the shoulders and his hands were meaty and big. He had a kindly face, with a bulbous nose and waves of dignified silver hair cascading off his scalp.

He was dressed all in white, the traditional Kurr cut, but subdued. He had a golden chain with a sphere around he neck.

"Nice to meet you, sir." I said. "Would you be so kind as to untie me?" All the fake politeness was beginning to get on my nerves.

"I'll take that under advisement." Garla smiled. For a moment I almost thought he would. "We'll be talking some about your story, your Federation and other things."

Garla looked sad You could picture him atop one of the great stone tabletops of monument valley, being sad off at the distance at the horizon. "You've injured us, Captain. And the damage grows worse. Our people turn from their appointed path."

"We want you to speak the truth to us, Captain, Nothing more." His voice was gentle, behind it there was something ugly.

My favorite tactical manual said "Never fight a fight you don't have to. Always ask your self, 'what am I fighting to achieve?' and 'What do I get if I win?' If you must fight, fighting for a very specific goal can help you understand how you might change things to your own favor. A generic 'win' is never enough. You must fight for specific goals and avoid large generalities."

Bearing this in mind, I quickly thought, what does Garla get if he wins? Me reading a recantation from captivity?

Garla looked sad again. "You lie with such facility you cannot even help yourself."

"I'll take that under advisement." Garla was very reassuring when he was reassuring.,

I was alone for the next couple of hours. I scared myself thinking of insidious tortures and diabolical torments.

It started with Kerz. He walked in the door with a grim expression and I feared the worst.

"Captain Hailey." He sat down on a box. "Your intractability has required us to take desperate measures."

He held up a Kurr Pad. "These are the writings of the Sage Kalo, in the years immediately after the globe was established. He lived with the Banduch seeking to avoid the warfare that erupted in those dark ages."

Kerz cleared his voice and read "It is plain to me that the Globe established by the Harmon is a mirror, reflecting back to us, all that is wrong within ourselves."

"Yes." Kerz said grimly. "I regret the necessity. Feel free to ask questions as we go."

"You must be joking."

"I never joke about this." Kerz said. I believed him. I could see he need to joke a lot more.

He continued "We see in the destruction wrought by greed, ambition and fear not just our own weaknesses but the future, turned inwards, back upon ourselves."

Sincerity. Fake that and you can fake anything. "You mean it doesn't count until I convert to your faith?"

Kerz leaned forward. "This is not about faith. One required no faith to see the Globe and measure it's effects."

"Uh huh." I thought carefully. "Listen. The longer I am tied up like this the greater the possibility of permanent damage. Besides that, I really have to pee."

He stood and left. He returned with three other believers. They untied me. One stood back and covered me with a graceful Kurr phaser. My hands and feet started to sting with the returned circulation.

There was a small head in the store room. Why was there a head in the store room? I looked carefully and yes, it was fitted out to become quarters if necessary.

There was a small sink. I slurped up as much water as I could. it tasted really good.

The new ones looked shocked. Kerz shook his head. "Before beginning this, we roleplayed it out, to try and guess what forms resistance might take and to plan for them."

"Well yes, it exercised primitive instincts of fight, flight, and hostility. Our bodies naturally responded to these ancient drives." Kerz explained.

"But we're here to over come our primitive past and join the Harmon on a higher ethical plain." The man with the phaser said.

Kerz guided me back to the cot. I really didn't want to be tired up like that again. "Look if you strap one of my legs to a chair, I can't move easily and that will give your guard plenty of time to stun me, should I try to escape."

They looked at each other and then Kerz nodded. I immediately felt stupid. In my haste to seek my own comfort I wound up buying into their premises. I put on my best poker face. I don't have a good poker face, but it was good enough for these people.

"I guess a phaser on stun means never having to say you're sorry." I grinned at my guard.

"On the contrary." He said very seriously. "I will apologize in advance for stunning you, should you cause the need."

Then hideous torture ensued. I was an unwilling guest at their scripture study and discussion group.

They worked me over in shifts. An eternity of scripture reading and discussions, with occasional breaks for emergency rations. Then slightly too little sleep.

The scriptures of the Kurr amounted to a culture wide case of Stockholm syndrome. They went from fear and hatred of the Harmon, almost instantly into worship. And then the Kurr sages, prophets and believers proceeded to rationalize this more and more completely and with arcane logic and reasoning.

They kept me in that store room for quite a while. They kept me strapped to the chair, or to the cot and never let me move around free.

I resisted conceptually from the beginning. I asked them names and history. I shared stories of my life and encouraged them to tell me stories of their own lives.

This was mainly to shut them up about their scriptures. It worked often enough to keep me working on it.

Then about five or six eternities later it seemed they were lowering their guard enough for me to try to break out.

I was able to slip my foot out of the restraint on the cot. Trying to move stealthily, I went to the shelves and found some cleaning fluid and a cross bar where the fasteners were finger tight. Now I had a club.

I slipped up to the door and tapped on it. "Excuse me, but there may be a problem here."

The door slid open to reveal Jozz, one of my captors. I flicked the cleaning fluid into his face.

"Ah!" He yelled. he put both hand to his face. I jabbed him in the gut with my club. I was aiming for the solar plexus, I have no idea how close I got. "Oof." he said. It sounded painful.

I took the phaser from his hands, both still pressed up to his eyes. "I'm not even slightly sorry" I whispered as I stunned him.

They had a few guards on me but they weren't well trained.and sneaking up on them with my new phaser and stunning them worked.

They didn't have their engineering spaces well guarded. I quickly stunned their small engineering crew. Then I was able by blind luck and lots of button slapping to shut down their engines.

I took the isolinear hexagons from their warp drive computer. I couldn't figure out how to adjust the phaser settings, so after stunning them a few times, I stomped them to bits with my boot heel.

I hid in an access port to their plasma conduit. Two of them ran by. There was a big button there with an eye catching orange and black swirl pattern. That seemed to be their danger signal.

The plasma conduits vented. I could only assume this was into space. It wasn't into my hidey hole.

That would only work if I knew there was a ship within rescue distance, other wise it would amount to smart assed suicide.

I slid out of my hidey hole. If I could some how access the main computer from a service terminal I might be able to convince it to show me the scanner screens....

Garla was there. He was angry. He looked like Fire and Brimstone were right behind him.

"You're holding me hostage at phaser point, you MORON!" My bellow was tinged with pain. This was surprising because I was shouting my own head open.

Garla leaned down into my face "I can see stronger measures will have to be taken."

"You rat-fucking, vermin infested, cross eyed, targ sucking-" I didn't know I knew that many curses.

One of the Kurr women was watching me curse out Garla with shiny eyes. I think she was taking notes.

I don't know how long they left me tied to that damned cot in that damned room. It was too long. I was very thirsty.

A man came through the door. I'd never seen him before. He was red headed. Almost as big as Garla. His clothing was a patchwork that, while tired and tattered looking came off as colorful and lively anyway.

He came over to the cot. "I'll have you out of there in a moment." He fished a very serious looking knife out of his clothing and cut my bonds.

He nodded slowly. "It does seem out of character for the Globies, even considering it's you. Usually they're more likely to try and talk a body to death."

"I know some people who are hurting. This vessel may well make the difference between scratching out a living and starving." Zakala said.

He shook his head. "No, Sir. I am still a Kurr. I am a scavenger. I find lost things, used up and cast off things, and put them to good use."

He grinned "Well, it seems that someone stomped her warp drive computer core into bits and then conducted an unplanned plasma venting."

"I'd like to ask your help in bringing this old girl back to where she'll do some good." Zakala said.

I nodded. "I can do that. But I'll need to contact my ship and let them know I'm alright."

"The people I am hoping to turn this vessel over to aren't very popular with the Kurr Council." He said.

"I'm gong to call them, and a rescue ship will be on it's way. Then what will you do?" I asked.

"I'll loot what I can off this ship and flee before they arrive." Zakala said. "I can still get some good stuff."

I found the Bridge with his help. I stumbled to a panel. "Here I go. Calling for help now." I stared at the baffling array of buttons and controls in a language I knew next to nothing of.

Zakala looked embarrassed, "The Communications system is that one there, actually."

He nodded grimly. "Don't blame you. I guess being held hostage reinforces your priorities." The control panel started beeping as he set up the subspace call.

The first thing we did was to go aboard Zakala's ship. It was more of a shuttle craft with delusions of long range. It had the smell of a small space with a person in it for far too long.

The inside of Zakala's ship was crowded with junk. it lent his ship a patchwork look that suited him. I spotted patch worked machinery working on his ship. The pieces seemed to be from different eras and different evolutions in Kurr design, but they were patched together with care.

"Not a problem," Zakala said. He held up an isolinear hexagon. "The public access database from the Harrier."

"Very nice." I said. I took the thing back down to the Bridge of the Glober ship and told it to upload English and use it in all displays.

Surprisingly enough, the ship's computer did it, just like that. There was very little security in it.

I'd done some damage to the port warp nacelle when I vented the plasma. It was usable, but not in great shape.

But the warp drive control computer was another story. Without it's isolinear hexagons, it wasn't going to work, period.

I went and found Zakala. He was in the engine room with a pile of random isolinear pieces. hexagons, rods, disks. All were identifiably Kurr, many were from different eras.

"I'll need some material to improvise with." I said. I went over to an area of engineering without displays all over it. Sure enough, there were tool lockers. I started pulling tools.

"The computer can talk to those chips if we can arrange the right connection." I said. I looked into his pile. "Oo! Is that a multitronic processor?"

He nodded. "I figure we can use it as a buffer between the data bus and the new chips."

I quit an hour into the work to go and grab some food from the replicator and to take a shower.

Then it was back to nit picky work that was actually very soothing. We used one of the systems display tables and set up lights over it so we could see what we were doing.

"Fringers." Zakala murmured. "People who have left the accepted bounds of Kurr Society."

"Literally. They have left the area of the former globe to seek new lives and new homes." Zakala said.

"The Kurr Council is still debating the ethics of settling and colonizing systems outside the globe." Zakala said.

"It's more that they need the material tied up in her, Captain. The Kurr Council has denied any and all material support for the colonists."

"Seriously. The ethical position that the Council came to was that they couldn't restrain the Colonists, but that they couldn't participate in an unethical act, should colonizing and exploiting new systems turn out to be injurious to others." Zakala explained.

"We Colonists can return to Kurr society any time we wish Captain." Zakala said mildly. "Those of us who remain don't wish to."

Zakala nodded. "It's the Banduch. They never do anything they haven't chewed over for a century first."

"I heard tell the Banduch were the central focus in establishing the Kurr Association following the englobement and the dark times." I said.

"So they are." Zakala said. "You won't meet a nicer bunch of people. Wise and contemplative, they really take the long view."

I told Zakala the story of my capture and odd captivity at the hands of the Globers.

He nodded. "I can sort of see it. By abandoning you in the Ship they weren't really killing you, just leaving you to your own devices."

"Yes, but then some Glober or other would have to look at himself and say 'I killed some one'." Zakala said.

"Umm. To seek out strange new worlds, to find new life forms and new civilizations." I replied.

"Well, I joined our space service for th same reason." Zakala said. "I read the old pre-englobement histories, speculative fiction and the adventures of the explorers of the Orla, The Kamla, and the Kloosh. I did everything possible to make myself ready for the day when the Globe would come down and we could once again seek out strange new worlds."

Zakala grinned. "Yes. Yes indeed. I dreamed quite a great deal. Then when the Globe went down, The Kurr Council said 'Wait' and 'take it slow'."

He shrugged "I couldn't. I've spent so long mentally living outside the globe, I couldn't just stand there and not go when the opportunity came up."

It was a pretty blue and green planet with all the details and variety of any class M Planet. I could almost smell the fresh air as we approached.

The Glober ship was named the Kalo, after the first sage to philosophize about the Globe.

We came in low over a Valley. I could see buildings strewn about with no rhyme or reason. The hulls of three Kurr transport ships anchored the various parts of the colony.

A nice looking river meandered through the Valley. Towards the northern end it ran quickly over rocks but about half way down the valley it opened up into a deep pool and then flowed away calmly. I could guess where the first landing on this world was.

The buildings were shanties, constructed of cargo crates, odds and ends and whatever material could be scrounged.

The people all seemed to be wearing Earth tones, but a lot of that was because they were dirty. I was reminded of Bajoran refugee camps.

Zakala and I climbed out of the Kalo and walked to meet the crowd that gathered to watch.

"Zeer and Jonor, may I introduce Captain Jay P Hailey?" Zakala said, gesturing to me expansively.

Zeer, the Human man looked openly dubious. I guess that Jonor's narrowed eyes and back cast ears meant the same thing.

I grinned. If they didn't believe it, then maybe no one else would either. "Sir, Madam, pleased."

I grinned more widely, and made it sound as slimy as I could "As far as you know."

Zakala looked at me with a grin spreading across his face. He got it. "In any case my guest here is a decent engineer, we could use him for a while."

Jonor stepped up to me. "This is not a haven for criminals. If you have injured someone, there is no room for you here."

I held up my hands "No, Ma'am. I am not wanted for any crimes by the Kurr Association."

Zakala said "We have some rations in the ship, I'll hand them out. Then we'll talk about how to part this old girl out for best effect."

"Our power supplies are critical. We'll need to run the reactors of this vessel through our replicators until exhausted." Zeer said.

I thought. "I could make a small deuterium scoop out of one of this ship's replicators. It wouldn't supply much, but that's more than you're getting now."

Zakala gave me a significant look. "And how would you do that?" I grabbed a PADD and diagrammed it out, in broad details. "I could go into more specifics, but I figure that if I just do it, that'll save some time."

"You have replicators. " I pointed out. "You need energy. What do you lose if you let me try it?"

"Do not lecture me on budgets and loss." Jonor said harshly. "I know more of these things than you ever will."

Three days of hard work later I had the screen ready to go. I was supervising some of the kids from the Colony. They were skinny but they had the chops to make great engineers if they could get the education.

We lowered the screen into the river. and got it attached to its frame along the shore.

I was noting every move on a PADD. They'd need to be able to fix it when it broke down.

The air was fresh and clean, a little cool. The sunlight was real and warmed me to my bones. The smells were indescribably nice.

Rogan and I started walking back to the Kalo. "I disagreed with the Kurr Council on their treatment of this colony. I expressed my disappointment that the issue hadn't been resolved since I left."

"Not as large as it is now, and not as struggling." Rogan said. "I honestly thought that the Kurr Council wouldn't abandon this place."

"Well, I met a man named Garla, and he held me hostage while he tried to explain why some people called the Globers were right." I said.

Rogan nodded. "A colloquial and not entirely flattering name for people who cling to a belief system that sprang up following the Englobement. Garla is a well known spokesman for the movement."

"I gathered that. After I tried to escape they tired me up and left me to die on the Kalo."

I nodded "He sure as hell did. Then a scavenger named Zakala came along and scavenged the Kalo, coincidently rescuing me."

"I am using one of the Kalo's replicators to build a deuterium scoop. With that we can filter deuterium out of the river, and fuel some of the impulse reactors around here."

Rogan looked at me. "You have been missing for two weeks. Mendez and the crew of the Discovery have been turning over the entire Association looking for you, accompanied by more than half the Space Service."

I sighed. Was there some denial going on there? "Let me finish the scoop and then we'll call them."

Rogan nodded. "I have brought a small personal vessel of my own. I shall speak to Zakala about how to be a scavenger."

"No. When I announced my intention to support the colony here personally, the Kurr Council froze my accounts and impoverished me." Rogan said with a self depreciating smile. "It's interesting how little things like that matter when important issues are on the line."

The lights came on and the replicator turned deuterium scoop started scooping. I scanned it with the old and well used tricorder I'd been lent. It scanned a microscopic amount of deuterium in the holding tank.

Mella, an urchin who showed fascinated interest in the idea of making metal and machines do anything you wanted came skittering over the rocks by the river bed.

I looked at her. A cold shiver ran down my spine. "How many, Mella?" She looked at me with big eyes. "A lot!"

I knelt and unrolled my tool kit. I took out the graceful, swooping Kurr phaser and tossed it to him. "Now you're heeled."

"I was just kidnapped and held at phaser point last week. It makes me jumpy." I explained.

After a small discussion, I came out from around a shanty at the edge of town. I approached two Orla soldiers of the Kurr Association.

I started to say "Excuse me." but before I finished they grabbed me and were hustling me towards the center of town. One was yelling into his communicator "Team 5, Team 5, We have the target! We have the Target safe and sound!"

I was in a shuttle craft. Typical of the Kurr it was graceful and swooping. Doctors bustled at me.

"Jandal what in the hell is this with the gestapo tactics?" I demanded "I was going to call you in another hour anyway!"

"I want these soldiers off this planet and I want these people left unmolested!" I demanded.

"You were stunned and kidnapped, Sir." Jandal said. "When word reached us that you were here..."

"You've scared children and civilian colonist witless with this over reaction-" I said

Jandal had enough. He cut me off. "I will not be spoken to this way by a CAPTAIN!" He leaned into my face "You turned down the rank, now you want to pull it!? I DON'T THINK SO! You Will sit there and be certified by the medics, and then you will tell your story to my investigators, and you will STOP THROWING YOUR WEIGHT AROUND!" his voice would have done credit to any drill instructor, "AM I CLEAR!?"

Jandal just looked at me again for a few moments. "Now trust me and my people to do our jobs correctly."

The interrogation was almost as bad as the time with the Globers. But they had more comfortable chairs, real food and didn't seem to want to tie me up as much.

"Because he'd just rescued me from certain death. I didn't have any reason not to." I answered.

"Do you have any reason to suspect that Garla , Zakala, Zeer and Jonor weren't all in league?"

"Well the fact that the colony is outside the previous boundaries of the globe might be a clue." I said.

In the end they let Zeer, Jonor, Zakala and Rogan go. I was a little offended that they'd arrested them to begin with, but admiral Jandal refused to be questioned on it, and that was that.

Jandal stopped and gripped the bridge of his nose. "Do you talk to your own commanding officers this way?'

He strode with quick determined steps to a door in the corridor of his command ship. He opened the door and held it open for me. I looked through. It was another store room. Disturbingly similar to the one on the Kalo.

"Emergency supply locker." he growled. "No ship is returning to dock with more than absolute minimum supplies and materials on board. You're not the only one offended by this. But we can't go running off half cocked. We have a system and it works. Not always quickly and not always well, but it what we have."

"Thank you, Admiral." I said. "I won't bother you any more."

Jandal shook his head at me. "Tell the truth. You pestered the Harmon until they gave in just to shut you up didn't you?"

I stood there with my mouth open for a bit. He grinned "You are a prize sometimes, Hailey. I'll give you that."

My homecoming to the Discovery was warm and happy for me. I could see Mendez had aged about ten years.

I dictated my whole story into the ships log and then called Mendez in to apologize.

Mendez looked like he was going to assault me for a moment but then relaxed. "You're back and safe now, and that's all that counts."

The Council chambers were a nice glade in a beautiful forest. A geodesic dome stretched to cover the area. It was made of transparent aluminum or something like that. There were small kiosks with services in them

Those councilors who desired lived in a carefully designed, carefully tended city a few minutes away by air car. The Banduch lived in the forest, grazing happily and thinking things at each other.

"Captain, this council has not yet conceded that the settlement on the planet now called Harrier's Gift is ethical." The Kamla Councilor said. He was a very old Kamla with wrinkles and most of his face gray.

I thought about it for a few moments "Garla left me bound hand and foot and then walked away, telling himself that whatever happened was not his fault. Your not doing that much differently to the people of that colony."

I thought carefully. Then it hit me. "Don't you trust your own people to make ethical decisions?"

"If all of the Kurr people made ethical decisions then what would they need us for?" the Kloosh councilor asked.

"Good question." I said. "It's not taking part in their decision, if you give them what is theirs. Please unfreeze their personal accounts and let them purchase what they need to avoid starvation."

The Banduch Counselor thought at me. **We shall consider what you have said, Captain.**

I leaned back and asked the council at large. "If you're not going to go, why did we want the Globe down to begin with?"

The refit took three months. The Discovery was back in almost tip-top form. Sadly the Kurr didn't have any way to replace our dead bio-mimetic gel packs. The Discovery regained her top speed range as emergency speed, but she was limited to one light year per day cruising.

I didn't mind We had 500 new torpedoes. new phaser collimator crystals, a sound hull, all system were as close to spec as we could get them and we had plenty of spares.

The council hadn't said anything about the Colony on Harrier's Gift, or any of the other Fringer colonies.

I didn't like that. But what could I do? I'd given the Official Great Liberator Seal of Approval to the whole thing. It was now out of my hands.

It was the big day. We'd launch the Discovery and do a Shake down cruise to various points in the Kurr association before resuming our long trek back home.

All lights were green, all systems were go. Everyone looked tanned and rested. I was grinning non-stop.

An irritated beep sounded on Lucas McCoy's board. "Incoming distress call, Sir."

"The Kurr Scout Dragonfly reporting contact with a Zak Battle group, Sir." Lucas listened. "They make it three Zak battlecruisers and eight Tonagi escorts."

"The Dragonfly is under fire." McCoy said. He checked. "Time delay on this is four hours. They don't have any subspace repeaters outside the old globe."

"Several of the Kurr cruisers have gone to alert status," Stephanie reported. "There are queries and requests for clarification all over."

Lucas McCoy took his ear piece out and rotated away from his board, so he was sitting , but not at his station. He looked at me. "I lost 'em. It didn't sound good there at the end. The Zak task force is heading straight for Harrier's Gift."

"I'm getting confused orders, Sir." Stephanie said. "Some ships are requesting course for intercept, others are requesting clarification."

Admiral Jandal came on the screen looking haggard. "All units, Stand down. The Zak taskforce will not cross into official Kurr Territory."

Jandal looked grim. "They knew the chance they were taking when they left." He blanked out.

I couldn't believe it. After a few moments of stunned silence seven of the Kurr Frigates turned and began moving away from the dock.

"Stephanie, hail dock control and ask permission to cast off for our shake down run."

Mendez looked at me. "Captain, wouldn't that be interfering with the Kurr Associations culture?"

Admiral Jandal came back on the Discovery's main screen. "Discovery, what is your intention?"

I looked at the Admiral with what I hoped was an innocent expression. "A shakedown cruise, Admiral. We were scheduled for that, today."

"Discovery, you are not to interfere in Internal Kurr Association affairs." Jandal warned.

"Undock and take us out. Thrusters ahead, and 45 degrees starboard, Mister Spaat."

With large clunking noises, the Discovery shook free of her host for these many weeks and was once again under her own power.

For several minutes the Discovery moved gently away from the Starbase. When we were clear enough. I said "Set intercept course for the Zak task force and engage at one half impulse."

Stephanie reported. "I am getting multiple communications. Several ships are requesting permission to observe us on our shakedown. Admiral Jandal is trying to recall them."

As soon as it became apparent who was going and who was staying I said "Warp Seven, engage" and the Discovery leapt to warp accompanied by Kurr cruisers, escorts and scouts.

As we neared the location of our meeting with the Zak battlegroup, we worked on plans.

I said "Carlos, you and Zuma take the Battle Bridge and coordinate the fleet. Stephanie, Lucas and I will try to keep the ship together while you two win this one for us."

I was grim. We would have to intercept the Zak formation in the Harrier's Gift system. That left the colonists too badly exposed for my tastes.

"I'd like to detail the Sky-Adventurer, the Night-Time-Voyager, and the Star-Greeter to go to close orbit of the planet and defend it from stray missiles." Zuma said. He'd been thinking the same thing.

I nodded "Ask their captains if they'd be amenable to this role." "Captain to the Bridge." McCoy called over the intercom.

There was a ship on the screen. "A Kurr Scout, Sir. She's burning her engines to catch us." McCoy explained.

"It says it's a Kurr Space Service Staff ship, but the details are being washed out by their engine damage." Kamaline reported.

I waited. It didn't take long. We left warp and the scout followed suit almost immediately.

She approached us with he engines glowing and deforming from the heat. That little ship wasn't going to warp on her own without a whole new set of engines.

"Secure shuttle bay three to bring that ship aboard. Beam the crew into transporter room three." I said "As soon as they're aboard, resume course."

I arrived in transporter room three to meet Admiral Jandal, Captain Ferma , and Commanders Gelar, Molal and Rogan.

Rogan grinned back. "My invitation to the party must have gotten lost in the mails."

Jandal sighed "Captain Hailey. The Discovery has extensive command and control facilities. May I use them?"

I looked at him. "This ship is on her way to the defense of a civilian colony, Admiral."

"Then we are at your disposal, Sir. We're using the Battle bridge as our flag bridge. I'll ask Commander Mendez and Lt Zuma to brief you on our current plans."

"Thank you." Jandal looked like he'd be permanently mad for the rest of his life.

We came out of warp in the Harrier's Gift system a few minutes ahead of the Zak task force.

Three of those ships continued on to take last ditch defensive positions over Harrier's Gift.

The rest of the group was forming up. I could hear Admiral Jandal's voice directing his wayward ships to their positions.

I waited. My mouth was dry and my hands were sweaty. I hated this. I have always sucked at combat simulations. I didn't want to fail at this. Lives were on the line. No pressure.

The face of a Zak appeared on the main view screen. I couldn't tell him apart from the last commander I faced. He did have different decorations and belts on.

"You are violating the sovereign space of the Colony of Harrier's Gift." Jandal said. "State your purpose, please."

He listened "They've changed their encryption. We're calculating now."
"I say again, state your intentions." Jandal said.

"We have come to wipe out the Colony of Harrier's Gift." The Zak said. "It threatens us and it shall die."

"As part of the Kurr Association, it represents an increase on the number of Kurr mammals and an increase in the space and resources in your hands." The Zak commander explained.

"But the Kurr Association hasn't decided if it accepts this colony yet." Jandal said.

"Lies! You said you were leaving this colony Vulnerable! We believed you and came to end it only to find you here!" The Zak commander seemed genuinely offended that the Kurr weren't willing to stand by and let the inhabitants of Harrier's Gift be massacred.

"We are here now. We are prepared to discuss a peaceful resolution to this dilemma." Jandal said.

"I am offended and I find your defensive stance threatening." The Zak Commander said.

Jandal's voice was strained. I understood that. The Zak logic was difficult to follow at best. "We threaten you, by being willing to defend ourselves?"

"Photon torpedoes to proximity warheads, fire to knock out the missiles. Phasers to full point defense." I said. "Put tactical on the main viewscreen."

Then I felt immensely stupid. Oh my God. I couldn't believe I'd forgotten this for that long.

"Helm, set course to intercept the Lead Zak Battle cruiser." I said. I felt pretty stupid. I'd forgotten we even had the thing during our earlier conflict with the Tonagi.

The tactical display showed the blossoms of the photon torpedo blasts. A large chunk of the initial wave of Zak/Tonagi missiles were taken out.

McCoy put a picture up on one of the large repeater screens One of the Kurr swan-frigates was speckled with holes all around the base of her long neck. The holes were regular and regularly spaced.

"Swimmer-Along-the-Shore-of-Night, Bright-Crested-Morning-Flier, close with the Discovery and provide anti-missile coverage." Jandal ordered

On the Tactical screen, we saw two of the Kurr Swan Frigates close into formation with us.

As the missiles closed in we discovered what the holes on the shoulders of the Kurr ships were. They were missile ports. About seven centimeters wide, they issued small, very fast missiles which moved with very high energy and enthusiasm to meet their Zak/Tonagi targets.

"What do you think, Stephanie? Can we redirect the Photorps away from anti-missile work?" I asked.

The Discovery bucked and shuddered. "Disruptor blasts. The lead Zak ship has begun firing on us." Stephanie said.

With explosions and beams every where, the two formations met. I couldn't worry about the larger picture. I had to trust that Mendez and Jandal had that end of it handled.

We came up on the first Zak ship. The lights were starting to dim. "Fire the Shield Disruptor!" I said.

The blue energy ball separated from the front of the Discovery and floated across to the Zak ship like it had all the time in the world.

It struck and the Zak battlecruiser's shields flared. "His shields are on the verge of collapse." Stephanie reported.

"Phasers to maximum power, continuous fire. Target his weapons and engines." I said.

The Discovery lashed out. The Zak battlecruiser's shields died and the Discovery's phasers played across his hull. We left the first Zak battlecruiser a burning wreck. It felt good.

As we passed the Zak battlecruiser, two Tonagi ships pounced on us. The Discovery boomed and shuddered as we absorbed beams and missiles from the Tonagi.

The Discovery spat ten photon torpedoes. at the Tonagi ship. He started broadcasting "YIPE! YIPE! YIPE!" and I saw him venting atmosphere and plasma.

The Bright-Crested-Morning-Flier got too close to the other Tonagi pocket battlecruiser, they exchanged beams and missiles. The Bright-Crested-Morning-Flier tumbled away from the exchange leaking plasma, atmosphere and debris. Her lights went out. The Bright-Crested-Morning-Flier was a large metal coffin. I hoped we could pull survivors out later.

"Break left, Mister Spaat, come to heading 045 mark 015 relative." I checked the tactical screen. "Make that 045 mark 345 relative bearing."

"Aye, Sir." Spaat said, the Discovery curved around to her starboard side, descending slightly

"Forward shields are down fifty percent, Captain. Light damage to the starboard side lateral arrays. Swimmer-Along-the-Shore-of-Night is holding formation reports light damage. Bright-Crested-Morning-Flier is adrift without power. I can't reinforce our forward screens with the shield disruptor arming. We don't have enough power to go around."

With another barrage of Photon torpedoes we took that Tonagi out of the battle permanently.

As we came around I highlighted another Zak Cruiser . We were coming up behind him. As we approached. from below his nose he fired an odd blue white beam at a Kurr Swan Frigate. The Frigate crumpled and accelerated backwards as shocking rate, until it exploded.

"A focused graviton beam." Kamaline answered. "I guess it's a sort of super pressor beam."

"Damn it. Get him." I said. I didn't want to see any more Kurr ships destroyed that way.

We rolled up on him. The lights dimmed again as the shield disruptor charged up.

The globe floated. A Tonagi ship hurled itself into the path of the weapon. Our universal translator gave us the transmissions of the ship as he did so. "I bravely sacrifice myself for you., scaly, frightening but beneficent masters! With my noble last gasp I respectfully request favors in consideration!" The globe struck the Tonagi and he lost all shields.

The Discovery unleashed a barrage of Photorps into the Zak Battlecruiser followed by every phaser beam we could lay our hands on. We could see his shields flare and his hull burn. But not quite as much as I would have liked. Just when it seemed we might get somewhere the Discovery shuddered and boomed.

"All battle section phasers to point defense, except for the main ventral array." I said. "Continue firing on the Zak. When's the next shot with the shield disruptor?"

"Discovery, the third Zak Battlecruiser is moving to engage you, take evasive action now!" Admiral Jandal said over the open comm.

The Discovery seemed to lean to the left quite a bit. The odd blue white beam of a Zak super pressor beam shot passed us.

More booms and shudders. "Rear shields down to thirty five percent." Stephanie reported. "Minor damage to main shuttlebay."

The Discovery ponderously lifted her nose and began to climb at increasing speed.

"The Zak are turning away." Stephanie said. "They're targeting other Kurr ships. Two Tonagi in pursuit. I've lost track of Swimmer-Along-the-Shore-of-Night." "Evasive." I said.

We continued to flee from the Tonagi for about a minute. I could see the blue glow on another shot from the shield disruptor come up.

The Discovery rolled ponderously over on her back and approached the battle once again.

We saw our target try to shoot another Kurr Vessel with his focus graviton beam. But the Kurr weren't letting that happen easily. The Swan Frigate dodged the beam, gracefully.

We heard the Tonagi calling. "Sacred scaly ones! Look out! The Discovery comes armed with her shield killer! Danger! Danger!"

Our beams and torpedoes rocked the Zak battle cruiser again. We'd damaged his warp drive. He was fighting fires.

"Admiral, " I called "I suggest we retreat and regroup." No point in going toe-to toe with still functional ships just to make a random patch of space safe. By backing off we could leave them stuck and out of the fight.

"Agreed, All ships set course towards Harriers Gift and engage at full impulse. We'll regroup at 200,000 kilometers away from the planet." Admiral Jandal said.

As we left, we fired the Shield disruptor at the second Zak battlecruiser, hitting him. His shield generators exploded.

When we regrouped we had seven ships counting the Discovery. I winced. We were lucky the Tonagi were content to follow at a distance, throwing missiles that beams, torpedoes and counter-missiles easily shot down.

We formed up within a light second of Harrier's Gift. The Tonagi ships followed at a distance, lobbing missiles. They yapped and howled and maneuvered restlessly. I felt like an antelope on the savanna. There were six Tonagi ships left, three of them wounded.

"Photon torpedoes, proximity fused, target Tonagi ship number three." I said. I recognized the one we'd attacked earlier.

Torpedoes streaked away. Stephanie was good with them. The Tonagi ship's shields collapsed. Venting plasma and debris, yiping as loudly as his subspace transmitter would allow, he withdrew from the battle.

McCoy reported. "He's docked to the first ship we hit. He seems to be taking on survivors."

All at once the Tonagi ships split up and flew away from us at 90 degrees relative to the planet.

"Take us to the planet. Maximum power to the impulse drives!" I called. "We have to get there before the Tonagi do!"

The Swan Frigates were fast enough to catch the Tonagi ships. The Discovery was not. We were cutting directly back to the planet, taking a shorter route than the Tonagi were.

Some of the Kurr ships went two on one against the Tonagi. Two Tonagi were taken out of the fighting that way. I watched heart sick as the swan frigates were mangled and destroyed by Tonagi weapons fire. The Tonagi ships were just better enough that one-on-one the Kurr swan frigates couldn't taken them.

The three Kurr swan frigates left to guard the planet went into a hover several hundred kilometers over the site of the main colony.

Spaat looked at his board for a moment. "He is making for the other side of Harrier's Gift - not to make a pass at the Colony site."

"He's going to try and fire missiles low and slow." I said. "They may be able to slip under the Kurr defensive fire by coming around the planet in deep atmosphere. Alter course, we're going after him."

Spaat looked at me with a raised eye brow "Shall we follow his course or pass the planet in the opposite direction?"

"We'll go around the opposite side. Hopefully we can catch him at close range." I said.

"Can you hit him during a high speed pass, Stephanie?" I turned and looked at her.

I turned back grinning. It was the first time I'd ever seen anyone have to stretch out to use a tactical panel.

As Harrier's Gift loomed in our view screen I said "Stephanie, you can have the main dorsal array, but every other array needs to be knocking down his missiles."

It looked like we were going to hit the planet. We were well inside the warp limit.

I saw bright flashes as the remaining Tonagi met the remaining Kurr ships. I gritted my teeth. I hated it, but we had to get this one straggler or he'd slip the knife in.

We rolled around the planet and there he was. As soon as we cleared the atmosphere our phasers started firing, each beam wiping away a missile.

The Tonagi positively screeched as we came into view, calling for back up. It was nice to have one on the other side of the equation for once.

The Discovery and the Tonagi pocket battlecruiser raced at each other with stunning speed. The proximity of the planet made our speed apparent. The Discovery thumped as the torpedo tubes fired as quickly as possible. Ten torpedoes right on top of each other. The Tonagi ship was covered in a fire works show and the torpedoes stripped off his forward shielding and blasted into his hull.

The Discovery hummed as her main phaser bank played a beam all over the Tonagi's ship. Critical systems were damaged, especially his engines and weapons.

The Discovery flashed past the Tonagi ship in a blink As we did so the aft photon torpedo tubes spoke. The Tonagi ship lost all aft shielding and was reduced to a wreck.

I wanted to leap to my feet and shout "EEEYES!!!" I had to recall with some effort that this wasn't a game. People were dying.

As the planet passed overhead, we saw the bright sparks and flashes of the battle. Stephanie zoomed the main monitor in. I felt sick to my stomach. The flashes were the last Tonagi ship finishing off the Kurr frigates. Two Tonagi ships were moving, although one was severely damaged.

"Phasers, engage at will." I said. It was still a few moments before our torpedoes recharged.

Our beams played off the weakened shields of the last Tonagi pocket battlecruiser.

He nodded and I said "All Tonagi! Submit! The Discovery demands it! We will accept no less! Submit!"

The last functioning Tonagi pocket battlecruiser stopped firing and rolled itself inverted. It transmitted wimpers and pleas.

A cringing Tonagi came into view. "Oh great and mighty Federations! Your sickly and pale appearance truly hides great ferocity. We cast ourselves bodily upon your mercy." This was the Universal translator's rendition of his pathetic whines and whimpers.

"All Tonagi ships will throw main energy weapon couplings and all missiles over board." I said. "Now."

The Tonagi commander cringed very theatrically and within moments parts came flying out of the Tonagi ships.

"How are we doing Admiral?" I asked. I was happy. It seemed as though we were finally on the upside of this issue.

The main view screen lit up to show the site of the Harrier's Gift colony. It was a smoking crater. We hadn't stopped all the missiles.

The Discovery separated into battle section and saucer section. The remaining Zak battlecruiser fled from the Discovery's battle section. The saucer section picked up survivors from the Kurr fleet.

The large empty space where the Howard colony was housed became a makeshift sickbay for the survivors.

A Kamla woman grinned brightly at me. "It is an honor to serve beside you, Sir." She said.

The neural control stuck to her head kept her from feeling the pain of the 3rd degree burns over most of her body.

"The honor is mine." I said. "You have done your service proudly." . I felt hollow inside. Past tears. "Please focus on getting well now."

She slid back into the makeshift bed, peacefully drifting off. She left a smear of blood.

Burlington bustled up. "Yeah, yeah, we're all covered in military glory. Get out of here and let my patients be." She saw the expression on my face. "She'll make a full recovery in time."

"We're picking up Kurr life signs on the colony. Thousands of them. Details aren't plain yet."

I shook my head "Why am I not surprised?" I turned to Admiral Jandal. "I'll handle the Tonagi, with your permission, Admiral."

Jandal nodded shortly. "I'll start seeing what's happening on the Colony. You handle the Tonagi. You seem to have a feel for them."

On the bridge I called the Battle section on an open channel "Commander Mendez. The Tonagi have held out on us. Target the nearest functioning Tonagi ship and destroy it."

As he nodded slowly the Tonagi over all commander came on the screen. "WAIT! WAIT! We Submit!"

"PLEASE, oh great nearly psychic primates!" The Tonagi Commander said. "I...." he looked around "I have just learned that my XO has traitorously and treacherously betrayed us!"

The Commander pulled a smart looking blaster pistol and shot his senior officer. "I have executed him for his transgression! Do not destroy us!"

I looked at him for a few moments trying to keep my lunch down. Hopefully that was a stun beam.

"All missiles, All main energy weapon power couplings and all warp cores. I will not warn you again." I said coldly. I signaled to McCoy to cut the channel.

I sat down. But I had to get up and run for my ready room. My gorge has its limits.

The site was burned, charred wreckage. The smell of smoke saturated everything. My uniform would retain the smell until I cleaned or recycled it.

We beamed down loaded with emergency supplies. Food, water, medicines, tools. We stripped the Discovery down

The survivors walked out of the woods. Jonor and Zeer led the way. Jonor's fur looked singed. Zeer had a rosy burn across about half his face.

Marcella didn't wait for introductions, she approached them. "I'm a doctor. Let me help you."

"Lieutenant Commander Lucas McCoy, my third in command." I said "Zeer and Jonor, the leaders of the Colony."

She looked at me for a moment and then reached for the supplies I was carrying. "They knocked down the screen to the deuterium scoop. We'll need that back to make a recovery."

I grinned. She got it too. "Yes, Ma'am. Let me get the kids up to speed on the emergency rations and I'll get on that."

I demonstrated how to open a pack of emergency rations to Mella. She was already halfway through it by the time I finished. "I'm glad you weren't here when it happened." I told her gravely.

I turned to McCoy. "Lucas, take charge of the relief effort here. I'll get their deuterium scoop back up and rejoin you."

We walked through the ruins of the town. I could see the shattered hulls of the former transports. The Tonagi missiles targeted the old ship hulls specifically.

The ground was mostly black and charred. Random bits of debris were all that were left of the shanty town.

Jandal spoke to Zeer and Jonor. He was grinning "I have the honor to tell you that the Kurr Council has decided to support your colony."

Jonor wasn't giving him an inch. "We'll see how much that amounts to this winter."

Rogan leaned forward and spoke quietly to me. "Their relationship caused a scandal many years ago. Some Kamla and humans are attracted to each other but a minority and this was not spoken of openly."

I looked at him. He continued "They were also high ranking members of the Space Service. They created a board of preparation to plan for the day the globe fell. My ship and crew were products of their plans. When the Kurr Council decided to recommend putting off expansion until the ethical considerations could be fully considered they left the Service in protest and started this colony."

"They didn't take your reputation as seriously as anyone else. They were too busy reading the Harrier's public information packet and making plans."

"Good morning Carlos." I said, as Mendez came into my ready room. It was positively sparkling now.

I looked up. His tone wasn't happy. "Go ahead. Have a seat. Can I get you anything?"

He sat down in a chair across from my desk, leaning forward. "Nothing for me, thank you." he slid a PADD across my desk at me.

I picked it up. It was a list of messages addressed to me, the Discovery and the command staff in general. I opened the first letter. It was from Rogan. It listed his credentials and experience and requested a berth on the Discovery. I opened the next several of them. All were essentially the same.

I blinked at it. Half the Kurr Association Space Service wanted to join the Discovery's crew. "Oh, boy."

Mendez nodded "Yes. We're understaffed. That's part of why the Discovery degraded so badly on the way here."

I thought about the engineering schedules I'd seen. Qualified volunteers made my mouth water. "But we won't be coming back this way for a while, if ever."

I looked at the PADD again. Most of these people wanted a deep space adventure with the Great Liberator. I just looked at it for a while.

'You record shows that each of you has been in a position of grave danger before." I said. "Lieutenant Zalla, you were on a ship that had a plasma manifold explosion. You survived for two weeks in an office and store room before rescue crews discovered you."

"I can't promise you anything better than that. This is a long trek across unknown space. You've been close to death. You know what I am saying. This could happen to you again. Or worse." I said.

She thought for a moment. "I want to see strange new worlds and new civilizations. I want to go where no Kamla has gone before." She looked me in the eye. "If we go, other Kamla will follow. We'd be blazing a trail for Kurr to follow."

"And you, Lieutenant Gravas?" I asked. "You were in the hospital for months following the radiation leak on the Swift Messenger of Dawn."

Gravas looked at me "Zalla thinks it's important. I have the skills to do the job. Anywhere she goes, there is my home." He shrugged "Besides. It's doing something. Better than doing something that doesn't amount to anything."

"That sounds sort of casual. Do you have what it takes to hang in there day after day?" I asked.

I nodded. You didn't recover from injuries like his without day-in, day-out commitment. I gave them an upcheck. Mendez had already added his.

With 50 new crew people from the Kurr Association, The Discovery launched to a fanfare. Another parade of Starships both Kurr Space Service and civilian watched us. We were also carrying two Diplomatic and contact missions. One was for the Federation.

We rolled out past an upgraded Swan Frigate. With Collimated Phasers, photon torpedoes, bigger impulse drives, and heavier structural integrity fields, she would be more than a match, one-on-one for a Tonagi pocket battlecruiser.

We also sailed past another dock where a new ship was taking form. I recognized the basic frame members of a Galaxy class battle section taking form.

"Set course for Murachi." I said. It was a risky trip, but the Kurr wanted to get to meet the people who led us to the Harmon.

The Discovery leapt to warp

That decision haunts me to this day. The Discovery could have stayed in the Kurr Association. They would have welcomed us. But we didn't. We pressed on for home.

Disclaimer: Paramount owns all things Star Trek. I claim Original Characters and Situations for me.

Star Trek: Outwardly Mobile Episode 56: The Harrier's Gift

Star Trek: Outwardly Mobile
Episode 56: The Harrier's Gift